Just a quick note before I begin, this is a repost of the first chapter of a story I just let sit, I’m starting to work on it again so I’m reposting and re-working. Sorry to those of you who reviewed this story before I gave up on it, I hope that you’ll continue to read and review my work!

Days passed, weeks passed, years passed, and the rain fell on the just, and unjust alike. Wasn't that how that old passage read? Strange thoughts to think as slipping into deaths icy grasp, slipping from the cold uncaring world, far from the grasp of the demons that haunted and the love left behind.

Bright light, shining in my eyes, I groaned and turned my face from the sun. The felt movement, I could almost see it, though my eyes were tight shut. Strange words, a cool hand pressing my forehead, I threw my head wildly, escaping the grasp. Life, I was living, I could feel my body, I felt pain. I opened my eyes, hoping to escape the blood sodden dream world, but finding no comfort in the blue skies and soft grass.

A man stood over me, no not a man, an elf. His beautiful engraved features gave him away, he smiled at me, and placing long slender fingers on my temples he spoke more words of magic. The world melted away, a wonderful embracing darkness replaced the world I had known, I smiled at death as he gestured towards the infinite darkness.

I walked towards my death, a little nervous, I had heard the Gods disliked it when someone young as I stood at deaths doorway. As I took each small step forward all thoughts of the Gods intervening slipped from my mind, and I was afraid. I knew that with each step I gave up my world, and my life for the infinite darkness that would leave me devoid of all senses and the love that left me in pain even now, for leaving love was the most painful thing I had ever experienced.

The elf appeared in front of me, he shook his head, not letting me go further.

"No youngling, you cannot die, not yet, although I have never seen any youth as stubborn to die as you."

"This is the path I have picked, why then can I not walk it?"

"No Gods can save you, not as stubborn as you are, but you are far to young to have chosen death. You cannot have seen the world yet, and you are ready to leave it? You have not seen the wonders the world has to offer you cannot give up yet. I will not permit it. Though the Gods do nothing, I shall intervene.”

Death himself nodded his head, and barred the passage to the underworld. I fumed, but inwardly, a very small part of me sighed with relief. Maybe I really wasn't ready to die, maybe there really was new life with love. The elf snapped his fingers and I awoke with a start, in a strange room, moonlight flooding through the huge windows and onto the soft sheets of a strange bed.

"Sleep youngling." The elf said "And forget" he sprinkled dust upon my brow and sleep I did, as my memories were erased.

Days passed, weeks passed, years passed, and the rain fell on the just and unjust alike. Wasn't that how that old passage read?

Kayle shook her head, her long black hair scattered around her shoulders. She glanced around quickly, making sure of her solitude; after all she wasn’t supposed to sit by the apple tree. The apple tree was the only one of its kind in the elven lands, it was said to have been the gift that started the great peace between men and elves, though of course that peace had disintegrated many hundreds of years ago, and even though the apple tree still lived, most elves eyed it with disgust.

Though she knew that she could get in grievous trouble for spending the day with the tree her curiosity had once again over powered her shame for breaking the rules. Curiosity, she couldn’t count the times that she had gotten in trouble for her curiosity. Lately she had tried her very best not to be curious at all, because it was her curiosity more than her strange looks that made her so isolated. Every time she asked a question to anyone other than her adoptive father they would stare at her strangely and never answer the question anyway.

Remiri, her almost father, had told her often that she must not ask questions about her kind, never about the race of men. Though through the years every time she could not stand the unanswered questions she would find herself at the apple tree, where she would sit and get lost within her mind, sometimes she could think of something, and though she knew that she had never even see another of her kind, she would see short scenes of many different things. Sometimes she would see herself, with a home behind her, sometimes she would see her parents, but most often she would see him. Jek. Always she would see herself in the wide world.

She was happy in the elven lands however; Remiri had been kind to her always and had taught her many different languages, of course she spoke elvish, she also spoke dwarvish, and though she could not remember Remiri teaching her, the tongue of man. Kayle was not allowed to learn ancient elvish however, and this was the language that everything was written, all records and all scrolls and books. This made it impossible for her to learn on her own, she had to be taught by Remiri.

However she could not help but bend this rule, as it seemed to her most unfair. The one friend she had, Seri, a young elf and a scholar had been teaching her the ancient tongue and sharing books with her. He was odd for an elf, and though no one would ever think of telling him, most thought him a half breed. Seri asked far too many questions for a normal elf.

In all actuality however Seri was not a normal elf, he was an outsider elf. A second warlike race of elves that lived between the kingdoms two sets of walls, they were raised to defend the kingdom at any cost. Seri however was very young when his parents were killed in an attack and though he could have been raised by another outsider elf he was instead taken in as an apprentice to be a scholar.

“What are you doing Kayle?” Seri stood over her, his golden blond shoulder length hair and pale features framed by the sun overhead. There was a slight smile on his lips but she knew that he was serious.

“I had to come, this phrase keeps playing over and over again in my mind. ‘Days passed, weeks passed, years passed, and the rain fell on the just and unjust alike’. Does that mean anything to you?”

“No, I’m sorry but I’ve never heard it before.”

“That’s alright, you’ve done enough for me.” Kayle smiled and Seri held out a hand to help her up.

“You really shouldn’t come here, if you get caught Remiri might not be able to get you out of trouble this time it’s just an excuse to get you thrown into the wide world, its sabotage. I can’t believe you would do that to yourself.”

I can’t believe you would do that to yourself

Kayle felt faint all of the sudden, she blinked furiously, trying to blink away the fog that was creeping up on her, she started feeling hot, her whole body tingled and she reached to the tree for support, but the ground found her first.

A man in a cloak stood before her, he held her had delicately as she bit her lip, her jaw began to tighten as she carefully rolled the sleeve of her dress up revealing horrible red scars. A tear dropped down from underneath the hood and a low gravely voice was soon to follow.

“I can’t believe you would do this to yourself.”

“Jek, no I’m sorry”

All at once the image seemed to fade back into the fog, and she turned her head away from the brightness of the sun. Her body was cool with sweat; she was breathing deeply, Seri at her side.

“Kayle!” His voice was filled with urgency “Kayle are you alright?” She sat up slowly her head in one hand as if to keep her mind from dripping out.

“Yes, yes I’m fine. Thank you.” Kayle wasn’t fine however, the image was too real, it was like it had actually happened, she felt his presence, she felt his sorrow, she felt her regret at the scars that had covered her arms. Then trembling slightly she lifted the sleeve of her dress and the haunting image remained, not so angry now the grey scars lay dormant. ‘I can’t believe you would do this to yourself’ the words played again and again in her head, too loudly to be ignored. “How could I do this to myself” She whispered mesmerized by the anguish and self-loathing that look shape on her arm.

“Do what?” Seri asked taking her wrist and looking at her arm carefully. Kayle felt a sudden jolt of elation, she did every time that Seri touched her. Feeling heat rising in her cheeks she covered the arm and turned her head.

“It must be getting late, we should probably get back, Remiri doesn’t like it when I’m out late.” Seri cleared his throat

“Yes, I should be getting back to my studies. Goodnight Kayle.”

“Goodnight” She walked slowly back to her home, knowing that it was far from a good night, there were too many thoughts in her head, where had the scars come from, why had they appeared, what did they mean? These thoughts plagued her, too much so to allow her sleep, but perhaps it was good that she never slept for every one else was awoken when a strange sound filled the air.