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Location: Wolsic, Arkandia
Year: 28 068 (2568 T.A.)
Status: Summer

Wolsic was a small country, one of the smallest on the continent, situated northwest of Poleria. It belonged to the Earth Elves: a brown-skinned race of elves, a people born for hard labour. The other countries that bordered it were Shiezin, on the southwest, land of the Fire Elves; Kelibrae, on the northwest, a land of humans; and Jielam on the northeast, land of the White Elves. It was a hot country, too: most of the country was a mountain range, and some of the mountains were actually active volcanoes.

As much as Kyrie wasn’t a fan of the intense heat, that was her destination.

In the six years since she had made the decision to help those who couldn’t help themselves, she had rescued several people: some from animal attacks, some children whose parents had been killed somehow, and still others who had simply been lost. But over the past few months, she’d heard rumours about some funny business going on up in these mountains. She had come to check it out.

It was quite unsettling to feel the ground shaking beneath her feet every once in a while, and the smoke rising from the top of the volcano she was climbing was very disconcerting. Part of her was worried that the volcano might erupt at any time, though she had done enough research before coming here to know that if a volcano was going to erupt, there would be earthquakes before it happened. Of course, she had never been in an earthquake before either, and for all she knew, that was what the shaking beneath her feet was.

Avoiding people was no trouble here: no one in their right mind went up on the volcanoes without a really good reason. And if she ran into someone, it would probably be the people she was looking for.

A flash of movement caught her eye suddenly, and she whirled around to face it, her stance defensive. She found herself facing a wall of Earth Elves, all of them with their weapons drawn and pointed at her.

She cursed herself silently. She had forgotten where the Earth Elves got their name. They blended so well into the earth that they were completely invisible if one didn’t know they were there.

“State your name and business,” one of the brown-skinned, brown-haired men ordered her harshly.

As skilled a fighter as Kyrie was, she knew when she would not be able to win. She held her hands out slightly to the side, open so that they could see she wasn’t threatening them.

“Kyrie,” she told them calmly. “I’m a researcher. I’ve been looking into volcanoes, learning about them, but what good is hearing and reading when you can see the real thing?”

It was a cover she was prepared for. Inside her bag was a leather portfolio filled almost to bursting with papers of information about volcanoes, as well as several blank sheets for her to add information if she wanted to. She knew the Earth Elves used a different rune system than she did, but she had made sure the information was legitimate anyways, just in case they could read her script. Besides, it meant that she could reread the notes any time and brush up on her knowledge to pass for a researcher.

As expected, the man in charge stepped forward and took her bag from her to look through it.

“You have enough weapons to supply an army,” another of the men said suspiciously, pointing at her belt with his blade.

Kyrie arched one eyebrow. “Traveling through Poleria if you’re not human really isn’t safe. To have any fewer would be suicide.”

The man returned her look. “And you travel alone?”

She gestured toward her many scars. “As you can see, I’ve had some experience in fights.” Sure, none of her scars had technically come from a fight, but they didn’t know that.

The man took his time examining her body. “They don’t look fresh,” he said suspiciously.

“You either improve or you die,” she said simply. “Scars are merely reminders of lessons learned.”

The man nodded appreciatively at her words. It made sense.

The first man held her bag out to her, and she took it and slung it around her shoulders again. “Thanks.”

He nodded at her. “Be careful,” he warned her. “The tremors are strong today, which means one of two things: either there’s an eruption brewing, or else the dragons are on the offensive.”

“Dragons?” Kyrie asked in surprise. “Here?”

He nodded again. “There’s a clan somewhere in this area. Since no one’s found where they live, we assume they might live somewhere inside one of the volcanoes. Either way, be careful. If the tremors get any stronger, get out of here.”

“Thank you,” Kyrie said sincerely, smiling at him. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

As the group headed off, Kyrie turned and continued on the path. Once they were out of sight, she opened her bag again and looked through it, making sure her things were still there. She kept her money and her vials on her belt, so there was no worry for those things, which, to her, would have been the only things worth taking. Sure enough, nothing was missing.

She gasped softly as once again, the ground trembled beneath her feet. She spread her arms to balance herself and continued forward gingerly. She knew it was probably a good idea to get out of there, but if there was anyone here who needed help, then after an eruption it would be too late.

The heat grew steadily stronger as she continued, but as much as she wanted to keep drinking from her water, she knew she had to save it as much as she could. She picked a small piece of gravel from the ground, dusted it off on her skirt, and popped it into her mouth to suck on it. It was a trick that had helped her even in her first captivity, when they had kept water from her. In the long run it did nothing for her body, but it helped her mind to focus on things other than her thirst.

Suddenly the earth shook so violently that the stones on the ground began to bounce from the vibration. Large boulders at the sides of the path rocked back and forth precariously, and Kyrie looked up from trying to keep her balance just in time to see one falling from a cliff above her. She let out a cry and threw herself against the cliff wall. A second later, the boulder smashed into the ground where she had been standing. Parts of it cracked off and shattered, their sharp edges cutting her skin and making her bleed.

Still the ground continued to shake. Boulders were falling everywhere now. Ahead of her, she could see the smoke rising from the volcano’s crater growing darker, and she saw splashes of lava spilling over the crater’s lip.

Any sane person would have turned and run, but Kyrie was determined to find out what she had come to learn. Were there, or were there not, Fire Elves being used as slaves to work for the Earth Elves in the volcanic regions?

Only a few short minutes later, the ground began shaking again, more violently this time. Kyrie cursed her own stupidity and started to run. The sky grew dark as the volcano began to spew ash. A piece of the hot ash touched her back, and the pain made her inhale sharply through clenched teeth. Through the ash and the falling boulders, she spotted a crevice in the rock, and she made her way towards it. Hopefully it would provide some measure of safety – there was no way she could make it off the volcano now before it erupted!

She ducked into the crevice and flattened herself against the wall. The rock was hot against her bare skin, and she clenched her teeth to brace herself. A boulder landed just outside the crevice, showering her with shards of flying rock. She let out another cry and pressed herself further back into the crevice. Looking up, she spotted a hole in the cliff – a cave, perhaps? Desperate for shelter now, she scaled the wall and climbed inside.

In the confines of the rock walls, the heat was stifling. Kyrie began to sweat, her clothes quickly growing sticky. She wiped her brow with the back of her hand and closed her eyes to acclimate to the darkness more quickly. She counted out half a minute, then opened her eyes and looked into the cave. It was little more than an ascending tunnel from what she could see, but she couldn’t see how far it went or where it ended up. The Earth Elf’s warning about dragons echoed in her mind, and she stayed where she was so that she wouldn’t disturb any of the creatures.

Sweat was dripping down her face now, burning her eyes, and she reached for her flask for a drink of water. Her breathing was laboured from the heat in the air, and when she looked around everything seemed to shimmer before her eyes. She uncapped her flask and put it to her lips, drinking deeply. It was so hot now she was panting for breath, and her hair was beginning to plaster to her head.

As she moved to put her flask back in her bag, her fingers fumbled, and it fell down the crevice to the rock below. She groaned silently. She didn’t have the energy to go and get it, but she really had no choice. Without water, how far would she get?

She leaned over and peered down to see where her flask had landed – but when she spotted it she was shocked to see that it had burst into flames. Then she noticed that the ground was moving – and glowing. It was liquid …

Lava!

She had read about lava, but she hadn’t had any idea what it would look like. It was oddly mesmerizing. Beautiful – but dangerous.

As hot as it was, a cold chill ran down her spine as she realized what was happening. She would not be able to get down that way – and if she didn’t find another way out of the mountain quickly, she would not make it out at all.

With no other choice, she turned and fled into the tunnel.

The tunnel was long and dark, and Kyrie had to move slowly, keeping her hands on the walls and ceiling so that she didn’t run into anything. It ascended only temporarily, but soon began to descend, going lower and lower into the mountain. For a while, she wondered if she was being taken into the heart of the volcano – there were so many twists and turns that she very quickly lost all sense of direction; but the temperature wasn’t getting hotter. Not that it was growing cooler, either; it was simply staying the same.

After a long time – she didn’t know how long or far she had walked – something in the tunnel began to change. Instead of it being so dark, she was somehow able to see things. Not clearly: no, it was still dark in there; but she was able to see silhouettes, outlines of things in front of her. Her mind was in such a haze that she couldn’t think of what was happening. It made no sense to her. Had her eyes adjusted so much to the darkness that she was somehow able to see in the dark? But even that would require at least a small light source. Yet this far below ground, what light source could there possibly be?

Her ears were hurting from the pressure of the rock around her. She had to walk carefully to keep from slipping on the ground: she had sweated through her boots, and they were wet on the bottom. Her throat was dry, breathing was difficult … she just couldn’t bring herself to care particularly much about why she could suddenly see things again.

She was so distracted that she didn’t even notice when the light kept growing brighter, until it went from a dim red glow to being light enough to see clearly by. It was only when the floor levelled out and she stepped into a cavern that she realized anything at all – and when she looked around, she froze in terror.

In front of her, a rocky path led through a lake of flowing lava, and it was the lava that was lighting up the cavern.

Kyrie swallowed hard. She had always thought she’d conquered her fears … but she was proving herself wrong. Her heart was racing, her throat was closing up, and she wanted to faint. Still, she knew that if she did, she would roast before she ever revived.

There was only one way through.

She swallowed again and took a deep breath to calm herself. After wiping her brow with the back of a hand, she took off at a run across the rock bridge. She was halfway across when another tremor hit, and lava began to splatter all around the red lake. She stumbled and nearly fell, but the adrenaline was coursing through her veins, and she launched herself forward. Bubbles began to rise in the lava, popping at the surface. The heat grew more intense, and Kyrie pushed forward again.

Suddenly she felt a breeze on her face, and it felt so refreshing that she gasped in surprise. It gave her new strength, and she pushed her fears away. With new resolve, she kept on going, only now she had the clarity of mind to pay attention to where she was going and what she was doing.

She ran through the cavern, jumping over splashes of lava as she ran. When she reached the other side, the path turned upward again, and she began the ascent without slowing down.

Now that she was alert and had enough light to see, however, she was noticing a lot more – such as the fact that the tunnel was more than just the path she was following. There were dozens of openings for other tunnels, some that moved upward, and some that went down again into the earth. She paused a moment, so used to the heat now that it didn’t bother her as much, and peered into one of the side-caves. There was a small flow of lava in there as well, just barely enough to light the room, and in the middle of the room was something that looked like a nest. In the middle of it was a single large egg, easily the size of her head. It was a translucent white, and through the shell she could see the silhouette of a winged creature.

Another tremor shook the earth around her, and female instinct took over. The moment the lava in the cavern began to churn and bubble, she ran in and snatched the egg from the nest. Self-preservation was a strong instinct, but not as strong as the instinct to protect an infant, even if the infant was not her own, or even of her race. She tucked the egg against her body and headed back to the main corridor – if such it could be called. She still didn’t know if she would make it out alive, but if she did, then this egg would survive as well.

The path kept going, on and on, and it took Kyrie a while to realize that it wasn’t getting any darker, even though she was supposedly getting further away from the lava. When she did realize it, she stopped in her tracks and turned around to see what was going on. The path behind her had vanished, buried beneath the lava that was creeping up on it.

Panic washing over her anew, she turned and ran as quickly as she could, hoping and praying desperately that there would be a way out eventually. She had no idea where she was in comparison to where she had entered the tunnel, how far she had run already, what direction she was facing now, or even how long she had been underground.

Her thoughts distracted her, and her foot caught on a loose rock on the ground. She tripped and landed sprawled out on the ground.

“No!” she cried, her fingers clutching at air as the egg flew from her arms. It hit the ground – and bounced. Then it started to roll. Not away from Kyrie: that would mean it would be rolling uphill. Instead, it began to roll backward, toward the rising lava.

“Nonononononononononoooooo!” She flailed for the egg, but it evaded her grasp and kept on rolling. She watched helplessly as it rolled right into the lava. Slowly, she pushed herself to her feet, her eyes fixed on the egg that seemed to be melting into the molten rock.

She blinked and stared at it. The egg was melting!

After a few moments, the shell was gone completely, and a tiny dragon stretched its wings. It circled for a few seconds, the molten rock it was walking on not seeming to bother its feet, and then it turned and looked at Kyrie. Its golden eyes seemed to penetrate into her soul, and Kyrie had to swallow hard. She knew it was looking directly at her.

Suddenly she remembered that the lava was rising, and she backed up a bit. She didn’t want to leave the baby dragon behind, and she wracked her brain trying to think of a way to retrieve it. It wouldn’t be able to fend for itself after all, and it would probably grow into a killer – but how could she just abandon it?

The dragon supplied its own answer to her dilemma. As she stepped backwards, away from the lava, the dragon made a chirping sound in its throat and hopped towards her. She took a few more steps, and it picked up its pace, apparently afraid of being left behind. It got ahead of the lava, and when it came close enough, Kyrie knelt down and scooped it up. Holding it carefully this time, she turned and ran.

When the tunnel finally ended and she burst out into fresh, cool air, surrounded by forest, it felt to Kyrie as if she had been plunged into a lake. Gasping for breath, she stumbled to her knees. She had been suffocating in the heat, and now there was so much oxygen that she felt lightheaded.

She felt tears falling from her eyes, and she turned her face to the sky. It was dark now. Even the stars and moon were hidden. She had no idea where she was or what direction she was facing, or what country she was in. And at the moment, she did not care.

She turned around, still sitting on the ground, and looked at the cave she had just left. There was no glow coming from inside it now, but she was still afraid that she had not left the lava behind. She stroked the neck of the tiny dragon that was on her shoulder, asleep. It was as long as her arm when it stretched out, its neck and tail making up most of its length, but when it curled up and wrapped its wings around its body, it was only a little larger than her two fists put together. Its red skin felt like a lizard’s skin, bumpy but soothing, but unlike a lizard it was warm to the touch, as if the very fire which had hatched it from its egg had become a part of it.

A shiver coursed through her as her sweat cooled off. She needed to warm up now, before she came down sick. She opened her bag and pulled out her cloak, then wrapped it around herself and held it close. She couldn’t stop shivering, and even the cloak didn’t seem to help her with that.

Shelter … she needed shelter … a fire …

The adrenaline that had kept her going throughout the day was gone, and she found that she couldn’t move. The thought that the lava might catch up to her didn’t help, nor did the idea that she was out in the open and a helpless target to anyone – or anything – who might stumble upon her. Even the need to build a fire didn’t give her the energy she needed. She was exhausted, dehydrated, and hadn’t eaten in almost a full day. She simply couldn’t move.

That was the last thought that crossed her mind as she passed out.

Location: Winum, Dolerum, Arkandia
Year: 28 068 (2568 T.A.)
Status: Late Autumn

The leaves had turned weeks previous, and the world was aglow in shades of gold and red. It was Kyrie’s favourite time of the year. The weather was comfortable, the landscape was beautiful, the air was clear … it just didn’t get any better, no matter which country she was in.

This time, she was returning home. She had spent more than a full season in Shiezin with Ahkshi. He had mostly gotten over his stutter, and he had completely overcome his shyness. She liked him. She made no secret of it. And he made no secret of the fact that he liked her, too. But both of them knew that was as far as it would go. Kyrie’s destiny lay in travel, and his was to help the people of Makshim. With that being the understanding, there were no expectations, no secret hopes, and their time together was wonderful for both of them.

Kyrie had also learned a lot about her dragon while she had been there. The breed was called the Volcano Dragon, a subspecies of the Fire Dragons. They were a pack dragon, and usually lived in groups of five or ten. When the adults would mate, the eggs were laid in volcanic tunnels, where they would remain, dormant, until an eruption would cause the eggs to hatch. Until Kyrie had witnessed the lava melting the shell of the egg personally, no one had known how the eruptions and the hatchings were connected. It had happened previously that some of these dragons had bonded themselves to a person before. When the dragon and the person had been the same gender, the dragon had considered itself the person’s guardian; but when they were opposite genders, then a curious thing happened: the dragon would literally bond itself to the person, as if they joined together. Ahkshi hadn’t had any more detail than that, but he simply told her to treat her dragon like a dear friend, and see what happened.

“So here we are,” she told it as they approached the town. “Home sweet home.” She smiled. “I’ve got to find a name for you soon. The others are going to want to know it.”

The dragon was perched on her shoulder, almost like a bird, sitting up straight and looking around curiously. At her implied question, it looked at her and tilted its head.

“Don’t give me that look,” Kyrie laughed. “Come on, it’s not that simple. What if I give you a female name and you’re a male? Or the other way around?”

The dragon clicked its throat and lifted its wings briefly. It didn’t seem to care.

“Thanks,” Kyrie giggled. “You’re a great help. Any suggestions? Preferences?”

It crawled along the back of her neck to her other shoulder. How about Uruloki? she heard suddenly.

She turned her head to look at the dragon. “That you?” she asked it.

It nuzzled against her cheek. It was a matter of time, Kyrie.

Kyrie laughed again and stroked its neck. “All right, Uruloki it is.” She reached up and plucked it from her shoulder, holding it in her arms and carrying it like a kitten. “Now, are you talking in my head or out loud?”

So far, in your mind, Uruloki replied, looking up at her. I don’t think I can talk out loud yet. I’m still a baby, after all.”

“Yes, I know.” Kyrie smiled at him. “Well, now that you have a name, I suppose I can take you home.” She started off again, entering the town, and headed towards the magistrate’s house. “How long have you been talking?” she asked him. “This can’t be sudden, I’m sure.”

Uruloki curled up into a ball, laying its head against her arm. I’ve been practicing. Mostly listening to you and Ahkshi. The more I understood what you were saying, the easier it’s been.

“But we left Shiezin three weeks ago, why now?” she pressed.

It looked up at her again. I don’t know.

Kyrie shook her head. “Fair enough.” She was amused by the dragon, and thrilled that she was able to communicate with it. “I don’t know if it would be a good idea for you to speak this way with anyone else, though,” she cautioned it. “They might not understand.”

Why?

“Well … it’s something they’ve never seen before,” she said hesitantly. “I think it just might be a bit too much of a shock for them. We’ve been together for more than a season, and it’s a shock for me.”

So I should only talk to you?

“At least until you can talk out loud.” She rubbed one finger against its chin. “Please.”

Uruloki closed its eyes and made its purring noise. As you wish.

Kyrie smiled again. She looked up and saw that she was on the right street, and headed towards the house. When she arrived, she opened the door and stepped inside. “Hello?” she called out. “I’m home! Khetal? Lynliss?”

“Kyrie!” Khetal’s voice came from the back of the house, where the bedrooms were located. He appeared in a matter of seconds, his face filled with joy. “You’re back!”

Kyrie laughed again. “What did you expect? That I’d somehow managed to find a way to get my voice here without the rest of me?” She dropped her bag to the floor and gave her brother a one-armed hug, careful to keep the dragon from being squished between them. “Shades, it’s great to be home again.”

Khetal gave her a look. “You could stay here, you know,” he told her pointedly. They’d had the discussion many times. He didn’t like that she always wandered off. He never knew where she was, or when she would be back, and he worried about her. If anything happened to her, he would never know.

She simply smiled at him. “I know. But you know I can’t.” She lifted the dragon to her shoulder again. “Khetal, this is Uruloki, a Volcano Dragon I found. He … she … it adopted me.”

He.

“He adopted me,” Kyrie corrected herself, wondering if Khetal had heard the dragon’s voice as well. “And Uruloki, this is my brother, Khetal.”

Uruloki crawled down Kyrie’s arm and into her hand, then stretched his neck forward and sniffed at Khetal, who was staring at him. He looked up at Kyrie, then back at Khetal, and then crawled back up Kyrie’s arm and draped himself around her neck.

There was an awkward silence for a few moments, until Khetal finally said, “Um … Kyrie … where did you …”

“Don’t ask,” she told him flatly. “Just take my word for it. He’s adopted me.”

Khetal held up his hands in surrender. “All right then. Lynliss might question it, though.”

Kyrie laughed. “Oh, she’ll question it. I can handle her, don’t worry.”

“Handle who?” a voice said from behind Kyrie. She turned to see Lara and Gwen framed in the doorway. Both of the girls had grown into lovely women by now, and Gwen had outgrown Lara, making Kyrie the shortest person in the family now.

Gwen squealed when she saw the dragon. “Kyrie! Where did you get that?” she asked excitedly.

Lara’s eyes grew wide, and she took a half-step backwards. “Are you sure it’s safe to have it in the house?”

Kyrie laughed. “He’s fine, don’t worry about him. His name is Uruloki, and he’s adopted me. I found him as an egg and was there when he hatched.”

“Mother will never let you keep it,” Lara warned her.

“Papa will, though,” Gwen grinned, stepping inside. “Can I pet him?”

Kyrie looked at Uruloki, who looked back at her. “Um …”

The dragon looked back at the girls, then crawled out onto Kyrie’s shoulder so that he was more visible. Gwen stepped forward and held one hand above it, hesitating before stroking his head lightly. Lara stepped in and closed the door behind her, but she kept her distance from Kyrie and Uruloki, circling around them and taking up a safe position behind Khetal.

“He doesn’t feel like I always thought a dragon would feel,” Gwen commented thoughtfully.

“He doesn’t have his scales yet,” Kyrie explained. “Just skin for now. Ahkshi says that he will probably grow scales in a few years.”

“Ahkshi?” Now Lara was interested. “Who is Ahkshi?”

Kyrie blushed. “Oh … Ahkshi is a Fire Elf I met in Shiezin.”

Lara squealed and put her hands to her cheeks. “You’re blushing!” she exclaimed. “You like him!”

“Seriously?” Gwen’s eyes lit up. “Kyrie, is that true? Do you?”

Khetal was smiling as well, but Kyrie only needed to glance at him to know that it was forced. The attention was making Kyrie feel very self-conscious, and her blush grew deeper as her face grew hotter. “Well … ye-”

The girls both squealed, making Khetal wince and Uruloki hide behind Kyrie’s neck again. “Kyrie likes someone!” Gwen cried gleefully.

“Kyrie’s in love!” Lara giggled.

“So he’s a Fire Elf?”

“From Shiezin?”

“I bet he’s very handsome!”

“Probably a fighter. Who else could handle Kyrie?”

“Or a traveler. Kindred spirits, of course!”

“Girls, stop,” Kyrie begged them, interrupting their spiel. “Please. It’s not like that, not at all.”

The girls were disappointed. “But you said you like him!” Lara pouted.

Kyrie averted her eyes. “Let me wash, and then when your parents are home and I can talk to everyone together, I’ll explain everything. All right?”

Gwen looked at her through narrow eyes. “Everything?”

“Almost,” Kyrie amended. “Almost everything.”

“Promise?”

Kyrie looked at Uruloki, then back at the girls. “Promise.”

The girls looked at her solemnly, and then Lara stepped forward and picked up her bag. “Then you go wash, and I’ll unpack your things,” she said.

Kyrie looked at her brother, who simply nodded at her. She smiled at him, then turned back to Lara. “Sounds good,” she said simply. “I’ll see you again in a few hours.”

She hadn’t had a bath since Shiezin, and she loved to soak in the hot water. And since she had Uruloki to keep her company in there, she wouldn’t be in a rush to get out.

“Just don’t forget your promise,” Gwen said pointedly as she stoked the fire to prepare the water.

Kyrie smiled tiredly. “I won’t.”

Location: Makshim, Shiezin, Arkandia
Year: 28 069 (2569 T.A.)
Status: Early Summer

Winter had passed slowly, and to Kyrie the passage of time was agonizing. She loved her time with Uruloki, whom the girls had nicknamed simply “Loki”. He had kept her warm during the cold nights, and she had never gone anywhere without him. No one had mentioned Kyrie’s upcoming observation period, nor the trip that she, Lara and Khetal would be taking to Shiezin later in the spring. Kyrie would even go so far as to say that things had become tense in the household. She understood why. She had never disagreed with Lynliss and Leo, not once since she had come to live with them.

Eventually the time had come for their trip to begin. Kyrie had chosen to walk, but Khetal and Lara, who weren’t used to traveling, rode horses, which made the trip as short as it had been the first time. Within three weeks, they arrived in Makshim.

Kyrie couldn’t hide her excitement as they approached the town. Uruloki felt it too, and he skittered back and forth from one of her shoulders to the other as they drew closer. He hadn’t grown much in the half year that he had been with Kyrie, and his skin was not yet hardening into scales.

“I hope he’s not too busy,” she told him, her eyes bright with excitement. “I don’t know whether to check his house or his clinic first.”

Might I suggest his house? Uruloki suggested. You’re not staying in his clinic, so he won’t be hanging around there more than he has to, I’m sure.

“Where does he spend more time?” asked Lara, who couldn’t hear Uruloki’s voice.

“We’ll try his house first,” Kyrie grinned at the dragon. She looked up at Lara. “If he’s not there, then we’ll try the clinic.”

“Shouldn’t we check in at an inn first?” Khetal asked seriously. “Put our things away, stable the horses?”

“If we don’t find him,” Kyrie promised. “Come on.”

The red rock of the town felt familiar and comfortable to Kyrie, and she led the others down the street. There were red-haired elves everywhere, but no one gave them a second glance – at least until one of them recognized Kyrie from her time there the previous summer.

“Kyrie!” he called out, waving to her. “Welcome back!”

“Hello, Cantor!” Kyrie grinned, waving back. “How have you been?”

“Great! Always busy, you know how it goes.” He laughed and joined the group. “And you? You haven’t changed a bit.”

“Ha!” Kyrie grinned at Khetal and Lara triumphantly. “See? I haven’t changed a bit. Make sure to tell Lynliss when we get home again.”

Cantor looked at her strangely, and she waved it off. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll explain later. Hey, where’s your brother?”

“I knew you couldn’t have come back to see me,” the fire elf teased her.

“No, really?” Kyrie grinned at him. “Come on, tell me where he is.”

He pursed his lips thoughtfully, his green eyes sparkling mischievously. “Well … I suppose I could do that. On two conditions. First condition: give me that hug that I’ve been expecting since I saw you.”

Kyrie laughed and set her bag down, and Uruloki crawled up on top of her head when she threw her arms around Cantor and hugged him tightly, slapping his back enthusiastically. He hugged her back, then twirled her around in a circle.

“And the second condition?” she giggled.

He winked at her. “Introduce me to your friends.”

He grinned at Lara and Khetal as he let go of Kyrie, turning her around and putting his hands on her shoulders.

Kyrie was still giggling. “All right, all right. Cantor, this is my brother, Khetal, and my adoptive sister, Lara. Khetal, Lara, this is Cantor, Ahkshi’s older brother.”

Lara bowed her head and smiled at Cantor. She liked him. He was funny. If his brother were anything like him, she could see why Kyrie had been so insistent on coming back here and keeping her promise.

Khetal just nodded at him. He was simply observing at the moment, reserving judgment.

“Nice to meet you both,” Cantor said warmly. “Kyrie’s told us all about you, it’s just great to finally be able to put some faces to the names.”

“I have to be honest,” Lara admitted. “Kyrie didn’t really tell us much about anyone other than your brother.”

“Kyrie!” Cantor rubbed his knuckles lightly against the top of her head, then quickly flicked his hand away to avoid being bitten by Uruloki.

She squealed and ducked out of his grasp. “You promised,” she told him, slapping his arm. “Where is he?”

“He’s at home,” Cantor chuckled. “I’ll walk with you.”

Kyrie was too distracted to pay much attention to Cantor, and Khetal was still not in a talkative mood, so Cantor and Lara were the ones who were chatting together on the way to Cantor and Ahkshi’s house. It helped that Lara was naturally as bubbly as her mother.

When they were in sight of the house, the door opened, and Ahkshi himself stepped out. Without looking around, he turned away from them and started walking in the direction of his clinic. Kyrie grinned and broke into a run.

“Ahkshi!” she called when she was only a few paces away from him.

He turned, his expression curious. His eyes grew wide when he saw Kyrie, and he reacted just in time to catch her in a hug. “Kyrie?” He laughed. “By the Valar, I can’t believe it’s you! You’re earlier than I thought you would be!”

Kyrie didn’t let go of him. “I was in a hurry,” she giggled. “I missed you.”

“And I m-missed you,” he grinned. He kissed her on the forehead. “Welcome back.”

Kyrie smiled and leaned into him. “Thanks.” She paused a moment, then looked up at him. “Are you on your way to the clinic?”

Ahkshi nodded. “It can w-wait, though. My father’s there.” He held her at arms’ length and smiled widely at her. “I c-can’t believe you’re here!”

She tilted her head at him. “You doubted me?”

He blushed hotly. “N-not like that, it’s just that m-most people tend to t-try to avoid me. I think m-my s-stutter makes them uncomfortable.”

Kyrie smiled and put her hand to his cheek. “It’s a part of you,” she told him softly. “I admit it’s something to get used to, but once you’re used to it, it’s endearing.” She caressed his cheek gently for a moment, then dropped her hand and turned to introduce him to the others. “Ahkshi, my brother, Khetal, and my adoptive sister, Lara.”

Khetal dismounted from his horse, his eyes focused on Ahkshi.

“Welcome,” Ahkshi greeted the two warmly. “I h-had no idea that Kyrie was b-bringing others with her. Welcome! I’m v-very happy to m-meet you!”

“Thank you,” Lara said cheerfully. “Is everyone here as friendly as you and your brother?” She grinned down at Cantor, who was laughing at her.

Ahkshi chuckled. “I w-wouldn’t know,” he replied.

Kyrie took Ahkshi’s hand. “Ahkshi,” she said softly, “I asked Lara to come with me this time because she’s an artist. I’ve asked her to make pictures of us two together. Remembrances for us, for when we can’t be together.”

“Don’t rush it,” he smiled at her. “We have all kinds of time together. Even if it’s just one season per year-”

Kyrie shook her head. “That’s what I’m trying to say,” she said quietly. “After this summer … I don’t know how much I’ll be able to come back. For at least a year, probably more, I’ll have to stay home. Lynliss wants to observe me, to see if I’m mortal or immortal. And after that … once we know … if I’m mortal then there’s no telling how much traveling I’ll be able to do.”

She didn’t like the idea of being away from him for so long, but what choice did she have? She had promised Lynliss she would stay.

He was gazing at her tenderly. It was clear he was pained by the thought of her being mortal, but she could also see that he wasn’t going to let it get between them.

“Then you go back,” he told her softly. “You let her watch you and see if you’re m-mortal or immortal. Then you’ll c-come back and tell me. After that … if you’re immortal then we can c-continue like this, right? And if not … then you c-can do what traveling you want while you’re able … and then, when you c-can’t travel anymore, you c-can stay with me.”

Tears pricked at Kyrie’s eyes. He was so wonderful to her, he really was. How many people wouldn’t care if she were mortal or immortal? How many people wouldn’t push her away when she grew old, rather than asking her to stay with them only then?

She smiled at him and hugged him again. “Have I told you I love you?” she asked him, her face buried in his shoulder.

He leaned his head against hers and held her close. “I kn-know.”

Khetal watched them thoughtfully, his expression softening slightly. He could see how much this man cared for Kyrie, and he now believed that Kyrie genuinely cared for Ahkshi as well, that it was not just an infatuation.

After a moment, Kyrie straightened again. “We need to bring our things to the inn and settle in,” she told Ahkshi. “We might as well do that while you’re checking on your clinic. What do you think?”

“I’ll meet you there after I’m d-done,” he replied with a warm smile. “I won’t be long, b-but you might take a while, what with t-taking care of the horses and all.”

“Okay.” Kyrie grinned at him. “We’ll be waiting for you there, then.”

“I’ll take you there,” Cantor offered, stepping forward.

“It’s all right, I know the way,” Kyrie replied, a little surprised.

Cantor held up one hand as if to ward off her protest. “It would be my pleasure.”

Kyrie smiled at him. “All right, then. Lead the way.”

As Cantor began to lead Lara and Khetal, Kyrie turned back to Ahkshi and gave him one more hug. “I’ll see you later,” she told him, her eyes sparkling. “I have something I’d like to tell you about Uruloki.”

The dragon raised one wing as if saluting Ahkshi before Kyrie ran off to catch up with the others.

Location: Makshim, Shiezin, Arkandia
Year: 28 069 (2569 T.A.)
Status: Early Autumn

All too soon for Kyrie, the day came when summer ended and autumn began. As much as she loved the season, she didn’t want it to come this time. It meant that it was time to leave Shiezin – and Ahkshi.

“J-just you watch,” Ahkshi told her quietly as she packed her bag. “The year will pass quickly enough. We’ll be t-together again before you know it.”

She looked at him, her eyes bloodshot. “A week would be too long,” she replied softly. “And with winter coming on, it’s going to be a year and a half before I can come back.”

He reached for her hand. “You c-could always stay.”

She smiled and stepped closer to him, putting both of her hands around his. “You know I can’t. I promised Lynliss …”

He pressed his lips against her fingers. “I know,” he murmured. He lowered his eyes for a moment, then slipped his hands out of hers and put them in his pockets. “I h-have something f-f-f-for you.”

Kyrie blinked at him in surprise. “For me?”

He nodded and pulled a small package out of his pocket. “H-here.”

Kyrie took the package curiously. It was very lightweight and fit easily in her hand. “What is it?”

He smiled at her. “Open it and f-f-find out.”

She looked at him suspiciously and began to unwrap the cloth from around the item. It had been wrapped in several layers, and the package kept getting smaller and smaller. At last, the cloth fell away, and Kyrie was left with a small silver ring. The outside was plain, but inside was an inscription that she couldn’t read, as it was in the runes of the Fire Elves.

She didn’t understand. “What …”

Ahkshi cupped his hands around hers. “I have a ch-chain for you to put it on f-for now,” he told her softly, “b-b-but when you come back, I want you to know that I’m p-planning on asking you to m-marry me. I know you’re a t-traveler and I’m n-not, b-but when we are t-together, I w-want us to be together as h-husband and wife. Ma-maybe it’s a b-blessing in d-disguise that you c-can’t have children. It m-means that when you t-travel you won’t h-have to w-worry about being p-pregnant.”

Kyrie was at a loss for words. “I … I don’t know what to say,” she admitted.

He smiled and leaned forward, touching his forehead to hers. “That’s the b-beauty of it,” he murmured. “You d-don’t have to say anything y-yet. J-just know that the next t-t-time you c-come here, I’m g-g-going to ask.”

Kyrie threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. She still didn’t know what to say, but the fact that he would even consider such a thing meant a lot to her. It touched her in a way that few things could, and she felt tears pricking at her eyes. She blinked them away before releasing Ahkshi again, and then she touched her hand lightly to his cheek.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “You are without a doubt the most amazing man I know. Thank you.”

He smiled widely at her. “I c-couldn’t be who I am without y-you.” He kissed her on the nose, then turned back to look at her things. “C-come on, let’s get this put away.”

When they had finished packing Kyrie’s things and headed outside, the others were already waiting for them. Khetal had mounted his horse, but Lara and Cantor were standing together next to hers, deep in conversation. They looked up when they heard Ahkshi and Kyrie join them, and Lara and Kyrie exchanged a warm smile.

Ahkshi put one hand on his brother’s shoulder. “You m-make sure you take g-g-good care of them, you hear?”

Cantor grinned and returned the gesture. “You can count on it.”

Kyrie blinked at the two. “Cantor, are you coming with us?” she asked. It was fairly obvious that the answer was yes, but it took her by surprise.

Cantor chuckled. “Yes, Kyrie, I’m coming with you. I suppose I can understand your surprise, considering you spent the entire summer with Ahkshi. Though I must admit, I always thought you were more observant.”

Kyrie blushed, and only then did she notice the way that Lara and Cantor looked at each other. “Well … I’ve been a little distracted …”

Cantor laughed out loud. “Right, fine. You were distracted. But now you know.”

As he helped Lara up onto her horse, Kyrie turned to Ahkshi. “You make sure you take care of yourself,” she told him seriously. “I know winter is a busy time for you, but without Cantor around to help you, you’re going to be even busier. Make sure you get enough rest, all right?”

Ahkshi smiled and stroked her cheek tenderly. “I’m m-m-more worried for you, Kyrie. I wish you s-s-safe travels, and I hope your observ-v-vation goes well.”

He touched one finger to the ring that was hanging on a small chain around her neck. “S-s-see you in t-two years,” he said quietly.

Kyrie bit her lip to keep her tears from falling, and she squeezed his hand and turned away. If she didn’t leave now, she wouldn’t at all, and she knew she didn’t have a choice. Cantor led Lara’s horse forward, and Khetal brought up the rear. As he passed Ahkshi, he paused and leaned down and murmured, “I’ll make sure she comes back to you, one way or another.”

The two men exchanged a look, and then Khetal was off as well, leaving Ahkshi alone.

Location: Winum, Dolerum, Arkandia
Year: 28 069 (2569 T.A.)
Status: Early Autumn

It was the middle of the day when they arrived in Winum, and the streets were busy. It was one of the busier market days, as happened more often in the fall, and every which way they went they attracted nothing but stares. Kyrie knew what they were thinking. The stares weren’t about Lara, or Khetal, or even her anymore: it was Cantor they were staring at. He was a Fire Elf, different from them, something new. The Dark Elves were a nice enough people, but they did not take well to strangers or to those different from themselves.

As they passed through the streets, several people called out greetings to Lara, and a few to Khetal, though most ignored Kyrie and Cantor, other than to give them a curious glance.

“Wow, Kyrie,” Cantor said to her, arching one eyebrow. “You sure are popular.”

Kyrie just smiled at him. “It’s always been this way. Too much of my human side is visible in my appearance. Khetal looks fully Dark Elven, so he doesn’t have a problem.”

Cantor was stunned. “And this is the attitude of the Dark Elves towards people like you and I?”

“Not all of them,” she replied. “There are some who don’t care at all. But is it so different in Shiezin? There are no interracial couples there, either. You’ve never been at war, your people don’t mind having foreigners in the area, but there are no couples of mixed race. How is that different from here?”

“There is a place where such couples go,” Cantor said softly. “I have heard of it. A place called-”

“Caras Galadhon,” Kyrie interrupted him with a smile. “I know. That’s where Khetal and I were born. I have to be honest; I don’t remember a lot of our time there. I was very young when we left. But I remember being happy there. Elves and humans of all sorts live together in peace, everyone is accepted …”

She looked over at him. “If you want to marry Lara, you might consider taking her there.”

“I have been.” Cantor was not embarrassed by the admission. “But I can say nothing until I speak with her parents.”

Kyrie smiled softly. “You are a good man, Cantor. I hope the two of you are happy in your life together. And I have no doubt that you will have a life together.”

Cantor smiled back at her. “Well, I’ve yet to meet her parents and earn their approval, but thanks for the thought, Kyrie.”

Kyrie just grinned at him. She knew Lynliss would be thrilled, and Leo would just be calmly and quietly happy and supportive, though both of them would be sad to see her leave. Still, they would understand. They were the most understanding people she knew.

Well, with the possible exception of Ahkshi, anyway.

Uruloki had been sleeping on Kyrie’s shoulder, but he awoke with a yawn. Are we there yet? he asked her, looking around and blinking sleepily.

“Almost there,” Kyrie murmured, stroking his head and neck.

As they reached their street and turned to go down it, a voice behind them squealed, “Kyrie! Lara! Khetal!”

They turned around just in time for Gwen to tackle Kyrie in a hug, sending Uruloki flying and just about knocking Kyrie off her feet. She was laughing, and she didn’t seem to want to let go of Kyrie. “You’re late!” she exclaimed. “We expected you almost two weeks ago! You promised you would leave at the end of summer and that’s been too long already!”

Kyrie had to squeeze Gwen quite hard to make her let go. “Let me breathe already!” she laughed.

Gwen was positively giddy, and she couldn’t stop bouncing from one foot to the other. “Why were you laaaaaaate?!”

“Poleria,” Kyrie replied flatly. “Hiding some people who at least look human is one thing, but a Fire Elf?”

Gwen blinked at her, and only then did she notice that Cantor was even there. She let out another squeal and grabbed his hands. “You must be Ahkshi! I’m so glad you came! But I thought you couldn’t travel, because you’re a doctor.”

“Gwen-” Lara tried to interrupt as she dismounted from her horse.

“But the way Kyrie kept going on and on about you all last winter, I guess she must have convinced you to come, at least while Mother keeps her under observation,” Gwen went on, oblivious.

“Gwen-”

“Kyrie’s usually pretty secretive, so when we saw how excited she always got when she talked about you, we all knew-”

“GWEN!”

Gwen blinked at her sister as if seeing her for the first time. “Yes, Lara?”

Lara stepped forward and put her hands on her sister’s shoulders. “Gwen, that is not Ahkshi.”

Gwen blinked at her. “It’s not?”

Cantor chuckled in amusement as Lara answered, “No. Ahkshi was unable to come. This is his brother, Cantor.”

“Oh!” Gwen turned to Cantor and let go of his hands. “Sorry about that! I’m a little excited I guess.”

“You guess?” Kyrie laughed. “Gwen, I’ve never seen you so excited about anything. Ever.”

Cantor chuckled softly. “So I take it this is your sister, Gwen,” he said to Lara.

Lara nodded. “And trust me, she’s not always like this,” she giggled. “She’s usually the sane one of us all.”

“Well, that’s reassuring,” Cantor said dryly.

Gwen was still half bouncing. “Come, you have to let Mother and Father know you’ve returned!”

Khetal tossed his bag at her, and she caught it against her chest with an “Oomph!” that just about knocked her back. “Hey!”

Khetal grinned at her. “Bring my bag to my room. I’ll take care of the horses.”

Cantor stared at Khetal as he rode away, leading Lara’s horse alongside his. “He … smiles?”

Kyrie laughed and poked him in the ribs. “Yes, he does, and more. Now come on, Gwen’s right. You’ve got to come with us to see Lynliss and Leo. You have to make a good impression, after all.”

Location: Makshim, Shiezin, Arkandia
Year: 28 071 (2571 T.A.)
Status: Late Spring

Despite Kyrie’s indecision about Ahkshi’s proposal, she found that the closer they got to the town, the more excited she became. There was no doubt in her mind that she loved Ahkshi, and there were only three reasons why she was even hesitating about marrying him. First, because she would never be able to bear him children, and she knew that he deserved to have children. Secondly, because she was a traveler, and she knew that she would never be able to spend more than a season in one place without traveling. The year and a half she had spent in Winum had been torture, and not only because she had been away from Ahkshi. And finally, because she was afraid that if she did marry him, his people might make him leave the town for having married an outsider, and she couldn’t do that to him.

Valar forbid you ever have to make a split decision, Uruloki told her when the town came into sight. He had been party to her thoughts for the past two years, and it was the first time he had offered an opinion.

Kyrie looked at him, perched on her shoulder. “It’s not like any other decision I’ve made before,” she told him quietly, hoping that Lara and Cantor wouldn’t overhear her.

It could be, Uruloki replied simply. It’s not just about you, remember. It’s about him. If these things are bothering you, why not talk to Ahkshi about them? He can tell you one way or the other whether these things would bother him. After all, they’re all things that affect him.

He laid his head against her cheek. I’ll be there with you when you talk to him. Don’t worry about that.

Kyrie smiled and put one hand on his back. “Thank you.”

As they passed into Makshim, Kyrie let the familiarity of it wash over her. It was home to her now, just as much as Winum was home to her. She had spent enough time here to be comfortable with the people and the customs. It was a nice place, a happy place, filled with happy memories.

“Kyrie,” Cantor called from behind her.

She turned to look at him. “Yes?”

“We’re going to head straight to my parents’ place,” he told her, meaning himself and his wife and child. “You?”

“I’m going to check Ahkshi’s house first,” she told him. “If he’s not there, I’ll check the clinic, and if he’s not there, then I’ll join you.”

She waved at the two, then turned and hurried forward. Despite not knowing the answer to the question she knew he was going to ask at some point, she was very much looking forward to seeing Ahkshi.

His house was a few blocks away, but Kyrie wasted no time in getting there. She knocked at the door and waited for a response. After half a minute, she tried again. After a third attempt with no response, she sighed, disappointed, and turned away. He wasn’t home.

Not to be put down for long, she squared her shoulders and turned to head up the street, towards his clinic.

She had taken only half a dozen steps when she heard his voice shouting her name from behind her. She turned around and saw Ahkshi standing just outside his doorway, his hair dripping wet, a robe thrown hastily around his body. Her heart leapt into her throat and tears sprang to her eyes, and without hesitating she burst into a run and threw her arms around him and held him tightly.

“You’re early,” he murmured into her ear, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close.

Kyrie giggled and held him tighter. “There is no such thing when I’m coming back to you.”

Ahkshi smiled and stroked her hair gently. “C-come inside, where we c-can talk.” He kissed her on the forehead and released her, then stepped aside to let her in.

Kyrie had been in his house before, but only a few times, as Khetal had been very careful not to let her do anything improper. At this point, she was beyond impropriety, though, and she knew that if Ahkshi cared he would have asked her to meet him at his parents’ house or something instead of inviting her in.

The house was a small one, as he had few needs of his own. He had three rooms: a kitchen, where he prepared his food, a bathing room, where he took his baths, and a larger room where he did everything else: eat, sleep, work, and whatever else he did.

“Take a seat while I f-finish drying off,” he told her, motioning towards a short table where he took his meals sitting on the floor. He headed back to the bath room, and kept the door open just a sliver so that they could talk while he dried off. “You know, I really honestly w-wasn’t expecting you before s-summer. How did you manage to g-get away?”

Kyrie laughed and sat down on the bed, preferring not to sit on the floor. Not that she thought it was dirty or anything, but she just liked to be a little elevated when she could. “Well, Lynliss finally concluded that I’m probably immortal, and Lara and Cantor were eager to get back here, too.”

“P-probably?”

“I’m afraid I made it difficult for her to decide,” Kyrie smiled, setting Uruloki in her lap and stroking him from head to tail. “Physically I haven’t changed a bit, which is why she thinks I am immortal. But emotionally, I have to admit I was a bit of a wreck. I spent a lot of time just sitting in my bed and thinking. Took longer in the bath than I needed. Didn’t train myself as often. Those things made her wonder if I might be mortal.”

“That doesn’t sound l-like you.”

“I know. It’s normally not. But I was just preoccupied.”

“With what?”

“Thoughts. Of whether I was mortal or immortal, though that was mostly a passing curiosity.” She looked down at Uruloki, who was making his contented sound again. “Mostly I was thinking about you. About us.”

“That s-sounds ominous.” The door opened and Ahkshi reappeared, his hair dry now, brushed and pulled back neatly, but he hadn’t had any clothes with him in the bath room and he had only a large towel wrapped around his waist. “What are your c-concerns?”

Kyrie’s eyes drifted over his exposed body. It was the first time she had seen anything more than his head and arms, and she was surprised to find that she actually felt a desire for him. She blushed and looked down at Uruloki again.

Concern filled Ahkshi’s eyes. “Look, if you don’t want to have a ph-ph-physical relationship, I won’t ask you to. I know your p-past. I just love you.”

Kyrie shook her head. “That’s not it,” she said softly. “But you deserve to have children, and I can’t give you that.”

“Why do I d-deserve anything d-d-different than anyone else?” he asked her, sitting next to her. He took her hands in his. Uruloki opened one eye and peered at him, but he knew how important this was to Kyrie, and he simply crawled off her lap and moved to the other side of the room.

“You’re the best man I know,” Kyrie replied quietly. “You deserve someone who can make you really happy.”

“No one could ever m-m-make me happier than you do, Kyrie, you know that,” Ahkshi told her. “Even children could n-never make me happier than I am when I’m with you.” He stroked her hand softly. “If you use that as your excuse not to marry me, I’m going to be very disappointed.”

Kyrie looked up at him, her cheeks still slightly pink. “But what about my need to always travel?”

He chuckled softly. “Kyrie, if I have you f-for one season a year, I’ll b-be the h-h-happiest man alive.”

She lowered her eyes again, and she found her gaze fixed on his muscular abdomen. She felt her face growing warmer again. “And … I know that interracial couples-”

“I don’t c-care.” Ahkshi lifted her chin so that she had to look at him. “What are they g-going to do, throw out the b-best healer in a hundred-mile r-radius?”

Kyrie didn’t know what to say to that. Could they? Would they? She couldn’t see it happening. And it wasn’t like she was going to be here all the time, or that it would be obvious …

Ahkshi grinned at her, sensing victory. “Have you r-run out of objections alre-ready?”

Kyrie hesitated. “Well …”

He took the ring that was hanging around her neck and held it between two fingers just in front of her. “We-well?” he murmured, leaning closer to her.

Kyrie was growing more and more flustered. She really had nothing left to say, and as close as he was getting to her, she didn’t feel uncomfortable. She was just very aware of his lack of clothing. “Um …”

He chuckled and kissed her on the forehead, then stood up abruptly and headed to the other side of the room. “I need to get d-dressed,” he told her, taking some clothes from a wooden dresser. “I’ll be right b-back again.”

And with another grin, he headed back into the bath room, this time shutting the door properly behind him.

The moment the door was closed, Kyrie rose and moved to an open window, breathing deeply to calm herself. Who was she kidding? Why had she fought herself for so long, trying to convince herself against this? Then again, she had always rebelled against authority, tried not to listen to any advice she was given. But she was convinced now.

Whenever Ahkshi asked, she would agree wholeheartedly to be his long-distance wife.

Location: Caras Galadhon, Caras Galadhon, Arkandia
Year: 28 072 (2572 T.A.)
Status: Autumn

It had been a rather uneventful journey for Kyrie, Cantor, Lara and Corazin to get to Caras Galadhon. Kyrie was glad of it: it meant that their trip went faster than it might otherwise have gone. Still, it had taken the remainder of spring, all of summer, and half of autumn for them to arrive. They’d had to skirt around Rheys, a land belonging to humans, for safety, but beyond that the countries they had passed through were all friendly.

The city had changed in the twenty-two years since Kyrie had left with her family. It had grown and its very appearance had changed. She had expected it to be a bit different, but not quite this different.

They found their way to the inn and paid for two rooms, and while Lara and Cantor headed off to see what they could do about finding a place to live, Kyrie wandered around to see if she could recognize anyone or anything from her past.

Looking around, the thing she remembered most clearly was all around her: humans, elves, and every type of mixed-bloods were everywhere. It looked like full bloods like Lara and Cantor were few and far between. Even if it was not a human-elf mix, most people looked like they were of two different races of elves. It made her smile. Things here were peaceful between the races, something unique to this land.

She was wandering aimlessly, no particular destination in mind, and she was surprised when her feet led her down a street that looked familiar to her. Yet it wasn’t until she stopped in front of a large marble-bricked two-storey house that she realized where she was.

Home.

A wide smile crossed her face, and she left the street and wandered into the yard. The flower garden was still the same, well kept, and even a small vegetable garden had been planted out back and was ready to harvest. The house, from the outside at least, seemed clean: yet there was no sign of movement.

Unable to help herself, Kyrie stepped up onto the porch and raised one hand to knock, but before she could a voice called out, “Hey! Get away from that house!”

She turned to see a golden-haired human watching her from the road. “I was just going to knock,” she told him, wondering what was so bad about that.

“No one lives there,” he told her. “You’d have been wasting your time.”

Kyrie frowned. “But the yard is so well tended, surely someone must live here.”

The man shook his head. “No one has lived there in more than twenty years,” he told her in a voice that sounded quite serious. “My family and I have been taking care of it in hopes that they might someday return.”

Kyrie remembered her parents asking some of their friends to care for the house in their absence, since they hadn’t known how long they would be gone. She blinked at the man. This wasn’t the husband from that family, but after twenty two years, could it be the son?

“Luk?” she guessed.

He stared at her. “How do you know?”

She broke into a wide smile. “I’m Kyrie!” she exclaimed, hopping off the porch to stand with him by the road. “My parents owned this house, I lived here when I was young!”

He blinked. “What? Kyrie? But – but where is your family? Why were you gone so long? We had no word, we were certain you’d all been killed but didn’t know for sure …” His eyes drifted over her, but it was a different look than most people gave her. Usually, men looked at her lustfully – but Kyrie could tell that he was looking only at her scars, and that he was a little afraid of them.

She smiled at him. “Let’s sit. It’s a long story.”

As he led her towards the house, she let her mind drift to her childhood. She and Luk had been born on the same day, and lived right beside each other, and had been fast childhood friends. The best of friends. He had cried the day her family had left for their trip.

He opened the door for her and stepped aside for her to lead the way in. She stepped in slowly and looked around. The entryway was a large room. Doors exited to the left and to the right, a hallway went straight forward, and also forward was a staircase leading up to the second floor.

Nothing in the kitchen or dining room had changed. The table and chairs had sheets over them to keep the dust off, but she couldn’t see any dust anywhere. The place was immaculate. The marble counters were clean, and even the wall-trough where the water ran, supplying the home with constant fresh water, was free of the moss that periodically needed to be cleaned away.

“Your mother’s been keeping it clean?” Kyrie asked, turning to Luk.

“She and I together over the years, but now mostly me,” he admitted with a soft smile. “I come once a week to make sure it’s clean.”

“Is she terribly busy?” Kyrie asked, moving on to the living room, on the other side of the hall, to see how it had changed.

“Not so much busy as in mourning,” Luk replied, following after her. “Father died a few years ago, and she just about fell to pieces.”

“I’m sorry.” The living room was just as clean as the kitchen had been, and again the furniture had been covered with sheets. “Was it sudden?”

He shook his head. “No. Father was human. He was old. I think he was nearly seventy by the time he died, which to my understanding is pretty good for a human. Mother still took it hard, though, and I really don’t know what I can do to help her.”

“All you can do is your best,” she told him, repeating something he had always told her when they had been children.

He smiled warmly at her. “I know.”

She smiled back at him. He was still such a wonderful person. “And you? How have you been? You’re most certainly married by now, I’m sure.” She started towards the stairs so that she could poke around up there.

He followed after her again. “Well, no, no I’m not married. I haven’t even found a girl I’m interested in. Truth be told, I don’t want to look until I know whether I’m mortal or immortal.”

Kyrie winced at that. “I just went through that. It was a pain.”

“Well, that’s what happens when you have an elven parent and a human parent,” Luk said simply.

“I know.” At the top of the stairs, she turned to the first bedroom. “But I also learned that you can’t hang your life up on knowing whether you’re mortal or immortal. Love happens when it happens, where it happens. You can’t stop it if you’re not what you want to be.”

“You sound like you’re speaking from experience,” he chuckled.

Kyrie looked back at him, a warm smile on her face. “I am. I spent two years debating whether or not to marry a man I knew I loved. I knew I loved him. But there were … other matters that made me question whether I should, including the fact that I had no idea if I was mortal or not.”

“And?”

“And in the end, I realized that even if we don’t have every moment of our lives to be together, that if I didn’t treasure what time we did have, I would regret it forever,” she replied.

“So you married him?”

She nodded and looked around at the room they were in. It had been her parents’ bedroom, and she had few memories of it. It had been off-limits for her and Khetal. “I did.”

As she brushed by Luk to check out another room, he watched her, puzzled. “But … where is he? Is he at the inn?”

The question made Kyrie smile in amusement. “By the Valar, no. If he were here with me, I wouldn’t go anywhere without him.” But then the amusement was gone. “No, he’s back in Shiezin, where he’s from. He’s a doctor, so he can’t travel.”

She looked around at the room she was in – Khetal’s old bedroom – but she wasn’t really seeing it. She was distracted now. “That was part of my debate. I’m doomed to travel my whole life, and he can’t. His people do not approve of interracial marriages. I can’t bear him the children I wish I could. But love made all of that irrelevant, for both of us.”

Luk shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably. “I don’t know whether to say I’m sorry or congratulations.”

Kyrie turned to him and smiled. “I would appreciate the congratulations,” she suggested. “I miss him while I’m gone, but it just makes going back to him so much sweeter.”

“Then congratulations,” Luk chuckled softly.

Kyrie giggled. “Thanks. Come, let’s go sit and then I can properly tell you what’s been happening.” She headed back towards the stairs, her eyes still roaming the place around her. “I have no idea what to do with this place now,” she mused. “It’s not like anyone … oh! Never mind!”

She had just remembered Lara and Cantor, who were looking for a place to live. They had such little money, there was no way they would be able to buy a house. There was no time to build before the winter, and the inn was too expensive for a long stay. But this would be perfect for them – and in a way, the house would be kept in the family.

She smiled at Luk. “Let’s sit in the living room. It’s a rather long story.”

Location: Rheys/Garnelia Border
Year: 28 073 (2573 T.A.)
Status: Late Spring

Traveling back to Shiezin on her own, Kyrie had a lot of time to think. Since it was just her, she took the shortcut through Rheys. It was a land of only humans, but she had always been good at blending with them, and she had no one else to hide, other than Uruloki.

She was very distracted this time around. She’d spent half a year with Ahkshi, then half a year in Caras Galadhon, waiting for good traveling weather, and she had discovered that she didn’t mind staying in one place for longer periods of time. She didn’t feel the same urgency to always be on the go anymore. She felt she could really stay with Ahkshi for an indefinite period of time.

Kyrie, listen, Uruloki interrupted her thoughts.

Kyrie blinked and looked around. It was dark out, nearly pitch black. The moon was hidden behind thick clouds, and she could smell in the air that rain was threatening to fall. There was a light breeze as well, but she knew that wasn’t what Uruloki was telling her to listen for.

From behind her, there was a rustle in the trees, but not the rustle of wind or animals. It was the rustle of people moving at high rates of speed.

“Hide,” she whispered to the dragon, pulling two blades from her waist. She pressed herself against a tree and waited. She was startled when she felt a sudden surge of warmth around her upper body and her sight suddenly became clear, things in front of her appearing just as clear – no, clearer than as if it were the middle of the day. Everything was in strange colours, though. It was weird – it was beyond weird. She had never experienced or even just heard of anything like it – but she didn’t have time to worry about it at the moment, there was something coming towards her.

The rustling grew louder, and suddenly an elven girl appeared from between some trees. Her face was etched with terror, and she was running as fast as she could in Kyrie’s direction.

Coming up behind her was an elven woman who looked just as terrified. Every time the girl looked over her shoulder, the woman motioned for her to keep running, though neither of them made a sound other than their running.

The reason for their fear was not far behind them. Three human men were chasing after them, weapons drawn. One of the weapons had blood dripping from it.

Kyrie caught the girl and told her quietly to hide behind the tree, and when the woman arrived she did the same for her. Then she stepped out and moved to meet the men. She cut one of them down before they even realized she was there, and a second one lived only a few seconds longer. The third one realized that something was there, and he ducked backwards and tried to go around her, using bushes and trees to hide himself.

But to Kyrie, with her strange new vision, he was as obvious as if he were the only thing in the area. Without hesitating, she cut him off and killed him with a single thrust through the chest.

When she returned to the elven woman and girl, the two were clinging to each other and weeping. She cleaned her blades and put them away, then put a hand on each of their shoulders.

“You’re safe,” she told them softly. “There’s no one else after you. What happened?”

The girl was unable to speak, filled with terror, and the woman was the one who told Kyrie between sobs what had happened.

They had come from the country of Caras Galadhon, from a city further north than the main city. They had a brother and sister-in-law there, whom they had been visiting. On their way back home, in Garnelia, they had been taken captive in a human village in Rheys. They’d been kept in a small hut, guarded day and night to prevent their escape. They hadn’t had much opportunity to escape anyways, as the woman’s husband had been injured during the capture. They had begged and pleaded to be let go, but to no avail. At last, however, they had been given the opportunity to leave, to return to their own country, on two conditions: first, that they never pass through Rheys again, and secondly, that they leave their daughter there with the humans. Of course, they couldn’t accept those conditions, but they had asked for some time to consider it so that they might find an opportunity to escape.

This had been their attempt.

“I’ll go look for your husband,” Kyrie promised the woman. She slid one of her daggers from its sheath and held it out to the woman, hilt first. “Take this. If anything comes, use it. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Using her newfound night vision, she turned and headed back into the forest to see what she could find.

It took her nearly an hour, but at last she stumbled on the body of an elven man. She could only assume it was the husband. He had a broken leg which had been crudely set, and there was a slash down his spine, which showed how he had been killed. Kyrie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was not how she had wanted to find him. Still, she had promised the woman that she would find her husband and bring him back, and she would keep her promise. She looked around to make sure she was still alone, then lifted the man’s body and slung it over her shoulders and turned to head back toward the place where she had left the others.

When she got back, the woman and child were fast asleep, tears streaking their faces. Kyrie didn’t have the heart to wake them, and she set the husband’s body down on the ground behind some plants and covered it with her blanket. She would keep watch over them all tonight, and tomorrow escort them back to their home. It was the least she could do.

As she settled into a position where she could keep a good watch, she sighed. She remembered now why it was so important that she not stay in one place for too long. There were people like this everywhere who needed her help. How could she selfishly stay in one place and let people suffer like this? There was no doubt in her mind that those humans would have killed them all if they’d caught up with them.

She would just treasure all the more the time that she was able to spend with Ahkshi.