[ March ]

Are you hurt?

Those were the first words he'd offered me. And he was unlike any creature I had seen before. His ears were strangely round compared to mine, and his pupils diluted in a pool of irises. With the sun glittering against him, his complexion resembled the ivory of blooming lilies. Taller than me, he was. And his body a statue of well-balanced and modest muscle.

Apprehensively, I backed against the moss-covered tree.

He crouched and calmly lifted his hand. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm a friend."

His hand pushed forward; his lips curved with the gift of a smile. The kind of smile my late brother would show whenever we swam together. Affectionate and warm.

"I can help you if you let me," he said.

He was human. I realized it now, and from my father's lessons, I had learned not to interact with them. Humans were deceitful. Some were barbaric, while others abused sweet voices to lure their enemies and kill them. Like the mythical sirens I'd read about in books, although not as physically strong. Human power stemmed from the technology they created with their intellect. And humans were kind when it benefited them, but being nasty was most convenient. They were dangerous.

I knew this, however, those hazel eyes that captured me held the curiosity of one discovering the world for the first time. It was difficult to fathom this human dangerous. If anything, he was unwise for wandering into elven territory.

He wasn't supposed to be here. I was supposed to kill him.

"Are you lost?" I instead inquired.

The human's eyes glinted green as if my speaking was a victory for him. "Not lost. Just exploring."

I knew it.

"I saw a stray, and it led me here," the human continued. When he looked around, his pale wheat-colored curls swayed in the wind that blew freely in this golden forest. Every green leaf had tips painted in the afternoon sun's glitter. The human smiled and met my gaze. "It's pretty amazing here, isn't it?"

"Of course it is," I answered firmly. "But that does not mean you're welcome here. Go, before someone else sees you."

Frowning, the human tilted his head. "I heard crying. Did it come from you?"

"It did not."

"Your eyes are red and puffy."

Instinctively, I grazed the skin beneath my eyes. "I'm sick."

The human laughed mildly at that. "Elves can't really get sick, can they?"

He was wrong.

"You know what I am?" I asked, leaning forward to inspect the human. I noticed imperfections on his skin. Tan spots splattered across his cheeks and nose. A rash? A birth defect, perhaps. However, it didn't seem to make him look bad.

The human nodded, shifting his knees in the grass to get comfortable. "I've never seen an elf before, but I've read about them. Your appearance caught me off guard at first, but now that I'm closer, you look pretty amazing to me." A sheepish smile consumed him while he scratched the color that bloomed on his cheek.

I could've smiled at that. I almost did. "If you've read about my kind then you know we aren't fond of humans. You'll be killed if another spots you. Leave here."

"Another? Not by you?"

I found the human's curious gaze imposing. I withdrew, not answering.

"I was worried you were hurt," the human admitted. "I couldn't just walk by and ignore it. I had to make sure you were okay."

Why did a human care about me?

I did not pursue my curiosity, instead allowing the small tug on my heart. I had been crying, and because of the recent death of my brother. He'd returned home in June of last year from the East with his elemental core shattered. Whether that damage had come from an elf or human remained unknown. My brother hadn't lived long enough to share the story. He'd died an agonizingly slow death, his strength escaping him with every ounce of magic that bled.

Solidified grief anchored in my gut. I had not the will to eat or take care of myself. Even talking had become an arduous task, let alone existing. Despite this, I answered the human.

"I fell from this tree earlier. I should be alright now."

"I thought you were sick?" he mused.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the wave of another's footsteps had my pointed ears pricked in observation. I really did not care to see the human get slaughtered in front of me.

"You need to go," I warned.

Recognizing the urgency in my voice, the human stood. He looked around, and concern creased between his feathery brown brows. He considered me. "Do you stay around here?"

"There is a gate two miles from here," I answered.

The human contemplated a moment. "Does that mean it's safe in this area?"

Why did that concern him? "Sometimes."

"Then…can I come back? To check on you," the human added.

Something unexpected rooted in my chest. Warmth? Eagerness? Somehow, the thought of this human returning gave me something to look forward to. Even if he were lying…even if he were planning on returning with an army. What did it matter? I had nothing left to live for. Let the army come.

"If you'd like," was all I answered.

I felt partly satisfied witnessing the grin on the human's face. Bright and bold. The human held the satchel over his shoulder tightly and ran away. He looked back once to see if I still watched him. I tore my eyes away when our gazes caught. And something odd occurred in me.

My body tingled with excitement.