Excerpt from: The Chosen of L'haria

When they finally reached the boys?Ecamp, the tallest of the group slid from his horse and ran to embrace Eleankar in a bear hug that lifted the boy off his feet. Ahrein stood off to the side, watching the two monks embrace each other. Jealousy accompanied with regret bored into his heart making him draw within himself; erecting the barriers that had barred such feelings from his heart in past years. 1

Karen dismounted and stalked over to Ahrein, stopping an arms length away from him. Her eyes were blazing, her mouth opened as if to say something but she closed it. Then without any warning what so ever she slapped him across the cheek, hard. Ahrein turned to look back into her eyes through the tears that had welled up in his eyes. 2

She was glaring at him, and then left without a word. Ahrein could feel his heart fall. He looked at the others, who where setting up their camp around their fire. None of them so much as looked at him, too busy with the task at hand. 3

Ahrein turned and fled into the sheltering pines behind him, only stopping to pick up the tiny green dragon. When he reached the shelter of the low hanging branches of an evergreen he climbed up into its think branches, using his magic to push aside the twigs so he wouldn’t hurt the evergreen as he had been hurt not moments before.4

Ahrein sat within the confides of the tree and cried, the dragon licking his tears way as they streamed down his cheeks, rubbing its head against his hands in an oddly soothing way. Ahrein stroked the dragons back as he tried to banish the reunion with his so-called friends with difficulty.5

He stared into the dragons gold eyes, and for the first time he wondered if it was male of female. Nevertheless, for some reason he knew it was male. All the dragon really needed now was a name. Kazrith. Ahrein repeated the name to himself and then said it aloud. It was quite dragonish, it even sounded right when he looked down at the small creature. He also felt a connection with him, a connection not very different from his connection with plants. 6

Ahrein pondered the new events that had happened; the tears came back unbidden Ahrein cried into the night.7

Eleankar stepped back from Hanz's embrace and looked into the eyes of what he considered a father. Tears welled inside his dark blue eyes. Hanz had been his father for as long as he could remember. 8

“What happened??E9

“I will tell you in a minute,?EEleankar looked around, seeing new faces in the crowd that had hooked up with Hanz. Only one of them did he recognize but he could not remember her name. 10

“Introductions!?EHanz cried, seeing the suspicious look on Eleankar's face as his eyes skipped from one person to the other. 11

“The big weathered one over there is Rider, a warrior through and through, the midsized one is Aribac, good with the arts of magic, and the girl is Karen, she’s the mages apprentice.?EKaren shot the monk an evil look. “I don’t think she really likes me though,?EHanz whispered into Eleankar’s ear. Eleankar laughed at that and then turned to speak with Ahrein. 12

But he had disappeared from where he was standing when Hanz had embraced him. 13

“Were did Ahrein go??EEleankar looked from face to face. None of them seemed to have seen him leave. “What did you say to him??EEleankar demanded, staring into Karen's cold eyes. 14

“Not a thing, if you really want to know,-?E   “What did you do to him then??EEleankar’s voice was flat and cold.15

Karen looked away from his eyes and stared into the clear sky. Eleankar repeated his question. 16

“I hit him for leaving me, for getting himself caught, for running away when I needed him and his protection when those kids, I hit him for running off with you, I hit him for being stupid and selfish. Only thinking of himself-?E   “He didn’t run away from his duty to protect them,?EEleankar’s voice lowered, as he walked slowly towards the girl. “You don’t understand, you never gave him the chance, do you even know why he decided to follow me??EKaren did not say a word, at this point, he was inches away from the girl, and he could even feel the heat that radiated from her body. “He went back to find the boy that was like him, the one that had been taken to their leader. Do you even know who the Master of the Oloci was? Did you see her? Did you feel the hate that radiated from her? Or feel the pain that she caused?17

“Ahrein couldn’t stay with you because he wouldn’t let that boy endure what he had for any longer than he could help it.?EEleankar’s fury had nearly run its course by then, “You didn’t see the battle he fought to win him back. You weren’t there when Ahrein nearly killed himself to heal the boy’s slashed throat, or?EIf you don’t know the reasons, never pass judgement on someone who does what he knows is right.?EEleankar held her eyes for a moment longer and then wondered out of the camp to search for his new friend. 18