'We are indebted to you, milady,' the general said with a bow. His men quickly prostrated themselves before the powerful elven princess. They did not know why their general bowed to this elf. He never bowed to anyone.
'Please, do not bow before me. I merely provided assistance in a battle that you were going to win without my help,' she said with hushed tones as she gestured for the men to stand. 'I am Princess Kira, daughter of King Tiranidrol, ruler of the Renshaw elves. Please gather your horses and follow me. We are not safe out in the open.' She motioned for them to hurry as she looked around furtively. She had an anxious look that clearly indicated that they were still in danger. They glanced at their general, who quickly nodded to them that they should do as she said.
They hurriedly gathered up their horses and were off within a couple of minutes. The general picked up the princess with one of his massive arms and had her ride behind him. They sped off quickly into the interior of the forest in the opposite direction of the dead and dying wolf pack. Men were usually not permitted into the confines of the forest, but their situation was one of need. Princess Kira assured them that they were not in any immediate danger from the elves. They really needed to focus on putting some serious distance between them and their attackers before stopping for a rest. After what seemed to be hours of traveling in a northeastern course, they came upon a small clearing where the princess called for a halt. It was obvious by now that they were no longer being pursued.
'We are truly grateful to you for the timely assistance you gave us back there,' General Yukio said with a gracious smile. 'Do you know what happened to the men I sent to the Elgore Bridge?'
'They were waylaid by the very beasts you killed. None of your troops survived the ambush,' she reported sadly. She had a very sincere look on her face that made it clear she had truly wanted to help their dead companions. 'I am sorry that I was not able to help them. Their deaths will be avenged.' The men had never witnessed an elf being nice or even polite to anyone of a different race. Their interactions with elves had always been terse at best. She looked as though she truly cared about them. That made them all very nervous.
'We are indebted to you for your kindness. We will leave you now Milady. We do not wish to inconvenience you any further. We will report to Queen Thejar of your selfless actions and will return with a reward as a token of our gratitude,' the general stated with a slight bow. He knew that they were trespassing and that their presence was being watched by unseen eyes. This forest is alive! I mustget my men out of here. I do not know what this treacherous elven princess wants with us.
'General Yukio, send your men back to your queen to report the events that have transpired. She will need to know that the southern wolves are migrating north. I request that you stay here with me,' she said without any hint of what exactly she meant by her strange request. 'I have matters I need to discuss with an emissary of the race of men, and you are the perfect candidate.' She waited patiently for his reply with an unfathomable look on her smooth face.
'Commander, please lead the men back to the queen and report what has taken place. Make sure you tell her about the wolves and let her know that I will be returning shortly with a more detailed report,' he said with a grin. 'Let her know that I am meeting with a member of the elven royal family and that I will return as soon as our meeting has ended.' He could see a smirk creep across the face of his commander and gave him a quick wink. The commander understood that political issues were not the only things these two would be discussing. The soldiers saluted their general and then spurred their horses toward the northern edge of the forest. They wanted out of the eerie woods as fast as their steeds could carry them.
The princess and the general silently watched as the soldiers galloped off through the trees. After what seemed to be several minutes, they turned to look at one another. I do not understand it, but I know that my destiny is bound to this man. I feel that without him I will never be whole as long as Ilive. What's wrong with me?
The general easily read her thoughts and smiled. She is just as confused as I am; maybe that is why she is not bothering to shield thoughts from me.
'What exactly did you want to talk about, Milady?' Yukio questioned slyly. 'I do not think that it is politics or the safety of trade routes along the Blaine River.' He was smiling smugly now. He knew what she had in mind from reading her thoughts. He could also tell that she did not know that he had the ability to read minds, which was working to his advantage.
'Well, you already know why I asked you to stay behind. I thought you were gifted with stealing information from people's minds,' she retorted playfully. 'Remember, I have magic as well. Just because I do not possess the same abilities as you does not mean I do not know when my mind is being probed. You have met my father before, haven't you?' She was toying with him now. 'He told me that you were able to block his probing attempts the last time you two met.'
The general was turning slightly red with anger at what he perceived to be mocking words. He had no idea that she knew so much about him. 'So, I guess there is more to this chance meeting than meets the eye?' There was no denying the attraction he had toward her. He was a man after all. She was more beautiful than any woman in Nairi, and he had never met the likes of her. Logic and reason said that what he was thinking and feeling was irrational, but he could not deny what he was beginning to feel for this elven princess.
'Do you not sense the special bond that has formed between us already? I have known for some time now that we would meet, and I have also known that our destinies were somehow inextricably linked,' she said with a sultry tone in her voice. 'I know all of this because one of the guardians revealed these glimpses of the future to me. She knew that our union was vital to the future of the races.' She had a lustful look in her eyes as she stared the general down. She moved closer to him as she spoke. He could smell her sweet fragrance and sense her burning desire. Our union … what is she talking about?
'So, what do we do now?' he asked quizzically. He was taken aback by what was happening and how fast things were unfolding. He instinctively knew that they would end up together somehow, though he did not know how or why it would happen. The elven laws regarding mixing with other races were strict, and the punishments for violating them were severe. That was not what concerned him at the moment; he was too intent on what was happening. It was as if he were dreaming a dream that would vanish the second he questioned what was taking place.
'We must go at once to meet with Mistress Kana,' she said with ever-mounting anticipation. It is happening just as she had said it would. She felt a rush of wild excitement and passion surge through her body. I will get what I want and save many of the elves from the ill fate that awaits those who will not follow me. General Yukio will be by my side, and then I can go to work on changing the destiny of the elven nation.
'Why are we meeting with an Elemental?' Yukio queried cautiously. A feeling of great trepidation coursed through his body at the prospect of meeting with a guardian face-to-face. 'Have we been invited to meet with her ladyship?' He did not know what to think at this point. He had let his curiosity override his common sense. He realized that the princess was anticipating marrying him and that together they would become heavily involved in altering the elves' destiny. He had always been in control of his life and took comfort in knowing he could still use his power against this powerful princess if events got out of control. How could I have been so blind? All I had to do was delve deeper into her thoughts instead of touching so much on her feelings. I should get out of here.
'She is expecting us and is rather anxious to meet you,' she said excitedly. There was no point in blocking the mental intrusions by the general. By allowing him access into her mind, he would be more willing to follow her to Mount Quang for their meeting with the Mistress Kana. 'General, there is no point in the both of us pretending that you do not have the ability to use magic to enter a person's mind. I have let down all of my defenses; feel free to probe my thoughts and feelings.'
A brief look of annoyance crossed his face. How does she know so much about me and my abilities? He quickly hid any display of emotion and closed his eyes. Once his eyes were shut, he reached out with his magic to locate Kira so he could probe her mind for the truth. He first touched the cords of her emotions. He found out right away that she needed him and that she cared more for him than for anyone else. He could also sense her deep and abiding love she had for the elven people. When he prodded these sentiments for the elves to the surface, he understood their plight and felt the desperate need to assist the princess in changing their fate. How is she doing that? Why should I care what happens to the elves?
As he delved deeper, he came across a discussion she had had with the guardian Kana. He quickly understood why they must go to meet with her and why he had such strong feelings for this elven woman whom he had just met. He still thought it unsettling that Kira knew so much about him. Through his probing, he found that
