As the day progressed onward into night, Annlynn forsook her sleep. It wasn’t as if she had anyone to watch over her, nor was she certain she would have a good place to go over the next week. Her entire body shook throughout, impeding her speed. And yet, the desire to reach the river overtook her. Certainly, they would report her missing. And if they thought she had run away, certainly they would send soldiers after her. Or perhaps, there was a mix of hope, desire, and pain with the idea that they might not look for her, saying she had disappeared in the storm.

Many thoughts were spared toward Tarvos and his family. Losing their house to a tornado, they would likely need a long period of recovery. That was, if they survived at all But she spent more time thinking about their fate than she did her stepmother’s. If she had asked them, she was certain Tarvos and his family would have allowed her to stay with them until the end, and they would have hidden her until it was time for her to leave. They had offered her a place at their home before. Annlynn had refused, for whatever reason. And now, it seemed as if she had made the correct decision.

And then the shape of the tornado had also left her pondering. To see the elven ghost in storm form was rare. However, if the folklore had been right, and based on her own backstory, she did have unfinished business. In many senses, she had some clues as to what they were, all stemming from before she had settled in th village.

There was some element of an identity crisis lurking in the back of her mind. An old prophecy had once told her she was special, but there was one discrepancy: the prophecy had specifically mentioned a boy when talking about her. She had confirmed herself to be a girl, last she checked. But most of the time, the prophecy did not lie about anything, let alone gender. Had it lied about hers?

She dared not think about that further while she made her way. At this point, thanks to the barren trees, she could make out the shimmering water if the river. It had taken two days, and exhaustion had threatened her entire body. But at this point, all she could think about was reaching the river. But at that point, a cold wind had blown overhead, almost to the point where it overpowered her cloak.

Worse still, tiny white specs drifted across the plains. Annlynn, pausing, almost considered going back home, especially with the rate at which the snow had worsened.  As the wind intensified, it became clear she was dealing with a blizzard. If she were to stay out here, especially with a newfound lack of food and shelter, chances were likely she would pass on. But if she were to go back home, she would lose all of her progress. Her stepmother’s fury would be unlike anything else she’d faced up until that point. Even if she were to live, at some point, Annlynn didn’t see the point to going back.

Annlynn continued toward the river, thanking the gods she would at least have a steady route. Or at least, that’s what she’d told herself. Whether or not there was something for her at the river was yet to be seen.  Exhaustion over took her body, but as she traversed across the empty landscapes, she paused but once to eat a small portion of her food. As always, she did her best to keep some food back, knowing she would run out quickly.

Cottonwood trees lined the riverbanks, and as they became visible, they became the first sign that she was almost their. The trunks remained a dark contrast against the pale, snowy landscape. Annlynn walked down to the bank, taking a long, thoughtful pause as she waited. She’d come this far. She had made plans to reach the river. But then what? She had little to no food lft, and at this rate, it felt like the blizzard were to last forever.

The water shifted down the river, the ice sloshing around and giving a proper hiss. Annlynn watched it. Of course, it would make sense for her to try and go home. But to do so would mean giving up. Furthermore, she did not want to face her stepmother again. And maybe there was a way out, and she just hadn’t found it yet.

Her decision to run away had been premature. She should have chastised herself for it. But the only thing she chastised herself for, wasn’t the fact that she ran away. It was the fact that she had run away during a tornado, her desperation getting the best of her.

Sitting down on a log, the cold permeated through the fabric of her skirt. Annlynn buried her head in her hands. She had been so foolish to leave her house during the storm, when she could have waited until nighttime some other day. At least then she would have some fighting chance. But she was here, and right then, it was too late to make any changes.

Lilting voices echoed across the plains, breaking her out of her thoughts. For a brief moment, she couldn’t parse what they said, and in the moment afterward, she realized they were speaking another language. Annlynn’s stomach dropped, before she stood and faced the direction.

She made her way toward the voices, perhaps subconsciously. She did not want to go find some strangers. For all she knew, they would kill her. But at this point, she was certain she was choosing between which types of death she would prefer. And at least with the strangers, she could at least attempt to ask for help.

The snow crunched beneath her feet as it collected on the sandy riverbanks.. Annlynn trudged through, her boots giving way to a deep, violent cold. Even if it wasn’t a whole lot of snow, it had still been enough that a sliver of it had slipped down her boot, melted, and seeped into her socks. Meanwhile, the voices intensified, until she stumbled upon a campfire, seemingly untouched by the winds and the fire.

Three elves sat around the fire. The first elf had red hair, pale skin, and a fur cloak. The second elf had deep black locks, brown skin, and red clothing. The third elf, on the other hand, had white skin, white hair, and striking icy blue eyes. Meanwhile, all three elves could easily be two heads taller than Annlynn when they stood up. Annlynn inched backward as the red-haired elf arose. Tree roots soon grappled her feet.

“You’re not going anywhere,” she said. “Not yet. What business do you have out here during a snowstorm?”

“I’m sorry,” Annlynn said. “I made a mistake.”

“Several, I would say,” She said. “Tell us the truth, please. What happened? What makes you think it is a good idea to be out in a snowstorm?”

“My village was destroyed by a tornado,” Annlynn admitted. She wanted to fight them a bit longer, but a part of her knew that would likely be a dangerous plan. She had to listen, and she had to tell them what she knew.

“Listen,” the elf said. “I would like your name and age, please. We likely know which village you came from.”

Annlynn’s stomach lurched. “Please don’t send me back there. My stepmother would kill me.”

“One thing at a time,” the elf said. “What is your name?”

“Annlynn,” Annlynn felt like she had been defeated. “I am thirteen years old.”

“You should not be here out on your own,” the elf said. “Listen. When was the last time you ate, for one thing? And how long have you been out here.”

“A day ago,” Annlynn said. “Food has been relatively scarce here.”

“We know,” the elf said. “Listen. We promise not to send you home yet. We have a meal we could give you first. Would you like that?”

“Yes please.”

“Sit,” the elf said. “Oh, and for what it’s worth, it is generally frowned upon for an elf to harm a child in any way. But now that you’ve come to us, in a blizzard nonetheless, we will try and see to it that you’re safe.”

“That won’t be at home,” Annlynn said. “I’m sorry.”

Annlynn found herself contemplating her life as she felt it. She should have told them she ran away, but there was still the guilt behind it.

“Listen,” the elf said. “Whatever made you run away during the tornado, I believe you when you say it was terrible. But I want a clear idea as to where you would like to go.”

Annlynn shook her head and took the bowl of stew. The venison was also a carrot and potato soup, and it left her feeling like her mouth had melted. She gave a polite thanks to the elves as she ate, feeling like she’d last had a proper meal on her birthday. There was something to it which she wished she didn’t have, and it had lead her to feeling a specific way—one which lead to anger she didn’t know she could hold.

“Listen,” Annlynn said. “I am sorry for exploiting your camp.”

“No,” the  second elf. “I can tell you were starting to lose your fire. We promise to help you as we can, dear.”

Annlynn turned back. Other than Tarvos’ mom, she had not been called something like that in a while. As she looked up at the elf, the elf turned back to her, looking as if she were to reach out to Annlynn. Annlynn shrank back, her heartbeat skipping a beat.

“I’m sorry,” Annlynn said. “I feel like I shouldn’t have intruded. Nor as though I should be here.”

“You’re okay,” the elf said. “You’re not in trouble. We’re here to help you out.”

Shaking overtook her body. Not from the cold; that had been dispelled. But from her own fear. “I’m so sorry. I just. I ran away for a reason, and I don’t want to go back. They won’t be kind to me when I return. And the kind of life I would have to look forward to is not one that appeals to me.”

“Wherever you think about going, we will take you there,” The second elf said. “We’re technically hunting an old monster.”

“The Halygor,” Annlynn said. “We’ve named certain types of storms after the monster.”

“Yes,” The second elf said.

“I’ve been out hunting once, twice, or three times,” Annlynn said. “Maybe I can help. I can navigate the stars, and then I made it here, despite everything else.”

The second elf gave her a scrutinizing look. “We need to take you somewhere you’ll be safe. Also, given the state of your magic, it could easily mess ours up. Rules of three with magic, if you will.”

Annlynn turned back and gave a long, contemplative look. There was something more to her feelings, especially as they allowed her a second portion. “My magic?”

“I can tell you have it,” The second elf said, handing Annlynn another portion of food as she spoke.

“I don’t need it.” She had protested. But the elves had insisted on giving her a second portion, and despite her own protests, she couldn’t deny her hunger. Without hearing their response, she continued to eat.

How much the elves had picked up about her, Annlynn did not know. But she didn’t know which way to go for herself, and it had left her feeling a specific way.

“I have a question,” Annlynn said. “I know it’s a long shot, but there’s not going to be many places I can go without dealing with some type of problem. Are there any chances I could try to make it to the elven world?”

“Only one person did it, and that was about five-thousand years ago.”

“He was a legend when I was a queen,” the third elf said.

The elf with the red hair, Annlynn found, was named Sylvani. Meanwhile, the black-haired elf was named Valaris, and the snow elf named Asonya. The three of them had extended kindness to her which she hadn’t known. But then, there was also the idea that she had not earned it.  These strange elves, in a short few hours, had shown her more kindness than her stepmother had over a few weeks, or even years. Somehow, even still, there was a sense of shame surrounding it which she couldn’t quite get rid of, or leave behind.

Ideas around traveling with strangers had always been terrifying. But this was Annlynn’s one chance to be successful at running away, and hopefully she would find a new place to live. Somewhere where she could leave her old life behind.