Lynn and Ronan made their way through the forests thick underbrush slowly

Lynn and Ronan made their way through the forests thick underbrush slowly. Ronan had woken Lynn up before the run was over the horizon, its pale light just starting to creep through the leaves of the tree. They ate bread from the Inn keeper in silence that morning and cleaned up their camp in silence. Lynn still hadn't said anything to him but in the back of her mind she kept thinking her journey would go a lot faster if she could fly.

"We should be out of the forest by night fall." Ronan said finally, and Lynn smiled.

"I'm still trying to figure out why my brother sent you. If I was on my own I'd have been half way there by now." Ronan looked back at her with a look of guilt on her face. "I didn't mean it like that!" She said suddenly, her smile falling quickly, "I just am curious..." Ronan looked ahead of himself again as they made their way. Lynn could feel the awkward silence between them and she felt bad for what she said now. "Listen I didn't mean to offend you-"

"It's not that." Ronan said suddenly, breaking off her sentence. "You don't remember me do you?" He looked back at her, and he kept his eyes locked on hers. Lynn looked at him carefully, the deep pools of green burning into her brown eyes. She couldn't remember where she knew him from, but she was beginning to think she should have when she first saw him. "I guess it has been a long time... little over 400 years now. You were still just a small child." He said, as he smiled sadly at her. "Guess you were too young to remember your brother's pet spirit." Ronan turned and continued walking through the brush.

They moved through the brush in silence and Lynn thought of what Ronan just said. Lynn's mind traced back to her childhood. What did Ronan mean by remember her brother's pet? She thought about is as they made their way around another large fallen tree. Her brother had a pet named Elden. She remembered that much and she also remembered playing with him on many occasions while her brother was away. Slowly Lynn started to remember Elden and the images of him started to play back in her mind. Lynn stopped walking, standing in a daze as she watched Ronan move off into the thick brush in front of her ; moving just out of her sight.

"Lynn! Elden!" Isji called out from the house.

Elden and Lynn looked at each other and giggled before dropping their sticks, which were actually broken bones, and running towards the house. Inside they found Isji standing in the middle of the empty living space with his arms crossed over his chest. He was exactly 200 years older to the day then Lynn. He was tall, about 5'9" with white hair which was long enough to be pulled back, which is how he kept it, and had a moderately tan complexion. His white wings were folded neatly behind him as his tail waved about. His Neko ears had white fur, along with his tail, and were pressed forward as his brown cat eyes were fixed on Lynn and Elden.

Lynn stood in front of Isji at about 3' with her little hands clasped behind her back and her eyes watching her foot as she moved some dust on the floor around. Slowly she turned her eyes up to him all cute with a large smile. Elden was just watching Lynn for a moment then looked back to Isji. Elden never aged, being just a spirit, but he seemed small, being dressed in rags and covered in dirt. As a pet he was never aloud to stand unless walking or doing chores, he had to remain crouched down so he was lower then his master. Isji had just brought Elden home that day, and Lynn and he quickly became friends.

"Lynn I thought I told you to stay inside while I was not here." Isji said sternly. Lynn just looked at him the same then brought her hands forward and clapped. Her little tail waved behind her and her little Neko ears were pressed forward.

"I know Big Brother but I had to go out and show Elden the backyard!" Isji didn't say anything, and Lynn slowly folded her ears back, returning to her former position and moving the dirt on the floor about. "Sorry Big Brother..."

Elden watched Lynn and then looked back at Isji, "It was my entire fault, sir. When Lady Lynn wanted to play I didn't think anything of it."

Isji shook his head and smiled. "Now, now enough with both of you," Lynn looked up at Isji and smiled.

"It's dinner time!" She yelled with a little jump.

Isji smiled sweetly at her and nodded and Lynn ran off towards the kitchen. Before Elden could follow he waited for Isji to tell him it was okay. Isji didn't say anything, but after a moment he let out a long sigh. "I'm glad to see you two got along so well." Elden looked up to him master as if he were a child looking to an adult but remained silent. "I am not going to be able to protect her forever. This is why I brought you here. I will teach and grant you freedom, if in return you will come to Lynn's aid when the time is right. Do you understand?" Isji looked at Elden sternly. Elden nodded, not understanding entirely what Isji was saying, but knew that Isji wasn't saying everything.

Lynn was standing against the wall by the door way listening silent. Young as she was, only 20, she was a lot more mature then she led people to believe. She heard Isji tell Elden to come to the kitchen with Lynn and him and ran to the table at the far side of the room where she pretended to have been waiting all along.

"Lynn!" Lynn looked up to see Ronan standing in front of her. She shook her head. "You alright there?"

"Yeah, sorry." She said distantly.

Ronan let out a sigh with a small smile. "You had me worried for a second." Lynn looked away from him. She wasn't sure what to say. "Well we better get moving if we want to make it out of this forest before dark." He turned and started to walk off again.

"Elden." Ronan stopped in mid step. Lynn raised her head and watched him put his foot down. He didn't turn around at first. "Your name was Elden, or at least that was what my brother called you. You were my only friend as a child." Ronan turned around with a smile but Lynn continued, "I remember the first day he brought you home."

Ronan laughed a bit, "Yeah, I remember that day. It was my first experience of how much you liked to not listen to him." She nodded, "Well come on, we best get going." Ronan's voice rang with a sense of happiness that he was obviously trying to hide and as he moved through the bushes again, this time Lynn followed.

"You know Ronan I never told either of you, but I heard what Brother said to you when I ran from the room."

"Oh?"

Lynn nodded, though she knew he couldn't see her behind him, "Yes. But what I don't understand is why you changed your name?"

Ronan glanced back at her, "Ronan is my real name Lynn. Your brother gave me the name Elden."

Lynn looked at him unsure for a moment then shook her head. "Why?"

"Elden means ‘Protector'."

"I see."

"What did you hear that day anyway?" Ronan asked with a strong hint of curiosity.

"I heard him tell you it was going to be your job to protect me someday when he could no longer do so."

Lynn saw Ronan nod after he hopped over a large fallen tree. He turned and offered his hand to help her over. "So you did hear that after all. Why is it that you forgot all about me then?"

Lynn smiled and shook her head as she allowed him to help her over the tree, which she could have jumped over just as easily. Her smile faded though as she thought of the question. "I guess because of everything that was happening around that time and since then. I never heard either of you mention it again and I was so young, I probably thought it was nothing." Ronan nodded in understanding. "What do you want me to call you?"

"Ronan, actually."

Lynn nodded. "Ronan it is then."

Lynn and Ronan made their way through the forest; talking little to make up for the time they lost by talking earlier. They finally came upon a large river which was the edge of this forest and the start of the next. They set up camp again, deciding it was best to wait for the next day to cross the river and enter the forest ahead of them. The sun was reaching for the horizon as it turned the sky into a reddish orange color. As they sat by the campfire they ate their bread silently. Lynn took another sip from her flask.

"What do you keep in that flask?" Ronan asked suddenly. Lynn looked over to him as she slowly lowered her flask and placed its cover no.

"Just drink." She said, not knowing what else to say. She wasn't sure if he knew what she really was, but she could tell he knew she wasn't telling him the entire truth.

"May I try a sip then?" He said, "My canteen is almost empty and I don't feel like getting up to refill it."

She shook her head, "I don't think you'll want any of this, I'll refill your canteen for you." She held out her hand for his canteen and he handed it to her. Getting up, Lynn walked down to the rivers edge and knelt down holding his canteen in the cold water. Once it was full she stood up, placing its cap on and walked back to him. She hoped he wasn't going to ask her again, but as she handed him the canteen she decided she would tell him. He deserved to know.

"Lynn, you don't have to hide anything from me you know." Ronan took a sip from his canteen before placing it back on the ground. Lynn knew she could trust him, but she was still afraid he would react like all the others.

"It's blood." She said suddenly. Ronan looked over to her surprised. "In my flask," Lynn added suddenly, "Kakashi made it for me so I wouldn't have to let anyone know..."

"Know what?"

"Ronan, I'm a vampire. In the flask I have mixed the blood of a deer I killed with my own. It helps keep my hunger under control." Lynn looked at him concerned, but Ronan nodded.

"Isji told me something that you were different, just not how different. When did it happen?"

Lynn felt a wave of relief with his understanding and she relaxed. She leaned back on one arm and thought for a moment. She remembered the day she'd been turned like it was yesterday. "It happened over 150 years ago. I was at a tavern I frequented and met a young boy. There was something troubling the boy so I followed him as he ran off into the woods. When I found him he'd gotten himself into trouble with a possessed angel. There was a battle and I got hurt badly. The vampire Revan heard the fighting and found me. I guess he didn't realize I could heal myself because he turned me into a vampire thinking he was saving my life. I was grateful to him but it still feels a bit odd."

Ronan nodded. "That is a strange tale." He said, "What happened afterwards?"

"Revan protected me and helped me out. I ended up marrying the angel that nearly killed me..." Lynn paused. She didn't want to tell Ronan about Alpha or Alor just yet, but by his expression she had an idea that Isji already did. "After he died though I met up with Revan and later met Kakashi who made me the flask."

"Who is Kakashi?"

"He said he was my son from the future..." Ronan's face lit up with surprise. Lynn didn't let him ask the question she knew was at the tip of his tongue. Instead she went ahead and answered it. "He said him and a small group of other people were sent back to change the course of a war going on in his time. But he wanted to take this opportunity to change the course of his own life as well and help save my life." She smiled, her eyes glazed over with a dreamy look. "He left though. He had to return to his own time. I don't even know if they were able to change anything."

Ronan shrugged slightly. "Well I guess we'll find out someday." He said with a smile. "You've been through quite a bit it seems since I last saw you."

She laughed, "Oh, you don't know the half of it Ronan." Lynn sat forward and stretched slightly. The sun had fallen behind the horizon now and she looked out to where it had once been. She smiled, "A lot of people think my life's a big joke... You know, just something I made up to get some attention or something like that." She waved her hand a bit as if motioning to something off in the distance. After a pause she continued with a sadder tone now. "But it all really did happen. Not many people trust mutts you know; especially humans. "

Ronan nodded. Yes, I've had a run in with a couple of hard headed humans while I was looking for you." He laughed, "Funny I'm saying that... I used to be one of them."

Lynn smiled, "Yeah that's true, huh? I guess I never really thought about it since you've always been like one of the family." Ronan nodded. There was s calm silence for a moment as the fire crackled. Ronan reached forward and placed more wood into the fire. "I never did get to ask you..."

"Hm?" Ronan nodded to her curiously, "What's that?"

"How is it you came to be damned in hell?"

Ronan sat back for moment thinking. "Much like your mother, I guess. I was in love with rich girl and wanted to marry her." Ronan moved a stone closer to the fire with his foot. "When she was allowed to be married off I went and tried to win her heart. But I was a poor boy, and wasn't fit for her hand in marriage. In my sorrowful state a man came to me and offered me a solution. He said he would give me what I needed to marry her." Ronan paused and as Lynn listened she knew all too well what the man Ronan had met was going to say. She knew the man had been a sole stealer: creatures given the job of gathering desperate souls for hell. They went around looking for innocent souls and making them promises they knew could not be fulfilled.

"I asked what the man wanted in return," Ronan continued, "and he said ‘Nothing. As long as you marry her, I do not need anything in return accept to know that you are happy. However, if you do not marry her, you shall become a slave for my master.' Looking back at it I should have asked who his master was, but being as foolishly in love as I was I took the deal. The man held out a contract for me sign. Since there was no ink and said for me to just prick my finger and that would suffice. I signed the document and the deal was done. I became a rich man and went to her father to ask her hand in marriage. But by the time I had arrived there he had handed his daughter off already to a snobbish lord of some far off land."

Ronan stopped and Lynn looked at him sadly. Her ears had folded back and her wings slumped down along with her shoulders. "I am sorry." She said finally. "It must have been very difficult."

Ronan shook his head and looked over to her. "I wouldn't change a thing Lynn. I was only in hell for a short while before being put on the market a few days before your brother bought me." He smiled a let out a small laugh. "That was when I met you, and I realized that it all had happened for a reason. After all, if it wasn't for me. Think of all the trouble you would have gotten yourself in back then!"

Lynn smiled and shook her head as she giggled. "This is true." Slowly Lynn got to her feet, spreading her wings and stretching. "I can't believe how late it is getting already. I guess summer really is drawing to an end."

Ronan nodded then looked to her curiously. "You don't travel around in the winter do you?"

She shook her head, "I hate the cold. I stick close to my home region for the winter months. It gets very cold there, but it's still home."

"Ah... Where is your home? I tried to find it but I just couldn't seem to figure out where Isji was talking about."

Lynn held back a laugh as she covered her mouth. Ronan looked at her funny. She was surprised Isji had Ronan even try looking for her home. Lynn had carved it into the side of the mountain herself and disguised it well enough to blend it, especially when she was not home with a fire lit. "It's in the mountains of Idony." She said with a slightly shake of her head. "It's in a cave, and only those I show it to know how to find it."

Ronan smacked him knee with his palm. "That Isji, sometimes I don't know what he's thinking. I spent weeks scouring those mountains looking for the cave. I found several but they all led to dead ends."

"Yeah that's the way it goes..." Lynn sat back down, and then stretched out, leaning back to look at he stars. She loved watching the stars. Something about them always gave her peace. It was as if they were watching over her to keep her safe. Ronan was watching the fire, and before long he too laid back. Lynn wasn't sure if it was so he could look at the stars to go to sleep.

Lynn thought of all he years she's been on earth and watched the stars, and how they've changed only a little through the years. She remembered once long ago that fortunes had been commonly told using the stars, and that made her think of the tarot cards. Lynn lifted her head looking around for her bag. When she spotted it she reached over, trying to not have to get up. Her figure tips just grazed the canvas and with a grown she finally gave in. Sitting up she leaned over and grabbed it. Instantly she began to search her bag pulling out the small box Sumati had given her. Lynn looked over the box carefully for the first time. It was rather plain really with rounded edges. Made of solid wood the paint had been worn off years ago to reveal a beautiful light oak color. The top had only a round circle made of vines carved into it; similar to her sword. Lynn lifted the lid to look at the cards. As she put the lid on her lap something caught her eye. Under the lid, very faded and hard to read there was something lightly carved into the wood beneath the circle. Lynn squinted in the low light trying to make it out; her lips mouthing the words as she whispered them to herself. The only noise other then her was the dieing crackle of the fire and a lone cricket off in the distance.

Authors Note: I know I do alot of memory flashbacks but I'm going to be moving on and away from them for a few chapters I promise! Also I may not be posting a new chapter for a week or two as I am planning on rewriting and redoing the first three chapters (or all of the chapters); in order of course. I noticed not many people are reading past Chapter 1. I will post the number of chapters redone in the summery box. I'll post Chapter 10 once I'm done editing past chapters. I'm open to any comments and advice, please review!