Before Iylaine could speak, Vash had lifted a finger to his lips to warn her to silence. The other hand he held out to her, and she took it and followed him into a fern-​​filled hollow behind a stand of pines.

'We must be careful.'

“We must be careful,” he whispered once they were hidden. “Tonight the men too can see me.”

“They can?” she squeaked.

“Tonight even the men could make magic, if they remembered how. It is funny to watch them try,” he smiled.

“Like Wynnie and Colburga when they try to find out who they will marry?”

“Oh? How do they do it?”

'Oh? How do they do it?'

“I don’t know… they put some yarrow flowers under their pillow to see who they will dream about, and they plant some seeds and say some spells, and I don’t know what else.”

He laughed. “That won’t work.”

“Do you know what would work?”

“Well…”

“Tell me! I want to show them.”

'Tell me! I want to show them.'

“Oh, no! I don’t want to ruin the fun for you.”

“Do you already know who you will marry?”

“Oh, yes, of course,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “There goes the fun for me.”

'Oh, yes, of course.'

“Oh,” she said, feeling strangely disappointed.

“But look at you,” he said suddenly, stroking her hair back with both hands, and holding her head between them. “Look how big you’ve grown. And how thin and how pale!” He kissed her forehead and her cheeks. “This won’t do, Iylaine. Have you been ill?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “I only feel tired all the time.”

“I haven’t seen you in so long. I had no idea you were like this. Don’t you ever get outside any more?”

'I had no idea you were like this.'

“Not very much. I tried to come see you on our birthday. I tried and tried!”

“I am certain you did. It’s no matter. How is your father?”

“I don’t know. He is sad.”

“Don’t you try to cheer him up?”

“I hardly ever see him. He works all week at the big lake.”

“I know. I spend a lot of time at the lake.”

“You do? Do you ever see him?”

'You do? Do you ever see him?'

“All the time. Sometimes I sit beside him. He would probably be very angry if he knew. But I believe he is lonely.”

“Everyone says he always has women out there,” she grumbled.

“Not that kind of lonely.”

“I hate them!” she hissed.

“Careful now, Iylaine. Remember what you did to that branch that you hated?”

“I wish they would burn up too!”

“Enough of that! It is time for you to learn a little forbearance, dear cousin. They are only men, and when men don’t know or can’t admit what they need, they go groping after something that approaches it.”

'It is time for you to learn a little forbearance, dear cousin.'

“Did you come out here to give me a lecture?”

“No. I came out here to watch you dance by the fire. I did not think you would come to me. You haven’t been avoiding the woods because of me, have you?”

“Never! I would go every day if I could see you,” she said, and she threw her arms around him.

“I believe someone else is lonely too,” he said, gently stroking her back.

'I believe someone else is lonely too.'

“Oh, I am,” she mumbled into his shoulder.

“Why don’t you come to the woods sometimes? Then I could sit beside you, too, even if you couldn’t see me. If you knew that, perhaps you would be less lonely?”

“I can’t come, because I’m not allowed.”

“Why not?”

“Because my Da thinks the men will try to hurt me. And also because something or someone killed an elf by the castle.”

“Oh?” He drew away from her to look into her face. “I didn’t know you knew.”

'I didn't know you knew.'

“What killed him? Was it the wolves?”

“Someone bad.”

“Was it the bad elves?”

“No. Listen, Iylaine. I hope you will come to the woods more often, even if you may not come alone, because you need to be outside among the trees. You are an elf. You can’t live in a castle of stone all the time. But you mustn’t go out at night. It isn’t safe.”

“Will I be killed too?”

“Don’t even ask the question,” he said, pulling her head against his shoulder again. “It doesn’t matter, because you shall be a good girl and you shall not go. Hush! Someone is coming.”

'Don't even ask the question.'

He pulled her down into the ferns with him and they both listened. She could hear the footsteps, and then she heard a voice calling her name. “Oh, it’s only Bertie,” she whispered.

“He mustn’t see me. Go meet him, and I shall lie here until you are gone.”

“Stay! I will come back to you!”

“No, you mustn’t. I shouldn’t be here at all, but I haven’t seen you in so long… But it isn’t safe for you or for me, so kiss me, cousin, and go to your friend.”

'Kiss me, cousin, and go to your friend.'