Ilanit felt happy where she was, though she was not overly excited. Being stuck to a tree...Well, at least you weren't stuck to the dirt of a road. She could extend her arm through the tree branch and had a joyful time looking, as part of the bark, around the tree. She hated winter time, though. All trees did. The tree, along with every element living with it, would perish at the third wack of a blade. How chilled the trunk of the 15 year old willow she grew up with.

Ilanit was gazing down, at the moment, from the trendils of the leaves. Two boys, or humans of male appearances, were practicing magic under the shade of her willow. She watched with great intensity and interest. It looked like they were casting spells, for the older boy in the red cape kept flapping his arms like a mad chicken. The other boy sat crosslegged with a book in front of him. She smiled at them but, as always, they could not see her. She quickly moved herself to the lowest branch above them. The boy in the cape was now facing at the tree and whispering something. Suddenly, her vision went black.

Ilanit groaned. What happened? Voice came over head. What frightened her was that the voices sounded like they were human. Was the boy hanging over her branch? Did her climb the tree? Her eyes fluttered open with a start. Above her peered two faces, a young boy with bark as pale as moonlight and another boy with bark that was the color of the maple trees. She mouth laid gaping open when she saw her willow above her. She quickly sat up and felt herself. She had long skinny vines that extended from her waist. Her skin was somewhere between an aspen and a birch, like the deer that grazed in the distant meadow. She had long, stringy, soft fur that sprouted from the top of her head and ended at the middle of her trunk. She was dressed in a single, large piece of cloth that went down to her knees. It had two openings for her bendable branches, which were already place by someone. She looked to her right, then to her left, and sprang up like a bird. She heard one of the boys say "Wait!" but did not heed the words. She sprang up from the ground and raced down the hilly path into the woods, hoping no one would find her.

As always Terion was very pleased with the look of this forest. He was unused to this place which was called Taurai he had heard. His shield bounced on his back as he walked slowly through the wood, his silver eyes taking in the beauty of the sunlight filtered through the emerald canopy above. He was stroking the pommel of his longsword in that loving way that he was apt to do on his leisurely woodland strolls. He didn't have a care in the world. It was nice to be alone in the wild away from the pressures of battle and cities. He was so drawn up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the hysterical elfin girl rushing towards him. Apparently she didn't see him either as she ran head on into Terion's chest bouncing backward and falling to the ground. Terion gasped in surprise, the wind was nearly knocked out of him where the girl had collided with his solar plexus.

"Hello, girl...", he gasped, "Are you alright? What has gotten you so frightened?"

He looked down at the elfin looking girl. She was lovely in a woody kind of way but she also looked rather young. He had a feeling she wasn't actually an elf, she had more the look of a nymph, or tree spirit of some sort. He thought it was her hair it was kind of mossy looking. He smiled down at her. She looked as if he would chop her to pieces, she probably had no idea that he was a ranger and that this was the last thing he would do. He wondered what could have her so afraid. He looked up, thinking suddenly of orcs or enraged dwarves with axes. None of these were present. He held out his hand to help her up but she shied away.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. I want to help."

As she burst into the opening, she fell upon something hard. She shrunk like a withering leaf at the pounding. As she opened her eyes, she looked at a tall human-willow with black, fine mossy hair. He did not have the trunk of a strong willow, but he was not a baby aspen either. His eyes shone like the rare fog and so did his shield. He looked very handsome compared to the other people that she saw, but still, she was speechlessly scared. Her eyes were wide as moons as she scrambled back some branch lengths. "Hello, girl...", he said, his speech airy. "Are you alright? What has gotten you so frightened?" She, not knowing what to do, made a whimpering noise in the back of her throat. She longed for the warmth of her willow-mother’s trunk and the soft trickle of water running through her veins. She did not want these branch legs. She wanted her willow-mother. The man extended a hand and she shrank back in fear. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. I want to help." His voice was very friendly, like the whispering voice of her willow-mother’s willow-neighbor. He had a soft voice like this human. She tried to say something, but everything came out in a hush whisper. Seeing that this would be no good to answering the man’s question, she scribbled in the dirt:

Ì ØÉÉÐ ÇÔ ÞÛÉðЖ

Her hopes rose as she showed him the writing. It was her only chance for communication.

Arthur had been near the willow when the strange blast of light entered the forest. HE could tell right away that it was magic as he could taste it as he flickered out his tongue. He then went his human form leaving no hint of his draconic self. He wetn toward where the blast emanated from only two see two people hooked to a tree and somethign that looked liek an elf dart off as if sacred for her life. He payed the boys no heed they would leave soon they were in no danger. He went after the girl flowing among the trees until he heard the sound of a voice. HE went ahead and saw a man about his age lookign at the girl. Indeed it was a girl full of youth and innocence.

Arthur watched as the girl tried to communicate with him through writing. HE could not tell what she wrote from thsi direction. HE doubted the man meant any harm, but just in case he would stay near. HE rested his hand on the pommel of his sword and began to wait patiently.

Ì ØÉÉÐ ÇÔ ÞÛÉðЖ

Damn, what did that mean? Terion had no idea, but now his curiousity was even more heightened. He stooped down on hands and knees in an attempt to view the strange symbols more closely. If only he had given a bit more attention to his mother's runes than his father's talk of adventure he may not have been in this situation. He truly wanted to help the willowy little lady, but he wasn't sure what was wrong. He looked down at her deep emerald eyes which were now wide in anticipation and hope. He gave her another smile.

"Can you understand what I'm saying?"

He wasn't sure if she could but it looked like it.

"I can't read your writing lady, can you show me what's wrong?"

Suddenly, Terion's hand flew to the pommel of his sword and he stood. Some yards away there was another man, standing and watching from the underbrush. He didn't appear to be threatening but his hand was laid upon the hilt of his own blade. Terion looked down at the girl giving her a reassuring wink. Then glanced back up at the man. The newcomer gave him the impression of being much more than he seemed, though he didn't seem inherently evil. He wore a patient, yet hard expression with piercing blue eyes. Terion met these with his own gaze of flashing silver.

"Come forward sir. If you mean any ill will to myself or this frantic girl we will have a signifigant problem. If not perhaps you can help me to understand what this girl needs for her writing to me is nothing more than chickenscratch. 'Ware me well though I will not suffer you to draw your weapon."

Arthur eyed the man warily when he spoke, the man had not taken long to notice him and that was something in itself. Arthur was not suprised sometiems it took longer other times shorter obviously the man was very observant. Arthur smiled and said," If I had meant any of you harm, I would have done it already, but no being may need fear me unless it be of the shadow". He stepped out of the under brush and looked at the girl she seemed indeed very scared he was sure that if he had been in dragon form he could have tasted it.

HE then said," I doubt I could help, but I can try". HE came forward taking his hand off his sword but keeping it near just to be safe. HE bent down not far from the writign and studied it a little and said," I was right I can't help, I have seen many languages but not this one, its just non sense to me". He then looked at her again and saw the fear closer now and he smield and said," I know I look fearsome girl, especially in this armor, but if there is one person in the world who a girl or woman can trust its me".

He ran his fingers through the line of writing and said to her in the little bit of elvish he knew," Do you have a name"?

She smiled proudly at her handiwork. It was very good start. Her smile faded as he stood up and looked at her.

"Can you understand what I'm saying?" Ilanit nodded, ducking like a bird. She stopped and rocked her head side to side. She could barely understand the language but she did know, along with a few involuntary jesters, what he was saying. Her hopes drooped at what he said next.
"I can't read your writing lady, can you show me what's wrong?" She took one look at him and started waving her arms like a tree, flapped her arms like a bird, walked like a leaping dear, and moved her hands back in forth in her way of showing a fish. In Ilanit's mind, she thought it would symbolize mother nature but to anyone else, they would have seen a crazy woman trying to act like too many animals. She ended her little play with a chopping motion at her slender neck. Suddenly, the man's branch's flew to the handle of the sword and stood up. Ilanit scrambled back in fear. Was he going to chop her head off like a laborman? She heard gossip that there were humans that could kill other humans with a flip of their wrist. But the man gave her a reassuring wink and Ilanit scrambled back towards him like a dog. She slowly stood behind him, glancing around his waist. Ilanit felt the ground tremble with another life. "Come forward sir," said the kind man, his voice now dangerous. "If you mean any ill will to myself or this frantic girl we will have a signifigant problem. If not perhaps you can help me to understand what this girl needs for her writing to me is nothing more than chickenscratch. 'Ware me well though I will not suffer you to draw your weapon."
A man came forward. His furry tuff was the color of a bright sun-light, his eyes the color of the clear sky. The man was dressed in shining rock. He seemed prepared for this event. “If I had meant any of you harm, I would have done it already, but no being may need fear me unless it be of the shadow.” His answer scared Ilanit and she shivered behind the kind man. He passed right in front of her human-blockage and she saw him swoop down to inspect her handiwork. It was a few moments before he rose and said to the man, “I was right I can't help, I have seen many languages but not this one, its just nonsense to me." Ilanit stood back from her protector and scowled. She picked up a stick and scribbled:

ĬÇ ĬÞ ØÔÇ ΦĬΩΩÉŖĬÞф.

The man spoke something about trust before turning back to inspect her work. He suddenly turned towards her. “Do you have a name?" he spoke. She instantly recognized the speech as a tongue of the dove. There was a cream-colored dove that nested on a branch some four years ago. The dove taught her the tongue and said something about celestial humans. She gawked at him and for the first time, she tried out her human voice.

“Mhmhumphumpsremhmhs. Umhmhm. Uh…” she cleared her throat before turning to the man. “My…My…name…Ilanit.” She smiled politely. “Not… Human… Willow-mother…Need…Speak…Human…Tongue.”

Arthur was slightly suprised when she spoke common tongue and what she said made him udnerstand what exactly she was. An Elemental he had run into few in his lifetime he had never really had the chance though to see one this close. HE looked ay her drawing a new one it was harder to understand thatn the last one. Arthur smield at her and said," Well she speaks at least, maybe I was wrong".

HE studied her a bit beofre saying to the man," We could not understand her writing because she is an Elemental, they have a system of language very close to that of the trees, but they can't write or read very well, they spend most of their lives near where they were born and know very litte of the outside world". HE then turned to the girl and said to her," Now that we can communicate, what were you writing there".

Terion was surprised to hear the woodland lady speak, she had a lovely voice much like the spring wind whistling through willows. She said her name was Ilanit. He listened as the watcher spoke, he didn't fully trust the warlike looking man but he didn't have any particular dislike for him. He could sense some power that lurked beneath the man's average facade. He had heard of elementals of course but he had never seen one. They must have been rare indeed, as much time as Terion spent in the wilds.

"I was under the impression that elementals could not be seperated from thier... well... element. Am I wrong?"

He looked down at Ilanit she seemed so innocent, she reminded him of why he strove to protect the woods at all costs. Nature was incredible. Still he wondered how it was that she was seperated from her tree. What could they do to help her?

Ilanit looked at the stranger with curiosity. Not only did he think lowly of her, he explained a very basic understanding to the other man. Am I that unaware or is that man trying to be nice? She went with the second thought and focused on his questions. But, before she could collect her thoughts, the kind man asked a question. In a reply to that, she nodded. "Humans...Magic...Mage...Willow," came out of her mouth in an attempt for a crude sentence.

Continuing on, she focused on the other man's question. She did not know any tongue for her answer, unless she could break it up into a combination of Dove, her own Willow language, and a type of Entish. She took deep breath and tried. "MGHSMEOSE. Speak tharwset smeothen I. Shearek maythin larewqu margithy pirolart." She smiled but figured they wouldn't understand, so she picked up a sharp stick and started drawing. She first drew a dove, then a willow, and an oak. She drew squiggly lines representing speech. She then crossed out the oak, drew a stick figure with pointy ears above the dove, and a stick figure above the willow. To draw it together, she circle the two figures and drew a female human with speech lines coming from her mouth.

As she hoped that they would figure out, another thought popped into her mind. "Name, humans?"

Terion Blackwind scratched his head in confusion. He hated to have his knowledge tested, most especially when it dealt with things in nature. He considered himself rather an authority on the woodlands, but he was certainly stuck in this situation. For one thing, the speech of the elemental girl boggled him. In a way her slow and innocent manner of talking was somewhat sweet, but her frustration troubled him. He hoped that there was some way he could calm her and possibly assist her. He listened intently as she spoke her little broken sentence.

"Humans...Magic...Mage...Willow,"

His brow furrowed in thought, from her words he gathered that her home had been the bossom of a willow tree. It seemed some rather obnoxious human sorcerors had somehow worked a spell that ejected Ilanit from the comfort of her hardwood home. It reminded him of something his honorless, mage of a brother, Launaux might do. Terion and Launaux had never really gotten along very well, for while Terion respected and admired the wilds, Launaux sought only to control it. Despite his deep disgust for his brother's ways, Terion realized that were he here he would be able to plant the girl safely back in her home. He had very minimal knowledge of magic himself and he was doubtful if he would be able to bond her back to her 'mother' tree. Perhaps this other, who had a strange, almost mystical appearance to him, would be able to help put her back in her place. Then again he knew very little about the warlike looking man who stood beside him. He hoped that the man even truly meant well.

He put his hand on the willowy(how ironic) girl's shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile.

"My name is Terion and don't worry, Ilanit, we'll figure something out!"

Arthur had figured she had been seperaated magically. He had known what that boom was bachk there that he had felt before he ran after the girl. He knew they could seperate themselves so it might not be to hard to get her back in. The only problem was he could not figure out how. Arthur was a good magican in battle but when it came to practical means well he just was not your man. Arthur looked at the new drawings she made and understood one.

The dove obviously meant elvish. He did not say anything as the other man spoke and when the girl asked him his name. HE said," Arthur, my name is Arthur". He then said it again in Elvish just in case. He then looked at the man and said," We probably will, though she should be able to get back by her self. Elementals are naturals when it comes to going into their own element, though I'm not sure how they do it".

He then looked at the girl and said in Elvish," Do you know what this mage said or did to get you out, anythign you might know would help"? He then looked to the man and said," As for your question as to if she would stay alive, she will, she is a nature elemental, as long as she stays where there is nautre and does not wander into a city for to many years she will be fine".

He then drew one more figure in the dirt beside it. It looked like a dragon spitting fire and he put the lines for language under it and pointed to her and it and then to the trees. HE then waited he doubted she would know it but if she did it would be of greater help than any.

Then man furrowed his fur above his eyes--eyebushes, right?--which made her think she said something wrong. She looked at the ground as she waited for someone to break the silence. Suddenly, a strong hand touched her shoulder. She turned around and looked into the kind man's eyes. His smile was dazzling. "My name is Terion and don't worry, Ilanit, we'll figure something out!" Ilanit nodded. "Ter... Te... Te-ry-on," she repeated, smiling. The other man spoke of his name, repeating it in Dove, which she was pleased with, despite her unease with the man. "A...Are...Are-th...Are-tha-rer," she repeated, smiling again. The man, or Arthur, turned to Terion and spoke something that Ilanit could not comprehend.
Then, Arthur turned to her again. "Do you know what this mage said or did to get you out, anything you might know would help?" She nodded and replied in Dove. "The magical-human moved his branches and drew circles on the ground." She looked at him with hope. What she said had better mad sense to Arthur, not some type of foriegn Dove or something like that. After another face-pace conversation with Terion, he drew something that Ilanit never seen before. She reconized her speech symbol under it. After a period of silence, she took a whirl at it. "Do you mean Magic-speak? I do not know any Magic-speak." She paused once more before adding, "I do not know how to speak with Willow-mother either."