Brendon sat on the ground, his back against an old tree. He was gazing into the flames of the campfire thinking quietly to himself. His dreams had been a nuisance to him as of late, so once again sleep was eluding him. Even with the quiet serene of the forest, he found no peace. His sigh being the only sound heard, he rolled onto his back and gazed at the slowly appearing stars in the early dusk. Unconsciously he ran his fingers along his left forearm. Underneath the layers of clothing the mark there burned. With another sigh he closed his eyes. His life at the moment didn't make much sense to him. Lately, he had begun to yearn for something he had given up a long time ago. Something he had to right to want. He continued to tell himself that things were better this way. But it was getting harder to fool himself. His friends were still supportive but he knew that he had made the wrong decision. He saw the proof of it every time he looked around. Could anyone really blame him though? There had been too much responsibility placed on him to fast and at too young an age. It had seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

"You keep thinking about the past and you'll go mad."

Brendon sat up and once more gazed into the flames. "Aren't we supposed to learn form the past?"

Raine sat down beside him and leant her head on his shoulder. "Yes, but we're not supposed to torture ourselves with it."

Scoffing, he turned to his friend. "You're one to talk. You torment both yourself and Azrael with something that happened in the past."

"That is different…"

"How so?" Raine sighed, "See! You do not have a valid reason. We do things to ourselves and others, whether they are right or no."

"I know that, but my situation is still different."

"Ah yes. Your decision only affected yourself and Az. Whereas mine affected a nation." Brendon's face darkened.

"You did what you had to do. You we all know that."

"I didn't have to do it. I chose to." Feeling the sorrow emanating from her friend, Raine hugged him to her. Gladly, Brendon closed his eyes and tried to draw comfort from her embrace.

"Am I interrupting something?" Both Brendon and Raine looked up into the face of a scowling Azrael.

"Yes actually. It's called an intelligent conversation. Something you'd know nothing about." Raine playfully stuck her tongue out.

With a mock look of pain, Azrael clutched at his chest. "Raine. Why do you hurt me so?"

Chuckling softly, Brendon got up and dusted himself off. "Because you deserve it! I'll be right back. We need more wood for the fire." Just before he disappeared into the denser woods, Brendon turned back to the two elves. "And NO killing each other while I'm gone!"

"I'm not promising a thing!" Raine tossed a small twig into the fire.

"Why were you hanging off of Brendon?" Azrael asked, once he could no longer see Brendon.

"What?" Raine looked at Azrael to see if he was serious. He was. "I wasn't hanging off of him. I was trying to comfort him."

"That's not what it looked like to me. It looked as if you were all over him!"

"You're just jealous because I wasn't hugging you!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am…" Azrael tilted his head to the side, as if listening to something.

"What is it Az?"

"Shh…"

Both elves moved up into a crouching position, backs to each other. Each was listening for sounds of danger.

* * *

Lee gazed out of her window, a dreamy expression on her moonlit face. It was quiet in the village at this time of time. Most of the people were asleep and she could barely make out a few still lit windows. She sighed contently as she stared over the moon-bleached land. It was so peaceful here.

"Shouldn't you be asleep lass?"

Startled, Lee turned to face Jamieson. " I'm sorry did I wake you?" Jamieson hobbled up to stand beside her and gazed out the window.

"No lass, ya didn't wake me up. I couldn't sleep."

"Neither could I." Lee agreed with a tired yawn. " I haven't been able to sleep much over these last few days."

"How come?" Lee could hear Jamieson groan as he eased himself down into a chair.

"These dreams I've been having lately. Some are good, and others are…well, not so bright."

"Want to tell me about them?" Jamieson's voice had taken on a note of seriousness. Something quite unusual for him, but Lee took no note of it.

"There's no need." She smiled with a shake of her head. " They're only silly dreams."

"In the old days. Dreams used to tell a person the future. All dreams were important, they all had a meaning to them."

Lee turned form the window, her smile still in place. "Yes but these aren't the old days. There are no dream tellers anymore, and now they're just silly dreams." She yawned again. " I'll think I'm going to try to get some sleep again. G'night Jamieson." She leaned down and kissed the old man on the forehead. Then retreated to her room. Leaving Jamieson staring out the window.

"But Lee, they aren't just silly dreams…they're trying ta give ya a message. A message ya shoulda known a long while ago. If only I had had the guts to tell you." Jamiesons' face seemed to grow older as he sat there. Years of strain and worry lines made themselves more noticeable, as they overtook the long earned laughter lines. With a sigh Jamieson brought himself up out of the chair. He needed to lean more on his cane then usual that night as he made his way down the stairs to his room.

* * *

"It's too quiet. I don't even hear any animals. Do you?" Raine's voice was just above a whisper.

"No. It's as if they're afraid to make noise."

Abruptly the silence was broken by the sound of someone crashing through the trees. Snapping their gazes in the direction of the noise, both elves watched in confusion, as they saw Brendon come tearing through the trees.

"Grab your weapons and run!" Brendon barely stopped to bend down and retrieve his sword. "Leave your things! We'll come back for them if we can, just run!"

"What? Why?" Raine stood up, hands on hips. If she was going to have to leave her stuff, she wanted a good reason.

"The stuff will slow us down! Just grab your weapons!"

"Brendon calm down. Explain what's going on to us."

"There's no time to explain…" he looked as if he was going to say more but was cut off when all three heard an demonic howl erupt from between the trees. "RUN!" Without a second thought, the three were running.

The creature was closing the distance between them with each stride it took. Raine, who was bringing up the rear, darted a glance behind them. " Pick up the pace boys! It's gaining on us!"

"What the hell is that? Azrael nimbly leapt over a fallen tree.

"I don't know, but I'm assuming it's one of Cerberus' new creatures.

Once more Raine looked back and pushed her straining muscles into overdrive. " Did I mention how much I hate him?"

Azrael laughed. "Multiple times my dear, multiple."

"Good. Just as long as everyone knows."