Part 2

Chapter 7

"Find the target! I want her here!" shouted a deep, male voice from the side. Little did he know he was being targeted himself. Up in the tree a form was sitting there trying not to laugh. She knew he could not see her and she wanted to keep it that way. At least until the other five elves had left his side.

She quietly leaped from branch to branch getting closer to the ground. The others had left, by the time she leapt to the ground right behind him. When he turned around his face looked so funny she couldn't help but laugh a little. He smiled as well right before grabbing at his sword and dagger and launching himself at…air. He looked around in confusion for a moment before he felt a sword tip at the back of his neck.

"Game over Telan." She said with amusement. "I win."

"Not this time Al."

"You sound sure of yourself. Too sure. Remember last time Telan"

"Yes, I remember, that's why there are six of my team pointing arrows at you right now" Telan said calm as can be.

Althaena backed off. Telan turned to face her and saw that she was still smiling, almost laughing at him. Her eyes, still twilight blue, held a happiness that sparkled like a star before dawn. She had grown tall and straight with long legs and arms. Her skin remained a honey golden brown, accented by her long, dark golden hair. Five years had transformed the ten year old child of the royal family into a beautiful and sensuous young woman.

"Why are you smiling like that? You've lost, or do you not remember the rules?" said Telan with confidence, thinking he had won the bout.

"Pray refresh my memory Telan." said Althaena still smiling. "My memory is not so sharp as yours, with my fifteen years of life behind me."

"The rules are as follow: the only way to win is if you defeat the opposing force in a siege or direct attack." said Telan happily. "Since you have done neither-"

"Ah, but you have forgotten the other. You must capture the other forces commander. Correct?" said Althaena with a smile.

"Correct."

"Then," Althaena said with an even bigger smile. "I win!"

Telan gaped at her in disbelief. She was clearly surrounded and out matched. If she so much as sneezed in his direction she would get six arrows in the heart. Althaena laughed at the look on his face. She quickly ran over to Telan and disarmed him with little resistance. He looked around in amazement as twenty-five elves walked out of the shadows, holding his disarmed soldiers as prisoners.

"Like I said Telan you are too sure of yourself." Althaena said with a laugh.

Telan laughed along with her after a moment. Althaena signaled their friends to start back to the school. Althaena stopped him from following after them, and winked at him. Telan smiled, but when he turned back and looked at her face the smile slipped off his face.

"Telan, will you help me? I…well I…um."

"You don't want me to tell your father, right?"

Althaena nodded with a frown. She shifted slightly from foot to foot, then took a deep breath.

"Please don't. My shoulder still hurts after the last time I won. I told him I was out scouting today, on the far forest. I told my friends to say that, yours?" she said with a pleading look at Telan.

"Of course. Everyone knew not to tell your father." Telan said as he put his hand on Althaena's shoulder. He could feel the wound through the fabric of her training uniform. He along with all of Rei'non, the school for training young warriors, believed that it was unfair for King Janxe to beat the young princess simply because she was better than most of the young men at the school.

Five years ago, Althaena had been enrolled in Rei'non, she was the first woman at the school in almost three centuries. She was immediately taught the basics of sword craft as it was what she had chosen to become. Althaena learned quickly and was the best in her class. But when it came time for her to move forward to second year, she was told she wasn't ready. Since then the only other schooling she received was in tracking and forestry. Althaena tried to talk to her father but since she had started at Rei'non he began to talk to her less, and punish her more.

"We're loyal to you. You know that, Althaena" he said with warmth.

"Right, well I can still whip your butt." She asked as she straightened up.

"Not as true as you say."

Althaena laughed at him, he was constantly saying that to her and he had yet to beat her at any contest. She stood up and stretched her arms to the sky. The uniform she wore was her informal one, it was one she had cut up so she was able to move and breath easily.

"Well I guess I should fix this." she said at length.

"Fix what?"

"I got caught up in the tree. My top ripped."

"Oh, I see."

"Yeah I bet you do. Now scat while I fix it."

"Okay, I'll make sure no one comes to peek at you." said Telan, with a smirk.

"If I find you staring at me again I'll make sure you'll never be able see anything again." she said with a laugh.

'Without Telan I wouldn't have made it this far.' Althaena realized as she took her top off and started to mend it with thread from her pack. It was because of him that she had learned as much as she had. It was Telan who had insisted to the masters that she learn how to track and shadow so well that she was virtually invisible to anyone if she wanted to be. It was Telan who helped her escape the tower to see her grandmother. She just wished she could see him more often. As the princess she was closely watched, but sometimes she was able to give them the slip now and then.

"Are you done yet? You take forever to get dressed, Althaena." shouted Telan from farther ahead. "Come on, hurry up!"

Althaena smiled as she walked up to the nearest tree and whispered a question. The tree trunk opened and she settled down to wait. Althaena didn't have to wait long for her prey. Telan came in only a few minutes later looking for her. She could hear him swearing and cussing something awful. She almost laughed but held it in check so the surprise could be complete.

She whispered another question to the tree and she faded back out into the branches right above Telan's head. She watched him a few moments as he looked around, then she laughed loudly and jumped on top of him. They wrestled for a few moments, until Telan, older and larger, rolled Althaena under him and pinned her arms across her chest. He looked at her then smiled when she sent a mock glare up at him.

Althaena laughed then and made to get up, but he kept her pinned there on the ground. She looked at him with mischievous glint in her eyes. She leaned forward to his face, so close that Telan could feel her breath on his mouth. So close he thought she was going to kiss him. Althaena turned her head at the last minute and mumbled something. Suddenly Telan was staring at the sky instead of Althaena. He picked himself up and looked around, he heard her running through the trees as though her life depended on it.

It probably did, he reminded himself, as he began to walk back to the school. All the elves knew that she was promised to Lord Baryon Del' Adigo. If she was anything but pure the day of her wedding, she most likely would be beaten to death by both her father and her husband. Telan shook his head, he hated that Althaena was pushed down so much. She had the most potential in spirit and in body. She could be so much more than what everyone was giving to her. And another part of him, though he would never admit it to anyone, wanted to hold her and kiss her. He wanted to tell her it was alright, that she wouldn't be hurt anymore. Because he knew that it was only a matter of time before she was pushed so far down that she was never able to get back up.