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Family Legacy Part One

Family Legacy:

Book one:

The beginning

By: Ceara Case

Chapter 1

Arianna Rain lived in Wilderdell on Hollowtree Farm at the edge of Nymph Wood. She had been running the farm for four years, since her parents died. Hollowtree Farm was miles from civilization. Ari liked it this way. She had no disturbance as she went about her chores each day. Ari was well built, with muscled arms and legs, and tan skin. She had a small waist and long golden brown hair that fell just below her shoulders. She had crystal blue eyes and a stubborn mouth.

Each morning, Ari got up at sunrise. She ate breakfast, then fed the unicorns, flying pigs, and whatyas. Whatyas are big, colorful birds that are usually used for sending messages. Ari never used them, for she had nobody to send messages to, but she liked their company.

After she fed the animals, Ari would clean out the pens and stables. The unicorns stayed in stables at night and the fields during the day. The whatyas stayed in a little hut at night and Ari let them free during the day, since they never flew away; they always came back. The flying pigs stayed in their own stables at night and small, fence-enclosed pens during the day.

When she was done cleaning, Ari would brush and ride all the unicorns. Ari raised six unicorns, but her favorite was Gayle. Ari had gotten Gayle for her tenth birthday, the year before her parents died. Gayle was a pure white stallion with a golden horn in the middle of his forehead and golden-brown eyes. Ari had never told anyone, but she could talk telepathically with him. She wasn't sure if this was odd, because her parents had unicorns and they had special bonds with them. Ari had never asked, because she had found that out after her parents had died.

After she was done with the unicorns, Ari would take the flying pigs out to their pens, and then she'd let the whatyas out for the day.

By this time it was usually late in the afternoon. Ari ate lunch at this time. Then she would take Gayle out for a long ride in Nymph Wood. Ari knew the forest by her farm very well now, since she rode in it every day. She never ventured to the forest any farther than the farms boundaries, though. She got an eerie feeling of foreboding whenever she went near there.

One day, at sunrise, Ari got up as usual. Something felt wrong, somehow. Ari pondered over it for a few moments, but pushed the thought out of her mind as the whinnying of the unicorns reminded her of her chores. She rolled out of her feather bed and stretched, then pulled on her work clothes, dirty blue overalls and a stained white tunic. She never wore skirts, for who could ride unicorns or chase flying pigs in a skirt?

Ari went to her small kitchen and ate an apple for breakfast. Her parents had left a huge store of food behind, and Ari hadn't run out of food yet. When she was finished, Ari grabbed a brush from the table, pulled it through her hair, and went to the door, where she pulled on her dirty brown work boots. She opened the door, flooding the dark room with light, and smiled at the blue sky and bright sun. It was going to be another beautiful, warm, sunny day.

Ari skipped down the worn path to the supply shed and filled her arms with some feed for the flying pigs and some seeds for the whatyas. She would have to cut fresh grass for the unicorns, since she was out. She gave the food to the hungry flying pigs and whatyas, then grabbed her sickle and wheelbarrow out of the tool shed, and skipped happily out to the large field of rich green grass at the edge of her property.

Ari spent two hours cutting grass. When she was finally finished, she straightened up and wiped her sweaty face with a spare cloth from her pocket. She dragged the heavy wheelbarrow back to the stables. When she opened the doors, she was greeted with a chorus of happy neighs from the hungry unicorns.

Gayle greeted her at the door. The others thought you had abandoned them, he said.

Ari laughed and rubbed his nose. "What about you? Did you think I'd abandoned you?"

No, Gayle replied proudly. I knew you would be back. Ari shook her head, smiling, and fed the unicorns, who ate greedily, groomed them, then led them out to the field, where they would spend the day.

Ari cleaned the pens and let out all the other animals. When she was finished, she wiped her dirty hands on her breeches. "Phew!" she said. Now all she had to do was take Gayle for their daily exploration of the forest.

Quickly, she let the unicorns back in for an early dinner, then went back to the farmhouse and changed into a clean pair of brown breeches and a cream-colored tunic. She could never find any bright colored tunics or breeches, because they were made for men, not women, so she stuck to the normal colors. She pulled on her old black riding boots and went to fetch Gayle.

When Ari reached him, she pulled him away from the food and saddled him then jumped onto his back. Instinctively, Gayle started galloping for Nymph Wood. On the other side of Ari's property was Faeriemead Forest, but Ari never went there, for it was said to belong to the elves. Ari's parents had always told her that elves were vicious and would kill you on sight. The only exception had been Ari's guardian after her parents died, for he was only half elf. Ari knew that the distinguishable features of an elf were the bright green eyes, pointed ears, and height. Elves were always over six foot. They would easily tower over Ari, who was only 5'6".

As they reached the edge of the forest, Ari said, "Okay. Are you ready to do some exploring?"

Yes, Gayle replied. But I do not see why we do this every day. There is nothing new to explore.

Ari sighed. "Gayle," she said in a mock-weary voice. "I thought you knew by now that we need the exercise. Besides, this is the only way we're going to get any adventure." Ari had always dreamed of going on dangerous adventures, but knew the only adventure she would ever see was when an occasional animal escaped and she had to go chasing after it.

I see, Gayle said, knowing of her dreams. Well, let us go, then. We do not want to miss your adventure.

Ari laughed. "You're such a tease," she told him lovingly. She could talk to Gayle telepathically, but she preferred to talk aloud, because he and the other animals were the only company she had.

Gayle snorted and started off at a gallop into the trees. Ari grinned into the wind. She loved riding Gayle. It always felt so right when she was on his back. Her spirits always lifted when they were speeding over the ground.

Hours later, Ari and Gayle emerged from the forest. They'd found no adventure, but Ari had fun anyway. Gayle trotted down the well-worn path and stopped at the bottom of a hill. This hill was the only thing separating them from Hollowtree Farm. Ari jumped off Gayle's back and unsaddled him, setting the saddle on the ground. She always left the saddle here to air out, then came back for it after dinner. She took a brush out of her pocket and brushed Gayle. She took a deep breath, savoring the clean smell around her, for it would turn to the smell of hay and animals when they went back to the farm. Ari liked that smell, but liked fresh air much better. She stopped and sniffed the air again. That wasn't a fresh smell. Was that smoke? Instinctively, she looked toward the hill behind which her home resided. To her horror, thick, black smoke was curling up in graceful shapes from behind the hill.

Chapter 2

Ari sprinted up the hill with Gayle at her heels. When she got to the top she froze. She was looking down upon a burning farm. Her burning farm!

"NO!" She ran down the hill as fast as her legs would take her and stopped in the middle of the circle of burning buildings. She didn't know what to do. Her beloved farm-her home- was going up in flames all around her. Her mind was filled with panic. Suddenly, one thought broke through. The animals!! Ari ran into the burning stables. She'd put the unicorns in early to eat, and hadn't let them out again. They were all huddled at the back of the stables, whinnying pitifully. "Out! Out!" Ari yelled. She ran to the frightened group and started pushing them roughly toward the door. Eventually they got the picture and started stampeding toward the door. Just as she was herding the last unicorn out the door, Ari heard a warning neigh from Gayle. The building was about to collapse. "Hurry up!" she screamed at the unicorn, and started shoving harder. She finally got the poor unicorn out the door. She heard a creaking sound as the support beams started to crack under the pressure of the fire. Ari dived out of the barn and landed hard on her stomach, then rolled quickly away from the collapsing building.

Seconds later, she heard a deafening crash as the barn fell to the ground. Ari jumped to her feet and looked around wildly. All the animals were fleeing toward Nymph Wood. Then she saw something that wasn't one of her animals. It was black and slimy looking, with gleaming red slits for eyes. Ari felt paralyzed by fear and disgust. She couldn't move. Suddenly, Gayle came flying out of nowhere.

Get on! He screamed silently. Ari obeyed without a second thought. She was too terrified to think.

Gayle started galloping toward Nymph Wood, but, without thinking, Ari blurted, "NO! Go to Faeriemead Forest! We'll be safe there!" Gayle didn't have time to question her, so he started galloping madly in the opposite direction.

As they fled, Ari noticed more of those creatures around. Her farm was filled with them! They were trying to surround them. As Gayle galloped past a group of three of them, one shot something at Ari, and it hit her in the thigh. She looked down and noticed that it looked like the stuff the creatures were made of. All at once, she lost the feeling in her leg. The slime oozed down until it was covering her whole leg. Everywhere it touched went numb. She tried to move it, but it just bounced limply against Gayle's flank.

Gayle left the creatures and the farm behind and was galloping through open fields. Sweat was covering his flanks and his breathing was labored, but he kept going.

They rode for another half hour before they came to the edge of Faeriemead Forest. Gayle stopped to rest and Ari jumped down. As soon as she hit the ground, her slime covered leg crumpled beneath her and she fell, landing heavily on her hands.

Are you okay? Gayle asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," Ari answered. "My leg fell asleep, that's all." Ari knew he didn't believe her, but he accepted the answer anyway.

After a few minutes' rest, Gayle said, Let us go. I am ready. Ari nodded and tried to stand, but her leg crumpled beneath her again. Would you like some help? Gayle asked. Ari nodded again and he bent his head down next to her. She wrapped her arms around it and he lifted her up slowly. Leaning heavily against him, Ari made her way around to his flank and used her good leg to spring up onto his back. Once she was up, she wrapped her arms around his neck to keep from falling as he cantered into Faeriemead Forest.

As they trotted through the trees, Ari was alert to any movement. Then a thought struck her. What if the slime is poison? She tried to wipe the slime off with one hand while the other was wrapped firmly around Gayle's neck, but she just lost the feeling in that hand as well. She decided to leave it alone.

They came to a clearing and Ari saw a small cottage. It blended in so well with its surroundings that Ari almost missed it. "Stop," she told Gayle. "Do you see that?"

Yes.

"What do you think it is?"

I do not know. Go investigate.

Ari got down carefully. She felt a little dizzy now that she was on the ground.

What is wrong? Gayle asked.

"Nothing," Ari lied.

Get on my back, Gayle ordered.

"Not yet," Ari replied. "I want to see what this is."

Ari, with Gayle's help, limped over to the door of the cottage. She got dizzier and dizzier with each step, but she didn't dare complain. She knew Gayle would make her leave, and she was too curious as to what this cottage was and who it belonged to. As she examined the door, Ari wondered if this cottage belonged to elves. Oh well, she thought, resigned. No turning back now. The whole clearing was spinning now, but Ari managed to knock loudly on the door. She shook her head, trying to dispel the dizziness. Suddenly, her body couldn't stay upright anymore. She fell to the ground, losing consciousness quickly. The last thing she remembered was Gayle's alarmed neighs and a pair of bright green eyes peering down at her.

Chapter 3

Ari awoke, but didn't open her eyes. She felt something around her leg and wrist. Eyes still closed, Ari moved her hand over to her leg and felt a bandage wrapped neatly and tightly around her leg, where the poisonous-or she guessed it was poisonous. Suddenly, a thought came to her.

How did I get bandaged? Gayle couldn't possibly have...

Her eyes flew open in alarm and she looked around. She was in a small room, lying in a large feather bed that took up most of the room. She sat up cautiously, wondering where she was, and examined her surroundings more closely. So it hadn't been a dream. Ari felt an emptiness in her heart, stabbing at her like a dagger. Her heart had felt empty since her parents had died. She'd thought she could handle it when her parents died, but now that the farm and all her animals were gone as well, she wasn't sure she could handle it anymore. It all seemed too much. All she had left was Gayle. Her best and last friend. She sighed deeply, tears lightly stinging her eyes.

"Hello," said an unfamiliar voice. Ari jumped out of bed in surprise and looked around warily. There was a man sitting in a chair at one end of the small room, next to a door. He had short, spiky hair and a wide nose. He also had....green eyes and pointed ears!!! An elf!

Ari backed up until her back was against the wall, which was not very far. "I didn't mean to startle you," the elf said. He stood up-he was around six feet tall- and Ari tried to back up further.

Suddenly, the door opened and another elf came in. He was taller and his jet-black hair was streaked with silver.

"How is she?" he asked the younger elf.

"I think I may have scared her, Father," the younger elf replied, nodding in Ari's direction. He looked amused.

The older elf surveyed Ari, his green eyes reflecting his son's amusement. "Don't be afraid," he said gently. Ari didn't buy it. She didn't move; she was too frightened. The older elf shrugged and turned to his son. "I've got to go. Tell your mother I'll be back, and to take it easy with the cooking. You'd think we were housing the whole forest, not just one small girl!" Chuckling, he left the room. Ari scowled at the "little girl" comment, but she was wise enough not to say anything.

The younger elf watched his father go, then turned back to Ari. "I'm Eryk," he said. He sat down again and watched Ari with interest as she moved back to the bed and sat down, still watching him warily as if she expected an attack.

Suddenly, a thought burst through her wariness. "Where's my unicorn?" she demanded, surprised to find that her voice sounded steady and strong.

Eryk smiled. "Your unicorn is fine; don't worry."

"Where is he? I demand to see him!!"

"You'll see him soon enough. For now, though, you should rest. My mother is making you some food;I expect it will be done soon. Then you can go see your unicorn."

Ari reluctantly sank back into the pillows. She couldn't sleep knowing that Eryk was in the room. Instead, she watched him warily.

Finally Eryk said, "Excuse me," and left the room. Ari sank farther down into the pillows, weariness in every bone, and closed her eyes. Before she knew it, she was asleep.

Ari awoke sometime later to a delicious smell. She opened her eyes and sat up. There was a steaming bowl of stew on a small table next to the bed. Eryk was sitting in the chair on the other side of the room again. The soup smelled delicious, but Ari didn't trust these elves. She pushed the bowl away from her and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at Eryk. "Let me see my unicorn!"

"You haven't eaten your soup," Eryk replied calmly.

"I'm not eating anything until I see my unicorn," Ari replied, just as calmly.

Eryk sighed. "Very well. Come on, then." Ari jumped out of bed and was to the door before Eryk could even stand up. He opened the door and stepped into a hallway lined with doors. He led her down the hall to a large room. It had a fireplace in one corner with a small wooden table in front of it. On the other side was a small counter and washbasin. There was a tall, slender woman with long, silky black hair tumbling freely down her back at the washbasin. "I'll be back, Mother," Eryk called over his shoulder as he crossed the room and opened the door, flooding the room with bright sunlight. Ari followed him as he stepped outside.

Immediately Ari recognized the clearing from the night before. Gayle was off to the side, nibbling on a small pile of apples. Ari ran over to him, feeling light as air for a moment now that she knew he was okay. She threw her arms around him and hugged him fiercely. "I am so glad you're okay!" she murmured into his mane. "I was so worried."

Worry not, Ari, Gayle replied. I am fine. I am glad to see you are well again.

Ari stepped back and looked her best friend over."You're sure you're okay?"

I am fine, Gayle assured her, seeming to sense her insecurities. You had better talk telepathically.

"Why?" Ari asked, then corrected herself. I mean, why?

You look suspicious talking to a unicorn who does not talk back.

Ari stifled a giggle. Okay. Can I ask you a question?

Of course.

Can these elves be trusted?

Yes, I think so, Gayle said. They healed you, did they not?

Alright.

Gayle gave her a nudge. Go get some rest. You need your strength. We will speak later.

Ari gave him one last pat on the nose, then walked slowly back to where Eryk was waiting for her. "Satisfied?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you." Eryk led her back into the cottage, but not before she noticed him cast a suspicious glance at Gayle.

He's right, Ari thought. It did look suspicious.

Eryk led Ari back to her room, and shut the door behind her. She noticed that the soup was still where she'd left it. Since Eryk was gone, she went over to the bowl and took a furtive bite. It tasted delicious! Ari gulped the rest down hungrily and sat back on to the bed. She eventually fell into an unintentional light sleep.

Eryk went into the kitchen and sat at the table. "Did it go okay, Love?" his mother asked from her vegetable-cutting position at the counter.

"Yes," Eryk replied wearily. This girl was wearing him down quickly. "But something isn't right."

"What?"

"Well," Eryk began, "When I took her outside to see that unicorn, she ran to it and started talking to it."

"What's wrong with that?"

"The problem is, it seemed to reply."

Eryk saw his mother stiffen, but all she said was, "You're probably imagining things. You'd better go ask her who she is and what happened to her."

"Why?" Eryk asked.

"Why not?" his mother retorted. "When we found her, she was a mess and she's not from around here anyway. Who knew how far she rode to get here?"

Eryk nodded, not wanting to start an argument with his

mother, for she could be fierce, and left the room. He went to the girl's room and opened the door quietly.

Eryk looked the girl over. He'd seen humans when he'd accompanied his father to Elkburg, but he'd never seen one quite like this one. She was extraordinary. She looked so fragile, but when she was awake she was vibrant and full of life. It amazed him how strong she was. Or maybe that's just how everyone sees her, Eryk thought, surprising himself. Maybe she really isn't strong, but puts that mask up. He immediately pushed the thought away. Why would someone do that?

The girl was sleeping, but she seemed to be alert to his presence, for she turned so her back was to him.

Eryk decided to wait until she awoke to question her. He settled down and watched the human sleep.

Eryk waited several hours before he saw the girl turn over, then slowly open her eyes and sit up. She looked around and when she saw him she stiffened and her eyes narrowed warily. She was afraid of him; he could tell.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"What is your name?" Eryk asked instead of answering her question.

"What business is it of yours?"

"I did save you, you know," he reminded her. "You at least owe me your name."

He watched as she tried to think up an argument. When she didn't find one, she said grudgingly, "My name is Ari."

"Okay, Ari," Eryk said, working with what he got. "Where are you from?"

"Why do you want to know?"

Eryk sighed, exasperated. "I need to know so I can contact your family and take you home," he said in forced calm.

Ari looked away and said something he didn't catch.

"What did you say?"

Ari looked at him scathingly. "I don't have any family."

Eryk blinked, surprised. This latest discovery just added to his building fascination with this pretty human. She seemed even more vulnerable to him now than before. "Why not?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Now that's none of your business!" Ari snapped quickly.

"Fair enough," Eryk said, knowing he had no right to that information. "Where is your home?"

"I used to have a farm on the edge of Nymph Wood."

"Used to?" Eryk inquired.

"Yes!" Ari wondered why this elf was asking so many questions.

"What happened to you?" Eryk asked softly.

Ari didn't want to tell him her story-she didn't trust him- but something told her it would help. Besides, she told herself. What's the worst that could happen? If he throws me out, that would be a good thing, wouldn't it? Ari didn't know the answer to that question, so she shoved the thought away.

Ari sighed and began to tell her story in a soft voice, reliving the horror of that night again.

"And so we came to Faeriemead Forest, hoping to find some help, or at least escape," Ari finished. Eryk's face was expressionless.

"Well," he said. "Your story seems very far fetched." Ari couldn't believe he thought she was lying.

"I'm telling the truth," she insisted.

"Right," Eryk said. He stood and left the room, calling over his shoulder, "Stay here."

Ari stayed at the door or several moments. Then, in anger and frustration, she picked up a pillow and threw it with all her strength. It it the wall with a satisfying "thud". Ari thought about throwing it again, but harder, then decided it wouldn't do any good. She threw herself on the bed and stared unseeingly at the ceiling.

Eryk went back to the kitchen and relayed Ari's story to his mother, who was now preparing dinner. When he finished there was silence. Finally, his mother said, "Go to where she says her farm is and see what is there. Oh, and Eryk," she added, eying him sternly. "Be careful and stay out of trouble. If what the girl says is true, then those things that attacked her-which sound very much like Minions- are very dangerous."

Eryk nodded. "I will; don't worry." Eryk left the room.

Mrs. Lyndes stood there a moment, then started down the hall.

Ari was still staring blankly at the ceiling when she heard the door open. She didn't even bother to glance that way, until a voice she didn't recognize said, "Are you hungry, Dear?"

Ari glanced to the door and saw a woman-she guessed she was Eryk's mother- standing in the doorway. The woman had long dark brown hair with small pieces of gray in it and green eyes. She was easily six foot, with a small nose and a wide set mouth. "I'm Mrs. Lyndes," she said kindly. "Would you like something to eat?"

Air thought she seemed nice enough, and at that moment her stomach growled. Well, she thought. I am hungry. She nodded. Mrs. Lyndes smiled and beckoned Ari to follow her.

She led Ari down a hall and into the main room. She told her to sit down at the table and Ari obeyed. Soon there was a steaming bowl of soup in front of her. She took a bite and was soon done with it.

"Did you like it?" Mrs. Lyndes asked from where she was preparing dinner at the counter. "Are you still hungry?"

"No, ma'am," she said politely. "Thank you."

Mrs. Lyndes smiled. "You're very welcome, my dear."

"Do you mind if I go see my unicorn?"

Mrs. Lyndes nodded knowingly. "Of course." She followed Ari outside. Ari walked over to Gayle, who was standing under the shade of some tall trees.

Hello, she said, rubbing his neck.

Are you better? The white unicorn asked.

Yes, of course, Ari replied. I told our story to the elf and he didn't believe me. I don't know what to do.

I think he did not want to believe you, Gayle said wisely. It is a terrible story.

Ari thought about it. You're probably right, as usual.

I am not always right, Gayle protested.

Yes you are.

No I am not.

Ari sighed. Okay, okay, you win. Never mind. Can I ride you?

Are you well enough?

Yes, I'm fine! Ari said. She was tired of everyone being so worried about her! She was fine, for heavens sake!

Ask the elf who watches us so curiously.

Mrs. Lyndes watched Ari and the unicorn with a mix of curiosity and interest. Could it be possible? Was it really her, after all these years?

Just then Ari approached her. "Do you mind if I take Gayle- my unicorn- out for a ride?" she asked.

"Why do you ask me?" she inquired.

"Because Gayle-I mean, I- thought it would be only polite."

"Are you well enough?"

"I am fine," Ari growled, as if she were tired of that question.

"Very well," Mrs. Lyndes said.

Ari beamed. "Thank you!" She looked at the unicorn, and it trotted over to them.

Yes, Mrs. Lyndes thought. She is communicating with the unicorn telepathically. No doubt about it.

"This is Gayle," Ari said cheerfully. "Gayle, this is Mrs. Lyndes."

"Very nice to meet you, Gayle," Mrs. Lyndes said politely, rubbing his nose. "I've never seen a more beautiful stallion. Oops, I mean handsome."

Ari smiled, then jumped onto him bareback with one graceful leap. "Okay, Gayle, let's go!" she yelled as he started into the trees at a gallop.

Mrs. Lyndes smiled as she watched them go. She was definitely a Rain.

Eryk glided over the trees. He'd first hovered when he was seven. It was only two feet, but it was still hovering. Only a handful of elven families had the ability to hover, and it was fortunate the Lyndes family was one of them. It would have taken days for Eryk to travel there otherwise. Now Eryk could glide at least a hundred feet up. He started gliding over open fields, and Eryk kept a lookout for Nymph Wood.

After ten minutes of flying, Eryk spotted a long line of trees snaking left and right for as far as he could see until they reached Maplestaff Mountains on his right. He landed at the edge and looked around. He could see no farm, or even the remains of one. He decided to travel along the edge of the forest, so mother couldn't get mad at him for not being thorough.

After two hours, Eryk came to a hill. He almost glided right over a large lump in the smooth ground. He halted and dropped to the ground, examining the lump. He couldn't believe it. It was a saddle! A fine made one, at that. Had Ari actually been telling the truth? She had said something about leaving her saddle at the bottom of a hill that hid her farm.... Eryk looked up and saw the hill. Slowly, he climbed to the top, dreading what he would see. When he got to the top, he smothered a gasp of astonishment. He was staring down at a large piece of land that was obviously a farm-or had been. Ari had been telling the truth. He'd badly misjudged her.

Chapter 4

Ari rode for two hours, exploring the forest with interest. She'd never been to any other forest besides Nymph Wood, and she liked this one much better. Here the trees were brighter, the air cleaner, and it was all around more cheerful than Nymph Wood. For some reason, whenever Ari went to Nymph Wood she felt watched and the forest was dark and gloomy. Ari would much rather come here than there any day.

She stopped at a clearing to take a break. "Any idea where we are, Gayle?" she asked, scratching her head as she looked for some familiar signs.

No idea, Gayle replied. We are lost. Ari heard a whooshing sound, then a rustle in rapid succession. She asked telepathically if Gayle had heard it, but he said no. Had she imagined it? No, her instincts were screaming at her to get away from there immediately. But for once she ignored them. Just a bird, she thought.

"Well, that's great," she said aloud. "If you don't know where we are, then we're definitely lost." She suddenly felt as if she was being watched. She looked around the clearing suspiciously, but saw nothing. "Uh, Gayle? Are you ready to go now, or do you need to rest still?"

Just a minute more.

"Okay, but then we're leaving for sure."

Okay.

Ari walked slowly around the clearing, examining every bush and tree closely. Suddenly, she ducked for no reason. She heard a whoosh as something went flying over her head. She looked up to see an arrow sticking out of a nearby tree. She gulped. Okay, the rational part of her mind said. Obviously we are in somebody's territory. We should leave immediately. "Let's get out of here," she told Gayle, leaping onto his back as he started from the clearing.

They rode steadily for ten minutes before Gayle slowed. They were at the edge of Faeriemead forest, facing the direction of her farm. Ari thought she could almost smell the smoke as her farm burned. She was assaulted with a pang of homesickness. She pictured her farmhouse, then all the animals that had lived with her. Then she relived the horror of finding her farm in flames, as she did frequently in her nightmares. Gayle seemed to sense her distress. Come on, let us get out of here.

Ari didn't even hear him. She was watching the horizon where her farm had once been. Suddenly a small black dot shot off the ground and into the air. "What do you think that is, Gayle?"Ari asked. She trembled. "Do you think those things can fly?"

No, I do not think so, Gayle assured her hastily. She was getting much too worked up for his taste. Let us go. Mrs. Lyndes will think we've run away.

"Okay," Ari said, still watching the dot. Finally, Gayle nudged her and started trotting down the edge of the trees, alert for any danger. Eventually Ari followed and got onto his back. Ari kept looking back as they rode and noticed that the dot was getting bigger and bigger. Did it look human? Ari shook her head and forced herself to stop looking back.

They went along the trees for five minutes, but Ari wasn't very aware of her surroundings. She was deep in thought. What am I going to do when I leave the Lyndes'? She asked herself. I certainly can't rebuild the farm. I don't have the money, or experience with towns. Ari's parents hadn't taken her into town with them very much, and when they had, she had been very little and couldn't remember. I guess I could travel somewhere, but the problem that I don't know towns till arises.

Suddenly, Gayle stopped and reared, nearly throwing Ari off his back. Instinctively, she jumped off the unicorn, landing neatly on the balls of her feet a few feet away. When she looked around, she realized there was a figure standing in front of them, blocking the path.

It was Eryk, and he looked angry. Ari moved between him and Gayle.

"What are you doing here?" Eryk demanded.

"I'm taking Gayle on a ride," Ari replied, forcing herself to keep a cool tone when she wanted to yell at him for not believing her story earlier. "Is that a problem?"

"Yes!" Eryk said hotly. "Who let you leave?"

"Mrs. Lyndes. We were just starting back. Would you like to join us?"

Eryk didn't seem to have an argument for that, so he said, "You are in danger here."

"I am aware of that, thank you," Ari said. "Apparently, some elves don't want me in the forest."

Eryk went visibly pale. "What do you mean?" he asked hoarsely.

Ari sniffed. She wasn't going tell him anything. He hadn't believed her when she needed it, and now he would wish he had. "Never mind. Let's get going." Without another word, she turned to jump onto Gayle's back. It was then that she noticed Eryk was carrying something. She jumped back down and went over to him, her curiosity getting the better of her. "What are you carrying?"

Eryk looked down at his hands as if he'd forgotten he'd been carrying something. "Oh. I figured it was yours. I found it near your farm."

"Oh, you believe me now?" Ari asked coldly. Then she realized what he was carrying. Her saddle! With a cry, she grabbed it from him and hugged it close. She turned it over and over, checking for damage. When she'd found none, she turned away to hide her tears from Eryk. This saddle was all she had left of her farm, her family. Her parents had given it to her when she'd gotten Gayle. It had been her mother's, and her grandmother's before that. Ari went to Gayle and busied herself with saddling him, to compose herself. She wiped her eyes and turned to Eryk, who had been watching her curiously. "Let's go." She got on Gayle's back and started off again, savoring the feel of her saddle beneath her.

That feels much better, Gayle commented. When Ari didn't reply, he said, Are you alright?

Ari shook her head, trying to clear it. Yeah, I'm fine. Gayle turned to survey her from wise golden eyes that seemed to see right through her lies.

Okay, if you are sure. Ari took a deep breath. She didn't notice Eryk until he was beside her, gliding three feet above the ground as if he did it every day. Ari gaped at him a moment.

"How do you do that?" she yelled, astonished.

Eryk looked down at himself and shrugged. "I just do it."

Ari smiled slightly. I guess he does do it every day, she thought.

As they went, Eryk took the lead, seeming to guess that they had no idea where they were. As he led them back to the cottage, Ari watched her surroundings carefully so they wouldn't get lost again.

When they finally reached the cottages clearing, the sun was almost set. Ari said goodbye to Gayle and followed Eryk into the cottage. What she saw surprised her.

There were five people in the room. Mrs. Lyndes was bustling about setting out dinner. There was a man- she vaguely remembered him as being Mr. Lyndes- sitting at the table chatting with a girl that looked to be around Ari's age; she was the spitting image of her mother. She had long dark brown hair, a small nose, and wide green eyes. There were also two other men that were arguing in armchairs by the fireplace. They both looked older than Eryk. One of them had short, spiky black hair like Eryk's and an earring. He had broad shoulders and wide green eyes like his sister, that were twinkling like he laughed a lot. The other man had long black hair that was in a braid and the same eyes as every one else, except he looked much more serious than the other man. He was frowning as he listened to the other man talk.

"This is not a joke," Ari heard him say as she walked in.

"Hello, everyone," Eryk greeted as he walked in. Everyone looked to the door and Ari noticed the two men who'd been arguing gaped at her in surprise. The one with short hair was staring at the other man with open amusement and accusation.

"Who's that?" asked the girl.

Eryk smiled. "Everyone, this is Ari. Ari, this is Emora," - he pointed at the girl- "this is Karan,"- he pointed to the man with short spiky hair- "and this is Aral"- he pointed to the serious looking man with long braided hair- "and you may remember my father, Mr. Lyndes."

Everyone greeted Ari warmly, but Ari noticed that Karan was glancing at Aral with amusement. Aral looked sheepish and angry at the same time. "What is she doing here?" Aral asked. "I thought humans weren't allowed to see the elves in this forest."

"Well," Mrs. Lyndes said. "This is a special situation."

Karan started laughing, clutching his stomach as he did so. "You should have told Aral that before he almost shot your special situation!!"

Eryk looked at Aral in surprise. "You almost shot her? You missed? You never miss!"

Aral flushed while Karan started laughing again. "I did that time," he said in a quiet voice. "Obviously she's had training with arrows. She ducked as if it was nothing."

Eryk looked at Ari. "You've had training with arrows?"

Ari noticed Mrs. Lyndes and Mr. Lyndes exchange a worried glance before Mrs. Lyndes said, "Food is done!"

Ari wasn't very hungry, for her stomach had started churning uncomfortably. "I'm going to go check on Gayle," she mumbled before backing out of the house.

She fled across the yard, letting the cool evening air chill her suddenly hot face. "Hey, Gayle," she said when she reached him.

Why did you come out so soon?

Ari told him what had happened in the cottage. "I just ducked," she finished. "I don't know why. I haven't had any training with arrows! How did I dodge it?"

Maybe you are stronger than you think, Gayle said gently.

"But I'm not," Ari protested. "I just run a farm! I'm not anything special."

Maybe that is not all you are.

"Then what am I?" Ari cried, distressed. "I don't understand! Why did those things burn down my farm? Why could I dodge that arrow so easily? Why are we still staying here? I just want to go back to the farm and live normal again!"

I cannot answer all hose questions, Ari, Gayle said gently and patiently. We cannot go back to the farm. But I do know this: these elves can help us. Just be patient.

Ari sighed. "It's not that easy," she said, defeated. "I feel so overwhelmed."

You have every right to feel that way, Gayle said. Go in, now, and eat.

"I'm not hungry," Ari said honestly. "I'll just stay out here for a while."

I do not think you will, Gayle said.

"Why not?"

Eryk is standing by the door.

Ari looked back. Eryk was indeed standing by the door, tapping his foot impatiently. Ari looked at Gayle pleadingly. Give me an excuse to stay out here!

No. Go inside and eat.

Fine! Ari scowled and made her way back to the door, fuming silently. Why couldn't she ever get a break??

"Are you going to eat?" Eryk asked when she reached him.

"I'm not hungry," Ari growled. "I'm going to bed."

"But-"

Ari opened the door and walked swiftly past the now eating family and into her room. When she'd sat down on the bed, she noticed that Eryk had followed her.

"Um, aren't you hungry?" he asked uncertainly.

"No."

"Not even a bit?"

".....No."

Eryk sighed and left Ari to herself. Ari jumped onto the bed. She wasn't sure why she was so angry. She had been telling the truth, though, she wasn't hungry. She was tired, so she rolled over and went to sleep.

Chapter 5

After dinner was over, Eryk helped his mother clear the dishes. Why had Ari had been so agitated? He wondered. "She was probably just scared," Mrs. Lyndes said.

"Huh?" Had Eryk been talking aloud? No, he didn't think so.

"Ari, I mean," Mrs. Lyndes said.

"Oh. Why would she be scared? What is there to be afraid of?"

"There's much to be afraid of, in her case," Mrs. Lyndes said mysteriously.

"Like what?"

"Us, for one thing."

"Us?" Eryk said, surprised. "Why would anyone have to fear us?"

"Well," Mrs. Lyndes said thoughtfully. "Where should I start? We're elves."

Eryk blinked, thoroughly confused now. "Why elves? We're peaceful."

"Oh, Eryk," Mrs. Lyndes said, exasperated. "You didn't think everyone thought we were peaceful?"

"Well....." Eryk began.

Mrs. Lyndes sighed. "No, they don't. The people in the villages tell tales of us being evil spell casters that are anything but friendly."

"But we aren't like that!"

"Yes, I know, but we look that way to them."

"Okay," Eryk said slowly. "But surely she has realized by now that we aren't like that! "That's no reason-"

"I don't think that is the reason," Mrs. Lyndes interrupted.

"Then what?" Eryk asked, baffled.

"I think she is afraid because we're a close family."

"Why should she be afraid of us because we're a close family? Mother, you are seriously confusing me."

"Okay, okay," Mrs. Lyndes said. "She has no family, am I right?"

"Yes."

"Well, she's had no family for three years-"

"She never said anything about how long she's had no family!

"Hush!"

Eryk fell silent, but he was watching his mother suspiciously. She went on. "Like I was saying, she is used to being on her own. Going from on her own to a close, big family has frightened her."

Comprehension dawned on his face.

"Of course," he gasped. "Why didn't I think of it before!"

Mrs. Lyndes nodded. "Yes." She put the last dish away and said, ""You'd better get to bed."

Eryk gave her a kiss, then made his way to a bed that had been made made for him while Ari occupied his room. He fell asleep very fast.

Ari awoke the next day with one thought: I have to find out what is going on. She got up and hurriedly straightened her wrinkled clothes and hair as best she could. Then she opened the door quietly and crept down the hall.

Eryk had one thought as he ate breakfast the next morning: I have to find out what's going on. The rest of the family was out. Emora was at a friend's house and Eryk's father and brothers were out on patrol. Since the elves had various intruders that try to conquer the forest, the elves had started patrolling to make sure no one dangerous trespassed. Mr. Lyndes also taught his children to use various weapons, as most elven families did. Mrs. Lyndes mostly stayed at the cottage, cooking and cleaning.

As Eryk helped his mother clean the dishes, he asked, "Mother, what do you know?"

His mother glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

"What do you know about Ari? I know you know something."

Mrs. Lyndes sighed. "Where is Ari now?"

"She's asleep."

"Okay, I'll tell you." She paused, searching for the right words. "The Rain family is very famous in the kingdom of Wilderdell."

Eryk blinked. "That's her name? Ari Rain?"

"Yes."

"Why was the family famous?"

"Because they were the protectors of Wilderdell.

"One hundred years ago, Wilderdell was in total chaos. There were evil armies attacking left and right and our king was a coward. He just hid in his castle while the rest of the kingdom was suffering. For a while, it seemed as if Wilderdell would fall.

"One day, all the evil armies laid siege upon the castle in Rainpool. Then something extraordinary happened.

"In the middle of the night, while the evil armies were sleeping, two lone figures crept into their camp. They poisoned the leader of each army, then used their flying unicorns to escape.

"In the morning, all the armies started accusing each other and soon they turned on each other. They eliminated themselves, all in one night. Nobody could believe what had happened. Every one cheered for their saviors. In reward for their deeds, the king named them the protectors of Wilderdell. He even named the capital after them. Rainpool.

"Ever since then, the Rain family line has protected the kingdom from the hands of evil. Until three years ago. Ari's parents were on a mission for the king. Rumor has it, they were supposed to infiltrate an enemy headquarters and find out their plans. But somehow they were found out. One was killed and the other was seriously wounded. It was Ari's mother. She crawled all the way back to Rainpool and warned the king of traitors. He got his best healers to help her, but it was too late. She died that very night. The next day, three people were executed for treason and murder."

Eryk stared at his mother in amazement. This certainly had never occurred to him. "I remember you telling me that story, but you left out the names. Well," he said, thinking hard. "If Ari is a protector of Wilderdell, wouldn't she have known we would not hurt her? Is she magical?"

Mrs. Lyndes shrugged. "My guess is, she doesn't even know about her heritage. Her parents had probably thought she was too young. My guess is she was around ten when they died. As for magical, it's hard to tell. The Rain family aren't elves, that's for certain. They aren't wizards or any other magical creature I've heard of either. However, they are magical."

"What can they do?" Eryk asked, intrigued to know more of Ari.

"They could communicate telepathically with their unicorn partner, but that's the only animal they can."

"What else?"

"They could sense danger, especially if it involved them. They had terrific balance and riding skills, far more than normal. They were wonderful with weapons as well, even if they'd never laid a hand on them. They were fast learners and could speak a variety of languages fluently. That's all I can think of."

"Could they fly, or hover?"

Mrs. Lyndes laughed. "No, I don't think so. But they had a very spacial bond to their unicorn. If they were sick, they could get on their unicorn's back and is would slow the effects."

"Even with poison?"

"Yes, but not for long."

"Wow," Eryk said in amazement. "Tell me more."

Mrs. Lyndes laughed again. "No, I think that will do for today. You should go take Ari some breakfast. And Eryk," she added sternly. "Not a word to her about this. She needs to find out in her own time."

"Okay, Mother," Eryk said, and started busying himself with making a breakfast tray.

Ari crept back to her room as quietly as possible. She messed up her hair and got under the blankets, pretending to be asleep. But she was silently screaming. She couldn't believe what she'd just overheard. Her? Magical? Impossible! They have to be making it up, she told herself.

But why would they? Her logical self asked. They didn't even know you were there. At this thought, the door opened. She heard Eryk quietly setting down the breakfast tray he'd been ordered to give her. Then she heard him leave.

As soon as she was sure he'd gone, she sat up and looked at the food thoughtfully. What if the elves had been telling the truth? What if she was really magical? She couldn't be. Her parents would have told her.

Wouldn't they?

Ari couldn't ignore the signs, though. She had always been a fast learner; she could talk to Gayle; she knew to duck when Aral had shot that arrow. But there were other signs, too; signs Mrs. Lyndes hadn't mentioned. Ari could see and hear better than anybody she knew. She didn't know many people, but it was enough to tell. She could even smell better. She had very good reflexes.

Ari decided she was magical, whether she liked it or not. With that realization, came the thought that she couldn't stay with the elves any longer. She had to leave as soon as possible. She decided to do it at night, when nobody would notice. Ari ate breakfast, straightened her hair and clothes, and walked into the kitchen.

Eryk looked up when he heard her. He was sitting at the table, cleaning his sword. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to check on Gayle. No need to come with me," she added as he moved to get up. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." Yet. She opened the door and went to Gayle, who was off to the side, eying an apple that was hanging from a branch a few feet above him. "I've got so much to tell you," she said as she scratched his ears affectionately.

Speak with your mind, he told her.

So Ari told him all about what she had overhead. She started crying as she did so, but she didn't notice. And I don't know why Mom and Dad didn't tell me, she finished. Gayle surveyed her. She had tears running down her face by now, and she dashed them away impatiently. He gently laid his head on her shoulder.

I am sure your parents had a good reason for not telling you.

I know, Ari said. But that good reason almost got me killed.

Almost, Gayle reminded her. You are still here. Your parents would not want to see you this way, and neither do I. We will leave here tonight and go to Rainpool. Maybe the king can help us.

Ari gave him a watery smile. You mean we're going to the capital? To the king?

Yes, Gayle answered. While you were back on the farm, you dreamed of adventure, did you not? Well, here it is.

Ari heard the door open. She hurriedly wiped her eyes. A few seconds later, Eryk came up beside her. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yes," Ari replied softly, scratching Gayle behind the ears.

"Would you like to go for a walk?"

"How about a ride?" Ari suggested. Eryk nodded his agreement and Ari went off to get his saddle, adding over he shoulder, Thanks, Gayle. Thanks a lot.

She came back a moment later, saddle in hand. She quickly saddled Gayle and jumped up in one graceful motion. Before Eryk could even hover, she was halfway across the clearing. Her spirits lifted and she smiled as Eryk came up beside her. "This way," he said, veering to the right. Ari followed him. A few moments later, he veered to the left and off the path, into the trees. He led them in a series of turns and twists through the trees.

The elf is testing us, Gayle commented with amusement.

Ari laughed. Then let's show him what we've got!

Eryk led them through a maze of trees for twenty minutes more, and they were right behind him the entire time. Finally, they stopped in a small clearing. Eryk was breathing hard, as were Ari and Gayle. "Wow," Eryk panted, clutching his side. "You're good!"

"Thanks," Ari replied. "You too."

They rested in the clearing a few minutes more before heading back, this time at a slower pace.

They got back to the cottage just as it was getting dark. Ari unsaddled Gayle, rubbed him down, and gave him water. Eryk watched her as she did this. "You're very good with unicorns," he commented.

Ari smiled. "I was taught well, but some of it is just instinct."

When Ari was done taking care of Gayle, Eryk led her inside. The whole Lyndes family was just sitting down to dinner. "Where have you been?" Mrs. Lyndes demanded upon seeing them. "I was worried sick!"

"We're fine," Eryk assured her. "We just went for a ride."

Mrs. Lyndes examined her son suspiciously. "Alright. Are you hungry?"

"Yes!" Eryk replied instantly.

Ari looked around at all the strange faces. "No," she said. She knew that if she ate dinner with this strange but kind family she would be forever attached to them. In other words, she wouldn't want to leave.

She went to her room and sat on the bed, going over the days events in her mind. A lot had happened since that morning. Ari packed up what little belongings she had in a leather pack she'd found in the drawer.: an extra tunic Mrs. Lyndes had given her, and Gayle's brush that she'd found in her pocket. Satisfied, she lay down on the bed and went to sleep, dreaming about the events of that night.

Chapter 6

It was around midnight when Ari awoke. Quietly, she grabbed her small pack and opened the door into the hall. She crept past all the doors behind which the family slept with extra care. When she was in the kitchen, she let out her breath, then sighed with frustration when she saw that Eryk was asleep on the floor in front of the fireplace. Quickly, she looked around for anything she could use. There was a small basket of fruits and vegetables on the table. Smiling slightly, she went over and stuffed a bunch of them into her small leather pack. She silently crept to the door and paused. There was a rack of weapons on the wall nearby. Without thinking, she grabbed a sword and bow and arrows, including a belt on which to attach them. Sure, it was wrong to steal, Ari knew it was, but she had no choice. She would repay the Lyndes' someday. She opened the front door and breathed a sigh of relief when the door was safely closed behind her.

She made her way through the dark to Gayle. Are you ready? She asked silently.

Yes, Gayle replied promptly. Are you?

I've been ready since the day we got here.

Gayle was silent for a moment. Then, Why do you have weapons?

Ari shrugged. I'd rather have them and not need them than need them and not have them.

Good answer! Gayle said. Now, let us go.

Ari nodded and saddled Gayle, then jumped on. You can go slower this time, Ari told him.

I know. They started off at a walk.

Well, where should we go? Ari asked.

I think we should go to the farm, Gayle answered. Maybe we can find something useful there.

Ari gulped. She wasn't sure if she could handle that. Then again, it was a good idea...Okay, she said. Gayle turned around and headed toward the end of Faeriemead forest, using the full moon and stars to guide them.

They walked for several hours and while they stopped to rest, Ari watched the sun rise. She'd watched her surroundings warily as they'd traveled, expecting an elf to attack, but she'd begun to relax. She had demanded that she walk some of the way to let Gayle have a rest, but he wouldn't have it. He'd insisted that she save her strength. Are you ready to go? She asked presently.

Yes, Gayle replied. Ari jumped onto his back and they set off yet again in the pale light of the sunrise.

It was mid afternoon when they reached hill that overlooked Hollowtree Farm. Ari stood next to Gayle, staring in horror at what had once been her home; it was just ashes now. "I don't think we'll find anything here, Gayle," she said faintly.

Let us go check anyway, Gayle said gently. It will be fine. They walked down the hill. Ari couldn't take her eyes off what had once been her farmhouse. She gulped and tore her eyes away from it, focusing on her boots as they plodded through the weeds.

They searched through the rubble for an hour, but to no avail. Finally, Ari, frustrated, said, "Okay, Gayle, we've looked. There's nothing here. Let's go."

Gayle nodded his big head. Okay, since you are so uncomfortable, we will go.

Ari blinked. He always seemed to know when she wasn't feeling the greatest; it was like he was in her mind. It was unnerving, but she was used to it by now.

As they started walking back to the hill, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up; they were being watched. She told this Gayle. I know, he said. Just act natural. Maybe it is not here to hurt us.

Ari stifled a groan. But what if it's those slimy things? She asked nervously. What if I don't have time to pull my sword?

I do not think weapons will help us against those things, he said grimly. We will have to run.

But we already tried that, Ari argued. They'll be ready for us!

Do you have a different plan??

Ari thought for a moment. No, she admitted.

That is what I thought.

They were at the edge of the farm now. Suddenly, Ar unsheathed her sword and whipped around. She looked around and, as if on cue, saw two of the slimy creatures ooze into view. Ari backed up slowly, but Gayle stood his ground. The creatures came between Gayle and Ari. Ari cursed softly. She'd walked right into their trap. They'd wanted to separate her from Gayle and it had worked.

One started advancing on Ari, and the other toward Gayle.

"Run, Gayle," Ari shouted.

I am not leaving without you, he replied.

Ari stopped backing up; she'd never be able to outrun this thing on foot. She'd have to fight it. Just as she was about to jump forward, Gayle shouted, No! Do not do that. Swords will not work on these creatures. You must run.

Without a second thought, Ari turned and fled back into the ring of burnt down buildings. The creature followed her.

Ari ran faster than she'd ever run before, but the creature was right behind her the entire time. I have to confuse it!! she thought frantically as she ran. She went around the farm, cutting confusing turns and twists, but the creature was still right on her trail. Okay, she thought, I have to do something. I can't run any longer.

She stopped abruptly, turned, and lunged at the creature, putting her sword right through it. It let out an unearthly shriek and Ari covered her ears to stop them from ringing. It struggled a moment getting weaker, then stopped. Ari was stunned. Did she just kill that thing? "Wow," she whispered, awed. "Gayle was wrong. That's a first."

"Is it?" asked an unfamiliar voice behind her. It was low and each syllable was cut off, making it sound like a bark from a big dog.

Ari spun around and froze in horror. Indeed, there was a huge black dog lying on the ground before her. It was about five feet high with paws the size of saucers. It had glinting yellow eyes and seven inch long fangs. It only had one ear; Ari guessed that the other one had been torn off in a battle of some sort. It's tail was half as long as Ari and for some reason the hairs looked stiff and sharp.

"I am Hunter," the dog said lazily.

Ari wasn't convinced. She had the feeling that Hunter could move with agility if he wanted to. When she spoke, she was surprised to find that her voice was steady. "I prefer not to tell you my name. You can tell me why you can talk."

"Oh, so demanding," Hunter mocked, showing his teeth in what Ari guessed was a smile. "I guess I'm just smarter than the average animal." He stood up and stretched, then shook his shaggy coat leisurely and lay back down, stretching out in the warm sunlight.

Ari didn't feel the sunlight. She was thinking quickly, trying to find a way to get away from this strange and frightening dog. Stalling, she demanded, "Why are you here?" Suddenly, she saw something in the sky out of the corner of her eye. She forced herself not to look at what it was.

Hunter caught and held her eyes with his. "Why am I here?" Hunter repeated slowly, seemingly considering the question. "Why, I believe I am here to kill you, of course."

Ari's eyes flew wide with surprise and fright and she gasped. Suddenly, her stomach turned into an endless pit of horror and despair, trying to suck her in. I'm not going to get out of this, she thought, horrified. I am going to die. She wondered where Gayle was. He was probably still fighting the creature. They'd never managed to communicate from over five feet away from each other, but she was desperate. She took a deep mental breath and shouted as loud as she could telepathically. GAYLE!!!! She waited a moment and got no answer. Her heart sank. He didn't hear me, she thought despairingly. I'm doomed.

Hunter hauled himself to his feet. Ari lifted her sword, ready to fight. Hunter let out a low snarling sound, and it took a moment for Ari to realize that it was a laugh. "Do you really think that will help you?" he asked.

Ari gulped. "I'm stronger than you think," she said, her voice shaking slightly.

Hunter bared his teeth menacingly. "Well, I am faster than you think," he snarled. He dropped down into a pouncing position. Ari froze in horror. Hunter bared his teeth again and started his attack.

"Ari!" Hunter stopped his attack and stared in mild surprise at the newcomer. Ari looked up and saw Eryk zooming toward her. He landed between her and Hunter and whirled to face him, sword raised. "Leave her alone." He said over his shoulder, "Run! Gayle is on his way."

"But I can't just leave you here," Ari objected.

"Don't argue!"

Ari heard distant galloping and seconds later Gayle came into view. He slid to a halt next to her. Get on! He said. Ari obeyed and cast one last glance over her shoulder. "How heroic," she heard Hunter growl. "You won't last long enough to be thanked for your duties." Eryk lunged at the big dog, but Hunter swung his tail around, and Eryk didn't have time to dodge. He got hit in the shoulder. Then Gayle started galloping away and Ari was forced to turn her concentration to staying on Gayle's back. They rode away from Hollowtree Farm and toward Faeriemead Forest.

Gayle galloped nonstop for several minutes. Ari looked back and saw that Eryk was flying toward wobbly toward them. They slowed down and Eryk caught up to them. Why is he flying so wobbly? Ari wondered. Is he hurt badly? Ari jumped off Gayle's back as he landed. His clothes were torn and his shoulder was bleeding badly. His face was pale and glistening with sweat. "Are you okay?" Ari asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," Eryk answered, but he was swaying.

"You don't look fine," Ari observed. "Do you want me to wrap your shoulder?"

Eryk shook his head slowly. "No, I don't....I don't need...." He collapsed.

Well, I think he needs it, Gayle commented.

Ari rushed forward and checked Eryk's pulse. Her parents had made sure she knew basic first aid. "Well, he's okay for now," she said. "I'll wrap him up, but I don't think it will help, except to stop the bleeding. I don't know how else to help him."

You could take him back to his family, Gayle suggested. They will know how to help him.

"No, I can't do that," Ari replied. "They would never let me leave again. Do you think the king can help him?"

Yes, but I do not think he would make it that far, Gayle said. He thought for a moment. I do recall a certain lake in Faeriemead Forest.

"What lake?"

It is called the Pool of Healing. It is said to have magical waters. We could take him there.

"How far?"

Not as far as the castle.

Ari bit her lip. "Would he make it that far, do you think?"

I do not know. We can only hope.

Ari nodded. She found herself hoping Eryk would be all right, even if he was an elf. She quickly wrapped his shoulder with a length of cloth from her tunic. Then, after a couple of tries, she lifted him onto Gayle's back and tied him on with another length of her tunic. She jumped up behind him and told Gayle they were ready. Her tunic was half the size it was supposed to be, but it was still long enough. It had been too big anyway.

Gayle set off at a gallop toward the Pool of Healing.

Chapter 7

The small group rode for the rest of the afternoon along the edge of Faeriemead Forest. At sunset, Ari insisted that they stop and make camp for the night. Eryk had awoke a few times during the day, but he'd mostly stayed unconscious. Ari lay Eryk down carefully on the ground, then set off for firewood.

She walked through the trees, keeping an eye out for branches on the ground that could be used as firewood. After a half an hour, she headed back to camp, her arms full of wood. Once she'd reached camp, it only took a few moments to get the fire going. Gayle had gathered a small pile of fruit that had been within his reach in the trees. Ari smiled at the pile. She was used to only eating fruits and vegetables around Gayle. She bent down and gave Eryk some water from a water jug that she'd taken from Mrs. Lyndes' kitchen. He only choked down a little. She pulled off his bandage and looked at his wound. It was red and puffy, and it started bleeding again. She squinted. It looked like there were tiny hairs sticking out of it. Curious, she pulled one of them out. It was long and sharp, and Ari cut her finger on it. She pulled the rest of them out, poured a little water on the wound, and wrapped it again. She examined her hands. They were cut and bleeding from the hairs she'd pulled out. She wrapped them up too. I'm running out of cloth, she thought grimly. I can't keep this up much longer.

You should rest; you look tired, Gayle said.

"I'm too worried to sleep."

Worried?

"Yes. What if Hunter and those things come back?"

They will not come near Faeriemead Forest. They are afraid of the elves, Gayle assured her. Now go to sleep. I will keep watch.

"Okay," Ari murmured. She pulled her leather pack away from a rock and used it as a pillow. Before she knew it, she was asleep.

Ari awoke with the sun shining in her eyes. Her hands throbbed where she'd cut them the night before. You slept quite a while, Gayle told her as she sat up and stretched.

"I know," Ari replied. She pushed herself to her feet and looked over to where Eryk was. He was still unconscious. Ari wondered if the hairs he'd been hit with were poisonous. She wouldn't be surprised; it would match the huge dog. It would explain why her hands were throbbing so badly. She voiced her concern to Gayle.

It is possible, Gayle said. If it is true, he is in grave danger. We must hurry.

"We'll set off now," Ari agreed. She gathered her bag, put out the fire, lifted Eryk onto Gayle's back, and jumped up behind him. Gayle set off at his fastest gallop.

They rode until the afternoon, when Ari insisted that they stop for the day. Her hands were throbbing painfully, and she was sick to her stomach. When she tried to lift Eryk off Gayle's back, she found that he was even heavier than usual. He dropped to the ground with a "thud". Are you all right? Asked Gayle, his brown eyes glowing with concern.

"No," Ar moaned. "I think the poison from when I pulled the hairs out of Eryk's shoulder is getting to me."

Can you lift Eryk onto my back again? Asked Gayle. We are not far from the Pool of Healing. I will get you there by sunset.

"I'll try," Ari said weakly. She grabbed Eryk's arms and heaved. Gayle helpfully bent his head down. After a few tries, Ari finally got him onto Gayle's back. With some effort, Ari pulled herself up as well. She held on tight as Gayle started galloping again.

Ari was dozing most of the time as Gayle galloped through Faeriemead Forest. And Eryk was, of course, unconscious. Gayle sighed. Only a little ways to go. He feared that Ari would get very sick if he didn't get to the Pool of Healing quickly.

Even though Gayle was drenched in sweat and his breathing was labored, he kept going. He vowed that he would get Ari to the Pool if Healing if it was the last thing he did. He finally came to a large clearing. He was facing a large, crystal blue lake. There were various animals swimming along in the blue water. The Pool of Healing, Gayle thought, relief flooding through him. He trotted to the edge of the pool. Now was the tricky part. He had to get both of his passengers onto he ground without injury. He leaned down gently and both Ari and Eryk slid off his back and hit the ground with a soft "thump". Oh well, he thought. I got them off. Gayle decided to put Eryk into the pool first, since his injury was the most serious. He grabbed Eryk's tunic in his teeth and tugged, but it just ripped. He thought for a moment, then nudged Eryk's shoulder with his nose and Eryk rolled over. Delighted that he'd found a method that worked, he rolled Eryk across the clearing and into the water.

He waited several tense seconds. What if Eryk drowned? What would he do then? Suddenly, bubbles hit the surface, followed by a splash as Eryk surfaced. Drenched, he climbed out of the water, gasping. He sat on the ground a moment, catching his breath. Once he was sure he could talk, Eryk stood up and looked around at the shining lake. "Pool of Healing," he murmured. "Very clever." He looked behind him and noticed the unconscious Ari. "What's up with her?" Gayle looked pointedly at the lake. "Huh?" Exasperated, Gayle looked from Ari to the lake. Realization dawned on Eryk's face. "Oh, okay."

Ari awoke suddenly. She realized three things: first, her hand wasn't throbbing anymore; second, she was soaked; and third, that Eryk was standing over her. The third realization spooked her considerably. She screamed and jumped up. "Woah," Eryk said, putting his hands up in a sign of peace. "It's okay! It's me."

"I know it's you," Ari snapped. "I was just a bit surprised. You were unconscious for the past day, you know."

Eryk shrugged. "Well, I'm okay now. Gayle saved me, and I saved you."

"You did no such-" Ari began.

Eryk continued. "I guess you're going to Rainpool, right? Well, we need to go to the cottage before we try to go that far without supplies."

"What! You're not coming with us!"

"Yes, I am."

"No, you're not!!"

"Yes, I am."

"What makes you think that?" Ari demanded.

"Well, if you don't take me with you, I could very easily fly past you and tell the king what a traitor you are."

Ari gaped at him, speechless. Her? A traitor? The king was known to kill traitors on sight. "Why would I be a traitor?"

"You stole from elves, for one thing," Eryk said casually.

"I didn't steal," Ari argued. "I was going to give them back! Besides, what else could I have done?"

Eryk shrugged and smiled mischievously. "I could make up a few of my own offenses if I have to."

Ari, Gayle said. Just let him come with is. He will do no harm; I will watch him. He may come in handy.

Ari scowled, thinking, Why me? Well, I guess I'm outnumbered on this one. "Fine! You can come!"

Eryk grinned. "Good choice. We'll leave first thing in the morning for the cottage."

"No," Ari said flatly. "That will take us a day out of our way. We don't have much time."

"Well, we'll have to go down that way anyway," Eryk said reasonably. "That is where the only bridge is."

Ari scowled again. "Okay, okay! You win. I'm going to go find some firewood." She stomped off into the trees.

"The only bridge. Ha!" she muttered as she trudged through the underbrush, her boots making cracking noises in the twigs and dead leaves littering the ground. "He just wants to get me down there so he can stop me from going to Rainpool." She muttered like this the whole time as she gathered the firewood and trudged back to camp.

When she got back to the clearing, she noticed that Eryk was gone. "Where did Eryk go?" she asked Gayle.

He went hunting for some dinner, Gayle replied.

"Good. Now we can talk."

About what?

"I don't want to go back to the Lyndes' cottage."

Why not?

Ari thought carefully about what to say. "It will take us in the wrong direction. We can wade across the river."

No, we can not. It is too deep. The bridge east of the Lyndes' cottage is the only way.

"Are you sure?" Ari asked desperately.

Yes, I am sure.

Eryk trudged through the trees with two small rabbits slung over his shoulder. He could've caught more, but he figured two would be enough for dinner and he could always catch more if they needed it. As he came to the edge of the trees, he thought he heard voices. He stopped and listened. "But how do you know we can trust him? For all we know, he could be leading us into a trap." The speaker was Ari. "That's all you have to go on?" she asked, exasperated. "Instinct? How can you trust that? You can't be absolutely sure!" Gayle stomped his hoof on the ground. "Okay, okay," Ari said, defeated. "I'll trust you. But if we get attacked it will be your fault!" As an afterthought she added, "If Eryk finds out about us it could mean trouble. But I'll just trust your instincts."

Eryk decided this was the time to show himself. As he walked, he thought about what he'd overheard. So Ari didn't trust him. He'd expected that, but Gayle? He hadn't expected Gayle to trust him. Obviously Ari respected his thoughts, so with luck, he could convince her to trust him. Feeling much more optimistic, Eryk walked around to the spot he'd left and emerged into the clearing as if he'd heard nothing. "Hey, guys," he said cheerfully. "Look what I caught: rabbit! Did you get firewood?"

Ari grunted in reply and started making a fire.

Family Legacy Part Two

Chapter 8

The next morning, Ari put out the fire and saddled Gayle. Eryk had insisted that he fly. Ari didn't understand this. Why fly when you can ride? They set off in the direction they'd come from.

"I think we should ride along the edge of the forest, the way we came in," Eryk said as they started off.

"Why?" asked Ari.

"It's faster that way," Eryk replied.

Ari didn't voice her fears that of they weren't riding inside the forest, those things would come back for her. She was about to argue, but Gayle said, Just trust him, Ari.

"Fine," she relented.

They rode until midday, when Eryk called them to a halt. There was a small stream nearby with a line of trees to their left and open fields to their right. While Gayle went to drink from the stream, Ari asked, "Why did we stop?"

"I thought Gayle might need a rest," Eryk replied coolly.

"Gayle could ride until sunset without rest," Ari scoffed.

"Well, I do need a rest," Eryk snapped. He sat down on a rock, his back to her, and rolled up his sleeves.

Ari went to the creek. She took a drink of the refreshingly cool water, then splashed her hot face and hair. You know, Gayle said. You could try being a bit kinder to Eryk. He saved your life. It would not kill you.

Ari sighed. "I'm just wary," she said. "We could be attacked any minute. We need to move away from here quickly. I am getting a bad feeling."

We are not going to be attacked. If we were, you would sense it.

"I know," Ari said. "But I usually don't sense it in time to get away."

Eryk walked up, cutting off their conversation. "Let's go," he said curtly. Without another word, he rose two feet off the ground and slowly glided away. Gayle glared at Ari; she shrugged and hopped onto his back.

As they rode along the boundary of Faeriemead Forest, Ari wasn't as watchful as usual; she was deep in thought. Wow, she thought. Why am I making so many enemies? Everyone is mad at me. What did I say? I was just trying to be careful. I don't trust people easily, and now even Gayle is mad at me as well.

When they stopped to sleep that night, Ari set her bag down, unsaddled Gayle, and sat down. She couldn't ignore the hostility in the air, though. Finally, she announced that she was going for a walk. Eryk grunted and Gayle snorted in reply. Okay, Ari thought sarcastically. Don't everyone object at once. She checked that her sword was safely sheathed at her hip, then walked into the trees.

As she walked, Ari savored the quiet. At least here there were no hostile glances at her. She walked slowly through the trees until she came to a small clearing. She could see the open fields in which Hollowtree Farm once resided to her left and a small patch of glittering stars above her. She climbed a tree and tried to count the stars that were spread out in the endless sky while laying on a wide, sturdy branch.

After an hour or two, she climbed back to the ground and looked around. She couldn't see anything in the shadows of the trees, and she didn't want to risk getting lost in this forest, so she settled down under a tree with her hands locked behind her head, staring at the small patch of stars above her. Eryk and Gaye won't worry, she thought sleepily. They don't care. She'd intended on staying awake and waiting for sunrise so she could make it back to camp early, but before she knew it, she was asleep.

Chapter 9

Ari was abruptly awoken some time later. She looked around groggily, wondering what had awakened her. As far as she could tell, everything was quiet. She could see the moon in the gap above her; she guessed it was around midnight. She was about to go back to sleep when she heard an ominous rustle in the underbrush to her right. She jumped up warily. She didn't know what was rustling, and she didn't intend to find out any time soon. She crept expertly out of the clearing and into the trees in the opposite direction from which she'd heard the rustling.

She crept along for another five minutes when she heard another rustle; this one was directly behind her. Ari usually kept a cool head in times of trouble, but her imagination went wild and she panicked. Later, when she'd think back on it, she'd wonder why she was stupid enough to panic. She fled, no longer trying to be quiet. She crashed through the trees, and she heard whatever was chasing her crashing right behind her.

She ran for what seemed like forever, with the thing right behind her. Suddenly, she emerged out of the trees....and ran right into a group of ragged-looking men. It didn't take her long to realize that she'd walked right into a trap. Before she realized what had happened, the men had surrounded her. Ari examined the ragged ring of men before giving her friendliest smile.

"Hello," she said sweetly. "Can I help you?"

One man stepped forward. He was tall and muscular, with broad shoulders, and dark brown eyes, hair, and beard. "Yes, you can help us," he snarled in a low rough voice. "You can come quietly and willingly."

Ari gave him her sweetest smile. "Now, why would I do that?" As she put on this innocent-girl act, her mind was working top speed.

"If you don't come quietly, it won't be a comfortable trip," the man said just as sweetly as she. "We might even kill you; who knows?" The other men smirked.

Ari shook her head, still smiling. "You can only make my trip uncomfortable if you catch me." Without warning, she unsheathed her sword and waved it in front of her, blasting through the men. They roared and surged forward. Ari turned around as a man came at her. She kicked him in the stomach and fled for the forest.

Unfortunately, she'd miscalculated on how fast these men were. They surrounded her again and closed in, grabbing her from all sides. She fought viciously, kicking whoever she could reach and stabbing her sword blindly. A man finally got her sword away from her, while men held her arms and legs tightly.

The man she'd spoken with before-she guessed he was the leader- stepped up to her while her arms and legs were tied together. "You're more of a fighter than I thought," he said pleasantly.

"What do you mean?" Ari growled.

The man smiled mischievously. "You'll find out from Lynx soon enough."

"Who's Lynx?" Ari demanded.

The leader signaled to another man, who stepped forward, holding a piece of leather in his hands. "This is a collar," he explained. "If you try to run, the man who is holding the chain"-he indicated a long length of heavy chain- "will pull on it. If you don't come back, it will choke you to death."

Ari scowled at him as he fastened it to her neck, then gave the other end of the chain to a man behind her. He was easily seven feet tall, made purely of muscle. He had a shaved head and black eyes. A man untied Ari's legs, but kept her arms tied together at her back. "You're to walk," the leader told her. Ari was surrounded by three men at each side, and they pushed her to start walking.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, Ari scolded herself as she walked. I was so upset about Eryk and Gayle being angry with me that I didn't even take any cautions. Now they will be so mad that they won't even notice when I don't come back. By the time they do notice, I'll be long gone. Then she had an idea. She had a knife at her belt that these men hadn't seen yet. If she could just reach it....

They walked until the sun rose and then though the whole day. Ari could barely stand upright. She never realized how hard it was to go that far. She suddenly appreciated how far Gayle could go in one day. She definitely couldn't ever go that far. Finally, the man with the chain picked her up and threw her over his shoulder when she stumbled yet again. There she stayed until nightfall, when they stopped for the night to make camp. The man set her down and shoved a water jug into her hands. Ari pushed it away from her. She'd given up all hope of being rescued. Nobody was coming for her now. So, she decided, if they were going to take her to Lynx-whoever that was-she'd never make it there alive, she'd make sure of that. She stood up, but yelped when the chain-man, as she'd come to call the man who held her chain, yanked her down by her chain, bringing her to her knees. Coughing, she sat down again.

As the night progressed, the men passed around jugs of wine. Soon they were all passed out around the fire, most snoring loudly. Ari had to smile. How stupid these men were! While they were all passed out, they gave Ari the perfect chance to escape. She stood up very carefully and walked over to the chain-man. The chain was wrapped around his wrist several times with a lock holding it in place. Obviously these men weren't getting paid very well, for the lock looked cheap and easy to pick. Ari maneuvered her hands to her belt and managed to pull out her small dagger. She cut her hands free of the rope and looked around for a sharp stick with which to pick the lock. To her amazement, she found one lying a few feet away that was the perfect size. She picked it up and carefully bent down to the lock, taking care not to wake the chain-man.

A few minutes later, Ari straightened triumphantly, lock in hand. She unwrapped the chain from around the chain-man's wrist. Before celebrating however, she sneaked away from the fire. Once she was in the shadows, she grinned and punched the air. She started to walk away, but before she knew it, she was surrounded again. Cursing, she looked around for a means of escape as the leader walked up.

"Well, well, well," he said mockingly. "You get an A."

Ari scowled. "What'd I do?"

"You passed the test."

"Huh?"

The leader smiled, his eyes glinting. "We were told to find out if you were brave or cautious. I'm thinking you are brave. Now that I have that information, I can take certain precautions to stop you from escaping."

"What kind of precautions?" Ari asked suspiciously.

"You'll see," the leader said mysteriously. He signaled to a man behind Ari. He stepped forward and bound Ari's hands behind her back once again. Another man stepped up and put another collar around Ari's neck with a bigger chain-man and a more complex lock. The chain-man dragged her back to the fire, where the other men made preparations to leave.

Less than an hour later, the party started walking again. By morning, Ari was overcome by hunger and fatigue. She never knew someone could be so hungry or tired! She'd had to be carried by the chain-man again.

That night, when they stopped to rest again, Ari was sitting on the ground a few feet away when a man came up to her. He was holding a bowl of stew and a jug of water. Ari looked longingly at it, but didn't take it. She suspected it was drugged. The man tried shoving it into her hands, then force-feeding her. When nothing worked, he called some other men over to him. They all held her in place while the man poured the water down her throat and forced her to swallow it. They used this method to make her drink the whole jug.

Finally, they all left, throwing triumphant glances over their shoulders. Ari watched at a distance for the rest of the night as the men ate, drank, and sang merrily. But she was left undisturbed, so she finally sank into a fitful sleep.

Chapter 10

Ari awoke to a rustling sound in the brush. Terrified, she jumped up, then fell to the ground when the collar choked her. Instead of going crazy, she decided to calm down and wait for whatever was making the sound to show itself. It turns out, that was a wise decision.

After a few moments, she saw a figure dart out of the bushes and head for the dying fire. Ari's head spun with all the imaginings of what it could be, but she held still, watching the figure warily. The figure approached the fire, stopped for a moment, then started right for her. It took Ari a moment to realize who it was. She jumped up, this time in relief, and was once again pulled back down again by her collar. She sat on the ground, coughing, as the figure approached her.

"Are you okay?" Eryk asked.

"I'm fine," Ari choked out between coughs in a hoarse voice. "What're you doing here?"

"I'm going to get you out of here, of course," Eryk replied.

"You can't," Ari told him miserably. She now wished more than anything that she hadn't attempted escape the night before.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm currently tied to man who weighs 600 pounds! Not to mention the fifty or so armed men around the fire."

Eryk burst out laughing, then quickly slapped a hand over his mouth and looked around warily. He saw nobody moving, but Ari did. Without warning, she shoved him into the brush. He seemed to get the picture, for he stayed there.

Seconds later a man approached Ari. "Who laughed?" he demanded.

"What do you mean?" Ari asked as innocently as she could with her hoarse voice.

The man slapped her viciously. "I know what's going on," he whispered in her ear. "You won't escape." He stalked back to the fire, leaving Ari grimacing at the sting in her cheek. She signaled Eryk to stay down, for she had a very good idea of what the man was going to do.

As she suspected, the man woke the whole camp, announcing that it was time to go. A sleepy man came to rouse the chain-man, who glared at Ari with pure hatred, before pulling her to her feet by the chain. Ari coughed and rubbed her neck when the men untied her hands so she could walk. The chain-man took no notice, but yanked the chain as she started walking, and Ari stumbled after him, holding her still stinging cheek.

It was the middle of the night, but the party wasted no time. In minutes they'd packed and cleared the camp. They started walking again, the men grumbling to each other and casted murderous glances at Ari. This time the chain-man took no notice when Ari stumbled and tripped, which she did several times. Ari looked nervously around her as they walked, praying that Eryk didn't do anything stupid. She didn't want him to get killed trying to save her.

They hadn't walked very far when the party stopped and the men started murmuring to each other, surprised and confused looks on their faces. Ari heard the word "unicorn". She panicked and started yanking on the chain, trying to see if it was Gayle. It choked her, but she took no notice. No matter what she did, Ari couldn't get a glimpse of what they were all worked up about. Soon the chain-man jerked her back to him. He grabbed her in a tight headlock and dragged her back from the main group. "Knock it off," the chain-man said roughly, shaking Ari viciously. Ari choked, trying to get air around his huge arm that was smothering her.

"Can't....breathe...." she gasped. With a growl, the chain-man let her go, and she backed as far away from him as possible, taking huge breaths. She turned her back on him and tried to see the group. Suddenly, she heard a loud "thud" and was yanked to the ground by her collar. She looked around as she started coughing to see the chain-man on the ground. Eryk was standing over him, holding a light green plant with sharp leaves. "Did you kill him?" she asked hoarsely.

"No," Eryk replied brusquely. "I used a plant whose smell knocks you out. He'll wake up in a couple hours." He pulled a dagger from his belt and set to work cutting off Ari's collar.

Before she knew it, her collar was off and Eryk was pulling her to her feet by her arm, saying, "We'd better go. Gayle can't distract those men forever." He let go of Ari's arm and started walking. Ari followed him uncertainly rubbing her bruised and swollen neck.

They walked until they came to a fire on the edge of the forest, hidden in a small group of trees. Without a word, Eryk went to the fire and sat down beside it. Ari stayed where she was, holding her stomach. She was lightheaded, and her stomach had started to ache terribly. When she didn't move, Eryk said, "Well? Are you going to sit down?" He looked up at her and noticed how pale she was. "Are you okay?"

Ari shook her head slowly. "I don't....feel very well..." Darkness seeped into the corners of her eyes and she gave into it and fainted.

Eryk watched Ari fall to the ground. It took him a moment to register what had happened. Then it clicked. With a gasp, Eryk jumped to her feet and went to Ari. Why was she so pale? He thought about what she'd said. She didn't feel well....Had she been poisoned? He thought about what his mother had taught him in his lessons. She'd taught him various magical poisons and their cures. There was the poison that didn't act until a certain time, and the one that acts when the poisoned gets too far away from the creator....He gasped. That had to be it! The poison that acts when the person who's poisoned gets too far away from the creator of the poison. It made perfect sense! Ari didn't mention she felt sick until we reached camp, he thought. The camp must be too far away from the camp. Which means if the creator moves on, Ari is going to get worse unless I can find the cure in time! Okay, what did Mother say the cure was....Oh yes! Tiger Root! Of course! Eryk grinned in triumph. He quickly felt Ari's forehead; it was burning hot. Eryk cursed, then picked her up and gingerly set her next to the fire. He covered her with a blanket and put a wet cloth on her forehead.

Suddenly, he heard hooves in the distance. Seconds later, Gayle galloped into camp. He stopped when he saw Eryk. Eryk saw him glance around and see Ari, then look back at him accusingly. Eryk shrugged. "I brought her here and she fainted. I think she was poisoned, and I have a good idea what she was poisoned with. I am going to get the cure. You stay here and watch her. If the wet cloth dries, put a fresh one on." He stopped and laughed softly. He couldn't believe he was giving medical orders to a unicorn.

Eryk gave Ari some water which, to his immense relief, she swallowed. Then he grabbed his sword from where he'd left it next to the fire and waved to Gayle, then disappeared into the trees.

Chapter 11

As Ari slept, she dreamed of her parents. She dreamed of all her childhood memories, of all the times they'd left her to go on a job. Then she dreamed of the time they never came back.

Ari had been eleven at the time. She'd been riding Gayle out in the field when her parents came. They rode their unicorns. Ari's mother, Alanna Rain, with her long brown hair and dark brown eyes on her chestnut unicorn, Jane. Her father, Nik Rain, with his spiky black hair and penetrating blue eyes, on his charcoal unicorn, Fighter. These unicorns were different then any other unicorns Ari had ever seen; they had wings.

"Hey, Honey," Alanna said when they reached Ari. "We're going out on a job."

"Can I come?" Ari had always asked this.

"No," Nik said, his blue eyes gentle. "Not this time. We'll be back soon. Can you stay here by yourself?"

Ari nodded and gave her parents a hug. "Bye!" she called.

"Bye!" he parents called as their unicorns gained speed. Ari watched as her parents' unicorns spread their wings and raised them into the air.

Eleven year old Ari was 4'8" with short golden brown hair that was pulled into a neat bun. Her piercing blue eyes, so much like her father's, were considerably brighter than the teen Ari's eyes. She was wearing neat tan riding breeches and shiny black riding boots, with a loose cream linen tunic. She turned to Gayle. "Well, it's just you and me now, Boy," she said, petting his nose. She didn't know how right she was.

Ari spent the rest of the night awaiting her parents' return. Finally, she fell asleep on the small couch and awoke the next morning to find that her parents still had not returned. She decided to take it upon herself to do the chores.

This is how Ari spent the rest of the week. Finally, on the eighth day, Ari was eating an apple for breakfast when she heard a knock on the door. She grinned, thinking it was her father, playing one of his tricks again. He often played tricks on Ari to make her laugh, like knocking on the door and pretending he was a lost traveler. Excited to have her parents home, she ran to the door and flung it open. Her grin faded when she saw that it was not her father, but a panting man on her doorstep. "Hello," he said breathlessly. "Are you Arianna Rain?"

"Please come in," Ari said politely. Her parents had always taught her to be polite, even to those she didn't know. "Would you like a drink?"

The man nodded. He was about six feet tall, with long black hair that was tied in a ponytail and kind green eyes. "I'm Jeriah," he said.

"It's very nice to meet you," Ari replied, leading him to the living room and telling him to sit on the sofa. She quickly gave him a glass of water, then pulled up a chair and sat across from him. She waited until Jeriah had taken a few sips of water, then asked, "May I ask why you are here, Mr. Jeriah? If you are looking for my parents, they are not home."

Jeriah didn't look at her. "You have very fine manners," he muttered. "Please call me Jeriah."

Ari beamed. "My parents always taught me to be polite!"

Jeriah finally looked at her. There was sorrow in his green eyes. "I have some news about your parents."

"What?" Ari asked, not noticing his discomfort.

"Do you know what your parents do?" Jeriah asked, instead of answering.

Ari shook her head. "I only know that they go away for a long time, sometimes. They have never stayed away this long, though. It must be important!"

Jeriah sighed. "Well, I expect they had a good reason for not telling you. Anyway, you have to understand that what they do is very dangerous."

Ari nodded, wide-eyed.

"Well," Jeriah said, thoroughly uncomfortable. "On their last mission-" he shook his head.

Ari's smile vanished and her stomach started churning. "What happened?" she asked anxiously. "Are they hurt?"

"No," Jeriah said heavily. "They're dead."

From that day on, Ari's world had collapsed around her. Jeriah had stayed with her until she was thirteen and old enough to run the farm by herself.

Chapter 12

Ari awoke to the sound of a fire crackling. She was aware of a soft blanket draped over her and a bag under her head. She moved her head to the left and saw a fire. She realized her stomach was so empty it hurt, but she wasn't thirsty anymore. Eryk must have given me water, she realized. Memory of the night before flooded back to her, and she gasped. She sat up weakly and said, "Gayle?"

She saw movement from the shadows and Eryk came over to her. He looked relieved. "You're okay," he said.

Ari nodded.

Eryk examined her face. "You're very pale," he observed. "But at least the worst of the poison recovery is over."

"Poison!" Ari cried, startled. She sat bolt upright. "I was poisoned?"

"Yes," Eryk said. "But don't worry. I knew the cure and now most of it is out of your system."

Ari shook her head, alarmed. "They poisoned me!" she muttered. "I thought it was just drugged!"

"What was drugged?"

"The water they gave me," she answered vaguely.

"You drank water they gave you?" Eryk said incredulously. "Are you crazy?"

"No, I didn't drink it!" Ari said indignantly. "Not willingly, at least."

Eryk shook his head. "Are you hungry?"he asked wearily.

"Where's Gayle?" Ari asked, suddenly alarmed that she couldn't see him. She jumped to her feet, then staggered to the side. Eryk caught her before she fell over.

"Relax," he said.

"No! Where did he go?" Ari asked. "Why did he leave?" She didn't know if she could bear it if Gayle left her, too.

"It's okay," Eryk said soothingly. "He left a little while ago, but he'll be back."

Ari let her muscles relax and stood still. "Okay," she said. "Now let me go! I'm fine, thank you." Eryk let her go and she walked unsteadily to the blanket and sat down again.

Eryk disappeared, then reappeared a moment later with a wooden bowl full of some dark stew. Ari took a first look at her surroundings. They were surrounded by tall trees and a small stream tricked peacefully nearby. "Where are we?" she asked.

"We're in Faeriemead Forest," Eryk explained. "After you fainted we had to move farther into the forest so those men wouldn't dare come after you."

"How long have I been unconscious?"

Eryk thought for a moment. "Probably a day or two, but that's perfectly normal when recovering from poison. When you were on poison recovery at the cottage, you were out for nearly a week!"

"My body is getting a little to accustomed to poison for my liking," Ari grumbled.

Eryk laughed. "Here's your soup."

Ari felt much better after she'd eaten. She had her strength back and she could think clearly. She wandered around the camp, then came and sat by the fire. Eryk sat next to her. "How did you get captured?" he asked. "You couldn't have been captured in the forest. The elves would have killed the enemy before they could get to you."

"I wasn't," Ari answered. She told him about what had happened.

"Well," Eryk said when she'd finished. "You don't seem like the kind of person who would panic in a situation like that."

Ari folded her arms across her chest. "I don't know what happened," she confessed. "I usually am calm, but for some reason I panicked."

"Maybe it was a fright spell," Eryk suggested. "Or maybe it was just you."

Ari scowled and was about to make a sarcastic comment when she thought she heard hooves. She jumped to her feet. Eryk looked at her like she was crazy; obviously he hadn't heard it. She didn't have time top explain for at that moment Gayle galloped into the clearing. "Gayle!" She threw her arms around him and buried her face in his mane.

He blew into her hair. I am glad to see you are okay, he told her.

"Are you?" Ari asked, her voice muffled. "I thought you were mad at me."

Gayle let out an amused snort. I was, he admitted. But no more.

Ari sighed and said, her voice still muffled, "You have no idea how good it is to see you. I thought you'd left me, like everyone else."

Left you? Gayle asked gently. I would never leave you. What made you think that?

"I had that dream again," Ari said miserably. "When I awoke you were gone. It scared me."

Gayle snorted sympathetically. Ari had been having that dream since her parents died, and she always awoke feeling depressed. He was sorry he wasn't there to comfort her when she awoke, as usual.

Eryk listened to Ari talk, fascinated. Dream? She had a reoccurring nightmare? That would explain why she was so upset when she awoke. He'd thought it was the poison, but apparently he was wrong. He made a mental note to ask her about it sometime.

"Excuse me," he said. "Sorry to interrupt, but we're just two hours away from the cottage. Once we get there, we can get some food and supplies.

Ari looked at Gayle, who nodded. "Okay," she said. She saddled Gayle, refusing Eryk's offer of help, and jumped onto his back.

Eryk hoisted his pack onto his back, then hovered to Ari's level. "Let's go," he said, and started gliding through the trees.

They rode for two hours, and Eryk noticed that Ari was staring straight ahead, not looking around as she usually did, a haunted look on her face. That nightmare must have really gotten to her, Eryk thought, looking her over worriedly.

Gayle seemed to share his same concern, for he kept glancing back at her, his brown eyes full of worry.

Finally, the cottage came into view. Ari sighed and shook the gloomy memories of her dream from her mind. Gayle stopped in front of the cottage and Ari jumped down, Eryk alighting beside her. "Why did we come here?" Ari wanted to know. Without realizing it, she'd started to trust Eryk, and now she trusted him fully.

"We need some more food," Eryk replied. "And a map, more weapons, first aid supplies, stuff like that."

"How long will this take, do you think?" Asked Ari. "I'd like to hurry, if that's possible. We've lost enough time already."

"I should think it'll take an hour or two."

Ari nodded. "I'm going to go find a nearby clearing and unsaddle Gayle and give him a good rub down; he deserves it. Don't worry," she added as Eryk peered at her suspiciously. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Okay," Eryk said reluctantly. He disappeared into the cottage, and Ari thought she heard Mrs. Lyndes's shrieks.

She turned to Gayle. "Do you know where a clearing is nearby?"

You are not going to leave Eryk? Gayle asked, surprised. He thought he knew Ari, but he never ceased to surprise him.

"Of course not!" Ari replied. "He saved my life. Twice. I owe him. Had I just met him, I probably would have, but not now. Too much has happened."

You are growing wiser, Gayle observed.

Ari shrugged off this comment as he led her into the trees.

They found a clearing a few minutes walk away and Ari unsaddled Gayle and gave him a thorough rub down, just as she'd done so many times back at the farm. She thought about the unfortunate fate of her beloved farm as she sat down. It had been her home, but so much more as well. It was her memories. Of her childhood, her parents, her animals. She once again thought about her dream from the night before.

Ari? Gayle asked, startling Ari out of her reverie.

"Yes?"

You look haunted. Do you want to talk?

Ari sighed. "Thanks, Gayle, but nothing you could say would help me. I just miss Mom and Dad, that's all."

I understand, Gayle said. Then this isn't about what you overheard from Eryk and Mrs. Lyndes?

"Well, part of it," Ari admitted. "Now that I know what they did, it doesn't help at all. If anything, it makes it worse. They were probably killed by the same person who is after me."

It would make sense, Gayle said. But your parents died for a good reason, Ari. They did not die for nothing. You would do good to remember that.

"I know," Ari said. "But it doesn't help. This is no use. My mind is a jumbled mess right now. I don't know what's what." She lay back and stared at the clear blue sky. "It doesn't help," she murmured. Gayle didn't bother her again; he knew she was thinking. Instead, he walked over to some shade and settled down for a deserved nap.

Eryk emerged from the trees an hour later to find Ari and Gayle in the same position. "We're ready," he announced, indicating the three bags slung over his shoulders. Ari stood up, wincing from cramped muscles.

"Okay," she said. "Let's go." Eryk noticed that she looked much better than she had when he'd left her. He wondered briefly what had happened while he was gone, then concluded that he may never know. Ari saddled Gayle, adding the extra bags to his saddlebags, and jumped up.

They rode until sunset, when they came to the edge of the forest. A wide river was in front of them. It was a fiery orange in the light of the sunset, churning restlessly around the rocks that were scattered in the river. There was also a sturdy wood bridge passing over the river. Eryk gathered firewood while Ari set out their beds and unsaddled Gayle. They ate a quick dinner, then slept, eager for the day ahead of them. Thankfully, Ari had no more nightmares.

The next day, they crossed the bridge. They walked upriver, where, in mid-afternoon, they came upon the small village of Elkburg. There they got rooms at the Inn, bathed, and set out to the marketplace to mingle with the locals. Ari was delighted to see a village. When she was little, she'd been to a village once, but she'd been too little to remember it, and she was impressed. The townspeople were friendly and answered her questions eagerly. They went to a small fireside party that night, where Ari smiled for the first time in what seemed like ages. She danced, flirted with the local boys, and ate heartily, and, for the first time since her parents' death, had no worries.

The next day, they came to Highfield, where they did basically the same thing, but they went to a bigger party and Eryk got the courage to ask Ari to dance, and she accepted. They danced the night away, then staggered back to the Inn and slept the whole next day through.

Two days later, they made it to Foamfield. Once again, they got rooms at the Inn, bathed, and went out to the marketplace to chat. Foamfield was the smallest of the villages they'd been to. It was made out of small ramshackle wooden cottages that were scattered haphazardly. It was surrounded by trees and large hills.

Ari left the marketplace and went to explore the surrounding hills. She walked down a path, admiring the trees and various animals that crossed her path, until she came to a large rocky hill. Curious, Ari climbed it. Once at the top, she gasped in awe and wonder. The hill was taller than any of the surrounding trees. In fact, it was the tallest thing for miles. She could see the trees stretching to the horizon. It was misty, and she could see whatyas and various other birds flying in and out of view above the trees. Ari decided she loved this spot. She vowed to come back and enjoy the miraculous view again in the future.

After enjoying the beautiful view a bit longer, Ari started to climb back down. She picked her way down carefully, testing each ledge before putting her full weight on it. Half way down, her foot slipped and she slid down the rocky surface, trying desperately to grab onto something. Rocks scraped mercifully across her legs, arms, and face, cutting her. Blood dripped into her eyes so she couldn't see. Ari put her hands downward trying to grab something. Her right wrist hit a branch that jutted out of the rock and twisted, making her yelp in pain. White hot pain filled her, making her black out briefly.

When she gained consciousness, she realized that she was on her back on the ground. Her wrist was throbbing, sending pangs of pain up her arm and into her chest. Her arms and legs were red and bleeding, and she could feel blood running down her face as well. She reached up and felt her face with her unbroken hand and winced. There was a large gash on her forehead and various smaller cuts on her cheeks and nose. Her lip was cut and swollen.

Over the past week or so, Ari and Gayle had been practicing communicating from long distances. It had paid off. Are you okay? Gayle asked, his concern radiating through their mental link. What happened? He could feel her pain as if it were his own.

I...fell....Ari said...Broke my wrist...Bring Eryk. She told him where she was. Now all she had to do was wait. She tried to get up, but her whole body throbbed in pain and she was shaking uncontrollably, so she sat back down.

She had been sitting there for ten minutes, cradling her broken wrist to her chest and rocking back and forth, when Gayle came into view. Eryk was close behind him. When he saw Ari, he gasped. "Ari! Are you okay? What happened to you?"

"Don't worry," Ari gasped. "Just..help me, will you?"

He hurried forward and helped her to her feet, steadying her when she swayed. "We need to clean out your cuts so they don't get infected," he said. "There's a stream nearby. Come on."

He led her through the trees until they reached a small clear stream. Eryk pulled out a small first aid bag he always carried with him and pulled out a length of clean cloth. He dipped it into the water, then pressed it to the gash on Ari's forehead. She winced. "Ow, that hurt!"

"Sorry, but it has to be done," he said. He cleaned her most serious cuts, then wrapped her wrist. "This will do for now. We'll take you to a healer when we get back into town."

Ari stood up on wobbly legs and took a deep breath, willing herself not to fall over. Without warning, Eryk burst out laughing. "What are you laughing at?" Ari demanded.

Eryk shook his head, still laughing. "You look terrible!"

"And that's funny to you!?"

"Yes!"

Ari's scowl softened and she started laughing as well. When Ari finally calmed down, she said, "Let's go back to the Inn. I'm tired. This is too much excitement for one day!"

Ari, Gayle interrupted. How are you going to ride me with a broken wrist? You'll surely hurt yourself.

"No, I won't!" Ari argued. "I'll manage."

When Eryk asked what they were arguing about, Ari told him of Gayle's worries. "You could fly with me," he suggested.

"No," Ari said flatly. "Thank you, but I don't like flying."

"You've flown?" asked Eryk. "Why don't you like it?"

Ari flushed. "Well, my parents' unicorns had wings," she explained. "Once, my father took me out on his unicorn, Fighter. When we were two hundred feet up, I bent over the edge to look at the ground and fell off." A shudder passed through her body before she continued. "Luckily, with some very good maneuvering on Dad's part, he got Fighter under me and caught me before I hit the ground. I haven't dared to fly again."

Eryk gave her a sympathetic look, then sighed. "Well, you can't ride Gayle with that wrist. You'll risk hurting it worse."

"Then I'll walk!" Ari said stubbornly.

Will you be okay walking? Gayle asked, concerned.

"I'll be fine," Ari said huffily, and started walking back toward the town. She was sick of all the attention. She was used to being by herself with only her own life to worry about. She wasn't sure if she liked so many people fussing over her. It was strange. She wasn't dying, and she could ride Gayle easily, even with a broken wrist. Gayle and Eryk followed her in worried silence all the way back to the Inn.

When they got back to town, Eryk said, "Let's go to the local healer. She can look at your wrist and wrap it up properly. It needs a splint." Grudgingly, Ari accepted, knowing, and hating, that he was right.

They walked down the main road, past the various shops and houses. Ari couldn't help noticing that people shot alarmed glances at her. Did she really look that terrible? After thinking about the fall she'd taken, she could easily believe it.

Finally, Eryk stopped outside a small cottage and said, "This is it! This is Jeen's shop." Jeen's shop was a small white cottage with various plants hanging out of the windows and a small garden in front. The cottage could barely be seen within the tangle of plants. They walked up to the plant covered door and Eryk knocked.

"Come in!" came the cheerful answer. Eryk opened the door, waved to Gayle to stay there and not eat any plants, and ushered Ari inside. The inside looked like a forest. There were plants hanging from the walls and ceiling, stuffed in corners, and stacked on shelves. There was a small desk at the back of the room with shelves of cans and bottles behind it. Sitting behind the desk was a small bespectacled woman with white frizzy hair. "Hello!" she said, looking up from a book. Ari could see it was labeled A Guide to Medicinal Plants and Fungi. When she saw Eryk, her eyes lit up with delight and she grinned. "Eryk! Oh, how are you? I haven't seen you in years!"

"Hello, Jeen," Eryk replied. "I'm doing fine, thanks. I came to ask you a favor."

"Anything!" replied Jeen. Eryk pulled Ari out from behind him. When Jeen saw her, she gasped. "Oh, you poor child! What happened?"

"Ari, here, took a nasty fall off of one of those hills out in the woods. Now, I'm no healer, but I think she broke her wrist. I was hoping you'd help."

"You don't even have to ask!" Jeen said. "Why wouldn't help this poor child?" She gestured to Ari. "You, girl, come here!"

Ari hesitantly stepped up to Jeen. Jeen started prodding and poking Ari on several bruises. Ari cast Eryk an annoyed glance. He gave her a please-be-nice look. "That's quite a nasty fall you took," Jeen informed Ari.

"I know," Ari replied dryly.

"What happened?"

Eryk explained while Jeen started shifting through her shelves. She came back with arms full of bottles and cloth. She set them on the desk and pushed Ari into a chair. "All right," she said when Eryk had finished with the story. "I am going to give you some ointment for your gashes, and it's going to sting a bit. And then I'm going to wrap your wrist, and that's going to sting a lot. Understand?"

Ari nodded.

"Any questions?"

Ari shook her head.

"Good." Jeen opened a can full of pink creamy stuff and put her fingers into it and started rubbing the cream on Ari's various scratches. Ari winced. It didn't sting a bit, it stung a lot.

When Jeen was done with the pink ointment, she put the lid on it and put it back on the shelf. She next opened a bottle full of clear gooey liquid. "This will keep the bandage from rubbing your skin raw; it will also speed up the healing process," she explained as she rubbed in onto her wrist with surprisingly gentle fingers. "I will give you some that you need to put on every day." Then she grabbed a long white bandage and a piece of sanded wood. She put the wood against Ari's wrist and wrapped the bandage around it firmly. Ari clenched her teeth, willing herself not to scream. It sent waves of pain up her arm, nearly blinding her with their intensity.

A few minutes later, Jeen stood up, smiling slightly. "Now, if you rub that on your cuts every day they should heal fairly quickly," she said in a business-like tone.

"How much do I owe you?" asked Eryk.

"Oh, nonsense!" Jeen scoffed. "You don't owe me anything! It was the least I could do." She hugged Eryk warmly and said, "The only payment you can give me is to visit me more often. You and your family. It gets lonely here without the company."

Eryk smiled affectionately at the old healer. "I will," he promised. "As soon as I get the chance."

"Good," Jeen said. "Now go back to the Inn. I would offer for you to stay with me, but I don't have the room. I'm sure the girl is tired after that fall."

Eryk nodded and beckoned for Ari to follow him. "Bye, Jeen," he called as they left the shop.

"Bye," she called after them.

On the way back to the Inn, Ari said, "How do you know her?"

"My brothers and I used to come and see her when we were sick or hurt," Eryk explained. "Then we came just to chat whenever my father came for supplies or to visit Rainpool. But as we grew older, we got busy with other things."

"That's it?" asked Ari, puzzled.

"Yep," Eryk replied steadily.

Ari had the nasty feeling he was hiding something from her, and she didn't like it.

When they got back to the Inn, Ari lay down on the bed, the days events finally catching up to her. Eryk watched as she closed her eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep.

Eryk sat in a chair for a long time while Ari slept. He wondered how long they would have to stay before Ari was well enough to continue the last leg of their journey to Rainpool. If he knew her-which he did- they would leave soon, whether she was ready or not. Normally, Eryk would have forced her to stay until she was better, but the situation was becoming desperate. When he'd gotten back to the cottage, his father had told him to watch out for Ari. Lynx, the most powerful and evil villain in Wilderdell, was after her, and he was getting desperate and angry. The sooner they got to Rainpool, the better.

Sighing, Eryk stood up and quietly left the room. He went out to the street and decided to talk to Jeen.

He found her sitting in her wicker chair in front of her shop. She stood up when she saw him. "I knew you'd be back," she said. "Let's go inside." Eryk followed her to the back of the cottage, where they both sat down by her desk."Now," Jeen said after they were settled in with cups of tea. "Was that her?"

Eryk raised his eyebrows. "Did Father get news to you that fast?"

"Actually, you showed up about five minutes after he left," Jeen informed him. "Now, tell me, was that her?"

Eryk nodded.

Jeen sighed. "She doesn't look very powerful."

"Well, she hasn't exactly proven herself yet," he admitted. "But I'm sure she's the one. She has all the signs."

Jeen nodded. "I'll take your word for it. Is she asleep?"

Eryk nodded.

"Good, she's going to need it in the coming days."

Eryk nodded again.

"Make sure she puts the ointment on and that she doesn't jostle her wrist. If she messes up her wrist any more, she won't be able to prove herself at the castle."

"You're right, of course," Eryk replied.

Jeen smiled. "Of course. Go keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn't get into any more trouble. From what I hear, she's brave, but careless. That's not a very lucky combination."

Eryk stood up. "I agree. Okay, I'll go then. See you soon. I'll send word on how it goes as soon as I can," he said as he walked out the door.

When Ari awoke, she was alone in the small Inn room. Her wrist throbbed, but she didn't put the ointment on it; she didn't like magical healing. She preferred it to be done the old fashioned way: by itself. Instead, she walked over to the pile of bags and pulled out a small piece of bread. Hey, Gayle, can you hear me? She asked silently.

Yes, came the reply. You have not been asleep very long.

I feel loads better, Ari lied. In truth, she felt worse, but she wasn't going to let Gayle know that.

Good, Gayle said, sounding satisfied. You stay there and rest for a while.

Ari angered instantly. She hated being given orders. Her first instinct was to disobey them. Gayle usually knew that. He's probably to preoccupied to remember, Ari thought resentfully. Clenching her teeth to keep from shouting in anger, Ari pulled on her boots and opened the door.

She was on the second floor. She walked resolutely down the large staircase that led into the homey lobby. When she got to the door, she saw Eryk entering. Just my luck, she thought glumly. Maybe he won't see me.

Eryk saw her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the Inn, towards the stairs. "You should be resting," he scolded as he dragged her up the stairs. "How are we ever going to get to Rainpool if you keep pushing yourself to the limit?"

Ari bristled. "I am not pushing myself to my limits!" she said angrily. "It is just a broken wrist!" She stomped hotly into the room and flopped on the bed, turning so her back was to Eryk. Without meaning to, she eventually fell asleep.

The next morning, Ari awoke at sunrise with a plan. Eryk was asleep sprawled out in a chair, a light blanket draped over him. Ari smiled wickedly. Her plan was foolproof. Quietly, she gathered the supplies together and tidied the room. Still smiling at the prospect of revenge, she leaned over Eryk, who was still asleep, and grabbed his money pouch from his belt. She had always been an expert pickpocket. That was how she'd played so many wonderful tricks on her father. E never knew he was missing something until she pointed it out.

Ari crept down the stairs and out into the slightly misty dawn morning. The merchants of the marketplace were just waking up and beginning to set up their stalls. There were only a few bleary-eyed people wandering around, apparently trying to avoid the traffic that usually gathered later in the morning.

Ari spent the next hour searching and buying the supplies they would need for the final leg of their journey to Rainpool. Then she walked back through the marketplace, her arms laden with supplies.

When she opened the door to their room, she found Eryk pacing up and down, looking worried and angry at the same time. He looked up when he heard the door open. "Hello!" Ari said, forcing her voice to cheeriness, despite her resentment toward him. "How are you this wonderful morning?"

Eryk scowled. "Where have you been?" he demanded hotly. "I've been worried sick!"

Ari grinned, loving his anger. "I went shopping!" she declared, still cheerful. "Where did you think I went?" She set about packing all their new supplies into the bags. "I figured," she said when she was finished. "That if we leave by midmorning, we can reach Rainpool by tomorrow."

Eryk's face darkened. "We are not leaving today," he thundered. "We're going to wait until your wrist heals."

Ari turned to face him, her face dangerously calm. "Think about it, Eryk," she said in that soft, venomous voice. "You know I can ride Gayle. And besides, if we wait any longer, Lynx"-she ignored Eryk's astonished look that she knew who was after her- "will get desperate. If he gets desperate, he could send in something really big as a final attempt to stop me. Who knows what will happen then?" She paused, eying Eryk, her eyes still in that disconcerting calm. She was even scarier when she was calm than she was when she was angry. "We have to leave today. Now, as a matter of fact."

Eryk thought about it for a long while, and Ari could see reason and concern battling. Reason won. "Okay, okay," he growled hotly. "We'll leave. Go get Gayle. I'll grab these bags."

Ari's eyes twinkled in victory. She stood still a moment, drinking in her triumph over him, then said, "No need to thank me," and left the room.

She found Gayle in the stables behind the Inn. "Hey," she greeted him cheerfully.

Hello, Gayle replied.

"Where's your saddle?"

Why? Gayle asked suspiciously. You cannot ride me.

"Yes I can," Ari replied coolly, spotting the saddle and picking it up.

Gayle stepped in her way and stared her in the eyes. You tricked Eryk into leaving, didn't you?

"No," Ari said innocently. Guiltily, she added, "Not really." When Gayle glared at her, she said, "You're the only one who can make me feel guilty! I just reasoned with him, and he took my side."

It is a good thing I can make you feel guilty, Gayle commented, letting her lead him outside. Or you would be in big trouble by now.

Ari smiled to herself and saddled him, ignoring the pain in her wrist. At that moment, Eryk walked up to them, three bags in his arms. "Ready?" he asked. He seemed to have accepted defeat.

"Ready," Ari replied.

Eryk loaded the bags onto Gayle's saddle, then said, "Are you sure you can ride him, Ari?"

"I'm fine," Ari said dismissively. Using one hand, she got onto Gayle's back. When she was up, Eryk nodded and hovered three feet off the ground.

They left the town and didn't look back. Well, Gayle and Ari didn't.

Chapter 13

The trio rode until nightfall, when they set up camp. "We have to light a fire!" Ari said.

"No," Eryk argued. "We're out in the open! We could be easily spotted!"

"Well, if we don't light a fire we could get stepped on!"

"It's better to take that slim chance than light a beacon for them!!" Eryk pointed out, exasperated.

You know, Gayle said reasonably. Your shouting is just as bad as lighting a fire. Let us just end this now. We do not need a fire.

Ari groaned. "Gayle," she complained. "You're just as bad as he is. Fine!! It's two against one. We won't have a fire." She rolled out her blanket and, without another word to the other two, lay down and didn't move again.

Eryk followed suit and soon they were all asleep. All except Ari. She looked at the stars twinkling pleasantly above her, deep in thought. Wow, she thought, awed despite herself. I really made it to Rainpool. Tomorrow I am going to meet the most powerful man in the kingdom. She gulped. Can I handle it? Will I fall apart? She didn't have an answer to that question, so she rolled over and drifted slowly off to sleep.

The next morning, they got up and Ari started to saddle Gayle, once again ignoring the pain in her wrist, which was throbbing terribly, since she had yet to put any cream on it. Eryk noticed her clenched teeth, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. He grabbed the saddle from her and saddled Gayle himself. "Did you put on the cream Jeen gave you?" he asked.

"Yes," Ari lied. Eryk nodded, satisfied with her answer. Ari climbed onto Gayle's back, silently cursing her wrist and all the pain it was giving her.

Once they were all loaded up, Gayle left the camp at a gallop with Eryk following in the air close behind. Ari usually loved flying Gayle-it was her favorite thing to do- but it wasn't as easy as she'd expected with a broken wrist. Every bump and dip in the terrain made Ari grit her teeth in discomfort, but she didn't complain. She knew for a fact that if she told Eryk, he'd make them stop and rest, and she was anxious to get to Rainpool as fast as possible.

About midmorning, they stopped to rest. Eryk pointed at a hill a little ways off to the north. "We're about two miles from the castle walls," he explained. "We'll be able to see the castle from the top of that hill."

Ari grinned. They were so close. Finally, she'd be safe. After this journey, she would be very relieved to be inside those walls. Suddenly, Eryk stood up and looked around. "What?" Ari asked, alarmed at the abrupt movement and the terrified look in his eyes that he was trying to hide.

Eryk put a finger to his lips, signaling for silence, then dropped to his knees and put his ear to the ground, listening carefully. When he stood up, anger and fear were battling in his expression. "We're being surrounded," he said quietly, eyes flashing. "There's no way we'll get out of this one. There are at least a hundred men."

Ari thought quickly, sifting through ideas as they raced through her mind. "I've got an idea. It's me they're after, right?"

Eryk nodded, his eyes a bit confused.

"Okay, good." Ari looked at Gayle. "Do you think you could break through and make it to the castle without me?"

Gayle hesitated briefly, then nodded. Ari smiled wickedly, while praying that her idea would work. "Okay, here's what we're going to do: I'm going to send Gayle in with a note for the king. When you get to the castle, make noise. Most likely, guards will come to get you, then give them the note." She grabbed a small quill and bottle of ink she'd bought in the previous village and a small piece of spare cloth. She then gave it to Gayle, tucking it in his bridle where she was sure it wouldn't fall.

"Wait," Eryk said suddenly, comprehension dawning on his face. "It's a good plan, but what will we do? We can't just stay here."

"We will have to fight," Ari said simply. "I've been practicing with my sword. I even had someone teach me in the villages. We'll be fine."

"How can you be so confident?" Eryk demanded.

"I'm not," Ari replied. "Honestly, I am scared to death, but"-she smiled- "this is the only way. You've got to have faith."

Eryk nodded, his eyes suddenly glowing wisely. "Very well. Get going, Gayle We're almost completely surrounded." He paused a moment, listening. "If you hurry, there is an opening to the left. Hurry though, it's closing fast. I'll keep Ari safe; don't worry."

Gayle gave him a glance full of gratitude, told Ari to be careful, and galloped swiftly in the direction Eryk had indicated.

Ari turned to Eryk, her eyes hiding the fear that was threatening to swallow her. "Swords out," she murmured, and unsheathed hers, settling into a defensive stance, her sword in front of her like a shield. Eryk did the same and they stood still, waiting with fast-beating hearts for their enemy to close in.

Minutes later, a man approached them. "Hello," he said pleasantly.

"What do you want?" Eryk demanded, lifting his sword so it was in view.

The man's smile vanished. "Her," he said, pointing at Ari, who stared back at him, her face impassive. "Now, if you'll put down your weapons, we'll take the girl and let you live."

"What if I do not wish to be taken?" Ari inquired softly, coolly. "What will you do then?"

The man's smile returned. "Then we'll take you by force," he said sweetly.

Ari grinned and stuck her tongue out at him. "You can try."

Eryk jumped forward, sword swinging. The man fell within two seconds, his sword falling from his limp hand.

As if on cue, more men came rushing forward in a wave of angry roars and cries. Ari raised her sword, surprised by confident she was now that it was time to do battle. When the first man came at her, the sword seemed to move of its own accord. Ari lunged, dodged, and swung her sword as if she'd handled a sword her whole life. Five men fell before her deadly sword, but ten more took their place. Ari fought viciously and with no mercy, for she knew they would show her none given the chance. She couldn't see Eryk, but she had a feeling he was nearby, fighting just as viciously as she.

Suddenly, a man lunged at Ari from the side. She dodged, but his sword still grazed her arm. She ignored it. She had her hands full enough already. One cut would make no difference.

Gayle finally made it to the castles outer gate after a long and strenuous ride. The gates were massive; about 20 feet tall, with guards patrolling along the top, swords in hand. Gayle only had one chance, and he hoped it worked. He reared up on hid hind legs and neighed as loud as he could. He pawed the ground, trying to make as much noise as possible.

Soon enough the gate opened and a tall man came out, followed by six armed guards. The man was almost six feet tall, with broad shoulders. He had dusty blond hair that hints of gray, cut short, and bright blue eyes. He was wearing black breeches and a powder blue tunic with a matching cloak. His clothes were simple, but he walked with his shoulders back and his chin high. There was an air of royalty about this man. Gayle knew at once that this was King Rothan.

The king walked right up to Gayle and inspected him thoroughly, great interest in his expression. "Well, well," he said in a low, rich voice. "I thought I'd never see the day." Then, a voice in Gayle's head asked, Are you related to Fighter?

Gayle blinked, thoroughly confused. How can you speak to me?

The king laughed. Answer the question.

Yes, Gayle said. Fighter was my father.

"Gayle?" he asked aloud.

Yes, Gayle answered. You are King of Wilderdell.

King Rothan nodded. "Yes. Why are you here? Where is your human partner? Arianna, I think her name was."

Quickly, Gayle told the king of what had befallen them and their journey to the capital. You must help them, he finished. She is not very skilled with a sword. She could be killed!

The king nodded gravely at this news. He turned to his guards. "Men!! Go get the men together! We have a battle on our hands, I think. We ride in five minutes. Be ready." He turned to Gayle again. "Are you ready, or do you need a break?"

I am fine, Gayle answered vaguely. He was immersed in worrying thoughts of his friend, who could be killed at any moment.

"Good," the king said, not seeming to notice Gayle's worried expression. "It would be better if I ride you. That is, of course, if you have no objection."

No, you may ride me if you wish.

The king of Wilderdell nodded and went back into the castle to get his sword.

Minutes later, the grass outside the castle gates were filled with armed men, loading horses and talking as if they did this every day. One point for confidence, Gayle thought, half amused. King Rothan walked to the front of the group, looking very impressive in armor and a sword on his right hip and a shield on his back.

"Men!" The king called loudly. Immediately, silence fell and every face turned to look at the impressive figure. "Attention! There are roughly one hundred men attacking two people just over the hill outside Rainpool. The people they are attacking may be very important, and they need our help! Not only are the attackers a danger to the people, they are a danger to the citizens of Rainpool! They are dangerously close to the city. If they decide to storm the city, people will die. We must help them! Are you ready?"

"Yes!" Every man in the group cried. They applauded their king and mounted their horses and fighter unicorns.

While the men were making their final adjustments, King Rothan walked over to Gayle, who was waiting near the wall of the enormous gates to the castle. "Are you ready?" he asked.

I am as ready as I will ever be, Gayle replied. That was a very good speech. You got the men motivated very easily.

"Thank you," the king replied, and jumped onto Gayle's back in much the same manner as Ari did, which made Gayle's heart ache with worry. "Let's go!" he roared as he urged Gayle forward. The men yelled and followed their king through the streets of Rainpool and toward the hill behind which Ari and Eryk fought with all their strength.

Chapter 14

The fight seemed to go on forever. Ari had numerous cuts and bruises, but they weren't too serious, though they did cause her pain and slow her down.

At one point, Eryk appeared from nowhere at her side. "There are too many," he shouted as he blocked a sword that had come whizzing toward his head. "We have to get out of here!"

"How?" Ari asked, jumping over a fallen man on the ground and ducking as someone aimed a punch at her cheek.

"Let's fly!"

Ari froze at the words, and barely managed to dodge a sword aimed at her stomach. "I can't!"

"Ari," Eryk said, punching a man in the nose. "We have no other choice."

"No!" Ari cried, kicking a man in the face. "Gayle is on his way! We'll be fine!"

Eryk finally gave up and the tide of enemies separated them once again. Ari kept on fighting until her arms ached and every step was an effort. Then she heard a roar and turned around, startled.

On top of the hill that hid Rainpool, men were lining up. At first, her heart sank, for she thought they were enemies. Then she saw Gayle. The only problem was there were a good 75 men between them, all fighting to get to Ari. None of them had yet seen the men on the hill.

Suddenly, Ari felt a stab of pain lance up her leg from her right ankle. She cried out in pain and looked down to see a man lying on the ground with a dagger in his hand. He had just cut open her ankle, leaving a deep, wide gash that was bleeding freely. She tried to limp back from the man, but he grabbed her ankle, sending another wave of pain up her leg, and twisted it strongly. Ari cried out as she fell to the ground. She clenched her teeth and kicked the man with her uninjured foot. He howled in pain. Ari jumped up and limped away from the man, her mind racing. At this rate, by the time Gayle got to her she'd be dead.

Suddenly, Ari was seized form behind by strong arms. Someone put an arm around her neck and held her firmly, trying to make her pass out. She twisted, trying to get away, but before she knew it two more people had grabbed her and started dragging her backward. She spotted Eryk in the crowd. "Eryk!" she called with the last of her breath. "Help!"

Eryk whirled around at the sound of his name and immediately saw Ari. He started running toward her. Two men fell before his blade, but five more grabbed Ari. She was running out of air and the edges of her vision were darkening. Eryk looked for a way to escape, but could find none. Suddenly, he lunged forward through the men and grabbed Ari around the waist and lifted her up. The men let go of Ari in awe to see someone flying. Ari gulped in air, trying not to pass out.

As Eryk started to rise, Ari felt excruciating pain as someone grabbed her injured ankle and held on tightly. She screamed and tried to shake him off, to relieve the pain, but the man was too strong and wouldn't let go. Eryk rose higher, trying to get the man to let go, but he didn't. Ari screamed again, the edges of her vision darkening yet again. Eryk reached down and hit the man with his sword, and he finally let go. Ari tried to breathe, but before she could, Eryk shot fifty feet in the air. Ari screamed again, this time in terror instead of pain, and started to struggle. "Don't do that!" Eryk shouted in her ear. "Stop, or you'll fall!" He fought to keep his hold on her, but is words made her freeze.

Ari stared at Eryk, terror in every corner of her face. She started to tremble. Eryk lowered his altitude, trying to calm her down. He stopped at just twenty feet above the ground. Ari looked down, gulped, and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She stopped trembling, but her face was still very pale with fright and maybe loss of blood as well. She looked down again and saw that there was a man on top of Gayle. He was looking at her strangely. Their eyes locked and their stared at each other for a long moment, then the man pointed in the direction of the castle. He then turned Gayle around ad started galloping that way as well, shouting orders behind. Ari watched as the men surged forward and took their enemies by surprise. Eryk started gliding slowly toward the castle, following Gayle and his mysterious rider. Ari hurt all over, and she could feel sweat-or blood, she wasn't sure which-running down her arms and legs. She realized she'd probably lost a lot of blood.

When they went over the hill, Ari gasped. Rainpool was even more magnificent than she'd imagined. There was a wall running around the city, with watchtowers and men patrolling it. Inside the walls were cottages, all in neat rows. There were strong cobblestone streets and tidy corners. People were wandering the streets, talking and playing as if they hadn't a care in the world. In the middle of the city was the large stone castle. It had an outer wall that was being patrolled and a small moat stretching around it. Ari saw various guards swimming in the moat. The courtyard was big and lush green, and Ari thought she saw a large garden in the corner. On top of the highest tower was Wilderdells flag: powder blue with a golden R in the middle. Eryk flew to the castles outer gate and alighted down, letting Ari go, only to catch her when she almost fell over. "Sorry," she murmured, her voice raspy after screaming so much. "I think that man dislocated my ankle when he grabbed it."

"It's okay," Eryk said. "Lean against me."

At that moment, Gayle and his rider reached them. When Gayle saw Ari, he said, Are you alright?

Ari nodded, though her face was white.

The mysterious man jumped down from Gayle immediately and hurried to Eryk and Ari, tossing his sword and shield aside as he did so. "Are you okay?" he asked when he reached them, looking Ari over with a worried frown on his face.

"She's okay," Eryk answered for her. "I think she dislocated her ankle and lost some blood. Other than that, she's just tired."

The mysterious man examined Ari's face closely. "You are very pale," he murmured. "I'll call the healers." He summoned a man to him, gave him instructions, and sent him away again.

"Who are you?" Eryk asked the question that had been on Ari's mind since she had seen this man. She looked at his kind eyes, plain, but obviously well-made clothes, and the air about him, and then she knew who this man was even before he answered Eryk's question.

"I am Rothan," the king said.

Ari sagged against Eryk even more, the edges of her vision darkening. She fought it, then gave in and sank into unconsciousness.

Chapter 15

The first thing Ari was aware of was a blanket draped over her. She pulled it tighter around her body, then a fuzzy thought entered her mind. Where am I? She forced her eyes open and looked around. She was in a large bed that practically swallowed her, covered in white blankets. The room was completely white as well and was probably as big as the bottom floor of Ari's farmhouse. Gayle? She asked telepathically. Can you hear me?

Yes, came the reply.

Where am I?

You are in Rothan's castle, Gayle replied. How do you feel?

Ari looked down at herself and jerked in surprise. There were no indications that she'd ever been injured. All her cuts were gone. Her ankle and wrist were healed. "What happened?" she breathed.

"You were healed by healers," said a voice from the doorway.

Ari looked up. King Rothan was leaning casually against the wall, his arms folded in front of him. "Healers?" she asked blankly.

The king nodded and came to sit next to Ari on the large bed. "I see your parents didn't tell you," he remarked softly.

"My parents didn't tell me anything," Ari replied.

"Nothing of Family Legacy, or Gayle?"

Ari shook her head. "I got a few hints, though." She paused. "Where's Eryk?"

The king smiled. "Ah, young Eryk. He's currently playing with the children out in town, I think.

Ari blinked. "Playing with the children?"

"Yes," King Rothan replied. "While he was waiting for you to recover, he's been wandering around town and I guess he got a few fans."

"How long have I been asleep?"

The king grinned, his bright blue eyes twinkling. "Well, you're full of questions, aren't you? You've been asleep for three days."

"Three days!" Ari exclaimed. "But how?"

"It takes a while to recover from a magical healing."

"Why?"

"Because when they heal you, they just speed up the healing process. It takes a lot of energy, and you had a lot to heal."

"Oh," Ari said. Then she got an idea. "Do you know how my parents died?"

"Yes," the king answered.

"Will you tell me?"

King Rothan sighed. "Well, you see, I-" he began.

At that moment, the door opened and a man stepped in. He was about six fee tall, with long jet-black hair and kind, bright green eyes. "Your Highness," he said respectfully. "The Royal Council is waiting for you."

Ari gasped, her mind spinning. "Jeriah?" she asked disbelievingly.

Jeriah smiled at her, his green eyes twinkling. "Hello again," he said, as if they'd seen each other just the other day, instead of two years past. "It is good to see you awake."

"What-who-how?" Ari sputtered. She didn't know what to say.

The king, however, smiled. "I'll explain later," he said. "You can get up and wander around, if you wish. There are some clothes of your size in that chest." He pointed to a white chest at the foot of the bed. "I'll come find you later." He followed Jeriah out of the room, closing the door behind him with a soft "click".

Ari sat in bed a few moments, her mind whirling with all the things she'd seen, then forced herself to get out of bed. Her body felt weak and small, very unlike her usual self. She opened the chest and sifted through it for a moment, ten finally picked out a red tunic and a black silk skirt. She didn't really want to wear a skirt, for it felt odd after never wearing them, but there were no breeches.

Ari opened the door and looked out. There was a man standing by the door. When he saw her, he smiled and bowed. He was about Ari's own height, with brown hair that was ear-length and brown eyes. "Hello," he said kindly. "I was told to show you around and help you find Eryk. I am Talen."

"Hello, Talen," Ari replied. "I'm Ari."

"Would you like a tour first?" Talen asked, smiling.

"Okay."

Talen led Ari down a hall lined with doors on both sides and down some stairs into a big room with a tall wooden door. The Entrance Hall, Ari guessed.

The tour took a half hour. Ari was enchanted by the castle. She had never seen something so big and elegant in her life, and she loved it. She eagerly took in every story and fact Talen had to tell her. Finally, the tour was over. "Well," Talen said. "I hope you liked it."

Ari grinned. "Liked it? I loved it! It's so beautiful."

"Would you like to find Eryk now?"

"There's no need for that, Talen," a voice said from the doorway.

Ari smiled at the newcomer. "Hello, Eryk."

Eryk grinned. "I'm glad to see you're finally awake. The king wants to see you in the Throne Room. Come on, I'll take you."

Ari said goodbye to Talen and followed Eryk down the hall. "What does His Highness want to see me for?" she asked.

Eryk smiled mysteriously. "You'll see." He opened a door and ushered Ari inside. The Throne Room was one of the few rooms Ari had not yet seen. It had a hall with a red carpet lined with tall pillars and led to two large chairs that were draped with elegant blankets and cushions. Tapestries were hanging on the walls, showing dramatic battles where Rothan triumphed.

The king was sitting on his throne. "Arianna!" he called happily when he saw them. "Come here, we have things to discuss! Eryk, you may come too, if you wish."

Ari and Eryk approached the king. When they reached him, he stood up. "Hello! Sit down, we have much to talk about." He indicated two chairs next to his and sat down again.

"What do we need to talk about, Your Highness?" Ari asked as Eryk and she sat.

King Rothan shook his head. "No, no! None of that 'Your Highness' stuff. I have always hated that. Call me Rothan."

Ari smiled. "In that case, call me Ari, instead of Arianna. I hate that name."

"Thank you," Rothan said. "We're here to talk about two things: Family Legacy, and your parents."

Ari's breath caught in her throat. "My parents?" she asked, suddenly breathless.

"Yes," Rothan answered. "How they died, what they did for me, and so on. Do you have any idea what your parents did?"

Ari was about to say yes, but she then remembered that she wasn't supposed to know, for she'd overheard Eryk, so she shook her head, hoping to get a better explanation from Rothan.

The king sighed. "Well, they worked for me. Their unicorns, too. I sent them on special missions. They were spies, if you will. I sent them on undercover missions mostly. You see, they had special powers. When they had you, they decided to retire, for they didn't want you caught up in all this. So they took you and hid somewhere secluded. In the fields, where no one would discover them and they could raise you in peace. They still went on missions, though, even though they were technically retired.

"Then, on one particular mission, they were supposed to infiltrate the lair of one of the most infamous villains of Wilderdell. Lynx. Well, they fell into a trap, and only your mother came back. Apparently, she crawled all the way back, for Jane had been killed in their battle to escape. I put all of my healers on the job when we found her, but she had lost too much blood and was sick. When she died, I immediately sent Jeriah to keep an eye on you, to make sure Lynx didn't know you existed.

Ari was silent, taking all this in, her mind whirling. She thought that if she knew for sure how her parents died, it would make it easier to let them go, but it didn't. It made it worse, knowing the pain her mother must have went through in losing her husband and unicorn, then crawling all the way back to Rainpool, all the way thinking about how her husband was dead and if she didn't make it, her daughter might die as well. Ari wanted to weep, but somehow she couldn't. "What's Family Legacy?" she asked, surprised to find that her voice was steady, even though her heart was beating hard against her chest and her hands were shaking. She looked up to see both Rothan and Eryk watching her intently. She raised her eyebrows and looked at Rothan inquiringly.

Rothan told her the same story she had heard so long ago at the Lyndes' cottage. In truth, it hadn't been very long at all, but it felt like a long time, after all they'd been through. Ari acted as if she'd never heard this story before. "Ever since then, the Rain family has been protecting Wilderdell," Rothan finished.

"Does that mean me as well?"

Rothan shrugged. "I'm not going to force you to do anything. You can leave Lynx to the soldiers and live peacefully here with Gayle."

It was very appealing, and Ari almost said yes, but then she thought of how hard her parents had worked to keep her safe. She couldn't let them down no by being cowardly. "Leave Lynx to you," she repeated softly, looking at her hands in her lap. She looked up at Rothan, her eyes burning with passion and determination. "You wish! I could never do that. Count me in! I'll get Lynx back for what he did to my farm and my family. You can take my word for it!"

Rothan raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure, Ari? Once you accept, you can't turn back."

Gayle? Ari asked.

Yes?

Did you hear that? Do you want to get Lynx back for what he did?

There was silence, then, Yes, of course. Let us do it.

Ari grinned. "Yes, we are sure," she told Rothan. "What do we have to do?"

Rothan thought about it. "Normally you have to prove your planning and fighting skills, but in my eyes you've already done that."

"How?" asked Ari.

"Well," Rothan said slowly. "You proved your planning skills in sending Gayle to the castle with the note. You proved your fighting skills in the battle, but they could use some improving."

Ari smiled sheepishly.

"Here's what we'll do," Rothan announced. "Ari, we'll put you in training. We'll have the best trainer, Leone, teach you everything he knows. While you're doing that, we'll have to get you into Rainpool, getting to know the people. Maybe some community service as well. Then we'll launch an attack on Lynx and we'll make sure he is captured for good."

Ari nodded. "How long will this take?"

Rothan did some rapid calculations, then said, "I'm not sure. Maybe six months." He looked at Eryk."What are you going to do? I'm sure your family needs you."

Eryk shrugged. "I have no idea."He thought for a moment. Then his face brightened. "I have an idea. I'll go back to my family while Ari is in training. I can train there. My father will teach me. When Ari is ready, I will come back and help you fight Lynx. I'll be Ari's bodyguard."

Rothan frowned. "There's no need for that. I can assign her some professionals do it."

"No," Eryk argued. "I promised I would keep her safe-"

"Hello!" Ari interrupted. "Do I get a say in this?"

"Of course!" Eryk and Rothan said at once.

"Good," Ari said. "I don't want a bodyguard, nor do I need one."

Eryk frowned, then his eyes sparkled mischievously. "What about a partner?"

Ari considered this for a long moment. Finally, she said, "I can deal with that."

Eryk grinned. ""Partner it is."

Epilogue

Ari spent the next week wandering the castle and town with Talen, Jeriah, Eryk, and occasionally Rothan. However, when she went on rides with Gayle, she always gad at least six armed guards with her. Rothan wasn't taking any chances.

Presently, she was watching as Eryk packed his belongings together into a single pack. He was leaving to go back to his family, and Ari was due to start her training. When he was done packing, he turned to Ari and said, "Well, I am already to go."

Ari grinned. "Take care of yourself. I wouldn't want my partner to get himself killed."

Eryk opened the window. "I will," he said. Then awkwardly, he shook Ari's hand. "You be careful."Blushing, he picked up his pack and soared out his window.

Ari watched him until he was out of sight, then she grinned. "I'll be fine." She turned to Talen, who had been standing behind her."Okay, let's get training. I can't wait to get Lynx back for all that he's done."

Look for the next book in

the Family Legacy series:

Capture!

If you have comments about this novel, please feel free to email me. My email address is ariannarain@hotmail.com. I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to tell me if you liked or disliked my book, or, if you have any advice, please give it! Thanks!

Here is the place to read my books!

Ceara's Books!

Family Legacy Part One

Family Legacy Part Two

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