It wasn’t until she was nearly at the first of the furthest two traps that Nikita realized she’d forgotten to bring fresh bait. She’d been too preoccupied with Nico’s newest turn to think about it. She’d just have to make do. Maybe make a second trip out here after she’d checked them, if they needed it.
	Then, of course, the small scar below her left jaw joint started to itch. Her song paused long enough for her to scowl at the sky through the leafy canopy. That itch, she swore, always meant rain.
	Alas, clouds had indeed begun to drift over the sky, dimming the sunlight in random patches, confirming her suspicions.
	Keeping a vigilant eye on her surroundings, she resumed her song and quickened her pace. Here, the woods grew denser. Undergrowth started to catch in the sled’s runners, slowing her down. Reaching a gnarled tree with a tattered red cloth tied around a lower branch, she left the sled near it, then continued. 
	She slowed, quieting, as she picked out the subtle signs she’d left for herself to avoid falling into her own pitfall. She paused and sighed grumpily. The net hidden beneath forest debris laid undisturbed. Yet, [i]something[/i] had managed to take the old, dried meat she’d left out as bait.
	Deciding to leave checking the net’s tension for the return trip, she carefully veered around the first trap and started the march to the second-furthest from her home.
	But she didn’t get far.
	She’d just picked up her song again, when something large fell out of a tree in front of her. She gasped, stumbling back. Her heart quickened as adrenaline rushed through her alongside her surprise.
	The thing—the man—hadn’t fallen, she realized, but [i]jumped.[/i] His simple clothing blended in perfectly with the surrounding forest, explaining why she hadn’t spotted him sooner. For a relieved breath, she thought it must be another hunter. She scowled, then opened her mouth to scold him, but she found his purple eyes, and the words died in her throat.
	Purple eyes. His hair was tied back, but still clearly white. Just like all the stories said.
	He wasn’t a hunter. He was an [i]elf.[/i] 
	Cold sank through her, draining the blood from her face. For a moment that felt an eternity, as this creature stared at her, she could only stare back, fear-locked in place. The many warnings of the villagers flooded her mind, riding the tail of the image of her father’s broken body:
	[i]“Never stray far from the path! The elves live there!”[/i]
	[i]“Evil things, them. Curse ya soon as look atchya!”[/i]
	While at first glance she’d thought he must have been slouching, the first thing that registered through the warning bells clanging in her head was that he was a lot shorter than she’d expect. The stores all said they were lithe, towering creatures, but this one was a couple inches shorter than her.
	A child? But, besides the childlike surprise and curiosity there, his face, though fairly feminine for a male, didn’t look like a child’s. Then, the elf spoke, shattering the moment.
	She startled further away and reached to draw the machete at her belt, but stopped, hand on the hilt. The tales rarely spoke of what to do to better your chances of leaving an elf encounter intact. They all assumed that you were immediately done for, and all agreed that their magic was quicker than a blade.
	She pried her fingers reluctantly open, then moved both hands beside her, trying to look harmless. She needed to be smart about this. Nico needed her, and she couldn’t live with herself if she brought [i]another[/i] curse home with her. If she made it home at all.
	The thought hardened her expression with indignance at the past wrongs elves had done her.
	Though she hadn’t understood the elf, his words had at least sounded like a question. Hoping to the heavens that curses didn’t sound like questions, she took another slow half step away, her gaze on his.
	“I mean you no harm, elf,” she tried stiffly, unsure if he’d understand her. “I’m just…” she hesitated. Elves were said to be fiercely protective of the animals around their dwelling. But it was also said they could taste lies on the wind. “Out foraging for food,” she finished, hoping a half-truth would be less detectable if that story held any salt. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”