"Don't you?" Mirk turned his back to him.

"You're trying to steal her from me!" Albain jumped up.

"Well, at leassst I'll be faithful to her! I wont go off and sleep with sssomeone I don't know!"

"What chance do you think you have with her? You're an iksar! You're not even of the same race!" Albain stuck out his chest.

"A better one then you will ever have!" Mirk switched his tail around violently.

"I've never liked you and now I know why." Albain said coldly.

"I never trusssted you from the ssstart. I'm going to sssave Lielay myssself and tell her about you and the barmaid!"

"I'll deny it. Who do you think she'll believe? Me or you?"

"I'm not wasssting my time on you! I've got to sssave Lielay." Mirk started running towards Kelethin leaving Albain in the dust.

"Curse all iksars!" Albain yelled and ran towards Kelethin also.

*****

Oc had Lielay thrown over his shoulder as he lumbered after Glynn. Lielay yelled and screamed until Glynn got sick in tired of her and ordered Papsworth to shut her up. He gagged, tied her up, and kissed her on the cheek. Lielay went berserk; she flung herself around trying to reach Papsworth to do some serious damage. They all laughed at Lielay and continued on their way.

*****

Mirk kicked opened the door in fury and went into the room he was staying in. He opened his pack and started throwing all his belongings into it. Looking around the room, he spotted a picture of Lielay and he put it into his pack with the other things he owned. He tucked his horn under his robes and headed for the door. Blocking his way was Albain; Mirk pushed the wood elf aside and ran out of the house.

Albain glared after him for some time before he went to change and gather his things. After changing he grabbed his bag filled with money and again picked up his sword and rushed out of the house. He jumped onto the lift and waited very impatiently. Off into the woods, he ran with the spirit of the wolf inside him. He desperately wanted to pass Mirk and save Lielay first.

*****

Under the docks at Butcher Block, Glynn set up camp and waited for Albain or the iksar. Addison stirred a stew over a fire with Oc leaning over him staring intensely at the food. Papsworth sat next to Lielay as he peered at her up and down. She glared at him and tried to move away. He grabbed her leg and pulled her back. He caressed her face with his finger and smiled. Lielay's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She thrusted her shoulder around and hit him in the jaw.

"Quit messing around Papsworth!" Addison yelled from the fire.

Papsworth got up and grinned at Lielay, she looked away. He stroked her hair before walking over to Glynn. There they sat eating ignoring Lielay. She scooted away from them and began to cry. The sun hung low in the sky when Lielay was noticed again. Addison walked over to her and sat. She gave him the cold eye.

"I'm really sorry about this Lielay," she stared, "we wouldn't have to do this if you would cooperate. See, if we found Aubrey, we would never have came here."

Lielay turned away from him. Addison sighed and left her alone again. A few minutes later Papsworth cam strolling back and lay next to Lielay leaning on his elbow to prop his head up. Lielay could smell the heavy wine on his breath as he breathed in her face. He murmured nonsense into her ear as his hands started to move freely along her body. Lielay tried to move, but she was pinned down, she hit her head against his and he slapped her in the face in return, leaving a big bruise. Lielay concentrated on the waves as they rolled onto the beach as Papsworth began to take advantage of her. She began to cry again only this time someone heard her.

*****

Mirk peered carefully under the docks at the small fire that Glynn, Addison, and Oc were sitting around. He jumped down silently searching for Lielay. A good way off from the fire he saw Papsworth touching and lying next to her. Mirk's blood boiled and he tightened his grip on his staff. He moved slyly through the dark towards Lielay.

"Glynn, I'm here!" a familiar voice shouted.

"Ah, Albain is here. Oc go get him. Papsworth come over here." Glynn stood.

Papsworth walked over from Lielay and stood next to Addison. Oc came back and with him was Albain. Mirk glowered at him from the dark as he ran to where Lielay was. A heated conversation started between Albain and Glynn about the deal. Reaching Lielay, Mirk looked down on her and saw all the bruises and tears on her face. He untied her and helped her run above the dock and into the forest.

"No. I get to see Lielay first, and if she's unharmed I'll pay full price with extra, but if she's harmed you get less then what you want." Albain shook the bag in his hand.

"Go get her." Glynn growled at Papsworth.

Papsworth swayed into the darkness. A moment later he came back running, "She's gone! The ropes are there, but Lielay's gone!" the elf was paler.

"What! Where's your lizard friend?" Glynn turned to Albain.

"He's not my friend and he left some time ago."

"Give me my money or your not going anywhere!" Albain threw the bag to the dwarf, darted past Oc, and vanished before Papsworth could finish his spell. Glynn swore loudly then smiled as he opened the bag. His smile vanished like Albain as he dumped out a small pile of copper and scrap metal. "Find him and the girl now!" Glynn threw the metal pieces at the other three.

*****

Lielay leaned against a tree as Mirk opened his pack. He pulled out bandages and water to have Lielay clean her face. Lielay smile at him and started brushing off her tunic and pants. Mirk hugged her and gave her the cloth and water to clean herself. "Are you all right Lielay?" he was very concerned.

"Yes now I am. I thank you with my heart." She hugged him back.

"I have sssomething to tell you. It'sss going to hurt you much."

"What?"

"Albain ssslept with a barmaid in the Passssss." Mirk said it fast.

"He did what?!" she began to cry.

"I'm sssorry I had to tell you that. I jussst want you to be sssafe." He hated seeing Lielay cry.

Albain came crashing through the bushes as Lielay wiped her tears away. He stopped and stared at the two with his hands on his knees. Lielay glared at him and turned her back coldly on him. Mirk hissed and crouched by a tree watching Albain. Albain sighed and sat down with his head bowed. "You told her?" he whispered to Mirk.

"Yesss. Now you have to deal with it."

"Albain Tinderblade how could you do such a thing! First you kill my husband, then you kill my only child, and then you sleep with a complete stranger! I hate you!" Lielay crossed over to him and slapped him as hard as she could.

"Lielay I.." his eyes watered.

"Just leave me alone!" she interrupted. "Fine! I'll leave! I see you'd rather be with Mirk. I don't care," he lied, "Here I don't want to have this anymore!" he threw a small box at Lielay.

He ran into the trees and disappeared. Lielay picked up the box and opened it. Inside was a black pearl ring that matched her necklace. A tear rolled down her cheek as she darted into the woods after Albain. Mirk gathered all the things the two elves left behind and slowly followed them.

*****

Glynn was alone by his fire when Albain got back to the docks. Albain's eyes burned with hatred as he began to chant a hurtful spell. The mana grew and grew until he finally threw it at Glynn. The little dwarf was on the ground twitching painfully as lightning came down and stuck him continuously. He stopped moving and the lightning ceased.

Lielay snuck up behind Albain and tackled him to the ground, "What's this!" she shook the box in his face.

"It was supposed to be an engagement ring, but you showed me that you don't love me."

"That's because you don't love me. You sleep with people behind my back." Lielay shook.

"I was drunk!" he tried to pull her body closer to his.

"Oh and I'm supposed to deal with a drunken husband?" she pulled away.

"I stopped!" he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"How can I trust you?" she got off of him.

"Believe me Lielay Liltreehuggr. I can prove it to you just give me the chance." He stood up and took Lielay's hand in him.

"Do you really think he'll change Lielay?" a cold voice said. Papsworth strolled out of the trees with a sphere of glowing light in his hands. He looked at the two holding hands and snorted.

"Get away Papsworth." Lielay sneered.

"No I don't think I will. See, someone killed Glynn and it must have been one of you two because he's burned to a crisp. I've come to pay his debt. You remember our deal didn't you? No money no Lielay. So I've come to kill Lielay." Papsworth flung his hands forward towards Lielay. Albain threw Lielay to the ground just as the spell hit him. Albain jerked violently as Lielay stared in horror. Before Papsworth could run off, Lielay casted a spell of her own and he fell screaming to the forest floor. A blue mist surrounded Albain as Lielay healed him. Mirk emerged from the trees and attacked Papsworth with his staff. Lielay held Albain's head in her lap weeping for him. He stirred uneasily as he tried to stand up.

"We ssshould get him to Kelethin." Mirk helped Lielay get Albain up.

Three Days Later

"Here take thisss." Mirk lifted his horn over his head and placed it into Lielay's palm.

"Why are you leaving?" Lielay stared at him from the docks by the shuttles in Butcher Block.

"I'm going home to Cabilisss. I need to redissscover myssself. I left a big part of my life there jussst asss I'm about to do here." He kissed the top of her hand.

"But why?" a tear fell.

"You need to be with Albain. You were always meant to be with him." He wiped away her tears.

"I thought you didn't trust him."

"I don't, but I know you love him and I know he loves you in his own way." He smiled.

Lielay touched the ring on her finger, "Do you have to go now?"

"Yesss."

"Have a safe journey. I love you my friend." She kissed him and watched him walk onto a shuttle.

The shuttles took off and slowly made their way out to sea. Mirk watched Lielay waving from the docks as he touched his cheek where she kissed him. Lielay's hair fluttered in the wind, as she grew smaller. She disappeared from view and Mirk sighed. He knew he would be back one day, but he had things to deal with in Cabilis.

Lielay took her time returning home to Kelethin. She let the scenery sink in as she passed by. A few hours later she entered her home and sat next to Albain on the bed. He lay there looking at the ceiling. He took Lielay's hands and kissed them; he continued to hold them afterwards.

"So did Mirk leave?" he asked.

"Yes. He's going back to Cabilis."

"That's good."

Albain got up out of bed and walked to the window. Lielay went to him and led him to the balcony to sit in the sun. The two stared into the sunset for a long time in silence. Lielay turned to Albain and smiled. She smiled about her first time she met him; how he followed her about in Firiona Vie with invisibility. Her life was starting anew. She cherished her memories of the past; Danny when they were young, holding Caleb for the first time, her fond times with her parents, and her special bonds with family and friends.

"Do you think you'll like being a Tinderblade?" he smiled to her.

"I don't know. Maybe." She laughed.

"Of course you will." He leaned over and kissed her passionately.

"Now about our future.."