Naveen

Rina:

I nodded and looked on to Maleen who was packing up bedding. I walked over to her. "You're going with Talon." She looked up, confused and surprised. "Riding with him?" she asked.

"No. You're going with him and the elves. I am not." My chest tightened as her lips parted. her vivid green eyes widened.

"Why?" Her voice broke. "Why aren't we staying together?" I explained that my path was different. We weren't going the same way. "Why can't I go with you?" Her eyes were a whirlpool of emotion yet she shed no tears.

"It's not safe for you. It's not the kind of life for you. I'll have to go to places where you will be condemned for what you are. I wont let that happen. You have to go with Talon." I did my best to control my emotions, but it hurt my heart to see her breaking in front of me.

Talon:

My companions had woken and were chatting quietly in the tent when I entered. They glanced at me in curiosity while I went for my pack. Softly in Elvish I began to tell them all that they had missed as well as what I planned to do. They both shared a long look with each other with barely hidden smiles. From my bag I drew out a small dagger. At the crossguard of the hilt it held a pure white moonstone, a flawless orb that had been set within the grip. The sheath had scrollwork and covered that moonstone from view. Sitting with my legs crossed I began to channel the magic through me and into the jewel. I was not skilled at transfering the magic within my skin out of my body and a sweat began to break out on my forehead.

The strength within me dropped to almost nothing. Standing I walked out without another word. I went over to Rina and Maleen then, prepared for unhappiness on both their parts.

Rina:

Maleen turned to Talon when he approached us, tears in her eyes. He looked tired, but there was more to deal with than that. "Has she told you that she's leaving? Going off by herself?" hysteria was rising in her voice.

"She's not going alone," Dorian said. "I'll be with her." At his words it was as if the last stone holding up the ruins of her composure broke.

"Both of you?" She whimpered. I looked to Talon for some kind of help. I didn't know how to heal this beautiful suffering creature in front of me. I swallowed the pain in my throat.

I gazed at the two then followed their gazes to Maleen. Gently I placed a hand on her shoulder then slid it into a gentle one armed hug. "It will be alright Maleen. We have to seperate for a little bit, but we'll come back together before long." I turned my attention up to them, making a very pointed look to agree. It didn't matter if we did or didn't, I just wanted to defuse this and give Rina her gift before she just left.

Rina:

I tried to smile but it felt broken. Maleen didn’t look like she believed him but she didn’t argue anymore. She sunk down into a chair and put her face in her hands. Dorian moved over to her and put his hand on her shoulder, talking quietly to her. I looked to Talon again, trying to hide the pain in my eyes.

While Dorian spoke with Maleen I motioned with my head off to the side. Leading the way to a place where we could have some privacy I turned and brought the dagger up with both hands. "I wanted to give you a gift....before you left."

Rina:

As I stared at the dagger, my chest tightened. I looked up at him. "Why?" I asked. Yes, we had been through a lot together but we weren't exactly close now. We had both wronged each other deeply. It had been from good intentions, on but it couldn't be forgotten.

Still, here he was offering me a gift. Yet what I wanted more than anything was for him to hold me tightly and kiss me hard one last time. I knew I shouldn't want it, but I did.

Talon:

I let out a soft breath when she didn't take it right away and my hands brought it closer to myself. Rather than look at her I looked at the weapon still sheathed in my hands. "Because I can no longer stand this rift that has grown between us. Because if possible I would like to mend things even a little bit." I sighed softly and shook my head. "It would be so much easier if I could hate you. If I could simply look at you and see another human, another...."

I trailed off and finally looked up at her. "I care about you. More than a friend, more than anyone who has ever come into my life."

Rina:

I swallowed and looked at him with lashes fluttering. I wouldn't cry. I was done crying. But my whole body ached with the loss of him. What he said only made it worse. Leaving thinking he hated me meant it hurt but I could move on. Leaving knowing he felt similar to what I did made my heart break all over again.

I took the dagger, held it in my hand for a second, looked at him then moved to embrace him. It was uncontrollable. I hugged him with my forehead against his chest. "Thank you," I murmured trying to mask the emotion but failing.

I squeezed her tightly, pressing my face into the top of her head. My heart hurt, and her hug made that pain turn into a dull ache throughout my body. "It was my pleasure my moonlight." I murmured against her in Elvish. Switching back to her tongue I sighed softly and told her softly, "You stay safe alright? For Maleen...and my own sake."

Rina:

I looked up to his face and gave a small nod. I forced myself to pull away, afraid of what I would do if I stayed much longer. I held the dagger to my chest as I walked back to the camp. My heart burned in my chest.

I said goodbye to Maleen while she cried softly into my shoulder. It was hard and heartbreaking to make her let go. Dorian had even more trouble. I thanked the other two elves for their assistance before we left. Then we were gone. Leaving people we loved behind and heading to an uncertain future.


Maleen:

I crumpled to the ground sobbing as quietly as I could into my hands. It had broken my heart into a million pieces for Wren to leave. But she had to go to be safe and I could bear that. Rina and Dorian were in more danger now than ever before.

I felt crushingly lonely and helpless. I would be with Talon, and I loved him, but he wasn't the same as Dorian or Rina. I had spent the least amount of time with him. And he didn't need me at all. I was nothing more than a burden.

Talon:
I watched them go without speaking and then with a sigh I regarded the camp we had remaining and the trio who still were with me. Going over to Malden I sat down beside her and gently began to rub her back. “Give is a minute would you?” I asked the elves softly. They nodded and moved off into the woods leaving me alone with maleen. “I’m sorry Maleen..”

Maleen:

I looked at him with tear tracks running down my cheeks. "How can you let them go? How can you let Rina go? I know you care about her!" My voice was broken. I hugged myself and rocked.

“I do care. But sometimes we have to do what we don’t want for those we care about.” I swallowed and looked up st the sky. “I was falling in love with her when she sent me away to marry someone. I’m not human like she is, things take longer to form and longer to die. I still feel the same now as I did then. But it’s not my place to tell her she can’t leave. And I have other obligations too that I can’t just ignore.”

Maleen:

“If you feel that way it makes even less sense to let her go. You want the same things. You both want what’s best for people. You both want to make a difference. Why can’t you do that together?” I looked at him with wide questioning eyes. “Talon, you know her burden. She’s marked with dark magic and it’s going to follow her. It’s going to seek her out. She is only human, she can’t handle that on her own. We can’t leave her to struggle with that alone.”

Emotion surged through me. I knew why I had let her go so easy. Why I hadn’t pressed her to stay and work things out with me. The very thought had me giving a shaky sigh and a few tears leaked out of my eyes. “I can’t watch someone I love die in my arms a third time. It would break me.”

Maleen:

I stared at him. "So Rina be damned? You can't handle it? You think she can? You're abandoning her to die alone. Over and over." I gave a huff and stood up. I couldn't bear this. I couldn't bear to talk to him. Not if this was how he felt. I wiped tears from my cheeks, turning away from him.

I opened my mouth to say something but instead I stood and looked at her back. "Would you have me break one promise to fulfill another Maleen?" Tiredness settled deep within me, making my limbs feel leaden. "The first person I lost...his name was Talon. He was my twin." I turned from her and rubbed the back of my head while walking away.

Maleen:

I blinked in surprise and confusion. “Talon?” I turned back to look at him. “What do you mean? You had the same name as your twin?” That didn’t seem right but my brain was still sorting through it.

I gave her a sad smile over my shoulder. "His name was Talon. Mine...mine was Savien." I paused beside my tent, where I snagged up a water skin and one of my blades.

Maleen:

I was still and quiet for a moment. My anger had receded. “Why have you used his name all this time?” I asked. “Even your people call you Talon… How? Why?”

I gazed at the blade in my hand then motioned with my head to follow me. I led the way to where we could be alone even if the other elves returned. Keeping enough distance between us that I could swing the blade without hurting her I twirled it in my hands. "Because he should have been the one to lead. I was the rebel, the one always getting in trouble. He cared for our people while I cared for myself." I gripped the blade tightly with both hands and stared at it's sharp edge. "For one to gain power there is a price. You saw what we face on the misty mountain. Or at least heard it. Long ago we were shown a way to fight back. In pairs we go up to the peak, taking only the person you are closest too in the world. Family is better, lovers or spouses can work too but the binding isn't nearly as strong. Twins...twins are the ideal. I loved my brother, and he loved me. For our people we went up to the peak. But...those who come down never speak of what happens..."

I looked at Maleen and tapped my cheek with the blade, right over where the magical line was etched into my skin. "Power has a price. Two go up...one comes down... For Talon he would do anything for his people...and I..I'd have done anything for him. I swore to him as I held him in my arms, while my skin burned and he was being consumed...I swore that I'd keep our people safe. That I would protect them."

I swallowed and looked at the ground. "MY people don't need Savien. They never have. But they needed Talon, and so I took on his name. I took on his mannerisms. As I stood attending what was supposed to be my own funeral I threw away who I am to keep the promise I made with him."

Maleen:

More tears dripped down my cheeks at his story. To live as someone you were not was a terrible fate. And to lose someone you loved that much… “I’m sorry,” I sniffled. My shoulders hunched. What a horrible practice. It was the sorceress who showed it to them. Dark magic. To consume the life of another to gain more power. It was sickening.

I planted the point of my sword into the earth and folded my arms. "I have to keep my promise to him, I have to try to make things right Maleen." I swallowed, "I want to go after Rina right now. I want to pull her into my arms and keep her safe. But what happens to my people then? Do I ignore their plight for the next fifty years or more until Rina passes away?"

Sighing I shook my head, "I can't be who I really am. And I can't go for what I really want. I need to work things through with Brian until I am certain there is nothing to gain..."

Maleen:

“I don’t understand why it has to be one or the other. We all want the same basic things don’t we? We want Naveen to be a better place for everyone to live in. Working with Rina wouldn’t’ break any promise.” I said softly.