Hello!
Once again, Moriarwen wrote half. Can anyone guess which?

Part fifteen

Calanthia's mother handed her her baby sister, who giggled and smiled happily. A tear came to Calanthia's eyes as she looked down on the baby, the baby who had died because of her. After a moment she looked back up at Foinien, her heart going out to the assassin who had never known her parents.

Foinien couldn't have been more shocked when the elfess in front of her had said that she was her mother. "How?" She asked dumbfounded. "Are you really?"

The elfess chocked back a sob and buried her face in her husband's shoulder. He looked up at Foinien with keen brown eyes. Eyes that were just like her own. "We are, really. As for how..." He gave Foinien a half smile. "I never did get to tell you about the birds and the bees did I?"

Her mother laughed weakly, turning around and drying her eyes. "My little Foinien. I remember when you were a baby, you were so wonderful. You were loving and kind, and you loved our pet dog. You wouldn't sleep unless that dog was in the room. Sometimes you would fall asleep on the floor with him, and you would curl up together...you were so wonderful. I couldn't wait to see you grow up. But I never did. Ai Elbereth, Foinien. We loved you so much." A tear came to her mother's eyes.

Calanthia had looked down at her sister again, wanting to give Foinien and her family some privacy. "Eleniel." She whispered. Her sister perked up at the sound of her name. "Did she have powers? I remember you were going to have her tested...that day." She asked her parents, fighting not to cry.

"Oh, Calanthia. Don't blame your self-" her mother started, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Tell me! Did she have powers?"

Her father sighed. "Yes, Calanthia. She seemed to have the ability to talk to animals, and shape-shift as you do."

"That explains why small animals were always around the house." Calanthia whispered. "Oh Eleniel, I'm so sorry. You never knew the feeling of using your powers. I took it away from you. I'm so sorry." Calanthia handed Eleniel to her mother, sobbing quietly. "I'm sorry. I never should have gotten angry, I shouldn't have started that earthquake, I'm so sorry."

"It isn't your fault, Calanthia, you must stop blaming yourself!" her father exclaimed, pulling his daughter into his arms for a strong hug.

"It is my fault! Ada, I made that earthquake, no one else!"

"Calanthia! You forgive others so easily, why can you not forgive yourself? It is not your fault!"

"Then whose fault is it?" Calanthia screamed, jerking out of her father's arms.

He didn't have an answer.

"It is Durion's fault." Her mother answered for him. "He shouldn't have made you so angry. He had been stalking you for weeks, Calanthia!"

"I should have been able to control myself! And if I couldn't control myself then I should have died with you!"

Foinien had stared at her parents, unable to grasp the concept that they had walked out of the past and into her life after so many years. She didn't even remember them, but when she looked closely, she could see that she looked like them. Her mother's face looked the same; she had her father's brown eyes. She was tall and willowy, graceful like her mother, she held herself like royalty, much like her father...the difference was that she was deadly, dangerous, an assassin. And, for the most part, unfeeling. She couldn't picture herself as a sweet little toddler, playing with a large, hairy dog, laughing and enjoying every moment of life. She saw Calanthia crying and heard her yell "I should have died with you!"

So her parents are dead then. But how? And why should she be dead as well?

"Foinien." Her father called her attention back to them softly. "When you were taken from us, your mother faded from grief. I died not much later. It was welcome. Not all people wish to live. If you wish to know why, ask her."

Part sixteen

At her fathers last words, Foinien felt herself falling again, she didn't want to leave; she wanted to stay with her parents, the parents she had no memory of.

Foinien knew how the Morqua Maica recruited members, by stealing them from selected families, in one of her earlier missions; Foinien had stolen a pre-chosen infant, a young elleth named Tirian. The connection had never been made in her mind that Foinien had indeed been stolen herself, now that it was, she had begun to wonder.

Last Foinien heard of Tirian was that she had been captured on a botched mission; like all the others, Tirian had dutifully taken her own life.

She saw her family disappear in a whirl of colors as she continued to fall. Finally, she landed with a thud on the cave floor. Foinien opened her eyes and found herself in the exact same position that she was in when she was asleep.

No, it could not have all been a dream; could it?

She thought to herself. Unnerved by her experience, Foinien decided that it was time to move on; it was time to go home.

Calanthia had returned when Foinien did, it seemed that the bond caused them to move together.

Just like Foinien, Calanthia had thought it a dream, a rather disturbing, revelatory, vivid dream, but a dream all the same.

She gathered herself together and set about finding her prey, she felt somehow revitalized, and could feel the bond stronger than she ever had.

She had a much clearer sense of Foinien's presence, and knew where to go, transforming into her eagle form yet again, Calanthia flew north.

Taking the long route through the underground matrix, that she had been through so many times before, she broke into a swift run. Foinien felt unsettled and wanted to burn of some of the excess energy.

We are the past

Her mind started to flashback to the dream

You do not recognize your own parents

The memories troubled her, she ran faster, trying to shake them off.

When you were taken from us, your mother faded from grief.

As Foinien ran faster and faster, tears started to run down her face. She felt ashamed, the Morqua Maica do not have emotions! Pain is for the weak!

I died not much later. It was welcome. Not all people wish to live.

Remembering her father's words, Foinien felt more and more distressed, the pain that the Morqua Maica had caused, Foinien had never thought about. It was not for her to do. All she existed for was to follow orders. She was brought up told that emotion is for the weak.

If you wish to know why, ask her.

His last words rung clear in her mind. Ask the Storm Maiden? Foinien thought in anguish.

She could see light ahead, she was nearing the way out, Foinien had run a long way.

Calanthia spotted the tiny entrance to the caves far ahead, she swooped down and eerily, she felt as though she should wait. The elleth morphed into her original form and waited, sword drawn, ready to fight.

Foinien sprinted to the hole, crawled out with cat like skills, got to her feet, and then stopped dead.

There, in broad daylight, was Calanthia.

Foinien looked directly at her; they held eye contact for sometime, neither moving.

The elleth knew what she was supposed to do in this situation, but now she was not sure. Foinien had lost her will to kill; she looked at her enemy, doubt written all over her face.

Calanthia shared the same feeling, knowing that she should fight her, like Foinien; she didn't want too.

They acknowledged each other with a nod of their heads; Foinien took off and Calanthia did nothing to stop her.

Moments after this happened, Calanthia was shocked at herself, she had been face to face with her and done nothing; she had let her prey get away, it was odd because deep down, Calanthia knew that this was right.

She stood, sword hanging limply at her side, thinking about what had just been; when Calanthia heard the sounds of a scuffle. Renewing her grip on her sword, Calanthia ran to the noise.

Moving away from the clearing where Calanthia stood, Foinien hadn't been concentrating on her surroundings, her mind was elsewhere.

As a consequence, she didn't notice the elf following her. It was too late when she saw him.

As she stepped into an open area, Foinien was confronted by Nihath, friend of Durion.

He ran towards her, she ran to him, having to fight him in self defense. Foinien turned 90 degrees on her heal when she was close enough to kick him high, unfortunately for Foinien, he saw this coming. Catching her leg as she threw the kick, he yanked it up, toppling the she-elf.

Before she had the chance to gather her senses, Nihath had lain on top of her, in a manner that would have been deemed extremely inappropriate in other circumstances, pinning her down with his weight.

Using one hand to hold her arms together, Nihath retrieved a length of rope from on his person and used it to bind her hands together.

Still holding her arms down with one hand, he rose, straddling her waist, being tall enough he could manage this, increasing how inappropriate it looked pinning her down in this fashion. Foinien kept struggling, she couldn't escape him and she writhed in his grip all the more.

Nihath had had enough, if she struggles like this then how am I supposed to move her?

Calanthia found them at this moment, Nihath straddling Foinien's waist and her struggling under his grasp; she just stepped into the clearing to see Nihath strike her, rendering her unconscious.

"Nihath! NO!" She shouted, recognizing him. "What are you doing to her!" She wasn't quite sure what she was seeing,

"I caught her; she wouldn't stop struggling so I had to! It was the only way I could bind her!" He said, justifying his actions.

"Foinien?" Calanthia said quietly to the unconscious elleth.

Yay! New Character!

Namarie,
Lady Altaria