It was dark.

That’s all Kina knew when she opened her eyes. Groggily she sat up careful not to jar her head and make her headache worse. Okay, first order of business, find out where you are. Kina tried to stretch her right arm forward and found out she couldn’t; it was chained to her left. The metal chains clunked loudly in the dead silence around her.

“Ah, you’re awake!” Kina turned her head to the sound. It was an old woman’s voice, unusually strong. Kina felt hands on her head as her vision returned. She blinked and looked at the bandages that had been covering her eyes earlier. A set of pale wrinkly hands were holding them. Kina raised her gaze for her eyes to be greeted by kindly gray ones.

Kina blinked.

Blink.

Blink.

Blink.

“Oh stop blinking!” The woman said irritably.

…

Blink. Oh, right, first order of business. “Where the Feather am I?!”

The old lady was about to answer when a door behind her slammed open. “Storiiii…I can’t find any more sw-, Oh, she’s awake.”

Kina turned her gaze to the boy that had just come in. She blinked owlishly in recognition. He was the boy that had stopped the others from killing her.

Blink.

“Stop that!!!”

Kina tried to keep her eyes open. “Where am I?” She repeated.

“Don’t tell her,” the boy threatened. “She’s a noble.”

“What noble is an elf?” The woman shot back.

Kina froze and started to inch away from the other people in the room. Unfortunately for her, that meant she was hard presses against the wall from where she was sitting on the wood floor. “I-,” She coughed and cleared her throat as the bickering pair looked at her. “I-elf? N-not me!” She blushed insanely like she always did while lying.

“I’m sure you’re not,” The lady tried to sooth her, “You can call me StoryTeller, and the ragamuffin behind me is Tuesday.”

“Kina ElfHunter.” Kina said without thinking. Tuesday recoiled as if he was struck.

“See! See! She’s a Featherin’ noble! She kills the fey folk!”

“I’ve never killed anyone!” Kina protested weakly.

“Yeah right,” Tuesday scoffed, “‘cause you folk don’t count the fey as people!”

“I didn’t kill anyone!” Kina yelled!

“Quiet!” For an old lady, StoryTeller sure had a loud voice.

Kina looked down and away. To her right was a nightstand with, Kinas eyes widened, her earings! Kinas chained hands flew up to cover her ears. Pointy. Pointy pointy pointy! Kina made a strangled noise and StoryTeller and Tuesday looked at her. “Ears…” she gasped. And closed her eyes. This really brought it home. She was an elf, she ran away from home, she was going to be killed by Tuesday and StoryTeller, and if not them, the very government which she had looked up to all her life. Kina started to cry. And cry.

Don't kill me!!! I know it's taken a year, but...this was a really hard chapter! And I was trying to get my life in order, so writing took a second fiddle, but here we are!