Ralph and the Pixie

Assuming that the great forest still existed, beyond that their knowledge was uncertain. Besides the possible presence of dispossessed Faerie-folk, there was no telling what sort of denizens might occupy such a place, or how they might react to the Elven refugees. To this end, Birin went personally to Malina and asked that she officially assume her role as Emissary, thinking that her presence might be accepted, where that of the Elves might not.

She had misgivings about assuming such a role, and told Birin as much. Being creatures of Magic and of Nature, the Faerie Folk answered to no one. They had no love for Elves, especially after having suffered at the hands of their tyranny and their dangerous Lore. And these folk would not be living within the Elf Kingdom. Pleading the Elves’ case, she told Birin, could prove a dangerous gamble, for her own personal safety as well as for the Elves.

It was well known among her Faerie kindred that the reason for the increased numbers of Goblins was mainly due to the meddling of the Elves as they probed deeper and deeper into the secrets of Nature, without any apparent regard for the consequences of their labours. They had shifted the Balance away from its natural course as they bent it to suit their own selfish wants.