Chapter: Sharn

Sharn hesitated a moment before she took a seat. She had to admit she was frustrated by her lack of knowledge, but there was something else bothering her. This creature could sense the magic of the fae inside of Sharn...but then why couldn't she sense the...no, it must have been because of the curse. That would make sense.

"So you are called Sharn," the Chknuli said. It was more of a statement rather than a question. Sharn swallowed and then nodded.

"What is a wingless fae and a flying human doing traveling together?" Sharn tried to keep her temper from getting the best of her. She didn't want any trouble.

"It's a long story. There was an accident and my ability to fly was transferred over to this human here." Sharn jestered to Nico, who sat beside her.

"What kind of accident could cause such a transfer to occur?" The Ckhnuli was obviously interested. The corners of Sharn's mouth twitched upward slightly. This was good. The creature was curious. That meant she was not all knowing. She must not have understood the madness of mankind.

Nico responded before Sharn could, "If you must know, a scientist thought it would be interesting to see what would happen if a human was given the powers of a fae."

The Ckhnuli's eyebrows shot up ever so slightly. Sharn could almost see it. This was not what the creature had expect. She must not have ever dealt with such humans before.

"Plessent isn't it," Sharn said sarcastically. "Well, we answered your questions, so it's your turn. Why do you have a man out here in the cold? Who is he and what has he got to do anything with your sense of justice?"

The woman didn't respond. Suddenly she looked into the snow night. Sharn paused and placed a hand on the snow. She gasped. There were feet, hunderes of them, but it felt as though they were all connected into one massive body.

Sharn stood quickly. "Nico, we need to get out of here. Something is coming!"

The Ckhnuli shot Nico a harsh look. "Fae girl, did you just say Nico?" Sharn looked at her in surprise.

"Yes," she said slowly.

The Ckhnuli growled, "Nico son of Galin?"

Nico looked surprise. Then he grew grim, "I have no relation with that monster!"

There was a loud crash and a sudden wave rippeled through the snow throwing them all into the air.

"What the--!" Sharn began.

"Zecornian," Ckhnuli said through clenched teeth.

Chapter 8: Misunderstood

The female was obviously one of the fae.

            Wingless though she might be, her psychic smell was unmistakable. Any Ckhnuli worth their meat could pick out fae scent from a league away, no matter how weak, and she was one of the strongest. She had picked up on the stench while she was hunting miles away, and hurried back as quickly as she possibly could to foil this pathetic rescue.

            The male’s psychic scent was near nonexistent, so she hadn’t counted on him. Even humans had their own flowery perfume, but this one seemed to have counteracting traces of both human and fae.  No matter; he was without any definitive power over her, and the fae girl was flightless, although with an unusually powerful elemental affinity.

            Both were staring at her like idiot milksops. She struggled to contain her rage at their interference in her task.

            And then the fae, immediately after inconveniencing her, had the audacity to demand her identity? As if she was the one being rudely interrupted on an urgent mission.
            She said as much, “Under the Mynonys code, after breaking into my camp, I believe I have the right to an explanation from you first. Answer me, fae; who are you, and why did you come here?”
            The fae girl took a small step back, fists and jaw visibly clenched. The strange male came up to stand behind her protectively, his eyes narrowed and harsh. How naively cute. As if they hadn’t even seen a Ckhnuli before. What a ridiculous idea.
            The small one finally spoke, her tone bold and aggressive. “What are you doing with this man? He’s dying!  This fire isn’t enough to help. He needs an inn, a doctor, he needs-“
            “I believe I just told you to answer me, little fae.” She relaxed inside, though. They were just worried about a man freezing in the snow, after all. Still, it was best she knew their names and intent, so she could rest easy when she sent them on their way.

            The girl bit her lip nervously, then stood up straighter and looked her in the eye. “I don’t know about any Mynonys code, and I honestly don’t care right now. Please, help me get him to sa-“
            She sealed the girl’s impertinent mouth before she could dig a deeper hole for herself. What an appalling thing to pretend. Everybody should know of the Mynonys code; it was a founding law of the land. Her country might be a hidden, isolated place, but it hadn’t been so long since the Founding that the codes were forgotten. The codes must never be forgotten. “Don’t be a fool, fae girl. Playing the ignorance game with me is stupid and dangerous. Now, one more time; answer my questions. Who are you, and why are you here?” She released the girl’s voice.
             The fae stumbled back and rubbed her mouth, anger and frustration boiling in her eyes. The Ckhnuli could sense the blatant buildup of power in the girl. The male braced his legs in the snow, obviously prepared to fight.
            She gritted her teeth, furious at their stubborn idiocy. “You really, really don’t want to fight a Ckhnuli. I’m here to carry out justice, and I don’t have time to deal with your disrespect. I don’t want to hurt you; please back off and let all this alone.”
            The male frowned, and spoke for the first time. “Sharn, we don’t know who or what this woman is. She’s incredibly powerful; I can sense it.”
            The Ckhnuli’s eyes widened in shock. “I am Ckhnuli. How can you not know of us? We are…..” She closed her eyes, and walked to kneel by the fire, fully aware of their confused, suspicious gazes. They didn’t know of the Ckhnuli. No wonder…
            She raised her eyes to them. “Sit. I have many questions for you. And I expect to be answered. And the man is fine, girl” She clipped as she saw the fae’s mouth twitch to protest. “He won’t die from the mere cold. He’ll sleep, and stay asleep. I don’t want to hurt either of you, but I am strong enough to take both of you out if you try to attack me again. I’m tired, and not in the best mood of my life. So sit, and answer my previous questions. Who are you, and why are you here?”

Chapter 7: Figure in the Snow

Sharn continued to trudge through the snow. She growled in frustration. He should have found her by now. What was taking him so long? She had considered doubling back several times, but she couldn't do that with out messing up her tracks. Again the desperate urge to fly spread through her, but she pushed on through the snow.

It was an hour past sundown before Sharn reached the next town. She ordered a room at an inn and settled in for the night, making sure the people had seen her enter her room. She paced about her room impatiently. After a little while she opened a small pack she had carried with her. Inside she pulled out a light blue shirt that shimmered in the candle light. It had two large holes in the back.

Sharn allowed herself a small smile before slipping the shirt on. Looking in the mirror, she moved from side to side examining how it looked on her. It was really quite a pretty shirt. Her smile widened and she spun around giggling like a little girl. That is until she saw her back. Through the holes in the back Sharn could clearly see the two jagged scars cut deeply into her skin.

Sharn stopped, frowning, and then sat down at the edge of her bed. Those scars, they were the reason she needed to find this man. A man who was said to have magical abilities beyond the average wizard. Sharn needed to find him, to get back what she had lost.

"Your still here?" A voice said. Sharn spun around and then sighed.

"Nico, I thought you were going to the meeting point."

"Change in plans," Nico hoped down from his possition on the window seal, his dark eyes betrayed no emotions, "This man, Kaed, he has been captured by another creature."

"But Kaed was said to be unbeatable," Sharn said in alarm.

"I know," Nico frowned slightly, "Which means we should probably figure out what is going on." Sharn nodded. "You should probably cover up those scars," Nico said as he turned back towards the window, "We don't want people around here knowing who you really are." Sharn frowned slightly, but pulled her white cloak over ther shoulders anyways.

Sharn joined Nico at the window and he put his arm around her waist. Sharn braced herself as Nico pushed off into the air, and then they were flying. Sharn want to laugh, to sing to the cold night sky, but this was not the time. She need to stay focused. Kaed was the only good lead they had had in months. She needed him. Sharn glanced at Nico. No, they both needed him.

Nico was first to spot it. "Over there," he said, pointing to a small light in the distance. His dark hair wipped about his face as he squinted to try and see what it was. Sharn could feel the heat, even from this distance.

"It's a fire," she said in surprise, "but who would be out here at this time of night?"

Nico took them in as close as he dared. Then he dropped to the ground. Sharn landed lightly on the snow, leaving no prints, but Nico was not so fortunate. The snow came up to just below his knees. Sharn had to smile at his slightly annoyed expression.

"Man, I hate the snow," he mumbled.

"How ever did you get stuck with me, then?" Sharn smiled. Nico did not find this amusing.

"I do not have your lightfooted abilities in the snow. I'll fly in behind you. You try and get a closer look."

Sharn nodded and turned towards the camp fire in the distance. She started running silently her white cloak streaming behind her. As she drew closer, she could just make one figure wrapped tightly in a blanket. Sharn slowed down and crouched lower to the ground. As she drew closer, she realized that it was a man, and that he was sleeping.

Sharn paced silently into the light of the camp fire. The man was soaked and looked as though he was freezing despite the blanket draped around him. Sharn drew in a breath. She may not feel the cold, but she understood that humans did. If she didn't get this man out of the cold soon, he would freeze to death!

She crouched down beside him, placing her hand on the snow for support. That was when she felt it. Through the snow she could feel vibrations. What she felt made her blood run cold. There was one man her, but she could feel the breathing of two creatures.

Sharn spun around just in time to see two glowing eyes staring at her out of the darkness just before an ice filled wind engolfed her. Sharn was blown over and she scrambled to reach the freezing man. She had to save him.

Through the blowing snow, Sharn could make out the silhoutte of a woman. Sharn would take care of her later. She scrambled forward until she had found the man. The figure in the snow seemed to know where Sharn was and directed sharp shards of ice towards her. Sharn heard a grunt and felt something land in the snow some distance away. Sharn had no doubt it was Nico. He had tried flying in and the wind had thrown him off balance. Sharn growled. She had had quite enough.

Standing up, Sharn raised both of her arms into the air and forced to snow and ice to the ground. She spun in a circle, redirecting the wind currents. Then all was silent. Standing in front of Sharn was a woman with long white hair. It was simular to Sharn's except it lacked the bluish tint that characterized Sharn's people.

The woman stared at Sharn in disbelief, as though she had never met another creature who could willed the elements.

"Who are you?" Sharn asked, braking the awkward silence. The woman tilted her head as though she didn't understand. Sharn hesitated. She hated to use the gift of languages if she didn't have to. Finally she sighed. Sharn let the magic of the cold flow into her. Then she spoke, "What is your name?" The words felt strange on her tongue. She understood them in her own language, but she knew that they were being translated automatically into the language of this woman.

The woman hesitated a moment, and she spoke...

Chapter 6: Deconstructed

            The old stone bridge was going to fall apart someday soon. Very soon in fact, if she succeeded in her task. She had located beforehand the weakest, most crumbling areas in the decrepit old thing. The weathering of time was her greatest ally at this moment. It wouldn’t take much to bring the entire structure down into the water.

            He would survive, she knew. His blood still ran with their people’s heritage, even when he had been banished from it in their hearts and minds. If she fell short in her task and he did die, then he deserved it for his weakness. 

***

            Something felt strange about this river. The rush of rapidly freezing water screamed underneath the bridge in a manner than reminded Kaed eerily of the maelstrom style of spells that the Overland Lords could summon. Could one have followed him even here, such an incredible distance away?
            He couldn’t pick out the telltale sensory feelings that their spells invoked, but he had grown too careful to let his judgment fall to absolute knowledge. He didn’t like how the river gushing under the bridge felt, as if it were desperate to destroy him.
            He would have to find a different route to Dieth. Self-preservation always overrode expediency in his book, no matter how minor or seemingly unnecessary the sense of danger.

            As he turned to leave, he felt rather than saw a shadow flit onto the pathway across the bridge. As he whirled back around, a gust of freezing wind hit him, carrying with it the agonizingly familiar psychic scent of his former people.
            The river roared louder and a flurry of snowfall whipped through the air on the sudden wind, obscuring the appearance of a small, undoubtedly feminine figure standing at the opposite edge of the bridge. An incredibly long mane of white hair swirled around her, blending with the snow and thwarting his attempt to see any other defining physical feature. She raised one hand and a light, rosy voice wove through the downfall.

            Kaed’s curious study was cut abruptly short as an inordinately powerful instinct he wasn’t aware was present finally hit through his shock. Danger, immediate and fatal. He suddenly recognized the lethal words of a Ckhnuli incantation, and how the water beneath was responding violently to the spell. Whoever she was, she had obviously been waiting for him to walk straight into her clawed embrace.

            He jumped back around, intending to sprint away as fast as his abilities would allow, to flee that cursed rive, but never got the chance to start.  A violent, thrashing wave of icy water broke hard against the bridge. Boulders, ice blocks, and trunks that flew up with the water pounded and cracked against the age-worn stone.
            The bridge held for a fraction of a moment, making one last stand in its centuries-old battle against decay, then collapsed in a rain of stone into the fiercely raging tumult beneath.

            Kaed had no time to register any of this, no time to cry out or scream as his fell amongst the bone-crushing rock. Had no time or chance to sense of being dragged under the cruelly frozen river before his overloaded consciousness abruptly shut down.

Chapter 5: Footprints in the Snow

Sharn pulled her white cloak around her as she neared the river Derdank. There were often fishermen out in the early mornings picking holes in the ice. Sharn did not want to be seen by anyone just in case she was still being tracked.

She had noticed the noise shortly before dawn. A slow sort of slithering. But everytime she stopped so did the noise. Sharn's heart had started racing and her body ached with the desire to fly, to escape this danger through the crisp air. But she couldn't, so she was forced to keep walking, keeping an eye out for any immediate danger. After some time the sound disappeared, but Sharn was determend not to be caught off guard. Not this time.

Sharn stopped just before the river and slipped on a pair of worn out brown boots. They looked odd in comparison to her completely white outfit, but they were necessary. As Sharn stepped onto the bridge that would take her across the river, a deep footprint was left in the snow. Sharn gasped as the snow came up to her knees. It was deeper than she thought. She took another step and the same thing happened with the other foot. Sharn was leaving a trail.

"For Whom?" one might ask.

Why, for No Body, of course.

Chapter 3: Winter

She raised her head the barest fraction. There it was. The sound that was not a sound. The footsteps of a man who no longer existed, slowly approaching the bridge.
She sucked in an eager breath, and slowly rose from her knees. Muscles ached and shuddered as she moved for the first time in over twenty-eight hours. Then adrenaline kicked in, burning away discomfort, and she slithered quietly through the snow towards her target.

***

Kaed hated the cold seasons here. This total freezing over of the world was completely unnatural. Choked sunlight, chill winds every hour of the day, this awful, wretched snow and ice. Everything out here froze, died, and was consumed. He could feel it happening to his thin flesh already, the stinging burn of his body struggling to maintain warmth.

The cold seasons were supposed to be a time of calming rest, cooling down, a period of rejuvenation. In this part of the world, it was a time of misery, often death. People were caged in their own homes, sometimes trapped in other buildings or inadequate shelters, with no safe way to return. What a terrible existence to endure for an entire season.

Kaed had no intention of hanging around in the snow long enough to be that miserable. He could never again return to his own country, but there must be other parts of the world where the land was less hateful, and the environment was as it should be. The people, of course, would be consequently stronger. Kaed hated weakness, hated a people who were collectively weak. It made him feel frustrated and helpless, that they were too broken to see the beauty of natural life, of the order of the world, of the challenges that could build character and imbue one with life and joy. But they only strove to force the universe to their will, to destroy and remake and alter things to their pleasure. It sickened Kaed to see such self-imposed blindness.

His own people were also losing their strength. They called out for changes to millenia-old laws and traditions, choosing easier pathways and simpler, more cruel punishments to the trespassers of their Rule. They were being tainted with the shallow minds of the weaker peoples, and were seeking to impose their self-righteous destruction on the very landscape.

Kaed knew better, and he was eternally grateful for it. Even in this damning exile, he knew. He would die in truth before he saw his people to regress into these winters of ice. He would save every last one of them from their own folly, even if it cost him what was left of his soul.

Chapter 3: Nico

A loan figure glided over the snow. She wore a pair of baggy pants and a short sleeved cotton shirt, all white, and she had a white fur coat drapped over one arm. Her long silvery hair was pulled back in a braid and her frosty white skin blended perfactly with the snow. It was well past midnight and the full moon was shining down on the snow causing it to shimmer and glow. The woman smiled. It was truly beautiful.

Her bare feet landed lightly on the snow, but left no footprints, no indictation that any life had tred upon it. Even better, she thought. That would make it impossible to track her. And that was exactly what she wanted. The Wanderer, the Hidden, the Forgotten; all of those titles were hers for the taking. After all they fit her story so well.

"So where will you go now?" A deep voice said from behind her.

"I think I will go to Avenath. It is a big city, easy to get lost in. It will be perfact," the woman said without even turning around.

The man nodded. "Be careful, Sharn. There are many dangers in Avenath."

Sharn turned to look at the man who had saved her time and time again. He was tall and Sharn knew that under his hood was a handsom face. She could almost see his dark eyes, so thoughtful, so knowing, and so sad.

"Nico," she said at last, "Thank you. Thank you for everything."

Chapter 2: Insidious

She waited for no one. 
It was quite a tiring thing, waiting for absolutely nobody at all. And very cold. Several inches of snow covered her kneeling form by now; perfectly still and silent, hidden in the thick dwarf trees near where a solid stone bridge interrupted the road.
The burn of the constant chill was almost pleasurably soothing. A dangerous sensation, she knew. She'd been kneeling in the same place since yesterday afternoon, letting the chill soak in to keep her still, calm, patient.
He would be passing this way this evening, but she didn't dare stake a crumb on any fact relayed by word of mouth. She'd searched and planned for this so long and desperately, she couldn't afford herself a single mistake.
He was no one. No one at all. It was decreed and made law many years ago; his existence was no longer acknowledged by their kind. But even a dead man can cause severe problems, in his own right. Especially if he knew he was, indeed, nobody.
The bridge shadowed wickedly over the frozen rift. The road beyond was lifeless. But then, she wasn't looking for any life. Not tonight.
She waited for no one.

Chapter 1: Sharn

The laughing in the bar continued despite the heavy snows that countinued on outside. No one stopped to notice a hooded figure step through the front door. After all, that was a common occurance during the winter. The Sea Salt Inn was the place to go to get away from the cold.

The figure glided over to the bar and ordered a drink. The bar tender didn't think twice as he poured the drink and placed it in front of the person. The figure held onto the glass and looked down at it, thinking. After placing the very tip of his finger in the ale, the figure began to slide it around the edge of the glass. A high pitched noise began to ring through the air. It was impossible to detect over the racket the croud was causing, that is unless a person was trained to hear it. A servant woman glanced at the mysterious figure from the corner of her eye. She couldn't see the man's face, but she could have sworn he was looking straight at her.

It had stopped snowing just as the last of the fishermen had been sent home, warm, happy, and very drunk. The servants had cleaned up and retired for the night. The next morning 3 feet of snow lay on the ground. One of the servants went to awaken the others. When she reached the last bed in the servants chamber, she found that it was empty. They searched everywhere for the missing girl, but there was no sign of her. There were no signs in the snow that she had left the Inn. She was not inside and she was not without. It was if she had simply vanished from the face of the earth.