“This is somewhat unnecessary, yes?”
The tall thin elf backed up against the chain link fence that cut off his escape route. The shadow beasts closed in, growling threateningly. The was no spark of intelligence in their eyes that he might be able to appeal to. He had only been in the area to look into reports of suspicious creatures. He hadn’t expected to actually run into a pack of them. He was a bit out of his depth.
“You need help?”
The elf turned his head slightly to see a pale girl with long red hair standing on the opposite side of the fence. She couldn’t have been older than 12.
“Little girl, you should probably get out of here.”
The girl snorted, and proceeded to climb the tall chain link fence. “I’ll be right there.”
Both the elf and creatures watched the small girl climb, bare toes gripping the wire of the fence. He had to admit, the distraction was useful, and he took the opportunity to work his daggers out of the awkward and too new sheaths inside his boots. He needed to start handling these creatures before the little human girl got where they could reach her.
“Don’t bother.” The little girl landed in a crouch a couple of feet in front of him, red hair fluttering around her.
“Did you just jump from the top of the fence?!”
The little girl straightened up and met the eyes of every animal in the pack. “I am Gwarcheidwad WindShadow. This area is under my juris- jurid- jura— my protection. Leave.”
The elf felt his jaw practically drop open. “Gwarcheidwad? WindShadow?”
The shadowy hounds only made growling noises and moved closer to the little girl. He had to resist an urge to snatch he girl up and order her to climb back over the fence. There hadn’t been a guardian with that title in decades. And she was so small! She couldn’t be allowed to fall in this backwater.
The girl made a few gestures and blue lightning arced between her hands as as she spread them in a disturbing too-serious parody of a toddler asking to be picked up. The arc of lightning spread out, slamming into the hounds, bowling all of them over. Four stumbled back to their feet. The closest two didn’t get back up at all.
The elf found himself staring in dumbstruck awe. She was far too young to be wielding levin bolts. How long had she—.
The child growled in frustration, and this time made complex gestures with her hands. The ground in front of her rumbled opening a sinkhole towards the back of the pack, swallowing three more of the shadow hounds before closing back up.
The last hound whimpered, staring at it’s fallen pack mates before turning and running back to disappear among the trees.
The girl turned back to him, child’s face set in a grim expression. “You should go too. Fae aren’t supposed to be in the park.”
He dropped into a crouch, putting his face on level with hers. “I came here because I heard they were here. I’m a scholar, my masters wanted to learn what had driven them here. What you just did was very dangerous, do you understand that?”
The girl looked vaguely confused, but didn’t blink in giving her reply. “I was not in danger.”
“I was worried for you.” He re-sheathed his daggers as he spoke, “Those creatures are very mean.”
“I’ve dealt with them before. Lots of times!” The little girl’s eyes lit up with something akin to pride. Then the wind picked up slightly, and guilt seeped into her expression. “You shouldn’t be in the park. My friend told me.”
“You saved me. I’m your friend now too.”
Green eyes widened to expose the whites around her irises. “Really? What’s your name?”
He resisted the urge to reach out and ruffle the dangerous little girl’s hair. “I am Senan. What is your name?”
“I am Gwarcheidwad WindShadow.”
“That’s a title, not a name, Lady WindShadow.”
“My friend told me that’s the only name I should give to a Fae.”
“But we’re friends. It would be sad to not know your name. Borya told you that, am I right?”
He hadn’t thought it possible, but her eyes seem to widen further. “You know Borya?!”
He nodded, and noticed the girl stood a little less straight now, as if tired. Well, it made sense. She was very young to be using magic that strong.
She looked at her feet now, for all the world like any other human child, “Can I touch your hair?”
Senan couldn’t help but smile at the genuinely childish request as he surrendered the end of his long braid for inspection.
The little girl took it reverently, “I’ve never met anyone with hair this long.”
“It’s fairly normal among my people.”
In an adorably childish gesture, she petted the braid she held, and refused to meet his eyes. “My name is Logan.”
“That’s a lovely name, Logan.”
—-
It was several minutes later when Senan noticed the thickening blue fog that followed him through the trees. He adjusted the unconscious child in his arms. The red-headed girl still gripped his braid tightly, as she snored lightly against his chest.
“It’s been a few years, old friend.”
“I did not think that kidnapping human children was within your practices, Senan.”
“Don’t be absurd. You could direct me to her home, or her caretaker.”
“I am her caretaker.”
“And you sent her to deal with shadow hounds on her own? The girl can’t have a dozen years.”
“She is perfectly capable.”
“The lil’ firebrand is you new partner, Borya?”
“Save your scrawny hide, didn’t she, elf?”
“Working with you, better be able to do that much. She won’t see two winters otherwise, old man.”
“Watch your tongue.”
Senan let his smile slip. “She passed out from using too much power a few minutes after. She could’ve been killed.”
“She destroyed the hounds first.”
“Borya…”
“The child is not new to this business, Senan. If she overdid it, it was because she was showing off. She has never met one of your kind before.”
![elfgrove:
A simple bic pen drawing of one of my “Gwarcheidwad” characters ( [link] ).
He’s in his mid-to-late-30s, or maybe early 40s. I haven’t settled on his real name or his use name yet. (I’m open to suggestions for either of his names or for the name for his Spirit.) He wasn’t chosen by a Spirit to be a Gwarcheidwad until late in life. In fact, his profession is that of an ER doctor. Note: his bio has since been finalized, probably, here. Assuming creator’s prerogative doesn’t strike again.
The spirit that he’s partnered with is a Kitsune about the size of a horse (fire based element-wise).
Fire Guardian Spirit by ~elfgrove
Oops wrong blog.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m02r4ekH7j1qbgl58o1_500.jpg)
