• The very essence of darkness swept through the air as a chill wind, tossing the thin blades of browning grass around, ripping them from the earth. Sickly gray clouds rolled across the skies. Thunder rumbled in the distance, shaking the mighty oak trees to their very roots and felling the golden leaves from their ports on the ancient limbs. The autumn leaves twirled on the wind, weaving through the labyrinth of the canopy. The storm’s fury was cut as the giant trunks of the trees blocked it, leaving only a gentler breeze to carry the red-gold leaves down to the loam of the forest floor, where ferns waved in the gentler winds.

    A creature of small stature was huddled underneath one of the ferns, shivering. A black coat of fur hung loosely around the little, flower-sized being. The creature leaned towards the stalk of the fern about as thick as she was. Her thick golden hair clung to her face in clumps, pointed ears showed above the tangled mess, however, and water streamed down the angular features, and accented the large, luminous yellow eyes. The Faerie shook the coat of fur from her bare shoulders, revealing a tunic constructed of flower petals and leaf stems. She had a lithe body despite the fact that she was about as tall as a daisy. A belt made of flax embraced her hips, and from it, a small, thin rapier could be seen, sheathed.

    Her companion finally stepped out of the shadows to retrieve the golden-eyed Fae’s cloak of fur. He stood about a head taller than she was, and sported wings, fragile, paper thin things. His dark orange hair was plastered to his face as well, though his hair was long enough that the very ends of each hair was brushing the long eyelashes above his emerald eyes. He wore a tunic, like the woman, but it was made out of fur, like the cloak he was now carrying. His hand was resting on the hilt of a sword thicker than the woman’s rapier, but flexible. He placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder, causing her to flinch.

    “Shouldn’t we be back at the city?” he cried above the howling of the wind. The woman waved him away as she shrugged his hand off her shoulder. He plucked a lock of fair hair and tugged lightly. The woman sighed.

    “Caith, I have work to be done. Do you not know why I have ventured out here midst such a storm?” Her voice sliced through the silence that followed another gust of air, a hint of coolness sharpening its edges. Caith, the male Fae, placed the fur cloak about the lady’s shoulders, in the meantime, planting a quick kiss on her cheek. This caused the woman’s blood rise to her face.

    “No I know not why we are here…” Caith whispered into the druid’s ear. The woman whirled around, catching Caith’s wrists and wrenching them in the most uncomfortable way.

    “Listen, hotshot, I know what I am doing. And that does not include you flirting with me. Back off.” She eyed him coolly and snatched her hands away from his. She turned back to the world beyond the little safety of the fern. Caith was smiling and rubbing his wrists, letting the blood flow once more.

    “Oh, c’mon, Karmen. You know how much I care for you.”

    “And you have portrayed it too much towards me.” Karmen narrowed her eyes. “My father has taken notice.” She kneeled down and examined a bit of moss stuck to one of her leather boots, a gift from the Honored Lord, her father.

    “Well, er, I have thought about our future,” said Caith, trying hard to change the subject slightly, so he could talk about someone other than the druid-Fae’s father. Karmen rose to her feet calmly. Fury was evident on her facial features.

    “Future? Caitherain lae’Kresk, you and I have no future together,” she snapped, “Do you not realize that druids are forbidden to marry?” She ripped the fur cloak from Caith’s grasp and threw it on the ground in her irrational temper.
    “Karmen-“

    “Don’t you ‘Karmen’ me, hotshot. If you wish to find your way back to your home before the wildcats emerge tonight, you better keep up.” With that, Karmen shot off into the growing darkness, her legs pumping fast. She could hear the pants of the Faerie behind her as he struggled to keep up with her swift pace.

    “Use your wings if you must, hotshot. I’m not stopping to pick you up and carry you the rest of the way!” She called to him over her shoulder. She heard the whoosh of air as the Fae was swept up high above her head.