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Running With Scissors Guild RP

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Running_With_Scissors
Post subject: Running With Scissors Guild RP
Posted: Thu 17 Feb , 2005 2:33 am
Just an RP Accessory
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Joined: Thu 17 Feb , 2005 1:28 am
Location: Elenos, Tirnor
 
Running With Scissors: The Guild of TORC’s Scorned (and now a part of b77) :cheers

Welcome and well met. Within our Guild, you will find a bunch of people
crazy enough to run with scissors, and a bunch of people nerdy enough
to wear those T-shirts that say "Runs With Scissors" :neutral:
We are the scorned of TORC - the rejected and trod upon :mrgreen: . We have been attacked by spammers again and again :blackeye and within this guild we have decided to fight back.
Yes!!! Fight back against the spammers!!! (because we never ever ever
spam...............ever :whistle: )

Now, just in case you were thinking that fighting spam is the whole
point of this guild....
oh no my friends, this is not the case. We have no one track minds here - how many tangents can we be on at one time? Time will only tell, but they will NOT be one line tangents. We will use our creativity in wonderful ways.

The mission statements of this Guild: (yes, we have them, and they are weird)
  • 1. We shall run at spammers with scissors! :rage:
    2. We shall be scorned together!
    3. We shall never make a post less than four creative lines, under
    threat of being run at with scissors!
    4. We shall scorn those who spam.
    5. We shall talk and act out whatever comes to mind, BUT!!! (refer to statement #3)
Blade Runners of the Guild:
  • Satch : aka, Dripping Goop - The Bouncing Blade

    PG: aka, Stiletto Siren - The Wardrobe Mistress of all Spammers

    Sky: aka, Raining Daggers - The Silent Skewer

    Leafy: aka, Saber Leaf Tiger - The Huntress

    Bree379: aka, Spam Slicer Extraordinaire - The Muddy Poet

    Gimli: aka, Kevlar Dwarf - The Exception to the Rule

    LilyRose: aka, Chocolate Edge - The Candy Coated Killer

    Giliath: aka, Edison’s Scalpel - The Sharpest Knife in the Drawer

    Alassante_Estel: aka, Blade Dancer - The Light Footed Lance

    Ranewen_The_Pink: aka, The Pinkest Blade - The Scimitar Smoocher

    Davey/The Mouth Of Sauron: aka, Crouching Aussie - The Hidden Machete
_____________________________________________________________________

Your level of Blade Running will depend wholly on your creativity in
posting, how well you follow the Mission Statements Here are the levels

Blade Runners: Professionals - The best of the best, their endurance
has been tested and tested again, and they always manage to post with
creativity.

Blade Sprinters: Journeymen - These folks run well for short periods of
time, but there are other times when they loose their endurance, and
post without creativity or post less than four lines

Blade Joggers: Apprentices - They try, they try so hard, but sometimes
they must be scorned.
_____________________________________________________________________

Running with Scissors - attacking spammers in kind and creative ways :horse: :wave:

Current Description of the Guild

Through the trees, a large round plaza can be seen surrounding a park.
Cobblestone paths lead through the park, opening up occasionally into
small garden areas complete with stone benches, fountains, and flowers.
Statues honoring ancient Blade Runners dot the landscape. As you make
your way out of the park, to the north a very old and enormous stadium
can be seen. Its stone walls seem to hold the cheers of thousands of
years of crowds. Within the stadium are the apartments of the current
Blade Runners who are always on the ready for the next spammer.
Across the plaza and the huge wooded park in the middle of it, lies a
cozy little coffee and tea house, all of its French doors open onto the
street. From the inside laugher, song, and poetry can be heard. On one
side of the coffee house is a crowded book store, and on the other is a
music lounge where anyone can walk in, pick up an instrument, and play.
The plaza itself is crowded with bakeries, small shops, apartments on
the upper floors, open markets and vendors. Everywhere, laughter, music
and the trickle of fountains can be heard and the fragrance of the deep
woods and flowers fills the air. The gentle murmur of people content
with their world, and no fear of spammers entering it. There is the
comfortable feeling of a small village mixed with the beauty of an ancient
city.
In this world the Blade Runners maintain constant vigilance against
spammers, never allowing those who spam to stay for long, and punishing
with great wrath those who try.

_____________________________________________________________________


For anyone interested in the story - the RP started on accident, and went from joking fun to a formal High Fantasy :dragon: RP. I know High Fantasy isn't a popular subject for RP on TORC. We are always looking for feedback in our OOC thread (which I haven't started here on B77 yet ;) ), however, if your only comment is going to be about how High Fantasy sucks, and RP's written in it do as well, please don't bother.


If you would like to post in this Guild, please visit The RWSG Coffee
and Tea House thread first (which I haven't started here on B77 yet :P ), as this thread has turned into an RP. If you don't want to participate in an RP, that is fine, you can still post in the OOC about anything you want. :)


Cast of Writers and their Characters:

Main Writers:

Giliath - Giliath and occasionally Steve

LilyRoseTook - Lily and Mat (mat written under the ID of Moonstream)

Bree379 - Bree

LadyKat - Randir

Satch - Satch

Leafy - Leafy

Alassante_Estel - Estel, Úcenite-Melme, Irisanno, Liyaera

Guest Writers:

mouth of sauron - Davey

Ranewen-the-Pink - Pinkness

Ysicla - Ysi

peeg - PG

Stormy - The Axe-man

Sirius-Black - Sirius



There may be others, but you'll have to forgive me as it's 1am. I should be :tired:

Last edited by Running_With_Scissors on Thu 17 Feb , 2005 2:54 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Running_With_Scissors
Post subject:
Posted: Thu 17 Feb , 2005 2:37 am
Just an RP Accessory
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Posts: 20
Joined: Thu 17 Feb , 2005 1:28 am
Location: Elenos, Tirnor
 
the mouth of sauron wrote:
A tall cloaked figure made its way to stand behind his lady has she sips her child wine.

For an age or so it seemed he stood like the silhouette of dark assassin. Not a muscle did he move yet his eyes and ears took in everything.

Estel did not give any hint that she did not know he was there... But she did. She could feel him, could always feel when he was near.

Together they watched the going ons with in the guild.
Ysicla wrote:
Suddenly, and to everybody’s surprise Ysi enters the room. She is looking kind of worn out after her birthday party, but a smile rests around her mouth. She blinks to the blade runners in the guilt and giggles a little to herself. walks over to the poetry corner and pour herself a cup of tea. Then she sits down on the floor in the corner with her legs crossed. Still laughing secretly to herself she picks up the gift she got from Pinky; the magic cross-stitching kit. She starts humming to herself as she starts working with the needle. She picks the brightest and prettiest colors and her hands works fast. After a while she holds the piece of fabric in front of herself and takes a close look at it. She smiles even wider and nod in approval to herself. "Yes Ysi, You did a great work with this one!"
She stands up again and shows the other blade runners her new creation.

Okay, my friends, I thought we could have our own banner in this guild. This my friend is a picture of the very first and most magical scissor in history. It will forever protect our precious guild from all harm. If anybody ever spams in here, they’ll have to kneel and beg the magic scissor banner for forgiveness . If they don’t then you guys can teach them a lesson with your mighty sharp scissors .

She puts the banner on the wall in the poetry corner, and as she finish her work the thought suddenly strikes her. She didn’t say hello when she came in

Okay sorry guys. HELLO ALL!!!
Hope you don’t mind if I stick around here
Bree379 wrote:
Bree, still sitting beside Pinky in the stands, feels a slight change in the wind. She looks across the stadium to the box where Estel is observing the games. Bree narrows her eyes. She can barely distinguish the dark shape from the shadows behind Estel, but she knows he's there. A hint of a smile teases the corners of her lips, but she says nothing. She knows he will make his presence known on his own. She turns to Pinky.

Nice weather we're having, isn't it? Such lovely weather to welcome Ysi to our humble guild. Welcome Ysi, dear, come sit by us and observe what happens to spammers.

she pats the seat next to her, beckoning Ysi forward

but she does not forget; she knows
Ysicla wrote:
Still a little embarrassed about her impolite entree, Ysi can’t really decide what to do next. Bree looks at her with big nice puppy eyes, and beside her Pinky is sitting watching Ysi curiously.

Ah, what the hell, if Pinky is around I guess nothing too bad could happen. After all she is my twin sister and I am sure she’ll come and rescue me if it’s needed.

Ysi walks over to the nice and cozy couch and sits down next to Bree

Okay, ladies, what are we waiting for? What is going to happen next? Tell me, what will happen to spammers?
Giliath wrote:
A cloaked figure is revealed around one of the turns of a winding staircase as she trudges up the long flights. The walls feel cool under the touch of her palm as she glides her hand along the stone work as she climbs. Deep cutting in the walls allow the sun to stream in in places creating shafts of light at regular intervals so that the figure is constantly flitting between shadow and light.

She suddenly emerges into a long hallway lined on both sides with many wooden doors closed fast and locked, but one door remains open and the warm yellow light of the afternoon sun floods from it into the hall along with the distant cheering of a large crowd. A few feet from the door another figure stands cloaked in a similar robe as the person approaching though of less richness and finery. He snaps to attention as the other approaches.

"Hello Steve," she says smiling brightly though looking slightly fatigued. "Is Estel still in?"
Steve smiles in turn then shrugs his shoulders. "I don’t know Gili," he says, "I just got here. She should be."

"Thanks Steve," Giliath calls back as she turns towards Estel’s door. She crosses the last few feet in perfect silence and peers around the door post. Within is a fabulously appointed room filled with fine furniture and expensive art all with a scissor theme. The end of the spaces opens in a large balcony looking out onto the stadium floor and there Giliath sees Estel peering over the stone railing. She’s about to stride in and greet her when she suddenly stops short. Did she see someone moving in the shadows there? Or was it just a trick of the light? She leans into the door a little more straining her eyes to pear into a dark alcove behind Estel. Yes! There behind Estel’s bronzed first baby scissors was a cloaked figure. He seemed to desire the darkness to stay out of sight. Giliath leans in a little further, risking detection, but needing by some compulsion to see who this figure is. She furrows her brows trying to pierce the darkness her face strained in concentration, but then her expression suddenly changes. "It’s…..it can’t be," she breathes.

Giliath creeps away from the door and down the hall gathering Steve in tow. He sees the deep thought in Giliath’s eyes and can tell that something is up. "What is it?" he asks.

"Where’s Bree?" Giliath responds avoiding his question.

The two make their way through the stadium until they find Bree and Pinky still sitting in their seats with Ysi. Giliath smiles broadly forgetting her errand for a moment. "Ysicla," she says. "Welcome! I was wondering when you would show up, but we can catch up later." She takes an empty seat in the row directly behind Bree and leans forward. "You’ll never guess whose here," she whispers.

"I think I already know," Bree responds.
Bree379 wrote:
Bree looks pointedly at Estel's box, and Gili nods.

Just follow my lead, ok?

Excuse me Ysi and Pinky, I have a bit of business to attend to. Keep my seat warm, will you?

Smiling warmly, she stands and walks nonchalantly to the nearest exit. Gili follows quickly a few paces behind. She stops to buy a hot dog to keep anyone watching from knowing they are together. Bree steps through the doorway into the same cool passageway that evenutally leads to Estel's box. She sits on a bench against the wall awaiting Gili. Gili walks in a few minutes later, dripping ketchup from her hotdog onto the stone ground. She hands the hot dog to Steve, who quickly disposes of it.

I can't believe he's here! Estel must know; I'm surprised he still has his head!

Gili sits next to Bree on the bench as Bree stares at a crack in the stone wall, thinking hard.
Giliath wrote:
Giliath leans back against the wall behind her and stretches her feet out from the bench. She yawns casually trying to avoid the appearance that something is wrong. She scratches the side of her head. "What do you think we should do?" She asks. "Should we go up there? She has to know he’s here doesn’t she?"

Everything about Giliath’s manner is casual no one passing by without hearing the words would guess that this was anything but a light-hearted chat between friends.

"Maybe we should go up there," she says flatly having made the decision in her own mind, but waiting for Bree’s approval.

She motions slightly with her head towards the stairs that lead to Estel’s balcony. Steve has already made his way to the entrance anticipating his cousin’s actions. Bree and Giliath noiselessly agree.

Bree rises and starts up the stairs disappearing around the first turn of the flight where she waits for Giliath to follow. She remains on the bench for a brief moment then rises, stretches and follows Bree. She pauses for a moment to give Steve some briefs instructions. "If Pinky or Ysicla follow tell them we’ve just gone up to see Estel." Steve nods and watches Giliath disappear up the stairs.

Giliath meets Bree around the first corner and the start the climb together. "What do you think you-know-who is up to?" she quietly asks.

"He’s always up to something," Bree ventures with a smile.

The two share a little giggle.
Bree379 wrote:
As they continue their ascent, they are aware of every noise. A stair creaks and they both stop. Bree looks hesitantly at Giliath, and then they both quietly laugh as they realize it was the very step they are standing on. A tapestry further along the stairs flutters slightly, and Giliath motions for Bree to investigate. Bree cautiously approaches the tapestry, her feet lightly touching the stairs. With one fell swoop, she pulls back the tapestry, only to reveal a heavy oak door. She tries the handle, but it's locked.

"I believe we're going to have to investigate this locked door later. For heaven's sake, this is our guild, there shouldn't be any locked doors!"

As they round the last corner, they pause significantly in front of the door.

"You first Giliath."

Giliath gives the door a slight push, just to open it a crack. She puts her ear close to the crack and hears low whispers. Knowing that the 2 are in there, she pushes the door open in one swing. Bree jumps behind her, ready for an attack. To their surprise Estel is sitting alone, facing the door, as if expecting them.

"I saw you coming," Estel says simply, waving her hand in the direction of a crystal gazing ball.

Giliath and Bree stand there awkwardly, feeling like school children in the principal's office. They gaze around the room, taking everything in, but Davey is no where to be seen.
Ranewen_The_Pink wrote:

Ysi's finally here! (((((BIG HUGS)))))

Ysi and Pinky still sit idly in their stadium booth seats (Blade Runners always have a special booth section to sit in), watching the dust settle on the arena ground between fights.
'Want some popcorn?' Pinky offered.
'Sure! I'd love some.' Ysi answered as she reached over to grab a handful of Satch's lovely popcorny creation. While leaning she noticed from the corner of her eye, something small and trivial, yet intriguing. Bree and Gili were walking over to where Estel sat, in another booth on the opposite side of the stadium. But something wasn't entirely right. Not in the way the two girls had left, or in the way they were proceeding towards Estel. But there it was, almost completely invisible yet plain as day, a precarious-looking shadow. Ysicla couldn't help but stare at it, much to Pinky's notice.
'What is it? What's wrong?' Pinky asked as she rose from her seat to try and peer towards what Ysi couldn't pull her wide, sparkling eyes from.
'There...' Ysi pointed. 'Do you see that? What Bree and Gili are investigating, I think...'
'Oh... that...' Pinky answered wearily. She reclined back in her seat. 'That's just Davey! I saw him on the way in this morning.'
'Ohhhhhhh! All right then, I'm not worried.' Ysi sighed, and relaxed in her seat.
'I can't believe they didn't notice him sooner. Look! He sticks out like a sore thumb! Hahaha...' Pinky joked.
'Hehehe, he does. Even I saw him within only minutes of my being here!' Ysi humored as the two turned towards the center arena to watch yet another Spammer get mauled.
Giliath wrote:
Giliath takes a few steps further into the room cautiously approaching the crystal ball. Her eyes glance from the orb to Estel and back expecting her to stop Giliath at any moment, but she only smiles.

"So this is what you’ve been keeping up here is it?" she asks swallowing heavily. She reaches out a shaking hand and probes the smooth surface with her finger tips. "Not much must escape your notice," she says shooting a glance at Bree.

Giliath draws her hand back and looks directly at Bree that two seem to be having a wordless argument shaking there heads and trying to motion with their eyes without drawing Estel’s attention. After several extreme gestures Giliath slumps her shoulders and turns back to Estel. "So," she begins hesitantly, "we were wondering if anything ………interesting happened up here today."

Estel cocks an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Well," Giliath answers trying to think fast on her feet, "has anyone visited you maybe." She licks her lips and glances nervously at Bree.

"Well Steve was up here before. You know her can be rather annoying. Did you know he has a passion for fishing?"

Giliath shakes her head.

"Well I do! I certainly do! It’s all he talks about. How he caught this fish and………….."

"That’s not what I was talking about," Giliath interrupts. She rubs at her temples trying to think how she can subtly get at the point when suddenly at of the corner of her eye she sees something unbelievably fast fly down the hall. She reels around, but sees nothing but the tapestries fluttering on the walls. A door slams in the distance.

Giliath and Bree share a knowing glance and without a word race out of Estel’s room and down to the locked door. Giliath tries the knob, but it’s still locked fast. They both try to pick the lock with their sewing scissors-nothing. They heave their wait against it each alone then together, but it still doesn’t budge. "I’ll bet my silver scissors he’s in their," Giliath says pounding her fist on the door in frustration. "But how do we get in there?" she pauses for a second "And what has he got in there?"

Bree shrugs her shoulders. "I wonder if Pinky and Ysicla have noticed him yet."
Alassante_Estel wrote:
As the two race away Estel laughs softly to herself. A figure seems to almost detach itself from the wall, in plain view of where Giliath and Bree were standing, yet they didn't see it.

They expect me to behead you again, lol.

"I know" the dark figure replied. It glided across the floor, looked out the archway and into the stadium "The nOObies and to the guild and Pinky think that they see me in that illusion you left on the balcony"

Indeed, LOL Pinky should know better - she has the scissors and the robes. The others? They will learn.....perhaps.

Estel rises from her seat, steps out onto the balcony for a moment. A hush comes over the stadium, but when it becomes obvious that no announcement shall be made, the cheers and noise resume, as practice fights, and spam attacks continue. Estel sits in her chair, watches the spectacle, and smiles slightly when a hand comes to rest on her shoulder. The figure, still invisible to those in the guild, stands in the shadows behind her, with the presence of a sentinel
Bree379 wrote:
Bree slams her fist against the door dejectedly. Every effort was useless; the door would not budge. She leans against the door, worry written all over her face.

I just don't understand! It's not like Estel to keep secrets from us. This must mean that you know who is back. Why else would she turn all secretive on us again? That is how he got the name, remember? Crouching tiger hidden machete... he was always the best at hiding from us.

She turns away from the door, bearing a defeated stature. They go back up the stairs, but instead of going into Estel's private box, Bree invites Giliath to join her in her's.
They walk through the doorway and a cozy room greets them. A fire is happily crackling in the fireplace, giving off warmth to bite the chill of the stony room. Paintings depicting Bree's ceremony to become a blade runner line the walls. Flowers of many different varieties randomly add color to dark corners. A sitting area of plush, overstuffed couches are arranged in front of the fire, creating a comfortable conversation area. The coffee table is laden with cakes, fruits, deli meats, and crackers. It almost groans with the weight of the heavy food. A balcony much like that in Estel's box is at the far end of the room. Faintly, roars from the crowd can be heard over the cracks and pops from the fire.

Come and sit. Food always helps me think!

She loads a plate high with various snacks and sits in one of the large chairs. A small dog runs up to her and sits at her feet. She leans over, absently patting him. Giliath sits on another chair and puts her feet up. She balances her plate on her lap and folds her hands behind her head, deeply thinking. Bree is the first to say anything.

I mean, do we do anything? Or do we just bide our time until he approaches us. He left us on such bad terms, wanting to do well... you know... but we just couldn't let him! I really never thought we'd see him again.

Giliath takes a bite of fruit, chews thoughtfully, and then responds.
Giliath wrote:
"I think the more important question is:" Giliath says after swallowing a morel, "Can we do nothing?" She places her plate down on the coffee table and sets her face in her hands rubbing her chin contemplatively. "I for one can’t just wait. I hate not knowing."

Giliath gets up and paces back and forth in front of the fire. Bree follows her with her eye patiently waiting, knowing that Giliath is about to come to her decision and giving her space to do so. She stops her movement and gazes long into the fire. The flickering embers reveal many lines of care on her face that Bree had never marked before. All of Giliath’s consideration was going into the problem. "No," she finally ventures in a voice barely to be heard over the noise around her. "No," she says again louder and more certain, "we can’t sit here and do nothing. I can’t just let this mystery stand." She turns to Bree and looks her straight in the eyes. "I’m going to try the door." She turns to exit the room and calls back to Bree, "Are you with me?"

Bree nods gravely and the two exit the room together. "I was thinking," Giliath whispers leaning closer to Bree’s ear, "if we can’t break the lock why don’t we just remove the hinges? We can swing the door open on the lock. It’s a pad-lock so it should work."

Bree ponders moment. "It just might."

The two reach the door and Bree pulls back the concealing hanging while Giliath pulls a screwdriver for her belt. She removes the hinges one by one letting the screws hit the floor with a clear ping that echoes in the stairway like the tolling of a bell. She removes the last screw and stands back. "That should do it," she says with a hopeful look. They both grab hold of the door. "On three," Giliath says bracing herself. "One……..two…………..three!"
Alassante_Estel wrote:
Estel turns in sudden shock as the door to her secret set of rooms is thrust open. As Giliath and Bree enter the room tho, her shock dissovles into nervous laughter

You guys just couldn't leave that door alone could you, lol

Giliath and Bree look around the room in awe, peering thru doorways into other rooms, and trying to figure out how all of the suite connected to the rooms above. The stone walls are softened by countless ancient tapestries and bookshelves. A door opens out onto a hidden courtyard catching the mid-day sun, and the sounds of water trickling in a fountain can be heard. It is obviously a mans room, and everything is covered with a thick layer of dust. Estel gently guides the two back into the hallway before they can catch more of a glimpse of what is in the rooms, but it may have been to late. The paintings and tapestries in the room tell a story all their own about who occupied it, and the fact that Estel is in there tells the rest of the story. She shuts the door, and this time, bars it as well as locks it. She walks away from the door laughing, passes her unseen sentinal, gives him a wink and seems to disappear suddenly into the wall. In her rooms above, she appears on the balcony again, and settles to watch the games.
Bree379 wrote:
They stare at the bolted door in shock. Bree runs down the passage a little farther and pulls back another tapestry. There's another door behind this one, but it isn't locked. She turns the handle with ease, and the door swings open to a room of nothing, or so it appears. Bree steps into the small room, and a damp coolness chills her to the bones. She shivers slightly, and wraps her robes more tightly around herself. She gropes around in the darkness and finds what she is looking for: a light switch. She flips the switch, expecting immediate relief from the encroaching darkness, but instead the wall before her slowly moves away, to reveal a dark, secret passageway. Bree looks at Giliath (they seem to do a lot of this silent communicating, it's much more dramatic) and they step into the corridor. A musty smell fills their nostrils, as though this corridor had not been opened since the stadium was built years ago. Their footsteps are dulled by the thick layer of dust on the stone floor. The passageway twists and turns until it hits a dead end.

"Well now what?" Bree asks in exasperation.

But Giliath knows better. She feels along the damp wall searching for something, her hand occasionally brushed by cobwebs.

"Ah ha!" She proudly proclaims. "Feel this grove in the wall and the warmer air coming through it? This isn't a dead end, it's just a concealed doorway!"

Bree admires Giliath's spark of genius and feels the groove. Sure enough, it's a doorway.

Now all we need is some way to see what's behind that door without actually opening it...

She eyes Giliath with glee.

You're the guild's inventor! Invent something!!!

She dances around excitedly and then remembers this is a distinguished mission. She gives a small cough and regains her composure, although she still bears a slight smile.
Alassante_Estel wrote:
Estel smiles into her crystal ball, watching Bree and Giliath as they explore the depths of the catacombs beneath the stadium. She turns and says, seemingly to no one

The spell worked - they remember nothing of seeing the rooms. They think that they are exploring the doorway right now. All is well.

She stops watching the two Blade Runners, steps forward, and is enfolded by a wave of shadow. Stays there for a moment, and then steps back, pulls out a sword and......
Bree379 wrote:
Bree stops, confused, her head throbbing.

What's going on!! I'm so lost and confused! Giliath, fix it.

She stops in her tracks and looks around the corridor, now filled with doubt and suspicion.

Where are we??
the mouth of sauron wrote:
The cloaked figure fades back into the wall as the meddling pair explode onto the seen.

His cloak a gift from his uncle was priceless indeed. Its natural colour was black like the Assassins heart. But it had other abilities as well

His eyes shone with a gentle light as Estel drew forth her sword, this would prove to be quite interesting.
Alassante_Estel wrote:
Estel grinned at the cloaked figure. Her blade flashed towards his neck, but was stopped suddenly with a jolt. The sound of the blades ring pierced thru the stadiums din causing silence to fall until it was followed by a shout of laughter from Estel. She leaned forward and winked at the figure

You didn't honestly expect that I wouldn't at least try, did you?

Estel pulled away, her blade flashing again and again in the air. To the outside world, it was as if she danced with shadow and blade. Again and again, her blade rang, and with it her laughter. Although it looked as though she was fighting for her life, there was something about the way she fought that implied that this was a game played many many times before. A game that the shadow never let her loose
Alassante_Estel wrote:
Giliath and Bree stumbles around in confusion in the catacombs. The faint sound of blades ringing reached them, but they could not figure out where they were. Some thought tugged at their memories. Something was wrong, but they could not remember. The walls dripped water, and thru one of the many tunnels, they could see light. They made their way towards it, and entered in upon a small underground pool lit by a window of sunshine far above. Steve was sitting their whistling and fishing. He heard them come in, looked at them with an expression of shock

Why are you down here?!
Bree379 wrote:
Something about this isn't right. How'd we get from the tower down to here!

Bree looks at her watch and realizes that it's 10 minutes later than it should be.

Giliath, do you realize we're missing 10 minutes of time? Lost time, isn't that what happens when you're abducted by aliens?

Bree's eyes widen to the size of saucers until she realizes she's being ridiculous. Also ridiculous is the fact that Bree notices 10 minutes of missing time, but it's crucial to the plot, so just pretend Bree is very observant. She turns and addresses Steve.

Hey, Steve, we didn't get abducted by aliens, did we?

Steve looks at her like she's sprouted wings and responds

No. Of course not. That's ridiculous. Estel put a spell on you so you would forget what you saw and--woops he cuts himself off I wasn't supposed to tell you that.

Giliath fumes and grabs Steve by his robes as he desperately tries to get away.

We should have known better! Her eyes are blazing with fury and she looks upward at the tower, which now rises high above them.

Bree starts back toward the tower, not knowing what they're going to do. Giliath always has a plan.
Giliath wrote:
Giliath stands Steve on his feet still holding him by the collar. She swivels her head side to side taking in every minute detail of their surroundings. The shaft of sunlight, slowly fading, illuminates only the pool leaving the far end of the space in shadow. The walls are smooth without any break or crack between the huge blocks of stone that climb high above their heads into an unguessed height. There appears to be no way out other than the passage they came in through. The window was no good it was too high and they had no way to reach it. The passage had an ill feel too. They both felt as if they could spend days in its twisting paths without finding their way out.

"There’s something wrong about this," she says still surveying the chamber, "more wrong then we guessed." She turns to Bree, but still keeps hold of Steve who has stopped bothering to struggle. "There are too many questions here. What could possibly be so important that Estel would go to all this effort to keep her secret?"

Both their faces become troubled and they stand for a moment in silence. Bree finally breaks the dense quiet. "I’m afraid we should deal with one mystery at a time," she says. "How do we get out of here?"

Steve begins to fidget and pull at his collar. Giliath raises her eyebrow and looks down at her cousin. "Yes Steve," she says leaning closer to his face, "how do we get out of here?"

Bree and Giliath stare at Steve who quickly begins to get uncomfortable under their piercing stares. "I don’t’ know! I don’t know!" he says desperately.

"Really," Giliath responds. A faint beeping is heard from under her cloak and she produces a small device much like her portable spam detector, but far more elegant and efficient looking. "Well this," she says holding up the device, "says you do. Poor Steve. Could you have forgotten about my little lie detector?"

Steve’s face drops melting into despair. Bree whistles and pats Giliath on the back. "That’s awfully handy," she says. She turns to Steve and smiles grimly. "May I do the honours?"

Giliath nods and steps away from Steve allowing Bree to stand right above him filling his entire view with her face. "How do we get out?" she asks directly.

"There’s no way out other than the passage," Steve responds. Giliath’s device beeps. "Other than the window of course." The device beeps again. "There’s also a drain at the bottom of the pool." Again the device beeps and Steve seems to become more desperate with every occurrence of the sound. "Alright! Alright!" he screams sick if the insistent screaming of the tiny speakers. "There’s a door on the other side of the pool." He glares up at Bree looking like a cornered animal ready to strike.

Giliath replaces the device under her robes and pulls out a pair of tiny globes. She shakes them and whispers a word into their depths and they immediately shed a pure white light. "Let’s go Bree," she says handing her one of the globes. "You better come along…" she begins turning to Steve, but all traces of him are gone.

"Should we go after him?" Bree asks.

"No there’s nothing we can do…………for now."

They start along the edge of the pool. The dark ripples glimmer and sparkle in the pure radiance of their lights. The two almost look like Elven warriors with stars in their hands or would save that with each step a creeping dread grew on them until it rose into a crippling fear that caused them to shake and grip the handles of their scissors. "He didn’t tell us everything," Giliath whispers. They come along the edge until they have reached a spot directly across from where they stood with Steve. They can see the passage faintly opening at the other end. Once it had seemed dark and unwelcoming, but faced with door Bree and Giliath almost wished they had gone back along its echoing lengths.

Suddenly just as a wooden door comes into view a voice remote but clear drifts to their ears. "You can try the door," it says sneering at them, "but be careful."

Giliath stretches out a shaking palm and tenses her fingers around the silver knob that seems to absorb the light rather than reflect it. "Are you ready?" she asks.
Alassante_Estel wrote:
Estel watched as Bree and Giliath step through the door by the pool

That’s right Bree - show her the way. The only way to skip Blade Sprinter status and immediately go to Blade Runner status is thru that door.

Giliath steps through not knowing what she will face on the other side. The door suddenly slams behind her, and she is left alone in total darkness

Bree? Bree? she asks, but there is no answer. She begins to feel her way along the passage. She can hear the most horrible sounds ahead of her, but bravely, she continues onward, until finally she notices that the walls are no longer stone, but made of some sort of glass, and they glow.

Meanwhile Bree has made her way from the pool, up the hidden steps to the window. She steps out into the fading light of evening, smiling slightly. She makes her way up to Estel’s rooms again

It has been done. She will survive it and become a Blade Runner, or she will not come back. You are sure that this was the right thing to do? Bree asks

I am sure. She is more than strong enough to pass this test. Estel replies

Bree is about to leave, satisfied with Estel’s answer, and knowing that Estel will be watching Giliath on her journey, when suddenly she notices that the shadow seems darker than before, and instead of having the silhouette of a tree, there is a hint of a flaming eye to it. It seems to be almost menacing towards those other than Estel. Also strange is the fact that Estel’s sword is unsheathed, sitting in her hand, and she is flushed, as if she had recently exerted herself. This was not the look of someone who had been sitting and watching patiently. The twinkle in Estel’s eyes, and her grip on the sword gave away that something had happened. Bree was no longer sure that she should leave.
Giliath wrote:
Giliath continues down the passage forcing her dragging feet forward. The dread she had thought unimaginably strong at the door had now grown- grown to something beyond dread, beyond fear. She stares into the walls looking for some source of the light flowing from them, but they seem to glow of their own will. The light would wax or wane as she breathed in and out and swell it an unendurable brilliance if she touched them, but the light wasn’t pure like the globe she held- no. This was a sickly glow that reminded her of some apparition beyond this world and ever did she feel like she was being watched.

Giliath closes her eyes and calms herself with a deep breath and continues on her steps far more steady. She was being to master the fear. Suddenly the walls fell off on either side and opened into a huge vaulted chamber and though the walls still held their cool radiance, the centre of the space was veiled in darkness and from this impenetrable gloom all the fear flowed. It poured over her like rivers of dark water threatening to pull her under into the inconceivable depths below. Again Giliath closes her eyes and steadies herself and as she opens them her expression suddenly changes to mask of determination. Despite the fear she somehow knew that she had to enter like the nagging memory of a half forgotten dream. She approaches the darkness and steps threw.

The darkness passed by her like a swift wind coursing by her ears and streaming her unbound hair behind her, but beyond it there was nothing. Beyond that wall of night seemed to be night itself. Giliath could see her own form, but there was nothing else no other light even her globe had failed and drawn all its light within itself. Giliath suddenly turns feeling something more than seeing it. Her hand strays instinctively to her scissors. Behind her another form appears. It is tall and grim of face. It smiles darkly at Giliath, but says nothing. A pair of scissors flash as they are drawn. Giliath’s hand tenses on her weapon, but she doesn’t draw. "Who are you?" she asks with the slightest quiver in her voice.

"We are The Lost," came a voice from all around her. "We are the spammers that were caught."

"We?" Giliath asks nervously.

Instantly the figure is joined by others of different shapes some tall and lean, others squat and fat and some just like Giliath herself, but all have scissors in their hands. Giliath draws her own weapon and stands ready. The first figure approaches and attacks Giliath. She narrowly ducks a blow and flips away from her attacker, but soon all the others are own her slashing with their weapons. Giliath flips and spins dodging blow after blow, but all her energy is being taxed and she is tiring fast. When she thinks she can endure no more the attackers suddenly stop. Their hands drop to their sides and they stand silently around Giliath. They step back and fade into the darkness until Giliath is left alone breathing hard in the darkness. "What is this?" she screams.
Bree379 wrote:
Bree decides against leaving Estel and sits in a nearby chair. She knew that someone or something else was there, and she had a pretty good idea who it was. She glances nervously into Estel's gazing ball, feeling rather guilty for leaving Giliath.

Why did I have to lead her down there? I hate this part. I hope she realizes it was something I had to do, for her own good.

Everything about Bree's appearance shows the signs of exhaustion and guilt. Her usually bouncy locks are hanging limply on her shoulders, and her face droops with weariness. Her freckles that usually sprinkle her face with cheer are almost invisible, and her usually rosy cheeks are pale and faded. She just can't stop worrying about Giliath, but she knows her worry is useless. Many joggers have attempted this task, some succeeded and some failed. Bree could only hope that since she led Giliath, she will conquer it. Estel can tell that Bree isn't feeling up to par, and she begins to console her.

You did what you had to do, Bree. No one likes to do it, but we all take our turns. Now, have a nice mug of hot chocolate and you'll feel much better!

Bree gladly accepts the mug, but notices that as Estel hands it to her, she shifts her weight, trying to hide something. In her guilt, Bree had forgotten all about the mysterious shadow. She shoots an incredulous look at Estel.

Who is that shadow? Why have you turned suddenly so secretive on us all?

She stares Estel down, awaiting an answer.
Alassante_Estel wrote:
Estel looks at Bree, sighs, at settles back in her chair, and carefully leans her sword against the wall. The flames crackling in the fireplace are the only sound for a very long moment, and finally Estel begins to speak

It is not my story to tell, although I do play a part in it. I think perhaps he should be the one to tell the story.

Estel gestured, and the shadows fell from the man standing behind her. He walked forward, drew her up from her seat, and looked in her eyes for a long moment

It was not yet time to reveal my presence, but you have, and I suppose my story I must tell.

Estel sank back into her chair her eyes never leaving him until he came to stand behind her. Bree gasped as she recognized finally who it was, and how much he had changed since the last time she had seen him. Though it was obvious that sorrows and trials had ravaged him over the years, his eyes were still gentle as he looked at Estel. Strange since it was she who had sent him on the most dangerous quest a Blade Runner had ever faced years before.
Bree sat back in her chair, waiting for him to begin his tale, her mind reeling with the implications of what having him back meant. He rested his hand on Estel’s shoulder and she reached up and took his hand, but before he could begin saying anything, Estel spoke

Giliath has made it through the hardest part of her task - now all she has to do is figure out how to get back, for she cannot leave the test the same way that she came.

Bree sat back in her chair with a great feeling of relief that almost overcame the apprehension of seeing the most secret of all Blade Runners return.
Giliath wrote:
The darkness is Giliath’s only answer. No help comes to her and she stands alone, forsaken in impenetrable gloom. Her mind reels as all the mysteries of the past short while flood through her mind. The mysterious door, Estel’s secrecy, the shadowy figure and this danger she found herself in all lead to something, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was. She felt she should know the answer, like it was on the tip of her consciousness, but it wouldn’t come. "Where am I?" she calls, but again there is no answer.

Suddenly she realizes it. "It’s a test," she whispers, "and I’ve only passed the first stage, I have to find my way out." She gazes around her again, but there is still only darkness and her globe still remains sleepily dark. Giliath clears her mind and runs through the relaxation exercises that she has been taught preparing herself to find some answer to her dilemma. There had to be a way out. It didn’t make sense for there to be no avenue of escape. "There has to be something," she says, "but what? What’s the only thing that can appose darkness? Light!" She looks down at her globe. "But I don’t have any light." Her glances strays to her hand still gripping her scissors from the fight. "Why can I see my hand? If this was any ordinary darkness I wouldn’t be able to see anything at all, but I can see the others and myself. Maybe this isn’t darkness at all, but I’ve only been made to believe it is."

With that thought the room begins to take shape as if a veil was lifted from Giliath‘s eyes. Walls, floor and ceiling begin to take definition and only a few feet in front of Giliath stands a door. She races hastily towards it with the hope that the ordeal is over, but when she reaches it Giliath can see no way to open the door. There is no knob or handle and the crack between the door and the frame is barely perceptible. She runs her fingers along the wall beside the door searching for anything that might allow her access. Her fingers tremble and she begins to breathe harder as time passes and the trick or device to open the door eludes her. Her fingers suddenly plunge into a hole cut deep into the wall. The shape of it seems oddly familiar. She smiles as the answers comes to her. She shifts her scissors into her left hand and slips them in the hole. A remote radiance appears in the centre of the door and gradually grows until the light forms into a knob. Giliath turns it and slowly swings the door open. An intense light floods through the opening blinding Giliath. She throws her hand over her eyes and steps through.

Giliath blinks against the light trying to see where she has found herself now. Her eyes slowly adjust and she stares doe like at her surrounding like a child unsure if she is still caught in the net of her dreams. She is back in the hallway outside Estel’s chambers, standing in front of one of the many doors lining the long passage. She turns and opens the door behind her, but there is nothing there only an empty room. Somehow she is not surprised. She turns and walks to Estel’s room, knowing somehow that that is what she was supposed to do. She finds Estel and Bree sitting together as if waiting, but behind them is a strange yet familiar figure. His face was grim and crossed with many lines of care, but his eyes still shone as he looked down at Estel. Giliath knew that face, changed as it was. "Of all the ends to this day," she says staring into his eyes, "I did not see this one."
the mouth of sauron wrote:
Truly the assassin was not ready for this, yet it is the way for assassins that they must act at times when it seems that nothing is right and the times is far from perfect. Stepping forward he held his beloveds gaze that which for many years he honestly thought that he would never see again.

He chanced a glance at Bree but did not allow even the slightest hint of emotion to show through to his eyes. This noble young spam warrior had only been a child when he his ultimate mission had called him away from the guild and from those that he held dear to his heart.

Now resting his hand on his one true love’s should he drew courage to speak and she gently and lovingly reached up and grasped his hand.

For many a long moment he stood there saying nothing, so long in fact that Bree moved to speak, but by the smallest of gestures Estel caught her eye and Bree held her self to hear the tale. For in those silent moments the tall cloaked Assassin the all knew as Davey gathered his thought. He though of how when he set out on his mission all those years ago to tack down and eliminate a super god like spammer. That the Lady he had left behind was so young and seemed fragile incapable of holding a guild this strong together. So concerned was he for that he had considered abandoning the mission so that he could see her safe and firmly established. But now having returned, he has found a noble and mature leader of the people and for the people. All that he had suffered now seemed so worth while. The tension of his return had been so great, that he knew not how he would be received.

At that moment the splendorous Giliath entered the little alcove, much respect did have for this warrior, never had he seen her back down from any battle. Yet always from a distance he had watched this one.

The bright light in his eyes slightly diminished.
Finally Davey spoke:

Long ago I departed this place to put an end to a god like spammer. Every where he went he prevailed, and none could stand before him.

We met and we fought locked and caught in constant battle many grievous wounds did we inflict upon each other, both to body and spirit.

Across distant lands and fell cities and terrible landscapes I pursued him, many times did we come close to defeating each other. Finally when I though I had thrown down my enemy once and for all, for I had smote his body on a high mountain peek.

However the mountain broke asunder and we fell through fire and flame, through torment and great catastrophes. In the end however I took his head, no more would he spam again. Yet the cost to my body and spirit was great and I traveled naked and unarmed across frozen waste lands, many times did I face death in the face before I found my way home… and now I see much has changed.

With his tale done and the effect of having told it taking full toll on the noble assassin he collapses into his beloveds hands.
Bree379 wrote:
As Davey began his tale, Bree thought back to the days before Davey had left. She had been but a mere child, only 12 at the time. Now, 6 years later, Bree found herself in the same ranks as Davey, a frightening thought she had not yet realized. Sitting in the same room as Davey, speaking with him as an equal, the full force of the idea hit her. He had been the greatest spam fighter, the one person who made her want to become a Blade Runner. If it had not been for Davey's example, Bree may be working in the coffee shop like her mother had advised. As she thinks this, she looks above the fireplace and sees a mirror. A young woman, once a care free and innocent child, stares back at her. Behind the freckles and the rosy cheeks, Bree's soul has aged dramatically since joining Estel's spam-fighting efforts. But she doesn't regret it. She never imagined this, not even in her wildest dreams. Bree snaps back into reality, listening attentively as Davey finishes his tale.

So, now you're back? Back for good?

She hears a small cough, turns around, and sees Giliath. Overcome with joy, she runs to Giliath.

You did it! I knew you could!

Estel looks at Bree and smiles, remembering the worry that filled Bree only moments before, but says nothing. Giliath smiles weakly, obviously drained by her efforts.

Where are all the other Blade Runners? Won't they be excited to know!
Alassante_Estel wrote:
Estel watches as Bree joyfully embraces Giliath. Giliath’s eyes are haunted, not only from the experience that she just had gone through, but also from the memories that Davey’s story had brought back. She was old enough to remember the SuperSpammer. It was the reason that she had waited so long before actually trying to become a Blade Runner. All her life she had known that Blade Running was what she was meant to do, but the memories of that horrible time stopped her again and again.
She hugged Bree back, but her eyes never left Davey where he had collapsed. Never ever had anyone expected him to come back from his quest. What strength had given him the courage to keep fighting? What was it that had made him able to defeat the SuperSpammer and come back?
These thoughts flitted through Giliath’s head as she watched Estel slide off her chair, and onto the floor, cradling Davey’s unconscious head in her lap. Giliath remembered years ago when Estel was a new and young (to young as far as most people were concerned) guild mistress. How she had turned to this legendary Blade Runner again and again for help. How difficult it had been for her to send him on his quest when it looked as though the Super Spammer would take over. And how only after he had gone, and it did not look as though he would come back, she had admitted to Giliath, and only Giliath, that she had loved him. The years since then Estel had grown, the guild had grown back to health with her, and few remembered the troubles times that had come with her induction as guild mistress. Few remembered the shadow that had always advised her in those first days.
Estel looked up at Giliath, and for the first time in many a long year, Giliath saw no shadow in her eyes, an old sorrow still resided there, but a sort of peace had come over her.

You have done well Giliath. We bring you before the scissors in the plaza tomorrow, and see if you have earned you platinum blades.

Giliath’s mouth dropped open a bit, wondering why there was any question, after what she had gone through, when suddenly she noticed that Estel had winked at her, and Bree was grinning broadly at her

Silly Giliath - its just a matter of formalities - nominations and such. I don't think that anyone could doubt that you are a Blade Runner of the highest order.
Now, could one of you fetch Steve for me? I need help bringing Davey back to his rooms.

Steve was fetched, and Giliath and Bree followed Estel as she seemingly walked through a wall, made her way down a narrow set of stairs, and entered in some rooms that had obviously just been freshly cleaned. Bree and Giliath gasped as their memory of the room crashed in upon their heads. Not just their memory from earlier in the day, but memories from years earlier. This room had been kept hidden and unchanged since the day that Davey had left on his quest. The very memory of its existence wiped away from everyone except Estel and Steve.
Giliath wrote:
Giliath’s eyes widen as the room opens before her. She is weary from her fight, but calm now having mastered the fear, but she knows that she would not forget it. It would drive her on; an ever-present reminder, yet this room holds something else for her. She feels as if she had walked into her own past and was now standing in a place without time. She is older, that she knows, but this place brought back a time long passed. Here is a reminder of a time of joy at the edge of a storm. She can almost see the forms of Estel and Davey sitting together here still young and untroubled and she can almost see the change in their eyes when the danger threatened to tear them apart.

Steve lays Davey on a bed by and open window and covers him warmly. The sheer curtains fly around Estel as she sits on the edge of the bed and lays Davey’s hands at his sides. Giliath and Bree stand rooted in their places allowing the full memory of this place to flood through them. Suddenly a memory invaded Giliath’s mind and a vision clear as the crisp light of the dying sun came to her mind.

Giliath stood still and alone staring out before her. Her face was drawn and her eyes seemed distant. A long hallway opened before her ending in a tremendous door, the door to Davey’s room. Normally it stood open and had always seemed welcoming and warm, but now it was closed and somehow looked mournfully alone. Giliath walked to the end of the hallway and stood for a moment before the door. She could hear nothing from within and no light strayed through the doorposts. She paused for a moment uncertain then swung the door opened and entered.

The room was quiet and dark. The heath, which was usually ablaze with comforting warmth, was still and cold. There were not lamps lit no candles and everything seemed grey and sad. At the far end of the room a large window looked out onto the world dressed with soft flowing curtains. Leaning heavily on the windowsill Estel stood finger the edge of the drapes. The wind whispered through the open pain, filling the room with a mournful song that engulfed all other sounds; even Giliath’s footsteps were drowned away. She walked up to the window and stopped at Estel’s side waiting for her to speak and offering silent support.

The weight of their silence finally overcame Giliath. "He’s gone, hasn’t he?" she asked quietly unable to look at Estel’s face. She didn’t need an answer. She knew that it was so. "You had no choice," she said, but the words somehow seemed vain.

"I know," Estel whispered and they said no more and watched the first stars flower in the sky.
Ranewen_The_Pink wrote:
Meanwhile, some time during the previous occurrences...

Pinky and Ysicla all this time later, were still consumed by the amply amusing, spammer crushing fights, when a pierce ringing, the sound of a blade striking another, echoed through the arena in a wave before hitting the ears of Pinky and Ysi on the opposite side. Ysi merely flinched at the annoying noise, while Pinky hid below the table, her arms enveloping her head. The ringing began to fade, and Pinky emerged, only to see Ysi holding back giggles. "What?!" Pinky pleaded. "I have very sensitive ears... Things like that are enough to give me migraines!" She added while shaking a fist towards Estel's booth. Pinky groaned as the noise returned. "I think she's doing it on purpose now. Can we get out of the stadium? I have to get away before my head splits."
"Sure, let's go." Ysi answered kindly, leading Pinky out of the booth. "I wonder what could be taking Bree and Gili so long? They've been away for quite a while. Do you think we should try and look for them?"
"Maybe we should..." Pinky replied, tagging along behind.
The two began down the endless corridor turning east through the inner labyrinths of the stadium underworld, which no one besides the Blade Runners and their hopefuls had seen, in the direction that Bree and Giliath had gone so much earlier that day. Taking a left at a fork in the hallway, Ysi noticed a tapestry depicting Pinky's initiation to the Guild. "I don't believe I've seen this one yet." She exclaimed.
"Yes, I didn't think you had either, since your room isn't on this wing of the stadium." Pinky said as she admired it, tugging gently at the tassels. She slid her hand over the intricate handiwork of the lovely banner, and thought she felt a bump in the wall on the other side. She lifted the tapestry, revealing a shining pink button. "Ooohhhh... Shiny..." Was Pinky's only reply as she stared at it adoringly. She reached forth to press it.
"No! Don't press the - Button" Ysi attempts to dissuade her were futile as Pinky fell through a stone that slid out of place beneath her feet. She groaned worriedly, not wanting to follow through the depths below. "Pinky?!" She bent down to the floor and called out shrilly. Swedish curses flowed from Ysi's lips as she continued towards Estel's room to seek help.
Pinky had not fallen for more than a moment before she was greeted by an icy cold, stabbing every inch of her. She groped in the darkness, not feeling anything around, but feeling strangely immobilized. She was underwater. She kicked in a panic towards the surface gasping for breath, and for a moment she saw nothing until her eyes adjusted to the unwelcome darkness. Pinky judged by the direction light shone through one pathetically tiny window that she was in a chamber deep under the floor of the arena. She swam to the stony shore of the pool, and cast herself onto its cold damp surface, though the floor was welcome as it was still warmer than the pool she had just emerged from. After a few moments, Pinky noticed footprints deeply imbedded in the dusty surroundings, fresh footprints at that, they looked to be mere minutes old. The footprints were small, and seemed to be that of woman's heeled shoes, and there were two sets. "Gili and Bree..." Pinky whispered to the stale air, prodding the one nearest her with a finger. A dropping sound suddenly echoed and grew throughout the chamber, and Pinky's attention was drawn across the pool, to a door. A way to get out. She staggered up, still shocked from the fall, and followed along one set of footprints approaching the door. It opened with ease, and she stepped inside. The swish of a blade sounded from corner too near for comfort. Out from the depths of shadow a tall and ill-looking figure approached, scissors in hand.

Ysicla was panting when she reached Estel's room. She threw open the door and tumbled inside, only to see her companions all sitting around a table seemingly unaware of anything wrong. "Pinky... fell... down a... trap... door..." Ysi gasped as she collapsed onto a nearly couch.
"We know," Gili replied, smiling. "We've been watching you two through Estel's crystal ball." She motioned towards the center of the table. Ysi walked over, her eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of Pinky in a darkened room, though she wasn't alone.
"What are you all doing?! We have to help her!" Ysi shouted at the smiling faces.
"Relax. She's a Blade Runner, she can handle this." A dark, cloaked figure answered from behind Estel. The company returned their gaze to the crystal ball.

The tall menacing vision of a Spammer became clearly visible. A look of horror stained Pinky's normally pleasant demeanor. "Um... Relax, I'm already a Blade Runner. I don't need initiation." She said to the Spammer, holding up a pair of platinum blades as proof.
"Oh damn! I thought we were going to get to have some fun!" The Spammer answered as he lowered his scissors that had been thrust forward. Countless other voices chimed in with their mumbles of disappointment. Pinky only stared suspiciously, and continued on her way, following the footprints. She approached a door that was opened only an inch or two, but was omitting a very bright stream of light. She threw it open, and stumbled out, slamming the door shut behind her. Straight ahead a lone door blankly stared back. She cast open the door and swiftly threw herself inside. An array of indifferent greetings echoed towards her. Pinky's eyes adjusted to the new and foreign brightness, and her eyes came to rest upon the faces of her friends who were smiling towards her. Pinky saw her own reflection in the crystal ball in the center of the table encircled by the rest of the Blade Runners.
"How nice of you to finally join us." Estel said while standing in a distant corner. Pinky noticed Gili and Bree, perfectly safe and sound.
"Do you know what Ysi and I just went through looking for you two!?" She shouted.
"Yes, yes we do. We've been watching you the whole time. You're very amusing." The two answered, gesturing her to come sit at the table. Pinky blinked, then walked towards a couch in the far corner of the room, her robes glowing with a light so dark a shade of pink they rivaled scarlet, reflecting her mood. "I'm going to get you all back so badly!" Pinky shouted almost amusedly as she rubbed her temples, then laughed at herself for being so serious.
satch wrote:
The sound of wind rushing around is heard in the RWSG, and random bits of popcorn and poem papers get blown away as a shadow is cast over the floor. A huge fell beast lands in the middle of the room, and I figure dressed in long dark purple robes climbs off and stands next to the beast.

It swishes its tail and knocks over a table. The figure puts a hand on its neck, then unstraps a bag from it's back, and starts to rummage around. She delves deeper, then lets out a small cry of pain, she pulls her hand out and throws a shiny spork to the ground then goes back into the bag.

A few moments later she pulls out a few large oranges and gives them to the beast, who devours them hungrily. She then takes a few steps to the side so she can look past it, and then turns and looks the other way. She pulls down her hood and shakes out her hair so it falls down her back in loose curls (***** I wanna be a pretty mysterious person who comes in )

"Where is everyone Bob?" she asks it, while scratching behind its neck. She looks around and goes back to her bag. She digs around a while longer, then pulls out a smaller bag, made of a dark green silky material. She walks over to the table that Bob knocked over, uprights it, then places the bag on it carefully. She goes back to Bob and digs out a piece of paper from her bag, then a long thin silver pen. She writes a quick note and puts it under the bag, then puts the pen into a pocket in her cloak. Peering around once more she sighed and walked back over to the fell beast.

"Let's go find Lady_G" she whispers to him, climbing on, and they set off back into the sky. Things are blown around again, except the bag and note under it on the table stay there. The silhouette of the two figures gets smaller in the sky, then disappears into the darkness.
Ranewen_The_Pink wrote:
Pinky, hearing the ruckus from the fell beast landing pad down the hall, rushes out of her bedroom, to welcome whomever has just arrived. She speedily rushes past the others' rooms, her flowing ballet pink gown trailing past in the wind, and finds the visitor has left. Pinky runs out to the center of the landing pad and stares upwards, and with her keen eyes gazes upon none other than Satch, fluttering upwards towards the heavens! "Satchie! Come back!" She calls out to the wind, as her shrill voice goes unheard. Pinky presses both of her pink-glossy lips together and sends a smooch up towards Satch. As Satch is riding along over the arena, flying further and further all the while, she is nearly pushed from her saddle as what feels like a familiar sm00ch smacks her on the face.
"Nah, it can't be!" Satch laughs as she strokes the fell beast's neck, and looks down, seeing none other than a small pink figure standing in the midst of where she had just arisen from. Satch waves, and begins to descend.
Leafy wrote:
determined to make a better entrance than satch, Leafy gallops in on a sparkling white centaur, who just happens to have a face closely resembling heath ledger *cough* ...so anyway, she dismounts, and strokes his clean shaven face, before going out into the roaring stadium to inspect the latest mocking of goaty.

satisfied that he is still being tortured into submission, she comes back inside and begins to explore the extensive corridors, tunnels and secret rooms surrounding the stadium. A particular corridor catches her eye. the floor is inlaid with shining moons and stars, on a midnight bue background, and light filters in through the stained glass windows, casting dappled patches of coloured light on the rough stone wall opposite.

As though drawn by some invisible force, Leafy glides down the corridor, towards a dark oak door at the end. what is beyond, may never be known, because her centaur has galloped up behind her and grabbed her gown to hold her back.

"Many people are attracted into the Corridor of Desire, and many go beyond the door," he says in a mysterious tone. "But i have not seen any come back."

Still the longing has been awoken in Leafy's heart, and every inch of her being longs to discover the secret of the Corridor of Desire, but who can prevent her suffering the same fate as many before her without breaking her heart?
Alassante_Estel wrote:
Estel looked up from her gazing ball, tired of watching everyone in the guild and willing her gaze to leave them as they slept. Her glance fell upon the bed in the room, where he lay, still unconscious, the moonlight shining through the window above him. With a sigh, she rose from the table, covered the crystal, and made her way over to him. His breathing was soft and steady, but his face looked almost tortured, as if he was living a nightmare. She sat down, slipped his pillow into her lap, and cradled his head, comforting him as he slept. Alone in the moonlight with him, she allowed her eyes to glow silver, and there was something ethereal about her, as though she had been through something that made her seem not quite mortal. She raised her voice in liquid song, and wove her words around Davey as he slept. A subtle light emanated from her, and as she sang, his face relaxed, and the nightmares seemed to flee him. After a seemingly endless moment, Estel arose, and knelt down next to the bed

A lot more has changed about me than my age since you have been gone my darling. She whispered, then kissed him gently and slipped out of the room


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Running_With_Scissors
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Posted: Thu 17 Feb , 2005 3:56 am
Just an RP Accessory
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Joined: Thu 17 Feb , 2005 1:28 am
Location: Elenos, Tirnor
 
Giliath wrote:
Giliath enters the hallway just as Estel is leaving Davey’s rooms. She softly closes the door and rests her hand on the solid wood. Giliath stares at her for a moment. There was something different about her an age and beauty she had not marked before. Estel turns and sees Giliath standing in the darkness at the end of the hall.

"I’m sorry," Giliath stammered, "I didn’t want to disturb you."

Estel walks up to Giliath and places a hand on her shoulder. "It’s alright," she says quietly, "but I thought you wee asleep."

Giliath smiles knowingly. "You know me," she says lightly, "I don’t sleep."

They walk together down the stairs in silence and out into a private garden reserved for the Blade Runners and their guests. The cool grass shone under the light of the round moon, sparkling with tiny beads of dew. In the centre of the lawn a twinkling fountain stood sending crystal orbs of clear water into a mirrored pool and filling the air with a soft music. Giliath and Estel sit on the stone sill of the pool and trail thier fingers in the water sending ripples through the water, but Estel’s glance constantly strays to Davey’s window above them an action Giliath marks well.

"How is he?" she asks her voice full of concern.

"Tired," Estel simply says.

"He has the right to be." Giliath looks up at Estel who is watching her reflection in the pool. "And you?" she asks. "How are you?" Estel doesn’t answer and Giliath leaves the subject for now. "Has he said anything? I’m sure he has much to tell, but I’m sure he just needs time,"

"That he does."

A cool wind begins to blow and Giliath lifts her eyes to the sky watching the taters of cloud be blown away. Just above the garden walls a patch of sky, obscured with cloud before, clears and a single white star appears in the forsaken darkness. It shines beyond bright and its white fire is caught and mirrored in the waters of the fountain. "Look," Giliath says drawing Estel’s eyes up. "I can always see that star from my window. It’s there every night when the sky is clear. It always reminded me of hope."
Alassante_Estel wrote:
Her dreams were filled with such beauty, such images, and through them all, a voice filled her mind. It spoke and taught her such incredible knowledge about hope and love. She knew instinctively that she would not remember these dreams when she awoke, but that they would help her throughout the entirety of her life.
What woke her was not the bright light, nor the hardness of the ground, but the warmth along her back, and cool metal in her hand. Estel opened her eyes, smiling as she realized that she was cradled in Davey’s arms. Then she noticed the scissors in her hands and gasped.
These were not the scissors that she had had before this whole ordeal. Her name was written on the blades, and a star glowed where the blades should have met. There was something different about these blades, something incredibly powerful. Rather than a simple symbol of punishment, they were also now a symbol of hope.

Looking up Estel gasped again, for the huge Scissors Statue in the square had undergone the same transformation. Where she should have seen the blades meet, the glow of a star shone instead.

Estel gently moved from the circle of Davey’s arms and, without waking him or the other runners, moved close to the giant blades. The names of the Blade Runners were still there, but they each had a star engraved next to their name.

"We are lucky that none of our names have been added to those Blades" a voice said softly behind her.

Estel turned to see Leafy sitting peacefully and looking up at the Scissors. Her eyes glowed, glowed as the rest of the Blade Runners would as well. Walking closer to Leafy, Estel smiled as well, and knelt down to speak to her

"Your bravery had a very big part in doing that my dear friend, a very big part."

Estel stood then, but only in order to sink in a deep curtsy to Leafy. She smiled again then, and looked at the rest of the Runners. They were all there, sleeping peaceful, except Bree. Estel looked at Leafy in alarm, but Leafy simply smiled.

"Don't worry Estel, Bree was here, but when she woke, she left for some sort of fair almost immediately."

"The Fair!!!" Estel gasped "Oh no!! I am supposed to go there as well. I must leave now if I am to make it!! Take care of our Runners, ok darlin?"

With a hug and a wink for Leafy, and a gentle kiss for the still sleeping Davey, Estel ran off to her rooms at the arena, changed into her traveling clothes, grabbed her lute, her hiking staff, stuffed her pack with essential clothing, food, and a performing costume, tied a bedroll to her pack and started out on the road. Behind her, Leafy yelled something about perhaps finding Giliath’s cousin Steve along the road, but Estel didn't hear her, and soon gave up the road and its many travelers for the quiet of the woods, and the laughter of a creek. After the incredible event that she had just gone through with her fellow Blade Runners, she wanted the feeling of hope and peace that had come with its ending to continue as long as possible."
Giliath wrote:
Giliath stirred on the cool stones of the square. A pure, warm light filtered through her closed eyes and touched her face. She smiled as she slowly opened her eyes and gazed up at the clear sky above her like a child awakening from a dream of beauty to find an even more perfect morning. She turned her head, pillowed on her dark hair, to one side then the other looking at the figures that slept beside her. The other Blade Runners were still rapt in a peaceful sleep, but Estel, Leafy and Bree were missing leaving empty spaces on the stones. A glint of metal caught the corner of Giliath’s eye. She rolled onto her side and ran her fingers along the stone until the came on something cool and smooth. A perfectly wrought pair of scissors. She drew the blades to her chest and gazed in wonder at the brilliance of the sharp edges and her eyes widened as they came on the star at the meeting of the blades.

Giliath rose slowly to her feet keeping her eyes on the scissors as she turned them over in her hands as if she believed they weren’t real. Her hair whipped about her face caught up in a sudden gust of wind and she quickly cleared the strands from her eyes fearing perhaps the blades would not longer be there when they were clear. "It can’t be," she whispered.

With a backward glance at her companions Giliath silently left the square. She walked directly towards the Blade Runner’s quarters. At first advancing only slowly her pace seemed to quicken with every step until she was running flat out to the private entrance. She gathered her robe up in her hands freeing her legs to move even faster than she was already forcing them. She burst through the stone door almost desperately. Anyone watching would swear she was being chased, but there was no one behind her. She ran through the corridors and up the stairs her feet pounding as she tore around corners headless of her own speed.

When she reached her room Giliath ran directly to the window and dropped to her knees. She placed the scissors down at her side and pried a floorboard up from beneath the sill. The board threw up a cloud of dust as Giliath tossed it aside clattering on the floor. Where it had been a deep hole trailing with cobwebs opened before her. She reached in a pulled out a small bundle tightly rapped in a dusty stained cloth whose colour had long faded into a dull brown. She gently held the bundle in her hands and taking her scissors rose and placed them both on a desk set at one side of the room. Giliath’s finger tenderly unfolded the cloth and spread it out on the wooden surface. In the centre, old and dull, lay a pair of scissors. Giliath placed her new blades on the cloth next to the old wan metal. They were identical. Every inch the same. The blades held the same shape and though the older pair was pale and seemingly dead Giliath judged that they were made of the same metal and once were as bright as the weapon she had gained. However where Giliath’s had a star the elder had a crescent moon and where Giliath’s name proudly stood only confused mess of scratches showed.

"What is it?" Giliath turned at the sudden voice only to see Lily coming towards her through the door. She didn’t bother hiding the old blades. "I’ve never seen those before," Lily said stopping behind Giliath’s chair.

"They’re my father’s blades," Giliath said running her finger along the cool handles.

"Your fathers?" Lily asked pulling a chair up to the desk and looking down at the pair of weapons. "You never speak of him."

Giliath‘s expression suddenly changed. Her head dropped and she seemed suddenly bent and to Lily‘s surprise defeated. "I never knew him," Giliath said. "My mother told me when I was young that he had gone. Just gone."

Lily looked down at the scissors. "He was a Blade Runner."

"Yes. I suppose that’s what took him away. My mother didn’t want me to know. I think she was afraid," Giliath said in a low voice folding the old blades back up and rising to replace them. She slid the board back into place and dusted of the top with the edge of her robe. One would never guess what it concealed.

"Afraid of what?" Lily asked joining Giliath by the window.

Giliath said nothing looking long out the window at the garden below untouched by any of the torment they had all gone through. It was the same. The fountain trickled with the same fluid music, the wind still blew waves of green through the grass, and the flowers still gave their sweet scent to the whole, yet it seemed different now to Giliath. Colder perhaps, more empty.

"Afraid that it would take me away too." She turned and placed a hand on Lily’s shoulder. "I saw something in that pool Lily." She swallowed hard and turned again unable to look Lily in the eyes.

"What?" she asked, "What did you see?"

Barely to be heard Giliath answered: "I saw my father."
Leafy wrote:
Leafy watched Estel disappear into the trees, and sighed, hoping her Guildmistress would not be away for too long. Watching her white-robed figure disappear, she felt as though a part of herself was being wrenched away and she shivered, though it was not cold. The slightest vibrations in her left hand made her remember she was still holding her new scissors, and their warm pulse comforted her, and reminded her that through blind terror hope prevailed for all.

She turned away from the trees to see Rosie hurrying after a distant figure who was entering the Stadium. She hesitated, and turning to see the other Blade Runners still sleeping peacefully beneath the monument, she gathered her skirts and began to run after her friends.

Though she was refreshed and energised, she was panting hard by the time she had followed Rosie all the way to Giliath's quarters, always just out of calling distance. Bursting into the room, her dark curls flailing in the draught from the hall, she met a still picture of utter silence, and stopped dead in the doorway. Rosie was staring at Giliath with a mixture of awe and sympathy, while Giliath herself gazed into the distance, her features blank, but pain in her eyes. Leafy felt like an intruder on something that definitely did not include her, and turned to leave, trying to force her breath to calm. But her heart tugged at her, and eventually she had to turn again and stutter, "Gili-"

"Stay, Leafy. There are a couple of things you should know," replied the Giliath, without moving.

Leafy took a deep breath, and stepped into the room, feeling her heart pounding uncomfortably against her ribs.
LilyRoseTook wrote:
Okay, everybody, pretend that this happened before Leafy's post. I wrote this yesterday, but couldn't post it because TORC was down!

Lily woke up, feeling the cold stone on her cheek. She saw the shiny scissors laying next to her with her name on them. Knowing that she had finally earned them, she picked them up and sheathed them, where her old ones had been. At first, she felt a surge of joy, but then another one of guild quickly followed. The same guilt that she had been living with for several year, that even the pool could not quench. As she was immersed in her own feelings, she looked up into the grey pre-dawn light. She saw Giliath running down the familiar path to the Blade Runners Quarters and for some reason, knew that it was important to follow her.
She found herself on the same path that she had traveled on for several years, to the same place that she had been brought to nearly five years ago, barely alive. It was much the same as it had been then. It looked to be a cabin of sorts, nestled in a grove of trees and built into a hill, well hidden from unfriendly eyes.
Lily opened the door and slowly made her way to Giliath’s room, where she heard noises of someone frantically searching for something.
As Lily walked slowly into Giliath’s room, she saw her pulling up a floor board to reveal an old, dull pair of scissors. Giliath put her own pair next to the old one as she saw Lily enter the room.
Lily didn't really need to ask who the old scissors belonged to. She had seen Giliath pull them up many times when she thought that no one was looking. She questioned, anyway. Giliath looked away as she spoke of her father and what little that she knew about him.
Lily felt another surge of guilt as she wondered if she had any part in Giliath’s fathers disappearance.
"No, Lily, he was gone long before you were old enough to understand what you were doing." Giliath had this way of always knowing what Lily was thinking, even when not connected to her mind.
Lily thought of her own parents, that she had barely known, and although they had not cared much for the little girl that had intruded in their lives, she always had felt a crushing sense of loss for having never known them.
What Giliath must be feeling was beyond anything that she could comprehend. Lily had no idea what it was like to be loved by her own parents. The closest thing that she had ever had for parents, The SuperSpammer and Davey, had not been a normal relationship.
Lily forced herself out of her own thoughts and realized that there were tears running down Giliath's cheeks, a showing of emotion that Lily had never seen from her friend, before. Lily wanted to give her a comforting hug, as she heard the door open, again and Leafy walked into the room.
Leafy looked uncomfortable, but as she turned to leave, Giliath told her to stay.
"Your father, Giliath, what did he say? What did he want you to do?" Lily knew that it was important that Giliath tell them. Whatever it was and wherever they had to go, Lily and she was sure Leafy, too would go to the ends of the earth for their friend.
Giliath looked at them, this time, staring both of them straight in the eyes....
Giliath wrote:
Giliath turned form her friends and sat heavily down on a couch by the desk motioning for Lily and Leafy to join her. Lily took her place next to Giliath, but Leafy sat a little apart in a chair before them. For some time Giliath said nothing. Her head bowed she watched her hands work in her lap as the cool wind from the window stirred her hair in it’s soft passage. They gave her time and space not pressing her to speak, but the silence weighed on Leafy and she shifted nervously in her chair.

Finally without lifting her head she haltingly began: "When was I young I used to have this…..this dream." She closed her eyes as if to help her remember. "It’s dark and I’m walking in the middle of the forest and there are trees towering all around me. So tall and twisting. I’m looking for something. A figure runs in the tress far in front of me. I call but he doesn’t answer. I run after him as fast as I can, but he’s always too far ahead of me. The braches of the tress scratch my face and rip my clothes but I keep running and running and calling out to him. I burst through the tress into a clearing and he’s standing there. There’s a cliff at the far end and he’s just standing at its edge. He turns to me, but I can’t see his face. He tries to speak to speak to me, but I……I can’t hear what he says……there’s no sound. He lays a little bundle on the grass and before I can stop him he jumps."

Giliath opened her eyes and looked at Lily. "The bundle was it………?" she asked.

"Yes the same one. My father’s scissors" she added seeing the confused look on Leafy’s face.

"How did you get them?’ Leafy asked.

"A rider came to my mother’s house one day when I was about five maybe six. He rode right up our lane and past me playing in the grass. He gave that bundle to my mother and said something to her that made her sad. She watched him ride away then stood in the door looking at that bundle, just looking at it. I asked her why she was sad, but she wouldn’t tell me. I asked her what was in the bundle and she said it was something of my father’s, but she wouldn’t tell me what and I never saw it again until after she died. When I opened it…."

"The scissors?" Leafy asked knowing the answer full well.

"The scissors," Giliath answered going back to the window. She leaned on the sill and looked out past the garden at clear blue of the morning sky. "I never had that dream again until last night. Until the pool. I saw him again. I saw him. I saw his face and I heard what he said."

"What did he say?" Lily asked.

"'It isn’t over.'" She looked back at Leafy and Lily still sitting behind her."I have to find him," she continued heavily. I know he's alive. I know it and I know there's something wrong."
LilyRoseTook wrote:
As Giliath uttered the words of needing to find her father, Lily
couldn't help but feel excitement welling up within her. It had been a long time since any of the Blade Runners had been sent on a mission. The pool had filled her with new strength and she was ready.
"Well, when are we going?" Lily was feeling impatient and ready to set out at once.
Leafy grabbed Lily's arm, as she made for her own room. "Wait a minute. Where are we supposed to go? You have said that we need to find him, but did he tell you where to look?"
Giliath shook her head, sadly. "No, not even a clue. But he did say that when we are on the right path, we will know."\
"Well then, lets get moving. Who knows how long that it is going to take to find the right path." Lily said, impatiently.
Leafy hesitated, unsure of herself. She was still very young and had been on very few missions.
"Come on, Leafy," Giliath said to her. "You will be much needed, my dear friend. You two were called. You did not know it, but my father called you to come with me. There should be one more coming, although I do not know who."
Lily went to her own room, and wrapped up her shiny new scissors, and pulled out her worn, but trustworthy old ones. In minutes, she had packed up provisions, and found her bow and a quiver full of arrows.
As the three of them made ready to leave, Bree opened the door.
"Where are you guys off to so soon?"
Bree379 wrote:
Bree walked along the path that led to the ring, her head tilted towards the heavens. The sunlight beamed down on her face, deepening her already rosy cheeks. Her newly earned Bard's Guild pin glimmered in the sunlight, and she looked at it proudly. She'd had fun at the fair, but had been eager to return to her friends, especially after the incident at the pool. Not only that, but she'd had a nagging feeling the entire time she was at the fair, as if something was about to happen. She didn't know what, but something was starting. This plus some dark goings on at the fair had spurred her trip homeward on.

While lost in thought, Bree had reached the entrance gates. She smiled at the guard, who smiled back with a wide grin.

Recognition hit, and she exclaimed loudly, "Steve! Hi, it's so nice to see you."

He grinned back. Then his face changed, becoming mock serious. "Yes, well, I need to see some identification before I can let you through the gates."

Bree grinned back, noticing the gleam in his eye. She pulled her robes up her arm, revealing a shiny silver bracelet. It was engraved with her name and her status of Blade Runner. "Come on Steve, who would want to impersonate me?"

"Well, I guess they couldn't do much worse," Steve joked, "and not all that much better either."

Bree laughed as she stepped through the gate. Her heart felt light to be back home, especially knowing that her friends were only a few paces away. She waved goodbye to Steve. His smile wavered a bit, and she could tell something was bothering him.

"You stay away from trouble Bree. I've had about all I can handle for a week." He said it jokingly, but Bree knew he was concerned.

Bree laughed again, but this time it was forced. "Don't worry about me!" But trouble was always near when you were a Blade Runner, it came with the territory; and it was territory Bree loved. It was worth the risk.

Bree's steps quickened as she approached the Blade Runners' living quarters. The light was burning brightly in Giliath's window, but all the other's were dark. Bree went to Giliath's door, assuming that she was there. As she put her hand on the doorknob, it swung open. She was greeted by Leafy, Lily, and Giliath, all looking as if they were going somewhere. Giliath had a bag packed to it's capacity, and was armed with a bow and a quiver full of arrows. Bree stood surprised, and, not knowing what else to say, she asked the obvious question.

"Where are you guys off to so soon?"
Giliath wrote:
Giliath stopped in mid-step nearly toppling right over Bree who stood in the doorway. Her high traveling boots squeaked as she regained her balance. Her long dark hair was bound behind her head tied tightly with a piece of grey cloth that matched the colour of the old cloak she had slung around her shoulders and pinned with a tiny silver brooch. A simple leather belt circled her waist on which her new scissors hung and a sheathed hunting knife, but at a little right form middle a small bundle that Bree had never seen was tucked tightly.

"Where are you guys off to so soon?" Bree said looking at the travel wear the three companions were dressed in.

"Bree?" Giliath asked almost shocked to see her as if her mind was so full with other matters that she had forgotten her friend was coming. She filed out into the hall and Lily and Leafy followed after her standing in a patch of red light from the failing sun. "You must be the last one."

"What?" Bree asked a mask of confusion flooding across her face.

"How fast can you be ready to travel?’ Giliath asked in a commanding tone setting her heavy pack on the ground.

"Ten, maybe fifteen minutes," Bree said making a checklist in her mind of all the things she would have to do.

Giliath started down the hall. "Alright meet us in the courtyard. We’ll get the horses ready and the perishable food for the kitchen and………"

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" Bree interrupted throwing up her arms and chasing after her friends. "You haven’t even told me where we’re going!"

Giliath stopped dead in her tracks. Her expression suddenly changed and as she turned to Bree her face was grave and sad. "We’re going to……" She paused suddenly as the thought hit her. She didn’t know where she was going didn’t know where she could even start.

Giliath quickly recounted what she had told the others, of her father, the dreams, and his scissors. "I don’t expect any of you to come with me," she said when she had finished bowing her head and resting her hands on the bundle at her side. "This is my problem. The task should be mine. I don’t even know where I’m leading you."

Bree placed a hand on Giliath’s shoulder. "We are your friends Giliath and when one of us has a problem we solve it together. Besides your father told you to bring us didn’t he? And father knows best."

Giliath let out a weak laugh and lifting her pack she shouldered it and tightened the straps. "Meet us in the square in 10 minutes," she said smiling.

Giliath lead Leafy and Lily down the stairs and out into the cool evening air. A lone figured stood holding the reigns of four silver grey horses fidgeting nervously and chewing at their bits. Giliath hailed the figure as she ran towards him. "Steve!" she cried embracing him tightly.

He drew her back and bowed. "Everything is ready."

Giliath looked at the saddled and packed animals and looked back at her cousin with a smile. "There are four," she said. "How did you know?"

"I saw Bree come in and figured you would need her," Steve said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Thank you," Giliath said hugging him again before swinging into the saddle of one of the horses.

Leafy and Lily were just lifting themselves onto their own mounts when Bree came running out. She gave Steve a wink and jump onto the last horse. Giliath sat for a moment in her saddles holding the reigns in one hand and grasping the bundle in the other while staring out the gates.

"Have you decided where we’re going to go?" Leafy asked reluctantly.

"My mother’s house," she said not turning her head, "there may be something there that we can find to help us." She looked down at Steve who stood with his head bowed kicking the stray stones on the ground. "Good bye," Giliath said. She turned to her friends. "This is your last chance," she said. "If you want to stay it has to be now." Leafy, Lily and Bree gave Giliath a hard looked and guided their mounts out of the gates leaving her to follow.
Bree379 wrote:
After Bree asked the question, a series of emotions ran across Giliath's face, none of which Bree could understand. Mostly shock. The only thing she knew was this wasn't a fun trip, it was serious.

"Bree? You must be the last one," Giliath said this with finality, as though she knew Bree was coming. What on middle earth was she talking about...

Giliath asked her to pack quickly after explaining what was going on, and Bree ran to her quarters. She flung the door open, and hastily packed, throwing unnecessary items into the middle of the room. She wasn't really sure where they were going, or what they were going to do to accomplish their task, but if Giliath needed her, she was there. She looked around her room one last time--it had been nice to be home, if only for a few minutes. After bidding it farewell, she grabbed her traveling cloak from the hook by the door, and threw her Fairy weed into the bag. Who knew if this trip would require Fairy Weed. But she'd much rather be safe than sorry.

She shut and locked her door, and turned towards the courtyard. She ran lightly, and reached the group just as they were mounting their horses. She caught sight of Steve and threw a wink his way, noting his worried look. She thought of his comment only a few minutes ago about trouble, and felt a prick of sympathy for him. Poor guy, never gets a break.

"Have you decided where we’re going to go?" Leafy asked reluctantly.

"My mother’s house. There may be something there that we can find to help us." Giliath turned to Steve, "Good bye.

This is your last chance," Giliath said to Leafy, Lily, and Bree. "If you want to stay it has to be now."

Bree looked at Giliath as though she had sprouted a new head. Of course she was going, and she knew Giliath would do the same for her. She looked at Leafy and Lily, and saw that they were giving Giliath the same look. With that as their final answer, they all turned their horses away from their home. To the unknown.

The horses plodded along, their hooves beating rhythmically on the dirt path. They weren't traveling very quickly, as none of them really knew where they were headed. Bree felt certain that once they got more into the trip, they would pick up the pace a bit.

"Well guys, there's no turning back now! We're on another adventure!" She laughed nervously, and got a rather serious look from Giliath. She bit her lip to fight back the grin, but it was no use. It was a full fledged Bree grin, and Giliath couldn't help but smile back.

"Come on Giliath, it'll be alright. For the time being, until we hit some rough patches in our trip--which I'm sure there will be--" she looked at Lily and Leafy who gave her knowing glances, "let's enjoy the road ahead and look forward to triumph!"

"Here here!" Leafy and Lily joined in.

With that, Giliath smiled a bit more. Bree knew Giliath was going through some rough times, considering the thoughts that must be filling her head. She smiled sympathetically at Giliath, hoping that they would be successful in their venture.
satch wrote:
While the four Blade Runners continued their journey, they began to feel more and more aware of a presence trailing them. As they rode between the trees they thought they could make out a shadowy figure in the distance, but it was never near enough or there for long enough for them to be sure.
They picked up speed, but there was always the sense of someone there. Although it didn’t feel like something evil was pursuing them, but yet did not feel safe.
After a little while, the presence seemed to fade, until they could not feel it anymore.

"We should probably stop here and rest" Gil said, climbing off her horse "we could keep someone on watch just in case though, and swap after a few hours."
"I’ll watch first" Bree said climbing down and looking around.
As the night wore on, Bree started to feel wearier, and was planning on waking up one of the other Blade Runners to take over watch duty, when a light snapping of a twig echoed to her ears. She jumped up and pulled out her shiny new scissors, and held her breath, listening for any other sounds.
As she peered through the misty darkness, she saw movement in the corner of her eye. She spun round to see a hooded figure walking towards where Giliath, Leafy and Rosie slept. She let out a tiny gasp, and darted forwards. The figure paused and turned towards her. Bree leapt out at the other person, aiming her scissors at their throat.

"NO!" the figure yelled, jumping back.
"Satch?!" Bree lowered her scissors slightly, and stepped forward, her face full of confusion.
Satch slumped wide eyed against a tree and sighed.
"Nar mérantë metyanye?!" she muttered under her breath, shutting her eyes and leaning her head back. Then she opened her eyes and stood up. When she saw the shocked faces of her fellow Blade Runners, she grinned sheepishly. "Hi..?"
"Wha..?!" Rosie started "have you been following us?" She looked around to see if there was anyone else, just in case.
"For the last 2 days" Satch grumbled "do you never slow down?"
"Why were you following us?" Gil said with a hint of suspicion in her voice, stepping out from behind Rosie.

Satch looked at her strangely, but then spoke.
"When I was going back, I had a feeling of tension and that something wasn’t right, so I hurried back faster, but when I got to the manor there was no one there. I saw Steve at the gate and asked him where you all were but he was really vague… he wouldn’t tell me where you went, and just kept glancing towards the gate with a worried expression. I wanted to follow you that night but I was exhausted, so I came the next morning…"
"So you were following us all that time?" Leafy asked.
"Yup" Satch replied "Until I lost you for a while… guess I found you again…" she giggled nervously and put her hand up to her neck. "So, does anyone want to let me know what’s going on?"

The four other Blade Runners span around as they heard a sound from behind them, but saw a dark silver horse walking towards them. Satch held out a hand, and it trotted up to her. She ran her fingers through its mane, then looked up expectantly.
Giliath wrote:
Giliath watched as satch’s horse obediently trotted over to stand with the other animals. Though it seemed incredibly unnecessary, satch securely tied the horse’s leads with those of the others before removing her bag of hastily packed provisions.

Giliath smiled lightly as she watched satch’s fingers busily undoing straps and tying tight knots. I can’t believe she followed us all this way, Giliath thought the smile broadening on her face, but something was weighing on her mind. My father only spoke of three companions. I’m sure it’s nothing. There is always strength in numbers. It’s nothing. Despite the many times she repeated this to herself there was still a nagging doubt eating at the back of Giliath’s mind not so much for satch alone, but for all her friends. The journey to her mother’s house alone would be a dangerous one, the paths long having been so lost that she herself didn’t know if she could find them, but after. What then?

Giliath put these thoughts out of her mind as best she could and turned to satch. "I’m glad you’re here," she said as lightly as she could manage. "I do have a question though." satch nodded her head to continue. "How on Middle Earth did you track us so easily? I thought I was being careful."

"Well," satch began sheepishly, "perhaps you should be a little MORE careful."

Giliath, Lily, Leafy and Bree all broke into a chorus of laughter. "And to think," Bree said between chuckles, "we thought we WERE being more careful!"

Giliath patted satch on the shoulder and turned to the others. "Get some rest if you can stop laughing, "she said. "I’ll take the next watch."

The four Blade Runners settled onto the ground and rapped themselves in their blankets still chuckling and one by one they dropped off to sleep. Giliath stood a little apart form the quiet forms of her friends staring into the gloom and trying not to let the sound of their slow breathing put her to sleep. The night had grown cold and damp and Giliath pulled her cloak in around her to guard against the chill. The sky had suddenly become veiled with cloud making the darkness more oppressive then Giliath had though possible. Soon the shapes of the trees began to blend into the darkness around them creating a single dull canvas. Giliath strained her eyes trying to give some definition to her surroundings. All she could make out were the slender shapes of a few trees and the road running dimly a little while ahead, but suddenly, gleaming between the trees, she thought she caught the distinct glint of medal. She rubbed the weariness away from her eyes and looked back, but had there been something there before it was now gone.

Giliath quickly and quietly woke the rest of the company with a finger over her lips cautioning silence. "What is it?" Leafy whispered.

"I’m not sure," Giliath answered loosening her scissors in their sheathe.

_________________

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Posted: Thu 17 Feb , 2005 3:59 am
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Leafy wrote:
Leafy stood beside Giliath, and peered uncertainly into the darkness.

"I don't think we should take any chances - I’ll go and see what I can find."

"ok, but be careful Leafy. don't go too far - these woods are perilous and cunning. Maybe I should go with you." replied Giliath.

Leafy laughed. "That doesn't matter to me, I’m in my element, remember? Nobody needs to come with me, i won't be long, and I’ll come back and take the next watch." She lit a torch, and moved off in the direction the glint had come from, her light shoes making no sound on the mossy forest floor. She had not gone far when she saw the glint again, this time not far off. She hurried forward, leaving the light of the campfire behind. Giliath's voice came as if from a long distance, but Leafy did not heed it, she was too close now.

But after ten minutes she still had not found the source of the glint, thought it glimmered ever nearer and brighter by the light of her torch. She began to get suspicious, as she was now far from the camp, and could not hear any sound from her friends. Turning, she began to search the area round about, her torch low to the ground, and to her surprise, after just a few minutes, she found the source of the glint.

Stooping, she lifted from the dead leaves a tiny dagger, not more than five inches long, but intricately forged to a perfect finish. As she rubbed dirt from its blade, she found that it shone faintly from within with a clear pale light. It was very light, and seemed to fit her grip as if it were made especially for her. It was strangely familiar, though she could not remember where she had seen it before. She turned it over, inspecting it from every angle, and her eye caught an inscription on the polished mahogany handle:

"For Leafy:
Sometimes, you must harm
to save those you love the best
for true love conquers all
even those you lay to rest."

She breathed in sharply as she reread the inscription, and wondered how she could have come across such a weapon, though more over what the riddle could mean. She searched around in the leaves for another clue, but there was nothing else but a worn leather scabbard. Eventually she gave up, and sheathing the dagger, began to make her way back to the camp. Or so she thought. After wandering for over an hour, with no sign of her friends, she climbed a huge oak, and nestled herself in a fork in the branches, shivering in the damp chill wind. But the rustle of the leaves comforted her, and she eventually fell into an exhausted sleep with her arms wrapped around the trunk, and the dagger well hidden beneath her robes.
Giliath wrote:
Giliath woke from an uneasy sleep. Her rest had been haunted by dark dreams. She found herself running through the trees with the wind whirling in her ears and then suddenly falling. She was propped up against a tree her naked scissors sitting in an open palm in her lap reflecting the first grey light of morning. Beads of dew sparkled on her grey cloak and she had to stand up to shake herself off. Her whole body ached, every muscle seaming stiff and soar. She was glad she was riding and not walking. The air was damp and thick and she found it hard to breathe. Despite the dampness the morning promised to be a bright one. The sun was slowly chasing away the chill and tearing at the tatters of mist that still hung in the air as it rose beyond the trees across the road. Yet to Giliath everything seemed wholly wrong. Something was missing. She looked at the still forms of her friends and it suddenly hit her. She cursed under her breath at not noticing it immediately. There were only three. Leafy had never come back never relieved her from the watch. And now it was morning. She had been gone for hours.

Giliath’s mind reeled. She ran out from the camp searching the ground for tracks, a piece of material, a broken twig, a stirred rock, anything that would lead her to Leafy’s path, but the girl was too good at covering her own tracks. She ran back to the camp and hastily saddled her horse and threw her clothes into their bag. All the commotion quickly woke her friends.

"What is it?" Lily asked sleepily rubbing her eyes, but as soon as she saw Giliath she became immediately alert. "Giliath what is it?"

"Leafy isn’t back," Giliath said not stopping from her labour or even turning to face Lily.

"Wait a minute!" Lily urged coming over to Giliath’s side. She had to put her hands over Giliath’s to get her to stop saddling her horse. "If we take the horses we’ll trample any tracks there might be."

Giliath looked back at Lily and nodded solemnly. "If anything happens to her," she began, "it’s my fault."

"Leafy can take care of herself," Lily reassured. "Bree and satch and I can look for her on foot." The others came up behind her already lacing their boots and tightening their cloaks. "Why don’t you stay here with the horses?"

"No!" Giliath said with sudden heat. "I’m coming with you." She looked Lily in the eyes. "I’ll lead the horses behind if you want, but I’m coming with you."

Bree took a flat stone of the ground and marking it with the end of her scissors set it in the centre of the ashes of the fire. If Leafy came back and found it she would know to await her friends there.

Bree, satch and Lily spread out a few paces from each other being careful not to let the bits of mist take anyone out of sight. They slowly crossed the road in the direction Leafy had taken. Giliath followed behind leading the horses and making sure her companions hadn’t missed any small sign on the ground. She found a few of her own tracks, but none of Leafy’s. Their going was slow and tedious and soon they had been hours into the forest without luck. The promise that Giliath had seen in the morning had cheated them and the day stayed cold and damp. A wind rose in the North blowing the mist around the companions until they were mired in a thick soup of fog. The forms of her companions began to become indistinct in the fog and Giliath thought it best to stop.

"Don’t you think we should halt?" she cried, but there was no response. "Hello?!?" she called. "HELLO!"
Bree379 wrote:
Bree heard Giliath's cry, but it was as though she was calling from a great distance. The fog was dazzlingly bright, causing Bree to squint. The thickness of the fog was like a curtain, and Bree held her hand out. To her surprise, she couldn't see it. In fact, she couldn't see anything. It was as though she was inside a dream, as though she was suddenly blind. It was also eerily quiet, as though the world had suddenly stopped. Bree fumbled around for a bit, trying to find someone or something.

Her foot caught on a root, and she fell hard on her knees. She felt her robes tear, and a sharp pain shot down her leg. She pulled herself up into a sitting position, and tried not to panic. Closing her eyes, Bree tried desperately to connect with one of the other Blade Runner's minds, but it was useless. It was as though the fog separated her from the rest of the group, physically and mentally.

She rose to her feet once more, deciding to move forward. Feeling for roots and loose rocks with her feet, and did not make any quick moves, she edged her way through the fog. Shortly, her feet felt a cold shock, and the way she was sloshing about she figured she must have found water. Sure enough, she knelt down and ran her fingers through cool, spring water. It wasn't deep, and it seemed safe enough, so she continued cautiously forward.

A sound caught her attention, breaking the almost deafening silence. Someone else was sloshing about in the water, but Bree did not know who.

LilyRoseTook
Lily could feel panic rising within herself, but she dared not show it. The fog enveloped nearly everything in their path, and Lily was afraid that they could pass Leafy and not see her. What if she was hurt lying somewhere unseen from their view?
Bree and Satch spread out a few feet, trying to stay in each others view, and Giliath came up behind them, leading the horses. They plodded along, calling Leafy's name and looking for any sign of her for what seemed like hours. Lily thought of lighting the way, but she knew that even her magic light was useless in this dense fog.
Lily looked to each side of her, and then realized that she could see neither Satch nor Bree or even Giliath behind her.
She moved ahead, slowly, trying not to panic. The fog lifted a little bit, and she could see a stream ahead of her. There was a shadowy figure sloshing around in the water, already.
Sure that it was one of her companions, she threw caution to the wind and plunged into the water.
Leafy wrote:
Leafy awoke suddenly. She was cold and stiff, but thankfully unharmed and still in the tree. She got up and dropped lightly to the ground, looking around for any sign that her friends may have passed that way. Then she realised that she could not see her hand in front of her face, the fog was so thick. Strange rustlings sounded from the unseen woods around her. Panicking, she began to run this way and that, calling out to her friends for help, but of course, no answer came.

Eventually she came to a halt, taking great gulps of the chill, unwholesome air, and gathered her thoughts. "I didn't realise there was any fog until i came out of the tree," she said to herself. "Therefore, maybe I can see better if i climb one." She found a tall chestnut, and using skills learned from childhood, she swung herself up into the lower branches and began to climb swiftly. The tree was taller than she had guessed, but the branches stuck out at even intervals and she made good progress.

After about half an hour she finally reached the topmost stems and peered out over the crown. The sky above was bright blue, and the rising sun shone brightly, but the forest stretched out before her southwards, and even her keen eyes could not discern where the trees ended. Everything below her was shrouded in the thick mist that swirled threateningly about the tree roots, and their crowns loomed out of the fog like dark boulders looming out of a ghostly sea. Twisting round in her lofty seat, she looked towards the west, from whence they came, and saw in the morning light the road winding away across green fields towards their homeland, and like specks on the horizon, the mighty towers of the Stadium that was her home.

She shivered in the chill breeze that flowed through the treetops, and realised suddenly how small and alone she was in the world. She may be a Blade Runner, but she was still young and had not yet discovered her special power, nor had the pool tested her before the return of Macilme Ristare. Gazing miserably into the West, Leafy wished only for her own cozy chambers inside the Stadium, and her family about her once more. Thinking about her family brought pangs to her stomach that even the faint vibrations from her platinum scissors could not comfort.

In the east a treeless ribbon caught her eye, and she guessed it must be some sort of forest stream. At this her heart leapt, for she was sure that somewhere along its banks she would find either her friends or a way out of the forest. She bounded down the tree, jumping the last ten feet to land as softly as a cat, and ran in the direction of the stream, taking no notice of her aching limbs, nor her empty stomach, nor her parched throat. Soon enough she reached the water’s edge, and stopped suddenly, for the flowing water seemed menacing and unfriendly. She looked in the soft mud at the riverbank for tracks, and to her delight there were two sets of prints there, leading into the water. They seemed fresh, and looked familiar, so, holding onto an overhanging branch for support, she leaned out over the stream, searching for any sign of her friends. Far out in the water she descried them, two shadowy figures in the mist, and she called out in delight, but neither turned. Desperately, Leafy let go of the branch, splashed into the water, and waded out into the stream, all the while shouting her friends names. Eventually, the figures turned, recognising her voice, and ran to meet her.

"Leafy where on Middle Earth have you been?!" cried Bree, throwing her arms about her and beaming all over her face.

"I, uh, got lost." replied Leafy truthfully. Somehow she was reluctant to tell them about the dagger just yet.

"You’re stone cold," worried Rosie. "Come on, let’s get you out of this water and into some dry clothes."

"If we can find Giliath and Satch," said Bree. "Wait, what was that?"
Bree379 wrote:
The sloshing continued, getting nearer and nearer, until Bree could make out a shadowy figure approaching. From within the fog, Lily appeared at Bree's side, and her heart leapt with joy.

"Lily! I'm so glad to see you! I thought we were all going to be lost in this fog."

"Well," Lily said hesitantly, "I heard you sloshing about, and I figured it was either you or a large bear. You really aren't very quiet you know."

At this they laughed, forgetting momentarily about Satch, Giliath, and Leafy. Their laughter faded as both remembered, and their good humor returned to seriousness. Suddenly, the two heard a lone voice calling out their names.

Bree turned, and to her delight, Leafy was wading out in the water towards them. She embraced Leafy tightly.

"Where on middle earth have you been?!"

"I, uh, got lost," was Leafy's silent and rather embarrassed response.

"You’re stone cold," worried Rosie. "Come on, let’s get you out of this water and into some dry clothes."

"If we can find Giliath and Satch," said Bree. "Wait, what was that?"

They all paused, listening for the sound Bree had heard. Then they heard it again. It was a whacking sound, like an ax hitting a tree. Exchanging curious glances, they headed toward the sound. The fog had lifted, but Giliath and Satch were nowhere to be seen. But at least the group could see where they were headed. They reached a small clearing, and sure enough, a lone axman was splitting wood. The axman looked up when he heard them approaching, and he stopped splitting the wood. He leaned heavily upon his ax.

"I've been expecting you." The axman said this as though he was rather annoyed with them. "You're late."

"Excuse me?" Bree couldn't imagine what this man was referring to, but they certainly had not made an appointment. She looked at Leafy and Lily questioningly.

Lily drew herself up to her full height, and narrowed her eyes. "Sir, what do you mean? We're on a long journey, we're tired, and we've been separated from our friends."

The corners of his mouth drew up into a slight smile, as though he was laughing at them, but his eyes did not smile. "I know," was all he said in response.

Leafy had been looking from her friends to the axman, and finally threw her hands up in exasperation. "Someone please explain what's going on."

The axman laughed outright this time, but it wasn't friendly. The sound sent chills down Bree's spine. She did not like this man, and she certainly did not trust him. He bent over and picked a small envelope off of the ground and held it out. Lily, being the eldest, reached out for it. Bree could see that her hand was shaking ever so slightly. Lily must not trust this man either. She took the envelope, and hurriedly stepped back to Bree and Leafy.

Bree looked at the man haughtily. "I would say thank you, but since you've done nothing to help, I don't think any thanks are necessary." With that, the three turned on their heels. As they walked away, his cold laughter rang loudly, and the trees shook their leaves in fear.

As soon as they were far enough away from the clearing, Lily stopped, sitting on a fallen log. Bree and Leafy sat on either side of her. All three looked at the small envelope.

"Should we open it?" Bree questioned.

Lily slowly nodded her head, and tore the wax seal. The envelope opened to reveal one brief message:

What you seek is no longer where any mortal man may enter.
LilyRoseTook wrote:
Lily flipped over the piece of parchment, hoping for some kind of clue as to who sent it. With the woodsman's cold laughter still ringing in her ears, she tried to guess what this clue, if it could be called that, could mean.
Something about that man was making her very uncomfortable. Lily had a strange feeling that they were being watched, and not by somebody or something friendly. She stood up, suddenly, and tore up the piece of paper, sending leaves and debris flying all over Bree and Leafy.
"Lily? What are you doing?" Leafy looked terrified.
"We have to get out of here. We are being watched. We must find Giliath and Satch, and leave as quickly as we can. Somebody doesn't want us to complete our quest."
Lily then realized that she didn't have the slightest idea how to get back to the campsite. In the fog of that morning, she had totally lost her sense of direction. Cursing her stupidity, she moved on, hoping that she was leading these two young Blade Runners in the right direction. She would never forgive herself if anything happened to either of them under her watch.
One of the horses ambled out of the woods, alone. There was no sign of Giliath, Satch, or the other horses.
Giliath wrote:
Giliath stood for a while trying to breathe. There was no sound. An absolute and unnatural silence had flooded over her surroundings so that the air seemed to eagerly swallow even the faint echo of her quickly beating heart. The cover of fog was complete, but whereas before it would often stir with a weak passage of wind, now it was completely still: still and heavy. And it seemed to Giliath that oppressive weight was closing in around her and pressing her down from above. It felt like an iron fist had slammed down on her chest and yet there was a feeling of expectancy to it all like a heavily lidded pot on the verge of boiling over.

Giliath tightened her grip on the horses’ reigns. The fog left everything wet and she feared that the slick leather might slip out of her sweating palm. The horses themselves were glistening with a mingled coat of the fog’s wetness and their own sweat. They stood in a tight huddle with their heads down and their ears nervously twitching at unheard sounds. When she started forward again she would often have to stop and whisper gently to each mount before they would consent to follow her.

Giliath went forward so slowly that she felt like she was making no headway at all. Everything around her was a sea of constant white and she found herself often stumbling over a twisting root or nearly colliding with a tree that suddenly loomed out of the mist before her. The horses stayed close together as they crept along behind her picking their way carefully amongst the many hazards of the forest floor that were constantly troubling their leader. Despite the lack of visibility they managed to spare themselves any stumbles and trips while Giliath’s feet burned with every falter. She pushed herself forward periodically calling her friends’ names, but there was always nothing, just the fog.

Soon she could go no further and was stumbling forward even now that the ground had grown uncharacteristically solid. She sunk to the floor and pulled her knees up to her chest. The fog closed in around her.

"This is all my fault," she whispered. She had brought her friends on this journey and now she had lost them, stranded them in the wild without food or supplies or any notion of how to get themselves back home. And what if they were dead? The thought hit Giliath like a blow to the gut. What if she had brought them all to their deaths? Giliath’s mind was suddenly filled with the image of a devastated Estel weeping over the loss of her friends.

She’ll never forgive me, Giliath thought. I’ll never forgive myself.

Giliath sat still letting the dark realization flood through her. The horses had frown increasingly nervous. They stood shivering and turning their heads this way and that eyes wide staring into the gloom. They began tugging at their leads and pawing the ground. One started and throwing up its head broke away from Giliath’s grip and plunged into the fog before she could even move to stop it. Giliath’s own horse began nudging her with his great head urging her up. She gently stroked the soft nose and pulled herself up by the animal’s mussel, as he obediently stood firm. She hauled herself into the saddle and bent close to the mount’s neck burying her head in his lank mane.

"On Celebsul," she whispered giving the horse his reigns and letting him pick his won path. She did little more than to mark passing trees with her scissors so that she could perhaps find her way back.

Celebsul plodded nervously forward leading the other horses with him. Giliath let herself be drawn further and further into the woods unable to give the horses any direction. The fog began to swirl forming twisted shapes that would often take the form of her friends in Giliath’s mind only to curl into leering faces with wicked eyes. Giliath shut her eyes and bent closer to Celebsul’s neck feeling nothing but the slow progress with the horse’s hooves.

Suddenly he stopped and Giliath found herself in a round clearing that seemed to have been spared entirely from the fog. The ground covered in a soft green carpet of grass was open to the clouded sky above. There was not a single obstacle in front of her save a few small trees that rebelled form the greater host and grew closer to the centre of the clearing. A few yards before her, hobbled at the edge of the tress stood a tiny cottage. One side had fallen in and lay in a broken pile partly overgrown with trailing plants thick with thorn. Giliath couldn’t imagine anyone living there yet the cracked chimney fitly puffed out a trail of thin white smoke and the one dirtied window showed a warm glow.

Giliath swung out of her saddle and lead the horses forward, but all save Celebsul refused to move and even he could barely urge himself forward for the love of his master. She couldn’t bear the sight of the horses in their fear and tied them to one of the rebelling trees whispering words of reassurance in their ears. But as she went forward the same words seemed hallow and vain in her own ears. Still what choice did she have if there was any chance of finding help for her friends? She raised a shaking hand to knock on the door when it suddenly opened.
LilyRoseTook wrote:
Giliath looked around the cabin. It had a very welcoming look to it. There was a fire blazing in the hearth and there was stew cooking in a pot over the fire. Giliath could feel her mouth watering as she realized how long that it had been since she had eaten.
The place seemed to only have two rooms, but it was furnished nicely and well taken care of. She hoped that her friends would be able to find her here. It seemed like a good place to regroup and figure out where they were going, next. Giliath wondered who the owner might be and when and if they would return.
As cold and tired as she was, she threw caution to the wind and found a comfortable rocking chair, and took her boots off to let them dry by the fire.
She needed to connect with Bree’s mind so that she could tell them where she was and how to get here. They must be quite worried about her.
It took her no more than a minute to connect to Bree.
"Bree? Can you here me?"
She saw movement out of the corner of her eye
Giliath was sure that she had checked the place thoroughly. Her concentration was totally lost, and Bree disappeared from her mind.
Out of the shadows, a tall, black robed figure emerged. His dark, almost black eyes were twinkling, as he eyed her with amusement. His long, dark hair fell enticingly below his shoulders.
"I see that you have made yourself at home in my humble dwelling. I have been watching you since I heard you and your horses walk out of the woods."
Giliath shrank back to the wall and made to draw her scissors.
"That won’t be necessary. I am unarmed. See?" He raised up his arms, and although there was a sheath for a pair of scissors, it was empty.
"My name is Sirius. Who might you be?"
Giliath wrote:
Giliath stood for a moment looking into the stranger’s eyes. Had she been anywhere else she would have welcomed him gladly, but she did not forget the terror of the horses or the cruel treachery of the mist. Yet there was something strange about this Sirius, something kind and thoughtful in his glance and to her surprise something familiar. Giliath wished beyond anything else to pour out her troubles to him and seek his aid. Caution however won her over.

"Giliath," she said simply trying to be as bold as she could manage, but there was a distinct note of doubt in her voice that she was sure had not escaped the stranger’s ear.

"Giliath," he said as if running the name over in his mind. "What brigs you here Giliath?" he said motioning for her to sit in a chair before the fire.

Giliath took a step back and straightened in her place trying to hide the weariness that was threatening to sweep over her again. She let her right arm hang loosely at her side and gently rested her left hand on the bundle in her belt. There was something about the way he spoke her name that didn’t sit well with her. He made it sound almost as if he expected it and she was sure he already knew what she was going to say.

"I’m looking for something," Giliath said trying to read the stranger’s face.

"Where are your companions?’ Sirius asked.

Giliath stared at him her face twisted in confusion. How did he know? She had lost her friends hours before reaching the clearing. Her mind suddenly reeled with the possibilities. What if this Sirius had her friends somewhere? What if the mist was his won creation designed to trap them all and now he had succeeded? For a moment she almost yielded to the desire to pull her scissors and demand the return of her friends with the blades at his throat, but there was nothing sinister in his voice nothing to suggest that he knew anything about their location. She clenched her fist at her side.

"You were leading four horses," Sirius said guessing her thought. "Unless you enjoy their company there must have been others."

Her expression suddenly changed and a look of helpless despair washed over her tired face. She lowered her glance to the floor and her shoulders slumped. There was a long pause and then in a quiet voice speaking more to herself then to Sirius: "I don’t know." Quickly she recounted the search for Leafy and the loss of her friends in the mist. It didn’t matter now. She knew she couldn’t find them alone. She was lost herself, lost in a pathless wood filled with deceit and lost in that dark void of her own guilt. With the final step into the clearing her voice caught in her throat and she fell silent. She shivered as if trapped in the mist once more. The warmth of the fire fought with the memory of the cold and the cold was slowly winning. Her knees felt weak and she struggled to breathe.

"We may be able to find them," Sirius said as if he knew somehow that she had accepted him.

Giliath looked down at the hilt of her scissors, but for the first time the blades seemed cold and dull. The warm light of the fire could not blush their smooth surface. They were dead. "And if we don’t?" Giliath breathed.

Giliath fell forward catching herself on the chair in front of her. Tears started in her eyes and she felt cold, colder than the touch of her blades. Sirius sprang to her side and catching her under her arm lowered her gently to the wooden seat. She took a deep breath trying to settle herself, but it was no use. She felt weak, helplessly weak.

Sirius placed a soft hand on her arm and wrapped her cloak tightly around her shoulders. Giliath turned her head unable to look at the stranger’s face. Her eyes dimmed and the room became a blur of shapes cast in the warm orange glow of the fire. But beside her sat an object that stood out clear in her mind. Like the cabin had not been touched by the overpowering mist these remained clear in a sea of cloud- a pair of scissors and on their blades, shining in the light of the fire, stood a crescent moon.
SiriusBlack wrote:
"You need to rest." Sirius insisted, quickly grabbing the scissors and stowing them out of sight. His voice was soft, yet stern. Suddenly feeling caution. Walking over to the fire, he added some kindling to keep it going, then taking the wooden spoon, he stirred the stew. "We can go and find your friends with the mist clears."

Giliath did not move, though the aroma of the stew was making her mouth water. Her eyes still starred at the spot next to her where the scissors had been. She knew she had seen them. She did...didn't she? Or was it her imagination from her weariness. The room began spinning slightly. She was so weak, and so tired and her body was aching, crying out for rest.

Sirius glanced over his shoulder, holding his gaze on Giliath, as she
stared at the wooden seat next to her, and he wondered if she was coherent enough to realize what she saw. Suddenly it was he, who was ill at ease. He turned again to the stew.

Giliath raised her head, with effort, to look upon Sirius, the room was still a blur, but something about his form was sharp and clear, surrounded by mist. The mist...deceit...lost....trapped...No!....was he.....? Slowly her mind lost the struggle with her body, her eyes closed and she leaned to the side.

"I have an extra bed here... you are welcome to it if you li----" Glancing back at her again he saw her begin to fall. Quickly he ran to her side, catching her, and sat her upright again, but her eyes remained closed. Sirius sighed in relief. Picking her up in his arms, he carried her to the bedroom and gently laid her down, covering the soft blankets around her. Extinguishing the candles by the bed side with a single breath, he walked out and back to the kitchen.

Picking up a wooden bowl, he filled it with stew, and sat down next to the fire to eat. His mind wandered, lost in thought. Setting down the bowl, he took out the scissors and held them in his hands, looking intently upon them, the fire reflecting brightly in the blades. He glanced back over toward the bedroom.
Leafy wrote:
"Lily? What are you doing?!" Leafy watched in horror as Rosie ripped up both note and envelope.

"We have to get out of here. We are being watched. We must find Giliath and Satch, and leave as quickly as we can. Somebody doesn't want us to complete our quest."

A lone horse ambled out of the trees, and Leafy recognised it as Satch’s silver grey, though no one else seemed to notice. Her stomach twisted, as she thought how long her friends had been lost, and whether they were even still together, or wandering alone in the wilderness. Rosie and Bree moved off, but Leafy found herself staring at the shreds of paper littering the ground. The horse nuzzled her, urging her to move forward, but some compulsion gripped her, and she quickly bent and gathered up the pieces, stowing them in the same secret pocket that held the daggar. Guilt stabbed at her, but then Bree called back at her to keep up, and she gripped the horse’s bridle and hurried after her friends.

After walking aimlessly for hours, fruitlessly calling Satch and Giliath’s names, Leafy suggested they stop and rest, before continuing the search. Rosie and Bree agreed, and they found a spot in a sheltered dewy clearing. The sun was setting in the west, tipping the treetops with gold, and the mist was swiftly clearing, but it would not be fully gone till morning. Thankfully Satch’s horse still carried some of its provisions, and they ate a meagre meal, with not much talk and no laughter or song.

Night came fast and cold, and there was some debate as to whether a fire should be lit. Rosie was wary of strangers, but the dew was wet on the ground, and they had only their cloaks to shelter them as the sleeping gear was on Giliath’s horse. Eventually they decided to risk a flame and got a small blaze crackling. Rosie and Bree laid themselves down to sleep, leaving Leafy on first watch.

She sat restlessly warming her hands, feeling something was close, but reluctant to once more leave the safety of the camp. She stared into the unfathomable darkness for a long time, but she could not bear it, and, lighting a branch, moved out of the clearing into the trees, being careful to keep the light of the fire in sight. She had not gone far when she passed an oak so large and old she had to stop and marvel at its greatness and nobility. The trunk was so wide that it would take three men to span it, and its great roots spread over the ground, forming nooks wide enough for a grown man to sleep in. It was in one of these nooks that she indeed found a sleeping form, its dark hair falling over its pale face, as its chest rose and fell slightly with its shallow breathing.

"Satch!" Leafy gasped, and grasped her friend’s hand. It was ice cold. She shook her gently, whispering her name, but she did not wake. Panicking, she shook her harder, calling her name and rubbing her hands in vain, before finally setting her torch in a hollow, carefully picking her up, and stumbling back to the camp. Once there, she quickly woke Rosie and Bree, and together they stoked up the fire and placed her as near to it as they dared, then wrapped her in all of their cloaks, before huddling next to her themselves, giving to her of their body heat. So they passed the night, none but Satch sleeping, all praying for the survival of their friend, and worrying with a gnawing doubt what could have become of Giliath.
LilyRoseTook wrote:
Satch was ice-cold, still, even as all three of the Blade Runners lents her all of the heat that they could muster. Her face was grey and her lips were purple, and she was breathing in shallow gasps.
"We have to move along and find a better place, or Satch will die." Lily’s words were steady, but she was quaking inside. She had seen too many people that she loved and cared about die in battles and from the elements. The thought of seeing one so young succumb was too much for her to bear. She could not let the younger ones see her panic.
"Bree, have you been able to connect with Giliath at all?"
"I’ve been trying all night," Bree said, glumly. "All that I can make out is that she is in a cabin not far from here and someone else is with her. I think that I can get us there."
Lily and Leafy picked up Satch, still wrapped in all of there cloaks and set her on her horse. Lily lead the other horse, as Bree lead them in a different direction than they had gone, yesterday.
Satch began to shake violently, and eventually, Leafy had to climb up on the horse behind her to keep her from pitching headlong off of the horse.
Bree muttered under her breath, as her pace quickened.
"How do we know that we are not headed into a trap?" Leafy asked.
"We don’t, but what other choice do we have?" Lily answered, and then silently followed Bree.
It was no more than five miles before they came upon a clearing, and their horses tethered to a few stray trees outside of a cabin.
"So, is this where Giliath is?" Lily looked at Bree. "Yes, this is the place."
"All right then. All of you stay behind me, and Leafy, be ready to get Satch out of here. We do not know what is on the other side of that door."
Lily walked steadily up to the door and raised her hand to knock. It swung, silently open, before she could touch it.
A man stood in the threshold, dressed all in black.
"I’ve been expecting you. All of you need to get in here, quickly, and I will tend to the young one."
Lily’s mouth opened, but no words would come out.
The man’s eyes grew wide, as he looked at her, again. "Lily?"
"Sirius?" Lily gasped. "I thought that you were dead…."
Giliath wrote:
Giliath found herself in a dream of darkness. She stood under a roof of heavy cloud on a naked heath trailing with growths of vine that reached out their twisted lengths like groping fingers to her bare feet. A bitter wind blew in her face stinging her eyes and whipping her hair against her raw skin. A piece of paper rustled in her outstretched hands, twisting in the force of the wind so that only parts of it were visible. Fine faded lines of black ran here and there over it’s broken and cracked surface forming a confused web of threads that spread from nexus after nexus. They ran into each other to form thicker stronger paths or trailed away into nothing or ran off the page only to be taken up at another point. Yet Giliath knew that they all lead to a single point, a point she had to find.

Giliath drew her eyes away from the page only to see a mass of tangled trees tumbled in a greater darkness before her. Their gnarled branches and rough trunks strove one against the other until it was impossible to tell one form the other. She shrank back for the trees, unable to see a way into the tangled wall of branches yet she had an overwhelming desire to run into the trees and find a path through them to the other side, but what was there she couldn’t tell. There was nothing to see in the rare spaces between the maze of branches, nothing unless it were a deep haze of shadow.

Suddenly the wind rose up and blew away the cloud. A thin moon shone bright in the barren sky dazzling her eyes and still the wind rose filled with voices.

Giliath woke suddenly to find herself lying in a soft bed. She swung her feet over the side half expecting to find misshapen roots crawling about her toes, yet there was only the cold touch of stone on her bare skin. She was bathed in a cool sweat and her blankets were tangled around legs. A small window stood open above her bed letting a thin grey light fill the room. It was morning. A warm breeze flitted around her stirring the lank locks of her hair yet it did nothing to comfort her. She sat shivering.

Giliath rapped the blankets around her shoulders and wiped the hair away from her face. It was quiet save for the soft rustled of the curtains blowing in the wind, but there was something else that she thought she heard, muffled by the closed door there were voices. Suddenly Giliath remembered her friends. She jumped up from the bed and ran out of the room throwing the door open before her.

The front door to the cabin stood open giving the room it’s only light, the fire having long died in the hearth. Sirius stood in the doorway looking much like he had the past night, though now his face was grave and troubled and the morning light had revealed many lines of care that Giliath had not marked before. However, she had eyes for only one thing: in the doorway stood three figures worn and tired, leaning on each other for support.

"Lil…………." Giliath called springing forward, but she stopped short the word catching in her throat. Behind her three companions stood satch’s horse and on it’s back sat a figure so pale and weak Giliath was almost surprise to see the soft rise and fall of its chest.

"Satch," she whispered, "what have I done?"
SiriusBlack wrote:
"You two know each other?" Leafy walked up and asked as she watched Sirius and Lily stare at each other. Shaking her head, she returned to get Satch.

Sirius opened his mouth, he wanted to speak, but no words came, he just stood there transfixed, gazing deep into Lily's eyes, as if he was visiting an old memory. He remembered the time when---....... blinking, his thoughts were interrupted by a voice and movement behind him. He turned to see Giliath, she was out of bed, but she was looking much stronger.

"Giliath! We found you!" Lily gasped ran inside and embraced her friend. "Are you alright?"

"I'm am now." She smiled.

A little distracted, yet feeling the urgency of the situation still, Sirius focused and stepped outside to help Leafy and Bree. He slid the lifeless Satch from the saddle and carried her inside, laying her on the table by the now extinguished fire. Leafy and Bree as well embraced Giliath, at ease that finally they were all reunited once again. But the relief did not last, as they thought about Satch. Turning, the three of them watched Sirius. He was quick, yet tender and careful with his movements as he checked her over.

Though the fire had died the cabin was still warm, and the change in
temperature caused Satch to shake violently again. With his palm, Sirius gently touched her forehead, letting the warmth of his hand, transfer the warmth to her. And she stopped shaking. He held his hand there a moment, bowing his head and closing his eyes.

"What is he doing?" Bree whispered. But she did not receive an answer.

With the soft touch of his fingers, Sirius traced the outline of Satch's purple lips, and around outline of her pale gray face. The color began to return slowly, her breathing became deeper. He took her hand and held it between both of his, again transferring the warmth.

"Is she going to die Sirius?" Lily asked. She did not seem to notice the confused looks she received from both Giliath and Bree when she called him by name. Giliath mouthed the words to Bree. 'How did she know?' To which Bree and Leafy just shook their heads with no answer.

"No." Sirius replied, his forehead began to sweat. "You brought her here just in time." He rose slowly and moved about gathering kindling to restart the fire and a blankets, one which he covered Satch in. The fire began crackling and blazing almost instantly.

Fetching some water, he filled a pot and placed it above the fire, sprinkling in it some herbs, and when the water came to a boil, he poured it in a bowl and set it next to the sleeping Satch. The herbal aroma filled the room, and soon the others found themselves feeling more relaxed and breathing easier.

"You all need to rest. You must be exhausted." Sirius said looking weary, now heating up some stew over the fire. "You can stay here if you like. It's small, but I have plenty of blankets, and the fire is warm. Here..eat...and recover your strength." He poured the heated stew in four bowls and handed them out to each of the blade runners, stopping with Lily last, and pausing, holding her gaze. "It's good to see you again Lily." He smiled. Lily noticed he had not set a bowl out for himself.

"But---" Lily began, she wanted to stop him, she wanted to know how he had survived. And what was he doing out here?! But he stopped her with a simple. "Goodnight" And headed off for the bedroom. Looking almost more weary than they did.

LilyRoseTook
Lily could not shut her eyes, as tired as she was. She hadn’t slept at all the previous night, and weariness weighed heavily on her.
The other girls, even Giliath, had fallen asleep quickly in front of the hearth. A few hours had passed, and the fire was burning low.
Lily sat in the rocking chair and stared into the embers. She had so many unanswered questions. What was somebody who had been as mighty a warrior as Sirius doing out in the middle of nowhere, alone? How was he even alive after she had seen him fall in battle about two years ago?
Lily could hear rain pattering on the roof as she tried to make sense of all that had happened in the past few days.
Her thoughts drifted back about three and a half years, when she had first met Sirius.
After she had been fully healed, Davey had sent her to a compound further North, high up in the mountains for training and for safekeeping. There had been a large price on her head for more than a year after she had abandoned the Super Spammer, and every bounty hunter in the country was looking for her.
Sirius seemed to be the leader of this group, and he was the first person that she met. She was immediately taken with him, although he rarely spoke a word to her. He always seemed to be aloof and distant.
Lily was sure that Sirius could see more than met the eye. His deep, dark eyes seemed to look right into her soul.
Lily remembered that he had been able to heal the worst of injuries and illnesses with just a light touch of his fingers. She had fallen off of a horse, once, and had broken her leg, but he had gently run his fingers over it, and it was instantly better than before. She didn’t understand why healing Satch had taken so much energy out of him.
Sirius was the same person that she had always known, but he was changed. He seemed much older than he should be, and much more sad….
Lily finally drifted off to sleep, her thoughts even more confused than before.
Bree379 wrote:
Bree lay in the darkness, unmoving, carefully regulating her breathing as if she was soundly sleeping. But this was only to fool the others, for as exhausted as she was, she could not sleep. Her mind was reeling, thoughts flitting in and out. There was something about that man in the woods that seemed odd to her. Aside from his cruel eyes and laughter, he seemed familiar. It was as if the memory was just out of reach, taunting her, only getting close enough for her to see a faint whisper, and then it was gone. And now, here they found themselves in a cabin occupied by a man named Sirius who Lily so openly recognized.

Bree shifted her weight slowly, and turned over. Lily was sitting before the fire, obviously not able to sleep either. Bree considered moving to Lily's side, but something about her posture told Bree that Lily was deep in thought, not wanting to be disturbed.

Looking out the window, Bree caught sight of a pair of eyes staring into the room. They were accompanied by a flash of lightning in which the entire form was lit up. Bree gasped as the figure of the axman appeared and then disappeared as soon as the lightning died away. She blinked, trying to figure out if it had been her imagination. A muted sound of the same cold laughter rang in her ears, but was overpowered by a large crack of thunder. Bree sat shocked for a moment, not knowing whether to believe what she had seen and heard. Perhaps she had drifted off for a moment, and it had only been a dream. Logic told her that there was only one way to find out, so, hiding in the dark shadows, Bree made her way to the door. She slid out quietly, and went to the spot right underneath the window. Hoping not to see anything, Bree peered into the darkness, and there before her, destroying all hope, were a pair of footprints in the mud, and laying right beside them was an ax.

Another flash of lightening and peel of thunder sounded, and rain began coming down in torrents. Bree stood, staring at the footprints as the rain washed them away. She didn't know how long she stood there, but the rain soaked through her clothes and her hair was plastered to her head. Deciding it was best not to tell her companions, as this was trivial compared to all the other troubles they were encountering, Bree took hold of the ax and carried it to the back of the cabin. There, she dug a shallow hole and buried it beneath a pile of mud and leaves.

She turned to the cabin and walked slowly back, allowing the rain to wash the mud off of her hands and clothing. When she reached the cabin, she sat on the porch, not wanting to awaken her friends, especially Satch. So there she sat, listening to the rain and thunder. It's soothing rhythm put her to sleep, and she dreamt of far off places.

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Posted: Thu 17 Feb , 2005 4:05 am
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Úcenite-Melme wrote:
She could feel the eyes following her as she stumbled, falling out of the mists of the half world, and banging her shoulder on a tree that was very much real, and almost loosing Irisanno. After she had lost her other two companions to whatever evil had followed them, she had found herself unwilling leave the mists. With a shudder, she threw herself back into them, unable to face the dangers that the material domain presented. A bruise grew on her arm, hidden beneath the blood that was caked there, but it did not slow her desperate running, nor Iri's constant mental pleas for her to give herself a rest, and climb on his back.

In the distance, she caught site of what would be a man-made fire, if it existed here. Excitement took over for a moment, for the fire meant people, but it quickly died, for the dwellers of this land were strange. They were prisoners of the earth. They could not step out of it, they could not see the light of each others souls, nor follow one another simply by feeling the warmth that was left behind. Most of them did not know how to heal, and those that did lost strength through the healing, rather than gained it. Their horses were dumb animals, that didn't communicate with them. The people lived in permanent structures, ever scarring the world with the broken bones of their abandoned homes, and scarring it more as they built new ones.

Her ponderings were interrupted suddenly by the lack of that terrible gaze on the back of her neck. Looking around desperately, she suddenly realized that she had stumbled into the paths of whatever people had been here, and those paths were disguising her from the evil being that had been menacing her footsteps for days.

"Stay within these peoples paths."

Irisanno's urging took over Úcenite at the same moment that the realization hit her. There were people in this land that left paths in the half world. Would she be safer following in the footsteps of beings such as these? Remembering the horror of the previous days, she decided yes. There was not much worse in the world than what followed her.

Leaning down, she carefully studied the traces that they had left behind. There was one who was incredibly ill, and this gave Úcenite hope, for perhaps by healing the person, they would accept her into their company. By healing her, Úcenite would also be healing and giving strength to herself. Useful in this land, where people paid those with abilities like hers. Another of them had steps in the spirit world that were almost as solid as if she had walked there herself. A gasp escaped her at this, fear of one of her own people being here. A deserter of her people. She quickly determined, however, that these steps were simply that of a person who would be passing on from this world soon, and simply didn't know it. Interesting to note though, that it was not the same person who was ill.

When she saw the steps of the horse though, a dark look passed over her, and she glanced up at Iri. He looked back at her quite calmly, but the terrible knowledge was in his dark eyes as well. The only kind of horses whose trails showed here, were those of her people. Seeing evidence of yet another one stolen, awakened her anger. This was the reason why her people were dying, why their lands were being taken, and why, despite the powers that they were gifted with, there were children being born who could not enter the spirit world. This was the reason why she had been sent on her quest. Not only should she stay on these paths for her own safety, but she must stay on them in order to find the people who had created them. With grim determination, she stepped out and followed the burning footsteps of those that had walked here before her.
LilyRoseTook wrote:
Lily woke up what seemed like minutes later, still groggy. The last vestiges of the previous nights storm had disappeared, and the sun was shining brightly.
Giliath, Leafy, and Bree were already awake. Satch, although awake, was sitting next to the fire, shivering, despite the warm breeze that was wafting through the window. Her lips were no longer purple, but she was pale and sickly looking.
Sirius sat alone in the corner. Lily didn’t think that he had slept any better than she had. Lily wondered if he had been thinking about her in the dark of the night.
"I could not fully heal her," Sirius said, at last, breaking the long silence. His face was even more lined than it had been last night. "There are powers in this world that are more ancient and more evil than even the Super Spammer was, and I believe that one of them is at play, here. She will not die, but her sickness is beyond my skill to fully heal." Then he fell silent.
Lily walked over to Satch and took her hand. It was ice cold. Glazed, unseeing eyes stared into the fire without flinching.
"She will not recognize you." Giliath said, heavily. Her face was tearstained, and her eyes were red and swollen. Lily didn’t think that anyone had slept very well.
Lily knew that they would not be able to move on until Satch had been healed. But how? None of them possessed that kind of power. If Sirius had been unable to do it, then Lily feared that nobody would. He was the most powerful healer that she knew of.
Time for Giliath’s father was growing short. Lily couldn’t imagine what she must be feeling, now, torn between her friend, who was still on the brink of death and her father.
Feeling totally useless, Lily took up her bow and went outside on the pretense of going hunting. Sirius may be the best healer in the world, but she was the best hunter, and could easily take down a moving target, even in the dark. She walked around the cabin to see muddy footprints. Those footprints…She had seen them, before. The man with the message! The cold laughter rang in her ears once again, as she heard footsteps behind her. In an instant, she had knocked an arrow, and she waited.
Sirius walked around the corner, and then backed away.
She dropped the bow, as he said, "I just wanted to talk to you! I see that you haven’t changed a bit."
Giliath wrote:
Giliath stood behind satch watching the firelight play on her pale face. The warm red glow flushed her skin slightly, but it was a false hope an artificial sign that cheated her eyes. Satch was still sick, still shivering despite the fire’s warmth and it was still all because of her. Her mind flashed back to the day they had left. She knew it. She knew she was leading them into danger. She should have just left. She could have just gathered her things and gone alone then she shouldn’t have to watch satch suffer knowing it was her fault.

She tore her eyes away from satch’s face and dashed out of the cabin muttering something about checking on the horses. She didn’t even notice Lily and Sirius as she blew past them. She didn’t care. Why didn’t I just leave? She kept asking herself. Over and over the thought pounded in her head. With every step it taunted her. Her eyes sparkled in the morning sun with fresh tears, but her face was twisted in anger. Why didn’t I just leave? I could have spared them this! She pushed her way towards the horses grazing in a grey knot near the edge of the forest. Why didn’t I just leave?

The horses threw their heads up as she approached and kicked a tree with all her might before collapsing onto the grass. "I could have just left," she whispered as the horses set back to the business of grazing. "And now if satch dies it’s my fault." She bowed her head watching the wind send ripples into the sea of green before her, watching the patches of sunlight shift and dance, but she felt nothing. The dew did not cool her fingers, the wind did not caress her face and the sun didn’t warm her skin. She was numb and only the dull pain of her own guilt troubled her mind. "I can’t do this," she whispered.

She raised her head and with a great effort got to her feet. She walked toward the horses with reluctant steps and separated Celebsul out of the group. She untied him form his picket and swung onto his great bare back. The saddles and baggage had been removed and the was no time- no time and no way Giliath could get them without alerting her friends. She had her scissors, her bow and the clothes on her back, that was enough. And if it wasn’t she didn’t care- she couldn’t care. She bent close to Celebsul’s next and ran her fingers through his main. For a moment she hesitated, looking back at the sun dappled walls of the cabin. Would they hate her? Did they already? Could they ever forgive her? "I’m sorry," she whispered in a flat voice and turned her face towards the woods.
Leafy wrote:
Leafy lay wrapped in her blankets, and she sensed she was not the only one having trouble sleeping. The dagger pressed uncomfortably against her hip, and eventually she drew it out, hiding its bright blade beneath the covers. Not for the first time she wondered what the mysterious poem could mean, and who could have forged such a weapon. She still hadn't told anyone about it, fearing that they would try to take it from her, and something in her heart told her it was not yet time. Rolling over, she tried to think of who she loved best, and immediately her mind was cast to her beloved Blade Runners; but then she searched further into her memory, and remembered her family. The wonderful days filled with light and sweetness, the days before... She flinched, and sheathed the dagger, her brows furrowed in anxiety. Forcing her mind shut, she squeezed her eyes together and willed merciful sleep to take her. But her dreams were filled with Satch, lying cold and pale and lifeless in a gown of white upon a bed of flowers, and the Blade Runners standing about, faces veiled in mourning. None more so than Giliath, in whose deep eyes Leafy saw the weight of the world.

Morning light came, and Leafy rose with the sun and went out among the trees to welcome the day, and to rest her weary limbs and soothe her aching mind. When she re-entered the cabin, she found that the rest of the Blade Runners had awoken, and Sirius was propping Satch into a chair. She watched silently from the door, and noticed that he looked haggard and weary, much wearier than her. Walking over, she placed her hand on his arm, and he looked up startled, but when he saw who it was he looked down in sorrow and shook his head. "I could not fully heal her," he said. "There are powers in this world that are more ancient and more evil than even the Super Spammer was, and I believe that one of them is at play, here. She will not die, but her sickness is beyond my skill to fully heal." Rosie moved over to Leafy, and took Satch's hand.

"She will not recognize you." Giliath said, heavily. Sirius rose, head bowed, and turned to leave. Behind her she heard Rosie leave the cabin.

"Sirius wait!" she called. He paused, but did not turn. "I think you need to talk to Lily. There is obviously much you want to discuss, but are perhaps afraid of doing it in our company." Giliath and Bree nodded in agreement.

Slowly he turned and came towards her, taking her hand. "I would be grateful," he said, and nodding at the remaining Blade Runners, left the cabin.

Smiling to herself, Leafy set out some bread and cheese, then seated herself by Satch. She was shivering slightly, though the fire was blazing, and her eyes were cold and unblinking as she stared ahead. Leafy sighed despairingly and took her hand, and it was though a bolt of lightning zipped through her body, transporting her to another dimension. Two misty white shapes moved through dark fog, pursued by something unseen and evil, and they were drawing closer. Leafy strained her eyes to see the figures in more detail, but the edges remained smudged, and the surroundings blurred into a grey watercolour mass.

There was a jerk in her stomach, and suddenly she was back in the cabin, hazy morning sunshine pouring in through the window. No time appeared to have passed. Behind her Giliath mumbled something about the horses, and left the cabin. Leafy did not follow, as she guessed her friend needed some time alone. Bree sat at the table with some bread and cheese, and Leafy joined her, smiling weakly. They ate together silently, each absorbed in their own thoughts.
Ladykat wrote:
Dawn would be breaking soon, she could sense it. Moving swiftly and silently through the mists and shadows of the forest, her golden eyes searched the ground for signs of the Unseen. As One Who Walks the Ninefold Path, she could cross between the Seen and the Unseen Realms with perfect ease, which was why her kind was appointed the task of spirit-watcher.

"Just watch!" she had been told countless times. "Watch and report back! Do not let the humans know who and what you are. They have their appointed path as you have yours. They will stand or fall on their own."

A small growl of disgust escaped her. Just watch, indeed! How could she just stand by while the humans were killed or enslaved by the evil beings that invaded their world? She remembered how, several years ago, a man from this very area----a Blade Runner, a powerful fighter---had been tricked and trapped by one of the Unseen Ones who had crossed over and taken corporeal form. This vile thing that walked like a man had a fondness for axes....

Suddenly, she froze, flattening herself against a tree trunk. As though her thoughts had summoned him into being, there he was, leaning on his axe, silhouetted in the rising sunlight. His back was toward her, and he seemed to be staring at a small cabin in the clearing. Heart racing, she began to back away slowly, when abruptly he swung his axe over his shoulder, turned to the right, and set off at a rapid pace through the forest. Momentary indecision held her motionless---should she follow him, or try to warn those in the cabin?
A movement in the clearing caught her eye. A young woman who had been seated on the ground by a group of grazing horses rose, mounted one of the beasts, and quietly and carefully disappeared into the surrounding woods. Acting on instinct, Randir the Watcher followed.
Úcenite-Melme wrote:
The path grew stronger as she came closer to the people whose steps she followed, until finally she drew to the edge of wildness with all its spirits and shadows. The space around the cabin seemed almost bright, even in this mist, and sudden fear took over Úcenite. To walk through that would cause her to be very exposed, even if she did follow in the steps of these strange humans. Looking around, she was about to step through when she saw a man with an axe and a spirit that was just a little bit too aware. The man filled her with a sense of foreboding, and the spirit.... it made her

"Don't think about it. What that spirit is doing is not for you to know."

Irisanno growled in her mind. Úcenite turned and faced him in total shock and in a great deal of pain. Iri had never spoken to her like that before - she didn't know that it would actually hurt her.

"I am sorry Melme, I would not hurt you, but that is not something for you to know - not yet."

Both the man with the ax, and the spirit had disappeared while Iri spoke with her, and she could see the burning path of one of the people leading into the woods. She was tempted to follow, but the sick person, and the one that looked as though she walked in this world were still within. Opening a door into the material world, she allowed Iri to step outside into the woods. With slow and careful step, Úcenite then made her way towards the "cabin", walked through its walls, and knelt down by the sick girl. The one who would die soon was sitting across from her, but she ignored her, and set to work on healing.
This was a very intricate and complex process, for in healing a person, it was necessary for them to trust you. Both the healer and the person who was ill, would forever be connected - being connected with a person you didn't like, was not something that you wanted to happen. Úcenite searched the girls mind first, and found out her name, then she began to follow her path, down the trails that lead to death.

She could not find her there......

With sudden panic, she realized that she could feel the gaze of the evil one on the back of her neck again. She turned to face it, and saw with terror, that the one she was trying to heal was following a trail not to death, but instead to this terror.

"Satch!!!!"

She cried with sudden desperation, and it seemed that the only reason why the girl turned, was the surprise at hearing her name called by someone she didn't know.

"You must not go to her Satch. Please, come back with me - don't go to that evil. She will turn you. I have seen it in my dreams, and I have seen it in my life."

The girl looked at Úcenite strangely.

"I know you not, why are you one who is better to follow than her?"

She thought desperately. It was true that she did not much care about this girl, except as a possible way to safety. The very fact that Satch was going over to the evil one, however, made her very much unsafe.

"I lead you back to your life, to your friends, to love..."

she hesitated for a moment,

..."to your horse, who will be utterly destroyed if you go to her"

Úcenite didn't know if Satch knew the true nature of her horse, but if she did, the destruction of him would cause her such grief, that she would no doubt, die. And indeed, Satch did begin to walk back to her.

"I know Anvanya is special, though I do not know how. If I come back, this is something you will explain to me - teach me if need be."

She hesitated then, but reached out her hand to Satch, and agreed.

"I will, but quickly, she is following!! We must flee!"

The two ran together, off the path leading to the evil one, and onto the paths leading to life. Finally, they entered into the spirit world, and Satch slowly settled back into her body. As she prepared to leave the half-world, and enter into the physical for the first time in weeks, she looked at the other girl, who, in the material world was falling asleep. Who in the spirit world had opened her eyes, and was looking directly at Úcenite.

With sudden shock, and not a little fear, she fell into the material world and cracked her head against the mantle of the fireplace. Though all of her wounds had been healed when she healed Satch, her sudden exhaustion, and the crack to her skull caused her to crumble in a heap to the floor.

The people in the cabin turned to stare, not knowing whether to be more surprised at Satch, who was awake and looked fine; at Leafy, who was flickering in and out of sight; or of the appearance of this strange woman who had appeared out of nowehere. The only one who seemed in the least bit clearheaded, was Satch, who reached over and grabbed Leafy, waking her up and ending her flickering, then turned to the others in the cabin and said

"I think our new companion needs a little help."
Giliath wrote:
Giliath looked back as the cabin slowly disappeared into the maze of crossing branches. The sun warm and bright filtered through the leaves into a soft green that gave the forest a young vibrancy that was beyond inviting. Giliath was almost shocked at the beauty of the trees and soft kindness the forest had taken on. Whereas before the twisting branches and immense trunks of the trees seemed dark and ominous now they provided a pleasant hall of paths through the cool air of a bright morning and where the ground had been dominated by traitorous roots and thick undergrowth now it seemed a soft carpet of leaves and moss that cushioned Celebsul’s hooves as he trotted forward. At any other time Giliath would have stopped and admired the wood or sat under a tree delighting in the patterns of sun cast by the leaves, but to her the whole forest seemed empty, filled with path’s to nowhere. Somehow the pleasantness bothered her. She almost wanted a difficult path, a struggle to find her way, maybe then she could somehow makeup for her friends‘ suffering.

She sat stiffly in the saddle with her hood thrown over her face. The trees cast long shadows on the forest floor and Giliath guided Celebsul through the dark spaces avoiding the clear light of the sun. Whenever she came to a patch where the branches relented to show the sky she would cower down and urge her mount forward. There was something about it all that made her uneasy. Maybe it was the change the morning had worked in the forest making everything that had been dark seem kind, but she had the constant feeling of being watched. Celebsul too seemed nervous. He turned his great head side to side as he walked and would often stop for a moment and fold his ears back at a distant noise.

Giliath kicked her heals into Celebsul urging him to greater speed. When she had left the clearing she had struck for the direction she had came hoping that it would lead her back to the road, but the forest had blended into a continuing pattern of trees robed in the same gentle green and there were no signs to suggest that she was getting any closer to her mark. "Just like my dream," she whispered, "twisting paths to a place I can’t get to." She patted Celebsul on the side of his neck. "There’s always a place we can’t get to isn’t there my friend?" She paused for a moment and bowed her head. "And always a place we can’t go back to."

Giliath reined Celebsul in and turned in the saddle. The path back to the cabin lay open behind her. The trees had almost seemed to have parted themselves to form a clear way open to the sky. It would be so easy. All she had to do was turn Celebsul back- just turn him back and gallop back to her friends. She could make some excuse about going for a ride to clear her head or look for a way back to the road. It would be so easy. She would have her friends with her again. Satch would be all right and they would all go off together again. She would have their help. It would all be so easy. So easy. Giliath swallowed hard and closed her eyes. Yes it would be easy, but she couldn’t do it. No. She couldn’t lead them into a danger she couldn’t see, that they couldn‘t see. No, it was too easy.

Giliath set her shoulders and went forward. The trees gradually began to thin and the distinct music of running water flooded into the air. Before her a thin line of silver was slowly beginning to reveal itself between the trunks and she eagerly struck for it glad to see anything but the regular wood. Soon she had come up on a stream running quickly though a deep channel sided with green moss. She hastily dismounted and lead Celebsul to the edge. He dipped his head into the clear water and drank as Giliath gauged the depth with her boot. It wasn’t deep. She could cross it mounted without trouble and continue on the other side. She sat for a moment on the bank letting her horse drink and setting little waves opposing the current into the water with her mind. Soon, however, she stooped and throwing back her hood looked around her. Every little noise drew her attention; the warble of a bird nearly scared her to her feet. Even the swoosh of Celebsul’s tail and the soft lapping of his tongue were unnerving. She didn’t want to stay. Every moment she sat made her feel all the more uneasy as if the time had let anything that might have been watching her catch up. Her place on the bank open to the sy above made her feel nakind and exposed.

Celebsul seemed to feel the same way. His eyes were never on the water in front of him and always rooming the further bank. Finally the uneasiness overcame his desire for water and he brought his head up and peered at Giliath. She mounted up, still looking around and Celebsul wadded into the water without being told. It slowly rose until it surged around his flanks, but suddenly he stopped. They stood there in mid-stream listening. Had she heard something? Surely Celebsul had heard it too if he had stopped.

Suddenly Giliath thought she caught something in the forest before her- nothing more than a blur of motion, but her hand automatically went to the hilt of her scissors.
SiriusBlack wrote:
"I just wanted to talk to you. I can see that you haven't changed a bit." Sirius backed away, his arms raised in surrender.

"Sirius!" Lily dropped her bow exclaiming. "You scared me half to death!"

"You always were keen with that thing." He said and walked a little closer to her.

"And you always knew how to sneak up on me." Lily smiled. Feeling such a relief to be in his presence again, yet there was like so many years had passed, he was the same person, yet it was like she hardly knew him anymore. It made her slightly nervous. There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment.

"Lil--"
"Sirius--"

They both began. Then laughed.

"Go ahead." Sirius smiled and offered.

"No, you first."

"I missed you." He said simply, but the sincerity in his voice struck Lily to the core.

"Sirius what happened?!" Lilly blurted out the only thing she could. The question that had been egging her mind for the past two years. "I saw you fall in battle two years ago, and now I find you here, in this.. this cabin, in the middle of nowhere! Why didn't you try and contact me??"

"I did try!" Sirius responded defensively. "But Lily..." He closed his eyes, the regret and pain of his past overtaking him. He did try to contact her. He tried to find her. But the mist had its way.

"Lily. There are dark things happening here.." Sirius began, his voice wavered. He tried starting again. "There is a reason I could not heal your friend. It is also the reason I could not find you... This mist..has a power over me. I can't leave it. It follows me..it...takes my power from me."

Lily looked at him questioningly. Suddenly it was all coming to make sense, why Sirius was so weak after trying to heal Satch, why he lived out here in the middle of nowhere, and choose to. But she was still so confused, about a lot of things. Sirius continued.

"I have tried to leave....You think I want to stay here?" He looked around indicating the cabin and the woods. Lily watched intently as Sirius spoke, she watched his eyes, she saw the despair the desperation. He was trapped.
LilyRoseTook wrote:
Lily just wanted to gaze into Sirius’ dark eyes forever, but that was not to be, not this time. She heard a loud crash from inside of the cabin, and fearing the worst, she took Sirius’ hand and ran around to the other side of the cabin. The first thing that she noticed was that a horse was missing, and as she looked farther along the path that they had come in by, she could see Giliath galloping away at full speed. For a few moments, she was torn. Should she follow Giliath and abandon the younger ones? Sirius would look after them….but he would not be left behind. Not after losing her once, he would never let her go alone.
Her eyes tried to follow what direction that Giliath was taking. As she did, she saw a cat-like shape, shimmering slightly gold around the edges.
Lily made to swing on to a horse and follow...What was this thing that was following Giliath? Sirius grabbed her arm, and as she tried to break away from him, he held onto her more firmly, but gently.
"No, whatever that is, we are going to have to trust it to protect your friend. I don't think that an evil spirit would reveal itself."
Lily sighed and tried to make herself believe that Giliath was safe, as she and Sirius walked across the grass to the cabin.
She opened the door to the cabin to see a strange woman sitting on the floor, holding her head. Bree and Leafy were trying to help her to her feet, but the strange woman tried to brush them aside.
Satch was asleep, but color had returned to her cheeks and her breathing was even and deep. There was but one blanket covering her.
The woman’s eyes went from Sirius to Lily and then she said, scornfully, as though reading their minds.
"Of course I healed her. What did you expect? I see that one of you mortals had already tried, but you made a mess. You could have killed her"
Lily could feel anger and impatience welling up inside of her, as she appraised this beautiful, but cold woman. "Why don’t you shut up for a minute and tell us who you are."
Úcenite-Melme wrote:
"By the Blood of the Companions, my head hurts!" Úcenite thought groggily as she was shaken back into consciousness.

She opened her eyes, but shut them before she could fully register her surroundings. She should have remembered how bright the light of the world was. She tried to shrug off the hands of the people helping her, but they were insistent. Finally she did open her eyes, simply to look at them and tell them exactly what she thought of their persistent attempts to get her up. Just as the words were about to escape, the door to the cabin opened and her dream walked in...

The utter shock of seeing her first vision made flesh took over for a moment, and she found herself snapping at the woman with the first words that came to mind...

"Of course I healed her. What did you expect? I see that one of you mortals had already tried, but you made a mess. You could have killed her."

Her tone of voice was one that would've brought one of Irisanno's many lectures on. She was not going to apologize to these people though. She didn't know them, and after what she had done for their companion, they should be thankful, no matter how she spoke to them. It looked like the woman from her dream had other ideas though.

"Why don’t you shut up for a minute and tell us who you are"

Drawing herself up, she opened her mouth to make a scathing reply about just who she was, and what she thought of these dirt bound and deaf people, when a cry echoed in her mind.

"MELME!!"

At the sound of Iri's panicking voice, she forgot completely about the people in the room and extended her mind out to him.

"You must come Melme. We have a problem, a big one."

Forcing herself to look through Iri's eyes - something difficult at the best of times, Úcenite caught a glimpse of a woman standing near a forest stream, that same spirit that she had seen before, the shadowy figure of a man watching, and worst of all, the stench of evil that could only come from her.

She tore herself away from the vision with a parting thought to Irisanno

"I am coming"

and found herself once again on the floor of the cabin with four people looking at her with confusion and a little bit of fear. She ignored them, and launched herself to her feet, running out of the cabin. She quickly found the horse stolen from her people. Grasping in on either side of its face, she looked in its eyes and sent it her voice.

"I am sorry for doing this noble one, but my companion has called, and I have desperate need of you."

With that, she threw herself on the horses back. He reared terribly for a moment, showing his unhappiness with being ridden by someone who should know better, then settled back down to the ground, and set off at a gallop into the woods and towards where Irisanno had called from. Úcenite could sense shock from Iri at what she had done. Her people never rode one of the companions unless in extreme emergency, and even then, they only rode their own companion - never someone else’s. The punishment for this, if her people were ever to find out, would be severe.

The sound of the cabin door slamming open echoed behind her, but she was already deep within the woods and out of the would be followers sight.

But another gaze had fallen on her again. Hunkering down on the horses neck, she willed him to go faster, to reach Iri, the strange spirit and the girl before it was too late.
Bree379 wrote:
The odd woman had practically flown out of the cabin, leaving Bree and her companions in a state of shock. Bree glanced sideways at Lily, and saw her jump for the door. Following quickly, they ran to the porch, just catching site of the quickly retreating horse and rider.

Bree had not a clue as to what had just occurred, and it was really a quite frustrating feeling.

"Does anyone have any idea as to what is going on?" Bree voiced loudly, with a tinge of aggravation.

She had tried to connect with this--this--healer's--mind, but the attempt had been futile. It was as though her mind had reached a block, almost as if there was no mind to read. This was something that had never happened before, and it scared her.

She knew she should be thankful, as the "healer" had brought Satch back to almost complete healthiness; nevertheless, she didn't like the woman. She felt as though she was being looked down upon, as if this woman thought she was better than the others. And yet again, something did seem better about her. She seemed far from the corruption that filled the world. And she had also come out of nowhere to help Bree's friend.

It was mind boggling, apparently not only to herself, but also to the others. They trooped back into the cabin, as they were at a loss as to what else to do. Bree stood before the fireplace, arms folded, and the others stood in a semi-circle.

Lily, momentarily forgetting the site of Giliath running away, raised the question that was on everyone's mind. "Satch, how did she heal you? What happened?"

Satch looked back at them, her eyes wide. She opened her mouth as if to answer, and then abruptly closed it.
Ladykat wrote:
Randir was running flat out. Fast as she was in cat form, she could never keep pace with a horse. Panting heavily, she finally stopped, shook herself all over, made a funny, twisting sidestep motion...and was back in the Unseen realm. As pure essence she could travel much faster, and she didn't have to go around physical obstacles.

Randir could not read human minds, but she could sense the tiniest change in human emotions, and this young woman's emotions were in utter turmoil. Guilt seemed to be predominant, terrible guilt about something. Gliding swiftly along, following the trail of life-light she quickly closed the distance between her and the young Blade Runner. Some of the Unseen had also noticed the life light. The parasites----Randir projected a feline shriek of blood lust and challenge, and the parasites fled in terror.

There! Up ahead, just by a stream, she could see them. The horse was drinking, and the woman......

Randir once again stepped into the Seen in the form of a cat. Unnoticed, she crept forward noiselessly-----and stopped in amazement. This woman was controlling the water! Not only a warrior but a gifted human. Randir's mind raced. Now she knew why the axe man had left so suddenly, he had known this woman would come this way, he was going to trap her---or kill her!

No sooner had these thoughts passed through her mind, than the woman got up, mounted the horse and rode into the stream, making for the opposite bank. Randir gave a faint mewl of distress. "NO! NO!" her mind cried. "He's there, he's waiting, he'll catch you!

Suddenly the horse stopped in midstream. Randir blinked. Had he heard her projected thoughts? He was not a Companion horse, but maybe, just maybe......

"NO!! DANGER!! Bring her back!" Randir thought hard, desperately. There was an evil there, something even greater than the axe man. It was still in the Unseen realm, but dangerous just the same. She had to get them out to a place of relative safety. She remembered seeing a grove of ash trees while wandering the woods. Ash seemed to have a detrimental dampening effect on evil, she didn't think the axe man, or the.........whatever else it was would follow them there.

"Come back! Hurry, HURRY!" Randir pictured the ash grove in her mind, willing the horse to understand. With a snort, he suddenly wheeled, and began splashing his way towards Randir. His rider gave a yell of surprise and confusion, then hung on tightly as her horse picked up speed.
Giliath wrote:
Giliath sat straight-backed in the saddle holding Celebsul’s reins tightly in her left hand while the other hung poised above her scissors. She ran her eyes up and down the bank twisting her head from side to side, but she couldn’t see anything other than the usual pattern of the woods. There was something though, or maybe it was the lack of something, that disquieted her-there was no sound. The wind had died and not even a single leaf stirred to break the silence. There was no sound of bird, no animals snuffling in the underbrush, even the passage of the water around her seemed to have fallen into a deadened silence.

Celebsul held his head high turning his ears this way and that as if he heard something Giliath could not. He brought one leg out of the water as if he was going to go forward, but immediately put it back down and turned his head back to the further bank. Something stirred the leaves. He shied and took a step back. His hooves moved in the water without a sound. A pebble fell on the further bank and slid into the stream. Still nothing. He took another step back, and then suddenly, as if snapping to a command, he threw up his head, turned and sprang up the bank behind.

Giliath fell forward and slammed into the back of Celebsul’s neck dropping the reins from her hand. The leather straps whipped and beet against the horse’s rushing legs as he surged through the wood. The trailing branches of the trees tore at Giliath’s cloak and catching on the horse’s headstalls snapped with the sheer force of his speed. The wind pounded in Giliath’s ears filling the silence with a deafening roar like the crash of the sea. She hugged Celebsul’s next and screamed in his ears to stop, but still he thundered on. His hooves hammered the ground with every stride sending up a cloud of leaves and broken twigs. Giliath pleaded with him to stop, but still he went on and Giliath could do nothing but hold on. She buried her face in his mane and peered out from the swirling silver hair at the wood around her that rushed by in a blur of green. She had never seen Celebsul run so fast. He panted as he ran on and on. And the world flew by in a never-ending haze, but the little Giliath could make out was slowly changing. The trees, all of the same sort, were giving way to something different.

Suddenly the light burst into full brilliance and Celebsul skidded to a halt and reared. Giliath sat for a moment afraid to move. She could see nothing but a new carpet of young grass beneath her. She drew the leads back up into her hand and slowly rose. She was in a clearing open to the clear sky above. The sun had risen far above the canopy of leaves and stood dazzlingly bright above her like an ever-watchful eye. The trees had turned to ash and all stood uncommonly tall.

Giliath sat trying to catch her breath, but it was no use. She couldn’t breathe. Her palms were drenched in sweat. Her hands shook. Her eyes stood wide despite the bright sun. The silence had flooded over her again save this time the sound of her own heart screamed in her ears. A shiver ran up her spine. She leapt off Celebsul’s back and set him behind her. She felt open, vulnerable, watched. She could feel the imagined weight of hands around her throat. There was a noise behind her. She turned.
Irisanno wrote:
The gritty feel of the ground and the warm sun on his back was almost pleasurable enough to make him forget that Melme was still in the half world. Almost. Companions had a responsibility to their Borónasëa though, and it wasn't to be taken lightly. So he waited. Stepping over by the other horses, he was grateful to see a trough of fresh water. The other Companion made way for him, recognizing the look of one who has spent days in the half world. With a gentle nudge, the other horse healed him of his wounds - something Melme would have done soon enough anyway, but it was easier for one of his own kind to do it.
The presence of the man and the woman speaking disturbed him, and he moved off into the woods before they could notice him. As he entered the woods, he felt Melme’s presence re-enter the world. Confident now that she was back safely, Iri made his way further into the forest. There was something pulling at him. Not anything evil, but there was a definite need...

"NO! NO! He's there, he's waiting, he'll catch you!"

The words had him in a gallop before he even had time to think. He plunged through the woods towards the sound of the cry, finally stumbling onto the edge of a stream. In the middle, a girl hung onto a horse as it balked. A man with an ax stood amongst the trees on the other side of the stream, and beyond him was that evil.... her.

"MELME!!" Iri cried to his Borónasëa "You must come Melme. We have a problem, a big one."

Suddenly dizzied and pushed aside, she took over his vision, to see what he had seen. Then she was gone, her voice fading with her

"I am coming"

The horse in the stream suddenly bolted for the shore almost exactly where he was standing. He jumped out of the way, then fought his way across the waters and reared almost on top of the mysterious man, desperately trying to distract him from the flight of the girl behind him. The distant galloping of hooves told him what he needed to know. The only way to follow them now was to follow their spirits, and this man could not do that. Irisanno turned, but instead of running in a path directly following, he took a different route. He knew where they were going though - there were only two places in these woods that presented safety, and only one was close enough to save them now.

He reached out with his mind, trying to reach Melme, and realized with shock that she was riding... RIDING one another companion horse. A sense of betrayal almost made him choke with grief. He continued on though, but without speaking to her. She could find her own way to safety.
LilyRoseTook wrote:
"Never mind, Satch, we can talk about this later," Lily said, grimly. She could feel rage building up inside of her, as the thought of that horrible woman stealing Satch's horse could not be pushed away from her mind.
"Lily, calm down," Said Sirius, gently. He could sense what was on Lily's mind, as she eyed the door. He tightened his grip on her.
Her eyes flashed, and she tore herself away from him and ran out of the door.
Her grey stallion may not be the wisest beast in the world, but he was faster than any of them.
Sirius caught her as she made for the door, and much to hs suprise, she kicked him hard in the kneecap.
As he let out a cry of pain, she ran out the door, as Bree, Leafy and Satch could only stare at her, as she appeared half-crazed.
None of them could figure out why she seemed to hate this person who had just healed Satch so much, even if she had taken one of their horses.
As Lily mounted her horse and sped off into the lengthening shadows, Bree made to follow, but Sirius held her back.
"Let her go. She will be back once she calms down"
He couldn't help but smile, despite the sharp pain in his knee, as he remembered being the target of Lily's fiery temper more than once.
It wasn't very long before she could see Satch's horse not far ahead. She would catch up in a mere minute.
Lily wanted an explanation. Who the heck did she think that she was barging in and then insulting them. Lily was very curious to find out why this woman looked like she had seen a ghost when she laid eyes
on her.
She had caught up....She grabbed the horses reins and yanked hard, sending the woman tumbling over the horses head...
The woman’s eyes flashed with rage, as Lily said, "I believe that this horse belongs to the one that you just healed. Do you make a habit of healing people and then stealing their horses?"
Úcenite-Melme wrote:
She was practically sobbing with desperation as she rode. She could feel Iri's shock and his grief, and could not bear it, not for another second. The eyes following her didn't matter, the people back at the cabin and the girl up ahead didn't matter, she just wanted her Companion, wanted to take his grief away, most of all, she wanted to take him, and go home. Leave this forsaken land, and be surrounded by open plains, tall mountains, never ending sky, and the music of her people never silent.
So distracted was she by her wistful and sorrowful thoughts, and so blind from her tears, Úcenite didn't even notice the hands that reached out and pulled on the reins of the horse. In sudden shock, she tumbled off and was slammed into the ground. The horse that she was riding ran off without a backward glance, leaving her facing that same damned woman from her dream...

"I believe that this horse belongs to the one that you just healed. Do you make a habit of healing people and then stealing their horses?"

Úcenite looked at the woman in complete and utter rage. She began speaking to her in a very slow and measured voice that quickly degenerated into a scream that was almost a plea...

"I just want to find my companion. So screw off. Ride your little....horse, if you dare to even call it that, off somewhere else, and leave me alone!"

She turned away from the woman, and with tears of frustration brimming in her eyes, began to try and make her way towards where she sensed Iri was.
Bree379 wrote:
Bree hardly had time to react to Sirius not allowing her to follow Lily, when she began feeling panicked. It wasn't her emotions she was feeling, but those of someone else. She pushed the cabin and all her surroundings out of her mind, clearing it so that this emotion was the only thing she felt. Brief flashes of light--a lone voice--Giliath's! She was scared; something wasn't right. The panic had been hers. She seemed alone, lost in a way.

"Giliath! Giliath, can you hear me?" Bree spoke soothingly into Giliath's mind. But she was too panicked, she could hear nothing but her own fears.

A new voice entered Bree's head, one which she had never heard before. It was different than all the others. She couldn't really hear the voice, it was more as though she was reading it with her ears. Ash trees--and something else Bree could not make out. But this voice was urging Bree to go there, to go as quickly as possible, and bring all of her companions. Her mind became blank, and she snapped out of her trance. The room spun, and it was hard to refocus on her friends. Whatever that voice had been had been more reading her mind than Bree was reading its own.

"Bree?" Leafy timidly rested a hand upon Bree's shoulder, not knowing what had just happened.

"I just had a vision-or well, a sort of vision. We have to go-"

"But Bree-" Sirius tried to stop her.

"No, now. We have little time to lose. We don't have enough horses, so we're going to have to pair up. I'll take the lead. Keep your eyes open for danger, be ready for anything."

She remembered a grove of ash trees not too far from the cabin. They mounted their horses, Satch and Leafy on one, Sirius on his own with Bree on the back. She nudged the horse before Sirius could take command, first into a fast trot, and then a canter, finally breaking into a full gallop. They ducked under branches, weaving this way and that around trees and brush. The hooves hit the ground hard, and the two horses sounded like an army charging towards the enemy. Bree's heart was in her throat, and suddenly the voice reentered her head. It didn't say anything, it just led her. She followed blindly, praying silently that this voice was not evil.

Beyond the voice she could hear Giliath, still scared, but she no longer seemed alone. She urged the horse on, fearing for the worst.
LilyRoseTook wrote:
As this woman stomped away, Lily could feel rage building inside of her once more. Although it was only early evening, her hands shined brightly. It had been a long time since Lily had lost control of herself, but at the moment, she didn't care.
Why was Lily supposed to care about this woman’s' friend, when for all she knew Giliath was dead somewhere in the wilderness. Lily quickly caught up to her, again, and spun her around, and then gave her a well-practiced kick to the kneecap. Totally unused to physical pain, the woman crumpled to the ground, sobbing in pain.
"I don't know who you are or what you are doing here but since you have lost my friends horse, you can come with me and have a talk with my friends. If you choose to fight me, I can make this a lot more difficult for you." Lily's voice was cold, but even
As the woman tried to tear herself loose from Lily's grip , she screamed, "How dare you keep me from my companion! He needs me..."
Lily could almost feel sympathy for this cold person. She thought of Giliath alone and terrified as darkness was starting to fall.
Lily let go of her and held out her hand to help her up. Before she could react, the woman pulled a dagger from her belt and slashed wildly at Lily, leaving a deep gash in her forearm. As blood flowed freely from the open wound, Lily decided that she had had enough of this character. Lily thought that this girl would be easy to overpower, but she was surprised with the ferocity in which she attacked. Having run out of the cabin with no weapons, it was all that she could do to dodge the blows rained on her. In minutes, both of her forearms were badly cut and bleeding, and an unlucky slash had caught her cheekbone, spraying them both with blood. Lily was starting to wonder if she was going to live long enough to find out who this person was.
Eventually, she caught the girl behind the leg, sending her tumbling to the ground. The girl struck her head on a rock and her body went limp.
Lily picked her up and tossed her none to gently across her horse and then swung up behind her. She felt a little bit guilty, because she hadn't meant to hurt her, just to get a few answers, but there was nothing that she could do about it, now.
As she was getting ready to ride back to the cabin, a vision, unbidden came into her mind. She could see her companions leaving the cabin on the horse and a grove of ash trees. She quickly knew that that was where she was supposed to go. Bree must have sent her the image so that she could rejoin them.
Lily looked disdainfully at the limp figure before her, turned the horse around and headed where Bree was guiding her to.

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Running_With_Scissors
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Posted: Thu 17 Feb , 2005 4:07 am
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Alassante_Estel wrote:
The woods had been so much darker on the way back from the fair. While it had been a joyous journey on the way there, the return had been fraught with peril. It was almost as if something had been trying to prevent her return. The towers of the arena were visible now, rising above the walls surrounding the city. Only another half a days journey, and she would be with her beloved Runners again, she would be with her beloved again.

She stumbled, sagging against the horse she had found. It stopped moving, looking at her almost with concern. Strange beast it was, seemed content to stay with her, though it would not let her ride. She had found it running through the woods, strange beings chasing it, and blood crusted on its back. Drawing her scissors, she had shined their light on the beings and whispered a secret incantation. It should've killed them. Should have. It didn't. The beings did run from her though, and the horse never left her side. Without it, she doubted she would've survived this journey.

Clouds darkened the sun as she made her way, and by the time the city gates were in her view, it was night and a storm had blown up, drenching her. Not the same type of storm that had come up by that inn she had almost stopped at, thank goodness. She shuddered at the horror that she had witnessed there. Even now, she could almost feel the pulsing of that evil, though it had not been directed at her. Nor had she even been noticed. If she had been, she would be dead now, there was no doubt of that.

The gate, to her dismay, was closed. What terrible that had happened while she was gone that it would be closed? This was never to happen! Pulling her scissors from her robes, she pushed them into the star at the center of a door to the side of the gates. It slowly opened, and she lead the horse through. The city seemed dead. There were no lights in the windows, though people were peering out at her. None came to greet, and none of the street lights were lit. There was a sort of energy that the city always had that was missing.

Making her way towards the arena in the rain, she was shocked by a sudden yell.

"Where are the Blade Runners, Guild mistress" a voice sneered, "and where have you been?"

She turned to face the speaker, but all she saw was a shadow disappearing into an alleyway. A sudden push, and she was on the ground, horse standing over her, and a dagger hanging out of the wall of a building. The horse kicked back, and by the dull thud that its hooves made, she knew it had it flesh.

"Lady Estel!! This way, quick!!"

Steve’s voice broke through her rising panic, and she rushed to follow him, the horse close behind her. Down through twisting alleys they went, always rushing through the dark, till finally Steve pushed open a door, and Estel found herself stumbling into the catacombs of the arena. Instead of silent empty halls and tunnels though, there were people everywhere. Sleeping on floors, talking quietly with each other, children crying in the darkness, and everywhere the stench of fear.

"What is going on here Steve!?"

desperation made her voice louder than it should, causing people to turn and stare. Steve sighed, took her by the arm, and guided her up the steps towards her rooms in one of the towers above.

"The Blade Runners left. Giliath went to look for her father, and all of Blade Runners except Davey left. Soon after, something came into the city. We closed the gates and set up the wards, but we only had one Blade Runner to do it, and it was not enough. The arena is the only place safe left in the city. The people here are all refugees, and more tried to come here every day....

Estel, Davey died trying to help people escape here. He is gone, and we have had no Blade Runner, nor even a Sprinter or a Jogger to help us for days. They have all been taken or killed. There is something in the city. Something that turns peoples minds and hearts. We have had no people escape to us since Davey was killed. They are all turned - every one would kill you now. The city has been taken."

She grew dizzy with shock and grief at Steve's tale.

"But how....."

she began to ask, when a sudden tentative touch upon her arm made her turn.

"Guild Mistress, we need you."

then another voice

"Where were you Guild Mistress"

and suddenly she was surrounded by people, her people, young and old, their voices falling on top of each other, filling her ears

"Guild Mistress, they took my father....
they took our son...
my mother...
my best friend...
where is my brother Guild Mistress?
Where are the Blade Runners Guild Mistress?

Where were you Guild Mistress?"

She couldn't stand the cries, the questions, the pleas. Breaking free of the crowd around her, she ran to her rooms and threw open her doors. In the cold darkness there, she looked out the window over her city. The darkness spread over it was palpable, almost mocking, and the voices of the people below echoed in her ears.

Steve’s voice telling her that Davey had died echoed in her ears.

She collapsed onto the floor sobbing, her tears dropping into the water dripping from her clothes, her body shivering.
Ladykat wrote:
Randir flattened herself against the ground as horse and rider sailed over her. She could hear the woman shouting at her horse to stop as they went plunging into the forest, and, Randir hoped, towards the ash grove. She was about to slip into the Unseen realm and follow them, when she stopped, struck by a sudden thought. The evil one---she would see Randir and follow, and while she couldn't enter the grove, Randir didn't want her anywhere near, if possible.

Angry shouts and curses drew her attention to the far bank. Another horse, this one a Companion, was attacking the axe man, driving him off. Then, tossing his head and neighing a challenge, he galloped off in the opposite direction, leading the evil Unseen one away.

Quickly Randir entered the Unseen realm and sent her essence flying toward the ash grove. Briefly she thought about the Companion, hoping he had made good his escape, and wondering where his Borónasëa could be. Then all her attention was focused on the fleeing pair before her. The Blade Runner's horse was fast, no question about it. They were nearly there already. With a burst of energy, she passed them, stopping just outside the grove. Without hesitation, Randir jumped back into physical form----and abruptly sat down, breathless and shaken. All this jumping back and forth between Seen and Unseen, not to mention the physical exertion in the real world was taking its toll. She was tired, incredibly thirsty and ravenously hungry. Staggering to her feet, she pushed on. No time now! She must get the other humans here----there was strength in numbers.

Something touched her, she felt......someone calling? Opening her mind a bit, she heard a soothing voice, saying "Giliath, Giliath, can you hear me?" Someone in the cabin had the power to touch minds! Another gifted human! Perhaps they were all gifted, she had had no time earlier to sort them out. She sat down again, beyond being surprised at yet one more strange happening. At least this would make things a bit easier. Concentrating, she projected her thoughts at the cabin; the galloping horse with his panicky rider, the grove of ash trees, and a strong command: "Come. Quickly. NOW!"

Satisfied that she had gotten them moving, she pondered how to make herself known to the young blade runner. Smelling water nearby, she found a small trickle, a runoff from an underground stream that ran near the surface. The water was muddy, but she lapped greedily, somewhat slaking her thirst. Now for food. FOOD!! That was it! That's how she would approach the human. Two travelers, met in the wilds, courtesy demanded they share a meal.

Quickly she hunted down and dispatched three medium sized partridges---and she was so hungry, it was all she could do to stop herself from ripping into the birds then and there. She would have liked to get more, but time was pressing. Giliath had reached the grove now, emotions running high and strong. Randir settled herself, took a deep breath---and changed.

Giliath whirled around, hand going to her scissors. Randir had deliberately snapped a twig to give the pair warning.....even in human form, she could walk silently. Now she smiled at Giliath and called out, "Well met, Traveler! I did not expect to meet another here in the forest. Will you do me the honor of sharing my meal?"

Frozen in shock, Giliath stared at this stranger holding out three rather meger looking birds. Tall and slender, the woman's face was somewhat triangular in shape, with a small nose and large golden eyes that slanted upward at the outer corners. Her long hair was carelessly tied back with a bit of rawhide. But the color! A varied mixture of shading, light to dark, brown to black, with a few small patches of cream, all blending together. She wore a fur cloak that matched her hair----indeed, it was hard to tell where the woman's hair ended and the fur on the cloak began. The rest of her outfit, leggings and tunic were of a brown-black leather. From her belt hung a dagger, a pouch and a water flask. Her knee high boots were furred like her cloak.

"Share.....what?....who?...." Giliath stammered. Randir took a step forward, and Giliath drew back, pressing against her horse, scissors raised. Randir stopped. "I'm sure you are an excellent hunter, and could find much better than my poor fare," Randir spoke gently, "but for courtesy's sake I offer to share my meal."

Giliath continued to stare at her blankly, and Randir sighed inwardly. This was going to be harder than she thought. It may be better to wait for this one's friends to arrive........but she was hungry, curse it!! Striding suddenly forward, but keeping well out of range of the scissors, Randir said strongly: "I am not here to harm you! I offer you a save haven, a chance to rest and gather your wits about you. And" she continued, shooting a glance at Celebsul, "I know little of horses, but that one looks as though he's had a long, hard run. Should you not be walking him around to cool him off?"
Úcenite-Melme wrote:
Her desperation to get to Irisanno was her undoing. She didn't notice the woman following her, and was completely unprepared when she was spun around and viciously kicked. The pain was intense, and she was not used to it. Dreamers were never touched violently in her country. There, she would have the perfect right to kill a person who had attacked her the way this woman had. She barely noticed as the woman spoke, for Iri's voice was suddenly there. She had to get to him, she had to.

"How dare you keep me from my Companion! He needs me..."

The woman backed up, and held her hand as if she was going to slap Úcenite. The rage that filled her at being kept from Irisanno, at being so violently attacked, and at this new threat took over, and she pulled her dagger and slashed at the woman. A scream echoed in the spirit world, a sound that would tell a Companion that their Borónasëa was in mortal danger. Úcenite fought the woman, slashed at her as if she were one of the Lómine - Companions that had been perverted and made evil.

The suddenness in which she felt herself falling shocked her. There was a moment of clarity in which she realized just how badly she had hurt the woman, and then she struck her head for the second time in one day, and was knocked unconscious.
LilyRoseTook wrote:
Lily had a long ride ahead of her, giving her time to reflect on the past couple of days. She was still in a state of disbelief over having found Sirius alive, the one that she loved, but had always thought had never returned the feeling. She had never spoken of him to any of her friends, because the memory had always been too painful.
He had told her why he was there, but not how he had gotten there or how he survived the arrow which appeared to have pierced his heart.
She wondered if even he knew why he was alive.
Lily began to shiver in the chill evening air. Her robes were badly slashed from the strangers onslaught. The deepest gash on her arm was still bleeding. She had torn strips from her cloak to staunch the blood, but it wasn’t helping very much. The other wounds, although not bleeding had stiffened painfully, and the gash on her cheek starkly contrasted with her creamy white skin.
Lily had never been attacked so viciously by one that she didn’t know, this foreign girl who seemed to not belong to this human world. She still had no idea who this woman was, where she came from and who this companion that she spoke of was.
Lily sighed deeply, knowing that she had brought the situation on herself, letting her emotions take control of her again. Her hands were icy cold, and despite the growing darkness, she could make no more than a few sparks dance on her fingertips.
She wasn’t far away from the ash grove, now, where Bree, Leafy, Satch and Sirius were awaiting her. She could sense their presence, not far away, urging her to hurry.
As she willed herself to press on just a little bit further, despite the pain and the chill that seemed to permeate every inch of her being, the figure in front of her began to stir.
Irisanno wrote:
Her mental anguish over his ignoring of her was almost enough to turn him around, or at least to make him talk to her. The sudden sensation of physical pain coming from her stopped him in his tracks. Dreamers were never to be hurt, ever! Only something of incredibly great evil would do something like that. The screaming of the dagger confirmed his thoughts. Rearing up, he turned, launched himself above the trees and flew, looking for her. There was not much that could make a Companion change shape like this. Normally they were the most calm and rational of creatures, but danger to a dreamer would always do it, especially when that dreamer was his Borónasëa. He tried to reach out to her and talk to her, but it was harder in this state, and just as he connected with her, she was gone. With a scream he arrowed down on the place where he had sensed her.

She was thrown over a horse like so much baggage, and just beginning to stir. He flew in above the horse, causing it to rear up in fear. Úcenite fell off, and he took care of the rider, knocking her off her horse and sending her rolling across the ground. He followed her roll, and as she sat up, extended his neck and...

"IRI!!!! NO!!!!!!"

His teeth snapped shut mere millimeters from her face.
Ladykat wrote:
***OOC: Please note--the following has taken place a bit earlier. No one else is at the grove yet.***

Giliath scowled at the strange woman, stung by the implication that she would neglect Celebsul.
"Don't tell me how to take care of my horse!" she snapped. "We.re not staying.....we don't need...." she broke off, confused.

Randir regarded her gravely. "Your friend has saved your life this day," she said quietly. "He is a wise and noble creature who would keep you from harm. He is also," she added, the corners of her mouth curling upward, "very fast." Randir extended her left hand, and Celebsul took two steps forward, and nuzzled her palm. "You see, he trusts me."

Giliath grabbed the bridle, feeling somewhat betrayed by Celebsul's ready acceptance of this stranger.
"Yes, I should walk him around a bit. I was just going to do that." She glared, daring this woman to contradict her, as she and Celebsul moved off in a slow walk.

Randir smiled, and set about preparing the birds as quickly as she could. She was starving! The others were well on their way, and these three small birds wouldn't even be enough for Giliath and herself. She would have to hunt again, but not, she thought grimly, until this headstrong young woman's friends arrived. Hopefully they could talk sense to her.

Giliath walked Celebsul, her thoughts tumbling over in confusion. Who was this woman? Where had she come from? Giliath watched as she dug a firepit and gathered deadwood for fuel. The woman's movements were quick, but smooth and supple. Despite Celebsul's friendliness toward this woman, Giliath wasn't sure of this golden eyed stranger. She decided to slip away quietly while the woman was preoccupied.

"You must not leave the grove," Randir called, not looking up from her task of plucking the birds. "It isn't safe." Giliath gasped, and spun around, staring. Had this stranger read her mind? Randir raised her head, and met Giliath's gaze calmly. With a nod towards Celebsul, she continued, "I doubt very much your friend there would let you leave. I repeat, he is a wise and noble creature. You should listen to him." Returning to the birds, Randir said carelessly, "Might I trouble you to light the fire?"

Giliath stood rooted, until Celebsul gave her a shove. Whickering softly, he continued to nudge her until she was standing beside the fire pit. Randir watched surreptitiously as Giliath fumbled in her belt pouch for a flint. So. This young Elementalist had not yet mastered fire. Of course, she could be deliberately trying to conceal her powers from a stranger, but Randir read no deception in the woman. Carefully placing the spitted birds over the fire, she smiled. "They are small, they will soon be ready," she said.

"I don't want....I'm not hungry," Giliath mumbled. Randir shook her head, watching as Giliath sat down, drew her knees up under her chin, and wrapped her arms tightly around them. This one's emotions were at the breaking point.

They sat in silence, Randir turning the birds, until she could wait no longer. Deciding they were cooked well enough, she took the largest one and gave it to Giliath, despite her protests. Taking another, she began to tear off bits of meat and eat them, even though it burned her mouth and fingers.

Giliath picked at the bird half heartedly. "What's your name?" she ask suddenly, then sat, frozen in shock. The stranger had leaped to her feet, whirled around, and drawn her dagger, all seemingly in one fluid motion, and faster than Giliath would have believed possible.

"You should be careful, asking names." Hands outstretched, voice shaking slightly, Sirius stepped into the clearing, followed by the others. "Names have power. Some might consider it rude."

Randir relaxed. Sheathing her dagger, she smiled. "Well met, Healer."
LilyRoseTook wrote:
Lily had been lost in her own thoughts and was anticipating being with her friends, again. Their presence was growing stronger....Her horse suddenly reared, nearly throwing her off. The girl had somehow managed to roll off and land on her feet.
Lily looked up to see a hideous black and silver dragon heading straight towards her. She wildly looked around for somewhere to hide, but found none. Her concentration was broken and Bree lost contact with her.
The dragon wheeled around, its sharp claws glistening in the sunset. Before Lily could react, she was violently knocked off of her horse, as this thing hit her squarely in the chest. She could feel ribs cracking on the impact, and as she tried to catch herself, her arms both snapped at strange angles. She rolled over and over, and at last jolted to a stop at the bottom of the small slope.
As she struggle to make her body move, to do something, the dragon attacked again.
Its jaws were open wide to crush her skull. Lily could see her death written in this monsters glowing eyes, and she was helpless to stop it.
"IRI! STOP!!!!" She heard a voice screaming.
The jaws snapped shut way too close to her face.
Lily was surprised that it had been the woman’s voice that had saved her life just in time.
But then again, she wasn't too surprised that this vile creature and this woman knew each other.
As blood trickled from many reopened wounds, the girl knelt down beside her. Lily was sure that she wanted to finish the job that she had started, and slit her throat with that dagger. Lily could not defend herself, so she shut her eyes and waited.
Giliath wrote:
Giliath jumped up and spun around at the sound of the familiar voice. With a single step into the clearing her plans were dashed. There was no chance now- no chance for her to escape without her friends coming after her. She knew them well. There would be no convincing them that she had to go alone and if she could get off without them knowing they would just track her until they found her again. She didn’t know the area well enough to evade them and there was no time to hide in some quiet section of the forest for a few days to throw off pursuit.

"Sirius," she said half in anger. "Why couldn’t you just let me alone?!?" Her voice cracked and she entirely lost her composure. Her head fell, she drew her breath in short deep draughts, but her hands clenched at her sides turned white with the force of her grip. "Why couldn’t you just let me go?" she whispered.

"You needed help," another voice said softly accompanied by a rustle of the leaves. Through the curling branches of the trees stepped Bree her face grave and sad, and behind her came Leafy and another figure cloaked and hooded so that their face was hidden in shadow.

Giliath drew her head up and looked at Bree and then Leafy. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but she shook her head and then bowed it again. They must hate her. Leaving satch when she was ill and making her ill in the first place! She had led them all on this ridiculous quest and now everything was falling apart. Satch sick and probably dying, her ruined escape, this evil in the woods, and this new stranger. She should have just stayed home and let the past be. She was a child again, her mind full of ifs and buts and above all that helpless feeling of not knowing- not knowing what to do, or where to go, or how to feel.

She lowered herself onto the grass and looked down at the pouch that held her father’s scissors. How could anything that she could do to help her father be worth this? "I’m sorry," she whispered.

"It wasn’t your fault." A hand rested lightly on Giliath’s shoulder. She let her eyes follow it up to the arm and the shoulder and....... Giliath froze. She wanted to leap up with joy and throw her arms around the person above her, but she couldn’t. "I don’t....how did.....what," she stammered and then finally the only word she could find to say came slowly from her lips: "satch." She stared for a few moments at her friend’s face and then got up and walked away. She stood by Celebsul her head bowed, pretending to pick bits of leaves and twigs out of his mane.

It was impossible now for her to leave. She knew she couldn’t not if satch asked her to stay. The thought of simply jumping on Celebsul’s back and charging from the clearing flashed through her mind, but she knew he couldn’t manage another hard ride and there was the stranger’s warning. She turned and looked back at Sirius unable to face the eyes of her friends.

"What’s going on here?’ She asked in a shaking voice. "It’s all wrong: the mist, this forest, these trees, and I felt something else before……..before Celebsul charged off. I now I find myself taken right to the place where all of you would be." She swallowed hard and added almost too quiet to be heard: "The one place I didn’t want to go." She turned and looked at the stranger a little anger rising in her voice. "And you. I don’t care how rude it is who are you? How did you know about my companions? I don’t appreciate having my mind read without permission."

The stranger was about to speak when Sirius stopped her. "We don’t have time," he said flatly. "Are you alright?"

"I’m....." she paused. She wanted to say she was fine, but she didn’t think she would ever be fine again. "I’m fine," she said. She looked at Bree, Leafy and satch in turn and it suddenly dawned on her. "Where’s Lily?"
Leafy wrote:
Leafy wondered mildly what she was doing in a clearing of elm trees. The last couple of hours had gone by in a complete haze for her, and she was only vaguely aware of the goings on in the material world.

In fact, the only thing that stood out clearly in her mind was an odd dream that she guessed she had had whilst she dozed in the cabin. She had been walking through a world of grey mist, where everything seemed to blend perfectly with everything else, and nothing was ever quite there and solid, but everything had a living soul, and could reach right into her and through her. She was a part of the world, and the world was part of her. In fact the only thing that seemed completely solid was the path that she walked along, that wound away into an impenetrable horizon. It felt like she had been there forever, but had only just been born into this world. Time moved irregularly, as sluggish as it was quick. It was her home, but it was utterly strange to her, as everything was constantly moving and changing, melting and blending into each other in unending fluid movement.

Suddenly, a woman appeared, startlingly real, just a few yards away. Leafy just had time to register her as shockingly beautiful, but with an atmosphere of disbelief, confusion and distrust about her, before she was tugged back to the harshness of the material world by someone roughly shaking her by the shoulder.

Since then, she had barely come out of her daze, simply following the Blade Runners about and doing as she was told. She was dimly aware that something was not right, but it didn't seem to bother her, and she allowed herself to be led away from the hut like a docile pet. As she moved through the wood, the trees seemed to bear down on her, each with its own domineering hostility and will for survival. Everything was too harsh, too real to make her comfortable, but it was also very distant to her, as though her mind was still roaming free in the spirit world, even as she jogged up and down on her horse.

However, once they reached a clearing of ash trees, her head seemed to clear a little, and though the world remained hazy and hostile, a strange woman stood out a little clearer. Leafy strained her eyes at her, and saw that she had an aura about her of something else, something feline; a ghost of another body merged with her physical form... the ghost of a cat.
Ladykat wrote:
Randir watched as the humans moved slowly into the clearing. The Healer, the one with the power of Mind Touch, and.....her attention was caught by a rather dazed looking figure, hardly more than a girl, who was staring fixedly at her. A tingle of shock ran through her as she realized that this child had ties to the Unseen realm. A Boronasea? But Boronasea did not associate with humans, did not become Blade Runners---as this girl clearly was, young though she may be.

So intent was she on this child, that she only half heard Giliath speaking to her. "And you. I don't care how rude it is, who are you? How did you know about my companions? I don't appreciate having my mind read without permission."

She had been about to reply, when the Healer cut her off. "We don't have time," he said. Randir turned her golden gaze on him, one eyebrow raised in surprise. And why, she wondered, was there no time? Surely he was not expecting them to leave the grove, with evil lurking nearby, and night coming on.

Giliath spoke again. "Where's Lily?" she asked, and Randir turned on her with sudden intensity. "There's another?" she demanded. Her eyes swept the group. "How many are missing?"

"Just one," Giliath replied, somewhat taken aback by Randir's tone.
"No, two," Sirius corrected. Randir snapped her head around, locking eyes with the Healer. "Explain!" she ordered curtly.

"A strange woman came...after you left," he said, turning to Giliath. "She acted haughty, proud. She healed Satch, then stole her horse......Lily went after her." Giliath gave a startled exclamation, and Sirius gestured helplessly. "There's no stopping Lily when she's angry....." His voice trailed away, and Randir's breath escaped in an exasperated hiss.

"I'll find them," she said. "You---all of you, stay here." Giliath's protest died on her lips at the expression on Randir's face. "I will find them," Randir repeated in a voice that brooked no argument. "And to answer your question, I have many names, you may call me Randir if you like." "You don't want to hear what I'd like to call you," Giliath muttered in what was meant to be an undertone, but Randir's feline hearing caught it. Her lips twitched in a half smile. "Probably not," she agreed. Giliath looked startled, then her chin came up, and she stared at Randir defiantly. "And I did not read your mind," Randir continued. "I have not that power. Although," glancing sideways at Bree, "I can project my thoughts for others to hear."

Bree shifted uncomfortably. She had been trying, unsuccsessfully, to read this stranger, and she had the uneasy feeling that the woman knew it, and was mildly amused by her failure. She opened her mouth to make a cutting remark, when Randir's words hit her.

"You!" she blurted instead, "It was you I heard! You lead us here!"

"You did what?" Giliath all but screamed. "How dare you! You had no right...I was trying to protect them....." incoherent with frustration and rage, Giliath lunged at Randir, scissors drawn.
"Giliath, NO!!" Both Sirius and Bree flung themselves at Giliath, pinning her arms, holding her back. Randir made no move, though her muscles tensed.

"Why?" Giliath cried, "Why, why?" "Because you need them" Randir said simply, "and they need you." Her golden eyes held them. "You all have powers you haven't even realized yet. Together you can be a formidable force against evil. Or you can try, each of you, to go it alone. And let the darkness take you. And so give the evil ones even more strength than they now have."

Randir inhaled deeply. It would be full dark soon. "I will find the others. STAY HERE!" With that she turned and, without a sound, disappeared into the woods.
Úcenite-Melme wrote:
It was the change in him that brought her back to consciousness. She had only once before seen Iri loose control enough that he switched forms from emotion, rather than choosing. It was scary the first time that it had happened, and it was just as scary now. She willed herself more awake to be able to talk to him, but it was already to late. The horse she was thrown across reared up, and she went rolling off, landing on her feet through some strange luck. Then with horror she saw Irisanno knock the girl off of her horse and send her rolling across the ground. He followed so quickly that he looked like a blur, but she knew what he was going to do.

"Iri! STOP!!!!" she cried, at the same time wrenching control of his body away from him.

His jaws still snapped shut, but they didn't do so on the woman’s head. Forcing him to back up, Úcenite knelt by the woman and began to search for her true name. It only took a moment and she was about to start healing when the woman looked at her with resignation and closed her eyes. Úcenite laughed out loud as she realized what Lily thought she was doing. Lily’s eyes reopened, and she looked at Úcenite, scorn apparent.

"Though you may feel the need to kill me, you do not have to laugh as you do the job. I'm sure you will find it enjoyable either way." Lily stated, coughing. A little blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth.

"You stupid woman," Úcenite said, looking down at her. "If I wanted to kill you, I would have to make no effort. You skull is fractured and your brain swelling and you've got three ribs broken, one of them puncturing your lung - which is why you're coughing up blood. I could just sit here and watch you die."

"Is that why you are laughing? You think you are putting me out of my misery like some stupid animal?" Lily's knowledge of her death made any fear she may have had, disappear.

"Perhaps I should do that. I don't like you and I don't want to heal you - to be linked with you would be torture."

She stopped talking to the woman long enough to throw herself onto the paths of the dead. Already, she could see strange dark forms converging around the woman. Walking through them, they cringed back in fear, and backed off of Lily's spirit.

"But I had dreams about you, you see," Úcenite continued calmly, guiding Lily away from death. "and those dreams meant that you have to live. I have to heal you, as much as I hate the idea."

Casually brushing one of the shadow creatures off of Lily's arm, Úcenite began working on the damage to her body, knowing that she would be able to get her back to consciousness sooner if she did so. The realization of the link that was beginning to grow between them hit Lily at the same time it hit her, and Lily looked at her with rage.

"I would rather die than have some sort of connection with you," she spat, trying to wrench her spirit self out of Úcenite’s grasp.

"You have no choice at this point Lily. The link is formed, and you are healed."

Lily opened her eyes on the meadow, and immediately looked for the dragon. Instead what she saw was an incredibly beautiful silver and black stallion that looked at though it was trying to calm her horse down. A sudden whisper in her ear made her remember why she was able to look upon this scene. The healer.

"You tell any one of your friends what you saw in this clearing today, and link or no link, I will spit you like a bird over flame."

The utter seriousness of Úcenite’s tone and the fact that she could actually feel the strength of emotion behind that statement, convinced Lily that this was something that the woman would do, no matter what. She turned to look at her...

"I will not, even though you have tried to kill me, healed me, linked with me, and threatened to kill me again."

"You know, on second thoughts, I think I'll get along with you just fine," Úcenite grinned at Lily.

The grin died however, when she noticed a flash in the woods near the horses. Suddenly, there was a cat sitting on Iri's back, looking straight at her.
satch wrote:
Satch shrank back to the edge on the group, and sat down on a broken tree; half watching what was going on and half lost in her thoughts. She felt guilty for Giliath's guilt at her falling ill, although she knew it was neither of their fault. It was something in the forest.

She didn't know what it was, or if anyone else felt it, but there was something - an unseen force or magic at work - which was affecting everyone’s thoughts and powers.

There was something she had to know, that she was trying to find out, but she couldn't. It was almost like a barricade that had been built, separating her from her power.

She reached into her cloak, and then into a secret pocket which had been darned into the lining when she had been staying with the Healer. From the pocket she pulled out a small folded piece of parchment, with the few words from her grandmother written on it.

"There's things which need to happen, which would not happen if you were with me. However terrible it all may seem - it has to be this way".

She read the words a few times consecutively, before folding it back up again and storing it away. For years she'd just thought that letter was to do with her childhood, but now she knew it was something else, but didn't know what.

"What is it, Nani?" she whispered, putting her hand up to her neck, where the tiny vial which had been enclosed with the parchment, hung. As she drifted further into her thoughts, she began to imagine what life could have been like if she'd had a real family, and a safe childhood. Then her thoughts moved on to what her childhood actually had been, with the anger, pain and sadness. Anger bubbled inside her as she thought.

"Satch?" A voice startled her, and she looked up to see Bree glancing down at her, looking worried. She was confused for a moment, and then heard the thunder rumbling quietly above them.

"Oh..." she dropped the necklace back into her clothes, and stood up, shaking her thoughts away. "Sorry... I didn't realise..."
Bree continued looking at her strangely, but said no more. Even though Satch knew that Bree was curious as to what she'd been thinking on that had caused her emotions to get out of control, she said nothing.

She hardly ever thought of her past, but even when she did, it never usually got so that her power was out of her control. She brushed her hair back from her face, and went to join the rest of the group.
Bree379 wrote:
Bree sat on the ground next to Giliath, holding her hand firmly. She didn't think Giliath would try to escape again, but it was better to be safe than sorry. The moisture from the ground was beginning to soak through Bree's robes, but she hardly noticed. She studied Giliath's face, trying to read her thoughts through her expression. She knew it would be abusing her powers, not to mention rude, to read Giliath's mind now, so she left Giliath's mind untouched. But her stony expression didn't fool Bree. Frustration, anger, and, over all else, guilt were not easy to hide.

Bree squeezed Giliath's hand and smiled. "Hey, if you aren't careful, your face is going to freeze that way."

Giliath only blinked, and a tear slid down her cheek. She lifted her hand and put it in her pocket, no doubt holding tightly to her father's scissors.

Sirius, who had been sitting on the other side of Giliath, stood suddenly and walked to the spot where the woman had disappeared into the tangled woods. He paced back and forth, wearing a path in the leaves and brush. Bree knew he probably wanted to look for Lily himself, but she was glad that he was in the clearing with them. Although the ash trees that encircled them emitted some sense of security, Bree still felt vulnerable deep in the woods.

Bree thought back to the strange woman's face as she unsuccessfully tried to read her mind, and her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. This woman seemed to have a very strong mind, and she knew it.

It was quite odd that these two strange women had appeared in the Blade Runner's hour of need. And they had come from nowhere- why? Bree couldn't understand, but she was thankful. Thankful that Satch was still with them. She could have died-

With that last thought, Bree turned her attention to Satch. To her surprise, Satch looked angry, and then Bree heard a low rumble of thunder. Looking skyward, she saw huge black clouds rolling towards them. She leapt to her feet and ran over to Satch.

"Satch!?" She inquired, worried about her friend.

"Oh," Satch replied absentmindedly, looking up at the clouds, "sorry, I didn't realize."

Satch stood, and she and Bree went to sit by Giliath's side. Bree took her hand again, and this time Giliath spoke.

"You should have let me go."

Bree took Giliath by the shoulders and turned her so that she could look her in the eye. "Giliath, above all else, you must know that we came because we wanted to. Wild horses couldn't have kept me away, and I'm sure I speak for all the other Blade Runners, too."

Satch, being much wiser than her years, spoke soothingly. "And Giliath, we all have our purposes, and if this is where the road goes, we must follow it."

Bree could only hope that their words had meant something to Giliath.
SiriusBlack wrote:
Sirius halted his pacing and stood on the edge of the clearing gazing into the woods where Randir had just left to go in search of Lily. Why did I let her go alone?! He cursed himself. He trusted Lily's life with no one save his own. And this woman, the one she was with.. this ..this.. Healer, Sirius felt some evil about her. Whether it was her, or something around her, he did not know, but he felt the chill.

He thought about Lily. Why did he not tell her long ago that he loved her? Love..he had been told, was a sign of weakness, so he hid it well. If any kind of evil was to sense that kind of weakness, it would be exploited. They would use it against him, to control him and manipulate him. For he would do anything to save her.. Anything. And because of that reason, he never told her.

And now here they were again, after all this time, after all that he had been through, touching the face of death, it was like a second chance again. And this time around, he would tell her... if he ever saw her again. A terrible feeling gripped his heart and mind. He did not know what but he felt something wrong and he could not just stand here idly. He drew his sword.

Bree and Satch were comforting Giliath, but the sound of the sword unsheathing split the darkness and they stopped and turned to him.

"Sirius, what are you doing?" Bree asked slightly startled.

"Lily is in trouble. I should never have let her go alone." Sirius replied, a touch of anger in his voice, but the anger was at himself. Bree rose and moved closer to him.

"But Sirius.. Randir said tha--"

"Tell me you trust this Randir any further than I do." Sirius stopped her, rounding to face her. "Tell me...and I shall yield."

There was a deep silence nothing could be heard except the wood crackling in the fire and the soft roar of the flames shooting skyward toward the ominous black clouds rolling in, as if calling to them. Bree said nothing. She knew he was right, but how could he leave them there alone? Her comfort was broken. What little there was.

"I will not lose her again." He said sternly and walked past her to his horse and mounted the powerful steed.

Satch and Giliath stood and watched in horror as Sirius prepared to leave them.. alone. Thunder rolled a distant warning. Bree ran to Sirius to try one last time to make him stay.

"Sirius..please!. Do not leave us here alone!. Please" Her voice began to tremble. Sirius closed his eyes and looked down. His horse stepping slightly, anxiously wanting Sirius to make up his mind.

His mind was in turmoil. A storm was coming, Lily was out there.. somewhere.. and she needed help. Yet, he could not bear the thought of leaving the three of them alone either. Randir said it would be safe here... but what if it was a trap. And he was abandoning them for what? For love.. the weakness. Here it was. The test. Would he abandon the three for the life of the one. Logic told him to stay. His heart told him to go.

"These Ash will protect you." He gritted his teeth, eyes still closed. He could not bear to look upon her.

"No... No Sirius please.. don't leave us!" Bree pleaded. She reached out and held onto his arm, as if to hold him there.

"These Ash will protect you!" He said again, his voice faltering, trying to convince himself and talk over her so he could not hear her cry for help.

"Sirius NO!" Bree cried hanging on tighter, pulling him down to her. His horse whined in protest.

"Please!" This time is was Sirius who was pleading with misty eyes, as the thunder rolled again. "Please.. I must save her."

Bree looked into his eyes and saw the fear, saw the pain and the turmoil, but more than that, she saw something deeper. Sirius was sure she saw his love for Lily. But whatever she saw, she let go the hold on his arm. But he did not sit back up right away. As they continued looking into each others eyes.

"Go." Bree said softly. "Go to her." Sirius placed his hand on hers.

"I swear you have nothing to fear here. I will return.... I promise." Sirius sat back on his horse, as it shifted its steps, ready to go at his command. "Take care of them." He nodded to Giliath, and Satch, who still stood by just watching in shock.

"Go" she whispered again. "Quickly, before I lose my nerve." Swatting the horse's flanks causing it to take off. She watched him ride off into the woods in the direction of Randir, and hopefully the direction of Lily.

The thunder rolled again.
Ladykat wrote:
Cat once more, Randir moved swiftly. The pain, rage and near-panic she sensed was like a bright beacon guiding her to it's source. She hoped, for the Healer's sake, that this Lily was alright. She had read the love he felt for the girl when he was speaking of her back in the clearing.

Still in the shadows, Randir stopped and surveyed the scene before her. At the bottom of a small slope lay a woman who looked to be badly injured. Beside her knelt a Boronasea, a Dreamer, and nearby stood two horses, one a Companion. Anxiously she watched for signs of the parasites---the quick, darting fish-like shapes would glitter like dark chain mail----but she saw none. Moving closer she saw that the Companion was aware of her.

"Well met, Protector," she greeted him. "That was a brave deed this morning, luring the evil one away. I am glad to see you came to no harm."

"Well met, Lady," he replied, inclining his head slightly. "It was you we saw following the horse and rider from the cabin?"

"Yes."

"And it was you who gave warning of the danger at the stream?"

"It was." Randir strained upward, trying to see the two women. The Dreamer had entered the paths of the Dead, and was trying to lead the other back.

"If you like, you may jump on my back."

Randir looked at the horse. "Invited to ride a Companion? I am honored, sir," she said in mock solemnity. Amusement flickering in his eyes, he replied, "I am called Irisanno, and it is I who am honored......Watcher."

Randir stared intently at this intelligent creature. She could hear the two women bickering---Lily must be fully healed, she thought wryly. "Few know of us, fewer still believe," she said. She looked at Úcenite. "And the Dreamer? Does she know of Watchers?"

"She does not know, nor will I tell her without your leave," he assured her. "But she will know that you are not human."

Randir leaped lightly onto Iri's back. "I request that you, ah, urge her to keep that knowledge to herself. If I deem it necessary for the humans to know, I will tell them myself."

Iri inclined his head again. "As you wish Watcher," he acquiesced.

Úcenite’s grin faded as she caught sight of Randir. She stared at the cat. Lily glanced over just as Randir jumped to the ground and ran into the woods. "It's just a cat," she began, then stopped, frowning. She had only caught a glimpse of the animal, but there had been something strange....it was fading now....

"No, it's a......." Úcenite began, when Iri cut her off.
"No, Melme," he said. "It is not your secret to tell."

Randir had angled to the right after dashing into the woods. Now back in human form, she approached the group from a different direction, just in time to hear Úcenite tell Lily scornfully that she most certainly would NOT ride Iri anywhere, and they would either both ride Lily's horse or they would both walk. Before Lily could explode, Randir spoke. "I think walking would be best, since I am to lead you, and I am on foot."

Both women jumped, and turned to face her. "OH!" Úcenite began, "You're the---" Iri nudged her, and she subsided. Lily's hand flew to her scissors. "Who are you?" she demanded. "Where did you come from?"

"I come from your friends," Randir answered. "I come to take you to them." Suspicious, Lily demanded, "And why should I believe you? How do I know you haven't hurt my friends?"

Randir sighed. It had been a long day, and looked to be an even longer night. "MIND-TOUCHER!!" She projected her thoughts towards the ash grove, rather more strongly than necessary. "Will you contact your friend and assure her you are all alive and well, and tell her to follow me?"

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Posted: Thu 17 Feb , 2005 4:09 am
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GandalfStormcrow wrote:
The "axman" watched with grim satisfaction as the dark-haired man rode through the woods. Yes, this was indeed how he had pictured the man to react. So cliché. So predictable. Those with good in their hearts were blind to so much. How he would enjoy toying with the mind of this "Protector."

The horse that bore the protector sped through the woods quite nimbly, with nary a sound to be heard by mortal ears. This man rode with skill, to be sure. That could pose a problem...ah well, easily enough corrected.

The horse reared as the axman gripped its mind, and Sirius struggled to hold his grip on the reins. Again he sent fear searing into the mind of the beast, and again the rider held on and calmed the animal down. This would not do at all. This man was a force to be reckoned with, to be sure. Snarling to himself, he surrounded the horse with visions of wolves and wildcats, bearing down upon the beast. The horse reared again and again, until one of the wolves snapped at its front leg. The animal fell to its side with a terrible scream, and the rider fell against a tree trunk, hitting his head.

As Sirius tried to regain his composure, the imaginary pack of predators chased the horse off, leaving the man stranded miles from his companions and miles between himself and the woman he loved. What an incredible weakness true love was for someone of such prowess of mind and body. Indeed, this was probably the only weakness that the axman could exploit, and he had every intention of doing it so fiercely that this man would lose his mind.

The man in the black cloak regained his feet, shook out the cobwebs and found himself alone and miles from anyone. The determination on his face was awesome to witness, which of course only strengthened the watcher's resolve to break him. Sirius took off running in the direction in which he thought he knew Lily to be, and the axman let him run for a bit. Run, fool. Expend your energy. Reach out to her with your mind, it will only open it up for me to play with. Stupid man, do you not see anything that I have in store for you?

Suddenly Sirius froze. Before him he saw his dearest Lily, broken and lying on the ground. Her neck was positioned at a sickening angle, which was unmistakable. She must be dead. Sirius ran toward her with all the speed he could muster, and just as he reached his hand out to touch her, she disappeared. The axman laughed quietly to himself as he saw the array of expressions that crossed the man's face at that moment. Fear, desperation, confusion, anger, rage, and despondence. Such a myriad of emotion that he could use against him...

Sirius rose again, still determined to save his poor love. Again he ran forward. And again he stopped short, horrified by what he saw. Lily was standing with her back to a tree some fifty yards in front of him, bleeding heavily from her side, where a pair of scissors was lodged to the handle. Her eyes met his, and a single tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. This man was no fool, however, and began to set his mind on the fact that this was not Lily herself, but a vision. A trick. She walked toward him, gasping his name with each step. "Sirius, why didn't you come for me?" she asked. She staggered right up next to him, and reached for his hand. As she fell, her hand brushed his own and he reeled in shock. The touch, tangible, lingered on his hand. He dropped to the ground with her and took her in his arms, only to find he was holding a fallen, rotting tree stump.

This time as he stood, the anguish in his eyes was plain to see. He walked now, no longer running. His eyes darted here and there, looking for his next glimpse of Lily. Fear, pure fear, clouded his mind and vision. What was happening? Wait, which way had he felt her calling to him before? He turned to his left and was greeted by a vision of Lily being run through with a rapier. He turned to his right and there she was again, hanging by a rope from the trees. Where was he? Which way was he going? Which direction had he come from? Was he going in circles? His mind began to break under the weight of such despair. Why had he not gone to find her sooner?

Stumbling forward, unsure of where he was or why he was there, his eyes met a sparkle on the ground, a flash of red played upon by the tiny bit of sun that escaped through the canopy of leaves overhead. He stumbled forward, and picked up a pair of bloody scissors. What could this possibly mean? His mind was so very very tired. He looked at the scissors, which were covered with blood all the way down to the handle. He had seen this pair of scissors buried in Lily's side just moments, or was it hours ago? He had lost all track of time in the whirlwind of emotions he was experiencing. He struggled even to move his head, but looking up he met a sight that made his stomach turn. A woman was dancing in an opening just up ahead, wearing the last dress that he had seen Lily wear. Her hands, lifted over her head in the dance, were stained dark red. As she slowly turned toward him, he felt the bile rise in his throat at the sight he saw. Her face was revealed, lips parted in a hideous grin, blood still dripping from her mouth all the way down Lily's once-beautiful dress. He retched as he recognized the face. It was Randir.

His face now contorted into a roar, he leapt to his feet and charged forward, screaming in rage. Leaping upon the woman, he thrust his sword deep into her chest. He did it again. And again. And again. And again.

As his rage subsided, he saw that his sword was plunged into just another stump. His legs and arms oozed with blood from abrasions caused by the branches he had just slaughtered. He stepped back in disbelief, utterly shaken by reality, when what had just happened was so real. Certainly she had been there. He had smelled the blood on her hands. This could not be, it could not...a root caught his heel and he fell backward. Wincing with pain, he looked up to see the axman bearing a great smile. The blood that covered the scissors dripped from a small cut he had made on his own arm.

A chilling laugh could be heard throughout the entire wood.
Bree379 wrote:
Bree stood limply as she watched Sirius being swallowed into the depths of the black forest. She had to let him go, it wasn't right to keep him here. They were four able Blade Runners who were prepared to handle anything. Resolutely she turned back to Satch and Giliath. The thunder rumbled again, and a flash of lightning lit up the form of Leafy, leaning against a tree, silent. She met eyes with Satch who had just finished glaring up at the clouds.

"I didn't do it, I swear."

"I know Satch." Bree rested a hand reassuringly on her shoulder, and looked up at the clouds herself. Black and heavy; these were the kinds of clouds that brought about torrential rain, and the group was unprotected in the clearing. Looking back at her friends, she had second thoughts about how well prepared they were. Leafy was out of it, maybe sleeping? And Giliath could certainly handle any situation, but she wasn't focused. Bree wasn't sure about Satch, who had only moments before lost control of her powers. And that left only herself, and she knew that she was in no condition for any fighting. She felt scared, and being scared left her little strength, mentally and physically.

A huge crack of thunder sounded, and Satch, Giliath, and Bree dove towards one another. It was then that Bree heard the voice again, stronger than before. It would have frightened her before, but this time she knew it was the voice of Randir, and it comforted her.

"MIND-TOUCHER!!" Randir sounded both aggravated and desperate. "Will you contact your friend and assure her you are all alive and well, and tell her to follow me?"

Bree slapped herself mentally for not thinking of this before. She could have contacted Lily long ago. Very willing to talk to Lily, Bree complied. Of course Randir.

Focusing all of her energy on Lily, Bree searched for her mind. Making contact, Bree spoke bravely, trying to hide all of her fear. Lily, this is Bree. All of us are alive and well. We're in an ash grove clearing, awaiting your arrival. Please come quickly- She cut herself off before she gave away Sirius. She thought it best not to worry Lily. He could fend for himself, and she didn't want Lily to go off looking for him. Do not fear, we're all well. Trust Randir.

Bree sensed a change in Lily's energy, and she knew Lily had given in to Randir. Given new hope that Lily would be arriving soon, Bree addressed her friends.

"Lily is on her way, so we need to stay here where we can easily be found."

A large raindrop hit her squarely on the nose and was quickly followed by many more. Another crack of thunder, and within seconds lightning stuck a nearby tree. A groaning sound filled their ears, and Bree looked up just in time to see a huge tree crashing toward them. Giliath shoved them out of the way, and she immediately took charge.

"Quickly," Giliath waved her hand toward the tree, "get inside." The stars seemed to be smiling down upon them, for the tree was large and hollow, spacious enough for the four to fit inside comfortably. Leafy had lazily gotten up when prodded, and Giliath gave Bree a quizzical look. Pushing Leafy inside first, Satch, Giliath, and Bree scrambled into the hollow tree.

It was then, mingled with a low rumble of thunder, that they heard the same chilling laughter from days before. It echoed around inside the tree, and Bree stared, struck with fear, into Giliath's eyes.
Giliath wrote:
Giliath sat with her hands in her lap watching the sky. Dark clouds rolled over the tranquil blue like a shroud and to Giliath it felt like they would soon cover her too- cover her in an impenetrable gloom. It was all wrong. Her mind was filled with nothing but what ifs and maybes. Had she only done this or that. Seeing satch did nothing to comfort her. She was revealed to see her well again, but her friends finding her had only put them in her hands again. She knew that it wasn’t really true, that they could leave whenever they wanted, that they could take care of themselves, but she was why they were here. She had brought them into this mess, into this storm. When Sirius had been there she had felt some of the burden lifted off of her, but now he was gone and they were alone again. She shivered as a crack of thunder echoed through the wood. The clouds had chased away the last remnant of blue.

Bree stood by the edge of the trees staring at the empty spot where Sirius had stood. She had sad something to satch, something about the storm, but Giliath hadn’t heard it. Bree’s voice had just passed over her like the wind over the swaying leaves and now she barely noticed her friend looking at her. Bree was looking from face to face as if counting their strength and finally her head dropped. It wasn’t enough. Giliath looked up at her as another crack of thunder boomed closer to them now. It wasn’t any good, just sitting here waiting and wishing this all hadn’t happened. Ifs and buts weren’t going to shelter them, weren’t going to make anything better. Giliath took a deep breath and set her shoulders. She was about to rise when a huge blast of thunder sounded. The storm was over them now.

The four companions dove together. Giliath threw her arms around Leafy who slumped against her shoulder. Satch covered her ears and looked up at the sky. But Bree was sitting with one hand at her temple as if listening. She brought her hand down and looked Giliath in the eyes. "Lily is on her way," she said, "so we need to stay here where we can easily be found."

Giliath felt something fall lightly on her arm, then on her cheek, her legs. It was beginning to rain and they were out in the open, but there was something else, something that was bothering her beyond the weather, something strangely familiar. She put it out of her mind as best she could. She looked up her mind racing trying to think of a way to keep them out of the rain She could keep them all dry, but not for long. She was too tired and too distracted. She prepared herself to at least protect satch when suddenly a flash of light filled her vision. More out of instinct than anything else she pushed her companions out of the way and dove just out of reach of a branch that crashed smoking from a tree above them.

Giliath jumped to her feet and looked frantically around her. A large tree with a crack split along its trunk caught her attention. "Quickly," Giliath waved her hand toward the tree, "get inside." The four companions raced into the relative shelter of the trunk and crouched in the dark like animals. Giliath found herself wishing Lily were here to light the inside of the tree. The darkness seemed to fold in around them and Giliath’s mind could only imagine what might be lurking in it. The rain fell in torrents outside the crack and the trees swayed and bent in the sheer power of the wind. And the wind howled through the branches, it screamed and laughed wickedly at them and then she suddenly realised her mistake. "That is not the wind," she whispered.

Giliath drew her scissors from their sheath and the star at their centre burned in the darkness as if in protest. The wind howled on mixed with its wicked laughter. They were trapped.
Alassante_Estel wrote:
The horse finally let her begin riding after the man had managed to hit her with his ax. It wasn't a terrible wound - high on the outside of her thigh - but it had bled a lot, and she felt extremely weak. There had been times in the past hours when she had begun to fall unconscious, but a faint voice in her head kept waking her. She could almost imagine that it had come from the horse, but that was simply not possible.
The city lay behind her in ruins, all the people dead or turned to evil. Steve had fought till the end, giving her time to escape. She had wanted him to come with her, had begged him in fact, but he refused, saying that it was the only way to get her out of the city. That she was the only one who could find the Blade Runners who were still living.
The scissors in the square had turned black, the star in the center no longer shining with hope. It sucked in energy now, sucked it in and killed those who fought. Like that thing in the pool. She shuddered remembering that. Such an evil she had never experienced, not even with Macilme Ristare. The pool, always a calming place, full of light, had turned a sickly black. It reached out for those who came to near, and seemed to grow bigger with each sacrifice it was given. The screams of the children had been the worst. They were so young, that even turned, they had a shred of innocence and purity left in them. The woman had fed on that, laughing, before tossing them into the pool.
Dark winged monsters had been everywhere in those last days. They had scared the horse she was now riding. When the man with the ax had come, the horse turned into one of those creatures itself, fighting as if it was possessed. The man had lived. Had walked away laughing, saying that there was time for the sacrifice of her goodness later, along with what was left of her Guild. What had he meant by that? How did he know where her Runners were, and who they were. She remembered his evil chuckle when he first had found her. Listing off their names, and telling her when and how they would die. She believed him - he seemed just as dangerous as the woman, though he did not carry the same mantle of old and twisted power that she had had. His power seemed more focused, more ambitious.
Fingering her scissors, she allowed herself to ignore her surroundings for a moment. Leaning forward on the horses neck, she closed her eyes. Closed her eyes, and heard the horse scream as both she and it were thrown to the ground like rag dolls. Darkness surrounded them both, and through it, all she could hear was the horse... no, the dragon screaming as its soul was ripped away. It turned towards her, eyes glowing red. She watched with horror as the huge jaws opened, and closed around her head gently, almost like a caress. It drew back slowly, drawing its teeth along her face, ripping open her cheeks, and tearing off one of her ears. Whimpering, she scooted away, only to run into the legs of the man with the ax. He held up a hand, and began ticking off names on his fingers.

"Giliath, Bree, Satch, Lily, Leafy....."

Another voice suddenly broke through his, but it was one that made her feel worse, not better. She huddled back into his legs, hoping that his ambitions would protect her from this worse evil.

"Look at me child"

Unwillingly, her eyes turned towards the speaker. She saw the dragon fawning before the woman... that woman. Tears trickling down her face, she tried to look away. Tried not to see her. The man stepped away, and kicked her from where she was kneeling. Prostrate on the ground before the woman, she still had to look up at her.

"They're as good as dead already," the slithering voice said.

The woman was incredibly beautiful, but no one would ever call her that. The evil and the darkness surrounding her was too great. Deadly was a mild word. She reminded Estel of a sickness, a plague.

"You will enjoy being sick my dear,"

She caressed the wounds on Estel’s face, then slid a hand down to the wound on her thigh, pulling it open, ripping it further, caressing the bone. Estel tried to squirm away, tried to not feel what the woman was doing. It didn't hurt her though. It felt good, felt right. She found herself moving towards the woman, holding her face up to recieve that deadly kiss. She wanted it, wanted it more than she could say. The woman smiled, drew her bloody hand up, and forced Estel’s head back, then lowered her lips to Estel’s own, and kissed her deeply. The urge to do good, to do right left her with the touch of those lips. As much as the woman sucked the good from her, she took the evil from the woman, let it fill her till she overflowed with it. With a grimace of annoyance, the woman pushed Estel away from her, and towards the dragon.

"You can have her, but then you must go and look for her Guild members."

The woman sneered, and Estel found herself moving towards the dragon. It looked in her eyes and she shuddered with sick pleasure, but there was a part of her that started screaming and screaming, and would not stop. The monster lowered its head towards her, looking in her eyes and suddenly she heard its voice rasp across her mind, raping her soul, and she started screaming for real.

"Estel" its voice grated "Estel"

It kept saying her name over and over and over, and she could not stop screaming. The more she cried out, the more it repeated her name. She could feel it shaking her body with every time it spoke.

"Estel, Estel!!!!"

"ESTEL WAKE UP!!!!!!

Steve’s face filled her vision.

"Steve?" her voice was rough and sore from her screaming

"You had the dream again" he said, pulling her close to him and cradling her while she wept.

She reached up to wipe her tears away, and her hands came back bloody. Breaking free of the comfort Steve was trying to give her, she ran to a mirror and looked. Four thin lines of blood crossed her face in the same place that the dragon had drawn its teeth. She turned to Steve...

"Its breaking through the wards of the upper arena, and I have no energy left to strengthen them. We have to move everyone down into the catacombs - everyone Steve. And we have to do it now. If you hadn't woken me, I think it may have turned me."

He looked at her with horror, then ran out of the rooms, screaming for everyone to get down in the catacombs, and get down there now. She turned, and began gathering everything she thought she would need. With the energy from the pool, she may be able to at least save the arena. The city was long since turned evil. She was about to step from the room, when a familiar voice stopped her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

She turned to see the man with the ax standing next to the table in her room, flickering in and out of sight.

"You're not real" she said, voice trembling "You're an illusion, a projection. You can't hurt me."

"No?" He smiled, utterly amused by her, and casually knocked over the table.
LilyRoseTook wrote:
Lily was still suspicious of this Randir character, despite Bree’s reassuring words. Something had sounded false about her the way she spoke, as though she were withholding something. Lily had no choice but to trust this woman, because it was the only way that she would be able to rejoin her friends, whatever comfort that may be to them.
Randir moved quickly, not a sound coming from her as she stepped lightly on the cluttered forest floor. Lily followed close behind, leading her horse. Her other hand was cupped in front of her, lighting the way. Úcenite followed, silent and brooding. Despite the fact that she had warmed up to Lily, Lily was having a hard time warming up to her. The memory of Úcenite kneeling beside her, laughing, while she was on the brink of death was still fresh, even though her life had been saved.
Rain began to fall, gently at first, but it quickly turned into a torrential downpour. Thunder crashed and the wind whistled menacingly, sending a chill down Lily’s spine. Something about this wind was not natural, as though something evil were driving this gale. Still, not a word was spoken despite the growing unease.
It was only minutes before they reached the ash grove, although it seemed like hours.
Giliath, Leafy, Bree and Satch were all curled up in an old, hollow tree that had likely been brought down by the storm.
Lily notices before a single word was spoken that Sirius was gone. The look in Bree’s eyes was enough to tell her that he had gone after her. She felt a pang of guilt as she realized that none of this would have happened if she hadn’t run off in the first place.
Sirius always seemed to know when Lily was feeling pain, no matter how far away that she was, and nothing had ever stopped him from going to her.
She wanted nothing more than to ride after him, but a warning glance from Randir was enough to stop her in her tracks. She knew that it would be foolish to try to ride out in this storm, anyway.
She sat down, heavily, heedless of the wet ground, and brightened her light, hoping that it would be of some comfort to her friends. Just then, they realized that Úcenite was with them.
Bree’s eyes narrowed and her hand went to her scissors…
Giliath wrote:
Giliath sat on the ground beneath the shelter of the tree trying to keep the rain from blowing in on the screaming gales of wind. She had shifted her scissors to her left hand and her right stood outstretched before her just outside the entrance to the tree. The rain fell around it as if there was some invisible cover protecting it, but every so often Giliath’s concentration would break and a gust of wind would blow into their shelter and drops of rain would fall from Giliath‘s fingers. She strained to keep her composure, but every time the wind picked up or howled with the slightly more strength than it had before Giliath found herself trying to catch the sound of laughter or a cry mixed in the din.

Soon she gave up on the rain entirely and sat with her head titled to one side listening to the storm. The rain fell in a continuing pattern of noise pounding on the leaves and branches of the trees and drowning out any other sound save the call of the wind. The stirring of their cloaks or the rustle of their feet within the tree were completely destroyed by the racket. And now the storm had worn away the day and even the grey gleam behind the clouds had left them. They were blind and deaf.

Giliath stared into the gloom trying to see anything beyond the curtain of rain that shrouded everything before her. It was all dark and dull and there was nothing to discern one point from another. She felt as if she was in a sea of nothing and blessed the lightening that sprung up now and again to set her surroundings a blaze with light. But there was something else now. A tiny point of light darted in and out of sight. It was so dim that Giliath thought she had imagined it, but soon it grew steady and constant as it emerged into the clearing. It must be Lily and Sirius, Giliath thought to herself glad that they might be returning again.

Soon the light was so close that Giliath reached out into the rain and grabbing a wet and shaking arm pulled the bearer into the hollow. Lily sat down on the wet floor and bowed her head. She was alone. Giliath turned away and looked down at her scissors. First I bring them into this cursed forest, then I lose them, then I leave them, then I bring them into this storm only to lose the very person who helped me! Giliath scolded herself staring into the rain again. She was so engrossed in the thought that she didn’t even notice the other figure that had slipped into the tree and didn’t notice Bree pull her scissors.

Giliath turned her back on her companions and listened to the storm. The wind and rain continued their warring musics, but suddenly there was something else. A high-pitched cry sounded just on the edge of hearing and suddenly it dawned on her. "The horses!" she cried and before anyone could stop her she plunged out of the tree and into the rain. She ran into the centre of clearing paying no heed to the storm. She stood, the rain pounding on her head the win in her ears, trying to decided which direction the cry had come from. She turned her head left and right, but the wind blew the rain into her eyes preventing her from seeing even the nearest tree. She started calling Celebsul’s name, desperately trying to make any sound above the noise of the storm, but the wind just carried her voice away and soon she couldn’t even hear the sound of it in her own ears. Her hands dropped to her sides and she threw her head up at the sky. "Damn you!" she screamed tears joining the rain in her eyes. "Why can’t you just leaves us alone?" The wind only laughed.
SiriusBlack wrote:
The chill laugh resounded through Sirius’ mind, and his blood boiled as the laughter taunted him. Stumbling back, he got to his feet, his sword in one hand, his scissors in the other, poised and ready. There was a fire in his eyes, his teeth were clenched, he wanted to kill this man. But this would be no easy task. Not knowing exactly who or what this ax man was. How could you fight it? The ax man was not armed, or did not appear to be. But Sirius realized he did not need to be, because he had powers far beyond the physical realm. For he was the one causing the hallucinations, he was the one that was terrorizing his mind with the visions of his beloved hurt and dying. And this meant he had control. Sirius had to focus to try and regain that control. Or he would die.

Sirius’ fingers clenched tightly around the hilt of his sword, as he stared the ax man down. The ax man just stood there smiling at him. There was no fear in those eyes, nothing at all but the look of deep satisfaction..like he had already won. Sirius circled around the man slowly and carefully, like an animal stalking its prey, he was preparing to strike. But was he prepared for how powerful this enigma was?

With a roar bursting from his lungs he surged forward and made a slash for the man with his sword, who with speed beyond reckoning, ducked aside, causing Sirius to round back quickly to face him again. Furry and anger drove him on, he screamed again and again he attacked. This time he was countered, a force unseen seemed to grab Sirius and lift him from the ground slamming him into a tree, hard enough to knock the wind out of his lungs, and the weapons from his hands, stunning him momentarily. It would not keep him down for long, but it was long enough. The pause allowed the ax man to arm himself. He took his ax and swung it with all his might as Sirius’ head, giving him only a split second to duck. The sheer force of the swing left the ax impacted into a tree, giving Sirius time to recover and to react, he picked up his sword.

Using his body as a spear, he launched himself at the ax man catching him off guard striking his abdomen with his shoulder, causing him to double over, and get knocked to the ground. Sirius was over him now, trying to catch his breath, he raised his sword, the tip pointing downward ready to drive it into the ax man’s heart. The hate welled up inside Sirius as he drove the blade downward…into his beloved Lily.

"NO!!!" Sirius screamed, watching as the blood poured forth from her body. Turning her beautiful dress into a horrid shade of crimson.

The laughter again echoed through the woods. His body shaking, Sirius closed his eyes. This is not real. He told himself. It’s a hallucination, just like the others. Then he heard her cry and he felt a little unsure. No please, no.. this is not real. It can’t be! NO! Opening his eyes he saw nothing but the stump of a tree. She was gone, and so was the ax man. He had disappeared. But how was this possible? He was there! Sirius had hit him! He had felt his shoulder make contact! When he stabbed Lily, did he really hit the ax man? How?

The cracking and popping of the woods from behind him brought Sirius back from his thoughts, grabbing his sword as he turned and rolled quickly out of the way as the ax was coming down upon him. A searing pain in his left shoulder told him that he was not quick enough. Sirius gasped in pain. The ax man had appeared behind him, and was now raising his ax again. Steel met steel as Sirius lifted his sword to block the blow. But the ax man was growing stronger and Sirius was growing weaker. Now it was the ax man on the offensive.

It took all of his strength for Sirius to fight off the oncoming blows, but he did so with unprecedented swordsmanship. The two clashed sword and ax again and again, neither yielding to the other. Every muscle in Sirius’ body began to ache. His sleeve soaked in blood. But he fought on, rage his only fuel, thinking only of Lily, and getting to her again. But the ax man had enough, and frankly this little game was getting old.

Sirius charged him, but was hit and thrown backwards by some sort of a shield the ax man had put before him. Sirius landed hard and kept rolling a distance before coming to a stop. There was blood coming from his lower lip, which he must have bit when he landed. He was now defenseless. Struggling to get up, he managed only to get to all fours before being kicked in the stomach causing him to flip over onto his back. Dazed an in pain, his face drenched in sweat and blood, Sirius fought to get up again, and was again thrown into the tree, left shoulder first. Sirius screamed in pain as he sunk down to the ground. He could fight no more. He had no strength left. He would die here. He watched the ax man walk towards him, and raise the ax for the final blow. Sirius gripped at the ground beneath him and closed his eyes….but nothing happened.

Gasping Sirius opened his eyes, unsure of what he was to see. He saw the ax only inches from his face, and then withdraw. It had stopped. But why? Had the ax man changed his mind? The fear of death gave Sirius one last burst of energy, or perhaps it was what he had found beside him on the ground…

With all that he had, Sirius swung up and stabbed the ax man in the chest before falling again to the ground. The ax man let out a yell, almost as chilling as the laughter, there sticking out of his chest was Sirius’ scissors. Sirius watched in amazement as the ax man seemed to fade into a mist, as the sound of his yell faded with him. He sighed wincing in pain, it was over.

He could have stayed there longer to recover his strength, but he wanted away from this wood as fast as he could. He still had to find Lily. Gathering himself up from the ground, he weakly stumbled to pick up his sword and re sheathed it. He then looked for his scissors, bending over to pick them up, he was hit from behind and engulfed in the mist that remained. He opened his mouth to scream but nothing came out, he was frozen. And soon he dissolved into the mist and was gone.

His scissors gleamed in the grass below.
Ladykat wrote:
Randir had remained outside the shelter of the tree. Now she edged her way quietly into the rain blackened forest, unnoticed by the miserable group huddled inside the hollow. She was reluctant to leave them, but there were things she must know, and there was only one way to learn them. She knew she couldn't keep these people here. When the rain stopped, or at dawn, whichever came first, they would go out in search of the Healer.

Never in all her journeys down the Ninefold Path had she seen such things as were happening now. Borónasëa seeking out those they usually disdained, a girl with a yet unrealized connection to the Unseen, the unnatural mists, the storm, a growing sense of impending evil. She had to find the cause, the connection.

Nothing in the Unseen realm had any power over her. There she could not be harmed. There she could travel more quickly, and see events taking place in both realms at once. Changing to cat, she shook the rain out of her fur, and stepped into the spirit world.
Irisanno wrote:
He was waiting in the rain with the other horses, when it happened. The rain didn't bother him, and the story that the other Companion was telling him was fascinating. Both of them heard the scream though. It tore through their minds with a suddenness that almost made them collapse. It was the warriors Companion, the one that had escaped, though not with him and Melme. It was trying to make its way towards them, but something was hunting it, attacking it.

One of the horses in the group also stepped forward at the sound. Had he heard it? Impossible! Yet it seemed so, for the horse turned in the direction the mind scream had come from, and looked back at the Companions as if to ask them if they were coming. The scream echoed again, and they all began to gallop into the woods at a dead run, the other horses following them, staying with the herd. Through meadow and forest they traveled, closer and closer to the RWSG city. The closer they got, the more dead and unfriendly the trees seemed, and there were eyes watching them run. The other horses began to balk in fear, but that same fear kept them in a close group.

Finally, they came across the lost warriors Companion, but he was surrounded by four of the twisted and perverted Nóla, and he was very badly wounded. There would be no fighting here. The best that they could do was run.

"We are coming!" Irisanno screamed to the Companion, and could see the immediate response as they pounded in amongst the creatures. The Companion kicked back, giving them a breath of room to sweep in, take him within their number, and sweep back out. The dead run that they had started out with continued as they desperately tried to make it back to the ash grove. Screams of rage echoed behind them, as the evil Nóla gave pursuit, but the speed of the horses run carried them like the wind. They might make it, and this hope sustained their desperate escape.
LilyRoseTook wrote:
Lily turned around to ask Randir what may have spooked the horses. But Randir was no where to be seen. Giliath had run past her, screaming, but finding it to be futile, had turned and was walking slowly back to the others, looking as though she would cry.

"Did you see Randir go past you?" Lily asked.
"No, I didn’t." Said Giliath, startled out of her own thoughts.
The rain was beginning to taper off, but the wind continued to howl with laughter.
"I knew that she couldn’t be trusted," Lily said, irritably. "I’ll---
Úcenite broke in before Lily could finish. "How can you say that about someone that you don’t understand?" She said through gritted teeth.
Lily eyed her coolie, as Bree drew her scissors.
"I don’t care to understand her." Lily turned away, but Bree had had enough. She grabbed Úcenite by the hair and forced her head back, putting her scissors to Úcenite’s throat.
"I don’t think that any of us trust you. We don’t know who you are or what you want with us. And you have the nerve to tell us that we don’t understand something or someone, or whatever she is."
Úcenite tore herself away and backed up a few paces.
Bree looked as though she was going to try to run Úcenite through with her scissors.
"Bree, put them down..."
"If it hadn’t been for me, two of your friends would be dead." She spoke no more loudly than a whisper, but Lily could see Úcenite’s hand reaching for the dagger.
Lily could see that things could get deadly if she didn’t say something. As much as she didn’t trust this woman, she had saved her life, and Satch’s. Lily stepped between them and raised her light so that it shined on both of their faces.
"We aren’t going to be able to get anything accomplished in the dark. So why don’t we try to sleep on it and then we will see what we can do in the morning. I will stand the first watch, and then Giliath will take the next one, and then Bree before dawn. We dare not all sleep at the same time." They each nodded in turn, and then tried to find somewhere to sleep on the cold, wet ground.
Much to Lily's surprise, Úcenite reached for Bree's scissors.
Bree raised them, again, but Úcenite was fascinated. Lily couldn't understand why this woman was acting as though she had never seen a pair of scissors, before.
Bree still had a black look on her face, as she slowly sheathed her scissors.
Leafy stared at her with a bemused expression, and then immediately wrapped herself in her cloak and was asleep almost instantly. Lily thought of lighting a fire to give them at least a little bit of comfort, but she didn’t see any way of lighting these wet branches. She picked up a branch and then tossed it back on the forest floor in disgust, and much to her and everybody else’s surprise, it burst into flames.
"I didn’t know that you could do that!" Giliath said, staring at her.
"Neither did I." Lily said, quietly.
Giliath, Bree and Satch quickly gathered up a few more branches and before long, a nice blaze was glowing in the center of the clearing. In minutes, the girls had huddled close to the fire, and one by one, they fell asleep.
Lily couldn’t have slept even if she had wanted to, now, knowing that Sirius was out there somewhere. He never would have gotten lost, ever. He had always been able to sense where Lily was, no matter where she was.
The wind seemed to be laughing at her….tempting her to do what she most desired…To leave her friends and find her beloved. She stood up, with the intention of walking around the clearing and stretching her legs. The temptation grew stronger. The wind was urging her to go…to leave now…
"Just where do you think that you are going?" Someone was standing in front of her. Much to Lily’s surprise, she was on the path, the very same path that Sirius had disappeared down hours earlier.
She shook her head to try to clear it. It was Úcenite.
"Oh…It’s you, again." Lily made no effort to hide her annoyance.
Úcenite’s face was surprisingly gentle, as she led Lily back to the clearing, where they sat down on a fallen tree.
"Lily, something made me stay awake, and I see why, now. I know a very little bit about this evil that is hunting you, and it will do anything in it’s power to separate you from your friends. It wants to destroy all of you, and it may have the one that you wish to follow even now. I know that you want nothing more than to go after your Protector but you cannot go alone. None of you should go anywhere alone. Whether or not you want to trust me, you have to listen to me." Lily was shocked to see that Úcenite’s eyes seemed to be pleading with her.
"When I was very young, I had a dream…"
Úcenite-Melme wrote:
The woman that had walked out of the woods had the same life spirit as the cat had had, and she knew it. Every time she tried to say something though, Iri stopped her. Whatever it was about that creature, he didn't want her talking about it. With a sigh, she followed Lily and the other woman into the woods. Irisanno followed behind. He was very ashamed of his behavior, she knew, for she could hear his mental grumblings.

"Iri, quit chastised yourself. Its a distraction both for me, and for you. We need to be alert. That thing is not our friend, nor are these people."

"You've healed two of them now," Iri replied dryly, "Perhaps that doesn't make you friends, but it does at least create allies."

She looked back at him, fuming. One moment he was yelling at himself, the next, back to lecturing her about stuff she already knew. Sometimes she almost wished she were like these other humans, and not have to deal with this insufferable bond for the rest of her life.

"You know you don't mean that Melme"

"Could you at least for one minute pretend that you don't know basically everything going on in my head!?

His laugh sounded completely evil, and she turned to look at him in shock... It wasn't him laughing. All of them began to move faster at that sound, but as the laugh swirled around them, so did a storm. Darker than midnight it was, and the rain made it impossible to see anything. Úcenite was about to reach for Irisanno and let him guide her with his spirit sight, when a light bloomed in Lily's hands. How had she managed to get a light in this weather. The wind was far to strong, and the rain far to hard. Lily turned towards her for a moment, and she realized that the light didn't flicker. It wasn't a flame. Watching the girl with new respect, Úcenite pulled closer. She received an untrusting look from her, but both turned, and quickly followed after Randir.


After a time, a dim opening in the forest showed ahead of them. A grove of ash trees. The change as they walked into it was evident. The storm, though still terrible, didn't seem quite as bad. The woman that showed them into the tree was not one that Úcenite had seen before, but she recognized the path she walked. Ducking into the hollow, she spoke to Irisanno for just a moment more, and he agreed to sit with the other horses. There was no need to give away what he was to anyone just yet, and she hoped Lily had understood her warning clearly. She crawled into the tree, completely ignoring the discussion they were having. One of them ran outside screaming something, but she was just too tired to even bother trying to understand... at least until she heard them talking about the creature

"I knew she couldn't be trusted" Lily spoke

Forgetting her own opinions about Randir, Úcenite grew a bit angry with them and interrupted.

"How can you say that about someone that you don't understand?"

Despite the heat of the discussion, settling down out of the rain seemed like pure bliss. It was a bit crowded though. Just as she was about to relax, go back to ignoring them, and maybe sleep for the first time in days, she was attacked for the second time in just a few hours.

"I don't care to understand her." Lily said, and turned away.

One of the women in the tree pulled something, grabbed her, and held it to her throat. They were scissors! She almost laughed, until she noticed that they had a lifeforce to them, and one that was very familiar to her.

"I don't think any of us trust you. We don't know who you are or what you want with us. And you have the nerve to tell us that we don't understand something, or someone, or whatever she is."

Breaking herself from the girls grasp, Úcenite spoke angrily. All she wanted was some damned sleep, and these people seemed intent on killing her... And after she had healed two of them!!

"If it hadn't been for me, two of your friends would be dead.

"Bree, put them down....."Lily started, but stopped immediately when Úcenite brought out her sheathed dagger. She stepped between Úcenite and Bree, and shined her light in both their faces. "We aren't going to be able to get anything accomplished in the dark. So why don't we try to sleep on it and then we will see what we can do in the morning. I will stand first watch, and then Giliath will take the next one, and then Bree before dawn. We dare not all sleep at the same time."

Úcenite could not pay attention to her as she spoke. The light coming from the scissors fascinated her. It had the same life-force as the dagger. Unheedful of her danger, she reached for the girls blades, and was, with savage scorn, slashed at. Lily picked up a branch, and threw it down in anger that the fight seemed to still be continuing. It burst into flame.

"I didn't know you could do that." One of the women wondered at Lily

"Neither did I." she responded

Within moments, a fire was going outside the tree in the clearing. Úcenite reached for the girls scissors again, and was given a scathing look by Bree, who opted to settle on the other side of the fire.

"I'm sorry, its just so strange - the same spirit inhabits both your blades, and mine."

Those closest to her looked at her with incomprehension. All but one. The young dark haired girl that Úcenite had seen looking at her in the half world, moved close to her, pulling out her own blades.

"She's right, they are the same. I can see it." The girl looked up at her in confusion and shock. "What am I seeing?"

"This is not a lesson that is normally taught by someone such as myself, and I do not know if I can teach it to you. Every living thing has a life-force. Sometimes, a life-force can be given to something man-made, giving it a voice, and sometimes a special purpose...."

As she continued speaking, the other people in the group began to fall asleep. The warmth of the fire and the presence of Lily watching made Úcenite feel comfortable for the first time since she had escaped from the horror. She was far to young to be teaching this girl, but there was no one else to do it. It was surprising that the girl hadn't disappeared into the Spirit World already. As old and untrained as she was, it was a miracle she was still alive.

The girl soon grew to tired for the lesson she was receiving, and crawled into her own blankets. Úcenite, however, could not seem to fall asleep herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Lily walking towards the woods as if in a daze. She was following the path of someone who had gone that way earlier in the day. Someone who was not here now. Quickly getting up, she walked over to the woman, walked in front of her. Very gently, she spoke

"Just where do you think you are going?"

"Oh, its you again." The woman glared at her, but allowed herself to be guided back to the clearing.

"Lily, something made me stay awake, and I see why now. I know a very little bit about this evil that is hunting you, and it will do anything in it's power to separate you from your friends. It wants to destroy all of you, and it may have the one you wish to follow now. I know that you want nothing more than to go after your Protector, but you cannot go alone. None of you should go anywhere alone." She found herself almost pleading with the woman.

"Whether or not you want to trust me, you have to listen to me.... When I was very young, I had a dream, and that dream has followed me. It isn't a normal kind, that you have when you sleep. Among the Anwe, there are some who, when they dance, they have visions. We call it Órecalo. I was.... shocked, to say the least, when I saw you, for you are in that vision."

Lily looked up at that, her interest peaked. "What happens, in your dream?"

"Its hard to describe. Though Órecalo reveals much, most of the visions are hard to understand. They only make sense when they are about to come true... sometimes not even then.
The first time I experienced the vision, you were terrible. There were many trees, and through them all, I saw you, was sucked towards you. There was a man there, who kept saying that you were meant to be good, but you only laughed at him.
Over the years, the vision has changed, little by little. The last time I had it, I see you as you are now. Instead of finding you in the woods, I am following with you. There may be others behind, I don't know. We go towards that same glade that I saw in the original vision...."

Úcenite started moving as she spoke. Though she did not disturb those sleeping, she could not help but begin to dance as she described her vision. Eyes closed, and so deep in though that Lily didn't think she would even notice if someone spoke, she danced. Her words came as if from a great distance, but they are filled with fear.

"There is mist everywhere. Its as if there is no border between the spirit world and the material world in the glade. What can't kill you in the half world normally... here it can. And the spirits of that world can follow you out of it. A man is standing in that glade, and he keeps telling us that we have to get out, that it is not safe. He has a scar going down the left side of his face, and it burns him like fire. He keeps pushing us away, saying that we have to leave before She comes back."

Úcenite broke free of her dance suddenly and stared at Lily with terror filled eyes.

"I am afraid of who She is. Whether she be the servant, or the mistress, there are dark horrors ahead of you. All I know, is that I have to go with you, or you will not live, and you have to meet the man with the scar on his face....."

_________________

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Posted: Thu 17 Feb , 2005 4:12 am
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Giliath wrote:
Giliath wrapped herself as tightly as she could in her cloak and inched closer to the fire. The ground was wet and muddy and all her best efforts to remove the water from it to have a small dry spot to sleep in had failed. Her mind had become strangely blank, so swarmed with everything that it had simply given up on thought entirely. And she was so beyond weariness that she couldn’t sleep.

Lily paced back and forth as if she couldn’t decide where to stand. Often she would stare at one place in the trees and then walk away only to turn back to it. She seemed not to notice anyone else in the camp was awake or simply couldn’t notice. Giliath lay still trying to keep the appearance that she was sleeping. She knew that if Lily thought she was awake she would have to talk to her, she would have to say something. What could she say?

Giliath shifted on the wet ground and pulled her cloak closer around her shoulders. A complete silence had fallen broken only by the dim crackle of the fire. It seemed so quiet after the cacophony of the storm, but soon she was dimly aware of voices running over the flames. It was Lily and Úcenite. Giliath feared that there was some conflict between them the moment she saw them together and that now it was coming to a head, but the voice of the strangers was oddly soft and urgent. Giliath strained her ears to hear them, drawn strangely to their conversation. Úcenite was recalling a dream that she had had her voice shaking as she spoke. She was afraid.

Giliath remained as still as she could trying to keep her breathing deep to increase the illusion that she was sleeping, but as Úcenite went on and her pace quickened so did Giliath’s breaths. Her back to the speakers she lay watching the blades of the grass standing still in front of her outstretched hand still dripping with rain or staring into the darkness between the trees at the edge of the clearing. Úcenite went on. Every so often something in the darkness or some trick of the firelight formed a flash of thought in her mind. There was Celebsul running circles around her in the sun, and Estel when they first met, and satch playing a game with her in the gardens of the city, and her father. Her father. Úcenite voice rose in her mind: "I am afraid of who She is. Whether she be the servant, or the mistress, there are dark horrors ahead of you. All I know, is that I have to go with you, or you will not live, and you have to meet the man with the scar on his face....."

"What did you say?"

Lily and Úcenite wheeled around at the sudden intrusion. Giliath sat on the other side of the fire eyes wide and bright with the orange glow of the flame. "What did you say?" she asked again.

"Úcenite dreamt of a man standing half way between this world and the spirit world," Lily said her voice shaking slightly as if the memory of the story was enough to frighten her.

Giliath’s eyes moved from Lily’s face to the stranger’s without blinking. She could see that Úcenite hadn’t lied and could see that whatever she had seen had truly scared her. "Do you know who he was?" Giliath asked her voice so flat and dead that Lily could barely believe it was her old friend speaking the words.

"No," Úcenite said looking back at her.

Giliath nodded her head keeping her eyes locked on Úcenite. "You said he had a scar on his face?" she said nodding again, still unblinking still in flat voice. "It’s on his left cheek running almost from his eye to jaw, slightly on the diagonal."

Úcenite starred at her half in wonder half in fear. "How did you know that?"

Giliath finally dropped her eyes from Úcenite’s face and looked down at the package tucked in her belt. "You might not know who he is, but I do" She paused for a moment and ran a finger along the thongs that held the bundle together. "It’s my father."
GandalfStormcrow wrote:
Seeing the girl begin to get up, the man spoke, a snarl curling his lips. "Where do you think you’re going?" She looked up, and the man saw her fear, absorbing it like a sponge. The experience was made that much better when she tried to deny his presence.


"You’re not real! You’re an illusion, a projection! You can’t hurt me!" She was trying to be so sure that what she was seeing was not real. The duplicity of her mind, her fear battling with her will, was like candy to the man carrying the ax. He relished its flavor, and would soon reap its reward. Smiling hideously at her, the man spoke. "No?" With a flick of his wrist, he sent a table crashing to the floor. Fear immediately clouded her mind and her thoughts. He could see her eyes darting here and there, looking, praying for an escape. A way out. Each way they looked, they were unsuccessful, and the fear magnified. It was nearly tangible now. Almost real enough that he could touch it. She would be his. He had nearly reached her when she sprang forward, surprising him.

She thrust forward with her scissors, aiming directly for his heart. She was fast enough to take him by surprise, but not to land her blow. Thrusting all her weight into his chest, she was met with nothing but thin air, and a tap on her back. She immediately wheeled around with a backhanded stab, and again met nothing. Hearing a noise off to her left, she once more tried unsuccessfully to bury her scissors into the enemy. Nothing. She now crumpled, as defeated by her fear as she was by the ax man. Eyes wide and tears streaming, she backed up against the wall.

-

The Protector’s scissors drove deep into the ax man’s chest, releasing him. The look of triumph on the fool’s face nearly caused the man to laugh, but he did not want to spoil the surprise now, did he? As he faded into mist, this Protector’s body released the tension the battle had caused and his guard fell. He walked forward, far too confident that the danger had passed. Oh, how easy this would be. The mist spread out in front of Sirius, appearing to dissipate. What the man did not know is that this merely allowed it to gather behind him, where he could not see, run, or make a noise. As the Protector bent down to pick up his scissors, the mist engulfed him, absorbing not only his body, but his emotions, his mind, his very soul.

As a scream tried to escape the man’s lips, the mist thickened. Any emotion, any fear or thoughts the man tried to use only served to strengthen the mist. It had followed and weakened this Sirius for many months, and now had him in its grasp. He had realized far too late that it had taken the form of a simple ax man who some of his comrades had met in the woods. Those woods would now be known to those companions as the last place they would ever see their friend Sirius.

-

The fear that shone in Estel’s eyes fed the man with the ax. He relished each step he slowly took toward the wall she cowered against. With every inch he drew nearer, he could feel her heart quicken in her chest. After what seemed like hours to the trembling guild master, he finally stood over her, smiling maliciously. Slowly she began to hear a voice sneaking into her mind, whispering things that made her shudder. The man knelt down beside her and took her face in his left hand, which was still dripping the blood that had covered the scissors Sirius had found in the forest moments ago. She began to retch at the sight and smell of the blood dripping onto her clothes, and strained not to look the man in the eye. "Your friends will die. All of them...yes, your friends will die. Some quickly, some more slowly and in unbearable pain...your friends will die. And it shall be by your hand. Oh, indeed your friends shall die."

She violently attempted to turn her face and mind away from the man, but was held fast. Now the voice was once again in her mind. You will kill them one by one, and none shall be able to stop you. You hold a power greater than they, separately or combined. They, in their selfishness, have left you here to die. If you had only stayed together, you would have achieved victory. Rage began to overtake her fear.

Why have you ever allied yourself with such fools? How blind could they have been, knowing the danger that faces you, to have left you alone? Your city will crumble. Your people will die. This could have been prevented…

-

Sirius must have never experienced pain before, for this was pain beyond all he had known, indeed pain beyond reckoning. His body seared with it. Worse than that, his mind he felt was about to break. All around him he heard screams of pain, of anguish, of utter horror. He saw nothing, but he heard and felt the pain of everyone in the world, it seemed. He so very badly wanted to know what was really happening, but it hurt too much to even think. This was his reality. His shoulder and ribs and head all burned as if they were on fire.

A blurriness came to his eyes. For the excitement of knowing that somehow his sight was beginning to return, he rejoiced and the pain began to lessen. Light was returning around him. Was it over? He saw a dark blur directly in front of him, and he poured all the effort he had left in him into focusing on and seeing this thing. As his vision cleared, all hope and joy vanished from him. He was looking at Lily, bruised and broken, pleading for her life. And standing over her was…himself.

Vainly he struggled to turn from the vision, but to no avail. He only continued to move closer, surrounded by the mist. He saw himself straddle Lily with one foot on either side, standing over top of her, raising his sword for the kill. Opening his mouth he tried to scream "no," but nary a sound escaped. Even so, the Sirius holding the sword stopped mid-thrust and turned to look at him. A wretched smile crossed his lips and he blew the real Sirius a kiss, turned to look at the weeping Lily, and began to stab her over and over, and there was nothing that he could do about it. Sirius was in hell.

-

The hate was welling up inside of Estel, a scowl was deepening the lines on her face. This was their fault. They were the ones who had left. They were the ones who had let their thoughts roam too freely and let this evil know where the City was. If it had not been for them, none of this would have found this place. Her very life was in danger, and that in itself was enough to justify their death! The fire in her soul reached her eyes, and she began to breathe hard through her nose in her fury.

A mist began to seep under the door.

She stood and fumed, while the man with the ax watched in glee at her change. Everything was perfect.

The mist thickened and began to spread across the room.

Estel screamed in her anger, and began to think of exactly how she would kill the first person from the guild that she saw.

The mist now covered the floor.

No, that wasn’t enough. That didn’t compensate for the rage she was feeling. She had to kill the first person she saw, period.

The mist began to recede, and there was Sirius. He lay on the floor racked with sobs from the pain he had experienced and what he had just seen, a broken man.

Estel turned and her eyes landed on Sirius. Something inside her snapped, and an insane grin crossed her face. She unsheathed her scissors and began to cross the room toward him.
Alassante_Estel wrote:
So much fear filled her, she could not contain it, and slow tears trickled down her cheeks. He smiled seeing it, and knelt down beside her, taking her face in his bloody hand. The smell made her sick, but she could not wrest her eyes from him.

Outloud, he said,"You friends will die. All of them... yes, your friends will die. Some quickly, some more slowly and in unbearable pain...your friends will die. And it shall be by your hand. Oh, indeed your friends shall die."

With an inner scream, she tried to break away from him, but could not. Her fear grew even stronger at his words, for they did not sound merely like words. They seemed to have a hint of prophecy to them. As much as she wanted to belive that he was utterly wrong, she couldn't quite disbelieve him. He began speaking again, this time directly into her mind

"You will kill them one by one, and none shall be able to stop you. You hold a power greater than they, separately or combined. They, in their selfishness, have left you here to die. If you had only stayed together, you would have achieved victory."

He was right, wasn't he? Indeed, if she had stayed with Macilme Ristare when her training for Guild Mistress had reached its peak, she could've overtaken the woman, could've become the most powerful woman in the world. What need would she have had for these blade runners then? Her lip curled in disgust as she thought of them. Weak, snivelling creatures.

It was almost as if he had read her mind... "Why have you ever allied yourself with such fools? How blind could they have been, knowing the danger that faces you, to have left you alone? Your city will crumble. Your people will die. This could have been prevented…"

He was right. How could she have doubted him? Feared him? This was a man to place her trust in, a man who would bring her to the highest places of power. And she had her own powers at her command that he could not even begin to imagine. Taking his hand in hers, she licked the blood from it, and looked up at him with a grim smile. The hate that filled her was so good, so sweet. Never had she felt so alive. And she wanted the Blade Runners dead.

Wanted them dead now.

She stood up, fully intending on riding out to find them that very instant. They should not be that hard to find and kill. Frustration filled her at how they would fight. They should be able to see that the death she would give them was more than they deserved! For those that didn't understand that.... they would die more slowely.

She didn't notice the mist entering the room, spilling into it, filling it. A rage so complete, it blinded her, clouded her vision.

There had to be a sacrifice to start out her journey with. Someone had to die now!

The mist receded, and she saw before her a broken man, cowering on the floor and crying. Perfect! She drew her scissors and advanced on the man, not noticing that he did not seem to see her, and thinking that the fear he was showing was of her. She bent down and grabbed his hair, forcing his head back, and held her scissors to his throat. A cry from the hallway stopped her. She turned to see a young girl...

"Nadira" a voice whispered in her mind, "the newest trainee for the Guild."

Even more perfect than this wreck of a man. She threw his head down, and he curled in around himself, rocking and moaning. A pathetic heap, and not worthy of a sacrifice of this importance.

"Nadira, come here" she said softly, getting down on her knees and holding her arms out to the child. "I will not hurt you darling, but I need your help in defeating a very great evil. Please come to me."

Reluctant, and trembling with fear, Nadira warily came closer. Estel shot out her arm, and grabbed the child, bringing her scissors to her throat, and smiling with utter satisfaction as she heard the girl screaming. Something caught her eye then, something that did not fit. Curious, she lifted the scissors from the girls throat, and looked at them. The star in the middle of the blades showed brightly. She hated that light, and the hate seemed to grow the longer she looked at the star..... She could not look away from it, and slowly, slowly, her vision cleared

What was she doing? Never before had she ever scared a child. Never before had she considered murder.

Looking up at the man with the ax, she suddenly noticed that he seemed more real, more solid than he had. Perhaps it was the presence of the mist, or the other man in the room. Either way she knew, now she could hurt him. With a grim hate filled smile, she began to walk towards him, child in tow.

"We could kill her together. The blood on both of our hands - we would share the power of the sacrifice."

Though smiling at her, he didn't really look interested in her offer. Fearing that he would not let her close otherwise, she told him something that she had never spoken of before, for fear that it would get back to creatures like him.

"I am the Keeper of the Sacred Pool, and can access its power, where no one else can. With its power and yours, we could rule this world together. No one could stand above us. We could be Gods."

His sudden interest was almost palpable as he reached out and pulled her close. Though she did not want to, she kissed him deeply, distracting him from the fact that she had let the child go. Before he could fully understand what was going on, she plunged her scissors into him. They came back covered in black blood that burned like acid, but she didn't care. Again and again, she stabbed him, hoping against all hope that he could be killed, and screaming in desperation.

"Nameless you are, and therefore nothing, but with your blood on my blades I give you a name. I curse you Feuyaina, I curse you!"

His body seemed to turn to mist before her, her scissors not touching anything. She kept stabbing though, frustration and fear making her desperate. She heard a ghostly chuckle, and felt phantom fingers caress her lips... then nothing. The sight of Nadira looking at her in utter confusion, the man weeping in the corner of the room, and her own fear caused her to collapse to the floor trembling. Never in her life had she felt such fear, and the niggling doubt that she, indeed, would be the one to cause the deaths of her Blade Runners, would not leave her mind.

A gentle touch on her shoulder made her look up. Nadira jumped away, but still stayed in the room with her.

Steve said we had to go down below...Guild Mistress." The girls voice was hesitant.

With a sigh, Estel rose, and tried to talk to the man who seemed overtaken by madness. He would not respond. Finally, she simply hauled on his arm and began leading him through the halls that led down to the catacombs. He followed docily at first, but soon began to fight her.

"My Lily does not lie this way!" He screamed to her before breaking free of her grasp, and running, gibbering, down a dark hallway.

Estel reached out to Nadira. "Find Steve, and find him quickly! Tell him that I know he knows how to set up the wards, and he must do so now, whether I am there or not.

The child nodded, serious at performing her task, and ran down in the direction of the catacombs. Estel followed the man, though not too closely, for she didn't want him to think that she was pursuing him. She held up her blades so that she could see to follow him, but the blades wouldn't give off the light. Looking at them closely, she saw that the star was very dim, and the blades were corroded and black where the mans blood at touched them.

Hope was dying before her eyes......
Giliath wrote:
For a long time no one spoke. The fire licked at the scorched branches and danced between Giliath and Úcenite and Lily. The night around them remained as still as they stood and sat without a breath of wind or rustle of leaf or blade, even the eager crackle of the fire seemed to die on the air. Úcenite looked from Lily to Giliath to the others sleeping behind as if weighing over possibilities in her mind. It looked strangely like she was measuring the strength of a group of wounded soldiers. But Lily only had eyes for Giliath. She sat staring through the fire still strangely blank, but now there was an eager glint in her eyes that was no trick of the light.

Lily watched the strange mix of red light and shadow play on her friend’s face trying to read anything behind her expression, but it was no use and that frightened her more than anything. She tore her eyes away and was about to speak when Úcenite broke the silence. "We should leave in the morning," she said looking at Lily and Giliath in turn, "at dawn if possible." There was something strange in her voice as if dawn was the ONLY thing possible, but she didn’t want to share that with the others.

"We can’t go far," Lily said quietly as if the thought had just dawned on her. "We have no food, no water, no horses."

Giliath shifted in her place and swallowed hard, but said nothing.

"And where are we to go?" Lily continued. For a moment her eyes darted in the direction Sirius had gone in. They were all holding back their full hand.

Úcenite looked away from Lily for a moment as if she was trying to think of the best way to answer her question, but instead she turned to Giliath. "Tell me of your father," she said.

Giliath started at the stranger for a minute wondering if she had to fall in with this command then quietly began. Her voice was flat and distant like a weathered soldier reporting the loss of another man. "He disappeared when I was young. He was not around much, but the time we spent together was happy and I loved him. I tired to find him after my mother died, but I had nothing to guide me save for this." She took the bundle from her belt and quickly untied the cloth around it. She balanced the scissors in her palm for a moment then held them up for Úcenite to see.

Úcenite squinted through the bright glow of the flame. Giliath watched as the stranger surveyed the weapon in her hand and as she stepped around the fire for a closer look. The blades of the old scissors under the force of the firelight had taken on a hue of deep red as if they’d been stained in blood. Giliath kept her eyes on Úcenite as she stepped closer watching the woman’s face. The fire cast strange jagged shadows over her features making it hard for Giliath to make out any expression. One moment there would be a smile on her face only to melt into confused wonder or anger or fear.

Giliath rose and levelled the blades in her palm holding them close to her body but high enough for Úcenite to see. She looked down at the scissors and rubbed her thumb along the dull edge of one of the blades. Úcenite stood in front of her looking down at them herself. She brought a hand up when Giliath suddenly jumped back. She tossed the scissors into her other hand and stuck her thumb in her mouth.

Úcenite immediately tensed and reached for her dagger, but Giliath stepped forward again and speaking over her thumb stopped her. "Wait!" she called. She took her thumb out of her mouth and looked down at it and then the blades, her eyes darting from when to the other. She threw her head up and stared at Úcenite. "Give me your hand," she commanded.

"What?" Úcenite asked.

"Just give me your hand!" There was so much venom in her voice that Lily was astonished to hear it coming from Giliath’s mouth. She stepped back and watched unable to tear her eyes away from her friend’s face.

Úcenite slowly stepped forward her left hand slightly outstretched, but her right haunted the hilt of her dagger. Giliath took Úcenite wrist and positioned her hand above her own. Her injured thumb sent little rivulets of blood trickling across her palm, but Giliath ignored them and never removing her eyes from her father’s scissors placed them on top of the net of blood between her palm and Úcenite’s. At first nothing happened and the scissors seemed as cold and dead as they ever had, but then something seemed to stir in the very metal of the blades. The crescent moon that had always appeared to be nothing more than an engraving slowly began to turn to a fine line of silver. At first it only glittered when the light of the fire blazed up for a moment, but slowly it grew stronger and stronger until the entire moon was ablaze with light.

Lily stared at the scissors resting on Giliath‘s palm, but the girl quickly closed her fingers around them and stepped back from Úcenite’s hand. She sat back down in her place and held the scissors close to her chest. Lily walked over and stood next to Úcenite looking down at her friend. Giliath brought her head up. "We should leave at dawn," she said, but neither of them could see the strange look in her eyes as glanced one last time at Lily then went back to sleep.
Úcenite-Melme wrote:
When the Giliath described the scar on the mans face Úcenite froze. Though she had known that the man had a close relationship with someone whom she would be with when she met him, she had always thought that it would be Lily. The only faces that had ever been clear in her dream were that of the man and Lily. To learn that the person he was close to was Giliath could possibly change the whole meaning of the vision. To learn that he was Giliaths father was something that made the dream have a completey different meaning. Though Lily still had to meet him, the other figures in the dream were suddenly becoming clear to her. Never before had she been able to see their faces, and never before had the vision extended beyond what she had described to Lily. Now, however, their faces were all clear to her, and the dream was almost tangible. Not even noticing Giliath and Bree any longer, she lost herself in it, grabbing all the knowledge that she could tear from it. Like the mist of this strange forest, the Órecalo rose before her eyes. Truths that she had never grasped before were given to her like gifts.

"We should leave in the morning..." she heard her voice as if at a distance. ...at dawn if possible."

If possible indeed. In her heart, she knew that if they did not leave at dawn, they all would fail. Lily's voice broke through her reveries, with a statement that they didn't have any horses. The thought shocked her to the core. How could she have not noticed that Iri wasn't there. Reaching out, she could sense him, but he was blocking her, and she could not tell if he was in danger. Sighing, she realized that she was staring at Lily. With effort, she tore her eyes from the womans, and looked towards Giliath.

"Tell me of your father."

Her interest grew as Giliath began her story, but it was when the girl revealed her fathers scissors that she could not help but gasp in shock. The spirit of the scissors was dark, but not in an way that would denote evil. Her mind raced with the implications as she looked at the blades. Just as every Borónosëa had a dagger with a life force in it, so did every Companion hold a jewel that contained a corresponding lifeforce. When a Companions Borónosëa died, the lifeforce of their jewel grewe dark and dormant, just like these blades. All it took was a new bonding to bring that life back, though second and third bondings needed a dreamer - a third party - in order to take place.

Without even thinking about it, Úcenite reached out and began the bonding process. She was, in effect, healing the blades and bonding their owner to Giliath through them. A scarred face flashed through her mind, and she reached out to Giliath suddenly, not knowning if she should continue this bonding. The girl had cut her finger on the blade, and Úcenite reached for her dagger, not knowing whether or not the dark blades would cause a spiritual infection that would have to be cut off.

"Wait!" Giliath cried. It almost seemed as though she knew what Úcenite was thinking.

"What?" Úcenite asked

"Just give me your hand!"

Though the girl sounded vicious as she said it, Úcenite knew it was probably that the bonding process was only half complete. The frustration must be incredible, so she did not resist as the girl caught her by the wrist, and held the scissors between their hands. Without even thinking about it, she lowered her eyes from Giliaths, and stared at the blades, following the same process she that was done with a secondary bond. Under their eyes, an engraving of a moon began to appear and then glow. At the finishing of the bonding, the shined brightly, almost completely healed. Since Giliaths father had not been present for the ceremony, there was no way she could sense him the way Úcenite could sense Irisanno. For the first time in what was probably a long time, however, Giliath could sense his spirit. She knew that somewhere he was alive.

Úcenite felt Lily step up next to her, and both looked at Giliath. The aftermath of the bonding was clear on her face, but what she was feeling was completely hidden as she looked up at them.

"We should leave at dawn" Her voice was quiet, but she offered no explanation. With a glance at Lily, she moved to her blankets, and laid down to sleep.

"We should do the same" Lily began to say to Úcenite, but at that moment, the thunder of hooves filled the grove as the horses galloped back in at a dead run.

Those sleeping by the fire were abrubtly awoken by the sound of the running, and the neighing of horses who were obviously in a panic. There was one extra horse, very badly wounded, but Úcenite had eyes only for Irisanno. He was in almost as bad of a panic as the horses, and was very much in danger of loosing control of himself and shifting form for the second time in a day. No doubt the fact that neither he, nor she had slept in days was a part of his lack of control. With that in mind, Úcenite wrested control of his body from him in a moment of intense weakness, and sent him into an enforced sleep. The new wounded horse had collapsed on the ground near Leafy, and was shaking uncontrollably. Úcenite walked over, and was about to start binding his wounds when Leafy suddenly reached out and grasped the darkened jewel that lay around his neck. For the second time that night, a flash of light filled the grove. Úcenite raced towards them, reaching them at the last possible instant, and placed her hand over Leafys. Though untested in the ways of the Anwe, the girl was a warrior of amazing strength. Úcenite backed away as the girl collapsed on the ground next to the healed and bonded Companion. Turning, she saw that Lily had the rest of the horses hobbled, and the others in the group, though happily confused that the horses were back, seemed content to go back to sleep. With a deep sigh, Úcenite settled down next to Irisanno to do the same. As she closed her eyes, she thought she saw the shadowy figure of a cat prowling the borders of the grove, but deep sleep overtook before she could realize what it meant.
Ladykat wrote:
Soundlessly, Randir circled the clearing. Unable to shake the feeling that if she did not return now, NOW, RIGHT NOW! she would never see any of these young people again, she had come back from the Unseen much sooner than she had wanted or intended. Still, she had learned much in the short time she had been away. The enemy was strong, the danger great---not since the elder days had she seen such powerful evil. She flicked her ears, wondering how much she should tell them. Should she tell them anything? Would they believe her? She knew none of them trusted her, with the possible exception of the Dreamer and her Companion.

She had witnessed the rescue of the new Companion, saw his bonding with Leafy. Now the four evil Nola had stationed themselves outside the grove, one at each point of the compass. "How very obliging of them," Randir thought as she slipped silently through the shadows. They were holding to the horse shape for now, waiting with malicious eagerness for the one who had sent them. Randir smiled to herself. They would be holding that shape for a good deal longer than any of them anticipated.

Softly, quietly, so low it barely registered as a sound, Randir began to purr. Calling up the old magic, the earth magic, the magic of wind and moon, of stars and night sky, the Cat magic of her kind, she slowly circled each of the Nola in turn, weaving about them a binding spell. Her paws moved in a light, intricate, almost dance like step as she circled, unnoticed by the ill-favored creatures, who were intent on their own black thoughts. They would not be able to shape shift now, they were bound to the shape they held until the spell was removed. Almost as an afterthought, she added a spell to bind them to place. The circle she had made around each of them, about twenty feet in diameter, would become their invisible prison. That spell, she knew, would not hold for more than twenty-four hours, but she was hoping that she and the humans would be well away by then.

Exhausted, she crept back to the clearing, hoping to snatch a few minutes sleep. But the sky was already growing light. It was a false dawn, true sunrise was still nearly an hour away, but perhaps they should get started now. She was wondering how to make her presence known without getting an arrow for her pains, when she felt it. The light seemed to falter, a change, a coldness came over the air. Randir stiffened, astounded that such a creature would dare approach the grove. The ash trees themselves seemed to groan and shift as though they would deny entrance to this evil thing. It would be among them in a matter of minutes, there was no time to lose. All thoughts of caution thrown to the winds, Randir changed to human, and practically flew at the Blade Runner on watch.

"Wake the others," she ordered in a low, tense voice. "Ready the horses. We must leave now!" Satch stared at her, openmouthed. Without waiting for the young woman to reply, Randir ran over to Úcenite, Bree, and Leafy and began shaking them awake.

Recovering her wits, Satch ran after her. "Hey! HEY!" she said loudly, "Wait a minute! You can’t just……where did you come from? Where have you been?"

"Good question." It was Lily, rising to her feet, hand on her scissors; she and Giliath having been awakened by Satch‘s outburst. "You come out of nowhere and start giving us orders? I think some explanations are due."

Úcenite shot Lily an exasperated look. "There is no time now," Randir said urgently. "Listen to me, all of you. A woman is coming. You MUST NOT speak to her! Do you understand? Say nothing! Nothing at all!"

Hand grasping her scissors, Lily looked both stubborn and angry. "I’m not doing anything you say until you give me an account of yourself! Who do you think…."

"Rowan and Thorn, woman!" Randir bellowed in a whisper. "I’ve said there is no time! If you would see your Healer again, do as I say!"

Randir whirled, strode almost to the edge of the clearing and stopped, tense, hand on her dagger. Lily stared after her, stricken. What did this strange woman know about Sirius? Thoughts churning, she moved to go after Randir, when she was stopped by Bree’s hand on her arm. Bree was staring past Randir. Following her gaze, Lily saw that a black cloaked and hooded figure had entered the grove. The figure threw back the hood, and they could see that it was a woman, strangely beautiful, but…..wrong, somehow. Her hair and eyes were jet black, her skin smooth and white. But it was as though someone had put a thin coat of whitewash over something black, the darkness beneath was still visible. Her nose was a little too beaked, her lips a little too thin. Lily heard Úcenite’s sudden, sharp intake of breath, heard the horses snort and stamp uneasily.

The woman smiled at them, her smile faltering a bit as her gaze rested on Randir. Trying to look past Randir, she addressed the Blade Runners. "Greetings, travelers," she spoke in a rather harsh, raspy voice. "These woods are vast, and can be confusing to strangers. If you need guidance, I can help you."

Randir was not to be ignored. Her eyes flashed molten gold as she replied. "We thank you for your offer, but we have no need of a guide. We know the way we must go."

The woman’s smile slipped almost into a sneer as she looked at Randir. "Are you sure?" she asked mockingly, "Perhaps your friends think differently. They may wish to ask me questions.."

Lily had opened her mouth to speak, when she felt Bree’s fingers dig painfully into her arm. Surprised and a little angry, she rounded on her friend----and stopped short. Bree’s eyes were frightened, and as she gazed at Lily, her head gave the tiniest of shakes,"no."

"I have questions for you." Loudly, Randir drew the woman’s attention back to herself. "And I’ll answer your questions. But only three. Understand? Three only will I allow."

The woman glared, her thin lips twisted in a snarl. "You hold a high opinion of yourself, Outsider," she spat. You think to defeat me with only three questions?" Suddenly she gave a harsh, croaking laugh. "So be it," she said, pointing a claw like finger at the Blade Runners. "And when you lose, then they are mine."

"No," Randir said calmly. Speaking in a pleasant, even voice she said, "You must challenge us each individually. If I lose, then I will leave." A slow smile of triumph spread over the dark woman’s face. "Yes," continued Randir, "I will go and not interfere with your plans."

Lily heard a half strangled "no" that may have come from Úcenite; Leafy and Satch clutched at each other. Lily felt a coldness in the pit of her stomach. She didn’t like Randir, didn’t trust her, but some part of her mind said it would be very bad for them if Randir left. "Besides," she thought, "I still have to find out what she knows about Sirius."

"Now if you lose," Randir locked eyes with the woman, and her voice suddenly changed, became strong, powerful, commanding. "If you lose, I bind you for seven times seven years to the furthest Netherhell! You will walk in neither the Seen or the Unseen, you will trouble these people no more! Agreed?"

The woman glared, her eyes glowing like living embers, but she gave a short nod. "Good," Randir’s tone was once again pleasant. My name is Ridnar. And yours?"
"Sserecros" the dark woman hissed. Randir nodded. "You may go first, Sserecros."

Sserecros’ raspy voice seemed to fill the clearing. "What is invisible but everywhere, swift as wind but has no feet, and has many tongues that speak but never has a face?"

"Rumor," Randir answered quickly, and the dark woman scowled.

Randir spoke. "A warrior was lost, but his weapon still lives. Where in this forest will we find him?"

"You will find him where the Unseen is seen, and the Real becomes unreal," Sserecros said coldly. "What is always coming yet never here, has a name but does not exist, is longer than day but shorter than day?"

"Tomorrow in autumn," came Randir’s reply, and the woman’s scowl deepened. She obviously hoped that last riddle would prove more difficult.

"A Healer himself is in need of healing," Randir said, and felt Lily give a start behind her. "Where lies the key to his cure?"

"The key to his cure lies hidden within a riddle." Sserecros spoke slowly, as though the words were being forced from her. She had not considered the possibility that the game would be turned against her, making her give information that was not to be revealed. She gasped, her eyes burning. This was her final question. "Tell me of what this rhyme speaks."

"A foolish song, the cause of war,
The fool who made it is no more.
Yet ere his end, the song was heard,
Echoing loudly, without word."

A stealthy, slight rustling noise had caught Randir’s ear, yet she answered even as she strained to pinpoint the source. "In ancient times Trilos, a jester in the court of King Ellyot, made a foolish, insulting song about King Shenow, an enemy of Elloyts. When Shenow heard the song, he declared all out war against Ellyot, destroying his kingdom. Trilos was captured, his tongue cut out, and he was thrown into the dungeons. Yet the jester continued to whistle the song he no longer had the power to sing, until he was put to death."

Randir had kept her hand on her dagger this whole time. Now as she finished speaking, she whipped it out, turned to her left, and sent it flying----not at the Blade Runners, but past them. Satch and Leafy felt the wind of it’s passing, and then their ears were filled with a shrill, high pitched keening sound of pain and rage. Turning, they saw a large, ugly lizard pinned to the ground by the dagger. It’s beady eyes glared malevolently, and its jaws, filled with sharp, wicked looking teeth snapped impotently as it struggled in its death throes. The creature had come into the clearing from the side opposite the horses, and had almost reached Leafy. They had been so caught up in the game none of them had noticed.

"My turn I believe," said Randir easily, as she turned back to face Sserecros. Two bright red pinpoints of light could be seen in the dark woman’s eyes, and her teeth were bared in a grimace of hate.

"What will free the people from the control of your mistress and----" Randir began, when Giliath, who had been strangely subdued up till now suddenly stared at Sserecros and burst out, "You’re not human! Who are you?"

"-----HOW CAN HER POWER BE TAKEN?" Randir finished desperately. Eyes glowing with triumph, Sserecros stabbed a crooked finger at Giliath, and said: "She spoke! She asked me a question! I challenge her!"

"NO!!" Randir shouted. "You and I have not finished. You must answer my third question."

"I challenge---" began Sserecros, but Randir cut her off. "Answer….my…..question!"

Randir felt Lily and Bree come up to stand behind her. Almost she could read their thoughts; this dark woman was evil and Randir was unarmed. Every muscle tensed, Randir watched Sserecros. She had bowed her head as though in submission, but then flinging up her arms with a raucous cry, she bent her knees, and launched herself into the air, transforming before their eyes into a huge crow. The bird beat the air with its wings gaining altitude, then, talons extended, launched itself-----not at Randir, but at Leafy!

Randir heard Lily’s bow twang, heard Lily curse. The bird’s sudden change in direction had caused her to miss. She heard something else as well. The shocked cries that told her that some of the others had witnessed her own transformation into cat.

Two quick bounds and Randir leaped high into the air, hitting the bird broadside, knocking it off course even as Satch pulled Leafy to the ground. Struggling to stay aloft with Randir’s added weight, the bird turned its head, using its beak. It couldn’t reach her eyes, but it tore deep gashes in her left shoulder and foreleg. Ignoring the pain in the heat of battle, Randir hung on trying to rake the bird’s body with her powerful back legs while her teeth were sunk into the wing just where it joins the body. Jerking her head back suddenly, she was rewarded with a crunching, ripping sound as she tore the wing, crippling the bird. The crow gave a horse scream as they plummeted to the ground. The fall broke Randir’s hold, and she rolled several timed before coming to her feet----only to see Sserecros, broken wing dragging the ground, diving straight for her, wickedly sharp beak only inches away. Randir leaped straight into the air, arced her body in a half turn, and came down full weight on the crow’s back. Immediately she bit the back of the neck, grinding her teeth together, trying to sever the spine while the bird flopped around trying to shake her off. There was a sickening snap, and with one last convulsive movement, Sserecros was still.

Panting, retching, trying to spit out the blood and feathers of this filthy creature, Randir backed away from the body, and turned to face the humans. Blood matted the fur on her left side. The fur that was the same color as human Randir’s hair, the same fur that covered her cloak and boots. Even those who hadn’t seen her change could not fail to make the connection. No need for secrecy now. Rearing back on her hind legs, she stretched up-----and stood there as human, facing them, her shoulder and arm torn and bloody.

Taking her water flask from her belt, she took a mouthful, rinsed and spat. She had no wish to swallow the blood of that evil creature.

"Well?" she demanded, her golden eyes holding each of them in turn. "What would you? Do you kill me now, or will you hear me speak?"

_________________

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Posted: Thu 17 Feb , 2005 4:17 am
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LilyRoseTook wrote:
Lily was speechless...and she was never speechless. First a riddle game and then people changing into animals and animals changing into people. These things only happened in myths and the fairy tales that her nanny used to tell her when she was a child. And then she missed the crow. She never missed when she decided that she wanted to shoot something.
She couldn't believe that she had really been so distracted but all of these events were quite disconcerting to her.
Sirius had dominated almost all of her thoughts since he had been missing. She shook her head, and tried to clear it.
The brief fight between the cat and the crow had been surreal. It had seemed to her to be moving in slow motion.
As the cat transformed back into a human, she couldn't help but catch her breath, again. She felt comforted by the presence of this person, if she could be called that. It was a feeling that she couldn't explain, but she knew that Randir had to stay with them.
Randir was hurt badly, but all that she said was,
"Well?" Lily could feel Randir's eyes trying to bore into her soul.
"What would you do? Do you kill me or will you hear me speak?"
Randir swayed, as she continued to lose blood from the gaping wounds. Satch and Giliath caught her as she began to fall and set her on a tree stump.
Lily looked at Úcenite hopefully, but she only shook her head, sadly. "I cannot heal her kind. I have never healed one such as her."
Satch was rummaging through her cloak, and crushing up some kind of shimmering substance between her fingertips. Lily lit a fire, quickly, as Leafy set a pot of water on the fire to boil. Satch threw in a dull green powder, which instantly filled the glade with a wholesome, strengthening aroma.
Lily tried to step forward, but realized that Bree was still clutching her arm. She gently pried the fingers away from her arm.
Giliath and Leafy stood up, in alarm, fearing that Lily was going to cause a confrontation.
"Sit down, everyone. It is very important that we listen to her. I think that our lives may depend on it. Do you have the strength to continue?" She looked at Randir, whose face was dead white as she leaned weakly on the tree trunk.
"I have no choice."
Satch continued to mix another powder with the one that she was crushing, as the sun began to peek through the trees, bringing with it the promise of another day and another chance to continue their journey. They all gathered around Randir.
Úcenite-Melme wrote:
"Hey!HEY!"

The sound of Satch’s voice woke her with a start. Exasperated, she looked around, her eyes falling on Lily. The girl was questioning the strange cat spirit, but Randir was having none of it.

"...A woman is coming. You MUST NOT speak to her! Do you understand? Say nothing! Nothing at all!"

She could guess what woman this was that Randir was talking about, and she hurried to wake Irisanno. His knowledge was ancient enough, that he could answer through her if Randir did not succeed. Turning back towards the others, she saw the woman enter the grove. In the physical world she would be accounted beautiful, though in a way that seemed almost twisted. In the spiritual world though.... Úcenite couldn't help but gasp as she looked at the creatures spirit. Black was not the color for it, for the darkness of her spirit seemed to eat at the light around her. In this sacred grove - one of the most ancient and magical of the remaining Nóla places in this world - she dared tread here, and attempt to use her powers.

Ignoring Randir’s warning, Úcenite opened her mouth to speak to the creature, for anger filled her at the audacity of her evil in this beautiful place. A sharp bump against her back and Iri's voice speaking to her brought her back to sanity.

"There is no need to endanger yourself, and me Melme. Not when there is one willing to put herself in that danger and fully able to deal with its repercussions."

She turned her head to look in his eyes and smile her apology when a movement caught her eye. Turning more, she saw the ugly scales of a large beady-eyed lizard. She saw that it had almost reached Leafy. Horrified and unthinking, she ripped her dagger out of its sheath. Before she could launch it at the creature, another dagger flew through the air, and pinned it to the ground. Úcenite looked at Randir with no little admiration as the cat spirit turned back to Sserecros. There was much training necessary to be able to throw a dagger like that, and with that ease.

As the testing continued between the two, Úcenite grew more and more tense. Something about the woman’s spirit was changing, and it was reflected even in the physical realm. She was not the only one to notice this, and she heard, with shock, Giliath begin to speak towards the creature. Quickly cut off by Randir, Giliath fell into silence, but the woman seized on what she saw as an opportunity to defeat those in the grove. Again, Randir held her off, but this time there were more dire consequences. With a great cry, Sserecros lept into the air, transforming into a crow. Just as quickly, Lily had an arrow flying from her bow, and Randir had lept after the bird. Except Randir had transformed herself as well. With claw and teeth the cat attacked the bird, tearing at its wings, and finally, both fell to the ground. Úcenite could not tell if the scream came from cat or crow or both. Where the bird lay still, the cat limped away, sick from the blood of the creature, and sorely wounded. Shifting back into human form, she turned and looked at the Blade Runners

"...hear me speak?"

the words flowed over Úcenite as she surveyed the damage done to the woman. When Lily shot her a questioning glance though, she shook her head.

"I can't heal her kind. I have never healed one such as her."

She thought she actually could heal Randir, but in healing a spirit creature like that, the bond formed could very well be as strong as the bond Úcenite held with Irisanno. It could, in fact, be stronger. She was not willing to take the risk. Especially when other healers were near, and ones who did not have to worry about bonds being formed.

Turning away, Úcenite went to take care of the bodies of the lizard and the bird. Irisanno helped her as she stacked wood around the reptile. Then, with a small amount of the precious oil she carried with her, she set fire alight. Lily would no doubt be better for this job. A spirit started fire would be much more effective, but this would have to do for now. The oil was blessed, and hopefully the lifeforce contained within it would be effective at containing the evil that threatened to seep from the dead creature. The natural defences of the grove would take care of the rest.

With that finished, and the fire blazing high, Úcenite moved to take care of the crow as well. With an armful of wood and a blazing torch to start, she walked over to where the bird had fallen.

It was gone.
Giliath wrote:
Giliath stood a pace behind Lily staring at the newly arrived Randir. The strange woman had always seemed calm and collected even after the chase into the grove and Giliath was almost astonished to see the nervous energy in her motions and the unsteady tilt of her voice. She watched every little movement listened to every intake of breath trying to guess if Randir was lying or telling less of the truth then she could, but there was nothing to read, nothing save fear and urgency.

Lily, however, was not satisfied. She continued to refuse Randir’s warnings. She stood with her feet planted hand resting on the hilt of her scissors. Giliath could see her fingers tense on the blades with every argument. "I’ve said there is no time!" Randir yelled coming to her last weapon. "If you would see your Healer again, do as I say!" Lily’s knuckles went white on the hilt of her blades.

Giliath took a step back keeping her eyes on Lily and walked backwards towards the horses. If they were outmatched then the horses were their only chance. She knew she had to wait. She seemed to always be waiting now.

The horses had gathered together in a tight knot. All their heads were down and they pawed nervously at the ground. Every so often one would throw up their head in alarm only to burry it down with the others again. Giliath grabbed all of the horses’ leads and ordered them as best she could. They pulled and fought against her grip, but seemed comforted to have someone between them and the edge of the trees where Randir stood. They stared around Giliath standing firm in front of them at the shadows beneath the branches and shivered beneath a coat a fresh sweat. Giliath could smell it’s acrid tang rising as they pushed and shuffled for position behind her. Only Úcenite’s horse and the new steed seemed at all calm where they stood a little a part from the others.

Giliath held the leads tightly in her palm, her hand down at her side. She could feel the fear rising from them as she stood silently staring at the trees herself. Celebsul pushed his way up to Giliath’s side and nudge her with his mussel. She tore her eyes away from Randir and the trees and placed one hand on each side of the horse’s head. A rustle sounded in the leaves. A twig snapped. Celebsul’s head shifted in her hands. Giliath’s brow furrowed. She’d been here before. Her father and Celebsul in the clearing behind their house. She was young. He was lifting her up. She kissed Celebsul’s nose. There was a noise in the woods. She was on his back. A wolf. Father told her to stay. He left. The sound of an arrow. He came back with blood on his hands.

The memory coursed through her mind, but she was dimly aware of a strange voice on the edge of hearing. The wolf. Celebsul nudged her again, but this time his nose touched the scissors at her side. She drew them from her belt and turned to see a woman all in black speaking with Randir. Celebsul tossed his head at her. The wolf. The woman glanced back at her. Giliath’s eyes cleared. "You’re not human!" She screamed. "Who are you?"

The woman turned towards Giliath a cruel and knowing smile spreading across her lips as she pointed at her. Giliath realized her mistake and fell silent letting Randir speak, but she couldn’t turn away from the eyes of the woman or was it something behind them. The rest went by in a flash. The fight. The sound of Lily’s bow and before she knew it she had Randir in her arms settling her to a tree stump. There was blood on Giliath’s hands.

Giliath came back to her senses. The others were milling about gathering things from the horses or boiling water. Satch was rummaging in her cloak. Giliath knelt at Randir’s side and put as much pressure as she could on her wounds. Blood trickled down her arm and dripped onto the grass in tiny torrents. Randir looked down at her and smiled weakly. Giliath knew she had saved her, saved them all and she felt useless trying to stop the flow of blood.

Lily stepped towards them. Her body blocked the light of the young sun and cast a grey shadow over Randir’s face. Giliath jumped up with Leafy at her side fearing some violence, but Lily waved them down. "Sit down, everyone. It is very important that we listen to her." She said. Giliath glanced at Randir who gave her the slightest of nods before Lily continued. " I think that our lives may depend on it. Do you have the strength to continue?"

Giliath ignored Randir’s reply and bounded back over to her horse. She pulled away a piece of dirtied cloth tied around his leads and frantically tried to wipe the blood off her hands. The cloth stained a dull red, but her hands were still wet with crimson. A fire sprang up behind her. Her hands wouldn’t come clean. The memory came back to her and her father’s hands blazed up in her mind. The fire spurted ad flashed. She rubbed at her hands as her father lifted her off Celebsul’s back. The light blazed. A hand fell in her shoulder and she wheeled around to see satch standing behind her and a fire blazing nearly out of control. The others seemed not to notice and were gathered around Randir.

"Are you alright?" she asked looking back at the blaze.

Giliath shot a glance at the fire took a deep breath to calm herself. The blaze died down. "I’m fine," she said as emotionless as she could manage. "I’ll be there in a minute."

Satch took one last look at the fire and turned back to the others. Giliath closed her eyes and tried to clear her head. Randir’s voice drifted over the crackle of the fire. Giliath threw the cloth into the blaze and followed after satch.
Leafy wrote:
Throughout the night’s storm, Leafy had lain quiet in the tree hollow, unable to pick any one thought out of the thousands cascading through her mind. Confusion fused with vulnerability and melded with terror, and curiosity interlaced them both to leave her with a fearful longing, and a sense of utter isolation. No one had seemed to notice anything about the way she was feeling, and the only person who could know something was Úcenite, and she had taken no notice of Leafy at all since they arrived in the glade.

It was the still hour before dawn, and the storm had died away, but Leafy felt anything but calm. Despite her best efforts to sleep, her brain was spinning in dizzying circles, catching her up in its whirlwind ride of whys and hows, tearing at her mind until she believed she would either go insane, or die.

And suddenly, amid the screaming, the whispering, and the cloudy visions, a light shone. Like an ethereal gem it glimmered in the darkness, and Leafy groped her way towards it, feeling blindly with her hands. The voices pressed in on all sides, clinging to her, holding her back, but she broke free, and ran towards the light, clasping her hand around it…

And suddenly, all was still. She whipped around, her hand on her scissors, fearing some new devilry, but there was only grey swirling blankness… and a familiar looking horse.

"Hello, Leafy," it said, clear as daylight, only the voice sounded directly into her ear, but the horse was standing several yards away. She gasped and jumped away, trembling.

"W, William? But you, you were…" she trailed off, familiar pangs stabbing at her stomach.

If horses could smile, Leafy swore this one would have. "I am not William," said the voice kindly.

"Then who are you? How are you talking to me?" she cried shrilly, backing away further. For a few seconds she seriously considered the possibility that she had lost her mind. Who in their right mind could believe they were speaking to a horse?

"You are not mad Leafy. I-"

Leafy jumped again. "How can you read my mind?" she demanded.

"I am not William but William’s father." When Leafy still stared at him blankly, he sighed and stepped forward a few paces. "I see we have much to talk about-" He stopped suddenly and his ears twitched. "But that must tarry awhile, it is time for us to go back."

"Go back? But where are we?"

He smiled again. "Come over here and touch my mane."

Leafy stepped cautiously towards him and laid her hand on the shining black hair. "Where are we?" she repeated fearfully.

"Halfway." he smiled.

There was a rushing of warm wind past Leafy’s ears, and then he world gave a sudden lurch, turning her stomach. She stumbled and was surprised to find her hands hitting soft earth as she broke her fall. Scrambling to her feet, she gazed about, breathing hard, and found herself still in the ash grove.

"It was a dream," she thought thankfully, but a slight whinnying from behind her confirmed that her optimism was merely wishful thinking. The same low, kind voice spoke in her ear:

"Help your friend."

"How are you still speak-" she began aloud, but the horse cut her off.

"Shh! Go to her now, and don’t look at me."

Reluctantly, she peered around the clearing, and spied Satch tending a fire. A pungent, unnerving odour of both burning flesh and sweet herbs assailed her nostrils, and she wondered dully what had happened while she was having one of the most unusual experiences of her life. Moving over to Satch, she knelt and began adding logs mechanically to the fire that was now heating a pot of Satch’s special powders. Her friend caught her eye, and stared at her questioningly, but she gave only a weak smile and looked away. Instead, she watched the pot start to give out green sparks, deliberately ignoring Satch until at last she heard her footsteps moving away.
Bree379 wrote:
Curled up inside the hollow of the tree, Bree felt a false sense of security against the howling storm. The darkness around her was suffocating, but after a while, in the far distance, she could make out a faint light. It seemed to be approaching the clearing from the depths of the dark forest maze, and soon it was within reach. Bree watched as Giliath grasped someone or something, and, almost beyond hearing, Bree heard Giliath murmur, "Lily," and then pull in their wet and shaking friend.

As Bree had expected, Lily wasn't alone, but she was accompanied not only by Randir, but also by Úcenite. Although Bree had a secure enough trust in Randir, something about Úcenite seemed almost wrong. Bree couldn't put her finger on it, but she knew the woman had not yet earned her trust. As Bree looked casually at Úcenite, she reached an epiphany- she hated this woman. Suddenly, and without reason, Bree was filled with an uncontrollable feeling of rage. Purely upon instinct, Bree's hand flew to her scissors. She heard words, but they were muffled by the roaring in her ears. She lunged at Úcenite, the blades of her scissors flashing in the lightning. Pulling Úcenite's head back, she held the blades to her throat. The roaring was growing louder, to the point where Bree couldn't even think. She wasn't herself. Voices filled her head-angry, hurtful voices that scared her and froze her mind. A bright light shone in her eyes pulling her from within the depths of her head, and shocked by the absurdity of the present situation, Bree relaxed, her hands falling limply by her sides. Úcenite backed away, her eyes flashing.

Bree couldn't understand what had just happened. The remnants of the intense hate she had just felt simmered her blood, but she no longer felt the urge to kill Úcenite. It was as if she had been feeling another's emotions. She gripped her scissors tightly, trying to find comfort from the cold metal. Just then, Úcenite reached for Bree's blades, and she raised them threateningly, although this time with no ill intentions. Úcenite pulled her hand back, and Bree sheathed her scissors, staring harshly at Úcenite. Never before had she felt such emotions.

She turned, not wanting to look into those eyes which unleashed this unknown force. Her tired eyes met a much more welcome site. Lily had somehow conjured up a warm fire, and Bree set about gathering more wood. As the fire was blazed steadily, the group gathered around the warmth. Úcenite sat first, and Bree sat as far away as possible; unfortunately, this meant she was across from Úcenite, meaning she had to stare into those eyes. She cringed and looked away once again, staring at the embers from the fire as though they were a new found miracle. Úcenite spoke, so softly that Bree felt a pang of guilt for her emotions towards the woman.

"I'm sorry, it's just so strange- the same spirit inhabits both your blades and mine."

Bree looked upward again, catching Úcenite's eye. The same rage boiled within her, despite the feelings of goodwill she had just experienced towards the woman. It was both confusing and frustrating, and Bree did not want to deal with it anymore. She arose from the fire and turned her back to the group. Spreading her cloak on the ground, and she attempted to get some sleep.

Rocks and pebbles jabbed uncomfortably into Bree's shoulder. Trying to remedy the situation, she arose and lifted her cloak. She swept a pile of pine needles into a makeshift mattress, and finally settled into a semi comfortable position. But nothing would be comfortable at the moment. Ever since the incident with Úcenite, Bree's headache had grown worse and worse. The roaring still filled her mind, and was now accompanied by nausea and an overall feeling of foreboding. Somehow, she drifted into a fitful slumber in which dark shapes approached and then retreated, always just out of reach of her scissors.

Suddenly, another pounding filled Bree's mind, louder than the roaring, and louder than the voices in her dream. She awoke with a start, and stared wide eyed at the scene before her. The horses had returned, but there was one extra. They were obviously distraught, neighing and pawing at the ground, and one appeared to be injured. Bree watched as Leafy miraculously healed the horse, but she was having trouble focusing on things beyond the unending roaring. Feeling the situation was under control, Bree laid down her head, hoping more sleep would cause the roaring to cease.

Just moments later, she was awoken by the return of Randir. She was shaking Bree roughly, ordering her to awake. Bree consented to Randir’s request, which was followed by warnings that someone was coming... someone they could not talk to. She felt like a child again, being warned not to speak to strangers, but being much too overwhelmed to argue, Bree decided to follow Randir's directions.

Over the roaring and intense pain from the headache, Bree observed another odd woman joining their company in the clearing. An exchange occurred between Randir and the woman, but Bree could now hear nothing over the roaring. She sensed that Lily was going to act, and although Bree hardly knew what was going on, she knew that Randir had ordered them to say nothing. Bree dug her fingers into Lily's arm, and when her friend rounded on her she merely shook her head.

In the next few moments a series of events developed that bewildered Bree. Intermingled with the howling inside Bree's head, she heard screams of pain. The whole blur ended with a huge crow lying dead in the clearing. Although the loud jumble inside Bree's head was still there, it was softer, and she could finally hear her friends talking.

The group arranged themselves around the fire, prepared to discuss what had just happened and what it meant for the immediate future. The headache was still there, but feeling it was a strong sign of weakness Bree decided to keep it to herself. Certainly it was going away, and with all that was going on it seemed it was the least of everyone's worries. Bree sensed that there was more than she knew going on, and she hoped that during this meeting perhaps a few things could be cleared up. Rubbing her temples lightly, Bree situated herself on the log, preparing herself for the worst.
Ladykat wrote:
Randir couldn’t remember the last time she had been this tired. Her wounds were not life threatening, but due to her hunger, thirst and exhaustion, the pain seemed more intense, almost overwhelmingly so. She wanted to change to cat, to find cool water to quench her burning thirst, to lick her wounds, curl up on soft warm grass and sleep. She swayed on her feet, and Giliath and Leafy rushed forward to catch her and ease her down onto a tree stump. The one called Satch was pulling small pouches of herbs and powders out of her pack, and the others were stirring up the fire, and putting water on to boil.

With an almost detached interest, Randir watched Úcenite prepare to burn the body of the lizard. First she pulled Randir’s dagger free, and careful not to let the foul creatures blood touch her, wiped the blade with a bit of cloth. Then she threw the cloth on the wood piled around the lizard and set the whole thing ablaze.

Randir kept rinsing her mouth and spitting out the water. Her thirst was raging, but she would not swallow until she was sure no more of the poisonous blood remained. As she was raising the flask to her lips yet again, Satch stopped her.

"Wait!" Taking the flask, Satch poured a small amount of powder into the remaining water, swirled it around to mix it, and handed it back to Randir. "Here, try this."

Randir took a mouthful, rinsed and spat once again. It worked. The blood taste was gone. Somewhat taken aback, Satch said, "Ahhhh…you’re supposed to swallow it. It will help strengthen you."

She looked so perplexed that Randir nearly laughed out loud. Smiling at Satch, she said, "Yes, I know. And I will. My thanks." With that, she drained the flask in one long, satisfying swallow. Sliding off the stump she leaned back against it and held out her flask. "Might I have more water, please?"

The Blade Runners exchanged uneasy glances. Leafy spoke up, "There isn’t any more. We were going to refill our water skins at the first stream we could find."

Taking deep, even breaths, Randir closed her eyes. Whatever Satch had put into the boiling water, the fragrance was helping drive away her exhaustion. Opening her eyes, she saw Satch kneel beside her with a wet cloth, and hesitate. "I need to wash your wounds," Satch said, "but your tunic…. shouldn’t we….or you…take it off?"

"No," Randir replied. "Wash over it thoroughly, then push the edges of the wounds together and bind them securely." Wincing a little as Satch began her ministrations; Randir fixed her gaze on Giliath. She had noticed how the young woman had been almost frantic to wipe the blood off her hands, and she had seen how the fire had blazed up until Giliath had brought herself under control. Another aspect of her power was making itself manifest.

"As for water," Randir spoke directly to Giliath, "there is an underground stream that runs very near the surface here. You can bring it to the surface if you will. I suggest you try there where the ground slopes slightly, and that large flat rock forms a natural basin. That way the horses can drink before we leave. And the grove will be glad of the stream. It will make up for the blight we leave upon it." As they stared at her, uncomprehending, Úcenite pointed to where the body of the lizard burned.

"Nothing will ever grow on that spot again," Úcenite said, as she knelt down and placed Randir’s dagger on her lap.

"My thanks, Dreamer. This blade is a part of me. It wants cleansing," Randir said, and tried to reach the pot of water Satch had used to bathe her wounds. Whatever herbs the young healer had used they had stopped the bleeding and the pain, and Randir knew it would also wash all traces of that evil creature from her dagger.

"HOLD STILL!" Satch exploded, as she tried to tie strips of cloth around Randir’s shoulder. "I can’t get this bandaged properly if you keep moving!"

Grinning slightly, Lily dipped a fresh cloth into the water, and she and Úcenite helped Randir clean the dagger. Giliath, who had been silent and unmoving, suddenly burst out.

"Me? Bring water? From underground? How…..I can’t……"

"You can," Randir interrupted. "You know the water is there, you can feel it. Bring it to you. You may be untried in the other elements, but you have fair control over water. Although I do see you are gaining mastery over fire as well," she said encouragingly. "To start a fire with a wet tree branch is no small feat."

"That was Lily" Giliath snapped, and Randir stopped, completely astonished. TWO Elementalists? In the same small group of people? True, they were untried and untrained, but still! Randir’s mind raced. If she could help them realize their power, they may yet stand a chance against the enormous evil they faced.

Giliath was still protesting, and Randir lost all patience. "Bring the water, or we go thirsty." she said coldly, "but go we must, and soon. We have tarried here too long."

Giliath stomped off, and Randir turned to Úcenite and Leafy. "You must ask permission to ride," she said. "If ever the need was great, it is now."

Úcenite nodded, but Leafy looked baffled.. "Ask who?" she demanded. "I don’t need anyone’s permission to ride my own horse!"

Randir shot a glance at Úcenite, who shrugged. "There’s been no time to explain, so much has happened," the Dreamer said. Randir sighed. "Tis better she ride her old mount then," she replied as she got slowly to her feet. The Blade Runners were exchanging looks of complete bewilderment, when they heard a sudden surprised yelp, followed by the sound of splashing water. Looking defiant, triumphant, and altogether pleased, Giliath marched back to the group carrying a full water skin.

Lily grinned. "Well, we won’t go thirsty." Turning to Randir, she said, "I think there is a lot you could tell us…teach us, yes?" Randir nodded, and Lily continued, "But it’s not safe for us here anymore, so explanations will have to wait. Where will you lead us?"

Randir looked surprised. " I? I lead you nowhere child. 'Tis for you to lead us."

As Lily stared at her in amazement, Randir continued. "The evil you face would have you believe that things like love, loyalty, friendship and compassion are weaknesses. There are times when such things can be used against you, but more often than not they are the source of your greatest strength."

As she was speaking, Randir went to Lily and touched her lightly on the shoulder.

"You know the way. Follow your Healer. Follow your heart."
LilyRoseTook wrote:
Lily could feel a sense of urgency like she had never known, before. She had been totally taken aback when Randir had told her that it was up to her to lead these young Blade Runners. Maybe she had known all along that she would have to take on this responsibility, but she had not wanted to accept it. Her choices so often went amiss that she feared that she would only be adding unnecessary danger. Yet, she knew that they would all trust her, without question, and that was terrifying to her. Regardless of how she felt, this was no time to have doubts about her abilities. If they did not leave immediately, their mission would fail.

Lily took a deep breath, and then realized that Bree was still clinging to her, almost like a lost child. She feared that Bree might be ill, but there wasn't time to find out. She simply had to lead Bree to her horse and help her mount it, as Leafy, Giliath and Úcenite hid the last vestiges of their campsite.

Within minutes, they were all ready. The sun was climbing quickly into the sky and fluffy, white clouds were chasing each other as though playing hide and seek. The beauty of the day belied how Lily was feeling inside, as she sensed the path that she needed to take. She knew how to get there, but she had no idea of where she was going, or what they were going to find once they got there.
Lily had seen a fleeting vision of Sirius...his eyes were sunken and wild, and his robes were tattered, as he plunged into the dark unknown....She was afraid of what was at the end of the path. Time was running short for Giliath's father, but her heart could not be swayed.

Forcing her mind back to reality, she realized that they had long left the grove behind, and the trees were begininning to thin, revealing emerald green grass as far as the eye could see. None of them had been this way, before. As the silent group passed a few large oak trees, Lily could see a shining object in the grass. Without thinking, she reigned her horse, suddenly, and ran over to the tree, as the others stared at her, none of them daring to speak.
She caught her breath, sharply, as she turned around to face them, holding Sirius' scissors in her hands.
Giliath wrote:
Giliath stood a part form the group with her arms crossed across her chest watching satch tend to Randir. She noticed every little movement every twitch of her friend’s fingers, but she felt strangely detached form the whole scene, almost as if she were looking down on it all from a high window above the grove and it felt like someone was watching her too. She felt a strange prickle on the back of her neck. She ignored it as best she could, but finally gave in and turned around only to see the fire burning steadily behind her. It licked and twisted around the body of the lizard with an astounding ferocity. She thought it almost felt hungry.

Giliath turned away from the blaze and tried to put it out of her mind, but all she did was of little use. She could still feel it and even see it licking behind her eyes if even the slightest thought of it intruded into her mind. But there was something else now warring with the fire. It was slower and deeper, rolling beneath thought, but it was there and just as strong as the flame. Giliath rubbed at her temples trying to sort out what she was feeling when Randir’s voice drifted into her mind, but again it seemed distant and far below her. She heard every word that was spoken, but none of them seemed to penetrate the feud warring in her consciousness.

"As for water," Randir said, "there is an underground stream that runs very near the surface here. You can bring it to the surface if you will. I suggest you try there where the ground slopes slightly, and that large flat rock forms a natural basin. That way the horses can drink before we leave. And the grove will be glad of the stream. It will make up for the blight we leave upon it."

Giliath made no response. Her hands had dropped to her sides and she stood looking blankly at the ground. The fire blazed up in her mind again and the other power with it. A flame danced before her eyes and raged into a brilliant light until it suddenly collapsed and died. The fire snapped out of her mind as quickly as if a candle had been snuffed and suddenly she found herself back on the solid ground of the grove. Randir’s words suddenly slammed into her as if they had just been said.

"Me? Bring water? From underground? How…..I can’t……" she burst out. Using her power at all took tremendous concentration, concentration she knew she couldn’t muster right now. She wanted to explain all of that to Randir, but the woman interrupted her.

"You can," she said. "You know the water is there, you can feel it. Bring it to you. You may be untried in the other elements, but you have fair control over water." Giliath crossed her arms over her chest again and planted one foot in front of her. Why did it feel like she was arguing with her mother over a reading lesson she didn‘t want to learn? Maybe she could feel the water, but there was no way she could bring it to the surface. "Although I do see you are gaining mastery over fire as well," Randir continued. "To start a fire with a wet tree branch is no small feat."

"That was Lily" Giliath snapped and seeing the astonished look on her face realized it was good ammunition.
"You may know more about this sort of power then me," Giliath said harshly, "but I know my own strength and I can’t do this right now. If you can’t seem to understand that then…………."

"Bring the water, or we go thirsty," Randir interrupted sharply. Giliath opened her mouth as if she was going to say something, but she said nothing and bit her lip. There was no arguing with that. They would go thirsty but still she couldn’t bring the water up. She knew she couldn’t. It didn’t matter what Randir said there was no way she could do it. Fine, she could try and then when she couldn’t it would just prove Randir wrong. She turned on her heals and stomped off in the direction Randir had indicated

She pushed her way between the trees until the group had disappeared between the smooth trunks of the ash. This is ridiculous, she kept saying to herself. I know I won’t be able to do this. This is ridiculous.

Soon Giliath found what she was looking for. A large flat rock stood planted in the ground directly in front of her. It looked strangely out of place beneath the trees as if it had fallen off the back of a road builder’s cart. Giliath stepped up onto its smooth surface and planted her feet shoulder width apart. She cracked the knuckles on her right hand and extended it towards the ground. Nothing happened. "I knew this was useless," she said looking down at her outstretched finger. She shook her head and laughed bitterly. "Raise and entire stream or we go thirsty, but I can’t concentrate enough to walk straight!" Giliath dropped her hand to her side and closed her eyes. I’m always useless just when I’m needed the most, she thought. A stream? She could have very well asked for the ocean right now! A stream? The image of the river she had stopped by before she met Randir popped into her head. The water rolled past her vision and tripped and trickled over the stones in it’s path making a varied music that flooded through her mind. But suddenly the river disappeared fading into darkness and there was nothing but the slow rolling sound of its passage, but soon that changed too into something deeper more remote. Giliath focused on the sound. It grew in her mind until she could hear nothing else. The pitch slowly began to change until it was lighter and clearer and danced within the confines of her mind. It raised itself into a dizzying height until it was too much and it spilled out of her and flowed about her feet.


Giliath’s eyes shot open and she stared down at the ground beneath her. Water was streaming around her boots and glistening in a winding course in front of her that made it‘s way perfectly around the trees and back to her companions. She didn’t’ know whether or not to laugh or scream. All she managed to do was shake her head. "Mother was always right too," she said. She filled a water skin and marched back to the group in wet boots.
Ladykat wrote:
Cautiously Randir poked her head out from the folds of material that made up the sling in which she rode. The rhythmic movement of the horse had stopped, causing her to wake, instantly alert. Peering around Bree’s arm, she saw a broad swath of green grass and very few trees.

To save time and confusion when they left the grove, Randir had had the Blade Runners fold one of their spare shirts into a sling like arrangement. She had insisted that she was too tired to ride horseback in human form, saying she would probably first fall asleep and then fall off the horse. She did need sleep, but she had an ulterior motive---she wanted to stay as close as possible to Bree.

The Mind Toucher had been acting strangely lost and frightened, clinging to Lily. When she handed Randir her refilled water flask, their fingers had briefly touched, and Randir could feel the evil forces that were assailing the young woman’s mind. She thought perhaps she might be able to help block out some of the darkness, but for that she needed to be in close proximity. Gently laying her hand on Bree’s arm, she told them she would travel better if she changed to cat, and ask if Bree would mind carrying her. Maybe she felt the darkness recede a little at Randir’s touch, or maybe she just wanted to be close to another living being, but whatever the reason Bree agreed.

Bree knelt down, and the sling was placed over her right shoulder so that it hung down on her left side. Randir changed to cat, then waited while Satch quickly readjusted the bandages before stepping into the sling. Lily then helped Bree mount her horse, and they rode out.

Randir dug her claws into the material as the sling bounced and swayed alarmingly, until Bree pulled it around so it hung more in front than at her side. She also placed her left arm underneath to help steady it. Randir relaxed, and retracted her claws. She did need sleep, a healing sleep untroubled by bad dreams. With a deep, throbbing, vibrant purr, she fixed her mind firmly on happy memories of her younger days. Soft, starry nights as she and the other kits would run and tumble, racing up and down trees as the moonlight sang in their blood. Chasing brightly colored butterflies over lush, green meadows, or sleeping in bright, warm sunlight with that total relaxation that only a cat can achieve.

She focused strongly, hoping Bree would pick up on these images and dispel the fell voices that clouded her mind. Randir felt the tension slowly leave the Blade Runners body, and, just before sleep overtook her, she felt Bree’s arm tighten, holding her secure.

But now they had stopped. Randir watched as Lily dismounted, and ran to pick up some object from the ground. Feeling something lightly stroke the top of her head, she looked up to see Bree, chagrined, quickly drop her hand. If a cat could be said to smile, Randir did as she projected her thoughts at Bree.

"I don’t believe we will reach our destination before nightfall. We need to find a place to stop for the night, and we need food. Will you tell the Hunter?"
LilyRoseTook wrote:
The sun was climbing higher in the sky, and the whether had become sticky as the moisture from the previous nights storm was evaporating. Lily had not yet gotten over the shock and horror that she had felt when she had found Sirius' scissors.
Something had happened in that grove; something evil. As she had taken a minute to look around, she had seen flecks of blood in the grass and several mutilated tree stumps....and a small piece of black material that could only have come from his robe...Sirius had been there, not many hours before. She could not even guess what evil may have befallen him.
Úcenite had to drag her back to her horse, because all could feel a sense of foreboding. If they had stayed, whatever had taken Sirius would be back for them, too.
"Lily..." She heard a small voice behind her, which forced her to bring her mind back to the present.
Lily checked her horse and looked behind her to see Bree at her shoulder.
"Lily..." her voice was stronger, this time, and whatever had been tormenting her mind seemed to have left her. "We are hungry and tired. We need to stop, soon."
Unless Lily was very much mistaken, she saw Bree stroking the cat's head that was next to her. She found it almost hard to believe that Randir would allow anybody to pet her.
She realized that none of them had eaten since the previous day, and felt a pang of hunger in her own stomach. In her haste to be moving, she had not even thought about eating.
Seeing a shady grove of trees nearby, she swung off of her horse, and allowed to Leafy to lead the good beast to a nearby stream, along with the others for water.
In her own saddle bag, there was some dried fruit and bread, but not enough for all of them. Picking up her bow, she hoped to be able to shoot a couple of rabbits or other small game while the others relaxed in the cool shade.
Giliath, seeing what Lily intended on doing, immediately followed.
"You could use some company." She said.
Although Lily guessed that there was some other motivation behind it, she gratefully accepted her friends offer.
Giliath wrote:
Giliath had slowly inched Celebsul forward form the back of the group. She had assigned herself as rearguard galloping a way behind the others, lost in her own thoughts. Lily had been at the front of the pack the whole time leading them at a good pace over the plains and seemed not to notice that Giliath had fallen behind. Celebsul covered the distance with a short spurt of extra speed and moved stealthily between the other horses at Giliath’s urging until she was riding directly behind Lily. Whether the others had noticed the move or just didn’t care made little difference to her. She sat staring at the back of Lily’s head and fiddling with Celebsul’s leads.

Soon Giliath didn’t notice anything beyond the rider in front of her. The land rolling by beneath Celebsul’s hooves barely came into her mind she didn’t make any effort to direct the horse unless he strayed away from the leader. Then she would pull him back always inching a bit closer to Lily until the two horses were nearly touching. Celebsul almost collided with Lily’s mount when she suddenly halted and swung out of her saddle. Someone had said something about food. Lily was going on the hunt.

"You could use some company," Giliath said hastily jumping from Celebsul’s back. She collected her bow and quiver and followed after Lily.

The two walked together in silence beneath the trees. Lily kept her head down scanning the ground as Giliath strode a pace behind her following the slightest movement with interest. Despite the heat Giliath had thrown her hood over her face so that her eyes were hidden beneath a mask of shadow. Every so often Lily would stop and pear back only to find her friend already waiting behind, her eyes bright beneath her hood.

Lily went forward silently despite the debris that littered the ground always with her head bowed. There was no noise beyond the regular hum of day and Lily was startled to hear Giliath’s voice behind her. She had been oddly quiet since the glade.

"You’re thinking about him aren’t you?" she said.

"What?"

"Sirius," Giliath answered as if the point was obvious. "You were thinking about him."

Lily stopped and looked back at her friend. Something about the way she spoke was rather disconcerting, despite how insightful her guess had been, but she could catch none of Giliath’s expression under the shadow of her hood.

"Yes," Lily said turning back to her task and avoiding Giliath’s eye, "I was."

Giliath followed behind Lily fingering her bow. "I know you were," she said. "You are always thinking about him. I can tell."

Lily crouched down to examine a print on the ground. The wind picked up for the first time that morning.

"I know you can find him Lily," she said pacing behind her friend. "If anyone could it would be you. It really only matters that we find him now and quickly after what we saw before."

Lily stayed on the ground with her back to Giliath pretending to move the twigs and blades of grass out of the way for a better look at the print she’d found. She could feel the grass behind her moving under Giliath’s feet.

"It only matters that we find him," she said again a little louder. "He could be in real danger. We should pick up the pace if the others can manage it, cover more ground in each day so we can get to him sooner."

Lily got up and turned around. "I’m sure they can manage it."

"Yes, yes, I’m sure they can," Giliath said barely letting Lily finish her sentence. "We’ll find him."

Lily nodded and went silently forward. She didn’t know what else to say. There was a strange urgency in Giliath’s voice, something Lily had never heard from her before. She thought it sounded oddly masked and deliberately expressionless. She knew there was something else behind her friend’s words and she thought she could guess what it was.

Giliath said nothing more, but once or twice Lily could have sworn she heard her mumbling something under her breath, but when she turned she only saw the gleam of Giliath’s eyes looking back at her. They returned to the group with a couple of rabbits and small birds.
Úcenite-Melme wrote:
Úcenite watched Lily and Giliath leave the group with a sense of foreboding. Almost, she rose to follow them, but a niggling doubt in her mind made her pause, and within a few moments, they were gone. The girl, Leafy, came to her then, and began asking questions, so she settled back down to answer them as best she could. The tension in the camp was thick, but all did their best to ignore it at least for the length of a hunt and a meal.

If Úcenite thought that her feelings of foreboding would leave her when Lily and Giliath returned, she was sorely mistaken. The food was tasteless in her mouth, and she had to force it down, even as the others in the group ate it as if a feast. Frustrated, she rose and went to Irisanno.

"Do you feel it?" she used private thought, not wanting Leafy or Randir to hear her.

"No Melme, but I sense some deep danger from you. What is it that you feel?" His voice in her mind blocked out some of the terror that she was beginning to feel.

"I don't know my darling, but I am very afraid. There is some danger out there, but I cannot see it clearly. I feel it all around us and among us one moment, the next behind us, and seemingly not at all. We are being watched, and I am terrified of what is waiting."

As she spoke to Iri, the others in the group began moving as if drugged. Though it was not yet noon, they lay down in their blankets as if it was night. All but Leafy, whose Companion kept nudging her, not allowing her to sleep. Turning, she saw them, and at the same time, awareness burst upon her mind like a dam breaking.

"No, do not sleep! Her voice rang shrill in the trees, but not near as loud as the scream of rage and pain that escaped from the cat form of Randir.

"They have broken my spell!" The cats spirit rang in her mind with panic. "They have broken my spell, and some power holds me in this form. I cannot shift and the Nóla are free!"

Bree held Randir close and watched Úcenite, confused. All of them were confused she realized, as she threw saddles on the horses.

"You would be as well, Melme, if you had not been directly speaking with me."

With a prayer of thanks for her luck, Úcenite grabbed Leafy, and threw her on the back of her Companion, with no thought or regard to the laws regarding such behavior. She was about to do the same with the rest of them, when she saw the puzzlement slowly leave their eyes - as if whatever had been possessing them was leaving them. Realizing that her haste must be for some reason, they scrambled onto their horses. Even Úcenite threw herself onto the back of Irisanno. All but Lily, who stood, gazing into the woods as though she was watching her world end.

What had been possessing them had not left them, she realized, it had simply concentrated its effort.

Lily gave a sudden cry, "SIRIUS!", jumped on her horse, and was galloping away before her feet had even truly left the ground. With a sharp oath, Giliath started after her, as did the others, but all slowed as the mist came up around them.

"NO!! Don't enter it!" It was Satch’s voice that echoed around them...

It was too late however - in their chase after Lily, they were moving to fast to avoid being swallowed by the thick white. Úcenite’s last sight was of Randir clawing at Bree's shoulder trying to get away from what they were riding into. To late. It was surrounding them completely now, and quickly closing in.

"I can be killed in there" Randir’s despairing voice faded in her mind as her sight faded in the fog.

She could see nothing, not even Irisanno’s back underneath her. She touched a finger to the tip of her nose, and could not see even that. The others could be within a few feet of her, and she couldn't even know. Anything, she realized, could be within a few inches of her, and she would never know. Shivering with sudden fear, she lay down on Iri's back, laying her head against his. Despite her inability to see, there seemed to be dark shapes moving in the mist around her.

Material world, half world, spirit world, dream world. Whatever this place was, it was neither one nor the other.

"You are not Sirius!"

Lily’s voice echoed disembodied through the fog, even as an evil chuckle sounded from a female throat, and Giliath cried out.

"Well, at least there are others besides us who are together"

Even as she sent the thought to Irisanno, the fog began to clear, just a little...

And before her stood her worst nightmare made real.

_________________

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Posted: Thu 17 Feb , 2005 4:18 am
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Ladykat wrote:
Carefully, Bree dismounted and gently lowered the sling to the ground. Fighting her way free of the enfolding fabric, Randir jumped out and stopped, watching anxiously as Lily walked toward the forest. She was about to yowl loudly, or send a thought projection to Bree, when she saw Giliath join Lily in the hunt. Somewhat reassured that none of them would be going off alone, she turned to see Bree sticking her fingers through the rents Randir had torn in the makeshift sling that had once been someone’s shirt. Trying not to smile, Bree shook her head in mock sorrow over the ruined cloth.

"I would have helped you out had you waited," she sighed.

Golden eyes fixed on Bree’s face; Randir read her emotions. For the moment, the young woman seemed to have blocked out the dark thoughts that had threatened to overwhelm her mind. Randir was glad, but she knew the Mind Toucher would need to work hard at building her mental defenses if she was to be successful in fighting this evil. Grinning inwardly, feigning contrition, Randir ducked her head, and projected her thoughts.

"OH! Oh, I’ve RUINED it! How shall I ever make amends?"

Bree burst out laughing, then just as suddenly stopped, clapping a hand over her mouth. She looked almost frightened, as though she had done something wrong.

"No!" Randir thought firmly, "No, you must never be afraid to laugh. There is a dangerous road and dark days ahead. Constant fear and tension will weaken you, and…." she broke off, and using her teeth, began to tug at the bandages on her shoulder and leg. "What I say should be heard by all. Kindly help me remove these."

Bree knelt down and began to unwrap the bandages, when Satch gave a yell of protest.

"Don’t take that off! She can’t be healed yet, those wounds were…….too deep," she finished weakly, staring at Randir. There was no sign of a wound. In silent amazement they watched as Randir stretched as only a cat can, working the stiffness from her muscles. Transforming to human, Randir flexed her shoulder, smiling at their astonished faces as they gaped at her, or more precisely at her tunic. Instead of rents and gashes, her leather tunic showed only fine white lines where the cuts had been. She knew they were wondering how leather could "heal" itself, but she wasn’t about to explain it to them now, if ever. The only one who seemed completely unsurprised was Úcenite.

"You are skilled, Healer," she said to Satch. "It was fortunate for me you had your herbs and powders at hand."

Shaking her head in disbelief, Satch mumbled something about her Grandmother telling her to always carry a bag of healing powder.

"A wise woman and a Wisewoman, your Grandmother," Randir replied. "She taught you well." Turning to the others, she missed the look that passed between Satch and Leafy. "Come. Start a fire. The hunters will return soon. We must eat and move on quickly, but I will tell you all I can in the time we have."

They had just gotten the fire burning nicely, when Lily and Giliath came back into the clearing. Looking somewhat surprised to see Randir back in human form and fully healed, Lily slowly handed her the birds she carried. Her expression said she wasn’t quite sure whether or not Randir was going to change back to cat and rip into the birds right then and there. As if reading her friend’s mind, Giliath grinned.

"It’s all right," she said to Lily, remembering her first meeting with Randir. "She’ll have them plucked and on a spit before you know it."

As the food was being prepared Randir was pleased to see Leafy and Úcenite engaged in a deep discussion. Whatever abilities the child possessed, she was better instructed in their use by one of her own. "One of her own?" The thought echoed in Randir’s mind. Was Leafy from Úcenite’s people? The girl could step into the Unseen, and she had certainly bonded with a companion, but.…

"What did you mean," Giliath’s voice broke into Randir’s musings, "when you said your dagger was a part of you?"

"So it is." Randir pulled the dagger from its sheath. "Forged at night, in the last rays of a full moon, by a smith, a Mageborn, one with the Talent to forge magic and metal as one. Seven drops of my blood went into it’s making," she continued, holding the dagger so the blade glinted copper-gold in the firelight----or was it the firelight? Leafy and Úcenite broke off their conversation and moved closer to hear. Running her fingers lightly over the blade, Randir swept them with her golden gaze.

"It can free or pierce a heart of stone."

"A what?" exclaimed Satch. "Heart of…..stone?" came a whisper from Bree. The blade flashed again in the firelight, and Randir continued. "There are evil beings who have the power to take physical form and walk in the human realm. These creatures hate mankind, and they will sometimes enslave humans by taking their hearts and imprisoning them in stone. The stone is then hidden among others. A human so enslaved cannot retrieve his own heart….if he goes near where it is hidden, he sickens, and dies in terrible agony. Their only hope is for another to find the stone that holds their heart and restore it to them. Only then will they be free."

"But how?" Giliath demanded, "How will the dagger free them?" Taut as a bowstring, she leaned forward, intent on Randir’s every word.

"Blood calls to Blood," Randir’s voice was low and intense. "If any of my kin were so enslaved, with this dagger I would be able to find the stone that imprisoned their heart, even though it be hidden among several thousand." She held the dagger out in front of her as though dowsing. "I would….feel it. I would know."

Giliath settled back, clutching something under her cloak. As she sheathed her dagger, Randir thought she caught a glimpse of metal through Giliath’s fingers, and her acute hearing caught the Blade Runner’s whisper:

"Blood calls to Blood"
LilyRoseTook wrote:
Lily listened intently to everything that Randir had said. She could feel guilt welling up inside of her as she thought of her own selfish quest….to find a love that had never returned hers and that was pulling her away from where she was truly needed. For the past few days, she had been unable to think of anything else. It had become an obsession. But Giliath’s father needed every bit of her meager skills.
Then, she felt as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She would miss Sirius, for a time, at least, but she needed to let go of him. If he wanted to, he would find his way back to her.
Randir’s golden eyes met hers.
"You make the right choice, Lily. The Healer needs to find his own way. Your friends need you here.."
Lily was startled.
"Have you been reading my mind?!"
"No, I don’t read your mind or anybody else’s. But, you are smiling, which you have never done before. Let’s say that I took an educated guess."
Lily was not quite satisfied with that response, but she didn’t think that she would get a better one in a hurry, so she simply sat down and finished eating.
Giliath was impatient to be moving on. She paced restlessly and had to be forced by Satch and Leafy to sit down and eat.
"Really, I am not hungry." she insisted, trying to pull herself away from them.
"We will not be stopping, again until nightfall, so it is now or never." Leafy said, as she stuffed a large piece of meat into Giliath’s still protesting mouth.
Before long, when everyone had finished eating and Bree had finished tending to the horses, they made ready to leave. As the last pieces of gear were being put away and the last vestiges of their campsite were being destroyed, Lily saw a movement in a not too distant grove of trees.
Without pausing to think, she swung onto her horse and rode towards the movement, telling herself that she was just going to quickly investigate.
"Lily!….stop….come back…." she heard the muffled voice of Bree projecting to her, but she couldn’t have turned around if she had wanted to. Whatever it was beckoned to her irresistibly…She had no power to pull away from it.
"Hey, let me go!" Lily shouted to thin air, knowing that it was useless.
A thick fog surrounded her. She could no longer sense her friends behind her, and Bree had been totally cut off from her.
Her horse gave a terrified whinny and then bolted, throwing her hard onto the ground.
Lily slowly pulled herself to her feet, and trying not to panic, looked around her. She saw nothing, but fog around her…..and the dragon.
Ladykat wrote:
Bree shifted uneasily. "You said pierce a heart of stone." You wouldn’t----someone who was enslaved----kill them?" She looked at Randir, appalled at such an idea.

"Of course not," Randir quickly reassured her. "But the evil ones, when they are in physical form, sometimes hide their hearts in stone as well. That way they cannot be truly killed unless one finds the stone, and then….well….."

"And your dagger could pierce the stone?" asked Lily.

"It could. As could any living blade." The Blade Runners exchanged startled glances, remembering Úcenite’s earlier remark about a ‘life-force’ inhabiting their scissors.

"But how?" demanded Lily. "How could these…these…evil things gain control over people to the point where they could remove someone’s heart?"

"Many ways. Sometimes," Randir said slowly, "they use questions and riddles."

Thunderstruck, all save Úcenite stared at her in horror as the import of her words sank in.

"You mean-----that bird woman-----she was…." Satch’s tone was shocked.

"But you killed her!" Bree turned to Randir. "You killed her and she burned the body….."
Her voice trailed away as she looked from Randir to Úcenite. Randir’s face was grave, and Úcenite was shaking her head.

"No," said Úcenite. "The crow’s body was gone before I could use the cleansing fire."

"Then there’s a chance we could meet her again," Giliath stated flatly.

"Mayhap." Randir did not seem overly concerned. "She tried to entrap us to gain favor with her mistress. She failed, and her mistress does not deal lightly with failure. Also, she told us things she shouldn’t, such as…" she shot a look at Giliath who was pacing restlessly…."where to find your father."

Giliath stopped, and whirled around. "She spoke in riddles---it was nonsense! The Unseen is Seen and Real is Unreal! And where," she said sarcastically, "are we to find such a place?"

Randir gave a faint smile, but her eyes were troubled. "It is closer than you know. Closer than I would like," she muttered, half to herself. Then loudly, "Listen to me! You all have Powers! You must stay together and use those powers. They will try to separate you; you must not let that happen. Together you are strong. You two" pointing at Lily and Giliath, "are Elementalists. Do you know what that means?"

"Not……exactly," came Lily’s slow reply. Randir gestured impatiently. "It means you have control over the elements. All elements. ALL ELEMENTS!" she spoke strongly, not giving them a chance to reply. "You will have one particular element where your control will be greater. Yours," addressing Giliath, "is water, and yours," to Lily, "fire. You must master your Talent."

"Easy for you to say," snapped Giliath, and "Can you teach us?" asked Lily.

"No," said Randir in a somewhat softer tone. "I am no Elementalist. I cannot say, ‘Do this, and this just so, and you will be masters of your power.’ But master them you must---or they will master you."

"That’s not really much help," Lily said bluntly, and was surprised to see Randir smile.

"When you first picked up a bow, were you the excellent shot you are now? Did you hit the target every time?" she asked Lily.

"Of course not!" Lily frowned. "I had to practice, and…..OH!" she broke off, seeing Randir’s smile widen. "Practice. Right. The more we use our, ahh, talents…"

"The more skilled you will become," Randir finished.
Ladykat wrote:
The Blade Runners sat quiet, trying to absorb everything Randir had told them. Giliath continued to pace, until Satch and Leafy forced her to sit down and take some food. Lily moved close to Randir and whispered, "Was Sirius…..enslaved? His heart in stone?"

"No," Randir said quietly, "the Healer has been……greatly misled. The road to his return will be long and difficult."

Lily sat back, her emotions playing across her face. Guilt, anger, fear, Randir ’felt’ each one in turn as Lily struggled with her thoughts. As she watched, the Hunter’s mood suddenly lightened, the tension left her, and she smiled. Obviously, she had made her decision. Relieved, Randir said, "You made the right choice, Lily. The Healer must find his own way. Your friends need you here."

Lily was startled. "Have you been reading my mind!?"

"No, I cannot read your mind or anyone else’s," patiently Randir explained again. "But you are smiling, which you have never done before. Let’s say I took an educated guess."

Lily gave her a wry grin, and went back to her meal. Randir became aware that Bree, seated nearby, was watching her. "Mind Toucher." Randir concentrated her thought projections so only Bree would hear. Gentle though the thought was, Bree still gave a slight jump. "You must learn to shield your mind so the darkness cannot overwhelm you."

"How??" Bree’s anguished thoughts poured into Randir’s mind. "I’ve never had to…..those horrible voices…."

"Block them out!" Forcefully, Randir’s thoughts cut into Bree’s. "Safeguard your memories so they cannot be twisted and used to hurt you. It may help to envision a wall, a strong fortress with you safely inside. Your memories are hidden away inside a chest to which only you hold the key." Mentally Randir began to teach Bree some of the defenses against mind invasion just as she herself had been taught as a young kit. Of course Bree was human, but she didn’t think that would matter. Mind defense was mind defense. If it would help Bree, then she would teach her.

Breaking off mental contact with Bree, Randir noticed Lily and Satch giving her odd, sidelong looks. Suddenly she realized she was licking the grease from the meat off of her fingers exactly the way a cat would wash it’s paw. She had been so caught up in "talking" to Bree, she hadn’t noticed. Somewhat annoyed with herself, she rose abruptly and began to pace as Giliath had done. She felt suddenly restless. They had finished eating, they should go. Something was wrong…..she felt her skin prickle; the air began to feel heavy and thick. The meal was over; they should be moving on, but the Company seemed to be in no hurry to leave. They seemed lethargic, their movements slow, their senses dulled. Try as she might, Randir could not locate the source of the menace she felt. Perhaps if she changed to cat? Her senses were stronger and her powers greater when she was in her natural form.

No sooner had she transformed, than she realized her mistake. Immediately she felt the bonds of the spell wrap around her, heard the gloating, evil laughter in her mind. "FOOL!" she stormed furiously at herself, "Fool, you let them trap you!"

Rage and panic echoed strongly in her mind as she projected her thoughts for any and all to hear.

"They have broken my spell! They have broken my spell, and some power holds me in this form. I cannot shift, and the Nola are free!"

The next thing she knew Bree had snatched her up, and was running for the horses. Lily was already heading into the mist with Giliath hard on her heels.

"NO! Don’t enter it!" Satch shouted, but Randir doubted that either Lily or Giliath heard.

"Bree, stop them!" Randir thought frantically. "Tell them to come back!" The fact that she used the Blade Runners proper name was a mark of how upset she was, though she didn’t think the young woman noticed. Still holding Randir, Bree mounted her horse and galloped after her friends, mentally calling to them all the while. As the mists closed around them, Bree’s thoughts faltered, and she slowed her horse to a walk, then stopped altogether. Randir felt Bree’s grasp tighten, felt the confusion in her mind.

Randir wasn’t terribly worried about the binding spell that held her. The Companions were a powerful race, and Irisanno was one of the oldest and wisest she had ever encountered. She was sure that he, working through Úcenite, would be able to remove the spell. "Providing," she thought grimly, shielding her thought from Bree, "we all live through this."

Bree tightened her hold even more, and Randir squirmed uncomfortably. "I’m here," she thought, trying to calm Bree. "I’m right here. I won’t leave you." Bree’s grip loosened a bit, and she turned her efforts to the task of trying to contact the Companions and reunite the group. She was fairly certain the mists had deadened Bree’s attempts to mentally call her friends, but Bree was young, and untrained, and human. Randir was not. Concentrating, focusing her thoughts, she sent them cutting like a shaft of sunlight through the mist.

"HERE! TO ME! Come quickly!" She knew the Companions would respond, and perhaps Celebsul as well, he had "heard" her once before.

Her keen hearing picked up muffled hoof beats coming toward them. Twisting around, she strained to pierce the mist with her sharp gaze. Eyes wild, sides heaving, a large, dark shape suddenly appeared almost beside them.

It was Lily’s horse.

Without it’s rider.
LilyRoseTook wrote:
The dragon was one of the Nola. They may have been Companions at one time, but Lily wasn’t in the mood to be thinking about this things history. It’s scales were greenish gray and were crusted with ancient evil. It had killed many, Lily was sure, but she didn’t intend on being one of them.
It’s dull, red eyes looked at her rather lazily, as it sat curled up on the ground with smoke curling from its nostrils. Lily expected to be burned to a crisp at any second…but instead, it spoke. Just a few days earlier, she would have been dumbfounded, but after seeing a talking cat, walking legends and people alive that should have been dead, nothing could have surprised her.
"You are such an easy one to lure away….I almost killed you just last night. Anything that reminds you of your lost love…."
It stretched and slowly pulled itself to it’s feet.
Lily nearly shot back an angry retort, but forced herself to hold her tongue. Naïve though she was, arguing with a dragon didn’t seem like a wise course of action. And one should never, ever tell a dragon when they are wrong. These cunning creatures were seldom wrong and didn’t like to be told otherwise.
"You are so impulsive…so gullible. I didn’t kill you then, but I will kill you now."
If Lily had fully understood this creature, she would have been terrified, but all that she felt was irritation and anger building up inside of her.
Her mind raced as she strained her eyes, trying to cut through the impregnable fog for a weapon. Her scissors and bow would be of no use to her against this thing.
The dragon flicked its foreleg casually, throwing Lily to the ground, raking her face with cruel claws.
Her head spinning, she defiantly got to her feet. Blood dripped from the wounds across her face onto her robe. Anger welled up inside of her, but she knew that she must remain silent if she wanted to defeat this thing. It was toying with her, now, hoping to make her do something rash…to attack it.
Sparks flew from her fingers, as she tried to keep her rage in check.
A strange thing began to happen, then. The multi-colored arcs of light cut pathways into the mist that didn’t fade as the sparks passed.
She understood why the dragon had not tried to incinerate her at the first opportunity. Fire would break the spell, and the Nola would become powerless. Maybe it would have killed her in the fiery blast, but her friends may then be able to escape.
As she thought about all of this, she felt a sharp pain in her side. She had almost forgotten that this thing was before her and not something out of a distant dream. The sharp spikes on its tail had torn a large chunk of flesh out of her side. Gasping in pain, she dropped to her knees.
Knowing that her time was short, she concentrated….
Conjuring up images of a blazing fire, she prayed that none of her friends would be in the way.
Nothing but sparks shot out of her fingertips. As pathetic as her attempt was, the sparks cut a path of light all around her. She could see the green grass below her feet, and feel a hint of sunlight breaking through still invisible trees.
She rolled out of the way just in time, as it’s tail lashed at her, again.
It was angry, she could see. It hadn’t known that she could control fire. It wasn’t prepared for this.
Remembering Randir’s words about her power taking over her, she forced herself to remain calm as she threw all of her concentration into another effort.
Flames suddenly shot wildly out of her fingertips, going everywhere but where she had meant it to go. The little bit of light that it showed wasn’t nearly enough. All that it seemed to do was further enrage the dragon.
Her time was nearly up, as blood flowed freely from the wound in her side.
The dragon was done playing with her, as he circled her like a wild beast . This had not gone as planned, and all that he wanted to do, now was kill. The smell of the fresh blood had made him very hungry, and he could see that this fire-bearer could do great damage if properly trained, but he wasn’t going to let her live long enough…
Although, she had used up much of her strength, she was not ready to give up, yet….
Giliath wrote:
Giliath followed Lily heedlessly into the fog. It loomed up in front of her like an advancing wall and, before she was even aware, it swallowed her and Celebsul into the gulf. As sure as if a door had slammed behind her she knew she was trapped, locked in a prison with no escape, save one. Celebsul snorted and reared, and Giliath fell. She felt the slight rumble of Celebsul's hooves as he charged away. She was alone.

Giliath pushed herself off the ground pain welling up in her shoulder. She met nothing but a sea of white that was steadily closing in around her. She wheeled around wildly trying to see any sign of her companions, but there was only a bewildering mass. It would break and open as if to reveal an avenue of escape only to have it fade into an impossible wall of gloom. On and on the ways opened before her. There was one to the left now to the right if she could only reach them. On and on they danced before her, opening and closing in an endless rhythm. She ran this way and that trying to reach an open way only to come up sharp in front of a barrier denser than stone. It was playing with her like a hunter proud over the cleverness of his trap.

She staggered back, lost in the winding deep and fell to her knees. The walls advanced to meet her. She tried to scream, but her voice died in her throat and her lungs swelled with unshed fear. She wanted to hide, to curl up and disappear, but all she could do was watch the walls advance her eyes wide and unblinking. And now as the walls seethed and writhed it seemed to Giliath that they were nests of snakes. Wicked fangs and sharp eyes in leering faces danced before her ready to strike. It grew cold. She shook. Tears blinded her. The walls advanced. She didn’t need to see them. She could feel the weight around her. Animal fear took her.

She had to get up, had to run, but there was nowhere to go save into the waiting jaws. She tore her eyes away and closed them against the advancing tide, but the walls were there in her mind now black and thick in the darkness of her thought. She waited. It would be over soon. It would end in darkness. The walls closed in.

Suddenly I thought reached her warm and light in the cold obscurity. It fell like the soft touch of a loving hand pulling her from dark dreams on some half forgotten morning. Get up, it called gently in the back of her mind. Get up. The walls wavered then came on faster. Get up. Again they wavered. Get up. There! A break. Get up! There was a chance, a mere sliver of a chance. GET UP!

Giliath’s eyes shot open. She tore herself from the ground and plunged into the advancing jaws. The fog broke in taters around her. She sped away, running madly into the murk. Her mind screamed only run. She could feel the Hunter behind her, closing in, chasing, filled with sudden anger at the loss of its prey.

She ran on like a wild thing waving her hands in front of her face or throwing them up to shield herself from unseen blows. The hunter followed. The air throbbed in her ears like the distant drums of some savage ritual. Here and there the fog revealed the twisted shapes of flitting shadows that loomed up suddenly in the constant white. They seemed like the corrupt shapes of dead trees, bitter and perverse dancing to the throb. The hunter came on. Giliath ran. Her feet pounded to the rhythm of the fog. Sweat poured down her face and stung her eyes. The animal fear took her again.

The ground lost in the fog around he feet began to rise. Lose stones slid and tipped beneath her feet. They fell down the slop beating to the rhythm of the drums. She found herself falling over clawing at the ground to keep moving. Half running half crawling she tried to move on. It was useless. She could feel the Hunter coming up, undaunted by the ground, bent on its prey. Still she could do nothing but run. Panic drove her . A stone slipped as her foot came down tripping her, sending her to the ground. She fell on her face. She could taste her own blood. The throbbing boomed in her ears. The Hunter did not stop.

There was nothing now. Nothing left. She could run only a little further. Only a little further. Giliath pushed herself slowly off the ground. She got to her feet and lifting a dirtied hand wiped the blood from her mouth. For a moment she stood silently with her head down looking at her hands cut and broken and stained with blood and dirt. She closed her eyes. Her fists clenched at her sides. She swallowed hard. Her face hardened as her eyes slowly opened. The Hunter came up behind her. She drew her father’s scissors from her belt and turned to meet it. There was no choice behind it only the desire to face her enemy and not die running or in fear as something else’s prey. A grim smile spread across her lips.

The throbbing rolled to a deafening roar. A wall of fog sped towards her, rushing up as if something were driving it from behind like a beast fearing the whip. It raced up to meet her. She planted her feet on the ground ready to fight, but it stopped. As if by command it ceased no more than a meter in front of her. But there was something still bent upon her hidden in the fog it had cloaked itself in. The Hunter. The drums rolled. The fog stirred. Slowly something began to emerge. A figure. No. There was no shape to it. Its form shifted unceasingly in the fog. Giliath brought her scissors up. She tried to guess what was coming. The drums suddenly stopped. A dead silence fell. The Hunter came.

Giliath threw herself at her foe. The crescent moon on her blades blazed up in defiance. But the Hunter was ready for her. She felt something slam into her chest. She staggered and fell. She got to her feet. The Hunter came again. She heard the air rush as a blow threw itself into her stomach. She doubled over. She coughed. The Hunter clawed at her side. She felt the heat of her blood. She fell to her knees. The Hunter loomed over her.

Giliath set her shoulders and waited. The Hunter seemed to laugh. She had made good sport, but it had won. At least she would die defiant. Perhaps her father would be proud. She tightened her grip on his scissors. The metal was cold in her palm and damp with dew. She could feel the fog wetting her cheeks forming little beads of water on her reddened skin. A whisper echoed in the back of her mind, quiet, low and full of constant motion yet restrained by some other will. She closed her eyes. It was soft and light, spread out into the farthest reaches of thought, but it was strong or it could be strong. Giliath focused on the sound, gathering it from the corners of her mind, but it resisted her. It pulled back. She bent everything she had upon it and suddenly it gave and came screaming through her.

Suddenly she realised. Her eyes flew open. She could see the vast shape of the Hunter raising a blow to kill. She threw herself to the side as the strike came down thundering on the ground with a crash, but she couldn't hear. There was nothing but the echo in her mind as it rose and danced. It threw itself against the inside of her mind, flooding forward ready to break though at any moment. Then she released. She raised her hand towards the Hunter. The echo burst from her and flew into her enemy. The fog lurched forward and threw itself against the Hunter. Giliath’s hair streamed out in front of her as the fog flood past. The Hunter staggered and fell back. The fog poured on. Giliath closed her eyes and stepped forward. The Hunter backed away. The fog raged. He reeled back. Giliath’s brow furrowed. Her fingers turned white of her father‘s blades. The fog screamed forward. He turned. Giliath fell to her knees sweat pouring down her face. The echo beat on. The Hunter fled.

Giliath fell forward on her hands, her breath coming in gasps. Pain burned at her chest and throbbed in her skull. She tried to swallow in a dry throat. Black specks swam in front of her eyes. She struggled to draw herself up, but fell again. It was no use. Maybe he would be proud of me, she thought. Maybe he would. Her father’s scissors slipped from her hand. Their light faltered and went pale. Her eyes drifted shut and she slept.
Ladykat wrote:
Bree suddenly flinched, as though she had been struck. "Lily!" she cried, "Lily's hurt!" Without another word she pulled her horses' head around and rode deeper into the mists. Randir had just enough time to dig her claws deep into the saddle to keep from being thrown off. There was no time to ask how Bree knew Lily was injured--the young woman seemed to be following some sort of mental signal that only she could hear.

As the mist grew thicker, the horse began to balk. Nervous and frightened, it suddenly reared, throwing them both. Bree got unsteadily to her feet and ran on, not caring whether her horse stayed or ran off. Randir raced after her. There was a great evil, a great danger ahead, she could sense it, and strangely she had the strongest feeling that Bree could sense it as well.

They were coming to a place where the mist looked thinner. Bree could see the dragon, and Lily---brave, headstrong, hot-tempered Lily, her lifelong friend, her dearest companion---about to be engulfed by flames.

Bree's mental scream burst from her mind with the force of a tidal wave. Randir, caught on the very edge of it, was knocked off her feet and sent rolling. The Nola, catching the full force of the emotional flood square on its massive head, reeled sideways.

Randir staggered to her feet, and shook her head to clear it. They had to act quickly while the dragon was still stunned. It's huge head hung about a foot from the ground, it actually swayed on its feet.

"Hurry! Hurry!" Randir thought frantically, forgetting that Lily couldn't hear her, "Kill it now while its still weak!"

Bree needed no urging. She had already drawn her scissors and was running toward the Nola. Again and again she stabbed the creature, until it was still. Tears streaming, she started toward Lily, then stopped abruptly, shocked to see her friend unharmed by the dragon's fire. Relief made her drop her guard. Too late she realized the beast was still alive; it caught her with it's tail, sending her flying to land beside Lily. As the dragon struggled to reach the two Blade Runners, Randir suddenly darted to one side, giving vent to a hissing, spitting, feline scream of rage. It worked. As the Nola turned it's baleful glare on Randir, Bree and Lily, scissors drawn, propping each other up, moved in for the kill.

As Randir continued to dart in and out, trying to keep the Nola's attention focused on her, her own attention was caught by the sight of a man moving quickly towards them. Something about the figure tugged at her memory. Running toward the newcomer, she could feel the Nola growing weak, and something else........the binding spell that held her was weakening as well. Exerting every ounce of her will, she broke the last vestiges of the spell, and transformed to human. The man drew nearer, and Randir could see his face clearly for the first time. Relief swept over her as she recognized Mathurin.

"Well met, Shifter." Did I not say we would meet again? Watch yourself!" she cautioned, as Lily's misdirected fire engulfed another tree.
Bree379 wrote:
Bree stared intently at Randir, but she was not paying attention to the current conversation. She was lost deep in her own thoughts, withdrawn into the furthest realms of her mind.

Elementalists--if Lily and Giliath were Elementalists that could control their gifts, then perhaps she could also control her own. Barely audible voices still filled her mind, snatches of conversations and dark laughter tormented her dreams, and yet somehow Randir had been able to help her. Bree concentrated all of her efforts on ignoring the voices, but it was to no avail. She began to give into the voices once again, but oddly enough the babble began to recede and one solitary voice, louder than all the others, spoke to her directly.

"Mind Toucher," it said, jarring her from her reverie. "You must learn to shield your mind so the darkness cannot overwhelm you." Bree realized that the voice was that of Randir, and she gave an inner sigh of relief. But still, even in Randir's presence, the voices were there, growing louder with her doubt.

Overcome with uncertainty and fear, Bree completely let down her guard, and Randir felt the full force of her emotion. "How?? I've never had to... those horrible voices..."

"Block them out!" Randir harshly cut Bree off. Then, more gently, she continued to show Bree some defenses against mind invasions, calming Bree down and building a foundation of confidence.

Randir told Bree to practice the defenses and then left her to her own devices. After a while, Bree became slightly frustrated, and felt that a break was necessary. She blinked and looked around, noticing that something wasn't right; there was a stillness in the clearing that had not been there before. It was almost as though the air was so thick that nothing could move or make a sound through the particles. Seeing the others shifting uncomfortably, Bree moved to the horses, preparing to leave. The area no longer felt safe,
and the sooner they left, the more secure Bree would feel.

Bree was adjusting her horse's saddle when out of the corner of her eye she saw movement. Curiosity caused her to turn her head, and in turning she saw Lily charging towards the menacing trees. Instantly panicked, Bree called out to her friend, unknowingly projecting the thought rather than speaking aloud. Lily paid her no heed, and disappeared into seeming nothingness. Giliath was close on her tail, and Bree was powerless to stop them. Acting purely on impulse, Bree flew to her horse, grabbing Randir and jumping none too gracefully into the saddle. The reins flew in a confused mass, but Bree paid no attention, urging the horse forward. Desperately she called to Lily and Giliath, but she heard no response.

After mere seconds, Bree felt as though she had crossed into another world. Swirling mists clouded her vision so that she couldn't see even a tree amongst the deep wood. It filled her head so that she could no longer call to her friends, but for some odd reason, she didn't mind. The mist was very soothing, and she no longer felt frantic. Beautiful, swirling, dancing, silvery mist was all she could see. Bree pulled her horse to a slow trot and then to a walk. She smiled as the mist formed images. First a pair of scissors floated before her eyes, and then the face of her guild mistress, Estel. It was when she saw Estel that a small voice reminded her of the danger of the present situation, but a more powerful longing to remain in the mist was taking over. Bree tightened her arm around Randir, not wanting to lose her only connection to the real world.

"I'm here," she heard Randir's voice projected into the thick fog. Somehow this helped, and her thoughts began to clear a bit.

"Randir, what's going on?" Bree attempted to mind speak with Randir, but it was useless. The mist seemed to have weakened her, and her tongue proved just as quiet. Not a sound could be heard, and it created a very eerie effect. Bree felt that she could stand the quietness no longer when the stillness, aside from the dancing of the mist, was broken by the sound of hoof beats. Bree smiled to see the shape of a horse approaching, but when the horse neared, Bree realized that it was riderless. Her stomach rose to her throat.

It was Lily's horse.

A searing pain tore through her cheek, and she felt blood trickle down in rivulets. Raising her hand to inspect the wound, she found no trace of an injury. Confusion quickly changed to anger as she felt a rush of loathing and rage within her very soul.

"Lily?!" she cried, at first confused and then, with sudden realization, she understood. "Lily's hurt!"

Driven by fear and adrenaline, Bree urged her horse onward, breaking immediately into a full gallop. She felt Randir's claws dig into her arm, but she did not care, her mind was set only on Lily. Frantically she called to Lily, but still the fog was too thick for
even her wild fear to break through.

The horse sped on, but abruptly reared, throwing Bree and Randir to the ground. Bree landed hard, but recovered quickly, just in time to see her horse disappear into the mist. Resolved to go onward, Bree ran on foot deeper into the fog, Randir following quickly
behind.

As Bree got a closer sense of Lily, an odd smell began to accompany the fog. As the smell grew stronger, the fog increasingly grew thinner. The trees began to lessen, and soon Bree could see a small clearing, but what she saw within made her stop short. Her heart beat wildly as she saw Lily, obviously very injured, surrounded by flames with no way to escape. She cried out as the flames engulfed Lily and caught a glimpse of fiery eyes flashing with anger towards the beast she faced--a dragon. Losing control of every single emotion- fear, hate, anger, loathing, confusion, and pain- Bree directed them toward their cause. The force of the emotion sent a shockwave, and the dragon caught the full brunt of it.

Startled, the beast lost its balance, staggered, and fell heavily on it's side. Bree looked quickly over her shoulder to see Lily struggling to her feet. Instantly flooded with relief, Bree momentarily forgot about the dragon before her, miscalculating it's intense powers. Bree smiled reassuringly, but Lily did not return the gesture. Instead Bree saw an odd fire reflecting in her eyes and turned her head just in time to see the dragon send a bellow of flame her way. The dragon was pulling itself towards them, hot breath issuing from its mouth.

Suddenly the dragon stopped, and Bree sensed a change in the air, as though the beast was distracted by someone or something else. Tendrils of smoke crept out of the creature's mouth as it stared into the forest beyond, and taking the opportunity, Bree deftly pulled her hunting knife from her boot, aiming for the dragon's throat. The knife soared through the air, glinting in the firelight, and then planted itself firmily in the beast's throat, severing it's windpipe.

The dragon floundered, gasping for air, and then was silent. Bree cautiously approached the animal, checking for any signs of life. Feeling death in the air, Bree sighed with relief and pulled her knife from the creature's throat. As she did so, the beast burst into flame.

Bree jumped back in alarm, but Lily gave a little laugh. "I thought I might remove the forest of that offensive decoration." She laughed again but Bree could tell it was forced, and she saw the pain and anguish on Lily's face. She gently pulled Lily to her feet, and Bree felt warm blood soaking her robes from the gash on Lily's side.

Randir was nowhere to be seen, and just as Bree was wondering what they were to do with no horses, a man who looked oddly familiar stepped into the clearing.

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Posted: Thu 17 Feb , 2005 4:20 am
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Moonstream wrote:
Mathurin was nearly at the end of his month’s long search. He could sense the one that he had been seeking not far away. A strange, patchy fog filtered towards him, despite the brightly shining sun. He wasn’t altogether surprised, though, being that he knew of the quest that she was part of and understood some of the obstacles that she and her friends would be facing. This fog was most likely the work of a Nola, but he could see that its spell was severely weakened. Although weary of the many weeks of trudging on foot through the heavy underbrush, his pace quickened. It was not out of fear of his sisters well being, but anticipation.
He had learned much of this band of Blade Runners that often traveled together. He knew that their fight would be difficult, but their combined powers would be more than enough to defeat this and anything else that would come between them and their quest. They were powerful, he mused, much more powerful than any one of them could possibly know.
His biggest fear was the hot headed Hunter, the very one that he had been trying to find so desperately. She was much more likely to shoot at him first and ask questions later. For, she was his little sister, whom he had discovered her existence only a scant year ago.
He was tall and strongly built, with raven black hair and deep blue gray eyes. Seven years older than her, he was almost her polar opposite. He never spoke without thinking, and though he was deadly in battle, was slow to anger. It took no small provocation to arouse his temper.
The ugly gray-green dragon came into view, but his heart did not race until he saw the red-haired figure on the ground at its feet.
Mathurin was too far away to be sure, but he thought he saw her bleeding heavily. But, then as though given new strength, she picked herself up and renewed her attack. From the many smoldering trees, he could guess that she had yet to harness her elemental powers. Close to her side was a girl that was several years younger than her….and Randir… He had met her nearly a year ago while he was on another mission. He had seen her shifting from a cat to a woman at will, as he could transform to a wolf when the need arose.
The Nola had sensed him, and Mathurin could feel it’s fear. If it had been able to guess even a portion of his powers, it would have fled in terror.
It had forgotten that it’s one and only goal had been to kill the one that did not fear its fire, the Hunter.
Randir, seeing Mathurin, raced past the Nola, and shifted back from a cat to a woman, as another tree burst into flames.
"Watch yourself." Randir said. "Or you may be next."
"She is the one, isn’t she?" he whispered.
"Of course she is. Now finish off that thing before she lights the whole forest on fire."
He shrugged, and half smiled. "As you wish. Does she know?"
"No…I thought it better not to tell her, because it would have simply distracted her further from the task at hand. Besides, I doubt that she would have believed me."
He stopped, and coolly surveyed the situation. "It looks like the girls can take care of themselves well enough."
The younger one, sensing the Nola’s distraction and confusion had pulled a hunting knife from her boot, and with a well-aimed throw, had severed its windpipe. The fog had totally evaporated.
"It is amazing how the simplest things can kill the most magical of creatures" he said, half to himself.
Lily, he could see, had come out on the worse end of the dragon’s attacks. She had several gashes on her face and a deep one in her side that was bleeding heavily. Her face was pale and drawn, but her eyes had lost none of their fire, as she struggled to keep her feet. She leaned heavily against her companion, as Mathurin hurried to her side to help.
Lily turned her blood-streaked face towards him, as she struggled to push him away.
"Who are you?" she demanded….
LilyRoseTook wrote:
Both Lily and Bree were exhausted from their encounter with the Nola. Bree had only some cuts and bruises, but blood flowed heavily from the wound in Lily’s side. Randir supported Bree before she fell, but as the strange man tried to grasp Lily’s arm, she pulled away.
"I can walk just fine, thank you," she snapped.
A wave of dizziness and pain swept over her, and she fell to her knees.
Undaunted, the stranger pulled Lily to her feet, and supported her, as they looked for a place where there was still some green grass.
"You still haven’t introduced yourself." Lily said shortly, irritated that she had no choice but to depend on this strange person..
"My name is Mathurin. That will have to satisfy you for now." he said quietly.
Before long, they arrived in a grove which had been untouched by Lily’s erratic fire attacks. It took her a minute to realize that it was the very same one that they had taken their midday meal just a few hours before.
As the shadows began to lengthen, , Bree took a long drink from the water flask at her hip, and immediately curled up on a soft patch of earth, and was sleeping peacefully within minutes.
"A good nights sleep should be what she needs to regain her strength," Randir said, and then looked over at Lily.
She had been set against a mossy tree trunk, but she refused to lie still as she had been told. She tried, unsuccessfully to stand up, but succeeded only in collapsing in a heap.
"Gently, now, or you will only injure yourself further. Do you want to be useless to your friends because you refuse to let yourself heal?" The man spoke softly, but with a note of command that discouraged any argument.
Sullenly, she lay back and allowed him to examine her injuries.
"Most of these will heal on there own, but the one in your side is deep. It is not as serious as I had thought it was, but you will need to rest easy for a few days."
"Shifter, will you be able to deal with her?" Randir asked. "Four of our number are missing, and I want to find them before it gets too dark.
"She can’t be any worse than the Nola."
"I wouldn’t be so sure of that." with that, she shimmered back into her cat form and sped off into the gathering dusk.
Lily was too annoyed and exhausted to argue that she didn’t want to be left with a strange man, no matter who he said he was, she didn’t like being talked about as though she wasn’t there, and she was most definitely not satisfied with who this person said he was.
Quickly and deftly, he cleaned out the cuts on her face and shoulders, and tightly bound the one on her side with strips torn from his cloak.
"The art of healing is not mine, but I can tell you this. You must rest. If you do not, you will delay your mission even further. You must not move around by yourself for two or three days, because if the wound reopens, then there is a good chance that it could get infected. You were fortunate that the Nola’s claws were not poisoned as they often are."
As Lily had been watching and listening to him, she became more and more perplexed, which was not a good feeling. When she had sensed his presence only a short hour ago, she knew that she should know him. But how totally escaped her.
Although Mathurin was much taller than her, and built strongly, it was as though she were looking into a mirror. His blue-gray eyes were the same shape and depth as her own, but they held none of the coldness and hatred that were within hers.
He watched her intently, and Lily was sure that he could sense her inward struggle. She had seen a face like his before. But it was not a friendly one. She was just a child….more than a decade ago, it had mocked her….the words had cut like daggers through her heart….She remembered her father smirking as she had been sent away, yet again, for being in the way….Neither her mother or father had said good-bye to her before they died….If they were alive now, she would kill them with her own two hands…
Reckless rage came over her, as she yanked her dagger from her belt and lashed out blindly. Quick as lightning, Maturin grabbed her arm, and gently, but forcibly pushed her back against the tree. She struggled against him, but even at her full strength, would have been no match.
Just as quickly as she had lost control of herself, she realized what she had tried to do. She let the knife drop to the ground, her eyes wide with terror.
With a cry of agony, not from her wound, which was spilling her blood all over the ground, but from the emptiness of her lost childhood, a void that she had never been able to fill.
She bit her lip hard, so that this stranger could not see the emotion that overflowed inside of her….
She wasn’t sure anymore whether or not he was really a stranger….
He patiently rewrapped her wound, and as the shadowy night enveloped the last vestiges of daylight, lit a fire.
Awkwardly, she started to apologize, but he said. "There is no need to apologize. I know what haunts you. For it haunts me, as well, but much less. I have been told that I look much like your father….our father….I think that you know in your heart who I am. Lily, I am your brother. Many months I have searched for you, and now I have found you."
Ladykat wrote:
The voices of those in the clearing faded, but Randir could still feel the powerful emotions barely held in check. She quickened her pace wanting to find the others as soon as possible. It would be full dark soon, the moon obscured by heavy clouds, making tracking more difficult. Something touched her spirit sense, a familiar presence. Cautiously, she sent out a thought: "Companion?"

"I am here, Watcher."

Randir slipped through the undergrowth, and found Irisanno standing beside a large oak. "I am pleased you survived Companion," she said glancing around, "but the Dreamer......"

"She is coming," Iri replied. "Some, but not all, of the Blade Runners are with her."

Joy flooded Randir, and her spirits rose. She would not have a long, difficult search after all! "The Hunter and Mind Toucher are back in the clearing where we had our midday meal," she told Iri. "The Hunter will need some of her friend's healing skills. She and the Mind Toucher dispatched a Nola."

Irisanno swung his head around, and stared down at Randir. "Are you serious?" he demanded. "One of the evil ones.....destroyed.....by those two young women?"

"Yes." Briefly, Randir told Iri about the encounter with the Nola, picturing the events in her mind for Iri to "see;" it was easier that way. She felt strangely pleased and proud as she recounted the event, the pride of a teacher who has seen a gifted but recalcitrant student solve an extremely difficult problem. Muted footfalls and the creaking of branches being pushed aside announced the arrival of the humans and the horses, Randir noted with growing satisfaction. Stretching up, transforming to human, she watched as Úcenite broke away from the others and ran up, flinging her arms around Irisanno's neck. Leafy, Satch and the other Companion stopped a few feet away, the horses, even Lily and Bree's runaways, ranged behind them. Randir waited, looking over the group again and again. Her heart began to sink within her.

"The Watermaster," she said anxiously, "where is she?"

Satch blinked. "You mean Giliath? "We thought----we hoped-----she was with you."

Randir closed her eyes, and fought down the rising despair. Vaguely she heard Satch's half fearful question about Bree and Lily. She felt Iri give her a gentle mind nudge. Forcing herself back to the present situation, she answered. "They are back in the clearing where we stopped earlier. Go there. Now! The Hunter is wounded, and needs your help."

"But Giliath," began Leafy, her voice quivering slightly. "I will find her," Randir interrupted, and Leafy subsided, her question unfinished. "Return to the clearing."

"No," Satch replied, unexpectedly stubborn. "If we all go out looking, we can spread out and cover more ground."

Randir wheeled on her, golden eyes ablaze. "If we all go out looking, we can become separated and lost! Return to the clearing! I travel faster alone."

With that, she changed back to her cat form, and melted into the shadows.

"Wait, come back," Satch yelled, starting to run after her. "Oh, stop! STOP!" Úcenite said crossly, grabbing Satch's arm. "Weren't you even listening? You'll never keep up with her, she's gone already!" Then, in a quieter tone: "Come. Your friend is hurt, she needs you." Reluctantly, with Úcenite pulling from the front and Iri gently urging them along from behind, they began to move. From her vantage point on a branch of the great oak, Randir watched just long enough to be sure they were staying together and going in the right direction. Then she scrambled down and began her search for the lost Blade Runner.

Giliath
He could smell the heavy scent of oncoming rain. The air had the charged anticipation of an approaching fall. The branches above his head swayed and rocked in the thick air, bouncing against one another causing an endless racket. Sharp scratches of rough bark against bark, the rattling of the tiny fingers of the bough overhead meeting their neighbours like the dried bones of an ancient hand played in his ears, but he could still hear her coming. The unmistakable sound of footsteps. A twig snapped under a misguided step. Dried leaves rustled and cracked. The footsteps stopped. She would be looking around now, scanning the trees thinking of the most likely place he would be hiding in. He almost thought he could hear her checking off places in her little mind. No, not there. He had his there last week. No, that was too obvious. There maybe? That could be it.

He heard her take a few cautious steps closer, and then stop. He wanted to poke his head out of hiding and see what she was doing, but thought better of it. She was probably close enough now to see if he did anything like that. Besides she'd only get mad if he gave himself away that easily and ruined the fun. He heard her start off again in the wrong direction, heading back towards the river. He sighed and looked up at the sky. It had clouded over completely now and the wind had picked up churning the forest into an even greater noise. If she didn't find him soon they would be caught in the rain and he'd have a much older and far angrier girl to deal with. He was running through his prepared list of the normal excuses when something slammed into his side sending him sprawling face first into a pile of leaves.

"Got yah!" he heard her say through the cracking leaves his face was buried in.

He pushed himself up and turned to face his attacker.

"You always do," he said with mock frustration. "And you almost had me fooled this time Giliath."

His daughter stood over him with a triumphant grin spread across her lips that rounded her cheeks turned apple red in the cold. An all too satisfied glint sparkled in her eyes. She giggled at the leaves caught in his hair.

He stood up and brushed the offending foliage of his clothes, missing several that clung stubbornly to his cloak, and shook the rest from his hair. "Hey, hey!" he said throwing up his hands. "Don't be too proud of yourself. I said you almost fooled me."

Giliath raised an eyebrow and planting her feet wide apart placed her hands on her hip. "Almost?" she asked. "Oh come on Ada!"

They squared off, each pulling the most severe and serious face they could muster. He noted that his daughters had pulled a new expression out of her arsenal. She looked older somehow, like he had missed years in a single moment. He broke his look letting her win and they both melted into laughter.

"It doesn’t matter anyway," she said grabbing his hand as they started home. "I found you didn’t I?"

He smiled. "You always do."

* * *

She felt cold. She pulled her arms in and rolled over onto her side. Her eyes shot open as the movement caused pain to shoot through her head. She blinked as the weak light above her invaded her mind causing the pain to rise inside her skull. The sky above her was a confusing mass of tattered bits of broken mist slowly drifting in and out of her sight. She brought a hand up to her face and rubbed at her eyes, but that did nothing except to further blur the scene above her.

She pushed herself up and staggered onto unsteady legs. The land rose sharply in front of her cluttered with a sea of old broken stones. She blinked and licked her lips tasting dried blood. What had happened? She turned around aimlessly looking for anything that would clear her mind. A stone tripped from above tumbled down the hill and struck something at her feet. She bent down slowly supporting herself with one hand on a bloodied knee and picked up a pair of scissors marked with a distinctive crescent moon.

Giliath gasped as memory came back to her. She turned back towards the rise of the hill. The mist seemed to be drifting up the climb as if retreating to some high place of imagined safety. There maybe? she thought and started staggering up the bluff.
Moonstream wrote:
Mathurin watched Lily closely, all the while fearing another attack. A full five minutes had passed and she had said nothing.
The fire burned brightly, illuminating her porcelain features. She absently pulled little wisps of flame from the fire and let them dance on her fingertips. Her face was strangely calm, but what that meant, he could not guess.
"I believe you." Lily said, suddenly. " Few would hunt for me for so long and give up the chance to kill me." She laughed bitterly. "I am sure that even now, there is still a price on my head."
"So….brother…." she continued, half mockingly. "Why are you really here? You cannot make me believe that you undertook such a dangerous journey just to find me. There are other, much more pleasant ways for two people to meet."
He hoped that, given enough time, that she would come to trust him.
His knowledge of their journey was vague, at the very best. From afar, some days ago, he had seen a man wildly stabbing a tree trunk and jabbering madly about what may have been Lily and a man with an ax. Before he was able to get close enough to question the man further, he had disappeared.
Mat didn’t think that he would have gotten any useful information, anyway, because the black-haired man was clearly insane. He could not shake the feeling, though, that he had seen that man before, several years ago.
He had traveled much of his journey as a wolf, and had been able to pick up some news from the animals of the forest. He had figured that they were looking for someone or something.
"Well?" Lily demanded, crossly. "Are you going to answer me or not?"
The fire playing about her fingers flared, shooting red and orange sparks, which cut arcs of light high into the night sky.
"I can’t make you believe anything, and I’m not going to try," he said, patiently. "But I can see that you need to control your temper before it gets control of you."
Lily rolled her eyes in irritation, and then with an exaggerated flourish, blew the flames out. Then she wrapped her cloak around herself and pretended that she was sleeping.
Seeing no purpose in aggravating her further on this particular day, he sat down, with his back against a tree to keep watch. Once he was sure that Lily really was asleep, he transformed. Knowing that Lily would not hesitate to kill if she thought that any one of her friends was in danger, he had chosen to wait to reveal his powers to her.
Mat smiled, despite the reception that he had gotten from her. It was no worse, and possibly better than he had expected. She would be a challenge, that he knew for sure. But he never backed down from a challenge.
The fire burned low, and all was silent…but Mat was uneasy. His wolfish instincts could sense danger long before any other human could….Somebody was nearby….
Ladykat wrote:
There! That distant hill, she was sure of it now. Randir rose and stretched her back in a high arc, working the tenseness out of her muscles. Knowing the futility of trying to search the over trampled ground on a cloudy night for signs of a particular hoof print, she had spent what seemed like hours traveling in a slow circle, stopping often to focus her mind and senses outward for some sign of the missing Blade Runner. It was tedious, tiresome work, which took all of her concentration, but her persistence had finally been rewarded. She was sure that the Watermaster was on the lower slopes of that hill. And at the top.......

Uneasily, Randir worked her claws on the bole of a tree. There was evil up there, waiting----not just for the Watermaster, but for all of them. And now she had a decision to make. Should she start for the hill, alone, tonight, or return to the clearing? The emotions she had received from the Blade Runner were a little disturbing. The girl was either asleep or unconscious, but she was having some very troubling dreams. She undoubtedly needed help, however........Randir sighed inwardly. If she didn't return to the clearing, the others would come looking for her. They wouldn't have the slightest idea where to begin, but come looking they would. With a last look at the far hillside, Randir sent a thought: "Be wary, Blade Runner. Stay strong, we are coming," before she turned her steps back to the clearing.

She had not gone far, when the sound of something crashing through the undergrowth caused her to start and hide herself in the shadows. Whatever was coming, it seemed heedless of the noise it was making. Her feline gaze pierced the darkness, to reveal----Celebsul! Shocked, Randir saw that this magnificent horse's head was down and he was limping. Transforming to human, she approached him slowly, speaking softly so as not to startle him. Raising his head, he watched her, but didn't bolt. He seemed to be trembling all over. Reaching him, Randir stroked his neck, then knelt down to examine his injured leg. Celebsul suddenly snorted, and jerked away. Her gently probing fingers had found a tender spot, and a small amount of bleeding near the fetlock.

Taking her flask, Randir poured water on the wound, mentally cursing the lack of moonlight. As though the Powers had decided to grant a small boon, the clouds suddenly parted, and the full moon shone down brightly. Thankfully, Randir drew her dagger, and spoke quietly to Celebsul. "This will hurt a bit, I'm afraid-----steady, now...."

Quickly she made a small cut. Celebsul shuddered, but made no move. Using her fingernails, she pulled a long, needlelike thorn from the horse's leg. Venom-thorn! No wonder the poor beast was trembling. He must have blundered into a patch, and this one had become embedded in his skin. Gently, she squeezed the affected area until the blood, which had been thick and almost black, began to run freely and look red again.

Rising to her feet, she lead him, still limping, through the trees until she found a patch of odd-looking plants. Gathering a handful, she offered them to Celebsul. He took some, but then spat them out, and looked at her, hurt and reproachful. "I know my friend," she said, "they are strong and bitter, but they will counteract the poison. You must be whole and strong when we search for your mistress. Try to eat some if you can." As though he had understood every word, he lowered his head and began to graze, as if it were sweet meadow grass and not Bitterleaf he was eating.

"Enough," Randir said, smiling. "I think that will do. Come, my noble friend." Leading him to a nearby stream, she did not stop until they stood in the middle. Celebsul drank deeply and gratefully. The cold water washed his wound. When they emerged on the opposite bank, he was walking better, but still slightly favoring his left leg. The stars had nearly reached midnight before they arrived at the clearing. Randir had hoped that all would be asleep, but she should have known better. No sooner had she led Celebsul over to the other horses, than Lily's voice cut though the air.

"Where's Giliath?"
Moonstream wrote:
Despite Mathurin’s uneasiness, he couldn’t help but reflect on the past months of his journey. Knowing that he needed to travel due East, he had followed the River Falastaladuin until it had bent South, and from there had turned North East. He hadn’t had a very clear idea of where he was going or what he might find when he got there. He had been suspicious of this Randir, because shape-shifter though she was, he could not communicate with her when she was in her cat form.
Mat would never know why he had chosen to listen to this character that he had met in the woods. Maybe it was because she had given him something to hope for. Since his wife had been killed by a band of renegade Spammers two years ago, while he was away on another mission, he had wandered aimlessly. He had not been sure of his quest until he had actually seen Lily and how much she resembled him, that afternoon.
The rustling grew louder, forcing him to concentrate on the present. He peered into the night, but even his keen wolf-sight could not penetrate the oppressive blackness. Had he been in human form, he likely would have thought that it was merely an owl keeping to its late night vigil, but he could sense two humans, and something that he wasn’t too sure about heading directly towards him.
Randir had told him that others would be coming, but his many years as a Blade Runner had taught him to be wary of all things that lurked in the night. Spammers were coming out of hiding, now and would delight in killing just for the joy of it.
Standing protectively in front of the sleeping girls, he waited.
The gods must be with him on this night, because the dark curtain suddenly parted. The full moon illuminated the clearing nearly as bright as day.
Three women approached. Two of them, catching sight of him, drew their scissors. The third one motioned for them to wait. "Show yourself." she commanded.
Seeing that the only alternative was to get diced to bits, he obeyed.
The other two sheathed their scissors.
"So, you are Lily’s brother. I can see it well enough. Let’s hope that you can keep her under control. But it would have been nice if Randir had told us that we might find a wild animal." the one who identified herself as Úcenite said. "She said that Lily has gotten herself cut up, again. Satch?"
Satch quickly rummaged through a pouch hanging from her belt and began pulling out bits of sparkling powders and sweet smelling herbs.
"Wait." Mat said, suddenly. "Don’t do it."
Satch gave him an odd look, as he continued.
"Few have faced a Nola and lived to tell about it. She needs to rest, and she will not otherwise. If anything that I have heard is true, she is not one to sit still."
"Who won’t sit still?" A sleepy voice behind him wondered.
All of the noise must have awoken Lily, and Bree was stirring as well. To make matters worse, three of the horses burst into view , and Leafy immediately walked them to the stream for a drink.
Bree, who was fully awake by that time, ran to help.
As the two girls tethered the horses, Randir, leading Celubsel appeared….but Giliath was not with them….
Mat knew that he had heard the name before, but he couldn’t remember exactly where. His old teacher had used the name….He tried to jog his memory, but all of the clamor around him had made that impossible.
Lily, he realized had stood up, and was holding onto a tree to support herself. She looked almost indignant, but there was a touch of fear in her eyes….
"Where’s Giliath?" She demanded, before collapsing back onto the ground.
LilyRoseTook wrote:
Lily could not hide her fear as Randir led Celubsel to join the other horses. She couldn’t remember ever having felt this kind of fear. Even in the pits of despair all those years ago in Maclime’s dungeon, she had not feared for herself. But now, one that she had sworn to protect was missing….she would rather slit her own throat than let anything happen to any of these younger girls.
"You couldn’t find her?" Lily asked much more sharply than she meant to.
Randir turned to face her, and seemed to think better of an angry retort.
"I have neither the eyes of an owl, nor power over light. There is no purpose in thrashing about the woods in the dark. She will fare well enough for a little longer." She said, with measured patience, and then she turned to the rekindled fire to warm herself.
Despite the blaze, she could feel a cold chill racing down her spine as she realized that if it hadn’t been for her impulse to run straight into a trap, they would never have gotten separated to begin with. Time was running out for Giliath’s father, and now Giliath herself could be in grave danger…
Dragging herself to the fire was more than she dared to attempt, as weak as she was….but the fire seemed to draw her into it’s warm embrace as she stared into its welcoming depths.
She heard Satch and Mat having a whispered, but heated discussion a short distance away. Lily had no doubt that they were talking about her. Ordinarily, she would have been irritated, but not this time.
Whether Mat managed to talk Satch out of healing her or not made very little difference. She would look for Giliath….alone, if the others would not have her…
She had heard her brother say something about tying her to a tree before he would let her go anywhere. Her lips curled into a slight smile. Let him try. Brother or not, he would regret the day that he had ever laid eyes on her.
Ladykat wrote:
"You couldn’t find her?" Lily’s voice was a mixture of fear and anger. Randir turned to meet Satch’s accusing look, she had promised to bring Giliath and had not.

"I found her," Randir answered Lily, "but she is too far away. We will not reach her this night. "

Lily struggled to stand again. "She’s out there alone! What if she’s hurt? She…." wincing, Lily broke off, holding her side and sinking back to the ground. Unnoticed, Bree moved up to sit beside her friend.

"She is in no danger," Randir said with more conviction than she felt. "We will leave at dawn. Her horse was injured and needs rest before he leads us to his mistress," she finished, patting Celebsul’s neck.

"Celebsul’s hurt?" Lily’s tone changed to one of concern, then near panic as she said, "Then Giliath may be hurt as well!"

"It was Venom-thorn----he ran into a patch of Venom-thorn." Randir walked toward Lily, hands held out in a placating manner. Mathurin broke off his whispered argument with Satch, and shot Randir a look of concern. "He’s had some Bitterleaf"-----over Lily’s shoulder she saw Mathurin relax, and turn back to his quiet exhortations-------"and he needs only a few hours of rest before he takes us to his mistress. We should all rest, and be ready to ride at first light."

"I think I’ve had enough sleep." Lily’s eyes locked with Randir’s. "I think I’ll just stay awake until it’s time to leave."

"As you will, Hunter." Randir kept her tone even as she moved to stand beside the fire.

Lily leaned back against the tree, pulling her bow and quiver close beside her, as though daring anyone to argue with her. Suddenly, Satch knelt beside her, holding out a water flask. "Here. Drink this. It will help….ease the pain," she mumbled, not meeting Lily’s eyes. Quickly she rose and walked away, wrapping her cloak tightly around herself. Lily frowned after her, then shrugged, and downed the contents of the flask.

During all of this, Bree had been sitting close to Lily, quietly humming a tune. Now Lily turned to her, surprise in her voice. "I remember that! Your mother used to sing that to us....what are the words? " Smiling, Bree began to sing softly. As she sang, she projected a soothing calmness toward her friend. The Mind-Toucher had learned much in a short time, Randir noted with approval. Lily began to relax in spite of herself. The tension left her body, her grip on her bow loosened, her head nodded forward as she fell into a dreamless sleep. Gently, Bree laid her down and covered her with a blanket. The Shifter ran to help her. Lily's remark about Bree's mother had piqued his interest, and he was eager to question Bree.

"Well! Now that she’s asleep, we can leave." Úcenite’s voice broke the silence. Randir looked at her questioningly. "There is something we must do that only the four of us can," Úcenite indicated Leafy and the two Companions. "She" Úcenite’s tone sounded aggrieved as she pointed at Leafy, "wouldn’t leave before, she was afraid her friend would insist on going too."

"No doubt she would have," Randir agreed with a half smile. From the corner of her eye, she saw the Shifter start towards them, ready to argue against anyone leaving. Satch was standing to one side, shock written all over her face. For their benefit Randir spoke aloud" "The Companions are and old and wise race, you, Dreamer, are well versed in the ways of your people, and she" indicating Leafy "is a trained fighter. I do not doubt we will soon meet again. I wish you Good Hunting."

Úcenite looked somewhat taken aback at this speech; Iri whickered softly as if amused. "Oh! Well. All right, then," the Dreamer sounded mildly surprised, as though she had expected Randir to order them to stay. As the four of them left, Leafy looked back with a grin and a wave before disappearing into the dark forest.

Mathurin was about to speak, when Randir stopped him with a question. "A sleeping draught?" she asked, with a glance at Lily. He gave a short nod. "She will not be well pleased with you when she awakens."

The Shifter grinned ruefully. "She has not been well pleased with me since we met," he replied. "Those two who left," he began, but Randir shook her head. "Now is not the time for questions and long explanations. And no," she interrupted him before he could speak, "there are no short explanations. We have a long, difficult, dangerous task ahead of us. Mayhap the time will come for questions and answers. The Powers grant that it come soon, and we all live to see it. For now, take some rest. I will stand watch."

The Shifter stood silent for a few moments, absorbing her words, weighing his answer. Finally, he nodded slowly, and said, "So be it---for now. But you must share the watch with me. You cannot stay awake until dawn, and then face a long, hard ride."

"Tis no hardship, I’m usually up all night," Randir answered, "but if you insist, I will wake you in three hours." Mathurin agreed, and, wrapping himself in his cloak, went to sit close to Lily and Bree. He watched as Randir changed to her cat form, and began to prowl the perimeter of the clearing, the moon and starlight reflected in her golden eyes.

********Much later*******

Rising from her bed of soft leaves, Randir stretched, sniffing the air. After three hours she had awakened the Shifter as promised, then she had hunted and eaten before she slept. Now, still in cat form, her nose twitched, detecting the changes in the air that told of the coming of the dawn, and something else……roasted rabbit?

Stepping delicately in the dew-laden grass, she saw Mathurin, in human form once more. He had changed to wolf to stand his watch, and evidently he had done more than watch. Two medium sized rabbits were roasting over the fire. Seeing her, he smiled, and gestured toward the fire. "I did not think you would want to waste time getting breakfast before you left," he whispered, "so I prepared this to eat on the trail. Cold fare is better than none at all."

Rising on her hind legs, Randir became human, and smiled at Mathurin in return. "Much appreciated Shifter," she whispered in passing, then went to wake Satch. As Satch, still bleary-eyed with sleep was stowing her gear and saddling her horse, Randir gently shook Bree awake. "Mind-Toucher," she spoke mentally. "We must leave now. Do you ride with us, or do you stay with the Hunter?" Bree sat up and looked at the still sleeping Lily. She reached out to Lily, but did not touch her. Then she resolutely rolled up her blankets and went to her horse. The Shifter had wrapped the rabbits in some oiled cloth, and now he handed them to Bree to put in her pack. Randir had Celebsul’s reins. "Bring all the horses save the Hunter's. We go on foot until we are well away from the clearing."

*********************
They had been riding for hours. The sun was now well up in the sky, had almost reached midday. Randir had allowed them only one brief stop to take some food and water the horses before pushing them on. There had been no complaints; indeed they hardly spoke at all. They all seemed to sense the urgency, the need to find Giliath with all speed.

Suddenly Celebsul neighed loudly, and broke into a gallop, veering to the left. Randir changed to cat, leapt from his back, and raced to the right. Satch and Bree urged their mounts on as fast as they could. They had spotted a bedraggled figure making her way gamely up the slope. Randir and Celebsul circled Giliath, getting in front of her. Human once more, Randir reached out to Giliath, who pulled away, flailing her arms, stumbling against Celebsul. Seemingly not seeing him, she nonetheless held onto him, breathing hard. Celebsul whickered, and nuzzled her shoulder. As if in a trance, Giliath reached up and began to stroke his nose.

Satch and Bree had dismounted, and ran to stand beside Randir. "Mind-Toucher," Randir spoke softly, "Call her. Try to reach her. Bring her back."

Bree walked forward slowly, reaching toward Giliath, but careful not to touch her, calling with her mind: "Giliath! Can you hear me? Come back!"

"What's wrong with her?" whispered Satch.

"Her mind is wandering in half-dreams," Randir replied.

"Just as you said," Lily's strident voice sounded behind them. They had been so intent on Giliath none had heard her ride up, followed by the great wolf. "You said it, remember? Where the Unseen is Seen, and the Real becomes Unreal. We're there, aren't we?"

"Almost," Randir murmured, glancing at the hilltop.
Moonstream wrote:
Mat watched Satch, Bree and Randir disappear into the predawn gray. Although he was glad that enough time may have been bought to complete their task, whatever it may be, he felt guilty that his sister had been deceived. She was the only reason that he had to live, and he was sure that she would not be in the best of spirits when she awoke and realized what had happened. As a wolf, he curled up next to her and waited. The silence was nearly deafening as his trepidation grew.
Everyone else that had meant anything to him had been lost in one way or another. His wife was dead, along with most of his friends from the village that he had lived in. His old teacher, he had never discovered the fate of. Some ten or more years had passed since he had suddenly disappeared. Some said that he had been fed up with the Order and had hidden with his family, and others said that some evil power had taken him. Mat had never believed for even a minute that his teacher would desert, no matter what was going on. The last words that had been spoken to him, before they had parted for the last time had been cryptic. It had been something about blood calling to blood….he had never understood what it meant, although he had spent many long years searching for clues. He often wondered if his teacher had known what was about to happen. That last day, he had spoken wistfully of his wife and child….Giliath!!!! It must have be a great power, indeed, because his teacher would have never resigned himself to any fate.
He stood up, suddenly, the hair bristling on his neck. He cursed himself and his slow memory….but, now he had no choice but to wait for Lily to wake up on her own.
The pink tinged sky held the promise of a bright, sunny day…he begrudged every second that he lost.
Mat didn’t know if his ability to fight whatever would be found at the end of the road was any greater than any one of the other girls, but he had no choice but to try. The next few minutes seemed like an eternity, as he restlessly paced back and forth.
Lily stirred and she opened her eyes. Forgetting that she had not yet seen him as a wolf, he nudged her, gently. As her sleepy confusion turned into realization that she had been duped, he braced himself for her verbal onslaught….but it never came.
If she thought anything unusual about being alone with a wolf, she didn’t show it. She sat up, stiffly and murmured. "So, you thought to keep me away with a sleeping potion." She looked him squarely in the eyes, and sighed heavily. "Yes, it makes sense. Everything that has gone wrong on this quest has been my fault."
Lily painfully pulled herself to her feet. Rather than the expected rage, her face was filled with indecisiveness and doubt, and to his dismay, her fiery determination had disappeared.
Mat longed to comfort her, but dared not waste any time. He chose to remain a wolf to avoid having to give her any lengthy explanations for the time being.
He gripped Lily’s sleeve with his teeth and tried to pull her to her horse. Perplexed, she stopped, and with usual stubbornness, tried to shake herself free…."Wait a minute…what are you doing?" there was no time to listen to her argue or answer any questions.
Mat called out to Lily’s horse. With a brisk toss of her head, the gray mare pulled her tether free and cantered to her mistress, and sank to her forelegs to allow Lily to climb on her back.
Then, he told Aeysha -that is what Lily called her, the mare told him- to follow.
He caught the scent of the other three riders, and followed as quickly as he dared. He knew that Lily would tire before long. Although the nights rest had done much to speed the healing process, she was still very stiff and sore.
Several hours passed. He knew that they were drawing closer, because the scent was fresher than it had been. He knew that he would have a world of explaining to do once it was discovered that it was he that had insisted on following and not Lily. He feared that they would have to halt so that she could rest, but when he turned to look at her face was resolute.
Mat saw four figures in the distance. He picked out Giliath easily…She looked so much like her father.
Their backs were turned, and they did not see as Lily rode up behind them. He fell back behind Lily and transformed…
"Her mind is wandering in half-dreams," he heard Randir say
"Just as you said. You said it, remember? Where the Unseen is Seen, and the Real becomes Unreal. We're there, aren't we?"
Those were the first words that he had heard Lily speak since they had left the clearing.
"Almost," Randir spoke softly, gazing up the hill.
Mat couldn’t contain his curiosity any longer….
"Lily…How did you know that it was me when you awoke? I don’t think that I told you…."
"You didn’t need to." Lily said , her face breaking into a smile. "You are the only wolf that has ever flinched at the sight of me!"
Bree379 wrote:
"Giliath." No response. "Giliath," she spoke louder this time, but there was still no response. Bree walked slowly towards Giliath, her eyes shut to block out everything, concentrating fully on reaching her friend. But it was like trying to talk to the wind. Every thought she projected was swept into a swirling mist of darkness and doubt which Bree could not penetrate. "Giliath! Please, can you hear me? Come back to us, Giliath, we must help you!" As though Giliath heard her, the mist cleared and Bree caught a brief glimpse of her friend. She seemed lost and scared, and then she turned her back on Bree and recoiled deeper into the darkness. Bree attempted to call her back, but it was futile.

She retreated from the encircling darkness of Giliath's mind and opened her eyes, blinking back the eerie morning light filtering through the clouds. Randir looked worried. "Mind Toucher, could you not reach her"? Bree shook her head dejectedly, feeling that she had failed. She was surprised to see Lily and Mat in their presence, she had been so deep within Giliath's mind that she had heard nothing of what had happened. Bree was at a loss as to what was going on.

"Where is she, Randir. Why can I not reach Giliath? Sometimes I can't penetrate minds because of distance... or-" her voice trembled slightly, "or if I do not know the strength of the mind. But Giliath... I can always reach my fellow Blade Runners."

"We're there Bree," Lily repeated, "we're where the unseen is seen-"

"-and the real becomes unreal," Bree finished as recognition dawned. She gazed at Giliath, who was swaying slightly as she stared at nothing, or at least, nothing Bree could see.

"Almost," Randir replied, and Bree followed her gaze up the hill. "Yes, we're almost there." She stared for a moment longer up the hill, and then broke off. "Mind toucher, you must continue your effort to reach the Water Master. If I'm not mistaken you did contact her, if only briefly. She does not need to be alone right now. Speak soothing words; let her know that we are by her side to help her fight whatever we encounter."

Bree nodded resolutely and retreated back into Giliath's mind.
Giliath wrote:

It was a heavy morning, the sort he hated waking up to and hated even more traveling on. The air was thick and chill and a deep layer of cloud sat firmly over his head weighing down the world. The little light that managed to struggle through cast everything in doleful shades of grey. It was the worst sort of morning to say goodbye to her.

He worked his way through the tress behind the house with his arms pulled tightly into his chest. He counted the steps as he progressed and noted the various markers that he had picked out to help hi, find his way back to her spot. She did this every time he left. Even when he didn't tell he was going off again she would know, and so he didn't even bother going to her room to wake her this morning. He knew where she would be.

He thought over what he was going to say to her as he went. She was getting to old and to clever to believe his old accustomed goodbyes. She hadn't even said anything the last time. She had just looked at his as he told her he wouldn't be away long and that he wished he didn't have to go. She had just looked at him.

He sighed and ran his fingers along the damp trunks of the tress as they passed. Almost there. The sound of water tripping over stones interrupted his thoughts. He emerged from under the tress onto the bank of a small forest stream. The water was moving along quicker than usual swelled by the recent rain. On the further bank the trees had not yet fully won over and stood in scattered ranks amid the patches of dull green. The greatest among them was an oak, tall, thick and ancient. It grew so close to the stream that over the course of it's years it had put out roots straight into the water and over onto the further bank. It's branches started rather close to the ground and they were smooth and strong and easy to climb.

He stood on the bank of the stream resting one foot on the most advanced of the old tree's roots. He stared up at the turning leaves. Amidst the gold and fading green he saw what he was looking for- a patch of blue and a booted foot dangling from a bough.


He carefully crossed the stream and stood under the oak looking up at the occupied branch. "Giliath," he called watching her foot swing back and forth.

She peered down over her branch, but immediately turned back to counting the leaves on the branch across from her and did not answer.

"Giliath," he called again, craning his neck to try and get sight of her face.

She didn't even look down, but kept swinging her feet back and forth as if no one was there.

He sighed and sat down on one of the tree root. He picked up a few loose tones and cast them casually into the water. She wouldn't even look at him this time. He pushed himself up and dusting off his hands on his cloak started to leave.

"You're going again aren't you?" he heard her ask quietly over his head.

He walked back under her branch and looked up at her, but she still wouldn't face him. "Yes," he said.

Her feet stopped swinging. "How long will you be gone this time?"

He turned around and leaned up against the trunk of the tree. "Not long," he wanted to say, but he knew she had gotten tired of hearing things like that and never having them come true. "I don't know," he finally said. He brought a hand up and rubber at his eyes. It was getting harder every time. He tired to picture the look on her face and hated the image he invented.

"Are you coming back?"

His hand dropped and he spun around to look back up at his daughter. "Of course I'm coming back!" he said, but all he could think of was the day when that would not be true. What would he say then? How would he say anything at all?

Giliath swung off her branch and started making her way slowly down the tree. He watched her progress to the last branch then reached up and gently helped her to the ground. He stood her on the arch of a tree root in front of him and placed his hands on her shoulders. She closed her eyes and her head dropped, but he lifted it with her chin in the palm of his hand. Her eyes, however, remained downcast unable to look at him. "Look at me Giliath." She lifted her eyes. "We will always find each other alright?" She nodded. "Always."

Giliath jumped into her father’s arms and he folded her into a strong hug tucking her head under his chin. She dug her face into his chest and squeezed as hard as she could, not ready to let go. He pulled her away and took her hand turning her towards the river. "Let’s go home," he said.

He helped Giliath over the stream, letting her balance along a tree root as he walked through the water steadying her with one hand. Giliath hopped off the end of the root and hurried beside her father back along the path that he had taken to find her. She looked up at him as they went. His face framed in the dull light looked somehow older. She thought she saw imagined strokes of grey running through his hair; lines marking his face where there had been only a few before; his hand felt rougher under hers.


She turned away. The world seemed to have grown greyer. The clouds had laid themselves closer to the ground and seemed to hang only feet from the highest branches above her. And the branches, they had gone grey themselves. They had faded into the colour of the sky and now only looked like darker streaks in a dominant shade. The trunks in front of her had turned as well and everything-root, branch, and sky- blended together into a single deceit. She closed her eyes wishing away the confusion, but the world had only melted away more when she opened them.

Suddenly, her hand slipped from her father’s grip and fell against her side. She looked up, but he had slid into the grey. She thought she could still see him standing beside her. "Ada?" she called, but there was no answer. "Ada!" She wheeled around trying to catch any glimpse of him. "Ada!" She stumbled against a tree. "Ada!"

There was nothing around her, the world had melted, disappeared and her father with it. She closed her eyes hoping that if she could picture him he would be there when she opened them, but nothing came. She saw bits and pieces, but couldn’t form them into anything real and complete.

"Giliath."

Her eyes snapped open and she turned. A figure was coming towards her, but it was distant and indistinct. "Giliath can you hear me?’

She focused on the voice trying to place it, but it was from somewhere else some other time. The figure took a few cautious steps towards her. "Giliath can you hear me?" She came into sharper relief.

Giliath focused on her face and a name came slowly to her lips. "Bree?" she said hesitantly. "What are you doing here?"

"We’re all here Giliath," she said coming forward and placing a hand on her friend’s arm. "I need you to remember where you are."

Giliath stepped back and looked at Bree in confusion. Remember where you are. The world around her slowly started to shift; She could see loose stones under her feet, other people and horses gathered on a slope. But it was still so distant. She swallowed hard. "I know where I am," she said and the dream broke. She was standing on the rise of the hill which tumbled itself above her. Bree stood in front of her smiling in relief. Lily, satch and Randir were huddled close behind and a little to the left a stranger stood holding back the horses. Giliath stared at him for a moment, but he shrunk from her glance and gazed up the hill.

The rock was still marked with curls of mist, but most of the cloud had retreated higher up blocking any view of the summit to those below. Giliath watched as the last trailing bits of mists formed up around the hilltop. It didn’t want her to see.

Bree smiled and placed a hand gently on Giliath’s shoulder. "We should go back to the clearing," she said looking back at the others.

Giliath tore her attention away from the hill. "No!" she screamed pulling away from Bree. She grabbed Celebsul’s leads and started pulling him up the hill. Bree darted in front of her and threw her hands up to block her path. Giliath tried to dodge her, but Bree stood firm and pushed her gently back when she tried to continue forward.

"Just wait!" she said holding Giliath by the arm "We’ll go back to the clearing and rest. You can go to the top when..."

"No!" Giliath cried again pushing Bree aside so that she almost fell over the loose stones on the slope. The others crowded around her to block her way. She turned and twisted trying to get around them, but they wouldn’t let her move, only the stranger hung back. "Please," she said looking from one face to another, "I have to get to him!"

"Get to who?" Bree asked, but Giliath didn’t answer she was staring up the slope.

_________________

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Posted: Thu 17 Feb , 2005 4:21 am
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Ladykat wrote:
Staring hard at Giliath’s face, Randir read her emotions. The Mind-Toucher had
successfully pulled her friend out of her dream state, she was fully in the here and
now, and frantic to reach the top of the hill. Satch, Lily and Bree stood close, arms
held out to stop her. Bree was saying something about returning to the clearing…..

"NO!" Randir spoke decisively, stepping back to let Giliath pass. "Going back is no
good, we must continue forward."

"But she needs rest," Bree began, as Giliath took advantage of the opening Randir
provided, and resumed her rush up the slope, pulling Celebsul along behind her.
Randir reached out and laid a light hand on Celebsul’s neck, and he stopped
instantly, thereby forcing Giliath to stop as well.

"If we return to the clearing, we may never leave it again---not alive." Randir spoke
loudly; she had everyone’s attention, including Giliath’s. "WaterMaster, you came
seeking something you thought lost. The rest of you came to help your friend. What
you seek lies at the top of the hill. You must go……WE must go," now she faced
Giliath directly. "Whatever awaits you, know that you do not stand alone."

Mathurin had quietly moved closer, leading the horses. Giliath, looking relieved,
started forward once more, and the other Blade Runners fell in behind her. Lily, bow
in hand, looked grimly at the mist-enshrouded hilltop.

"So our quest ends there," she said, her voice determined.

"Oh, no, Hunter." Lily and the others turned, surprised at the tone of Randir’s voice.
Was it sadness? Randir’s face looked troubled as she shook her head. "It is not the
end. Would that it were."
LilyRoseTook wrote:
Lily had thought to argue when the big, gray wolf, who was obviously her brother, had urged her to her horse, but she thought better of it. She could sense his urgency, and when Aeysha broke her tether and cantered to her, she knew that this was not the time for questions.
Mathurin had hesitated when he had heard Giliath’s name. She wondered what he could have possibly remembered that would have changed his mind so quickly. He had been adamant that she stay away from the action, but now, he had turned from that completely.
It didn’t matter why, in a way. She was there, now and no one had questioned her. Everyone must have assumed that Lily would have found a way, no matter what the cost to herself. She only hoped that she wouldn’t cause everything in her path to burst into flames.
Her brother had fallen behind and had transformed to the more familiar tall, dark haired figure. She could sense that he was fearful of something. The horses whickered plaintively, and he spoke to them in a strange language.
Giliath was determined and she climbed the steep slope resolutely, as the four women followed her closely. Mat was gripping Lily’s shoulder…She could feel something at the top of the hill…She gripped her bow more tightly, although she doubted that weapons would be of any use once they reached the top of the hill.
Lily gently tossed a handful of sparks to cut a path of light through the thickening mist.
They were more than half way up the hill, now. A larger shower of sparks illuminated the hilltop. There were two- not just one figure at the top of the hill. One of them was obviously Giliath’s father….the grip on her shoulder tightened… Did Mathurin know him? And the other was a woman…
Lily could feel a sense of foreboding. And then she almost laughed out loud as she realized how little that she really knew of this quest. They needed to find Giliath’s father, but beyond that, she knew nothing…she glanced at Bree, Satch, and Randir in turn. Whether or not they shared any of her fears, she did not know. She gripped her brother’s hand and with renewed determination, moved onward and upward. Whatever Giliath needed from her, she was ready....
Alassante_Estel wrote:
Estel followed the man, though not too closely, for she didn't want him to think that she was pursuing him. She held up her blades so that she could see to follow him, but the blades wouldn't give off the light. Looking at them closely, she saw that the star was very dim, and the blades were corroded and black where the mans blood at touched them.

Hope was dying before her eyes......



It felt like hours since that had happened, since that thought had crossed her mind. Now she was feeling her way down through dark corridors that she didn't recognize, following only a madman's distant laughter and focusing on the faded light of a dying star. Her fingers felt as though they were burned by acid every time she touched the walls, but it was better than running into them with the full length of her body. She had been unable to move for long minutes the first time that had happened, and had not allowed the same horror to occur again.

Deep black surrounded her, and for the first time since she had become Guild Mistress, she didn't know where she was. Even the deepest of the catacomb tunnels had been known to her, but now, some dark force had opened new ones. Entrances that had been closed up thousands of years before, with what was behind them locked with them. There were stories behind it she was sure, but they could only be told by those that had built this place. They were long gone, and she was here now, lost in the dark, and letting her mind wander farther down the dark paths than even her body was willing to travel.

The stones on the floor began to level off, though the stones still buckled up as if to trip her. Light showed not to far ahead, and the mans insane giggles sounded close. Estel let go of the wall and slowly moved forward towards the flickering red light of the room, but almost instantly tripped over a rock she knew had not been there before. Her blade hand tore open, letting blood wash across her palm. Loath to allow her blood to come in contact with the black blood that stained her blades and stole their light, she switched it to her other hand and moved into the room.

"I told you she was not that way!" the madman raved as he capered around the room. "She was where I said all along."

Estel watched in horror as he pointed to a skeleton that seemed to stare at her from a throne like chair in the room. The man danced towards it, and began kissing its fingers and cheekbones, laughing and crying at the same time.

"Lily, I wouldn't let him kill you. Can't play games with death, but he was only pretending. Pretending! He couldn't have you so I destroyed you! Blood and bones and flesh and water all dancing in sacred circle. That's what makes you mine. Can't take life as a prize. I destroyed you. "

The man chittered his words, jumping from stone to throne and splashing in a murky puddle. He stopped then, sane thoughts fleeting through his mind before he lost all again. Ripping off his shirt, he took a knife and slashed at his arms and chest, letting the blood drip into the water. Taking his shirt, he dipped it in the black and bloody pool at his feet and began washing the skeleton with it.

"Pretty Lily must be clean. Denying death deserves a party. Innocent anger washes black and blessed becomes hidden. I must find a proper gown for you my love. Stars and gossamer like the sea flowing through her body. That would be most beautiful for my love."

Not able to turn her gaze aside, she witnessed something that terrified her more than anything had ever done before. Flesh began crawling onto the bones, a face began to form, and eyes blazed where only empty sockets had been before. Each time he wiped the blood water across the bones, flesh writhed and grew in its path. Features became evident, and it was not Lily sitting before her. Black hair fell in waves, hiding the naked body of the woman reclining in front of her. The man fawned at her feet, still dabbing at her with night soaked shirt and muttering about finding a gown.

It was the woman from her dreams, now sitting before her in blood and growing flesh. The throne, Estel realized, was a kneeling dragon, wings arched over and eyes gazing at her with the same lust as the one in her nightmare.

Panicking, she held her blades in front of her with both hands. The woman merely laughed. The madman wheezed mirth with her, and continued dancing around Estel, circling faster and closer, and singing words about his Lily.

"Dresses and a party. Deaths defeat came in Lily's life. Flesh to flowers, bones to ash. Colors for my lovers ball."

The sound of woman’s laughter and mans insane song overwhelmed her. Desperately, she turned, searching for an escape. The room around her seemed to have no walls, no door. There were dragons glaring down on her everywhere she looked, and an unknowing, uncaring man skipping and spinning between her and them, his words floating, sinking, intertwining with horrible laughter. After an eternity of hopeless, thoughtless scrambling, she lowered her scissors in defeat. There would be no escape from this. In numb sorrow, she lowered her head as well, and watched the blades begin to fall towards the floor with the blood from her wounded hand. The laughter of the woman grew, and with it, there was a sudden blinding flash of light. It erased all sound, all sight - even erased the very sense of her own body.

She knew no more.
Giliath wrote:
Giliath trudged up the slope her back bent low into the rise. She climbed pulling Celebsul behind her never looking back, never turning to see if her companions still followed. She kept her eyes fixed on the ground in front of her watching as it went by foot by foot, slowly rising.

The morning had grown colder since they had found her. A thick blanket of cloud, refusing to let any sun through its bulk to warm the damp air, dominated the sky. The others would have their hoods over their heads and their arms pulled tightly into their chests to chases away the cold, but Giliath ignored it. There was probably no use anyway. She only cared how high she could climb before her strength gave out.

She bent further towards the ground trying to lessen the work when Celebsul‘s leads suddenly went taught in her hand forcing her to stop. She looked up. They had reached the top of the hill... and the mist. It loomed up in front of her in an unyielding wall of shifting white. Celebsul stepped back, pulling on his leads and trembling under a fresh coat of sweat. Giliath pulled, trying to will him forward, but he would not move and she finally dropped the two strips of leather in frustration.

The others strung themselves out beside her staring up at the mist as if it were as impassable as a stone wall without a gate. Mathurin gently stroked Celebsul’s nose and pulled him away from the summit to join the other horses. He seemed comforted by every step he took away from the hilltop.

Bree gently stretched out a hand towards the mist, but pulled it back before her fingertips reached the wall. "How are we going to get past that?" she asked quietly, but no one answered.

Giliath closed her eyes and rubbed at the side of her face. She ran her hand through her hair then suddenly slammed it into her thigh. "Damn it!" she screamed. She felt the tension in the others around her as if they wanted to reach out to her to help, but knew there was nothing they could do.

She closed her eyes trying to find some solution, some bit of information that would show her what to do, but her thought strayed and she found it dark in the shadow of her eyes. She could see images, glimpsed in flashes of memory as if flipping through the pages of a book. On and on they past through her mind’s eye. Flashes of memory. But there was nothing to aid her. It was all her father, his face, his hands, his eyes - always brief and incomplete. And when her eyes snapped open she felt unbearably empty knowing that this was all that she had left of him beyond the scissors in her belt.

Her mind went terribly blank.

A hand fell on her shoulder and she found herself throwing it off.

Some part of her had thought this was all going to be easy, that she would ride from the gates of Elenos and find her father standing somewhere waiting for her on the road. But it had been nothing but one disaster after another, dangers followed by dangers and she had taken the others into every one of them with no thought for anything other than finding a man she could barely now remember.

Why can't I see him?

Minutes slipped by and Giliath just stood in front of the mist, the thing that separated her from the relief to the emptiness and confusion.

Why can't I see him?

She should have never given up looking for him after her mother died. She should have kept trying to find him instead of staying in Elenos. If only her mother had told her where he was! She would have been able to find him! She should have been able to find him anyway! She stared down at his scissors tucked in her belt, then up at the wall in front of her, her dark eyes blazing with anger and self-reproach.

Why can't I see him?

She closed her eyes trying to come up with any glimpse of him that she could, but nothing came to interrupt the lack. She felt a surge of rage.

The young Blade Runner took her father’s scissors from her belt and clenched them tightly in her hand and the moon blazed under the heat of her hand. Barely aware of her own actions, caught in the energy of her anger, she stepped boldly up to the mist and slammed her fist into the wall. She could feel it shudder and weaken. She threw her hand into the wall again and again. She could feel it breaking under the strain of each blow.

Sudden a rush of energy filled her as the anger rose in her mind. Some part of her warned against giving into such emotion, that it was dangerous, but she didn’t care. She only wanted to see him again; maybe then she would be able to stop waiting to feel the way she did before she knew he wasn’t coming back.

She brought her hand up and threw it into the mist again and as if she had kicked open a door it fell back in front of her. The others stared at what she had done. An opening had formed in the wall, but the mist on either side still held firm and bent up and around the break that stretched up towards the summit in a great arched tunnel.

Giliath strode forward holding her hand up before her face as if she could keep the tunnel from collapsing with a wave of her palm. The others fell in behind her, huddled close together in single file, but the horses would not enter the mist despite every effort that Mathurin could think of and finally he tied their leads to a stunted tree before following after the others.

Giliath lead them up the slope through the path that she had forced. There was even less light in the tunnel then there had been under the pale of cloud and she could see the little sparks of light behind her that Lily had ignited on her fingers to guide them, but there was no need. The tunnel was straight and even and made it’s way directly up with no care to lessen the slope by zigzagging up the rise.

They made their way silently up behind Giliath, watching the grey form of the backs of the person in front of them. Despite the power that Giliath had shown they felt as if the tunnel would fall in on them at any moment, that it would use any break in her will to crush them where they stood. A little light suddenly came through above Giliath, crowning her head in a grey glow, but it did little to hearten them. It only meant they were closer to the end.

Giliath’s pace quickened as the light came in around her. It was almost over. He would be there waiting for her. The walls on either side began to thin and fade. Almost there. The roof above her head fell away revealing the grey sky and suddenly she found herself in the open again.

Her hand dropped to her side and her body seemed to shrink as she slumped forward a bit. There were two figures standing there on the summit, a woman she had never seen before and a man. She gasped and could feel the tears starting in her eyes as the memory flooded back. The sound of his voice, the warmth of his hand on her face, the shape of his smile....

"Father?" she said weakly, but he was different now. He seemed older beyond the years that had come between them. Gone was the strength that lifted her onto his shoulders that now slumped in a tired heaped below his face, dark and worn. He swayed gently on bent knees and gripped a crooked staff in a thin hand for support.

A thin smile of recognition spread across his pale lips that quickly fell into pain and fear. She could hear him wheezing as he tried to speak. "I’m sorry," he said and fell to his knees.
Moonstream wrote:
The horses would not be calmed, once the door was opened. Aeysha told Mat that she would not go through, and no amount of coaxing or pleading was going to change hers or any of the other horses minds. With an audible sigh, he gently pried Lily’s fingers off of him and tethered the horses to an old tree stump. No matter what happens, wait for us, he told them, sternly. Our greatest need will likely be upon our return. With that, he quickly caught up to the steadily advancing women, and caught hold of his sister. Their fear was penetrating, but no more than his own.
It was a heart wrenching sight that awaited him. Aldric, the man who had saved him from certain death more than ten years ago and who had taught him how to harness the beast within himself. He was a mere shell of the man that Mat remembered, aged way beyond his years…and projecting a hopelessness way beyond anything that he himself had felt, even when he lay in his cell in the Spammer’s prison, gasping with what he thought would be his last breaths.
At first, he hung back, not wanting to interrupt the reunion between father and daughter, but when the old man fell to his knees, he could wait no longer. In his haste, he nearly knocked his sister sprawling.
Metal grated in the background- Satch and Bree had drawn their scissors. Randir had transformed back to her cat shape, and Lily knocked an arrow. The woman had nearly been forgotten about...She drifted out of the shadows...
Leafy wrote:
Bree had of course told them all that had befallen her and Lily since the fog came, and while Leafy was glad they were both safe, and rejoiced in the Nóla’s death, something not quite comprehensible still tugged at her stomach, and she was unsettled, though she did not know why.

Not long had passed when Úcenite came striding out of the trees, and strangely, a small smile was upon her lips. Leafy wondered if she knew anything that had happened, but she simply gave a small nod of encouragement to Satch as she held yet a another cloth to Lily’s side, and moved quickly to Leafy’s side, sitting down upon a tree stump.

"I have just seen someone who wishes to speak to you," she said casually, reaching for Leafy’s broth and taking a large mouthful.

"Who?" Leafy asked, immediately interested.

"You will find out when we go, won’t you? This is delicious, Mind-Toucher."

"Go where?"

Úcenite let out a large sigh and set down her bowl. "You know, for a half-Dreamer your mind isn’t as swift as I would expect."

Leafy opened her mouth to let out an indignant exclamation, but Úcenite cut her off, speaking fast and low. "Listen, the Nóla is dead. No evil will dare come here for at least a while. It is time you returned to the spirit world and learnt more about your gift. The earth is trembling, you feel it don’t you?"

"I… I felt a little disquieted yes-"

"Yes. Something is happening, or is going to happen. I don’t know exactly. But you must be as prepared as you can be for when it does. Your Companion thinks so too. Now call him, and we shall depart."

"Uh, ok…" she walked over to the horse, and gave its bridle an absent-minded tug. The horse made no response apart from what Leafy could have sworn was a withering look.

"Manners, Leafy," Úcenite called, with a wry smile.

Leafy rolled her eyes at her, and turned back to the horse. "If you would be so kind, Master Steed, Miss Úcenite and I have need of you and would greatly appreciate your service."

"Can you not speak in your mind, child?" Úcenite hissed, exasperated.

"She is learning," replied a calm voice inside Leafy’s head. "Be gentle. Though perhaps you ought to know my name – Mîl."

"We have not time," said Úcenite. "Let us go." Grabbing Leafy’s hand, she placed it upon Mîl’s mane, and suddenly Leafy felt as though she had been tipped upside down, missed a step in a flight of stairs, and had her feet whipped out from beneath her all at once. There was a rushing of wind past her ears, and she fell forward, letting go of Mîl ‘s mane, and throwing out her hands to break her fall. However, she did not meet hard ground as she had expected, but seemed to slow down as she fell and simply come to rest on something that was neither solid, liquid not gas, but just… there. There was no other way she could describe it. She rolled over, or rather willed herself to float onto her back, then sat up and saw Úcenite and Mîl watching her.

"Welcome to the Spirit World," said Mîl.
Giliath wrote:
Giliath raced forward and laid her father's head in her lap ignoring the other Blade Runners as they nervously readied themselves and fingered weapons behind her. She hugged him wanting to feel the comfort of being close, wanting to just know he was there, but she pulled back. He felt so ethereal under her arms as if he would break apart if she squeezed with even the slightest bit more pressure.

He coughed and looked up at her scanning her face, trying to catalogue all of the changes that had been worked over it by the intrinsic passage of time. A brief smile drifted across his face, but it was quickly swept away by a wave of pain. Giliath could feel his body tense as it passed through him. He swallowed hard and looked behind her over his daughter's shoulder then turned away to speak to the empty air.

"You found me," he said dryly, low and furtive.

Giliath had always been aware of the sheer presence of her father, the thereness that had earned him a quiet respect from everyone they had known in the city, but now she was struck by how empty he seemed, how hollow. Why wouldn’t he look at her?

"Didn’t you know I would?" she asked. He didn’t answer but shifted in her arms. "I always was good at our little game," she added with an effort at a smile hoping that just a mention of the past would bring him back somehow. Why won’t he look at me?

She felt a sigh pass through him. He turned his head and looked straight at his daughter. Something odd brightened in his eyes. Was it defiance? "This time," he said with an intensity that seemed impossible from such a frail man, "I wish you had lost."

Giliath stiffened as if the words had bitten her. She knew there was something off, something behind what her father had said, but she could understand none of it and couldn’t get past the sting of his words to look any deeper.

Aldric turned away and looked passed Giliath’s right shoulder. Mathurin was looking down on her father with an air of joy battling with concern that she did not understand.

"Hello my boy," her father said with an effort bringing a hand up to rest on his chest close to Giliath where it could not be seen. Before Mathurin could answer he made a quick flurry of his fingers. Giliath recognized the signals of the battle code that her father had said all young boys learned in the last stages of their training in the Order, but she could make out little of what he said.* He had taught her a little in defiance of the rules, but that was so long ago. She translated the broken bits of the message silently. "Danger...woman...captured...must help..."

Mathurin made a quick gesture of recognition before simply answering: "Sir." He stepped back a pace and rested his hand on the hilt of his blades.

Aldric turned back to Giliath as if he had expected her to do something other than sit with her father in her arms. What was she supposed to do? What was going on? Her father was sick he needed help, felt like he was going to crumble at any moment. She had to get him out of there.

"Ada," she said, "what happened to you?"

He pulled himself up with a bony arm around Giliath’s neck and brought his lips close to her ear. She could feel the thin puffs of uneven breath on her cheek. "Run." he whispered. He fell back as pain slashed through him. Giliath instinctively threw her arms around him as if simply being close to him could take away whatever was hurting him. "RUN!" he screamed his voice crackling with the effort. He groaned and pulled at her sleeve nearly ripping it where his fist had tightened involuntarily against the pain. "RUN!"
Moonstream wrote:
Mathurin quickly deciphered Aldric’s message. Although he could feel a knot of fear growing in his stomach, he merely nodded in acknowledgment and stepped back, attempting to digest what he had just been told. Absently, his hand wandered to his blades, gripping them tightly. He doubted that weapons would be of any use, but the feel of the cold steel in his hand was always a small comfort.
Thrice, Aldric had ordered them to run, before sinking back into his daughter’s arms. His old teachers strength was totally spent from the effort, and his glazed eyes stared, unseeing, into the mist.
Mat knew that there was nothing that he could do to help the old man, now. Leaving him to Giliath, he tried to think. Aldric had told him that the woman skulking in the shadows had lured them to the hilltop with the intent of killing them. As far-fetched as it seemed, he was wise enough to be afraid. He had no idea what this woman was capable of…only that Aldric had warned him not to let her speak. The cryptic warning was confusing, but Mathurin had to make a decision quickly. Randir could most likely take care of herself, but he could feel three pairs of eyes gazing at him speculatively- three lives that were depending on him.
Lily had quietly come up behind him, resting a shaking hand on his elbow. It was not fear that unsteadied her, but weariness and pain, although she would loath to admit it. The full day of hard riding had been exceedingly difficult for her, and Mat could smell fresh blood trickling down her side from the open wound. Her face was pale and drawn, but her eyes were bright and alert.
Close to Lily was Bree. Her scissors were drawn, but she watched Lily carefully, ready to assist if her friend faltered.
Giliath had not budged. She cradled her father in her arms, rocking back and forth, as though he were a small child. With one last glance at the two of them, he turned to the young women and gestured for them to follow. The woman had seemed to float along in her billowing black cloak, her hood drawn low over her face, obscuring her ghostly features. Presently, she started towards them, as the companions circled her warily.
The woman made no move to run, attack, or even to defend herself, which heightened Mathurin’s fear, and as he looked around him, he could see that Satch and Bree felt the same way. Randir’s fur bristled, but if Lily was afraid, she hid it well.
Despite Aldric’s warning, there was going to be no other way to find out who she was without questioning her.
Suddenly, the woman threw back her hood, revealing a cascade of raven black hair. Her intensely blue eyes stood out from within her dark skin.
She first turned to Mathurin.
"Why so much trouble, shifter?" Her voice was light and musical, delightful to listen to. He knew that he should say something, anything.
"Who are you?" His own voice sounded harsh and unnatural.
"Patience, Shifter. Everything will be answered in due time" She continued to weave her spell of contentment and forgetfulness. Now, he understood Aldric’s warning, and why this woman had spoken to him before any of the others. She could sense the beast within him. . Her spell could not easily ensnare him or Randir. But as a cat, she had drifted to the shadows, and the woman was most likely unaware of her presence.
Now, her gaze averted to Lily.
"Why do you call these people your friends? First, this man who claims to be your brother won’t allow you to be healed, and then they try to abandon you. Why do you trust them?"
"I don’t know…." Lily’s voice seemed to be coming from a great distance.
Mathurin struggled to keep his mind focused. Transforming, he shook off the last vestiges of the spell and then pounced on her, knocking her down.
Randir suddenly ran between Lily's feet, throwing her off balance.
Satch and Bree seemed as though they were waking up from a dream.
Leafy wrote:
Leafy stared at the old woman standing before her. Though the face was less wrinkled, and the hands less gnarled and age spotted than those she remembered, there was no mistaking the kind eyes gazing steadily at her. It was Nani.

Leafy could neither move nor speak. Her breath caught in her throat as a solid wall of emotion compressed her heart. A curious strangled sound emerged from her lips, and her knees gave way, reducing Leafy to a crumpled heap upon the floor, that shifted and curled about her in soft white wisps, as she sobbed painful hot tears that fell and were lost in the mist.

Nani sat beside Leafy and gathered her into her arms, rocking her as she would rock a young child that has fallen and scraped its shins. "Oh Leafy, how I have missed you," she whispered, tears rolling down her own cheeks. "My dear sweet child, how you have grown. I was so proud as I watched you risk everything to find Satch for me, journey to Elenos, and finally become the talented Blade Runner you were meant to be."

"How, how are you here?" Leafy stuttered between sobs.

"Child, here there is no life and no death. Age, time, sickness… they do not exist. That is why I can speak with you now, though I have not long, for you are only half-Dreamer, and the living must not as a rule converse with the dead. I have been allowed this time with you as a special favour."

"Nani, why am I a Dreamer? Why was I chosen?" There was a hint of bitterness in her voice, because Leafy was not sure she could bear it. It had taken so long to come to terms with Nani’s death all those years ago, only to have her here, a solid being, and so alive. Her heart was as confused as her mind.

"Why Leafy, Dreamers are not chosen, they are born."

"I was… born? But that means…"

"Many years ago, your father was not the simple farmer he is now. He was part of an ancient race, of which very few are left." Nani raised Leafy’s face till their eyes met. "Why child, he was a Dreamer."

"And I was his Companion," said Mîl, who had remained silent up until this point. "But, he did the very worst thing a Dreamer can do."

"He fell in love," said Nani with a soft smile. "He fell in love with a mortal. Your mother, a beautiful young member of a race of travelers both very great and powerful, though few and far between. How like your mother you look now that you are grown," she added, tenderly fingering one of Leafy’s curls.

"But she has her father’s eyes, and his inquisitive nature," said Mîl.

"Yes," said Nani fondly. "The eyes he kept only for Wendy. So great was their love that he gave up Dreaming, as far as he could, and returned no more to the Spirit World, though he retained all of his power, as it was not his to throw away. He chose instead to settle on a small farm in the West with his new wife, and bring up two beautiful daughters..." Nani stopped short, and Leafy exhaled sharply, as a painful pang reminded her of her sister, whom she had not seen in seven long years.

Nani looked suddenly over her shoulder, as though she had heard something that Leafy hadn’t, and then began speaking again hurriedly. "You must return to the material world very soon, for your friends have great need of you, but first I need you to help Satch with her own Gift. You know, of course, that she does not know how to use the pouch? That was my error; I left myself not enough time to tell you before I passed on. Whenever Satch has need of the Gift of Foresight, she must run the nail of her left forefinger all along the outer seam of the pouch, whilst inhaling deeply with her eyes closed and concentrating on receiving the vision. Then images will come to her, maybe not at first, and when she starts receiving them it is likely she will not be able to control them for a long while, for the Future is full of treachery, and nothing is certain. Tell her never to open the vial, and not to use it unless she has great need, for it is a gift both powerful and dangerous, and it could destroy her if she has not the strength of mind to resist. It is not her Gift by blood, so this could befall her much more so than any other who is born with it. Foresight will not quench a thirst for knowledge, for it gives not fact, only possibilities, and what she Sees may not ever come to pass."

Nani paused, and looked kindly at the young Blade Runner. Leafy gazed back at her, trying desperately to commit to memory every moment of the reunion, and keep it fresh in her mind, for she did not know when they would meet again, if ever. Nani glanced over her shoulder again, and inclined her head slightly as if acknowledging some unseen person. Then quickly, she got to her feet and held out her hand for Leafy to follow. "You must go. You are needed," she said, but her eyes glistened with tears.

"But I need you, Nani," said Leafy clutching the woman’s hand. "I don’t want you to leave me again. I cannot bear it."

"You must," answered Nani sternly, taking her hand away. "Do not argue with me, Leafy. You know not the peril. Now this I will say to you:

Sometimes you have to harm
To save those you love the best,
For true love conquers all
Even those you lay to rest.

Remember what i left for you in the forest, Leafy."

A glimmer of recognition flickered in Leafy's memory at the words, but then it was that she thought she heard voices crying to her from far, far away, the voices of her friends, begging her return. She turned, and saw no one but Úcenite and Mîl. Turning back, she gave a cry, for Nani had become semi-transparent, and was fading quickly from view. She put out her hand to grasp for her cloak, but felt only cold mist swirling about the woman’s form. Nani smiled, and raised her hand in farewell, and within a few seconds, she was gone. Leafy sank to the ground and put her head in her hands, but soon she found herself being yanked up again by Úcenite.

"Come along child, heed the words of the Foresighted, for those such as Nani are seldom mistaken in their advice." Mîl trotted up, and bowed his great head for Leafy to touch his mane. Once more, she felt the curious sensation behind her navel, the rushing of wind and the spiraling dizziness, before coming to an abrupt halt on very solid ground.
LilyRoseTook wrote:
A great peace came upon Lily, and all of her cares no longer seemed to matter. Warm contentment flooded through her and she stood oblivious to the gathering pool of blood at her feet.
The woman spoke and Lily was awed by the sheer beauty of her voice, which lulled her into an even deeper sense of security. The voice of reason continued speaking to her. Lily was entranced, hanging onto every word. She stepped forward, captivated by the strange woman’s steady gaze.
Suddenly, she stumbled. Her inner peace shattered, leaving behind only her emptiness and pain. The ground came rushing towards her, but Bree and Satch were immediately at her side, supporting her. She looked down at her gown and realized that it was soaked with blood.
Lily shook her head in irritation and disbelief. She was angry, but mostly with herself for allowing her guard to fall down so easily. Although, she already knew the answer, she glowered at the waif-like figure and demanded shrilly, " What is going on? What have you done?"
Her brother had quickly transformed back to his human form, and gripped the woman firmly, with his hunting knife at her throat.
The woman merely laughed coldly, and leveled her gaze back at Lily.
"What’s the matter, little one? Can you not handle a few sharp words? Is the truth about these so-called friends of yours too harsh for your sensitive ears?"
Lily took a few deep breaths, desperately attempting to close her mind to the stranger’s poisonous words.
Mat’s blue gray eyes glinted in annoyance, but he spoke evenly.
"Shall we try this once more? I warn you that neither I nor any of these women are to be trifled with…Who are you, and what do you want with us?"
The woman’s gaze never left Lily.
"You really need to control your pet, here. Did you forget to take him for a walk, today?" she sneered.
Mat’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. His whitened knuckled pressed the knife against the delicate skin of her neck, and a trickle of blood ran down her throat.
Lily struggled against her friends wanting nothing more than to tear this vile creature limb from limb, but there grip on her arms tightened.
"Lily, be still." Bree murmured. She was trying to get inside of Lily’s mind…to do anything that was necessary to make her regain control of herself. But Lily willed herself to block it out.
Satch had remained silent, but Lily could feel the younger girls anger. It fed into her own, making her hatred of this woman that much stronger.
"I think that it is time for you, your children and your puppy to be done with your little camping trip and go home….."
Lily dug her elbow hard into Bree’s ribs. The girl gasped and involuntarily loosened her grip for a split second…long enough for Lily to pull herself free.
Moonstream wrote:
Mat could not understand what kind of insanity had contorted Lily’s features into this senseless mask of rage. Willful and stubborn she might be, but to display such intense hate over a few childish insults was not like her. Not the same young woman that he knew just a few hours ago.
His first impulse was to slit this strangers throat and be done with her, but the thought came a split second too late.
Mat was totally unprepared for the force of Lily’s impact, which sent him reeling backwards with her and the woman on top of him. The violence of her attack slammed the breath out of him, and his knife flew out of his hand, landing a good distance away. The two women rolled away and he quickly got to his feet.
For a fleeting moment, he thought of transforming and ending this before it could get started…so that he could kill this horrible woman without having to deal with human remorse, but he stopped short. The tang of fresh blood hung heavy in the air and he doubted that he would be able to stop himself after just one kill…he could just as easily kill his sister…
To distract himself from the guilt of having such a desire, he quickly surveyed the situation as well as he could.
Bree was only just struggling to her feet and seemed to be concentrating intently on something unseen. What that was, he didn’t know, and that moment, didn’t care. However, Satch stood still, with her arms dangling by her sides. She wore a slightly bemused expression, but Mat assumed that the younger girl was overwhelmed by what had transpired in such a brief space of time. Her eyes were flat and glazed, and he expected no assistance from her.
With a sigh, he saw that he was on his own to stop the madness that was taking place before him.
Lily had clearly forgotten all that she had learned about hand to hand fighting, as she and the woman kicked and clawed and slapped like a couple of common street rats.
Blood stained the dry, brown grass, most of which was Lily’s. As the two women grappled, each seeking to tear the other asunder, Mat noticed that Lily’s gash was open and bleeding heavily.
Instinctively, he grabbed her arms, attempting desperately to pull her away from the fray, but he received a vicious kick above his kneecap for his efforts. Unable to suppress a sharp cry of pain, he let her go. The brief distraction had been long enough for the woman to land a glancing open handed blow to the side of Lily’s head. Razor-sharp nails raked across her cheek, leaving a bloody trail, as bits of soft flesh tore away.
Lily fell backwards, nearly senseless from the blow. As she tried to rise and renew the assault, the woman smiled…a terrible smile as she advanced on Lily. Her dark hair was limp and clammy, her face torn and bleeding. Her black robe hung askew about her shoulders…
Without warning, she was upon Lily. The same nails that had ripped her cheek open dug into the open wound on her side…
Lily’s piercing scream shattered the uncanny silence of that place, and then she lay still. As Mat limped to her side, he noted that Satch was pummeling this creature with all of her strength…
satch wrote:
Satch watched as the woman taunted Lily, and continued to watch as Lily leapt forward and attacked the woman with fists and nails. Her red hair seemed to mirror her rage, and flamed around her as she beat her opponent. Stood in almost a daze, Satch had listened to the new comer’s voice knot its way around Lily, and then felt her own anger grow when the woman turned to her and began to sneer scornful comments in her own direction.

"What are you staring at, child?" she sneered, her voice weaving its way deep into Satch’s unconscious. "Run back home to your mother, you are barely old enough to look after yourself – let alone look after others around you." Her mouth twitched slightly at the corner, giving her a slightly amused expression which made Satch want to leap forward and slap it away.

"Why on earth would these so called friends of yours ever want such a useless infant like you slowing them down!?"

Her own increasing irritation at this woman’s spiteful words had seemed to entwine with the anger she felt pulsating under her grip on Lily’s arm; and her daze grew till she barely knew what was going on. Only when Lily’s scream cracked through the clearing did she realize that she had let go of her grip on Lily’s arm some moments before, and it was only then that she really saw what was going on around her.

She snapped out of her dream-like state. A burst of anger shot through her, and she leapt forwards in fury, slamming her fists into the stranger before her with as much strength as she could muster.

"Stop!"

The sudden shout of protest from behind her caused Satch to lash out just one last time before wheeling around and looking for the source of the interruption. She looked up to see Giliath standing a short distance in front of her, and noticed Gil’s father lying on the ground just a little further away.

"Stop." She said again, her voice quieter than it had been before. Satch watched as the girl walked towards her, and then past her, positioning herself between her and her enemy. A cold fury still bubbled inside, and determined not to let her friend stop the fight; she tried to take a step around her.

Her way was barred by Giliath’s hand on her shoulder. Angry, she stepped forwards again, and her friend’s grip was backed by more power. She was pushed backwards, and lost her footing, falling backwards onto the ground. Enraged, she pushed herself up from the ground and once more tried to push her way past the girl who was blocking her.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, becoming angrier by the second.

"Just stop." Giliath said, her voice calm and relaxed.

The relaxed tone in Giliath’s voice infuriated Satch with its lack of care or concern, and she flung herself forwards, lashing out at her friend. The other girl caught her wrist, mere inches from her face; and as Satch struggled to break free, she felt her friend pulling her closer until they were looking straight at each other.

Gil’s voice was as calm as it had been before Satch had tried to attack her, and she continued staring straight at her. "Stop now."

"But I can stop HER!" Satch screamed, pulling herself away from her friend, and glaring at her with fury in her eyes.

"So could I," Giliath said, but her voice showed uncertainties that Satch had not heard before. As Giliath continued to speak, it felt as if a cool breeze was blowing over her, and she began to feel her anger ebb away. "So could Mathurin," she continued, "and Lily and Bree." The girl’s head dropped down and she continued speaking for a moment, though too faint for Satch to catch the words.
Giliath wrote:
"Stop!" The shear volume of the intrusion made satch and the other combatants wheel around, but not before satch had landed a solid punch on the strangers jaw sending her stumbling back from the group.

Giliath was standing a few paces behind them in front of the silent form of her father. One of his hands lay palm upward on the ground between her legs. It looked too light amidst the loose stones it rested on especially next to Giliath's feet. She had planted them shoulder width apart and they sank deep into the rubble. Her boots look strangely like the last black guard posts of some old monument for a fallen king. Her cloak had been discarded. She had a pair of scissors in her hand.

She had sat with her father in her arms listening to the violence growing behind her. She watched him struggle through the pain, smelt the sweat soaking through his clothes and then felt him pass into pitying unconsciousness. She had seen men die before, knew her father was slipping, had no way of helping him and her friends were beating the person who had done this to him into oblivion. She had wanted nothing more than to join them and tear the woman apart, but this stranger might be the only the person that could help her father.

Giliath glared forward at the woman who was wiping away the evidence of satch's last hit. She met her stare and held it, grey against blue.

"Stop." She said again coming a few steps forward until she was level with satch who still held her fist high and clenched. The girl was panting heavily and Giliath took another small step forward placing herself between the stranger and satch. She stepped forward, but Giliath held her back with a firm hand on her shoulder. She came again, but Giliath threw her back. She lost her footing and tripped. She pushed herself off the ground and tried to force her way past Giliath, but met her friend’s shoulder firmly in the chest.

"What are you doing?" satch hissed.

Giliath relaxed and said with a strange lack of power: "Just stop."

Satch threw herself forward and stopped just short of slapping her friend across the cheek. Giliath had grabbed her wrist and was holding the hand poised a few inches from her face. Satch struggled to get her hand free, but Giliath pulled her closer forcing her friend to look straight at her.

"Stop now," she said keeping as level a voice as she could muster.

Satch tore herself away and stepped back glaring at Giliath. "But I can stop HER!" she screamed.

"So could I," Giliath said with an odd measure of doubt that seemed to contradict what she said. "So could Mathurin, and Lily and Bree." Her head dropped and she looked down at her scissors. "At least," she continued quietly under her breath, "we think we could."

The stranger spat loudly drawing the group’s attention back to their rival. "So," she said wiping away the blood from her lips, "I have an ally then."

Giliath swallowed hard, but didn’t respond.

"Your father said you were a clever girl. Makes one wonder why he left you."

Giliath’s face flushed for a moment before she gathered herself again and stepped forward until she was within a foot of the stranger. "Don’t think for a moment that I did that to save you," she said with a deliberate lack of emphasis. "I would have let her beat you into the ground, but you are the only one here who knows what is going on." Giliath swallowed the anger and disgust that was rising up to choke her. She squeezed the scissors in her hand, felt the comfort of the familiar steel. She needed to find out how to help her father more than she needed to plunge that steel into the strangers chest. "What do you want?"

The woman straightened and a cold smile pulled at the corner of her swollen lips. "You’re right," she sneered, "I am the only one who knows what’s going on." She looked passed Giliath at her father still lying behind her. "And by the time you figure it out you’ll all be dead and him with you!"

Giliath’s shoulders dropped and she turned as if to walk away, but, without any conscious decision to do so, she whirled around behind the stranger and grabbed a handful of her hair pulling her head back to expose her naked throat. Cold steel pressed up against the woman’s skin. Giliath’s face came up beside her captive’s ear. "What did you do to my father?"
Leafy wrote:
Almost immediately, Leafy felt a great weight bearing down on her body, and a voice heaving with sobs.

"Leafy, my dearest Leafy!" whimpered the voice. "Do not let them hurt me, please, don’t let them hurt me!"

Leafy rolled the weight away, and sat up, to look down at the shuddering heap of robes before her. There was silence in the glade apart from the girl’s pitiful weeping as the Blade Runners stood in an expectant circle, many of them fingering their scissors in doubtful suspense.

"Who are you, Spammer?" Leafy spat in revulsion, recognising the uncouth cut of the girl’s apparel.

"Do not you know me, after 7 long years, do not you know me?" wailed the girl. Leafy, now doubtful herself, drew her own scissors, stood up, and used her foot to roll the Spammer onto her back. And there, hidden behind a mass of dark curls, was a face very like to her own. Moss had returned.

The scissors dropped from her hand. Falling to her knees, Leafy crawled to her sister and raised her face to her own, staring searchingly into her tear-stained eyes. "How comes this?" she whispered fearfully.

For a moment, it seemed like the girl’s sobs subsided, but then they started afresh, and she buried her head in Leafy’s bosom, brokenly begging her, "Don’t let them hurt me." Astounded, Leafy looked about for the Blade Runners, who stared back just as confusedly.

Lily began falteringly, "She, she attacked us. She was guarding Giliath’s father, but when we went to, to… "

"To kill her?" Leafy said, with a touch of ice.

Lily shuddered, and ended feebly, "When she said who she was, we couldn’t."

"And a good thing it was too!" said Leafy shrilly, her voice rising. "You might have killed my sister!"

"But Leafy, her clothes!" protested Giliath. "There’s no way we could have known – she looks just like one of them! You said so yourself-"

"I couldn’t see her face, could I?" Leafy snarled, rising to her feet. "You saw her, she looks just like me! How could you have even attacked her?"

"The Spammers have many ways of disguising themselves, and anyway, she attacked us!" argued Satch.

"Don’t you dare try to excuse yourselves!" Leafy shrieked. She is my blood, my family, my SISTER!"

"And you also were my sister, but not anymore," said a low malevolent voice behind her. Before Leafy could turn, she felt the hilt of her own scissors connect with the back of her head, and the blow sent her reeling forwards, as Moss backed off, a manic blaze in her eyes, and the hand holding Leafy’s scissors shaking with adrenaline. Mîl and the Blade Runners rushed forward, but Moss shouted a word and great plumes of swirling smoke and ash blasted out of the ground in a thundering ring around the two sisters, blocking them from view and aid.

Filled with pain and shock, Leafy could only stutter, "Moss… why…"

"Oh Leafy, young, naïve Leafy, how short-sighted you always were! You never knew our father’s lies to us, and when I discovered his power, the power that should have been mine, he refused it me, even refused to use it himself, the fool. He never understood, you never understood, you simpletons, that nothing else matters except power. If we don’t gain power, we ourselves become slaves to it, and I will not be a slave Leafy. You see why I had to leave. Look at the power I have now. Power enough to draw all the Blade Runners to me, and power enough to fight them! And all I had to do was curse that girl’s father!" She snorted in disregard. "Soon, very soon, I will be celebrated beyond belief, and all I have to do is dispose of you!"

"Moss, you don’t know yourself. The Spammers have you under a spell-"

"No Leafy, for the first time in my life, I make my own decisions. I see with clear vision, and I know what I have to do. For my power to wax, you must wane. And wane you shall, and all those you stand with you."

And with an evil crow, Moss leapt forward, Leafy’s blades raised. Leafy rolled out of the way of the stab, and scrambled to her feet, searching desperately for anything in her pockets that would serve as a weapon. Her hands travelled over her water bottle and her food packages, and lighted on the cold hilt of something she had not thought about for many months. Leafy drew the tiny dagger, and remembered all over again the perfection of its making, the faint ethereal glow of the blade, and the ease with which it fit into her palm. Suddenly the poem on its mahogany handle started to burn intensely as if lit by a furnace from within, and the riddle was etched into the back of her head.

"Sometimes, you must harm
to save those you love the best
for true love conquers all
even those you lay to rest."

"Remember what I left for you in the forest, Leafy." Nani’s voice came back to haunt her, and her eyes widened in horror as realisation dawned. No Nani. I won’t do it. I just can’t, she hissed viciously. You can’t make me!

"Who on earth are you talking to Leafy?" Moss drawled mockingly. "I hope you’re not calling for help; haven’t you realised it’s just me and you now? Just like old times, Leafy." She advanced steadily. "What a pretty little knife. I may have to borrow it from you." Suddenly she sprang, slashing out again with the scissors, catching Leafy’s arm and leaving a long gash. The dagger flew from her grasp and bounced away towards the precipice. A blow to the face, and another in the stomach brought Leafy to her knees, and coughing and wheezing, she dragged herself towards it on her elbows, feeling blood drip from her nose.

"Run, run Leafy!" came the mocking call. "I heard you’ve been running a lot since I left. Yes, all the way into the desert, where you got William killed, and you carried on running, to Elenos, where you joined this motley crew of abnormal freaks."

"Those freaks are my friends!" Leafy gasped. The dagger was only a few metres away, right on the edge of the precipice. She could reach it, she could…

"Friends! Yes, they are your friends till they rob you of everything. They know you’re a Dreamer, and they want to take that power from you!"

"They can’t, Nani said you are born with it."

"Nani? Nani’s dead, you fool!"

Leafy reached out her arm.

"And why am I not a Dreamer?"

Just stretch a little further…

"That power should have been mine! It will be mine!"

Moss kicked the dagger over the edge of the precipice. "Oops." She said with a wry smile, and then grabbing Leafy by the hair, she yanked her to her feet. "Your power will be mine," she spat in her ear, the blades of Leafy’s scissors against her throat.

"No!" Leafy shouted, and with a last effort, she drove her elbow into Moss’s stomach, and tried to spin away, but Moss caught her as she turned. Chuckling maliciously, Moss raised the scissors, but suddenly part of the cliff edge crumbled away, and she lost her footing. Releasing Leafy, her arms flailed wildly as she began to topple backwards over the cliff. With a cry, Leafy grabbed a handful of her clothing and tried to heave her back, but furiously Moss hissed "Don’t you touch me you filthy Blade Runner!" and slashed at Leafy’s wrists with the scissors. She had to release her, but Moss continued to cackle as she disappeared from view over the precipice. There was a sickening thud as her body hit the ground, and then all was silent. The plumes of smoke disappeared, and the sun sparkled through the spring leaves.

She can’t be dead, Leafy panicked. The ravine isn’t deep, just a few metres, that’s all, she can’t be dead…

Ignorant of the blood pouring from her wounds, she scrambled over the edge and slid down the steep muddy slope to Moss’ motionless body. A trickle of red ran from the corner of her mouth, and her eyes gazed unseeing into the shifting treetops above. Desperately, Leafy held her fingers to Moss’ neck, but there was no pulse. An inhuman wail of agony and grief escaped her mouth, and she scooped Moss into her lap, weeping with broken, gasping sobs.

Something small and shiny fell from the body and clattered to the ground where it lay glittering red in the sun. Through eyes dimmed with tears, Leafy saw her dagger, its handle dripping with Moss’ blood. She closed her eyes in grief, and darkness settled on her heart.

_________________

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Giliath
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Posted: Tue 12 Jul , 2005 9:34 pm
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Giliath had thrown an arm up over her face to shield her eyes when the smoke had suddenly rushed up between her and the two sisters. The barrier had heaved itself out of the ground and raced towards the sky faster than an arrow from the string. It twisted and spun as it boomed with a great rumbling noise into the air above them taking some of the mists with it. Soon it seemed they were all standing under a great tent of mist and dust with the columns of smoke and ash serving as it's central post. But then with a striking suddenness and a shuddering groan that reverberated through the ground, the columns fell leaving only the settling mists behind. The sudden void left by the violence of the barrier crashed down onto the heads of those on the hill. There was silence and the sharp smell of burning.

Giliath drew her hand away from her face and slowly opening her eyes surveyed the scene in front of her. She was ready to launch herself forward throw Leafy aside and demand that her sister undo whatever she had done to her father. Her blood, Leafy had said but Giliath’s father was her blood too and at that moment she didn’t care if the world’s sisters stood between her and saving him. After all those years it was too much to lose. But whatever thoughts of swift justice had been playing in her mind they quickly dissolved as she took in the edge on the cliff. Leafy and her sister were gone. A yawing gash stood out stark and black in the ground in front of her where a piece of the cliff’s edge had broken away and falling taken many of the loose stones that stood on the hilltop with it.

Giliath felt an unmistakable pull towards the cliff’s edge just a strong as if someone had grabbed her by the front of her belt and was dragging her forward. Without any thought, or even any realization she was doing it, Giliath put one foot forward watching as the other came up to meet it. She had known before that she had to reach the top of the hill and now every inch of her was urging her forward as if something she wanted more than anything else was at the bottom of the cliff and she only had to look over the edge to find it. But then something stirred in the back of her mind, some small voice that sounded like her own. Go back, it was saying. What could be at the bottom of that slope? Father’s dying and you’ve left him alone. Giliath stopped. Go back. There was something else now too though, tugging at the edges of awareness. It rose from the ground unseen below the edge of the cliff filling her with the sense stronger than ever that she should get to the bottom of the slope. And it sounded too in the back of her mind. But this wasn’t her voice, small and distant. No, this was something warm and familiar that stirred in her the comfort of memory. Was that her father calling her in for dinner? No, he wanted to speak with her. She’d done something wrong. No, not that. He was waking her up, calling from the kitchen. It was time for breakfast. For a moment the two thoughts swelled in her mind like oncoming waves, each urging her to go forward or go back. She knew she would eventually have to yield to one or the other and go down the cliff or back to her father, but at that moment she could not decide. The two thoughts were in precise balance. They advanced on each other like perfectly matched armies taking turns at the advantage and though she wanted to go forward, wanted to give in to the reassurance that she was sure was awaiting her at the bottom of the cliff the other thought, with its cold reasoning, held no less sway. Giliath stirred. Just make the choice.

Suddenly Mathurin yelled to her from behind and Giliath wheeled around. He was kneeling next to her father holding the older man’s shoulders as he clutched at his chest moaning feebly with pain. Giliath turned away from the cliff and bounded back to her father. Skidding to a stop on the even ground she fell to her knees and took one of her father's hands trying in some basic way to comfort him even though she felt it would do little good. He's slipping, she thought. I should have found him faster. I could have found him faster. "What should I do?" however, was all that came out of her mouth. He's my father. He'll know what to do.

"Tell me what to do?" she whispered hoarsely. "Just tell me what to do." Something, anything. Don't let me just sit and watch this happen.

Mathurin had stepped back feeling like an intruder, but now Randir, who had until this point been watching the alternating scenes of violence and grief, came and crouched down on the opposite side of Aldric's body. There was an uncertain intensity about her face as she looked down at him. Somewhere beneath the woman’s strange features it seemed like she was struggling to find the answer to some complex riddle. For the most part she seemed to be ignoring Giliath completely, but was immediately reminded of the girl's presence when she reached a steady hand for Aldric’s chest. Giliath slapped it away and instinctively pulled her father closer to her and away from Randir. The women looked up at Giliath as if she had missed an important piece of data in her calculations, but her expression softened as she took her in clutching her father a wild desperation showing in her eyes.

“Let me see now Watermaster,” she said in a pleading tone. “I wont hurt him.”

Giliath leaned back. She nodded to Randir and taking her father’s hand again pressed it between her palms. She watched as Randir slowly unbuttoned the front of her father’s shirt and delicately pulled it open to reveal the man’s bear chest. The skin looked beyond white next to the dirtied fabric of Aldric’s shirt, but all that Giliath noticed was a cruel red scar running down the centre of her father’s chest. It looked as if someone had just now run the point of a knife over his skin, but there was no blood anywhere to be seen. Randir placed one palm flat against Aldric’s chest and closed her eyes. Her brow furrowed for a moment, but then her shoulders dropped and she looked up at Giliath.

"What is it?' the girl said. Why is she looking at me like that? Just tell me what's wrong with my father! Tell me what to do! She wanted to grabbed Randir and shake the information out of her, couldn't understand why the women wouldn't tell her what she'd discovered. She obviously knew something so why was she just looking at Giliath like that, like her father was the very model of someone to be pitied. Didn’t she know what a strong man he was? How he always came through?

“Give me your hand,” Randir finally said. Giliath reached out and Randir rook her hand and placed it palm down on her father’s chest just as she herself had done a moment ago.

Giliath remembered how it used to feel to burry her face in her father’s chest when she was scared or sad or just wanted to feel the comfort of being close to someone she knew would keep her safe, but now the skin was cold and there was something dull about the way it felt under her hand. She had felt something like this before. Do you remember? said the small voice that had urged her to go back before. He’d fallen off his horse, jumping over that fence. He broke his neck. You felt his chest too and there was nothing. His heart had stopped. Poor Philip.

“But it’s not like that,” she said out loud, answering her own thought. “He’s still alive.” She looked down at her father’s chest and saw its accustomed rise and fall. His breaths were quick and shallow, but he was still breathing. She shook her head, put her other hand on the cold skin, saw them move up and down with her father’s breathing, but she still couldn’t feel anything. There was nothing there. Like Philip. Poor Philip.

“I don’t understand,” Giliath said turning to Randir, her frustration with the woman rising again to mix with the terrible logic of her own thoughts. Not like Philip! she thought. He’s still alive! Why wont she just tell me what’s wrong with him?

“Yes you do,” Randir said, careful to chose her tone seeing the danger in Giliath’s desperation. “Do you remember what I told you about a living blade? About how it could pierce a Heart of Stone?”

Giliath’s mind suddenly shot back to the night she had come back to the camp after hunting with Lily, before they had found the hill and her father. Randir had been talking to Leafy. She had interrupted them. Something had interested her. Randir had said her blade was a part of her. It was alive. It could pierce a Heart of Stone. Randir would know if her kin had been enslaved. She would know.

“Blood calls to blood,” Giliath whispered just as she had done that night, caught by the shape of the words. She looked up at Randir and the breath suddenly caught in her throat. She lurched away from her father jerking her hands away as she fell. She stared at his face, still unconscious, pale, beaded with sweat. The scar. Realization hit her like an arrow to the chest. She understood.

“It was calling to me from over the cliff,” she said wildly looking from her father to Randir as if she had just killed the former and the later was her judge and executioner. “I knew! I knew I had to find it! I knew it was there!” She tore her father’s scissors out of her belt. The crescent moon was blazing in their centre, filling Giliath’s hand with light and showing the frenzy in her face unbearably clear.

Giliath tore herself off the ground and turned towards the cliff ready to dash away to it‘s edge. Not like Philip! It’s not like Philip!! But something had stopped her, grabbed onto her leg preventing her from going forward. She spun around. Her father had woken up and was clutching her right leg, a white hand on her black boot.

“Let me go Ada,” she pleaded looking down at him, but he just stared at her just as he always had when forbidding her from doing something.

“I can find it,” she said in the tone she would use to try and change his mind and break his efforts at parental intimidation. Still he stared at her, but there was finality in his face she didn’t understand.

“Let me go,” she said again a wildness breaking into her voice.

A cough broke his focus but he said nothing.

“Just let me go!” she screamed.

“Why wont he let me go?” She wheeled around, searching for support amongst the others on the hilltop, but none of them would look at her. None of the seemed to understand.

Aldric swallowed hard and pulled in a far too shallow breath. “Because it’s...” he began coughing again before he could finish his thought.

Because it’s too late, finished the small voice in Giliath‘s head, sending the words ringing through her mind. You failed. It’s too late. He’s dying. He knows you can’t find the Stone in time. It’s too late.

Giliath dropped down beside her father letting his scissors clatter on the stone as she fell. She shrunk towards the grown, grey and small amongst the stones.

“It’s alright,” her father whispered with an effort, looking up to try and get sight of her face.

Giliath shook her head trying to will away any thought of him forgiving her. You failed. She felt the heat of tears welling up behind her eyes, tried to do anything to keep them back. She knew somehow that crying would make it real.

“I’m sorry,” Aldric breathed, nodding his head as if that were the one thing he had wanted to say. The only thing he needed to say.

Giliath’s head shot up. "Sorry? For what?"

"For doing what I thought was right," he said coughing with the effort. The breaths were coming in gasps now. "I gave up to easily...I tried to tell them, but they wouldn't listen."

"Tell who?" She said scanning her father’s face for any clue as to what he meant.

"Listen to me," he said suddenly urgent. "She's not the only one.” He heaved in a breath. “ They've been gathering for years...” his nostrils flared as his body tried desperately to find the air it needed, “... but they knew it wouldn't be easily with all of you there." He coughed, a touch of crimson showing at the side of his lips.


"I don't understand."

He grabbed his daughter’s arm. "You have to get back before it's too late...it may already be too late, but you have to get back." He coughed again, sending the crimson down his cheek.

"Father please." Giliath said taking her father’s hand from her arm she held it as firmly as she could in her own shaking palms. She could feel him trying to hold onto her. He stopped coughing. His breathing slowed.

His eyes cleared for a moment and he looked up at his daughter her eyes bright with tears and the others standing silently behind her not wanting to intrude on their friend’s grief. A weak smile spread across his lips. "It's up to you now," he whispered.

A swift breeze rolled up over the hill and toyed with the wisps of hair that had fallen out of the neat arrangement she had tied them in that morning. It swirled around her finding the hem of her cloak and streaming the dirty fabric behind her back before climbing up and over her head coxing out the rest of her hair. The tears that had broken free from her eyes flew away some catching in the net of her hair as the breeze carried them off. Mathurin took a step toward her the dark fabric of his own cloak dancing slightly in the breeze that seemed to only be affecting her. The light from Aldric’s scissors that had been slowly waning until now, shuddered and went out. But for Giliath none of this registered. All she knew was that she was sitting on a hill with her father dead in her arms.


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