Jessi: Again a late update. I can explain that in two words: writer's block.

Vale's memories still taunted her as she rode down the road. Her eyes stung as she fought to keep from crying. She had left Waterdeep in a hurry. She'd been rushing so much that she neglected to bring anything but the clothes she stood up in, the same clothes she'd been wearing when she'd...

Her horse lost its footing briefly and slid in the thick mud, jolting the young sorceress from her thoughts. The gelding steadied itself and Vale slid from the saddle, turning to grasp the bridle.

Lightning flashed behind her, followed closely by a rumble of thunder. The horse reared, completely spooked, the leather reins just out of Vale's reach. She lunged for the bridle but her mount was already galloping away from her, back towards Waterdeep.

For a moment she just stood there, staring after her horse. Finally she slumped to her knees, not caring about the mud, her hands covering her face as she cried. The grey clouds above her finally shed their load and rain began to fall heavily towards the earth. More rumbles of thunder sounded.

Abruptly the rain stopped falling onto her, though she could still hear it hitting the road. She looked up.

Spread over her head was a single white wing, acting as a shelter from the rain. Attached to it was Chel.

Vale had let Chel take her from her seat in the mud and she now stood shivering in the shelter of a cave. A stream, swelled with rain water, ran partly through the cave, entering it through a hole in the roof.

Chel looked exactly as she had known him for fifty years, as a slender winged elf, dressed all in black. Currently he was knelt over a small pile of kindling, transferring flickering flames from his cupped hand to the wood.

Angrily she turned her back to him to regard the stream with something approaching longing. So caught up in thoughts of baths was she that she did not notice her guardian until he touched her arm lightly.

She flinched and backed away from him, annoyed at the feelings of guilt that blossomed within her when she saw the hurt look that crossed his face.

"The fire is warmer, Vale," he looked away for a brief second then brought his gaze back to her, "If you catch something... your body is too weak to fight off an illness now."

Vale just stood there. Chel wrapped an arm round her shoulders, bringing his mouth close to her pointed ear,

"Please Vale-uke..."

"No!" the young elf tore free and ended up pressed against the wall, staring at him with wide, frightened eyes. She slid to the ground and closed her eyes, willing him to go away.

A minute later she heard light footsteps heading back to the fire and she turned back.

The water of the stream was glowing oddly. Frowning, Vale knelt and placed a hand into the clear water. It was warm and soft tendrils of steam rose from its surface.

Not caring that it was Chel's magic that had did this, she undressed and got into the water, enjoying the warmth.

Outside the cave it was still raining. The young elf watched this from her bath, unwilling to leave the warm water. Eventually she sighed and swam to the side, not relishing having to put on her filthy clothes again.

Her tunic and breeches had gone. In their place was a neatly folded pile of clean clothes, topped with a familiar bag of holding.

She had just gotten dressed when something entered the cave. The elf froze at the sight of an immense silver-grey wolf, a oddly long mane of fur grown about its neck. In its mouth it carried two rabbits which it deposited by the fire before brushing past a stunned Vale.

Strange organic sounds came from the darkness behind the young sorceress. She spun and summoned a small globe of light to her hands.

The wolf was lying partly on its side, its fur falling out in droves. Its bare legs were shaping into pale, elven legs and its face was shortening. The mane had turned white and was growing.

She turned, extinguishing the spell with a thought. A minute later Chel, in elven form once more, came from the shadows, fastening the silver clasps on his robe with one hand and carrying his boots with the other. Vale saw that the nails on his hands and bare feet were still those of a wolf, black and curving. Even as she watched they were changing into normal elven ones.

In no time at all the rabbits were on a spit above the fire. Vale's stomach growled at the smell of roasting meat.

Chel looked up at her before waving a hand in the air. Instantly two small loaves of bread appeared in front of the young female.

A moment later only crumbs remained and Vale was watching the rabbits with hungry eyes,

"If you can make food with magic why bother hunting?"

Chel seemed happy just to have his ward talking to him,

"I prefer the honesty of hunting."

Vale's eyes narrowed,

"Honesty?" her very tone was filled with bitterness and anger, "You're a fine one to talk, Chelevva."

The male flinched,

"You heard that? Vale, please understand... I wanted to tell you, for all these years I really have," he vanished and reappeared next to his ward. When he tried to hold her, however, she scrambled backwards,

"You can't make this better with kisses and touches! Not after you've been lying to everyone-"

"And how would you have liked me to put it? I thought you were different from all the rest! Why should my race matter to you?"

"It doesn't... but I..." she sighed and stood, "In the morning I'm heading back home... and I don't want you following me."

A cry of pure anguish escaped Chel's lips and, all dignity forgotten, he flung his arms around her waist, burying his head in her stomach,

"No! Oh please no!"

"Chel..."

"I need you! Please don't leave me..."

"I can't!" Chel looked up in astonishment at Vale's cry, letting go of her and sitting back on his heels. Vale looked close to tears, "I can't leave you. I want to hate you, I want to despise you for lying to me. But I just can't!" she looked down at his face, seeing the permanent sorrowful expression and the pale, haunted eyes, "I still... I still want to help you."

"I love you Vale. If making my history known to you would make you happy then I will tell you."

The elf paused, her expression and emotions torn. Finally she spoke,

"Tell me then... please, Chel... Chelevva."

Chel bowed his head, thinking of a place to start. Vale sat opposite him, her knees drawn up and her chin resting on them.

"My name is Chelevva Pendragon, though I have been called differently throughout my life," he looked up at her, "You may call me Chel or Chelevva, whichever you prefer.

"I was hatched a long time ago, in my father's realm, Mercuria. This was before the elves came to Faerun... a long time before. The Planes were a different place then. My father was not always the only dragon deity you see. There were once many others and they were at war..."