"Nagi! Where are you?"
Panic had settled into Krecica's voice. Her little sister had been playing with the other children along the floor of the Greater Faydark, but their game had ended more than an hour ago, and Nagisa wasn't with them when they returned.
Krecica knew first-hand the dangers present on the ground below Kelethin. She had lost friends who wandered too far from the city lifts when she was Nagisa's age. The orcs had gotten a hold of them and dragged them away to a terrible fate. Krecica felt her heart sink into her stomach at the memory.
She shook her head. This isn't the time to remember! "Nagisa!"
"If you keep shouting that loud, the Koda'dal will hear you all the way in Felwithe."
Krecica turned to face the source of the voice. Owinald, her brother, stood before her; as he observed the dismay on her face, a smirk broke out on his.
"The high elves don't take lightly to a Fier'dal disturbing their peace and quiet."
Still in a frightened haze, Krecica paused a moment, not sure if she should scream or hit him. Before she could do either, Owinald interrupted her thought again.
"Look who I found..."
The small wood elf tentatively peered out from her hiding spot behind her brother's leg. Seeing her big sister's distraught expression, she quickly retreated back into hiding. Even in the brief glimpse, Krecica noticed the tears in the cloth and dirt on the face of her little sister.
"The warrior's guild was getting a bit frustrated, they said some kid was trying to stop them from hunting the wolves near the old druid ring. Looks like she made a few friends among the beasts, when I tried to pull her away, the wolves got really agitated."
Krecica felt her fear being replaced by anger and frustration. She stepped forward, face red and fists clenched. That her brother could be so non-chalant about this brought her temper to a near boil.
"I've been searching for you for an hour! Do you have any idea how worried I was?"
Nagisa cringed and tried to tuck further behind her brother-shield.
"And you! Wipe that smug little smile off your face, now! You probably didn't even know she was missing!"
Owinald chuckled softly, trying to hide his smile with his hand. "I already paid those dues when you were younger. Remember the pixies?"
He stepped aside and gently pushed Nagisa forward. Krecica knelt down and threw her arms around her little sister, tears slowly building in her eyes.
"You are in so much trouble."