I had to get ahead of this thing! By running into the forest I had made it slow down, and limited its ability to use its stinger, but that was still not enough. I needed to get a good speed advantage, climb something, and take it down from above. I was absolutely not going to risk getting near that thing to touch it and try to kill it with decay. WIth my dexterity of 27, I was barely managing to stay a few feet ahead of the monster. I could feel myself starting to get tired. My stamina was starting to flag. I needed to get to a place the monster could not reach me. deciding to climg a tree I picked the thickest one, and made a run for it, the scorpion just behind me. I jumped up in the air as high as I could and started climbing, scrambling quickly up into its branches. I saw the monster inspecting the bottom of the tree while waiving it's claws.

I started to feel a sense of relief. I took out my bow, to shoot down arrows at it, holding it in my trembling hands. To my disamay I saw the big bastard start climbing the tree also without even a struggle. Fuck! I yelled and did the only thing I could think of. I held my bow in my mouth picked the closest tree, and jumped like a flying squirrel and prayed that I made it. I impacted the other tree hard! it knocked the air out of me, but in my desperation I kept moving to get as far away from the scorpion as I could. I saw the scorpion getting ready to jump too and I knocked an arrow. As soon as it was in the air I realeased it while activating the surging arrow skill, moving as quickly as I could I managed to knock and release 9 more. the under belly of the scorpion looked like a pin cushion as it fell to the ground. It did not move. I waited at least a half hour, expecting the scorpion to move at any minute but it didn't. I climbed down and went to look at it. It was a bit of an overkill, but better to overkill, than to not kill at all.

I made my way back to camp deciding not to chance it for the rest of today. My knees felt like rubber and my mouth was dry. I had come very close to death, and I knew it, because if that stinger had hit me even once, I'm sure it would have punched right through me, and that would have been it. I made my way back to camp still feeling unsettled, and started to get ready to make dinner. I listlesly scanned my eyes over the edge of the forest, afraid of seeing another of those monsters come my way. I briefly I saw some shadows move at the edge of the forest near my cave, and my heart sped up, beating so fast I thought it was going to climb out of my chest. I immediately pulled up my bow, and knocked an arrow, I was not going to get caught unprepared again. Suddenly I heard a voice behind me: put down your bow. I froze, the last thing I expected to come across right now was people. Had someone from the village tracked me this far? My mind even in this moment of panic told me that was just not possible. How had they gotten behind me so quickly? I felt a knife agaisnt my neck. I had no choice but to put down my bow. A Knife was faster than a bow at this distance. Turn around the voice said, and I did. To my utter shock I saw a being I had only heard of in legends. The elf infront of me looked coldly around my camp, I saw two other elves slip from the shadows and sorround me. What is a human child doing here so far from one of your villages? Where are your parents? one of the female elves aproaching us asked.

There are no other humans with me. I'm alone I said.

What are you doing at the edge of our territory? asked the elf I was facing me

I did not know elves were anything other than magical beings in our stories, I said. I Had no intention of entering into your territory. Please point me in the direction to go, and I will walk the other way and leave your territory. I'm not looking for any trouble.

I dont believe that a child is here in the wilderness, surviving alone. The elf spoke to his companions. We will take her with us, and if the other humans return, maybe they will be less likely to attack if we show we have the child. the elder will want to question her. I saw no point of arguing or resisting. I could not fight three adult elves who had the upper hand. I decided to try looking as harmless as possible, and maybe try to make an escape at some point. Escape was my only chance. besides, they had not harmed me yet, maybe I could talk my way out of this. I really had no idea elves were real, never mind that they lived out here..

I gathered my things and followed them. The elves melted into the forest, leaving me alone with the elf that had found me first. He blind folded me and We started at a brisk run. I tried running as fast as I could, but running while blind folded was impossible. I kept tripping and bouncing on trees. after a particularly hard smack agaisnt a tree I fell to the forest floor stunned. The elf came over and yelled at me. How could I keep up blind folded? I sat there trying to clear my head for a few minutes. I felt the elf pick me up by my shirt, and tossed me over his shoulder.

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My head bounced agaisnt his back again and again. I thought I thought my skull was going to get cracked against his rock hard back and my brains would all leak out. I tried begging him to let me down so I could run again, I said I had a few points I was saving and I could add them to my dexterity and maybe I could keep up that way, but he ignored my words and just kept running.

My head was pounding, my body felt bruised. it was a miserable experience. After what felt like an eternity, I felt him slow down. He set me on my feet, and started guiding my by my shoulder. soon after I felt him pick me up again, and it felt like we were climbing somewhere.. the experience was terrifying. I felt my feet dangling over nothing. Were we climbing a mountain? I could not tell.

soon after I felt myself dropped onto what felt like a floor. I sensed people around me.

I heard a voice say: take her blind fold off.

The blindfold came off, and I looked around me wildly. my head and eyes turning in every way, trying to get an idea of where I was, and if I could escape.

I appeared to be in a circular kind of house, resembling a bird's nest. made of tightly woven twigs and branches. The afternoon sun flitered through the walls, and lit the space in a golden glow

Hello child, my name is Eidys. What is yours?

I looked at the elven lady looking down on me from her chair

She did not look as cold as the angry elf that had captured me, just neutral

I swallowed, trying to getting some moisture in my mouth to respond

My name is Brair. I decided to plea my case with this lady and see if she would let me leave.

I quickly told her that I was alone, that there were no other humans around.

I'm just a child, I cannot possibly harm you or anyone here I said. please let me go I begged.

We found piles and piles of spiders in the forest the angry elf said. There is no way she is alone.

The other humans must still be out hunting. maybe they are clearing the area to start a settlement here.

There are no other humans I said. I did not know if I should tell them that I had killed all the spiders myself, that did not align with an image of a harmless child just wandering around in the forest.

Why were you in the forest alone then? asked the lady

I decided that I had to tell them the truth, what did I have to lose. In our stories elves had terrible magic. maybe they would not fear my magic like the villagers did.

I was born with magic I said. magic is considered a curse among humans. I was barely tolerated in my village, but then when I reached my 10th birthday my family sold me to a bad man. I had to run away. I thought that I would be safe in the forest, and that they would not follow me here. I had no idea that elves were real, nevermind that they lived deep in the forest. I travelled about a week away from where I came from, running most of the way. There is no way they will find me here. I came alone. please let me go. you can blindfold me again and just drop me off far away from your land and tell me which direction to go. I will never be able to find my way back

such ignorance Eidys said. Magic is the gift of the mother. She said while she looked to the side to a young boy sitting in a corner. I looked at him too. He was sitting down, looking at his hands. his head lowered, and his golden hair covering his face

What kind of magic were you born with she asked

well ever since I was very small I could heal myself and other villagers

when I said this she stiffened.

can you prove this she asked with a tight voice

I grew fearful, maybe healing was a fobidden magic here

I qickly said that I didnt heal people against their will, and that my healing was not harmful to anyone

She ignored my words and leaned towards one of the elves behind her chair and wispered something.

We are going to have you prove to us that you have this magic she said.

A few minutes later they returned with an elf dressed in leather armor, with his arm on a sling

Show us she said while pointing at the elf.

I got up off the floor, reached my hand up, and touched his arm. willing my magic to heal his hurt arm and anything else wrong with his body.

He stiffened when I first touched him, but after I was done he took off his sling and moved his arm around. with a look of relief on his face.

The other elves around me started wispering to each other furiously.

You have received a great gift from the mother. leave it to humans to be so ignorant as to turn away her gifts.

you can have your healers look him over and verify that his arm is not hurt anymore I said.

She paused before she said. We dont have any healers.

I looked around at the elves around me, and wasnt sure how I felt about the way they were looking at me. I saw a combination of disbelief, hope and hunger on their faces.