300 years later...

Rain drenches my cloak and soaks through, providing no protection from the storm.

I walk slowly under the treetops until I see my destination. A small village. Pulling my hood up further I make my way towards it.

There is not a person in sight. A dog barks in the distance and I can hear voices coming from inside a nearby tavern.

I step over a large puddle and my reflection briefly catches in the water, revealing a single blue eye.

I enter the tavern without hesitation and am greeted with shouts and bellows from the men inside. I ignore them and move to the back of the tavern to meet with my most recent employer.

He's sitting at a table by himself. Watching the crowd and waiting for me. I adjust the pack on my shoulder and move silently towards him.

A few men cast suspicious glances in my direction but none of them dare to draw attention to themselves.

I step up to the man's table and toss my bag down in front of him.

"It is done."
I say crossing my arms.
The man glances at me skeptically and reaches for the bag. He lifts the flap and looks inside, a grim smile of satisfaction appears on his lips.

"Very good."
He says turning in his chair to face me.
"Abinor wasn't joking when he said that you get the job done."

I ignore his compliment. That's not what I'm here for.
"Just give me what you owe me."
I growl.
The man, Hindan, reaches into his cloak and pulls out a pouch. He tosses it onto the table and I snatch it.

"Distrusting are we?"
Hindan comments as I open the pouch and count the money inside.
"I will not tolerate being cheated out of what I was promised."

After seeing that the right amount is in there I close the pouch and hide it away in the folds of my cloak.

"Of course, everyone around here knows what happened the last time you were not given what you were promised."

Hindan grins and I resist the urge to punch him.
"Although I would not have hired you without a good reason."
"And what reason was that?"
I ask shortly.

"I really wanted Abinor dead. I wish that I could have thanked him for recommending you, no other assasin gets the job done as well as you do. You never get caught, and no one can ever find you."

"That's because I make it a rule to keep as far away from places like this as possible. And when I do have to come here, I make it a point not to linger any longer than I have to."

With that I turn away from Hindan and walk swiftly out of the tavern. The same men who were watching me arrive now watch me leave.

I step back out into the pouring rain. Night is about to fall and soon everything will be plunged into darkness. Just how I like it.

As I depart from the village I'm aware of footsteps behind me. At first I pretend not to notice, I purposefully slow my pace in order for them to catch up.

I lead them on for a few more minutes before I stop. I can hear their nervous breathing from where I stand. These men have no idea who they are about to encounter.

I reach my hand slowly to my waist, the hilt of my sword comes within inches of my fingertips.

"Don't move or we'll shoot!"
I cease all movement. I know that they have bows, and I know that they won't hesitate to use them.

"Move your hand away from your weapon!"
The man's voice shakes with every word. A pathetic attempt at trying to be brave.

I slowly raise my hands up so that they can see them. I can hear the heavy footsteps of two men coming towards me.

I wait.
I slowly begin to put my arms down.
"Stop moving!"
The man holding the bow shouts.
I ignore him.

"This is your last warning, stop moving or I'll send an arrow flying right into your back!"

My hand reaches for my weapon.
I hear the twang of an arrow being loosed. I reach for my sword and unsheeth it, gripping it with both hands I spin around and deflect the arrow.

At the same moment that the arrow clashes against my sword lightning flashes in the sky, briefly illumimating my silhouette and striking the men with fear.

Just as another flash of lightning appears I vanish from sight.
Disappearing into the storm.

////

Anna is waiting for me in the small house that we call home. It has a single room with no furniture. Anna sleeps on old blankets inside and I sleep on the ground outside.

Except for tonight I have to sleep indoors. Which means that I have to deal with Anna's questions.

The moment I step into the house she already has that one look on her face. Her arms are crossed and she impatiently taps her foot.

"Where have you been Caran? It's been almost two days since you left."
Her voice is no longer quiet and fearful. It's not youthful or cheery either.

Anna is no longer a child, she has reached her eight hundredth year and is becoming a young adult in the eyes of elves.

In two hundred years she will finally come of age.

"Caran! Stop doing that!"
"Doing what?"
I ask absently.
"Stop getting lost in your own head! Do you know how hard it is for me to talk to you? Anytime I ask you something you just stare off into nothing while I keep talking as if I'm conversing with a wall."

I frown but refuse to say anything.
Anna sighs and puts her head into her hands.
"I don't know what to do anymore Caran, it's as if I don't even know you anymore, you've changed so much and...."

She hesistates and I look at her. Daring her to finish her thought.
"Go on."
I snap.
Anna looks up with tears in her green eyes.
"It's like you're a stranger Caran, you don't-you're not like-I can't-"
"Stop stammering and speak already!"
I shout causing her to flinch.

"I can no longer think of you as my brother."
She says softly, her voice somehow managing to dull the noises of the storm outside.

I blink once and confusion takes ahold of me. I shouldn't care if that's what she thinks, I don't need to be her brother, and I certainly don't need her to be my sister.

As Amarth, I don't care, and her comment doesn't bother me.
As Caran, my heart aches, and I want to do everything in my power to make things right with her.

Both sides are battling in my mind. I want to take Anna into my arms. I want to hold her and make her feel safe again, I want to let her know how I sorry I am for leaving her, and how I've been so awful to her.

Yet at the same time, I want to leave this place and never return to her again. I want to scream at her, tell her that she's a worthless elf who can't do anything for herself. I want to leave her here alone and broken.

The battle continues to rage on and soon, I find myself on my knees, my head in my hands and sobs racking my body.

I'm so scared....
I don't know what's happened to me or who I am becoming. I don't want to be Amarth, I want to go back to being Caran.

I want to be in my village again, I want to see Elwin and Rilien, I want all of those things that were stolen from me. But I can't have them. They are gone forever.

All that is left is Anna and me, and I can't even recognize myself.

As I continue to cry I feel soft, gentle arms wrap around me. A delicate hand reaches up and pulls off my hood. I look up in horror as Anna finally lays eyes on what I have been trying to hide from her this whole time.

My hair is almost completely black. Only a few red strands remain, my eyes still have their cold glow and something else in in them too.

Fear.
Dead
Cold
Fear.

Anna shakes her head and gently cups the sides of my face in her hands.

"Ai Caran, what has happened to you?"
I close my eyes and refuse to meet her gaze. How could I? I feel her hands leave my face and then feel them wrap around me again.

Anna pulls me into a comforting embrace, and I put my arms around her as well. Instead of me consoling her, she is consoling me.

I cry freely as we sit together on the floor. I lean against her and she rests her chin on my head.

"I'm scared Anna."
I admit between sobs.
"I don't know what's happening to me."

"Neither do I Caran, but I promise that no matter what happens I will help you fight
this."

Anna pulls away and looks into my eyes.
"I'm not going to let you be lost to this darkness."

I take her hand into mine and squeeze it. Somehow I know, just by hearing those words, that everything will be alright.

With her help I can overcome this. I will not fall away. I will defeat Amarth.

If only I had known how wrong I was.