Freedom's Haven

Freedom's Haven (Chapter 2 part 1)

             Chapter 2: Lord Lyndon (Lord Lyndon Guardian-Blade, royal cousin of, the Royal Prince, Devlin Fire-Blade, the Blood of Kristwood.)

             Chakori tapping her beak gently against my mouth brought me abruptly out of my reminiscing thoughts.

I smiled looking down into her sharp eyes, eyes so dark it was like a moonless night, and wondered, not for the first time, why I had ever dared to return here. Was it that this feeling of something left unfinished, something just waiting to happen and inevitable, was slowly killing me and driving me insane?

"Miss?" I looked around me in surprise, I had completely forgotten the warriors accompanying me.

There were five of us, my cousin Adam, Anthony, Henry, Shila and myself. We were here to extend an olive branch to the Elven Queen, Rosamenia. We needed the elves' knowledge and support to help us win this war; help that so far, they were refusing to give.

"Miss Sera?" Henry asked once more, thinking I was sure, that I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the elves' ancient homeland, Kristwood.  

I took one last look at the broken arrow Kori had brought me before stowing it in my pack, to examine later. I tilted back my head and closed my eyes against the faint light shining through the canopy of brilliant green, red and orange leaves. I smiled, listening to the sound of the forest around me, a relief after the stress of our long journey here. Birds were chirping loudly, unafraid and plentiful. I could hear the rustling of small animals, rabbits, squirrels. I heard a twig snap as something larger wandered through, the sudden hush of the prey alerting me that it was probably a bear. The overwhelming noise as their ancient foe moved on.

I took a deep breath, silently appreciating the smell of untouched nature. The smell of crisp leaves, dew, wild animals, the magic that seemed to flow through every living thing that had ever passed through here. I stretched and tilted my head, feeling as I always did in such moments of peace, a deep sense of connection and affinity with everything around me. I felt Chakori clench her talons around my arm as she stretched as well.

I opened my eyes and smiled lovingly into her midnight gaze, and then started completely shocked when I noticed a man standing directly behind her, with a half-knocked bow.

Before I could even blink, Chakori had leapt from my arm and was preparing to attack the stranger,  the four in my company drawing weapons as more of them appeared around us, out of the surrounding vegetation.

"STOP!" I commanded at the same instance that he did. "Desino."

I stared, amazed. Lyndon.