Summary: Kalina is kidnapped in the dead of the night by Dorien Hutt. Dorien is intent on protecting her life, but he won’t say why. These two strangers are forced to hide together as war breaks out in Econah. What does Kalina need protection from and why?

* * * * *

Dorien and Kalina rode well into the afternoon. Dorien knew that they had to cut straight through the forest. They couldn’t afford to risk traveling on paths, so he only led them deeper into the trees. So deep, in fact, that even Kalina wondered where they were, and she knew the forest like the back of her hand.

When Dorien’s hand, lightly resting on Kalina’s middle, felt her stomach grumble with hunger quite loudly, he sighed and slowed his horse down. He pushed his mask past his ear and tilted his head. Suddenly, he swerved to the right. The sound of water was coming from that direction, and he was almost out of it in his husk containers.

Twenty minutes later, Dorien caught sight of a small spring. The fresh, clear water looked more inviting than anything he could imagine. He jumped off his horse and held out a hand for Kalina. She came down slowly, stumbling as she tried to walk behind Dorien. He could tell she wasn’t used to riding a horse for such a long period, but he knew she would quickly get used to it.

Dorien used the reigns to lead his horse to the spring and let the gentle creature lap up the water. Kalina had a slight smile on her face as she watched the creature, her eyes filled with amazement. Dorien rolled his eyes. It was just a horse drinking water. Not an uncommon sight.

Dorien reached into the side packs of the horse and pulled out a pear and a viker. He handed the latter to Kalina. She bit into the juicy fruit eagerly. Dorien watched her and took a small bite of his pear. He had been in such a situation before and knew to eat slowly and little; Kalina would soon learn.

Kalina sat down on the soft ground and let out a sigh. She looked up at the miles of trees above her. “I miss the sun,” she murmured.

Dorien raised his eyebrows and sat down next to her. “You’ll get used to it.” He looked at her closely. “You’ll get used to a lot of things.”

Kalina looked back at him. “Do you do this type of thing often?”

Dorien shrugged. “I travel a lot.”

“I meant running from . . . Whatever it is we’re running from.” Kalina looked at him hopefully, as if expecting him to elaborate.

Dorien ignored the look. He got up again and pulled his husk container out of the side pack of his horse. He pushed his mask halfway up his face and filled the container. The cool liquid was quickly gone, and his throat felt revitalized. He scooped up more water and handed it to Kalina. She watched him with a strange expression on her face as he pulled his mask down again. He knew she would ask soon, but he wanted to avoid the question. He pretended to attend to his horse, patting the creature’s back lovingly and cooling it down with sprinkles of water.

Kalina finished and handed him the container. Dorien filled it again and put it in the side pocket. He wiped his hands on his pants and turned back to Kalina. “Are you ready?”

Kalina looked surprised. “To leave?”

“What else would you be ready for?”

Kalina sighed and looked around. “To explore. I want to look around a bit.” She lifted herself up off the ground.

“You have had years to explore. Now you must hide.”

“Hide? Why would I need to hide?” Kalina let out an aggravated noise as she stomped over to the horse. “I have nothing of value. I have no social standing. I am nothing.”

“That’s not true,” Dorien said. Kalina looked sharply at him, her eyes narrowing as she studied him. “You’ve got . . . Power.” He held up a hand to her heart, keeping his hand a few inches away from her skin. “You’ve got powers that are . . . Astounding.”

Kalina’s mouth stayed in a firm line. Her eyes asked a million questions that Dorien would not answer. He ignored the look and climbed onto his horse’s back. He reached down a hand and helped Kalina hoist herself up. She settled in front of him, and he kicked the sides of the horse to get it moving at a slow pace. The horse seemed just as reluctant to leave as Kalina.

“Why do you keep taking us into nowhere?” Kalina asked. She sensed they were reaching the heart of the forest, and it was unnerving. Would they get out alive? Dorien didn’t seem to have much food packed away.

“Because the imbeciles who He’s sent after us aren’t going to want to put their precious selves in danger. You and me, we can survive out here. They can’t.”

“Are you so sure about that?” Kalina watched the passing scenery. “I’m terrified right now, and you don’t have much food left.

“Don’t worry about it,” Dorien said calmly. “I have everything planned out.”

But the truth was, he was starting to worry too. He lied. He didn’t have anything planned out. He just knew that he had to save Kalina. He couldn’t let Xuriden get hold of the innocent girl.

* * *

It was hard to tell when night approached. The trees in the forest were too dense to let any light in. Dorien knew it was time to stop for the night when Kalina fell asleep against him, her chest lightly rising and falling in the dim light.

Dorien had very keen eyesight, even through his mask. He stopped the horse by a small clearing and gently jumped off, being careful to keep Kalina in his arms and not to wake her. He let her onto the soft ground and kneeled at her side, watching her silently for a moment. In sleep, her face had a look of trouble that made him feel uneasy.

Dorien sat down on the ground beside her, but sleep would not claim him. He lay restlessly for awhile, but he soon tired of it. He stood up with an annoyed sigh. He needed rest, but maybe that could come another day. They were already in the pits of the forest; no common man would dream of following. They might as well stay for a few days. They could live in this spot here.

Dorien smiled, feeling relief. He finally had a plan. He poured some water out for his horse and pulled out his bow and two arrows. Then he went to the edge of the forest. He turned back reluctantly. He wondered if he could find his way back.

He plunged into the forest, sucking in his breath. His feet trekked soundlessly on the soft dirt of the forest floor. He didn’t venture far. Suddenly a slight movement caught his eye. He whipped towards the movement and saw a small animal eating a nut that had fallen to the ground. Dorien gripped his weapon and loaded it silently. He tilted it towards the unsuspecting creature. He let go of the arrow, and it whirred through the air. The creature stiffened and then fell to the ground, lifeless.

Dorien walked calmly over to the animal. He reached down and picked it up. He had gotten something on first try. He had known he would, but he still felt a deep sense of pride. He pulled his arrow out of the creature and put a nearby fallen leaf over the wound. He didn’t want blood all over his only tunic. He tucked the animal under his arm and went back to the clearing Kalina and his horse were left in. He put the creature down and traveled back into the forest.

He picked up many sticks. It wasn’t hard to find them at the bottom of the forest. It was half an hour later when he went back to the campsite. He dumped the sticks in a pile on the ground, far enough away from the trees to catch anything on fire.

He had one last trip into the forest to make. This one was not as easy as his others. He had to find enough rocks to make a circle. It turned out these were not plentiful in this forest. It took him another hour of digging to finally gather enough rocks.

When Dorien went back to the campsite, he was exhausted. He set the rocks onto the ground with the sticks. Then he lied alongside Kalina and fell fast asleep.

* * *

Several long hours later, Kalina awoke from a deep sleep. She sat up, startled, and looked around her. She didn’t remember coming to this spot. Her heartbeat only slowed when she saw Dorien sleeping soundly beside her and the horse looking sleepy eyed at the edge of the clearing. It was tied to one of the trees, but Kalina knew the creature would never bolt. She smiled encouragingly at it. The horse neighed softly in response.

Something else caught Kalina’s eye. There were sticks and stones. She got up to investigate. It looked as if Dorien had gotten the tools to build a fire but had been too exhausted to put them to use. She smiled softly. She began to set the rocks in a circle.

When Kalina reached for the sticks, her hand froze in mid air. There was something she hadn’t seen before. Was that a . . .? She reached for the bundle of fur and gasped. It was a forest animal. Dead! She felt something rip through her. She closed her eyes and tilted her chin upwards. This animal had dealt with a great deal of pain, but at least the death had been quick.

Kalina swallowed heavily. She saw a bow and arrow set down nearby. She was not dumb. She knew what had happened. Dorien killed this animal for food. Her stomach lurched at the idea. She would talk to him about it when he awoke.

Kalina put the creature gently aside, feeling a deep sense of loss. She then went back to the sticks. She carefully placed them inside of the rock circle. When all of them were placed, she picked up two she had set aside and began to vigorously rub them together. A single spark lit up the otherwise dark area. She blew gently on it. The spark formed a flame, and Kalina worked quickly. She set the sticks atop the other sticks. She plucked a handful of grass and set it into the flame. The grass was quickly eaten up by the fire, and before she knew it the whole circle was aflame.

Kalina smiled proudly to herself. She had done it. She had never tried to light a fire before, but she had seen Uncle Cade do it every year on their annual camping trip. Kalina felt a bittersweet smile touch her lips. A few tears sprang to her eyes. She wanted to be home with her family. She looked over at Dorien. She knew he was speaking the truth; she knew that she would be killed if she returned, but part of her still held hope.

Kalina sat next to the fire for an undetermined amount of time. She watched the flickering flames and let them lull her into a half-asleep daze. So much had happened in the past day that she felt emotionally exhausted. Were her aunt, uncle, and cousin all right? Should she go back for them? Was this the right thing to do? So many questions flitted through her head that she couldn’t distinguish one from the other.

She was finally broken from her reverie when she heard shuffling behind her. Kalina turned her head to see Dorien shifting to sit up.

Dorien looked at her in bewilderment. “You lit a fire?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.

Kalina nodded proudly and smiled shyly at him.

Dorien crawled over next to her. He looked at the fire with appreciation. “It’s good and strong,” he complimented. He put a hand over his stomach. “I’m starving. Where’s that animal that I--”

Kalina pointed sharply to where the creature was lying on the ground. She began to rock back and forth. “You killed it,” she whispered hoarsely. “It died.”

Dorien’s face turned to hers again. “Yes, I did. We need to eat.” Dorien got up again and walked over to the animal. He picked it up and pulled a knife out of his boot. “You might not want to watch if you’re reacting like this.”

Kalina stood up. “I can feel its pain,” she murmured treacherously. “I can feel where the arrow hit.” She reached out a hand, her eyes half closed. “I want to touch it, Dorien. Let me touch it, and maybe I can make it better.”

Dorien kept his hold tight. “No. This isn’t the time. I know you can heal, but you can’t bring something back to life.”

“I can,” Kalina assured him. She leaped at him and took the animal from his grasp. She put a hand on the wound and closed her eyes. She gasped and stood rigidly as her life source was tapped into. Her energy flowed into the animal. The experience wasn’t unpleasant, but it was strange. She felt a knot grow in her stomach.

Then, suddenly, it was gone. Her hands were empty. She looked around her. “What happened?”

“It ran away,” Dorien said quietly. He sounded astounded. “You . . . No wonder they want you. You can perform miracles!”

Kalina looked up at him. She had never done that before, but looking at the creature about to be ripped apart by a crude knife, she’d known she had to try. Her hands fell, empty, to her sides. “I-I . . . Who? Who wants me?”

“Nothing,” Dorien muttered.

Kalina continued to stare openly at him. She reached up a hand to his face. “What do you look like? Why do you wear that mask?”

He slunk away from her quickly. “That’s none of your business,” he snapped, sounding defensive.

“What are you hiding?” Kalina asked. “I trust you. I don’t care what you look like - if you’re . . . Ugly.” Her eyes were filled with honesty. “I just want to see who I’m talking to.”

Dorien stood stock still. Kalina walked to him again. This time when she reached up her hand, he didn’t push her away. Her hand was shaking as she reached for the black cloth that covered his head. She tugged on it gently. It gave way to reveal . . . Nothing. Nothing out of the ordinary at least. Dorien had dark features and boyish cheeks. His complexion was immaculate, his nose straight, and his lips full. Kalina couldn’t understand why he would want to hide his face from the world. Unless . . .

“Are you a criminal?” she asked suddenly, her voice invading the silence of the forest.

Dorien blinked rapidly. “What?” He shook his head. “No.” He turned sharply away from her. “Have you seen enough now?”

Kalina gasped. She reached up with her small hand to gently touch his ears. They were shaped with sharp corners. She rubbed the tips of them, amazed at the strange shape and size.

Dorien let out a quick breath, shuddered, and jumped out of her grasp.

“You’re an elf!” Kalina declared in awe.

Dorien glared at her. “A half-elf. My mom--” He stopped short. “Why should I explain anything to you?” he muttered to himself. He pulled his mask back on. “I’m going to go get something to eat. I’m going to kill an animal. This time don’t heal it. We need food to survive, and we don’t have much in that rucksack. If you don’t want to see me kill it, you can leave. Don’t go far, and come back in an hour.”

Kalina nodded numbly at the end. She was still shocked at her discovery. Dorien was a half-elf? She couldn’t shake the thought, even as he disappeared back into the forest. She sat down heavily to watch the fire. She would wait until he returned with an animal. Then she would leave. After all, she was being a hypocrite. Had she not eaten meat with her family the night before?

Kalina sighed and poked at the fire with a stick. “A half-elf,” she whispered to herself, still trying to get it to sink in.

* * *

Dorien stewed the animal, and Kalina ate it without protest. He didn’t talk much when he got back, and he kept his black mask tight around his head. He should never have let her see him. He could barely understand what had come over him.

“Why are you wearing the mask?”

Dorien started. He snapped his head up to see Kalina, sitting a few feet away and studying him with a cocked head. He felt anger well up inside of him. She didn’t need to know anything. “I’m used to it.”

Kalina continued to scrutinize him, unabashed in her open staring.

Dorien began to feel uncomfortable under her gaze, and he shifted restlessly. “Stop trying to figure me out,” he said gruffly. “It’s not worth it.”

Kalina raised her eyebrows. “I think it’s worth it. I find you . . . Intriguing.” She shrugged. “But then, I’ve never really met any people besides my family. I’ve lived in that cottage for most of my life. Before that I can’t even remember anything.”

Had he invited her to tell him her life story? Dorien growled slightly in aggravation. “I’m going to sleep,” he announced. He stood up and went to the rucksack. He pulled out his container of water to give the rest to his horse. They would have to leave after they rested. He had to find another spring, or they’d all dehydrate.

Dorien watched disinterested as Kalina sighed happily and tilted her head upwards. He looked up too, but there was nothing special. He didn’t understand how she could be so happy at a time like this, in a place like this. Dorien picked up the empty containers after his horse had finished and put them back in the bag. He dropped down beside the animal and spread out onto his back. His eyes drifted shut.

He was just and inch from sleep when he heard something strange.

“Jin uiva lor gar skiie

Jin var te lask qi goy.”

Dorien sat up before he could think. Kalina was sitting by the fire, her face still turned upwards, her eyes closed and a soft smile on her face. She was singing a lullaby . . . In Elvin. He felt his jaw drop to his chest, and his heart thudded unnaturally.

“How did you learn Elvin?” he demanded hoarsely.

Kalina turned sharply to look at him. “I-I don’t know. The words . . . Came to me . . .” She smiled small. “It happens to me sometimes.”

Dorien nodded shortly and fell onto his back again. He looked up at the top of the forest. His hand restlessly picked at the grass beside him. How could she utter poetry so beautiful if she didn’t know a word of Elvin?

Dorien sighed and turned to a new position. He had a feeling that there was more to Kalina than he first thought. She was becoming just as much a mystery to him as he was to her.