A decade ago the remainder of our people fled their homelands, just before the sea rose up and swallowed the only homes they had ever known. The sea was in a terrible state then, and many of our boats were pulled under. We had scouted the land we then turned our sails towards before; and it seemed a perfect new land for us, large, fertile, and most importantly, devoid of any human life. Our people were a peaceful folk, who had always relied on the sea surrounding our islands to protect us from the armies of other nations. But the sea is treacherous even as a friend, and one of the same storms that kept others away drove us from our homes.

The journey to the new land was supposed to take a month and a half, if the wind was in our favor. The storm got every ship lost though. Two ships made it to the place we intended. The rest never found their way back to land. Many died on the journey over sea, and more died upon arrival. But with hard work and strong leadership our people were able to build a new home by a river and far enough from the sea that it would never again swallow us.

Ten years passed since we arrived, and while hard work is still needed, we are beginning to prosper. We are forging a new home and a new us. But strange cries can be heard in the woods surrounding our walls, and men are going missing or turning up dead. This land was supposed to be uninhabited, and who will save us if it is not?

When the strangers first arrived on our shores we thought they were just passing through. They were weak, disoriented, and had few supplies. Our council decided to take pity on them, and allow them to stay for the time being. It was believed that after being given the opportunity to regain their strength and reorient themselves, they would leave.

It didn’t take too long to realize that that was not the case.

But there were still those in our midst who remembered the great wars of years past. It was them that urged us to continue as we had, for they never wanted to see war in these forests again. So we continued. Hiding. For we learned long ago that those with only one form, like these strangers, find it easy to fear and hate us who have two.

So we continued hiding.

It’s been ten years now though, and ten years is an awful lot of hiding. Those who have never faced war itch to start one. Who knows how much longer their elders will be able to stop them?