Difference between revisions of "Chelle"

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Exalted Exchange ideas, questions and stories about Exalted.

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Subject: Exalted Story Michy - 05/19/2004 02:17:21 - kiraakuma@yahoo.com

Alright, here it is. Some of you may remember this from before when I posted the Dragonblooded Story. I decided to expand on it a little. This is just a beginning, though. Tell me what you think.

'Chelle

Rain was falling. The city was safe.

--With a scream of defiance, Teia threw a glowing mote of essence at the demon as it reared it�s ugly head. Teeth, large as swords came down on her arm, the armor giving a screech of protest as poison dripped from it�s slathering jaws. Teia�s scream turned to agony and she pulled at her arm, but the creature�s teeth were firmly jammed down in the plates of her armor.

Rearing it�s head, the creature shook the woman, raising it�s face toward the heavens to open it�s mouth and swallow the young Exalt. Teia�s eyes widened and she felt sure she would die. As she fell into it�s mouth, she felt sure that this was the end.--

�Where am I?� The thought came idol, for it wasn�t really important. Teia was warm and safe, and that�s all that really mattered. A familiar scent was on the air, and she inhaled of it deeply, a smile on her lips, though she had not yet full regained consciousness.

--Arrows, piercing the creature�s gullet, literally keeping her from falling deeper into its hideous throat. Where had they come from? Who had shot the beast? And why did she feel so light, as the creature�s head crashed down.--

Teia awoke with a start and looked up at a wooden ceiling. Around her, the room smelled of woodsmoke and �.

She gasped softly and sat up on the bed. Pain lanced her arm where the demon had bit her, and she clenched her teeth, looking at the wound with worry, but saw that it was bound and tended. She raised her head and the world froze.

Teia�s gaze met two cold, green eyes above the glitter of green jade armor. Tension filled the room as the eyes, not entirely empty of emotion, blinked once, though the face that held them did not move at all. The Dragonblood stood quietly, watching Teia awaken with the same wariness you might watch a caged tiger that you found yourself trapped with.

As tears welled up in Teia�s eyes, the Dragonblood spoke, and her heart broke.

�Give me back my sister.�

--�Merilis! Merilis! Where are you girl? Your tutor has been searching for you!�

Merilis giggled softly, and stayed low and concealed behind the stone pot, hidden among the tall, leafy reeds. She loved this game, and she knew she could continue hiding from her sister until she detected that note of desperation that meant she might go to her parents and tell them she was hiding. Merilis didn�t want that, but she did so enjoy hiding.

�Merilis, where are you? If you don�t get out here, you�re going to get such a�,� her voice trailed off, and Merilis felt her heart jump as her sister�s footsteps approaches the plant. Then she squealed in surprise as her sister pushed the reeds aside and grabbed for her hand. �Come on, Merilis. You know you can�t keep your tutor waiting.�

Merilis smiled sweetly and stood up. She was 8 years old, full of life and brimming with excitement. She was a precocious child, smart and forward with her questions, and had come very close to insulting her family on a couple of occasions during parties. Her sister, Teia�an odd name for a Dynastic scion�had always been there to keep her in line however. Merilis loved her sister, as she loved everyone she came into contact with.

Teia breathed an exasperated sigh, and tugged the younger girl along with her. Teia was twenty years old, and was getting just a little tired of being her younger sisters caretaker. She had been supposed to Exalt and become an asset to her family, but to the disappointment of her parents, and her personal chagrin, she had not Exalted. She did have a decidedly keen eye for watching over small children, however. Her parents had not hesitated to put her to work shepherding her younger sister, who held more hope for them then her. It galled her sometimes that this little girl could be the target of their hopes, where she had been at one time. But one look into those perfect, blue eyes and she couldn�t help herself. Everyone loved Merilis.

�Teia, you mad at me?� her younger sister asked. Teia looked down into the little oval of her face and shook her head, smirking a bit.

�No, Merilis. I�m not mad. Though your tutor probably will be, if I don�t get you in there quick,� she said, and quickly ducked into a side door to avoid a servant carrying a large platter. Wouldn�t you know they�d be having a tea party now, and she wasn�t able to attend.

Merilis smiled brightly, and opened the door, stepping through to look up at her mentor, a crotchety older man with a knobby neck, and equally knobby knees. �Hello Bertram!� she said, and immediately took her seat as though this was where she had meant to go all along.

�Ahem. Hello indeed, Miss Merilis,� Bertram cleared his throat, irritably. �And where have we been, then?�

�I�ve been in my room, playing with Teia,� was the instant response. She continued quickly, before he had a chance to recover, �And you�ve been in here, waiting for me.� Giggling, Merilis nodded as though that were the way things ought to be.

Bertram cleared his throat again, and eyed the little girl. He glanced up to see Teia quickly retreating, and somewhere in his dark heart, he felt some pity for the poor girl, and let her go. Looking back to Merilis, he turned to the board he�d been writing upon and began the lesson.

Teia rushed to her rooms, after leaving Merilis behind, threw off her clothing and began to dress herself for tea. Fixing her hair, she carefully applied what little facial paints she was allowed on her meager salary, then quickly rushed down the stairs. She stopped a few feet from the bottom, then casually walked down the rest and turned into the sitting room, standing at attention quietly as she waited for her parents to recognize her.

Every time she looked at them, Teia felt a rush of jealousy and pride. They were so magnificent, in their jade armors and brilliant fabrics.

Her mother, whose face was echoed in her own, was a study of polite, but firm stature. She could dominate the room with a glance, and she always looked beautiful. Her attire was always appropriate to the situation, whether she was entertaining the Regent, or a minor dignitary from the lesser house of the Deliberative. Every move she made was calculated and powerful, and she never let anyone forget that she was in control.

Her father was no less impressive. His face was beautiful, feminine in a way, and strong. His appearance could be seen in Merilis, with his blue eyes, and silky blonde hair. His strength was of a different kind from his wife�s, but he too had been known to command respect from a room of other Dragonblooded. Teia stood in awe of them both.

Teia�s attention was drawn to the men and women they were talking too. Two of them were also Dragonblooded, but one was mortal, as she herself was, a handsome young man with impeccable manners. As she had entered the room, his eyes had lit up. He seemed barely constrained by his parent�s side, as he studiously avoided looking directly at her. Teia�s heart soared for a moment.

�Teia, come in and say hello to Lady Maru and Lord Tevan. They haven�t seen you since before you went off to school,� the powerful voice of Teia�s mother called out to her, drawing her inexorably into the room. Few could resist the power of Lady Tepet Ulandra�s voice. Teia curtsied deeply to her parents, and then to Lady maru and Lord Tevan.

Lord Tevan smiled warmly, the red of his skin, and the fat in his cheeks making him appear almost like a scowling devil when he was angered, but only served to make him appear laughable when he smiled. Lady Maru, however, eyed Teia appraisingly, and a lump grew in the girl�s throat. Maru had the look of a woman who regularly chewed up young Dynasts and spat them out onto her platter, only to eviscerate them with the great, black daiklave that rested upon her back. Or at least, that was the thought that came to Teia�s mind as she felt herself under such scrutiny.

�She�s a bit scrawny, isn�t she?� Lady Maru spoke, looking to Ulandra. �Doesn�t she keep up with any martial studies?�

Ulandra, who detested Mnemon Maru intensely, merely smiled and said in a silkily smooth voice, �Teia is quite capable of besting women twice her age, and men twice her size. She is small, but her muscles are wiry, and she is well-disciplined.�

Teia�s carefully kept her expression neutral, and her eyes lowered, but color touched her cheeks, and rose to her ears. How dare this woman speak to her like this? She was the daughter of Tepet Ulandra, a direct descendent of Lord Tepet himself!

Maru shrugged a bit, and Lord Tevan spoke up, �I�m sure she is more then capable, Lady Ulandra. She is, if I may be excused for saying so, as beautiful as her mother.�

Teia had always liked Lord Tevan. He was a good man, a hero of the Realm, and a loyal member of Dragonblooded host. She smiled a bit at his praise, and could feel her mother swell with pride.

�May I say, Lord Tevan, that your son is quite as handsome as you are,� spoke Skyfall, Teia�s father. Cathak Skyfall was born Heavenly Skyfall, of the Heavenly Trading Family. He had Exalted at a very young age, and been adopted into House Cathak soon after. He did not mind that others considered him weaker because of his humble beginnings. It fit in quite well with his subtlety. He let his wife do most of the talking, but together they were an almost invincible team, their wits almost perfectly matched.

Subject: Exalted Story Michy - 05/19/2004 02:18:42 - kiraakuma@yahoo.com

Lord Tevan puffed up at such a compliment, pride radiating from his bearing as he nodded his head, and put a large hand on his son�s shoulder. �He�s a fine lad,� he said, �but he needs a fine woman to keep him in line.� He chuckled, a deep, throaty sound that made Teia�s heart light to hear it. Her heart skipped a beat or two as she considered once more the brief interlude she had already shared with the fat Lord�s son.

Lady Maru cleared her throat, and leaned back, crossing her arms, �Yes, a fine woman. But where will we find such a one? There seems a distressing lack of responsible, strong women in these parts.� She was playing her part in the negotiations perfectly. She didn�t really dislike Teia, and her animosity toward Ulandra was more a matter of rivalry then of true spite. In fact, she rather respected the woman, as did most of her peers.

Ulandra inclined her head, �I don�t know, Lady Maru. Perhaps we should send these two off somewhere to talk, while we discuss the matter?�

Pelen, for his part, took the hint. Rising to his feet, he turned to his mother and gave a short bow, �If I may be excused mother? Father?� Maru looked at him, a bit annoyed at his quick response, but waved him off, and Tevan merely winked. Teia�s heart soared again as Pelen turned toward her and bowed, gesturing to the door. �If my Lady Teia would accompany me, it would be an honor,� he said, his voice soft and his eyes offering a completely different message.

Turning, Teia curtsied gracefully to her parents, then she exited with Pelen to let the Dragonblooded determine her future, and how much she and the man she had fell in love with were worth.

The home Teia�s family shared was a modest dwelling for a Dragonblooded household. Had it been found in the Threshold the locals would have called it palatial. But Teia barely noticed it as she walked hand in hand with Pelen through beautiful rooms that consisted primarily of archways and high ceilings. Murals on the walls depicted flowing waves, and swirling motifs indicative of the aspects of the heads of household, Ulandra and Skyfall.

Teia and Pelen talked quietly about inconsequential things, neither of them truly hearing what the other spoke, only listening to each other�s voices. This picturesque scene was not to last, however.

As they were looking at a water fountain in the center of one of the sitting rooms, a scream brought them out of their reverie. It was a high, agonized sound, and Teia recognized Bertram�s voice in its high squeal. Releasing Pelen�s hand, she dashed down the hall, before being brushed aside and slammed into the wall by the jade-encased bulk of her mother, Ulandra, moving at a calm, but swift walk down the hall, daiklave in hand.

Pelen helped Teia up as Skyfall moved past, a jade chakram seeming to appear in his hands. He looked a bit more agitated then his wife did, and the air around him whipped and sung with the power of his released anima, flattening Pelen and Teia against the wall. The young man, cognizant of the danger of staying around the aroused Terrestrials, carefully drew Teia into a side chamber as his parents followed hers.

Pushing past the agitated servants, Tepet Ulandra�s cool, deep gaze took in the scene in the next room. Merilis was crouched in the corner, between two potteries, the plants held within them whipping agitatedly as though alive around her. Bertram sat with his hand held in his lap, blood leaking from the bruised fingertips and a look of shock in his eyes. His hand was likely broken, Ulandra noted with a detached calm. No sooner had this realization come to her, than Merilis threw herself into her mother�s arms.

Catching the child up, she turned to her husband, and smiled a bit. �It would seem we have had a little excitement here today. Have the house physician see to Bertram. I will take our young Exalt outside where she won�t hurt anyone else�

Skyfall nodded, and called for the physician, servants scrambling before him as his anima upset tapestries and tables all down the hall.

In the closet where Pelen had drawn her, Teia looked up into his eyes and whispered, �What do you think has happened?� When they heard her father calling for the physician, they had both guessed what could have agitated the Exalts so, but she was unwilling for the moment to believe it.

Pelen pushed open the door, heat rising to his face at being so close to her. He had kept his cool when the four Terrestrials had rushed past him, but he found it decidedly difficult to do with her body so close to his side. Stepping out, drawing her with him, he shouted to the nearest servant to tell him what had happened.

�The Lady Merilis has Exalted, good master,� the slave reported quickly, eyes carefully downcast. With a nod, he dismissed her, and turned to Teia, who had begun to cry.

�I am sorry, dear Teia,� he whispered softly, and held her to him.--

For a long moment, Teia fought back the tears and swallowed her heart back into her chest. �I�m afraid I can�t return to what I was, Merilis,� she whispered softly. �I�m not really sure I want to.�

Merilis frowned a bit at the Anathema and shook her head, �Don�t address me by that name, Demon.� Gathering her thoughts, she looked at Teia with those same cold, green eyes, �You defended the city. Teia always had a soft spot for those weaker then her, and I imagine she�s somewhere in there, fighting against you. It won�t do you any good to keep her. I will kill you even so.� And once again, Teia was overcome with memory.

--Days later, Teia entered her sister�s room once more. Subdued and quiet, the older girl looked about, not quite sure where her sister was. In the corner, the plants in the pottery where Merilis usually hid shifted back and forth as though in a wind, but there was no wind to be felt. Teia sighed softly, and looked away. Merilis was hiding again, but the girl had not yet gained enough control of her anima that she could suppress it.

Merilis stood up and stepped out from behind the plant. The last few days had been hard on the little girl, as her tutor had pushed her harder then before, and another tutor had been added, a dour, unfriendly woman named Mab. Merilis missed the time she had spent playing with her sister, and was afraid to hug her toys or her friends. She didn�t want to hurt them.

Teia looked at her sister and smiled a bit, a painfully forced appearance that made Merilis� guts twist a bit. �It�s time for your studies, Merilis,� Teia said, carefully controlling her voice. This was no longer her sister, but a Prince of the Earth, and she must be respectful.

Merilis shook her head and sat down on her bed. �I won�t go,� she said defiantly. Teia nodded, and turned to go. �Wait! Teia, aren�t you going to make me go?� she asked in her small, child�s voice. Teia turned back to her, and a light of compassion touched her eyes.

For days Teia had spent her time in self-pity and loathing. Why had the Dragons not chosen her? Why Merilis? But in the end, Teia had seen how difficult it was for her younger sister, and had come to the bitter realization that sometimes, the touch of the Dragons was harsh. Not something a little girl should have to put through, especially one who didn�t want it as much as Teia herself had.

She extended her hand to Merilis, and the girl rushed to her, taking her hand and smiling up at her. Her eyes, once so perfectly blue, had already begun to turn green, the color swirling into her eyes, even as her beautiful blond hair had begun to take on a greenish cast. Her skin might take longer to take on the green or brownish touch of the wood dragon, and Teia silently hoped it would not. Merilis� skin was so perfect already.

She smiled at her little sister with tears brimming in her eyes, and led her down the hall to the classroom. As soon as she entered, she saw that Bertram was missing, and only Mab stood at the board, impatient.

Mab was an ugly woman, who both Merilis and Teia had taken an instant dislike to. She was angry and irritable and never let Merilis get away with anything. Her perfect, little girl smile only seemed to anger Mab all the more. Had Merilis not been blessed of the dragons and therefore inviolable, Teia would never leave her alone with this woman.

In a way, Teia could understand Mab�s animosity. Had she not also been passed over by the dragons in favor of this little girl? Mab was a cousin of Teia and Merilis, and so was just as worthy of the Exaltation as Teia herself. But where Teia understood that it was not a failing on her part, but a success on the part of her sister, and was willing to live her life the best she could, Mab seemed interested only in taking out her frustrations on those who could little, or nothing to stop her.

Mab turned her ugly, brown eyes, and her face frowned. She always frowned. �You�re late,� she said to Merilis, ignoring Teia�s presence altogether. �Come and sit, and get out your work. We have much to cover today.�

Teia asked irritably, �Where is Bertram?�

Mab turned her dark gaze on the older girl, studying her for a long moment. Teia began to grow a bit nervous under her scrutiny, and was about to say something more when Mab snapped, �His hand was bothering him, so he is resting.� As she said this, her gaze moved back to Merilis, accusingly.

Merilis bit her lip, tears coming to her eyes, and Teia nodded. �Then I will be helping you today,� Teia said, and moved to the board.

Merilis looked at her with hopeful eyes, but Mab gave her a look of sheer murder and spat, �That will not be necessary.�

Subject: Exalted Story Michy - 05/19/2004 02:20:12 - kiraakuma@yahoo.com

Teia smiled sweetly to her, her bearing and the line of her features declaring her Ulandra�s daughter. �Perhaps it is not. But it is how it will be,� she said, a touch of iron in her voice. Mab glared at her, and muttered something, then turned to the board in a huff and began quickly writing. Teia smiled to Merilis, who sat down in her chair and got out her books. The little girl hadn�t been so happy for days.--

Teia shook her head, tired and a little cotton-headed from her injuries and lay back in the bed. Merilis frowned softly, growing a bit frustrated. It was so strange, the demon acted and seemed so much like Teia, she felt a twinge of guilt just talking to her like this. Afterall, it was her sister!

Coming back to her senses, she shook her head. She had to do this, if not for her own sake, then for Pelen�s.

--�It�s too hard! I can�t do it!�

Merilis threw down the bow in disgust, rubbing her bruised fingers. Her instructor, Mnemon Pelen, Teia�s husband smiled at her and shook his head. �Nonsense, dear Merilis. Anyone can do it. Watch,� he said, as he drew his bow and fired, striking the center of the target, thirty yards distant.

Merilis sniffed and picked her bow back up. She frowned, and drew an arrow, knocking it to, and drawing. As she let it fly, she winced as the string slapped the guard on her wrist, and dropped the bow again.

Pelen sighed softly. Perhaps she just couldn�t use a bow? That was nonsense. She was a Wood Aspected Dragonblood, after all. He crouched down and picked up the bow, holding it out to her. �Merilis, soon you will be leaving for school. You need to know how to do this, so you can perform in archery contests with the other students,� he said, trying to appeal to her competitiveness. �You don�t want them to laugh at you, do you?� he asked, smiling a bit.

Merilis frowned and shook her head, then picked up her bow again, and knocked another arrow. Looking up at Pelen, who nodded encouragingly, she raised the bow and drew. Power flowed around her, and a green aura flowed from her body, wrapping around her bow. The aura flared outward as well, pushing Pelen back as the air about the little girl seemed to fill up with whipping branches. Her hair blew up a bit as she fired and for an instant it seemed to his confused mind that she might have fired twice, but only one arrow struck the target, near the outside.

Merilis looked up at Pelen and smiled, and he nodded to her. �You will do well, Merilis. I know it,� he said. He held out another arrow to her, careful not to place his hand inside her anima, �The Dragons do not choose those who are not worthy, and you are more then worthy.�

He watched with pride as she drew and fired, this time getting a little closer to the center of the target.--

Subject: Exalted Story Michy - 05/24/2004 20:06:07 - kiraakuma@yahoo.com

Teia strapped the golden bracer to her arm, feeling it caress her flesh like an old friend, and shivered. A year ago she would have thrown it off and called the Order, but now she accepted it, not happily, but she did. Her armor did not caress her as the bracers did. They had been worn by an old friend, and strapping on the golden plate reminded her of a poignant friendship that was several thousand years in the dust.

She glanced at the door, knowing the Dragonblood was soon to return. She had recovered quickly from her wounds, partly due to an application of Merilis' Charms, and partly due to her own, Essence-sped metabolism.

Her mind rocked back, away from the thought of Merilis. No, she was the Dragonblood, until Teia could convince her that she meant her no harm.

A creak outside the door, and Teia's hand went instinctively to the knife at her belt. It had been made for a child's hand, or at least that's what the memories she'd had glimpses of told her. If so, it was a big child. The blade returned to her hand everytime she threw it, and was as sharp and strong as any daiklave. She knew, because she'd used it to defend herself against more then one Dragonblood.

The door opened, and the Dragonblood entered. Her blonde hair had a greenish cast, with red highlights that caught the light occasionally. She had been told she looked like her cousin, Ejava, but she had never seen the woman to whom she was compared. To Merilis, Ejava was as distantly removed as her Uncle, Arada, or the Empress herself.

Closing the door carefully, Merilis looked with cold eyes, barely holding back her fear and the need to cry that welled up inside her. Teia was dressed like she was going to leave, and Merilis knew, for both their sakes, that couldn't happen.

"Where do you think you are going, Demon?" she said, attempting to put venom into the words. It was hard, when the Demon looked so much like her sister.

Teia looked down, and moved her hand with some effort away from her knife. She looked back to the Dragonblood, and shook her head, "My power has faded, and it is time I was away. The others grow curious about why you have brought me up here. I can feel their schemes taking shape even now." And it was true. She could feel the other Dragonblooded below, scheming away as to how they were going to use this situation to best effect, and against Merilis.

But there was another presence, and that one scared Teia the most. An Immaculate had come into the building shortly before, and he was like a sea of calm in the rooms below. He had not yet demanded to see the Anathema, but she knew it was only a matter of time. She had to get out of there.

Merilis shook her head, "I will protect you from them. But you must return my sister to me." Her tone was quiet, commanding, a voice and manner that expected to be obeyed. But it had not effect on Teia.

"I'm sorry, Merilis," was all she said, as she made a sign with one hand, causing the air to shimmer, as she backed away. The Dragonblood drew her sword, a great, green jade Daiklave, and lunged forward, but it was too late. Even as there was a great clambering below, the winds of Essence had drawn Teia out the window, and she flew upon the back of her ally, Trewel, The Wind that Fills the Boughs.

Trewel was an old god, and he bore Teia upon his back out of an obligation that was a thousand and more years old. And as his wings carried her far from that place, Teia didn't look back once. Her fate was forward, in the arms of her love. Merilis watched her go, and cried.

'Chelle

Subject: Exalted Story Michy - 05/27/2004 17:25:08 - kiraakuma@yahoo.com

Bright Midnight scented the air, raising his head and turning his flashing eyes to see what rode on the wind. His eyes picked out the deer, huddled against her young, and he felt the urge to take flight, to hunt and feed. Ten Tigers grunted, and the urge faded quickly from his mind.

Turning, Bright Midnight bowed his head, a slight acknowledgement of the more powerful Exalt. Ten Tigers stood for a moment, also scenting the air. The deer fled with it's young, but no urge entered Ten Tigers' heart as he watched them go with flashing eyes. He was not hunting deer, this night.

Ten Tigers' voice rumbled, deep and strong, but quiet in the evening air, "Have you seen her?"

Bright Midnight made a sound, low in his throat, and when his voice came it was a low whine, "No, Sire. She does not approach." Lowering himself to a crouch, he leaned forward slightly, supporting himself on his hands as his voice took on a wheedling tone, "Why did you let her go to help the villagers, Sire? They are weak, they should be able to care...."

He was cut off as Ten Tigers turned to face him, his broad chest rippling with muscle and his eyes showing slight displeasure. Not just at his servant, either. "She is Exalted of the Sun. I could have imposed my will upon her, but there was no harm in her going. I would rather test her patience on more important things," he said, his voice matching the anger in his flashing eyes.

Bright Midnight bowed his head in submission, then straightened. His long, pointed ears twitched high above his matted hair and he tilted his head, then whispered, "She approaches, Sire. I will withdraw," and so he did.

Ten Tigers turned to face the direction that rushing wind came from, and saw Trewel, Teia riding upon his back. As she landed, he smelled her tears on the wind, and knew her grief. They were connected, as they had been before, and in his heart he felt once more the stirrings of that most human of emotions: Love.

Teia rushed into Ten Tiger's arms, leaning into him with a sob. He held her, and their mind's touched, and he knew without words what ailed his lover. He knew that no amount of Lunar force would heal the hurt, nor would his might and magic be able to keep her from being hurt again. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her back to their camp, and lay with her till morning.

The next day dawned bright and true. The sound of a camp rising to wakefullness caught and held Teia's attention. Her body still ached from the fight with the demon, and from her lover's attentions, but it was a good feeling. She was safe, her body was sated, and her sister was alive.

Of course, her sister hated her. But life was rarely perfect.

Dressing as she had the night before, she emerged from her lover's tent, to find that much of the camp was already packed away. The barbarians may have been uncouth, and hard to deal with at times, but they knew how to move camp, and were skilled fighters. She had to give them that.

A tall figure moved toward her, and she looked up at the hybrid bat thing that she knew was Bright Morning. He bowed his head to her, then his form pulled inward upon itself. Shortly, a dark-skinned young man stood before her, his yellow eyes and pointed ears the only sign of his former self. His voice still held something of a whine, even in this form, but she knew it was a part of who he was, and that he did not mean to speak in a wheedling tone. Most of time.

"Teia," he always addressed her by her first name, because she had asked it off him, "Sire told me to bring you to him. He said we must leave soon, before they arrive."

The bottom went out of Teia's stomach. She had flown many miles from the town, and she did not believe they could have found her so easily. She knew the Wyld Hunt was tenacious, but she had not expected this. "Take me to him," she said, speaking with an easy authority that she had not had when she was mortal and living in her Dynastic parents' home. Confidence flowed from her, and Bright Morning felt it as did everyone else.

He led her toward where Ten Tigers stood, outside the main camp. He stood in his hybrid form, an implacable wall of red-furred muscle. Even like that, he was breathtakingly beautiful to Teia.

Ten Tigers turned, and Bright Morning moved a short distance off. They knew he could still hear, but the attempt was well-made. As Ten Tigers approached, his tiger melted away, and he stood as a tall, impossibly beautiful man, with dark skin and deep brown eyes. His red hair was tousled, and Teia fought the urge to run her hands through it and straighten it. When they were alone was the time for loving gestures, not when he was before his tribe.

He smiled to her, and nodded, not as a lover, but as an ally. She was his equal, and he recognized that. "We shall leave soon. The Wyld Hunt follows you, and it is too dangerous to stay with the tribe. We can kill them without their help, all bringing them with us would do is place them in danger."

Teia's heart skipped a beat. If Merilis rode with them, she might be killed. Ten Tigers knew her mind, as she knew his, and he touched her face, his face as soft as it ever become, "We will not kill her. Capture her, perhaps, but not kill. This is also why I wish to tribe to be not with us."

Teia smiled at him, and nodded. But she did not look forward to the fight. It would be a long, hard battle, and she knew that someone would die. She just hoped it wouldn't be the two people she loved most in all her life.

'Chelle