Arrival

tI had left Kysael to practice walking on her own, since she had vastly improved since we had begun the process.

tShe was in our shared chambers, while I went to the clinic to take care of some other patients. There had been a lot of incoming patients lately, and the a.s.sistants were getting a bit overwhelmed without my help.

tI was very happy with the progress that Kysael was making. She was doing so well, in fact, that I figured that soon she would be able to run.... possibly jump, even.

tI had a lot on my mind that day.

tI had just received word from the newsies and my father that Kelose had been banished from all of the Elven lands, that he had been declared a Rogue.

tThat meant that there was a very high price on his head, and he wouldn"t be safe anywhere. Not that he couldn"t defend himself, and not that he wasn"t still valuable in some areas who were more than likely still hiring him for his services....

tBut I wondered whether or not to tell Kysael. I didn"t want for her to worry, with all of the progress that she was making.

tAnd I knew that such news would make her worry.

tShe had always loved and cared deeply for Kelose. I knew that hearing such a thing would upset her.

tBeing a rogue was not only dangerous, but it was also a disgrace. Rogue elves were unwelcomed by other races as well, not just the elves.

t.i.t would be dangerous to even be a.s.sociated with the name of a rogue elf.

tAnd as an a.s.sa.s.sin, his rogue status put him on the map as a rogue elven a.s.sa.s.sin, who was up for hire by any nation, not just the elven nations.

tThat meant that he was full on killer for hire, basically.

tWhoever paid him a good sum of money to a.s.sa.s.sinate the target in question, anyway.

tKysael would be devastated to hear the news. And so...

tTo tell her or not to tell her?

tI knew that she would find out well enough on her own soon, but should I be the one to tell her?

tAn a.s.sistant came into the room with me and a patient, and pulled me to the side. "My lord, lady Kirinae has returned with a visitor. She asked to see you right away."

tI sighed, relief flooding my heart, and told my patient that I would be back momentarily.

tI am sure that she just wanted to check in with me before she went back into Lykra to see her mother. It seems that I had worried for nothing afterall, and I was very thankful that she was safe.

tKysael had been right, as it were.

tBut who would be with her was the question?

tWhere had she gone to bring back someone with her? And who was it?

tI walked out of the clinic, and I dropped the gla.s.s of water I had been holding. This was not what I had expected at all.

t"h.e.l.lo, Lord Dragon," He said with a resigned calmness. He had a hood covering his head, his face shadowed, and I could see that he had grown a little taller, a little more muscular. His eyes were a piercing gold tinged with orange, and the air around him made the hairs on my arms stand at attention.

tHis energy was dark and sinister, foreboding, almost feeling as if it were coiling around his body and the room in wisps of darkness.

tNot one that any elven man of the light realm would desire to come into contact with for fear of being contaminated.

t"Kelose!" I startled. Never in my wildest imaginings had I ever antic.i.p.ated that Kelose would have the nerve to show up here, and to actually interfere with Kysael and I. I whirled my eyes to Kirinae. "Why is he here? Kirinae, where did you go?"

t"It"s alright, Dragon, I didn"t go into Irasil and bother him or anything. I mean...well, I was going to, but.... he found me on the borders of Irasil and Lykra, and I told him who I was and that I needed for him to come with me to see mother."

tMy heart thumped wildly with fear and hurt anger. "Kirinae, Kelose is a married man, you can"t just barge in and ask him to-"

t"I am not married any longer, Lord Dragon," Kelose interrupted to remind me, and he continued to explain. "Lunariel....she began cheating on me, so.... I left her."

t"Oh, I... I"m sorry." I sighed. "I had heard that, but I had no way to confirm-"

tHe shrugged it off. "I am a Rogue now, anyway. And I"m glad not to be with that hateful shrew anymore, anyhow." He met my gaze evenly. "I had been on my way here, to offer my services to Kysael in whatever way the two of you desired me to do so, in payment to make up for everything that I have put her through. But then I came upon Kirinae in the forest, searching for me, as it were. Kirinae told me that Kysael needs me, for some reason. What is this all about? What could she possibly need me for? She has you. She resonates a light with you that she never emitted with me. I was never good for her, so I can"t possibly help...can I?"

tI looked away, uncomfortable. "Kirinae, go and check on your mother. There are some things that I need to discuss with Kelose....alone."

tShe grinned, and did as I asked, leaving the two of us outside the clinic alone. Once she was gone, he spoke.

t"Kysael....how is she? I heard that she was almost killed by a wild boar. What is her condition? And what can I possibly do to help her?"

tI sighed. "Yes, she was injured. I a.s.sume that you got the news from my father, since he was the only person whom I informed. Though I"m not sure how you could have talked to him, considering your latest status."

t"I actually spent some time with your father outside of the city. I had my brother give him word to meet me, and he trained me. He told me that he"d gotten word from you that she was injured, but I didn"t have much to go on."

t"I see...." I thought it strange that my father would train Kelose in anything, but that did give me some insight to his current standing. If my father had been willing to do such a thing, it meant that Kelose didn"t have any ulterior motives, that his intentions were pure. I decided to go ahead and give him the information. "Her injury was severe. The puncture wound went clean through her entire left hip bone. All of the nerves on the left side of her body were either severely damaged or severed completely."

tHe startled. He understood the severity of such grim injuries. "How is she? I am sure that she must be having a hard time."

t "I have been spending hours each day since November healing her, and we just began rehabilitation back in March. She is just now starting to walk again, slowly. She is doing much better. And....there is something that you can do to help her, but to be frank with you.... I"m really not pleased to tell you this, because I know what it will mean for her and myself once it has been done."

tHe looked at me, waiting for me to continue.

tI sighed, closing my eyes. "When Mafrien captured her.... he...he placed a mating mark on her back." His eyes got wide, full of questions, but I continued anyway. "The only thing.... the only one who can break it....is you." His golden eyes narrowed a bit, but he gave no verbal response, waiting for me to elaborate. "You would have to continue your Soul Bond with her, to free her from the mating mark. Only that can break it.... and...." I sighed again. "I never thought that this would happen. I am relieved, but also.... remorseful."

tHe thought for a long moment. "The mating mark must be what was tampering with my connection to Kysael in the first place. I had noticed that I hadn"t been feeling anything from her in quite a while. I had been shocked to hear she had been so gravely injured and I had not felt it. And when I had desired to offer my services, I never could have foreseen this turn of events. Continue the Soul Bond....I had never thought that such a thing would be able to happen, and I certainly never thought that it would need to be completed. She needs to be as far away from me as possible. I am unsure about this. But you say you are remorseful. Why...?"

t"Because....I had just begun to accept my feelings for her. We were getting closer and closer to finally being together, almost enjoying our marriage...with only the mating mark holding us back. And yes, I am happy that it can finally be broken.... but the cost of it being broken may just be our budding relationship....and for that, I am in remorse."

tHe nodded softly. "I am sorry, Dragon. I know that you care for her. And I know that she loves you. I have seen it in her eyes many times over the years, and yet she didn"t seem to realize it herself until we ended our relations. She was always watching you, and I could see her feelings. She always loved you, Dragon."

tThe pace of my heart quickened, and I looked away. "I"m sure it was only her admiration."

tHe shook his head. "No. It was more than that. And I was jealous and hurt. And when we separated, she was able to get through all of that because of you. You raised her. You are the one who deserves her, after everything that you have done for her. But you are right, if I finish the Soul Bond with her.... I would be incapable of completely leaving her even if I don"t want to be with her, and so....and so, you wouldn"t be able to be with her fully, either." He sighed sadly. "I am....so.... terribly.... sorry." He met my eyes. "Do you wish for me to go on and finish the Bonding process? Or do you want me to leave, and forget that I even came here? I will leave the decision to you."

tI thought on that for a moment.

tAs much as I wanted for him to leave, for her to be with me.... selfishly, because of my Blood Bond to her....I had to put her needs first, before my own. That had been my entire purpose since she was born, to do right by her, protect her...even at the cost of what I wanted.

tAnd that meant that she needed to have the mating mark broken as soon as possible, so that she could be happy.

t"She deserves to be happy, finally. Go ahead and finish Bonding to her. My Bond with her will still remain, and I at least will have that."

tHe looked surprised. "You....you are Bonded to her? How?"

t"The Wraith"s Blood Bond," I said softly. "She fed me her blood to save me, and unintentionally, unknowingly, caused me to be Bound to her as her Blood Bound servant. So, through our Blood Bond, I am forced and obligated to be by her side to serve and protect her, no matter what happens."

tHe nodded; his eyes sad. "That is a cruel twist of fate. You, her most faithful and loyal friend, her new and oldest love, her protector and servant, her husband.... reduced to watching her be Soul Bound to another man and being forced to stay by her side to serve and love her despite it. How cruel fate is...."

tI took in a deep breath just as Kirinae returned. "She"s gone!" She said in a panic. "Dragon, she"s not in the room!"

tI felt hot. Not again! I thought. That girl had to stop disappearing sometime or another.

t"Split up," I told them. "We will cover more ground if we separate. Meet back here in two hours," I said, and we all separated, taking off into different areas of the forest.

tI was surprised and impressed that Kysael had managed to get out of the city, seeing how there was a good number of stairs to climb to get out.

tShe had definitely come a long way from not even being able to move her toes.

tI was impressed, but I was afraid. What if she was pushing herself again?

tShe may be lying unconscious somewhere, for all we knew.

tI could only hope that she was safe and that we would find her quickly.