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Dear I'taira,

It's so strange to hear you call me queen. In reality I'm not the queen. But even Ranger sometimes calls me Queen Raina. I would rather you not call me that. I don't feel . . . right being called that. But knowing you you'll call me queen anyways. I am glad that Ranger and I were able to bring joy into your camp. Though I was disappointed in you when you had a fight with Gi. It was a pointless fight. It's not like either of you can tell him to do this or that. Ranger wont even listen to the Duke's advice anymore. But he has called a council for himself. Terk is on it and Abe, occasionally, and a lot of other Warriors from all types of places. I say that Abe is on it occasionally because he has been given the tedious duty of protecting me. Though I don't see what good he's doing. But Ranger insisted. You will not believe how word of our marriage spread through the rebellion. The gossip and rumors spread around faster in the rebellion than any dragon can fly. But again I have never seen a dragon fly only heard of them in stories.

Back to you. Sorry I keep getting side tracked. When I read about Master S'oturi I was so sad. He really is a good man. I feel sorry that he is under the control of Y'ata at times. I was so glad that Gi was able to rescue you. I can't wait to know the date of your wedding. I hope I may attend. Is I'talia married to Benk? I haven't told Ranger yet that they are very in love. But from what you said in the letter it would seem that they are already so much in love that they are married.

In fact right now I'm waiting to see Ranger. It's been over a week since I've seen him. It has been driving me crazy! I insisted on taking that long walk all the way to the front of the rebellion to see him. Abe and Emlyn came with me. It surprised me greatly that Emlyn decided to come. She never goes out much. Abe wont stop looking at her. She ignores him quite well. Right now she's reading a book while I sit here writing to you trying to calm myself. Ranger was supposed to meet with me at noon but it is two hours past and I'm getting a little anxious. His meetings always go over. I wish that there was some way that you could be here helping Ranger and I.

I'm so excited for you. Some one has finally tamed the wild beasts heart. You and Gi will be perfect for each other. In truth Luc was too . . . calm for you, and too nice to be some one who would balance you. You think I rushed things don't you? I don't blame you for thinking so. I find my self thinking the same, everything is rushing on its self. But you will wait to get married until I can be there right? Though I did get married with out you here. I still can't believe I'm married to the person that I thought didn't like me.

The guards at the gate are yelling. Somethings happening, I'll write later.

A great many things have happened. I don't know where to start. I will admit at the beginning of this that it has been almost a week since I last wrote. So many things- . You want to know what happened right? When I last wrote I had heard the guards yelling. I took off to the main gate Abe and Emlyn only a few steps behind me. When I got to the main officer I asked what the trouble was. "Lady Raina," he said, "my scouts have caught sight of soldiers. The Kings soldiers. They were chasing two people, a man and a woman." My heart skipped several beats. What if it was you? Or any person from your group! "Have you sent any one out to help them?" I asked. I will have to say I was in a bit of a temper now. "No my Lady," he said. "We were about to send a messenger to Lord Ranger and ask him if we should send men out to help them." I stood with my mouth open looking in disbelief at this man. Did he need permission to do everything? And this was the first time I had heard my self referred to as "Lady" and Ranger as a "Lord". "Send the messenger and tell Ranger that I already left to help them," I said. The guard looked at me in a strange way as I turned to face the gate. Abe knew what I was going to do and jumped forward to grab me. (It was also his unfortunate duty to make sure I didn't go running off with no assistance.)

I was desperate, what if it was you running. So I had lunged upward into the air before Abe had been able to get near enough to touch me. Luckily I had chosen to wear my fighting cloths so I was ready for battle. I felt a small push in the air as the large gates were being opened behind me for the men. I landed on the ground in a crouch about ten paces from the forest. I heard two people panting hard and clanking metal not far behind them. I stood up and pulled my sword out ready to fight anyone who came out of the trees.

To my utter astonishment it was Luc who ran out of the trees holding the hand of the strangest looking girl I have ever seen. Luc stopped abruptly staring at me. I couldn't believe he had the guts to come here, to the rebellion. Every one knew he was a traitor. But I didn't have any time to speak to him because the soldiers burst from the trees. I flung a spell at them that threw them off balance long enough for Luc and his new partner to get away. I then ran on the group of soldiers in no mood for fighting them. I wanted to hear from Luc what pathetic excuse he had come up with. I killed several of the soldiers before the rebellion guards got there. I let them chase the Kings men into the woods. I turned around and walked over to were Luc stood breathing heavily with that woman. "What on earth do you mean by coming here?" I yelled at Luc. He jumped in surprise. "It's me Luc. Don't you remember me Raina?" he asked softly. "Of course I remember you! You traitor! You almost killed Benk and I'talia!" I said. I don't know exactly how loud I was yelling but I imagine it was pretty loud.

"I didn't lead them into that!" Luc said defensively. "Oh really?" I said. "Honestly Raina I didn't," he said again. I wasn't going to believe him that easily. I pointed my sword at his neck. I wasn't about to forgive him for what he had done. He had hurt your heart, he had destroyed Emlyn, and he had led I'talia and Benk into a trap. My sword tip brought a drop of blood from him before the most shocking thing happened. My sword was blown out of my hand. I looked down at the woman in surprise. "We shan't quarrel over such minimal things. Clear your mind like the clear springs in the mountains and let us speak like the book bringing knowledge to the unlearned," said the strange woman. She sounded like a hundred year old Sage in wisdom. But she didn't look any older than you. I glared at her for a long time. Luc cleared his throat. "Raina," he said, "This is the Mage Bud." "Bud?" I asked him. "Yes,"Luc said. "She brought me back to health after I had escaped from Y'ata." I was shocked. I thought that Y'ata and I were the only Mages. At least we were the only ones I knew of.

Ranger then came out followed by Emlyn and Abe who looked a little wild after the fight with the soldiers. The moment Emlyn's eyes landed on Luc she stopped for a moment, then she strode forward and was about to strike Luc but her hand was pulled back by Bud's magic. Emlyn looked murderous. I grabbed her arm and pulled her back, though she fought against me. Luc's face lit up and he was about to hug Emlyn but I pushed him back with my magic. Partly to keep Emlyn from attacking him and also so that I could let the other Mage know I also had some control in this. "Now would be a good time to explain all this," I said. Luc nodded.

"As you know Benk I'talia and I were trying to find the rebellion or at least find and save I'taira unless she had already been saved," Luc said. "Y'ata appeared and surprise attacked us. Benk fought pushing I'talia to the wild trees hoping that they could escape that way. Benk turned and they both fled, with some wounds. I killed the soldiers who tried to pursue them. I received several wounds and I fell crumpled to the ground because of them. Weed had been gone for several days and I knew I was going to die, and Weed wouldn't be able to do anything to help. Y'ata stepped in front of me smiling viciously. I didn't want to be thrown into his Tower of Deth. I didn't want to go there and maybe find I'taira dead. That was when Weed appeared. I don't know how he did it but Weed was able to get me out of there. He brought me to the mountains and left me on a path. I was losing a lot of blood. Though I had this feeling that I should continue up the path. I don't know how long it was until I came to Bud's house. But when I did arrive I was completely delirious. She led me into her house and laid me on a bed. I passed out for several days and when I came to I was too weak to get up. Bud nursed me back to health. She has been a hermit almost her whole life. She has studied the arts of Magic use and she has such a vast store of knowledge it is overwhelming." With this Luc looked at Bud and gave her a a large smile. I didn't know how to interpret it. "When I had gotten better Weed showed up again and kept pulling us towards the rebellion. Bud said that we should follow the Ajatars suggestion, so we did. A few hours ago the soldiers happened upon us and we fled. Then you came to our rescue Raina." Luc gave me a thankful glance.

We stood in silence for a while. The cold winds blowing around us. "Have you not heard that Zel is engaged to marry King Gioto?" I asked. Luc looked at me with such surprise I almost thought he was serious. "What?" he asked in disbelief. "Luc would you permit me to look through your memories to make sure that you aren't a servant to Y'ata?" I said. If he said no then we would all know that he was a traitor. "Of course," Luc said. I hesitated at his willingness but used the spell that I thought I would never have use for. I put my pointer finger on his temple and sifted through his memories. I only saw images of him being the good person that he is. I searched for any sign that he might be with holding something from me but he wasn't. I pulled my hand away from his head and looked at him in surprise. We had all suspected him for so long. We all thought that he had been a servant to Y'ata and in a few moments I found out that he had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. "Forgive me Luc," I said. "I have suspected you of betrayal. I'm sorry." Luc smiled. "That's alright Raina. Every one makes their own mistakes. But I have to ask why you weren't answering my letters?" he said. "What letters?" I asked. "I haven't received any from you." "That's strange,"Luc said. "Though I did send it on the birds that Bud summoned for me. I guess they weren't able to get inside the caves of the rebellion. And probably haven't yet found I'taira." He paused then looked up and smiled.

"Emlyn I thought you had died, or been imprisoned." Luc said. Emlyn watched him with a little uncertainty. But Luc stood with his arms open to her. She walked shyly forward then fell into his open arms. Tears rolled down Luc's face. "I thought I lost you," he whispered. Luc released Emlyn and wiped away his tears and smiled (again). "Enough of this," he said. "Who are the others?" I pointed to Abe. "This Abe I'taira's friend," I said. "I'taira spoke well of you Master Abe," Luc said. Abe nodded blushing a little. "This is my husband Ranger," I said. "Ranger this is Luc." They shook hands and smiled at each other.

Luc reached down and helped Bud to her feet. She had been sitting on the ground while we had talked. When she was on her feet she went forward to shake my hand and some how managed to trip on her dress and landed face first in the dirt. "Are you alright?"I asked her after Luc and I had helped her to her feet. "Yes I'm just fine,"she said smiling. "It happens all the time. It's nice to meet you Raina. Though the fire flies of brilliance have overwhelmed me. You have more power than even Luc told me. I thought to compare your power with a small camp fire but yours is more like a volcano. You have been blessed with much power from the heavens." "What are talking about? Don't you have just as much power as I do?" I asked. "Did you not know that the heavens bless some with more power and others with more knowledge?"Bud asked. "I suppose that Mage knowledge is lost to most of the unlighted world," she added. I smiled. Bud is so different.

To catch you up with what's going on right now will be important. Luc is helping Ranger organize the troops. Bud is living with Emlyn and me. There isn't a day that goes by that Bud doesn't fall or brake something. Emlyn is sort of disgusted with her. Bud isn't that pretty but she is very sweet. She is very brilliant just extremely clumsy. I like her a lot. But I'm getting tired of her. She is teaching me spells. I have learned so many and I keep learning more. Bud says that she was blessed with the ability to keep knowledge so that she could teach one with enough power to defeat the worst enemy. She has the most perfect foresight. I have asked her what she has seen will happen between me and Y'ata. But for some reason it is unclear to her. She can't figure out why. Well she's calling to start my training again. At least one of my problems has been diminished. I have learned more spells!

I love you so much. I miss you and hope you will be with us soon. Your group is the only people that I can think of that we need. Hurry, I can't wait to see you again. I wonder what you would think of Bud?

Love forever,

Raina

P.S. Please don't kill Luc when you see him. Though there is a part I left out. I didn't want to write about it earlier but now I think I must. When I was going through Luc's mind I saw that he had fallen in love with Bud. And Bud loves Luc so much. Every spare moment we have she tells me all the kind things Luc does. Then when I'm with Luc he tells me the things Bud does. It is very annoying. But they are in love and I thought I should tell you. Well good luck on your journey. And please don't arrive here married to Gi.