1 Chapter 1: Kysael- Beginnings (1/2)

Chapter 1: Kysael - Beginnings

Life had changed very drastically for me since my true identity was discovered. Dragon had, indeed, taken a public vow in the face of the riots and had taken an oath to be responsible for me, vouching for me and putting his title and credibility on the line for my sake. He stood in front of the throngs of people as they shouted out fearful and angry proclamations that I would wreak havoc on their city, eat their children and slaughter them all in the night....

\tAnd Dragon still stood there, defending me, even while I shook and cried like a bloody child. He put his honor on the line, and I would do my very best to uphold his honor.

\tThe first few nights had been the hardest. When the guards told Dragon that it was time to leave, to return to his home, and I couldn't go with him… the strange new noises and creaks in the night, the overwhelming feeling of being alone…

\tIt was terrifying.

\tI knew that way out here, nobody would be able to come to my rescue. I had no help out here. I was alone. Secluded, isolated from everything that I had once known.

\tBut that wasn't all that had to be put into place.

\tThe guards were constantly watching my every move, waiting for me to make one wrong choice. They reported all of my behavior directly to the king. I had tried glaring at them for quite some time, but after one guard threw a rock at me and hit me above the right eyebrow...I had stopped looking at them for the most part. Getting in some menacing glares wasn't worth getting hurt over.

\tAnd just as the king had said that I would be, I was, indeed, confined to a measly two acres of land. I had a small hut built into the roots of a large tree and into the ground. The occasional supply runs out to my property came to just the edge of the line, and if the suppliers happened to spot me, they would drop my supplies onto the ground and run. Guards always accompanied them to the line of my property, but they were still so terrified to even look upon me that it was outright hurtful.

\tI was forced to start taking classes with Dragon's mother now, since she felt that I still needed an education. Not that I had much time for education outside of my duties to the king and the city, now, but she insisted that the remainder of my time be spent studying. A young woman should be educated in the ways of a woman. Not that it would matter, considering that I would more than likely never get a chance to really… be a woman.

\tMy life would never be the same.

\tI felt as if I were a criminal.

\tI often felt bad for Lord Dragon, because I knew that he tried his very best to make me comfortable. He would bring me clothes, special herbs and spices for food, he would bring me bathing salts for when I was able to get help filling my bath. He tried very hard to be sure that I wasn't living in a bad way out here, all alone. And he tried to stay with me as much as he could, when he wasn't doing work for the city or for the king. He put in a great deal of effort to spend time with me. He was trying. But… it wasn't always enough for me.

\tI often ran off into the forests of my property and thankful that the king had given me property with plenty of trees, a good stretch of river and a waterfall, even a couple of caves; trying to hide from my life….

\tI learned the hard way that there was no escape.

\tTime continued to pass, ever so slowly. As I got older, I became darker and felt more at war with the Woodelf half of my lineage.

\tI was fifteen now, and I'd had four and a half years of living in my little piece of land. It had been hard at first. I had struggled. But Dragon had visited me every single day, even if he didn't arrive until late in the evening or even into the nights. I would feel him stroke my forehead tattoo before he locked up and left each night.

\tI looked back, and I remembered when Drakul, Dragon's father, had been instructed to start my combat training to be sure that I was ready at the beck and call of the king, whenever he may have need of me.

\tAt first, training was awkward. We knew that if I did well with training and the king saw a good use for me, he may simply change his mind and start breeding me for his army. But after a few years of training, Drakul became like a father figure to me, and we grew quite close.

\tAh, the day when my training began. My brother had come into town and out to my property, as well as Dragon, and they both stood by and watched as my first tests began.

\t”Good morning, lassie. I need you to understand something. There has never been a female warrior in any of elven culture. I have never had a single woman to try out for my class before. You are a first, indeed. And I hope that you succeed. Although, your success is a double-edged sword, of course. Now, there are three tests to determine your capabilities. First, you must be able to make a bullseye on the target with a bow and arrow. Then, with the same weapon, you must be able to hit a moving target. A bullseye is not required for that. The third and final test, is that you must be able to hit a moving target while running.”

\tI smiled. ”I am ready to try,” I said.

\tHe nodded. ”Good. Here,” he said, handing me his bow and arrows. ”Good luck.”

\tHe went to stand about a hundred feet away from me, and set up a target with a red circle in the middle of a tree. He stood beside of it.

\tSuddenly, I wasn't so confident. He was going to stand beside of the target while I fired? What if I missed and hit him? Or killed him? Doubt ran through my mind. I looked at the bow. I didn't even know how to use this weapon. I had never shot a bow and arrow before...

\tI heard his warm chuckle as he came up from behind me. ”You hold it like this,” Dragon's voice instructed, moving my hands into the correct position. He put the end of the arrow between my first and middle fingers, my thumb resting on the butt of the arrow, and he helped me to set it on the bow string properly. ”There. Now, pull back. Touch your fingers to your mouth, and aim your vision directly center, looking only at the red circle. Do not look at anything else. Envision your arrow hitting that circle. Clear your mind, and concentrate only on your shot.” Then he let go of me and backed away. ”Now, you're ready.”

\tFeeling better and more relaxed, I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath, poised to release the arrow. I opened my eyes, and saw only the red circle. I let out a breath as I released the arrow from my fingers, and I watched it as it flew.

\tAnd I stood, dumbfounded, as my arrow hit directly center in the middle of the red circle. Drakul looked, mouth agape, at the arrow.

\t”It went clear through the board,” he said, amazed. ”And that was your first time ever shooting an arrow?”

\tI smiled. ”I feel great!” I laughed. ”I feel so powerful.”

\t”You should,” my brother spoke up. ”That's not an easy task for experienced archers. You should be proud. You hit dead center in the bullseye and shot through the board. That's not a common skill. Especially not for someone of your level.”

\tI smiled, my face hurting with the force of it. I was so happy.

\t”Yes, indeed,” Drakul said. ”Now,” he said, grabbing a rope that was tied to a branch, and I saw that it led up high in the trees, and was tied to another board with a red circle in the middle of it. Only this time, it was swinging through the air.

\tAnd all of my pride and joy fell away as I looked upon my new task. Sure, I had made a bullseye before...but this was only my second time ever shooting an arrow. Would I be able to hit a moving target? At least a bullseye wasn't required for this one.

\t”Kysael,” Dragon said to me from the side. ”Just use the same method I told you earlier. Only see your target. Do not see anything else other than that red circle, or the board. Follow it with the tip of the arrow, and narrow your vision to learn its swing pattern. You can do this.”

\tI took another deep, calming breath. Dragon's words helped to soothe me. I did as he instructed me to do, and put my fingers to my mouth. I focused on the tip of the arrow, and matched it up with the board. And as my body swayed to keep it lined up with the board, I watched for a few moments, learning its swinging pattern as Dragon had said to. Then, I focused on only the red circle on the board.

\tAnd as I foresaw its next move, I shot where I knew it would be in its next swing.

\tMy family gasped as I hit the edge of the bullseye on the swinging board.

\tDrakul let go of the rope, shocked, and the board came crashing to the wooden planks of the platform beneath our feet.

\tHe shook his head, laughing. ”Aye, lassie, I believe you're going to be quite well suited for this class,” he said.

\t”I'm ready for the final test,” I said with a smile.

\t”Oh, I'm sure you are, lass.” He went and grabbed a board with a strap on it, and strapped it to his arm. Then, he faced its surface toward me so that I could see a red bar, above and below where his arm was. The part that had his arm behind it was left unpainted. ”Now, your third and final task is to hit this board, the part that doesn't have my arm behind it, while we are both running.”

\tI was shocked. ”You are my moving target?” I asked, frightened.

\t”Don't worry about it, lassie. You'll do fine, with as well as you have done so far. I've never had anyone do so well on these tests. Apply the same techniques to this that you have to the other two tests. Focus on only the red bars on this shield. If you hit the unpainted part, and it goes through the board, it will shoot into my arm.”

\t”Are you sure about this?” I asked, nervous.

\t”Don't worry, Kysael!” Dragon laughed. ”My father has had much worse wounds than that and I am right here. I am a world-famous healer, after all. A little arrow wound is nothing. He does this with all of his students. As he said, just focus on the red bars. Only see the red.”

\t”A.....alright,” I said, shaking. I pulled the arrow and string in my fingers back to my lip. I once again lined up my sight with the end of the arrow, and lined the end of the arrow to match up with the red bars, and I started running as Drakul did.

\tI took a deep breath, and after a moment of watching, I released the arrow at the spot where the red bar on top would be when Drakul took his next step.

\tThe arrow flew and splintered the board as it pierced all the way through it in the top, left-hand corner of the red bar on the board.

\tDrakul unstrapped the board from his arm and tossed the shield down, clapping his hands. ”Well done,” he smiled. ”You have passed with a higher success rate than any man I have ever tested. Congratulations. You are now my student.... or that is what I would say, were this a normal test, and you actually had a choice.”

\tDragon pulled me in for a hug last. ”Those tests are specifically set up to make people fail, but you succeeded!” He smiled. ”I knew that you could do it.”

\tI hugged him tight. ”It's all thanks to you, for teaching me what to do, and helping me.”

\t”I can't take all the credit, here. You are amazingly skilled. You outrank any beginner I have ever seen. Well done!”

*

September, 1097 A.D.

\tIt was several years after that, now, and I was becoming quite efficient in the art of hunting. I had proven to him that I was successful in training, and any time he went outside of the inner ring of the city, I was to accompany him as his guard. I often stayed by the King's side, following his whims and his orders as I was deemed to, and I kept my mouth shut and did what I was told. He was not kind...but he was not overly cruel, either, I supposed. He had me perform menial tasks for him around the outskirts of the city… as long as I had supervision. And my supervision wasn't allowed to be simply Lord Dragon, either. I had to have actual guards with me at all times. But I saw it as an opportunity to get out of my little plot of land, and the adventurous side of me, the wild part, enjoyed the freedom more than anything I had ever experienced.

\tNow, I was being sent on my first official mission and not just errands. My mission was to hunt down a powerful, high ranking criminal in order for an assassin to dispatch them. It was a hush-hush mission, given directly from the king himself. The guards did not have to watch me this time. He was trusting me. And if I was successful, this could be my ticket to working my way into the city and having the life that I desired. Well… the life that the Woodelf half of me desired, in any case.

\tI hid in the trees, my face tattoos burning with the anticipation of blood about to be spilled, and my eyes burned.

\tI had still ever only fed on animals and the occasional supplies that were brought out to my humble little home, but being around the scent of the blood of people all the time was... enticing, since I had begun to give in to my Darker self, the Wraith lineage. This was no different, as I remained in my position.

\tI had left clues for my assassin, and he would be arriving shortly to eliminate the target.

\tI heard the owl call, and I mimicked it to let the assassin know my precise location, and I felt the branch bow slightly as his weight settled.

\t”Which man?” I barely heard his voice whisper, and his voice was smooth and warm, reminding me of hot soup on a bitterly cold winter's night. I looked at him, and I was stunned to see a handsome young man, around my age.

\tHis hair was a sandy blonde color, and his eyes were the same color as a cloudless, sunny blue sky. They were second in beauty only to Dragon's eyes. His aura was a deep mossy green color, but he was hiding it mostly because of our target. But I could still see it, just barely, with my strong Wraith eyes.

\tHe had a soft face, rounded and he had a nose that curved nicely upward toward the end, reminding me of a Greek statue from European countries.

\tHe had thick, full lips, and his eyelashes were thicker than almost any man's I'd ever seen.

\tHis skin was a nice, rich tan color that was typical for most of the Woodelves, and his handsome face was covered in traditional war-paint for our nation. He had the Assassin association tattoo on his shoulder.

\tI brought myself out of my staring, my eyes returning to the ground below us.

\t”Gray coat over iron armor, steel boots, steel gauntlets. No helmet, brown hair, dark skin. Mid-thirties, around six feet tall. A steel great-sword with gold filigree in the handle.”

\t”Target sighted, locked on. Approaching in approximately twenty-four seconds.”

\tAs we watched our target, he whispered. ”You are quite beautiful. Locate me in Havengrove when this mission is over with.”

\tI started at his statement, just as he dropped out of the tree and landed with grace on the earth beneath us, and an enchantingly dark and dangerous, delectably seductive but captivating and bewitching song flowing from his lips....and before it was over, he was taking out the target's guard with ease before dispatching the intended target, killing both of them with quick slashes to the throat with his dagger, and they were dead in mere seconds.

\tHe briefly looked through pockets and satchels, finding what it was that he was after, before he signaled for me to clear out, and I saw him leap into the trees and disappear into the night.

\tI was slightly appalled, being as it was my first time seeing someone assassinated and then having their corpse looted. It felt wrong.

\tI hated that the King forced me to be his puppet, and I hated my nation for the laws that it enforced. But I put it out of my mind. I had to get home.

\tI hurried back, and I could hear the enemy searching the forest for us. Unfortunately for them, we were already long gone from the scene, and they had no idea who had assassinated those men.

\tAs I arrived back to the city, I didn't know what I should do. I was merely a weapon of war for this Woodelf king and his city. I didn't fit in anywhere. Could I really be allowed to have a life, meet a man, marry, reproduce?

\tI went back to my home. I knew that the guards would alert the king to my arrival, and he would send word for me whenever was ready for my report. I did, however, find Dragon waiting there for me. Once I arrived, the guards left to go tell the king that I had returned.

\t”Oh, Kysael, you've returned, I see. Are you hurt? Was your mission successful?” He asked when he saw me walk up to my home.

\t”I am uninjured. The mission was a success.”

\t”That's good, then. I am sorry that you had to witness that,” he said sadly. ”I know that... murder isn't something that a young girl should be having to witness in such a way.”

\t”It's alright,” I told him. ”This is my duty to the king.”

\tHis eyes were sad as he watched me. He came and raised his hand, almost as if to lay it on my cheek... but then he withdrew it, and sighed, his hand falling to his side. ”I wish that I could have given you a better life. I do.”

\tI smiled. ”Its fine, Lord Dragon. You have given me a great life. You raised me in my mother's place, and taught me everything that I know. So, it's alright. But, anyway, I have a question.”

\t”Of course, what is it?”

\t”Who was the assassin on this mission?”

\t”Hm?” He looked at me. ”What's going on?”\t

\t”He....he told me that...I was quite beautiful, and to locate him when I returned to Havengrove.”

\tHis eyes widened, and he looked away for a moment. ”And... you wish to locate him?”

\tI looked at the floor. ”Well....the last time that I was brave enough and that I asked, the King said that if I completed my duties, he could see what else I could serve to do in this city, right? So... does that mean, that like other women, I could...possibly marry?”

\tHe startled, his eyes meeting mine again.

\t”Kysael...”

\t”I would...like to be able to be free one day, and to have a family.”

\tHe stood, and he came over and pulled me into a hug. ”Despite all you have been through, you are such a fine young woman. But we have been over this, Kysael. The king wouldn't simply allow you to be with whomever you wanted to be with. He would be in complete control of who you wed, when you were allowed to wed, and he would decide when he wanted to breed you. You cannot have the life of a normal Woodelf maiden, Kysael, and it is sad but true that I must continue to inform you of this. The King wouldn't let you fall in love. And there are not many in this city that would have you willingly.”

\t”But I'm not a woman, my Lord. I am simply a bastard Wraithling, a desolate and dark creature that is nothing but a weapon.... a slave, all because I am an abomination.”

\t”Don't let all that ignorant old king's talk get into your head, Kysael. You have a mind. You have feelings, and thoughts of your own. You are not his puppet.”

\tI looked away. ”I've made you angry...”

\tHe gasped. ”No,” he said softly. ”I just wish that you wouldn't speak of yourself or think of yourself that way.”

\tI nodded softly. ”Ever since I was ten...I've been a weapon for the king. I grew up with no parents, no one but you, my Lord. I have no real family. The only one that I have ever had...is you. You taught me how to talk, to read, write, you taught me how to eat, hunt. You taught me how to live.”

\t”I-”

\t”But....I do not have dignity, because I am not a Woodelf. I do not have pride, because I am considered an abomination, I am a bastard. I am not free, because I am feared. I am the King's weapon, his servant, his.... whatever he decides to deem me to be.” I finished with disgust. My eyes filled with tears. ”The king has made it no secret that he wishes to....to bed me, Dragon. Since his mate's passing, he has made many...suggestive comments about such. He has even allowed his hands to touch me. Thankfully, before things go too far, he seems to remember himself.”

\tHis face was surprised and angry, his hands balled into fists and shaking and he looked away. ”He should not have said or done those things,” he grated out, his tone dangerous.

\t”I just want to have freedom, my lord.”

\tDragon sighed. ”I know. But one day, Kysael, perhaps the King will see that you are safe and you are valuable to this city, and he will change his mind and let you go free. And then, you will be able to live the life that you desire.” I could tell from his expression, his tone...that he himself didn't believe that anymore, but he said it all the same in an attempt to comfort me.

\t”But what if I'm past the marrying age? And everyone in this city is abusive toward me, my Lord. How am I to find someone to wish to unite with me and continue my bloodline? This assassin… he was kind to me. What if he is the only chance that I might have?”

\t”I....well....” He sighed, rubbing the back of his head, looking anywhere but me. He was hiding something. Something important. But I didn't press the issue. I knew better. I knew that Dragon wouldn't tell me anything that he did not want to talk about. ”I don't feel that now is the time to discuss it, but the King and I... Well, we have a prior arrangement about that subject. You need not concern yourself.”

\t”What was his name?” I asked. ”Even if the king allowed me to marry, it would more than likely be arranged, simply forced. But this assassin, he...he showed interest in me, despite what I am. I would like to find him and see what his purpose was.”

\tDragon sighed, and scratched the back of his head, before he grabbed a sheet of paper with his father's handwriting, no doubt a report and my orders for the mission to begin with. Since Drakul was the one who gave me my missions from the king, and Dragon was the one in charge of my care, Drakul simply sent the orders through him.

\tFinally, he found something. ”His name is Kelose, he is of the Hellebore clan. He was only recently accepted into the Assassin Association, showing great promise as a prospective bringer of justice.” He leveled me with a cautionary glare. ”But be warned, Kysael. The AA is a very dark and dangerous group, and their members suffer horrifying consequences for their murders. Every time they end a life, they get closer and closer to the transformation of becoming a Darkelf, which is the most detestable of the Dark Realm. Their bodies even begin to undergo physical changes the more that they kill. Please, tread with caution.”

\t”I will, my Lord. But I am used to treading around darkness. Now, I'm going to go and find this 'Kelose'. I will return before it gets too late.”

\t”Kysael--”

\t”I have one more question.”

\tHe sighed. ”What is it?”

\t”Why did he sing? It was unlike anything that I've ever heard in my life. What....what was it?”

\tDragon paused. ”You were.... enchanted by this tune?”

\t”Yes, very,” I told him honestly. ”It made me feel.... drawn to him.”

\t”That is the purpose of his Spirit Song. He lures his enemies to him, making them feel peaceful, at ease, even drawn to him. It makes them let their guard down, and he can dispatch them with little trouble, as long as they are weaker than he is.”

\t”Spirit Song?” I asked.

\t”The most spiritual elves have at least one. It is not something that every elf has the ability or aptitude for. Just as all elven races have aura that varies in shade from elf to elf, all of the elven races also have the gift of The Voice. It was gifted to us by the creator, to enhance our talents and our skills.

\tWhen you have a particular talent, something that you excel at, you can pull your spirit into a song to help you with that activity and make you even further successful with it. You can become a legend with it. Kelose has always been known as a smooth talker, and has a way with persuasion. Many in this city will tell you that he has persuaded them into many things, mostly things that they did not desire. I once heard that he sang to a noble lady, and that she gifted him with three sacks of diamonds. Be warned, Kysael. I suggest you proceed with caution if you insist on proceeding at all.”

\tI smiled. ”I will. Please, go on home, my Lord. You have taken enough time out of your evening to visit me. Good night.”

\t”Good night, Kysael.”

\tI left, and the fluttering in my heart finally began to cease. I'd always held Dragon in high regard, and I'd always.... very deeply cared for him. After I had been cast out of the city to live on this tiny plot of land, our visits had grown increasingly precious to me and I had grown ever fonder and… more desiring of Lord Dragon and his visits with me. I wanted him beside of me. I wanted him to be mine, just as I felt that I was his.

\tBut alas, he was a noble, a Woodelf Lord who could never be with someone as lowly as me. Though, I idly wondered if he ever would marry. Considering his angry disposition, and how little tolerance he had for people in this city, I doubted it.

\tI was walking through the forest, back toward a spot near a bridge that connected a sector of the city. It was the far line of my property, and the middle of the bridge was the furthest that I could go without getting into trouble. I knew that it would still be a while before the king got back with me about my mission, so I had some time.

\tAnd on that bridge, I found Kelose. He stood, and he faced me.

\t”I wasn't sure that you were going to be coming this way, but one of my friends told me that you are often seen here, looking into the forest in the direction of the city… That this is your property line.

\t”You are Kelose,” I said softly. ”You are of one of the middle ranking clans in the city, the Hellebore clan, your brother is one of the palace guards who also studies under Lord Arkasil of Knowledge and your father is on the War Council. You are the son of the head of the clan.”

\t”You are very good at collecting information. I've heard of you, as well. You are Kysael of the Cedar clan; your mother was married into the Ash clan. Your mother was executed publicly in front of the nobles for having a bastard daughter, and you were named of the Cedar clan because your father was not of the Ash clan. You are a Woodelf-Wraith Hybrid, and you are in service to Lord Dragon, who is charged with your care, and to the King. You have a brother who is an assistant for the blacksmith. It is odd to me, though, how you have turned out to be such a soft and mild-mannered woman with a dark and brooding Lord such as Lord Dragon raising you. Everyone knows he is not necessarily a happy man. Have I left anything out?”

\t”You left out the part that I am a slave of violence, and that I am not allowed to marry or to be courted until the King decides to allow it, and I am forced to be in service in order to live. I am also confined to my land unless he deems me allowed to leave.”

\tHe startled. ”So, that was true...” He trailed off. ”You are quite beautiful, and unique. You are not like any other woman in this city.”

\t”You sound as if you are wanting to court me,” I said softly. ”And as I have already told you, I am not allowed.”

\tHe came to stand in front of me. ”Then I will go and I will talk with the king personally, and tell him that I have expressed interest in your hand.”

\tI scoffed. ”Good luck,” I told him, turning to leave. ”Oh...and by the way.... you are quite handsome.” And then I walked, making my way back to my home. I heard him chuckling as I left him there, alone on the bridge in the forest.

*

December, 1097 A.D.

\tAfter that night, I continued to be sent on missions to hunt and track down enemies of our nation, and Kelose was always the Assassin sent to dispatch them and to work with me. We would often sit and talk afterward, and he was kind to me.

\t”I don't understand why it is that people have such a problem with your kind,” he said offhandedly. ”We are allies with the Wraiths. It makes no sense to hate them, or to hate you for being a hybrid.”

\t”The Woodelves are all about 'purity',” I said. ”It's a stain on my mother's bloodline. That is why she was executed. I also happen to be a bastard, so that didn't help matters.”

\t”What of your father?” He asked.

\tI shook my head. ”I've never known him, and my mother was never around to tell me of him. And Dragon has already told me everything that he knows, information of which he is very limited on. I know the circumstances of which my conception came about, but.... well, not who he was or what he was like. Although, I have the idea that he was generally as all other Wraiths are, black hair and blue eyes and pale skin.”

\t”So... I've been meaning to ask you something.”

\t”Go ahead, then.”

\tHe hesitated. ”What is the connection between you and Lord Dragon? I've seen you with him, and... well, the way that he looks at you as something precious, and... well, I mean....you look at him as if he's your universe, if I'm being honest with you.”

\tI felt my cheeks heat up. ”Why do you wish to know?”

\t”Has he asked for your hand yet?”

\tI startled, and then I laughed. ”Oh, I don't believe that Lord Dragon sees me like that. He raised me, and he has always been there for me, but he doesn't see someone like me that way.”

\t”I would not be so sure. I've seen how he looks at you, heard how he speaks with you, and I have seen the way his aura shimmers and trembles when he's around you.”

\tI gaped at him in shock. ”His aura trembles around me...? Surely, you must be mistaken. He doesn't see me in any romantic way, I am positive. If he did, he would have told me. He did raise me, after all.”

\t”.... But you see him that way,” he said softly. ”I can see it in your eyes when you think of him.”\t

\tI looked at him. ”And what about you?”

\tHe met my eyes. ”I believe I've already told you what I think about you. But I am... very intrigued by you. You are beautiful. And you are kind, and not haughty like so many of the Woodelf maidens.”

\tI smiled. ”So, I am humble.”

\t”Yes,” he said, his voice serious. ”I believe that you would make a fine bride. And that's why,” he paused, and he kneeled before me, reaching into his backpack and pulling out a beautiful blue fabric. ”That is why, I have obtained the King's permission to court you.”

\tI startled. He'd convinced the king to allow me to be married? ”What? How in the world have you managed that?”

\t”Oh, I have my ways. I have a way with persuasion. Kysael, I know that we haven't known each other all that long,” he admitted as he looked into the distance. ”But there is no other that I would rather court, and you are unattached as it happens. So... will you accept my proposal?”

\tTears filled my eyes, and I smiled as I nodded, and he came and embraced me tightly.

\tPresenting a betrothal gown was customary to our race upon asking for a woman's hand in marriage. It was a beautiful, royal blue gown with a low, heart shaped neckline that lay just over top of the breasts with halter-straps, tight sleeves, and a low back. It led down to a large slit in the gown that went from the top of the leg to the floor.

\tThe shock hit me hard. As a hybrid, I had not expected to get married at any point. What with my heritage, I didn't believe that anyone would have me, even if the king had decided to allow it. It was more than I could process in my young mind that he had actually persuaded the king to allow this.

\tLater that night, Kelose and I had gone our separate ways, and as I made my way home, Dragon dropped down out of the tree above his cabin and landed beside of me.

\t”Good evening, Lord Dragon,” I told him happily.

\t”You're in a good mood,” he said, giving me a small grin and a fleeting glance. ”Congratulations.”

\t”Thank y--wait, how did you know?” I asked.

\t”The king told me that Kelose asked for your hand....and that he accepted Kelose's proposal,” he gave me his trademark smirk. ”Don't be so surprised. I am technically still your guardian, after all. So, it seems that you've made quite an impression on him.”

\t”I suppose. How do you feel about this?”

\t”As long as you are happy, that is what matters. And if you are happy with him, then I am happy for you, though I won't hide my concerns from you on the matter. But it is your decision, and I hope that he doesn't use his abilities to turn it to be his decision. As long as it truly is your decision, I will accept it.”

\t”Thank you,” I said. ”Now, I need to get some rest. I have another mission in the morning.”\t

\t”Actually, I came to tell you that I need your assistance for my trip to Irasil. I have already gotten permission from the king. I'm going to help out with their injured, as they've faced a pretty serious battle. But the road is a little unsafe, and while I am perfectly capable of defending myself, other medics will be on the mission and I am not going to be able to protect all of them on my own if we were to be attacked. So, you-”

\t”I'm the secret weapon because I look like any other woman.”

\tHe hesitated. ”Exactly.”

\tI bowed to him, and he tensed. ”I will gladly accompany you,” I told him.

\t”Kysael, you don't need to bow.” He had me stand straight again. ”We leave out first thing in the morning, at sunrise.”

\t”Yes, my Lord.” I looked away. ”My Lord?”

\t”Yes?”

\t”Do you think that I will make a good bride?”

\tHe startled. ”What?”

\t”It's just...that's what Kelose said. He thought that I would make a fine bride. And I....my heart felt funny,” I told him.

\tHe smiled. ”I am glad that he makes you feel that way.”

\t”I'll see you in the morning, then,” I told him, and then I went inside, thinking of the strange expression on his face when I talked of my being a bride.

*

January, 1098 A.D.

\tIt was snowing. My mission with Dragon to Irasil had been a success, of course, and though we had indeed been attacked on the road, Dragon and I were more than enough to take care of them with just the two of us and protect everyone else. It wasn't a very large ambushing party anyway; it had only been six men. Not any trouble at all, really. A little too easy, honestly. It made me paranoid, which is exactly what Dragon had called me when we carried on with our group.

\tWhen we had reached Irasil, I had been amazed and I had been overwhelmed by the beauty of the mountain fortress. It was the home of the Mountain elves, a slightly more powerful and agile breed of elf than the Woodelves. Their territory was a lot more difficult to maneuver, and they had to live with it since the beginning. But they were at home there, and it was a fascinating place to me. Their towers built into the rock, their high windows and sparse, beautiful foliage interwoven into the mountain side and even their very buildings. It certainly was a strange sight, one that I was in awe of. It was snowing, and it snowed often in these mountains. The had much different living conditions than we Woodelves did.

\tI wondered if anyone ever felt this way when they came to Havengrove. Awed by how our people could live in this place, do things that they do in their everyday normal life and be amazed by it.

\tSuch as I was awed in Irasil by watching women carrying babes while climbing up steep cliffs, using only one hand and their feet to climb. Watching elderly be able to jump from one cliff to the next, a jump that was at least fifteen feet.

\tThe Mountain elves looked at us a bit strangely, dark looks in their eyes. Dragon did seem to notice that much, at least, and we hurried to return home as quickly as we could get there. Something was off about our Mountain elf cousins. I was thankful once we were back home, despite how horrid my circumstances were.

\tNow, it was mine and Kelose's first winter together, and it was snowing. A beautiful sight in our ancient forest city. We both wore thick coats that were lined on the inside with wool, and fur lined the opening of my hood. I was prepared for winter after that incident when I had been nine. I never left without my coat.

\tKelose and I ran and twirled around as it fell, playing. We balled up bits of snow and threw them at each other. We pulled each other down, rolling around in it.

\tHe lay in the snow, laying his arms and spreading his legs, moving them back and forth in it.

\t”What are you doing?” I laughed.

\tHe gaped. ”You've never made a snow angel?”

\t”Snow angel?” I asked, curious. He laughed at me; a warm sound that made my head fuzzy.

\t”Yes, a snow angel! I can't believe you've never made one! Come on!” He pulled me down into the snow, and he showed me what to do with my arms and legs.

\t”But what is the point of this?”

\tHe just smiled and stood, pulling me up with him, off of the ground. Then, he turned us around and showed me our snow angels, and I smiled.

\t”It looks like an angel!” I laughed.

\t”That is the idea,” he laughed with me. I loved the sound of it. His laugh was warm and full of life. ”You have so much to learn,” he smiled at me.

\tI gave him a hug, and he lifted his hands to my face, cupping it, before he pressed a heated kiss to my lips. The kiss burned my lips in its intensity, making it hard for me to breathe.

\tSwooning, I had to pull away, laughing it off.

\tHe brushed the snow off of my back. ”There, we go,” he whispered. Then he pulled me into another hug. ”Are you cold?” He asked me.

\tI shook my head. ”No, I'm warm,” I said. ”But I'd like to be even warmer,” I smiled.

\t”Then allow me to heat you up some more,” he teased, and pulled me into a kiss that had my head swimming and my body heating up in ways that I couldn't explain.

\tI'd never felt anything like this before, and I could feel heat pooling in my abdomen. I kissed him back with fervor. I pulled away, breathless, when he playfully nipped at my neck, and I shuddered. My fingers clung to his dark skin at his neck, bringing him to kiss me again. We kissed heatedly again, before he pulled away and began balling up snow and throwing it at me, bringing me out of the heat.

\tAnd I felt a presence, and looked up into the trees over our head, seeing a figure in a white cloak up on a branch in a tree a few yards away, and I saw his shaggy and sleek, shoulder length hair that was almost black, and he was looking over his shoulder in our direction, his back to us. His olive colored aura was soft, dim almost, flickering a bit. He was tense, not relaxed.

\tI'd come to learn, as a child, that he often kept watch over me, making sure that I was alright, and had become even more watchful since my identity had been discovered those years ago.

\tI just smiled. He was always looking out for me. And I knew that it wasn't his intention to invade my privacy, because he was not in ear shot of us, even for elven ears. He was just being sure that I was safe, and I appreciated his nearly constant gesture of protection over me. Dragon was my hero, definitely.

\tAnd once he saw that I'd caught him, he smiled warmly at me, before taking off into the forest, out of sight, letting me have my privacy.

\tAnd my heart swelled with gratefulness.

*

May, 1098 A.D.

\t”Good job, weapon,” the King said as I threw the criminal out of the tree to land on the ground before him. ”You have been doing excellent work. Drakul is right to want to promote you, and now that I have seen what you are capable of, I will grant it. You will begin receiving orders directly from me, soon, and you can continue to pay your way through my rule.” He turned to Drakul. ”You may proceed on with her as planned.” He turned back to face me. ”You are now allowed to come into the middle ring of the city, as long as you have clearance orders from Dragon, Drakul or myself. You are free to wander the outer ring of the city and are no longer confined to your property. Do not disappoint me.” He then turned, and left Drakul and I standing there in our place.

\tDrakul nodded, and he looked over at me. ”You are promoted. Do you also have the buck that I asked for?” He asked.

\tI dropped to the ground, letting loose the buck from my shoulder as he came up to see my prize. I set my bow and arrows down before I inspected the buck that I'd killed. ”Yes, and I am glad that you are promoting me, master Drakul. I've come a long way in these few years.”

\t”You have. If you stay on this path, you will become an excellent hunter for this city, and hopefully these uprisings and impeding war will come to an end before it starts. You will be a fabulous huntress, very powerful and great. Perhaps even greater than myself. Now, go on, I know you've been waiting to go meet him at the gate. Kelose is returning today, isn't he?”

\t”Yes, they had their most important and difficult assassination so far, a few days ago, in a nearby city. They're supposed to be returning today,” I grinned.

\t”Well, you can go on, now. I have to get this buck skinned and ready for sale,” he said. ”But.....err....Just...don't let his actions discourage you. He will be different. Rekium has been expressing concern lately.”

\tNot knowing what he meant but not willing to dwell on it, I bowed, and quickly took off in the direction of the outer city gate.

\tI met him at the gate, and flung myself into his arms. He was covered in blood, but I didn't care. His face was concealed by the hood of his cloak, but I was too happy to see him to mind. His arms wove around me tightly, and he took a deep sniff of my hair.

\t”Kysael,” Kelose said softly into my hair, squeezing me tightly. He said my name as if it were a prayer, a holy word that he was simply blessed enough to utter from his mouth. It made me feel hot, and made me shudder against him.

\t”Kelose,” I smiled, looking up to try to see his face. He hid his face away from me, but I ignored it to ask my question. ”How did it go?”

\tHe sighed, and pulled out a piece of parchment with a golden seal on it. ”Here is the document that the man stole from the King,” he said softly. ”I retrieved it...after I killed him...” His voice held a strange darkness that I had never heard before, and his tone changed.

\tI felt confusion, fear...I didn't understand. Why was he so different? I knew that he had been taking on many more assassinations lately, but he'd always been fine before. Kelose had always been so cheerful, smiling all the time and vibrant and happy...It certainly wasn't like this was his very first kill or anything! Why was he so dark?

\t”Kelose...? Why do you hide from me? Have I done something wrong?”

\tHe sighed, and slowly removed his hood.

\tI startled as golden eyes stared back at me.

\tBoth Dragon and Drakul had warned me of this. The assassination organization left heavy toles on the souls of its members, and when they killed in the name of our nation...their bodies and natures would change. They would slowly become consumed and corrupted by the evil nature of their careers, and soon, they would become completely different beings altogether...until it destroyed them. But the speed at which they lost their holy elven light determined how much darkness was in their hearts....and this....

\tI've only known him for a few months and his eyes had already changed color? Even his aura has changed! It's no longer the shade of green that I knew and loved...its...a dark, goldish-green. What does this mean?

\tWhat did that mean? Did that mean that there was already darkness in his heart, for him to succumb to the changes so quickly? Did that mean that.... that he would turn into a Darkelf after only a few more assassinations? These fearful questions whirled around my mind, making me feel unsteady.

\tHe cupped my cheek in his bloody hand. ”Do not fear me, love. I am alright. And I do not wish to see you frightened. This will be a good thing. It will make me strong, so that I may protect and provide for you.”

\tMy eyes welled with tears, and I cupped his face and pulled him down for a kiss. When I pulled away, his eyes were back to being closer to their natural hue, but the dark blue ring on the outside of the sky-blue irises was tinged with gold.

\tStill, it was less worrisome, and I tried to put my fears out of my mind.

\t”I have good news today, too,” I grinned, playing with his warrior's wolf tail. He had grown out the top of his hair to pull it back into a small, poofy tail in the back, the sides and back of his hair cut short, down to his head.

\tHe barely smiled. ”And what is that?”

\t”I've been promoted to an elite hunter for the king. I should be able to be free soon enough.” I laughed.

\tHe smiled a little bigger this time. ”That is impressive. I'm proud of you.”

\tI frowned. ”I had thought that you would be much more excited,” I pouted.

\t”I'm sorry, love. I'm just...I feel different. Something has changed...I have killed people, a lot of people, and I suppose that it has put a weight on me. I just don't feel like I used to anymore. I feel as if I am stranded in the dark. And I suppose that I should have prepared myself for this fate, considering that this is the career path that I have chosen. I just want to be able to have a good, flourishing career so that I could take care of you...”

\t”Oh, Kelose,” I said, hugging him. I reached and brought his face down to mine, and kissed him. I used my senses, and didn't feel any guards around to watch me today, and I was thankful. I pulled us into the forest, and went to lie down on a pile of soft moss. ”Perhaps I should give you something in return for your sacrifice....”