Author's Notes: Wee! I'm back from my vacation! It was very fun! I had a blast ^^ Oh, and I saw some people voted on the Arelle poll! I'm so happy ^.^ So far, the votes say 2 for Moren, 1 for Akinen. Hmm. None for Drahkin? He feels so unloved! Poor Drahkin... ^^ So, if you want to vote on the polls, just click on my user name Amai no Tenshi above the fanfic, and in the bottom of my Bio should be a link to it. Go! Vote! More votes make Amai happy ^^

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With the Cutthroat's leader, Respitas, killed, the Cutthroats began to scatter, escaping the underground mine. Respitas had promised them all great treasure, but now that he was killed, was there any reason to stay and fight these warriors, who, though so greatly outnumbered, were still holding through, if not winning against them? Horrathe, Respitas's assistant and a Barbarian, tried to keep the Cutthroats in order, claiming command, but he was not a leader, and the Cutthroats slowly dispersed from the mine, leaving Arelle and her companions. Last to leave was Horrathe and a troop of ten—once they saw how few left there were, they quickly fled.

When the Cutthroats had completely dispersed from the mine, Drahkin fell to his knees, sweat pouring from his brow as he panted deeply, blood staining his clothes. Lilliah let herself fall to the ground, sitting in Indian style, her eyes fluttering shut, exhausted both from fighting and casting—her mana was completely out. They looked at each other and smiled—they had made it. It had been a long, hard battle, but they had come out victorious. They turned to see Arelle, Akinen, and Moren walking towards them.

"Lilliah! Drahkin! You're ok!" Arelle said, running to them, despite her weariness.

Lilliah got up smiling and grabbed her in a hug. "Arelle! I'm so glad you're alright!" she said, hugging Arelle tightly. She pulled out of the hug and brushed some of Arelle's now muddy hair back from her mud-stained, sweating face. "You look like you've had it pretty tough!"

Arelle smiled. "You don't look like you've had it too easy in this battle, either!" Arelle said, smiling at Lilliah's disheveled hair and dirty clothes. "Thank you, Lilliah. Thank you for coming to save me."

Lilliah smiled at her. "What are friends for?" she asked cheerfully.

Arelle turned to Drahkin. "Well, I didn't expect to see you here, of all places…Drahkin, was it? Yes, of course. Drahkin Mah'Cahlk. I'm very thankful to you for helping rescue me, though I do not know your reasons for doing so…" Arelle said, extending her hand to him to shake it, smiling.

Drahkin paused, staring at her, and then shook his head. This was not his sister Linnira standing before him—this was Arelle. He took Arelle's hand, smiling at her. "My reasons are complicated, but for now, let's just say it was for Respitas. He was my bounty. I met with the others outside, and was surprised to see our goals were similar. We joined forces to defeat Respitas and rescue you, maiden. I'm glad I was of help in your rescue. I'm glad you're now safe, Arelle Mah'Alimah," Drahkin said, taking her hand and shaking it.

Arelle smiled at him. "I see. Thank you for helping rescue me, Drahkin. I am very grateful to you." Arelle turned to Moren.

"Moren, thank you so much for helping me control my magic—I've never been so thankful that I have magic. Thank you for training me in magic, even though I know I'm not the perfect student, and I'm not even giving you anything in return for all your lessons. I'm so glad you've taught me what you have—I don't know what I would have done without it all. Thank you. And not only that, but I still have to thank you for rescuing me! Risking your own life to help me—I know you're a good friend. Of course, I knew that before," she said, smiling. "Thank you, Moren," she said. She paused, unsure whether to hug him like Lilliah or shake his hand. Arelle hugged him, pulling away quickly and smiling. "Thank you."

Moren smiled at her. "I'm glad you were able to use your magic so much in this adventure! I can't believe all the things you've done—you've excelled beyond my expectations. I guess all you needed was motivation to cast your spells, now that you know the basics. I'm glad I could help you with those. But most of all—I'm just glad you're safe, Arelle. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you better…it was my fault. I was careless. I'm so glad you're safe again!" Moren said, sighing.

Arelle faked an annoyed face. "Moren, you're beginning to sound like a pregnant woman! Don't get so emotional!" she teased him, laughing as he stuck his tongue out at her. She shook her head, laughing, but then looked up at him, her smile sincere. "Thank you for worrying about me, Moren," she said.

Arelle turned to Akinen. "Akinen…thank you. Thank you for rescuing me, putting your own life at stake by coming here. And then again, saving me from Respitas. To tell you the truth, when I was locked up in that cold, dark room, I began to doubt things. I lost my faith in my friends, and wondered if you all really cared enough about me to save me. I know it was just because I was depressed and frantic, but I really worried whether I really had such friends that would stay by my side always, or if somehow I had been deceiving myself, everything just in my mind. Especially you, Akinen. After the way I had treated you, why would you choose to rescue me? After all I had done to you?

"But now, now I understand. I'm no longer clouded with these thoughts—I know who my friends are, and I won't doubt them again. You're true to the end. I know it. So, because I know you're there for me, Akinen, I want to be there for you, too. I'm sorry for what I've said to you in the past. About being a Cutthroat, about disgracing our family—none of it means you're a bad person inside. I believe you are a very good person, deep inside. I'm proud—proud to be your niece," Arelle said, suddenly hugging him. She smiled. It felt like the weights on her shoulders had been lifted. She had finally said it—she had fully apologized for the things she had said, and told him she was proud to be his niece—and it was all true.

Akinen just stood in silence, not knowing what to say. She really forgave him? She really forgave him, even after how he had disgraced their family? After all he had done, all the wrongs, she was so willing to forgive him? 'I'm proud—proud to be your niece'…those words were so encouraging. They filled him with warmth. He was proud to have her as a niece, too, but he couldn't tell her that because the words seemed to stick in his throat. But it didn't really matter. He didn't need words. He pulled out of her hug and looked at her, his eyes full of gratitude. "I…I'm glad you're safe…lass..." he said.

Arelle smiled.

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Arelle sighed, closing her eyes as she lay on the side of the grassy hill. It was so good to be back. She had only been gone for a little while, but just in those few days, so much had happened. It felt good to be back with her companions. Those days locked up in that dark, damp room…she had felt so alone. But now she was back. She remembered at supper earlier today, she had been so hungry for Lilliah's cooking. Even though Lilliah was still exhausted from the battle earlier in the day, she still made a tasty supper for them all. Drahkin was, of course, invited to eat and stay the night, at which he accepted.

Arelle wondered about Drahkin. Just who was he, exactly? They all knew so little of his past. A Warrior High-Elf bounty hunter? How unusual. And what was it he kept calling Arelle? Linnira, his supposedly dead sister. Arelle must have really reminded Drahkin of Linnira. It made Arelle uncomfortable how Drahkin would stare at her, looking at her as if he was staring into her, trying to find his dead sister in her eyes. But it never worked, because, of course, she was Arelle. And not only that, but Drahkin treated Arelle special. Arelle could tell just in the little things he did. That must have been because she reminded him of his sister, too!

But really, Arelle felt sorry for him. His sister was probably very young when she died, and it was obviously very traumatic for him. Well, that was understandable. Just the thought of her twin sister Arelliah dying made Arelle feel ill. She wondered why he decided to become a bounty hunter. It wasn't an honored profession to the High-Elfs…Arelle wondered what his parents thought of it. Most High-Elf parents wouldn't let their son be a bounty hunter…

But that was enough of that. Even if Drahkin's past was still a mystery, he had proven himself as more than just a bounty hunter. He was a friend. He had stayed till the end, helping Lilliah fend off the Cutthroats. According to what Lilliah had told her, Drahkin was a mighty warrior, and he had helped incredibly. She had said she didn't think she could have stood up against all those Cutthroats alone. He had been a great help. And Arelle didn't think it had been just for the bounty. If it had been for the bounty, he would have escaped through the Cutthroats alone, leaving Lilliah, and gone after Respitas first.

Arelle remembered when they were leaving the cave. Akinen asked Drahkin if he was going to bring Respitas's body so he could turn it in for the bounty, and Drahkin paused. "You don't mind?" he had asked carefully. Akinen had shook his head, "No, I don't, lad. He wasn't a friend…even if part of me regrets having to kill him, it would be a waste for ye not to get the bounty for him. That was the reason ye came here in the first place!" Akinen had said. Drahkin had looked at him and slowly nodded, picking up Respitas's body.

Arelle wondered what Akinen thought of all of this—Cutthroats from his past coming, them stealing Arelle, the so-called 'Commander's treasure'… This was the first time Arelle had met people from Akinen's Cutthroat past. Were all the Cutthroats like Respitas and Horrathe—so cruel and evil? If so, Akinen must have really had it hard. She was surprised he was a Cutthroat for so long. How could he bear it? But now that she thought about it, he didn't really have anywhere else to go. He couldn't live normally in a High-Elf city because of his scar, and he would never be accepted into any other race's town, either. The Cutthroats were one of the few clans who really didn't really care at all what your race was, what you looked like, or where you came from. They were completely accepting, as long as you were a good fighter. The problem was…nearly all of them were evil.

So, Akinen was forced to be with a clan of evil Cutthroats just because he had a scarred face. It seemed cruel, really. He had to join the Cutthroats when he was so young. But, it was all ok now. He wasn't in the Cutthroats anymore. He was here—he was with Arelle, Moren, and Lilliah. None of them cared about his scarred face, or about his past. He fit in here. Arelle hoped he was happy here…He didn't open up to them too much, but maybe that was just him. Arelle assumed he probably didn't talk about his problems to the other Cutthroats much. Knowing the Cutthroats, they'd probably learn his secrets and then use them against him later.

It was sad, really. Akinen had to hide his feelings away so that the other Cutthroats couldn't use them against him. No wonder Akinen was always shy about telling people how he felt. Arelle's mind drifted back to Lilliah—Lilliah loved Akinen. She had told Arelle so long ago. But how did Akinen feel back? Had she ever told him? Had he ever responded? It was pretty obvious Lilliah loved him. Surely he picked it up by now. Was he not telling her how he felt back because he had trouble with such things? Just how did he feel back? They seemed like a perfect couple, but Arelle had never seen Akinen give any clear signs he loved Lilliah back.

Well, perhaps Arelle shouldn't try to meddle with it. No matter what her thoughts were, it really wasn't her business. She wondered, though…she wondered if Akinen would be happier if he and Lilliah were in love. Maybe that's what he needed. Arelle wanted the best for both of them, but she couldn't make the decisions for them. She would wait and see how it played out—and maybe encourage Lilliah to hurry up and confess her feelings to him, if she hadn't already.

Speaking of Lilliah…Arelle still really didn't know much about her past. They had known each other so long, and Arelle considered her a close friend, yet Arelle still didn't know much about her past at all. She was a Barbarian from Hallas, who, for some reason, ended up in Greater Faydark, where she was captured by Cutthroats, was rescued by Akinen, fell in love with him, and then, by Akinen's advice, fled back to Hallas. So she trained hard and became a Shaman, but she still loved Akinen, and couldn't forget him, even five years later. She returned to Greater Faydark in hopes to find him, searching for nearly another year, and finally found him.

Arelle knew some about her, but there were so many empty spaces. Why had she left Hallas in the first place? Hadn't she said when she was captured by the Cutthroats she was an outcast? But surely she wasn't an outcast of the Barbarians, for she returned there again later. But if not an outcast of the Barbarians, what could she be an outcast of?

There were so many things Arelle was curious about, but Lilliah seemed to avoid things about her past. All she really seemed to care about was the present—was Akinen. Arelle wished she could forget about her own past so quickly. So much pain. Her people fearing her because of her magic. It hurt her deep inside. But maybe…maybe she wouldn't like to forget all of her past. After all…she loved her sister, and her father and grandmother. She had fond memories with them. So, even if she was given the chance, she wouldn't forget her memories. She would take the good with the bad. It was all part of who she was, and how she became so.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her and her eyes shot open, looking towards them. Moren stood there, smiling widely as usual.

"Hey, Arelle!" he said, sitting beside her.

Arelle smiled at him. "Hello, Moren," she said.

He looked at her. "So…what're you doing?"

Arelle paused. "Just…thinking."

"I see…about anything in particular?" Moren asked.

"Hmm…just…us. Just thinking of how all of us have such different pasts, yet we're all such good friends. Even though I don't know much about Lilliah, and Akinen, and Drahkin, and you…I still feel really comfortable around all of you. It's really…nice," Arelle said, smiling, looking to the night sky.

Moren looked at the sky, too. "I see what you mean. We're all so different, but because of that, we all fit in together. It is nice. Especially compared to when I lived alone…" Moren said, his face suddenly becoming more serious as he stared into the night sky.

Arelle turned to him. She had forgotten. She had forgotten about Moren's past…he had been alone. Alone for so very long. His parents were killed when he was young, leaving him in the forest all alone. He had raised himself. Such a young boy—he had to fight to survive in the wild. He really didn't seem like a Cleric…more like a Ranger or something. Yet, a Cleric he was. And a good one, too, Arelle knew.

"You don't have to live alone anymore, Moren… We're all by your side," Arelle said, staring at him.

He turned to her suddenly, and smiled at her, his smile sincere. "Thank you, Arelle," he said, their eyes locking. He turned back to the sky suddenly, sighing. "Actually, I came here to tell you something, Arelle," he said.

Arelle paused. To tell her something? "Well then, what is it?" Arelle asked.

"Arelle…Let's see…how do I tell you…I really… I really think you can control your magic now. You still aren't perfect, but you've gotten to the point where I don't think you can learn anything more from me on just basic magic… I have nothing more to teach you on controlling your magic. Now that you understand your magic, and you've cast some spells, you have a feel for it and everything—there's nothing else I can do for you. You've finished, Arelle. You've graduated from my magic school. I have no more to teach you on basic magic. You… you have no more reason to stay here, anymore. You can…you can…finally… return to your……family…" he said, looking away, his face solemn and his expression serious.

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*gasp* Oh no! Will Arelle leave now that she can control her magic? But...what about Moren, Lilliah, and Akinen? Just when everything seemed 'right', suddenly this...Will Arelle return to her family now? And if so, what will I write for the next 22 chapters I plan to write before ending Arelle? Hmm...^^ Don't you just love cliffhangers?

Blue the Echidna: I was scared for a minute when I saw that title! But thank goodness Arelle is such a genious. :) Good thing they put Respitas out of his misery perhaps he'll be happy in the underworld..or something.
Amai's Reply: Poor Respitas! I mean, sure he was cruel, and evil, and demented, and...err...*ahem*....ok, I hope he's happy in the underworld, too...or something...^^ Thank you for the comment!