He was born of tooth and claw she was born of silk and pearl. for all their stars they never should have crossed. yet on one fateful night a slip of a tongue, a clam to far drove him in her path. Now he stands before her unseen by her yet there. A gift that was give with one thought alone but another will shape the path they are on. can they brake the chains that hold them to the fist thought to walk the second, or will he turn upon her and leave behind him the trail of bodies that fallowed him once before.

The celebration of the princesses birthday and her hand had been going on in the capital city for what seemed like months already and there was still more to come. Each time a new prince arrived from far off places the king called for more days to be added into the celebration. The throne room is filled with people as the latest prince brings before her the riches of his kingdom. displaying them at her feet like a concurring hero displaying he kills before his lady. but the sounds at the back of the room draw all the eyes away from his beauty's. A Mage stand proud before the Nobles and Princes a smile upon his face. He knows what he brings will put all others prizes to shame. As the Harold's staff comes down announcing him his robe is whipped back.

Shadows pull back as a mournful cry comes from its depths. Ruby eyes blink sadly from the shadows a gold collar around its neck as the mage pulls it forward. slender and sleek it stalks low to the ground its eyes darting about looking but knowing that there is no escape. "Your highness, my lady." The shadow hound pulls back upon itself as his voice echos through the chamber. all other voices have become silence in fear an awe. "I have tamed the darkness," his voice is sly, each word weighted for its impact on the people around him. "and now I give him to you." walking forward he holds out the gold leash that is attached to the golden collar to her. "he will obay the one the leash belongs to." it tries to stay back to get away from the man that now holds it captive. the shadows darting and flitting yet still bound to the collar, as the mage kneels before her his hand with the leash held above his head to her.

Princess Alandriel Del Mortia De Coutoau, that was her title in full though most people simply knew her as Princess of the Kingdom of Nadoria. Nadoria was a kingdom that all neighboring kingdoms wanted to get a peice of, or at least an alliance with. It was the great powerhouse Elven Nation of the world. Mostly however, Nadoria had simply wished to be left alone. That was until Princess Alandriel became of age to be married. In a weeks time Alandriel was to turn the ripe age of 16 lethrene years (That's 3652 Human Years), already a few months time had gone by with vast celebrations and many gifts brought to her from people whom hoped that she would chose them as her husband.

Alandriel was beautiful, with silvery blond hair that was almost a pale shade of white which had the appearance in some lights of a slight glow. Not that her hair really glowed, but it had a soft shine that could pass off that way. Her skin was a creamy sort of pale white with silver eyes that only added to her beauty. The elves where a beautiful race, and an elf that was beautiful by elven standards was truely a sight to be hold. To have control over the strongest nation in the world, with a wife that was the most beautiful in all the land, of course suitors flocked to her.

Today Alandriel was seated in a high chair next to her fathers throne. There was a dralling bored look in her eyes that said she was clearly done with these months of celebrations. Done with man after man, coming to her with gifts to try and win her affection. There where many kinds of men in the mix, some young, some old, some exceedingly charming while others where exceedingly brash and rude. Each day she had chosen from those who had presented her with nice gifts, a small portion of them to dine with her in the evening so that she might get to know them better. She had, after all, only one week to cose the most suitable of all the suitors or risk there being for her a fate worse then death. On her birthday she was to have chosen a suitor or risk being banished.

She had a few that had brought pretty things she liked, but for the most part she found herself finding fault in each one of them. She let out a heavy sigh and wondered if she was ever going to find a prince to be just right for her. After all, she really didn't want to settle for less then perfect in her suitor, she deserved perfect.

It was at this point that the mage came into the room. He was new, someone she had not seen before, was he new? Would he try to woo her as well? He was a proud looking man and he seemed very sure of himself, but then many had before him. Still there was something there that peaked her interest. A pair of red eyes leered at her from the shadows and she peered on curiously. The mage led the beast forward ["Your highness, my lady. I have tamed the darkness, and now I give him to you. He will obay the one the leash belongs to."]

She looked curiously from the mage kneeling before her to the red eyed hound next to him. Curiously she reached out her hand to take the golden chain from the man slowly. But not before trying to hold her hand out to the dog, "Will he bite?" she wispered so softly that not many in the chamber probably heard her.

Pulling back the Shadow Hound whimpered as the Mage jerked the chain as he handed it to her. "He will do as you command him my lady." His sly smiled is hidden by his bow. She could not see the second set of spells at work on the Shadow Hound, nor would any other mage that looked upon the collar or the chin. it had been written in the Hounds own true blood on the collar before he had been bound to the Collars spell. slinking forward on its belly the Shadow Hound whimpered, its eyes sad, ears back as it looked upon the princess. He could feel the Mages will boring down on his own to be kind to the princess and to do as she said. slowly he sniffed at her hand then whimpered again.

Slowly the mage stood and smiled at her. He was hansom for a half breed, his ears did not have the high points that many of the elves prized in their partners. Yet he did have the beautiful hair that was almost the color of moon light. Shying away from the Mage the Shadow Hound brushed against the Princess's hand, his fur the softest thing she had ever felt before, with just a hint of winters cold in it.

"do not worry my lady he is just not used to being pulled from the shadows. if you let him hide under your seat or at the back of the room he will be fine." flicking his hair back away from his face the mage looked upon all the others that were there to clam her hand there and snared. he knew he had given her the best gift that ever could have been given to any of the Kings family. that hound would be the best pet she could every want and it would defend her to its death, unless it was the mage that came for her. But then only the hound and he knew that it could not harm him even when another told it to attack him.

The Mage and his assistant had spent the better part of the night before testing to see if there was a way the Shadow hound could brake the spell on his collar. in the end it had become clear that the Mage owned the beasts soul while the owner of the chain owned his body. the Mages assistant had been brought to tears at the sounds the hound made trying to brake the orders he had been given. in the end the hound had been forced to kill the assistant as the Mage could not have a soft heated man like him helping to win the kingdom and all that came with it. he wold be the most powerful of the Mages of the world, then they would fear him. even controlling the shadow hound would not have impressed them at any point.

["He will do as you command him my lady."] She once more looked at the oddly fascinating creature that now stood near her feet. It was frightening, and yet at the same time oddly beautiful. Something about the way it struggled caused even her spoiled heart to hurt for him just a little bit, but the joy of having such a loyal pet overcame this sadness. She smiled at the mage, and the pet, “be at ease, both of you” she said it was interest and kindness to both the mage and the shadow hound.

She felt the shadow hounds fur beneath her fingers and shuttered slightly. Not only was it exceedingly soft it was cool to the touch. There was definitely something very magical about the beast. She continued to pet the hound in a kind sort of way, despite the fact that it was merely for her own pleasure. One needed to be kind to those beneath them, wasn’t that what her father always told her. So it came time to be kind to those beneath her.

[ "do not worry my lady he is just not used to being pulled from the shadows. if you let him hide under your seat or at the back of the room he will be fine."] She looked for a moment slightly confused, “My chair? He may sit beneath my chair if that is what he chooses” She looked down at the shadow hound, “I don’t know if it can understand me, but you may sit where you like so long as you don’t leave the room”

She was done with constrain of suitors for the day, after many hours, and even more hours after the mage had stood before her. After awhile she held up her hand in the gesture that she had grown tired of this for today and that it was time to go to dinner. She announced to the waiting audience, “Today I will dine with the Prince of Conesia, King of Dorth and….whom am I forgetting” she looked around the room, “Oh yes, the half breed mage may join us as well” and then she got up from her throne and she left, followed by a team of lady’s in waiting.

As the chin touched her hand true understanding filled Eladon's mind as the mages influence faded to a dull growl at the back of his mind. looking around he whimpered. there were way to many people around him for him to try to brake free. the place was to rich for the tower he had been braking into and any whys he had been in his human form at the time, not the shadow hound. shaking his body trying to shake the feeling that something was wrong, the chain rattled. his heart skipped a beat as he realized he was bound to some one now. a man like him should never be bound to anyone. reaching up with his front paw he found the collar tight to his throat, to tight for him to get his claws under it. looking up at who held his chain he was stunned to find the kingdoms princess on the other end of his chin. looking at all the faces around he saw one that he had seen just before waking here. his lips pulled back in a cold bloody growl as he tried to slink away from the mage. who ever that man was he had done this to him, but without understanding how he knew, he knew that he could not kill the man.

the touch of her fingers startled him into silence, no one had ever touched him in this form like that. the touch had a calming, relaxing charm to it and he leaned into the petting. his Ruby eyes slowly closing as deep within his throat came a sound almost like a purr. he lost all track of time as he slipped into a trance like state at her touch. when she spoke to him he raised half lidded eyes to her and gave a happy whine only to lay back down on the tiles next to her seat.

after a few hours of laying there Eladon had gotten up and wandered to the extent of his chain checking out each and every one of the people around the princess. some of them back away out of his range not wanting to be close to a beast like him. others offered their hands fearfully to him only for him to turn away from them without allowing them to pet him. no one was going to pet him but her. she held something over him and he could not understand it but he would obey her. but no one else was going to be allowed to touch him unless she told him to. the half blood mage was the only one he avoided and when he was nearby the Hound would growl low in his throat showing his displeasure at the mage.

when finely the Princess called an end to the day Eladon was right there beside her as she announced who all was to eat with her that night. at the mention of the Half Blood he whimpered looking up at her. his eyes pleading for her not to allow that man near her. He wanted her to be pleased with the man she was to merry and that mage was not what she wanted. he wondered if he would be bound in this shape for the rest of the time he was bound to her or if he would have human form again.

She could hear the purr and the happy whine from the shadow hound next to her. Something about it caused a smile to play her lips. There was something comforting in the hounds being there. Something in the back of her mind still hollowed that something was wrong, was she wrong to trust the hound? Or perhaps she was wrong to trust the mage? Whatever it was she had filed it away in the back of her mind, something to keep in mind, but not something to let it bother her completely, at least not yet. Not until there was something a bit more concrete.

She noticed the fear in the people of the room as she got up to leave. Many of them had shied away from the dark hound, could she be playing the fool? Those that did reach out to pet him he ignored, interesting how he really only seemed to take a liking to her. Something about this brought her a small comfort. As she called out the names of those that would be dinning with her she subconsciously reached down to pet the hound again. When the half blood mage was called out she felt him tense beneath her fingers. Could he understand what she had said?

She looked down at the hound for a moment in contemplation but then shook her head. It was time to retire to her chambers for an hour and prepare herself for the dinner which was to be that night. She took the shadow hound with her to her chambers. When she got there a team of ladies was waiting to change her clothing and style her hair. She let them get on with this but she did send one away to set up a place for the shadow hound which would have been befitting to any pet of the princess.

While the ladies did there thing the princess looked down at the shadow wolf, “I do think you will need a name” she said her mind wondering over this thought. She wondered if the mage had ever given him one. She figured she would ask the Mage on this when they sat down to have dinner. She looked over at the shadow hound as if asking his opinion, “I could just call you blackie” she said with a deep seated laughter.

Eladon looked up at her as she looked down at him. he wagged his tail just a little bit trying to let her know that he was happy at her touch. he wondered why she had shaken her head at him but then they were on the move. looking over his shoulder he was happy to see that the Mage was not fallowing. maybe she would change her mind about the mage and allowing him near her.

As they entered her chambers Eladon set out the check out the full room. a few of the Ladys avoided him as he walked by them, yet he did not seem interested in them or in what they were doing. a slight whimper escaped him as the lady walked out of the room to go get some items to make a place to sleep. it was when he was in the closit checking out the clothes she had there that the change came over him. a long howl ripped from his throat before he fell to the ground panting in human form. "of for the love of all the gods." looking around he growled. he was naked in the princesses closet.

Poking his head out he heard her talking about what to call him. "if you do not mind princess, I would prefer the name Eladon." a blush colored his whole body. all he had on was the golden collar that the mage had put on him. although now it was more of a tattoo and not real metal. "ummmm might you be able to provide me with some clothes?" this he said to one of the ladys near by.

Alandriel had been lazily staring off into space when it had happened. She watched in lazy relaxation as the shadow hound had been sniffing around her closet. Then it disappeared into her closet but there was still no concern on her part, it was only when she heard voices coming from her closet that she jumped up, knocking the brush out of her hand maids hand as she backed away from the closet. The hand maiden let out a squeak, she had not heard the voice at first and was on the point of telling her to sit back down when he popped his head out of the closet.

This really got Alandriel going. She let out a scream at the fact that there was a man in her closet and grabbed the nearest thing to try and defend herself (which just happened to be a hand mirror. Glass was a precious commodity and such hand mirrors where really owned by royalty.) She held it out in front of her like a sword. “WHO THE HELL ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU IN MY CLOSET!?!?!?!?!?”

["if you do not mind princess, I would prefer the name Eladon."] she looked at him and wondered why on earth he would want her to call him anything, she right determined not to call him anything but prisoner and was on the verge of telling him so when it caught her eye, not only his extremely naked state which caused her to blush straight down to the roots of her blonde hair, but also the tattoo around his neck. The tattoo looked like a chain….a golden chain. Slowly she lowered the mirror to her side, although she did not put it down, and spoke more calmly, “Who are you Eladon? Why are you in my closet?” she already knew the answer due to the distinct lack of her new dog, but she wanted to hear it from him.

She turned to the lady whom he had spoken prior and said, “Get him a servants wardrobe from the washer woman, she should be able to spare him something while we figure out what to do with him.”

((Freak out moment xP))

Eladon had been worried about her reaction to him when he felt the change came on. As he talked to her he saw the red of the sunset in the window. so I am going to be changing back to my proper form when the sun sets, that is good to know. letting her anger blow over he sighed at her use of a mirror as a weapon. “I would like to point out that the Mirror would not protect you if I really was wanting to harm you.” Running his finger along his collar tattoo he sighed. “As it is I am unable to harm you in any way. This kind of makes it so that I cant harm you.” He tapped the tattoo again.
He made sure that he was not fully naked in her presents as he did not want someone to take offence to him any more then she had. “do you really want me to say why I am in your closet or tell you that one of your dinner guests is planning on…” his hand went to his collar as a surprised look crossed his face. Falling to his knees he tried to breath. After a few second he was able to breathe again. Before standing he let out a string of curses in a langue the princess would never have heard before. “I am sorry Princess, it seems there is another spell on me. I would just not have any new person at your table tonight.”

[“I would like to point out that the Mirror would not protect you if I really was wanting to harm you.”] She looked down at the hand mirror that was still in her hands and felt her cheeks go a deep shade of crimson. "Yeah well....it was the spur of the moment, Its not like a hair ribbon would have done any better" she had said it with an heir of defiance. With her nose up in the air.

[“As it is I am unable to harm you in any way. This kind of makes it so that I cant harm you.”] She looked up at him and then remembered he was naked despite the fact that he was keeping himself out of the open, still she found herself looking away in an embarressed sort of way. She continued to talk to him however in a polite way. "So then what the mage said earlier was true, you are bound to me? What does this mean moving forward? I can't exactly give you the title of being my pet, as you are clearly not entirely an animal?"

She thought over this and pondered a bit. After a moment she sat down on her bed, waving off the lady that was still trying to brush her hair, "I could appoint you as my personal guard? I could keep you with me then without much fuss?" she listened as he told her that she should have no new person at her table that night. Her hand went to her heart for a moment, the whole thing cause too much excitement, "I cannot call off dinner. There are a few there that I should really like to give the chance at my hand. Plus father would be most angry if I didn't take this seriously"

She looked down at her hands which where twisting in her lap. He seemed worried about something he couldn't tell her. She wasn't sure why but she trusted him, despite the fact that all logic said she shouldn't, "I cannot cancel dinner" she said softly, "I'll be banished if I don't take this seriously"

“You do realized that a hair ribbon could be used for a weapon then used in the hair again. Where as a hand mirror would work as a weapon but then would be useless as a hand mirror.” He said as he looked around the room from his spot in the closet doorway. “It is not hard to learn how to use them to fight off an attacker, I could teach you.” He smiled trying not to hint that he found her embarrassment cute.

“From what I can tell and remember yes, I am bound to you and your orders. You could tell me to kill myself or others and I would have to comply, but I will fight it for as long as I can.” The lady returned with the servant’s clothes that the princess had ordered to be brought for him and he smiled at her. “Thank you.” Disappearing back into the closet he quickly pulled on the clothes. They were better then what he had had on last time he had been human. “What it means is that by day you have a very loyal hound and by night you have me.” Stepping out of the closet he knelt as it just felt like the right thing to do before her. He knew enough that he could not sit in a chair without her permission and he did not want to be towering over her as she sat and he stood. “if you don’t think your other guards will throw a fit about having a strange human that they know nothing about guarding you then go ahead and appoint me your guard.” Pulling his dark black hair back the slight points of his ears were revealed as he quickly braided up the waist length hair.

“I am not saying call off dinner, just you have a new one you invited to your table…” a look of frustration crossed his face as the collar started to tighten around his neck again. When it let up he went on. “Invite those you have seen for more than a day.” Gritting his teeth he looked away from her trying to fight the pain. There was a spell that was trying to keep him from harming any plans the mage had for the princess. Then another thought sprang to mind. “do not drink or eat anything that comes from any ones hands but your servants, and only what your cook makes. No gifts of food or drink, I fear spells and poison.”

Looking back at her he sighed. “I don’t want to you to feel that I am trying to make you call off your dinner with those nice princes and the lords, there are just some that have ill…” again he winced in pain as the magic fought him on talking of the mage. “damn him and all his breed.”

She thought this over and realized that it was true that she had no idea how to defend herself. She had spent much of her youth learning to speak several languages, the way to properly behave before the court, the proper ettiquet for hundreds upon thousands of situations, to read and to write, to dance and to paint, and do all the things that would keep her the jewel of the world, but never once did her father see fit to have her taught how to defend herself after all her father had hand chosen her own elite set of guards and gardians, why did she need to defend herself, that would only deter from her beauty. However, at the moment she was frightened of what the man had told her, "Father must'nt find out your teaching me self defense, he finds it an utterly useless trade for a princess, but I think I should like to learn, if you're willing to teach me."

She thought about the guards that her father had appointed for her. When she became of age, such decisions then fell to her, or her husband. The men who where in her current personal guard where good men, as far as she could tell, but she had to have some excuse for having the man around all the time so it would have to do as an excuse. When he came from the closet and knelt before her, the truth was she thought little of it. She was used to such notions from everyone but her father. Her father was the only one who did not bow to her. Suddenly however a blush came to her cheeks again and she hoped he would not notice, "Are you...." she paused for a moment as if trying to find a way to say what she needed to say, "Will you always be needing a pair of clothing laid down where you are to transform?"

She tried to take everything he said in and take it to heart, but the truth of the matter was he was very much frightening her. She had invited three men to dinner that night and two of them where newcommers to her palace. "That doesn't narrow it down...everyone dinning with me tonight is a new face to me...well accept the good Prince of Conesia, this is the third time he is to dine with me, he is very much a forerunner in all of this." she chattered on, trying not to let the fear creep into her voice, "Both the King of Dorth and...." the thought suddenly struck her that she knew who was the problem here, who else would the shadow hound turned human possibly have a spell against, wasn't he already bound by one spell by the same man? The thought that two separate people would have hold on him seemed unlikely.

She placed a hand to her lips in a frightened sort of way, "But will univiting him from the dinner cause him to anger?" her voice was little more then a horse whisper when she had said it. A knock was heard and after being asked to come in a servant came in to announce that her dinner guests awaited her. "I shall only pretend to eat this evening." though she did not look so sure, her face was as pale as a ghost.

"I do not see how it is utterly useless for a princess to know how to defend herself. what happens if one of her ladies in waiting are actually an assassin in waiting." he had heard tale of princes that had been taken down by men who were to be their protesters that had been payed to kill them by siblings and rivals. she was a pretty princess and with how long she had been alive he could not think of what she had been learning to have taken up all that time that she had lived. there was only so much one could learn about dancing and singing. "I do not mind teaching you what you can do to stop a killer. but we will have to find some one that I can trust to do some of the attacks you will have to lean to defend against. because of this," he fingered his tattoo." I cant do some attacks so you lean properly." not that he was not going to try to fight it and destroy the spell if he could.

"if this is any indication all I have to be in back in these rooms before true sunset before the change takes over. I am not used to not controlling the change." he sighed and looked up at her though his eye lashes. " before he caught me I was a..." again he gagged as if he could not talk and his air way was being blocked. anger and fear crossed his face as he reached for his throat. this time he started to turn a slight shade of blue before he could speak again. coughing he gasped in large lungfuls of breath. "well it seems I cant talk about that ether." he said when he finely caught his breath. "it looks like I am not to tell you my life's history, I am sorry princess." as he knelt there he bowed his head for a few moments before looking back up at her. "is there something I might call you other then Princess?"

"would it be amiss if you were to say that you were not feeling well and call off the dinner. say that the stress of the day has gotten to you and all you wish to do is sleep? I dont know Elves well enough to know if it might be a good excuses to call off a dinner. he might take offense if you were not exclude him from the dinner now that you have invited him." pulling his legs up as he sat down on the ground he pondered what he might say to make it so the mage would accept not being invited but the other two were. "is there a dish that your princes could eat but a half elf would be unable to eat. something that would not agree with his body?"

"Father gives me only the best to guard me" she said quite simply, "Every man in my guard has gone through scrupulous training, so much so that many do not even have the grace to look at me. In the end from the hundred men that go through this scrupuous training only a few where chosen for my personal guard. Only those that father feels that he can trust. However, I am not sure I agree with method, not entirely at least. It leads to harsh training for the men, and compliance for me and my father. No I should like to learn." she thought on the dilema of the training, "I think Dorien may suit our cause. Dorien has been my personal guard since I was little more then a child"

She listened as he started to talk of himself but watched with horror as he started to turn blue quickly she stood from her place, and raced over to him. She didn't know how she was going to help but she needed to help somehow but then suddenly it stopped. Anger was flashing in his eyes but she felt pity for the man. When he apologized to her she took his chin and directed his gaze towards her, "What sort of man would take even your own identity from you. Unable to tell the world who you really are" there was a saddness in her voice, but when he asked what he could call her she lost a touch of the sadness, "My name is Alandriel Dorinath Von Kratzendelliah, but most of those who know me well call me Driel or Lani, you may take your choice"

She still felt anger that the poor beast before her where suffering so, but then she looked at the man still kneeling before her, "The Lithinia plant is harmless to most creatures, but it is deadly poisonous to Us. He is but a half elf so the poison should not kill him, but it would be dreadfully painful and my other dear princes aren't elven at all. But then I fear that too may make him suspicious of me. I shall have to call the dinner off."

She called her lady's maid over to her, "Tell father that I am feeling unwell, I shall not dine today. Tell him I fear I may have ingested a Kala seed by mistake" the Lady's maid hurried off to do as she was told. She turned back to the man, whom she realized was still kneeling on the floor, "You may take a seat if you wish"

She sat there in silence for a few moments thinking over everything that had happened that night and then suddenly jumped up, there was a temper in her eyes that was very befitting of the princess who'd always had everything she wanted in life, when she spoke there was that same anger in her voice, "First I'm going to converse with father, then I'm going to confront the mage himself, I cannot live in fear of him and I cannot have a servent who will only be bound to me because he has to be." she turned to him, "You'll only grow to hate me"

Before he could stop her she briskly walked from the room much to the protests of her lady's maids.

“Unless your father is having loyalty spells cast on your guards they can be bought off by those with enough money or power. Every man, even elves have their price.” He thought of all the time he had found someone to pay to get into places or to get others out of places. It had not taken him too much time to bribe most guards as they always seemed to think that they were underpaid for what they did. “it does not matter whether they have had the best training or not. I have seen some of the best guards turn their eyes away as the child of the man that they were loyal to was stolen away just because they were paid.” He smiled at her comment about not completely agreeing with her father’s methods of teaching them.

“how well do you know dorien? Has he been with you long and what would he think of a strange man teaching you to fight when your father said no?” he wanted her to start thinking about the dangers that him being there might be to her with her guards. If she did not know this Dorien that well then they were in danger of him being put to death and her being trapped by the mage in the end. He did no know what the mage had in mind with her but he was not going to let her fall victim to him.
He was surprised when she stood and walked over to him to try to help him when the collar started to chock him. As he gained his voice back he patted her hand before she raised his eyes to hers. “he is the sort of man that seen me as a tool and the less you know about what I did for a living the better his plans go. You know my true name, well my public one, I fear that he may have found a way to take my True Name and use it against me.” Thinking about it he realized that he had not locked all his past from being told. For if he could tell her his name then he should be able to tell her where he was from. “ thank you lady Lani, I don’t think I would feel right calling you just by your name at this time. Until others see me as part of your guard and don’t think about me.”

“even I being born Gipsy know that an elf must never have a Lithinia but he would know if you used that to keep him from the table. Are there…” he let the thought go for fear of the collar again. “I would agree with you, if I could have access to some books I might be able to find out what might keep him from the table.” He winced again as the collar seemed to think about tighten but did not. “My mother taught me how to read most elven writings as well as the simple human one that is commonly used among the poor, when they do know how to write.” So he was able to talk about his life before he became a thief but not after. So the mage had use of his light fingers as well as him being a shadow beast. Running his fingers through his shadow hair he sighed. “it seems my job before I came to you can not be discussed but my passed can.”

He watched as she sent her maid off to make her excuse to the king and the princes. Looking around he found as seat that would keep him below her but still be bit more confortable then the floor. Sitting on the foot stool he smiled. For all the tales of what would happen to a Shadow Hound when caught she was braking the mold. Then fear gripped him as she turned and stormed from the room after saying she would confront the mage. “DON’T!” grabbing the shadows around him he slipped into the shape of the hound again and charged after her. He was much faster in this form as he jumped through the shadows to get ahead of her. When he was far enough he turned back human only to find the clothes he had thought were back in the room were still on him. that means that that damn mage took my clothes from me and place me in that form naked. a growl burst from his throat before he realized it.

As the princess came around the corner to where he was he held up his hands. “please your highness, don’t confront him now. I do not hate you, just be careful how you word commands to me and we will be fine.”

[“how well do you know Dorien? Has he been with you long and what would he think of a strange man teaching you to fight when your father said no?”] she looked at him contemplating this but not really contemplating. A smirk played her lips quite suddenly, “Next week I shall be turning 16 by the lethrene calander, as I am sure you are well aware of the Lethrene calendar. Dorien has been head of my personal guard since I was only 2 Lethrene years. He has played folly to my little whims for 14 years, many many times I have asked him to help me with things that father felt silly or unnecessary. I do not doubt Dorien’s Loyalty. As for what he will think of a strange man teaching me…..well, he’ll probably keep an exceedingly close eye on you to be sure I am unharmed, but he will begrudgingly agree because I beg him to do so.”

She thought on the subject of writing. She herself was fluent in many of the world’s writings. For instance she was well versed in Elven, Drow, Hobit, Dwarven, and Human tongues and writings. She was currently in the process of learning Fae. She looked down at the man, “Human writing is…..crude” she said it simply. She didn’t have the air of hatred towards humans, but spoke more like she was speaking a fact about it. “Father has one of the three great libraries in the world. If you where to find it anywhere it would be there. Later tonight I shall take you to it.”

[“please your highness, don’t confront him now. I do not hate you, just be careful how you word commands to me and we will be fine.”] A growl escaped her throat in such a way that matched the anger that was still in her eyes. This whole situation was utterly bogus, “So I am to keep afraid of the man for the rest of my life!?” she wasn’t caring that her voice was now echoing through the hallways. “Am I to cower in fear hoping that the whole thing is to just Passover!?” Her small pale hands where clenching into fists at her side. “I am the princess to the most powerful nation in the world and that man….he…” she couldn’t say the words that where stuck in her throat, “He…He” a small whimper escaped her throat.

“ALANDRIEL, WHAT ON EARTH!?” The color left her face as she swallowed the lump forming in her throat. She turned around slowly to face her father. Who’s face was mad with rage. “WHO IS THIS MAN!? DID HE HURT YOU!” she had very little edgewise to defend either herself or Eladon before her father yelled out, “GUARDS SEIZE HIM!”

At this point she did something that may have been fairly stupid, but given that she knew she usually got what she wanted she paid no mind to that. She stepped between him and the guards with her arms open wide in a symbol of guarding him, “FATHER!? If you’ll just let me explain!?” she continued to stand there with her arms open.

King Drothnos looked down at his daughter and calmed himself, if only a little, he held up his hands to stop the guards temporarily and then looked down at his daughter with loving exasperation. “Drie, this better not be one of your games….please explain”

Alandriel looked back at Eladon, then to her father. Her face turned a vivid shade of scarlet, “This man he….” She once more looked to Eladon as if trying to figure out how to explain the whole situation. “He…..” after a moment she once more swallowed the lump in her throat, “he’s not trying to hurt me, he’s trying to help me”

"If I was not aware of your 16th birthday coming up I would have to have been under a rock for the last three human years. this town has been awash with opportunity since your father announced your birthday celebration." he smiled at all the things he had been able to lift because the owners were two wrapped up in the thoughts of the party to come that they had forgotten that they had something like what he took. he had even heard that there were a few of the items sold back to their original owners without the owner being any wiser. there were many other opportunity for people in town as well. some of the local farmers had sent their sons and daughters in to find jobs with the workshops that were making all the stuff for the party, the hopefully the wedding. "you think that he is going to be willing to allow me to attack him and that he will be willing to attack you with all intent to do harm? this is not some childhood whim that will pass. If we start this you will not be allowed to quite until I am dead or your good enough to keep any one from attacking you."

"I understand that you find human writing so crude but it is also a faster way to write. with most of the elven that I know you have to have years of study just to write a simple story. with human writing you only need to know the rules of spelling and you can write any word you know." he smiled trying not to seem like he was chiding her for her dislike of the writing. "it also is not a common one for elves to learn, most think that it is beneath them. which means that humans might write stories and books about things that might offend the lords of the elves and none of the elves would realize that they have." he smiled at the thought of being given access to one of the great Libraries of the world. his mother had told him stories of the great libraries but neither her nor any of the others he knew had ever seen them. "tell me Lady how is the Library divided up so that one can find anything in it?"

Kneeling in front of her in the hall he did what his instincts told him to do when facing some one that had his life in their hands. he tilted his head to the side offering his throat to her. "no just give me time to find what we need." his voice was soft and calm when he spoke. he wanted her to trust him but he knew that she never could trust him with the mage holding his collar in check. his attention was so set on her that he did not hear the king arrive until he yelled causing Eladon to flinch. he was halfway into the shadows before he realized that if he did leave her by falling into the shadows world then when he came back he would be enemy number one. fighting all his instincts that told him to run he knelt there waiting for the guards to seize him or for the princess to get her way.

the guards had stopped when she had stepped between them and Eladon. looking back to the king they raised their eyebrows to ask him what he wanted them to do. as she stumbled over her words Eladon sighed and stood, stepping around her to kneel again in front of the king. "your highness." he swallowed knowing that this could be his death. "I am the hound given to your daughter by the mage of the dark winds." to prove his point he let the shadows of his hair consume him as he switched into the hound again. standing before the king he tucked his front paws beneath him in a form of a bow. now was the time for the guards to take that swing and try to kill him.

["you think that he is going to be willing to allow me to attack him and that he will be willing to attack you with all intent to do harm? this is not some childhood whim that will pass. If we start this you will not be allowed to quite until I am dead or your good enough to keep any one from attacking you."] She looked at him for a moment before a laugh, albeit a rather dark one passed her lips, “you will be hard pressed to find someone willing to attack me so readily. Father is a powerful man with a powerful kingdom. Many would be afraid of his wraith.”

She shook her head a bit, but said in a fond sort of way, almost as one would speak of a beloved pet, “humans are also rushed. I wish humans had the gift of Elven time, then they wouldn’t have to rush through life so very so. Humans could then appreciate the ideal of knowing things are done correctly, because humans miss so much of beauty in there speeding through day by day” she heaved a sigh for a moment but then nodded, “I can show you the organization, everything is organized by race, genre, author, and title”

He had asked her to trust him, was that why she had reacted as she had? Perhaps, she thought to herself, perhaps it was. She watched as Eladon stood before her father, now back to his hound form. She found herself finding his transformation interesting, even though she had already known he could become a hound she had envisioned it to be something like the curses she read so much about. She watched the gears turning in her fathers head, trying to make out this whole mess.

King Drothnos looked from his daughter to the hound in front of him. It was quite a present indeed from a powerful mage. Briefly he wondered if such a powerful half Elf was to be trusted, but he put these thoughts aside. He looked down now at Eladon, “Please return to your human form” he said but then didn’t wait before continuing, under the assumption that the shadow hound could understand him. “Please explain what my daughter meant by you are helping her”

Images of the earlier incident in her room flashed through the princess’ mind. She let out a squeak, “He can’t father! Please don’t ask him to do that. When he tried to tell me it nearly killed him!” there was a slight panic in her voice with those words.

Her father grumbled for a moment thinking on how to handle the situation, but after a moment he looked at his daughters pleading face and then at Eladon. He chose his words very carefully and concisely, “Against my better judgment, I am going to trust my daughters word here. If and when either of you can tell me what’s going on, you will tell me. Also be warned, if anything happens to my daughter….anything at all. I will make it my personal mission to see that not only the party involved, but you as well are taken down. You want to protect her, then do it, or suffer the consequences.”

“Your not going to lean properly if they wont attack you with all their strength. If you will trust me I know of a man that can do what I need done.” He smiled hoping that if her choice would not agree to do what he needed then she would agree with him to have his friend help teach her. If she would allow him out he would still hire Jack to do a few surprise attacks on her to tested her.

“I think you don’t give humans enough credit when you say they are rushed. I believe that humans lean to appreciate many things of beauty because of the short lifetime. It’s just not the beauty that you might see that they see. Have you seen some of the things they have created with their shot lives? I am always surprised by what my fellow humans have created.” He sounded happy with what he had to say about the humans.

Shifting back to his human form he stayed kneeling as he bowed his head. “my lord I would…”as she spoke quickly say he could not say he choked as the collar tightened. Looking over his shoulder he growled, even if she had not meant to she had just given him another order that he had to fallow, one that he could have given a good account of himself and the princess. Sighing he tuned his head back so he was looking at the kings toes. “I cannot say my lord, I am sorry.”

Wanting to scream about how he was forced to this life and how he feared for the princess life Eldon singed and nodded. “I will tell you what I can when I am able. And know this my lord I will keep her as safe as it is in my power to do.”

She looked at him for a long moment. Attack her with all their strength? She felt a cold shiver run down her spin. She couldn’t help but admit to herself that the idea scared her. Let some stranger attack her with everything they had? What if they really did intend to kill her? Would she be simply playing foul to the man in front of her? How much about this man did she truly know? She closed her eyes for a moment and thought it over. After a moment she looked at him, really truly looked at him. If he was lying to her, then he was a pretty good liar. It was slightly hesitant albeit, but in the end she said to him, “Alright, do it…..but father mustn’t know.

“Some humans perhaps” she said with an air of thoughtfulness as she let her mind wander over this. There was a small hint of disbelief in her voice however, which she tried to hide. “Some of them do create small wonders, but they are but far and few between, but I will try to be less….” She paused to think of the correct word for the situation, “critical of them.”

When he growled and then sighed she looked at him rather baffled. Had she said something wrong? She let out a soft sigh of her own but remained silent. She had done her part, now it was his turn to stand up to the kings powerful stare. It was one that she herself had received many times. Her focus shifted from her father to Eldon and back. She waited for one or the other to flinch. [“I will tell you what I can when I am able. And know this my lord I will keep her as safe as it is in my power to do.”] She now looked at her father waiting on his reply. After a long moment, antagonizing moment for all those involved the king finally spoke again. It was a softer, kinder notion, “I will hold you to that. You may stay, as her hound and as her guardian, but for the time being you may be watched at times, nothing personal, but my daughter means the world to me and I would see no harm come to her.”

The king started to leave and waved his hand for his men to follow him. Looking back at his daughter again he spoke to her, instead of the hound, “I expect that your duties as princess shall resume tomorrow. I’m not particularly pleased that you skipped your dinner. However, just this once we shall let it slide. I don’t know what’s happening, but I’m sure you’ll tell me in time. I’ll have Vernallia send you and this hound up some dinner.” With that he promptly walked away with his guards leaving the princess and Eldon alone once more.

“Thank you father!” she called at his retreating back before letting out a deep routed sigh. She took a moment to collect her thoughts before turning back to Eladon, “I thought we were done for there for a moment. I’m glad and eternally thankful not for the first time in my life that my father trusts me. I don’t know where we, or rather much more you, would be if my life was like some of those you read about in books. “ She raised a hand in a dismissive sort of way, “Come, let us go to the library, I can show you how things are organized”

He watched as she shivered at the thought of him having others come in. he wanted her to trust that he would not want her dead but he could not think of a way that she would trust him. “princes if there is something you would like to know if I would do ask me, I have to answer you truthful if you ask me to.” He wished that there was a way that he could prove to her without her ordering him to tell the truth. All his life he had worked so hard to be seen as trust worthy and now with one bet he was a creature that could not be trusted to be truthful. He sighed as she spoke. “I understand that, the less that know what I am going to do the less my gifteter will learn. Do you want to ask your guard or do you want to trust my guy? I would trust my man like I would a brother.” The truth was that the man he was going to ask was a cousin of his.

“if you would do it as a favor to me I would like it if you would look to them with new eyes.” He wanted her to see the humans as he had learned to see them. He may not have the short life that his family had but he still knew what beauty they could make. “I do not ask you to praise the humans over the beauty of the elven craftsmen but they have their own beauty. May be one day I will be able to show you their beauty.”

“if she were my daughter my lord I to would have the Shadowhound watched. “ looking up at the king he tried to let the man know that he truthfully would protect her with his life. He wondered if the king knew that there once had been a blood spell that an elven king had created to bind the Shadowhound to the elves. If the king knew of it and asked him to preform it he would. A sudden idea formed in his mind as he thought about the rite. He would have to tell the princess about it, for it might create a way to loosen the bound the mage held on him.

He was happy to hear that they were not going to go hungry but he was worried about what her father was going to do if he kept talking her out of having the mage or found ways to keep the mage from coming. As the king left another thought popped into his head. “I had a thought humans can’t stand some things that Elves love to eat, gifter should be invited when they are served, only elves invited kind of thing. I think that he would love to be invited to a party that is just elves.” The collar seemed to warm to him but it was not a painful warming.

“if you had not said that I could not say what I was helping you with I could have come up with a story that he would have accepted. I am quite good at coming up with stories that every one believes. But you gave me an order back there that now I can’t escape until you tell me that it can tell him a tale.” Gently running his fingers along the collar he growled. “ that is what I meant about being careful about what you tell me. If you tell anyone in my presents that I can’t do something, even when I can you tie my hands.”

She studied him for a long moment as if carefully deciding the best words to use for the situation. She had decided to trust him after all. So after a long moment of careful contemplation she spoke to him again, this time more softly, and with a bit more conviction, “It was never you that I feared. In all seriousness deep in my heart I know I should distrust you, but I can’t bring myself to do it. So if you say that this man will bring no lasting harm to me then I will trust him as well. But I don’t trust the spell the mage has cast over you. Clearly he still holds part of you as well. He holds your silence at any rate, but could there be more? What would happen in a battle of my command versus his? I am……afraid, I’m not afraid to admit that in this moment. But bring your man in, I will trust him.”

“Perhaps after this whole ordeal with my marriage and such I shall have to take another visit to the human realms. We are generally well received by their king, even if the populace does not always receive us well. However, because you asked me so nicely I will try to visit them with an open mind. I have never taken the time to give them much more than a passing glance if truth be told.”

[“I had a thought humans can’t stand some things that Elves love to eat, gifter should be invited when they are served, only elves invited kind of thing. I think that he would love to be invited to a party that is just elves.”] She looked thoughtful at this, thinking over the possible scenarios in her head. Did she invite him to this Elven only dinner only to be angered by the selection of food, or did she disengage him and only invite the elves, which would also potentially anger him. No matter which way the party went, she could not help but to feel trapped by all of it. “Would I be inclined to invite the mage?”


“if you had not said that I could not say what I was helping you with I could have come up with a story that he would have accepted. I am quite good at coming up with stories that every one believes. But you gave me an order back there that now I can’t escape until you tell me that it can tell him a tale.” Gently running his fingers along the collar he growled. “ that is what I meant about being careful about what you tell me. If you tell anyone in my presents that I can’t do something, even when I can you tie my hands.”

“I…” her voice trailed off and her cheeks grew slightly pink. She looked up at him through her crystal eyes and then sighed, “I was only trying to help, what was I supposed to think, I nearly watched you die in my bed chambers.” she said in a bit of a huff. But then she softened her gaze, “Come I’ll show you the library. I’ve a few things I shall like to look up myself.”

She led him to her fathers library, which was probably more books then Eladon had ever seen in his life. There was Books from a good deal many languages and cultures, two stories worth of books with ladders to reach them. She waved a hand around her pointing to the different sections as they passed them. “If you can only read Elven or Human you’re going to want to stick to that section there” She pointed to a section near where they were standing, “Which is the Human books, the elven books are in that far section back there” she pointed to another section towards the back of the library, “I think there are a few things I should like to look up myself while we are here.”

She was careful not to tell him what she was looking up but instead shuffled off to the Elven section first. She hoped the answer would be there, but she feared the answer may very well be in one of the fae language books.

Eladon listens to her worry's and a tightness that had nothing to do with the collar and its powers at that moment, gripped his heart. ever since meeting her in his human form he too had wondered what would happen. at frist it had been what if she were to order him to kill his own family but then when the truth about the collar came out he worried what would happened to her when the orders did not match up. looking over at her he gave her a knowing look. "my lady the reason I wish for you to lean from some one that will try to harm you but that I trust is that then you will have some training on how to defend against me if I was ever given that order. know this though if ever that order was given to me I would fight to my own death to stop from harming you." a part of him wondered how much of his want to protect this young elf was from the collar and how much was his real feelings. he wanted to trust his own mind to this but a nagging little voice told him that he never would have trusted her this quickly. he would never have wanted to help some one, no matter what their beauty and station in life, this quickly.

"you know tomorrow if you trusted me I could lead you in my hound form into areas of your own city that have some beautiful human creations." a thought accrued to him and he smiled. "tomorrow when the sun is up I would like you to order me to turn human. I would like to see if I am able to if you give me the order. I know I cant do it if you dont. I tried it while we were in the throne room earlier today. if you can order me to turn human then I can act as your guard even better because all you would have to do is order me to turn human and attack." he smiled at the thought of a thief trying to harm her only to have him appear and put the man down. in his mind he actually pictured a young thief that he had been wanting to deal with for some time as that thief he dealt with.

he sighed as it became clear that what he had thought of to keep the mage from staying at her table would not work he sighed. "I was only thinking of things that might have kept him from coming out and trying to do anything. " he would have said more but he could feel the collar closing in warning. each time it reacted to what he said he sent another curse at the mage and his kind. those that would take advantage of things they knew not what they messed with. "it was just a thought my lady. I wish that he would just stay away. I feel like if he comes my loyalty will be divide trying to protect you and him."

stepping forward he picked up her hands and held them before her trying to let her know that he was not to upset at her. granted he was quite miffed the moment she had given the order but now he could see she had only been trying to save him the pain of having an order he could not fallow. "realize princess that your the only one that I have to obey. he could not have driven me to causing pain to myself unless I wanted to. so never worry that I will hurt myself on the collar if I can help it. I was trained at a young age how to lie well and how to remember all the lies that I told so not to get them mixed up." kissing her hands he let her go and smiled before fallowing her towards the library. he actually no longer had a want to see the Library's but he did not want to hurt her feelings for she seemed to be happy to be able to show him them.

After she told him of where to find all the books he could read he smiled and looked back the way they had come. "my lady princess, do I have your permission to go into town and seek out my friend that is to help us? in fact do you order me to go find him and see if I can bring him back here to teach you?" he hopped that she would catch the hint that if she ordered him no one could stop him and he would be much freer if she did.

She looked at him for a moment and knew that his fears where the same as hers. Could she really be able to defend herself from him if that order was given to her? She needed to learn then, and learn fast it would seem. After all, if the mage was to make a move it would be sometime within the next week. She shuttered for a moment but remained silent. She thought about going out into the city the next day to look at human beauties and then quickly it fell again, "We can go out into the city, though it would have to be before miday meal. After that I must once more go and receive my guests." She said this with a bit of a twinge of fear again in her voice, after all it would be the first time the mage would be in her presense since she canceled dinner. "I will give that order in the morning should you like, and you think that it would help"

She wasn't sure how she felt about the idea of lieing to her father, but she didn't mention that fact. She did however blush when he kissed her hands. She had been headed towards the back end of the library when he approached her again and asked her permission to go and get the man he had spoken of, to give him the order. She had contemplated this enough that she simply did as he wanted. "I give the order then, please go get this man who will help me train, I should like to meet him"

She on the other hand continued towards the back of the library where she began to pull down various books all on the same subject which she brought over to a decent sized table and began to lay them out. She knew what she needed to look for, she just wasn't sure exactly where it had been in those books. By the time Eladon would return she would have been through one of the books on the subject and had fallen asleep halfway through skimming the second.

“before midday will be fine with me for us to go out. But maybe not tomorrow, I would like to talk with your guards before we go out. There are some down where I would take you that your guards might think are trying to attack you when they are just trying to sell something. I would love to talk to them before any misunderstanding might happen.” He nodded at the thought of her giving the order of him being human in the day. “I would love to have freedom of form during the day as well as night. Though it would be wise if we don’t let anyone know about that freedom. And I understand that you will have to go back to playing the proper princess. But hopefully by the time a move against you is made you will be ready.” A smile formed on his lips as he realized that he was getting better at avoiding the collars powers.

Bowing deeply Eladon smiled. “as my princess commands I do.” With that he turned and disappeared into the shadows of a book shelf. His body seemed to fade into the shadows themselves and then he never came out the other side of the shadows. She should have seen him, if he had walked out of there.

The trip through the shadows was so different than any he had tried before. There were so many layers of magic that surrounded the castle that he had never thought to try to break into the place. But now as he looked back through the shadowlands he could see the magic that bound him to her. It would give him a passage way through all the magic that had kept him from her palace before. As he passed the outer walls of the castle he could feel the watchful eye of these spells turn away from him and back onto the people within its walls. Maybe he could find someone to tweak that spell to make it so that the mage would get bugged by the watching eyes.

The alleyway should have been empty as he stepped out of the shadows, it had been when he had looked. So he was surprised when cold iron pressed on his throat as he stepped out of the shadows. Swallowing he became perfectly still. His mind racing at how all might have the ability to hide they were there from him. “your valuables or your life elf.” The voice was gruff and cold. Slowly Eladon turned out his pockets to show he had no money while he tried to place who might be running this nicked and run. “and this?” the knife tapped against his collar, that it did not make a sound seemed to startle the man behind him. Enough so that Eladon was able to throw a punch back and grab his knife arm.

They grappled, the man behind him trying to stay hidden in the shadows while he tried to bring him to light. Moments later he flipped the man into the moon light and growled in annoyance. “tommus you could have been killed.” Reaching his hand out Eladon pulled his friend up from the ground where he had dropped him. “you know better than to attack me, I could have killed you.”

Tommus laughed as he was pulled up off the ground. “had you sweating for a moment though.” He smiled his dark eyes flickering with merriment. Then a shadow seemed to cross his face. “last I heard from you, you were going to rob the mage what happened.” In answer Eladon leaned his head to the side and brushed the collar.

“I need your help.” He said in place of a full answer, if he could not answer the princess when she held control over him then Tommus would not be able to get even as much as she had from him. Tommus held up his hands and started to back away, the look of worry and fear on his face.

“I don’t deal with magic and I am not going to start now to try to save your hide.” He stopped as Eladon grabbed his shirt.

“I don’t need your help to brake this spell.” Tommus’ face relaxed now knowing that he was not going to have to play with magic. “I need your help in training the Princess to defend herself.” Fear replaced that relaxation.

“are you INSANE!!” his voice rose into a squeak. “me teach the princess? They would never allow me into the castle let alone near her royal highness.” Anything else that he might have said was cut off as Eladon fell back into the shadows pulling him with him. They fell for a time passing buildings and shadows that were not really there but once were. Till finely they came out in the princesses room. Eladon collapsing on the floor in his hound from. “oh damn” tommus voice was a whisper as he looked around the room trying to think of a way out.
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It was a servent returning books for the king that found the princess asleep in the book. Gently touching her shoulder she smiled at the princess. “my lady it is passed the midnight hour, It might be best if you returned to your room to rest and not here on the books?”