The Untold Stories:

Arella and Tuscanar

The werewolves howled with delight as they became aware of the lessening distance between them and their prey. Their eyes sparkled like blood diamonds in the night. Foam spilled over their gums, revealing sharp carnivorous teeth, ready to sink into any unsuspecting flesh. Their fur was an untidy brown mass that did little to conceal their thick, rippling muscles.

Barefooted and frightened, Arella sprinted through the woods. Her tiny feet churned up precious dirt as she wove through the trees, her silver gown billowing out behind her. Despite the darkness of the night a faint blue glow constantly surrounded the young lady and did little to conceal the enormous white-feathered wings attached to her back.

Arella was an angel.

Arella ran her tongue over her lush lips as she unfurled her wings. It was difficult to run when they weren't tucked against her back, and she'd be cutting it close as she always did, but she had to escape, and this was the only way she knew how. The wolves rounded a bend in the trees right as Arella forced her wings down catching the air as the ground left her feet, propelling her to the sky just as a wolf snapped at her ankle and missed. She laughed, a sound like millions of chiming bells, as she rose above the trees into the brilliant star clustered sky.

The wolves whined and howled, circling around, expecting her to suddenly lose altitude so they might sink their fine teeth into her porcelain flesh, but it was not so. Arella smiled flapping her wings soundlessly as she pulled out a small handful of silvery dust from a tiny purse inside her dress.

"Sleep now, and dream well," she whispered, tossing the substance over the wolves whose eyes immediately drooped. To be an angel meant respect for all living things despite the danger or harm they could cause. Arella looked to the sky to see the millions of stars shining down on her feathery wings. With one large thrust she had propelled herself forward, catching a draft and riding the current through the sky.

She breathed deeply. The forest below her seemed so insignificant and yet so beautiful. Every other night she would play games with the werewolves, teasing them but not harming them, and never letting them catch her. She was returning to her cave to rest until morning when a noise caught her sensitive ear.

"Stop!" she heard someone scream far below her. Curious, she dipped lower and circled the tops of the trees when her breath caught in her throat. Below her were three men.

"You had your chance, and you wasted it. Only one will die tonight," one of the scruffy assassins snapped. The other man sat on the forest floor, wiping blood from his lip as the third pointed a loaded crossbow at his heart.

"Those were innocents. You murdered innocents," the man on the ground panted. Arella dropped silently into a tree above them to witness the scene.

"You try so desperately to depict us as the ones you must fear. Have you learned nothing?" the assassin in charge sneered as he crouched beside the wounded chestnut haired man. "You, Tuscanar, have murdered too."

"They weren't innocent. They deserved what they got," the one named Tuscanar growled.

"Were they?" the lead assassin chuckled as he got back to his feet. "Such a pity we'll have to dispose of you. Your talents were very much…envied."

"You told me they were criminals! Wanted men!" Tuscanar roared, trying to get to his feet as well when the arrow in the crossbow was pressed into his throat.

"You are a fool, Tuscanar. A fool. To capture such a mysterious creature as that girl you must know where to hunt." The assassin's eyes were a sinister black now. "She travels on horseback. She would not mingle with scum of the street. Threaten innocents and they will give you exactly what you want." Arella's heart was racing as she leaned forward in her perch. Tuscanar's expression looked as if it could melt the underworld itself.

"I murdered innocents?" he whispered, his breathing heavy.

"Indeed," the assassin smirked. "You were like a blood hound. We were close, you know. Close to killing her. You had her in your grasp!" On the word grasp, the assassin momentarily lost his control and kicked a large stone, sending it flying into the dark woods. "And you let-her-go."

Tuscanar, who had hung his head in shame, now looked up with a new gloating pride.

"I am nothing like you," he breathed. "Tell me, why is she of such interest to you?"

The assassin smirked.

"Who else wields the power of the elements? She could harm others with her abilities."

"She is nothing but a girl!" Tuscanar shouted. "She is not a threat to the realm. The threat is you! You're a murderer."

"Do not forget that you too murdered," the assassin scowled.

"I did not mean to murder. I was lied to. You took a person's life in cold blood," Tuscanar scowled.

"And it is with my greatest condolences that I will have to take yours." Then, nodding to his partner, the assassin stepped back as his comrade put pressure on the trigger positioned against Tuscanar's neck. Arella's eyes widened.

"No!" she cried, unfurling her wings and gliding down from the tree.

"By the fathers!" the assassin gasped as her enormous feathered wings swept out and wrapped around Tuscanar protectively. The assassins stepped back in awe as her glowing blue body protected Tuscanar from further harm. The man stared at the wings encasing him in astonishment.

"Shoot to kill!" the lead assassin ordered his friend, but Arella was already working fast. Digging her hand into her purse she pulled out a fistful of silvery dust which she then blew toward the attackers.

"Sleep you nuisances," she smiled as the assassin with the crossbow fumbled with his weapon while his eyes drooped in exhaustion.

"Tuscanar…" the leader mumbled as he collapsed at their feet in a deep slumber. Arella stepped back from Tuscanar.

"Come quick, mister," she ordered, taking his hand and beginning to run through the forest. Tuscanar followed her quick footed pace as they wove through the pines and brambles that tore at their clothing. They didn't stop running until they had reached a small cavern in the side of the rocky mountain. As Arella tried to lead him inside Tuscanar hesitated. His stony look suggested that he was still distrustful. "It's alright," Arella smiled. "I won't hurt you. You may rest here tonight. I have some herbs that may help your wounds."

"What are you?" Tuscanar grunted, rubbing his chin that had a bit of beard stubble growing on it.

"My name is Arella. I am an angel," she greeted, folding in her wings and taking the hem of her dress as she gave a bow.

"I'm Tuscanar," he replied. Arella giggled.

"I know," she replied, turning and entering the cave. Tuscanar followed warily only to be greeted by a miraculous underground stream. A small trickle of water from deep within the mountain slipped over the boulders against the opposite wall and collected in an incandescent pool. Beside the pool were different plants, most of which Tuscanar could identify. The others must have been from somewhere else in the kingdom. In the far corner lay a stack of woolen blankets and a small feathered pillow.

"It's not much," Arella blushed when she realized he was surveying her humble abode. "But this is not my real home. I live on the top of the mountain in a place called Rune." Tuscanar blinked.

"Home to the angel folk," he muttered. Arella nodded.

"Please have a seat. I'll gladly treat your wounds."

"I can do it," Tuscanar retorted, sitting himself down and taking up some of the leaves upon the floor. He stuck three in his mouth and chewed them to a slimy pulp before taking the wad and applying it to his open wounds. He clenched his jaw as a momentary sting shot through his skin before it was replaced with the ever welcoming relief from pain.

"Why did they want to kill you? Who were you hunting before you came here?" Arella asked as she sat across from him and observed his muscled arms, tattered clothing and hardened face. Tuscanar didn't reply at first.

"A girl," he finally said. "A woman who is…she's very powerful," he stammered. Arella cocked her head.

"How is she powerful?" Tuscanar caught the girl's icy blue gaze.

"She –" he struggled. "No one knows where she came from. I was the best tracker in my hunting village: Tam."

"Ah yes, Tam," Arella nodded, recognizing the name. "Why do you want to hunt her then?"

Tuscanar shrugged.

"These days are…hard to come by," he muttered. "A lot of people starve. Those men back there promised me as much meat as I could carry if I helped them kill her. They said she was dangerous. She has the ability to control two of the elements after all. I've never seen anything like her. Nothing so beautiful and so…helpless," he whispered, staring at the pool of water beside him.

"You had the chance to kill her didn't you?" Arella whispered. Tuscanar nodded solemnly. "But you didn't."

"No, I did not," Tuscanar whispered.

"Why didn't you?"

The man sighed.

"Because the minute I laid eyes on her I knew that she was not dangerous, and then I…I thought of something. Silly as it is, when I looked into her eyes I thought of respect for all living things. And she was a girl. She was not some slaughtered animal. Even a stag is not as hunted as she. It was wrong. I didn't have the heart to do it," he clenched his fist. Arella was silent a moment.

"On the contrary. I think you had the heart to do what was right," she breathed. Tuscanar looked at her and her glowing smile. He couldn't help but smile in return as he got to his feet and stood at the entrance to the cave. Arella joined him there shortly after.

"I can't help but think that something's about to happen. This bleak horizon can't stretch on forever. The rein of our king won't last long," he said, staring up at the stars. Arella silently agreed. Everyone knew their King was cold to the core. He had seized power by force and was determined to cover the land in darkness. Tuscanar's brow furrowed. "I think there's a reason I let her escape," he muttered to the chilly mountain air. "It's because somewhere deep inside me I realized that as hopeless as the situation is, she's part of something as vast as the sky. Something is going to happen."

Arella smiled and took Tuscanar's hand.

"There is still hope," she whispered following his gaze to the star field and beyond. Little did the two know that something big was about to happen for on the other side of the realm deep within the ruins four unlikely heroes were coming together in an effort to restore the land to its original glory.

The adventure had only just begun.

Okay so this is just a short story I whipped up real fast. It is actually in direct correlation to the non fan fiction book I'm working on.

Tuscanar is mentioned once in my story but he doesn't have a name, he's just known as the assassin. Arella is never mentioned.

It's a little short story of what happened to some of the minor, never heard of characters in my story but are somewhat sneakily important to the original plot.

In my story there are four heroes who have to come together to save the kingdom. Tuscanar and the band of assassins was hunting down one of the four main characters (this is a scene that's actually in my book) when he had the chance to kill her but faltered and let her escape. So my main character never knows Tuscanar's name nor does she know what becomes of him afterward, all she knows is that he helped her flee instead.

Well this story is what happened to Tuscanar.

The name of the home to the angels is not actually Rune. Rune was the name I originally wanted to call it when I came up with a different name, but I didn't want to put that in here for fear of people stealing my ideas. That's also why this story is very vague. It's vague because first of all none of these minor characters actually know the major characters or what is really happening. Secondly I'm afraid of people stealing my original characters or plot ideas so I kept it very, very unclear as to what's actually happening.

Phew, long description. I hope everyone liked this! Because if you did then I'm sure you'll enjoy my book when I finish writing it and get it published. (yes 'when' I'm very serious about this)