Rada walked to her chambers, feeling strangely dizzy and weak. The brief idea that someone had drugged her tea came to her mind, but she quickly dismissed it, knowing there was no one in Hunvell that would do such a thing. At least, so she thought.
She opened the door to her room and locked it behind her out of habit. "Maybe if I just rest a while..Yes. Rest," Rada slurred as she made her way to her bed.
Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a shadow slink past her door. Rada instinctively reached for her dagger that was concealed in her boot, but as soon as she had hold of it, strong arms wrapped around her head and waist. Se let out a startled cry before being thrown to the ground.

Ahéawan lost her balance as Hiranneth knocked down the door, tumbling herself and Ahéawan in with it. After composing herself, she looked up to see what all of the commotion was about.
Standing in the center of the room, Ahéawan saw a shadowy figure, standing over a limp form lying on the floor. She gasped as she saw who it was. "Rada!"
The kind Ef looked unconscious; she didn't stir as her name was spoken. Ahéawan fearfully looked up at the large, dark figure that stood menacingly over Rada. She could not determine anything of the attacker except the eyes. The person's---if it was indeed a person---eyes were like glowing marbles, yellow and wide in fear and rage. Ahéawan knew she must make a move, but she could not. Those horrible eyes held her in place in fear. It was not the first time she had been paralyzed with fear, and she hated the feeling. Yet despite her efforts, she remained on the floor, clutching her make-shift crutch in fright.

As soon as the yellow-eyed creature looked to the door and the many people entering the room, it froze, glaring doiwn. But there were three of them. It had to flee. Letting out a blood-curdling cry, the creature sprinted away before any of the women that had collapsed on the floor could react.

When she had composed herself, Amdireth reached down and hauled Hiranneth to her feet and pulled her into the hallway. She saw that Ahéawan was frozen in place, so she grabbed the woman and pulled her away from the door, supporting her wounded body with her own arms. She didn't know what that creature was, but she knew she didn't want her friends anywhere near it.

Ahéawan felt a jolt within her as she was pulled away from the room and was freed from the creature's penetrating stare. She looked to Amdir who held her, then pulled herself up with the aid of her crutch and limped over to Rada, inspecting her limp form. The Elf was still alive, breathing softly. Ahéawan sighed in relief, then began to look carefully around the room. If there were more creatures lurking about, she didn't want to be caught unaware again.

Kiran must have snoozed off for when he looked up again, it was dark in the branches of the tree above him. Set against the blackness were two glowing yellow spots and Kiran felt entranced by them. Before he even noticed them growing closer, his attacker was on top of him. A hand was clamped over his mouth and he could not scream out. The book, which he had grasped in his hands as he lay, fell open on the floor. He screamed in his mind since he could not aloud, hoping that Hiranneth would hear it like he had heard her cry. A swift blow to the head knocked him out and the last thing he remembered before all went black was Hiranneth's face, tear-stained but beautiful. She was his only hope.

Before Hiranneth knew what was going on, Amdireth had pulled her up quickly. She flew into the hall where the Elf pushed her. Hiranneth was about to go back in to save her cousin when she felt very sick. She felt Kiran cry; he was crying!
"Kiran!" she screamed. She ran, almost falling with her uneven steps. She was able to get where she had last seen Kiran, but as she approached saw a dark figure over him. The shadow was wrapped about him, to silence him. Hiranneth felt him cry still in her head. His presence was overwhelming. She quickly drew herself up and flung herself at the creature. Its yellow eyes pierced hers as she seemed to float weightless in the air. Those eyes would remained seared into her memory forever.
"Help!" she screamed. The Elves of Hunvel came out of their silence and sounded the alarm. The dark creature took Kiran up in its arms and said to her, "Your love cannot save him, and neither can your gifts," he pointed to his head. With that, the creature flew away. Hiranneth screamed after them. She cursed the creature and fell on her face, sobbing into the ground.
And as she lay there helplessly, she could hear him still, crying to her. She had failed him.

Kiarton ran through the woods, in no particular direction. When he reached a small clearing, he stopped. His ears perked up and his head turned skywards. A figure that looked like Kiran was flying through the air, in the grasp of a dark creature figure."Kiran!" Kiarton called. But he soon realized that it was not a good idea. A beast that looked identical to the other flew down.

"We have the book," it said in a low haunting voice. "We have the sacrifice, and now," a hand reached forward and grasped the vile that hung around Kiarton's throat, "we have the black water." Then it turned and flew off into the darkening sky.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Kiarton screamed. But four other creatures soared down and grabbed him. One creature pulled out a long knife and held it ready to strike. "Wait," the other rasped. "He wants him alive, remember. The group must brake, and then they will be weak." They laughed wickedly as they flew off over the trees. "Two down."

Hiranneth felt Kiran slowly slip away. He was no longer in her mind. He must be far off... Hiranneth stood up slowly as she saw the Elves. They had all gathered around her and spoke in low beautiful tones. She looked at them with tears all over her face. "I need your help. Why do I feel him in my mind? Why does he seem to be within me?"
An Elf of great beauty came up to her. She spoke softly. "You were given a gift, a gift of love. You are able to use this love to help those you care most about." The Elf looked into Hiranneth's eyes and continued. "He was the first to help you, wasn't he?"

Hiranneth thought a moment, and she looked back into her mind and remembered Kiran on his horse and how afraid she had been. How he was there for her. "He was," she said in a broken voice.
The Elf bowed her head. "You must continue to stop these creatures. You are tied to Kiran in a special way. Now you are the only one who can save him, and us."
Hiranneth looked at all the Elves as they all bowed to her. She felt overwhelmed with a sense of duty.
"I hope to be that person," she said to the Elves.
Then she thought, I haven't seen Kiarton in a while. And where are the others? She walked away, surprisingly calm, and the Elves followed. She came to Ahéawan and Amdireth, who were looking over Rada. The Elves came into the room, and one older Elf gathered Rada into his arms. "She will be fine in an hour or two," said the Elf as he walked by Hiranneth.
Hiranneth hoped that this strange event would not scare off her new friends, and not hurt her old ones.

Ahéawan's face brightened as Hiranneth entered the room with the Elves. She smiled warmly but tiredly and embraced her. "Hiranneth, dear girl. What has happened?" Ahéawan asked softly. She saw the young girl's worried face and the solemn faces of the elves around her and knew that it would not be good news.

Hiranneth looked deep into Ahéawan's eyes and saw the woman's concern. "Kiran has been taken by the darkness." That was all she could say. The Elves of Hunvel looked at her and began to chant, perhaps a lament for the lost Kiran. Hiranneth lowered her head.
Then at that moment she saw Kiarton and Kiran, trapped. But where? She pulled away from her thoughts and gasped. Everyone was silent.
"They have Kiran and Kiarton! I think they are still alive!"

Rada came to Hiranneth when she was feeling well and needed to talk to her. They departed and spoke privately. Then Hiranneth came back to her friends.
She spoke slowly. "We need to leave. I am tied to Kiran and Kiraton...and to the creatures who took them."
"They are called Morenne Wraiths. They have been enemies to Hunvel for thousands of years. There is some kind of prophesy long forgotten to the modern Elves of Hunvel but not forgotten by the Elders who live in a separate parts of the forest. We need to find them."
Hiranneth came along with her friends and they began to pack. This would be their last night in Hunvel.

Kiarton awoke in the dark. He felt weak and as if his very life force was being drained away, little by little. A strange unknown force held him fast and drained him of his strength. He groaned and then strained his head to look to his right. There was Kiran, in the same position, held up by thin rays of blue light. His face was chalky white and his chest moved slowly. "Kiran," Kiarton managed to whisper. Only silence followed...

Ahéawan's thoughts had been troubled ever since she had heard of the young lads' capture. She had been uneasy, and had retired to her room early to pack. Though she was sad to leave Hunvel, she was ready to set forth to rescue her young companions.
Now slowly maneuvering around her room without the aid of her crutch, Ahéawan placed her few possessions into her small leather satchel. The last thing she packed was her blade, freshly sharpened and polished, courtesy of the Elven armory. She was admiring the sword fondly, thinking of past memories, when she heard footsteps outside her door.
It was Amdir, the kind but mysterious man, who stood in her doorway. Ahéawan smiled at him, but he remained solemn. Then, Amdir sighed as he pulled off the hood of his cloak, revealing long, silvery hair tucked behind Elven ears. Ahéawan gasped as Amdir spoke.
"Ahéawan, I am Amdireth, an Elf woman. I am sorry I lied to you."
Ahéawan observed him---her, she noted---curiously with clouded eyes. "Amdireth...," she began quietly, "why do this?" She was worried; there must have been good reason for the elf's deception, and she could not fathom what might have caused it.
After another moment of gazing at Amdireth curiously, Ahéawan stepped forward to embrace the Elf, surprising even herself with her actions. "At this dire time our companionship must be strong. There are no deceptions any longer," she whispered.
Trembling, Ahéawan pulled away from Amdireth, feeling very strange. It was an emotion that she had avoided, perhaps even driven away since that horrible day her beloved died. Its absence had made her strong, immune to the pains of the world. But now its return weakened the woman's body, yet her heart surged with strength as Ahéawan felt power surging through her. The power that comes only with the love for another. She knew as she had somehow always known that this love would keep her strong, and that nothing would break it if they had faith. The love she felt for the companions that had saved and stuck by her now coursed through her veins, and she felt enormous energy and weakness all in the same moment.

Amdireth had been surprised by Ahéawan's embrace. She realized that they all really cared for her. It had been so long...She had to choke back tears. "I'm so sorry, Ahéawan. I'm sorry that I hid myself. It's just that I've been away from others for so long. I don't like to get involved with others, because they tend to get hurt, and then I live with the guilt."

For a moment, Ahéawan just stood with Amdireth, absorbing the wonderful feeling of the moment, the wonderful discovery that the power she now felt was love. "Come," Ahéawan said at last, breathless. "Let us go forth to rescue our friends."

Hiranneth busied herself with packing things for the journey. She carefully packed the new clothing that the Elves of Hunvel had made for her into her small bag. She placed the food carefully under it and proceeded to continue in this process. She looked up to see the room Ahéawan was staying in; the lights were on and a person stood in the doorway. She wondered for a moment what they were talking about, then she thought back. She thought of when she was in her room and how Kiran came exactly when she needed him, just like when they first met. A lonely tear ran down her face and onto her packs. She watched as the liquid absorbed itself into the material and still left a residue. She thought of how friends leave a residue in your life and how they may not be there at the time, but they will always leave a mark. This thought made her smile, and she continued to under her room.
An Elf entered the room just then. She turned around to see it was a man Elf she had seen before. He had been in the group of Elves that sang for Kiran. She looked at his lovely eyes then silently said, "What business brings you here tonight, kind Elf?"

He stood quietly for a moment then said, "I knew your mother. She was my first love."
Hiranneth stared at him in surprise.
The Elf continued. "I loved her so much, and I knew that I could not have her. I professed my love for her to her father..." He paused. "I told her father that I wished to have her hand and with that he gave it to me. But she ran away when she heard about it. Now we know why she did."
He came closer to Hiranneth and brought up something wrapped in velvet. "Your grandfather gave me this heirloom before he knew she had run." From beneath the velvet, he revealed a beautiful sword, made with the finest Elven steel and crafted in all the Elven splendor. Hiranneth took the sword from his hands and brought it aloft. It shone with great intensity as the candle lights reflected off of it.
"It is the sword of Hunvel, the sword that won many victories against evil foes. I hope it brings you luck in your journeys ahead." With that, the Elf kissed her on the cheek and left the room. Hiranneth felt a cold breeze come into her room and she shivered slightly. She knew the well-crafted steel wasn't just a sword. It was a part of her.

Hiranneth placed the new sword at her side on her belt. It was heavy but it made her feel strong and secure. She put her pack on and headed out the door. Everywhere she looked she saw an Elf of Hunvel. All of them were looking at her. They had a cold sadness about them that sent a chill up her spine. She walked quickly to Ahéawan's room, and as she passed, the Elves would whisper Elvish prayers.

When Hiranneth finally made it to Ahéawan's room, tears were in her eyes. She coughed slightly and entered. There stood Ahéawan and...Amdireth? She must have revealed herself to Ahéawan at last, was Hiranneth's lone thought of comfort on the weary night.
"Are we ready to leave? I have a feeling the journey will be long."
Hiranneth looked out the window and saw Elves with their horses ready. Hiranneth noticed Kiran's and Kiarton's horses. They must be sad that their masters are not here to ride them.
"They have our horses ready," Hiranneth said to her two companions. "And so the journey really starts. With what will it end?"

Amdireth took Hiranneth's hand and squeezed it soothingly. "We'll find them. I know we will." She could feel Hiranneth's pain, and wanted to help her. "They're fine. We'll save them in time."

Ahéawan's expression was solemn as Hiranneth entered and spoke. She took one last wistful look around her room and slung her leather satchel containing her things over her shoulder. She stepped out into the cool night air and took a deep breath, waiting for her two companions to follow.

The Wraiths formed a circle, their hoods drawn and heads down. The air was cold, but they felt nothing. For they were souls, gathered souls that were taken from every helpless victim that had fallen into their line of sight. Death was a game for them, and they were hungry...so hungry. But they had bigger game. The prophesy foretold their downfall and had to be stopped, at any cost.
"You cannot hide when cloak is torn
You cannot protect one who is dead
Our power and strength shall be reborn
The crown shall never touch her head."
They chanted the words over and over and then in turn, each made an oath. Black blood dripped on to the floor and the moon shone through the open roof with a changed light.
"The crown shall never touch her head."