"Winter?" A soft voice spoke from her bunaglo. The older women looked up to a higher branch of the tree, seeing the sleepy but worried eyes of her younger sister. "Whats going on?" She asked, trying to shake the sleep from her voice.

Winter lived in a elderly willow tree, standing on one of the hearty lower branches, looking down on the world below her with a judging look. "Humans." She spoke, inquiring a confused mumble from Weiss. "They want to talk. Stay here. Unless i say so, you dont exist." She looked back up at her little sister, giving her a stern, cold glare. "Got it?" She commanded.

Weiss let out a sleepy yawn, laying back down in her hammock. She was totally unphased by the glare, she had grown up with it afterall. "I understand." She heard Winter lunge from the tree and sighed. Winter was always so protective of her, but she wanted to help. How could she one day lead the tribe if Winter always kept her huddled up in the tree?

With a soft, shockingly quiet thump, Winter hit the ground with both her feet. Much like a cat, she landed almost entierly silently, the snow under her bare feet hardly disturbed. Winter stood with both arms crossed behind her back, an aura of power fitting of the current queen of the Ice Elves.

Winter's hair was long, curled in on itself multaple times for a three layered bun resembling that of a snowman in shape. She wore soft, silky white garbs that losely covered most of her body, with tight, reinforced straps underneith that were largely hidden by her royal cloak. Her hair was whiter then fresh snow, almost impossibly so, and her skin was pale enough to be mistaken for a ghost. Combined with her tall stature, thin bone structure, and nearly foot long ears, she was pratically the perfect Ice Elf. Or Snow Elf, whatever you want to call them. Her kind had many names, not that she cared.

"Ah, Snowflakes!" Winter's eyes narrowed. She mostly didn't care, that was one nickname she wasnt fond of. "So the rumors are true." Standing before Winter at the bottom of the hill was a man with short, brown buzz cut hair. He had shining yellow eyes, and a heavy suit that was clearly made entierly of animal fur. Winter couldent help but think he looked barbaric donning the remains of his prey. Then again, not every race was as resistent to the cold as she was.

"Define rumors?" Winter inquired, remaining still atop the hill, her firm and challenging look not leaving her face for even a moment. The beefy man below her chuckled a bit "Havent you heard? Your quite the elusive specimin." Winter raised her eyebrow futher at that, silently demanding for more information. "Most races make themselves known, in one way or another. Yet you never even leave the mountains. You exist only in rumors, yet here you are standing right infront of me!"

The man put his arms on his sides and let out a bellowing laugh. "Even the tales of you living in these silly deciduous trees was true!" Winter rolled her eyes at that, snapping her fingers. "Get to the point." She ordered. The various willow-esk trees shuttered, as a horde of Snow Elves showed there faces. They had looks of determination, weilding various bows and knives, and the ocasional machete. "Why are you here?"

The man snickered, rubbing his chin. Winter was getting annoyed, what was so amusing? "Well, you see. Despite the rumors, most people dont bealive your real." Before Winter could give a snarky coment, the man took a step up the hill and continued. "Beacuse of that, this land is free for the taking. I bought it." He lowered his head, giving her his own firm look. "And i want you to leave."

Winter glared at him, putting one leg back and donning a battle stance. The air itself was getting colder, and the bows being pulled back caused the man to halt half way up the hill. "You do not own this land, we do. We will not be making any deals with you. Leave now and we wont kill you." Winte ordered, causing the man to laugh, only serving to annoy Winter even more.

"Well, too bad for you. I do own this land." He turned around, begining to make his way back towards the treeline. "And im taking it, and doing what i want to it. If you wont leave, then ill have to escort you off the premises for trespassing" He stepped between the treeline, and soon, a soft humming filled the air.

The trees he had vanished behind topped, revealing hulking beasts of metal. Various heavy machinery drove out, weilding various sharp metal extentions intended for terraforming. The ground and snow was dug up at the base of the hill, and blades swung and toppled entire trees in one fell swoop.

"Fight back!" Winter shouted, a hint of panic sent threw her voice. Staying hidden from the world had disadvantages, such as being unaware of any technolgical advancments. "Dont let them take what is ours!" Elves moved to get off the trees, but one by one began to silently fall. Winter looked around at her men and women falling from the trees, only to lock her eyes forward as foot soilders stepped from the treeline, with various guns.

Winter bent her legs and lunged into the trees. Weiss wasnt trying to sleep anymore, she was fully dressed, armed, and sitting in her bed waiting for her sisters approval. "Winter! Whats going on?" She snapped, only to have somethign roughly shoved against her chest. Weiss looked down at what Winter had given her. It was a small blue crystal encased in Neutronium. It was flashing a soft light, as if a silent siren was blaring.

"Weiss, leave. Leave and never come back." Winter orederd, grabbing the girls long pontail and dragging her out of her hammock. "What!?" Weiss snapped, despite the pain in her hair. "Winter, let me help! I can-" She was silenced by a firm slap on the cheek "Now is not the time for heroism!" Winter snapped "Go! Now!" She shouted, before everything began to shake.

One of the machines had started working on there tree, and it dangoriously shook side to side. Weiss, in the heat of the moment, lunged from the branch off to the thicker treeline further up the hill. She landed silently in the snow "Winter!" She turned her head back, eyes going wide as her body froze.

She watched the machine move closer, she watched the blades come down as Winter was pinned below its crushing tracks. Weiss flicked her head away, and bolted off into the woods. Snowflakes littered the path behind her, her tears freezing mid air. She didnt want to see the end result, she wouldent let the last memories of her sister be tainted red.

Weiss didnt know were she was going, not now. Her heart and mind were swirling with emotions, everything was a haze, All she saw was the white of snow and rocks, as her ears were filled with the roars of machines and the cries of her people.

Today Weiss was orphaned, and her entire race slaughtered. Today was the worst day of her life, and but a week from her birthday too...