Part two: Time cannot erase

Chapter 16

The forest was oddly dark one night. Nothing moved, nothing spoke, nothing happened for a long time. The red moon shinning through the forest meant that Niagara’s slaves and servants were near.

For a brief moment, the world held it’s breath as a dark figure jumped from the high tree tops. It moved with a cat-like speed, staying in the darkness. It was nothing but a mere haze to an animal watching from afar.

But above the tress, another figure with giant wings and a blue trail of light following it circled around the moon. The figure in the tress flashed again, this time near a long, dirt path below it. There, it waited.

The figure stayed in one spot for a long time. She finally pulled out a small knife from her boot and slammed it into the tree. The knife dug forward into the bark. Then, she put her ear up to the handle, and listened carefully.

The knife vibrated against her ear, letting her know that people were coming. She took the knife from the tree and looked up at the black, winged figure. Then, in the gentlest voice she could muster, she cuffed her hands over her mouth and let out a long, owl-like ululation.

In response, the black figure swooped down into the trees and out of sight. The girl took a long bow that was strapped to her back and pointed it toward the ground.

In only a few moments, many men walked down the path the girl pointed her bow at. With a twang, the girl let the arrow go, and it tore through the air. It hit one in the shoulder.

All the men seemed to hold their breath as the one thieve fell to the ground with a thud. As soon as he did, the girl dropped down from the tree, black hair flaying about.

“Hey!” One thief yelled. “Who are you?”

The girl pulled a long steel sword from her belt and slashed down, making a short, whipping sound through the air. Then she raised her blade, calling the man to battle.

The lead thief threw back his head and laughed. “You think you can beat me? You are just a silly little girl!”

The girl’s sapphire blue eyes became tiny slits, beaming with something the thieves had never seen before.

Strength, and the power that one girl could have within.

The girl raised her armored hand wielding the Sword, the gleaming silver blade pointed threateningly at the thief as though calling him forth. The man stood his ground, assessing the situation.

Then Ara stepped towards him: her threat solidified, calling him to battle once more.

“Are you sure this is wise, little mouse?” The man’s powerful voice rung through her ears, but she did not move, she didn’t even flinch. She stood her ground and glared daggers at him.

“I am not afraid of you.” She said in a hauntingly strong voice. “I can take you, and all of your men.” She lowed her body into the position of a coiled snake.

“Ha!” The man said. Then he pulled out a long, thick sword and pointed it at the girl. “DIE!” she shouted, as he lunged forward.

“Draco, NOW!” the girl shouted, as she jumped high in the air and disappear in a puff of black smoke. At the same moment, a huge Alicorn swooped down and knocked the man back.

In shock, the man jumped back and struck with his sword twice, missing both times.

In another puff of black smoke, the black-haired girl appeared above the other men, who looked up in surprise. She landed and leaped into the air, striking rapidly with her weapon.

“Aurora!” Draco, the black Alicorn called. “Watch out for the—”

The girl was hit in the back with a large stick by another thief. With a painful grunt, she fell to the ground. The man laughed and lifted the stick to hit her again. But the girls hand raised to him and glowed a light blue color.

In an instant, the girl was surrounded in a crystal of blue light. The man hit it hard, but bounced back. It was like hitting a solid rock. His pupils widened, and he stood completely silent for a few moments.

In another blast of light from Ara’s finger tips, the men all flew backwoods form the blue energy radiation from the girl’s hand.

The Alicorn landed next to her and sighed. “You have become quite a show-off in the past few months.”

“I get to be a show off, I saved your sorry butt more then once,”

“And I saved your sorry behind more then ten times, don’t start with me, Aurora.” Ara laughed slightly and looked around. Every man that attacked her was now lying on the ground, unconscious. “You know, we could have started with that magic attack,” she found her neck and rubbed it.

“That’s no fun.” Draco remarked. Then he caught a glimpse of Ara’s tunic out of the corner of his eyes. “Besides, what is a good fight without being covered in mud at the end!” he laughed.

Ara looked at him, confused. He continued to laugh, every chuckle making Ara more curious, making Draco laugh harder.

Finally, Ara got the hint and looked down. She was covered in mud from head to toe. It was in her hair, on her face, and all over her clothing.

“Ahhh!” she gasped and tried to wipe it off. “Draco your such a jerk!”

“Me!?” Draco said, almost laughing. “What did I do?”

Ara couldn’t help but scowl at him because she did not have an answer. “Come on,” she laughed. “Lets go back to the inn. William will want help cleaning. He has that special guest from up north coming soon.”

Draco nodded, and the two of them set off down the hill. It would be morning soon, and along the way they would collect some maple berries for Gisela. Ara turned her head from Draco and frowned.

She was afriad Max would not want to talk to her today, that he would just ingnor her like he did every other day.

Mabye, he was falling in love with Hilary, or he just didnt like her anymore. She sighed sadly.

Would he ever like her?

love her?

---

Max sat up against the barn wall of William’s inn, gazing out over the horizon with his arm’s crossed. It had been a wile since Ara and Draco left and went into the woods out side the city. They did it every morning, went out to catch thieves and keep unwanted people out.

Max spent afternoons the same: Helping Link clean the stalls, cleaning the kitchen with William, convincing Hilary to not take advantage of William’s great offer to let them stay here while the war was cleared out and then he would stay out side the inn and wait for Ara and Draco to come home.

He never really spent time with Ara now a days. She was either always with Draco or Link was all over her. Though, when she did have time, Max avoided her. He didn’t know why.

But Hilary did.

She watched Max sit against the wall from around the corner, eyeing him, with a question in her eyes. She didn’t understand how her could care more about Ara then he did for her?

Ara couldn’t hold a candle to me! Hilary thought. She looked around and took another glance at him. He was so…. Lonely.

She sighed, swallowed her pride and walked around the corner.

She sat on the ground next to him. “Hey, Max.” she said.

Max turned his head slightly in the other direction, His arms still crossed over his chest and a very unpleasant look on his face.

Hilary sighed. “Alright, fine.” She snapped. “But if you don’t want to talk to me, then at least listen to me.”

His eyes turned slightly to her, but his head did not move.

“I know how you feel about Ara. Don’t even think for a second that your hiding it.” Max’s eyes widened, but Hilary could not see. She continued talking. “If you feel that way about her, why cant you just build up the courage and tell her?”

Max never moved toward her, but inside he just wanted to disappear.

“The city festival in coming up in a couple of days, and William is having that important guest from Fibernia. You can ask her to the party!” Hilary said, overly confident in her idea

Max turned slowly to her. The unpleasant look on his face softened and he looked into her eyes. “No,” he said simply.

“What?!” Hilary burst. “What do you mean no? That was suck a good—”

“No.” He said more firmly.

Hilary lifted herself off the ground. “Max, You’re a coward. Think of it this way: If you don’t tell Ara now, then someone is goanna come along and she’ll fall in love. And then, you’ll never be able to tell her how you fell!” she scowled and stormed off around the corner and out of sight.

Max sat there for a good ten minuets, thinking of what had just happened. Inside, something was burning and reaching the surface.

“She’s wrong.” He told himself. “I don’t— I mean…. She’s…..”

Max slumped into his seat and buried his head in his hands, mumbling quietly to himself. “Besides,” he said, his voice low and tender. “how could she ever feel the same way about me?”