Daylight was starting to give way to sunset, but the weather was still tolerably warm, and Glenn didn't feel like going in yet. Until night had started to fall, he had been sitting on the shore of the lake in the Southern Glen, reading a book of poetry he had borrowed from a newly made acquaintance's collection. It was a bit too weird for his tastes, and he didn't understand all the words the poet used, but at least he had been able to read it. Now, though, he was going to have to find something else to do.

It was barely noticeable, and only on a few trees, but the green in the leaves was starting to fade. There was also that crisp ?autumn? scent in the air, like apples and cinnamon and pumpkin pie. And something else too. Not a scent, or a taste, or a sight, or a texture, or even a sound. No, it was something less tangible to the senses, or at least the senses most people possessed. It resonated from somewhere deep inside him, and radiated out, causing the hair on his arms to stand on end, even though it wasn't cold outside at all. It felt like someone was tickling his mind, playfully. Let me in, it seemed to say. Glenn placed his book in his backpack, and closed his eyes, trying to remember where he'd felt that sensation before. And then he remembered, with a shudder that shook both his body and his spirit. ?Magic,? he whispered to the water. Gods, how long had it been since he sensed that feeling, that power? Glenn looked down at his necklace. Everything seemed normal: the pieces of jade were the same color, the hemp cord wasn't damaged or frayed. Was the necklace's power fading? What should he do if it was? Take it off, he thought. It's alright, you're all alone. He stood up and walked around the lake and the entrance to the glade for a little bit, searching to see if there was anybody else there. Satisfied by his scan of the area, he sat back down next to his bag. He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and then lifted the necklace over his head carefully.

It was like opening a flood gate, slowly. Glenn could feel the energy rising up inside him, like someone was touching every nerve ending in his body at once. It wasn't an entirely familiar sensation, but he'd never quite forgotten what it felt like. It would be light at first, like a feather to skin, then increase in intensity. It would feel like his insides were itching, then blistering and peeling, then burning. Then ? Glenn paused. He opened his eyes and looked at his hands. They weren't surrounded by raw, white magical fire. He could feel the power being drawn out of him and into the ground. He was a pipe, and the earth itself was a drain, suctioning the excess magic out of him until there wasn't enough left to do any harm upon escaping. Wh-what's going on? Glenn thought to himself, half-worried, half-relieved. And completely exhausted. He fell onto his back, dizzy. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and he gasped for breath. Then, steadily, that exhaustion was replaced by another feeling. Peace. His pulse and breathing rate slowed. He wiped the sweat off his head with his forearm, then slowly sat up. His vertigo was gone, and he was able to sit upright. Turning his head to the left and to the right, and looking over his shoulder as much as he could, he tried to see if there was anyone else out there. Yet somehow, even without looking, Glenn knew. He was all alone. Except for -

?Earth Mother? Gaia? Is that you??

The sun was finally out of sight, although a faint trace of its light hid in the blue-black sky. In the glen, away from the city, most of the stars were quickly becoming visible, even though daylight hadn't completely faded yet. Water dripped slowly down Glenn's face as he sat up, his feet folded under his knees. His gaze turned skyward, then he laughed as he lowered his head to look at the water again.

?Sorry Earth Mother, I'm just so used to praying to Sol. The priests always told us to look at the sun when we prayed to Him. I don't know if You're listening, and I don't blame You if You're not. I know they didn't let us openly pray to You in Blackbridge, but it's been a long time since I even spoke to You with my heart. And I've been here six months. Here, you can pray to whatever god you want, and no one really cares.? Glenn paused, dipping his hand into the cool water again.

?Six months. Do You know why I came here, Gaia?? Glenn laughed again, but continued anyway. ?Of course You do. There's a lot of reasons, but the most important one was that I didn't think I could be open about who I was there. I wanted to come here and learn about magic, learn about elves, live the way I was supposed to.? He chuckled, bitterly. ?And You know what the first I did was? The exact same thing I've been doing all my life. Hiding who I was. Wearing this damn necklace, pretending to be human. I didn't do any of the things I wanted to do. I just worked and worked and worked.? He looked at the stars again, then unfolded his legs and leaned back.

?And the elves here know. That I'm not really human. That I don't know anything about being an elf. And yet I still talk to them. I still want to be around them. Like a moth to a candle. I pretend to be human, and they pretend that I'm human. But they know. I'm-I'm nothing but a elandili: elf on the outside, human on the inside. I'm afraid that I waited too long to tell them who I really am, and if I do it now, I'll be rejected again. Be seen as not really elven-elvish, whatever. But I don't know how long I can keep pretending. I don't want to. I want to be like them. But-but I don't know how- I don't know what to do.? Glenn started to sniffle. Don't cry, Glenn! Do something! He sat up, to better support his lungs. And then he started to sing, a fragment of a song his mother used to sing idly while doing chores. He was hesitant and a little bit flat at first, but his singing still carried more passion, more yearning, than any of the words he had spoken to anyone since he'd arrived in RhyDin. He started out quietly, then, as he remembered the words, his voice grew louder until, he imagined, everyone in RhyDin could hear his tenor.

?So I live in a hiding place
It's the only way I feel safe
When I'm safe in a hiding place
(That's not hidden now)
I'm safe in a hiding place
It's the only way I feel safe
When I live in a hiding place.?

When Glenn was done, he just sat there for a moment, his ears trying to catch the dying echoes of his tune. For a moment, that was all he could hear. No insects, no birds, not even the running of water. Then, an owl hooted. He heard the rustle of squirrels running frantically through tree branches. The honking and flapping of a flock of geese passing over his head, migrating south for the winter. He knelt on his hands and knees, bent over, and kissed the earth lightly, like a mother kissing her child goodnight. ?Thanks, Gaia. Thanks for listening.?

((Lyrics copyright Idlewild))