((Since I'm new here, I'm going to go out on a limb and throw out the start of a story idea.  Anyone is welcome to join in and help me get things rolling.))<br/><br/>If you are interested in joining us, please view the Discussion Thread (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=57640.0) for ideas or feedback!<br/><br/><strong>The Setup</strong><br/><br/><em>This is a medieval setting with the human race at war with elves.  The two races have been at war since the beginning of history.  Humans do not possess the magical powers of the Elves, but the humans have the advantage of numbers and brute strength.  The two races generally keep to their own lands, and rarely stray into one another's path, but encounters are still occur with regular frequency.  In the extremely rare case of a human mother giving birth to a part-elven child, the child has always been killed as an abomination, and quite frequently the mother is killed as well.  For a child of mixed blood to not only survive beyond it's birth, but to live to maturity, is unheard of.</em><br/><br/><strong>Opening</strong><br/><br/>Kitherit had always been considered a bit strange.  She seemed to prefer to keep to herself, staying ensconced in the small cottage she had shared with her Mother, until her Mother's dying day.  She was a bit of a puzzle to many in the human village, some sensing an aching longing within the girl for companionship and friends.  Yet she never quite fit in, seemingly unable to relax and enjoy the time she spent with her peers.<br/><br/>None of them could possibly know the truth, that Kitherit ached to live in a world where she didn't have to hide who and what she was.  She new perfectly well what would happen if anyone ever did find out the truth, and she lived in constant fear of that reality whenever she went out in public.  She had become very adept at hiding her secret.  Her thick black hair was kept as long as possible, the more to artfully arrange it in such a way to hide her ears.  She often wore a hood or cloth to cover her head, and coincidentally hide the slender points of her ears.<br/><br/>She knew that one day the truth would come out.  Someone would discover her secret.  And when that moment came at long last, Kitherit was surprised by the surge of relief that flooded through her veins.<br/><br/>The day was overcast and threatening rain.  A perfect excuse to wear her familiar hooded cloak.  She had spent most of the previous day harvesting a bounty of vegetables from her small garden, and headed into the village to trade them for a few items she was in need of.  It was as she was approaching the General Goods store that it happened.  A young man who was notorious for being a bit of a trouble maker and a tease ran by, and tugged at her hood, laughing tauntingly.  She hadn't been expecting the maneuver, as he had always ignored her before.  But in that single unguarded moment, everything changed.<br/><br/>The blue cloth was tugged back from her head, and she saw the laughter in the boy's eyes shift to curiousity as he clearly caught a glimpse of something in her hair.  It only took a single question from the boy to draw attention to it from others around them.  In only moments, one of the burly workmen lounging nearby came over to see what was going on, and caught Kitherit's wrist as she fumbled with the hood, blushing as she struggled to find a way to deflect the boy's curiousity.<br/><br/>The man gruffly pushed her hair back, and revealed the truth.  The top of her ear lifted gracefully upwards to a slender point, indistinguishable from that of a full blooded Elvish ear.  That was the moment she saw the truth dawn in the man's eyes, a man who like many in the village had apparently always suspected the truth about this strange girl, but never had the proof.  And that was the moment she felt a surge of relief, knowing the charade was finally over.  But hard on the heals of her relief came the fear, and the instinct to run took over.<br/><br/>Kitherit would never know how she managed to escape the grasp of the man.  Perhaps he had released her in shock.  Everything happened in a blur as she dropped her basket of produce and ran for her life.  It didn't take long for the villagers to start their pursuit, and the sounds of their cries pushed her deep into the woods surrounding the village.<br/><br/>She didn't know how many hours she had been running when night fell, and she realized she could no longer hear the sounds of anyone following her.  Coming to a narrow, shallow river, Kitherit fell to her knees and drank deeply of the cool water.  Her clothing had been ripped and torn in many places, her hair tangled with bits of greenery.  Now that she had come to a stop, her mind registered three facts.  First, she had no idea where she was at.  Second, her feet throbbed in pain.  Third, she was absolutely exhausted.<br/><br/>Dragging herself just a little way from the river, Kitherit collapsed against the cold ground, unconscious.<br/><br/>((My intent would be for an Elf to find her, and that Elvish society would welcome her, for the most part.  Beyond that I am open to ideas.))