The dark forest

[Sorrybutgoodbye]

Some where deep in the Elven realm along and surrounding the kings castle is the dark forest. Here day or night the light can only slip through the grand trees like slivers. The trees hold secrets and powers to them that not even the elf's know. Here is the deep underlays the Centaurs of the dark forest have lived in peace and have stayed hidden from the world.  

[cTheAngelofMusic]

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Ɇɍʉɑҏɦɑȡɩɵӣ

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Eruaphadion Gave chase to the dark creature, as he had often done growing up. Destroy the darkness It had become his skill, his goal in life besides keeping his mother well and safe.
He took aim with his crossbow at the shade and fired his aim was true and ti fell and disappeared.

with a great sigh he went over to a tree and leaned against it, he looked about he had wondered far, since his mother had told him to go and make his own fortune. His eyes scanned the trees looking for more danger but what he saw put fear into his soul, no beast, no night terror,..just the pale face of the moon at her highest point."oh..no.." he started to say but then the trimmers over took him and he fell to the earth, his hands where shaking as he fumbled for his pouch, A veil of purple liquid fell out and rolled from his clumsy grasp. "no!" he jumped for it and caught hold of it and fumbled with its clasp, his time was running short he knew. upon undoing it he poured the bitter liquid into his mouth. The veil dropped from his hand as the pain increased, he rolled in pain on the earth and his form began to change. his armor and cloths turned to fur and claw, and then howl ripped the night air.

He stood on his fours, dizzy and unsure of himself. the effects of both the curse and the veil's continence. He went off in his daze through the woods lost. He knew the potion he took would start to work in a few moments but till then he had to fight the animal urge and fire with in himself for the moment,until he regained his sinces.

the urge was to run through the woods and so he did he could barely control ti and he ran blind through the woods, he ran and ran tell a pain and flash of light flashed across his mind, and he fell to the ground having ran into a great stone wall. The pain and sudden jolt was enough he took controls and stood and shook himself and looked upon a great castle with armor,and flowers and such tokens around it and a gate, with a guardian.

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[Red Gypsy]

Layla was back in the forest where she'd grown up. When Borias had brought her here and left her in the hands of the Elven Healers, they hadn't been very encouraging about her leg. They'd been able to re-break and heal up her previously broken arm, but her leg they simply couldn't fix. So she'd simply slipped out one night and headed here.

She'd visited the Centaur village she'd known better than her own where the Clan Chieftain himself had made her a new brace for her leg that enabled her to have full use of her leg back despite its weakness. He'd tried to get her to stay with them, but she'd politely refused him and had disappeared into the trees.

She'd known that Borias had gone back to the island after the Healers had told him they were confident in the care of her injuries. They'd been very polite to him, not wanting to offend even one of the Centaurs.

So now she was alone, and fully intended to stay that way as long as Zuko was still alive. It hadn't taken her long to make a new bow, this one stronger and even more dangerous than her previous one. So this day found her high in the trees, simply sitting on a branch with her back to the trunk as her golden eyes searched the forest floor below her....  

[Red Gypsy]

Layla eventually moved from the tree she was in, one bright spot high in the trees as she moved from branch to branch. She was dressed in the usual clothing for a Forest Elf, old habits dying hard in her. Her outfit was made of the very strong material her people weaved on great looms or on smaller pieces, each of them taught from childhood to weave it into materials for their clothing, tents, and other items. Her top was enough to cover her generous breasts and keep them contained so that she could fight easily, a wrap-around skirt that looked more like spider's webbing or moss hanging depending on her position on the trees, gloves colored the same as her skin, sandals that enabled her to climb and move through the trees easily.

And she word the brace the clan chieftain had given her on her right leg, all made with the same material as her clothing. At her back was her bow, looking like a set of strange wings as she moved. It was enough to startle others into leaving if they caught a glimpse of her, which was good enough for her.

Add to that her platinum colored hair and golden eyes and pale skin, she was beyond frightening to those who didn't belong here. It made her an excellent guardian for the forest. Those who lived here didn't want to be disturbed. Oh, a contingent from here had made the trip to swear fealty to King Eru after his coronation, but they made an agreement with him that they would be left alone unless he had an absolute need of their skills.

So here she was, exploring the forest she'd loved for so long, making sure that no one trespassed who didn't belong, her golden eyes constantly on the look-out for the usual dangers of the place, fully expecting to be left alone...  

[Hot Champion_of_justice]

There was a slight hum in the air as something whizzed past her head and made a deep sounding thunk in the tree behind her. If she turned and looked, a familiar looking dagger glinted in the bit of light.

A dreadful voice that haunted her dreams, carried on the breeze to her.

"Oh my pet....I see we have ditched the horseman....that's good. He was worthless trash anyway....we didn't need him. Now we can play together all we want. Just you and I....."

His chuckle seemed to come from everywhere.  

[Red Gypsy]

Hot Champion_of_justice

Layla hissed at him, knowing full well who it was. She just wished that he'd just die already and leave her be. She crouched on the limb where she was and pulled her bow from her back, an arrow already notched and ready.

"I got that divorce, Zuko... The king granted it happily... He also informed me that I can legally kill you now..." she called out to him, her musical voice echoing through the trees around her as she kept her golden eyes moving, constantly looking for him.

"As for the centaur, he ditched me. Went back home without a backward glance," she added, wondering what game he was playing this time. She never knew with him. Sometimes he wanted to simply talk and taunt her. Other times, most of the time, he tried to kill her.  

[Hot Champion_of_justice]

"Oh baby, I love it when you talk rough. I don't think you can kill me.....you really don't want to. Otherwise, I would have been dead loooooonnnngggg ago."

Another dagger landed right by her foot.

A laugh and snort came from Zuko.

"Ditched you really? I heard from a little disemboweled bird, that he brought you here for healing and only went back as someone told him to go back home. You are becoming a liar my dear beloved Layla. You are becoming like me,, little by little."  

[Red Gypsy]

Hot Champion_of_justice

Layla didn't move as the dagger landed by her foot, knowing that with each one he threw she'd be able to pinpoint his exact location easier and focused her eyes on the area he had to be in to throw them.

"I didn't lie. He did ditch me. He left without a backward glance. If they told him to go home, he didn't bother to hesitate to do so. So, yes, he ditched me," she called out to him.

She hated this crap and he knew it.

"And I didn't kill you before, as we both know, because it would have been an automatic death sentence. Now I can with the full permission of the king and be free and clear," she added, knowing that he'd hate that little fact.

She pulled back on her bow, aiming for where he had to be at but didn't let it loose just yet. She knew he had at least one more dagger. b*****d just loved threes for some reason.  

[Hot Champion_of_justice]

There was silence and then a smugness to his voice.
"Oh....since you don't care for him anymore, you won't mind this then."

From a completely different direction his third dagger flew at her by her opposite foot. Attached to the blade's hilt was a familiar horse tail with a blood on it.

"Oh the surprise and fight he gave was enthralling. His death wail and the whisper of your name before he died had me soiling myself in pleasure."

A hysterical laugh rang out closer than she could have guessed.

"Stupid horse! His hide made me some fine boots."  

[Red Gypsy]

Hot Champion_of_justice

Okay, that had her seeing red and releasing the arrow. she gave a feral smile when she heard him give a sound of pain, knowing that the arrow had it its mark. She automatically pulled another and let it loose then pulled a third and held it pulled back, ready to fire it at his next word.

"Bad enough you killed Darian, Zuko, but you won't be killing any more," she called out, clearly pissed off now. It helped her temper to know that she'd have the centaurs on her side this time, that they wouldn't be holding back if he'd hurt another centaur...  

[Hot Champion_of_justice]

b***h had sunk an arrow into his thigh. He broke the majority of the shaft off and tossed it. The second whizzed past his cheek and the third hadn't come yet. Both of them loved the number 3.

"I will kill whom I want sweety. No one gets to have you. Only I can......hence why I took out that second centaur. I know he bumped you....no attachment is that strong unless you bump one another or are soul mates. And you are my soul Layla.

Now and forever."

He went silent as he took off to care for himself.  

[Red Gypsy]

Hot Champion_of_justice

Layla swore softly as she saw him leave, not bothering to follow him. She knew better. Instead, she retrieved the arrow that hadn't gotten him then the daggers he'd left behind and went straight to the centaur village.

She was usually a welcome sight here, especially since the chieftain had adopted her. But what she was carrying now was not something they liked to see. She still took the tail and the daggers straight to Darian's father and told him what had happened, what she'd been told that Zuko had done.

She knew she'd need their help to track him, the other Forest Elves had long ago decided to stay out of her fight with Zuko, refusing even to have her in their village...  

[Hot Champion_of_justice]

Zuko was disappointed she didn't follow. He had a plan to capture her if she followed.

Damn it. Oh well he thought. He had given her his message that she only belong to him and next time she got close to someone, he would take them out as well. He smiled to himself as he thought of how easy it was to sneak up on that monster of beast and bring him down. Good thing he took out the knees out first.

He made his way to his temporary hideout and set about removing the arrow head in his leg.
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Darians father took the tail and clenched it.

"........We will help you. No more of our kind will be hunted by that madman. We will help you hunt and kill him. Not only for your sake but for the sake of this man whom this tail used to belong to.