Innocence

Whoever had the night shift wasn't doing a good job. It took about 3 minutes for the enemy to come out and fight. And that's when I relized...

We had an advantage.

Yes, we were small in number, but we were just as skilled as the Arlemian soldiers. And we had more energy. The journey from Erram to Cevka wasn't to hard, and our opponents had just spent hours fighting. They probably didn't expect us either. To the sleeping gaurd that was supposed to be on watch, I thank you. 

I plunged into battle, whipping out Memory and swinging it at my first victem. I was going fast, not bothering to give my opponents a chance. I kept telling myself, "one of these soldiers shot Lyn. One of these soldiers may have hurt Liz or Dash." It helped me concentrate. I never liked killing anyone. I hated knowing that I could have taken away a husband from his wife, a father from his child. But war was never a pretty affair. It helped to think of them as enemies, not people. I tried not to look at thier faces, in thier eyes as they dropped to the ground. "They could kill me if I don't kill them first." I thought. 

Eventually I was able to concentrate without thinking those things. I went faster and faster. The world was a blur, along with my enemies. I cut through the soldiers. Plowed through them really. I almost forgot about the prisinors in the dungeon.

 

Renethon creeped down the stairs, trying not to make a sound. He slowly drew his knife, held the blade between his middle and index fingers, put it by his ear....

In one swift motion, he flung it forward and let it go. It hit the gaurd in the heart, and he went down. The other wouldn't be so easy. Renethon drew his sword and jumped down the remaining stairs. The moment he touched ground, he raised his sword to block a blow. The gaurd didn't last too long, though, and soon lied dead, with his partner.

Renethon, who had fought through a long hall of gaurds before stumbling upon theses too, said, "Theres a reason your down here, and not up there where the real fighting is."

He walked to the door, after taking the key from one of the dead gaurds, and unlocked it. He smiled when he saw that he had found what he was looking for....  

 

A loud thump awoke Liz from her sleep. Or what you can call sleep. Liz found it near impossible to rest in these conditions. Her leg hurt terribly, and there was so much noise. And her mind was spinning, trying to think of an escape plan. 

But then another thump came, and the door to freedom swung open. Light flooded in, making Liz shield her eyes. She squinted through the light, making out the sillouette of a man. 

It could only be one person. But Dash beat her to the punch. 

"Renethon!" he yelled.

"Dash! Liz! You guys okay?" Renethon said. He ran over and unlocked thier cell. Liz, Dash and the other prisinors in the cell were eager to get out. 

"Yeah, we're fine. A bit scratched up, but... We don't know where Lyn is." Dash said.

"Dont worry, she's safe. Now grab your  weapons and get out of hear! We have a war to win!" Renethon  proceeded to open cells, and more and more soldiers joined the fight. Even some who were wounded felt the need to fight for thier freedom.

I was right.

We did have an advantage. 

 

In the middle of the battle, it felt like it was just me and my enemies. I don't mean to say that I was the only one fighting. The soldiers from Erram were fighting too. I mean that I was focased. Really focased. It was just me, and my enemies. It was almost as if I didn't notice the world around me. I didn't stop to smell the roses.

Or the blood.

I didn't even remember the soldiers in the dungeon untill I heard more battle cries, all coming from a single point. I stopped, and everything slowed down. I looked around and saw everyone comming from the dungeon. I smiled to myself and turned around, raising my sword. I felt speed overtake my body, and continued fighting.

Around an hour later, Arlem soldiers were retreating. Fálon, who I assumed was the Ehlrend, sent someone on horseback to tell the citizens it was okay to come back. Apparently, they had gone a few miles south, then created an illusion of mountains around them. I made a mental note of that, thinking it might be a useful plan for later.

Everyone had begun cleaning up the streets, hauling bodies to the side and collecting them in wheelbarrows to burn them later. The wounded would be taken to the many healers on stand-by. I was about to go help them when I noticed Liz stareing at me. I had caught glimses of her in battle, so I already knew she was alright. 

"Whats wrong?" I said when she continued to stare at me. 

It was several moments before she answered. "You...you were going really fast in battle, Irin. Were you useing a spell of sometype?" She sounded a bit suspicious. Or maybe concerned.

I didn't answer right away. I wasn't focased on the question right then.

"Irin? Are you okay? Irin?"

Very slowly I shook my head. "No." I whispered. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be! NO! 

But it was. It was him.
 

 

He walked around aimlessly, almost without purpouse, looking at the faces of others as they passed by. In his hand, he held a helmet with the Arlem crest painted on it. The sudden relization that he was one of them...it left my breathless. But maybe it was finding out that he was alive that left me unable to breath. 

Suddenly, he looked up.

Looked at me. 

His eyes widened. The same shade of green found in my eyes.

His mouth formed a single word. Irin.

He looked down at his hand, as if he had just relized what he was holding. He dropped it, looked up, and shook his head. No.

He started running toward me. I turned and ran the other way. I didn't want to see him. I never wanted to see him. Ever again. If he turned his back on me, I would turn my back on him. 

I glanced back and saw him, still running, trying to reach me. Poor Liz just stood there, utterly confused. But she wouldn't know. She's never even seen him. I never told her the full story. Barely told anyone.

My eyes darted to his face one more time before I looked away. He hasn't changed much. I think. I don't know how many years have passed since I last saw him. 

Tears stung my eyes as I remembered that day. I shook my head and fingered the handle of Memory. 

No. I didn't want to remember. I pushed the thoughts of that day to the back of my mind. I would not remember. 

I kept running, made a sharp right. I looked back again. Damn, he was still following me. I plunged into a crown of people, then ducked into an allyway. I pushed myself against the wall, and tried to catch my breath. Then I slid down, hugged my knees, and willed myself not to cry...

And not to be found.   

 

I sighed. Because I knew I couldn't stop myself. I couldn't stop myself from following him, seeing where he'd go. I stood, then walked out of the allyway, trying to look casual. Me? Running from my long-lost brother? No, of course not. 

I scanned the street as I looked throught the faces. My eyes finally found the dark brown hair that was unmistakably his. 

He was looking around, looking for me. I went next to a wagon filled with bodies and pretended to be lifting another one on top. He called my name a couple times. A few minutes later he gave up, and walked away. 

I tracked him halfway through the city, hiding behind people, or in allyways for a moment, then running to the next hiding spot, always keeping him in my sight. 

He stopped at a small house, made from stone. The door opened, and a young women threw her arms around my brother. Two small children ran out to greet him along with the woman. A boy and a girl. The kids hugged my brother's leggs...

I turned away and ran then. I couldn't see anymore of it. I don't know why I was so upset. He was out of my life now. He abandoned me. So why did I care? 

Why did I care? 

I saw Liz at same place I left her, more than an hour ago. She was talking with Renethon. Liz looked up and saw me. 

"What happened?" She asked.

"Nothing happened." I said. I gave her the glare, the one that says Im not answering any questions. She nodded, and I walked away.

I sat down just outside the city walls. The sun was beginning to rise, setting the sky ablaze with colors. 

I felt emptiness inside me. But soon that turned to annoyence. Because, of course, my protector had to show up. 

 

"You choose the worst moments to show up," I told him.

He looked at the sunrise as he said, "Maybe the worst moments also happen to be the best." He said nothing more. Just stood there, and I was relieved, because I relized I didn't want to be alone. 

We were silent as we watched the sun make it's glorious appearence above the horizon. But soon it was over, and I only had the memory of the beautiful moment to hang on to. Maybe my protector was right. About this being a good moment. I guess that's what made me want to talk to him, to have someone to confide in.

"I didn't even know he was alive." I said.

He looked back at me, and eyebrow raised and a smirk on his lips, as if he had won a battle by making me talk to him. "Really?"

I nodded, ignoreing his facial expression. "Yeah. I would've forgotten about him completely if it weren't for my sword."
Now he was only a whisp of smoke in the fires of my mind.

"if it weren't for your sword? You mean because your brother gave it to you? Or because of it's abilities to...remember things?" he sat down next to me, with his back against the wall. 

I was angered and confused for a moment as I wondered how he knew those things. But I let go of my rage, relizing it didn't matter. "He didn't give me the sword. He left it behind." I said coldly. But in my voice, you could here a little girl, crying by herself in the middle of the night, calling for her brother to come back. "He left it behind," I repeated.

"alright then." he said.

I kept my mouth shut after that. And he didn't say anything either.

I don't know how long it was before he finally spoke again. "My name is Niri, in case you were wondering." He dissappeared before I could say anything else.

I begain wondering why he chose to trust me with his name as I gazed out into the horizon. I almost smiled when I relized that I had won a battle too.

 

It was impulsive, what I did next. Scribbling on a piece of paper, tying it to the arrow, then sending it over the wall. I knew the arrow would find it's mark. The spell I cast would insure that. 

I turned as soon as the arrow sailed over the wall, then began walking slowly. I had no fear of them trying to stop me. Liz would know by the letter that I wanted to be alone....

 

The arrow landed right between Liz's feet. She and Renethon jumped back, momentarily startled. Then Liz bent down to retive the message.

Liz,

Got a head start.

Irin.

She showed it to Renethon, who nodded. "Any idea what that was about?" he asked.

"No clue. But...she looked scared Renethon. I wish she would just tell me!"

"I know. But you know Irin. She's so good at keeping secrets that...she forgets who she can trust sometimes."

Liz sighed, and was about to walk away, when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to see an old women. But not too old. Her hair was only beggining to gray. "Your friend there. Her name. Was it Irin? Of Erram?" the woman said.

Liz nodded with a quizzical expression.

"She saved me and my children dureing the battle at the red river. If you could, would you pass her my thanks?"

Liz nodded once more but couldn't bring herself to say anything. Shocked, she watched the woman turn away. It was  Renethons voice that jarred her back to reality. "Liz? What's wrong?"

"The women...she was the healer who saved the man when we found Erram in ruins. The man who looked like Merlof...".

 

It was hot. I didn't get a wink of sleep the night before. I didn't bring any food or water with me. I left my horse in Cevka. I was missing a boot.

Needless to say, I wasn't in a good mood.

It was midday when I finally relized that I only had one shoe. Old memories that had resurfaced kept me away from reality. Now that I relized my foot was bare... It was something to cling to. Something to keep me from going insane...if I wasn't already. 

"You was one of the best! Why did you have to quit? Why did you have to abandon me?" I yelled to the sky. Of course there was no one around to hear me. Not even Niri decided to show his face. And even though I drone on and on about how much of an annoyence he is, I found myself wishing for his company. But I was alone. 

Wasn't this what I wanted? To go ahead of anyone so I wouldn't have to talk to anyone? Maybe then, a few hours ago. But not now.

I'm missing a boot. 

I become even more aware of this fact when I examine my foot. Apparently I steped on something sharp. Red was smeared all over me heel. I looked back, from the way I had come from, and sure enough, a red blotch marked my tracks every few feet.

I'm missing a boot.

"I hate you!" I screamed at the sky. I wished he could hear me from where I was now. 

I wished he could see that I'm missing my boot.

I felt the tears comming again. My throat hurt from holding them back all day. I finally broke down, hiding my face in my hands.

Let them come, I thought. Better to cry here, where no one can see me, then elsewhere, with everyone's eyes on me. Let them come.

"I hate you." I whispered between sobs.  

"Regalos!" I called, running to him as he walked through the front door. The battle was over, the fires burning out. But still, father had not returned. Eventually, mother went looking for him. Then my brother, hours later when they had not returned. A full day had passed before Regalos had come home. I had spent that day hiding under the my bed, trying to get away from the moans of pain, the cries of despare when loved ones were found bed. When he came through the door and opened his arms, I immediatly embraced him without even thinking about it. "Why haven't you brought mother and father back with you?"

He looked down at me with his bright green eyes. Water started glazing them, and soon a stream ran down his cheeks. "They can't come back, Irin." 

"Why not?" I demanded.

" Father's in a better place now." he said.

"Where? And where's mother?" 

"Father is among the star sailors now. Mother probably is too." 

I'm didn't really understand the meaning of war at that age. But from that moment on, it meant that I would have to live without my parents. 

A few days later, my brother told me he had gotten a sword. He showed it to me, and my eyes widened at the shining bar of steel. It could almost be considered pretty...no. Elegant. Was this what people used to fight each other? Apparently so. Regalos told me he would train with it. He aquired a great amount of skill in a little amount of time. He was one of the best. The day he became an official soldier was the day he had the sword ingraved MEMORY, it said. In honor of our father, he said. I guess he didn't know, or didn't want me to know about it's power. For a year he fought in the war that had taken both of my parents' lives. He came home often. Then, none at all. Then, out if the blue, he stayed for a whole month. At that point I asked, "is the war over?"

A sad smiled spread on his lips, and he said, "Not yet, little sister." 

Dureing that month, he stayed with me every second he could. The night before he went, he tucked me into bed, kissed my cheek, and sang me a song. I wondered why. Surely I was too old for lullubyes. The next morning I found out why. A not had been left on the bed, in place of my brother. A long box was underneath it. With trembleing fingers I pulled the string that kept it rolled, almost as it I knew what it would say.

To my sister,

I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry that I've left you like this. I hope one day you might forgive me. I had no choice. 

A month ago I deserted our army back in Erram. When someone saw me trying to escape, I killed him. Others saw me do this. I had no choice but to kill others as well when they tried to capture me. There's a price on my head. A large one. And I know I'm endangering you by staying here, writing this note, giving you my sword. But I needed to tell someone. I needed you to know.

I can't tell you where I'm going, but I promise you that I will do everything I can to get back to you someday. I know you'll be mad at me for abandoning you like this. For leaving you behind. Believe me when I say that I wanted so much for you to come with me. But niether of us would have been likely to survive then. There's a good chance that I might be dead before you even read this note. But I promise I'll fight hard so we can be a family again.

Irin, I love you. You are my sister, the only blood relative I have left. I wish I didn't have to go. But you have to be strong. You need to keep yourself alive. Protect yourself. Be safe. I love you. Please forgive me. 

Your brother.

I kept crying. My boot was still missing. 

 

The two moved across the forest, the King taking long, confident strides, the soldier trailing behind him. 

A bird flew over them both, and dropped a piece of rolled up parchment in the soldiers hands.

"What is it, Sentax? Hurry up!" the Paltier spat.

Sentax fumbled with the scroll before reading it. His face became grave. "My Lord...Cevka wasn't taken. More troops showed up and drove ours out of the city. They had to retreat."

"What?" Paltier said, his face contorted with rage. "When I get out of this blasted forest I will have every one of those men executed! And when I take over Soroth, I'll burn that city to the ground!"

If course Paltier was speaking out of rage, but still, Sentax felt annoyed. He was ten times smarter than Paltier. He should be king! A man with that kind of power should not make empty threats. He should follow through. Sentax would be sure not to make that mistake when he took the throne and became king.

A sinister smile took over his twisted face when he thought of this moment, his rise of power.

"What are you smirking about?" yelled Paltier. "This lost will cost us. If I didn't know any better I would think you switched sides. Perhaps I should execute you as well." more empty threats.

"My apologies, your highness." Sentax said obediantly, though in his mind he was plotting Paltier's assasination. 

 

Minutes had passed as the memory faded. Memory. I relized my hand was gripping my sword and I let it go. Slowly, I stood. 

I was missing a boot.

Just as I relized I had to walk the rest of the way with one shoe...something hit me in the head.

"Ow!" I turned around. If someone wanted to attack me then, I would have been an easy target. My vision was blurred, my foot was bleeding...geez, I was a mess. Easy prey. Heck, if someone attacked right then, I would be as dead as road kill.

Thankfully, that wasn't the case.

"Niri?"

"So...you hate me, eh? Even after I got that-" he gestured to the item that hit my head, now laying at my feet, "- back for you?"

I looked down and almost smiled.

My boot had been missing.

My boot was now found.

I hurried to get it on my foot, and once I did, I felt more emotionaly stable. And physically. 'Cause It does get annoying walking with only one shoe. 

I looked up. "Thanks." I said quietly. 

"So you still haven't forgiven him?"

I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't care if he brought me back my boot. Or if he told me his name. Or if he kept me company dureing the sun rise.

It wasn't any of his buisiness anyway.

"don't make me talk to you about it," I said to him. "Dont make me relive the memories."

"Wasn't that what you were doing just a moment ago?" he said.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. "I don't know. I don't know what's happening anymore. I don't even know why I'm seeing you. No one else can."

Niri sighed. "I told you already. I'm your protector."

"Protecting me from what?!"

"From everything!" We were both yelling then. But it didn't matter. Only the birds soaring above us were there to hear us. "Im supposed to be preparing you for what's to come."

"What IS to come?"

He lowered his voice. "The Seven Stones."

I lowered mine. "No."

"Then you've just condemed all or Soroth to death. There can be no hope now." he said even quieter. 

" What?" I said in a harsh whisper.

He shook his head. "If you don't find them, Sentax will. If he gets his hands on them, no one else can stop him."

"Even if the legend were real, Friden stopped Zepros. Let someone else stop this other guy from getting the stones, and leave me alone." I turned on my heal, forgetting it was cut, and started walking only to be stopped by his next words. 

"Dont you see? That was not the final battle. War still rages on between the two. Between thier desendents."

I turned to face him. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that only you can stop him. Only you are strong enough. Your brother ran away from his responsiblility to Soroth, leaving you the honor. He renounced his claim to Friden's blood."

Panic took over my voice as I slowly said, "Niri. What are you saying?"

"You are the last dependable, living, breathing, heir to that sword. You are Friden's desendent."     

 

Great. Another reason to hate my brother. He left me with this mess. Wait...no he didn't. Because, "THIS CRAP ISNT REAL!" I yelled. I turned around and ran. 

Of course Niri mustve translated that into 'this crap IS real,' because he called to me, "Alright, we'll talk more in Erram!"

I kept running. Every other step was a jolt of pain in my foot, but I didn't care. I wasn't even really aware of it. I was to confused. I was drowning in my thoughts, my worries. I couldn't think straight. I couldn't seperate what was true from what was false. The Stones, they were false...but then...Niri. Why was I seeing him. Was I just imagining it all.

I tripped over something, and the world seemed to stop, then tumble downward. But no. It was only me. Falling down, flat on my face.

I rolled over, then lied there for a moment, looking up at the cloudless sky. My hand made it's way over to Memory. 

I put down the note. My own tears had already settled on the paper, smearing the ink. The relization that I had been left alone was settleing in. My brother had to leave me all by myself because he decided to do a stupid thing and kill someone. More than someone. Many someones.

I took a deep breath and opened the long box. It was a sword. My brothers sword. 

No.

My sword now.

I didn't spend much time grieving my loss. As far as I was concerned, it wasn't a loss. He was dead weight. Because he left me. 

I hid the sword and the note in a secret compartment underneath my bed. Maybe it was because I didn't want to see it, or maybe it was because I knew they would come. 

And they did, once or twice. Searched the whole house. Made a real mess of things. They asked me where he was, if he was in the house, if he was nearby, if he had fled. Where had he gone? I told them I didn't know. It was the truth. He never told me. It wasn't like I was protecting him. I honostly didn't know. 

They didn't ask me why I was alone. A small girl like me was of no concern to them. What did it matter if I died of hunger? It wasn't thier fault. If only they knew what I'd become. How powerful I would be. How painful I could make thier deaths.  Only if I wanted to. Of course I would never do that.

Soon, they stopped comming, and I knew it was safe to take out my sword. I left the note there. I didn't need a reminder of why my brother left. The stupid fool. 

I kept practicing with that sword. I don't know why. Maybe it was because I was bored. Maybe it was because of my vow. To be everything my brother wasn't. To never leave someone behind. To never hurt someone as deeply as he hurt me.

I released my grip on my sword. I had almost forgotten about that. My vow. But I still kept it to the best of my ability. I still remebered. Unlike him. He forgot about me. Never came back like he promised. Instead he found a wife and had some kids. I bet he barely remembers my name. 

I got up and decided to keep moving. Now wasn't the time to lie down and do nothing. Arlem soldiers could be out here, waiting to attack. And we had to draw up some battle plans.

It was time to stop playing defense.

It was time to launch our own attack.

 

The streets of Cevka were cleared by midafternoon. While the loss wasn't as bad as Erram, the amount of dead soldiers from Soroth was still devistating. Seeing elves find thier dead loved ones was overwhelming. 

"We should go." Renethon said. Liz nodded.

An hour later they had gathered the troops. Of the 300 taken to Cevka, there was still around 210 left. Not a bad loss, all things considering. The second battle was better than the first.

"This'll be something for the history books," Renethon said as he surveyed the remaining troops and the city from his horse at Cevka's gate.

Liz laughed. "Yeah, as long as it's not written by the same guy as the one who wrote 'Soroth- through the ages,'.

Renethon and a few other soldiers joined Liz's laughter. They left Cevka in high spirits, as the victors of the battle should leave.

 

The sun floated across the sky. I was back at the palace before sunset. I didn't bother saying hi to anyone, though I did pass some friends in the hall. Seth, the human. And iZ, the mystery. And Gavin and Kore and Dash. The angles. Among others.

I sighed as I stepped into my room. I flopped on my bed, and sleep soon took over.

It was morning when I woke. I was still tired, but I didn't feel like going back to steep. 

Everything hurt. Especially my soul. My heart, because of my brother. And my brain, from trying to figure everything out. 

I stood infront of the mirror and inspected myself. Yep. Just as I thought. I was a mess. 

I decided to freshen up, starting with my boots. I had left them on last night, too tired to do anything but sleep. I sat on the floor and peeled them off. A metalic scent filled the air, and I relized one was completly soaked on the inside with blood. 

"Well, that's no good," I said to myself. I tossed it across the room, through the doors to the balcony (which were open for some reason), and over the railing, plumeting to the earth below. 
"Opps," I said dumbly. "Hopefully it doesn't hit anyone."

I looked at my foot and found a nasty gash on the bottom. How I had managed to walk all the way back here, I don't know. 

I found that a bath had been drawn for me while I was asleep and decided to wash, taking particular care with my injured foot. When I had dried and dressed, there was a knock on my door.

"Come in," I called.

Renethon walked in. "Hey." he said. "Is...is this yours?" in his hand he held up something brown and torn and soaked with blood.

My boot.

"Yeah...where'd you find that?"

Renethon smiled, trying to contain his laughter. "It hit Liz in the head a short while ago."

"What! Oh my gosh. Is she alright?"

"Yeah. Out cold right now, but she should be fine. Just wait till she finds out it was you!" he started laughing, and I joined him. 

"Actually, I'd rather she didn't find out." I said after our laughter had died down. "You know how upset she gets over the simplist things."

"Yeah," he agreed. We were silent for a moment, untill he said in a serious voice,"Irin, are you...are you alright?"

Am I alright? Yes, of course I'm alright. I just happen to be seeing people with eyepatches, just saw my brother, who I though was dead and would probably be better that way, and on top of it all, I just hit Liz in the head with a boot! Of course I'm alright! What kind of stupid question was that?

"Yeah, of course I'm alright," I said.

"Well...it's just...lately you've been acting kinda...strange."

"Im fine." 

"Irin...I -"

"I told you. I'm fine," I said forcefully.

"You know I know you better than that." I looked into his blue eyes. He was right. 

"Im okay, Renethon." I whispered. I looked away, down at the floor. 

He took a step closer to me. "You know you can tell me anything."

"Renethon...just please stay out-"

"Tell me," he pleaded quietly. 

You could cut the tension in the room with a knife. And to top it all off...

I dared to look up at him. One of his hands was on my shoulder, supporting me, as if without it I would fall forever, lost.

"Irin," he whispered. He leaned in, and his lips met mine. His arm wrapped around my shoulder, drawing me closer.

For a second, I was to shocked to do anything. Then I pulled away. Far away. Beyond his reach. Silenced stretched out before I broke it.

"You should go." I said. My words echoed in the otherwise silent room.

The seconds passed, and I recieved no reply. Then he finally nodded. " Okay."

I turned away as he left the room, his almost silent footsteps pounding in my room. The door closed, and I was alone.

 

The tension was still in the room, surrounding me, threatening to choke me to death. 

What did he just do? Why? Did he...did he just kiss me? 

I began to pace back and forth, trying to figure things out. It seemed like that was all I ever did. The ring, Niri, that stupid legend. But none of that seemed important now. Not as much as this.

Renethon. He just kissed me! Didn't he? Was it an accident? 
Was it on purpouse? Had he always wanted to?

Renethon. My friend. My partner. Once my fellow student, now my fellow warrior. Throughout years. And I had never thought of him as anything more than a good friend.

Renethon. The little boy that saved my life on that dreary mourning.

I crossed the room to retrieve Memory from my weapons chest. I had to remember.

It was raining that day. And it was cold. And I was hungrey. So desperately hungrey. I didn't have any money, and I had already traded everything else I had that was of any value. That just left my and my sword, standing in the rain in the middle of the market. I was trying to will myself to part with it. the last thing I had of my father. I didn't care if my brother had onced used that sword to strike down his friends. It was my father's sword. And I was about to loose it for a meager week's supply of food. I wouldn't have made it through the winter if he hadn't said that one word.

"Hi," said someone from behind me. I turned around and saw a little boy with bright blue eyes burning with curiosity. "Whats that?" he asked, pointing to the sword I had clutched to my cheast.

"A sword. I have to trade it."

"why? Are you training with it?"

I found it hard to explain my situation to him. "I'm hungrey." was all I said.

"You could train with it. Like me. I'm gonna become a soldier some day. They give you food, and will let you train with your own sword. I don't have one, so I have to use one of thiers.  But I'm gonna get my own sword someday. Follow me." he ran off without giving me a chance to answer. I decided to follow him. It sounded better than the alternative. 

We arrived at the barracks, soaking wet from the rain, and found a group of children like us training. Renethon went right up to the instructer, but I hung back. He pointed to me a few times and the instructor nodded. The next day, I was enrolled in a training course to learn how to use my sword. In a week, I signed up for a class that taught me how to use a bow and arrow. Then dagger throwing, and hand to hand combat. This was my life now. 

I got two good meals a day, and started gaining weight again. I was able to keep my sword, and I had made a new friend. The blue eyed boy who saved my life on that rainy day. 

Renethon. 

 

Hours passed. I spent them thinking things over in my room. The only thing I knew was that I couldn't be with Renethon right now. Not in that way. Not in the middle of the war. The general was missing. And the magic masters. And someone needed to lead these people. These soldiers, they needed a guide. No one had stepped up yet, so I guess it had to be me.

And why not? I had proven myself worthy of such a postion countless times! 

But there was this little voice in the back of my head saying, What if you fail?

What if I fail? Erram would be gone. Sorroth would be gone. The Dwarves would be gone.

And it would be my fault.

I don't even know why I was worrying. It was pointless. Arrabella hadn't given me the position. And there were others that qualified. Like Gavin, or Renethon.

Renethon.

We couldn't be together. Heck, we shouldn't be together. We had been friends for countless years! I told him nearly everything.

And maybe that's why we should be together.

I shook the thoughts out of my head. Scary thought, they were. Unthinkable thoughts. We were in the middle of the war! Renethon would only be a distraction to me, and I to him. He was a friend. A good friend, but nothing more. 

Nothing.

I've never been good at lieing to myself....

 

Hunger finally drove me out of my room. I slumped down in my chair and inhaled my meal so fast that I don't even remember what I ate. Not that it mattered. I struggled to remember the last time I ate. Was it with Seth? On the way back from the mountains? 

Could that only have been a few days ago? It felt more like years. 

My thoughts drifted as I stared at the empty plate before me. I thought about the war. Why had it started? Was it just that Paltier was a power-hungrey jerk? Somehow, I felt that the reasons went deeper than that. I sighed, and somehow my thoughts turned to the seven stones. Not them themselves, but the legend. Frieden and Zepros. Fighting. Frieden winning. Scattering the stones. My brother. Giving me some sort of responsibility. I still hated him. Heck, if I saw him right now, I would be tempted to kill him. I probably would, now that I think about it.

I jolted back into the present when another plate of food slid on the table, pushing it to the other side, and stopped in front of me. I was almost scared of looking up, seeing who had brought it to me. When I finally did, I was relieved. It wasn't Renethon. I was so thankful that I didn't mind seeing Niri again.

"You looked hungrey." he said.

I didn't need to answer him. Me stuffing my face was enough. 

Niri just sat down and waited. He was patient with me as I scarfed down everyhing but the plate itself. Then I pushed it aside, and looked up at him. There was a question I had been itching to ask.

"You told me your name," I said, "Why? For days I had been asking, and you withheld it from me."

"it was time for you to know. To know who I am." he said.

"You only told me your name, not who you are." I pointed out.

He shook his head. " I said the word "Niri," and in that one single word, I told you nearly everyhing you need to know about me that I haven't already told you before. But that's not what I came to talke to you about, so you can chew on that later. What I really came here to talk to you about is what I last said to you. You remember?"

I nodded, a bit alarmed. His voice was urgent, as if he didn't have much time, and I wondered why. He was so hard to figure out. So...so strange.

"I'll just cut straight to the chase. Frieden, the good guy from the so called legend, is your ancsetor. Don't ask me how. I have no idea weather he's your uncle or grandfather or anyhing, but he's somewhere in that family tree of yours. It was originally your brothers responsibility- the seven stones, that is- but I didn't trust him. He ran away to fast."

Yep, I thought, I know all about that.

"So that leaves us you. And I feel better knowing that it's you were depending on, not him."

"Wait, what does your oppinions matter? And...and who's 'we?'" I asked.

"Its complicated...and...I'll have to tell you later. But the thing is, Frieden..." he stopped midsentance, and looked at something behind me. He gasped, stood, and drew his sword, getting into a defensive position. Then he was gone. I stood and whirrled around, my hand resting on Memory's hilt. But...

There was nothing there.

"This gets stranger by the second..." I siad to myself. 

 

"THEY'RE HERE!" someone yelled three days later. At five o'clock.

In the morning.

And guess who was told to meet Arrabella in the thrown room in five minutes?

That's right. Me.

And on top of all that, I had to look presentable.

I met Arrabella ten minutes later, grumbling to myself about how I didnt get paid enough for this job.

If you couldnt tell, I'm not a morning person.

Arrabella gave me an unhappy look as I stood on her left. "Your late." she said.

"Or they're early." I said under my breath. 

"What was that?"

"Nothing my lady." I sighed. 

Arrabella nodded to the two gaurds standing by the doors. They opended the doors, and in walked the dwarf king, Norwán, accompanied by a few soldiers. There was one I recognized as Harab, the soldier Norwán called and told to prepare the troops. 

He walked forward and dipped his head toward Arrabella. She did the same, as was custom between the leaders of the different races.

"My dear friend, Arrabella," Norwán said. "it is an honor to fight by your side once again."

"Thank you, Norwán. We are very greatful for your assistance in this war." Arrabella said. "I assume that your army is outside the walls raising tents. Your soldier, Seth can lead you to your quarters."

They said some more stuff, but I was to tired to pay attention. Then Seth, who was standing on Arrabella's other side led Norwán away.

Then Arrabella was nudging my arm. "Irin? Irin! Did you get an of that?"

"Huh?" I said sheepishly.

She sighed. "Go to sleep. Meet us to draw up some battle plans by noon."

I nodded, went to bow, but almost fell over, then trudged to my room.

Woken up at five in the morning for about 15 minutes of conversing between an elf queen and a dwarf king. That was so not worth it.

My last thought before going back to sleep? I don't get paid enough.