M. K. CASPERSON

It was a nemlin. Taller than a dwarf, but shorter than a human, the creatures stood alone in the world of sizes. The nemlins had originated from the South, descendants of wild men and woodland faeries. The story was that, centuries ago, men from one of the many barbarian tribes set out in a hunting party and became lost in a thick forest. They were found by the faeries, beautiful, elusive creatures who dwelt in the woods, and were taken in, remaining with them ever after. Their children resembled human and faerie. In frame and features, they took after their mothers, with dark skin and hair like green meadow grass. They were thin and fast, but as an inheritance from their fathers, they were innately strong and fierce, with a love of battle and hunting. While Atia knew they had magic, she could not say what sort of magic it was. — Keepers of Fire