The snow fox crept forward, nose poised to sniff at the scents of many blooms. Flowers that should not have blossomed for many months were on display, the frozen white carpet of snow gave way to a veritable blanket of lushous green grass, this was the home of the druidess known as Little Red Riding Hood, she answered to the human name Lilly Rider. A third name, a secret name she herself did not know, was the reason why the little fox, who was not really a fox, was there to find her. But first, the little creature had to get past the wards.

Lilly sat in her small home, it was the same cottage that had belonged to her human grandmother, the same one in the story that had sparked off rumours behind her being named for the coloured cloak's hood she almost always wore. The tall woman's lithe and graceful hands flew over the sewing that she was completing, another quilted coverlet would soon be finished. It was one of the many ways the woman supplemented her meager earnings. Although she was by no means poor, Lilly was abundantly rich in other ways. She paused in her last stitch, a small smile crossed her lips. Something, no some[i] one [/i] had triggered one of her wards, it was no more than a silent alarm. Yet Lilly knew that the intruder was almost at her door. 

Almost to the door, the fox decided to drop the shapeshifting spell he had enacted. The white fur fell away and draped across the fast forming shape of an elven male. He strode up the steps with a fluidity in his stride that would make most animals envious. Yet he did not know what the outcome of his visit would be, several spells came to his mind just in case. As he reached out a hand to knock, the cottage door opened of its own accord. He too smiled, impressed that even his stealthly approach had been noted. It spoke volumes of how powerful the young woman inside the dwelling truly was. 
He took a step inside and almost immediately had to back out the door as he came face-to-point with a very sharp looking arrowtip.

Lilly calmly spoke, secure in her own strength, especially in this place. "You have one chance to explain yourself, now state your business and be gone, otherwise you will find yourself truly acquainted with my arrow"

The strange elven male, caught off guard for perhaps the third time in his long life, took the threat seriously, he slowly held his hands to his throat and twisted a hidden choker, thus armed he answered, his grasp of the common tongue was unique, his lyrical voice conjuring words as he spoke them.

"Your true name is Lillianathalus of house Solaron. Long we have searched, far beyond the realms of elves. I had hoped to find my sister's child among our peoples but instead have found you here, you are one of the missing. I have come to ask you to return home and take your rightful place amongst the people."

Lilly knew the man was telling the truth, a lot of it made sense to her, she had always known she was different from the other people she had been brought up around, yet why had it taken them so long to find her?. She did not know how to react, did she want to leave her home, the place she had grown up in and the forest she loved?. Would she find her birth parents how she had imagined them as a small child?. Would she even be accepted? Before any of these questions could bubble to the surface and escape her usually controlled self another small alarm went off. Turning away from the elven messenger, Lilly somehow knew he would not attack her, Lilly looked out one of her windows that looked out onto the well tended garden she kept. The alarm had come from one of her moonpools. She quickly grabbed her cloak, stopped by her door to throw on her fur boots, and to grab her bags that contained many of the components she would need and ran out the door and through the ivy covered arch that led to her garden. 

Lilly approached the moonpool with hesitant steps. Usually the placid waters were still and serene, holding the reflection of the moon and she would use them as instuments of healing sick animals and gauging the weather. Now however, the pools were frothing and foaming. Even this did not last long, a icy film gradually spread over the surface, calming the water beneath a frozen lid. Lilly gasped at this, the moonpools were enchanted by several powerful spells that should have prevented this. However, the fact that they had been frozen, and whilst she was still in the grove meant that something was very wrong. As she turned to leave, she almost collided with the male.

"I believe if you are searching for answers to this troubles, you might wish to travel to the great human fortress called Wolftown, some of our people are there already, they are to lend support in times of troubles. Something tells me this magic should not have had any effect here"

Lilly stopped to look back at the pools, already the ice had thickened and a frost was creeping outwards, the plants she had so carefully nurtured and helped to grow would soon be dead, but if she could not stop the spread herself then there was wisdom in the stranger's words.

"I will go to this place you spoke of, yet I do not know the way."

The elven male smiled at her, a smile that showed amusement and also if it was possible a sense of superiority.

"Do not worry little doe, I know the way. If you would like to prepare for the journey I can have us there in no time at all"

Lilly was not sure she was comfortable with the way the man spoke to her, she turned to walk past him, to prepare for their journey. She hoped that the clansmen and women would not have need of her for the foreseeable future, something told her this trip would be longer than just a week or two. With a sigh she went about packing a few essential items, as she packed the strange elf watched her. If she had not been so distracted by all the new events, she might have realised that the elf had not even offered his own name.