the Forest of Emmitaenu

Birds of a Feather Flock Together

Tres raced through the forest, her basket swinging wildly, empty of all its flowers and only holding the rose quartz. She could see the direction Lienkin had gone. He was being unusually careless. Any other time he would move cautiously, without leaving any hints of his passing. She had tried to follow him many times before and it had never been this easy. He must have been really upset by the charm she had used. She could see him now only yards in front of her.

"Lienkin!" She called out to him but he didn't seem to hear her. Uncertainty of whether or not this was a great time to approach him rose in her mind. How would he react? Would he shout at her? She didn't mean to upset him; she just wanted him to stop avoiding reality. Lienkin and Tres were meant to be. Who else could he love? She knew she was the finest young woman of their generation in the village. Was he blind?

When she caught up with him he didn't even realize she was there. She cringed when she felt the wave of power flowing off of him. He was glowing with a fierce dark gold intensity, stronger than any of the witches at the last circle had radiated after the charging ritual.

What was he seeking? She was weak but not stupid. He was searching for something. She kept quiet and silently followed him to wherever he was going. She gasped when she noticed the swarm of birds overhead speeding off in the same direction as they walked. Was he summoning them? Could he do that? What was happening?

They turned, stepping onto a worn path and Tres watched amazed as the birds changed direction in mid-flight and continued over the trail like fish in a river. More birds from all sides joined those that had been above them. The swarm continued to grow as the number of birds increased. She was amazed by their silence. None of them chirped or squawked. They just flew urgently in their cluster, chasing the setting sun.

Lienkin increased his pace, making it near impossible for Tres to keep up. She wondered if he was trying to shake her, but something told her that he wasn't even aware she followed right next to him. She lifted the length of her dress to her knees and widened her stride to match his. What was their hurry? She didn't recognize where they were and she felt like panicking.

Lienkin was uneasy. Whenever the birds acted peculiar it was usually because Lara was near. They were acting strange again but unlike their typical giddiness, it was their unusually silent, restless flight that struck him as foreboding. He feared that it may be a sign Lara was in danger.

He tried to reach her faster, but he felt he was moving impossibly slow even though he was running his fastest. He prayed that he would be in time to help her in her dilemma. He couldn't live with the knowledge that he might lose her. He wanted her as much as Tres wanted him, the only difference in their relationship was that Lara felt the same way in return. She cared for him; he fancied she even loved him as much as he already loved her. The impact of these emotions hit him by surprise.

The path was dying out and over grown by wild, invasive plants from negligible use. To avoid anything poisonous or sharp they had to keep their eyes on the ground and for the first time Lienkin noticed his feet weren't the only ones on the path. Startled he glanced up at Tres. He started to say something but was cut off when he tripped over a rock. Tres squeaked and tripped over him and they both crashed to the ground.

He forgot what he had been about to say, muttering "Never mind," as he struggled back to his feet, unwilling to let his eyes leave the ground again as he continued running.

The birds had finally settled in the trees above, even landing on some of the lower branches. Lienkin was exhausted from over extending his senses, but he forced himself to continue, hoping that he would get the faintest trace of Lara. He slowed his stride and Tres matched him. He could hear her sigh of relief. The foolish girl was breathing heavily tired from trying to keep up.

Lienkin turned and gave her a temperate smile, laying one finger across his lips to keep her quiet. Her face brightened up remarkably. Quietly he crept through the wild vegetation with Tres trailing on his heels. He reached desperately for Lara's aura. He would even be happy with the aura of the demon in this isolated area of the forest so long as it would lead him to her. He continued searching.

Suddenly, he felt a tingle of a familiar sense. Shivers ran up and down his spine, pricking on the back of his neck and he no longer felt his exhaustion. The sliver of familiarity slipped away and he grasped frantically to catch it again. Lara! She was near, he was certain of it.

After Lienkin got a stronger hold on her whereabouts, he zigzagged through the trees and brush to get closer. He couldn't wait to finally lock his eyes on her and it didn't matter that Tres came with him this time. She wouldn't change anything, he realized he loved Lara, and no one would change that.

Bustling through the thicket, he came up a few yards behind that familiar demon. The demon's back was turned and he couldn't see Lienkin. Lienkin recognized him instantly and he knew that the bird congregation plus this particular demon added together meant only one thing. Lara was here.

His mind raced with ideas of how to reach Lara without being noticed by the demon. She was just past this obstacle, if only he could get around it. His brows furrowed and he almost didn't notice when Tres walked around him and stepped toward the demon.

Just in time he shot out his hand and yanked her backwards into the bushes. The both hit the ground when the demon turned around startled by the sound. Lienkin covered Tres' mouth as the pale man searched the surrounding area. The bush they fell into concealed them from his sight.

Tres was irritated by Lienkin carelessness, but the sudden intimacy of their huddling together kept her from acting out. She peeked through the leaves at the pale giant of a man with his golden hair, who stood just a stride ahead of her and Lienkin unaware that they had nearly run him over. She watched him inhale and exhale. She liked him already. Tres especially liked his eyes, swirling in smoldering grey and circled by a heavy black outline. She had never seen eyes like his. Lienkin squeezed his hand tighter over her mouth the closer the man stepped toward them.