Aerin stood poised in the dappled light of the forest, her bow drawn taut, arrow aimed at the small, ethereal figure that she had just saved. The sprite, Queen Iris, regarded her with a mix of curiosity and indignation, her translucent wings shimmering in the faint sunlight filtering through the canopy.
"It seems you are surprised to see me, elf, despite being far from your land." Iris expression hardened, her voice delicate yet firm.
Aerin hesitated, her brow furrowing in confusion. She had heard tales of sprites from her mother—a weaver of stories through their elven community—but had always thought them to be mere fables, legends told to children before they slept. To see one now, standing before her with regal poise, was unsettling and bewildering.
"I am investigating a disturbance reported by my kin," Aerin declared reluctantly, keeping her arrow trained on Iris, her grip on the bow tightening slightly. Are the sprites this disturbance reported by the common elves? Surely not, it was this demonic creature that had caused this news. However, she had not come across anything of the sort before discovering Iris being attacked. Aerin’s eye scanned Iris. “My guess is that they were referring to you, considering we understood sprites to be of fables. Are you the cause of this demonic creature?” she asked, subtly indicating the twisted form beside her feet.
Iris's expression darkened, a flicker of hurt crossing her features before being replaced by a steely resolve. "It is not surprising that elves would forget or deny our existence," she said, her voice tinged with bitterness. "And how dare you accuse sprites of being the disturbance when it was your kind that drove us from our homeland, desecrated our sacred groves, and waged war upon us millennia ago. I was trying to heal this fawn before it transformed!"
Aerin's eyes widened in realisation and a pang of guilt washed over her. She had heard tales of conflicts between elves and other magical beings, but they had always been portrayed from the elven perspective—a noble defense against unknown threats, safeguarding their lands and people. Never had she heard of the elves being aggressors, however, with their most recent history, this did not surprise her.
"I... I didn't know," Aerin murmured, lowering her bow slightly, the tension in her shoulders easing. "We were taught a different history."
Iris regarded her with a mixture of skepticism and sorrow. "Of course," she said softly, her voice carrying centuries of sorrow and resilience. "Elves are adept at shaping narratives to their advantage, or erasing those they wish to forget."
Aerin swallowed, she had always been proud of her elven heritage, but now she saw a dark side she had never considered. The stories she had grown up with—epic tales of heroes and victories—suddenly felt incomplete, lacking the perspectives and voices of those who had suffered.
"I'm sorry," Aerin said earnestly, lowering her bow completely and stepping forward cautiously. "I didn't know."
Iris regarded her for a long moment, her gaze searching. Slowly, she nodded, her demeanor still tight. "Ignorance does not absolve responsibility," she said, not unkindly. “I have introduced myself to you, and yet I do not know who you are or why you are on my land, elf.” Iris stated, eyes narrowing again.
“My name is Aerin,” Aerin said, then realised her blunder and quickly corrected. “I mean, I am Queen Aerin, of the Elven.” Standing up a bit straighter, and now suddenly aware of the awkward distance between themselves, neither had wanted to approach the other after their argument.
Iris carefully fluttered her wings to peel her feet from the ground and approached at a cautious pace. Aerin teased slightly, but eased herself when she noticed Iris’ eyes tighten at the subtle movement. They were now both in the clearing, although a respectful distance was kept between them. “You do not sound as if you are sure,” Iris observed, her eyes flickering to Aerin’s crown and back down to her face.
Offended by this, Aerin retorted, “of course I am sure. It is only that an informal introduction to a species I was unaware existed and being attacked by some strange creature had caught me off guard.” Hesitantly, Aerin added, “and I am newly crowned.” Aerin was unsure if this information would hinder her in this strange meeting, but for some reason wanted Iris to know that she is new to this, as Iris displayed very aged wisdomed Aerin was sure she would never know.
“Aerin, Queen of the Elven.” Iris repeated, almost seductively. “Have you come to poision more of my land? Perhap plant some more of these demons to drive my kind away and claim further land from us?”
Aerin started at this. “I, poision your land, plant these demons?! What absurdity! I am out here seeking what has been destroying my land!” Aerin exclaimed.
Iris stared at Aerin’s hard face, considering. Humming, she brought her delicate finger up her chin, tapping lightly. She examined the demonic form at Aerins feet before looking at her once again. “I believe you.”
Aerin was taken aback by this. With the fraught history Iris had just disclosed to Aerin, she would have never expected such quick assurance. “Well, thank you…”.
Iris looked around, frowning slightly at the evidence of the blight and how far it has reached. “I suppose your investigation is going as well as our own considering their Queen is out here investigating herself?” Iris asked, looking back at Aerin.
“If you are suggesting not well at all, as you are doing the same, you would be correct.” Aerin was tempted to put away her bow and arrow, which hung loosely at her side, but resisted at least for a moment longer, in which she hoped to determine where this unlikely conversation was leading.
“Perhaps, this creature is the answer we have both been looking for.” Iris crouched down, hand hesitating over the creature's head, before turning it's face up. The mouth hung open, a black spotted leaf lay half chewed on the tongue. Iris plucked it with a forefinger and thumb, bringing the grotesque wad to her nose. With a delicate sniff, she cringed away slightly and looked back up at Aerin. “It smells as all the toxic plants do.” Standing she handed it to Aerin.
Looking down at the wad in the centre of her palm, she examined it with a practised eye. “This is very grave news. If these plants are infecting the animals, and they are turning into these creatures, our lands are in much deeper peral then I imagined.”
Iris reached for the wad in Aerin’s palm, splitting the piece in two. “We shall both investigate this, perhaps together we can uncover the truth of this blight.”
Aerin hesitated a moment, but with what the two had just gone through and all they have shared, it made sense to help one another. “That would be welcome, as they say, two heads are better than one. Hoping those two heads being Royal will make it much better.”
Iris smiled slightly at this and fluttered her feet back to the ground. With Iris having instigated this tentative trust, Aerin thought it best she provide what information she has first. "We've been trying to find the cause of this blight for months. Every investigation we've conducted leads to dead ends or conflicting evidence. But now, my advisors tell me they suspect it has been dilberatily placed and we were told of a… disturbance east of our kingdom. Which is why I am here investigating the claim."
Iris's expression darkened, her delicate features furrowing in concern. "Deliberatily placed…" she echoed, trailing off. “Well, we are in a similar position. Months of investigation with nothing but an accusation that elven are connected to the toxic plants we have uncovered. A species of plant native to… your land was discovered in our territory.” Iris watched Aerin carefully now. “We do not, however, have any solid proof.” Iris finished ratherly lamely.
Aerin felt a stab at what Iris has revealed, but being honest with herself, was not surprised. "I must admit, this does not surprise me as much as you might think. Our society is divided, tensions rising between the common elves and the nobles who wield considerable power and influence. I have had concerns about the actions of some of our noble elves. It wouldn't be the first time noble ambitions endangered our realm."
Iris listened attentively, her expression calculating, yet softening slightly as she recognised Aerin's sincerity at what must be a difficult time during her reign. "The damage has been devastating, not just to our lands, but to our people. Now the creatures of our woodland are no longer safe. It seems someone wants to see both our realms suffer."
Aerin nodded grimly. "It's clear we can't solve this alone," she said, her mind racing with possibilities. "Perhaps... we could combine our efforts. Pool our knowledge and resources to uncover the truth behind this blight."
Iris considered Aerin's proposal carefully, weighing the risks and potential benefits. "If we work together," she began slowly, "we might uncover leads and perspectives that neither of us could find alone. But trust must be earned, Aerin. Can I trust that you will truly pursue the truth, even if it implicates your own kind?"
Aerin met Iris's gaze steadily, her resolve firm. "I give you my word," she said earnestly. "I will pursue the truth, wherever it leads. Our lands, our people, deserve nothing less."
A flicker of something akin to hope crossed Iris's features. "Then let us begin," she said, a small smile gracing her lips. "We will start by sharing everything we know, every clue and suspicion. Together, we will unravel this mystery and bring justice to those responsible."
And so, amidst the ancient trees and the murmuring of the forest spirits, Aerin and Iris forged an unlikely alliance. Bound by a common purpose and a shared determination, they set forth to confront the shadows that threatened their realms, their trust growing with each step they took towards uncovering the truth behind the blight.