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In the darkness of the corridor, a small, shadowy figure was crouching, but at the sound of the voice it pressed up against the wall. The figure was no more than three feet tall - quite possibly shorter. In the silence, short, quick breaths could be heard.

As the light flashed down the black corridor, there was a frightened squeal, and the tiny figure scrambled to its feet and started skittering away from the light - slowly, feeling their way along the wall because of the blackness. In the beam of light, a flash of bright clothes and black hair could be seen.

There was a sudden splat and a yelp, and in the flashlight's beam, a tiny child could be seen - a little girl with a short but colourful skirt and a white blouse. Wavy black hair fell to her shoulders, thin and wispy, and as she found herself in the light, she curled up in a ball and held her hands over her head, as if she were trying to defend herself.

The girl whimpered softly and curled up tighter. She was obviously very young, her arms and legs pudgey with the baby fat that had not yet been shed, her hair not yet long enough to need cutting. She shrank away from the butterfly - such a creature as she had never seen before, it was frightening to her ...

One arm lowered, and a large hazel eye peered over at Lin, bright with fear - but there was also curiosity in that gaze, now that the butterfly was gone. Slowly, nervously, the child sat up and rubbed one eye with the back of her hand, and then she looked up at Lin, seeing nothing more than a silhouette because of the light that was shining in her face.

The little girl just stared at Lin silently. There was no movement at all, nothing to indicate that she might have heard or understood Lin's words - but the child's expression softened slightly, and she continued to gaze at Lin, as if she were trying to see her in the darkness, make out a face ...

And then suddenly she climbed slowly to her feet and toddled over to Lin and tugged on her pant leg, then held up both arms to her.

"Up," she said in the High Elven tongue.

The little girl snuggled into Lin's arms and laid her head on Lin's shoulder before popping her thumb into her mouth and sucking on it contentedly. She didn't seem inclined to reply - but the corridor only ran in one direction, and so there was only one way for Lin to go.