As Elentari sat with their bodyguard she watched her little brother run and
play in the forest. "He loves it out here, it's almost as if Malachai is
more at home in the forest than the city."
"Yes princess it does, but the time is getting late and I'm afraid I promised your mother I'd have you back before dark."
Elentari looked at the guard and stood up to go after her brother. He had gotten off the path as he usually did and Elentari was the only one who knew where to find him. She walked to a small cave set back in the woods, its opening facing a small clearing in the trees. Malachai was playing happily with the wolf cubs in the cave as the mother wolf looked on peacefully. Elentari watched him play for a few minutes before she called his attention. "Malachai its time to go home. It will be dark soon and mother will have Jackson's head if we're late. We'll come back and play more tomorrow."
Malachai looked up at his sister and smiled, "Ok Tari I'll be right out, just let me say goodbye." Elentari smiled at her brother's pet name for her. She could not refuse her little brother anything and waited patiently for Malachai to emerge from the cave.
Malachai came running from the cave very excited, "Tari did you see how big the cubs have gotten? They'll be old enough to leave the cave soon."
Elentari hugged her little brother, "Yes they have grown, like someone else I know." Malachai laughed knowing his sister was referring to him. "Come on now we must hurry." As they began to walk back to where Jackson had been standing Malachai stopped. "What's wrong Malachai?"
"Nothing I just forgot the crystals I found for mother by the river. Wait here and I'll run to get them." Elentari glanced disapprovingly at him. "Oh don't look at me like that I'll be right back." Malachai ran back to the cave while Elentari surveyed the surrounding trees. She heard a faint rustling noise behind her and turned thinking it was Malachai trying to sneak up on her.
"Come on Malachai now is not the time for games, we have to get home." Elentari screamed when she saw what was behind her. The Dro laughed at her reaction.
"Now now, princess that is not necessary. We're not here to hurt you we just want your little brother."
"You leave him alone you monster." As Elentari struggled with the Dro holding her as Malachai came out of the cave once again.
"Tari what's going on?'
Elentari paused in her struggle to yell to Malachai. "Run! Go to Jackson and get help." Malachai looked terrified but did as his sister said. He began to run towards the trail but the other Dro was too fast and caught him before he reached the edge of the clearing.
"We have the boy now. What should we do with the girl, we don't need her?"
"Tie her up we can't have her alerting the guard and following us."
"Yes sir." Elentari struggled but the Dro was too strong.
"Leave my brother alone. You can take him; he's just a child. I swear you won't get away with this. My father will send an army after you for this." The Dro just laughed at Elentari's attempts at saving her brother and faded into the shadows growing around the clearing. Elentari fought against the ropes holding her but they were to tight and the rough bark of the tree scratched her skin. Elentari summoned what was left of her strength and focused hard on the image of a hawk in her mind. She prayed the ropes were not too tight to prevent her from morphing.
As Elentari concentrated her elf form faded away and was replaced by a hawk. She shook off the now loose ropes and flew to where Jackson was waiting for her. She demorphed as she landed. "Princess where is Malachai?" "They took him, the Dro took him. I tired to stop them but I couldn't. He was so scared but there was nothing I could do to help him." Elentari collapsed against Jackson and began to sob.
"Don't cry princess we'll find him."
"Yes princess it does, but the time is getting late and I'm afraid I promised your mother I'd have you back before dark."
Elentari looked at the guard and stood up to go after her brother. He had gotten off the path as he usually did and Elentari was the only one who knew where to find him. She walked to a small cave set back in the woods, its opening facing a small clearing in the trees. Malachai was playing happily with the wolf cubs in the cave as the mother wolf looked on peacefully. Elentari watched him play for a few minutes before she called his attention. "Malachai its time to go home. It will be dark soon and mother will have Jackson's head if we're late. We'll come back and play more tomorrow."
Malachai looked up at his sister and smiled, "Ok Tari I'll be right out, just let me say goodbye." Elentari smiled at her brother's pet name for her. She could not refuse her little brother anything and waited patiently for Malachai to emerge from the cave.
Malachai came running from the cave very excited, "Tari did you see how big the cubs have gotten? They'll be old enough to leave the cave soon."
Elentari hugged her little brother, "Yes they have grown, like someone else I know." Malachai laughed knowing his sister was referring to him. "Come on now we must hurry." As they began to walk back to where Jackson had been standing Malachai stopped. "What's wrong Malachai?"
"Nothing I just forgot the crystals I found for mother by the river. Wait here and I'll run to get them." Elentari glanced disapprovingly at him. "Oh don't look at me like that I'll be right back." Malachai ran back to the cave while Elentari surveyed the surrounding trees. She heard a faint rustling noise behind her and turned thinking it was Malachai trying to sneak up on her.
"Come on Malachai now is not the time for games, we have to get home." Elentari screamed when she saw what was behind her. The Dro laughed at her reaction.
"Now now, princess that is not necessary. We're not here to hurt you we just want your little brother."
"You leave him alone you monster." As Elentari struggled with the Dro holding her as Malachai came out of the cave once again.
"Tari what's going on?'
Elentari paused in her struggle to yell to Malachai. "Run! Go to Jackson and get help." Malachai looked terrified but did as his sister said. He began to run towards the trail but the other Dro was too fast and caught him before he reached the edge of the clearing.
"We have the boy now. What should we do with the girl, we don't need her?"
"Tie her up we can't have her alerting the guard and following us."
"Yes sir." Elentari struggled but the Dro was too strong.
"Leave my brother alone. You can take him; he's just a child. I swear you won't get away with this. My father will send an army after you for this." The Dro just laughed at Elentari's attempts at saving her brother and faded into the shadows growing around the clearing. Elentari fought against the ropes holding her but they were to tight and the rough bark of the tree scratched her skin. Elentari summoned what was left of her strength and focused hard on the image of a hawk in her mind. She prayed the ropes were not too tight to prevent her from morphing.
As Elentari concentrated her elf form faded away and was replaced by a hawk. She shook off the now loose ropes and flew to where Jackson was waiting for her. She demorphed as she landed. "Princess where is Malachai?" "They took him, the Dro took him. I tired to stop them but I couldn't. He was so scared but there was nothing I could do to help him." Elentari collapsed against Jackson and began to sob.
"Don't cry princess we'll find him."
