Prologue: Twinbrook Chapter One

Not long after arriving in the town of Twinbrook, Roxanne headed to the nearest salon to give herself a make-over. She'd had her hair down for so long, it was time for a change. She didn't want to cut it off, though. She'd spent years getting it this long.

So she settled on having it braided around her head. Having her hair piled on top of her head in a bun felt too much like her mother's style...and she couldn't think about her right now.

She had chosen a house in the middle of the woods, far away from anyone in town. It rose up to the tree tops, a house that was prepared for flooding. Still, Roxanne wasn't sure if anyone lived there. Donovan couldn't find her.

She bought herself a fire pit and sat down at it, watching as the sun stretched across the sky until it sank beyond the horizon. No one came to the house. The gnawing fear that someone would prompted her to roll out her sleeping bag and she slipped into a restless slumber. With her hair down, it felt a little more natural, a little more like home. But the sound of the crickets chirping and the mosquitoes buzzing by her head assured her she was still outside.

In the early hours of dawn, as the embers began to finally die, someone walked into Roxanne's "camp," stepping lightly.

"Who are you, little sprout?" he asked the sleeping woman. She didn't respond, but she groaned and tossed in her sleep.

Roxanne awoke with a start, sitting upright, hands shaking. She knew she was no longer alone. She had that nagging feeling someone had been watching her all night, just there, watching her sleep.

"Good morning!" a chipper voice called. A young man walked over, smiling pleasantly, almost like he knew a secret.

Roxanne tried to force the blood that was running to her cheeks up to her brain so she could say something intelligent, but she was standing in front of a stranger in her underwear. Her eyes wandered up to his ears, and she blushed deeper, knowing full well that that's where her eyes ended up.

"Is this your property? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to trespass, I'm just looking for a place to stay--You probably think I'm crazy--agh, what is wrong with me?!" Roxanne couldn't stop the words. They all jumped out of her mouth like skydivers.

"Not to worry," the man replied. "You are quite safe here in Twinbrook. This house has been empty for years. You have nothing to apologize for."

"Yes, I do. I'm sorry, but I keep staring at your ears."

"That's quite all right. Most people tend to stare when they meet an elf."

The silence that followed lasted far too long. Roxanne couldn't even make a sound of shock. Her entire vocabulary found some part of her brain to live in while she continued to stare.

"Wait," she managed, "like one of those people that live in the woods and live forever kind of elves?"

"Yes. My name is Altir. What is your name?" He took all this shock very well. He seemed amused by it.

"My name is Roxanne. Roxanne--never mind."

"Humans generally have surnames, yes? Why do you hesitate to share yours?"

"Don't worry about it. So, what's it like being an elf?"

"Generally uneventful. Things like finding people sleeping on the ground when they could be in a house tends to excite one."

Roxanne gestured to the ring on his left hand. "Is that a wedding ring?"

Altir lifted his hand, twisting it so the ring would catch the light. "This? Every elf has a ring or necklace or some other piece of jewelry like this. It holds a part of the magic we have."

"So does that keep you living forever?"

"No, it doesn't. But if I was to remove it, I would not be able to perform other types of magic."

Magic. Roxanne grew up believe magic was something that only existed in books and movies. She sat quietly, thinking about what that meant. Was her little town so isolated that magic was the stuff of fantasy? Did other towns have it too?

"Come along, little sprout!" Altir called as he headed for the stairs, pulling Roxanne back to reality. "You must be hungry."

The interior of the house didn't surprise Roxanne, nor was she expecting it to. At the very least, it was a place to call home. There wouldn't be any bugs flying around her head in here. That uncomfortable knot that had settled inside started to untwist itself. She could handle this.

"Well," Altir said after Roxanne took the place in, "what do you think?"

"It's no palace, but it'll do." Roxanne felt herself smile a little. "Now what?"

"Why don't you sit down and I'll make breakfast." Altir gently guided her to a small table.

Roxanne fidgeted in her seat. "I can help, y'know."

"It's not that I doubt your capability. I'm doing this as an act of kindness. Serving others brings me great joy."

"Well, in that case, I'm going to get dressed, if you don't mind."

"Not at all, little sprout."

In the bathroom, Roxanne finally let herself release all the panic. "You're alone...with a man. You can handle this," she whispered to herself. "You are a confident woman. He's not like him. He's not going to hurt you." She gripped the sink, feeling a sob rising up her throat. She swallowed it back down. She would not cry over this decision. She would not cry over him.

Roxanne redid the braid, made sure her top was straight, and headed out of the bathroom. Altir had finished breakfast. Now that she could smell it, Roxanne realized how hungry she actually was. He pulled out her chair and scooted it in closer before taking a seat himself.

"You're running from something," Altir said as Roxanne shoved a forkful of waffles into her mouth.

She struggled not to choke. Of course, he'd said it when she couldn't argue back.

"I don't know what it is, but I do know you're afraid. You've left all you've known for the hope of safety. Am I right, little sprout?"

She set her fork down, swallowing. "Why do you keep calling me that?"

"It's a pet name we often give to our children. Or, in your case, someone who doesn't see their full potential."

"You see," he continued, "I was brought to Twinbrook from my world quite suddenly. Elves are only called when they are truly needed. Despite what you may think, you called me here. You wish for companionship, yes?"

Roxanne shook her head, looking down at her unfinished waffles. They lost all their flavor. Not even a gallon of syrup could fix it. "I just feel so...pointless. Like I don't have direction anymore. My whole future rode on one thing...and that one thing is gone now."

"So you called me here to help give you much needed guidance. What is it you want to know?"

"How to take care of myself. I was too dependent on--" she stopped. No, she wasn't sure if she could trust him yet. She kept her mouth shut.

"Too dependent on others? Yes, I can teach you many things."

He took the dishes and washed them. "We start now."