The Elfsong of Mausa

Epilogue

In the land of Zair, where the countryside hills are draped with springtime flowers, there is a girl who sat watching the sunset. She looked over at the city, and the city trees are rich with color. The two castles on either end are as different as night and day. She sat pondering where her friends Mirah and Shay were up to. It had been a long time since she had seen them. Also if Gene and Shay had finally hooked up together; they had been so flirty when she had last seen them.

Chapter 1

On that same day that is sweet with springtime scents, a girl is walking through the Western forest exploring. She wiped her brow from hiking in the woods all day; her black hair flew back as a gust of wind hit her face. Her skin is tan from being outside working in the fields of Karine. She wears a forest tunic and a traveling cloak with soft leather boots. As she tucked a lock of her hair behind her pointed ears she cupped her hand around her ear. She had heard something, she stood there, prepared to attack anything that came out, waiting for another noise to identify that she just wasn't hearing things. When it didn't come, she shrugged and kept on walking. Her mum is a Ranjer, but her father is an Elf. Her dad and mum met in a great battle years ago. Her mum was a warrior...well she had snuck in to cover for her grandpa. But that is another story for another time.

As she was walking she stopped at a stream, there was the sound again but this time it was more distinct and closer. Then she heard it once more, it was very quiet, but she could hear it with her sharp Elven ears. It was the sound of a twig cracking underneath a person's leather boots. She knelt down to take a drink and acted as if she hadn't heard anything.

Then out of no where a man dashed out from behind a bush. He has Dusty brown wavy hair, tan skin exactly like her, he looked vaguely familiar, and with a forest green tunic and leggings on. But what she noticed the most was that he isn't just a man he is half-elven as well. Then without being aware of what was happening, the man leapt at her and grabbed her arms before she realized what he had done.

"Who are you?!" she demanded briskly wanting an answer. "What do you want from me?"

"…Shay?" The stranger asked astonished.

"Why yes I am. But, what do you want from me?" She asked, while she kicked him and finally broke free. She stood up and began to rub her wrists to return the circulation. "And you still haven't answered my question."

"I am Gene Walker," He finally answered ironically.

"You mean Prince Gene of the city Heldona?" Shay stated as a matter of fact.

"Why yes, how do you know? I look more Elven then Heldona material," Gene replied irritated that she knew who he was.

"I would never forget a Prince no matter what he looks like," She stated. "My only question is…why did you attack me?"

Gene scratched his head as he thought and replied, "Well, I thought you were one of those hunters. Because you are dressed as a man, so I thought you were one." He paused then continued, "Although you look like an elf, well the features of one at least. But, your hair and skin is of a Ranjer."

"Well my mum is a Ranjer, and my father is an elf," She said explaining the matter better. "Well, I might as well start walking home it is a long way to get there."

"Do you live her in Karakhof?" he asked.

"Oh no, I live in the Southern part of Zair. You know that part, in Karine," She answered.

"Oh well would you mind if I travel back with you? I have something to deal with back at the Heldonian castle," he said.

"Oh no, I don't mind at all," she said back to him.

"Okay, well I will come for you in two days time. I have to gather up some traveling gear from the market in Caron," He said as he turned his back to her and began to head off. He thought that he needed to explain why he had to leave.

But, she knew why he had to go and scavenge for supplies. They hadn't had the best spring in the world, a lot of rainstorms lately.

IT HAD BEEN THREE DAYS and Gene was no where to be seen. Shay waited in the same spot he had attacked her, waiting patiently or not so patiently. On the fourth day he finally showed up with a long sword strapped across his back, and cooking gear, blankets, extra clothing, and a canvas to hang on the trees. So when they had another one of those horrible rainstorms they wouldn't get soaked through completely.

"What took you so long?!" Shay sneered. "You were supposed to be here two days ago!"

"Sorry, I got caught up in a conversation with the Prince of Caron; Prince Orion, he had some business he wanted me to do," Gene said calmly, as if he hadn't even heard her tone of voice. He was really starting to tick her off.

"Oh so while you chatted with the Elven Prince. I had to sit here for four days! I could've been home by now!" Shay said fuming, her hands clenched into fists so she could at least stay under control.

"Then why didn't you go?!" Gene asked getting just as angry.

"Well…Let's just go," Shay fumed.

So for the first day they didn't talk at all, they ate in silence and walked in silence. When they slept Shay would toss and turn because she felt guilty about their argument. When he had gone out of his way to go and buy supplies.

On the morning of the second day she couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"I'm sorry," Shay said breaking the infinite silence of the most beautiful, peaceful day they had had all spring. The birds were chirping in their individual songs and the butterflies were flying around the forest in strange patterns. The wind was blowing in her face, her hair billowing behind her in large locks. She looked absolutely exquisite, "I'm sorry I snapped at you like that. When you just went out of your way to buy supplies, and just happened to run into your friend Orion. I shouldn't have been so cross." She stared down at her feet and shuffled them with embarrassment. She was nervous and anxious to receive his answer.

"It's okay. I shouldn't have yelled back. Are we friends still?" Gene asked and extended his hand to fulfill the agreement with a hand shake.

"Yes, we will always be friends," Shay answered. She leaned forward ignoring his hand and kissed him on the cheek. Giving him the answer that they could possibly be more than just friends; but they would have to build the relationship.

"Thanks, I guess," He mumbled. "So what were you doing in Karakhof anyway?" His eyes were filled to the brim with curiosity, she had do just tell him and bring him out of his strange trance.

"Um…well I-I was researching the plants. Ya that was what I was doing, so that I would recognize the land better," She was ringing her hands nervously, she didn't know if she was supposed to tell him. She looked very uncomfortable; she looked almost out of place. Then she took in a deep breath and continued, "Well, I also was looking for a man who lives around here. I found him on my way home, about before I ran into you." She finished and looked away from his gaze, her eyes darting around the forest looking for a way out of this conversation.

Gene saw her nervous glances, but he pushed her further interested for more information, "Who were you looking for?" He asked to clarify his thoughts.

"Um…His name is Alexander…Smith. Ya that's right," Shay replied trying really hard not to do anything rational.

"Why were you looking for him?" Gene gasped in total shock." Why were you looking for him?"

"Because he asked me to," She snapped. Her voice was sharp, like an alligator snapping at his prey.

Gene hissed, "Why would he call for your presence? Do you know what he is; he is a man of ma…"

Shay interrupted him before he said anymore, and snapped, "Because, I possess magic too. Or have you already forgotten in your clouded brain? He is a Druid, a protector of Zair he keeps everything in order. He can also help me with my quest, so he called me to tell me more about what I was supposed to do."

"What quest? Why didn't you tell me about it? We have known each other since we were children, Shay," Gene replied.

"Because, I thought you would sneer or laugh, also because I haven't seen you in the longest time. I just thought that you wouldn't believe me and think that I was some nut," Shay replied avoiding his eyes and looking out at the horizon.

"Shay, I will always believe you no matter how crazy it sounds. Because I care about you and if the road is treacherous I will be by your side to help you through it. So what is this quest you talk about?" He finished with an ironic smile on his face.

"Well with my so called 'gift', I technically have to save the world; from evil they call 'The Chosen'. Now what the 'Chosen' are trying to do is kidnap my friend Mirah and draw her blood for this experiment. They already have her and they will draw her blood on the night of the eclipse. But, Alexander, Lily and I won't let it happen. They need her blood to use it in a way with some sort of magic-like a poison or something-that will make other people come under their control. Last night they went and stole Lily from her bedchamber in the Star Castle of Western Zair. You know the rumors that have been going around that people have just suddenly begun disappearing? They are true, it proves it. I mean the Darkness Castle in Eastern Zair, that the King is up to something over there," Shay tried to explain with a sign of confusion. "But, Alexander said that he would come and get me when the time was right to begin the journey, and to rescue Lily on the way. But, as you know she was kidnapped before we have started and she is being held prison in Eastern Zair. But we are stopping over there anyway to go look for John Boe."

"So…what you're trying to say is that you are practically Zair's last chance? Also that you're friend Lily and Mirah have been kidnapped by some power hungry scientist to have experiments done on them." Gene said trying to make it clear to himself as well.

"Ya, pretty much," Shay exchanged a strange glance with him.

The next day they arrived in Karine.