Glenwing stood patiently awaiting his turn. The couriers bore only two eggs; one's Rider had already been found in Sílthrim. He had been surprised that they would come to the Reliquary, even though he shouldn't have been, seeing as many elves took on apprenticeships here. A small few of those standing with him were almost finished learning their trade, and many dreamed that becoming a Rider was the next step in their journey.

Leafë was one of the few young elves who did not dream of becoming a Rider. While she would no doubt be honored and make a magnificent Rider, she preferred to remain enamored with their rich history rather than add to it. He knew that part of her preference also stemmed from being du dröttningu: the Riders strained to be impartial to all races, which meant none could be their rulers. Becoming a Rider would mean abandoning her chance at the throne, which only held importance to his princess since it was important to her father.

No! It was the princess, not his princess. "My highness" was a formal greeting used by all elves to pay homage; the usage of the possessive term was to be done solely of respect, not the complex stir of emotions the älfr himself felt. Leafë was only considered to be "his" princess based on their race.

But if he was chosen today, she would no longer be his princess even in that sense.

His stomach tightened with the thought as the line moved forward and his turn drew closer. If he was chosen by one of the dragons, then that would be the end of his time as Leafë's guardian. He would be whisked away to the island of Vroengard, where he would be trained in the secret arts of the Shur'tugalar. He would be a prvileged member of the most esteemed order throughout all of Alagaësia, the second älfr within the House Valtharos to be chosen in over two centuries following his uncle Arva. He would form the most irrevocable and intimate bond that could possibly be made with his dragon, who would be the most devoted and loyal partner that he would ever be able to have.

And, aside from the rare matters of state, Glenwing would never see Leafë again. No longer would he be able to luxuriate in her presence: to listen to her ramble on about the latest tidbit of history that she'd learned; to cave in to her demands and whistle a rare birdcall for her to guess; to watch her throughout the day as both his duty demanded and his heart desired. She would no longer be his princess, his to protect, to cherish, to love despite all better instincts. But would that not be for the best?

Another elf walked away with shoulders slumped, leaving only five more till he took his turn. If he was chosen, then he would be forced to overcome his feelings; his new duty would compel him, and the distance would only assist his efforts. Even if his heart yet remained traitorous, a Rider would never be able to be with royalty, let alone the royalty of his own race. And even now, as he was, they would never be able to be together.

His turn was next, and Glenwing was decided. He knew that a dragon's choice was based on the nature of their prospective candidate's mind as well as heart, and his mind was made up. Though his heart would be broken if he was chosen, it was better for it to break it now than for Leafë to break it later. After all, love was a burden he had never wanted to bear in the first place, not when he knew all too well the cost one paid to do so.

The couriers now stood before him, a pair of älfa-koneya who had the same golden eyes yet different shades of hair. The one with long tresses as dark as his own stood bearing a three-foot tall midnight blue egg speckled with silver like the stars during a clear night. The other elf-woman had a silver mane (which instinctively brought Leafë to mind) and carried a stark white egg about half the size of the other with a blue tint that reminded him of a frozen waterfall.

"State your name," the two women intoned as one.

He swallowed to wet his throat and responded, "Glenwing of House Valtharos."

The dark-haired älfa-kona was the first to stretch out her arms and present him with an egg. "Step forward."

Glenwing did as he was bid, coming to stand an arms-length away.

"Reach out."

His arm did not tremble as he raised it to place his hand on the egg. It was smooth and cool beneath his palm, no hint of the fire-breathing creature entombed within. He waited with bated breath for several moments, each one an eternity within itself, until he felt the lightest brush of another against his mind. Aurous irises watched him sharply, and he made sure to keep his thoughts as still and calm as an untouched pool, knowing far better than to reach out to the mind which gently skimmed his surface before retreating.

It was another incredibly long moment before he was told, "The choice is clear: the dragon has not chosen you to be its Rider."

As Glenwing back away with a sigh that he would not allow himself to describe as relieved, an ill-muffled whimper came from behind him. He craned his neck to look backwards and felt as if all the air had been abruptly wrenched from his lungs. Leafë was standing at the very front of the crowd that had gathered behind him. He hadn't realized that he was the last of the prospective candidates, who'd gathered alongside the younger elves that had come to watch the ceremony after they'd taken their turn rather than depart.

Her verdant eyes locked with his, and he was thrown off by the overwhelming panic held in them. No, it was more than panic: it was fear, and despair, and loss, none of which made sense to him since he hadn't been chosen.

"Step forward," came the voice of the other eld bera, and that's when he suddenly remembered that he hadn't been chosen yet.

Leafë's eyes widened further, enough so that he could just make out the thin film of tears which covered them, and she lowered the hand that been clasped against her mouth so that he could see her bright red lips move to form a single phrase that echoed in his head: Líka ach neo eitha eka, Glen.

Please don't leave me, Glen. Please don't leave me. Please.

Quickly turning back around to face the couriers, Glenwing moved to stand in front of the smaller egg. Trepidation was steadily rising in his throat as he forced himself to face the wrong silver-haired elf, mind swirling with the same emotions he'd seen in älfrs dröttiningus gaze. His resolve was crippled when confronted with the indisputable evidence that being chosen wouldn't just be breaking his heart, but hers as well.

She shouldn't love me, he thought desperately. How can she? And even if she is now, that doesn't mean it'll last. After all, feelings are far more fleeting that immortality.

"Reach out."

He hesitated, and the courier's eyes softened, most likely attributing his reluctance to nerves rather than the fierce war he was waging against himself. Leafë is only fourteen, not even a woman by human standards. She's barely known any other elfish children aside from me, and I am no longer considered one as of today. Besides, she's still the princess, and I'm her bodyguard. It's my duty to protect her - 

Glenwing froze, his palm already resting on the polished white shell, as he finished his thought. ...but it won't be anymore if I'm chosen. And who will protect her then? Who going to protect her now?

In his mental anguish, he barely noticed the eager mind that was retreating in confusion.

"The choice is - " the eld bera began before she paused, her dark gray brows furrowing. "The choice...the choice is unclear." Gasps arose from behind him, but he dared not turn around while being scrutinized with such intensity. She pulled the egg towards her so that he was no longer touching it and looked down, concern and bewilderment replacing the fierceness in her molten yellow eyes.

The other courier shifted closer to them and murmured, "Nëya, what's wrong?"

The silver-haired one - Nëya - replied, "I can't tell what choice was made. The älfa did not mentally reach out, and yet something has confused him. Do you remember the last time this occurred, sister?"

It took Glenwing a moment to recognize that she was referring to the dragon inside the egg, not himself. "I don't think it ever has with us," Nëya's sister replied. "Did you notice anything off with him before?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure, Iduna."

Iduna pursed her lips, glancing between the two eggs before her gaze landed on him and grew suspicious. "And what of him?"

Nëya looked up, and Glenwing managed not to flinch at having both pair of burning gold eyes focused on him. He gulped and meekly suggested, "Perhaps I should try again?"

The murmurs from the crowd grew louder at his words, a series of scoffs joining in, but Iduna directed her glare towards them and they grew quiet instantly. Her sister frowned thoughtfully before she extended the white egg towards him once more and ordered, "This time, reach out with a clear mind."

He closed his eyes with a nod. If his strife had been the root of the uncertainty, did this mean that the dragon actually wanted to choose him? Anxiety surged forward, making his heart rate climb, as he realized that he may truly be chosen. Even before he'd been made aware of Leafë's arrival, Glenwing had only managed to convince himself that he wanted to be chosen, not that he would be. And even then, he had been swaying his mind, not his heart, and the dragon had looked into both.

All of the unrest was rooted in his attempts to persuade himself that being chosen would be the best thing for his princess. But the memory of her stricken face told him that she did not feel the same.

How could he justify that becoming a Rider was for her own good when she'd pleaded for him not to go? How could he claim that being chosen would keep her heart safe if it was only going to break it? How could he try to protect himself from the depth of his feelings if it meant disregarding her own?

Given how much turmoil had been engineered, the answer to each question was obviously the same: he couldn't.

And so Glenwing opened his eyes and reached out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: I come back after a year and a half absence to end with a freaking cliffhanger because I am an evil evil person.

Lol but seriously, this was supposed to be only half a part and yet its longer than a full-size one! If I'd kept writing I'd have to do some serious readjusting haha. But don't fret, because I think the next part's going to be even better from Leafë's point of view.

I can't believe how much I've missed these characters, and how much I was inspired to write once I finally forced myself to start! I actually ended up pushing off one of my papers for class because I was so invested. Stay tuned for part 8 as we approach the end of the first chapter to be pulled up from the cliff!

It's good to be back. (:)