He came over and patted her hand, a bit too hard.

She leaned backward in the chair and turned her face away some.

"You're still getting over a nasty illness that left your mind muddled. Rest; I'll check on you later."

She rubbed her forehead and breathed a ragged breath. "You may be right."

"Of course I am."

For just a fraction, he held his lips in a taunt and thin. Then spoke again, but no voice came out.

The room brightened, and the chair became soft and cozy...

No. Wait. This didn't feel right none of it. She shook her head. The small well-tended, warm comforting room turned stifling and dark; the chair was hard and lumpy, as she shifted in it.

"What is this?" Her neck weakened, and she held her head in her hands.

"Sleep." His brows rose and then crinkled and he moved back to the doorway. The words pressed on her mind and dragged her down, her eyes closed on their own. Sparks appeared behind her closed lids just like when being blinded by a bright light. No! This wasn't right!

Bang!

Then a thump and rumbling in the distance.

The man spun around, slammed the door, and turned the lock.

Should be more concerned about the noises, but the heaviness of sleep continued to pull and drag her down. Her limbs relaxed and her body slumped into the chair. The edges of reality faded to a fragmentary awareness. She passed in and out of consciousness, inside her head, she screamed and fought against the dark cage and rattled its bars.

Voices.

Dust tickled her nose, from the chair. Yes. From the chair: This was wrong. It took more effort than normal to open her eyes, the heaviness and pressure to sleep clawed and yanked. The bones of her hands pressed into her face, the mild discomfort helped.

Water splashed close by. A moment later, wetness seeped into her boots. She frowned. Had bare feet, not boots.

The tiredness slogged off bit by bit, everything was a bit blurry. She rubbed her eyes, then placed both hands on the greasy armrests and flexed her fingers tight into the rotted cloth, ripping holes into it. She crushed the arm rests tighter a grinding burn built up in her joints. The what-ifs still floated about and flashes of an unknown life tried to press back—she shoved them away. This couldn't be real. She touched her ears, still long, they reached far back. No, not human. She nodded to herself.

She growled, long and low and ground her teeth. Whatever and whoever is behind this would pay for thinking they a mere human could do this to me! Her mind muddled, and she held her head in her hands again and shook her head back and forth. Am good a woman should just...

"What the hells am I saying? Damnation on the gods below!" she shouted and then screeched. All pretense at hiding it to not upset the humans tossed away. The muddlement resisted and coated the edges of her mind, ready to work back the moment... anger. Anger brought clarity. Have to stay angry. A prickling ran up and down her arms, up her neck followed by a rush tingling her scalp.

Water flooded the store, and it rose up past her heels, soaking the boots. Huh? The boots were real? Ugg. Don't think about it right now.

Waves of ripples and electric jolts ran along her arms, over her head and down her back. The god. Unnamed. He's still sleeping. She grinned it came on slow until her cheeks stretched. Full strength for once. First, a test.

She took ahold of the door handle and yanked; it shuddered, cracked and ripped off the hinges. "Oh ho, oh ho, come out little mage—I wish to give payment——of pain and blood." Hope that scares him.

There were piles of heavy furniture, tables and such against the far entrance. "Just what did this fool do?"

Mother always warned about keeping control; our Elvin temperaments ran hot and could easily turn into hate and slide into worse ways. Right now don't care.

Her cheeks pulled up higher as the smile deepened and she squinted her eyes. The sharp tang of sweat. She headed to the left, and sniffed again. There.

The man hid in the shadows of the corner of the shop, just away from the window, in his hands a short sword, the sun's rays glinted off the point.

"Stay away from me, fay! This is made from iron." He slashed the air before him.

She glared at him. "You're mistaken. I'm an elvin iron does nothing to me." She moved closer to a wooden table, walked around it, and dragged her nails into it. Sccc-hric-ccch. Soft curls of it fell off as she walked slowly over. "Who taught you that spell?" Not that he'd actually say who, but his reactions might give a clue.

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His gray skin shimmered and turned pale, it shimmered again and bounced before sliding off. He straightened, his face changed to that of a tall white young man with a patch of beard on his chin, muscles bulging under the gray tunic, and a red hooded cape draped across his shoulders.

A trick? It didn't matter. Quickly she rubbed her forehead, shading her eyes, which began to widen.

"I tried to be gentle and do as he said, to bring you in without harm. But you're proving obstinate." He stepped closer, blade in hand. He breathed in a deep, fearsome breath.

Arrogant, thankfully most humans weren't this way, but the few that were were bad enough. Only want to complete this mission, and yet am blocked at every turn. A shaking filled her, as did an almost burring need to take that stupid cloak that started this nightmare and stuff it into his mouth and make him choke on it.

Instead, she grabbed the table, lifted it over her head and lightly threw it at him. "Catch!" It wouldn't kill him, such a shame.

His eyes widened and the table cracked into his chest; he and the table went scuffing back, he smashed into a glass case, it shattered sending shards flying off throughout the store. The blade dropped out of his hand and cruised under a ordinate desk. He slowed down his breaths to small puffs and a short wheeze escaped.

She covered her eyes with an arm, and dodged the shards as she ambled over. Might have tossed that too hard.

"Tell me. Tell me who did this. And I won't wrench and rip your arms out like a chicken's leg." She picked up a thin wooden statue on a shelf, snapped it in half, then tossed it away. Scared people sometimes didn't fight back, hope this works until am near the window...

Her body now fluid slinked over soundless. She bent her head. "Get on with it," her words held a light hiss to them, forced through clenched teeth.

He wiggled out from under the table, and refused to look her way. He scuttled over, breathing hard, lines of sweat dropped off the sides of his face. He stood silent for a moment before speaking. Many a flicker of some emotion passed across his face; a flicker of heat flashed in his eyes.

"I have nothing to tell you!"

Overdid that.

He stared and began to soundlessly whisper again.

Not again!

"Shut up!" She covered her ears and edged toward the door. The barricaded door. A window beside it only had a small table under it.

Eyes glinting as he stood, then he took several steps over.

Sprinting to the window, she jumped on the table, rolled up into a ball and jumped through. Instead of a crash, the glass bucketed and tossed her back, she rolled off the table and landed on her side.

A shadow loomed over her, and as he bent down, a smile played on his lips as he started with the wordless chant.

Not this time! Her slap sounded across his face with a sharp crack and left a red handprint edged with white.

The chanting stopped, his body stilled and a cold ice pooled into his eyes. He held his jaw in his hands and wiggled it back and forth. "You know, I don't have to keep you in good health. I— "

She shoved him away and then kicked him in the ribs. He rolled over the floor and bumped into the wall.

"You listen to me now. I don't care anymore why you are doing this. I am leaving. You are going to let me leave or I will turn you into a quivering mass." Not supposed to kill humans as part of the treaty, but he didn't need to know.

"Don't make me hurt you, you've lost, let me free." Should be angry, but mostly too tired of this to care anymore.

He curled up into a ball, and eyed her with such a stony glare, exhaled then sat up, his clothing soaked. "Don't you want to know why I did this?" He started to stand, and flexed his jaw.

"I have a feeling I won't like it. It's not a good idea to push me too far." And lose control again; wanted to kill him, that isn't okay.

He made no moves, just stood quietly. "Stay here for the rest of the day, and you can have the boots free of charge. A good deal, yes?" He paused. "I haven't hurt you in the slightest, that says much."

She raised a brow and rubbed three of her fingers together. "You really are a shopkeeper, aren't you?"

He gave a light nod. "Among other things."

"They will look for me."

"They gave up hours ago, you might as well stay here." His voice became sooth and airy. "And no harm will come to you; be reasonable."

Feet spread into a hard stance, the water splashed against her boots, and she shot her hand out in a flourish. "Your actions are anything but. Don't you dare try to pile any guilt on me!" A boiling heat simmered under her skin and burned across her face. Maybe a little... kicking him was too much.

She wanted to tell him the only thing keeping him alive was the treaty, but in retrospect, he'd most likely take advantage of this fact. And in all honesty, he's most likely been influenced, Elaema, in her wisdom is kind to those lost. Alight, made a mess of things. Have to stop being so hostile. She took slow breaths and ignored him. Be kind—don't hurt.

"I thought you might be that way. He did warn me that you'd be hard to convince to stay here. Begging your pardon for saying this, but there are many cliffs around here and your friends, and I fear they cannot fly," his tone was as cold as the ice of the north.

Her fingers curled into tight fists and she shook from head to toe. The hells with that! Stupid man! Stupid Human!

He blanched and retreated a few steps. "So you will stay?" The day is already almost over. Just a few more hours."

Red splotches and dots obstructed her vision; unable to speak, she dug her fingers into her palms. Soon a cool calm came over her. Her mind cleared with but one focus. Bring him down. If the windows wouldn't break then the walls would work just as well. Even if... no, no using him as a battering ram would be cruel. For now, though will bide my time.

She resisted a smirk that tried to form and kept her face blank. "As you wish." Threaten my friends, who I love... and... "For your sake, don't say such things, I beg you. Not for me, but for you." Her neck stiffened and her head twitched. Got to calm down.

He went near the door and paced about, watching her on occasion.