<span style="color: #FF8000"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;">Eli</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Eli, Eli child you must wake"</span>.<br/>Again those soft words floated in Eli's dreams, the same voice every night since well, her awakening. Unlike the human's they resembled so, they came from no mother or father but of a tree. A tree the human's called the <span style="font-style: italic">The Devil's Oak</span>. It was a wondrous tree to behold, its  limb's were wide and full of life. Her branches full of leaves and life buzzed around her. But at her roots a small opening  was her womb were all her kind awakened.<br/><br/>But like all of them she too had wandered from the safety and shelter of the tree. The halflin'g not being a group who had spent much time together had no name for the birthplace except for what the human's called it. The human's had tried many times to reach her, but a magic from within the forest blocks there path every time keeping her safe from the human's. And with the halfling's need to explore and wonder most were caught and imprisoned. And so most never returned to the safety of there tree.<br/><br/>Eli and her twin an exception to the rule they had been awakened together, there strong bond to keep each other safe and kept them free. These were the thought's that haunted Eli as she stirred from the small underground hole they had found and had settled in. Her tail twitched lightly as she listened for her twin, his warmth gone from his usual spot next to her. Her lips pursed together as she hated being left alone. <br/><br/>Carefully she crept up to the opening her ear's searching for the sounds within the small encampment. Her ears moving gently as she tried to focus on each sound, her nose lifted to the side as she took in the scent's around her, the earthy musk of the ground, the soft smell of dew in the air. It was still early then and there it was a light scent of Alister. This made her most anxious as she peered out. Another pout. He wasn't there. The nervousness in her wouldn't settle and suddenly she let out a half wail cry "Alister! she cried. <br/><br/>The wail she had let out she regretted the minute it had escaped her lips. A twig snapped in the brush  near the opening, her eyes wide in fear the wind must have not picked up the nearby scent. <span style="font-style: italic">Human's!</span> her mind yelled. Before she could back into the hole hands grabbed her. frantically she tried to fight, biting, clawing, soon she was screaming in fear. She was being taken away, and as she continued to fight she was held tighter. Till finally a hard blow landed on her head making her world go black.<br/><br/>Eli was bound and gagged her light body placed into a buggy, had she been awake the presence of others might had startled her. Other halflings filled the buggy some crying and shaking others yelling through there gags and thrashing about. Eli was in for a whole new world. In the back of Eli's mind a question rose to the surface gently <span style="font-style: italic"> Alistar! where was he?</span>.</div></span>