Ayrenna

Changing direction, she quickly glanced down the hall and into the nearest room. Outside, she spied a kind of hope in the orchard of trees and benches. It was like they were waiting for her there to offer her comfort from her complicated day. Hurrying past the pillars, Ayrenna chased the glimmer of happiness that lay in wait for her in the solitude of the benches.

When she arrived, she breathed for the first time since she received the news. She closed her eyes and let her cares drown in simplicity and serenity, and nothing could have at the moment felt sweeter. With a sigh and without noticing, she drifted into careless sleep, not to be disturbed by her own worries for the imminent future. She would find peace in a dream, where she always found it.

When her eyes were again open, Ayrenna caught the faintest glimpse of a body. Her senses came round, and she realized that not only was this a body, but it was nestled in her lap asleep! What would she do? It was probably the owner of the grove, so she couldn't risk being impolite.

"Excuse me," she said shaking him gently. "Excuse me!"

He sighed and turned his head, but no reply came.

"Sir? Would you kindly wake up and remove yourself from my lap?"

His eyes opened, and with a start, he looked up at her. When he sat up, she could see that he had shaggy, deep brown hair that hung in his face often, quivering lips and the most sincerely apologetic eyes she had ever seen. He stared at her in wonder, as if he were in the presence of a ghost, and he ran away as fast as his feet would carry him, without a word.

"Polite lot, these locals," she thought as she watched him scamper away into the great beyond. Suddenly, she was seized by the arm and lifted to her feet by two big burly men with helmets.

One of them laughed stupidly and gasped, "We got her, Smitz! We got-"

"Shut your trap, you imbecile!" the other barked.

Ayrenna realized what was happening, plunged her heel into the bigger of the two's foot, wriggled her arm loose of the other, and ran faster than the boy she had just seen.

"Come back here, you!" they screamed after her, but she was already too far gone to hear them. Even if she had, what sense was there in heeding them anyway? So she ran again, past all the new worries and all the new cares and found herself too awake to fix them. She turned her head to make sure they weren't following her, and they weren't. There was no way they could catch her with their huge mass of body fat. She smiled as she turned her head in the direction she was running, and just as she did, she came to an abrupt stop.

"Oof!"

She lifted herself from the ground and looked down at the person just below her.

"I'm so sorry! I apologize if you are hurt or-" she began muttering.

The young man turned over and faced her. He had shaggy deep brown hair that hung in his face, quivering lips and the most sincerely apologetic eyes she had ever seen. His hair was far down on his face as he slowly stood and demanded, "What are you trying to do? Kill me?"

He wiped his bloody mouth on his white shirt sleeve, his great chest heaving from the run he had just made.

"I'm so sorry! No, I just-"

"Well, you're lucky I just so happen to have a home nearby and that neither of us were hurt in that nasty spill. What's your name?"

Ayrenna almost told him, but considering the very present past, she decided an alias would be better-suited for introducing herself to strangers.

"Rayne," she fibbed gracefully.

"Well, would you like to come inside, Miss Rayne?" he offered hospitably.

"No, thank you. I should really be moving on-"

She heard a slight rustle from afar and realized that the brutes had followed her after all.

"On second thought," she said quickly so as to not let this offer slip away, "I'm visiting, and I'm lost, so I don't know where to stay-"

"Come in," he said opening the humbly carved door. Ayrenna ran inside, and the young man closed the door behind them. He sat himself on the sofa and bid her do the same. She sat, and he interrogated her.

"Who are you visiting?" he asked.

"Is that really any of your business?" she snapped.

"If you wish to remain under my roof a moment longer, yes."

"My sister," she said flatly. "She said it was urgent and that I come as quickly as possible. It seems there has been a crisis at home."

The young man's mouth formed his next question, but the beating on the door halted his voice.

"Come out, wench! We know you're hiding in there somewhere!"

Ayrenna stared at him with horror and embarrassment. He stared back with suspicion and intrigue.

"Please, you must hide me," she whispered.

"Why should I?" he asked rather loudly. "You could be a murderess for all I know."

"But I'm not! Listen to me! I need you to help me!"

"Fine. Hide in my room. It's back there," he said gesturing to a door behind him. She flew to it, entered, and re-closed the door. The banging on the door continued until the man opened it and nearly got his face pounded in by a ham of a fist that swung an inch from his nose when he leaned back.

"Good morrow, good fellows!" he greeted cheerfully.

"Oh! Good morrow, young master!" the biggest replied in a sheepish Irish accent.

"What brings you two fine gentlemen to my humble abode on this lovely day?" the young man inquired casually.

"Ah, we're hunting the suspect of the latest of the crimes, sir. She's a devil woman, if it's true what they say. She appears as a lovely damsel in distress, and then at night she turns into a hideous old hag that kills men in their sleep!"

The young man crossed his arms, raised his brows and said, "Really? Is that what they say?"

The two men nodded, and Ayrenna's accomplice looked at the ground thoughtfully and then back up at the officers. He shoved himself off of his doorjamb from his leaning stance and said, "If I happen upon such a woman, I shall inform you immediately."

"Thank you, young master. Good morrow," the two said leaving.

"Good morrow to you!" the young man called as he waved and then closed his door. He took a few long strides towards his bedroom and knocked on the door.

"Miss Rayne? They've quite gone now. It's all right."

He paused, and the door opened. Before he could get a clear look at her face, she threw her arms around him and hugged him to show her gratitude. "Oh, thank you, Mister..."

"Sir Leon, Miss Rayne, and if you would kindly remove yourself from my arms..." He smiled at her almost playfully, and she blushed and obeyed. She had never touched nobility before, but Sir Leon hardly seemed to fit the role. He was stern, but he was also more boy than man yet. She guessed his age around twenty or so, and barely that. His features were mostly soft, but he had a strong jaw, scarce facial hair, a low brow and authority gleaming in his eyes. And yet, there was kindness in them, too. There was a certain gentle light in them. They were unique in every sense of the word.

He made her sit again, and this time, when she pushed her hair back behind her ears, his eyes flashed in awe. She turned her head and said, "What is it, Sir Leon?"

"You're- you're an elf!" he gasped.

"Yes, is that a problem?" she said slowly.

He didn't reply; he blinked slowly, mouth agape, and shook his head incredulously.

"I can't believe it!" he breathed. "I thought I was the last."

Ayrenna's brow lowered, but the thing that explained his words was his hand raking through his thick strands, exposing similar pointed ears.

"Rayne, may I ask you something?" he said still in a daze.

"Anything," she said shrugging.

"Is your name Ayrenna?" he asked.

Ayrenna's eyes widened involuntarily as he leaned closer to her with a grin on his face. She then noticed why his eyes were so unique- his pupils were thin slits, not circles or ovals- tiny slits in the fabric of his bright, dazzling eyes. His smile revealed lethal fangs, and his proximity revealed the symbol on his neck- the Mark of the Frayed. Ayrenna had a similar Mark, but she never knew what it meant. He nodded and said, "I thought as much."

"What are you going to do to me?" she asked, frightened by his smile. She liked it better when he frowned- it wasn't as creepy.

"Do?" he echoed standing and suppressing a smile. "My dear lady, I should be asking you that question."

"Why?"

He turned slowly to her and said mysteriously, "You're the one with the amulet. You figure it out."

Ayrenna's heart beat wildly in her chest as she gasped and clutched for the medallion at her breast. "My necklace-!" She looked up at his smirking face and noticed the silver chain that he swung around in circles at his hip. "Swiped it while you were sleeping," he explained. He slowly caught her gaze and held it, his eyes still smirking at her. She could feel the rage rising into her throat, and she sprung on him, knocking him again to the floor, and wrenching the heirloom out of his dirty, not-to-be-trusted claws. Once she had it and she was trying to stand, he rolled over and pinned her to the floor by her arms. He seemed to smile gently at her from this position, but he was quickly disgusting her, and she wanted to smack him. The next best thing was a kick, which she executed quite well given her predicament. He cringed but held fast on top of her. "Get off of me!" she cried.

"Ayrenna, I was only holding it for your safe-keeping. You were asleep, and anyone could have waltzed up and taken it. You're lucky it was me and not the wrong hands."

"Apparently the 'right' hands then are pinning me to the floor, and I am quite uncomfortable with it!" Ayrenna snapped.

"Please, trust me, Ayren. You know I wouldn't harm you!" he yelled.

She stopped struggling and breathed quietly, "What did you call me?"

He sighed and answered, "Ayren. It's what your-"

"parents used to call me. Don't recite my family history to me, Sir Leon. I assure you I know it well."

"You don't remember who else called you that?" he groaned helplessly. When she did not answer, he sighed and whispered, "Me."

Ayrenna stared in disbelief at the man now straddling her, trying to stand. As he sighed and attempted to straighten his clothing, she gawked and said nothing. Her mind had immediately performed a search for all the profiles that could fit this man. He was around six feet tall, near her age, and he had blue-hazel eyes, deep brown hair that was slightly sun-kissed in neat strands, pointy ears now, and- She gasped; Ayrenna had figured out who he was! His hand was still mid-way through his hair when he looked down at her and asked in an exasperated tone, "Do you remember me now?"

Ayrenna jumped to her feet and slung her arms about him, throwing all of her weight onto him by accident, and they landed once again on his kitchen floor. She laughed merrily and hugged him with all her might. "Tristan!" she shrieked giddily.

"Thank you!" he heaved, sighing happily that she had finally come to a name- his name. "But would you kindly remove yourself from my floor? I'm not as young as I once was, and all this falling on the floor-"

"Oh, you're getting older, but you're not that old!" Ayrenna giggled, but she obeyed him directly. Sir Tristan Leon sat up and shook hands with his former play-mate. Then he stood and announced, "Miss Ayrenna, it has been a pleasure and a delight re-meeting you. But if you are to be going anywhere but this house, I insist that you spend the night and head off in the morning. I don't trust those savages with your life, and I simply would not have you roaming the streets without a proper night's rest."

"Good sir, if I had any thought of objecting, you could have changed my mind. If you put it that way, I suppose I haven't any choice but to indulge myself in your hospitality."

Sir Tristan Leon smiled at this. Then he frowned. Ayrenna noticed the shadow that crept across his vibrant young face and inquired as to what was troubling him. He answered, "There is only my bed. I don't ever have visitors, and-" He stopped short and blushed. "What?" Ayrenna asked, prompting him to continue. "And... oh this is so embarrassing! It's- Namary and I share that one-" He stopped. He was blushing so badly that he looked sunburned, and Ayrenna felt a slight but similar brush over her own cheeks.

There was an awkward silence, and Ayrenna finally asked, "You're married?"

Sir Tristan Leon took a deep, nervous breath and laughed uneasily. Ayrenna knew what that meant instinctively.

Yes.

"You don't have to answer that," Ayrenna said quickly. He nodded and looked at the floor again as if he was expecting it to ignite suddenly and do a dance in front of him. "So, what will our sleeping arrangements be, and will Namary be joining us this evening?" Ayrenna said to break the uneasy silence. "No, she won't be in attendance tonight, as a matter of fact. She has gone away to visit her aunt in Bafflinshire. She will not be expected for another fortnight. She coincidentally left just this morning." Ayrenna nodded, and Sir Tristan Leon explained the sleeping arrangements as simply as he would be sleeping on the sofa, and Ayrenna was to rest in his bed. In the meantime, they both sat on the quaint sofa and discussed Ayrenna's affairs. "And what about yourself? Why did you move all the way out here?" Ayrenna asked. His mouth opened as he drew breath and looked again at the floor. His chest rose a little with his breath, and he started with, "It wasn't entirely up to me." "How do you mean?" Ayrenna asked cocking her head to one side and leaning forward. Sir Tristan Leon bit his lip and glanced hesitantly at his guest.

"Nothing," he said shaking his head pensively and wringing his hands at his mouth. "What about you? Your sister is in so much distress that she enlists the help of an outcast sibling-?"

"I never said I was an outcast," Ayrenna said calmly through the insulting implication.

"You didn't have to," Sir Leon said. "I know who you are, Ayren. There's no escaping it- your father was-"

"My father was a living person with feelings just like me. What would you know of what he was, then?" she angrily interjected.

"I was only going to say that he was an elf and that your mortal mother would have nothing to do with either of you if it hadn't been for your aunt on your mother's side. She loved you so much that she'd have died willingly for you when you were born. She would have been better suited to be your mother, not Sabine."

Ayrenna narrowed her eyes at her host and said, "I don't recall asking for your opinion, Sir Leon. And for your information, my mother and sister love me just the way I am."

"Just the way you are? The way you are is an atrocious abomination to them! You are perfect, and they are imperfect. You are the one people choose to love because you are so much better than they will ever hope to be-"

"My sister has never been jealous of me a day in her life-"

"Oh, yeah? What about the time I held your hand on the garden gates? She was watching then, and she was more furious than hell itself, she was so jealous. She called you a traitor behind your back, and if you ever stole another boy from her again she'd-"

"That's enough. I've heard quite enough from you tonight, and then some. I do not intend to spend the night arguing over such a silly matter as my sister." Ayrenna stood and excused herself to the bedroom for the night. "Pleasant dreams, Sir Leon. I hope they still come with your kind of conscience."

"Good night, Ayren. Sleep pleasantly." Ayren closed the door and never heard from him until morning.

When that came, Ayren awoke to the gentle glow of the sun through the window on her face. Her eyes squinted against the sun, and she heard a faint hacking sound. She sat up and opened the door, trying to remember where she was and why she was there. She went outside and circumnavigated the little house until she came to an entity of life. The entity was whacking off faggots of sticks from the surrounding shrubbery, the white shirt tied conveniently around its waist. Sir Tristan Leon turned around, and in just that moment, Ayrenna realized that she was standing directly behind his next victim and almost became one herself as he swung the sickle at the predecessing growth. She ducked, and the blade missed just by a hair. She squeaked a subdued yelp, and he immediately dropped the instrument and peered over the hedge and down at the stooping girl. "Ayrenna! What are you doing out here? What the hell were you thinking?! I could have decapitated you! Well don't just sit there; say something! Explain yourself." Ayren stood with her mouth agape. She was speechless because she was drowsy, but also because he was exposed so informally. However, he didn't seem to remember his scanty attire; indeed, he didn't seem to care. When she didn't say anything, he sighed and dropped to his knees in front of her. "Oh well. At least you weren't killed by my trimmers of terror," he said chuckling a little.

Ayren forced her eyes to look up at him, but she was distracted by his broad chest and shoulders and his fit athlete's body that almost didn't fit this aristocratic yet boyish young man before her. She didn't even realize he was holding her hands as he smiled comfortingly at her. "Let's get you inside. Ladies should never stay out in the sun for too long," he said standing and lifting her to her feet. "It can damage your fragile complexion." "My fragile com-?! Ooh! The very idea! Fragile complexion indeed..." Ayrenna scoffed. Sir Leon could not hide his deep smile that spread across his face into his twinkling eyes. This young woman was quite the character, and no lady, he decided. "Never were what your mother expected, were you?" he giggled. Ayrenna glared at him and went inside the house just as tears welled in her eyes. He smiled and went back to his morning work, unaware that he had insulted her.

Later that afternoon, he was still at work when he heard footsteps lightly and swiftly pacing down the lane to the woods and then on to the grove where they had re-met. "Where do you think you're going?" he called as she marched away. "You're not seriously leaving, are you? You'll be caught!" Ayren turned on her heel and remarked, "Why is it any business of yours where a half-blood is bound? You don't care anyway." She spun quickly around and kept walking until she reached the safety of the forest. She looked up into the canopy and sighed. Why did things have to be so hard all of a sudden? She slid down the base of the nearest tree and rested. The grove was in sight from the edge of the growth. Now if only she could cut across it, get her things and... And what? Where would she go? She couldn't go to her sister. It was much too far to travel on foot. And where would she eat? Where would she stay at night for the rest of her journey? All these questions would not stop popping into her head. Suddenly, she felt the angry jerk of a ham-fisted officer taking her arm and forcing her to her feet. The ogre known as

Smitz smiled at her like a teacher challenging a student and said through gleaming gold teeth, "Where ya gonna run to this time, girly? We gotcha now, you ugly little witch. And this time, Sir Leon's not here to protect you. You disgust me! You seducing a man like that and making him think he has some kind of obligation to accommodate a lady such as you impersonate! You're nothing but filthy little trash, is all you are." He leaned his head closer to her face to emphasize his point and chanted with punctuality, "Filthy. Little. Trash." "Sir, unhand me at once, or I shall be forced to bring hell upon your head." Smitz chuckled at her and said, "You really think you scare me? Nah, missy. You don't scare me none. You with your hocus pocus and nonsense. You're just as silly as the rest." "You're right. I have no power. But why are you apprehending me if you know that?" Smitz's face grew grim as he glared at her. The next she knew, though, he was lying face-down on the ground at her feet, and a certain young man was standing behind him smiling triumphantly. "It took you long enough," he said. "What kept you? I was waiting all night for you-" "I got side tracked," Ayren defended. "Sir Tristan Leon wouldn't have me away for the night, despite my protest-" "Yes, but you put up one lousy fight," he rebutted suspiciously. "Perhaps our little Ayren," he said circling her, "didn't want to leave." "Saeris-" "Oh, Ayren," he laughed viciously, leaving Ayrenna feeling degraded and silly. "You poor child. You know so little of this evil world." "And I fear that you know too much, Saeris," Ayren retorted quietly. His wicked smile melted from his face, and his eyes glazed over. "That's because I fight fire with bigger fire, my dear. You see," he said igniting his palm into a tiny inferno while he stood behind her with the other on her shoulder, whispering closely in her ear, "I hate being second best." "Put it out, Saeris, before you hurt something," Ayren said slipping his hand off her shoulder and turning to him. He nodded compliantly, and Ayren started for the grove. Saeris looked around the green trees with disgust and pitched the fireball at them. Ayren turned around just in time to watch the whole forest go up in flame. Saeris walked past her with a smug grin on his face and said, "Never was much of a nature lover." Ayren looked back and shivered as she watched the blurry blaze through her tears.

Back in the busy cottage where Ayren had received her letter, Saeris looked around disapprovingly and scuffed the sole of his boot on the dirty floor.

"You don't mean to tell me you actually live here," he said uninterestedly leaning on a table and twirling a daisy between his fingers.

"Only as a summer home- Don't touch that," Ayren said catching a glimpse of him with the flower from her kitchen where she was trying frantically to remember where she had placed that dratted letter. She knew Saeris was an impatient man, so she was trying desperately not to upset him.

"Why not?" he huffed carelessly. His voice rang with mock care, "It's such a pretty thing."

"Saeris," Ayrenna said in her warning tone, "put it down."

"All right, all right. Don't get your bloomers in a bunch," he said replacing it in its vase. Ayrenna resented his behavior and his obscenely informal accent, but he was far more powerful than her, and she needed his protection. If it wasn't for her dependency, she would have had nothing to do with him, but such was not the case, and now that she was preparing to travel, she needed him more than ever.

"All right. I think that's everything," Ayren said casting a watchful eye over the room for anything she may have skipped.

"Are you sure we won't be needing waders and scarves- you know, just in case," Saeris remarked, alluding to the stereotype that all women over-pack. Ayrenna frowned at him with glazed eyes, in no mood for his juvenile attitude. She folded her arms and asked, "Have you even packed?"

"No, ma’m," he said reclining on her sofa. "I'm roughing it." Ayren smirked at this and said with a clever grin, "Okay. You rough it. Just know that I'll be in my tent easing it." She headed for the door and turned as she grasped the knob. "Last chance for modern conveniences," she chimed with a smug grin. She knew he was too proud to go back, especially since she had challenged him. "I think I'll pass," he said literally, jerking the rusty door open himself and striding out into the open sunshine. She smiled after him, giggling to herself knowing that she had outwitted him with his own pride, and closed the door behind her.

Saeris was the first to step out onto the lane that was to lead them northeast to Ghuara. There, Ayrenna's half-sister Lea would be waiting anxiously wringing her husband's handkerchief and carrying the child he would never see born.

Ayren followed him, dragging herself to keep up with his brisk, steady pace. He was, after all, the more athletic of the pair, and he was the first to set foot anywhere along their trek. Ayren wasn't sure why exactly she let him lead, but she succeeded his every step with confidence that he could never lead her astray. She did not trust him, but she knew he would not go first into a trap and risk his own skin. In that way, she knew she would be safe.

There was just something about him she knew he was hiding. She could see it in the way he looked at her with those bright orange eyes, which were phenomena in themselves. He was handsome, no doubt, but cocky and surreptitious. He was in appearance much like Tristan with a well-trimmed body, piercing eyes, pointy ears, lethal fangs, claw-like nails, and the Mark of the Frayed. Their minds were also somewhat similar as they were both cunning and intelligent creatures, crafty and daring, brave, clever and powerful. The only difference was that Saeris was often selfish, and Tristan was mostly a good-natured person. Saeris did not know the meaning of pure joy, though if he had, he would have likely tried to destroy it immediately to prevent himself from dropping his guard and making himself vulnerable. That was one of his striking features that Ayren actually admired and secretly almost coveted.

The day wore on, and still Saeris would not stop to rest. Ayren wished she had the unsurpassable strength and endurance with which he so obviously was gifted. Truly, his physique was admirable. To Ayren's immense relief, Saeris finally stopped in a small clearing just off the main road, but how he saw it, Ayren could not have guessed. He walked confidently into the area and looked around. When Ayren caught up, she puffed, "How...did you...know this was here?" Saeris was staring into the canopy and said without moving, "I've been coming here for years." He turned his upper-body around and smiled. "Welcome to my summer home," he said opening his arms. Ayren glanced around and barely noticed the camouflaged cabin tucked snugly into the recesses of the wood. Saeris strode casually to the veranda and opened the front door. He turned to her and said politely, "Ladies first." Ayren was not about to go first into an old cabin that could fall apart at any given moment. "Then go, Saeris," she said folding her arms across her chest. He shrugged and went inside, and just for posterity, he jumped around the room and back to the door. "I assure you, you are quite safe in here. Or would you rather be 'easing it' in your cozy little tent?" Ayren narrowed her eyes at him, but for the sake of curiosity, she went inside.

As she passed the threshold, Ayren noticed a comfortable looking couch, a warm bedroom just beyond it, a clean kitchen in the room behind this one, and a fireplace just opposite the couch where Saeris was leaning on the mantle. "What do you think of my humble abode, my dear?" he asked as he reached down casually and set the fireplace ablaze, the sudden flames reflecting in his malicious eyes. "It's...unexpected," Ayren said. "Unexpected that it's here or that it's in the forest that I have obviously not burned to the ground?" Saeris said cocking his head towards the fire. "Both," Ayren admitted somewhat sheepishly. One corner of his mouth rose as he pointed out, "You can have a seat. I want you to make yourself comfortable." "Why?" Ayrenna asked suspiciously. "Because it's the hospitable thing to do?" he said slowly, dragging out his individual words. Ayrenna sat silently, but she was still wondering what exactly he was up to. As it was stated before, she didn't trust him. Ironically, the next words out of his mouth were, "Why don't you trust me?" There was a pause as Ayrenna contemplated over which set of reasons she should list to him, but she did not want to insult him. However, he had asked her, so the polite thing to do would be to answer him with something besides a blank stare. "I..." she began hesitantly, "I do trust you, Saeris, but-" "But you don't, and you won't tell me why," he said aggressively, leaning over her with a somewhat violent hint in his voice and his eyes. Ayren gazed at him calmly and said, "All right, I admit it. I do not trust you, and for good reason." "And what reason have I given you not to trust me, hmm? Have I not protected you, guided you, been there for you when your straits were most dire? Have I not been responsible and faithful to you from the moment we met? Have I not been in every way a trustworthy companion to you all this time? Why, then, do you deny me any trust, any faith that I have rightfully earned?" "Nothing you have done in my presence, my lord. There is, however, your past to consider and everything you do in my absence. Is it not true that you have killed men before our acquaintance? Is it not true that you escaped from the hands of many Shalmyn soldiers, able to leave them alive, with no worries or second thoughts about a pursuit? Is it not also true that cunning like that, naturally, cannot be trusted, simply by being present in one person-you-for fear of betrayal?" "So in a sense, the reason you hired me is the same reason you fear me," Saeris concluded from her chatter. "I do not fear you-" "Darling, when we met, you were wandering, alone and afraid of the world. You needed someone who could best the world- you needed me. Then tell me, since you do not fear me, can you not go out alone in the world that is less threatening?" "I could, but you may come in handy sometime along the way." "So what am I to you? Nothing more than a bit of leverage!" he erupted, the veins on his neck bulging, his fangs glistening threateningly. She did not know what to make of this response. "You are a friend to me, Saeris-" "I am not your friend! Friends trust one another, even with their very lives." "Then I suppose you are not my friend, after all," Ayren concluded from his chatter. "Pity," Saeris sighed, tracing his finger along the side of her face. "I had so hoped we would come to a relationship besides business." His fingertips lingered at her mouth, lightly, slowly brushing across them back and forth. "Saeris..." Ayren muttered, unsure of the question she wanted to ask. "Yes, my darling?" he sighed as he brushed his lips across her cheek. "We have no other relationship. The understanding was that you would protect me, and I would pay you in what I could manage along the way. We are still business acquaintances-nothing more." Saeris leaned away from her face and nodded. "Quite rightly so. I understand," he whispered. "But..." he mumbled looking back up at Ayrenna. "What?" she asked leaning on the back of the couch. Saeris said nothing and pounced on her, kissing her anxiously with racy lips. Ayrenna was appalled at his behavior, and yet... she fell victim to his charms. She had yet to taste of the burning lips, the inflamed touch, and the blazing skin that wrapped this elven inferno into one solid, tangible body. All she needed was one taste, and she surrendered. He released her, his face still looming close enough to hers that she could still feel the fiery breath on her cheek. She stared into the burning flames of his eyes and the dark slits into which they fell, wishing she could forget everything that her senses had just taken in. The corner of his mouth rose into a wolfish grin, and he pulled away from her and let her go. She wanted to ask why he had ceased so abruptly, but it would have made her seem anxious. "You will never make it on your own, chère," he said shaking his head and staring into the fireplace. Then he looked at her with those eyes and smirked. "You need me." "Au contraire, mon ami. I need you to stay away from me," she said rising. "I have a tent and knowledge of the outdoors. I can make it without you." "Yes, true enough, but do you know the terrain?" "I have a map." "Yes, but the map won't save you lest you should be hanging over a cliff," he said challenging her wits. She accepted: "I trust the map not to push me over in the first place." He squinted his eyes into a pained expression and groaned, "Why are you so hateful? What have I done that seems to upset you so?" he said carefully approaching her. She snatched her skirt and threw it behind her as she flounced to the door. "You crossed my path!" she huffed, slamming his front door behind her. It caught her skirt, and as she tried to pry it from the jamb, it ripped and sent her tumbling down the wooden stairs. In an instant, the door opened, and Saeris ran to the stairs and jumped to the ground in front of Ayrenna, catching her in his arms before she would have broken her neck on the ground. He stared at her for a moment with worried eyes, and his breath was deep and short. "That ought to teach you to storm out of my house," he said with the faintest hint of a smirk. "Let's get you inside and see what damage you've done to yourself now," he sighed carrying her in, cradling her like a baby bird with a broken wing. Ayren didn't know he could handle anything so carefully, so delicately, especially her. He gently laid her out on his bed where she would be more comfortable and went to another room for any medical supplies he may need. He returned with a bowl of warm water, some ointment and gauze, tweezers, and a rag for cleaning. "Now, let's see how many scratches you managed to acquire on that little adventure of yours," he said clutching the tweezers between his teeth and helping her to her feet with the use of both of his arms. He left the room while she undressed, and she thanked him silently for having some small drop of gentleman in him. She put on the clothes he left for her and called him back into the room, easing herself back onto the bed. "Here, let me," he said carefully lifting her and laying her down. It felt oddly like such a tender moment. "How did you know I would have scratches?" she asked as he lifted her shirt just beneath her breasts and examined her midriff for injuries. "Did you happen to notice the burn marks on your way down?" he returned in his usual abstract way. "No, indeed as I was preoccupied with grabbing hold of something at the time." Saeris smiled and chuckled lightly, and he explained, "I grew up here. When I was a small lad, I fell plenty of times down that very stair. My hands ignited by accident, and as I grabbed the rail, mother sloshed water over it and my hands, thinking I had somehow caught fire. I had, but not by anyone else's means- by my own. So I slipped and kept falling until I finally reached the ground that you so fortunately avoided. However, the steps do splinter something awful. I've had plenty of scratches and splinters just from those bloody stairs, and that's how I knew you would as well. See?" She flashed him a feeble smile and sighed. "How long did the pain last?" "A day or two if I had better balance that day," he answered searching over one of her arms. "Yours may last a bit longer, though, I expect." "How much longer?" Ayrenna asked, dreading the answer. "Under a week, I think," he said with a reassuring smile. "That is, if these are the only scars-" There was a lingering tone in his voice as he stopped short and pulled her arm closer to his face for a closer look at whatever had paused his speech. “What is it, Saeris? Are you okay?" "You bear the mark," he said slowly. "What mark? Where?" "Oh, don't play innocent with me!" Saeris said forcefully shoving her forearm into her face. "The Mark of the Frayed, you liar- you were banished! There's nothing wrong with your sister!" "Yes, there is. Saeris, why would I lie to you? I have nothing to hide. Besides, how would you know if you weren't banished yourself? Even the great Sir Tristan Leon could not hide it." "That's because he is a fool and does not try to conceal it. I, on the other hand-" Saeris stopped short and gently put her hand down, carefully pulling out a tiny splinter. "What about you?" Ayren pressed. "Nothing," he muttered. "How do you hide yours? I have yet to see yours, so it must be hidden very well." "It doesn't have to be," he mumbled under his breath with a suppressed devilish grin. "Willing are those who cannot see the perils that lie before them," he muttered lower under his breath after that. "What?" Ayren said leaning forward. He looked up at her again with large eyes and shook his head. As if he were suddenly holding a precious jewel, he slowly caressed her palm and lightly kissed it. The small and unintentional gesture sent rigid tremors all along her spine like living flames dancing along her back. She didn't know what kind of a spell she was under, or worse: none at all. Then her hand felt drained as her circulation began to cut off. She glanced down at her hand; Saeris was sucking on the tiny pool of blood in her palm, and she interjected, "What are you doing?" He did not answer her right away, but presently he stopped and looked up at her. His lips were an unusual shade of red. "I'm draining the germs out. That splinter was covered in bacteria-and some of me." "You?" she echoed. "My blood from a previous fall. It's a small matter compared to most of my other experiences of late." Ayren leaned forwards again to get a closer look at his countenance. "What sort of experiences?" she asked suspiciously. "None that you need worry about," he said without looking up at her. "Oh, hold still. This may hurt if you move," he said softly clipping some of the skin from her side in his fingers to smooth the surface and see the fresh bloody wound. There were small bits of wood infecting the area, and he did his best to tweeze them out. After he had taken pains to remove every bit of splinter that he could see, he dipped the rag into the bowl of hot water and dabbed the blood away. Ayrenna inhaled deeply through her teeth and groaned. "Sorry," he said softly, but his face did not change from its professional, concentrated expression as his eyes remained fixed on what he was doing. Ayrenna doubted that he still remembered the definition of "sorry". He wrapped some gauze around her abdomen and stood with a sigh. "All done. Now let's watch you heal." "Do you have any scars from your previous falls?" she asked as she attempted to sit up. But she laid herself back down, and he smiled softly at her and said, "That's another story. Right now, you should sleep." "Sleep? I don't need rest. I'm fine." Saeris gave her a doubtful look and said, "Sit up." She glared at him and tried again to erect her sore body, but she let herself fall onto the bed again. "Sure, you're great," he said with a mocking smirk. "Shut up," she said as she closed her eyes. When she opened them several minutes later, he was holding a goblet and sitting by her on the bed. "Drink this," he said gently, handing her the cup. "It will help." "With what? What is it?" Ayrenna said extra suspicious of his motives. "Just drink it." Ayrenna peered over the top of the cup as she drank, still not trusting him, but she didn't feel that she had a choice. He smiled at her and said, "Go to sleep now. You'll feel better when you awake." "But, Saeris, I'm still not sleepy," she protested, but even as she spoke, she could feel the drowsiness falling upon her. As her vision and all senses seemed to blur, the last thing she saw was Saeris's small smile and gleaming bright eyes as she heard him say, "Good girl."

Upon awakening, Ayrenna could not remember where she was or what she was doing before she fell asleep. She barely recognized the dark yet radiant figure sitting in the corner by the fireplace as Saeris, and the one standing immediately to the left as that of Sir Tristan Leon. They looked to be in serious discussion, supposedly over her, and as she opened her eyes, Saeris shushed Leon and stood from his fireside chair, staring at her. Leon quickly turned to him and proceeded to whisper certain concerns in his ear, but all Ayrenna heard was an indignant Saeris exclaim, "I know what I'm doing! Don't you dare try to instruct me, Leon!" "Saeris, you're overreacting. You know how you tend to explode when-"

"I know my own tendencies, Tristan. Stop lecturing me like I'm a child."

"You could have killed her-!"

"I have everything under control..."

At that point in the conversation, she realized that they were unaware of her consciousness, and she heard nothing more of Saeris's rebuttal. Apparently Sir Leon made a remark, and Saeris called him a gate-crasher for trespassing in his home. Ayrenna's conscious state drifted in and out of her grip after that, and she remembered no more.

"Well, if you could listen to me for a moment, we were having a business discussion, before you attempted to eradicate my home," she heard Saeris say as she awoke to the morning's new rays.

"A business discussion?" Leon all but hissed, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "Is that what you would call it? I never-!"

"What are you two bickering about?" Ayrenna asked as she sat up in the bed. Saeris looked at her with a hard expression, and Leon looked either disappointed or worried.

"Nothing, pet," Sir Leon took the liberty of answering. Saeris rolled his eyes and looked away from both of them.

"Pet?" Saeris huffed; Tristan nudged him. Saeris glared at him and clutched his arm with a scowl. Leon ignored him and knelt by her and said, "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she answered glancing at Saeris, who was still standing by the fireplace with his arms crossed, staring into the flames. Sir Leon sighed with relief and hugged her warmly, but neither of them had expected it.

"Careful," she said softly into his ear. She felt him inhale deeply, but she didn't see him bite his lower lip.

"I hate to break this up, but..." a low voice said. Sir Leon and Ayrenna both looked to the fireplace where Saeris was still standing ominously. "We must be moving, immediately. There will be little time if we tarry here. Or no time at all if the beams do not prove true," he said with a sidelong glance at Leon.

"You assured me that this place was safe," Ayrenna noted.

"It was," he said with a slow drawl as he flicked a small twig into the fire. Leon narrowed his eyes at him and defended, "I didn't know she'd been involved with a con like you, let alone you, yourself. How was I supposed to know she was here?"

"Don't be hasty," Saeris answered simply, taking a seat on the nearest stool, the corners of his mouth curling into a cheeky smirk. "Strategy is handy." Leon was becoming impatient. His jaw clenched, and he glared hard at the fiery-haired mountebank who could have endangered Ayrenna's life. Saeris began to snicker playfully and provoke his anger. "And you said I could have killed her," he chuckled low in his throat, "when you're the one that attempted to burn down the very walls about her as she slept nearly helplessly." Leon was so tense he could feel his veins bulging in his neck. "Fortunately, she was not entirely helpless, for I was ever on the alert, vigilantly protecting her." As Saeris spoke, Ayrenna wondered how much of it was true. "You see, Tristan, I'm not doing her any favors," he continued, clutching Ayren's shoulders, "and so she does none for me. It's strictly a business relationship." Sir Leon looked nearly convinced, but Ayren's memory told her otherwise. I had so hoped we would come to a relationship besides business played back in her mind. He wanted it to be more, and he could and might take it by force, if he so wished. Suddenly, Ayrenna was seized by the urge to leave with Sir Leon and hire him as a guide and guardian. It gripped her, but she refused to admit that she was afraid of Saeris. She could not afford to seem inept to travel alone. She knew that she needed a companion to help protect her, and Saeris was proving less trustworthy every day. Leon narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at Saeris and set his jaw.

"Only business?" he questioned.

"Strictly business," Saeris assured, but as he said it, his hand wandered to hers and clutched it possessively, but it did not alarm her. Quite contrarily, it made her feel an unwonted sense of safety. "Isn't that so?" Saeris said smirking at her as if she were his bride. Sir Leon's hard blue-hazel eyes dashed to their interlaced fingers, and Ayrenna could see his jaw clenching and his temples bulging. She knew that he had taken personal offense from the gesture, rage building up inside him like bubbles in an agitated champagne bottle. Ayren said nothing, and somewhere in the depths of his mind, he thanked her for not fanning Saeris's existing flames. "You see?" Saeris proceeded to agitate. Leon stared at him hatefully.

"Perfectly," he said through clenched teeth. Saeris smirked in his triumph and said simply, "Good."

He walked slowly past Sir Leon and said distantly, "You're going to need that perfect vision of yours to see your way out."

"No," Leon said turning to Saeris. "I'm not leaving her."

Saeris stopped short, one foot still in midair, swirled around on his heel with a curious expression on his face and paced back to Sir Leon. "No?" he said leaning his head to one side and leaning closer to Sir Tristan. "I believe you are." Tristan glared at him, and before Saeris could block him, he plunged a knife into his left arm, wrestling him to the floor. Ayrenna bolted out of the bed and rushed to Tristan.

"Stop it! Stop it! You're hurting him! Tristan!" she squawked, clutching his right arm in an attempt to immobilize it. He finally stopped stabbing Saeris and stood, blood spattered all over his hands, knife, forearms and shirt.

"You could have killed him!" Ayrenna yelled at Tristan.

"It's a pity I didn't!" Tristan yelled back. Saeris spluttered, attempting to review the damage done to his arm, shoulder and chest. "Tristan..." Ayrenna said slowly, tearfully staring at Saeris's poor form bleeding on the floor. She automatically stroked his hair comfortingly, and she bent over him, kissing his sweaty forehead.

"Saeris, are you okay?" she said stroking him still.

"You bet," he said giving her a thumbs-up. "I've just been stabbed multiple times in the same area with a blunt knife." Ayren stared at him. "Peachy." She shook her head in disbelief, and Tristan leaned forward, bowing over Saeris, staring him in the eye.

"If you ever try anything, consider this a warning for future trespasses." Saeris raised his first two fingers to his brow and said, "Aye, aye, Captain." Tristan was about to punch him when he passed out, and Ayrenna looked up at Sir Leon and said, "Help me get him to the bed. He needs medicine."

"He needs a good dousing in freezing water," Tristan mumbled as he lifted Saeris's feet. They laid him out on the bed, and Sir Leon gave Saeris's ankle a good pat and glanced around the room. "Any medical supplies?" he inquired.

"Yes, they're over there on the nightstand," Ayrenna said glancing back at the bedside table. Sir Leon reached broadly over the bed and examined the bloody water in the big bowl, the bloody cloth still floating carelessly in the mixture. He looked at Ayren questioningly, and she explained that Saeris had cleaned her wounds- before drugging her. Tristan nodded and took the bowl and its contents outside and splashed it over the grass. He had no need for infection. When he returned shortly with a new bowl of water, Saeris was awake and talking with Ayrenna. Sir Leon reflected for a moment and wondered why he was there in the first place. He glanced at Ayren and said to himself, "Oh. That's why." She looked up as he came in, and Saeris frowned at him distrustfully. "I'm not going to hurt you, so you might as well quit your dirty looks and phobias this instant," Sir Leon said, as if he were speaking to a relentless child. Saeris growled at him, and Ayrenna rolled her eyes and said, "Gentlemen, calm yourselves. Sir Leon, I need Saeris, and Saeris, Sir Leon is my friend, so both of you, play nice!" Saeris clapped softly and said, "Yes, yes. Quite right. You are the sensible one, aren't you. Forgive us men for not better controlling ourselves."

"Men?" Sir Leon scoffed. "I see only one man here."

"Oh, Tristan, you mustn't be that harsh," Saeris said. "You're a man, too." Leon took a threatening step towards Saeris, but he didn't flinch. "Lose your balance, Leon?" he said coyly. He glared at Saeris and huffed.

"Bastard," he muttered.

"Yes, but that's my mother's fault," Saeris replied smartly.

"Not the literal sense, Saeris. Keep up with the insults attempted at you," Sir Leon snapped.

Saeris opened his mouth to say something curt, but Ayrenna stepped in furiously, "Isn't this supposed to be a debate over me! Not to sound immodest, but, Sir Leon, what brings you here in the first place?"

Tristan looked shamefully at Saeris, who folded his arms and echoed, "Yes, Leon. Why were you here to begin with? Go on. Tell her. It wouldn't be the first time you've lied to her."

Sir Leon's jaw dropped, and Ayren stepped to him and said, "Sir Leon, Saeris, is an honest man. He's my friend."

"Really? Is that what he told you?" Saeris antagonized. "Did he also mention another little detail of his life? One that should be kept in utmost secrecy-except for the very one to which he refuses to reveal that nugget of information?" Saeris pointed an accusing finger at Tristan and said in a deep, commanding voice, "This man is a liar, Ayren! Trust me, he's not who you think he is at all. Go on, 'Sir Tristan.' Tell her what you really are." And Saeris's bright eyes burned with the heat of the moment, like the epitame of rage and triumph. "I assure you I have positively no idea what you're talking about, Saeris. Are you trying to make yourself look like the good guy for once?" Tristian said staedily. "Saeris, there's nothing about Sir Leon that I need to know about unless he feels I should be priviledged to know anything else about him. Keep your nose in your own buisiness," Ayrenna added. Saeris looked at them both in offended shock. "Good work, Ayren. You finally got him to shut up," Sir Leon murmered in her ear. She smiled at Saeris, and he groaned, clutching his shoulder. "Are you okay?" Ayrenna said, reaching for him. He grunted and said, "Fine." His eyes burned at Sir Tristan Leon, and the sunlight glared in them like the hatred in his heart. "Look, if you want to take her, fine by me," Saeris growled at Sir Leon. "Just know that you'll both have made an enemy out of me." "You know what, Saeris-" "No, what, Tristan?" Saeris said smartly. "You can keep her!" "What?!" Ayrenna cried. "You heard me. Stay here. Go with him. He's too valuable, and so are you. Trust me," Sir Leon explained. "I have to go now, but I will see you again some day." "No, don't go," Ayren pleaded as he opened the front door. But he had heard her desperate request and ignored her, closing the door firmly behind him. "Good-bye, Ayren," he whispered to himself as he walked briskly away. "What a lovely visit. You know, we really should have these nice get-togethers more often," Saeris said, grinning at Ayren. She glared back at him and replied, "Let's just be on our way."