((this is my first time writing a Mercedes lackey book, so please bare with me. Any reviews will be greatly appreciated, as it will help me to improve on my stories, it is set a couple of years after the Darian stories… I also don't own anything to do with these books, but wished I did, hail to the great Mercedes Lackey and her characters. Also please don't shout at me if I have got the back dates wrong. I am a little hazy on Valdemar time lines))

A crashing sound broke the still of the forest, sending birds flying into the air, shrieking with the indignation of being disturbed, they called to each other and then settled again when the disturbance had passed. A lone figure was running through the branches of the trees following the disturbance, behind the figure ran four or five burly men, they were chasing the disturbance. Finally in a clearing the cause of the disturbance stopped. It was a man, well a old teenager would be a better phase, the figure in the trees stopped to asses the boy on the ground. He was holding one arm close to his side cradling it with another equally damaged hand. His clothes, if you could call them that, were tattered filthy and barely decent.

They boy twirled round, looking for a way to go, but seeing only more forest he let out a soft whimper. He obviously feared the men who were chasing him. But the watcher knew that they would soon be taken care of, the traps he had placed quickly but skilfully would take them down, as if on que four loud screams broke the once again still of the forest. The watcher smiled grimly, so it had been four. He dropped down out of the tree. Now closer to the boy he could see how badly treated he had been, there was little skin showing that wasn't covered in bruises, scrapes, cuts or other hurts. When the watcher approached the boy he could feel the fear coming off him. The watcher put his shields, the last thing he needed was to swamped by the boys own emotions. The watcher gaped with surprise when the boy turned to face him. His features, his eyes. He was Tayledras he was sure. The boys reaction surprised the watcher even more, he sighed with what could have been called relief then he took a step forward and said two words. "Sanctuary please" in halting Tayledras.
Then he collapsed in a heap on the floor. Having finally given up fighting his exhaustion.

The watcher, Darian firkin K'vala K'Valdemar, Darian to most people, He had never before had that reaction from someone he had just saved. Calling to Kuari asking him to tell Starfall's Bird and let the others know he was bringing in the injured boy. Kuari would tell the bond birds who in turn would tell there bonded person. Darian, sheathed the small dagger he had ready just in case and bent down to pick up the boy.

As he neared the boy to pick him up he felt something at his shields, he held them tight ignoring whatever it was, he wasn't going to look and see what it was yet, he had no idea who the boy was or what he could do. When he picked him up, Darian was surprise just how light the boy was, it was almost as if he wasn't carrying anyone at all. He moved carefully, so not to jar the boy anymore. He made his way back to the Vale. He wondered who this child was, looking down Darian studied the boys bruised face and judged him to be maybe fifteen, sixteen. He hoped that one of the others would know who the boy was and what he was doing in the company of those men.

When Darian reached the Vale he was greeted by Starfall, Firesong, Silverfox and Keisha all people who could help heal the boy. The took him to the guest wing, as they had no real place to call a infirmary. Darian placed him gently on the bed and then stepped back so Keisha and Firesong could look at the boy better. They too seemed shocked by the fact he looked Tayledras, silver hair and silver eyes. Keisha took one looked at his bruises she settled down and placed her hands on him and sank into a healers trance. Firesong watched over her shoulder as she did so. "Where did you find him?" Starfall asked quietly so as not to disturb Keisha.

"Just outside the Vale, on the north side of the village, where the forest meets the mountains, I wouldn't have gone that way but Kuari told me of someone running from men, so I went to look. And found him" Darian explained briefly talking to both Starfall and Silverfox who was also listening.

"What of the men, who are or were they?" Starfall asked.

"Judging on how they were dressed and what they had been carrying I would have put them to be slavers" Darian said, the dispassion in his voice clear. Silverfoxs eyes flashed briefly as did Starfall, to the Hawk brothers Slavers were the closest thing to human scum as could be, they killed slavers on sight. To many families had been crushed and torn apart by those kinds of men, the only people to hate slavers more were the Tervardi. Firesong was listening off hand they heard his intake of breath. The boy on the bed moaned and stirred but then settled again.

"The thing is, he looks to be Tayledras so how on earth did he get caught by slavers" Starfall mused pushing his braids over one shoulder.
"I have not heard of anyone from any Vales missing" Silverfox added looking to Starfall to see if he had. Starfall shook his head.
"I Haven't either" Starfall looked over to the bed.
"He cant be more then sixteen and he looks to have suffered enough hurt to last two lifetimes over"

Darian was about to add something when Keisha's sudden intake of breath indicated she had come out of her trance. Firesong moved back. They all looked to Keisha to see what she would say. She wiped her hands on her sash nervously and then she turned round to face them. "I have healed all I can, the rest will take time, the bruises I cant heal, he is resistant to the healing. But I have healed his ribs, arm, fingers and shoulder. They were all broken" she finished quietly.

All of them went deathly quiet, each trying to master there inner anger. Keisha looked round from person to person, she had some more things to tell them, she just wasn't sure it was her thing to tell. Mentally she picked through what she had discovered whilst healing him. Finally she picked on the most puzzling. "There is one more thing" she said quietly. The tension in the room, if possible, increased.

"What is it" Asked Firesong half turning back to her.
She swallowed and then went on. "He is not as young as he looks" she said glancing over him. "He is older" They looked at her questioningly. "How old?" asked Darian. "More then the sixteen we were guessing" "More on four hundred years old give or take" The others were speechless, they had not expected that old. "If that is right then, he is older then the mage storms he was alive before they happened" Silverfox said quietly having finished counting backwards. The other looked to one another, in wonder. "when he wakes up he is going to have to answer some questions" Starfall commented walking over to look at the boy. A movement by the door, made them all turn.
Ayshen was there with a pile of fresh clothing, presumably for the boy. Well no he's not a boy Darian thought to himself. The person. It still amazed Darian just how the Hertasi knew when things were needed. Thanking him, Darian took the clothes off Ayshen and gave them to Keisha. It Didn't take long for her to change the clothes, seeing as the ones he was wearing were tattered and ragged. Ayshen took the rags and vanished. "He will sleep for a long while yet" Keisha warned. "I will stay with him, you best go" She said half sternly. Darian was going to protest he may be dangerous, but Keisha cut him off before he started. "I will be fine, he is hardly going anywhere in this state, when he wakes up I will tell you. And when he does wake up he is not going to want to see a load of men staring down at him, from what you said" she said pointing at Darian "Men hurt him, that's the last thing he going to want to see till he knows he is safe"

There was nothing they could do to argue, they knew she was right. And there was nothing they could do, till he woke, with a sigh Darian left the room last only stopping at the door to look back at Keisha with a glance that said, "Take Care". She nodded him. And then went to sit on the guest rooms chair. So she could watch over her patient. After a some minuets Darian returned, she looked up as his form blocked the light from the door. He gave her, her work basket and kiss on the cheek and then left with out a word. Keisha sat back down on her chair and took out her embroidery to pass the time.

((So there you go folks, what do you think of the first chapter, please review and tell me what you think. I will update as soon as I can))