Aether Winds

Chapter sixteen- The Long Awaited Arrival

By- IceWind

A/N:

This is my first fanfic for The Protector of the Small books by Tamora Pierce. The names, places, things, ect, all are credited to her. The word Aether goes to Juliet E. McKenna, but the way I use it and the gem idea is all mine. This fanfic is set in an alternate universe. I.E: Joren is NOT dead, Cleon and Kel are not together (hehe), and other incidents that have I messed up on and don't feel like making it exactly like the book. Please REVIEW *grins* and as long as its not flames on how Kel and Cleon should be together or something of that trivial nature, flames are fine. This story is PG-13 for anything that might come up lol.

IceWind: *a rather depressed look came over her face* I've been getting fewer reviews for my chapters *she sniffs dolefully* It's been going down… spiraling down…

Raen: *sighs* She's kinda upset, can't you tell?

IceWind: *frowns slightly* So I shall ask for more reviews from you readers… at least 10… or… or else! *looks stricken*

Raen: *blinks* err……..

IceWind: *sobs out* I'm SERIOUS! *her sad mood suddenly dissipates* Well anyway, other then the lack of reviews I'm fine! So remember to review!

Ti-TI: *sighs* I'm sorry, but I don't think I have time to do another story! It's hard enough updating Aether without having to worry about anything else. And I don't know if an elf is the most powerful 'thing' of all creatures, it depends on what you think…

Xelena: *grins* Cliffhangers are GOOD lol. As you can see when you finish reading this chapter, that there is another one at the bottom of the page!

TheBlindAssasin: *grins evilly* You'll just have to find out what happens to Kel and Raen in the upcoming chapter, or chapters.

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Dawn was swiftly approaching as they stared at the elf. Little gleams of light already broke through on the horizon, signaling night's end. Laynith gave a charming smile at them all, his bright green eyes taking in the entire group. When his eyes landed on Kel he gasped inwardly, but outwardly didn't show it. He fixed on her an easy grin and raised her hand, kissing it softly, "Pleasure to meet you Mi'lady."

Kel looked at him in surprised, hazel brown eyes slightly widened. She stood frozen in indecision, wondering what to do. Goddess, why does this happen to me? She managed a slight smile back, trying not to seem too obvious as she pulled back her hand. Tilting her head slightly, she asked the elf, "Do I know you?" Her gaze darted towards the horse behind him, seeing a rather tall, showy looking gray stallion with light blue eyes. Once again her gaze widened as she saw the eyes and she mummered, "Mithros…"

Next to her, Raen looked at the elf with thinly disguised dislike, eyes slightly narrowed, a suspicious look on his face. He looked up at Kel when she spoke, and turned his eyes towards the horses with slight curiosity before suddenly speaking up, eyes wide, Those are Kalyrath horses! He trotted right up to the gray stallion and stared at it for several moments.

Joren just folded his arms and glared slightly at the elf, his ice-blue eyes highly suspicious, at least Kel looks like she doesn't know what's going on…. Why do I care? I don't… He turned his attention back to Demon Wind, eyes looking critically over his form before a reluctant smile appeared on his face when he saw that the stallion looked sleek and well cared for.

"Kalyrath horses?" Kel glanced down at Raen, forgetting about the elf in front of her for a moment, "What are you talking about Raen?" She pushed back a strand of hair from her eyes, looking down at the hizar curiously.

Joren glanced at the other horse, then at his and Kel's with a thoughtful look on his face, turning his back on the elf, he spoke, "We have the same kind of horses as that elf right?" Demon Wind trotted up next to Joren and nudged his shoulder with his nose lightly, as if he was confirming Joren's suspicion. They all seemed to ignore the rapidly become annoyed elf.

The elf almost scowled, but smoothed over his expression, stepping once again in front of Kel, "I can explain Mi'lady, that's what I'm here for. That and to guide you to our fair forest." He seemed to think for a moment before talking once again, "And you shall see soon how I know of you Mi'lady, when we get to the Elven forest there our king and queen shall answer all of your questions."

She once again fixed her attention on the elf, "My name is Keladry, but you can call me Kel. None of that Mi'lady stuff, I'm a knight of Tortall and not some weak court lady." She said that sentence with a rather proud air about her, eyes holding the elf's with a look that dared him to contradict her.

Laynith seemed to almost be horrified at the thought of calling Kel anything but 'Mi'lady'. He shook his head rapidly, explaining himself, "Nay, Mi'lady, I cannot tell you why I will not call you anything else but such… that you shall find our for yourself soon enough when--"

Joren cut in, eyes highly annoyed it seemed, by the elf's actions and words, "we get to this forest of yours. You already told us." With that he tugged on Kel's arm and started to pull her away to a tree where the elf couldn't hear them speak, with no explanation why he was doing so. He fully expected Raen to follow and the elf to keep an eye on their horses.

The hizar gave the elf a disgusted look and walked off after the duo, his form fluid and graceful as he moved. At least I like the boy better then elves… He gave a mental shudder as his body went through the leaves and his feet stepped over rocks, elves… if Mistress didn't need their help… He let that thought drift in his mind without finishing it.

The elf gave a sigh and settled down on a nearby rock, patiently waiting for their talking to end. He whistled piercingly and the dark gray horse trotted down until he was beside the elf. Laynith rummaged through the packs that the horse carried until he came upon his quiver and arrows. Calmly placing the weapons on his back and his bow in his hand, he mummered softly to the stallion, "Good job Storm Cloud."

~

Kel gave Joren a scowl, whispering to him fiercely, "Now why did you do that?" Their faces and bodies were hidden in some heavy tree foliage, the elf not being able to hear or see them talk, just in case he was able to read lips. She pulled her arm from his grasp as soon as they were far enough away from Laynith.

He just gave her a mild glare back, muttering just as soft, "Why do you think Kel? Do you really think that we can trust him? I, for one, don't like him at all." His eyes held glimmers of suspicion, backing up his accusations.

Raen looked up at them, his eyes grave, For once I agree with the boy about not liking the elf… but he IS trustworthy… The hizar looked displeased as he spoke, All elves are once you have them give you their word… They are kind of like hizars in that manner His ears pricked up towards Joren and Kel, his ebony body easily hidden in the shadows of the foliage.

She mussed over their options for a couple of moment before she spoke softly, "But… we have to trust him, them, if we are to get home, back to Tortall…" Her eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment as she remembered the court, and her friends. I wonder how they are all doing… Neal… he would be shocked that I can live with Joren for more then five minutes… a small smile quirked on her face in remembrance, Cleon… how many more bad poems will he write to girls? Owen… is he still 'jolly'? And how are those cousins of his doing? Ahh… I miss them all…

"Kel!" Joren looked down at her with an annoyed expression on his face; "You seemed to blank out for a couple of moments." His ice-blue eyes looked down at her hazel ones, his hands still on her shoulders when he was shaking her to try to get her attention.

"Huh?" She looked up at him with a slightly sheepish smile; he's so close…ACK! What am I thinking??? Bad thoughts Kel! You are like stone! Kel pulled out of his grasp, her eyes expressing confusion before a blank mask fell over them.

Raen looked at them both with something akin to suspicion, eyes highly amused, My Mistress and the boy… He mentally scowled, she could do SO much better… With that thought in mind, he mentally coughed in their heads to get their attention; pleased when he saw both pairs of eyes look down at him. He stated with a slightly regal air, My Mistress is right; the only way to get you home is to go to the elves for help

Suddenly Kel seemed to realize something, and her eyes widened, we are so close to home… but what will happen to Raen and our bond? I… I don't know what to do, maybe convince him to go with us? She sneaked a look towards Joren; I don't think that's fair though… to take Raen away from his world. I mean, look at Joren and me… we want to get home so desperately, what would Raen feel? She seemed depressed at the thought until Joren's voice once again cut through her musing.

"Kel!" He looked at her; irritation clearly expressed now, "What is with you and blanking out? This is serious Mindelan!" His light blond hair fell over his eyes as he looked down, giving him a boyishly cute look.

She darted a look at him and Raen, both looking at her with something alike confusion in their eyes. She once again smiled self-consciously, wondering to herself at the weird thought of pushing Joren's hair away from his eyes. Suddenly a scowl appeared as she registered his words on her mind, "Hey! I am serious!" At his disbelieving look she scowled even more, "Okay, why don't we go to the elf forest and go home? That's the plan… let's stick by it shall we?"

Raen gave a slight nod of his head, I shall follow you anywhere Mistress… His silver chain around his neck gleamed slightly in the specks of light that flickered through the dense foliage. His eyes held his level of seriousness, devotion to her complete.

Joren gave a shrug, then also nodded, "It's the only thing we can do to get back to Tortall…" He frowned as he looked down at Raen, suddenly asking, "What are Kalyrath horses anyway? Demon Wind and Arctic Wind are of that species… do they all have blue eyes?"

Kel suddenly smiled peacefully at the scene of Joren and Raen talking to each other without fighting, a thought running through her head, would you really follow me everywhere Raen? She looked at the hizar, wanting to know the answer to Joren's question as well.

With a flick of his tail, Raen turned around and began to walk back to the elf, his mind-voice echoing in their heads, The elf can explain better then I can, hizar's can't ride remember? And yes, all Kalyrath horses do have blue eyes, different shades of blue, but all blue nether the less With that he bounded out of the foliage and towards the waiting elf.

Joren and Kel exchanged glances, both of them uncertain if they should trust the elf. Kel finally gave a shrug towards him and left to go after the hizar… Joren following her a couple of steps away.

~

Laynith looked up from where he was tending Storm Cloud, saying evenly, "Done talking?" He causally mounted his horse, gripping the reins loosely. "We'll ride to the Elven forest, we should reach it by nightfall." He gave a disarming smile at Kel, almost, but not quite, ignoring Joren and Raen. Storm Cloud danced restlessly under him, quieting when Laynith patted his neck.

Kel couldn't help but smile back at the elf and gave a nod, "Yes…" She swiftly walked over to Arctic Wind and mounted, reveling in the feeling of riding a horse again without having to walk. The filly flicked an ear back at her, but other then that, stood quietly, waiting for the command to ride out.

With a soft whistle, Demon Wind trotted over to Joren, head tossing proudly. Joren eyed the stallion for a second before he too mounted, wheeling the horse around with an expert hand. His eyes slightly narrowed at the elf, but he still said nothing, only looking down at the hizar with something akin to amusement, "What about you? Can you keep up?"

Kel looked over worriedly, brushing back a strand of mahogany hair, "Raen?" She looked uncertain as to what to do. I don't think he can run as fast as a horse can… I know his stamina is good though…

The hizar leveled a proud glare at the smirking elf, stating calmly for them to hear, Hizars, especially me, can run as fast as any horse… even those of Kalyrath blood His ebony fur shined in the morning's light, even though it had only been a couple of candle-marks since he had arrived and told his stories he felt better already, hizars do heal extremely fast… Raen stretched his legs for good measure, thinking that this would be a tiring ride today.

Laynith just gave a nod in acknowledgment at the hizar before nudging Storm Cloud's side, urging him into a fast, ground-eating trot. He glanced behind him briefly, calling out to them all, "Let's go then… to the forest of Loryinthia, where the royal family of the elves resides!" His long blond hair whirled around him as he once again looked forward, towards the path he knew that they would have to take to get there.

~

They had been riding for some time… a couple of candle marks at the least. Kel sighed softly, patting Arctic Wind's neck comfortingly, the horse's hooves beating down upon the forest floor in a muffled rhythm. She glanced around her curiously, eyeing the dense forest with caution, before finally calling up to Laynith, who was scouting the way, "Laynith?"

The elf turned his bright emerald green eyes towards her, something akin to adoration in his eyes, "Yes Mi'lady?" he intoned in a curious voice. His horse continued to trot, evidently knowing where to place his steps even though his rider wasn't paying any attention.

"What are Kalyrath horses? I know that Arctic Wind, Demon Wind, and Storm Cloud are of the same species, but I have never heard of them before," her voice had an inflection of confusion, wishing to know. "Raen said something about all of them having blue eyes, but that's pretty much it. He said that you know them better then he does since he doesn't ride horses," slight amusement colored her tone at the last sentence.

Joren listened in carefully, also wishing to know himself. He gave Demon a harder squeeze in the ribs, urging him up closer to Kel and the elf. Next to him, Raen ran faster, body only giving twinges of pain now, his mind entirely focused on keeping watch. The hizar proved to be as good as his word, not showing signs of any slowing down since they first began to move.

Laynith gave a soft chuckle in amazement, "You haven't heard of the treasured Kalyrath horses? They are one of the elves greatest treasures!" He fondly patted the side of Storm Cloud's neck, a proud smile on his face, "It's considered an honor to be… chosen by them."

"Chosen?" Kel looked confused once more, head slightly tilted in question, "What does that mean? Why are they so special anyway? I mean… other then seeming rather intelligent and all having blue eyes, I don't know what's so special." Under her, Arctic Wind gave a soft snort and a mild buck. Kel's eyes widened as she quickly held on tightly to the horse.

With a laugh, Laynith called out to the horse, "Mi'lady didn't know what she implied by that, honored one!" He once again focused his attention on Kel, saying mildly, "They are more then that. They too are sentient beasts, able to discern your meaning," he paused for a second, thinking over what he would say next, "The elves consider them a treasure because it is said that the first pair of Kalyrath horses came from the our mother goddess. She gave them to help the elves keep watch over our fair world of Medea." He relaxed slightly under the soothing swaying motions caused by the horse trotting, "They are all blue-eyed to symbol their purity, for none can subvert them and go against their chosen, not even with the foulest of magics. Each and every one is highly intelligent, their intelligence even rivals ours," he gave a slight smile at the shocked look on Kel's face.

With a slight suspicious look, Joren looked down at the horse under him, brow slightly raised in thought, they are as intelligent as we are? Humph… I'll believe that when I see it… He gave a slight smirk, reveling in the feel of the barely restrained power of the horse.

Believe it Chosen…

"What the fuck?!" Joren said that loudly, a disbelieving look on his face as he heard a deep masculine voice from inside his head, "Who… what?" For once he seemed flustered, not liking this at all. The voice seemed to give a ringing laugh, amusement apparent in it.

Abruptly Kel and Laynith halted their horses, both of their eyes mirroring their confusion. Raen stopped quickly, pivoting on a foot to look at Joren, his head slightly tilted.

Joren looked at them all and asked in a calmly tone, "Don't tell me you can't hear that…" his face expressed his annoyance, he glared stonily at them all. He too stopped his horse, looking around.

They can't Chosen… I chose you to ride me… thus only you can hear me abruptly Joren became aware that the voice came from his horse, The others cannot hear me talk, unlike Raen, I do not have his mind-speaking capabilities

He looked down at Demon Wind, finally asking with some dim part of him knowing that he was ignoring his comrades, "You mean that you horses can only speak with your bonded?" He brushed back a tendril of his hair, in his own way of expressing his nervousness.

Demon shook his head as if he was really replying to that question, No… out of the three Kalyrath horses only you and me can talk to the other. You have that ability to do so, the others do not… though… his mind-voice seemed slightly wistful, some thought that the lady would have been able to… but… Arctic Wind tells me that she does not have the ability

The lady? Kel… Joren slowly gave a nod before voicing more questions, "Why did you think that Kel would have it? And why didn't you talk to me before?" his voice held an overtone of annoyance for having found out later then it should have been.

Silently Kel leaned over Arctic's side to look down at Raen, murmuring to softly for Joren to hear, "What's going on?" Confusion dominated her voice before she put on her Yamani mask, wiping all emotions clean away.

Realization lit up both the hizar's and elf's faces, one expressing amusement, the other slight jealousy. Raen calmly answered his mistress, thinking to himself; maybe he wouldn't be such a bad match for my Mistress…better then an elf surely, Joren and Demon Wind are talking to each other Quickly he began to explain to her what that meant while Joren and Demon were talking to each other.

Jealousy flashed through Laynith's face, that's not fair… a human has the ability yet an elf does not? He silently watched what was going around him, trying to push back the unfamiliar feelings of envy course through his veins.

The first question I cannot answer for you shall soon learn it in the land of the elves… And I didn't talk to you before because I had nothing to say worthwhile Storm Cloud stated that simply, touches of amusement heard in Joren's head. Now let the elf finish explaining about us… and we shall continue on our journey to Loryinthia the voice in Joren's head fell silent.

He looked up, eyeing the rest of the group, wondering what they were now thinking about him since they had heard him talk out loud; I must have sounded like a dolt. Once again he tried to brush back that stubborn tendril of hair that seemed to insist staying in the way of his eyes, preparing himself to explain.

But instead of having to do so, Kel just gave him a smile and spoke, "Raen told me what was happening, and Laynith should already know," she glanced at him quickly and got a nod for her answer, "so you don't have to explain to us Joren." She looked around, "Well… let's go then!" Once again she kicked her horse into a trot, "Laynith… what else do you know about Kalyrath horses?"

Laynith rode on ahead, once again taking the lead, the others following beside Kel, "Well Mi'lady… they are excellent fighters when need be and they all can communicate with any of their kind up to a specific distance," he thought to himself, "Also… they will not let any ride them except for their chosen, which is why being chosen is such a big deal. The only people that can ride on some one else's Kalyrath horse are soul mates and the seven gods know how rare those are!" he gave a soft chuckle at the last sentence.

"What are soul mates anyway Laynith?" Kel's hazel brown eyes looked at him inquisitively, "You and Raen have mentioned them before… but exactly what are they?"

He looked back at her with a serious expression on his face, his voice slightly dreamy; "A person who is part of a soul mate shares a soul with another. They go throughout life with half a soul until they find their love, their soul-mate to share the rest of their lives with." He grinned ruefully, "Many dream of having one… but truthfully, they are extremely rare. You may not know that you have a soul mate until you both discover your love to one another, unlike what most think, it's not a love at first sight sort of thing. First you must discover the love you share and then when it is expressed…" he trailed off before continuing once more, "Then you feel a binding of the halves of your soul until it is one once more, then you feel as if you can never separate yourself for to long from someone, and if they die… you also die. Not everything about a soul mate is happy… a lot of the time it has sadness in it also."

Joren listened to the information and gave a silent snort, soul mates, nothing more then a legend passed down to those who wish for love. His ice-blue eyes expressed his contempt for it. Demon Wind flicked an ear back at him, clearly having heard his thoughts, but said nothing.

Kel gave a smile at the thought of having a soul mate; suddenly she pulled her reins short, causing Arctic Wind to stop dead, and listened intently. She tensed up as the sound of fast approaching footsteps reached her sensitive ears and narrowed her eyes, asking the Laynith, who had stopped when she did, "Are we expecting others?"

He looked slightly surprised, not having heard the footsteps himself and shook his head, "No…" he trailed off and listened himself, now hearing the footsteps march closer to them. He frowned and took off his bow, stringing an arrow to it, saying briefly, "Get ready for battle." Storm Cloud tensed under him, fairly dancing in readiness to meet the foe.

Joren unsheathed his sword quickly, holding it loosely in his grasp, battle readiness settling down upon him. Raen gave a soft, nearly inaudible, hiss; his fur raising slightly as he crouched in the direction of the sound of footsteps, while Kel unsheathed Griffin, holding it by her. Rigidly they waited for their coming adversary.

They crashed into the small clearing, 15 armored, sneering men. Each one held either a sword or an ax, eager to attack. One stood out in front of them with a shock of red hair, he smirked and spoke, "You," he pointed at Kel, "will be taken to my master, kill all others!" He ordered his men brusquely, expecting easy victory even though they were facing against two people and one elf on Kalyrath horses and a hizar. The men charged swiftly at the quartet.

Immediately Laynith loosed his arrow, it flew straight and true, catching one of the attackers in the throat, killing him as the arrow slammed through his esophagus and out the back end. The man fell to the ground before he could even utter a scream, his face a blank death mask. With no emotion on his face the elf strung another arrow and loosed it almost as soon as it touched his bowstring, his accurate deadly. He killed three more this way before he had to cast his bow aside and fight with a short sword. Storm Cloud pivoted and spun, giving his chosen the best fighting position.

Raen leaped at one of the men, his body like a blur as he ran. His claws hamstrung one man, and the attacker fell down heavily, cursing all of the way. Raen whirled around, his claws sinking deep into the throat, blood spraying on him as he hit the jugular and ripped through it, a maniacal gleam in his dark blue eyes. As soon as he dispatched the man, he lunged at another, severing the tendons in the sword arm with a quick swipe of his sharp claws, leaving it useless. That done, he leaped up and clamped his jaws into the man's throat, using his weight to swing around the body, letting another man's sword who meant to hit the hizar, hit his comrade, killing him. The hizar dropped and lunged at the prone man whose sword was currently in his partner.

Kel and Joren immediately assumed position, back to back, each other's horse facing the attackers. They both yelled out cries of defiance as they hacked and slashed at the men swarming around them. Arctic Wind reared up, her front hooves crushing a man under her, pounding him into a bloody dust as Kel stuck her sword in a gap of an attacker's breast plate, skewering him with a quick thrust to the heart. She quickly yanked out the sword as the man slid off her sword to drop to the ground below, searching for her next target.

Likewise Demon Wind was also lashing out with his hooves and teeth, grabbing one man by the shoulder and shaking him viciously while Joren slashed at the unprotected throat. Crimson blood sprayed upon them both, but they ignored it as they attacked another. Seeing an opening, Joren's sword snaked out, lobbing off a man's hand with a vicious swipe, doubling back to do the same to his head…

Though not as adept with using a short sword as with his bow, Laynith set to work doggedly, his sword flashing in the sun as he swung down. Soon he was disarmed and he spurred Storm Cloud into a gallop, his back now to a bunch of trees. Smirking maliciously, he reached up to a hidden necklace and cupped a green teardrop gem in his hands. He seemed to glow green for a moment as vines lashed out from hidden places, wrapping around a man's neck, choking him to death. After a few moments he was dropped, purple bruises ringing his neck with an unseeing look in his eyes. The elf used his magicked vines to ward off other men.

With malevolent intentions, the hizar hissed at his opponents, silently taking glee at the uncertain look on their faces. Using that to his advantage he attacked one, his gem glowing silver, and his claws somehow raking through the metal breastplates and into the soft body. Quickly he disemboweled the man and left him on the ground to die.

The remaining three men charged Joren and Kel together, fury apparent on their faces. Kel watched them coolly, cupping her own white gem in her hand. With battle rage coursing through her veins, heightening her senses she sent a pure white beam of energy at a man, burning a hole through him, easily dispatching him. She looked at another and her brow furrowed in concentration as another beam of energy was shot, it too killing the man. The last one charged at her too quickly for her to fire, and she dropped her gem in shock, trying to bring Griffin up to block his sword attack.

Joren suddenly was in the middle of her and the man, his sword swinging quickly as he found the weaknesses in the man's armor, too quick for the attacker to block all of the strikes. Soon the man was riddled with gashes and blood and Joren finished it with a clean swipe through the neck. With a thud, the last opponent dropped down to the forest floor, staining the ground beneath him red.

Slowly they all looked at each other, each one heaving labored breaths. Not one of them got through unscathed, though the wounds weren't that serious. With a pained voice Laynith spoke, "The elven forest should be half a candle mark away, there we can rest… and tend more carefully to our wounds." His right hand clutched his left arm where blood slowly trickled out from a rather nasty looking gash. He nudged Storm Cloud forward into a walk, going to the place where his sword had been knocked out of his hand.

~

They rode slightly faster now to the forest, each one eager to get there and rest. The horses were nearly unhurt, only light scrapes and cuts on their bodies. Demon Wind made sure that Joren relay that he and the other horses were fine and they could keep up this pace. Raen was in front of Kel, on Arctic Wind, his wounds preventing him from running. He lay on his stomach, eyes closed, his legs dangling out to the sides of the horse.

Suddenly Laynith stopped and raised up his good hand to halt the others. Quietly he spoke and his gem glowed green… a passageway suddenly appeared. He gave a relieved smile and spoke, "Here is the path to Loryinthia, let us make haste," and with that he kicked his horse into the path, now riding faster then before.

Silently Joren and Kel followed him, the path disappearing from behind them as soon as they got through. Their exhaustion showed in their faces, though both tried to hide it. Once again Laynith slowed down, his green eyes shining with excitement. With exaggerated slowness, he pulled back tree branches, which fell like a curtain in front of the path… revealing the land of the elves… Loryinthia.

It was gorgeous to put it in simple terms. The land was in a gentle, deep green forest valley, with a large castle in the middle of it all. Soft, burbling brooks and rivers dotted the countryside, the waters sparkling blue, and so clean that you can clearly see the bottom of the riverbed. It was obvious that this land has seen very little people for it was very well taken care of. The castle was a large structure, no obvious defenses, made of stone and marble. It reached up far into the sky, an imposing… yet stable scene upon this serene land. It was not surrounded by a moat, but rather with a gentle stream, for it was clear that the elves expected no danger in their land.

Kel gave a relieved smile at the site, a sense of welcome enveloping her. Her side began to ache even more, as if it knew that it was going to be taken care of. She looked at the others and said softly, "Let's go." With that she kicked Arctic Wind into a gallop, she and Raen streaming down the path towards the castle.

With a slight shake of his head, Joren followed her, urging Demon Wind to catch up. The elf gave a slight frown and galloped after them all, muttering softly to himself. They caught up with Kel and proceeded to the castle gate, Kel and Joren nervous, though they didn't show it, Laynith perfectly at ease, and Raen giving a slight glare at everything around him.

When they arrived at the gate, two elves were there to meet them. Both were tall, with a regal stance. The female had long silvery-gold hair that blew around her; her eyes were a light hazel color, holding infinite wisdom. The male had golden hair, his eyes an ocean blue. They stood together, their clothes signifying their high rank.

As Laynith reached the two he suddenly gave a gasp and a bow right in the saddle, not even bothering to dismount, with Kel's and Joren's eyes slightly widening he intoned, "My Lady Queen … My Lord King."

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A/N:

IceWind: *says in satisfaction* THERE! AND it was long! HUMPH! Oh yeah…*poll* Do you guys want Joren and Kel to have a soul bond? I was thinking about it… but wouldn't it seem really perfect? But if they don't I'm going to have to change some of my original plot line around… *sighs*

Raen: *he shrugs*

IceWind: *chuckles* Hmmm… not to much going on… be prepared for LOTS of explanations and stuff in the next chapter… THEN maybe I can get them home *winks* and get the battles started!

Kaori: *smirks* Bloody minded fool…

IceWind: *glares at her viciously* Well, that's all I really have to say except for REVIEW!

~

*Updated*

Facts:

Seibutsu Bond: A bond between a creature and a humanoid. It is less powerful then a life-bond yet it is strong none the less. The bonded can thought-speak to one another and they also feel the others emotions. If one of the bonded dies, the other feels a deep and wrenching pain in themselves, but they don't die also.

Seibutsu Items: These are the items that Raen and Kel got when the bonding was over. Kel had gotten a dagger and Raen a chain. If one of them breaks it symbolizes that one of the bonded has died.

Hizar: A highly intelligent species who are organized like wolf packs with a dominant male and female. All hizar are black and look like large cats, panther sized. They are lithe and graceful, all of them agile and fast. Each one has their own type of magic and that type, and power, is shown by the color of the gems on their forehead. When using their power the hizar's eyes turn that color. The types of gems are fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, ice, lightening, psy, and a silver unknown color. The alpha males must have the silver kinds of gems to lead, the alpha females can have any kind and are chosen by the males.

Jerogil: A type of creature in the world of Medea. They are usually peaceful animals and tend to stay away from others except their own kind. Their color range from black to a muddy gray and they have large eyes for seeing at night. Their tails are curved like a monkey's and can pick things up in that fashion. All over their body they have hard plates for armor, something not easily dented or broken through. Running along their backs is a series of sharp spikes.

Elves: They are tall human like creatures with pointed ears. They all live extremely long lives and each one has magic gems, such as the ones the hizars have, only their powers are stronger. They are a peace-loving race, but they will fight if they have to. They have one king and one queen, both who watch over their lands justly.

Soul Mates: Soul mates are extremely rare in any type of creature. Two people share one soul, literally. They can feel their beloved's emotions and in some occasions, talk to each other mind-to-mind. If one dies, the other dies also because half of their soul just died. You do not know you have a soul bond until you and another acknowledge your feelings for one another, you may go through your entire life without knowing that you have a soul bond. As soon as you acknowledge it, your souls connect and you cannot stay away from the other in a great distance for very long or else you get weak and might even die after an extended period.

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My e-mail address is flyby311@hotmail.com and put Aether Winds, so I know what the e-mail is about. Anything you want to add/criticize/comment/whatever you guys just review it… please? Thanks for listening to me ramble for that you get bubble gum *hands person bubble gum*

Raen and Kaori (hizar and rabblite) are MINE! GET IT? MINE!!! *they sweatdrop in the background* no stealing or else I'll blow you up! MWAHAHAHA! Also any other made up characters in the story are mine to, if you want to use any of them please ask before doing so, same goes for Raen and Kaori. ALSO, the poems that appear in the story are also mine (duh) I'll tell you if I use any that aren't. BYE NOW!