Author's Notes: Don't worry, this isn't turning into The Mists of Avalon.
Calix rode through the forest, his chestnut mare cantering easily along, her ears pricked. The trail of dug-up turf led deep into the Niwe Forest.
He asked his mare Alexia for just a little bit more speed and she gave it without missing a beat, changing from a canter to a gallop in half a stride. She was, obviously, an elfin horse, one of the best, bred from the old stock without any wizard enhancements. The trail veered off suddenly into dense brush, and Calix had to slow Alexia and turn her before they were able to more slowly proceed into the thicket. Crashing sounds ahead - Where is all the grace of Avalon, dear Ailani? Calix thought - denoted that they were not far behind, and Calix stood in his stirrups and called out, "Ailani!"
The crashing sounds stopped; they must have gotten to the far side of the thicket. Alexia nickered and picked up the pace to a trot, and soon they broke out onto the top ridge of the farthest arm of the Ameya Mountains. Below, heat shimmered off the tops of the trees, giving the whole forest the appearance of crawling with bugs. Ahead, Ailani was dismounting and taking off the saddle, walking over to the edge of the ridge and looking out over the broad valley.
Calix slowed his mare as they approached, and Nenya raised his head and nickered. Alexia answered in kind, and soon both horses were grazing together. While the great stallion wasn't sweaty, Calix noted that his steps were no longer as springy as they once were. So the great Nenya had finally tired somewhat.
The Goddess save us, the world is coming to an end, Calix thought.
Ailani had produced a little flute and was playing a mournful sort of tune on it. Calix stood there, watching her play; then after a time, he walked forward to stand beside her. Though her head was high and there was no prevailing wind, tears were very slowly sliding out over her eyelids. When she spoke, her voice was perfectly calm.
"I never expected that to happen. For all of them to deny it so vehemently.I can't say now that they're just covering up." She quietly sank to the ground, her flute across her lap, still crying. "And this with Aubrey..if I had only realized him for what he was earlier.."
Calix acted on his first impulse and gave her a hug; to his surprise she threw her arms around him and cried - softly, of course. For half an hour, they sat like that, Ailani slowly working her way to dry sobs, Calix holding her tenderly to his chest, and the horses munching on the grass. Finally Ailani sat up and dried her eyes with the sleeve of her tunic. Her face was nonchalant again; she gave a final sniff and rose, tucking her flute back away and silently mounting Nenya. The stallion moved off at a slower pace, and Calix thoughtfully touched the damp spot on his own tunic, then smiled and mounted his own mare, and returned to Silverwood.
"It appears," Aubrey said angrily, "That you are none of you competent enough to kidnap a girl!"
The assorted drow and demons around him winced at the tone in his voice. Aubrey's eyes glowed their hereditary red only when he was feeling murderous; and now they were red as spilled blood on a white cloth. His pale hair flowed behind him as he paced up and down their length, glaring at them all. He was wearing black; a black cloak with a silver clasp was tossed over his shoulders.
"I see no reason why I should not have Lady Ailani now," he said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. One of the drow priestesses shifted her feet, and Aubrey whirled, grabbing her neck and slamming her against the wall; his fingernails dug into the dark skin and the priestess choked.
"Are you uncomfortable?" Aubrey hissed. "Good."
The priestess gurgled, and a bubble of blood formed on her lips. The male drow moved away a step. Vainly she tried to fight, scrabble for her snake- headed whip; she went limp soon after. Aubrey laughed and licked away the blood on his hands, like a cat cleaning itself. Turning away, he said, "As you lot have proved yourselves unworthy to reclaim a person for me, I suppose I must do this myself." Loud protests to the contrary broke out on all sides; each saying in their own language that they were competent enough. Aubrey ignored them all and said, "Is there anyone here with half a mind who can Send a message?"
One of the priestesses (Ironically, the sister of the now-dead one) stepped forward reluctantly. Aubrey smiled, showing sharp fangs that had most certainly not been there five minutes ago.
"Let us pay the Lady Ailani a visit."
The hall in the Palace was full of laughter; Ailani, though a little quiet, was warming to the cheerful elves around her. All were celebrating the summer in general and the success in defeating the raiding party that afternoon. Such was their joy that the shadowy figure stepping out of the fire was not immediately noticed. Only Ailani, after feeling a sudden chill come over her, stood and looked around. And screamed.
The shadowy figure lifted its hand. "Lady Ailani..you could be Princess, and Queen in time."
Ailani made a vehement banishing gesture; the figure did not dissipate. It laughed, and drew off its cloak.
Aubrey.
Ailani screamed "Get you back, hellspawn!" and made the gesture again.
Aubrey drew forward, a pleasant smile on his handsome face. Levitating over the table, he gently caressed Ailani's cheek; she pulled back and drew her sword, creating a fireball in the other. "I am no longer yours!" she said, and tossed the fireball at him. With a wave of his hand, it dissolved. Aubrey laughed softly.
"Dear Ailani," he said. "You have not changed."
Ailani thrust forward with Caladbolg; the sword tip passed completely through Aubrey, and came back with none of the residue that a Mist spell would. Ailani said, "Sending!"
Farther down the table, Yuna looked questioningly at Seymour, who was muttering away to himself. Looking down at her, he said quietly, "She doesn't mean he's an Unsent."
"Then what is she talking about?"
Seymour bit his lip. "A Sending, in the parlance of Avalon, is when one person projects a form of themselves somewhere else to give a message. But what is he trying to say.?"
Aubrey's specter answered that. "Ailani.if you will not come willingly.then I shall take you myself. Take care, Ailani! You are not safe in your own fortress!"
The specter spun around, and vanished in a wisp of purple smoke. Ailani sank to the floor; Calix, Seymour, and Yuna ran over. She was breathing, but barely; her body glowed with a soft blue light. Calix lit a fire on one of his fingertips and touched it to the glow; the fire went out. "A ward. Good girl."
Seymour nodded. "Do you think she'll be all right?"
Calix put two fingers to her neck; Ailani's pulse was strong and regular. "She just had a shock. She'll be fine."
Ailani took a deep breath, and sat up. She was pale as death, her sweat cold. The entire hall was in an uproar; many elves were standing in their seats to see the small group clustered around the priestess. All went silent as Calix stood and Seymour helped his daughter to her feet.
"Double the watch."
Calix rode through the forest, his chestnut mare cantering easily along, her ears pricked. The trail of dug-up turf led deep into the Niwe Forest.
He asked his mare Alexia for just a little bit more speed and she gave it without missing a beat, changing from a canter to a gallop in half a stride. She was, obviously, an elfin horse, one of the best, bred from the old stock without any wizard enhancements. The trail veered off suddenly into dense brush, and Calix had to slow Alexia and turn her before they were able to more slowly proceed into the thicket. Crashing sounds ahead - Where is all the grace of Avalon, dear Ailani? Calix thought - denoted that they were not far behind, and Calix stood in his stirrups and called out, "Ailani!"
The crashing sounds stopped; they must have gotten to the far side of the thicket. Alexia nickered and picked up the pace to a trot, and soon they broke out onto the top ridge of the farthest arm of the Ameya Mountains. Below, heat shimmered off the tops of the trees, giving the whole forest the appearance of crawling with bugs. Ahead, Ailani was dismounting and taking off the saddle, walking over to the edge of the ridge and looking out over the broad valley.
Calix slowed his mare as they approached, and Nenya raised his head and nickered. Alexia answered in kind, and soon both horses were grazing together. While the great stallion wasn't sweaty, Calix noted that his steps were no longer as springy as they once were. So the great Nenya had finally tired somewhat.
The Goddess save us, the world is coming to an end, Calix thought.
Ailani had produced a little flute and was playing a mournful sort of tune on it. Calix stood there, watching her play; then after a time, he walked forward to stand beside her. Though her head was high and there was no prevailing wind, tears were very slowly sliding out over her eyelids. When she spoke, her voice was perfectly calm.
"I never expected that to happen. For all of them to deny it so vehemently.I can't say now that they're just covering up." She quietly sank to the ground, her flute across her lap, still crying. "And this with Aubrey..if I had only realized him for what he was earlier.."
Calix acted on his first impulse and gave her a hug; to his surprise she threw her arms around him and cried - softly, of course. For half an hour, they sat like that, Ailani slowly working her way to dry sobs, Calix holding her tenderly to his chest, and the horses munching on the grass. Finally Ailani sat up and dried her eyes with the sleeve of her tunic. Her face was nonchalant again; she gave a final sniff and rose, tucking her flute back away and silently mounting Nenya. The stallion moved off at a slower pace, and Calix thoughtfully touched the damp spot on his own tunic, then smiled and mounted his own mare, and returned to Silverwood.
"It appears," Aubrey said angrily, "That you are none of you competent enough to kidnap a girl!"
The assorted drow and demons around him winced at the tone in his voice. Aubrey's eyes glowed their hereditary red only when he was feeling murderous; and now they were red as spilled blood on a white cloth. His pale hair flowed behind him as he paced up and down their length, glaring at them all. He was wearing black; a black cloak with a silver clasp was tossed over his shoulders.
"I see no reason why I should not have Lady Ailani now," he said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. One of the drow priestesses shifted her feet, and Aubrey whirled, grabbing her neck and slamming her against the wall; his fingernails dug into the dark skin and the priestess choked.
"Are you uncomfortable?" Aubrey hissed. "Good."
The priestess gurgled, and a bubble of blood formed on her lips. The male drow moved away a step. Vainly she tried to fight, scrabble for her snake- headed whip; she went limp soon after. Aubrey laughed and licked away the blood on his hands, like a cat cleaning itself. Turning away, he said, "As you lot have proved yourselves unworthy to reclaim a person for me, I suppose I must do this myself." Loud protests to the contrary broke out on all sides; each saying in their own language that they were competent enough. Aubrey ignored them all and said, "Is there anyone here with half a mind who can Send a message?"
One of the priestesses (Ironically, the sister of the now-dead one) stepped forward reluctantly. Aubrey smiled, showing sharp fangs that had most certainly not been there five minutes ago.
"Let us pay the Lady Ailani a visit."
The hall in the Palace was full of laughter; Ailani, though a little quiet, was warming to the cheerful elves around her. All were celebrating the summer in general and the success in defeating the raiding party that afternoon. Such was their joy that the shadowy figure stepping out of the fire was not immediately noticed. Only Ailani, after feeling a sudden chill come over her, stood and looked around. And screamed.
The shadowy figure lifted its hand. "Lady Ailani..you could be Princess, and Queen in time."
Ailani made a vehement banishing gesture; the figure did not dissipate. It laughed, and drew off its cloak.
Aubrey.
Ailani screamed "Get you back, hellspawn!" and made the gesture again.
Aubrey drew forward, a pleasant smile on his handsome face. Levitating over the table, he gently caressed Ailani's cheek; she pulled back and drew her sword, creating a fireball in the other. "I am no longer yours!" she said, and tossed the fireball at him. With a wave of his hand, it dissolved. Aubrey laughed softly.
"Dear Ailani," he said. "You have not changed."
Ailani thrust forward with Caladbolg; the sword tip passed completely through Aubrey, and came back with none of the residue that a Mist spell would. Ailani said, "Sending!"
Farther down the table, Yuna looked questioningly at Seymour, who was muttering away to himself. Looking down at her, he said quietly, "She doesn't mean he's an Unsent."
"Then what is she talking about?"
Seymour bit his lip. "A Sending, in the parlance of Avalon, is when one person projects a form of themselves somewhere else to give a message. But what is he trying to say.?"
Aubrey's specter answered that. "Ailani.if you will not come willingly.then I shall take you myself. Take care, Ailani! You are not safe in your own fortress!"
The specter spun around, and vanished in a wisp of purple smoke. Ailani sank to the floor; Calix, Seymour, and Yuna ran over. She was breathing, but barely; her body glowed with a soft blue light. Calix lit a fire on one of his fingertips and touched it to the glow; the fire went out. "A ward. Good girl."
Seymour nodded. "Do you think she'll be all right?"
Calix put two fingers to her neck; Ailani's pulse was strong and regular. "She just had a shock. She'll be fine."
Ailani took a deep breath, and sat up. She was pale as death, her sweat cold. The entire hall was in an uproar; many elves were standing in their seats to see the small group clustered around the priestess. All went silent as Calix stood and Seymour helped his daughter to her feet.
"Double the watch."