Although the elf cross-dresser's transformation into an elf girl had caused quite a stir, it wasn't so hard to accept in this strange world. The wonders wrought by all kinds of bizarre magical items were impossible to predict.
Agatha's miracle: An elf Mage named Agatha had once crafted a mask imbued with incredible magic. Whoever wore it could disguise themselves as someone else, changing their height, build, scent, race, and more. But after the elf died, the wondrous mask disappeared as well. Later, some elf Mages made several knockoffs. These magical items, with their weaker disguising abilities, were called Masks of Agatha. They could conceal a person's sex and appearance, but couldn't change their build or scent.
After that little incident, the caravan set out again the next morning. The elf had changed back into the form of a male elf. When she once more tried to harass Chen Jinyang in an intimate manner, the sleazy man, knowing he had gotten the better deal, continued to put on a nauseated, heartbroken expression. In reality, he was grinning from ear to ear. This innocent little Elf was simply adorable. Chen Jinyang felt as though he were teasing a one- or two-year-old child.
The mercenaries and guards watched the two of them clown around with amused, envious looks. The elf girl, convinced she had the upper hand, continued her "revenge" with great enthusiasm. Chen Jinyang, though, grew embarrassed under everyone's gaze. His old face flushed red, and he couldn't keep up the act any longer. He responded to the innocent girl with an especially nasty grimace. The elf girl yelped in fright, stamped her foot, and ran off amid everyone's laughter. Mishaer, who thought it was funny, chased after the elf and made faces just like Chen Jinyang. The indignant girl reached out, grabbed the little girl's tender cheeks, and rubbed them vigorously. The two adorable little girls chattered and tussled together.
With the mischievous elf girl's attention diverted, the embarrassed Chen Jinyang finally breathed a sigh of relief. He wiped a hand over his face to brush away the "cold sweat" that wasn't there, and finally began to take his responsibility as the caravan leader seriously. He kept an eye on the surroundings along the way and assessed the dangers they might encounter. Chen Jinyang had assigned Phinia to stay close to the little girl and protect her from the start. Of course, most of the time the giantess was less a capable guard and more a warrior charging into battle.
The little Elf Xingye finally stopped pestering him with her ridiculous revenge schemes and turned her attention to Mishaer's helmet. But she had completely underestimated the little girl's skill and resolve. The first time the elf had snatched Horn of Kor from the fiery red curls by surprise, she had marveled at its unusual material and subtle magic. The little girl drew on the fighting techniques her brother had taught her, slipped her foot between the elf's legs—which didn't look much stronger than her own—and drove it hard into the back of the elf's knee. Then she stuck out her little bottom. The unwary elf girl lost her balance and crashed face-first to the ground. The little girl happily picked up the helmet that had been knocked from the elf's hand, hid behind the giantess, then peeped out with the helmet on and made faces at the elf, who was still lying there in a daze.
The elf girl, stung by her fall, scrambled to her feet and lunged at Phinia, claws and all. The little girl hurriedly called to the giantess, "Sister Phinia! Don't let that nasty Elf come near!"
Phinia answered readily. Delighted, she raised the Frost Giant Axe in her hand and swept it across. The broad, freezing blade blocked the charging elf. "You sly little thing! You're only brave enough to sneak up on people from a distance! You're the coward who shot me in the leg! Don't come any closer! Otherwise, I won't hesitate to chop your head off those scrawny shoulders! Hmph!"
Afraid of the Frost Giant race, the elf girl didn't dare test whether Phinia meant what she said. Keeping her distance from the threatening Frost Giant Axe, she retorted, "You brainless giant! You barbarian! I'm not afraid of you! Hmph!" Then she glared at the little girl hiding behind the giantess and threatened, "Shorty! Give me the helmet, or I'll twist your little face!"
The little girl quickly covered her cheeks with both hands in fright. Then she realized the elf couldn't get near her and shook her little fists angrily. "I'm not afraid of you! You cowardly Elf! Come twist my cheeks! Go on! Hee-hee-hee!" Mishaer twisted her own cheeks to taunt the elf.
"Shorty, you're the worst! I'm getting mad! Will you give it to me or not? Will you?" The elf girl was so furious her little nose was practically crooked. She stomped around the giantess in circles.
"No! I won't!" The little girl simply climbed onto Phinia's back, paying no attention to the elf, who was on the verge of losing control.
Unable to get close, the elf girl sulked for quite a while. Then she took several deep breaths to calm her surging anger. She pulled a few exquisite trinkets out of her little purse, forced a smile, and tried to tempt the little girl. "Sweet Mishaer! Could I have a look at your helmet? Here! If you let me see it, I'll give you all these pretty hair ornaments!"
The little girl turned her head and sniffed, pretending not to care. But the furtive glances she kept stealing gave away what she really thought. Pleased with herself, the elf girl took several fist-sized purple berries and some delicate pastries out of her little bag. She held them up and shook them at the little girl. "Well? The sweetest purple berries in the High Forest! And special little pastries made by our Star-Moon Elf Tribe! Just let me have one look, and they're all yours!"
The little girl immediately nodded her head, then shook it. "No! What if you trick me? How about letting me taste them first?"
Alos covered his forehead with one hand, breaking into a cold sweat inside. Mishaer's learned to be crafty! I shouldn't have teased her this way before. I wonder if William will blame me when he finds out?
The innocent little Elf hurriedly agreed, afraid the little girl might change her mind.
"Sister Phinia! Bring all that stuff over here!" Mishaer ordered. The giantess reached out and took the elf's bait. Phinia accepted the elf's things in one hand and held them out in front of the little girl. The little schemer picked up a purple berry and popped it into her accomplice Phinia's mouth. Taking turns, the two of them soon devoured all the food the elf had "contributed."
The elf girl watched Mishaer slowly munch on the last purple berry, her heart aching. Unable to wait any longer, she asked, "You've eaten everything! Now you have to let me see the helmet, right?"
"You really only want to look at it?"
"I really only want to look at it!"
"All right! Here, have a look!" Saying that, the little girl took Horn of Kor off her head, waved it at the elf a few times, then put it back on and continued nibbling on her fruit.
Seeing Mishaer's strange antics, the elf girl asked impatiently, "What are you doing? Hurry up and give it to me!"
"Didn't you say you only wanted to look? You've seen it now! Hee-hee! I always keep my word!" the little girl replied smugly.
The elf finally realized she had been tricked. She was so furious that tears nearly sprang to her eyes. "You rotten little Shorty! How dare you fool me! I won't let you get away with this!"
"Haha! I learned that from Alos! Oh! Are you going to cry? Here, I'll give you your hair ornaments back! Sister Phinia! Don't let him get close!"
The elf girl tried threats, bribes, and everything she could think of, but she still couldn't do a thing to Mishaer, who was protected by Phinia. The two little rivals, one above and one below, glared at each other with puffed-out cheeks, like a pair of chicks fighting over a worm. Everyone else burst into laughter.
Perhaps the cheerful mood had spread through the whole caravan. Everyone forgot how tired they were, and by the time they made camp, they had covered more than twice the distance they had the day before. No monsters or wild beasts had troubled them along the way, and everyone relaxed their guard and enjoyed dinner. Everyone, that is, except the Moon Elf impostor, Arafel Xingye—or perhaps she should be called Aelf Star-Night.
The lively mercenaries gathered around the bonfire and began singing an old ballad widely known in the North:
When you shiver in cold and darkness
As you watch the fire and its sparks—
Those are my eyes
Watching over you
When you walk into the howling wind
And hear the wolves crying by your ear
That is my song
Sung for you
When you are lost in the trackless snow
And look up at the eagle soaring high
There are my stars
Shining for you
Deep in darkened mines, or atop crumbling peaks
Listen to the words of love I speak
My thoughts
Are with you
You have not been forsaken
You have not been forgotten
The North Wind cannot devour you
The snowstorm cannot bury you
I will come and find you
Faerun will grow warmer
The gods will smile
But oh, my love, take good care of yourself—
It may be a long, long time before that day arrives
Everyone was immersed in the ancient, heartfelt ballad. Even Chen Jinyang, who didn't understand its lyrics, felt the desolate, sorrowful melody shake his soul. It was the final refuge and hope of humble mortals, facing a world full of pain and helplessness.
No one noticed that the sulking little Elf had wandered far from the caravan, alone in the dangerous wilderness. After spending all day at odds with the elf, the little girl fell asleep in Chen Jinyang's arms to the sound of the ballad. He then carried her into the tent and covered her with a soft Winter Wolf pelt.
The sulking little Elf aimlessly kicked clods of dirt along the ground, just as oblivious to how far she had wandered from camp. When she could no longer see the ground beneath her feet, she suddenly looked up and saw that the campfire was smaller and dimmer than a tiny candle.
The poor girl was immediately surrounded by the terror of darkness. Tears welled in her eyes as she trembled and slowly made her way toward the camp. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was following her. After a few steps, the elf was completely overcome by fear. She tried to run back to camp as quickly as she could, but her stiff legs wouldn't move. Aelf heard a faint rustling behind her. She spun around and saw the dark silhouette of an animal standing not far behind her, its amber-green eyes fixed on the lone elf.
"Ah!" The elf girl shrieked and suddenly found the strength to sprint toward camp. She glanced back as she ran and saw the glowing green eyes following her. She screamed even louder and ran faster.
When she was still over a hundred meters from camp, the exhausted elf tripped over a tangle of tree roots and fell. A figure cloaked in deep shadow came to her side and bent down, extending a dark, indistinct arm. The elf girl lifted her chin and looked up. Beneath the dim hood, a pair of deep purple flames burned.
Little Elf Xingye let out a piercing scream and fainted, her head lolling to one side.
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