Adjusting the tie on her red hood, a young lycan, barely a gnome tall, looks down the trail into the woods. The birds are singing, bugs are buzzing, and sun shining through the canopy. She picks up her picnic basket.
"Do you really have to follow me?" she asks the dark-hooded figure behind her, "It's just my bunica's house; I go every week."
The masked figure nods. "It's not safe to go alone," she says.
"You're shorter than me," says the lycan, "I'll have to protect you if anything is actually out here."
"Not the poi~ent~," sings the masked figure.
"Don't do that." The lycan skips along the path and her shadow drags behind.
"Just keep your eyes open for any queer sights."
"Like a pond that wasn't there last week?"
"Right~io~," sings the shadow, "Wait, is that it?"
The two stop and cautiously approach the waterfront through the grass. Because of their tall boots, the two feel safe from ticks and other bugs.
The shadow skips a stone across the pond. "Seems like real water to me," she says, "But where's it from?"
"Oh, you two, right there," says a sweet voice from the lake, yet unimpeded by the water itself "You wouldn't have happened to drop a sword in here recently?"
"No?"
"Are you sure?" asks the voice, sounding closer to the girls, "There are a few down here; one is iron, one is steel, one is silver, and one is gold."
"Not ours, sorry," says the lycan.
"But the silver could be useful," says the shadow, "Can we borrow it? Just for today?"
A light shines from the lake as an elf-like woman emerges. Her skin shimmering silver, her hair gold. The water flowing around her as a shawl, barely concealing her dignity. She stares down at the children. She attempts to smile warmly to them, but it just creeps them out.
"Greetings, honest travelers," she says, extending out an open palm, "You may call me Argentalms Aurocor. May I have your names?"
"I'm using it," says the lycan, stepping back, "Sorry."
"Mine was a gift," says the shadow, stepping forward.
Ms. Aurocor rolls her beautiful pearlescent eyes. "Then what may I call you, travelers?"
"You can call us Loomy and Bacon," says the lycan, "It's nice to meet you, I guess."
"Really nice to meet you," says the shadow presumably called Bacon.