So we settled on something. I would help her get out of Gil'ead if we see each other at the end of each week … or month. I did not know exactly what the plan was but I still had to think of an escape plan for her. But right now that was not as big as an issue as my father. He knew something was going on. May I remind you my father is not stupid. Not stupid at all.

"Kobal!" My father shouted down the hall as I was headed toward the kitchen. This was not going to be good. I turned around slowly and gave my father a bit of a smile as I said,

"Father, what brings you here?" No smile at all on his face just his eyes seeing through mine. But then he gave a slight smile and said,

"Oh nothing, I am just letting you off for the rest of the night. You do not have to afflict Aranel tonight." Well that simply could not happen. I still had my smile on and said,

"Oh no you do not have to do that. I can never get tired of tormenting her." I was sly let me tell you that. I can lie my way out of anything, but my father knew my ways for that is how he taught me. He shook his head and smiled back at me,

"No, I insist." There was no way I would ever let hum hurt her again. Not to someone I actually love. I turned away from him and walked to the kitchen as I said,

"Father, please do not waste an ounce of energy on her. It is not worth it." As I was about to walk through the kitchen he appeared right in front of me and said,

"Kobal, I have a strong feeling …." He looked around and saw that there were many soldiers preparing dinner for prisoners. Now this angered him so he yelled in his demonic voice,

"OUT!" Nobody hesitated. Everyone ran out the doors with trays in their hands or even no trays at all. I wish I could run out of those doors as well but I knew better than that. His eyes never averted away from my face and I cannot tell you how uncomfortable that made me. He led me into the kitchen and said,

"Now, Kobal, why does it bother you that I pay a visit to Aranel?" Why? Because you will harm her and for that I will have to do the same to you! Well that is what I wanted to say at least but it sounded more like this,

"Because I have everything under control. I do not see a problem here." As I was headed to the table of food my father appeared right in front of me and said in a low voice,

"Oh I most definitely see a problem here." Alright, this is where I became pretty angry. I slammed the tray on the table and turned to face him and almost yelled,

"What is the damn problem then? Because I do not see one!" And just like that my father smacked me and I sure as hell deserved it. I never talked to my father that way. As I held my reddened cheek he whispered in my ear,

"If there is no problem then why are you being so cynical?" He grabbed me by the back of my head and pulled my hair hard. He then pushed me out of the kitchen and said,

"Go to your room. You are banished to see Aranel." What? No that cannot and will not happen.

"No I refuse," I dared to say. My father stalked toward me with each foot stamping violently on the floor. He was inches from my face as he said,

"What was that?" I would be an idiot if I repeated what I said so I turned away from him as I sauntered down the hall to my room. That Bastard! Me, banished? I am his own son he cannot do that! The nerve he had to say that to me. Oh god what am I saying? I respect my father! It's quite astonishing of what a woman whom you love can do to your mind. She switched my whole aspect of my father but it made me realize of what a monster he is and the monster I was. She made me realize that I can have a bit of good in myself and that disgusted and delighted me at the same time.

--------

I planned to see her in early morning, hours before the sun came up when everyone was asleep even my father. I sneaked out of my room quietly but that was no problem for a shade like me. I ran down the halls while each footstep softly echoed. I was scared for Aranel and what my father did to her. I swear I will kill him if he hurt her. Well, there goes my 'I hate father' side of my mind. I finally got to her door and I heard her chain move against the hard floor as I jostled the key in. One important thing my father forgot was the key. I opened the door and Aranel was standing in the middle of the cell smiling slightly as she said softly,

"Kobal." I loved it when she said my name. But then her smile faded and she fell forward. I quickly dived in and caught her in my arms holding her tightly. Oh no this is exactly what I was not hoping for.

"Aranel, what happened to you?" I looked down at her face and saw the same scar from a few days ago but no new one. She did not answer immediately and this worried me.

"Aranel answer me!" Her face matched the complexion of mine and that was not normal, not even for an elf. All of the sudden I felt a warm moist feeling on my left hip. I pulled her away from me, still holding her, and got a better look at her. She was hurt alright and worse than she had ever been. On her upper right torso there was a bleeding patch and it made me want to … god! I don't even know! She fell back in my arms and quietly wept into my shoulder. She muffled into me,

"He came in here and started throwing me around and hitting me! He did not even ask me any questions. He just continued to hit me until I bled!" This disturbed me in such a great deal. I stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head and said,

"Let me heal you." I felt her shake her head into my chest and say,

"No you will get..."

"I am already in trouble. He banished me to see you because he knew that there was something going on between us. Aranel once I find a way to get you out of here you must do it." She nodded softly and said,

"If you keep your promise." How could I not see her? How could I be away from her?

"I will never give it up." I said softly. I felt her strength dissolve as she held loosely to me.

"Aranel let me heal you." I looked down at her and she just nodded faintly. I looked down to see how her wound was doing and it was worse as the blood stained to the bottom of her tunic and dripped down on my boot. This was not good, too much blood was evading from her fragile body. I slowly lowered her body on the ground as her blood dyed my fingers. I heard her faintly say,

"Please make the pain stop."

"I will, I will. Just take deep breaths in and out. I am here now. You're safe with me." I told her that over and over again until her breathing became calm and under control. I lifted her shirt up slowly until I stopped and saw my father's marking. Four deep bloody wounds were embedded into her skin. I winced at this sight, but if it were another prisoner I would laugh and make the pain even worse. But besides the crimson scrape that was overflowing with her warm blood her body was absolutely gorgeous. Her tone was so clear and pale and her skin stretched over her bones and muscles perfectly. I quickly came back to reality and hovered my bloodied hand over her wound and whispered the healing words. My dark red magic flowed from my palm as her pale skin broadened beautifully over the hideous scar that has now disappeared. Now her body was a vision of every man's dream, and she was all mine. She was motionless as she said,

"Thank you." I replied with pulling her tunic down to cover her stunning body. She still did not sit up and I looked to her face to find that she was staring back at me. I think my heart might have stopped, but somehow I remembered to breathe. Her face still left me breathless and I was caught off guard, you would be too if you saw her beauty. She patted to the empty floor right next to her signaling me lay next to her. I did what she wanted me to do as we both stared at the ceiling, which was no fun task. If we could just replace the ceiling with stars it would be much more pleasing for my eyes. I felt awful for Aranel. She had not seen stars, trees, the sun, the blue skies for about two weeks now. What torture especially for an elf. I turned my gaze to her and her eyes looked pained as she looked to the dreadful ceiling.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked softly. Her brown eyes found mine and she locked my gaze with no problem. I swear it was like she could read my mind because she said,

"What was the weather like today, Kobal?" I smiled my white teeth at her and said,

"Well it was sunny day without one cloud in the sky, but very cold. Finally, that winter air is coming." I loved the winter and the snow. And to my surprise she did too,

"Winter. It is one of the most beautiful seasons. You should see what it is like in Ellesmera when it is winter. Striking ice crystals hang from snow covered trees and when the sun peeks through the crystals it shows dancing reflections on the white snow. It's beautiful." I was amazed by how poetic she made a simple sentence sound. She can turn anything into a piece of art. I tried to do the same,

"Yes, here in Gil'ead the snow is really nice against the rocks. And the trees look nice too when they are covered in snow. Oh and the way that the icicles drops down and breaks a squirrel's neck is humorous, and … " She finally stopped my bad poetry with laughter as she said,

"Kobal, that's awful! It is humorous when you see a squirrel dies under the pointed nose of an icicle?" I looked away from her and grinned and said,

"I am a shade." She giggled again as she wrapped her arm around my torso and rested her head in my chest. Well, I was not expecting this. But I went along with it and wrapped my arm around her as she sighed out,

"That seems to be the explanation for everything." I laughed a bit because it was true. I felt her giggle softly against my body and I looked down and saw that her eyes were closed peacefully. Seeing that made me want to fall asleep as well, but I could not let that happen. I did not want to get out of this perfect position, though. So I took the one of the biggest risks of my life, besides loving an elf, and held her tighter against my cold body. And no matter how hard I tried to fight, sleep won the battle. And so here is the first time I actually felt warm while falling into my daring slumber.

A/N: Daring little shade. I apologize for a longish update all of the Christmas shopping and holiday crap made everything hectic, but I hope you liked it. Okay so do what you do best and review please!