~Prologue~Part 3~Life in Northridge~
Alexian paced the small room in front of her cousin, the young girl watching the whole time. "Lexi," she began, "what are we going to do now?"
Alexian paused, "I don't know. Bea, we can't stay here much longer." The six-year-old sighed and ran her hand through her lengthening blonde hair.
"Why can't we stay?"
Alexian held back the tears that had been threatening the last few weeks again, barely believing that her cousin was no more than two years old. Two years of hiding in a demolished city, with no one and nothing. They had barely survived the two winters there. Alexian had nearly starved herself to death so that her baby cousin could eat. Summers were more manageable, but without being able to read she couldn't comprehend the books on native plants. Fear kept her from eating anything that she found in the wilderness, or in a house that looked forbidding, fear that something would be poisoned, or poisonous. Her cousin was far more intelligent that her age would show, but she still had much to learn, especially in the ways of the Blood. Actually, Alexian herself had a lot to learn, having only six years of life behind her.
Alexian touched the Sapphire Jewel that was set in a crescent moon on her necklace and fought back the emotion. "It's not safe here anymore, Bea." She turned her back on her cousin so that the younger girl could not see the tears that now ran freely down her cheeks. "I don't know what they want with us. I know you're gonna wear a dark Jewel when you get your Birthright, and even darker once you make your Offering. I'm never gonna wear anything darker than the Gray or Ebon-Gray if I'm lucky.
"I don't know why they killed your mom and dad. It was so peaceful that day before they came. We didn't expect a thing." she trailed off, but she was sure that even her cousin's half Elf ears had caught the words.
They were cousins because their mothers had been sisters, both purebred Elves. Beatrice had taken her mother's family name, Alexian didn't know Beatrice's father's name, and so she gave her cousin the family name they shared, StarDragon. Alexian's father had been Eyrien, but neither knew what race Beatrice's father was from. Elven children matured much faster than other long-lived races, and their life spans were just as or longer than the other races. It was that maturity had saved both Alexian and Beatrice, but Alexian was sure that their luck wasn't going to last much longer.
"I know that we won't be safe here much longer," Alexian murmured. "We need to leave while we can, Bea. I know you don't want to, but." she paused, cocking her head to the right. The six-year-old spread her small dark wings and whistled sharply. "Bea, common!" she yelled as a bay mare came galloping up next to the girls. Alexian grabbed her cousin harshly by the waist as she jumped onto the back of the mare.
*We must hurry, Foal,* the Kindred mare warned.
"I know, Forever," she replied, holding her cousin in front of her as the mare took off into a slow canter, allowing the girls time to adjust before she changed to her ground eating gallop. "Hold on, Bea," Alexian whispered to the frightened two-year-old.
"Are they behind us?" Beatrice asked timidly.
"Yes."
"And now we really have ta leave?"
*Hold on tight, foals,* Forever warned as she picked up her gait.
"We can't come back," Alexian said. "We've got to get out of here while we can. They're after us, and I'm not gonna let anything else happen to you, Bea."
Beatrice hunched over the mares withers farther, wanting to become so small she disappeared. Alexian placed a reassuring hand on her cousin's shoulder. The girl was like a sister to her. just like she had been to a very special eight-year-old back in Kaeleer. Alexian paused as she rested her hand on Beatrice's shoulder, remembering all to well what had happened to her the last time someone had done that to her. Her 'brother' had tried to reassure her that everything would be all right when her father had died three years ago, but the reassurance didn't last long. Alexian had been taken from her home that night, and she had never seen her 'family' again.
Alexian paced the small room in front of her cousin, the young girl watching the whole time. "Lexi," she began, "what are we going to do now?"
Alexian paused, "I don't know. Bea, we can't stay here much longer." The six-year-old sighed and ran her hand through her lengthening blonde hair.
"Why can't we stay?"
Alexian held back the tears that had been threatening the last few weeks again, barely believing that her cousin was no more than two years old. Two years of hiding in a demolished city, with no one and nothing. They had barely survived the two winters there. Alexian had nearly starved herself to death so that her baby cousin could eat. Summers were more manageable, but without being able to read she couldn't comprehend the books on native plants. Fear kept her from eating anything that she found in the wilderness, or in a house that looked forbidding, fear that something would be poisoned, or poisonous. Her cousin was far more intelligent that her age would show, but she still had much to learn, especially in the ways of the Blood. Actually, Alexian herself had a lot to learn, having only six years of life behind her.
Alexian touched the Sapphire Jewel that was set in a crescent moon on her necklace and fought back the emotion. "It's not safe here anymore, Bea." She turned her back on her cousin so that the younger girl could not see the tears that now ran freely down her cheeks. "I don't know what they want with us. I know you're gonna wear a dark Jewel when you get your Birthright, and even darker once you make your Offering. I'm never gonna wear anything darker than the Gray or Ebon-Gray if I'm lucky.
"I don't know why they killed your mom and dad. It was so peaceful that day before they came. We didn't expect a thing." she trailed off, but she was sure that even her cousin's half Elf ears had caught the words.
They were cousins because their mothers had been sisters, both purebred Elves. Beatrice had taken her mother's family name, Alexian didn't know Beatrice's father's name, and so she gave her cousin the family name they shared, StarDragon. Alexian's father had been Eyrien, but neither knew what race Beatrice's father was from. Elven children matured much faster than other long-lived races, and their life spans were just as or longer than the other races. It was that maturity had saved both Alexian and Beatrice, but Alexian was sure that their luck wasn't going to last much longer.
"I know that we won't be safe here much longer," Alexian murmured. "We need to leave while we can, Bea. I know you don't want to, but." she paused, cocking her head to the right. The six-year-old spread her small dark wings and whistled sharply. "Bea, common!" she yelled as a bay mare came galloping up next to the girls. Alexian grabbed her cousin harshly by the waist as she jumped onto the back of the mare.
*We must hurry, Foal,* the Kindred mare warned.
"I know, Forever," she replied, holding her cousin in front of her as the mare took off into a slow canter, allowing the girls time to adjust before she changed to her ground eating gallop. "Hold on, Bea," Alexian whispered to the frightened two-year-old.
"Are they behind us?" Beatrice asked timidly.
"Yes."
"And now we really have ta leave?"
*Hold on tight, foals,* Forever warned as she picked up her gait.
"We can't come back," Alexian said. "We've got to get out of here while we can. They're after us, and I'm not gonna let anything else happen to you, Bea."
Beatrice hunched over the mares withers farther, wanting to become so small she disappeared. Alexian placed a reassuring hand on her cousin's shoulder. The girl was like a sister to her. just like she had been to a very special eight-year-old back in Kaeleer. Alexian paused as she rested her hand on Beatrice's shoulder, remembering all to well what had happened to her the last time someone had done that to her. Her 'brother' had tried to reassure her that everything would be all right when her father had died three years ago, but the reassurance didn't last long. Alexian had been taken from her home that night, and she had never seen her 'family' again.