I'm not sure why I seem to be making stories with verses at the beginning of chapter's now, or why I'm making stories about life bonds either, all I really know is that I seemed to be on a roll now. This poem just came to me while I was working on other stuff, and now that I've finished another story I might as well develop this. Mercedes Lackey owns the underlying concepts, I'm just borrowing it for awhile, I'm sure you've heard this before. Now on with the story.

Note: this story is cursed, at least I think it is I'm having so much trouble posting the thing, and no ch 3 isn't posted twice. It's actually ch 4 listed as chapter 3 and I can't change it directly, it doesn't show up when I have the editing page set up, I'm hoping this next attempt will fix it.

Ch 1

And just close your eyes

This morning

And You'll dream

Dream deep and dark .......

Jade coughed in the cold rain, she hugged her robes to herself and shivered. You'd think that mage training would give a person ways to keep warm and dry, she thought to herself. Well to be honest, she knew of ways to do that, but they weren't worth the energy it demanded. She shrugged her pack back into position and grumbled to herself as the rain worked it's way into her hood.

She glanced at the trees that lined the road well, more like a path. She was starting to wonder if the villagers had decided to play a joke on her when they gave her directions for the shortcut she had been looking for. She sighed as her short boots sank into the path, mud oozing over the edges and wetting her socks.

The trees were getting larger the farther she traveled this path, finally the light grew dimmer and Jade knew she would have to find a place to camp for the night. She stopped and peered into the woods on either side of the path. Just pick one she said to herself. The left had a bit of a gap, but she thought she could fit through, putting it to action, she was able to pull herself through the gap and crawled under the brush. Once past the brush near the path it opened up and she was able to stand.

No mud, she thought to herself with a grin, a thick layer of dead leaves cushioned her feet and rustled softly as she walked. I should have done this sooner, she thought. Under the large spreading branches the rain became a soft mist, rather than the heavy rain it had been earlier. Things are looking better she thought, then she found the perfect campsite.

The land had risen and she looked ahead at a steep hill studded with large stones, she saw a grouping of three of the larger boulders, about seven feet tall and far enough apart for a small fire and her bed roll.

She swept all the leaves to the back and put her pack on top of the pile, then she walked back to the line of trees and gathered small deadwood. It was damp from the rain, but that didn't matter, she would be lighting it with magic.

Starfire sighed, he hated the rain, as a mage he could have been in the Vale warm and dry, but it was the policy of Sundance and the other elder's to put a mage in with the scout's and he had the misfortune to be picked when it rained, why couldn't it have been warm and sunny like last week he thought, sighing again.

:Do you see anything Windsong: sent.

:Not yet: he sent back, sitting down on his branch, he closed his eyes and felt for Ghyr his Hawk eagle.

One of the reasons he had been put on the list of mages slated for the scouts was his bird, many of the mages had birds that didn't do well outside the vale, but he had wanted to live up to his brother Firedance's example, so he had left the vale looking for a likely bird a couple of years ago. He had found Ghyr and convinced him to bond with him, though he still wasn't entirely sure why the bird had agreed , but he was glad to be his bondmate. Except when he had to carry him, he thought with a grin.

:Ghyr: he sent.

:Do you see anything: he asked.

:Yes, some men on the road: he said opening his mind to his bondmate so that he could see for himself.

Hmmm. He thought it didn't look good, but if they stayed on the road he would leave them be.

There were about fifteen of them most looked to be fighters, but two were better dressed and one of the two wore robes like he had seen foreign mages wear.

:Windsong:

:Yes: the other man answered.

:There are about fifteen men on the road: he said.

:Do you want me to scare them off: the other man asked.

:No, I think one of them is a mage. As long as they stick to the road, I'd leave them be: he said.

:That's no fun: Windsong said.

Starfire shook his head, at eighteen Windsong was a year older than he was, but you'd think that he was years younger the way he acted sometimes.

:We don't want them knowing we're here if they stick to the road, if this stretch of it gets the reputation of being guarded by us, we'll just get more fools thinking that we must be guarding treasure, and it'll make keeping them out of this edge of our territory that much harder: he sighed when he felt the other man's frustration.

He caught the edge of Windsong's determination to confront them anyway :Stop, they have a mage: he called out to the other, but he sensed it was too late. He stood up and followed along the branch hoping he would make it in time.

:Ghyr watch for them: he sent and felt the bird's agreement and disgust for Windsong's behavior.

Windsong watched the approaching group, this would be fun he thought to himself. This patrol had been deadly dull and he felt he deserved a little excitement. He was a little surprised it took them so long to see him, they were perhaps ten paces away when the lead man saw him standing in the middle of the path.

He stood watching them, his arms crossed over his chest, the man's reaction was everything he hoped for, he had a hard time holding the stern look on his face.

"Who are you" the man asked in trade.

"A guardian, you are very close to trespassing on our lands" he said.

The men looked at each other and muttered among themselves, he had his bird, a raven on a nearby branch ready to help if needed. One of the men, wearing a dull red robe walked through the men to the front watching him carefully. The other's shifted back out of his way and Windsong swallowed realizing the man was a mage, he felt for Starfire's mind.

:Um Starfire: he sent.

:Yes: he felt an undercurrent of dull anger and would have winced if he hadn't been facing these outsider's.

:I think they have a mage: he sent a quick mental picture of the man facing him with a slight smile on his face.

:Oh really: he felt Starfire's sarcastic reply. :And when did you realize this: the other man asked.

"And why should we care" the mages voice brought him back to the men, he saw the fighter's spreading out slowly a few slipping into the woods.

This isn't good he thought to himself "Stick to the road and we'll have no quarrel" he told the man, listening carefully to the men in the woods.

"I think not" the mage said and pulled his arm back to throw a levin bolt at him, but he was gone before the man completed his gesture and shortly the first of the guards let out a scream as Windsong took him out. Good thing they move like a herd of drunken dyheli he thought grinning at the image before he was too busy to worry about jokes.

Damn it, Starfire thought, why didn't he at least wait for me to be closer before he revealed himself. It seemed to take forever, but eventually he came to the point on the road where Windsong had confronted the men.

He watched carefully from his vantage point and marked the locations of the men. He smiled grimly as he noted that three were dead and one injured. The ones left milled around the two in the center, searching the forest wildly for Windsong. He pulled out his bow and strung it holding two arrow in his hand waiting until he could see what the men were going to do.

:Starfire: he heard Windsong's mind voice.

:Hush: he said concentrating on what the men were saying, it was hard to tell. He was no expert in the outlander tongues, though he had a good ear for languages and had gone to trade a few times with Raindance and Windtwist.

It was no use, they were just a little too far away for him to make out what they were saying.

:Where are you: he asked Windsong.

:Here: he sent Starfire an image of his location.

:We'll have to kill them now, they've shown themselves to be hostile: he sighed.

He sent the Windsong the plan he thought would work and felt the other man's agreement. They waited for the men to get uneasy and then Windsong struck from the rear, cutting two down before disappearing into the forest. Before they had much time to react two arrows spitted two more of the men and Starfire was already moving to another branch, he winced at the wave of heat from the bolt the mage sent.

Stupid and showy, he thought to himself before taking aim from another branch.

:I kill: he felt Ghyr's question.

:No, they have a mage, stand ready, but stay back: he sent.

:Alright: he felt his bondbird's agreement.

He shot again taking another man.

He heard another man scream, Windsong strikes again, the man could fight but unfortunately he didn't stop to think first.

They were down to the mage and two of the fighter's when Starfire drew aiming at the mages heart, he let it fly, but before it struck the mage got off a shot of his own and Starfire screamed in agony falling to the forest floor, he vaguely heard Ghyr's scream of rage before the darkness took him in.