The Knights Of Eirelaian: Halfling Chapter Fourteen Running after Alistella, making sure the princess never left her sight, Emma allowed herself to melt into the dark vapoured winged form of her hunter fey persona and ploughed through the path of the storming greichon, leaving a trail of torn bodies behind her for her twin Danwin to finish off. What ever happened, it was her duty to protect the princess even if it meant that sometimes she had to rely on someone else to help pick up the pieces. 'She's too fast!' she shouted to her brother's mind, 'Why does she always have to be too fast' 'You trained her that way' came the amused laughing reply, 'Only person to blame is yourself' 'Remind me to tell Pria that she's marrying a big boring know-it-all' ~*~*~*~ "Back away from the girl or I'll make sure this'll be your last day in the world of the living!" Ali shook her head in disbelief as the farm boy feebly attempted to scare away the greichon from around him and the young girl with him. "If you're trying to ask them to a tea party then you're doing brilliantly" she spoke calmly, getting everyone's attention for the first time since she had arrived at the clearing, "However, if you're trying to strike fear into their minds then you're really rubbish at it" The farm boy gave her a mixed look of confusion, bewilderment, and frustration. He began to open his mouth to speak to her, but instead was interrupted by the choked screams of two greichon falling dead to the ground. "I'm sorry" Ali said nonchalantly as she casually uncrossed her arms and gripped the dagger swords in her hands, "What were you trying to say?" "Nothing" came the sighed response, "just nothing. It's not important anyway" Ali nodded and handed him one of the swords, not once missing the almost sinister glint in his eye, "Less talk, more fight. Got that?" "Got it" ~*~*~*~ One thing Leilani definitely learned about living in a different world was that she always seemed to be getting herself in trouble in some form or other. "So much for Dad being a boring business man" she sighed, fidgeting with the bandages around her hands, "I wonder what my classmates back home would think of all this." A newly familiar and gradually frustrating voice interrupted her reverie, "Stop scratching them: you'll make them worse if you do" Leilani frowned as the rusty haired high councillor sat down on the wobbly little foot stool beside her travel bed. "Oh, it's you" she pouted. How dare he look so innocent and lost and scared and annoyingly beautiful and make her start to fall... "What do you want?" "For you to stop being silly and hold still" "What the? Hey! That's cold!" Arnell had gently unwrapped the bandages and was rubbing some kind of strange looking lotion into the palms of her hands. "Thank the Goddess you were asleep last time I helped to heal you" he muttered, carefully looking for burn marks and scars, "If I knew you were this annoying." Leilani whipped her hands away, "I AM NOT..." The others in the healing tent were giving her funny looks. "I am not annoying" she said, lowering her voice to a hiss, "It's just that you... You... You" Her words were lost as he stared deep into her eyes. He really genuinely looked scared he might lose her. "I know what you think of me" he sighed, not realising he was still holding her hand, "and I wouldn't blame you. The world you come from is so much different from mine. I would chance a guess that someone like me with my attitude would not be accepted so gracefully." "Well, not totally" Leilani's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed pink. Where had that come from? She didn't want to like him. In fact a very tempermental part of her soul refused to like him, but that was now slowly being taken over by the part that did. "Your father informed me of the different courting customs you're used to" Arnell went on, ignoring Leilani's blank expression, "Apparently you honour friendship first. If you will be my friend you may get to understand me more and how I see my way through this world better." "And what if I don't like following your way through this world?" "I'll give up and follow your way instead" Screwing up her eyes Leilani fought back the stubborn little side that threw walls against things and people she couldn't figure out. "Fine," she answered with an annoyed gasp, "I'll be your friend. However if you so much as..." "You have my word, I promise" "Good" "Oh and Hanlin?" "What now?" Leilani sighed, starting to get annoyed again. "You really should fix your hair" Arnell answered her calmly, "It's very unladylike" And with a wave of his hand he threw an enchantment at Leilani's short messy lopsided bob, making it grow long again. Even as he left the infirmary the halfling was fiercly trying and failing to make her hair stop growing. Neither of them realized which whispered secret they'd unveiled to a nearby lowly healer maid. "Mara Trista still lives"