Darkness continued to envelope the two travelers as they slept deeply. However, even though their sleep was deep, it was not necessarily peaceful.

"Mother!" a child cried. He was very young. Surrounded by darkness, he ran towards a flickering light as he grew closer to the light, the image of a beautiful human woman appeared, smiling and beckoning him to come to her. She had black hair and green eyes and fair skin, and would have been considered attractive, even pretty, by elven standards. Indeed, the man at her side was tall and handsome. He had a muscular, thicker build than elves but obviously moved with a grace that rivaled them. His ears were slightly tipped, and though he had a clean-cut beard, his features were elven, as were his eyes. A half-elf who had chosen to walk the human path.

Both stood there, right before the light, waiting for the young child to come. "Father!" the child cried, but this time, his voice was not the young voice of a child. As he grew closer to the light, his child's body disappeared, and time sped up as he grew before his own eyes. By the time he reached the light, his parents were no longer smiling. The adolescent boy stood, watching in horror as his mother and father lay covered in blood, among a few of their companions. His eyes were wide as he watched the female drow advance. Screaming, he reached for the crossbow of a dead male. The dark elf laughed, saying something in her own language, which the child could not understand. Despite her intimidating appearance, the female drow was injured and tired. She had no wish to stay longer than this.

He locked and loaded the crossbow, but he had never fired one before. The bolt sped past the female elf, who merely laughed. Suddenly, something caught the drow from behind. The drow turned, wide-eyed, staring into the eyes of the half-elf, whose aim was much truer than his son's. Though it was not enough to kill the drow, it injured her, and she forgot about the child.

The drow screamed something shrilly, thrusting her fingers towards the half-elf. His breath caught in his lungs and he fell to the ground.

"Father!" the young Trey cried, and aimed again. Repeating the same word she had said, he yelled it loud and fired, just as she turned to get rid of him. The poisoned bolt struck her hard in the chest, nearly knocking her backward. She did not stand on her feet for much longer, however. As she tried to cast what she knew would be her last spell, the words died on her lips as blood gurgled in her throat, and she, too, fell to the ground. Trey stood there, his expression pained and scared, still holding the bow. The father, who was laying still, barely breathing, smiled proudly, and closed his eyes. The boy dropped the crossbow and ran to him.

Trey tossed and turned in his sleep. At one point, he woke up, sweating. It had been a long, long time since he had that dream. It seemed that his past would never let him forget, not that he had any plan to. He looked over at Nuitae, who by all appearances, was sleeping much more soundly than he, except for the pained expression on her features. Hair had fallen in front of her face, which Trey started to reach out to brush away, though he paused in his movement. Sighing, he pushed her hair gently, and Nuitae's expression seemed to soften, though she never woke. At least her parents may still be alive,Trey thought, though he smiled a bit to himself before laying back down and forcing himself to sleep.

Nuitae was barely aware of Trey's presence. She was too absorbed inside her own morbid dreams.

"Nuitae…" a soft voice called out. "Nuitae…" Nuitae looked around, proceeding cautiously.

"Mother?" Nuitae called softly.

"I'm here, dear heart," came the reply.

Nuitae's eyes grew wide, the infrared orbs glowing in the darkness. She gasped and started running, running as fast as she could towards the sound. "Mother!" she cried in Elvish. Suddenly she heard a scream, and she stopped. In her mind's eye, her dream, she saw a drow break into their home, throwing her mother to the ground.

His skin was as black as the blackest ebony, and his height was smaller than most male moon elves, though he stood as tall as Saedre. There was a sadistic look on his face as he was searching for something. But what could he be searching for? He apparently did not find it as he reached for Saedre. Nuitae tried to reach out to her mother, but she could do nothing, only watch the horrific scene play out.

"Mother!"

Saedre screamed and struggled as the drow pulled her out of the house, gagging her and binding her hands. Nuitae's look of fear quickly changed to anger as she tried to run after them, but as soon as she went through the door, she started falling..

And jerking violently, the half-drow woke. She nearly cried out, but did not, and so Trey did not wake either. Nuitae ran her slender hands through her hair, grasping her head with both, as if trying to squeeze the images out of her mind. Clenching her teeth, she stood up, gathered her things, and left camp after she silently put everything else away. When she was done, it appeared as if Trey was traveling alone.

A few hours later, just as daybreak was beginning to spread, the second member of the team was awakened- and none too gently. Trey barely had time to react as two armed men grabbed him and pulled him to his feet.

"What the hell!" he shouted, but even Trey's strength, and he was very strong by human standards, could not shake his attackers two against one. They eventually forced his arms behind his back as a third man came walking up.

"Who are you?" he demanded of Trey, who said nothing, only continued to stare. The man struck Trey across the face, and asked again.

"And who wants to know?"

"Captain of the Guard," the third man said bluntly. "Who are you?"

"Usually the Captain of the Guard is a little more civil than ambushing a man when he's sleeping."

"I'm afraid the Captain of the Guard cannot afford to take chances," the captain grumbled. We send out teams every two hours, and one just before daybreak. Drow are becoming more of a nuisance nowadays."

At this, Trey laughed out loud. "Drow? Do I look like a drow to you? Because if I do, you should see about getting something for your eyes if your sight is that horrible."

Although the two men who held him shifted uneasily, the captain crossed his arms. "I told, you we're taking no chances."

"Then, perhaps I can be of service to you," Trey offered lightly.

The captain narrowed his eyes as he peered at Trey, obviously unsure what to say. "What's your meaning?

"I'm a ranger- a hunter, though, if you prefer. And drow are my prey." At these words the pressure on his arms grew, though probably the men were not aware they had tightened their grip. Trey winced slightly, "Hey, watch it. I can't catch the damned drow if you break my bow arm in two!"

Faltering, the two who held him loosened their grip, one of them mumbling an apology. Still, however, the captain eyed Trey suspiciously. "Bring him back with us. Maybe he could be of some use. If he is what he says he is, then he must either be new, or damn good. If he's new, he won't burden us for very long."

The two who still were holding Trey started to urge him forward, but the hunter refused to let himself be moved. "My things, I can't leave them. And my comrade- I need to wait for her return." In response, the captain went over and gathered all of Trey's, and Nuitae's, belongings.

"As for your companion, she will have to catch up, if she can get to the city without being questioned first."

"Unfortunately, she is elvish, and her Common is very weak. She can count the number of times she's been to a human city on one hand, I'm afraid."

"If that's the case, she should not have left you alone in the first place." Trey, on the other hand, was silently thanking the gods that she was not there when they came- they likely would have been killed on sight. Without another word, the four marched off. "We killed a drow scout last night," the captain said to Trey. "At least, we think we did. She, or he, we couldn't tell in the darkness, was keeping to the shadows, but our archers saw her. The drow ran, but hasn't been back."

Trey went pale, though no one noticed. This town certainly did not take any chances. This made him worry; even as good as Nuitae was, she could not hope to match a true drow. How was she going to get to him? This did not seem the kind of town that would allow an elf to walk covered the way she kept herself. Silently cursing, Trey said nothing as they entered the town.

The rest of the day for Trey was spent uncomfortably in a cell. His pack and other belongings were kept nearby, out of reach but within sight. Trey sighed, hoping Nuitae would not be stupid enough to try and find him. With nothing to do, Trey laid down on the small, uncomfortable cot, and slept a little more. Finally, the day passed, and night fell, and one of the men from that morning came to get him. Though he eyed him warily, the man bowed slightly before speaking.

"It's show time, Drow Hunter," he said. "Our archers are already in place, ready to ambush, but they've orders not to shoot until you say, as per your own request." Trey breathed easier; at least now, hopefully, Nuitae would not be shot down before he could cover her.

Trey allowed himself to be led outside, where he was given his weapons, and though the man looked at them skeptically, his spectacles. "By what are you called?" Trey asked the man.

"Brichan," he answered shortly. The two had little time to talk. Nearly as soon as night fell, shouts of "Drow!" could be heard. Brichan backed away, signaling the archers to stand ready, even if they were not going to be needed. Trey stood ready, waiting, his glasses letting him see into the infrared spectrum. Then, he caught movement up above, and he followed quickly.

He recognized the movements of his quarry- and it took him no time to lead the drow into a dark, back alley, far, far away from archers and other prying eyes. The two stopped, and the drow, silver hair braded around her forehead, turned.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Trey demanded, keeping his voice to a whisper.

"I thought I was going ahead with our plan!" Nuitae responded.

Trey put a hand over his face, massaging his forehead briefly before sighing. "You always jump into things without thinking them through! This town is well defended against invaders- especially drow. If you had made any kind of mistake, you would have been killed on sight!"

"But I didn't," Nuitae pointed out, crossing her arms.

Trey nearly was pulling his own hair out. "That's not the point!" he said, his voice rising despite his trying to keep it down. Then he heard a noise. "Quickly, run! I'll give chase. We need to at least give them a bit of a show! Just be careful! Start running to escape the town, it will be easier."

Nuitae glared at him before walking away. "Next time," she said grimly, "why don't I be the hunter, and you be the one we turn in for gold?" With that, she disappeared into the night. Trey suppressed a grin, counting to ten before pursuing.

A/N: SO SORRY I do not deserve to live. Here is chapter 8 and 9 will follow soon!