The glow around her blushed a deep pink along with her cheeks. She smiled and hung her head, allowing her hair to hide her face again. She nodded and thought, or something along those lines. She wasn't quite sure what it was about him that made her this way. She didn't normally have mood swings like this. Maybe it was the fact that she knew he could see her real emotions through her glow.
They walked along in silence for a while. Her boots continued to make scuffing noises on the ground. If she had had pockets, she would have her hands in them. The wind blew and her hair whipped around her face. She reached up to push it away, using her opportunity to look at him. She almost jumped when she found him looking directly at her. She smiled shyly and her wings fluttered. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Clearwater paused, "Well... Uh... I guess.... Maybe interest...." he made a poor excuse, pulling up his cloak in reaction, now getting nervous himself, luckily he did not glow like her. "You don't get a lot of beautiful, winged women in the city..." he paused, blushing even more as he realized how he complimented her, "ah.... Well..... being honest is all... I did not want to make it awkward.... or at least i hope i haven't..."

She smiled and sparkled at his compliment. She then jumped in front of him on the path and stopped forcing him to stop abruptly, almost, but not quite, toppling over. She put her face close to his so she could see it even in the shadow of the hood. "Look at who's embarrassed now," she teased removing his hood. She could see the shop ahead and she turned and ran ahead on the rode a little willing him to follow. "C'mon, let's go." She smiled broadly. Her glow returned to its bright shimmering white, her wings fluttering and hair whipping around her face in the wind as she ran, almost danced, ahead. Even though it was cold outside and due to her short skirt her legs were exposed to the wind, she continued smiling.

Clearwater stopped quickly, backing up a bit as he blushed even more as she came closer, "Ah..... Don't make this awkward for me.... or at least.... more awkward..." he blushed yet again, suddenly feeling his heartbeat grow faster as his hood was removed, "Ah... I can't be seen like this..." he said, covering his face with his hood again as she ran off, but then he saw her run forward, her legs exposed, he sighed, shaking his head as he covered his eyes, ".... What have I gotten into...?" he said, walking foward as he kept his eyes upward.

Clearwater smiled upon the greeting of the shopkeeper, as expected, he spoke in an ancient language."Exspectata ut meus repono meus amicus!! Quod EGO animadverto vos have brought a hospes!! Quis can EGO adepto vos?" Clearwater smiled at the greeting, "Iustus a velox question ego have. Is est buying , non mihi" He looked at Camille, "So... what was the item you needed?"

"I don't need an item, or at least, I don't think I do. I was simply told to come to her and tell her that 'It lives'. I don't know anything else about my assignment." She sighed and wished that she knew what she was doing. For all she knew he could be telling the woman anything. She didn't like her life to be out of her control, but it is a fairy's nature to trust and not ask questions. As he translated her message to the shopkeeper she saw her eyes widen. Camille's wings fluttered anxiously. The shopkeeper motioned for them to go into the back room with her. She began to rummage around in boxes and on shelves. The room was dark and musty. Camille could hardly breath, the air was so laden with dust. She coughed and tried to wave the dust away only stirring up more dust. She shielded her eyes. When she opened them again the shopkeeper was holding an odd object out to her. The object looked like a crumpled paper sack in the shape of a very lumpy gourd. The shopkeeper jabbered off in the ancient language. When she was finally finished talking Camille turned to Clearwater and asked, "what did she say".

Clearwater paused for a moment, thinking as she spoke it out loud again, "Ah... well.... She spoke of keeping it close to you..... it can be a very dangerous item.... of course.... this is a weapon and special import shop... it is too be expected...." he looked at the creature, not familiar, "Can you tell me what it is...? It doesn't seem to be moving much at the moment... I'm questioning if it does live..."

[brb... shower]

Camille cautiously eyes the thing the woman had placed in her hands. "I don't have a clue." She looked it over some more and finally asked aloud, "what am I supposed to do with it". Just then the thing twitched in her hand causing her to jump and almost drop it, but as it fell towards the floor she reached down and caught it. She sighed and her wings fluttered anxiously as she looked back up at the shopkeeper who was giving her a stern look. She smiled nervously and then asked him again, "what I am I supposed to do with it". She looked from him to the woman and then back to him as they talked.

Clearwater spoke to the shopkeeper, pulling out a bag and tossing it to him. He caught it nervously, nearly dropping it. "Well.... Here.... this is it's food...... " he walked toward her, handing it to her, "She said feed it once.... a day.... it doesn't eat too much from what she said..." he said, once again catching himself looking at her wings, he shook his head, smiling warmly, "And.... I will be happy to help you if you need any help..."

They thanked the shopkeeper and stepped out the door. Camille was still quite confused about why she had been given this assignment and how that related to the message she had delivered. She expected that now she had to return to her home. For a moment her heart leaped with joy at returning home. The human world was quite tiresome. Then her heart sank and her glow almost disappeared. Returning home meant that she would have to leave Clearwater. They walked in silence for a long while. Instead of fluttering behind her like normal, Camille's wings were folded along her back and seemed to droop sadly. The color had disappeared from her cheeks again. She looked at the ground and didn't make an attempt to keep her feet from dragging a bit. She fidgeted with the hem of her left sleeve and threw woeful glances at Clearwater. He seemed to notice she was down, but there was no hiding how she really felt from him even if she claimed to be fine. She finally spoke. "I guess I need to return home now.....thank you for all your help. I...I'll miss you." She stopped walking, looking at the ground and then up at him, her hair still fallen in her face.

Clearwater sighed, "You have to return home.... right...?" he questioned, but not before sliding himself closer to her, putting his arms comfortably around her and holding her closer to him, he looked down to her for a moment, noting he was much taller than her, as Clearwater was natural tall, he sighed, "... You want me to come with.... right...? But.... What is stopping me...?"

Camille gasped when her pulled her close, but then relaxed. She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes and then shook her head. "You can't...I can't let you come with me. I'm not allowed." She cluing to him and buried her face in his cloak. By now the object the shopkeeper had given them had dropped to the ground and slowly begun to crawl away. Camille's sobs were silent but visible due to the way her shoulders shook. She asked herself why she cared so much. Why did she feel such an attachment to Clearwater. She had never felt this way about anyone before. When her tears slowed she looked up at him and said, "I don't want to leave you, but I need to return home. Promise me you'll wait for me. Wait for me until I can return. Promise me." The last sentence was nearly a whisper and her glittering eyes locked with his.

Clearwater nodded, "Of course I'll wait.... but...." he looked at the creature, quickly stepping on it so it couldn't move, but not crushing it, " you might want this..." he said, a smile on his face, but he was focused, knowing that she really cared for... "Is it.... that I need wings...? Because.... that is a possibility...." he said laughing, "I can levitate.... and.... I can generate wings..."

"No, that's not it," she said picking up the creature and cradling it in her arms. "I wish I wasn't ashamed to say why you can't come. You see, fairies are normally very peaceful and happy creatures, but once, another non-human race, werewolves to be exact, attacked and killed our leader. Ever since then the fairies have not trusted any magical creatures, except other fairies of course. There are those of us, however, who see the flaw in this belief, but the others will not be easily convinced. That's why you can't come with me....I'm sorry." She hung her head, for once, ashamed of her own race. She didn't know if she would be able to return to him at all, but she couldn't bear to tell him that.

Clearwater frowned, taking her into his arms again, "I'll wait for you here... alright...." he paused, looking at her with a smile, nodding softly, "I promise..... alright...." all of a sudden a strange marking appeared on his hand, he looked at it, then smiled a bit, "... This means that I am your guardian...." he said, showing her name upon the bottom of the marking, "So even if we are apart.... we will be together.... its hard to explain..."
[i have to go now.... mmbai]

She sniffled and then asked him, "where should I look for you when...when I...return". Fairies were not allowed out of the city for just any reason. She would need to figure out a way to get out of the city without telling anybody that she was going to see him. She puzzled over this and readjusted the creature in her arms as he hugged her. It gave a strange screech, but settled back into her arms.

Clearwater sighed and looked at her, noting the screech, backing up a bit to leave the creature some room. "Here...." he spoke softly, taking hold of her hand he began to place his own hand on top of her hand, careful to not let the creature fall to the ground. He held her hand there, a soft light escaping between their pressed hands. Clearwater moved his hand, "Anytime you need me....." he whispered, showing her the strange symbol he had just placed on her hand, "... Just squeeze your palm..... and say my name.... I will come.... I promise..." He smiled at her, allowing her hand to rest. He gently moved his face closer to hers, giving her a gentle kiss just to the left of her left eye, as though solidifying that he would be there.

The small glow around her blushed pink and she nodded. She took a step back and whispered, "goodbye". She turned on her heel and began walking forcing herself not to look back. Her wings drooped again, but her glow was stronger then it had been. She began her long journey home. She walked all afternoon and when the sun went down she took to the skies gaining back the distance she had lost walking. By midnight she could see the lights of her city. She landed right outside the gate. The guards asked to see her power. She held out her hand and a star of light appeared. She caused it to turn fiery and then icy. They were about to let her through when one of them grabbed her wrist, holding her hand up to his face and examining the symbol. Her wings fluttered nervously. She tried to pull away, but the guard was stronger. "Remond," the guard called to a lower ranking officer. "Take this one to the council. She has a strange symbol on her hand. I think it's a dark mark." He handed her to the other officer who practically dragged her to the town square where he threw her to the floor in front of the council of the 50 elite fairies. "This one is here to be tried as a traitor," he exclaimed.

Clearwater sat there for a few moments, walking off in a random direction, he was hoping she was okay, he worried greatly, for multiple reasons.... their souls were now connected... He felt something was wrong... but he could not teleport until she allowed him access to her area..... and she knew how to do this.... "Camille.... Hurry..." he whispered to himself.... looking toward where she had flown off to.

For a brief moment Camille considered calling him to her, but that would only prove to them that she was a traitor and they would kill him on the spot. She couldn't do that to him even if she had to die to protect him. She was examined by the council and the guards told their side of the story. All Camille could say was that she was not a traitor. She could not, would not, tell them about Clearwater. Her wings fluttered nervously as the council deliberated. Their final decision: temporary exile form the city. That, however, was not her only punishment. The fairy guards are not kind. Just like she had told Clearwater, fairies could be quite violent, judgmental creatures. They took her ouside of the city walls and began to cast spells on her. Spells that took over her body, spells that threw fireballs at her, spells that encased her in darkness, spells that temporarily cut off her oxygen supply. By the end of this, Camille was breathing heavily and blood dripped from the side of her mouth. One of her wings was severely damaged and the other bent at an odd angle. Her glow was completely gone and her face ghostlike in color. They forced her to get up and go. She limped into the forest slowly until she was sure they could not see her. She tripped over a root and fell hard on the earthen floor. Before she passed out she made a fist and whispered his name. Then, everything went black.

Clearwater finally heard the call of his voice, he quickly transported, just as was asked of him.... upon appearing there, his eyes caught hold of her ghostlike figure upon the ground. "Camille.... No.... Why didn't you call sooner!?" he shouted, running toward her and taking her within his arms, he looked down at her, seeing how she had been hurt by the faries, he balled his fist up angrily, but then looked down to her again, he began by looking to a pouch on his side, his hand hovering over it to pull out what seemed to be some oddly tinted water. "Here.... this will help..." he slid the water , it quickly being absorbed into her body, he hoped that the healing water would help...

Camille's eyes fluttered open, but she was so blinded by pain that she could not focus. She tried to sit up, but she could not move. She moaned and then felt someone's hand brush across her. She panicked although she could not move. Who was that? She tried to focus her eyes and finally she could make out a hooded figure beside her. Clearwater..., she thought. Her body relaxed and she breathed heavily and painfully as one of her ribs was broken. After a few moments she could feel the pain numb, but as she looked down at her body she could see that the wounds were still there. His magic could relieve her pain temporarily, but because she was not human, her injuries would heal at their own rate. She managed to move her head to look at him. "You...came...," she said weakly.

Clearwater nodded, noting that her pain was somewhat numbed, seeing that she could focus, the healing water did half of the job.... now he wanted it to finish the rest of it.... He altered his magic, adjusting it to her aura.... as though trying to repair the wounds. "I said I would.... I don't break a promise...." he whispered softly.

A distant voice echoed out from the darkness, "This scene is similar to that of many years ago..."

Clearwater turned toward the voice, seeing a familiar face, his brother as he had expected him to show up upon his distress, "Completely different situation..." he said softly. The other man responded slowly, "... Hmmm.... Not quite.... the only difference is that i was in that situation... all those years ago when the Light and the Faries were one...." he referred to their group in a different name... not the name they had used before, "... Vincent..... you were involved in the war.... weren't you...?" Vincent..... his first name... Vincent Clearwater, "... I destroyed as many as I could.... chancers are that they do not recognize me.... or anyone from that time..."

Camille heard the voice of another man. Her body tensed up again, but she could not see him. He was hidden in the shadows of the forest and her Clearwater was barely visible. "Clearwater, who is that," she managed to say before she coughed multiple times due to the blood that still ran down her throat. She was losing her vision again and her pain was beginning to return. "Where are you?...Come here..."

"My apologies...." the man said, walking closer, "My name is Logan Wyrmtail.... I am his brother... despite having different last names... I am his brother...." he smiled, "I would explain, but it would take a while... Just trust me... as I am close to Vincent..."

Clearwater turned up, "... Vincent Clearwater.... although I like my last name better... I prefer to be called by it..." he said with a soft smile, finally lifting her up a bit, allowing her head to be resting against the comfort of his chest, his fingers running through her hair, "I hope the water is helping.... its all I have..."

She turned her head to the side, feeling the roughness of his cloak against her cheek. It was soothing to her to know that he was there. She reached up and placed her hand on the side of his face. She seemed to ignore the fact that the other man was there. He didn't seem to be intent on causing them harm at the moments so she was not worried. "The water help the pain go away, but my injuries will need to heal on their own. Your magic would only work to its fullest if I was human." She then realized what she had said. She had revealed her secret to Clearwater's brother. In the dark she was sure he couldn't have seen her wings and her glow was not present due to her injuries. She cowered next to Clearwater as his brother advanced on them slowly.