Disclaimer: None of the terms, places or anything else Tayledras belongs to me; they belong to Mercedes Lackey (who just so happens to be one of my Goddesses, including Maki Murakami). Only Windstar and other characters belong to me, but the concepts belong to Miss Lackey.

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Chapter one

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Silver strands glistened in the moonlight, the wind gently stirring it across a pale, delicate face, as the sound of cruel laughter ran through his ears, haunting in its reverbrations.

Knees drawn to his chest, staring unseeingly ahead, Windstar K'Treva shivered as memories rushed through him, chilling him to the core, bringing along with them a remembered pain that made his body shake as if it were but a leaf on the currents of the wind.

The still pool beside him echoed softly with the gentle patter of the water trickling into it from the miniature waterfall streaming from up the side of the rock formation, its resonance stirring something deep inside him he could not name, yet knew he could not dismiss; a constant, subtle reminder that there was a gaping hole deep inside him- one he knew he could never again fill.

Rustling in the bushes behind him broke his reverie, and he turned to see Nightfrost stepping through the foliage, his magerobes flowing gently around him. Quietly extravagant, Nightfrost was one of the lesser mages of the Vale; that was not to say, however, that he was any less excessive when it came to attire.

Tonight, he had chosen a flowing burgundy silk halfrobe with flowing pants to highlight his tanned skin, his silver hair falling to his waist, shimmering in the soft moonlight. Braided into his hair were red and gold beads, feathers and bells.

No, Nightfrost was by no means one of the least extravagant in K'Treva Vale- and he was in every way (apart from beauty) Windstar's opposite, for all that they were cousins.

"This is where you've been hiding, Windstar." Nightfrost walked over to stand infront of him, robes settling around him like he had just come to land, "I've been looking for you."

"Hmm." Windstar looked away; looking at his cousin reminded him of the old days.

"Windstar." Nightfrost sat beside him, and continued in a sympathetic tone, "I know you don't want to, but you have to come and help. We need you. The Goddess knows I am not strong enough; you are the strongest mage in K'Treva. I don't now why you forsook your magic, Windstar; I certainly wouldn't have."

"You know perfectly well why!" Windstar yelled back, angered, "Don't you dare pretend you don't know what happened like everyone else does! I need you, Nightfrost! Don't abandon me!"

Nightfrost stood and walked over, placing a hand on his cousins shoulder, his thumb rubbing gentle circles that soothed and calmed Windstar, just as he had when they were children in magic lessons.

"I'm sorry." Windstar mumbled, leaning into his cousin and burying his head in Nightfrost's shoulder.

"I know." Nightfrost soothed, "I'm sorry, too. Don't stress yourself, okay? After we raise the power of the Heartstone, I'll take you back to you ekele and give you a massage."

"N-no. I don't think a massage is going to do me any good, Nightfrost." Windstar tried to disguise the strain in his voice, but from the look on his cousin's face he had failed.

"If you're sure, then."

Nightfrost was perfectly aware of the real reason to his declining of a massage; Windstar was afraid of people touching him. He got exceedingly distressed and tended to pass out from panic.

"Thank you." The soft whisper spoke volumes of gratitude from Windstar, and Nightfrost gently steered him through the underbrush to the trail that lead to the centre of the Vale, where the Heartstone was stationed.

Windstar noticed with a pang that Nightfrost's bondbird, Jaunt, was nowhere near his bondmate; his cousin had sent him off, so as not to hurt Windstar. His absense hurt more that if the falcon had actually been present on Nightfrost's shoulder.

"So what exactly do you and the Elders want me to do?" he questioned, feeling less opposed to performing the magic; perhaps he could momentarily get lost in it, forget everything that had happened. Perhaps, for just a moment, that gaping hole inside of him would be filled.

"We need you to guide us. You have to cast a 'net' over one of the nodes; reel in the power and blanket it over the Heartstone, while at the same time drawing out the old, rogue power."

"So a Renewal?" Windstar asked, cocking his head to one side as they walked, "I've done that before, but I had- help." Wincing, he looked away, angry at himself for slipping.

Nightfrost, peering across at him while brushing a stray branch out of his path, saw the wince and said nothing. Instead, he continued the discussion, "Yes, a Renewal," he agreed, "It shouldn't be that hard- the nodes haven't been properly tapped into by an Adept in a while. You should have enough power, easily. It's not a difficult task."

"I know." Windstar took a breath and came to a stop, Nightfrost stopping a pace ahead and turning to see why his cousin was no longer by his side, "But what if I can't do it? What if I can't, because-"

"Don't!" Nightfrost walked foward and placed his hands on his cousin's shoulders, "Don't think like that. You can do this, understand? I believe in you; you just have to believe in yourself."

Windstar gulped, dark memories skittering across his mind, tormenting him.

"O-okay. I'll try."

Nightfrost smiled, "You'll not only try, Windstar, you will succeed. You'll be sleeping peacefully in your ekele in no time."

The mage circle glowed with an ethereal blue light, the Heartstone reverberating, it's vibrations a buzzing, hypnotic hum that echoed throughout the Vale.

Seven mages in all, they all, down to the last, glowed with the magelight. One of them, however, glowed the brightest, his hair fanning around him, formal mage robes wafting around him, eyes closed and hands raised to the sky.

Windstar looked nothing short of Godlike when in a full mage trance. Mouth slightly open and brow furrowed in concentration, he looked positively delectable to any lookers on.

His MageSight burning with the intensity of the magic he was calling up, Windstar 'blinked', bringing in the net he had formed from light, lacing it gently around the blazing monolith that was the Heartstone.

Immediately, a rush of power flooded through him, blinding his Sight and Senses, sending a rush of exuberance into him. Reaching into the Heartstone, he began dissolving the 'net', while reaching for the rogue power that pulsed a repungant, angry red as opposed to the Heartstone's green.

Closing a fist of power around the rogue power, Windstar momentarily turned his attention away from the Heartstone to the node he was grounded in, reaching out his other 'hand' to secure more power so he could handle the Heartstone.

But a moment was all it took.

In a rush of blinding light, a flood of power burst through the connection from the Heartstone, breaking his net and hand, tearing through all his defenses, sheilds and channels. The rogue power slammed into him full force, and with a cry of agony, Windstar threw his head back to the sky, and collapsed.

Nightfrost rushed to his cousin's side, too see that the Adept was unconcious. The other mages and Elders crowded around, each inquiring as to what had happened and if Windstar was alright.

"Call a hertasi! Send for a Healer! Quickly!" Nightfrost turned a panicked face back to Windstar, Sensing that all his channels were raw, but not destroyed; he would recover, with help from a Healer.

Nightfrost stood and turned his face to the darkness of the Vale surrounding him.

"We cannot do this alone."

TBC...

A/N: Weeellll, I hope you enjoyed chapter one! And I am fully aware that I haven't specified exactly why Windstar is so stuffed up; It was intentional, just to make you all squirm X3.

Nah, it's really for effect for when I reveal what it is that happened in one of the later chapters, when the 'love interest' (that sound so slutty XD) comes into the story.

AAAnnndd I know you all probably hate me for leaving you at a cliffie, but stay tuned! (even though this isn't a tv D)

Zhai'helleva!