1 The Start Of A Love Story

Hashna's foot fall was soft and almost soundless as she stalked through the dense woods. She stopped and squatted down next to a slight imprint in the frozen ground. It was almost undetectable but her sharp eyes spotted the mark of the deer's foot had ever so slightly obscured the frost on the ground. She turned and continued on her way. Without too much pause, she noticed the broken branch covered in blood.

Hashna sighed and clicked her tongue, frustrated. The barbarous tactics of the local human tribe was exasperating. The young men, often drunk on the piss water they called mead would hunt the residential deer herds as a display of their masculinity and underlying stupidity. Today's victim, a beloved pet of Hashna's. They'd shot the young doe and in fear she'd fled back into the woods.

Hashna followed the trail to a steam not quite frozen over as winter started to settle over the land. Before she broke through the brush the shine of gold in the sunlight that cut through the bare branches of the forest cautioned her to slow her pace. She ducked down. Her hazel eyes scanned the landscape in front of her.  She could see the doe's blood trail leading to the opposite bank of the small creek. Hashna looked again and pulled her bow and threaded her arrow pulling it back, waiting.

"You really should be more careful with your pets," a deep and gruff yet somehow musical voice said over the sound of the water rushing in the creek.

Hashna held her breath, her eyes looking desperately for the owner of the voice. After a moment a tall and lean man with long golden hair emerged from the underbrush. The small doe was cradled in his arms as he sat down upon the shore and stroked her fur calmly. His eyes scanned the underbrush and locked on the place where Hashna hid. He waited patiently while not looking away from where she was hidden.

"Tell me your name earth fairy," The man said in a calm tone.

"You first," Hashna said, keeping her body perfectly still.

"Elathan," The man said.

Internally Hashna cursed. Not good, she knew exactly who the golden haired man cradling her beloved deer was. Prince Elathan of the Fomoire. A demon race that had been at odds with her people for what felt like the beginning of time.

"Your turn dear," he said.

"What are you doing here Demon," Hashna hissed.

She saw the man sigh as he shifted and pushed his golden hair from his face. The action made Hashna's heart race. She tried not to stare as he parted his heavy cloak and wrapped it around the small doe to keep her body warm.

"I didn't come to fight," he said gently, "I am here at your king's request."

"I've heard of no such meeting," Hashna said with a growl.

"You wouldn't, minus the king himself the meeting was all very… hushed. Probably due to his prediction that my welcome would be so… warm," he said. "You're the princess Hashna, I'm assuming."

"Are you sure about that?" Hashna asked, hiding her surprise.

"I'm never sure of very much but I wouldn't imagine many would feel so confident taking your stance if you yourself weren't of the royal family," he said, the corner of his mouth kicking up in a devastatingly handsome smile.

"Why don't you put that bow away and come out princess. Your poor doe needs a healer or she will bleed out and I don't have the powers to heal her. Not the demon way and all that," he said. His voice sounded bitter.

Hashna stood up slowly and lowered her bow. She wasn't fully comfortable with the action but she needed to get to the tiny deer he currently had resting in his lap. Hashna flew herself over the creek to the embankment with ease and crouched down next to Elathan. He moved his cloak to reveal the tiny animal who was currently laboring to breathe.

She tried to block out the awareness she had of the prince and the overwhelming heat that radiated off of him. She desperately tried not to notice the gentle eyes he watched her with as she placed her hands over the little mammals wound.

"I'm jealous," he said watching her hands.

"Of what," Hashna said in a distracted voice.

"The earth fairies have the ability to heal with their hands. All I can do with my own is fight and destroy," Elathan said sadly.

"What are you doing here Elathan," Hashna asked boldly as she looked up into his gentle blue eyes.

"I'm assuming your father and mine are looking to broker a peace using the two of us," he said looking at her without modesty as he studied her features.

"Oh, and how are they planning on doing that?" she asked.

"Marriage," Elathan said simply.