OK, here's chapter 7. We've written all the way through Ch 29.(I got a little behind on the updating!) Mori wrote half.No one's guessed which half yet though!

Part thirteen

It was far into the night when Calanthia touched the ground, changing into a panther as she did so. She was so tired she could barely see straight, she felt vulnerable, guilty, angry...but everything was overpowered by the exhaustion. Curling into a ball, with her long tail over her nose, she closed her green eyes. She fell asleep instantly.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o Calanthia's Dream o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

She stretched her sinuous body and padded through the thick jungle undergrowth, her long tail swishing behind her. She was running, but whether she was chasing someone or being chased she did not know. As she was running she felt something pulling her in a new direction. She slowed down, sniffing the air, walking toward the thicker grove of trees where the pull originated. Suddenly, the trees ended and she was looking at a mountain, with a stream flowing through it. The pull was telling her to go in the stream. So she jumped in, changing into a fish and swimming along. Even though she was a fish and could breathe underwater, it seemed like she was running out of air. When she surfaced, she was in a cave. She swam to the edge, changing into an elf and pulling herself out of the water. There stood Foinien, her arm bandaged, her eyes glinting in the darkness. "I have been waiting for you." The assassin said darkly.

"Really? Well, I've been looking for you." Calanthia replied, trying to change into a tiger, an alligator, anything deadly. She couldn't.

"Not this time." Foinien laughed. Except it wasn't a nice laugh, warm or enjoyable. It was cruel.

"That's interesting. But I have come to realize something. I may want you alive, but it doesn't matter how alive. So, I am not afraid to hurt you anymore." Calanthia focused on her anger, trying to summon lightning.

"You should have realized that earlier. You are powerless."

"By the Valar. This isn't good." Calanthia was getting panicky, frustrated.

"You have to learn something." Foinien said. "Something where you can't use your powers as a crutch."

"What do I have to learn?" Calanthia said guardedly.
"Something you should have learned long ago." Foinien walked up to Calanthia. "But refused too. Now you have to learn in a...different way." They were inches apart now. "I am your greatest fear, Calanthia. Are you coming with me?"

Foinien's dream

She was running through a thick forest, her feet making no sound on the dry leaves. Everything was silent, and she was worried. She was running, but was she chasing someone or being chased? It had been the latter more and more often of late. She was the best, but even the best make mistakes. Something seemed to pull her, draw her off of her course. The more she fought it, the harder it pulled. She was powerless against it, and she was pulled into a thick grove in the trees. When she emerged, she was standing in the middle of what could have been mistaken for a wasteland. The earth was riddled with cracks, there were puddles of cooled lava, trees were uprooted, patches of ice were melting...all but one tree, which Calanthia was leaning on, looking angry. "Mae govannen, Foinien. I have been waiting for you." She said softly.

Foinien tensed and reached to her waist where her Sai blades were sheathed. They weren't there. Discreetly she felt the places where her numerous other weapons were concealed. All gone. She felt powerless. "Foinien, Foinien. You need to learn something, something where you can not use your training, or weapons, as a crutch."

"What is it I need to learn? And who are you to tell me what to do?" Foinien asked, putting up a bold front. If she could get close enough, without getting killed, she knew numerous ways to kill someone without weapons.

"Don't even think of doing something like that, Foinien! I could burn you where you stand. Of course, I should probably bring you back unharmed." Calanthia said, seeming to read Foinien's mind. She walked closer.

"Back where?" Foinien asked, determined to stand her ground.

Calanthia ignored her question. "I am your greatest fear Foinien. Are you coming with me?"

Calanthia

"Where are we going? Do I have a choice?" Calanthia stammered.

"It is an unavoidable lesson. You had the choice to learn it long ago, from someone you trusted, but that time is over. We are going to your past." Foinien said, reaching out and grabbing Calanthia's hand. She was falling, falling, falling...

Foinien
"Where are we going?" Foinien asked. She was a bit afraid; her heart was pounding in her ears.

"To your past. You have issues that you avoided, haven't dealt with." Calanthia explained. "You could have resolved them long ago, but didn't for some reason." Seeing the terrified look on Foinien's face, she gave her a kindly smile. "Don't worry. I think I am going through the same thing as we speak." Calanthia grabbed Foinien's hand, something she struggled against mightily, and then she was falling, falling, falling...

Part fourteen

Calanthia and Foinien both landed together with a thump, they were in an arid desert, with nothing but the baking sun to keep them company.

The two enemies looked around at their surroundings, avoiding each other, so not to make eye contact. The sands whipped up in the wind, causing them both to shield their eyes from the hard grains.

As the miniature sand storm died down, Calanthia looked up, vaguely making out two figures making their way over to the two. Calanthia was then surprised to recognize them, there were three people; one of the adults carrying a small child.

They were her family.

The elves approached Calanthia without speaking, then stopped, remaining silent...

Foinien regarded them apprehensively, are they dangerous? They don't look dangerous. She thought to herself. "Nana? Ada?" Calanthia questioned, she looked as though she could hardly believe her eyes. So the Storm Maiden's parents are here? But wait, are they not dead? What is this place? She thought with a shudder.

Just as she was trying to understand what exactly was going on here, Foinien noticed that there were more elves approaching, a man and a woman. They looked vaguely familiar to her, but she couldn't think why. "Who are you?" She asked them when they stopped in front of her.

All four of the mysterious elves answered as one.

"We are the past." They said simply.

They all looked sad; the two in front of Foinien especially; the woman began to cry silently.

"Why do you weep?" Foinien asked her.

"Because you do not recognize your own parents, little Foinien."

Foinien took a step backwards from them, even Calanthia turned around to see this.

Many thanks to all of our reviewers! Until next time, then.