The River of Life Chronicles

chapter 4

The wind howld and the sleeting rain nearly froze her cape to her body. Invenesia was dam cold and almost frozen through she tried to summon some warmth through what little magic she had but it was of no use. With her teeth chattering she said " when will we get there?" Drac stoped turned and yelled over the howling of the wind " soon where almost there." Invenesia hunched down more into her cape and tried to concentrate on putting one foot infront of the other. She stumbled bad almost fell but a strong arm gripped her and held her up. She looked up into those golden orange eyes rimmed in red and saw strength . Drac learned in his breathe tickled her ear and said be careful ok? Don't want you to fall. When he pulled back she felt a bit warmer from his touch. He must have transferred some of his magic to her giving her warmth why would he do that? She shrugged and watched her footing.

They arrived around noonday the fortress toward over them strong black beautiful spires stretching towards the sky. The gaurds stood on the wall staring down at them. The gold banners with red lettering stood out against the black granite building. They where a warning for nonhuman and humans alike to stay away far away. Dark elves don't play nicely with other species not even their distant cousins the light elves or even the Fae. It was a miracle that Drac even associated with Logan the werewolf. She would have to ask him about that someday. How Logan saved Drac's life. Dark elves are very, very hard to kill they are nearly immortal. They make the best assassin's light on their feet excellent hearing, near perfect and eyesight that can see for miles and miles they also could see just as perfectly in the dark. They had amazing speed and three times the strength of a vampire. In summary the perfect killing machine. Logan could not have picked anyone better to teach her. She was ready willing and able. Hopefully Drac wouldn't toss her out on her ass the first day of training.

Drac showed her to her room it was down the hall and across the hallway from his courters. She dumped her satchel on the floor and shrugged off her cloak the room had a tiny fireplace and a small wooden bed. A chamber pot was in the corner and a small desk was shoved up against the far right wall near a tiny window. The rain hit the window and the flames cast shadows across the white plasterd walls.

Drac just nodded at her and walked away not saying anything. She sat down on the bed the mattress sagged under her weight it was a bad mattress it needed restuffing. She lay back against the itchy wool blanket and started at the peeling plaster and the dark wooden beams spaced across the room. She heard the footsteps outside of her door pause than stop all together. "Hello?" No answer hmmm she got up and whent to open the door. No one was there outside her door. She looked down and saw a new cloak black and next to it some folded clothes. And new pair of dark black leather boots. She reached down and scooped it all up than whent back inside. She shook out the cloak and looked at it black wool with red silk lining. The stitching was amazing and she sniffed it , it smelled like magic she bet it was spelled against rainwater. She looked at the boots real dragon skin must have cost a fortune. The shirt was black and knitted out of fine cotton and the pants where black leather. She tried on the shirt and it fit like a glove the pants as well. She pulled on the boots they ended right under her knees. She kicked her right heel against the floor and a dagger shot out of the front toe of the boot she kicked the heel against the floor twice in a row and it retracted back in. Nice very nice she thought. She curled up in her bed exhausted and tired as hell.

Drac stared at the dark wooden door trying to get the courage up to knock on the door. His hand raised hesitated than he dropped it and put the boots by the door and set the cloak and clothing by her door. Than turned and walked away what was he doing?he could have had a servant deliver the items. Shaking his head he walked back to his room and just as he was going in side he heard her door open her door. He hurried into his room and closed the door than leaned against it. He than walked across his room and shrugged out of his shirt the black shirt hit the ground. He stretched and rolled his right shoulder it still ached dam it. He ground his teeth and stared at his deep scar white raised jagged flesh against his right shoulder it started at the top of his shoulder and crossed all the way, zig zagging along his whole chest. It had been three hundred years and it still hurt every dam day. Drac stripped out of the rest of his drenched clothing and reached for some warm dry black pants they where loose and hung just below his hips. He than pulled back the bedding and crawled into the blood red silken sheets. As he lay there staring at the ceiling and wondered how he was going to start training this half elf. She was strong magic wise he had felt it when she was healing him but .. teaching her to kill that was going to be hard. He had lived most of his life in violence he had faught his way through many a battlefield and than turned to being a assassin because the money was great. He pillowed his head behind his arms and continued to stare at the ceiling. He needed to get some rest they had a long day ahead of them.

Invenesia had another nightmare she awoke in a cold sweat and she smelled magic in the air odd she thought she could control it the magic but sometimes when she had a really bad nightmare the magic comes creeping out and will charge the air leaving a scent. She knew she could always use magic she just didn't know how really. It was like a survival instinct with her. It only came out when she really needed it or when she wanted to heal someone bad enough. Her magic drained her fast left her feeling exhausted and so tired. Nael had been helping her learn her giftings but he had died before they could make any real progress.

She awoke to a knock on her door the sun was beaming in through the small window. Than she heard Dracs rough voice be outside in five than he was gone. Invenesia launched out of bed threw on her shoes and was running down the hall while pulling her long ice blonde hair into a pony tail.

She skidded to a stop infront of the tall doors to the outside than shoved one open and raced through. The sun beat down on the hard red dirt. She stoped when she saw Drac standing there hands on his hips and grimace on his face. He than said laps start running. " How many laps do you want me to do Drac?" I didn't say how many just keep going till I say stop.

Invenesia started running the sun was blindly hot she started to sweat but kept going. She ran till she got dizy and her stomach twisted than she became nasious and stopped to vomit. Drac just stood there watching her with his burnt orange gaze. He was a cold hearted, bastard but he needed her to know that no mercy, no weakness. He would push her as far as he could to see what made her tick. "Keep going" he said. Invenesia wiped her mouth and started to run again. After another hour had passed Invenesia thought she would faint if she didn't get water soon. "Stop!" He yelled she halted bracing her hands on her knees sweat pouring down her face. Her shirt was soaked and her new boots had chaffed and left throbbing big open blisters on her heels. She groaned and swayed than reached out and braced her right arm against the cold Stone Wall. Than her vision whent black and she fell face first into the hard packed red earth. It was sometime later when she awoke to blood and dirt caking her inner mouth. Muttering a few choice curses she spit out the dirt and blood. Her nose was tender when she had gone down her face had met the hard ground and judging from the throbbing pain it was broken. She pushed herself up to a sitting position and touched it wincing. Her eyes teared up and blood poured down her face. She than grabbed her nose made with a quick jerk and sickening bone crunching sound. A stream of cursewords left her mouth but her nose was well on its way to being healed. She moaned and slumped against the wall. Her yellow eyes tracking Drac's every movement. How long was I out for? Drac shrugged and said a few minutes. A few minutes?! And you didn't think to try and wake me up?!

Again Drac just shrugged his big shoulders and said your awake now. Than he tossed her a water skin. She greedily started guzzling it down. She only stopped when it started to feel empty. Drac than said get on your feet where not done yet. She glared at him than tossed the arrogant elf her water skin and started jogging again. She ran for hours till her limbs threatened to give out. Just when she felt like she would faint again Drac called it a day.

She wobbled to her bedroom and collapsed face first into her bed.

So it whent for many days running till she dropped. Get up and repeat all over again. She found that she was getting stronger every day could run faster and longer not get as winded. After a few weeks of this Drac one day tossed her a water skin and told her they where going for a long hike. It was near dark when they neared the top of the mountain the view was beautiful. The valley stretched out before them fully of big green trees in different shades. She sat down and dangeled her feet over the side of the sheer drop. Drac sat down next to her and took a pull from his water skin. He looked like he didn't even break a sweat. Invenesia stretched and watched the orange ball kiss the horizon in deep purples oranges bright pinks and fitted with some azure. She turned to Drac and while he was drinking she asked do you have any family? Drac swallowed the mouth full of water and stared at her his orange gaze narrowed and he said I did once. She than asked did you ever get married? Drac chocked and coughed after spitting water everywhere he laughed and said sweetheart do I look like the marrying kind? Invenesia shrugged and turned a bright red the blush krept up the back of her neck and coloured her cheeks a pretty pink. She shrugged and mumbled I was just wondering that's all. Drac shook his head his black main of hair silky smooth spilling over his shoulders and down to the middle of his back. He studied her with those strange orange eyes as she watched the last rays of the sun go down. She was very beautiful light creamy skin,accented by high cheekbones and her figure wasn't to bad small breasts but her legs looked very nice . She wasn't super tall more of a athletic body what she didn't have in stature she made up for in muscle. He swallowed another mouthful of water and ask how about you ? Have any family? Invenesia shrugged and said "I did once but they abandoned me.Being half elf half human gets you ostracized pretty much right away. "Not even your mother?" Laughter a cruel deep laugh not warm no. " My mother was full elf she beat me every day. I was the product of a failed alliance between her and the humans that lived nearby. Dad abounded us before I had even learned to crawl. Mom took up with a full blooded elf after that he was ok sort of nice. They abandoned me when I was fourteen. Nael's family took me in for a few years." " Who's Nael ?" Why did he suddenly feel a pain of jealousy? Her breath came out faster her lips trembled and she said he was my best friend. "Was?"asked Drac. " Yeah"she replied. " How did he die?" Invenesia stared at him her golden eyes held a shimmer of tears the gaurds killed him. He died protecting me. I wish they had found me first than he would still be alive. Drac put his hand on her shoulder and turned her so she was facing him. "You don't know that." She chocked back a sob and he dropped his hand form her shoulder . Than gritted his teeth against the urge to pull her into is arms just for a moment. Drac rolled his feet underneath him and stood than offerd is hand to pull her up. He felt the heat in her palm the tingle of magic spice the air" Did she even realize just how powerful she is? " Thought Drac, he will have to teach her everything he knew. She dropped his hand immediately upon standing and she shook it to try and get the tingle to go away. Drac let his calm unfeeling mask fall over his features and said see you tomorrow and just like that he started racing down the mountain side. He knew she couldn't keep up and he was right within a few minutes he had put miles between them.he smirked and knew it was going to take her hours to find her way back. He whistled to himself as he walked through the gates and went in search of dinner.