Given some discretion, the truth will do!

Ti'mma

"How come you here?" the unexpected stranger asks softly. "Do you not know that you are trespassing? The wards around here should have been enough of a warning, but still you are here. Why?"

I take up the conversation thread for I am the one who'd been elected as spokesperson in situations like this.

Besides, I'd always wanted to speak with the Dragon of the Southern Caverns. Remember all the tales my father and mother told of him, back when "their" dragon had my mother in his clutches. Back when my mother and father had been human...

Then again, this Minestus (probably is the guy from hints I see in his human seeming) is not that monster who’d chained my mother naked to the dank stone walls of the Southern Caverns. Still then again…

"So sorry," I say softly. "Teleportation magicks fluctuated a bit and we’d missed our mark. We’d been aiming for a spot well outside your domains, Brother Dragon."

Always pays to be polite.

Minestus (or whoever) turns quickly and looks more towards me, clearly surprised.

Maybe because I knew that he was dragon . . . or maybe for more. We’ll have to see here in a moment!

"Elf!" he blinks. "How . . . I mean friend elf, how . . . are you able to stand right now? No elf elms are within safe distance in my territory."

Oh dear, if I'm to infer what that means, it appears that elfin lifeforce on this reality (re: 3231) is more closely linked to the forest by far than what it had been before Uncle Grailing took care of that dark Entity back in the Blighted Forest. With that Entity's death, the sapping of elfin vitality (which accounted for declining elfin births for so long) had gone away. Something MORE here is in effect, I take?

1. "At least no elms I was aware of," he adds, puzzled. But at least he’s no longer hostile (for the moment).

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