Not a Tame Princess

by The Mysterious Traveller

Many centuries ago Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom hears rumours about a mysterious 'Princess'... (Silver Millennium&New Characters - well OBVIOUSLY!)

27. Dirk's Ruthlessness and a Seductive Offe...

Chapter Twenty-Six

Dirk's Ruthlessness and a Seductive Offer...

Charon, the outer moon – late afternoon…

The plains of Ayadi were filled with a deep feeling of unease that day - fear seemed to hang in the air and the usually idyllic peace would soon be shattered by the tidings brought to the Lyanore who lived on the plains.

Nord the most respected male of the Dance stood at the base of one of the Celestial Pillars that had been erected long ago during the time his people had flourished and watched as his fellow Lyanore gathered before him to hear the news that would surely chill their blood when they heard it.

As he waited for them all to arrive Nord made sure that his face remained calm - calmer in fact than he actually felt. The truth was that he felt deeply afraid because of the harsh glare of crimson light he had witnessed in the sky while he had roamed the outskirts of the plains that afternoon.

As the blood-red light had shone in his face Nord had known exactly what it had boded and his heart had filled with fear for his people - a fear that had not left him even now as he stood before his people and waited to tell them all about the danger that now threatened each and every one of their lives.

But it was not he who was to give that terrible knowledge to the rest of his people – Charrenity, his only daughter, and the current leader of the Dance stood before the rest of the Lyanore as she did what she had to, "All of you must be wondering why I called for every one of us to gather here. In light of the crisis that now threatens us all I'll speak quickly…" as she spoke her next words she looked at each of her people, making sure that she caught everybody's gaze – it was vitally important that they should all realise the importance of what she was now about to tell them…important to the very survival of the Lyanore in face. "…the Star Raiders have returned to Charon and our lives are in danger from them once more!"

Just as she had expected the others gasped in as they heard that the hunters whose very name had become a by-word for daily fear since their last visit one year ago had again come to invade their home. "We'll all be killed!" one of the females cried tearfully as panic began to infect the whole group. "They've come to kill us just like Vaura…"

"That won't happen." Charrenity broke in quickly before her words could spark disorder among the Dance. "Remember - the King and Queen of Charon placed us under the protection of their Kingdom. As soon as they learn that the Star Raiders are here they will help us…I know it. But until then we have to do what we can to protect ourselves from them."

"What will we do?" another male named Thack asked.

"We run." Charrenity said. "We will go to the hidden sanctuary that lies deep in the heart of the forest to the west. Our people discovered it during the time that we were still actively hunted for our skins." she paused for a moment so that the female Lyanore could shudder at the mention of the dark days before the Royal family had vowed to protect their species from harm. "It has been long since we have needed to go there but I have always made sure to remember the way - I always thought that maybe one day it would be necessary for us to hide somewhere."

Silently Nord waited for a moment or two as he gave them all time to think about what his daughter had just said and he felt relieved that the others seemed to feel reassured by her plan - it would make the long journey to the heart of the forest easier if their spirits were high.

"Then we're all agreed? We go to the sanctuary and wait until the Star Raiders are dealt with by the Charonian Guard?" he asked as he stepped forward…he was old enough to remember the location of the sanctuary and so it would be he who would lead the Dance there.

The others responded positively to the plan – Nord's decisive way of thinking had always made him trustworthy and dependable over the years and HIS approval of the plan encouraged them all to agree that it was, as Charrenity had said, their best chance of surviving.

"When shall we go?" Thack asked.

Nord reared up on his hind legs in an inspiring gesture. "At this very minute." He declared as his hooves returned to the ground and he turned to lead them all towards the forest that lay in the near horizon - wide, dark, uninviting and oppressive. "Come. I will lead you all…"

"No…wait!" cried the voice of one of the female Lyanore who sounded so upset and distressed that Nord felt his heart sink as he turned back to look at her – it was Noulo and he could tell that something was seriously wrong.

"My daughter!" she sobbed looking around with desperation plain on her face. "She isn't here! I can't leave her behind…she'll be killed!"

Nord looked around once and groaned…Ayadi, the youngest and smallest of the Lyanore was nowhere to be seen. "Does anyone have any idea where she might be?" he appealed to the whole Dance desperately - they didn't have time for this…

"I do." A clear voice declared - Nord turned to see his daughter walking to the front of the group.

Charrenity had grown up considerably since her mother had tragically died leaving it up to her to become the leader of her Dance. Now Nord sometimes found it difficult to believe that she was the same child who had been so stricken with grief that she had not eaten for days after her mother had died.

"I saw her on the flower field on the outskirts of our territory before I came here." Charrenity went on as the others looked intently to her - despite her young years she received great respect from the older Lyanore because of her role as the head of the Dance. "I told her that we were all supposed to gather but she likes the flowers that grow near the edge of the plains…I suppose that she didn't want to leave them."

Nord groaned softly again. "That place is on the other side of the plains." he exclaimed shaking his head in annoyance but more so in fear for Ayadi's safety. "If any of us go all that way to find her then we'll be leaving ourselves right out in the open - if the Star Raiders saw any of us…" making up his mind he turned to address the whole group again. "All of you listen to me and do exactly as I say - I'll go and fetch Ayadi while Charrenity takes you as deep into the forest as she can while I'm gone…"

"No father…let me go and find her." Charrenity interrupted him, the urgency that was written all over her face shocking him as he looked at her.

"Charrenity?" he began but she wouldn't even hear of it.

"Only you know where the sanctuary is…it should be you who guides everybody to safety. I know exactly where Ayadi last was so I can find her a lot more quickly than you could." Charrenity's clear eyes shone with conviction as she gazed at him. "Think about it father….it makes sense that it should be me!"

Nord shook his head - he couldn't bear to let his only daughter go and risk her life but at the same time he just couldn't close his ears to the truth that rang in what she had said. "No. You are the head of our Dance, Charrenity…you have to be safe." His voice softened and he added more gently "Charrenity…I don't want you to lose you to them the same way I lost your mother. Remember Vaura!"

Charrenity's face quivered slightly as she remembered the awful moment when she had seen her mother lying dead in the grass - she had been the one who had discovered the body and she had been so numbed by the shock that it had been many hours later that her father had come and discovered her lying in a cold daze beside her still mother - but she refused to back down when she knew that she was right.

"Father let go of what you want. This is bigger than that." She said gently but firmly. "It's because I'm the head of our Dance that I have to do this! Now go - I'll bring Ayadi to safety and meet up with you in the forest as soon as I can. Good luck father - and protect our people while I am away."

"No!" it was the male whose reaction to Charrenity's declaration had been so much more intense than that of the other Lyanore who she found standing in her path as she turned to depart on her mission – standing blocking the path that she intended to take away from the rest of her Dance.

Charrenity paused in the face of Lancet, the strongest of the Lyanore and incidentally her life-mate, feeling that if anybody deserve a word or two before she went off into danger then it was he, "Lancet, can we please not do this?" she spoke quickly as he opened his mouth to go on, her tone a peculiar mix of firmness and the smallest hint of a plea. "This is just something that I must do…what YOU must do is understand that."

"Do you think for one moment that I'd just let you…" Lancet blustered from the second she stopped talking.

Charrenity breathed in annoyance – normally she felt embarrassed whenever Lancet forgot that she was not only his mate but also in fact the leader of their Dance, it still happened from time to time and as a result he intentionally belittled her authority in front of the others by assuming that she could not take care of herself.

It was simply one of those things in her life that she didn't really like but endeavoured to tolerate since one of the things that she'd learned during it had been that things couldn't always be as you wanted them – but not today. Today Ayadi was out there alone while the same men who had murdered her mother where tearing their realm apart…looking for ALL of her people.

So not today, she decided as she stamped one of her front hooves into the earth, her nose flaring with impatience, "Insubordination Sir?" she exclaimed – her tone was not that of an embarrassed spouse but the ringing voice of what she was in that moment; a stern leader. "I am the leader of this Dance Lancet and as such it is I who will decide whether I will follow through with or abandon one of my own decisions…not YOU."

Lancet's tail dangled between his legs – he was generally respected as the toughest male in the Dance and now he felt himself shrinking down to the size of the most timid Seora as his mate spoke to him like this. "Ch-Charrenity…" he stammered as he suddenly realised that he was feeling hot – he could sense the stares of his fellows as they waited to see how he was going to handle Charrenity but he didn't have to rely on instinct to hear their subdued sniggers as they instead saw HER put HIM in his place. "C-can we not do this N…?"

"Go with the others Lancet." Charrenity told him quietly as she looked him straight in the eye. "They will need you more than I."

Lancet stood quite still, unable to move to stop his mate – it was as if the force of her calm and crystal clear voice alone was holding him back now; as Charrenity had told him she had spoken not as his mate but as leader and the Lyanore were all bound to obey the word of the one whom stood in that position.

Realising that if she was ever to take her leave of them then the moment to do so was now Charrenity did so – turning away from her mate, her Father and her people she swished her tail and set off at a gallop.

Nord had fallen silent as he watched her go to find the young Lyanore. Charrenity was not usually so outspoken and she had taken his breath away. Perhaps she wasn't such a young Lyanore anymore…

"What now then Nord?" Thack prompted him gently - he knew how the other was feeling but he also knew that a decision now had to be made for the sake of the entire group.

Torn between going to protect his only daughter and making sure that his people were taken to a place where they could be safe Nord hesitated for the briefest moment - then even though the decision made his heart heavy he made it.

Wearily Nord raised his head to meet the waiting gazes of his fellow Lyanore who each stood watching him trustingly. "We go on." He replied bitterly.

~*~*~

As he made sure that the hilt of his knife stuck out of his belt enough to be pulled free in a heartbeat – quickly enough to STOP the heartbeat of another before his own ceased to pump blood through his body - Dirk's dirty and battle-scarred visage was more like the face of a predator than it had ever been.

Today was going to be the greatest day of his life - Dirk felt utterly fantastic as he stood at the edge of the rocky out-crop that he had found a short way off from the spot where he and his men had landed on Charon. The hunter was feeling better than ever before because as he stood, his black cloak swaying in the icy wind of the outer moon he knew that today the entire direction of his - up until now - miserable life was going to change.

As he scanned the horizon for any sign of his quarry Dirk took this rare chance to do something that he'd always prided himself on never ever doing - think about his life, the world he lived in and his place in it…or rather a spot of dark brooding.

As the snow softly began to fall again and the rest of the Star Raiders started to get kitted up behind him he recalled all the long years he had spent with the group during the time it had been led by Steel-Eye - he'd been fresher than he was these days and eager to get to grips with anything that the universe could have thrown at him.

For the first few years he'd been a member of the group Dirk had been satisfied to work under the older and more experienced hunter but with the passing of time his ambitiousness had grown and at the same time it had nurtured his jealousy and discontent.

During the last few days before Steel-Eye's death Dirk had gotten used to spending every single second when he wasn't fighting for his life scheming to destroy his former mentor but his leader hadn't been the only person he'd come to hate.

Rula had been the main source of his bitter resentment and he knew that that had been because he'd always known that she'd always been Steel-Eye's favourite, the apple of his eyes - even though Dirk had never let himself admit it she'd obviously been the person who would take Steel-Eye's place when the time came for him to stand down.

Dirk had always made sure that he took every opportunity to beat Rula down and humiliate her while she'd grown up but somehow she'd still managed to grow up strong and brave in spite of him - and eventually just as he'd feared she became the new leader of the Star Raiders when Steel-Eye died.

Dirk's face bore an ugly scowl as he seethed silently about the long year he'd spent swallowing his pride and following Rula's orders when he'd known that it should have been him - her place had always belonged to him…

Then he smirked- what were the chances of him ever running into that mouthy little kid again, damn her?

Lucky for Rula that he'd never see her again - if their paths ever crossed then Dirk would be able to make her regret all the years she had taunted him with her presence and then snatched away what was rightly his…

No…he should concentrate on his future - his near future.

"Slade!" he called over his shoulder in the direction of the other Raiders as he saw that two of them were holding up the whole group with their bickering. "Sloth! Over here on the double!"

At the sound of his rough voice the two Raiders froze like a pair of statues carved from ice and then came back to their senses and hurried up to where he stood at the edge of the rocky slope.

Dirk frowned as Slade and Sloth stood in front of him both of them almost shivering in their nervousness - his voice had come to make most of the group shudder very quickly after Rula had left.

The two men were so trail-worn and dirty that anyone giving them both a quick glance would have thought that they were the same person before doing a double take.

"What's taking the lads so long to get ready?" Dirk asked flashing them both a dark look between them - he knew that they knew that he'd seen what they'd been doing but he always liked to tease the horrible moment of interrogation out and make it last far longer than it had to. "Could either of you clue me in and what's causing the delay?"

Slade opened his mouth and floundered for a reply but hesitated - should he really betray his comrade to save his own skin? Wouldn't ratting him out be a low and scummy thing to do?

All of this was pointless anyway because as he took into consideration the moral issues here Sloth beat him to it. "Wasn't my fault boss!" he exclaimed and pointed an accusing finger at his companion who was startled out his inner debate. "Slade was distracting everyone by telling us about his plans for what he was gonna do with his share of the loot!"

"You filthy tell-all!" Slade snarled throwing him a look of pure hatred.

As he turned to advance on Sloth the other Raider jumped back - Sloth was just about the laziest of the current Raiders and normally it would have been easier to find a sloth with more energy than him hence his 'official' name. But whenever he needed to defend himself from the wrath of his travelling companions he seemed to have sudden bursts of startling speed - in avoiding them.

But Dirk waved his hand impatiently and both of them froze on the spot as he turned towards Slade who almost stopped breathing as the scarred hunter walked slowly towards him. As Dirk stood and stared at him silently, summing him up the cool wind suddenly seemed much colder to him and despite himself he actually shivered beneath his leader's icy glare.

When Dirk finally broke the terrible silence his voice reminded Slade of icicles dropping into water. "Listen up pal - we're on the trail of the beasts whose fur attracts the biggest price on the market…I'm talkin' about the Lyanore." The scarred hunter informed him, saying each word that passed his teeth very slowly and distinctly like he was talking to a kid. "That's why we've all got to make sure that we keep quiet every step of the way while we're on their trail…we can't have mouthin' off and givin' the game away…" he leaned just a little bit closer to Slade - not very much further but an inch enough to feel the other hunter with a feeling of cold dread. "…can we?"

"No!" Slade stammered uncontrollably. "No…"

"Shhhhh." Dirk hushed him in a voice that was deceptively gentle and smooth. "Don't go interruptin' your boss Slade - that's very bad form you know. I mean if one of you gets it into his head that he can just cut me short whenever he feels like it it'll make everyone else think that he can do the same…and we can't have that can we?" he paused for just a moment to give Slade a chance to speak up and put his foot in it again but the younger man now knew better and kept his mouth shut so Dirk went on. "I've gotta warn ya Slade, there's no place among the Raiders for bumblers. Remember how we dropped off Kirin?"

Several of the Raiders who had been listening in on this humiliating exchange coughed and suddenly looked extremely sheepish. "It was only a joke…" one of them muttered as he went red in the face.

"How were we supposed to know the glowy sludge was toxic?" another added as he remembered the result of the horse-play, the muttered apologies from all of them that had fallen on dead ears and the heavy weight of embarrassment that all of them had felt as they'd all shuffled on their way feeling rather sheepish and with one companion less.

Slade was not red in the face - his face was as white as a sheet as he saw the glowery look on Dirk's broken and gritty face. "Get my drift? We can't afford liabilities. I'm sorry but recently I've noticed that you've just become dead-weight Slade. You've gotta go." The scarred hunter concluded with an almost apologetic note in his voice.

Panic rushed to the surface of Slade's mind. "I'll go! I swear Dirk I'll go!" he babbled as his terror broke its banks. "Don't hurt me - just let me go!"

"Anything ya say buddy…" suddenly the knife that had been slid underneath Dirk's belt up until this point glittered dangerously in his hand. "…see ya!"

Before anyone could so much as blink the blade plunged forward and pierced Slade's ribs - then almost the second before his eyes widened in numb shock as he realised that his blood was flowing out of his body Dirk thrust his foot into the wounded man's stomach and sent him hurtling over the edge of the slope.

Dirk suddenly stopped and stared into the distance as the luckless Slade rolled down the rocky hill - he was sure that he'd just spotted the flash of blue out of the corner of his eye.

Spinning to look at the plain in the near distance he realised that sure enough several blue blurs were now heading for the darkness of the forest at an urgent pace.

"There!" Dirk exclaimed as he thrust his now reddened blade in the direction of the forest below. "There they are! All we gotta do now is snag ourselves a few and we'll be made for life!"

"What about the Charonian Guard?" one of the other Raiders who were still shocked by what had just happened piped up nervously. "Those critters are protected by the Royal family ya know…"

Dirk flashed him a look of irritation that made him cower away from the expression on his face almost yelled out 'My arm isn't tired yet bucko.' "Forget about them." The scarred hunter snapped as he waved his hand dismissively in the direction of the Royal Palace and that was visible in the distance. "It'll take the Guard a while to track us down so all we have to do is track down the Lyanore, grab a few and then bring 'em back to the ship and get out of here. Simple as that. Now come on…" he lit a torch and brandished it in the air so that its flames cast his face into a harsh red shadow. "…let's hunt!"

The shock wore off at the promise of riches and the Raiders erupted into howls of cheering and as he turned and began to make his way down the treacherous hillside where they had landed the ship.

Idiots… Dirk thought contemptuously - he'd been planning this little raid ever since Rula had split and he sure as hell wasn't going to reap the benefits with anyone else now…

But as the Star Raiders swarmed down the side of the hill and charged in the direction they had seen the Lyanore take flight there was one man among their number who was reluctant to join in the hunt for the noblest beasts that lived on Charon. As he watched his comrades eagerly running down the slope his one remaining eye was stricken with doubt and hesitation.

Grift hadn't any idea what to do as he stood on the hill, the only one who hadn't yet charged down its side by now. He felt sure that what his comrades were doing was wrong - the Lyanore may have been animals but the people of Charon revered them and King and Queen saw them as important enough to place their species under protection.

Wasn't what they were planning to do…murder?

Rula hadn't been keen to hunt the Lyanore the first time they'd come here a year ago - and as he thought about her Grift's eyes grew distant…he hadn't seen her for so long now and he wondered where she was and what she was doing right now.

What she would have done if she were in his place…

Grift wavered in between choices for a second or two but then his face became grim - these things were just too complicated for someone with a life as simplistic as his to think about. He was a hunter-gatherer…and to survive he had to do what was in his nature to do.

Sorry Lyanore…nothing personal. Grift thought as he set off after the others, his mechanical arm having gathered a thin coating of frost because he'd stood still for so long.

None of the Raiders had noticed a small blue shape creeping around the bottom of the hill towards the area that was hidden behind a patch of trees some distance away as they had charged towards the forest…

Charrenity's heart was pounding unbearably as she watched the fearsome looking horde of men surge down the hill in hot pursuit of her father and the rest of her people.

At the moment she was concealed behind a wide tree-trunk as the Star Raiders ran by only a couple of yards away from where she crouched in hiding. Charrenity was almost going out of her mind with fear as she waited for these killers of her people to get far enough away from where she lay for her to make a run for the field of flowers on the other side of the trees.

It was an exhausting effort to remain behind the tree out of sight as they ran by and not try to run right away and she felt amazed that they hadn't already spotted her long before now. When that terrible man with the knife and black cloak had been talking to the other two she had known that it had been now or never and taking her chance she'd slipped across the plain from tree to tree while the hunters had been too absorbed by watching the confrontation to notice her.

When she had heard the 'thump' from behind her Charrenity had instinctively stopped and looked over at the foot of the slope - the sight of the wounded body had terrified her so much that it had taken her a supreme effort of will not to scream and give herself away.

Her legs had trembled so badly that she had hauled herself behind the tree and collapsed on the snowy ground there. As she'd lain in a quivering heap Charrenity had been numb with shock as she thought in horror about what had just happened - she had known that people like the Star Raiders were bringers of death to her people and what had happened to her mother was proof of that but the act of murder that she had witnessed had been pointless.

Even though she had been mortally afraid of these men before it had happened Charrenity was now dazed by it. They even do it to their own? The Lyanore-girl thought as she felt sickened by the memory of how the blood had trickled onto the snow and turned it into an ugly pink sludge. How can Serenity, Chara, Char and their son and daughter belong to their species?

To Charrenity the human race suddenly seemed bizarre - humans made laws that punished those who 'murdered' by killing other humans but some of them thought nothing of taking the lives of other creatures just because they were different from humans in appearance.

But what was the difference really? After all she and her people had thoughts and feelings of their own just like the humans and just like them they could speak to each other and tell the people they loved how they were feeling. They comforted each other when one of them was feeling sad or frightened and they all grieved together in times of loss and their hearts could break…they had hopes, dreams and souls just like humans so what really made them different from each other?

For a moment she almost believed that all humans must be mad but at the very same moment she remembered how Queen Chara and Queen Serenity had always cherished her people - how they had both seen her birth and that her mother had thought so highly of them both that she had named her after them.

Charrenity realised that her very name was proof that human beings had hearts and that many of them were good and true. No - the Star Raiders were the enemies of the Lyanore…not humanity.

And as she remembered how tenderly Princess Charon had comforted her on the day her mother had died Charrenity remembered why she had come here and put herself in such terrible danger - to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

Rising back to her feet with a steadiness born from determination Charrenity risked a look around the tree - the hunters had reached the edge of the forest by now and were too far away by now to see her if she came out of hiding…

But she hesitated for a moment longer as she gazed into the shadows that she could just make out beyond the thickly packed trees - Charrenity felt deeply worried about her father and the others who were fleeing for their very lives. Suddenly she was struck with loneliness and felt weak as she stood separated from the rest of her people.

It was true that the others were in greater danger than she was but at least they had each other while she was all alone and frightened.

Charrenity wished that her father was by her side to guide her but knowing that wishing would not help her do this she shook herself decisively - only she could do that.

Her father was not here and he couldn't help her anymore - it was up to her to put her life at risk to save a child of her people. Satisfied that the Star Raiders wouldn't see her she walked out from behind the safety of the tree and without a single look back or second of doubt she ran towards the row of trees that stood on the far side of the valley with as much speed as her young legs could afford her.

As she reached the trees and slipped through the narrow opening between them Charrenity hoped with all her heart that Ayadi would still be here, that she had not ran away when she had heard the space-craft landing…

The field that lay on the other side of the trees was covered with exquisitely blue flowers that each sparkled like a diamond in the starlight - these flowers flourished in the winter and now that it was their season they stretched out further than the eye could see in the grass.

Charrenity looked around anxiously and then as her eyes fell upon a shape on the ground she breathed a sigh of sincere relief - there lying a short way off was Ayadi.

"Ayadi!" Charrenity cried her voice light with relief at the sight of the Lyanore she had braved such danger to find. "Oh I'm so glad to see you here! Well actually I wish that you were anywhere but here…" the younger Lyanore looked up as she heard her voice. Ayadi was smaller, much younger than Charrenity, and her coat was paler than her friend's dark coat - Ayadi lay silent among the flowers as she stared at Charrenity in silence. "Listen to me Ayadi we can't stay here. The Star Raiders have come back and if they catch us here then we'll both we killed! We have to meet up with the others in the forest - now!"

Ayadi just gazed silently at her as if not taking in what she had just heard.

"Why are you still lying there?" Charrenity exclaimed in frustration – her heart was pounding, any minute they might be discovered… "Didn't you hear what I just said?"

Ayadi shuffled. "I like this place…it's pretty." She replied with a smile.

Charrenity stared at her for a moment longer as she felt her exasperation increasing but when she spoke her voice was surprisingly quiet and gentle, an amused smile on her face. "You know Ayadi I think so too…I think that the flowers here are pretty. I think that you and the rest of our friends and family are very pretty…that is why I have come to protect you! I have come all of the way out here to find you putting my own life in danger in the process!" Ayadi's eyes were widened as Charrenity looked at her, not angry but stern.

Without any further delay she turned and trotted back through the opening between the trees as if she expected Ayadi to get up and follow her - and as it happened that was just what she expected her to do.

Almost mesmerized by the severity of Charrenity's voice Ayadi slowly rose to her feet and followed her without question.

~*~*~

At that very moment the Star Raiders were a short way into the woods as they searched among the trees for tracks or broken twigs - any small thing that might give them some idea of their preys location.

The forest hung deathly silent and filled with darkness and a heavy sense of foreboding all around them but all of them did their best to ignore the atmosphere as they searched. There was no sign of the Lyanore who seemed to have vanished into thin air the moment they had passed through the trees and into the darkness beyond…

No… Dirk thought as he cast a keen eye around the shadowy interior of the great forest in search of any hint of blue among the green and brown foliage. These critters are all just damn clever at making themselves invisible inside their own territory…

This was the boring part of the job and he could see that the others were already becoming disheartened by the sheer lack of action - personally he was right there with them but he knew that the essence of the game was the hunt.

To catch beasts that could make themselves practically invisible in the shadows Dirk knew that they would have to play them at their own game first…

"Don't give up." He barked at them as he noticed that the majority of the men were slacking off and at the sound of his dangerously tinted voice every single one of them snapped to attention - even the ones who hadn't been slacking off. "They can't run all day…eventually they'll stop to take a breather and then they'll be too run down to get away. That's when we'll have them!" the scarred hunter emphasised his point by burying the blade of his knife right up to the hilt in a tree - he was satisfied as the majority of the doubters began to look lively again but inside he seethed with frustration. How long was he going to have to deal with these morons?

Dirk's eyes were scornful as he watched the others spreading again to try and pick up the trail of the elusive beasts. I'm too good for this, he thought. And when I get my hand on the fortune those pelts are worth everyone's gonna know it…

Just as he began to dream about the things that he'd finally have the power to do once he had his hands on that money, the old scores he'd get to pay off after the long years he'd spent seething over them in silence something happened that took him utterly by surprise.

A high-pitched howl blasted the air and as he jumped up swearing and looking around in shocked alarm he and the rest of his group were dazzled by the brilliant burst of blue light that filled the area and momentarily casting all of the shadows into light.

As the light was just dying away a sharp gust of wind rolled through the forest and caught Dirk in the face - this had the effect of bringing him out his shock and he shook his head like a dog to clear his mind of the surprise.

"What the hell was that?" one of the Raiders exclaimed as the entire group buzzed with shock about what had just happened.

"D'you think this forest might be…HAUNTED?!!"

Recovering himself Dirk spun on his heel and froze each and every last one of them with a glare before they could dissolve in mindless panic. "Shut your holes!" he bellowed. "You're gonna give away our location! We're tryin' to take them off guard and you're all squeaking like a pack of rats in a burnin' barn!"

"But what was that light just now?" one of the men piped up anxiously.

Dirk scowled - the fact was that he hadn't the foggiest idea what it could've meant himself but he wasn't going to admit that now was he? "It was…a distress flare!" he declared triumphantly though he still felt uneasy. "Yeah…that's it! The Charonian's know we're here I bet. Your fault for makin' all that racket just now you pack of morons!" not wanting to give them the chance to loser their nerve he added hastily "C'mon we've got a major head start on the Guard…if we just hurry it along then we'll find the Lyanore before the Charonian Guard have even gotten prepared to track us down. Let's go…they're not here so let's check another part of the forest. And make sure you all tread carefully – remember that the Charonian Devil-Wolves live in this forest! Just because you can't see 'em doesn't mean they ain't there so watch your steps!"

Everybody present shuddered as they thought about the terrifying beasts that pawed around in the darkness of the forest and for the first time since they had stepped into the foliage each and every one of them began to take care not to make even the slightest sound.

The others turned and reluctantly walked further into the forest - Dirk followed them feeling slightly shaken by what had just happened even though he didn't show it.

What a drag… the scarred hunter thought with a black scowl as he walked away from the tree he'd been leaning against. What I'd do if one of those Lyanore were in front of me right now…

As soon as the group of hunters were an reassuringly long distance away Thack got up and walked out from behind the tree that Dirk had just walked away from and watched them disappear into the darkness. There was a thoughtful look on his serious face as he turned to look back in the direction from which the brilliant light and strong gust had come.

Thack's eyes were concerned - that had not been one of the distress flares that were used by the Charonian's in times of emergency.

Who else is out there? Thack wondered as he turned and galloped silently into the undergrowth to reunite with Nord and the others and tell them that they were safe from harm…for the time being.

~*~*~

When she opened her eyes the scene around her had changed completely from the one that she had been standing right in the heart of moments before. What she saw seemed to her like something out of a dream that she'd had when she had been very young - too young to remember the exact details with a lot of clarity but it had been so good and pure that she'd always carried the essence of the dream locked away in her heart.

As soon as she took in the shimmering white snow that lay on the branches of the trees ahead Rula knew that it had worked - after all these months of staying as far away from it as she could she had finally come back to Charon, the one place in the entire universe that she had never expected to see ever again.

It felt like a life-time since she'd last been here but the familiarity of the world struck her at once. The icy air of the outer moon...it was no different.

Rula ignored the biting cold as she took a long look around the area she had materialised in - she knew that she should have been getting moving but she just couldn't help but take her time to look at every aspect of Charon.

Even though she'd been away from this moon for over a year not a night had gone by when she hadn't dreamt about the haunting beauty of the snowy plains that stretched out so far that they seemed to go on forever.

In spite of the urgency that pounded in her chest so loud that the steady rhythm of her heartbeat seemed silent she smiled nostalgically - Steel-Eye had once told her during a rare moment that they spent alone that when you came back to a place you hadn't seen for a long time it always seemed different than you'd remember...smaller, quieter somehow.

But now that she stood once more on the snow-covered earth of Charon she realised that the experience was different for herself - it was nothing like that at all. Instead it was she herself who felt different, different from the person who had once stood here on the plains of Ayadi over a year ago.

Rula realised for the first time that she was no longer the cocky arrogant girl she'd been then, the girl who had thought that the entire universe waited for her. She was a new person now...a completely different Rula.

And now whoever she had become over the passing of this last year she had returned to the place she'd sworn never to set foot upon again - to face an old ghost and settle her past once and for all.

I'm back... Rula thought as she gazed at the plains of Ayadi with eyes that saw clearly for the first time in a long while. Back on Charon, the outer moon...

This was the place where her faith in the strength of friendship and trust had been mortally wounded in a way that she had thought it would never recover...but now she'd been given the chance to make up for the evil she held herself responsible for allowing to happen all that time ago…a chance to stop the same thing from happening again.

At that thought Rula remembered with a jolt that she had a job to do - she was here to protect the Lyanore from her old comrades the Star Raiders.

"Thanks Em..." Rula said out loud gratefully.

Without thinking about it she touched the metal collar at her neck - already it was growing cold in the icy wind but she could still feel its malevolence through the thin coating of frost...

As long as it was in place she would be unable to use her powers...it meant that she was going to have to rely on her own body to fight for the wellfare of the Lyanore.

Rula shook her head resolutely and allowed her hand to drop back to her side - it couldn't be helped. If there was one thing that she'd learned it was that life wasn't about guarantees. Like Steel-Eye had once told her, life was a relentless and unforgiving experience - if you weren't prepared for anything that it might throw at you then it'd sweep you away like a fish in a river. Or, as Grift had once put it, life was like an untamed horse - look at it from the wrong perspective and it'd kick you in the face.

Without thinking any more she leapt onto a tall rock and used the excellent view that it gave her to look at the landscape ahead...the Lyanore were nowhere in sight.

Had the Raiders already...?

It was then just as panic was beginning to pound in her chest that she caught sight of the space-craft up on the hill in the distance and the surging relief she felt left her feeling almost weak.

The Raiders were still out there looking for the Lyanore...it wasn't too late.

A grim look creased her face as she looked at the many tracks that led into the forest in the far distance. This is it... the huntress thought determinedly as she jumped down from her perch and began to run in the direction of the forest. This is where my hell began and where it'll end one way or another. I'll protect the Lyanore even if it costs me my life.

Rula's eyes narrowed as she thought about the coldness that she'd always seen in Dirk's eyes just before he'd inflicted suffering on anybody - the emotion had always been far more bitter and piercing than the air that now pinched at her body.

And if the Star Raiders lay so much as a finger on them...I'll kill them all.

~*~*~

Dirk had been on the brink of giving up on the area that he'd spent the last fifteen minutes prowling when something caught his attention.

A movement that he only just noticed out of the very corner of his eye - very slight but enough to make his whole body stiffen as he held his breath and stood completely motionlessly in the bracken.

Slowly so that he wouldn't give away the fact that he'd noticed something was afoot he slid his eyes to the right to focus on the area that his attention had been gripped by.

Dirk had almost stopped breathing as he stared unblinkingly at the bushes a short way off...had that been just the faintest flash of blue that he'd spotted disappearing into the foliage on the other side of the ditch?

As he watched out of the corner of his eye the scarred hunter was sure that he could see the bushes moving slightly - shaking as if there was something moving through them...

As Dirk's cunning mind got to grips with the implications of what had just happened his dark eyes glittered with the sickening tint of lust...it all added up.

Could it be...?

For a minute he thought quickly. If he was right then this would be his big chance of catching his prey and keeping the spoils to himself without any of his men ever being any the wiser. But how would he keep the others from following him?

Dirk's scowl was dark as he mulled the problem over in his mind - he had to come up with a plan quickly or he'd miss his chance...

A cruelly sly grin crossed his broken face as he turned and quickly made his way back to where he'd left the others...a devious idea had begun to form in his vindictive mind.

When Dirk arrived back in the clearing he was pleased to see that nearly all of the other Raiders were searching different areas. That would make his job here a whole lot easier...

First Dirk walked up behind Grift who was inspecting the bracken for any breaks or crushed areas that would signify that a group of Lyanore had passed through recently. "Lissen up." he hissed at the one-eyed hunter who stiffened at the sound of his voice. "I want you to go and check over there..." he pointed in the opposite direction from the one he'd just crept back from. "...and see if there's anywhere those Lyanore could be lying low. Got it?"

Grift turned and looked darkly at him - he didn't care for Dirk's tone in the least. "I'm still not finished here." he replied stiffly. "Can't I finish this off before..."

"No ya can't." Dirk spat and bared his teeth as he glowered at the other hunter. "Do it now Grift...less you want to make something of it?"

Grift held his glare coolly - he'd never ever taken to Dirk even during Steel-Eye's time and ever since Rula had left the group the one-eyed hunter had grown to like him even less especially since he had quickly taken his place as leader.

The truth was that Dirk had always had it in for him because he'd been Rula's friend.

Grift held the silent stare for just a little longer and then wordlessly swung away and made off in the direction he'd been ordered to check out - anything was worth doing as long as it kept Dirk quiet and since he couldn't put his heart into this hunt the mutilated hunter didn't really mind going on a wild goose chase.

Dirk watched him go and then with a satisfied grunt he turned and made his way almost silently over to another one of his comrades. Jasper - a thickly built Raider with a face that was perpetually set in a sour expression - gave a convulsive start as Dirk tapped him meaningfully on the shoulder. Swivelling around fully expecting the worst he was taken by surprise by the expression on his leader's face.

The scarred hunter was...smiling. In fact his grubby face almost looked pleasant although he just didn't have the knack for it. "Found anything?" he asked mildly.

"Naw - not a thing." Jasper replied, surprised by Dirk's almost friendly attitude. "What's up?"

"Nothin'...what's up with you anyway? Ya seem tense is all."

Jasper shuffled feet slightly - he didn't want to sound like he was cowardly but at the same time he couldn't quite keep his nervous bottled up. "I just can't help wondrin' how long it's gonna take to find the Lyanore...don't forget about the Charonian Guard." he reminded Dirk warily, remembering what had happened to Slade back up on the hill.

But to his surprise Dirk nodded his head agreeably. "Don't worry about a thing Jasper...I'll take care of you and the rest!" he replied clapping the other Raider heartily on the back. "Listen...I'm telling you this because I know that I can trust you. That Grift guy needs watching. I've noticed that his heart doesn't seem to be into this...hey don't get me wrong, I mean he's an okay guy..." it killed him to say that. "...but I think he's still loyal to Rula. In fact I think he kinda had a thing for her...ya know what I'm sayin'?"

Jasper snorted and chuckled quietly. "Oh boy yeah! She was a real hot, sexy little thing huh?" he winked luridly. "She was such a knockout that it almost hurt!"

Dirk restrained the grimace that tried to push away the smile on his face - he'd had a firsthand experience of that. "Well what I want you to do buddy is keep an eye on him while I slip off to check the area...got that?"

Jasper felt proud and pleased with himself - he'd never heard Dirk call anyone 'buddy' before and he felt privileged to be talking to his leader like they were equals. "Leave it to me boss! I'll watch out for Grift while you're away! That one-eyed geeza...who'd trust him? What ya need is someone reliable like me!"

Dirk chuckled softly and patted him on the shoulder. "Took the words right outta my mouth! Ya know once we're done here I'll need someone to share a whole load of power and money with. Have we got a deal Jasper?"

Jasper shook his leader enthusiastically by the hand. "It's a deal boss! Count me right in there with ya!"

"I do. Well I'll be off now...and I'll leave you in charge okay?" Dirk announced with a cunning gleam in his eye as he turned away from Jasper. "See ya in a few!"

Jasper swelled up and saluted smartly and then turned back to where he'd been searching a moment ago as he silently congratulated himself on his unexpected promotion.

Dirk's conspiratorial smile lasted until he'd turned away from the other hunter. "What a moron..." he muttered to himself as he stomped away from the foolish Raider who he'd been able to take for a ride with such ease.

~*~*~

As the corner of her eye caught the silver flash of starlit water Rula gave a grunt and skidded to a halt. Before she'd even regained her footing which she'd lost because of stopping so abruptly she'd whirled in the direction that the almost ghostly shimmer had come from and discovered behind a thin wall of leaves created by a low hanging branch a wide stretch of partially frozen water.

Realising that her mouth was parched from all of her running she took this chance to quench her thirst before she had to go back to reality. As she knelt down towards the shimmering forest pool she quickly dipped her hand in and straight back out so that the shiver that ran through her bones as it was immersed in the icy water passed very quickly. Rula's eyes were excited but calm – she was close, she knew it.

As she poured the cool and reviving water between her lips she rose back to her full height intent on resuming her search at once…but it was at that moment that an inward shudder stopped her from taking so much as her first step away from the pool. The fresh and cold water had set her body tingling tantalisingly but the deathly coldness that now filled her stomach and made every one her senses scream out to her in warning was nothing to do with her drink from the icy pool.

Something wasn't right here, she realised as she breathed slowly. The terrible heaviness filling her stomach, the feeling of uneasy and foreboding that had suddenly blanketed this place…something had changed and now the tense yet strangely calm atmosphere reeked of darkness. And the source of her feeling of unspeakable revulsion was right behind her – she knew it at once though the realisation had come from out of nowhere. It whispered temptingly over her shoulder, compelling her to turn back and silence her creeping curiosity by finding out just what could stir such a feeling of disgusted fascination in her.

The knowledge that she needed to keep moving if she had any hope of protecting what was so dear to her was still firmly in her mind and burned there as she held her breath and struggled silently to resist her urge – but her effort to do what she knew was right was in vain for her willpower seemed to have become water that just crashed against the steady yet undeniable strength of the presence that filled her mind with the need to turn and feast her eyes on it. Clenching her teeth as she wondered what the hell was the matter with her Rula snarled through them but the defiant sound seemed hollow as she surrendered to temptation.

The water was calm as she whirled back to stare quickly at it and then once her curiosity was satisfied turn back and head on as her heart was pounding for her to do – no ripples distorted its clear surface which was strange even in this secluded neck of the forest but she had no time to gawp at this oddity and would have turned her back on it…but something decidedly stranger and much more sinister had caught her attention as she'd lost her inner battle and now it held her fast.

Though the surface of the pool was clear 'tranquil' would have been the last word she would have used to describe it – she couldn't see the bottom of it but not because of reeds or dissolving earth clouding the water. Many colours were flooding into every inch of the pool, melding together and distorting like mist as they slowly flowed into one another to form something…solid.

Rula's eyes did not widen but they were alert as she calmly stood and watched what was going on – she didn't know whether to think that it was all a trick of her own mind being played on her by the urgency in her gut that was now momentarily stifled by the disbelief that she was feeling or whether she was going crazy but above doubt and fear she felt fascinated as she watched the phenomena.

Suddenly the water became clear again but now it no longer seemed to be even water – instead she seemed to be gazing into a great spacious chamber that had materialised where the pool had been moments before…however bizarrely she seemed to be gazing AHEAD and INTO this great room rather than DOWN upon as she really ought to have been if gazing into a reflection in water.

Am I…going nuts? Wondered the huntress as fear gripped her by the throat and threatened to suffocate her with panic. No…it's still water but it's changed.

Something had been done to the pool by something or someone and whatever it was and whoever was responsible what was happening now went against nature to such an extent that it was a pure violation of this world and all of its natural laws. This grim certainty chewed away at the back of Rula's mind as she stared at the vision in the steadied water which she now realised was a projection from another place, maybe in another world and felt assured by the knowledge that her mind was as clear as it had always been.

The image of the massive hall was so real that it almost absorbed her, making her feel like she was standing right there within it – instead of walls the room seemed to be surrounded by great clouds of voluminous mists that was dense and shiny as the sky in the dead of winter. Normally she would have narrowed her eyes and tried to pierce the heart of the vapour in order to see what lay behind it but right now her gaze was locked intently on the tall-backed throne that stood right at the back of the mysterious chamber. Elegantly crafted from dark wood as it was however it was not the throne itself that had seized her attention but rather the one who was currently seated there, tall and imposing.

A pair of long hands reached out before the sole occupant of this eerie place and their long talon-like fingers caressed the sides of a crystal sphere that was perched on a twisting pedestal before the seated person. As Rula watched in captivated fascination the rhythmic dancing of the fingers suddenly stopped…and the figure looked up so suddenly that the huntress felt her stomach try to leap out of her body from her side.

The sight of the woman's face drove from Rula's minds the bizarreness of this experience – she was fiercely beautiful but her skin was as pale as death, her hair descended from her head like a scarlet cloak as if every strand had been soaked the blood of people and her eyes stabbed the huntress with the coldness frosted in their pupils, filling the girl with sickened revulsion at the heartlessness that they reflected.

The woman spoke softly and the distinct cold mockery of her tone banished any suspicion – or hope – of just who she was. "I suppose that introductions are not really in order?" her voice was proud yet arrogant and her flaming red lips were eternally twisted into a scornful smirk.

Rula's darkened face was harder and colder than it had ever been, more than she'd ever felt towards anyone. Mu, Dirk…everyone who'd ever earned her disgust and hatred was forgotten as she knew that there could be only one name for the loathsome person whose dark eyes now pierced her heart. "Queen Beryl…" she hissed, her voice emerging hollowly from her tightened mouth.

Apparently pleased by her quickness on the uptake Queen Beryl, ruler of the Dark Kingdom and the bitter rival of Queen Serenity grinned revealing her sharp teeth which gave her lips an even stronger illusion of having recently feasted on human flesh and relished in the feast. "Good." She crooned gently , the softness of her voice filling the huntress with a silent warning of lurking danger. "You know your betters…how ideal."

~*~*~

Sloth almost choked as somebody grabbed him by the shoulder and gave him a rough shake. As he gasped he looked up blinked ferociously...thinking that none of the others would notice Sloth had taken the chance to catch a snooze about twenty minutes ago but now he quaked as Dirk looked over him having caught him red-handed.

"It wasn't me! I didn't do it!" he stammered uncontrollably as he jumped to his feet thinking that this was about the earlier incident back on the hill. "I was just pretending to be alseep so that I'd catch the Lyanore off guard..."

To his immense relief - and astonishment - Dirk nodded his head encouragingly. "Good work. I've always noticed that you're the guy who always keeps awake and checks things out Sloth!" he remarked.

"You have? Umm...y-yeah well it's a dirty job but someone' gotta do it huh?"

"I know that I can count on you Sloth. I've often said to myself 'It'll be okay for me to take a quick kip cuz Sloth's keeping an eye on things'." Dirk said lying through his teeth. "Now lissen up pal...I'm just gonna nip off for a few minutes to take a look around. I'll leave you in charge while I'm gone but don't say anything to the others about it okay? Keep it a secret. Oh and here's the thing - make sure that you keep an eye on Jasper and Grift. Jasper's gettin' too big for his boots lately and that half-blind sod ain't been pulling his weight. I don't trust either of them."

Sloth nodded wisely as he felt important. "Don't think that I haven't noticed it boss. They're both the same the pair of them. I don't trust either of them!" he agreed.

"That's because you're like me Sloth...a natural leader with gut instinct. Stick with me pal and I'll make sure that you get what you deserve." Dirk's eyes narrowed just a touch as he breathed – what he was really feeling was that Sloth had more gut than he had instinct but he kept this opinion to himself since it would have been of little use in helping him to manipulate the lazy Raider. "I'll make sure that before this is all over you'll be taken care of."

Sloth's eyes widened in awe. "You really mean it Dirk?"

"Sure do - faithful work should always be well rewarded. Now I'm off...remember Sloth keep your eyes open and your mouth shut. Oh and Sloth..." the scarred hunter turned away and concluded as he looked over his shoulder. "...I'm countin' on you."

"You can trust me boss!" Sloth grinned as he saluted his leader.

As he left Sloth behind to drift back to sleep and dream about the riches that lay ahead Dirk sneered and looked around. None of the other Raiders had heard him talking to Grift, Jasper or Sloth...his plans were laid.

~*~*~

Rula took a step back – her stomach was churning and all she wanted to do was to get as far away from the vision as she could. "I'm kinda busy so I'll make this quick…I don't care what you want but whatever it is you're not getting it!" she spat as she swung away from the pool, determined to take of the hunt for the Lyanore again…

At once the low chuckle of the Queen of the Dark Kingdom followed her, filled with mockery. "My, that IS grand…but are you, I wonder so confident and sure of yourself deep down?" her voice taunted, every derisive word cutting in Rula's back like a tiny bitter knife and causing the huntress to stop as all of them struck a nerve. "You know I have been watching you for some time now…ever since you left the Moon Kingdom and stepped out from under the wing of your dear precious Queen Serenity I have observed your travels."

A sneer tore at Rula's lips – she had to do something to hide the fact that she couldn't turn and leave contemptuously because for no reason that she could think of she couldn't bear to tear herself away without hearing what the Dark Queen had to say to her. "And of what interest could a lowly huntress and traveller of the star-ways be to her supreme gloriousness and ruler of the decaying pit of putridness known as the Dark Kingdom, Queen Beryl?" she bantered goadingly.

The huntress would have loved to see the sneering smile turn to a look of rage at her insult but if anything Beryl's face only grew more predatory and scornful. "Don't deny yourself Princess…not to me." She whispered and the darkness emanating from her eyes was now seductive rather than repelling. "We are much alike you and I…much more like each other than you might think. I can feel every thought in your mind, ever agony that courses through your soul as if it were a drop of blood in my veins. How could you ever deny yourself to one who knows you better than you know yourself?"

Rula narrowed her eyes coldly. "You…don't…know…me." She spat, revolted at being compared to Queen Beryl.

"No?" Beryl's smile was like that of a snake, her teeth parted as she broke into another outright grin in her amusement by the steadfast defiance of this girl as she faced something that she herself was convinced to be true. "Then how is it that I know of the fear eating away at your heart every minute of the day?" when Rula's grim expression did not change she laughed nastily, spitefully for she knew that again her words had found their mark. "Poor girl…NOT a Princess and CAN'T be a Star Raider! You simply don't fit in anywhere do you?"

Rula took a deep long breath of cold air and silently commanded herself to stay calm – she could feel her blood starting to burn in excitement and pounding slowly in brewing anger as Beryl's taunt hit her where she hurt the most.

"Can you deny it?" Queen Beryl sneered as she saw the effect that her words were having on the young huntress. "Is this not what tortures your soul from the very waking moment of every day in your life? You know that I speak the truth now, the truth that you have futilely tried to deny for many days…and you cannot escape from it. If you continue to tread the path that you have decided to take then your inner demons will never allow you to know a moment of peace for the rest of your life as they slowly tear you apart and one day finally destroy you completely."

Rula's eyes flashed as she spoke defiantly – her only other choice was to break down and sob as she submitted to what she knew was absolutely true. "Guess you'd be the expert on monsters. So why are you talkin' to me? Shouldn't you be gettin' on with terrorising your neighbours with threats of war?"

"I have contacted you to offer a way out of your meaningless existence…by joining my legions." Queen Beryl whispered distinctly as she ignored Rula's barbed insults, her suddenly hushed voice threatening to lure the huntress into drowning in her dark eyes. "That is your rightful place in the universe – as General of my army in the Dark Kingdom. Here is where you belong, with me in the darkness where no doubts or illusions of foolish things such as regret or longing can plague you. Think about it…by embracing me and the darkness you could sink into the sweet coldness of oblivion. Swear undying allegiance to me and you will never have to feel the agony of feeling or answer to anybody again…other than me, your Queen of course."

Rula's face did not so much as flicker as Beryl's venomous yet somehow seductive voice coaxed her – her eyes remained hard but no feeling was reflected from them. "WHY?" she breathed, her murmur heavy and cold above all else.

"You live for one reason alone…to destroy life wherever you go. You live only to kill…it is the only thing you have ever been good at in your life." Beryl hissed hatefully.

Rula clenched her teeth so viciously that she actually heard them grinding. "You're WRONG…"

"Am I really? Don't lie to yourself – bloodshed is what your demons crave for and unless you allow them to quench their thirst they will never stop tormenting you. At the head of my legions you would never have to worry about them ever again…with an endless supply of life to destroy you would be truly free at last. Just right for you."

Rula's eyes were blank – just the thought filled her mind with a strangely calming feeling of being hollow. If she sold her soul to this beast then her suffering might end at last…after all why should she hang onto everything that was slowly killing her day by day? Here she was given a chance to forget the memory of Vaura who had been her friend and who had died leaving her with nothing but…

But Vaura had been her friend…that was why she'd hurt so much when she'd lost her. But the days they'd shared before that, no matter how few had never faded from her memory…they'd been the brightest in her life and the reason why she'd held onto them despite the pain they brought was that they were wonderful and worth keeping alive.

And Mercury and all the others…Queen Serenity…Char who she'd trusted so completely...

"Accept!" Queen Beryl urged with a twisted smile as she sensed Rula's wavering spirit and targeted her with full force at her moment of weakness. "You have been judged and are a true warrior – cold-blooded, merciless, ruthless…the perfect tool with for me to wield and destroy the Kingdom of the Lunarian Queen forever!"

The huntress's deep eyes had been drifting in vagueness as she'd struggled with the two prospects laid out before her, one of a life without internal strife and turmoil at the cost of her soul and one of continuing her life with nothing but happy memories to keep her alive but now she blinked and shook her head as if trying to clear it. "The Moon Kingdom…" she muttered dazedly and a stronger look than ever crept slowly into her eyes as she remembered the one place where she'd been content to live forever despite her pain and regret. "You want me to…"

"You know that you cannot refuse me, Princess of the cold void of the cosmos…for you there is no other choice. No other has ever seen your true potential as I have. Serenity was never truly worthy of you…" behind her closed lips Rula's teeth were gritted as the mention of the Lunarian queen stirred something within her… "…but I can teach you so many things that she has never even dreamed of…"

"…that's because you're not fit to kiss the ground that she's walked across." Rula retorted cuttingly and this time her defiant voice carried conviction as she stared down at the projected image of the Dark Queen with supreme disgust in her proud eyes. "And you're very wrong…I don't want that kind of a life. Sure, I don't know where I came from, maybe I don't belong anywhere but thanks to you I now know the answer to my problem. My demons hunger for me to kill…so I'll STARVE them. They can't destroy me unless I give into despair just like you've been urging me to. Okay, so I don't have any memory of where I was born or who my parents are – but I DO remember all of the laughter, all of the tears and good times I've shared with the people of the Moon Kingdom. Maybe they're all over now but the memory of what I had there is more precious to me than anything you think you have to offer." A sneer crossed her face as she leaned closer to the water, no longer afraid of being swallowed by darkness. "The same…? Beryl…you and me are a cosmos apart!"

Queen Beryl sat rigidly in her throne, silent in the face of the contempt burning in Rula's eyes and ringing in her voice. It had never dawned on the ruler of the Dark Kingdom that the huntress would refuse her offer, that she would come so near to being ensnared and tempted into corruption and then pull back at the last second…now that she HAD Beryl felt such a rage that she could not speak.

Suddenly Rula got back up and turned abruptly away from the pool. "Your presence reeks of evil." She said simply as she set off back to the track. "We're done…don't keep in touch your Majesty."

As the huntress disappeared from the edge of the water the rage that had been brewing inside the Queen of the Dark Kingdom from the very second that she had realised that her offer of power and pleasure had been more than rejected, thrown in her face in fact, finally came roaring out of her unfettered now that the dirty huntress turned her back on her and walked away without leave. "So be it." She spat in hate, her eyes narrowing even though she could no longer see Rula. "Go then to the emptiness that awaits you PRINCESS UNIVERSE! But first I shall tell you your fate…the feelings that you treasure will not last forever. They shall not have you back…all that you cling to now will one day be lost to you forever. This is the path that you have chosen for yourself and there is no turning back from it. Go now and may my curse hound you until the end of your miserable and lonely days!"

In her throne-room in the cold heart of her Kingdom Queen Beryl snarled as she passed her hands over her crystal sphere and ceased to project her image – she had failed to enslave the renegade Princess and now she would have to search for other candidates who she could corrupt into leading her armies into war against the Moon Kingdom…and with a cruel smile on her face she contented herself with the knowledge that she already had a good idea who.

And on Charon, Rula didn't notice as the surface of the pool unclouded and returned to normal…nor did she care as she returned to her search for the Lyanore.

~*~*~

With a nasty snigger Dirk crept out of the clearing and once he was well out of sight he walked away from the Star Raiders without any intention of ever going back again. When Grift finished looking around and went back to the rest of the group the scheme that he'd just set in motion would lead to the Star Raiders killing each other...and when the dust settled there'd be nobody left alive to follow him.

Dirk had laid his plan carefully and craftily - he would take the Lyanore for himself and then he would slip back and while the Star Raiders were destroying themselves he'd steal their ship and leave whoever survived the massacre to face the wrath of the Charonian Royal Family.

Laughing unpleasantly Dirk jumped over the ditch and stealthily set off in the direction that he'd earlier detected movement. "Come out, come out wherever you are..." the scar-faced hunter grinned sickeningly as he followed the trail that had been left for him to follow by two very young Lyanore.

The vicious blade of the knife flashed as he pulled it from his belt...

~*~*~

As she ran through the forest as if she was on fire the cold wind tore at her hair, whipping her dreadlocks against her back as if to prove to her that her skin was bitterly cold. The air of Charon was cool at the best of times and on this particular day it sent a bitter chill running up her back as the gale stroked her unprotected skin.

The huntress would have thought that her cloak had been rather overpriced but the thought of the Lyanore drove away anything else and gave her endless energy to run on in spite of the biting coldness that would have reduced anybody else to a numb and quivering husk on the ground.

Rula's blood was boiling in her veins as her feet pounded the ground and she jumped over ditches so that she could make her way into the heart of the forest even faster than those who would have spent hours walking around - every now and then she glanced up at the gaps in the branches that hung overhead so that she could use the sparse rays of star-light that shone down between the branches to make her way.

Not that she needed it - with her keen eye sparkling she could see almost as well as a cat in the shadows. The huntress was at the top of her game and here out in the wild her feet touched the ground silently as she put everything that Steel-Eye had ever taught about tracking to use in order to track down the Star Riders who were somewhere in the forest.

I have to find the Lyanore… Rula's eyes were sharper than a wolf's and her heart beat urgently. I have to find them and get them to where it's safe…hell will they even listen to me?!!

As far as they would be concerned she was just one more strange person who had come stealing into their home to kill them all…

Rula's thoughts were suddenly cut off by a sharp shock - she'd been so absorbed in her desperate thoughts that she had forget to check the ground ahead for the briefest of the seconds. Her eyes were just one second late in flicking downward to make sure that her path was clear but it was enough to bring her to grief.

A tree root that had grown so long that it was spread right along the ground caught her foot and she went sprawling over it before she could even register what had happened. Rula was surprised as she slammed into the ground that she didn't even think to gasp - which might have actually been good since the shock of the impact had already knocked all of her breath out of her body anyway.

As she lay breathless and dazed on the ground Rula realised that her body had suddenly turned completely numb - but the cold had nothing to do with it.

The pure shock of what had just happened left her feeling weak with disbelief. I…I tripped… she thought in shock as she pushed herself up onto her knees and looked back - her face was covered with blank disbelief as she stared at the root that had tripped her up and was still snagged tightly around her ankle. I…tripped?!! I have to save the Lyanore from the Raiders and I let myself make such a stupid and amateur mistake? How could I…

Suddenly the huntress felt her spirit faltering as she stared at the root - the passionate fire that had filled her heart with pure determination flickered and doubt began to creep into her.

I can't do this… Rula thought bleakly and suddenly she felt weaker than she'd ever felt in her life. I'm no help to the Lyanore…how can I protect them when I'm stupid enough to let some tree trip me up? Dirk'll kill me…

Rula's shoulders slumped and she felt as if everything that she'd ever been sure about and all of her natural skill had been stripped away from her as the cold air seemed to close around and bite away at her unprotected skin.

Everything just seemed so hopeless and she trembled like a newly born kitten…but just as the tide of despair that had risen engulfed her she remembered somebody she'd never expected to want to think of ever again.

Princess Jupiter.

Throughout the years that followed she never ever understood why she thought of her at all but whatever her reason Rula suddenly felt as if she could see Jupiter in front of her now, standing over her with her fiery green eyes glaring down at her as she cringed on the frosty earth.

Rula could practically feel the brown-haired Princess's intense eyes piercing her body as she stared at her in the utmost scorn and then as if it came echoing from the past she thought that she heard Jupiter calling her a coward again…and that spark ignited the same burning anger she had felt that day when Jupiter had interrupted her wonderful moment with Mercury.

Shaking off the despair that had weighed her to the ground Rula tensed her body again and gave her ankle a sharp twist followed by a tug - she heard a short snap and her ankle was free again! As she rose to her feet the huntress felt strangely renewed as if new strength and courage had suddenly been poured into her.

Finally she understood - Jupiter's confrontation with her had actually helped her, forced her to stand up for herself and prove to the brown-haired girl who had been bigger and more heftily built than herself that she wasn't a coward…and now the memory of that had brought her back from the brink of despair.

Thank you Jupiter… Rula was astonished to realise that she felt genuine gratitude towards the girl whose throat she had often wanted to rip out for treating her so harshly. Thank you for showing me that I'm so much more than a yellow-bellied show-off. And Queen Serenity…what would she have thought if she'd seen me cringing just because I made a mistake just now?

Before she knew it Rula was on her feet again and as her soul seethed with pure passionate fire she spun around and returned to her hunt for the Lyanore with newly rekindled hope.

~*~*~

"I think that we've come far enough." Charrenity declared as she stopped and turned to look at her friend. "We can stop for a rest now Ayadi."

As Charrenity lowered herself to her side with a deep sigh Ayadi watched her sombrely - her expression was troubled as she too lay on the ground a short way off from her without so much as a word. As they had crept cautiously past the forest in search of their friends and family the younger of the two Lyanore-girls had remained very quiet, hardly saying a word to her friend.

Ayadi had been immersed in thought about the things that Charrenity had said to her back in the field and now she felt deeply ashamed of herself - Ayadi knew that the only reason that they were both in danger was that she had been acting so badly and as she thought about how Charrenity had taken such a dreadful risk to find her she felt ill…

"Do you think they saw us?" she wondered aloud wanting to think about something, anything other than the terrible guilt that was aching within her.

Charrenity thought about the scar-faced man they had come across along the way and her eyes became troubled as she remembered him - for a moment she had, had a good view of his face while she had guided Ayadi through the thick bushes. Something about him made her feel very worried and it wasn't because of the fact that he was one of the men who had come to kill her people.

Something deeper made her feel so uneasy - perhaps it had been his eyes that had struck such nervousness into her. They had been so cold and seemed to bore through everything that he had looked at…

"I'm certain that we did Ayadi." She replied forcing herself to speak confidently so as not to worry her young friend. "After all if he'd seen us then he would have called for the rest of his kind and chased us wouldn't he? Please calm yourself. I am sure that we will be safe now."

Ayadi lowered her eyes uncomfortably. "Charrenity…you shouldn't have come for me." She blurted so unexpectedly that her older friend gave her a startled look.

"Ayadi…" Charrenity began so surprised by the emotion in her younger friend's voice that she couldn't think of a word to say.

"You're in danger now because of me…I'm so sorry!" Ayadi cried as she realised just how foolishly she had been behaving over the last year.

Charrenity's eyes had softened but her expression remained firm as she hushed her distressed friend. "And I haven't been." She replied soothingly. "I doesn't matter Ayadi. It was my choice to come back for you and I haven't regretted it even for a minute. Even if I wasn't the head of the Dance I'd have come back for you because you are my friend - and one of my people. Do not feel badly Ayadi…as a Lyanore it was my duty to come for you, not as the Dance leader."

Ayadi gazed silently at her friend as she calmed down a little. "Charrenity…" she began to whisper softly. "I…"

"Don't say it Ayadi. At present all that we should concentrate on is making our way back to the rest of our kin."

"Do you think we'll ever find them?" Ayadi asked and suddenly very voice had become tiny.

Charrenity looked closely at her and in the shadows she was sure that she could see that the younger Lyanore's eyes were now dampened. "Of course." She promised as she leaned over and nuzzled Ayadi's face with her snout. "Listen to me. We are going to come out of this you and I. Ayadi I promise that I will not leave you and until you are back at your mother's side."

Ayadi smiled a watery smile as she felt comforted by those assuring words and more as she believed them. "Charrenity…you are just like your mother." She exclaimed as she nuzzled her friend in return. "You're so brave…braver than I can feel."

Charrenity smiled. "Do not worry." She repeated. "I'm certain that we are past the worst…"

"Getting' kinda cocky now aren't we?" a bitter voice taunted.

Charrenity's blood ran cold as she whipped her head around - there on a fallen tree that was dead and rotting through stood Dirk. The hunter's scarred face was even more cracked than usual as he looked at the shocked Lyanore-girls with a sneering grin.

There was a predatory gleam in his dark, cold eyes as he fixed the pair who he had so successfully crept on after tracking them all the way out here to where they were now both cut off from help and he didn't have to worry about any interference from his former men who had no idea that they'd been excommunicated.

Ayadi had frozen the very moment she had seen him standing there like something out of a nightmare but as the horror that wormed its way through her she did something that shocked herself more than it did her protector or the hunter…she screamed.

~*~*~

Rula's head whipped up and she cocked her ear like a dog as she caught the terrified cry that had suddenly echoed through the forest. A moment ago her heart had been pounding as if it had been urging her on - she always felt this way under extreme conditions, when her whole body was under the thrall of burning adrenaline but now her heart almost stopped beating.

That scream had hit her like a body blow and as Rula stared into the direction from which it had resounded her blood turned to ice…had she failed?

No…it couldn't end like this. She wouldn't let it.

Arching her eyebrows Rula turned to fully face the direction she'd glanced at over her shoulder. "Time for me to see another part of the forest." She remarked almost wryly as she set off to find the source of the terrified scream.

~*~*~

Nord was breathing deeply as his eyes opened for the first time in an hour. The Lyanore had managed to safely reach the sanctuary deep in the forest some time ago and Nord had immediately walked over to an isolated area of the clearing to spend some time alone with his thoughts.

Pausing only to send Thack to find out the location of the Star Raiders the noblest of the male Lyanore had quickly discovered that his thoughts were not at all assuring. A few minutes ago one of the other males had cautiously asked him whether it had really been a good idea to allow his daughter to leave the group and head out alone.

Nord had replied curtly and briefly "I can't change the way she thinks." and that had been the end of the discussion. And a moment ago a cold shudder had run through his body and made him open his eyes - and it had, had nothing to do with the cold air that his thick coat protected his skin against.

Being a lot better informed then the Star Raiders were about their own forest the Lyanore were perfectly unafraid of the Devil-Wolves which were in fact a herbivore species – it was the hunters that struck fear into every last one of their hearts.

As the others looked startled at him, wondering why he had gasped so suddenly Nord shook his mane as he wondered why he was feeling so deeply disturbed now - as the female Lyanore started to whisper among themselves everybody was startled by the cracking of a twig as it was crushed underfoot.

Nord glanced sharply at the narrow archway that the trees naturally formed and a moment later his sigh of relief was drowned out by the sighs of everybody else as Thack walked back into the sanctuary although his expression seemed worried.

"Did you find them?" Nord asked half-heartedly for he could see that Thack did not have either Charrenity or Ayadi with him.

Thack shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry Nord." he replied mournfully and the other Lyanore's heart sank and an awful coldness filled its place.

The realisation that he might lose his daughter hit him like a body-blow and it felt as if a precious part of his soul had been stolen away right from beneath his nose.

"Did you see any of them?" he asked quietly but with plain disgust in his voice that left no room for doubt that he was speaking of the Star Raiders who were tearing the forest to pieces in order to find them at that very moment.

"There's a strange story to tell Nord." Thack reported as Noulo, surrounded by the other females who did their best to comfort her, wept. "You see while I watched those blood-thirsty butchers I saw a flash of blue light which was followed by a strong gust of wind...I think that there's someone else out there. Somebody other than the Star Raiders..."

Nord took a deep breath as he considered the implications of these unexpected tidings. "An omen..." he muttered beneath his breath so quietly that only those who watched his lips knew that he was saying anything at all. "Whatever happens now the earth will be stained red before this day is over..."

"I…" Lancet suddenly began, his voice halting as if it were a leaf that had been blowing in the wind and then abruptly snagged upon a thorn-bush.

But Nord, brooding and dark as he stood alone at the entrance of the sanctuary, cut him off, "Don't say a word." He said abruptly.

"But…but I shouldn't have just LET her go like that." Lancet just couldn't stop himself from saying what had been on his mind ever since the dance had set off from the plains – ever since they'd arrived in the Sanctuary he'd lain on his side in a corner, thinking about his mate…thinking about Charrenity and how her absence left him feeling incomplete, carrying nothing but dread inside him like a dead weight that was slowly causing his stomach to burst under the unbearable burden of being unable to do anything. "I should have…"

"I know – I know how you feel Lancet." Said Nord softly – and he did.

As he had stood silently gazing out into the darkness of the forest he had been reliving the rage that had overwhelmed his heart on the day HIS mate, Charrenity's Mother, Vauara had been found…dead. He'd been brooding about how he would feel if anything were to happen to his daughter today…he felt an oddly emotionless certainty that should Charrenity be harmed by the hunters then the old fury would reawaken within him and this time take him over completely.

To put it simply, Charrenity was all he had left…and if she was hurt then nothing would matter anymore.

"You could not have done anything other than what you did…her desire as leader." Nord went on unexpectedly – he did not turn to look at Lancet and it was as if he was speaking more to himself than his daughter's life-mate…explaining to HIMSELF why nobody had gone with Charrenity. "She is right…she must be able to trust in her own speed, courage and judgement or else how can WE ever do it? Charrenity is trying to prove to herself that she is worthy to stand in the role of her mother…even if we had tried to stop her she would have gone."

Nord breathed a long sigh – the lesson he was trying to teach Lancet was one that he himself still constantly forgot.

There was nothing like a life-or-death situation that threatened the survival of an entire species to put things back into proper perspective…

"Set yourself at rest…" Nord said gently- his eyes alone reflected the turmoil within though since his gaze was directed away from the others they were spared witnessing it. "Charrenity will return."

~*~*~

As Dirk stared at her with coldness burning in his eyes Charrenity felt completely numb as if her hooves were frozen to the ground.

Ayadi was now standing a little way behind her as she stared at the cruel knife glittering in the hunter's hand, quaking in terror as the thin, shiny and almost beautifully sharp tip transfixed her so much that she couldn't tear her eyes away from it.

Neither of them had realised that they had slowly risen to their feet but they knew that they must have done so because they could both feel their legs trembling under them and time seemed to have stopped as the terrible silence that had settled over the small thicket practically suffocated them.

Then Dirk gave a spiteful chuckle that broke the terrible spell and brought Charrenity's breath rushing back to her in an instant. "Ayadi...RUN!" she cried and then without waiting for a response she did something utterly unexpected...she charged right at Dirk.

The hunter was so shocked as the brave Lyanore bore down on him that he stood on the hollow trees stunned in motionlessness - and as Charrenity reared up in front of him on her hind legs as if to crush him Dirk gave a short, shocked yelp and tumbled off his perch and landed in a tangled heap on the ground below.

While the hunter lay dazed and breathless Charrenity looked over at Ayadi who stood rooted to the ground hardly believing what her friend had just done. "Ayadi run to safety while I distract him!" she ordered her friend sternly - she was so caught up in the moment that she didn't have time to be afraid. "Find my father! Goodbye!"

With that she took to her hooves and turned and plunged into the forest running as fast as her legs would carry her planning to lead the hunter away from her friend - behind her Dirk scrambled to his feet in bewilderment...then he realised what had just happened and as he shook himself off like a dog his face filled with sheer murder.

"I'm gonna rip off your filthy little ears!" he roared after the disappearing Charrenity. "C'MERE!!!"

Since Charrenity was unlikely to come to him the hunter cursed and retrieved his knife from where it had landed on the ground when he'd fallen and charged after the Lyanore-girl...having completely forgotten about Ayadi in his vengeful rage.

Left alone in the middle of the forest Ayadi almost fell to the ground as she watched the scarred hunter pursuing her best friend - the terrifying experience was just too much for her and as her shock passed she started to cry out of sheer fright. Suddenly, silently an arm slid beneath her neck and then another under her belly and she found herself being hauled away from the thicket by somebody who had crept stealthily up behind her.

"Quiet." a cool voice breathed quietly into Ayadi's ear as her entire body froze in shock. "Now...come over here."

The voice was soft and soothing but also contained a firmness that made it impossible for Ayadi to refuse to do as she was told and without resisting she allowed the stranger to guide her over to a thick bush and push her into the heart of the foliage where she would be out of sight.

Ayadi heard rustling as the stranger pushed the branches together so that the interior of the bush would be as hidden as possible from any unsuspecting eyes that might pass by. The Lyanore had gotten over her surprise and now her eyes were filled with wonder - who in the world was this?

Whoever was helping her knelt in front of the bush and leant her face so near that Ayadi could see her lips. "Keep out of sight." the female voice told her and then the mouth curled into a wry smirk. "This is no business for a girl to get herself involved in."