Anita was walking under the sun-dappled trees, head bowed and hands hanging loosely. She had put her bow away and her small sword hung safely in its sheath. "What a lovely day," she murmured with chagrin.
She reached the statue of Kiarton and gazed up at it, surprised by its beauty even in her mood. She ran her hand over the words in the base one last time and made her way back to Hunvel
Once inside the city gates, she sauntered thoughtfully down a long street. In truth, she knew very little of Authon. Who is he? She decided to find the palace library and do some research on the mysterious Elf.
She pushed open the heavy doors that were embossed in gold. She stared up at the rows of books that stretched up in neat shelves. Anita saw the painting on the ceiling and smiled at the Elven design. It depicted the sky, filled with white gulls, hovering over the ivory clouds that seemed so real. She pulled her gaze away to the task at hand.
She decided to find a book herself, and after reading many, she found the one she'd looked for. It was a slightly out of date history of Hunvel. But luckily, it mentioned Authon. He had been the Steward of Hunvel. She flipped a page and found an interesting passage, near the back of the book. He had practically been pushed aside when Lady Hiranneth was restored to the throne, with Lord Kiran at her side. It explained the complaints and contradicting ideas of the Elves. Anita had often thought to herself, Why would the Elves want two humans on the throne? Reading through Hiranneth's history telling of her being the only remaining member of the royal family, she could suppose why that was. She had a feeling that Authon had been one of the Elves that opposed to a mortal Queen and King, not to mention the fact that he would lose the authority in his title.
That was when Hunvel's history got interesting. Authon had been banished when an uprising was stopped. In his absence, the title of Steward was passed on to Leeum in the event that the line of Hunvel was ended, to the disapproval of a small handful of Elves. Leeum's past was not altogether flattering.
So, Authon has returned? But wasn't he banished? Anita shook her head. She closed the book and placed it back on the shelf. She understood now. No wonder everyone was afraid! There is no way for somebody to lose a title and be banished and not hold a grudge. When she had mentioned Authon to Laurëa, she had sort of made that part up just as a subtle threat, but she had been right. Authon would also have a grudge against Leeum and his family.
This changed things.
Anita exited the library and returned to her home that was a short distance away from the palace. She opened the door to find her father sitting at the table eating noon day meal.
He looked up, surprised. "Why back so early, Anita?" The redhead sat down and bit into a ripe apple.

"We encountered some one that we didn't expect to see," she said simply.

Suddenly, the door burst open, revealing Gerard hauling a very dazed Prince Ronin into the house. Alarmed, Anita rushed to the both of them and helped take Ronin to their spare bedroom. While placing a damp cloth on Ronin's forehead, Gerard told Anita what had happened after she left their hunting party.
After a few minutes, Gerard stood up wearily and placed his hand on his forehead. "Siblings," he sighed. The redhead walked out of the room to find his father looking confused.
While Gerard was explaining everything in the front room, Anita held the cloth to Ronin's head and watched his eyes slowly clear. "What were you two thinking?" she murmured softly.

Ronin realized that he must have been briefly unconscious, for when he next opened his eyes, Anita was there. Slowly, he remembered the fight. Why was I so stupid? I could never have beaten him! he thought.
Looking up at Anita, he gave a weak smile.
"I'm guessing I didn't win," he said. He tried to get up, but Anita gently pushed him back onto the seat. "I'm okay, really. I just...I just want to leave. I don't belong here. I've never belonged here. I can't stand living in this place any longer."

Anita had one hand lightly on Ronin's shoulder. He wants to run away? Anita's face was calm and solemn. She had let her hair down and the red wave spilled over one shoulder.
"Ronin, it is your choice alone what destiny you take. If you must go, I know I won't be able to stop you." She smiled weakly and lifted her hand to rest in her lap as she sat beside him on the small bed, watching the expressions on his face as they battled.

With the others thoroughly occupied with the Princes' brawl and her drawings carelessly thrown to the forest floor, Laurëa hurried to scoop them up and brush off the dirt from them. As the fight broke up and the red-head led the younger Prince away, Laurëa surveyed the scene with a frown. The elder Prince---what is his name again?---was wiping some blood off his lower lip as he calmly watched his brother leave.
"Well," said Laurëa. "I think I've had enough excitement for one day." Making sure her drawings were tightly in her grasp and out of sight, she picked up her skirts and began her brisk walk out of the forest. My father will have some explaining to do about this Authon when I return, she thought determinedly.

Dorion's face was expressionless as he brushed the small amount of blood from his lip.
"Wait," he said to Laurëa, "may I walk you home, if you really must go?"

A small frown crossed Laurëa's face. She normally did things alone, but he is royalty, she supposed. His company would be suitable. The Prince did not wait for Laurëa's reply, but strode up to her and walked rather cheerfully, despite the fight he had just had with his brother. Laurëa did her best to hide her drawings as he turned toward her to give her an attempt at a smile.

Dorion felt awkward around her; she seemed to have high standards when it came to any human interaction. As he walked along with her, the silence of the woods crept about them.
He decided to make small talk. "I may know some about this Authon, if you want to listen. But I can understand if you have better things to do."

Laurëa gave him a strange look. She did not want to seem too interested, but her parents hadn't given her any information on this Authon character, so she was curious about what the Prince had to say. She would have to put this carefully. "Well, my home is quite a ways off. I suppose hearing of this Authon fellow of yours is better than silence until then." She kept her nose held high and did not look at the Prince as she spoke to him. She had her dignity to preserve. "Do go on."

Dorion put his hands behind his back and strode with carefree simplicity next to her. For a while he seemed to contemplate what he might say, and how he might say it. He noticed Laurëa look at him from the corner of her eye; she looked annoyed.
"Oh yes," he said as if forgetting what he was doing, "Authon...the former Steward of Hunvel. It's a rather interesting story."
Dorion smiled to himself thinking Laurëa knew nothing about his lack of knowledge in this subject. Just the other day he was asking himself the same question.
He pulled out the history book heirloom he often kept on him and began to browse through it.
"Ah yes...Authon son of Timadore, Steward of Hunvel. He came into power," he flipped the next page, "a week after the King was mysteriously murdered. He had reined in nobility for 300 years when the rumors of the King's daughter, Hironia having a child came about. But Hironia had run away before she was wed to any Elf, so many wondered what had happened."
Dorion stopped and looked at Laurëa. She looked smug, as usual, but she seemed to be absorbing his every word. "In the year of Hiranneth's arrival, Authon was present and saw her come with her new friends. He was filled with rage when he saw the heir of Hunvel was half human, half Elf."
Dorion stopped in mid walk. He looked down at his feet and sighed.
"What must the Elves think of me?" His hands shook as he looked down at them. "I know nothing of the Elves that should be ruling Hunvel."

Dorion shut his book and cleared his throat, fighting the tears that came to his eyes. "If you will excuse me, Laurëa, I really must get back."
As Dorion walked away, his spirits were definitely low. I do not belong here. Not at all.

Laurëa's eyebrows furrowed as the Prince left in a hurry. Hmmm. This Authon seems to have a complicated history. But I do not know much more know than I did before, she thought. As her eyes drifted to the retreating form of the Prince, she remembered the old book he had been reading from. I must get my hands on that book, decided Laurëa. And what's more, I must learn the Prince's name.

Dorion ran through the palace gates and shut them behind him. He breathed deeply, trying to keep in his pain. He looked around the place and saw many Elves tending to the gardens. They worked so carefully and they seemed to glow. One woman looked up and smiled at him. He stared at her for a moment, then she turned her blue eyes from him and continued with her pruning on her rose bush. Dorion thought, I wish I were an Elf, that I glowed in that way.
He walked by quickly and into the halls where he ran into his mother.
"Hello Dorion," she said while giving him a kiss on the cheek.
Dorion managed a smile.
"Do you know where Ronin is? I haven't seen him in a while," added the Lady Hiranneth.
Dorion thought a moment. Ronin was probably angry at him and was hiding out. "I don't know where he is, Mother," he said truthfully. "We did go hunting, but then…"
Hiranneth laughed, filling Dorion with joy at the sound.
"I know," she said knowingly, "You and Ronin got in a fight. You really should mind your brother."
Dorion looked down in shame. "I know Mother, I'm older and I should know better. Seeing how I'm heir and all, you'd think I'd know."
Hiranneth pursed her lips. "You may be the heir, son, but you are not yet a man." She paused as Dorion frowned. "You are still a boy, a boy who is searching for his manhood."
As his mother left for the gardens, Dorion understood what she meant, but he was still hurt by her comment. Feeling that he owed it to his mother, he decided to go look for Ronin.

Ronin lay still, letting the pain in his body slip away as he focused his thoughts on the matter at hand.
If I ran away, would anyone miss me? He thought of his friends, the Elves he had come to enjoy the company of over the years. But lately they had seemed to want to spend less and less time with him; they were all becoming a part of the adult society and most of them were apprentices to certain crafts already. Then he thought of Gerard. His red-headed friend would be missed dearly, but Ronin knew he couldn't invite him along. Gerard had a happy life and a caring family, and he couldn't ask his friend to leave it all behind.
He looked up and caught Anita's eyes, staring for a moment. "You won't tell anyone, will you?" he asked softly. "Not even your father?"

Anita sighed and nodded. "I won't. But I don't see what good it will do." She stood up and held out a hand to Ronin. She helped him up and looked into his troubled face. He stood around an inch taller than her, and she noticed for the first time how incredibly blue his eyes were.
She suddenly wrapped her arms around him and embraced the Prince tightly, looking over his shoulder with tears. "Just don't..." She closed her eyes and spoke in barely more than a whisper. "I'll miss you Ronin."

Ronin gently kissed the top of Anita's head before pulling away from her embrace. "We'll meet again, I know it," he said, wiping a tear from her face.

He left the house quietly through the back door, careful to avoid seeing Gerard or his father as he went. He headed first for the palace, feeling a sadness for the home that had been his for so long as he crept through the halls. He took a few things from his room and was about to leave when he spotted a piece of parchment sitting on his desk. Thinking quickly, Ronin took a quill and hastily scribbled a note to his parents, saying how much he loved them but how he just needed a while to himself. Signing the note solemnly, he then headed for his tree house to gather the remainder of his things. Kiarton was waiting for him there, a dead rat grasped in his claws.
"Don't follow me, alright? I can't risk being seen by anyone," he said to the bird. Though his tone was light, it did little to mask his sadness.
He pulled on his grey-green cloak and made sure his weapons were still on hand and in good condition. Grabbing a small bag that lay nearby, he filled it with some traveling food and a handful of coins. Then he climbed back down the tree and surveyed the land of Hunvel.
"I'm leaving you forever," he whispered to no one in particular. "I'm not coming back."
Then he turned his back on the town and headed out into the forest, not looking back.

Dorion wandered into Ronin's room looking for him, though knowing in the back of his mind his brother would not be there. As he predicted, Ronin's room was empty, but a small piece of parchment on his brother's desk caught Dorion's eye. Picking it up, Dorion read the note appalled. He's leaving, all because of me?
Dorion didn't know what to do. He walked away from the room and into his own. He sat down on his bed and pondered a while. His eyes did not move from the floor; his hands remained white and clenched.
After what seemed like an eternity, he spoke aloud to himself. "I am a boy, nothing more than that. If anything, I was being the child in all this." He bit his lip. "Hunvel does not need a child for a King."
He stood up and started to pack a bag of things and food. He grabbed his cloak and placed it on his bed. "I'm going to leave this place."

Anita felt horrible; she longed to confide in someone, but she had promised not to tell. When Gerard returned, she put a hand to her head and told her brother halfheartedly that Ronin was better; he had left already. It was only the early afternoon, but suddenly Anita felt incredibly tired. She shuffled to her room and fell into a troubled sleep.

Gerard had noticed his sister's strange behavior, but just waved it away. He ran a hand down his cheek and looked out the window up at the blue sky. What would he do now? He decided to take a nap.

After only a short amount of time, Gerard blinked his eyes open. He had had a strange dream about the hunting trip, only an arrow had struck Anita in the back. He shuddered and felt the urge to make sure she was okay. He opened the door to her bedroom quietly and saw that she was still asleep. He pulled up a chair and sat down to watch her face. Why did she act so strangely earlier? Suddenly, Anita mumbled something, rather loudly. This was usual for her, as she spoke often while she slept. But this time, he heard the words clearly. "Ronin…don't leave! Can't...tell a soul." She stirred restlessly, and Gerard put a hand to his mouth.
"No wonder!" he whispered, leaving his sister's bedroom in a hurry. "I have to go after him!"
Later on, Gerard thought of the note he had left his sister and father as he strolled quickly through the dense forest, with a pack on his back and sword strapped to his belt.

Anita stirred and awoke suddenly. She took in the sight around her and remembered that day's events. "How long have I been asleep?" she asked herself. She stumbled down the hall and into her brother's room; she had the strangest dream to tell him. But when she saw the note on his bed, she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. She scanned it quickly. "No! I must have told him in my sleep!" She closed her eyes for a moment and rushed off to gather her things.

"Gerard!" She had been running after him all this time.

Her brother turned around and shook his head. "Anita, you must go home! What will---"

"Father say? What difference does it make if one of us or two of us are gone? We have to bring him back! I'm sorry I didn't tell you...I promised."

Gerard walked beside her with his head lowered. "You did the right thing, 'Nita." Anita nodded mutely.
"Come on, sis, let's go bring your true love back." He always managed to pull a joke from the darkest day.

Anita jabbed him lightly in the ribs and quickened her pace. "Alright, let's find him. Together."