Touched With Gold

Prologue

-Faine-

     Darkness clouded the sky as he tried to breathe. Wind whipped ferociously through the trees. Branches came crashing down around him as he sought for her face. He paled as he saw her pinned beneath the debris. Clawing through the swirling leaves, he made his way to her side. “Ren. Come on, we gotta keep moving. There’s nothing more we can do here.” Pushing at the debris, he struggled to pull her free. This was his fault. Her, pinned beneath the trees, barely breathing. It was his fault, all his fault…

     Faine jerked away as the vision cut through his memory. It was the last thing he had Seen, what had made him try to run. Though he had wanted to sever his Gift at the time, he had failed. Now, he was haunted by memories of a Future that he may never See again. Remorse filled his heart as he realized he may never know the true outcome of that vision. Certainly he wouldn’t, if he never found her.
     Shaking his head to clear the noise, he resigned himself to the task ahead. He had pleaded with the High Elder of his Pride for help on this journey, but the help did not come. His Pride had thought he was off chasing myths again, and wanted no part of it. There hadn’t been hide nor hair of Shavarlo in decades. Sighing, he grabbed his haversack and pressed forward. Futile as his self-proclaimed mission seemed, he had to find her.

-Laren-

     Breathing a sigh of relief, Laren stepped onto the harbor. Boats were not her thing. She much preferred the ground under her feet, where her heart beat in rhythm with Earth. And more than that, she preferred this ground, where she had been born and raised. Everything felt familiar here. The mainland had its perks, but now that school was over, home was where she wanted to be. Shouldering her knapsack, she treaded across the beach, heading home.
     A pang of sadness hit her as she approached the door. She was home, but she was alone. Stepping across the threshold, she was carried back.

     The shutters rattled as the wind blew. How she wanted to brave the storm and find her parents. But father had made her promise to stay put, and he would return soon. Laren trusted him with all her might, and knew he would come. Hopefully they would come soon. For now, she just had to sit tight and wait. She hated waiting. Trusting her father, she waited. At the window she peered out. Nothing yet. So she waited some more. Winds raged louder and harsher. Still there was no return of her parents. ‘God, I hope they’re alright out there’ Laren thought as she paced the floor. Waiting, pacing, waiting. It was agonizingly painful. Anxiety gnawed at her as she tried to remain calm. Howling winds and crashing branches caused her to duck and cover her ears. Squeezing her eyes shut, she rocked back and forth, trying not to cry. They would be fine. In a few minutes they would open the door and rush in, soaked to the skin but safe. Her father wouldn’t let her down. He never had, and he wouldn’t now; he couldn’t. Exhausted from worry, sleep finally took over to give her some peace of mind.

     Willing the memory to stop, Laren took a deep breath and entered the worn down building in front of her. She intended to make this house a home again, it was all she had left of the old days.