In the evening's waning light, the elves gather around a fire to deliberate their forthcoming actions. Birger and Izzimar are hastily packing, intent on departing before the situation escalates. Avvian and his kin, choosing to remain in the village, have granted their permission to journey onward with their wagon and horses. Yet, a sense of disquiet lingers with Arjana as preparations unfold.

"Birger? They won't harm the women and children, will they?" she asks.

"Under normal circumstances, no. But certainty eludes me. The usual scenario is their use for labor, nothing more. However, my knowledge is dated; my life in exile began before the curse was cast. The lengths to which some might go are beyond my ken," Birger replies, his tone hurried, signaling a desire to conclude the exchange. Arjana discerns from his demeanor...this was an ominous portent.

As Birger and Izzimar packed their belongings, Arjana made her way toward the elves' meeting. She concealed herself behind a house, straining to eavesdrop. She was determined to find out their true intentions concerning the nearby settlement of women and children.

"Are you certain there were no men? Could it be that the men are on a hunting trip and might return?" inquired a female elf.

"No, the women are living in makeshift tents with their children. Many have started farming; it appears they have seeds," Avvian reported.

"And food? Do they have someone capable of hunting? After all, we need meat," another elf pondered.

"I saw them with a fishnet. Perhaps they've been using traps instead."

"Are you absolutely certain there are no men?" an elderly elf inquired urgently.

"I'm positive. I overheard one of the women's conversations. It seems they are seeking refuge while their men are at war."

"Then we must act at night and capture as many as possible! We must hurry; I fear my child cannot endure much longer without food. Rationing is failing us," a mother elf of three implored.

Arjana retreats, her heart sinking upon overhearing their conversation. She sympathizes with the elves' predicament, yet the thought of elves taking away women and children while their husbands are absent unsettles her. Anxious, she rejoins the group and pulls on Birger's cloak.

“Um… Mr. Birger, can we talk for a second?”

“What is it, youngin'?”

“I... I'm uneasy about the idea of elves taking the women and children. Can't we change their minds?”

“It's best not to interfere, youngin'.,” he sighs, feeding the horse a carrot. “Those elves rely on humans; without them, many will perish. I get that you're human too and feel a duty to protect your own. But remember, saving the humans might condemn the elves-”

“But if we save the elves, we could endanger the humans. I want to believe they all have good intentions and just need food. But, like my father once said, there are no guarantees. What if some harm the women or children?” Arjana interjects with determination.

"Even if you wanted us to act, there's nothing we can do that guarantees the safety of both sides," Birger says, wiping his face with his hand. "Protecting the humans will lead to the starvation of the elves, but aiding the elves will result in the humans being subjected to servitude regardless."

"How about this? You talk to the elves, and I'll go speak to the humans. I just want to gauge their attitudes towards elves. Maybe then, things won't have to get violent?"

Birger sighs deeply. "Youngin', you don't even know the way to the human village."

"Izzimar has been to the village, right? He can guide me there, and you can try to talk some sense into the other elves before they carry out their plan," Arjana insists.

"Huh!?" Izzimar turns to the sound of her voice, incredulous. "I'm not sure.... They're planning an attack on the village tonight. I don't want you falling ill again..."

She pauses, recalling the day she collapsed. It was night, and she had been unconscious for days. If she collapses again, there's no guarantee that she'll wake up... But the village can't be too far. Despite the risks, she knows she must at least attempt it, for the humans' sake.

"...You'll help me, won't you, Izzimar?" Arjana pleaded. The boy nodded reluctantly. "Yes, I'll help you. I'll take you there. This time, I have the amulet Birger gave me. And this time, I'll be careful."

Birger hesitated. He didn't want the girl to fall ill again, but it was daytime, and the human village didn't seem too far away. With reluctance, he sighed.

"Alright, you two go ahead and find the human village. When you do, speak to them and come right back. Understood?"

"We will!" Arjana exclaimed, clutching Izzimar's hand and stepping into the woods. She attempted to match his pace but noticed Izzimar dragging his feet.

"Do you still trust me after last time?" Izzimar asked, a hint of worry in his voice. "I...I almost got you killed..." he murmured, bowing his head in shame.

"Of course, I trust you. We all make mistakes, Izzimar," she reassures him. "Now, let's go before it gets dark. Lead the way.". Izzimar hesitates, his stiff posture evident of his reluctance.After delegating in his head, he finally agrees.

".....Okay, I'm a bit turned around. Can you tell me what you see?" Izzimar asks.

"Oh! Sorry! Sometimes I forget that you're blind!" she apologizes. "There's a mossy rock to your right, and a fallen log to your left."

"I smell acid. Where is that acid smell coming from?"

"A rotting fruit... maybe?"

"I remember that fruit; I dropped it to find our way back. Let's head in that direction," he explains before pulling her along.

As they walk through the woods, Arjana admits, "Izzimar, would you like to go on walks when I get better?"

Izzimar doesn't say a word, choosing instead to pull her along. Guessing that he is focusing on navigating, Arjana doesn't press the conversation, and they continue on.

The duo had been trekking along the forest path, which was much denser than the surroundings of their cabin. They found themselves ducking and weaving through trees and branches, as well as sidestepping numerous fallen logs, yet they continued with determination.

“How much further do you know?”, Arjana asks while ducking under a spiderweb.

"Not too long. It should be just past a drop—"

As he spoke, they both ended up tumbling into a ditch. Arjana landed on top of them. Before she could even apologize, she was abruptly pushed off by Izzimar.

“Ow! Hey!”, she yelled before noticing Izzimar quiver uncomfortably and turn away from her.

“Is everything okay?”, she asks easing over to him.

He begins to hiss and extend his claws. The hair on his head stands on end, and he starts chattering his teeth while speaking in an unintelligible language. This display of aggression frightens her., 

“Izzimar…?”, She whimpers, seemingly snapping him out of his chance. "Sorry, I didn't mean to..." he utters with an apologetic tone.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her concern evident. She had never witnessed him behave in such a manner. He was known to be somewhat brash, but this was entirely different.

"I'll be fine, let's just keep moving."

Before she could further the discussion, he quickly took her hand and pulled her forward. They continued in silence for some time. As the quiet stretched on, Arjana recalled the words of the goddess.

"....Seek him out for guidance through the darkness... before you come to me... For if you fail to...You will succumb to Chaos..."

She takes a deep breath,before she breaks the silence.

"Izzimar, do you know of a goddess of darkness?"

Izzimar stops, causing Arjana to bump into him and topple over. "Hey!", she protests before Izzimar starts chattering again. Arjana is unsettled by his stiffeness as he twitches and turns his head facing away from her.

"I-Izzimar...you're scaring me...", she whimpers before backing away.

He settles for a bit before facing her direction. "Arjana, say something.", he commanded plainly. "I can't find you."

"I'm right behind you.", she answers before he pulls her up. "I'm sorry. Jitters." he explains, quivers. "To...answer your question. Yes, I know of a goddess, but I can't say her name aloud... I'm not permitted yet."

This answer, perplexes Arjana, "What made this goddess so...special?", she thought while walking with him. "Well...do you speak to the goddess of darkness?", Arjana presses. Izzimar makes a trilling sound, "Yes, I do, and the one I pray to is mean...", he states plainly.

"Oh..well...I saw a lady in my dream, she calls herself a goddess of...darkness. I was won-", Izzimar looks up and turns to face her, this abrupt movement makes her walk into him, bumping their heads. "Ow!-"

"What did she look like!?", he asked her holding her tightly.

"Izzimar, you're scaring me...", Arjana whimpers

"Tell me, what did she look like!?", he asked again more abruptly.

"She just told me to seek you! She said that you were accustomed to the dark!", Arjana blurted out in a bit of a panic. She had never seen him act this way before. Usually, he was brash, but now...he seems...afraid.. At that moment, Izzimar had let her go slowly, his breathing steady as he clutches his walking stick tightly. The forest becomes quiet, before he takes a deep breath.

"... It...almost sounds as if you were visited by my patron goddess", Izzimar sighs in exaspheration as he sits down.

"If so,why would she say that...?"

Izzimar faces the ground and hesitates before asking. "Arjana, you see me as your friend, right?". "Of course I see you as my new friend. Actually, I see you as my only friend who is a boy.", Arjana replies almost teasingly. Izzimar quivers before creating another pause between them. He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out, he stops himself before tapping the handle of his walking stick with his small claw. Finally, he mustered up the courage to ask her.

"Arjana...if something bad happened to you, would you tell me?"

“Yes, I believe that friends should be able to discuss things with one another. Why wouldn't I?”, Arjana answered a bit confused. Izzimar sighed, his breath shaking in unease and queasiness.

“You...don't fully understand my question...don't you?”, Izzimar says, with a worried look on his face.

“Izzimar, just tell me...”, she sighs a bit frustrated by his behavior. He trills again before standing up and feeling for her hand. When she offers it to him, he takes them both and clutches them tightly.

"Arjana,...if the goddess of the dark approached you, then that means that great misfortune befell you."

"Why would I need your help navigating the darkness?", she asked, getting a bit worried. Izzimar senses her unease, and decides to stop.

"Since you don't know the intent of my question, it's safe to say that...maybe it wasn't my goddess that visited you." Izzimar says with a sigh of relief. "Oh, well..Let's keep moving, we can discuss more when we get back."

“Oh…”

They continue walking for a little bit, mostly in silence from their small uneventful discussion. Arjana knew that she needed to get him to open up to her, if not, she doesn't know what will happen to her. Not deterred, she decided to try again with a different approach.

“Izzimar, are you afraid I would use your words as knives against you?”, Arjana asks moving to walk side-by-side him, "Is...that why you're afraid of telling me things?", she adds. He continues walking with her, before he explains

"Arjana, my old Clan was a matriarchy; that's all they knew. My sister, along with the sisters of my neighbors, would bully me for being blind. They threw rocks, shoved me down, and attacked me. I believed I could trust some of them, that they were friends when they shielded me from the bullies. My sister, whom I thought would protect me, was actually uttering vile things behind my back. Worse still, she exploited every vulnerability and insecurity I shared with her to make me dependent on her. That day..." 

He pauses, seemingly wishing to continue, yet he remains silent.

"The day I left the clan was the only taste of freedom I had ever known. It was then I learned to trust myself before trusting others," he concludes, and this time, it is Arjana who falls silent.

"Oh my, no one should have to deal with such cruelty, Izzimar," Arjana responds.

Izzimar gives a resigned shrug, "That's... the life I was dealt," he states plainly.

"You....don't deserve that...no one deserves that... You deserve happiness just like everyone else."

"Now you're just saying sweet words to make me feel better.", he scoffs

"No it's true! I really do want you to be happy, Izzimar.", she insisted. "You went out of your way to save me afterall.", Arjana added.

"Is that the only reason..?", Izzimar sighed as he turns away.

"....I admire you, Izzimar. Truly I do."

"What is there to admire?" he snaps. "I'm a useless blind elf! I've been nothing but a burden since my first pitiful breath!" Izzimar yells, pulling his arm away abruptly. Arjana flinches at his sudden outburst but remains composed, gently reaching for his hand again.

"I admire you because you're a survivor, Izzimar," Arjana confesses warmly. "Back home, those with disabilities are cared for by others. But you... you've managed to survive despite this challenge. That's more than what your family or any of the other elves can say," she adds with gratitude.

Izzimar's breathing becomes steady as Arjana approaches to give him a careful embrace.

"If I were lost in a storm, whether in windy gales or heavy rain, I know I could count on you to guide the way," she whispers to him. He trills again, sounding calmer now. He doesn't return the hug, but Arjana understands that perhaps he's not yet ready. Izzimar gently pushes her away and inhales deeply. "...Thank you... for being kind to me..." he utters, as tiny tears gather in the corners of his misty eyes. Arjana, smiling broadly, takes his hand, and together they move forward, the village appearing on the horizon.