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[Korin d'Rue]

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Korin had taken hours to find the right tree, it had to be perfect. His mount struggled as it pulled the large tree through Stonegate Valley heading home with it.

"I want a super huge tree, Daddy!" Kestryl had said standing in the chair holding her arms out wide to show him what she wanted.
Laramie had smiled as Korin had tried to exsplain to Kestryl that the house may not be big enough for one quite so big. With a kiss and a promise to be back soon Korin had left his girls decorating the house as he went out in search for the perfect tree.

Stopping his mount in front of the house, Korin untied the ropes holding the tree. As he worked to muscle the tree up the steps he kept waiting for Kestryl to come barreling down them any moment. Finally ggetting it to the doors he opened both and pulled and draged the tree into the house. Then he moved around it to close the front doors. He liked the cold and so did Kestryl but Laramie still like a little warmth in her house.

Korin peeked into the living room and stood measuring the tree and the space where it was going to go with his eyes. He turned and Yelled, "Hey ladies I am home and I have a super huge tree!"

There was no response. Korin listened for a few moments before walking to the base of the stairs. "Laramie, Kestryl!" He shouted up the stairs. Still no answer. As Korin turned to go into the dinning room something caught his eye. He stopped and looked up the stairs and waited.

A single crimson drop fell from the edge of the landing and plopped onto the forth step from the top. Korin moved up the steps slowly, watching yet another drop fall. As his eyes came level with the step he saw a pool of dark crimson forming. He reached out his hand and stuck his fingers in the pool. It was thick and tacky, and when Korin brought his fingers to his nose he knew immediatly it was blood.

Korin took the remaining steps three at a time and when his head broke the plane of the landing his heart broke as well. Korin felt sick to his stomach and scared. The walls were sprayed with blood, blood was everywhere. it pooled on the floor dripped from the ceiling. Korin fought to keep his knees from crumpling. his stomach felt as if he was going to loose its contents at any second. "Laramie?" he yelled out. There was still no answer, the silence in the house was deafing.

Korin moved the rest of the way up the stairs. He could now see that Laramie's and his bedroom door was knocked off its hinges. Korin moved to the door and looked inside. The room was a mess and there were little droplets of blood on the floor but nothing like out in the hallway. Korin once again called out

"Laramie, Kestryl?" but still no answer

Korin turned and stepped back out into the hall way, that is when he saw her foot. Laramie's bare foot covered in blood lay at a weird angle. Korin moved closer and around more and the more he moved the harder it got to walk his knees threatening to buckle any instant.

When Laramies body came into veiw, she was still dressed in her skirt and top that she had worn that morning. She was laying face down and the floor around her was covered in blood. As Korin fought to keep his feet he stepped closer to her. He could see her war fork still in her hand. Its prongs were bloody, her buckler was a little farther down the hall way just out of her reach. Korin knelt down beside Laramie and reached his hand out placing it on her shoulder. He shook her whispering her name. Laramie did not move. Korin shook her a little harder, still she did not move. Korin on the verge of panic Screamed her name and pulled her over.
Laramie's eyes were wide open. The side of her face coverd in blood. Her cheek was bruised and cut. Korin tried to feel for a pulse in the side of her neck but felt nothing.

Kestryl popped into his mind. Korin half stood and half crawled to the door of Kestryls room. Opening the door Korin saw tussles of red hair sticking out from under the covers. Korin moved to the side of the bed and he pulled the covers back. The white sheets of the bed were blood red. Korin pulled her limp body into his arms and held her close to him. Tears streamed down his face. Korin walked with Kestryl's body in his arms back out into the hallway. With his back against the wall, and Kestryl In one arm. Korin pulled Laramies limp body across his lap. He rocked back and forth and stroked Laramies blood soaked hair. Tears streaming down his face Korin looked up at the ceiling.

A blood curling sorrow filled "NO!" Coud be heard through out all of Stonegate Valley.

[Merci d'Rue]

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Her head lifted and turned at an anguished cry.

The winds picked up.

She smelt blood on the wind and it was fresh.

Something was gravely amiss...
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May destiny guide you...

[Rythane]

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Rythane stood in his armory examining a suit of fine crafted gauntlets that he made and thought, "Surely I can make them lighter... I think I
will need more Admantite..."

He then placed them back on the rack and moved towards the large oak doors.

As he began to leave the armory, the cool night air blasted his body as he signed. After taking a few steps he felt a sharp pain in his chest and immediately his eyes closed and his fists clenched.

"The Stone..." He said quietly while reaching into a pouch to find it. As his hand palmed the spherical stone, the voices came and filled his head.

Thousands of whispers as usual... but something was different. He drew the stone from the pouch and held it loosely in front of himself and looked to it. "Seems to be glowing... more than it normally does." He thought.

As he stood there in the late eve, the feeling that something horrible has happened filled his body and bolts of energy began surging through his body. A look of anger filled his face as the lightning danced over his silhouette. "I will... find you." Images of the murder danced out of reach in his vision.

He turns his head as if to sense something and sees the young lady that lived next door stunned in fear standing several feet from him.
The stone fell from his hand and the majestic display of wild electricity ceases as he falls to his knee. His mouth hanging open gasping for air.

The little girl turned and ran as fast as she could back to her home, not even looking back.

Rythane, on one knee, stared at the stone on the stone sidewalk. "Still glowing..."

He then grabbed it and put it back in the black leather pouch and tightened the knot. Standing to his feet and wiping the sweat from his brow, his thoughts were turned to his dear friend Korin.

"Korin... I'm sorry..."

The wind blows through Rythanes hair as his eyes once again flare blue...