Forgotten memories hurt.

Elvenia looked at Linden and Sparrow, reminiscing wistfully as if they were just a forgotten memory. Linden, golden-haired with olive skin, turned around, laughing. She caught Elvenia's eye, offering a small smile before going back to Sparrow.

No one wanted to be friends with the failed Cursed Mistake of Rowan. She stopped daydreaming of savaging her friendship with Linden and Sparrow through her home's window, getting up to walk to the kitchen.

"Grandma Elodie," Elvenia called out, spotting Grandma Elodie sitting in a rocking chair, leering forward and then back. "I'm going outside to hunt," she said, toying with the ring on her pinkie.

Elodie Foster blinked, almost dazed. "Alright, dearest. Get rid of that ring, will you?" Grandma asked and Elvenia was taken aback. Grandma Elodie-in her full glory with papery pale skin, graying stands of red hair, and brown eyes-never asked Elvenia of such things. "You're stuck in a loop, Elya."

Elvenia muttered, "Grandma, Elya's is Mother's name. I'm her daughter, your granddaughter, Elvenia, remember? Mother isn't here anymore." Grandma Elodie lurched forward, squinting.

"No, you are Elya. Elvenia is much shorter, she's still an itty-bitty baby..." She went off rambling in the rocking chair in the kitchen, next to their worn, wooden dinner table.

"Okay, well, I'm going out now, I'll bring home next week's dinner." Elvenia gathered a quiver of arrows, her father's bow, and a lanky spear that was as tall as her. She was heading out the door when Grandma Elodie bellowed;

"Stay away from the Peregrine Border, away from the Naga lands and the Lamia Folks!"

"Got it, Grandma," Elvenia mumbled, her feet creaking under their wooden porch. She walked along the rocky path and travelled further away from the Fosters' modest cottage. On her way, she passed by Linden Winchell and Sparrow Lorne who were sitting on the tall, spiked grass under a shady tree.

The sunlight peeked through the tree's leaves and branches, reflecting off of Sparrow's dark complexion and black curls. "Oh, hi, Elvenia." His response was short and curt, so Linden elbowed him.

"How have you been?" Linden asked, smiling so far it reached her blue eyes.

"Okay." Elvenia toyed with her ring. "I'm going hunting."

"I've heard that there's been less buckshots, weird since it's just around mating season," Sparrow replied. His father was a big hunter in the Rhoswen Clan, well-respected and well-known in the Naim lands. "Also there were fewer jackalopes."

Buckshots were usually referred to as deers, the same goes for jackalopes since they're known as rabbits, but Elvenia knew Sparrow couldn't resist bragging about his knowledge. "Well, I'll let you know if I should go fishing for garyns instead. Have a nice afternoon..."

She quickly took off, not wanting to be near her ex-friends. Behind her, she could make out the whispers of Sparrow and the loud hushes of Linden. What happened to us? Elvenia wanted to ask. Why did we fall out? She went through the Naim town square, clutching her spear. Do I look abrasive? She hoped not, she needed luck on her side.

Elvenia breathed in the familiar scent of oak and pine, feeling her muscles loosen. The calming noise of songbirds always made her feel at ease in Naim, even if she viewed it as a failure of Rowan, the God of Forests.

She walked along the crooked stonework of the sidewalks, passing by the night market, which was still set up. Elvenia soon made it out of the townsquare, heading into wilder forest territory.

Away from the other Rhoswen Folks, she began to hum a ballad that Mother taught her. "In the heart of the forest, where trees stand tall, each leaf whispers secrets in the wind's embrace, nature's beauty surrounds us, one and all..." Suddenly, she heard cries and paused.

It sounded like an animal. Elvenia hurried to find the animal, knowing it would be less work for her if the creature was already injured or dying. It sounded like a buckshot, Elvenia thought, going as fast as her legs could.

Leaves crunched under her knotted boots as Elvenia hid behind a tall tree. Not too far from her, there was a dying buckshot, crying and bleating. Her heart wavered, but she gripped her spear, moving forward cautiously.

She would make the death quick and painless. "Hey, little fellow," she breathed as the buckshot bleated. Elvenia crouched down, seeing that there was no wound. But the deer was so clearly in pain. She fumbled around her pocket to produce a dagger, holding it near the deer's chin.

She touched the buckshot's forehead, her finger grazing its antlers. "Blessed by the God of Forests, Rowan, you will descend into the Elowen Forest once more." She stabbed the buckshot as it let out a final bleat. Elvenia winced, but quickly gathered and prepped the deer. I shouldn't have brought Father's spear, it was harder to carry the buckshot.

As Elvenia cleaned off her dagger, the blade reflected something off of the buckshot. "What the...?" she mumbled, seeing the creature's blackened hooves. Could it be some sort of infection? Suddenly, the black plague moved further, up to the buckshot's hind legs.

Elvenia dropped her dagger and spear, crawling back. "Gods above..." The corpse started to twitch and shake until the plague reached the deer's neck. The body immediately started to rot as the animal's eyes went full black. Elvenia screamed, horrified.

She shoved her dagger back into her pocket, grabbed her spear and stood back up. She aimed the spear at the buckshot, trembling as she moved closer. The twitching stopped, but the hooves became crooked and so...wrong. What was going on?

Was the buckshot coming back to life? Maybe that explained the constant twitching, but it wasn't natural. Elvenia stiffened as she shook her head. No dinner for next week then. Was this what Sparrow meant? Will there be less buckshots?

Elvenia gathered her items quickly, running away from the blackened creature and scurried through the forest. She needed to find the town leader, Soleil Harlowe, so they could figure out what the hell was going on.

She hurried past looming trees, rushing into Naim Townsquare. "Where's Soleil?" she cried out, gasping. Ongoers stopped to watch her, looking shocked. Elvenia realized how she looked-dishevelled ginger hair and a pale face of worry.

The young man with brown hair and dark eyes pushed through the crowd, dressed in white robes. "Elvenia Foster? Where's your grandma?" Soleil asked as Elvenia twisted the ring around her finger. He was slightly shorter than her, expected since Elvenia was one of the tallest Rhoswen Folks around.

"There's a dead b-buckshot that was blackened and rotting," Elvenia gasped, wringing her hands that shook. How could she explain? "The deer was dying when I saw that its hooves were black until the whole c-corpse was blackening." The crooked body still wavered in her mind. "Its eyes were so terrifying," she said, covering her mouth with her hand, feeling disgusted at the sight.

"A buckshot?" Mr. Lorne, Sparrow's father, grunted. "The girl's lying, hunting season has been dry-"

"But not impossible!" Elvenia countered, feeling queasy. Of course, Mr. Lorne didn't believe her, he didn't approve of his son's friendship with Elvenia Foster. "This is awful, you have to see it! It's a plague!"

Soleil grimaced. "Miss Foster, if you are indeed lying for attention..."

"Why would I need attention?" she asked, exhausted. Just believe me, she begged in her mind. All of Elowen Forest could be in danger, the Naim lands and even the Naga lands. She shuddered at the name of Naga. The home of the Lamia Folks...

"Your parents," Soleil replied curtly. Elvenia froze, swallowing hard. Soleil just had to go there. "Lead the way, Miss Foster." Elvenia had no intent to see the buckshot's blackened corpse again, but she went back to the depths of the forest. Soleil, Mr. Lorne, and a few others followed her lead.

"She's not to be trusted, Soleil," Mr. Lorne whispered as if Elvenia couldn't hear him. "You know what happened to the Foster family, it's just Elodie Foster and her granddaughter now. What happened to the parents?"

"Hush, Lorne." Soleil was kind enough to shut him up for Elvenia.

Twigs snapped under the folks' feet as Elvenia remembered the trail that led her to the deer. The sun was setting, casting harsh orange light on her face. "It's over there!" she shouted, running forward. She stopped short, seeing the black buckshot again. "Gods above..." She backed away, bumping into Mr. Lorne. She didn't have time to apologize when the man gasped. "Rowan, help us all," she prayed silently.

"The girl didn't speak lies of the serpent," Mr. Lorne breathed, moving closer. "My girl, how did you find this creature?" The other folks moved closer to inspect the blackened buckshot.

"I went hunting and h-heard cries of an animal," Elvenia said, wincing. She looked around at the mortifying sight, taking deep breaths. No creature should suffer like that, Elvenia thought. It's not the way of Rowan.

"Miss Foster," Soleil said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "please continue."

"The deer looked as if it was dying, but there was no wound, but it was suffering because of its cries and bleats. I killed it to bring it home to eat, but then I saw the blackened hooves..." Elvenia shook her head. "It was abnormal, to say the least, but then the corpse started to twitch and the black plague spread."

"So it's a plague?" someone asked.

"I don't know, but it quickly spread like an infection," Elvenia replied, shuddering. "Soon, the whole body became black and so did its eyes. Then the buckshot stopped twitching, but its legs cracked and misshaped itself." The hind legs were crooked. "I don't know how it morphed into a crooked...that, whatever it is."

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you, Miss Foster. That goes for all of us," Soleil apologized, but he joined the folks to take a look at the deer. Elvenia crossed her arms, feeling a chill creep up her spine.

The sunset and the world darkened. "So, what's happening?" she asked as her legs shook. The folks mumbled until she got impatient. "What happened to the buckshot?" Elvenia repeated.

"You are correct, it's like some sort of infection... Look at its antlers." Soleil motioned for Elvenia to come closer. She nodded, taking a look at the antlers. Dead moss was on its antlers.

"The buckshot didn't have that when I left."

"Oh Gods," Mr. Lorne sighed, rubbing his eyes. "You have to be shitting me, Miss Foster." I wish Elvenia clasped her hands. Mr. Lorne put his hands on his hips, his black curls sunken with sweat. "This isn't good, but you should be on your way home, Miss Foster."

Translation: This is a topic for big boys, not little women.

Elvenia felt like stomping her foot, she knew it was childish, but it was obvious they viewed that 'women couldn't take it.' "Okay," she agreed through gritted teeth, young with her ring.

"One of us can assist you home," Soleil offered.

"No thanks, I'm good." She turned away from the buckshot, walking away. The owelettes hooted and the songbirds kept chirping. A butterfly came Elvenia's way, fluttering around her. "It's past eventide, go get rest, butterfly." The butterfly flew away as Elvenia sighed.

When she passed by the night market, some Rhoswen Folks came up to her, pestering her with questions. "I-I don't know," Elvenia managed, pushing past them. Suddenly, an old woman walked up to her, she reminded Elvenia of Grandma Elodie.

"Ârē thē tâlēs trüē?" the woman asked in Rhowenish. Elvenia was stunned that Rhowenish was still spoken in Naim, it was the native tongue that originated from Rowan. Good thing that Grandma Elodie forced Elvenia to learn it when she was younger.

"I dø ñøt kñøw," Elvenia replied, shaking her head.

"Âh, dârk timēs ârē cømiñĝ. This is ñøt thē wây øf Røwâñ." The woman didn't not seem pleased. "It must be those Lamia F-Folks," she said, leering in broken Elowin, the official language of the Elowen Forest. "S-Snakes and monsters..." She went off, clutching her chest.

Elvenia shuddered as she headed back home to Grandma Elodie. Lamia Folks were not to be discussed, they lived on the right side of the Elowen Forest on the Naga lands, the forest was shared between the Rhoswen Folks and the Lamia Folks. She vividly remembered Grandma talking about it.

"Long ago, the God of Forests, Rowan, wanted the Elowen Forest for their descendants and creations of man to flourish," Grandma Elodie said. "But Nyoka, the Snake Goddess, also wanted to have the land. They went to war, but there was no end. At last, they decided to split the land into two with the Peregrine Border.

"For Rowan, he named his land Naim and forged his people, calling them the Rhoswen Folks. Hence why we can create life..." Grandma Elodie made a flower sprout from a pot nearby. Elvenia oo-ed and ah-ed until Grandma hushed her. "The Lamia Folks are the monsters of Nyoka..."

"Monsters?" Elvenia asked, she was only six years old at the time. "Why?"

"The Lamia Folks live on the other side of the border, the Naga lands." Grandma Elodie's expression turned grave. "Do not be fooled, dearest. They may look like us, like Rhoswen Folks with humanoid features, but they wear blindfolds. They have scales of a snake and their gaze can turn others to stone, these traits were gifted by the Snake Goddess."

"Why would Nyoka make these monsters?"

Grandma Elodie leaned back on her rocking chair. "Only the Gods know."

━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━

Elvenia blinked, seeing that Linden and Sparrow were gone. They must have gone home, but a small part of Elvenia wanted to say goodbye to them. She trudged up the porch, fumbling with the rusty key and unlocked the door. "Grandma," she called out. "I'm home! Gods, you need to hear about my day..."

The cottage was dark and she squinted, taking off her boots and dropped her weapons in the foyer. She moved forward the candle, finding a lantern and lit a flame. "Grandma Elodie?" Elvenia repeated. "Where are you?"

Maybe she went to bed. Elvenia shone the light to the rocking chair, which was empty. Elvenia heard mumbling upstairs so she swiftly walked up the staircase. "Grandma Elodie!" she shouted, feeling herself panic.

She ran into her grandma's bedroom, seeing Grandma Elodie hunched over on the floor. Her thumbs were pressed to her forehead and she quickly muttered in Rhoswenish. "Ø' Røwâñ, lēt âll bē wēll..." Grandma hadn't prayed since Mother went missing, it was strange.

Grandma Elodie stood up, turning around, stunned to see Elvenia. "Elya? Where are you home so late?" she asked, wadding over, poking her bony finger in Elvenia's ribcage. "Have you been eating properly?"

"Yes, Grandma."

"It's Mama to you, missy!" Grandma Elodie laughed. It was such a relief to hear Grandma laugh and talk about Mother, but it was also frightening to see her lose touch with reality. I'm not Mother, I'm Elvenia, she bit back bitter words. She wanted to keep Grandma happy for now. "Where have you been?"

"I, uhm, went hunting."

The old woman frowned. "My Elya doesn't hunt."

Elvenia sighed. "Soleil and some other Rhoswen Folks found a blackened buckshot, it was an awful sight." She slouched, leaning against the wall. "I'm tired. Good night, Grandma Elodie."

"Good night, Elya."