Chapter 1
Inverness ran through the dense forest her half elf ears straining to hear anything. Ducking a branch she slowed down than stopped altogether. Trying to calm her breathing her golden eyes scanned the trees around her but all she heard was silence. Than out of the corner of her amber coloured eyes she caught movement than she lost it. Muttering acurse word under her breathe she reached for her dagger and pulled the blade from its sheath. Taking up a fighting stance she waited and waited just when she was about to give up and started lowering her knife that's when she saw him. More like a blur of him , she raised her knife back up but Nael was too fast as always . One moment she was standing ready to face her apponent the next she found herself flat on her back. Nael stood over her blocking out the sunlight a grin on that handsome face. His long black hair swung around his broad shoulders. The stubble from his new beard that was coming in lined his full lips. His light blue eyes so light they where almost ghostly stared down at her. "Here "he said and reached his calloused hand down to pull her up . She ignored the gesture and pushed herself up to a sitting position than got her legs underneath herself and stood albiet rather shakely. Giving him a glare she stomped past him flinging her blue silver hair into his face. Nael cried ouch ! And rubbed his cheek you don't have to be such a sore loser you know. Inverness glared at him her yellow gaze narrowed and she made a impatient sound. He watched her through those icy eyes of his the colour changed depending on his mood. Right now they where starting to turn a deep purple. Which meant he was getting ready for a fight. Inverness loosened her stance and waited for him to strike. Nael was the first to move he rushed forward a determined glint in his purple eyes. Inverness crouched low and waited and kept waiting till the last possible second. Than threw her body to the side Nael whent flying past her and she turned and punched him along his ribs . He yelped and fell forward than rolled to his good side and clutched his now bruised ribs. He stared at her breathing hard his purple eyes fading their ghostly blue again. Than reached out his hand she smiled and reached down clasping his hand in hers feeling the warmth there. Than he grinned bigger and tugged her hard she fell down and landed by his side. Laughing she lay there staring up at the green canopy so many different shades of green light green dark green even touches of yellow all accentuated by the bright blue sky . She smelled the deep rich earth and listened if she was careful she could just hear the gurgling sound of the river of life . Or the tiny mouse running on the damp soil. She closed her eyes and smelled the air pure bright and full of life. Than she snapped open her eyes and reality hit her square in the face. Gone was the woods and the trees , gone was the rich earth and the river of life. The most important person in her life was gone too Nael .
Her eyes welled up with tears as she stared at the Stoney gray walls. She slammed her fists into the floor the chains echoing against the wet cold ground. She wrapped her arms around her knee s and rested her head on-top of them. She had failed the test failed all of it a deep weight was on her pressing her down till she felt like she was going to drown from it. Than she remembered Nael his laugh his smile and knew some how some way he was going to find her and help her. For now she needed to bide her time and wait but the waiting was the hardest part. The not knowing when she was going to find a chance to free herself but she wasn't going to give up not ever. That's when the doors to her cell opened and a very tall man with long dark brown hair entered her cell . She smelled him he smelled like dog. She grinned and said Fancy seeing you here Logan. Flashing his fangs at her he said back at yah. Than crouched down on his hanches and smiled so how about I get you out of here. Inverness grinned and said I thought you would never ask. So how do we get out of here? Logan looked over his shoulder and watched the gaurds than turned back to her. Any second now . Than he reached for her arms and wrapped her in his embrace shielding her from what was to come.
Thats when the ground shook and the stone wall next to them opened up. Logan pulled away from her and said let's go. Inverness stood as quick as she could and followed him through the portal. The minute her feet touched the grass she flew forward and landed on here stomach the air woodshed out of her lungs and she rolled over struggling to breathe. She lay there and looked at the stars while sucking in gaspes of much needed air. When she finally got her breathing back to normal she looked over at Logan and weezed out how did you find me? Logan sat down next to her and reached for her shackles producing a lockpicking kit he worked on them till she heard a click and felt the heavy cuffs drop to the grass. Logan made quick work of the shackles on her ankles.Than Logan rested on his elbows. Craning his neck he looked at the thousands of stars and said it was Nael who told me where you where. Inverness smiled and said I knew he would find me somehow. Where is he? Logan got to his feet and said why don't you ask him yourself? Than he stepped away whistling to himself .
Inverness got to her feet and waited listening for him she just heard nothing till she felt hands wrap around her shoulders. Jumping she screamed and spun into Naels embrace. His ghostly blue eyes changed to a tourqise rimmed in gold and he chuckled. She grinned back drinking in his presence and his scent he smelled like cedars and the crisp clean air after a good rain. She buried her face in his chest and felt him stroke her hair. She wrapped her arms around him and cried . Nael lifted her chin up to look into her gold eyes and gently with his thumbs he wiped away her tears and started whispering reassuring words she eventually calmed down . Nael smiled and than his smile disappeared and he stared very intently at her face it was like he was memorizing every detail of her so he wouldn't forget. Inverness felt her breathing change and watched as his eyes grew serious . He stood stock still listening than grabbed her right arm and pulled her forward and they started to run. The gaurds where after them .
They ran through the night and only stopped when Nael was absolutely sure that he couldn't hear the gaurds anymore. They crawled into a old cave and huddled together his arms wrapped around her . Inverness tucked her head under his chin and curled up into his chest. He kissed the top of her head and smiled. I have waited for this for a long time. What running from the gaurds ? Kicked out of our clan? Destitute? Hungry ,? Cold? Take your pick. Inverness grinned and waited for his reply. Nael just sighed and chuckled kissing her hair and said it's still worth it. Inverness snuggled into him and fell asleep listening to his heart beat.
Inverness cracked open her citron eyes and looked around all that she could see was blackness and it was suffocating. The cold from the floor chilled her very bones and elves run warm blooded! She stood on shaky legs and wobbeled towards the only source of warmth. The sun beat down on her silver blonde hair she shielded her sensitive eyes from the bright sunlight. After being in a dark cave her elf eyes where not used to so bright a light. Than she heard it a violent struggle a clashing of swords. Swearing she took off in the direction of the fight ,her feet flying over rocks and snareled tree roots. She skidded to a stop and watched Nael fighting three gaurds at once it was not pretty. Light blue blood was pouring from his numourus wounds. Coating the forest floor, but he was not giving a inch. The one guard he was fighting was advancing and Nael was slipping his arms growing heavy with the gaurds sword pushing him back. Than he noticed her and screamed for Inverness to run!
The other two gaurds stopped circling Nael and started advancing towards her! She drew a bone dagger that Nael had given her the night before for protection. Her citron eyes taking in everything the soldier to her right had a slight limp on his right leg and favored his left leg more. The other soldier with bright red hair was more bulky and seemed a bit slower a real bruser. This was going to be one hell of a fight if she lived that long. Inverness raised the bone handle dagger the curved blade facing away from her . The limping soldier suddenly charged her. She dodged and swiped the blade along his ribs right under the armour. The soldier screamed when she than turned and slammed the blade through his throat a quick garbled cry than red ruby blood sprayed across her face and down the front of her turquoise shirt. She didnt have time to catch her breath when the red haired giant charged for her. She smirked and twisted at the last second and racked her dagger down his exposed un armoured back. As he was turning back around she launched herself onto his back and climbed him like a tree than locked her legs around his throat and than drove the dagger straight down into the top of his head. He had lost his helmet by than thank goodness or else she never could have made this kind of kill. After the giant of a man fell she pulled her dagger out with a grunt and stood. Nael had just dispatched the last guard.
Nael was wounded light blue blood poured from his side. Inverness ran to him and grabbed ahold of him. He stumbled than righted himself. His elven ears twitched and through painting breaths said more are coming you have to go. Inverness shook her head and said hell no ! Not without you! Nael ripped a bracelet off his arm and shoved it into her hands. Than grabbing her, he kissed her it wasn't a gentle kiss it was desperate one. Inverness had just opened her eyes when she felt a rush of air at her back. Than Nael grinned and said "I love you"and with that he than shoved her through a portal that Logan had just opened up for them. She screamed as she fell through because he didn't follow her .
