Introduction: This is just a teaser of story I've had in my head for a while. I tried to proof-read and catch any mistakes, but if there still is some please let me know. As well, please tell what you think. I'm unsure at this point if this is something I should just keep in my head or share with others. This my first work on the site and I'm a bit neverous. I hope you enjoy it!

Summary: She was unsure about letting something so foreign and unknown in. To allow them to get close and acknowledge they were human too. But that man she had seen between the leaves kept drawing her back. The thread was woven, she was slowly being pulled to these outsiders, to him.

/

She had heard of his disappearance from Felix. Mona argued his absence was do to Anya ordering her best scouts to spy on the outsiders. Though, that didn't explain why Aryah wasn't apart of that mission. She was a scout too, maybe not the best but she was surly capable of holding her own. Besides, those were her people the outsiders had killed. She should of been out with that scout group.

"That can't just be it!" She objected.

Felix looked at Aryah with weary eyes. Unsure if he should tell her the truth behind Lincoln leaving. Both girls had a right to know about his brother's whereabouts but even if they had all been friends since childhood, there was a possibility that they wouldn't understand.

"Felix," Mona pleaded, "you have to know something. What ever it is you know we wont judge."

Gently Mona wove her hand into his. Sweet, kind-hearted Mona could make any man confess there sins. Maybe it was just his, for he held too much love for the girl before him.

"His our friend and brother too," Aryah interrupted, "does he not expect us to worry for him? We've been through too much, given up too much for there to be secrets between us."

With a sigh he conceded to their pleas, "He's in his cave. There's an outsider there that was gravely wounded. We found her at the bottom of the ravine and chose to help her. I know it would be best to kill her, 'cause of what they did but Lincoln was too swept up in her beauty to let her die."

"Does anyone else know about this?" Came Mona's hysterical whisper.

"No," Felix confessed.

"That idiot!" Aryah growled before running into the woods towards the cave Lincoln hid himself in.

/

"You're going to get yourself killed," She informed the shadows residing in the cave.

He gave no response and continued to let himself be enthralled by the girl in front of him. She was vastly different from the women he had grown up with in his village. Unlike Aryah (who was all sun-kissed skin, deep brown eyes and wavy dark hair), this girl was mesmerizing. Her nearly black hair was silky and straight. The dark contrast illuminated her pale skin and glowing hazel eyes. She was like the illumines butterflies, too grand to touch and too tempting to not watch, to keep.

"Lincoln," Aryah growled, "you can't sit there and tell me that you've turn your back on our people. Not for these outsiders, for these monsters."

"Don't," Lincoln refuted quickly. He stood up to finally take a look at Aryah. To finally confront the decision he tried to cover up.

"She...they are not monsters," he added, "They don't know about us, our people and culture. We are readying a war but we are fighting against infant fawns that barely know how to walk."

"Then we must teach them!"

Lincoln slowly shook his head. Aryah, like the rest of his people, did not understand. They couldn't grasp the fact that the group of foreigners his clan was hellbent on massacring were not much different then they. The people belonging to his butterfly were children who had not yet made their transition into adulthood. This war everyone was insistent in beginning could only be seen as blindness. No one wanted to listen to the other side. Hear what one group had to say. Revenge had become the key driver for the direction everyone was heading. To say that his people could teach these outsiders did nothing but cover the blood to be spilled in a false blanket of words.

"Who are we to teach them?" Lincoln lectured, "We are no better than them and they us. Aryah, have you observed them without that veil of hurt and distrust? They are warriors like us. Ready to fight and protect."

"No!" Came Aryah's dismayed reply, "They have hurt our people. If they want peace then why isn't their leader standing before me? You speak of harmony, coexistence, and praises when there is none!"

Annoyance and pity settled onto his face. Aryah...this poor girl was too hurt. She was too consumed with the lies and anger being feed by those she kept close.

"Fine," he finally argued, "do not do it for them. I ask you to go and talk with Miyer. Convince him not to attack just yet. Allow me time to figure out a way to prevent any more graves."

"Miyer," she scoffed, "does not let anyone rule his actions. My word holds no power and neither does his. Each decision made about these outsiders do not come from the council but from our leaders."

"Then," Lincoln insisted, "do not rule his actions, rule his mind. Miyer is enthralled by the body you posses, not the words that come from it. He will do what you say and it will give me time."

"Lincoln, I ca..."

"Please!"

He had been her friend even before she was saved by him. He was the lover to her now married sister. There weren't many times Lincoln asked for things. Or, at least, asked her to help him in times of need. Lincoln was a warrior. Strong, hardworking and ready to fight. Except, he was also a pacifist. Always looking to defend, help and see the good in people.

This one request, however, was too hard to give him. Could she allow him to gamble for her? To turn her back on a shady dealing with the hope all would end well? She had lost so much but even so, this did not mean she could allow for senseless deaths, right?

"Let me see what I can do," she proposed, "Let me see how much time I can buy you. It won't be much but hopefully it will be enough."

With a small pat on his muscled shoulder and a last glance at the slumbering girl, she made her way out.

"You'll be a traitor, unwelcome on the lands we grew up on. Unable to see the ones you love," Aryah confessed to the shadows.

"Remove the veil and observe them," came their deep, windy response.