Ging stopped hiding, stood up, and stepped out from behind the tree.
The elf noticed him immediately.
She spun around, her hand reaching for her shortbow before she had even finished turning. By the time she faced him, her arrowhead was already aimed at Ging.
Ging studied her and noticed that her eyes were emerald green. Her expression was wary, with a hint of nervousness.
She had never let anyone get this close before without noticing them.
Fortunately, he had not attacked outright. Otherwise, she had no idea how badly she would have fared.
"Who are you?" she asked.
Her voice was clear and bright, like wind rustling through chimes.
Ging raised both hands and turned them back and forth, showing that he carried no weapons and meant no harm. "Just passing through."
The elf looked him up and down.
Her gaze lingered on Ging's face before moving to his ears. She frowned. "Are you an elf? A dwarf? Or a human?"
"I think I'm human," Ging said with a smile. "But those people insisted we were elves."
The elf lowered her arrowhead a little, but not all the way. "Then you're an elf."
"How do you figure?" Ging asked in surprise.
The elf said casually, "Those humans are so hostile to outsiders. If you were human, they wouldn't call you elves."
Of course, the main reason was that, despite Ging's unkempt appearance, he really did not look much different from an elf apart from his black hair and lack of pointed ears.
That was the fundamental reason the elf believed Ging was an elf too.
"That explains it." Ging nodded. "We thought they wanted to capture us and make us slaves."
The elf stared at him for a few seconds, then returned her arrow to its quiver and hung