The Youwarkees (Before the Story) Introduction/Prelude

"Do you ever stop that?" He leaned against the door frame with that jovial grin on his face again.1

Looking up from the journal she was writing, she rolled her eyes and huffed at him wordlessly before turning back to what she was doing.  If she did much more than that, he'd probably take it as an opening to do something more...like talk to her.  "It's a beautiful day outside!" he insisted again as he brushed his long blue hair behind his sharp, elven ears.2

"Then go out and dunk your head in the lake," she instructed with a glance out the window at the beautiful gardens she tended so carefully.3

Her words didn't even irk the elf as he sat down on the corner of her desk and grinned at her again, giving her a wink that suggested more than just a rather strange friendship.  Turning red in the face, she huffed again and started to scribble faster in her book.  "Give it up, Rayne," he grinned wider now, know he'd flustered her.4

There was no way she was going to look up at him again!  Goodness, no!  She feverishly scrawled in the book, focusing everything she could in dealing with what her ancestors had done before her.  It was too important to leave undone.  His hand came into view and brushed her soft, red-brown hair out of the way.5

Rayne's eyes went up to his unbidden and she regretted it immediately.  She lost her voice for a moment as her lips parted slightly, just waiting for the words to form.  The elf didn't give her a chance as he kissed those inviting lips for a moment before pulling back to see his handiwork.  It took a moment, but she shook her head and slapped his hand away.  The elf, however, was far too use to such acts and was well enough away before she even acted.6

"Don't try me, Eyrion," she growled, turning back to her books.7

Without another word, the elf closed the book and picked it up.  He was a fair share taller than her so it was no trouble lifting it out of her reach, especially in daytime when she was without her wings.  "Eyrion!" she snapped as she stood up to try and grab it from him, "That's not fair!  Put that back; it's important!"8

"So's our marriage," he insisted as he swung the book just out of her reach, getting her closer and closer to him as she tried to regain her possession.9

Rayne leaned against his chest as she finally managed to snatch the book out of his hand, only to find his arms wrapping around her as tightly as they ever did.  "Eyrion!" she cried as she tried to wiggle out of his hold.  "Will you give it a rest!  I have a job to take care of!"10

Still, the elf grinned as he held her there.  For a moment, Rayne thought about giving in, but one look at all the dusty old volumes about her made her think otherwise.  She'd never regain what was lost with her kin if she let it slide day in and day out.  She was all ready an adult for her kind and the books were no more done than when she first began!  From what she'd read so far, her kin had all this done long beforehand.11

"Then who's going to take care of me?" teased Eyrion as he kissed her forehead.12

Giving him a deadly glare, she bit his shoulder and tumbled to the book-covered ground as he rubbed his wounded flesh, "That wasn't very nice," he pouted.13

"And you gave me a choice?" she snapped as she picked up the book and opened it back to the page she'd been working on.  "Now beat it, I have to get at least some of this done.  If I don't...can you imagine what our kids will have to deal with?"14

That made the elf grin.  It was the first time that Rayne had actually acknowledged that they might have children in the future.  Gods, it'd taken them far too long just to get married!15

The sound of on-coming horses made Eyrion leave Rayne to her duties, however.  It wasn't abnormal for someone to stop by, but the thundering of those hooves were a little too familiar to pass up.  No doubt Rio and Kikio were returning the horses they'd borrowed a few days back.  Glancing back to see Rayne working feverishly on the book, he hurried outside just in time to find the very two he'd been thinking of just getting off the two horses.16

"We're a little late," stated Kikio as he handed the reigns over to the elf.  "A certain dragonian couldn't decide what to wear today."17

The still so innocent grin on his mate's face just made Kikio grin back.  She looked so adorable when she was as far along as she was.  "Another three months?" inquired Eyrion as he turned to head towards the stables.18

Kikio nodded as he followed after the elf.  He wasn't too worried that Rio would feel out of place.  No doubt the dragonian was all ready making her way inside to find Rayne like she always did.  It was strange that the two women go along so well.  Rayne was the only youwarkee he'd ever met and she was none too easy to get along with either.19

It really didn't take Rio long to find her way through the familiar corridors and into the dusty study where Rayne was so often found.  The youwarkee had been practically locked in there for the past week.  All Rio knew was that it was something about a girl named Alydee that had gotten Rayne in such a tizzy.  She stood in the doorway, uncertain if she should intrude.  Rio could tell that Rayne had just been sent in a huff by her somewhat lackadaisical husband.20

"Come on in," sighed Rayne as she turned to look at the dragonian in the doorway.  "I'll get this done tonight when Eyrion gets to sleep, I suppose."21

The dragonian came in immediately and settled onto a lopsided pile of tattered volumes across from Rayne.  "Are you going to tell me who Alydee is now?"22

For a moment, the youwarkee was silent.  If she wasn't the last of her kin, this might be different.  She'd have someone there to help and explain everything to her, but they were all dead.  Gone only hours after her birth.  Rio, on the other hand, had all ready graced Kikio with a beautiful babe she'd named after their good friend, Rose.23

Rayne's hand found the volume she'd stashed under her desk and she looked down at it for a moment, turning the pages until she came to the picture that Eyrion had long ago insisted was really what it appeared to be.  "This is Alydee..."  her hand rested on the small infant for just a moment before slowly looking up at her friend.24

"But..." she stared at the youwarkee in stupor, "...when?"25

That made her blush even more, but she turned back to her book and started to write once more, "...If legends are true?  Tonight."26

The volume was almost finished as the day turned to its close.  Kikio and Rio waved good-bye before unfolding the wings to fly home.  Eyrion had always been puzzled why they liked to ride horses all the time when they could just fly wherever they chose.  Still, the bid them good-bye before turning to shut the massive doors to the gloriously remodeled inn that they'd owned since before they'd stepped away from their adventuring days.27

The sign outside creaked a little and the elf could still remember the beautiful letters that boasted the inn's name, Witchery Inn for the Adventuring Hearts.  Rayne had spent three days painting the sign to its glorious pallor.  Now, several years later, it could do with another layer.  His wife seemed far too engrossed in her books recently to even bother about it.  It had never been like that before...something was definitely troubling her.28

With his thoughts muddled and dreary, he headed over to see if Rayne was still in that dusty, old room.  It certainly wasn't healthy to stay indoors as much as she had been!  Rayne had always been a strange, somewhat troublesome companion, but she certainly didn't spend all day indoors, even when she'd taken a beating from a demon-possessed dragoness.  Whatever was getting at her now must be far worse than even that.  It was a pity that his clairvoyance was sorely lacking recently.  There'd been a time when he saw the future so clearly...29

The room was empty as he looked into it.  Eyrion had to stand there for a moment in blank confusion before he realize that she wasn't there.  After a good week and a half or so, she'd finally come out?  The volume lay on the desk, about an inch from the top corner.  He was tempted to go open it and find out what she'd been doing, but Eyrion wanted to find her first.  That ought to be more important, after all.30

Rayne pulled the silky gown over her head and sighed.  Meridia, a demi-goddess that she'd met in her travels, had given it to her as a wedding gift...she'd never worn it before.  It puzzled Rayne just how odd it was that she and Eyrion had been married for well over two weeks now.  They didn't even sleep in the same room.  Of course, that was more her fault than his...she hadn't been going to bed at all, actually.31

The door whispered open as Rayne stood there, quietly contemplating to herself as she turned to look out the window.  She heard the door, but it could only be Eyrion that was there.  Everyone else had left Cheric for adventures and homes.  Her black griffin wings were folded behind her and the silky beige of the gown no doubt looked like spun stardust.32

The click of the door shutting made Rayne turn around to see Eyrion.  He was standing at the door, his eye riveted to her.  The strange look on the elf's face was one she'd not seen before, but she could feel the color rising in her cheeks again.  She spun back to look out the window again.  Gods, what was she doing?33

A hand brushed her shoulder and Rayne almost jumped in surprise.  She looked up at Eyrion quietly.  It'd been what seemed like eternity since the long faded memories surfaced before her, but Eyrion's eyes kept them vaguely at bay.  She could feel something growing in the pit of her stomach...something as heavy as lead.34

She stared up at him as his hands traced her shoulders and arms.  He stood so close to her, Rayne could catch the full male scent of him with each breath.  Still, he stood far enough away to let her know that all she had to do was so something.35

Rayne sat on the edge of the bed.  Eyrion was asleep now.  She held the blankets up to her neck, her chin resting on her knees.  Wings, resting behind her, she wondered just how insecure and frightened she looked like that.  If it was anywhere close to how terrified she really was, it'd be no wonder.  The elf may not know it yet, but their daughter was well on her way into being.  "Gods," she whispered quietly, "What am I doing?  Following these stupid legends even here...?"36

Her words went unanswered as she turned to look at Eyrion.  She'd tried to kill him before.  It was one of those memories they looked back at now and laughed.  Perhaps it would have been better is she had...37

Pulling the sheet with her, Rayne slipped out of the room.  Her arms locked the long white linen about her in a sort of toga as she made her way into the dusty study where she'd purposefully exiled herself until now.  The moon peered in through the window as she sat down at the desk and open the book.  Everything she could remember was there.  Just as each of her ancestors before her had done, she would give this book to her daughter when she came of age...38

The inside cover of the book was blank as the youwarkee picked up her ever present pen and looked at it quietly.  Alydee would no doubt wonder why she chose to write to her at the beginning of the book.  Especially as that it was usually frowned upon as Legend Keepers.  Still, Rayne wasn't exactly adhering to everything that she was suppose to anyway...no doubt her ancestors were rolling around in their graves knowing she'd married and bedded an elf instead of a youwarkee!39

That rather droll thought put a faint smile on her face as she started the letter...40

"I suppose it was long over due to tell someone about it.  Perhaps more so than even I knew...."41