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She sat in her chair by the fire, relaxed and contentedly stroking the golden firelet curled on her lap. Its scales were very smooth and soothing in the warm darkness. The firelight produced a soft glow from the creature's body and reminded Brianna of the small dragon's larger kin. They were the stuff of legends, rarely ever seen. She counted herself lucky to have Ariel as a companion. The little body gently heaved with its breath. The tiny head nuzzled her in its sleep and exhaled a lazy puff of smoke. Brianna watched the little cloud form rings and drift up to the ceiling. She rested her head back and closed her eyes, giving in to the quiet peacefulness that engulfed her.
* * * * *
Fin was napping in her favorite tree. She so loved being held by the big old oak branches whenever she needed comfort. They were loving and sturdy and they always welcomed her. Fin Elwin was a hybrid of sorts if you will. She was half Sprite and half Faery. Some people think it's the same thing but it's not really. She was small of stature. Barely 4 ft 8 in… (a little smaller than her cousin, Bryn LaFleur). She was deadly with a bow and arrow. Her soft brown hair hung across her face during her nap. Here ears were a tad pointed at the tops, which she always hated. Her skin blended well with the foliage though. It was of the palest green. She thinks her coloring was due to an elf relative somewhere in the family tree.
Snoring softly Fin is unaware of things to come….
* * * * *
Suddenly, out of the darkness, came a loud pounding. Brianna startled awake and jumped up as the firelet flew from her lap. All she could see was a flurry of golden wings around her as she stumbled across the room in confusion and tripped on the rug. All of the sudden, the pounding stopped. Brianna halted in mid-step.
"Shhhh," Brianna hissed at the irritated firelet as she batted the small body circling her head. Ariel quieted down and settled on her shoulder. Brianna took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Her heart felt like it was going to beat through her chest. She finally caught a moment to look around. The fire was down to the embers and the room had grown considerably darker since Brianna had closed her eyes. It had seemed to her that only a few minutes had passed, but it had obviously been more like hours. The stillness began to convince her that it had all been a dream, when a timid voice called from the darkness.
"Lady Brianna!" the female voice called. Brianna steadied herself and walked toward the door as she recognized the voice of Meg. "Lady Brianna! Are you home? This is an emergency! Oh, I do hope you're home."
"Yes, yes. I'm here. Please don't call me Lady, though," Brianna said as she opened the door. In front of her stood a girl of twenty-five with a slight build, creamy skin, and long, wavy, dark brown hair. The girl was breathing heavily and fidgeting nervously with her hands. Brianna looked into her worried face and asked, "What's wrong?"
The girl's emerald eyes darted down the path and back to Brianna. "I am sorry to bother you at this time of night, but it's May. She's come down with a bad fever and we can't get it down. We have tried everything. Then she became unconscious and Mama sent me to fetch you. May started mumbling about strange things. We can not understand any of it. I am sorry to bother you, but we didn't know what else to do. Please, we must hurry!" Meg said anxiously.
"Don't worry. It's not a bother. Let me just grab a couple of things and we will be on our way. I'll do what I can for your sister," Brianna said as she gave the girl's shoulder a reassuring squeeze and ducked back into her house.
"This doesn't look good," Brianna said under her breath to Ariel. "It is the third child this week. Something strange is going on." She quickly snatched up her already filled pouch and threw in a couple extra bottles of salve. Brianna rushed out the door and rejoined Meg on the path.
"Please, we must hurry!" Meg exclaimed again as she grabbed Brianna's wrist and they raced down the path. Their way shown clear in the moonlight, except for a small, dark patch that was the shadow of the small dragon as it flew above them.
* * * * *
Blinking his muddy brown/green eyes he sat watching. It wasn't as if he was watching anything specific. Just watching in general. Looking and waiting for anything to happen. Every now and again the wind would gust and he'd have to adjust his stance momentarily but other than that he was motionless. His deep green skin seemed to absorb with the leaves hiding his form. His dark brown hair was a short curly cut looking like a bird's nest from far away. He always wore dark brown clothing which he made sure matched the trees around him. He liked being able to watch the nothingness moving around him without being detected. He could feel the auras all around him and he was getting with them. His brother would be proud.
* * * * *
"…For crimes committed against the City and its citizens, Thane Raulf Erhall is hereby stripped of noble rank and title. Furthermore, on pain of death by torture, he shall be forever banished from the city Carmont and all her lands."
The words of the Lord Magistrate of Carmont rung loud and clear in the mind of the (ex!)Thane of Carmal Hill. Was it only a week before he had been helping the small group of farmers under his authority with their crops? And only for days ago the children and wives of all of those farmers were found brutally murdered in his own barn? The evidence pointed toward none other than his own person; with his known drinking and anger fits after the death of his wife and firstborn during childbirth only six months prior? As the court witnesses had pointed out (Gods above, there had been SO many of them), he had on more than one drunk occasion cursed those with successful families. Not that he ever really meant it, but WHY was his luck so tainted? He always tried to be a fair and just man, ESPECIALLY upon being named Thane of Carmal Hill. Only that fact had saved Raulf Erhall from immediate death. So now, with just the clothes on his back and cape on his neck, he was being escorted out of the city walls for the last time. Ignoring the tear on his cheek, Raulf Erhall, convicted murderer, walked alone on the road south.
* * * * *
Fin jerked awake from her peaceful nap. She slowly blinked open her big sapphire rimmed orange eyes. (That means her eyes are orange in the center around the pupil and blue on the outer circle.) She reached up to rub the sleep from her eyes with her right hand, while holding on to the tree branch with her left arm. Looking to the old oak for answers to her sudden wakefulness. "Why did you wake me?" She waited. Frowning slightly. "Why aren't you answering me?" Fin knew that if anyone saw her speaking to a tree they would think she was daft. But the trees could "talk" to her in her mind. Sighing dramatically she jumped down from the limb she had been napping on. Landing soundly on her feet in a crouching stance. Fin stood and walked closer to the base of the oak tree. Kneeling she placed her palms against the tree's trunk. Flee!! Death near!! Fin jerked back from the tree. She watched in horror as her old friend turned to a dull grey color. Glancing all around she saw that all the trees were being petrified!!
* * * * *
As he sat in silent concentration he felt a dark shift. All the auras he was trying to read around him began to change quickly. He opened his eyes and he saw the lights around each tree begin to dim. He knew what was happening. He just didn't know why. If anyone could tell him it would be the tree talker. This weird girl who lived nearby who claimed she could converse with the plants and trees of the forest. If she was telling the truth she could answer his questions. He rolled off of his branch into a free fall dropping straight down between branches. His eyes closed and his face strained in concentration. His eyes shot open and he froze in mid air. A smile spread as he looked around then he slowly began to fly off into Fin's general direction. She usually spent most of her time in the Skylight Grove. He wasn't far and if he could keep his focus and float all the way it would take him less than a few minutes. He kept moving until he got to the opening and he waited for any sign or indication that she was near.
* * * * *
Fin just sat there staring at all the grey trees. Nooooo!! She just kept screaming that word over and over in her mind. Her large eyes were swimming in tears. In her grief for her friends she didn't hear the approach of the newcomer. Normally she would have sensed his arrival. The trees would have told her!
* * * * *
He searched and searched. Only with his eyes waiting for any movement but none came. He began to get frustrated but then closed his eyes. "Come on Magnus get your self together!" he thought to himself. He focused and gathered his energies and then released an aura pulse wave. Like a bat's scream it panned out and bounced off of all the other auras around. He felt her! He turned and made his way towards her pulse return. She was standing frozen when he found her. "Fin…..FIN…." She would not respond. He focused an orb into his hand and touched it to her forehead and it cleared her shock. She looked like she had just woken up someplace where she didn't fall asleep. Confused and curious. "What's happening?"
* * * * *
Fin frowned, she felt so confused. She looked at the man before her with curiousity. "What's happening?" she asked him softly. Her eyes darted around the now stonelike grove of trees. Her troubled blue eyes turned angry. "I remember now!" She brushed by him to reach for her old friend. Her small hand touched the now lifeless bark of the once majestic oak tree. Some of the bark crumbled in her hand. She moved away to go collect her quiver and bow. Barely spitting the words out "Let's go!"
* * * * *
Sweat streamed down the back of Sheonna's neck and into her eyes, making her squint to see. The forest path she had been following widened into a small clearing just ahead. The clearing was just big enough for Sheonna to set up camp for the night. It was far enough from the road that she could leave her pack without having to worry about thieves while she was out hunting.
Out hunting, she shouldn't have to go out hunting. She should have all the food and supplies she would need for the next week at least. If she had been anybody else, she could have gotten anything she needed in the little town she was in not less than two days ago. But no, not only did everyone curse her as she walked by, they had the nerve to run her out the town itself. And for what? Just because she was different? Because her eyes changed color and her ears were pointed? Maybe, or was it just her tail? It didn't matter that she was half human. All that mattered was that she was half human and half something else. What else no one knew, not even Sheonna herself knew what she was.
Oh well, Sheonna thought to herself, stupid humans don't know what they're missing. Sheonna took the pack from her shoulder and laid it down in the dirt. In one smooth motion, she leapt onto the branch of a nearby tree. With the agility and speed no full human could match, Sheonna began her hunt.
* * * * *
If you want to add to this story, e-mail me at jasujo@hotmail.com.
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