I sat in the saddle of a young brown colt, his black mane trimmed short. "Okay your all strapped in. Dunes should be able to make the journey in a few days at worst." The stable boy said as Lord Viren entered the stables.

"I'm so glad I caught you before you left." He said, "I have a gift for you Ruby, I know my lessons haven't been the most compatible with your values." He said as he pulled out a package, "But in the few months we've been learning from each other, you have been like a second daughter to me."

I took the package and pulled at the strings, inside was a pendant, a gold disk engraved and inlaid with silver to make a rose. "Thank you. I'll be back in few months and we can continue our lessons." I smiled at the man. "I just need a adventure to get my blood flowing."

"Ride safe." I nodded as I pulled my hood over my horns and steered the horse out of the stables.

"I will." I gave one flick of the reins and Dunes took off, iron shod hooves clacking on the hard stone roads.

The moon hides secrets,

Hidden from the Old King's gaze,

Moon Shadow blood boils.

Chapter 3: Rayla

I leaped from tree to tree under the light of the moon, just as the other assassins did. Runaan motioned for us to move further in into the human forest, so mundane compared to the grand trees that bore roads back home in Xadia. My green clothes blending in the emerald foliage, as came upon a road we stopped and watched a lone rider, garbed in black and red, her face hidden by a low hood. Suddenly she stopped her horse.

"I can feel your hatred, and your anger." She turned her head to where we froze. How could she know. "I'm just a traveler, with few supplies heading to a town near the border. It's late and I'll be making camp soon, feel free to share my fire." She urged her horse forward. I looked to Runaan and he tilted his head towards me and then her. I sighed to my self as I took to the trees, using my weapons hooks forms to swing from branch to branch. She stopped a fairways down the road and pulled into a hidden clearing. She pulled her small sacks off of the colt before trying him to a tree. She scratched him behind the ears as she thanked the animal.

"Thank you Dunes, I'll get you a few apples when we reach the town." She said before making a small fire.

I watched and waited for her to fall asleep. My swords in hand, it was a vile human... but she didn't do anything wrong. I watched from the shadows from the old oak. 'She's isn't a threat.' I thought before turning around.

But at that moment she pulled back her hood and my jaw hung open, bone white skin, red markings around her closed eyes and two curled horns that cut through her long red and black hair. I couldn't see her ears but those horns could only mean one thing. 'An elf? What is she doing in the human lands?'

She opened her eyes up to the starry sky. "I wonder what they are doing back home?" She had a human accent, probably from years of living among the folk, I couldn't see her eyes from where I was. I turned and sped through the forest.

I soon caught up with the rest of the assassins. "Your blades aren't stained with blood." Runaan said.

"She was a elf. Her skin was bone white and blood red markings glowed beneath her eyes. I've never heard of a elf looking like that." I said as I sat down by the older assassin.

"Could be a cross between a Sun Fire and a Moon Shadow. I've heard that they sometimes have such strange features." One of the others said as he massaged his legs. "But what is she doing in the Human lands?"

"Well at least it wasn't a human. Come, we still have a ways to go."

We ran all night, the castle of Kitolas approaching on the horizon. I leaped from tree to tree in the rain. Tomorrow we would take revenge for the crimes of the humans that murdered the King of the dragons and the unhatched Dragon Prince. My feet only touched the branches for a second before I lunged to the next. Runaan and the others sped along side me. We burst into a clearing and standing in the rain was a man in armor, his eyes widened as he looked at us.

We landed on the ground and he took off running through the woods. "Rayla, stop him." Runaan ordered. I nodded and chased him through the trees. He tripped and stumbled, his breathing hard as he tried to find his way in the dark. He came to the top of a short cliff and ran off falling into a mud hole his helmet coming off. I landed on my feet with my blades to his neck.

"Wait please!" His eye were wide with fear, his clothes and armour stained with mud as the rain washed his black hair into his eyes.

I tightened my grip on my weapons and tried to force myself to kill him, but my arms wouldn't move, it was what I had to do, but this man was innocent. He wasn't the one I had come to kill. I sighed and pulled my weapons away. "Go." I said quietly, and go he did. Scrambling he pulled himself out of the hole and ran full tilt towards the castle. I sighed as I looked around and spotted a red berry bush.

I walked along the walls of the castle, the wind and rain bearing down on me, I pulled the black and white guards cloak tighter around me. "I wonder if Ruby has reached the Breach yet?" I ran a had through my hair, the red dye had faded and the roots had grown back in their natural black. I let my hand fall as I walked a bit further along the wall so that I was standing over the gate.

Looking out over the field I spotted a man in muddy armour running towards the gate at full speed, his helmet in his hand. "OPEN THE GATES!" He yelled. as he ran up to the walls.

He darted inside and started yelling at them to shut the gate. I made my way down. "Slow down, what is it?" I asked.

"Moon Shadow elves. I have to warn the King." I nodded and we ran to the keep.

In the throne room we found King Harrow and Lord Viren. "I hope this is important." The lord said.

"Assassins, Moon Shadow elves, one of them had me with her blades to my throat." The guard said as he stood attention, his breathing still hard and ragged.

"How did you escape?" The king asked as he looked at him.

"I shouldn't have, but she let me go. I don't know why." The man said.

"Thank you, you may get some rest soldier." he saluted his king and turned to leave.

As the king sat in his throne he seem to age a decade, "Our actions have caught up with us." He said, "Xadia wants revenge for the slaying of the Dragon King Thunder, and they sent Moon Shadow elves on the eve of the full moon."

"Harrow, I know this seems bleak, but perhaps I can..."

"No, no dark magic short cuts, that is why they are here." The king's voice hardened.

"Then we let them come and put an army between them and you." I spoke up. "If there is nothing we can do but prepare, then we will do just that. I stand ready."

"No, I want you to look over my sons." The king turned to me. "Your young, and you have someone to live for, don't throw it away for my sins Kirishima."

"But, King Harrow..."

"No buts, you are to take the boys to the Banthor Lodge as soon as you can tomorrow. I ask this of you, not as a king, but as a father and fellow man." I looked into the kings brown eyes and sighed.

"I'll protect them with my life."

And chapter 3 is done. I have a challenge for you who review, write a Haiku as well. It doesn't have to be about the story, it could be about anything. Love, tragedy, war, peace. Have fun with it.