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Chapter Two: Different Lives
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Dyani Serden trotted purposefully through the streets of Ryven, which stood at the northeastern edge of Varon Forest. Ryven was a small town, near the outermost reaches of the Terien Kingdom's boundary. Not that there were any other Kingdoms, but human inhabitation didn't extend much beyond Ryven, and Terien reached only as far as its people lived.

Dyani didn't care much about the town's isolation—the town was self-sufficient, and just small enough for the inhabitants to be closely connected, while just large enough to be fascinating for any adventurous five-year-old explorer. Guard towers were spaced around Ryven on its outskirts to defend it from bandit raids, and the younger inhabitants were to stay within the town limits, but unoffical exits hidden from the guards' view were frequently utilized by the more enterprising youths within Ryven.

As one such child, Dyani's current destination lay at the town's west side. While the road leading to Moire ran from the north side of Ryven, the fields and farms Ryven depended on for food stretched away to the east, and to south lay only the beginning of the forest, the river Lisk flowed between Ryven and the forest on the town's west side. Dyani slipped through the hidden way around the nearest tower, and arrived nearly on the river's stony banks.

Though its origin had never been traced, the Lisk was Ryven's only source of water, a deep channel dug even deeper by the town's inhabitants. Part of the river had been widened into a clearing between the river and forest's edge, creating a small lake behind a dam crossing its banks where it narrowed again. However, the river still continued on, slowly overflowing the dam in a small waterfall.

Dyani ran sure-footedly across the slightly submerged dam, unworried about slipping or losing her balance. She stopped in the middle and stood for a moment, her eyes closed. She enjoyed the feel of the cold water slipping around her ankles and down into its original bed, where it continued toward the distant ocean. Dyani had never followed the river's course all the way there, of course, but she had once heard her older brother say that the Lisk emptied into the sea, and she liked to imagine that it did.

She looked down into the flowing water and saw her reflection rippling on its surface. Deep green eyes stared back at her from a face tanned by the sun. She made a face at her curly auburn hair, and wished that it would become straight. Currently, the only way to constrain it was to keep it in a high ponytail.

Privately grumbling a little at some of the general unfairness of life, Dyani crossed to the other side and began her hunt. Erik was training with Jaeden, and they said that she couldn't join in their swordfight unless she had a weapon herself. Since there was no way for her to get a wooden sword like they did, her only other option was a staff like some of Ryven's inhabitant's used. Or rather, a stout, strait stick that she could carry and use as a staff.

After what seemed like forever, and much discarding of unsuitable sticks, Dyani finally found the perfect one. The branch had probably been broken off from its tree during the last thunderstorm, but was none the worse for such treatment. Perfectly straight, with a little work and stripping it would become the weapon she needed.

Dyani immediately returned the way she came, and once inside Ryven again resumed her customary speed of travel—a dead run. Any townspeople out in the streets moved out of her way as she sped by; most of the town had grown accustomed to the unladylike habits of the mayor's youngest child and only daughter. She soon arrived at the two boys' dueling spot: the backyard of Jaeden's house.

It was more a rectangular patch of dry, hard-packed dirt edged by flowers and shrubs and surrounded by a low fence on three sides, and the back porch of the Merin house on the fourth. In the center, the bright afternoon sun shone down on two blonde heads, one golden, the other bearing hints of strawberry-orange. They moved here and there around the yard as Jaeden and Erik gained and lost ground to each other.

To Dyani's surprise and delight, she found Jaeden's older brother, Kain, watching the amateur swordsmen. Kain had a soft spot for her, which was lucky, because she needed his skills. She sidled along the edge of the plants to avoid Erik and Jaeden, and approached Kain with the branch.

"Kain," she said sweetly, utilizing the full extent of her little-girl charms, "can you help me make this into a staff?"

He looked down at her in mild surprise, but smiled. "They said you could join in if you had a weapon, I assume?"

"Yeah. And since you have a knife…" she trailed off, making designs in the dirt with her big toe. Kain chuckled good-naturedly.

"Sure, Di. Let's go to the side yard, so that the two "expert swordsmen" aren't disturbed."

Dyani giggled and surrendered her branch to him, then skipped alongside him to the small bare area on the side of the house. Kain, at thirteen, was the oldest boy she knew and the only one who could use a knife, from his father teaching him to whittle. As she watched in fascination, he stripped the branch of extra twigs and expertly turned it into a perfect miniature staff.

"There," he said finally, letting her examine it. She turned it over in her hands, running them along its smooth bark, then gave Kain a huge hug.

"Thank you!" She stepped back gave the staff a few experimental swings, forcing him to dodge it quickly.

"Do you know how to use that?" he asked with a kind smile. Dyani scowled and crossed her arms, dropping the staff in the process.

"Not yet. But I will!" she exclaimed stubbornly, glaring at him.

"Hm." He put his chin in one of his hands and supported his elbow with the other as he thought, a trait he had borrowed from his father. After a moment he seemed to come to a conclusion. "How about I get my sword and teach you? Then we can take on those two," he waved his hand toward the sound of wooden swords clashing, "and teach them how to really fight." His grey eyes gleamed deviously. Dyani's eyes widened, her mouth forming a surprised 'o'.

"Really?"

"Sure. It'll be fun, don't you think?"

Dyani nodded eagerly, and picked up her staff again as Kain retrieved his own practice sword from his room. His was of better quality than the younger boys', due to his whittling skills. Dyani knew he was better skilled then Erik and Jaeson as well, because his father had been training him. She swallowed, slightly nervous, as he took up an offensive position in front of her.

"Ready?" He grinned encouragingly at her.

"Yes," she replied with determination, imitating the defensive position she had once seen a staff-wielder use in a practice duel. She wanted to learn how to fight, desiring to keep up with Erik as little sisters universally did. After all, things like wearing dresses were sissy. She currently wore one of Erik's old outfits, cut down by her own clumsy fingers with a pair of scissors to fit her. Her parents disapproved, of course, but she was too quietly stubborn for them to be able to influence her much.

Without warning, Kain startled her out of her thoughts by leaping forward, and she braced herself against his downward swing.

"En guarde!"

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Jaeden and Erik continued their practice swordfight in the yard. By mutual consent the first boy to "draw blood", scoring a hit on his opponent, would be the winner. Jaeden fought fiercely, his sword always moving as he and Erik circled each other, each seeking for an opening.

"Give up yet?" he taunted, executing a particularly forceful downward stroke. Erik managed to block it with his own sword, and shook his head with a confident smile, saving his breath for fighting.

As they continued, Jaeden founding himself gradually tiring, unable to continue his impetuous attacks for such an extended period of time. Erik, he noticed, was staying entirely on the defensive, doing nothing more than counter his attacks.

The golden-haired boy scowled, recognizing too late the strategy his friend employed. Let your opponent tire himself out, he remembered from his father's instructions to them both during their last training session. Then, once he can't keep up his attacks anymore, strike!

Suddenly, Erik ducked Jaeden's sword and brought his own across in a single, smooth movement, aiming for Jaeden's midsection. Jaeden dodged to the left, narrowly avoiding a hit. He backed off a little, waiting with his sword at the ready.

Erik smiled slightly, amusement in his light green eyes. Jaeden growled at his friend in annoyance, shifting into a defensive stance. He knew that he had already lost, but refused to go down easily.

They began again, this time with Erik attacking and Jaeden defending. Even now, though, Jaeden saw the economy in Erik's movements, using as little energy as possibly in whatever he did.

"En guarde!" The unexpected shout from the side yard distracted Jaeden for a moment, and in that moment Erik knocked his sword aside and scored a hit.

"Victory!" He cried in his ever-calm voice, even when excited, brandishing his sword aloft.

"Hey!" Jaeden protested. "I was distrac—you—argh!" He thrust the wooden point of his sword into the hard-packed dirt, and stuck his tongue out at his best friend, not caring how childish it was. Distraction wasn't an excuse he could use in a swordfight.

Of course, Erik knew him too well to be anything but amused. "A warrior must always be alert," he chided in mock-severity, mimicking Kyr's voice remarkably well. "An opponent—"

"An opponent will always take any advantage you give him." Jaeden finished his father's maxim with a wry smile. "I know." He picked up his sword and saluted with it like they had been taught to do when defeated. Erik responded in kind, then punched Jaeden lightly in the arm.

"Work on you focus," he said good-naturedly. "You'll last longer that way."

"Work on your form, then," Jaeden countered in kind, slipping out of his competitive disappointment into their familiar banter. "You don't always react quick enough when I change attack patterns."

"Bah." Erik waved his hand dismissively. "Come on, let's see what Kain and Di are doing."

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The city of Moire, capital of the Kingdom of Terien, was a crowded, bustling place. Visitors from all over came to trade, shop, rest, or any of the other hundreds of activities possible within the city's thick stone walls. Country folk who visited for the first time were always awed by the height and breadth of the walls, the width of the streets—the sheer dimension of the city, with its background dominated by the looming figure of the Royal Castle.

Moire was a hospitable town, welcoming and embracing strangers and outsiders within its walls. However, for the city's lower-class residents, in the places visitors seldom went, life was not always so easy.

This particular dusk, life was proving singularly difficult for two children in a deserted square. Deserted, that is, except for themselves and a small band of boys several years older than themselves.

"Well, what have we here?" Sneered a tall boy, obviously the leader of the youths, backed by his jeering gang. "Tell us, pray, what brings such fair beauties to our humble domain?"

The two "fair beauties" in question were currently backed up against the stone wall of a closed shop, holding each other's hands. The smaller, younger girl, her deep blue eyes wide in fright, huddled against her companion and whimpered quietly. The other girl, no more than a few years older than the first, nevertheless stood straight and proud, defiance plain in her eyes.

"None a' your business!" she exclaimed haughtily, tilting her small nose upward in distaste. The youth grinned back at his companions.

"Oh, I do believe it is," he drawled. "You see, Beauty, this here part of town is our ground, and trespassers have to pay, see?"

The others laughed uproariously at his statement, causing the first girl to cringe. The elder girl, however, merely sniffed at him in annoyance.

"We're not, you—you—lout," she settled on at last. "This is public property, and you can't ash—assault us for walking to the cobbler's!"

The boy stalked forward until he towered over the two, a wickedly amused smile ruining his otherwise adolescently handsome face.

"What do you think you can do about it, little girl?"

Sparks appeared in the girl's eyes. She pulled herself up to her full height, glaring up at him, even though she barely reached his chest. The younger girl tugged her hand urgently, her eyes darting nervously around at the semicircle of boys surrounding them. Continuing to hold the boy's gaze, the still-furious girl tilted her head a little to listen to her companion.

"Kayamé," the blue-eyed girl whispered so that the others wouldn't hear, "Momma'll be angry if you get in another fight. Please, don't!"

Kayamé seemed to consider this for a moment. Finally, she murmured from the corner of her mouth: "Only for you, Tarai. On three—One, two, three!"

In a flash, Kayamé released Tarai's hand and gave the unsuspecting youth a two-handed stomach-punch. He doubled over in pain, clutching his midsection, and before any of the boys could react the two girls ducked through a gap in their makeshift human barricade and sped away.

After several minutes of running what would seem like a complex obstacle course through the back ways of the city known only to a few, the girls finally slowed, panting heavily.

"Did we—huff—lose them?" Tarai asked, looking around worriedly.

"I think so," Kayamé replied after a moment, relaxing from her combination of alertness and fury. "Are you okay?"

The young girl nodded. "I wish they'd leave us alone!"

"You have to learn to stand up to them. Don't let 'em frighten you."

"I can't help it, Kay," Tarai said in childish annoyance. "I hate boys... they're just too scary."

"Hah! Maddening's more like it. Trying to bully us just 'cause were younger and shorter—if I were just a few years older..."

"Don't, Kay," Tarai begged urgently. "You can't fight them. I don't want you to get hurt, and Momma'll not give us money for food again if your dress rips one more time!"

Kayamé suddenly stiffened, her eyes wide with horror. "Ta, we didn't get Momma's shoes!"

Tarai gasped. "And she said no dinner without them! Kay, what'll do?"

Kayamé hugged her sister comfortingly, trying to keep her from panicking. "Um, let me think... The cobbler's will be closed 'afore we get back, and it's getting dark," Tarai tried unsuccessfully to suppress a shudder, "so we can't go home tonight. One of our Hides is near here, though, Ta, and so is a baker's. I'll see if I can beg some bread from there. We'll stay at the Hide until tomorrow, get the shoes and tell Momma it was too dark to come home by the time the cobbler gave us them. Okay?"

She pulled back to look at Tarai. The poor girl managed to nod, her short black hair bobbing around her face. "'K."

Kayamé squeezed Tarai's hand, then disappeared like a shadow into the gathering gloom. Tarai stood for a moment, gathering her bearings and her courage, then headed for the nearest of the places she and her sister called 'Hides'. They were small, hidden nooks in out-of-the-way places, able to escape detection from all but the extremely keen-eyed, which by some quirk of luck Kayamé was. She had found them all, and come up with idea of using them as hiding places when their mother was in an especially foul mood. Which, unfortunately, was all too often.

Tarai reached the Hide and crawled inside. It was an especially small one, barely big enough to accommodate both girls. However, it was a shelter from the wind or rain, and warmer than anywhere else would be. It was also dimly lit by the full moon, which was a relief to her. She hated to be alone in the dark, so the moon was a welcome friend.

She sat as far away from the entrance as she could, hugging her knees as she waited for Kayamé to return. Smart, beautiful, and brave Kayamé. She was the one who defended them both against people like those boys, and never flinched when Momma was drunk or angry, and always managed to know what to do. Though only two years older than Tarai's own five, Kayamé always seemed older while Tarai was always mistaken for being younger than she really was.

Tarai sighed quietly. She didn't mean to act so young, or be so quiet, or look so vulnerable; the people in Moire were just so scary that she couldn't help it. And Yin could be the scariest of them all, with her dark eyes that sparked just liked Kayam's when she was angry, and the raven hair all three of them possessed pulled back harshly from her face. Though she was still beautiful, it was marred in the eyes of her child by the bitterness in her eyes and sharp words to her daughters.

The young girl cringed unconsciously, anticipating the mood Momma would be in tomorrow morning due to their absence. She would be furious, unless someone or something had unexpectedly pleased her... a doubtful occurrence.

Tarai's thoughts were interrupted when Kayamé crept carefully inside the Hide. She carried with her a small loaf of bread, which she handed to Tarai. Tarai immediately tore a piece of and stuffed it in her mouth, hardly chewing before swallowing, then tore of another one. It was halfway to her mouth when she stopped.

"Kay," she asked suspiciously, "How much were you given?" Kayamé didn't answer. "You didn't eat anything, did you?" Her tone made it a statement, not a question. Kayamé nodded silently. Tarai sighed in frustration. "You can't always do that, Kay! You need food as much as I do." Kayamé started to protest, but with unusual determination Tarai pushed half the bread back into her sister's hands. "Eat."

After a few minutes Kayamé reluctantly obeyed little sister. Tarai was never like this around other people, but when it came to her sister, the backbone she seemed to lack made an appearance. It was useless to argue, and if Kayamé wanted Tarai to eat she would have to do so as well.

The two girls finished their meal, then settled down to sleep in the Hide. Kayamé sent a small prayer to the Creator that Tarai would learn to stand up for herself with everyone else, then surrendered to the realm of dreams.

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AN: Now you've met all five girls, and glimpsed a few of the guys as well. Can't say quite when I'll update next, but reviews inspire me to make it sooner!

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Reviewer thanks:

Ele: Thankee, Ellette! To anyone reading these notes, thank Ele for this story being posted at all. She is this story's muse, and encouraged me to post it for others to read. I'm writing, Ele, honest!

Denial: Thank you so very much. :) In all honesty, Fae is truly more an original fiction, but I borrowed enough for character development from the Senshi that I decided to just grab the Shitennou and be done with it. So, you get to read an extremely AU SM fanfiction instead.

So long,

Ocianne

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