Chapter One: Beginnings
As the sun and moon slowly swung across the sky, a young girl stealthily moved down the stone hall of her home; her large eyes locked on the garden door at the end of the hall.
"Haru?" a voice suddenly called out from a passing room, getting the brunette to stop in her tracks.
"Yes, Mother?"
"Don't forget your promise, sweetie. Be back before dark, or the night creatures will get you."
The brown-eyed girl rolled her eyes at the worn-out warning.
"Yes, Mother." She eased the door open, and then closed behind her. As she ran across the family grounds, she could hear the familiar song of clashing swords.
"Give it up, old man! You'll never beat me!"
"You'll be whistling a different tune when I cut you down to size!"
The young girl giggled at the familiar feud of the guard and the falconer, and kept on her way. She came to a forest, and passed by many trees in search of her goal. Finally, she spotted the shimmery light of the lake, as it reflected the sun's rays.
Breathing a little heavily from the run, she took a second to sit down, and appreciate the natural beauty of the forest. The slim brunette had always loved the emerald hues of the forest in summertime.
It was a lot harder to stick to her little ritual when the ground was covered with snow, as her mother wouldn't allow her outdoors alone during the winter. But the girl could understand that much. Dancing just felt better outside stone walls.
'I'll have to remember to keep it short today; Yuki said something about the cooks before I left.' She had learned not to care if anyone believed her or not when she tried to say that she understood what her little kitten told her.
Deciding that she had had enough of a break, the girl stretched once across the sweet-smelling grass, and then hopped to her feet. With a practiced motion, she slowly rotated in one place, remembering to keep her rear align with her body. Then came her favorite part.
With a flourish, she rose to her tiptoes, like she had seen the dancers in her books do. True, she only had books telling her what to do, since she had never gone to the city, but the brunette's imagination was big enough to fill in the gaps.
Listening to the inner music within her soul, she leapt into the air, and flung her arms out. She started spinning, around and around, remembering to keep her head in one direction and quickly switching it as her body rotated so that she wouldn't get dizzy.
As she became more and more lost inside the dance, time seemed to stretch and shrink, without a true concept. And the girl kept dancing, as the day slowly faded into night.
From the lake, a large pair of mismatched eyes watched the girl, waiting for the chance to strike.
'Yes! She isn't paying attention to the sun this time. Soon enough, my little pretty…'
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
From his stallion, a tall nobleman looked out among the commoners. In his gloved fist was a freshly written letter. He stopped a friendly-looking old man, carrying a bunch of sticks on his back.
"Excuse me, sir; where may I find a post office?"
The old man jabbed a thumb to his left.
"Down there a ways, past the bakery. You can't miss it."
The golden man smiled, and offered the elder a gold coin as a thank you. The man's eyes widened, and he took the coin gratefully.
"I have a lot of mouths to feed at home. Thank you, sir."
The nobleman tipped his hat warmly, having suspected that was the case, and continued on his way. He sighed, a small bit of homesickness beginning to climb into his heart.
'I'd love to hear from Mother once in a while, but by the time she received an address, it would already be void.'
The young man, a baron, happened to be a renowned traveler and peacemaker. There were few things he loved more than to discover something new, and to ease a few hearts of unneeded pain. But, even explorers had roots, and the young man was feeling them painfully.
'After this last trip, I'll think I'll head home. Mother's probably worried frantic by now, and I miss hearing her scold me.'
He delivered his letter, and bought some provisions for the road before continuing on his journey.
His calm green eyes took in the surrounding countryside with pleasure, few things being able to match the natural beauty of hills and trees. He inhaled the fresh air lingeringly, feeling free.
"Excuse me, sir."
The lord suddenly looked to his left, and found a young woman sitting on the fence. She was lovely, and almost deathly pale. Her black hair rivaled her dress in darkness. He tipped his hat politely.
"Hello, miss."
She smiled softly.
"Is there a way that I can get a ride with you? My mother's been worried sick, and these legs are a little worn."
He smiled softly, and worked his mount over enough to offer her a hand. She took it, and eased herself behind him, wrapping her arms around him for stability.
For no reason whatsoever, the baron felt a chill in his heart. Something was not right, and his horse could feel it too; nervously rolling his eyes and walking sideways without provocation.
"How far is your village?"
"Oh, up the road a ways. About half a day's walk from this point."
The blonde lord urged his mount into a soft gallop, feeling strangely eager to drop the lady off at her destination as soon as possible. This didn't feel right at all.
The young woman tightened her grip softly, apparently not finding anything wrong.
"My, how kind you are, to give a stranger like me a hand."
Not wishing to be rude, the baron answered politely.
"It can never hurt to give another a helping hand, miss."
"Leath," she offered. "My name is Leath. What's yours?"
"Baron Humbert von Gikkingen."
"My, the Baron Humbert von Gikkingen?" The lady sounded astonished, but the lord somehow knew that she was faking it. "I fell into good company then. I have heard much of your deeds over the years, but of your fair face not a whisper."
"At least the important facts are the ones known." With relief, Baron noted a town fast approaching, his horse running even faster than he had been urged to. "Which of these houses belong to your mother?"
"Hmm?" The girl seemed distracted. "Oh, she doesn't live in any of them."
"Is she homeless?"
"Oh no; she's had her very own place for years now. Turn left here."
The lord did so, and within ten minutes found an old cemetery. Coming to a stop, the girl reluctantly leapt off the horse and headed to a specific grave. The young baron turned his eager horse around, understanding her situation.
"My condolences, Miss Leath. But I fear I'm in a bit of a hurry."
"No, you're not," the dark girl said firmly. At her words, the baron suddenly found himself unable to move; his horse apparently having the same problem, as his eyes rolled around in their sockets in fear.
"I'm afraid I can't let you go without having you say hello to my mother first." She patted a grave marker, but it hadn't been made in the past decade.
Judging by how worn the stone was, it could have easily been centuries old. Leath smiled coyly, and batted her eyelashes flirtatiously at the handsome lord.
"You're well-known for helping people with their problems, and I'd like you to help me with mine. You see, I haven't had a husband in fifty years, and I've been terribly lonely."