Hey thankyou everyone for ur reviews so far :) this is just a story I wrote based on the Obernewtyn series by Isobelle Carmody (I don't own the characters or books) and it's set some time after the last book "the keeping place". It might be a bit confusing, especially if u haven't read the series lol but yeah it's my first fanfic. Hope u like… please read and review :)

Chapter 1:

Rushton's Secret

It was a bright cloudless day, rare for this time of year in the mountains, but I did not complain. I let the brilliant glow of the sun wash over me as if it was water and sighed inwardly as it warmed me up. I came out to the forest to get some peace. I couldn't stand one more accusing stare, nor Ceirwan chasing after my shadow, forcing me to eat or to get some rest. He said I was taking Dragon's memory loss too personally, just as Dameon had said. But it was Rushton who was bothering me. Why was he avoiding me? I knew the answer but couldn't bring myself to believe it. Ceirwan interrupted my thoughts when he farsent that he was on his way to bring me some food as I had missed midmeal. I couldn't help but smile, even if he was harassing me, I knew in my heart he cared for me.

"Lud Dam it Elspeth, I've been looking for ye all over Obernewtyn" Ceirwan said sarcastically from behind me.

I turned to see him standing with a cheeky grin on his face and a plate of bread and cheese in his hands. He kneeled down on the grass near where I was sitting and pushed the platter into my hands. "Eat"

I pushed the plate back in his hands and said, "I've already eaten. Katlyn fixed me some food just before when I visited Alad on the farms".

Ceirwan knew I was lying but put the plate down on the grass anyway and frowned slightly.

"Ye really should…" he stopped and looked over the bushes in front of us.

"What is it?"

I could feel him send out a probe.

"There's someone there, I ken it, but their mind is blocked" he said quietly.

At that moment I heard a branch crack and I stood immediately.

"Stay here" I sent firmly to Ceirwan.

I approached the bushes with caution, sending out my own probe, but Ceirwan was right the person's mind was defiantly shielded.

I reached my hand out to the bush and fear coursed through me, although I had no idea why. I pushed the shrubs back and saw with relief that it was only a girl of about twelve huddled in the clearing.

She looked frightened but defiant and reminded me strangely of Seely, who I had found in this very forest just a year ago. Her clothes were in tatters and her long black hair a tangled mass of dirty curls. When I looked closely I could see blood on her face mixed with dirt but could see no cuts. There were whip marks on her tiny arms and legs though and bruises on her chest.

"Are you OK?" I asked as gently as I could, reaching out my hand for her to take. She just stared at it for a long time without moving and then suddenly she looked into my eyes and pleaded, "You know Rushton! Where is he? I need him, where is he?"

I gaped at her in disbelief and shook my head.

"How do you know…?"

She grabbed my hand suddenly and I could feel her clumsily send a mental probe into my mind but I blocked her quickly.

She looked stunned. "You're a misfit too?" she gaped.

It took me a while to comprehend what she was saying. I felt Ceirwan coming up slowly behind me, carefully as if not to scare her.

"What…?" he began.

Fear ran over the girl's gentle features and I could feel her trying to coerce Ceirwan.

He trembled violently for a second but steadied himself quickly, blocking her too.

"I'm sorry," she cried, looking helpless now.

"I thought you were one of them". Ceirwan looked as confused as I felt.

She turned back to me.

"Please… Please take me to find Rushton, I…" she stopped, staring around her wildly.

"They're here!" she whispered fiercely.

"Who?" I demanded.

"The… The herders!" she gasped.

"Please take me with you, to Obernewtyn".

I gasped hardly believing my ears. How did she know so much?

With little time to decide what to do, I farsent Ceirwan to take the girl and hide in the bushes while I coerced the herders.

"At first chance run through the shortcut up to Obernewtyn" I said aloud.

"Elspeth no…" Ceirwan sent helplessly, but just as he said that I sensed a herder right behind us in the bushes.

"Run!" I hissed.

He looked around weakly then grabbed the girl's hand and ran to the bushes, as I stood ready to face the herder.

I shivered, hoping I could control my killing power if I had to and praying there was only one herder as I could sense only the one.

The herder stumbled out of the bushes, slashing the shrubs and plants around him with a small pocketknife as he went.

He spotted me and stopped dead in his tracks. Without saying a word, I tried to coerce him to turn around, the thought just occurring to me how odd it was that a lone herder was wondering around so close to Obernewtyn. The girl must be very valuable, I thought with disgust.

I looked back over to him, expecting him to be gone, but he was still there. Horrified, I concentrated on coercing him again but nothing happened. My powers weren't working. It could not of been exhaustion that was stopping me for I had done nothing to tire my powers that day. But then I looked down at his hand and realised with a sick jolt that he was wearing a demon band. I cursed myself for my stupidity and panicked, as I was not armed.

The herder ran straight for me and grabbed my shoulders, shaking me.

"Where is she?" he snarled.

I struggled against him but he was too strong.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" I screamed.

His eyes glittered maliciously and he shoved me to the ground. I felt Ceirwan farsend me that he was coming and I started violently begging him not to.

"He's wearing a demon band!" I sent with force.

All of a sudden a thought occurred to me. I pulled myself up with effort and grabbed the Herder's arm, groping desperately for the Demon Band but I could not reach it. He hit me hard across the face and I fell to the ground. The whole forest blurred in front of me and I felt something in my hands. I looked down, blinking to clear my vision and saw with disbelief the demon band clasped tightly in my right hand. He must not of even realised it, because the Herder ran at me again. He pulled out his knife and was aiming it at me but stopped suddenly in action and cried out in pain. Time seemed to slow impossibly and I stared in horror as the herder screamed and writhed in agony. His face stretched horribly in a silent scream and he fell onto his knees, panting. He lifted his head with great effort and fixed me with a stare that haunted me. His eyes flashed red with unimaginable hate and anger as he crawled forward on his hands and knees, grabbing my legs to pull me down to his level.

"You'll pay for this Misfit" he spat, his hands clawing at my clothes.

"You and Obernewtyn".

I stopped suddenly, feeling as if all the air had been sucked out of my body and I tried desperately to breathe.

All of a sudden I saw him keel over backwards onto the ground and lay there motionless. I gasped aloud as I had not summoned the killing power in myself, or had I? It all happened so suddenly. How did he know about Obernewtyn? I swayed on the spot, grabbing a tree branch to steady myself. I couldn't stop shaking, thinking that I'd killed him. But how did I? Unless the dark power inside me was becoming uncontrollable I thought, shaking even more. Had I really killed him?

I was answered when I heard a sob to the left of me. I looked over to see the girl in the arms of Ceirwan. She was weeping uncontrollably, saying over and over that she was sorry.

Ceirwan looked stunned but hugged her tight.

"She… she did it Elspeth. She killed him"

I paled. I'd never known anyone else to have the same killing power I possessed.

"Who is she?" I stammered.

Ceirwan hesitated for a moment. He looked up at me, his eyes bewildered.

"She says… she says she's Rushton's sister" he sent in shock.