The Darkness Deepens, Chapter 1

         Rhiannon stood and looked down at the girl child.  She could not understand how they could do this.  She herself could see the black diamond in the child’s ear.  It was clear that the girl was Chosen and perhaps even blackguard.  How could they send her away like this?  True, her brother had died, but the children had been so young, how could they know if they were linked.  Rhiannon just shook her head and rode forward carrying the child.  She had long ago learned to not question the wisdom of the Head Mothers.  They knew what they were doing, even if she herself could not understand why.

         It had been two days since she had been ordered to take the girl from the isle.  She had gathered her belongings together knowing that she would not return and been on the ship that evening, holding the child and watching the only home she had even know slip away.

         Her thoughts had been dark that night, very dark.  She knew why she had been the one chosen to take the child away from the isle.  It was a clear message.  “You have not chosen a link-mate Rhiannon, you are blackguard.”  She didn’t feel blackguard, she was not even exactly clear what blackguard was, but she could not help that she had never found that one person whom with she would enter Vinculum.  It had happened before, and she knew it would happen again, she was sure.  So what did it matter if she had finished her training and still not found the one.  She knew they had sent her away from the isle just as they were sending this poor child away.  She would either find her link mate, or die.  Either way, the Holy Keepers and Head Mothers of the Isle would be happy.  The problem they faced with her would be at an end.  For a moment the bitter emptiness inside her threatened to overwhelm her.  She had lived all her life with the emptiness.  She had even talked to several Head Mothers in hopes of finding out the reason for it.  But all she had ever been told was the emptiness was the place her link mate would hold in her heart when she finally found one.  She had learned to live with the feeling that part of her was missing, for the most part it didn’t even bother her anymore.  But there were times when she would see a linked pair meet for the first time, or watch a link ceremony, her heart would fill with bitterness and sorrow.  She tired to tuck it away, and every time she though she had something would happen to bring it back to the forefront.

         Rhiannon had pushed the dark thoughts away, and forced herself to care for the small child.  She didn’t know anything about children.  She was trained to fight not mother.  But her instincts took over and she soon found that she could care for the child fairly well.  Of course, the child’s nursemaid had given her a million instructions before actually giving her the child, most of which she didn’t remember.  But in any case, Rhiannon felt reasonable sure she could deliver the child back to its parents.

         Rhiannon continued to think that all through the voyage to the mainland.  It was not until she was getting her horse unloaded from the ship that she truly realized just how hard it was going to be to travel with the child.  Of course, she could have just hired someone to take the child on for her, but her honor demanded that she finish the job she had taken.  She was Chosen, and a Chosen, blackguard or not, never shook their duty off.

         It took awhile to figure out how to ride comfortable and make sure that the child was safe as well as making sure she could keep the horse under control should something happen.  But after the first few days Rhiannon and the child had fallen into a comfortable routine.  Up at the crack of dawn and Rhiannon would fix them both something to eat and make sure the horse had food.  Then she would strap on the harness that she had made to carry the baby.  It came across her shoulders and would hold the child to her chest.  It this way Rhiannon could check on the child and make sure it was okay throughout the day without having to stop.

         Rhiannon and the child traveled for several days this way, making their way from the large port city of Rankin and passing though small villages as they went.  Rhiannon was almost starting to like this little trip.  She had taken to wearing a traveling cloak that covered her Chosen uniform.  She had decided to cover the uniform the first day off the ship when she found out just how much attention she was getting because of it.  She was not used to the attention, after all she had never been off the Isle before.  She could not know that most of the stares were simply due to her beauty.  At 5’7 she was tall for an elven woman.  Her long black hair hung to the back of her knees and seemed to have a life of its own.  She had startling green eyes that would stop a human dead in his tracks and nail him to the very spot until she looked away.  She did not know that most people in the port city were unused to seeing a Chosen.  For that matter most people period were not used to seeing them.  After all the Chosen were the guards to Kings and Queens.  She didn’t know any of these things, she thought it was the unusual uniform and covered it up.  After that everything seemed to go well.

         It was not until she rode into a small village close to dark one night those things started to go wrong.  Being elven is was not hard for her to see in the near darkness, and what she noticed was that there was not much to look at.  Most people had not just gone into their homes for the evening but had boarded and locked them inside as well.  She could see the lights burning though the cracks in the windows and walls.

         She heard something closing in behind her and turned just in time to see several large human males glaring at her.  She counted nine of them before one spoke to her.

         “Who are you and what do you want here?” She was asked by what appeared to be the small lumpy shadow that was a man.

         “I am Rhiannon, and I was just passing though.  I am sorry if I startled you.  Is there an Inn in your village where I might seek a room?” she asked.

         “You see, it is as I said it was, she travels at night, looking to be invited into an Inn or someone’s home.  And when she is, she will suck your dry.  Stake the leech, stake her now, before she has a chance to feed and grow stronger!”

         Rhiannon had no idea what this man was referring to, however the comment about the stake made her think that the village must have been having problems with a vampire or two.  She was just about to tell them that she was not a vampire when the child woke and started to cry.

         “A child, Goddess, he had stolen a child!  Stop her before she kills it!” the lumpy man moved forward, checking to make sure his fellows were moving forward as well.  He started to look as I he was not even going to wait for her to explain.

         “Hold, I have stolen no child, and by the sounds of it you seek a vampire, of which I am not.  Be warned I will not allow you to harm either myself or the child” Rhiannon said in her most calm voice.  Already her arm had lowered as if it carried a sword.  “I have no wish to harm you, let me pass and I will leave you and your village in peace.”

         “Nay, we must free the child, she had probably already feasted upon its parents, we can not help them but we can save the little one from her unholy thirst” it was then that Rhiannon realized that this man was determined to make her fit into his vision of her.  She shook her head and bit back her laughter at the small minds that would spawn such horrible thoughts.

         Rhiannon was not afraid to fight them; she did however fear the child would be hurt.  She drew her sword making sure everyone could see it.  “If it is a battle you wish, then I have no choice, however, I will not take the lives of those who do not understand, nor will I risk the life of the child.  If you come closer I will take you down.  You will be out for several hours and when you wake you will be sore all over.  Now I am sure most of you have fields to tend tomorrow, so you might want to think about this….” Rhiannon sat on her horse, which she knew would support her in the coming battle, using its body to shield her from the men coming for her.

         The sight of the Chosen Sword stopped all of them in their tracks.  These swords were the things of legend.  Everyone was aware of the Chosen.  One of the men stepped forward, making sure his hands were clear of his weapons he said “she can’t be the one we seek, after all she is one of the Chosen.  And if the elves think she is Chosen then she must be.  I heard tell it is only them that can wield the sword.”

         “You fool, she is trying to trick us with her magic.  What she has in her hand is nothing more then an oak staff; she is just making us see a sword.  I know it is she.  She is playing on your lack of knowledge, after all how many of you have ever actually seen an elf, much less a Chosen elf.”

         Rhiannon knew what she had to do, without another word she nudged her horse forward and brought the sword down lightly on the large man’s shoulders, turning the blade sideways so that the flat of the blade stuck him, knocking him out instead of cutting him open.

         “Please ask him to forgive me in the morning.  I do not have time to waste out here in the cold of the coming night with a child.  I must find shelter for the little one.  Now is there an inn and if so may I shelter there unmolested?”

         With the proof in front of their eyes the men simply lead Rhiannon to the inn, knocking on the door with what appeared to be a special knock she was let in by the innkeeper.  One of the larger men told her he would stable her horse and it would be waiting for her in the morning.

         Rhiannon entered the inn to many stares.  The men had told the innkeeper that she was Chosen, and the word seemed to have spread among the guest as fast as the wind travels.  Rhiannon looked around for a table where she could sit and tend to the child in peace.  By the cold, strange stares she got back from the guests she had no doubt that Chosen or not she was not trusted.

         From the corner of the room an extremely large man rose.  Rhiannon had never seen a human this tall before.  He towered over normal men.

         “M’Lady, please allow me to extend my table to you.  Come join me and be welcome.  It seems that the sight of an elf, much less a Chosen has so stunned the patrons that they have forgotten their manners.”  He said in a deep rich voice that caressed Rhiannon like a fine piece of velvet.  As he finished talking he bowed deeply to her and extended his hand to her.

         Rhiannon smiled slightly, not wanting to offend her new friend, but not trusting him either.  After all, it was not just her life that needed to be looked after.  She had no choice but to take the offer however, she needed to tend to the child badly and there were no other tables free.

         She stepped forwarded and took the hand the giant man offered, the feel of it was strange to her it was cold yet not.  Rhiannon did not meet his eyes as was her way, she preferred not to look people in the eye, she had been told to many times what effect her eyes would have on humans.  She did not wish to bring any more attention to the difference between her and her host.

         “Here M’Lady, allow me to help you with the child” he said as he stepped forward so that he only stood a hair’s breath away from her.  It was then that Rhiannon realized just how big he really was.  He dwarfed her.  His hands were so large that when he reached to help her undo the straps of her harness his open hand was larger then her head.

         “Thank you sir.  My name is Rhiannon.  I am in your debt.”

         “Come, you owe me nothing, I am happy to be of service Rhiannon.”

         The man held out a chair for her and waited until she had taken the child from the harness and laid all the necessary things out for the baby.  He pushed the chair in for her as she sat.  They made polite conversation for several minutes as she cleaned and feed the baby.  The little child for her part after eating went right off to sleep without a sound.  But still the strange giant of a man had not told her his name.

         “So Rhiannon what brings you here?  This is such an out of the way place for a Chosen to travel.  Surely you have dragons to fight and poor folk to rescue?”

         Normally Rhiannon would have taken offence at words such as his, but he spoke them in a soft warm jest, as a way to point out just how unusual her presence here actually was.  He did not mean to insult her and the way he spoke made it plain that he did not.

         “I am to take this child home.  Her home is not but a few days ride from here.  I am sure her family eagerly awaits her arrival as they have been told of my coming.  It is not often that a child comes home from the Island.  Her family is very lucky.”  Rhiannon smiled at the man, she liked him.  She didn’t know him and still would not look him in the eye for some reason she could not explain even to herself.  But his voice stirred something within her that she could not explain.  She though at the moment that she could sit and listen to his rich voice forever.

         The door to the inn was opened again and the lumpy man that she had put down earlier was brought in.  His hate filled eyes fell upon her and the giant that she sat with.  His eyes slide from her to the man and back again.  In the light she had a better view of him.  He was a human toad.  She could not think of a better description of him.  He was bloated as toads look to be, his face red and his small beady eyes full of hate for her and it would seem for the giant man beside her.

         “Big man we do not have all night.  I have things for you to do.  You have seen enough of this witchy creature, now let us be off.”  The little at man finally said.  His tongue dripped acid as he looked from her to the giant man.

         The look of hatred that crossed the giant’s face startled Rhiannon and made her remember just what a man his size could do if provoked.  But he seemed so gentle to her.  It was clear in an instance to her that this little toad of a man held something over him and that was the only way he would have anything to do with him.

         “As always Nuisance your timing is terrible.  But you have reminded me of my duty and so shall it be.”  He turned completely away from the man and spoke to Rhiannon directly.

         “M’Lady Rhiannon, I shall carry the image of your beauty into the cold night with me.  It shall warm my heart.  Now, if you will excuse me, I have business that I must attend to.  Fare thee well my fair Chosen.  Beware these small towns, they will not welcome anyone who travels after dark, and they will never welcome an elf.”

         With that the large man rose and moved away from the table.  Rhiannon watched him go.  She was not used to people making comments about her looks, or for that matter even noticing them.  She knew in her heart she was a beautiful woman, even among her own kind.  But it was rare to have anyone speak of it to her.  As she watched him put on his over cloak before leaving she noticed how well muscled he was and even though he was a giant of a man he moved with a grace that belayed his size.

         “Don’t watch him to closely elf.  You can never have him.  Oh, I might let him spend a night with you, but never more then that.  He is my property and mine alone.  Besides you’re an elf and we have no love for elves.”  Nuisance spat at her as he left to follow the big man.

         Rhiannon shook her head at the venom that flowed out with the little mans words.  He was a hateful sort to be sure.  What a strange couple the two men made.  The one was tall dark and very handsome, the other short, fat, and ugly.  And their manner, one warm and welcoming the other hate filled and festering.  Rhiannon ate her dinner in silence and though about the tall stranger she had met.  He had net even told her his name.