Until the Deed is Done

Chapter 1

( Continued )
During these long years, realizing that even tho they were getting older in wisdom and their physical and mental health was growing, their magical abilities as well prospered, they saw that their body however, never aged. At first this bothered them. It was strange that this was happening. Did the curse stopped Raf's aging, and was the spells they used, did the same to them?
But in the end, their youthful bodies was a boon when it came to the fighting they had to endure thru out the years. But this also took it's toll on their souls. Tired and heart sick from the constant fighting that would drive a veteran into hysterics if not suicide, they had, after a couple centuries of wars and raids, find a secluded place far from humans as possible to rest not only their tired bodies, but their hearts, minds and souls.
After one such battle to stop a tyrant overlord taking the food and supplies of a small village, this was where Devryon met his first love. They met when she saw him take a nasty slash to his left arm. Regardless of her safty, she rushed to his side and as he fell back, she came up from behind him and drove the pitchfork into the raider's chest, killing him.
She then took Dev's right wrist and pulled him with her away from the fighting to a water trough and commence to clean and dress his wound. She tore the bottom of her tunic off to tightly bound his left arm. As she did this, the dazed Devryon watched her as she did this in silence. With the last knot tied, she looked up to finally notice that he was staring at her, a light shade of coloring to his cheeks, she quickly raised her right hand to his forehead to see if he had a fever, but he reached up to capture it before she could remove it, bringing the back of her hand to his lips and kissed it.
She was surprised by that and snatched it away as a blush heated her own cheeks. He smiled warmly and she couldn't help smiling back. After the battle ended, the young woman was helping other women with the injured and children. As the three were walking to where the village chief was talking to some men about rebuilding the damage homes, Devryon spotted her and turned to make his way to her side. Rafael and Shenri stopped, watching where he was headed to and now saw the young woman that Dev had mentioned that helped saved his hide.
Watching as the two started up an awkward conversation, Raf just shrugged his shoulders as Shen softly grinned, they walked on to talk to the village chief.
Asking for permission to stay close to the village incase more raiders showing up and help with the rebuilding and with the crops and hunting, they were welcomed and the hunting cabin was given to their use for as long as they wished.
As time past and they grew accustomed to the village and it's people, Devryon fell in love with the young woman called Learya. They were to be wedded within the year and plans for a new home was in the making. Shenri was loved by not only the children, but the young women and the elderly as well. When they try to talk to Raf, the look in his eyes told them it was no use, so they didn't try anymore. Shenri had explained that he had lost someone very important to him and he didn't want to get close to anyone else. They thought it was a tragedy for someone as good looking as he was, but understood unfortunately.
They were asked in on the weekly councils of the towns growth. About the distribution of grain and hunting schedules. They were ask to participate in an dispute about a cow and Devryon gave them a salution of dividing the milk between the two families and each help feed and watering it. Which was better than taking it away from both which both families had small children, and needed the nurishment.
Devryon was happy for once in his life since the annilation of the clan, and Rafael was going to let him enjoy it as long as they possibly could... which didn't last long.
Gone on a mission for the sacrifice, they were planning to surprise Learya by coming back a day earlier so that she and Dev could have a wonderful honeymoon, however, when they enter the outer edge of the forest that surrounded the village, they immediately felt something was wrong and spurred their horses down the path.
It was quiet as they entered the outer edge of the village, not even the dogs were running up and barking. No sound, no animals, no people could be seen or heard. Weapons in hand, they slowly rode into the center of the village square and they pulled up, sat motionless at what they saw.
Devryon suddenly leaped from the back of his dappled grey stallion and rushed forwards. Rafael called for him to halt but the lone figure of the one he was searching for, she was slumped over, her bare back exposed towards them, against the side of a cabin. Raf knew it was a trap, and he thought Dev would have figured it out as well. However, love was blind to anything other than praying she was still alive.
As Rafael stayed close to Dev, Shenri was checking out the surrounding areas before heading to the hugh pile of bodies in the center of the village. He had checked out the homes and shops of the village. He notice things were missing immediately even though the insides were neat, as if nothing had happened. No blood, nothing showing as if people were dragged, fighting or worse, from homes and shops. No blood could be see on the grounds and roadways, and as Shenri examined the bodies, no blood could be found on them, their clothing... no where.

(Page 19)