April, 1103 A.D.

tI had been out hunting and a.s.sa.s.sinating people for a few days, missions from the king of Irasil before I would go off to find Kysael.

tI was banished, but I was still an a.s.sa.s.sin. And I had some work to catch up on that I had not yet gotten to.

tAs long as I didn't enter the territories of any of the elven nations, I wasn't in immediate danger, and the king had enemies that he needed my.... special skills to take care of. I was too valuable to get rid of, currently.

tBut now that I was finished with my work, I was going to go find Kysael to check on her.

tI was somewhat nervous to see her, the damage done to her body....to face her and her husband, Dragon.

tBut it was time to face her and get it over with. I had a lot to make up for. And though I knew that I could not be with her, as she was married, I would offer her my services in any way that I could. It was the least that I could do, to make up for everything that I had done in the past.

Whether she only used me as a food source, a training partner... whether she used me simply to release her anger upon and beat me. I would serve her. I would be hers in whatever way was possible. Even if I could never be her mate, and even if I could never be in her bed. I wanted her that way, for certain. We had only had oral relations with one another. I had never wanted another woman more, physically. I had only had but a taste of her, and I desired to have all of her. But that would never happen. Still, after all that had transpired, I would service her in whatever way that I could.

t.i.t was the end of April, fixing to be May, now.

tI was on the borders of Irasil and Lykra when I saw something that I did not expect, and something that would ultimately change my life forever.

tI saw a young woman from behind, with white hair up in a high pony tail, which was braided into four separate braids.

tThe sides of her head were shaved short to her head, so that only the top and back of her hair was long.

tShe had typical elven ears, and she was quite tall.

tShe had on an outfit that reminded me of what Kysael normally wore, oddly enough.

tAnd her backpack...Her backpack looked exactly like the one that I had given to Kysael many, many years ago.

t.i.t even had the same 'K' embroidered onto the opening of the bag. But it couldn't be Kysael's bag, could it?

tMy heart raced.

tCould it be? Could it be Kysael?

tBut then I studied her again.

tShe was far too tall to be Kysael....but.... she reminded me so much of her that it couldn't be a coincidence.

t"Excuse me," I said. "Are you from around this area? Or are you travelling? You look a little lost."

tShe turned to face me, and I startled when I saw the identical Wraith marking that belonged to Kysael's Wraith clan, only it was scarlet rather than the royal blue.

tAnd her eyes were a piercing blood color.

tHer body was tall and lean, and her face was long, lean as well. She had a curved upward nose, wide nostrils, thick lips and round eyes.

tHer face did not favor Kysael, but her markings couldn't simply be coincidence. t

And I knew that it was Kysael's bag that she was carrying.

tI had an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach at the sight of her.

tI knew.

tI knew who she was, deep down.

tI knew that she was Kysael's child.

tThe daughter of the Woodelf-Wraith hybrid huntress and the Darkelf Prince of the Dark Realm.

tShe eyed me a bit warily, not letting her guard down. "I am a little lost, I am trying to find Irasil. There is someone very important there that I have to find right away. I am from Lykra."

t"I see. If you continue north-" I said, pointing north. "You will reach your destination. I would advise you to cover your markings first, though, because you may frighten a bunch of people and they may not even allow you into the city."

t"Oh, I think they'll allow me into the city. And besides, my markings are the only thing that will tell this man who I am."

tI suddenly felt hot. "I have been living in Irasil for a while, I may know who you are looking for. What is his name?"

tShe thought for a moment, as if she had almost forgotten. Then, when it came to her, her eyes lit up. She had Kysael's eye shape, though certainly not the color.

tThe way her eyes lit up, though...it reminded me of Kysael. "Kelose, I'm looking for a Woodelf man named Kelose."

tI startled. "You're looking for me?"

tShe looked shocked, looking me up and down with calculative eyes that made me feel as if she were trying to peer into my soul.

t"You are Kelose?"

tI nodded. "Yes, I am. Why are you looking for me?"

tShe looked away. "It is urgent that you come with me to Lykra, right away."

tKysael flashed through my mind. "Why?" I had known about Kysael's injury, and had intended to go and to see her myself, to check on her. But I had not intended to interfere, and even if I had, what could I do? Dragon was the healer.

t"My mother....my mother needs you, Kelose."

tI already knew, but I asked anyway...just to be positive. "Who...who is your mother?"

t"I am Kirinae, the daughter of Kysael, of the Huntsmen clan." She met my eyes. "I need for you to come with me right away to help her."

t"What does she need my help for? Dragon is the healer. He is her husband. What use am I to her?" I asked, heart racing. I had been on my way to find her anyhow, and now come to find out, she needed me...?

t"She...well, you will understand once you see her."

t"Kysael doesn't need to see me," I told her. "It would be better for her if she didn't. All I ever do is hurt her. Besides...I am a rogue. It would hurt her even more to see me, with how far that I have fallen. I am too dark, too tainted..."

t"None of that matters!" She insisted quickly. "She needs you, and you will only understand why if you come with me."

t"Why are you here for her? Why not send someone else?"

tShe tugged and stroked at one of her braids, looking sheepish. "Well...they don't know that I left. I just wanted to help my mother, and this is what will help her. You have to come with me!" She cried, tears in her frustrated eyes. "You just have to, Kelose. You owe it to her, with everything that you've done, all the hurt you've caused...you owe it to her to come to her and help her now. Please!"

tI sighed. "You are certain that I am what she needs? I had wanted to visit her anyway, to offer my service to her because I owe her a dept. But you are telling me that she actually... needs me?"

t"Yes," She sobbed. "And believe me, if there were any other way, I would not involve you in my mother's and step-father's affairs."

tMy insides churned at the statement and I felt nauseous, but I nodded, and picked my pack off the ground, putting it over my shoulder. "Lead the way, then."

tShe grabbed my hand, and together we ran toward Lykra.

tFear speared my insides at the prospect of seeing Kysael again. After all, Dragon had told me that they were going to be parents. Obviously, that had changed. Of course, it had. Mafrien had impregnated Kysael with this dark child.

tI glanced over at her. For such a ferocious, fierce monster, she sure was a beautiful young woman. She didn't even look to be a child, though I knew for a fact that she was only months old.

tI had a bad feeling about all of this.