This chapter takes place after the initial short story. The story itself skips over a lot of important events that are referenced in this chapter. Those events will never be written about, so you kind of have to just reference and put the pieces together in your head. I'll be working some of Zahir's story into this as well.


The next morning dawned bright and clear, with blue skies and fluffy white clouds. A bunny hopped slowly through the meadow, stirring the grass. It nibbled at some clover leaves as Qwinn watched its progression across the paddock.

Qwinn's thoughts churned slowly as he contemplated Rooen's distress, he really had taken a liking to the girl, over her engagement to Archer, who was a terrible match for her. But he was just a horse and what do horses know? Fiddle sticks.

There was something wrong with the way Jakh died. He was surrounded by allies one minute and the next he was in the midst of enemies and taken down. His body had never been found. Archer had grieved and assumed Jakh's responsibilities, including his betrothal to Rooen. Rooen had been heartbroken, she still was for that matter, and she wanted nothing to do with Archer. Unfortunately for her she was forced to accept this decision by the officials who ran the judicial part of the country. Jerks.

Hmmm, how to help Rooen? Maybe she could run away, and take him with her. But she didn't know the country so she would get lost and he hadn't been out in forever. She would need someone to help her, maybe that funny dark haired girl who like to play tricks. She would love the chance to make some mischief for the officials. He would have to pull some strings to get her into the loop but that was nothing he couldn't do. What? Even a horse has connections in this Kingdom.

~

Skirting down a lower city alleyway, Jakh kept low. He was a shadow, moving through the darkness with a catlike grace.

"What happened to honor?" Jakh muttered. "My own brother tries to have me killed, then goes to marry my fiancé? Bastard..."

The prince concentrated, and found the rift in the air. A warm glow spread down from his elbow and to his hand, the energy pooling in his palm.

A slim blade of light slid out from the heel of his hand, then transformed into a gleaming dagger of pure energy.

With an elegant swipe Jakh sliced into the atom rift. A miniature explosion pushed Jakh back an inch, the result of pure energy and atomic infrastructures clashing.

Jakh pushed against the clash of energies and stepped through the portal he had created. Falling into a nether-space of shadows and darkness, Jakh navigated the familiar path ; it was one he had taken often, to check on Rooen and make sure she was alright.

He found the rift that led to the stables, slashing at it with his energy blade. Leaving the portal was easier than entering, the atoms less difficult to split from the nether-space.

Jakh slid through the portal and landed agilely in the hay in the high loft. The portal closed quietly behind him, dropping him into the dark warmth of sweet smelling hay.

Rooen hummed as she fixed Qwinn's messy mane. Qwinn bobbed his head making the soft hairs slip through her fingers.

"Qwinn!!!" She huffed, slapping his shoulder affectionately."Will you quit that? How can I fix your main if you keep messing it up?"

Hehehe. You know you love me. But anyway, why do you have to mess with my mane? It was fine the way it was! You didn't have to do anything to it.

" Of course I had to fix it! It was a mess and you have to look nice because there are some very important people coming to look around the castle and everything has to look nice."
Hmph. They can go look somewhere else. I don't care if they are important fools or not.

"Well you can take that up with Ja-...with Archer, when he comes down to make sure everything is in order."

Qwinn shuffled his feet and turned his head to nudge Rooen when she leaned her head against him sorrow.

"I still...I just can't believe he's gone, Qwinn. How can he be dead? Why?"

Sobs made her slim shoulders shake as she let loose her grief.

Oh Rooen. I know, I know. I miss him too. Things have been so wrong since he was killed.
“Nothing will ever be the same. I just…I don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t know if I can keep going on like this. It’s just so wrong.” She whispered into Qwinn’s mane.

Don’t give up Ro. Not now. You can’t, people need you. I need you. Don’t surrender to your sorrow. You can do this. I know you can and I’ll be here for you through all of this.

Jakh held his breath as he peaked through the cracks in the wood above their heads. His stomach clenched hearing the pain in Rooen’s voice as she clung to Qwinn.

“Rooen.” His whisper slipped out before he could stop himself. Below him there was silence, even Rooen’s sobs had quieted from the shock of hearing his voice. Jakh cursed himself as he made a quick exit back to the hayloft and through the remnants of the portal he had come through.

Rooen and Qwinn stood silent, staring at each other in shock.

“Did…did you hear that Qwinn? Or am I going-going crazy?”

I…I think I heard that Ro. But it-it’s impossible. He’s dead. It couldn’t have been him.

“I think I’m going to go lay down for a while. It must be heat stroke or something. That couldn’t have been J-Jakh because he’s dead and dead men don’t talk. I’ll be back later.”

Okay Rooen. Stay safe.
Qwinn watched as Rooen stumbled from his stall and out of the stable. He huffed, a soft soughing sound, when she left his vision. Hey. Hey! He called out to one of the passing stable hands.

“Yes?”

Go and get Kerushi Dalca. Bring her here. And tell her it’s an emergency. Hurry would you?!
“Yes. Yes sir.” The poor boy stammered.

Stop stuttering at me and get a move on.

“Yes sir! I’m going now sir.”

Qwinn whinnied and kicked his door to get the kid moving. He whuffled his laughter as the new kid practically ran away from him in search of Keru. Harassing the new workers was so amusing. But aside from that he needed Kerushi to help him with Rooen. He was afraid Rooen would go and do something foolish in her heartache. He put his nose in his oats deciding that they could help him to pass the time until the arrival of Kerushi.
~

Jakh landed in the alleyway , the portal closing with a final crackle of energy.

"Rooen...I'm so sorry. It's just not time yet. I want to have my kingdom back for you...I want to steal you out of my brother's grasp and whisk you away..."

Jakh brushed himself off and made his way back down the alley, ready to make his next move.

~

Rooen stumbled through the castle corridors, numb and blind. Dreya found her groping about blindly near the kitchens. Back in her room, Rooen curled up on her bedmat, a cold rag on her forehead. Dreya hovered near, frowning down at her young charge.

"Rooen, dear, are you alright?"

Rooen shook her head, tears springing to the corners of her eyes.

"Dreya....I heard him...I heard Jakh's voice....he was in the stables! I KNOW I HEARD HIM!" Ro exclaimed, her voice cracking.

"Dear...Jakh is dead...you can't have heard him..."

Rooen sobbed, shaking her head in denial. "NO!! He's ALIVE! I know he is!! I felt him! He isn't dead!!"

Dreya frowned, then called upon the healing magic inside of her. As she reached its core, she let the magic flow through her arm and down to her fingertips, which she pressed against Ro's forehead.

"Sleep, dear..." The maid whispered as the magic took effect and Rooen drifted off to sleep.

Qwinn was happily munching on his tasty oats when a shiver ran up his spine, alerting him to the fact that he was being watched. He paused and lifted his head to look out the door a few oats still clinging to his lips. His ears pricked forward as he intently studied the whole stable yard. He took one hesitant step forward, then a head popped up from behind his door, and he reared back in fright. Qwinn whinnied his irritation at the laughing girl, kicking the wall in frustration that she couldn't understand him.

"Hahahaha! I got you good with that one, didn't I Qwinn? Oh, I got you with that one. Jeez that was funny. So Qwinn, old buddy, old pal, what did you need?"

What I need is for you to get someone who can understand me so that you can know what I am saying to you! Went Qwinn's grumpy whuffles.

Kerushi laughed as she patted Qwinn's nose and walked towards some of the stable hands calling out to get their attention. "Come over and translate for me, little horse talker," she said as she ruffled the hair of a short freckled boy.

"Why do you always pick on me when you want someone to talk to the horses for you?" The kid grouched as he slunk along behind Kerushi.

"Because it's so fun to annoy you...and because you love the attention." she said, flashing a wink at his blushing face.

"Hmph. Whatever you say Kerushi." He crossed his arms and leaned against the door to Qwinn's stall, his head barely reaching the top. "So Qwinn, what do you need?"

On another note, some of this was made as a collaboration between myself and my friend. We both wrote short pieces and put them together. If it doesn't seem to flow well, or the writing style changes, don't be too alarmed ~_^
ALSO! The italics are Qwinn the horse talking. I went through and added them in because it just dawned on me that people who don't know the story wouldn't understand Qwinn's dialogue and just think me pathetic for not using quotation marks xD