FLIGHT I: Departure

"A waltz when she walks in te room She pulls back the hair from her face She turns to the window To sway in the moonlight Even her shadow has grace...

A waltz for the girl out of reach She lifts her hands up to the sky She moves with the music The song is her lover The melody's making her cry

So she dances In and out of the crowd like a glance This romance is from afar Calling me silently' " Josh Groban's "So She Dances"

She packed the last few items in the saddle bags she had created for Nuage, the wolf companion that adopted the diminutive elf upon her return to Rhydin. Having been tracked closely by several of the minions of Sibv (as well as others), The Lady Fire of Evandar had managed to avoid detection by skirting the edges of Darkness that continually plagued Rhydin. Her distrust of others had been exacerbated by her "living on the run" For the last several years Eless dodged the various emissaries of Evil. She would continually move in order to avoid being captured and a life of enslavement where the servants of the Dark would force Eless to use her powerful gifts to their benefit.

For the most part the elven empath managed to keep her true identity a secret (except for the few familiar denizens she had known from long ago); she tried to keep her distance and to refrain from forming any close attachments. The proprietor of the Red Dragon Inn, Panther, was her former boss and old-time friend. He was kind enough to offer Eless her former job back. The position as a part time "tender was an ideal opportunity for the anxious elf to desensitize herself to large groups of people. New friendships were formed and fragile trusts ensued. Elessaria's life regained a semblance of normalcy (at least for Rhydin) and a stability for which she always yearned.

As the weeks turned into months, Lady Fire could sense the growing evil. She first revealed a glimpse of her true identity when two of Rhydin's resident "baddies" of the law firm DCH kidnapped Tasslehoff Momus: a longtime, well respected and powerful citizen of the realm. The pure evil that radiated from that pair made Eless physically ill; however, her empathy gave her just enough warning to avoid becoming an appetizer for Mr. Howe and Mr. Dewey. Despite her magic being far from up to par, Elessaria willingly used her healing gifts to aid her friends who attempted to save Tass. She dared not use her spellfire and only expended enough mana to "jump start' the natural healing abilities of some; the rest received traditional care via herbs, tonics, bandages and common sense. Unfortunately her minor participation claimed her a spot on DCH's infamous list.

Much of the elf's former anxiety returned while she recuperated from the unexpected expenditure of her mana. Once the mage recovered her strength, she simply shrugged off that particular tidbit of information. Being on some sort of list was pretty much a fact of Eless life" especially during her stays in Rhydin. Eless began to feel comfortable once more, attending Spring festivals, a glamourous wedding and just spending time relaxing wi friends. Her , mischievous streak returned and she could often be found in the company of Ciera, Piper, Jade, Jewell and Icer among others, as well as exchanging pithy banter with Connar and Panther. Elessaria's tender heart took on a protective nature when she met the sweet, lovely and timid S"jira...Sid had adopted Sugar and Spice in a way while Eless developed a strong fondness for this lass.

Her temporary respite was shattered by the intense encounter with the demon Oziendis who blatantly enslaved the Lady Icer and several other members of her extended family. Unable to bear watching the demon control Icer, Connar managed to lead the female dragon outside of the Inn where the petite elf attempted to help him remove the enchanted saddle and collar keeping the dragon imprisoned; but, to no avail. Oziendis also controlled Icer's cousin and mother. The demon forced them to attack Eless and Connar; shortly after, Panther joined the fray. Without anytime for thought, the mage instinctively drew on her spellfire. Even though the dragons were acting under command and not their own volition, Eless was once more flooded with distrust. The fragile bonds were fractured during the fight; when she woke up the next morning under the swing on the Inn's porch, she knew the time for the inevitable had arrived. It had cost her dearly; yet, it was well worth the freedom of Icer and her mother.

Eless" inability to use her magical gifts increased markedly after s he had barely survived the emotional trauma upon her initial return to the ruins of Asheby Manor. She withdrew once again while she desperately wrestled with regaining control over her mana and her strength. Rather than using what little magical training she had, Eless relied solely on reflexes and gathered mana from the heightened emotions that surrounded the fray' a poor choice for an extremely sensitive empath as herself. The elf's frustration grew because of her inability to provide her friends absolute protection, adding to the nightmares which already visited her nightly. The Lady Fire of Evandar knew such reckless use of magic would surely guide the servants of the Dark even closer and she would no longer be able to conceal her true identity without jeopardizing her friends and loved ones. Elessaria Devabriel was the only one of her kind to be both blessed and cursed by the unique (yet powerful) gifts the elven god Corellon had bestowed upon her. The last thing she wanted was to endanger any more innocents by her mere presence alone. The empath already bore the heavy guilt on her heart for being the sole survivor of her race of elves all of whom perished while valiantly defending her from Evil she was but a child.

Many years later, Eless rescued three young children whom she believed were also survivors of Evandar; however, they had become prisoners (and bait) of an Evil mage. After a shdifficult rescue which had included her own capture (the thin silvery scar of the captor's poison dipped, magical dagger that mars the elf's nearly flawless skin of her neck and throat is forever a souvenir of their captivity), some of Eless" guilt had eased. She entrusted the three youngsters with the guardianship of Evandar's rebirth. This provided them a sanctuary with practically impenetrable wards that only she could forge; created with the potent mixture of her blood, her tears and the ashes of Evandar that still resonated with the strong emotions of those who had called this place home. During her last visit to monitor EvandaIr's progress, Lady Fire found her wards destroyed and the young caretakers slaughtered. Guilt overwhelmed the empath once again and the delicate elf once more exiled herself to a solitary life so she would not endanger another. Elessaria never lingered long in any single place nor did she establish anything more than brief acquaintances to ensure this. With her magical bags packed, the pale elf stealthily descended into the common room. She hasn't had the heart last night to tell her friends she was leaving. The empath blamed her reluctance to share this information on the flimsy reasoning that she was sparing them any additional stress" especially after seeing S"jira's reaction when she confessed her plans to depart. The room was empty as she had hoped since it was the time when the late night revelers finally retired and before the early risers came to break their fasts. Elessaria headed to the empty kitchen to stock up on the last of necessities she required for the beginning of her journey. The larger quantity she set into Nuage's bag and the remainder into hers. The blue flames flickered deeply within her eyes tear-filled eyes as the tender hearted elf slowly glanced about the dim room and paused in a patch of twilight in front of the large fireplace. She hummed softly before, swaying with the rhythm of the flames dancing in the hearth in an effort to calm herself. Eless stepped into the cool of the morning air, surrounded by the gentle trilling of waking birds and the sweet scent of fragrant blooms wafting over her. A gentle pat on Nuage's flank sent the coal colored messenger on his errand. As she watched Nuage slip into the trees, the fleeing elf drew her cloak more tightly about her and headed into the opposite direction.

FLIGHT III: Bouleverse"

"Tout seul Tu t"en iras tout seul Couer ouvert a l"univers Poursuis ta quete Sans regarder derruere N"attebd pas que le jour se leve... Suis ton etoile Va jusqu" ou ton reve l"emporte Un jour tu le toucheras tSi tu crois en toi. Suis ta lumiere N"eteins pas la flamme que tu portes Au fond de toi souviens toi Que je crois en toi" Je Crois en Toi (I Believe in You)-Celine Dion & Il Divo

Blending with the night's shadows Nuage padded silently onto the recently vacated porch of the Red Dragon Inn. The wolf had stealthily followed Connar Valdor. Nuage had kept watch over the enigmatic warrior from a far during his recuperation process from the dragon battle, as well as reporting the recuperation process of a couple additional friends, despite the furred guardian's discomfort in obeying his mistress" instructions. The Lady Fire of Evandar possessed a natural kinship with most creatures of the wild simply because of who she was.

Yet now the empath's threadbare shields were like a sieve, allowing much of her powerful emotions to escape and be broadcast through out the forest like a town crier's bulletin resounding in a city square. Her pain became their pain as she projected the intense emotions drowning her. All who sensed her fretted nervously' especially Nuage. Each time a thin thread of attachment to a dear one unraveled or snapped, it would plunge the delicate elf even deeper into the inner maelstrom that haunted her both day and night.

Prying the folded square f leastrom its niche with his front teeth, the wolf's preternatural senses permitted him to sense the somber tone of the note. The inky black spot of her companion eased into an effortless, ground covering lope. Nuage's concern grew as he drew ever closer to Elessaria. The elven empath had never handled farewell very well for it seemed " to her at least' every time she summoned enough courage to form a trust, it was irreparably shattered. Eless had already been hesitant to develop any bonds upon her return to Rhydin. Not only had she suffered the loss of her soul-meld and an unborn child " even her Heart Sisters had vanished without a trace. Icer's involuntary attack only served to reinforce Eless" fears even though the demon Oziendis was to blame and not her friend.

Nuage slowed his approach to his mistress; the wolf was close enough to hear her plaintive crying. Since there was hardly any substantial magical shielding sustained by Eless, the wolf and his charge simultaneously felt another tie to Rhydin savagely snap. The weary elf collapsed with pain when she felt Panther remove the necklace of protection she had given S"jira before she fled Rhydin. Nuage quietly licked Elessaria's tear-stained face, the folded square of parchment forgotten while he attempted to comfort her. The sorrowful elf buried her face into the coal black fur in a desperate hug until her sobbing began to fade into hiccups. Sliding from her kneel to rest partially on her hip, Eless spied the fallen note and snatched it up. The empath could sense the author's aura even before she unfolded the scrap of parchment; it was nearly palpable to her.

Eless read the message out loud with a tremulous whisper and trembling hands. A few shimmering tears escaped the mage's eyes of blue flame to trace a silvery path along her increasingly ethereal features. She understood the burden of duty' more so than most; yet, it brought with it the departure of another dear one. The Lady Fire of Evandar offered up a silent prayer for safety to any and all gods and goddesses that perchance were listening to her pleas. She tucked the note safely away to brighten the dark times she knew lay ahead.