Elves of Wood and Storm (Book one of The Guardians series)

A Dangerous Tale

X sighed heavily as he looked at Heidi, then he began to speak. "Do you remember Lucas?" Heidi nodded waiting for him to continue. X leaned forward his head in his hands, "Well he changed, he's different now. You know he always liked his pranks," X paused but as Heidi didn't respond continued, "Well one night he went too far. It was the same evening that I came back from my trip to the Acedemy." At this Heidi nodded again, she remembered that trip, and its purpose.

"Well, he jumped on me from a high tree branch, I should have seen him, heard him, something. But it was cold and I was in a hurry." X sighed, "Just jumping on me wasn't too bad, but then he pulled a knife." When X uttered these words he could see Heidi start, her small mouth falling open in surprise, but he didn't stop to let her respond. Now that he started telling the story, he would finish it.

"It was strange, it felt like he was going to kill me. I was sure he would, before I knew who it was. I just remember thinking, Oh Kaiai, Oh Kaiai I'm going to die here. I was sure it was the end." X looked to his companion measuring the emotion in her eyes. It was true he had thought he would die, but he had a different reason for sharing that detail. He needed her cooperation in delivering the letter. X shut his eyes tightly recalling the vivid details of that night, maybe he had a different reason for sharing that. It was something that X had told no one, something he had held inside.

Realizing Heidi was waiting for him to continue X shook his head quickly and began again to speak. "Anyway, he pulled himself away and started laughing, that's when I knew it was him. I was so scared that my anger overflowed, I yelled at him. I still wonder if that led to his break. But I'm getting ahead of myself. We walked back to the village together, he seemed strangely fascinated with his knife, it was worrying me. I made my report to the council that same night, then went home."

X regretted that decision, if he had stayed maybe he could have stopped the council from exiling Lucas, and stopped him from breaking. But he had been tired, cold, and still on edge from his encounter. But what was done was done. Lucas was gone, and using magic. X looked back up meeting Heidi's gaze, "I found out they were going to exile him only when Elsa asked me to tell him, just hours after I got home. I was horrified, couldn't do it. I even slammed my door in her face, can you imagine that?"

X chuckled slightly shaking his head, another regret on his list. Perhaps even he could have reasoned with his once friend. Heidi sat quietly, cold and calculating on the surface, but X knew it was a front. She always hid her feelings when things were too much. X tried to grin, but instead he grimaced. Rather than fixing his expression X opened his mouth and started to speak again, "I realized hours later that I should explain to Lucas, tell him I didn't want him to go. That it wasn't me who recommended he be cast out. I ran to the village as quickly as possible and saw him as he was leaving. I tried to explain but it wasn't enough."

Heidi reached forward and placed a small hand on his knee, X looked up surprised then smiled slightly. He knew Heidi knew his sister was dead, she likely only just figured out who it was who did the killing however. X knew, however, that he still had the worst to tell her, taking a deep breath he again met her eyes and launched into the final part of his story.

"Heidi, there's more. I, he, I had him but he escaped, using magic." Now Heidi stood quickly, facing the wall away from X. He knew what she was thinking. She might not have been a gaurdian, but as a messenger she knew just how high a sin magic was. She knew the history that led to its ban. And she knew what might happen if Lucas was using it now.

Turning back to X she spoke formally, "Guardian X, I accept your assignment,I will deliver the message with all possible haste." Recognizing the sudden formality in her voice and realizing how strongly she now felt about his question. X stood and saluted her, handed her the letter, then to complete the formal hand-off bowed. She turned on her heal swiftly, grabbed a cloak, then was gone.

X remained in the small household staring after the swinging door as his message was whisked to the acedemy. Taking a deep stuttering breath X clenched his fists and tried to calm himself. During his recount of the event leading up to his message X had became too involved. His emotions rose too quickly to the surface, and they were too slow in falling.

X sighed, breathing deeply trying to calm himself. He needed to meditate, something he had not done since leaving the acedemy, but he knew he could not do it here in another's home. So he slipped out the door, fastening it securely behind himself, and made his way home. Once there he pulled a mat from beneath his bed, then settled on it slowly. Taking deep, slow breaths. As time passed X's breathing slowed and he felt his mind begin to still. Leaving it a clear pool with every thought reflecting off the surface, none penetrating deep enough to reach his inner self.
*~*~*~*
Some time later X's eyes snapped open. A thought had occurred to him, one piercing enough that it penetrated his quiet state. And horror filled him as he realized something that might happen. Eyes squeezed shut X began to moan, "No, no, no!"