"Blade: 2" by Jaimie M. Dengler

The next morning, the two left in silence. Many warriors insisted on coming, but were rejected.

          A mark carved into a tree announced that they were entering De Khiren land.

          Two hours later, Niroshami pulled her horse to a stop. “It is here I leave.”

          Emotion nodded. “It was good knowing you.”

          Her eyes widened when Niroshami pulled her into a hug. “It was even better knowing you.”

          Abruptly, she pulled away and sent her horse galloping into the dark woods.

          “You are Emotion?” A small girl child looked up at her.

          “Yes.”

          “Then follow me.”

          They sent a child as the guide for a ruthless warrior?

          She suddenly came into view of a old castle, just as images of fire being frozen over raced through her mind.

          She shook it away, avoiding the girl’s questioning gaze.

          But the girl continued her silent observation even as they pressed on. “You look like her.” she said, and was silent.

          The girl left her in the middle of a field. Soon a man dressed as a butler appeared and beckoned her. She dismounted the mare she had ridden and led it instead. Another De Khiren took the reins and led the horse another direction.           Before she realized it, she stood a small door of the castle. A guard opened it and motioned them inside.

          She followed the doorman to the entry way to the throne room. “His Highness has been eager to find you Mistress Emotion.”

          She gave a chilling smile. “I’m sure.”

          When she walked through the door, she expected to see an aged man who had called her to merely assist him to where the battle was being fought.

          In truth King, was hardly older than herself if at all. His attention was at the moment focused on a scribe that obviously brought bad news by the way he kept ringing his hands and the way the King’s eyes narrowed.

          “Should there be a later date set for our meeting your Highness.” She disliked people who called her and then ignored her.

          Some thing looked so familiar about the way his eyes suddenly locked on hers.

          His eyes widened. “May the Goddess have mercy.” He stood, proving himself a good six inches taller than herself. “Caberate.”

          When he came up to her she tensed. “I do not know of whom you speak.”

          Shock came onto his handsome face. “Ina tu revmera?”

          She cocked her head suspiciously. “If your going to speak like a wild animal, than do so understandably.”

          He looked down, a forced laugh echoing throughout the room. “You really don’t know who I am. Do you Blade?”

          Blade? What kind of name was Blade? He reached out to touch her. She caught his hand just before it touched her delicate skin. “Watch where you step your Highness. I am not this Blade you speak of. My name is Emotion.”

          A single tear rolled down his cheek. “What did they do to you? We were friends once Blade.” she watched closely as he reached for something inside his shirt. Her breath caught at the sight of the silver pendent, identical to her own. “We promised each other we would always be friends.”

          She looked at him with uncertain eyes. “Prince Frost?”

          “Yes it is me.”

          She fell to her knees, tears streaming from her eyes. Uncharacteristically of the warrior by the name Emotion, Blade leaned into him when his arms came around her. “What happened to my parents Frost? Where are they?”

          He closed his eyes, the past was his greatest enemy, especially that night. “Your father was killed protecting my mother, but she was killed anyway. Your mother managed to escape.” He took in a deep breath. “She fares ill, but is still alive.”

          “I was knocked cold by one of the human soldiers. I forgot everything. When the soldier had seen my eyes, he brought me to live his family assuming that I was human and had been kidnaped by the De Khiren. I said nothing to them nor did I show anything toward them. I didn’t know why, except that I didn’t belong to them. I did love them though. Since I never said anything, they named me Emotion. When they attempted to marry me off to a man I sensed was evil. I unknowingly brought forth my powers forth and killed him.”

          He took her chin and turned it towards him. “You froze him?”

          She shook her head. “No. There is one power Frost which I and my family made sure was not known.”

          “What is it?”

          “Death.”

          “Is that why-” He was quickly cut off.

          She bared her teeth, the slightly long De Khiren incisors showing. “Don’t even think that’s how I won all those battles. I am every bit blade warrior as any man.”

          “Man...or human?” Frost said quietly.

          She turned away. “Tell me Frost. What should I have done? I have in my life killed other De Khiren, because I was paid to. I have killed my own kind because I was raised to hate them.”

          It was comforting when his arms came around her shoulders, but she froze when she felt his teeth on her neck. Gently scraping against delicate flesh. It was soothing but soon became almost erotic. “So its true the De Khiren take live flesh I assume.”

          The motion stopped. “What!” he hissed. He pushed her away, only her fighting reflexes saving her when his sword came swinging down.

          She was instantly on guard. “What is wrong with you!”

          “Did the bastard think if he sent a double he would finally kill me?” He began to circle her like a predator. Like the predator both he and she knew he was.

          “Who are you talking about?” A growl sounded in his throat as a blue light began to emanate from his body.

          “Idiot slave, do not even think you can fool me. Since you will not live to tell your captain, I guess I can inform you. It is in the instinct of every De Khiren to rub teeth on neck. It calms. It is imprinted on the child.

          “And any adult knows that they will not be harmed.”

          “Frost, you should know its me.”

          “That’s what the others said also. Or didn’t they tell you what not to say?”

          “You gave me this necklace Frost, and I have it.”

          “The other four assassins also had it. They aren’t alive anymore to ‘have it’. I was surprised when I found another confidant had betrayed me.”

          There had been four assassination attempts on the De Khiren King? “Four?”

          His laugh was startling cynical. “Four they made to look as August Blade. There have been seventeen.”

          Mother have mercy. She shook she head. “What can I do to make you trust me?”

          He laughed at her. “Tell me what powers you possess. We’ll go from there.”

          She was almost desperate now to have him believe her. “Ice, Silence, Speed...and Death.”

          “Now this was never known. The name of a certain sword was given to two people. August Blade and myself. This is the last test any need answer.”

          She drew the sword which she hoped would answer all, and bring him back into her life with no conditions or questions of trust, so soon after finding him, and life, again. “The name of that sword is Wi-”

          “Silence!” he motioned to the guards standing around the room. “All of you out.”

          One came up to him. “Frost we do not trust you in the presence of a possible assassin.”

          “Would you rather stay, Fox, and have your vocal cords ripped out afterwards, your fingers cut off and your eyes taken from your head?”

          “Not really.” To my surprise, Frost’s eyes actually lightened at this comment. “As you wish your majesty.” He turned to me. “If our King is harmed I can guarantee that you will not walk out of here alive.”

          Finally, they stood face to face, alone.

          He lowered his arm, but still kept a tight grip on his sword. “I suppose that you wonder why I still keep my guard. Well, I asked the last one the same question, he tried to answer, but his De Khiren was too human. If you still wonder, it was rather fun hearing his screams.” he almost sneered.

          Blade looked away. “How is it that you can be so cold?”

          “It seems you forget that there are two De Khiren. There are the Light, and then there are the Dark. The Dark court gets those with the powers of night. We are called the evils of the night, so let us be that.”

          “As I recall, you did not have Dark powers. And the Dark court was never cruel.”

          He laughed again. He stood still a moment, she could feel some kind of magic being summoned. Then she suddenly realized the shadows were drawing ever closer. “Enough delay. Tell me the name.”

          She drew out Sight’s single most precious possession.“The name of my father’s sword is Winter’s Eve.” When he merely stood there as if waiting, she closed her eyes and sunk to her knees. The language of her ancestors flowed onto her tongue as if joyful to be spoken again. “Uy kira nu zaja hirrote su Interiante Eavon, Miramio.” She ended on his old nickname, which roughly translated to ‘cold little blackbird’.

          She snapped alert when his sword hit the floor. She looked up. A hot ember seemed to light when she slowly worked her way up his body. She remembered seeing a hint of what he would become, but this far outdid any expectations someone could make. He was tall and slim, as was every De Khiren, most of it legs. There were no visible muscle, but his figure showed that it was there. She herself could pass for any pampered lady, if at that a tall one. His black hair brushed just past his knees. His shoulders slightly trembled. “It is you.” He turned away. “You know, when I first came into power, I sent thirteen of my father’s best to search for you. Six came back. They reported the others having been killed by a woman by the name Emotion. I brought her here not to assist in the war against the humans, I brought the warrior Emotion here to be killed.”

          A woman burst through the door. “Frost you know as well as I do that anything that concerns this kingdom also concerns me. Why was I not told about this meeting?”

          His gold flecked eyes went cold. “This does not concern you Prism.”

          The woman’s hot glare turned to Blade. “If it does not concern me than why is Emotion here?”

          “Leave.”

          “I will not!” 

          “Fine then. So be it.” 

          “Tell me what is happening here Frost.” There was almost a seductive note in her voice. Blade instantly realized that it was a spell.

          Unfortunately for Prism, so did Frost. He waved his hands before his eyes, demolishing the magic. “Not a very good try girl. I’m surprised you haven’t spoken of this woman’s aura yet.”

          Her brow crinkled. “What are you talking about?”

          “Blade, stand.”

          She stood up with a fighter’s grace.

          “Sense anything familiar about her?”

          The woman took a righteous sniff. “No.”

          “This is your half sister Prism. She is the first daughter of Autumn Sight and you mother April.”

          “How! Autumn Sight was your mother’s champion.”

          “In those times a Queen’s champion was expected to have a family.”

          “That means nothing. My father was Summer Hawk, a bow maker, not a Queen’s champion.”

          Frost chuckled. “You are forgetting yourself mi dear. I said that she is your half sister.”

          “That is not true.” With that, she turned and left the room.

          Frost gave a frustrated growl.

          Blade touched his shoulder. The growling stopped. “Is she my sister?”

          He turned a solemn face to her. “Yes, she is. April was never the same after that night. When we were finally willing to return, she was half dead from the beating and the rape. Two years later, she took another husband after being advised to by friends. I don’t think she really loved him, but it was still another emotional blow when he was killed by a human bounty hunter.” He took Blade into his arms, needing to feel close to that piece of his past.

          She closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his strong arms around her. It was as if all the years were gone, and the outer shell called Emotion had been stripped away. “You said my mother was still alive?”

          “Yes.”

          “I would like to see her.”

          “Now?”