:Chapter 8: Reunion:

Cameron and I lied frozen on the dark forest floor, stunned.

I don't know what had my heart racing more. The fact that we might have been killed just a few seconds ago, or the fact that we had come across Cameron's missing brother, Christian.

I closed my eyes and caught my breath, when I heard another sound nearby. More footsteps, now closer than ever. I held my breath, feeling as if my heart were to pound right out of my chest.

Wait a second. The sound of feet crunching the leaves that bedded the forest floor was getting farther and farther away by the second. It took me just a moment to realize that the footsteps belonged to Cameron. I could see through the small beams of moonlight that shone through the tree branches that he was running. . .after his brother?

I jumped to my feet, panicking. What in the world was he thinking! The Fairburns were our enemy! Momentarily forgetting about the rest of the Kyrrian soldiers sleeping just a few yards away, I did the thing that came to my mind. I ran after him.

He was a fast runner, and the fact that he had a head start didn't help me reach him. I sprinted through the forest, vainly trying to dodge small tree braches I couldn't see in the dark.

I tried to call out his name, but I was too concentrated on catching up to him to waste my energy on anything else.

Oof!

I ran right into something. It was too soft to be a tree. . .

"What the hell!" someone cried out.

I stumbled backwards and strained my eyes to see who I had smacked into, breathing heavily to catch my breath. I could see the outline of four figures, but that was all. One of them had to be Cameron.

"What's going on?" an irritated gruff voice asked. "Who's there?"

My eyes were starting to adjust to the dark, and I realized that the one standing closest to me was Cameron. He was probably the one I ran into.

Just a few feet away were the three other figures, the shortest one, who I assumed was Christian, standing in between the two others.

A wave of fear came over me. I felt around my waist for any sort of weapon I could use in case the opportunity came up. I had nothing.

"Who are you!" the voice repeated.

I mentally willed Cameron to answer the man. I didn't want to anger them.

He didn't. Instead, he took a step forward so that the moonlight illuminated his face. I can't even begin to describe the look on his face. If it was possible for someone to be happy, sad, afraid, relieved and confused at the same time, well then that was Cameron.

He didn't speak a word. He just stood there, staring at the short, dark figure ahead of him.

"State your name, if you want to keep your head," the gruff voice stated threateningly. I heard the sound of a blade sliding against a sheath.

I gulped. I was about to blurt out my name, to satisfy his request, when someone else spoke.

"Louis, this one's okay," a slightly nasally voice that could only belong to a young boy on the brink of manhood said softly.

The small figure in the center took a small step forward, just enough for a beam of light to reveal part of his face. The corner of his thin lips came to a slight curl as he spoke. "Hello, brother."

Before a single moment passed, Cameron reached out his arms and went to embrace the boy, only to stumble to the floor when the boy dodged his arms with a single step backwards.

There were hoots of laughter from the two other men. I stood there silently. Did they even know I was standing there? I hadn't made a sound since I'd come.

"Christian!" Cameron said in an exasperated whisper, staring at the boy from where he fell on the floor. It was unnatural, seeing the bully in such a vulnerable position. Although it wasn't me who fell to the floor, I could still share his humiliation.

Suddenly, something gripped the back of my neck. I let out a startled scream.

"Who's this little fella?"

I don't know how one of the men got behind me with me knowing it. I felt tears well up in my eyes. I was going to die. I just knew it.

I saw that the small blonde boy had pulled a sword to Cameron's throat.

"What do you say," the man breathed down my neck. "Should we off their heads now, or later?"

I didn't dare move, but I could feel my whole body shaking with fear. The man had a hard, sweaty grip, but that was the least of my worries.

"I say," Christian started. His face was expressionless as he held a blade near his brother's neck. "We find a use for them."

I unintentionally let out a sigh of relief. The man squeezed my neck harder.

The blonde boy looked down at Cameron. "What do you say, brother? What do you think of being a family again?"

If Cameron was feeling the least bit of fear, he didn't show it. His blue eyes brightened and he actually looked a bit hopeful as he replied, "That's all I ask."

Christian smirked at the response, as if that was exactly what he had expected. He drew back his sword and reached out a hand. "Brothers?"

Without any hesitation, Cameron reached out and gripped the hand, rising to his feet. "Brothers."

"What about this one?" the man who had a hold of me asked, jerking my body around.

The four of them turned to stare at me. I eyed Cameron, too terrified to speak, but trying to plead for him to help me. I know we weren't friends. In fact, we hated each other. But right now he was the closest thing I had.

He stared at me for what seemed like hours. Oh great. He was going to tell them to ship my head off. I squeezed my eyes shut. Here goes. . .

"Bring him along," he finally said, as if he had a say in the group forever.

I felt a wave of relief as the pressure was lifted from my neck. I could feel the blood rushing to where the man had held his grip. I rubbed it painfully. Cameron was the last one who I'd thought would have saved my life, and I was thankful beyond belief.

Suddenly, it hit me. I froze and looked around. Cameron had saved me from the Fairburn's because he had just joined them. The Fairburns. Kyrria's enemy since before recorded history.

This was too unreal.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review!