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Prologue-Separate Ways

Four horses cantered across a plain of waving grasses watched over by a tall peak; the horses' hooves pounded the ground as their manes whipped in the strong wind. All four of the passengers wore dark-colored cloaks with hoods covering their heads. They had made good time; within a week, they would arrive to parley with the king of the land nymphs.

The two riders in the lead were excellent horsemen, moving as one with their horses in a timeless, magical rhythm. They drifted across the open plain gracefully, and once they reached the shelter of the surrounding forest, the brown-hooded rider turned to his companion, who was of slighter build and cloaked in navy blue material. Nodding, the one with the slenderer frame threw off the restrictive hood to reveal bright, silver tresses that glinted in the light of the setting sun. With another word from the still-hooded rider, the silver-haired woman pouted playfully but slowed her horse just as he did, then dismounted smoothly.

Her wealth of silver hair had been braided into one long plaint; she had wound the braid around her head and tucked the ends under so that it now formed a crown of sorts. The hairstyle allowed for an unhampered look at her features, which seemed inhumanly perfect. Her crystal blue eyes glowed as she turned to her companion, smiling brightly and then dissolving into giggles when he arched an ebony-black eyebrow at her.

Securing the horses' reins to a stake he had driven into the ground, the man in the brown cloak pushed off his hood at last. His sapphire eyes were dark and intense, and there was something undeniably, innately noble in the planes of his face, which was so handsome it could have caused even a goddess to fall in love with him. His arms rippled with muscles as he worked to set up their nightly camp. The woman, long-used to traveling with him, readily took charge of her part of the chores. The white skin of once well-tended hands was marred with scars, and one of her dainty nails was broken.

Soon afterwards, the second couple joined them. The man was tall, possessed of a shock of fair hair and a pleasant expression, and his build was slightly less muscular than the first man's. His companion was a brunette with a heart-shaped face and gray-blue eyes. Once the camp had been set up and the skimpy dinner devoured, the land nymph and the elf, who were betrothed, prepared to take their leave of their two companions for a few hours of privacy. The black-haired man warned them not to wander too far off and to stay within earshot, and they agreed readily, having expected the caution, before disappearing into the brush. The two swift riders were left alone then, under the blanket of a starless night.

****~**~****


Far from the first group of four, a pair of adventurers were still traveling. One of their horses had been lost not two days ago, when they had run into a fairly small detachment of the queen's soldiers. Now that they had been forced to take a more circuitous route that would lengthen the span of their journey, it was doubtful whether they would survive the additional days in each other's company.

Once the horses had been lost and after a brief but heated argument, the silver-haired man had taken the reins and indicated to his companion that she would mount behind him or he would leave her behind. It was an empty threat, but they had so little time that the beautiful land nymph had acquiesced without much grace. It was plain that she was unused to giving in.

The ride was smoother now than it had been earlier in the day; both had been tense because the soldiers were still on their trail and also because neither of them were particularly comfortable with the situation. The tension faded quickly as they worked together to escape their pursuers: while Prince Kentan navigated through unfamiliar territory, Lady Malina used her magik to ensure a safe getaway.

Exhausted by their travels and her extensive use of magik, both to cover their trail and determine the proper route, Malina was slumped in the saddle and practically draped over her traveling partner, her head resting on the broad plane of his back. Kentan, who had been noticeably unhappy about the situation, was somewhat worried about her falling off the horse mid-stride, even though the death-grip around his waist showed no signs of loosening. Just in case, he told himself, he bound her tightly to him through his magik instead of awakening her.

The horse and his two passengers continued their journey through the dusky night, guided by one or more of the deities who were able to pull themselves away from the gods' wars and aid their mortal Chosen.

****~**~****


Within a dark forest, four people ran swiftly, the cadence of rapidly-beating hearts filling their ears. They had loosed their horses some time ago, knowing that they would make quicker time in the confusing tangle of grasping tree branches and entrapping roots without them. The damp mast of the forest floor soaked through their boots, making for a very uncomfortable run. However, comfort was dispensed with when survival was questionable.

An onslaught of arrows followed them deeper and deeper into the woods; as one of them met their target, the blond-haired elf spun around, calling out an incantation in resounding, angry tones. As soon as he finished, he whirled around and continued sprinting across the rough terrain, urging the delicately-built woman at his side to keep up. When she faltered, he pulled her to her feet and continued, supporting both of them. The arrows dropped to the ground, sprouting into tiny saplings where they fell, but they were soon replaced by fresh arrows that zinged through the air with deadly speed.

The dryad turned, her dark green eyes equally furious at the invasion of her homeland. Grabbing an arrow straight out of the air, she snapped it in two and called orders to her three companions. The elves followed her directions, crying out in surprise when the ground beneath them fell away, dropping them into a pit that smelled not of dank earth and but of potent magic.

The only human among them was the one who had been shot; despite his injury, he reached out for the second woman's sleeve when she would have stayed to delay the attackers, pulling her into the gaping passageway. It seemed like a hungry mouth in the darkness, waiting to gorge itself on unwary travelers. As soon as they were inside, the entrance closed up with an ominous rumbling – the forest protected its own secrets. Aboveground, a glare of white light washed over their pursuers, erasing their memory of this place.

As she conjured a light and motioned the elfin prince over to help her, the dryad squinted at the arrow that had sprouted in the brunet's shoulder and the dark blood flowering on his shirt. His face was gray in the emerald-colored light, and Lirita felt the icy clutch of bitter memories and the acid taste of fear in her mouth when she smelled the familiar scent of a poison meant for magik folk on the arrowhead.

"You should have let me go," she murmured while Zaccheus placed a bracing hand on her shoulder.

"Save your battles for another day," Nathair replied before he went completely limp.

****~**~****


From under the shelter of an anonymously gray cloak, two slanted eyes shone like soft lamps shaded by blue glass, and the owner of the eyes crept slightly through the brush with an almost feline grace. She had very little on her person, other than a wickedly-curved blade in her belt, another knife in her boot, and a gleaming moonstone necklace around her throat that was concealed by the clasp of her cloak.

A fortnight had passed since she'd left her home and her lover, and the need to hunt was rising within her once more. A well-timed pounce, the ensuing shuffle, and where a minute ago there had been a woman, a small black cat sat licking its paws with a satisfied purr. The empty cloak lay nearby, but it was not left vacant for long.

****~**~****

The dark-haired woman and the pale-haired man sat silently at the edge of the banked fire, each seeing private memories in the blood-red embers. All of a sudden, the naiad stood swiftly as a screech owl arrowed its way out of the dusk towards them. Its razor-sharp talons dug into the soft flesh of the wrist held out to it, peering intently to assure itself that this was indeed the recipient of the message. After the scroll was untied from its leg, the owl ruffled its feathers importantly and flew off into the night without a second look at either of the two.

Amity resumed her seat, shaking the blood droplets from her wrist as the skin began to heal slowly; never one to pass up the opportunity, her companion refined his Sight to examine the work of her magik.

Looking up to see her smile as her skin and blood vessels were repaired, Jalen said, "I take it we have good news, then?"

"The first we've had all week," she replied, handing him the sheaf of dried, olive-green seaweed the inky black letters shone upon. "Michiru has agreed to receive Kentan and Malina, provided that they are able to enter her realm per my instructions. But she states explicitly that she offers only hospitality and not support."

"Not yet," he corrected as he returned the scroll.

She smiled at him briefly before both of them looked quickly away again into the thickening shadows of the night.

****~**~****


In the chill morning light, a pair of travelers forded their way across a shallow stream – the raven-haired women cursing as the frigid water seeped through her boots while the dark-haired man looked on, his lips curving in amusement. She might have grown up in this harsh environment where the winters were long and the snows endless, but she had never relished drawing in the tingling breaths of air that cut like knives into her lungs.

The lost daughter of the House of Zurielis turned her face towards her companion with an expression of irritation on her face; the fine dark brows slanted downwards above the legendary amethyst eyes. A hawk screamed overheard, and Reishiara glanced up, her lips curving beautifully as she watched it soaring above the blazing curve of the rising sun.

****~**~****


AN: Hello everyone ^^ This is the continuation of "Soulmates." For those of you who love lengthy chapters, fear not – this is just the Prologue, meant to refresh memories and open the story. It's been quite a while since I wrote, and the tone of the story is changing... This is the Interlude, and while there are more hints at romance, I prefer to continue the character development for a little while (also on more minor characters who are important to the plotline, i.e. Luna, Artemis, and Matthias Raine). Comments, questions, concerns?
~Ice

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