Page 117 of A Soul to Guide

“It spoke!”one exclaimed.“It spoke to us!”

“It is she,”the other snickered.

The closer they got, passing over the stream and onto her side of the lake, the harder it became to hold her resolve. She took in a deep, calming breath and kept her smile in place. ‘Fake it until you make it’ was going to be her motto right now.

One thing she did notice as they neared was that they actually didn’t sound the same. One’s voice was raspy and coarse, while the other’s was slightly higher in pitch, although still deep.

Their colour flashes changed, one going purple and the other going... pink? She’d never seen Merikh’s sparks go that colour, but the purple one made her wary. Hopefully, that was just his natural orb colouring, since she had a theory that purple meant desire.

At least, that’s if their orb changes were the same emotions for all of them.

“Yeah, but the humans never speak to us,”the one on the left said, his orbs sparking purple and his voice the coarser one.

“Only scream and cry,”the one on the right said, his orbs pink and his voice higher.

Their steps were quiet, but nothing like Merikh’s. They were too close for comfort, but she remained where she was.

“She is on Merikh’s lands,”Pink said.

Purple sniffed at the air.“He has been here recently.”

“Why is he keeping food alive?”

“Maybe she’s not food?”

They both burst out laughing.

“No!”

“Never!”

“Humans cannot be friends with Mavka.”

“S-sure we can,” Raewyn interjected. “I’m Merikh’s friend.”

They paused, and the silence only made her more nervous. That was until they both burst out laughing again, this time even louder than before.

“Impossible,”Purple stated, his voice stern, like he may have shaken his head. The sound of rattling bones came from him.

“Merikh does not have friends.”

“He likes no one, not even his own kind.”

“He’ll be really angry if he returns and finds I’m not here,” she told them, turning her head to the side when Pink crept behind her.

“He is always angry. This is nothing new,”Purple stated.

“Are you sure she is human?”Raewyn flinched when her hair was grabbed and yanked upwards, like Pink wanted a better look.“Her hair is white.”

“Humans don’t usually have white hair unless they are old.”

“Yes, and she smells different.”She tried not to let out a cry when Pink tore at her hair to sniff it.

“Her ears are strange. Pointy and wrong.”Purple grabbed her ankle and lifted her foot off the ground. She bounced, having to balance herself in an odd position.“Her feet are the same, as are her hands.”

“I-I’m an Elf!” she yelped when she almost tripped. The only thing saving her was Pink holding her hair, and it made her wince further. “You’re hurting me. Please let go.”

Neither did, not seeming to listen as they had a conversation between themselves.

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