Hey guys! I haven’t updated this in a while. I corrected its grammatical mistakes so it should be better than before! Enjoy!

Heart of Fire

Chapter One Gypsy Dance

By SnowAngel

Rynne looked at the sky. The first moon was full and red - a harvest moon. She took a deep breath of the cool, crisp, fresh air. Excitement coursed through her. Tonight was the festival. Tonight she was to dance for all her fellow people. Her wine - colored eyes blazed with an inner fire as she gazed at the moon.

“Karynne!”

Rynne turned at the mention of her full name. “Yes, Mother?”

“Stop dilly-dallying and get ready! The festival is about to start in an hour!”

Rynne immediately obeyed and went inside the tent. Her two sisters were already inside.

“I shall never understand you, Rynne. You enjoy standing in the cold like that?” her second-to-eldest sister, Kelsie, exclaimed incredulously.

“Actually I do. Especially on clear nights when you can see the stars and the moons,” Rynne replied.

“...A romantic...”her eldest sister, Kirstella, said softly as she did up the laces on Kelsie’s gown.

Kelsie swiveled to stare at Kirstella. “Perhaps, but what good will it do her? It’s silly, Stella, and you know it.”

Kirstella did not reply. She merely patted Kelsie’s hair to make sure it would stay in place.

Rynne walked over to her mat and changed into the crimson gown that lay there. She savored the feel of the smooth, soft material on her skin. “Elsie, can you lace me up?”

Kelsie tried to glare but couldn’t. “Aww...come here you.” Rynne smiled and went over to her sister.

“So how do you feel? This is your first night as a dancer! Finally our circle is complete. How do you feel?” Kelsie asked as she worked on Rynne’s gown.

“I am...excited. I cannot wait! At last I can join you in your dance, as the ‘flame’.” Rynne looked at her sisters’ gowns as she spoke. Elsie’s was emerald, representing the land. Stella’s was aquamarine, representing water. Rynne looked proudly down at her own gown. It mimicked the colors of the campfire when light hit it.

“There, you’re done,” Kelsie told Rynne.

“Great! Let’s go!”

The traveler dismounted from his steed and sat down heavily on the ground. “Shoot...I’m lost...I never should have insisted on leaving ahead.” He kicked the dirt with the heel of his boot. “Now what do I do?” He looked up to the sky. The first moon was out. “Bearer of the Blood of the Celestial Ones...what mischief do you intend to wreak tonight?”

As if in answer, there was a sudden blaze of light coming from deep in the forest. The traveler’s eyes widened and he jumped to his feet. “Where did that come from? Perhaps it is another traveler.”

With that, the traveler took hold of his horse and they both walked toward the light.

Rynne’s father and brothers struck up a chord. The audience immediately quieted down. Kelsie and Kirstella started to dance. Rynne watched along with the others, hypnotized by their graceful movements. They danced around the small fire, swirls of blue, then green, and then sometimes a mix of both.

At last, the music took a turn and became slow and stately again. Rynne knew this was the time she was to join in. She got up, adrenaline coursing through her veins, and let the music take over her body. She swayed and danced her solo around the fire, while her sisters sat down to rest and watch her. This was what she had looked forward to all her life. She started to dance slowly at first, her movements graceful. Then the music climaxed and at the high note, she threw up her hands and looked at the red moon directly above her. There was a blast of light and the fire blazed higher than before. Now she was officially part of the higher circle. Her sisters gave a triumphant shout and got up to dance with her around the fire.

The traveler neared the clearing where the fire blazed. He heard strains of music coming from there. Curious, he cautiously looked through the branches to see what was happening.

“Gypsies...”he murmured as he saw the crowd of olive-skinned people gathered around the fire. From where he was, he could not see what they were looking at.  He moved around to a different spot to see more clearly. His horse snorted in disapproval.

“Oh be quiet will you? I just want to see and make sure they are not cannibals before making our presence known...or would you rather be stew?”

The horse snorted again in reply before moving off to a patch of grass near the trees.

“Thought so,” the traveler said before looking through the bushes once more.

His breath caught in his throat when he saw the three young women dancing. Each was stunningly beautiful in their way.

The one in blue seemed serene and almost angelic. Her hair was the unusual color of the lightest blonde. She seemed almost like the waves of the sea as she danced.

Next was the one in green. She seemed down-to-earth and practical. Her hair was the common color of brown. It was the way she danced that caught his eye. She danced very fast and precise. It seemed as though she were the wind and the leaves swirled around her, aroused by her movements.

The last was the one in red. This girl had some mysterious aura about her. The traveler couldn’t put his finger on what it was. Her hair was raven black, yet when she danced, the fire caused her hair to seem as though there were streaks of red in it. Then as if by fate, she caught his eye when she neared him. He would never forget those eyes…those wine-colored eyes so full of passion and fire.

The girl who caught his eye abruptly stopped dancing and stared at him. They stared at each other until he blinked. Then she screamed.

Rynne danced, concentrating on the music. Her feet flew across the ground in her dance. Then she had a sudden odd feeling. It was a curious feeling that made her blood rush quicker in her veins. What was the cause of this feeling? Frowning slightly, she looked towards the bushes only to see a pair of eyes there staring back at her. She stopped mid-dance and stared at the eyes. Those eyes...those cold, steely blue eyes...they held her frozen for a second in time. She tried to say something to warn her people there was a stranger in their midst, but her throat constricted. She screamed and no sound came out. Finally the stranger blinked and the spell was broken. She screamed then with all her might and was rewarded with the echoes of her voice piercing the night.

Everyone jumped to his or her feet in panic. Rynne’s father rushed over to her and asked her what was wrong, a deep frown on his face. Rynne pointed to the bush where she saw the bright, blue eyes. The frown on her father’s face deepened. He motioned to his sons to follow him as he cautiously approached the bush.

Meanwhile, Rynne’s mother took charge of everyone else and ushered them all back to the main tent. Rynne had a troubled look on her face as her mother took her inside. She looked over her shoulder at her father and brothers searching the area where she saw the dark blue eyes.

Once inside, her sisters approached her and asked what happened.

“What just happened out there?!” an angry Elsie demanded. “What was so important that we had to stop the dance?”

“Hush, Elsie!” Stella reprimanded her younger sister. “You’re just making Rynne feel worse.” The eldest sister then turned to Rynne. “Here, have some of this drink to calm you down.”

Rynne gratefully took the cup Stella offered her and drank. The familiar taste of wine soothed her. After she drained the cup, she told her sisters about the pair of odd-colored eyes.

“The eyes looked almost like yours,” Rynne told Stella, “except for the coldness...no, not coldness...luminescence in them.” She shook her head. “I wonder who he is...”

The traveler fell backwards when she screamed. Cursing, he got to his feet and crouching he made his way quickly to his horse. Inwardly he prayed that his ‘faithful steed’ was in a good mood and ready to start moving again. At length he found his horse lazily eating grass.

“Come on Torpiddy, let’s go.”

The horse merely glanced at his master before returning to the task of eating the sweet grass.

“Torpiddy! Come on! They have found me out and they’re looking for me. Let’s go!” he hissed. The sounds of the girl’s family searching in the bushes became nearer.

Torpiddy snorted as if to say, “I told you not to go snooping about but did you listen to me? Noooo”. He didn’t even look up at the traveler.

“Torpiddy! You lazy, poor excuse for a horse! I never should have taken pity on you! I should have left you to those dirty, drooling bandits as their next meal!”

Meanwhile, the sounds of the search party grew closer and closer. Until...

“Aha! There you are you Peeping Tom!”

The young traveler swiveled around to see one of the girl’s brothers. He shot a withering glance at his ‘faithful steed’. “If you weren’t so pig-headed...” he muttered.

“Father!” the girl’s brother with jet-black hair called. “I found the intruder!”

The girl’s other brother, with greenish-blue hair, came up behind the traveler. He grabbed his arms in a bone-crushing grip.

“Don’t you get any ideas of getting away, ‘cause that’s not happenin’.” he sneered at the traveler.

Finally the father arrived at the scene. The traveler studied him. He was a tall man with silver hair. He held himself upright with dignity as if he were a noble, demanding respect. The traveler was immediately struck with a sense of familiarity. He couldn’t quite put a finger on it though...

“So...You are the one who has invaded the ArcaneForest Festival.” He looked the young man up and down. “You are not one of us, therefore you were not invited. Explain yourself.” He nodded at his son to let go of the man with aquamarine eyes. The traveler winced at the bruises on his arms from the swarthily built brother of the girl.

“I am sorry I ever entered the wood, stepping off the road. It’s just that I saw the light of a fire and I thought it would be a fellow traveler like me.”

“If what you say is true, then why were you hiding in the bushes spying on us? Explain that.” The silver-haired father stood firm.

“Well...you see...I was afraid you would be Verees...so I watched until I could be certain you weren’t,” the traveler stammered.

The two brothers looked intently at their father for his response. The father stared at the traveler, face impassive. The traveler held his breath anxiously, waiting for the father’s response. After what seemed like forever, the man laughed, making the brothers confused and the traveler relieved.

“Verees? You thought we were Verees? I’m sorry but the Verees live in the RuneForest not the ArcaneForest,” the father chuckled. He closely examined the traveler. “Pray tell, what is your name, friend?”

“I am Daerion Heimal Illiathynn. I am from the city Pearle.”

The father gave Daerion a calculating look. “Yes, I see.” He turned to his sons. “Tell your mother that we have a guest.”

The sons bowed, and then left. The father turned back to Daerion. “I am Leoth, the leader of this clan. Come, let me introduce you to the rest of my family.” That said, he turned and started walking back to camp. “By the way, bring your horse to camp as well where he can socialize with our own steeds,” he said over his shoulder, amusement in his voice.

Obediently, Daerion took his horse, which was surprisingly tractable now. “Why didn’t you obey me before?” Daerion complained below his breath at his ‘faithful steed’, following Leoth.

They entered the clearing and Daerion brought Torpiddy to the other horses, noting wryly that the gypsy horses were mostly female. Then, he followed Leoth to the main tent, the largest tent of all.

“Where is Father?” Kelsie demanded of her jet-black haired brother, Eboni. She turned to her other brother, Ceru. “Hmm?”

“He’s coming. Just be patient,” Eboni said. Just then, the tent flap opened and in walked their father.

“Quiet down everyone! I have an announcement to make,” the leader of the gypsies declared. Everyone quieted down. “We have a guest here today...”- murmurs of surprise and curiosity - “...Treat him well. His name is Daerion.” He stepped aside to reveal a tall, handsome man.

Rynne gasped. It was the same man who stared at her during the dance! At her gasp, the man - Daerion - looked her way. Rynne immediately looked down at her feet shyly.

“Is that the man with cold eyes that you saw?” Stella whispered to Rynne, studying Daerion calmly.

“Yes,” Rynne replied, not looking up.

“He’s quite handsome,” Kirstella commented. Rynne looked up. It was true.

Daerion was tall with dark blue-black hair. His skin was slightly tanned from traveling. He had a lean body with well-toned muscles. His eyes were so bright and cold a blue it could have lit up the darkness of the night outside.

“He’s rich. That’s all that matters,” Elsie said in a matter-of-fact way.

“How do you know?” Rynne asked, looking to her sister. She was observing the guest as well.

“Can’t you tell from his clothes? It’s made of silk and embroidered gold. Look at his moneybag hanging at his waist. It full and heavy with gold coins,” Kelsie replied.

Rynne looked back at Daerion, noting what her sister mentioned. She laughed quietly. “Only you would notice that, Elsie,” she teased.

Kelsie glared at her youngest sister. “Not only me. I am sure Father noticed as well. And I am almost positive he has plans for one of us,” she said cryptically.

Their conversation was cut short for everyone was going outside again to continue the celebration. The three young women were about to exit as well when their father called to them.

“Kirstella, Kelsie, Karynne, come here.”

The sisters exchanged glances then walked over to their father and the guest. Leoth nodded his head at his sons, telling them to leave. Eboni glanced sidelong at Daerion and left. Ceru pointedly glared at the guest, then left, patting Rynne on the head.

Daerion’s eyebrows raised imperceptibly when he saw the brother with greenish-blue hair pat the fiery girl on the head. He knew instantly that she was the favorite of the family and the most protected. I’d better be careful...he noted.

“Daerion, these are my daughters. The eldest is Kirstella at twenty-two years...” Leoth gestured to the blonde.

Stella bowed down low in a curtsy. “Pleased to meet you, sir...” she said softly.

Leoth nodded in approval. “...the second eldest is Kelsie at twenty years...” He gestured to the brunette.

Elsie bobbed in a curtsy, her wise eyes never leaving Daerion’s face. “I hope you enjoy your stay here,” she said briskly, her voice filled with hidden meaning.

Leoth frowned a bit. “...and the youngest is Karynne at eighteen.” He went over to the raven-haired girl and touched her lightly on the arm, bringing her forward.

Rynne was blushing furiously as she went down in a shaky curtsy. “P-pleased to make your ac-acquaintance...” she said uncertainly, bowing her head in an effort to hide her scarlet face.

Daerion tried hard to hide his smile at the youngest girl’s shyness, but failed miserably. She’s so cute! he thought to himself. But if the gypsy leader means for me to take an interest in one of his daughters, it’d be wiser to pursue the elders.

Rynne arose from the curtsy and hurried back to her place beside her sisters, her eyes never leaving the ground. Leoth nodded at his daughters for them to leave. Obediently, they left quickly and quietly.

Once they were gone, Leoth turned to Daerion. “You are welcome to better acquaint yourself with any one of my daughters during your stay here. Kelsie will show you to your quarters.”

Daerion bowed. “Thank you, sir.” He turned to leave.

“Wait there a minute, friend. I know you are not what you seem to be. If you are embarking upon a quest, I suggest you take Karynne with you as a guide. She knows the forest well and she will help you exit the wood safely,” Leoth told him.

Surprised, Daerion turned to the old gypsy. Leoth smiled knowingly at him. “Keep Karynne with you as long as you need to.”

Daerion regained his composure and nodded. He knew he could trust the gypsy leader, for gypsies knew more than they would tell. With that, he exited the tent.

The three sisters exited the tent. They walked to the fire in silence. Rynne broke it with a question.

“Who do you think Daerion will choose?”

Elsie’s eyes flashed at her young sister. “I believe he will focus his attentions on Stella.”

“Really? How could he not...” Rynne sighed. She is the most beautiful out of all of us, I admit it. My time will come...“I’m hungry. See you later.” She made her way to where her mother was too quickly to hear Elsie’s comment to Stella:

“He will focus his attentions on you, but he truly yearns for our young sister.”