“You are scaring him you big dope.” Kiyan felt like an idiot as he realized that the young elf was seeing a large possibly starved dragon stalking toward him. Sapphire laughed as she jumped off his back.
“G. g.. go away! I will bend the mountain down on you and kill you all!” The boy was clearly terrified and was probably bluffing. Kiyan shifted slowly back to his form but the transformation was too much for the strange goat like creatures who promptly scattered and re grouped on the far end of the pasture leaving the young elf unprotected.
“I said go away or I will kill you all.” In spite of the brave tone of the threat the elf was shaking like a leaf with his back to the wall. Suddenly taking action the boy seized a small stone and flung it at the now human Kiyan. Reaching out Kiyan caught it before it hit his face. The impact was considerably more than he had anticipated. The next rock Kiyan felt a slight resistance as he stopped it in the air with his earth bending. The rock hung in the air for a moment as the boy tugged at it.
“You are an earthbender.” Kiyan raised an eyebrow at the terrified boy.
“I. I. I said go away.” Clearly out of options the elf resorted to commands. Sapphire took a step closer to try calming him but the boy bolted. His small size belied his speed and he dodged the surprised forest elf and vaulted a low spot in the wall. Kiyan sensed pain as the elf landed on something sharp on the other side and sprinted away into the near perfect dark. Kiyan sensed worry from Sapphire and didn't need any further incentive to follow the boy. The dull grays and browns of the earth energy glowing gave Kiyan all the light he needed to pursue the terrified elf. Vaulting the wall Kiyan cleared the patch of brambles the boy had the misfortune of falling in. The sound of rapid footsteps combined with the elf's terrified mind was all the guidance Kiyan needed. Running across the uneven landscape he heard a muffled cry and a thud as the boy tripped. Kiyan had hoped to close the distance more but the elf recovered himself and rushed blindly forward. Kiyan was only a few paces behind the boy when he heard another cry but no following thud. Kiyan's stomach sank as he saw the dim glow of the earth give way to a void and the sound of crashing water below. Without hesitation Kiyan followed the falling elf over the edge.
Air separated ahead of him and compressed behind as Kiyan propelled himself faster and faster until he hit the screaming elf. Holding him securely Kiyan altered the density of the air in an attempt to absorb some of their kinetic energy. At the last moment he extended his shields around the boy and hoped that it would hold. The pair slammed into the floor of the canyon with a resounding crash. The rock they landed on was splintered into a hundred pieces but Kiyan's shield held.
“Are you alright?” Kiyan released the boy and began examining him for injuries.
“I'm fine.” The elf shoved away from Kiyan and made a single step before collapsing as his ankle buckled out from under him. The pained cry cut Kiyan deeply. If only he hadn't chosen that field to land in, none of this would have happened. It only took a step for Kiyan to reach the young elf as he tried to crawl away.
“Listen to me.” Kiyan grabbed the boy by the shoulders and looked into the tearing brown eyes. “I don't want to hurt you. If I wanted to hurt you I would have let you fall to your death. Do you understand me?” Tears streamed down the boy's face as he nodded. “OK, now let me see about your foot and don't try running away.” The roar of the river filled their ears as it crashed further down the mountain. Feeling the afflicted ankle Kiyan could tell that it had been broken. At the touch the boy had flinched and bit his lip but remained silent. Noting the pain that his touch had caused, Kiyan chilled the area enough to numb it. The bone had to be straightened.
“This is going to hurt a little.” Kiyan looked into the elf's face who nodded slightly at the warning. Kiyan gave the foot a twist as he yanked on it and felt the bone slip back into place. There was a short cry but otherwise the boy only flinched. Warm energy flowed down Kiyan's hand into the injury regenerating the tissue and bone. A minute later Kiyan could sense that there wasn't a trace of the injury left. He gave a final pulse of energy and watched as the scratches from the briar patch disappeared.
“There. All better.” The boy examined his foot and a look of wonder came over his face. Kiyan could tell that the boy was still scared of him but not as much now. Kiyan looked up at the cliff that they had fallen down and saw a smooth wall as far as he could see in any direction.
“There is no way out of here unless someone finds us.” Kiyan focused and saw that they were indeed trapped in a box canyon with the cliff on one side with a waterfall flooding the end and bottom of the canyon. The other side was as sheer as the side that they were on. Open air and the distant sound of water crashing far below as the river plummeted into open space told of their chances on the final side.
“How often does someone come this way?” Kiyan made conversation trying to calm the boy down as he felt the cool mist from the waterfall born on a chilled mountain breeze.
“No one ever goes beyond the last rocca fold on this side of the valley.” The elf shivered a little and wrapped his arms around himself in an effort to retain some warmth.
“What is your name? I can't keep calling you boy.” Kiyan watched the scowl cross the elf's face as he was distracted by the slight.
“My name is Riftor and I'm not a boy. I'm nearly twenty years old.” Kiyan realized that elves must mature much slower than humans. Riftor looked and acted about ten years old if that. Kiyan didn’t dare admit that he was the same age as the elf.
“Riftor, can you promise me something?” Kiyan looked into the elf's brown eyes as he nodded. “Can you promise not to move no matter what you see?”
“What if you turn into that big blue scary thing?” Kiyan smiled as Riftor guessed his plan.
“That is exactly what I am planning on. I promise that I won't hurt you.” Kiyan knelt down until his face was the same level as Riftor's.
“O.Only if you promise not to eat me.” Riftor was quite skilled as a negotiator despite his fear and trembling voice.
“Trust me, I don't eat people. In fact I recently had a nice meal of delicious fruit. I'm quite full to tell the truth.” Kiyan saw that the boy was shivering more as the chill set in.
“Promise!” Riftor insisted with a violent shiver.
“Fine. I Kiyan, Ice Dragon, do promise never to eat Riftor. Satisfied?” Kiyan saw Riftor nod. “Ok if you stand right there, nothing will happen to you.” Kiyan stepped quickly to the other side of the ledge and began the transformation. He kept a wary eye on the boy. The scared but obedient elf remained rooted to the spot. Kiyan felt a wave of terror from Riftor as he reached the full draconic change.
“I told you I wouldn't hurt you.” Kiyan tried to soften his voice but it was still deep enough to make Riftor jump. “Climb on my back and we will get out of here.”
“I.I.I think I'm going to w.w.wait for someone to come and find me.” Riftor was shivering violently now.
Kiyan knew he didn't have time to argue any longer. The elf was clearly going to be hypothermic in a few minutes but was too terrified of Kiyan in his draconic form. Knowing his next action wasn't going to help him win points with Riftor, Kiyan lunged forward and seized the elf carefully in his claws and shoved off. A piercing scream split the air and Kiyan hoped that no one was near enough to hear. A few flaps was enough to drive Kiyan above the edge of the canyon. Spotting a bit of light where he had originally landed Kiyan headed that way. A few more flaps and Kiyan was hovering over Sapphire clutching the squirming Riftor firmly. On the ground around Sapphire a vine with several glowing flowers provided the light Kiyan had seen.
“Hold him.” Kiyan's deep voice growled with his annoyance. Sapphire scowled but quickly subdued Riftor when Kiyan set him down.
“I told you not to scare him!” Sapphire scolded Kiyan while she struggled with Riftor.
“I saved his life when he ran off a cliff, I heal his broken foot and scratches and he makes me promise not to hurt him or eat him and.
...” Kiyan's rant was interrupted by Sapphire.
“Eat him?” Sapphire looked horrified at the thought.
“Yes.” Kiyan continued where he had been interrupted. “I try to save him from hypothermia and he won't have any of it.”
“HELP!” Riftor screamed as Sapphire grew a few vines around him and rooted them to the ground. “You are agents of the darkness! HELP SOMEONE!”
“No, no, poor thing, no wonder you are scared of us.” Sapphire sat down just beyond the restrained elf's reach. “We are here to fight the agent of darkness.” At this Riftor seemed to calm down enough to stop struggling and sat heaving, his breath leaving small white clouds in the air and steam rising off his soaked cloths.
“Really?” Riftor finally caught his breath enough to talk calmly.
“If I were a drakken, you would have been dead before you had escaped this spot.” Kiyan threw his arms into the air in frustration.
“Shhh.” Kiyan earned another scowl from Sapphire. “Yes really and I know for a fact that Kiyan over there won't hurt you no matter how scary he is.” A third scowl told Kiyan that he had better behave or else.
“Riftor, I already promised I wouldn't hurt you. What else do you want?” Kiyan was still hoping no one else had heard the outbreak. Sapphire threw Kiyan a look that told him he might have earned the “else” that had been threatened.
Riftor was quiet before answering. “I'm cold and hungry and I don't like these ropes.”
Kiyan didn't hesitate before bending the water off the elf and reached into the food bag laying in the middle of the pasture and produced a particularly tasty yellow fruit and a handful of nuts. Standing over the startled elf he laid out a few ground rules.
“No yelling, screaming, biting, kicking or running. If you yell, scream, kick, bite or run we will tie you back up and only let you go in the morning. Understand?” Riftor nodded his head as he eyed the fruit. With that Kiyan bent the vines off Riftor and gave him the food.
“OK, now that we are friends, that is Kiyan and I am Sapphire and...” Sapphire glanced around them into the dark. “Luke is somewhere around here.” Kiyan at the mention of Luke remembered a pressure on his wrist and pulled up his holographic sleeve revealing a silver bracelet. Holding it up for Sapphire to see Kiyan saw a puzzled then amused look come over her face.
“It really is getting dreadfully cold out here tonight.” Sapphire shivered and pulled a cloak out of her backpack.
“Not really, it is almost always like this at night.” Riftor hardly paused from eating to talk.
“My forest never gets this cold.” Sapphire sat next to Riftor and wrapped them both in her cloak.
“You're a forest elf aren't you?” Riftor munched happily on a nut.
“Yes as a matter of fact I am. In fact we came all the way here to find the mountain tribe hero.” Sapphire paused and glanced at Kiyan. “Would you know where to find him?”
“Yep! I know where he is. Most people don't know where to find him because he is a hermit. I found him.” Riftor paused. “Are you the luminous one?” Excitement lit up Riftor's face.
“No, no I'm not. I'm just the forest tribe hero.” Riftor looked crestfallen at the news. “But Kiyan is a luminous one. I have seen him glow like this glow flower.” At this the light was back in Riftor's eyes but there was a little disappointment there also.
“Did you fight him? Did you defeat him? Riftor forgot about his food in his excitement.
“No! If I had defeated him he wouldn't be the chosen one now would he?” Kiyan was surprised to hear Sapphire talk about her defeat with anything other than embarrassment.
“If he was the hero then shouldn't he be nicer to people?” Kiyan rolled his eyes at Riftor's comment.
“He really is nice if you give him a chance.” Kiyan realized that Sapphire was exceptionally good with children. Luke also was thinking the same thing.
“Let's get some rest. We have all had a busy day and night.” Sapphire laid down and covered herself and Riftor with the cloak.
“Are you going to be warm enough?” Riftor sat up quickly as he thought of Kiyan sitting in the cold.
“Don't worry about me, I kind of like the cold.” Kiyan got up and tucked the elf back in. Sapphire was already falling asleep. A soft smile played across her face as some pleasant thought or memory presented itself.
The cold night air felt comfortable to Kiyan as most cold things did. Heat didn't bother him at all. Mostly because he could simply became colder to compensate. A chillier than normal breeze came down the hillside. The two elves under the cloak shifted as the extra chill leaked in. Kiyan began to wonder. He knew if Terra were here, she would be curled up under one of Freya's wings to keep the cold at bay while Kiyan actually enjoyed it. Perhaps the Voth and ascended were too different. Kiyan was tired of these thoughts and glanced around the pasture. The rocca were bedded down on the far end, their fright from before forgotten. The vine with the glowing flowers shed light around the small group of people. Kiyan leaned against a smoother spot on the rock wall and shrugged a couple bumps away. His troubling thoughts grew distant as he steeped himself in the cold and drifted to sleep.
--------
Riftor was the first to wake up as the sun crept down the mountain side. Sitting up and brushing the cloak off he rubbed his eyes as the frigid morning air finished waking him up. He looked at the cloak that he had been under most the night. It had been warm but not quite as warm as a pile of rocca. Remembering the events of the night Riftor leaped to his feet. There leaned against the side of the rock wall was the object of his excitement. Kiyan still looked asleep. Riftor took the opportunity to examine the strange man. He looked curiously at the well-fitting uniform like garb that Kiyan wore. It looked like some kind of dark animal leather with straps and buckles along the sides and front. It didn't look uncomfortable but it looked durable. It almost glimmered in the early morning light. Riftor's eyes widened when he came to the stranger's face. A thick thatch of blond hair stuck in every direction over a longer pale face. What Riftor saw though was the oddly deformed ears. Unable to help himself, Riftor reached out and touched Kiyan's ears as if to see if they were real. Riftor jumped back as much from the touch to the icy cold skin as from seeing Kiyan's eyes open.
“Good morning.” Kiyan broke the awkward silence as Riftor stood frozen, one hand half extended towards Kiyan's ear.
“You are really cold.” Riftor withdrew his hand.
“I don't feel cold.” Kiyan took a deep breath and normalized his temperature and held out a hand to Riftor. The elf flinched when he touched Kiyan's hand but realized that his skin was warm now.
“Burr. It’s freezing.” Sapphire announced her return to the land of the awake. “Ouch, I'm too young to feel this way.” She rubbed her stiff joints and grimaced as she stood up. Sapphire’s living plant like clothes thickened and shifted to provide more protection from the elements but she still wrapped the cloak securely around her and looked enviously at Riftor's warm wooly outfit. A quick glance told her that the rocca had probably provided the hair the clothes were made from.
“I could make a fire to get warmed up by.” Kiyan offered a solution for the problem.
“No fire.” Both the elves looked at Kiyan like he had made a threat.
“Fine. We have some food left but it is cold.” Kiyan picked up the partially full bag and withdrew some fruit. He saw Riftor perk up at this suggestion and eye the bag in Kiyan's hand longingly. Sapphire gave a final shiver and went about gathering up her glow vine. The flowers still faintly glowed but had withered over the night. Sapphire carefully collected the new seeds and wove them into a bracelet before getting some food for herself. Riftor had watched her as he consumed a piece of fruit.
“Why don't you have a glow stone? It takes a bender to recharge them but they last for days.” Riftor offered some sage advice.
“So why don't you have a glow stone?” Kiyan sliced a long thin crisp fruit into pieces with an ice blade.
 
; “I'm not a bender like you guys are.” Riftor lowered his eyes as he admitted his fault.
“Nonsense! You bent some good sized rocks at my head last night.” Kiyan recalled the fight in detail.
“I just threw them at you.” Riftor looked sorry.
“Nope. You may have thrown them but you aimed and propelled them with bending.” Kiyan had definitely felt the boy bending.
“Really?” A look of hope flickered over Riftor's face.
“Enough about bending and all that stuff. Riftor where are your parents?” Concern was evident on Sapphire's features.
“I don't have parents.”
“What happened to them?” Kiyan now was concerned. “Living out here on a mountain must be difficult alone.”
“There was a landslide and our house fell off the mountain.” Riftor blinked in an attempt to keep tears back. “The other elves made me go to another house and live with a family but they didn't like me so I ran away.” Riftor rubber the corner of an eye in an attempt to remove a tear before it got discovered.
“That's terrible!” Sapphire looked shocked.
“It’s not so bad.” Riftor glanced around him. “This was my parent's fold and I caught and tamed the rocca. I trade their hair for anything I need like clothes. The weather hardly ever gets any colder and I can usually find berries all over.” Kiyan decided that they must be near the equator in order to have such constant climate.