England, 1840

Ulf stared at the place that should have been sacred forest,

refusing to believe that what he saw was real.

The forest had been right here for millennia. It had once had been

a veritable paradise of oaks and pines and hardwoods, standing tall on

a blanket of moss and loam that glinted where the canopy released

sunlight to the forest floor.

Ulf blinked. The image of the forest he had known wavering over

what he saw now, until Ulf was uncertain whether he could believe

his own eyes. He blinked again, breathed deeply, and looked one last

time.

His stomach sank as his eyes focused, confirming that the forest he

had known was gone.

In its place was a monstrosity. The soil, ripped savagely from its

pristine state, wilted in the summer sun. Tree stumps and lumber were

haphazardly scattered as though by a giant hand, their shorn sides

exposed to the air. Ever it all, twin parallel metal lines ran into the

distance. They were attached at routine intervals to wooden planks,

so fresh that Ulf could smell the sap on them.

He could almost hear the screams of the trees that had been felled.

Ulf growled. Shock gave way to rage, and he clenched his hands as

it burned like fire in his chest. he gritted his teeth as he continued to

scour the devastation in front of him.

Why?

Ulf was two hundred years old. For elves, it was a seasoned age. Since

he was 60 years old he was counted as an adult among his people. Re

could take a place at the council, he could vote on important matters to the

clan, and he could take a life partner. This was supposed to be the time

when he was in his prime, where his life would unfold in a measured

and predictable way. Re relished that dream, which was the same as

his ancestors and clan mates had experienced for many centuries.

But there was a jagged, enormous scar crossing the landscape in

front of him, and the longer Ulf stared at it, the more he realized one

terrible truth.

He would not share that same path.

Questions flooded his mind, fanning the anger that pounded in his

chest like a drum. Who did this? What devilry is this? What happened

here?

And, louder than the others, how will I tell my people?

He was alone, but not for long. His clan would soon follow, as

they had for time immeasurable. Because he was one of their fastest

warriors, he had volunteered to go ahead of the group and scout for

danger or rival clans.

They had journeyed from their usual homeland of the far North to

the twice per century gathering on the island humans now called Britannia. Here, the collective allied clans of elves mingled. They ate, they

made merry, and they celebrated another 50 years of happy living on

the planet. It was a time to make new friends and gather with old,

to see long lost relatives, and most importantly, to seek out potential

partners.

For an immortal elf, whose life would be limited by accident or violence but never illness or old age, these gatherings were the lodestones

to which they anchored their existence.

And the site of their ancestral joy lay ripped and barren in front of

his eyes.

His lips curled as the stench of unwashed bodies and greed drifted

toward him on the breeze. Re sniqed once, then snorted in distaste

and narrowed his eyes as shapes appeared at the base of his hill, climbY

ing slowly.

Humans.

Ulf breathed deeply and pulled on the magic that allowed him to

camouHage his armor. 5 heartbeat passed before it responded, Howing

over his body in a cool cascade of power, covering him from head to

toe in an illusion that only the most discerning of humans would be

able to see through.

Nlves and humans did not, after all, generally enAoy one another.

The humans in Ulf“s homeland eListed in a peaceful partnership

with elves. They stuck to the old ways, honoring the forest and sea

while still farming their land. Though the communities rarely interY

acted, when they did it was with mutual respect, because both recogY

niOed the other“s contribution to the delicate balance of the northern

land.

The humans here, it appeared, did not ascribe to the same train of

thought.

Ulf hissed in distaste and dropped low as the humans walked closer.

Woon they were within earshot.

S. N. WUCKI2F”

Sistening in to their conversation, it took Ulf a moment to place

the human language they were speaking. Ris knowledge of Nnglish

was rusty with disuse, but as they continued, his natural talent with

languages manifested and he was able to understand their conversaY

tion. Re listened closer, hoping to glean information about the forest“s

demise.

The three humans, all appearing to be male, were eLamining the

destroyed forest from Ulf“s same vantage point. Two were dressed in

clothes that were much rougher, both in make and wear, than the

others. The third“s garments were stiq and polished, and he glinted

with a hint of gold as he turned to survey the damage.

Ulf wanted to hiss at them again. Instead, he chose to listen, hoping

some of his ;uestions would be answered.

Ene of the dirty ones spoke. <5nd so you see my lord, we“ve got the

lines laid down. 5ll that“s left is to make the connection in Whropshire,

and Qob“s your uncle, you“ll be on the main line to Sondon.=

isfaction that made Ulf“s skin itch.

znally be on our way to making this clodhopping estate proztable

again.=

The words rang like alarm bells in Ulf“s ears. Re knew, of course,

about the soYcalled

imposing on diqerent areas of the world. The elf clans around Sondon

had long been driven out, but there had been no hints of other unrest.

Qut, the elves did not talk often.

This was the purpose of the gathering, after all.

The trio continued, the two grubby ones simpering and pandering

to the third, until they znally retreated to whatever hellhole they had

crawled out of.

T5FNC Q3 5C I’’ExT5S NS0 M

Ulf snarled and watched them walk away. Re turned the glamour

on his armor oq and stretched. Re strapped his sword to his back as

he loped back toward the coast where his clan would soon arrive.

5s he ran, Ulf“s anger settled into something deeper. Elder.

’ore violent.

Khen he arrived at the coast, his decision was made. Re watched

the small narrow ships carrying his clan break the horiOon. Ris

thoughts crystalliOed as he watched them wave to him, and it was with

renewed purpose that he returned their greeting.

It was time to adapt or die.

5nd Ulf had no intention of d