Ellie let the strange man leave her alone to her room. She sighed collapsing backwards onto the bed she had sat on and thought to herself. “Hierophant… Tarot Hierarchy... Cards… What was it all about?” She wondered quietly.

The day passed and night came. The elf had changed her clothes, her old blood stained clothes hung outside to dry after she had washed them earlier. She sat on her bed and her father came into the room. The room was simple; it had two beds parallel to each other, two dressers for each of them, and a chest at the foot of each bed. Her father changed quickly and sat down next to his daughter, rubbing her back and could read the worried expression on her face.

“What’s wrong dear?” Mr. Xilfina questioned. “Are you still upset from the fight that happened earlier?” he asked her. His words were kind and they brought a soothing to the young elf’s heart. She bit her lip, debating whether or not to tell her father of the events that had transpired earlier in that same room. Before she could decide he spoke up again. “Or is it what the scholar boy said?” He stated a bit somber. She looked at him in disbelief, curious as to how he had found out about their conversation. He chuckled and rustled the hair on her head. “You’re my daughter you know” he said answering her questions without her even needing to speak a word. What are fathers for after all? “Once I saw you headed upstairs with that ruffian of a boy you think I wasn’t worried about you? I eavesdropped on your conversation… I think you should go” he stated smiling at her. The smile was a sad one. The kind you give as you watch a grown bird fly from the nest for the first time. Happy for what it had achieved, but sad for the loss you knew you would have to accept along with the happiness.

“Father no!” she called out. “What about you and the shop! I have to help take care of them. Especially since mother is gone…” she could barely choke out the words before tears rolled down her cheeks. She coughed clearing her throat and sniffled trying to speak through the tears. “I-I have to make up for the mistake I made that night” she muttered. The elf’s father embraced the child carefully, holding her close to his chest and petting her hair.

“You made no mistake dear…” he trailed off trying to console her, and trying to find the right words. “I’ve never told you this before now… because I was afraid of dragging up old baggage…” he took a deep breath as the girl looked up into her father’s eyes; her vision was still blurry from the tears that had streamed down her cheeks. “Your mother… was so very proud of you. We knew what you were doing the first night you snuck out” he stated calmly. “On that night in particular, your mother had heard rumors of some undead roaming around… that’s why she went out after you…” he began to choke on his own words. “Eillynn… your mother and I were always so proud of you… So go use the talent you begged so much to learn from your mother to do something bigger… something greater with your life. I believe you can change the world” he said smiling.

The two held each other for a while longer. The night carried on, time never standing still for any occasion, and soon the two had fallen asleep; daughter slept in father’s arms for the first time in years. As the morning came Ellie approached the door of the room she had prepared for Vincent. She knocked and he answered shortly after grumbling about what time it was. When he answered she simply stood before him. Holding a chest full of clothing and answered his question. “I’ll do it”