Star of Silver, Spirit of the dragon

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Long ivory white hair hung from a man’s hand. He brought it to his face and breathed in its scent once more savoring it, before gently wrapping it up and placing it in his saddle bags. Raiquen smiled only slightly his bounty was close and by catching this child and taking her back to where she belonged he would be far richer.

“On we go Talasan, to the city of Melodea.” Raiquen spoke to the beast beneath him who had already picked up into a trot at his friends command. The travel was hard with only the birds and his beast to keep him company, he found himself slightly longing for his friends back at home. The large trees around him groaned and he listened closely.

“Beware traveler, beware the red hooded ones for they seek your life blood to sustain themselves.”
“Red hoods?” he questioned himself out loud, still listening closely and intently to the sounds of the forest. It was then he’d noticed all the birds had gotten silent not a one sang their evening vesper to the world. He whispered a word to Talasan and they were off. He ducked an arrow just in the nick of time never looking back to see if they were pursued. Many a skilled man had died that way before and he would not be among them. He could smell blood and death on the wind. He remembered the tales his grandfather would tell him of the creatures that haunted the other woods and of their vile eating habits.

He could feel sweat drip down his back as they rode for the edge of the forest hoping that this would not be their last ride together. He let out a startled yell as an arrow pierced his shoulder. He buried his face into the mane of Talasan.

“Get us out of here safe old friend.” He breathed harshly in the horse’s mane. He blacked out as the brightness of the world outside the forest lit his vision up. He came too in a well lit camp. He was placed near the fire so he would stay warm he moved to get up and the camp swayed in front of his eyes. Raiquen groaned bring a hand over his eyes.

“Where am I?” he asked not expecting an answer.
“You’re safe if that is what you’re wandering.” A woman answered her voice was smooth calming and motherly. He looked at her and sighed.

“I am indebted to you, lady.”
“Save your thanks we aren’t out of trouble yet your debt will be paid before we reach the castle town of Melodea. Though you can answer me this. What is a dark elf doing so far away from home?”

Raiquen sighed “It is a long story…”
“Is it now?”
“What of my horse?”
“One of my girls is caring for Talasan she said his name was he’s a strong animal he’ll be fine. My name is Teala everyone around here just calls me Tela. So what’s your story stranger?”

“My name is Raiquen my mother was Shala, my father I never knew. Every year you earn the rights to become a man by under going a test. I passed mine. With flying colors, but because of my mother and her coupling with a stranger…”

“They denied you the right to take a woman as is the custom with the elves. That once you’ve proven yourself to your brethren elves, you have the choice to take a life companion. Usually someone, who you’ve loved since you were a child, you must have felt humiliated. To be a man and have the rights of a man but because of your mother’s love and your impure blood you may not take a woman to bed for the fear that your children will destroy the race further.” Tela sighed sadly.

“You know of their customs?” Raiquen asked surprised.

“Better then most they cast me from my village once I came of age…as you see I took after my mother I have her dark human hair…In my case it was my father’s sin that made me. My mother raise me her very best till she died of a sickness that over took most of the kingdom. The elves pitied me and allowed my father to come and get me. I understand, as I’ve said, what it is like. Continue with your story.”

“Recently the father of the one I love came to me. He gave me the hair of a child. He told me if I find her, his daughter can become my life partner. The scent of the child’s hair is my salvation in a way and I savor that scent. For when I find her she will come back home and I will have my life partner, Elarose.” Tela almost laughed but instead stroked the fire back up to a roar.

“So this girl… This child is in Melodea?” She asked half curious.

“She must. It is where the scent comes from and by logical reasoning I’ll find her there.” He answered a bit annoyed by the question.

“You won’t find her there at least not in a day’s time. As for the child what if she is happy where she is what if you take her from her family or worse her life companion? What then, what will you do then? Take her away for your dreams?”

“What do you know? You know nothing! You assume.” He screamed back at her annoyance showed on his face. “Go to back to sleep you can worry about things that concern you tomorrow.” Tela answered “Understand though you bother any of my girls I’ll have your head.” She stood and left half annoyed “I can’t influence you to do what’s right. Or tell you what you want but there is more to this world then what you see at home. Just remember that the things that come with an expensive price aren’t always the best things for you.”

He scoffed “I know that but Elarose is worth it. She loves me I know it.”

“…do you really know that? Is her love worth the price of someone else’s freedom or happiness? Are you that selfish? That you’d condemn someone else? Think about it before you make your decision.” Tela answered she finished walking into the night.

By the time morning had dawned there were five more fires in the dark and about ten around each. Other fires small lanterns were on the wind some belonging to the riders in the outfit he was in others were of purples and blue they belonged to the ghosts that could not rest on the plains. The old warriors of the ancient time that would claim lives. He could feel the chill of the sea wind here and he shivered. This wasn’t what he imagined outside of the forests. It was both beautiful and deadly. He awoke in the mother to the sound of galloping hooves. He shot up to see the arch of a horse rearing up in morning light. The rider and color of the horse obstructed by the sun’s fiery light. It was as the horse began running again did he catch sight of the rider beautiful and serene on the back of the beast. The wind whistled in his ears and he was hauled to his feet by Tela.

“Come on get up Raiquen we have to get to the shelter of the mountains otherwise we’ll lose the herd and half of the rookies.” She pointed toward the spiral of dark wind coming for them.

Raiquen saddled Talasan as fast as he could and jumped on riding ahead toward Tela.

“Can we get this thing moving?” She shouted at a wagon driver.

“Miss the wheels are stuck they pull and the wheels will break.”

Raiquen didn’t speak he knew that they lived out of the wagons. If they lost one it would be a great loss what was worse was the storm was gaining.” Unhook the horses and let’s get out of here.

“God wills it the wagon will be here untouched when we come back.” Tela answered she left only after everyone was in front of her. Men, women, and children all fled the storm.
Raiquen had never seen anyone act the way she did. In the end of it they’d lost two wagons out of four but not a single man, woman, or child was missing. The horses they’d lost only five out of the beasts it was a remarkable number Raiquen realized as he got a view of all the creatures from a cliff.

His eyes scanned the area and he saw her again sitting atop the most magnificent horse he’d ever seen other then his own. His vision swayed now showing his body was already exhausted, and his wound not quite healed. Carefully he slide from Talasan’s back and unsaddled him. He would allow Talasan to join the herd for today he could see they were going no where to many were injured to make the trip through the mountains. He knew not all the injuries were from the storm, some were from the previous night keeping the horses safe. One of the girls came and helped him back to the camp he learned her name was Brekka, and she was a slave as well as half of the other girls were also.

Brekka was the cook and was earning her freedom that way. Others were also working to free themselves. He soon found out why Tela allowed the one girl such a free run of everything. Tela had been paid to bring her to the Prince of Melodea to be his new sex slave.

“Just let her be Raiquen, let her enjoy the freedom she’s been granted, it maybe the last her wild spirit is allowed.”

Added a bit more to this, please reveiw and let me know what you want to see happen.