Commonly there are three clans. Always taking the other two clans women, and burning the villages that they occupied. The first one's name is Dragons. For that is what they are. However, because they are Dragons they cannot speak in the common tongue of men. (Unless the are very old!) That leads us to the second clan. Humans, the most despicable clan, always attacking and plundering, even their own tribes on their lands. But because there is a prophecy about them, the other two clans keep them alive, for now. The third clan is the most unknown. They are shadows and dust. Both things you cannot see, but both things that can be potentially harmful, this clan has no name because no one has ever seen them. No one has found even a trace of the clan. The burn, pillage and plunder every thing in sight. No boundaries no laws just there own free will and the ends of the earth. You see it is like this in every clan, but the Dragons and the Humans both control themselves to some degree. Mostly the Dragons, the dragons come out only when they are mad. They keep to them selves most of the time. However, that is another story, for another time. This is a story about one man, well a boy and a girl on a journey. This is a story about Tom. Tom was an ordinary being, about 13 years old. An orphan with dark hair, hazel eyes and long arms and legs, he had a strong back and a good heart. He caught on quick. This was useful with the many jobs he had from wandering the country. He had a dark deep tattoo on the left side of his chest, in the shape of an eagle carrying a sword and bow in both talons, and a shield and quiver on his back. His parents had one too. That was of course before they were killed. Sometimes he thought that they were killed because of that but most of the time he thought that they were killed because of who the tribe was. It was the tribe of the Shield Eagle. Descendants of the tribe of the Golden Eagle They were fierce warriors, known throughout out the land only for that. He was cast out of the village of the Golden Eagle when it decreed that every third son in the tribe would be chosen for a journey along with every second girl. These people were marked with the Eagle and Shield tattoo and sent away as scouts and pilgrims. Tom is the second generation of these people known as the Shield and Eagle tribe. One day Tom was out on one of his endless walks. Searching for something to make him belong to his current tribe and to bring him respect from the other kids. This one he had been on for several days. He was running short of food and supplies. He was now turning back into the river bend of Van De Nail or in the common tongue Sharp Rocks. Sharp Rocks was one of the last steeps in this journey but the first few in another.
'Help!'� cried a mysterious voice. 'Help me!'�
Tom came running toward the sound. Pulling out his bow, unwrapped it. Stringing it and drawing an arrow with a smooth practiced motion. As he yanked an arrow out of the quiver on his back he simultaneously entering the tree grove. Looking around he saw nothing at first. Then he saw something strange at the far end of the forest grove. Holding back the pain, he aimed carefully in that direction. What he saw surprised him. He was looking at a bear not attacking but defending it self from a girl? He fired a warning shot into the tree next to her head, and she bolted. He took off after her.
'She is fast. Wow look at her go!'� he thought in a whisper he took another arrow from his bouncing quiver and fired at her lose pants. It grazed her leg, but it also pinned her leg down to the ground. He ran up to her to make sure that she was not hurt too bad. But when he got close to her, she pulled a knife from her boot. A hideous knife that threatened to cut him to pieces. He stopped when she slashed at his throat. Sliding on his back into her legs, she quickly pinned him to the ground by sitting on top of him.
'Why were you following me?'� she asked venomously.
'Why were you tormenting that bear?'� he shot back almost as angry with her as she was with him. He tore off the mask that was covering her face and head. Making her head look like a deer. He was stunned she was beautiful. He easily pushed her off him, onto the ground. Then she started to cry.
'What is wrong?'� he asked quizzically 'Why are you crying?'�
'You would cry too if you were in my position.'� She sobbed
'Well I am not so would you please tell me!'� he said to harshly and brought on a new wave of tears.
'I'�am crying'�because my village has been destroyed three hours ago. Only I, so far, have showed up here. It was destroyed by that monster that I was trying to kill before you scared me off.'�
'Well that is quite a story,'� he said offering her some water 'where is your village?'�
'Two hours north of here near Mytookiy Falls, as the Eagle flies.'� She said.
'If you would like I could help you back there'�,'� he asked her.
'Oh ok, but could we rest here for a little bit. I am exhausted.'� She said sleepily.
'Sure but before you doze off would tell me your name?'� he asked but it was too late she was asleep. They were next to a lake and it was getting dark, so he picked her up and carried her higher that where the bear was. Just in case it decided to come back. Soon the sunset was at hand and he had a fire going with what was nearby. He was deep in thought. The way to Mytookiy Falls was dangerous. Even by his standards. How had a girl made the two-hour journey, in three hours? It had taken him four hours, at a decent pace. One more thing didn't add up to him. This was an odd, out in the middle of no were place to go to incase of an attack. Also, people normally travel in groups when an attack happens to their village. But she was all alone. It was near dawn, about six o' clock in the morning. Suddenly she woke up with a scream. He jumped over the dwindling fire to her side. She was shaking her head saying no repeatedly as if there was a Shadow inside of her.
'Wake up!'� He yelled in her face, nothing happened. He tried to shake her awake but that didn't help either. So he kissed her on the lips. She woke up! But she also slapped him so hard he went flying right next to the fire.
'Why did you do that?'� She asked infuriated. He was silent. 'Why did you kiss me?'� she asked again. A little bit quieter.
'You where screaming. I tried to wake you up by yelling at you and then by shaking you. But you wouldn't wake up. So I kissed you'� I am sorry.'� He said starting to blush.
'Come here.'� She said in a quite voice 'I don't think we know each others names yet. My name is Princess Cora. What is your name?'�
'My name is Tom scout if the Golden Eagle'� he said in a whisper. Tilting his head down to the ground
'Do not be embarrassed.'� She whispered in his ear. 'Between you and me I liked that kiss. Have you ever kissed someone before?'�
'No.'� he said bluntly 'We should we moving now before it gets too hot.'� Then he stood up pulling the knife out of his belt. 'Since I have disgraced my self to you I swear on my parent's grave that I will help you find your people.'� And sliced his palm open making it bleed. Then pumping his hand a little bit he made a drop of blood fall to the ground. He then cleaned his blade on the ground and sheathed it. He went to gather water in a pouch made for that and put out the fire. After that he picked up stringed his bow, went over to the dead fire, picked up their packs, and stated walking. She followed. They were both deep in thought. Cora was thinking about the kiss that woke her up. But Tom was thinking about the path to the waterfalls. Trying not to think about what just happened.
When the sun was straight down offering no shade to the Princess and Tom the stopped and ate near a small stream. Tom unpacked lunch from his diminishing supplies. They had hard bread and cheese with some small miners lettuce that he found earlier on the rough trail.
'Come here'� She said to Tom as she was taking a strip of cloth out of here pouch. 'Let me see your hand.'�
He stood up and walked over to her, but did not look into her eyes. 'It is not necessary it is stopping just fine.'� Moving his right hand to his left shoulder so it would stop the bleeding.
'Just give me your hand.'� She said as she grabbed his hand and started wrapping up the slashed hand. 'Why do you have to be like this?'�
'Be like what?'� he replied
'Like that!'� she snapped, 'Just forget about what happened earlier'�
Just as Tom was going to answer, thunk, went an arrow as it hit the tree next to Tom's head he immediately stepped in front of Cora drawing an arrow from his quiver, ready to shoot the first thing that moved in front of him.
'Help, Tom!'� Cora screamed from behind him. The only thing he saw as he turned around to help her was a shadow in the underbrush moving away from him. The oath he took forced him to run after her knowing that it was a trap.
'Pin him!'� screamed a very familiar voice a couple minutes into the chase. All of a sudden, fifty armed dark elves sprang from the dense forest and trapped him there.
'You stupid human, you actually fell for it!'� said the Princess. Since you are so stupid I will let you live, for a while.'� She said as she bent close to his head, her lips brushing against his ear.
'You lied to me you deserve to die!'� he screamed. The elves did not like this new development and tried to attack him. But the princess held them back.
'I new that this was a set up; I just didn't know you were the imposter!'� he said a little more coolly than before. But, just not quite under control of his own voice.
'Not everything. I really did enjoy the kiss. I thought it was a nice touch.'� She said out load and started laughing.
'Die!'� he screamed and started running back towards to barely beaten out path.
'We can't die. We are Shadows!'� she yelled as she let him run.
Tom was thinking as he ran full speed back onto the path. He looked back and saw no one following him. He started walking a couple of miles away from the Princess.
'Shadows disappear in light! That's why we had to stop. No shade on the ground.'� He thought aloud. 'Now hat makes light?'�
'Fire.'� said a mysterious voice.
He spun around drawing an arrow in that practiced motion and pulling back on the string.
'Who goes there?'� he asked tentatively
'A friend'� replied the voice 'My name is Elle and I am a dragon. I have come to help you.'�
'Come out so I can make sure it is a dragon and not a shadow!'� he yelled at the voice.
'Ok,'� he replied and came out into the light. 'As you can see I am really a dragon.'�
Tom saw that it was really a dragon and he stowed his arrow and knelt down to show respect for the other clans. 'I offer you my knife and bow.'� He said politely.
'Do not offer me anything it is I who should be bowing to you. What is your name child?'� said the Dragon
'My name is Tom from the Golden Eagle tribe.'� He replied standing up
'Ah there is a prophecy about you. Do you know what it is?'� the Dragon asked
'No.'� he said starting to gather kindle and hard wood for a fire. He reached into his pack for his flint and steel. When he looked up, he saw the dragon breathing fire onto the wood, starting the fire.
'It says that you will kill an unknown clan. Wipe it out, even in the spirit world,'� said the Dragon after starting the fire.
'If you know where the shadows are camping I will do just that.'� Said Tom
'I do but you had better ride on my back they will be moving in an hour.'� He replied leaning over so that Tom could get on.
'Can you breathe fire anytime you want too?'� asked Tom already thinking ahead.
'Yes, what do you have in mind?'� The Dragon said lifting off the ground.
'Every time I say so breathe fire and lights my arrows on fire. O.K?'� he replied
The time passed quickly soon Tom just knew that the shadow camp was down there
'Now!'� he yelled to the Dragon sticking a couple of arrows in front of the Dragon's mouth. They lit on fire so Tom shot them down into the camp spreading light into it. He had one arrow left and he saw the Princess. He drew coolly and pierced her heart as he flew down like a dive-bomber. She screamed, a piercing scream and when that scream died there was only two clans left. The Humans and the Dragons.

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