The Elves, huh.

I suppose...something like that could happen in this world, I guess.

It isn't like I asked about what kind of fantasy tropes would be present in this world.

These elves don't sound particularly nice, but I can't help but wonder if they're able to be any kind of threat to me even so. They'd be awful close to the starter town to be able to threaten me, but I'm not going to complain about anything that manages to be a challenge.

Though they're not obviously present at the moment, I can tell the implication.

If they've been magically manipulating this forest somehow to extend it just to get us lost, then us figuring this out must be a prelude to encountering them.

It's odd, though.

If they're hostile and keeping us in here, why didn't they attack in the night while we slept?

Maybe that rotating shifts thing kept them at bay. Maybe it was the campfire.

I don't know.

Unless they're just afraid to approach us as long as one person is awake - which seems odd even for a nonhuman - we should encounter them somehow soon.

That's what makes sense to me, but I can't dwell on it too long, or the annoyingly chirpy voice in my head will tell me way more information than I needed.

Which would spoil it for me.

...If I'm going to run into something soon anyway, I may as well ask.

"So when should we see the elves?"

Everyone's faces pale immediately.

Their horses seem to catch onto the mood and begin to stamp their feet nervously.

So.

Very hostile indeed, how interesting.

I'll definitely get some kind of fight from these guys.

This is why I've stuck with this group.

They will draw out whatever it is I'm supposed to fight.

Assuming we encounter the elves at all.

Which seems inevitable?

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

I don't know, there really isn't anything I can do right now but play it by ear anf follow the lead of everyone else.

I don't fancy seeing anyone die, especially knowing they'll really be dying - not just some NPC kicking the bucket but a person actually dying - so at this point it's probably for the best if we're not encountering any kind of group target enemies or...

I don't know.

I think I'm overthinking.

I shake my head and press my lips together, staring at Kael.

"The reason why the woods are different and bigger than they should be is that the elves are trying to trap us here, right?" I nod to the forest around us. "And if they want that, we'll encounter them once they think we're softened up enough. Right?"

Kael squints at me for a long moment, and shakes his head finally.

"No. Probably not." He takes a breath. "Woodland elves like to engage with their enemies at long distance. By the time they get close enough to count as some kind of encounter we'd already be destroyed by it."

"I see." I scratch my head. "Well, how dangerous are they? Could we just barrel past them and force our way through to safety?"

Kael grimaces and shakes his head.

I tilt my head. "But?"

Kael huffs. "How would we get past them? They've got too much range, and they can control the forest around us enough to make anyone miserable."

....That's pretty cheap and annoying, overall.

I hate when things are like that.

Still, I shift in the seat and scan the horizon lines of the forest around us.

Maybe I can spot something?

It makes me feel better than just sitting and waiting like a fish in a barrel, at least.

If I can identify where such an attack comes from before we get the attack done, then I can save plenty of time finding a way to return fire before anyone else is harmed.

...But I don't see anything.

I suppose it was-

Meera lets out an exaggerated yawn from her horse. She seems to have thoroughly recovered from any initial shock or fear she felt from the mention of the elves.

How odd.

I for one don't know why Meera would be so relaxed about this apparent threat.

I glance to Elara and Arin's nervous expressions just to make sure I'm not vastly misunderstanding what people call a threat or what makes people afraid.

They are still just as nervous.

So no, it's really Meera who seems oblivious.

"Why aren't you worried? Doesn't she understand the situation?" I stare at her, baffled, first asking her directly, then the others immediately after. Again, just to make sure I'm not the one who's completely in the wrong here.

No matter what - whether she's right or I'm right, I can't bring myself to worry too hard yet.

I just don't want to get my hopes up.

Especially if all that happens are disembodied arrows flying out of the forest. That would be annoying.

Meera hums and waves her hand. "Elves are like cats!"

...Like cats.

I stare at her blankly.

What do elves have in common with cats? Other than that her cat probably also seems to want her to perish like the elves do.

But I think that's more of a her thing than a cat thing.

Meera hums, swaying on her horse. "They like to be left alone, they don't tolerate people forcing their way into their attention, and! They like playing with yarn balls..."

One of those is not like the others.

And I'm pretty sure it's also not true.

Kael stares at her for a long moment and then shakes his head. "If you have any of those to toss at the elves if we encounter them then go ahead and try, Maybe it will distract them."

Will it?

...No, I'm pretty sure Kael is humoring the woman.

I'll count it as a good thing. For them, anyway.

For me...

Well, it doesn't matter.

Until I confirm they're a challenge for me, it doesn't really matter if Kael's worried or not. A miss is as good as a mile.

Or something like that.

Just as I'm about to pursue more of Meera's conversational skills and strange theories, a figure steps out of the wood in front of us.

From.

Nothing.