The secret.

[Tempest]

::She followed his voice as it came from all directions. The darkness is where he chose to be and she understood. Stepping away from the brightness of the fire, she stepped into the darkness of the forest surrounding the glade and smirked. Her voice soft in his mind:: ~I could give up but it is not in me to do so. For I am not the same person I was before your son was born. You know I won't wait forever. I know the only way you would stay tied to me in anyway is because of Cambridge.~ ::She looked up and stared into the night and smiled. To her self and to him, wherever he was:: I understand more then you know Ryu. I am not hurt or angry nor do I regret anything.

[ryuyogen]

As she walked, throught the shadowed outlines of trees and branches, she would see the outline of a man a few yards ahead of her, the only thing that had brought her attention to it was the blue gleam from the pale moonlight hitting his sapphire hues.

"Thats good then." He would begin to take steps forward. "It's not that I did not love you Tempest... its simply that as time went on... you just could not maintain me any longer. I change with the times. I have loved many times at Goldenmyst, and only one still holds my heart. But never will I turn my back from you Tempest. My hand will always guide my blade to aid you, and my spirit will always bring forth my dragon to support you, and I will always be here to talk to."

Now he stood right before her. "Once again, much has changed in my absence. I returned from training Lai, who now resides with her mother, and come to find Raine's status in the Kingdom has changed, Lina is married and Nicho has taken a wife and they had a son... who they named after one of my three best friends. Paul, the one man out of three that could calm me, Paul, Kay and Patrick. There son will never rival the power my friend had." That sadistic grin would cross his face, the only reason she could see is because the moonlight glinted from his teeth. I wish them the best though." He stifled a chuckle.

[theshari]

It seemed that there was alot that Ryu did not know.

Nicho and Solace's son, Paul, will not be raised to rival anyone's power. If Ryu thought the heir to GoldenMyst was a threat to anyone's legacy, he is mistaken. Paul Arthur Vincent's name sake will not be raised in a such a way as to think that he is better than anyone else. And yes, he will be powerful considering who his parents are, but he will be taught not to use it recklessly. He was named in honor of Paul, not to take his place.

As for Gelina, she is no longer married to Magus. He went back to his evil war mongering ways, betraying everything they had. What no one knows at this point in time, not even her, is that the child she was carrying is no longer. Once again, the woman, the legend, has been left alone, betrayed, hurt, and there is only one man left that can change all that.

[Payne Blackwood-Corbin]

Finding her way back to where she lost her cousin, she sees the low burning fire in the distance. Dark eyes now glowing in the darkness. As she got closer to Tempie's camp, she could feel another's presence, but couldn't define who or what it was. Fearing her cousin was in danger, she rode harder through the trees and the brush to get to Tempest and Cambridge. She had vowed to keep them safe and so far she had failed. What if it was one of the clan? What if they found her? Her heart pounding in her chest, keeping time with her steeds hooves slamming into the ground. She could still feel Tempest and Cambridge there and alive, but the unfamiliar presence ruffled her feathers and she didn't like it one bit. Whoever it was had better not have laid a hand on her only family. If they did, there would be murder this night.

[Tempest]

::Her smile got wider as he finally came into view:: Well your eyes are still the same color. I know there is a part of you that loved me Ryu. Of that I have no doubt. I did love you as well. However there is someone who still holds my heart. Wherever he may be. ::She arched a brow:: Maintain you? You make it sound as if your a horse or a cart. ::She smirked::I thank you Ryu for your vow. Trust me when I say that. Also trust in me that I am more then capable of taking care of my self. But you are right things change. I have another soul to take care of and ask that you make that same vow to your son. And I love the fact that I can talk to you. Sometimes I miss that. As for the one who still holds your heart. Who would that be? Gelina, Raine or the one you barely speak of? ::She was not being mean. Just a smart ass.:: Your are right when you say things have changed since you have been gone. But I think you might be mistaken in some of your information. As for Gelina I have only seen her once in as many months. Nicho has taken a wife and I did not know she had a child. I have met Solace a handful of times. She seems to be nice. ::She was a little shocked when he told her that the child had been named Paul. She remembered him and then visions of Summer fluttered thru her mind and she became silent for a moment. Shaking her head, she looked back to Ryu:: I did not know about that either. Things and people change for a reason Ryu. You of all people should know this. My main thought in my life now is Cambridge. Again I have no regrets with anything. He is a beautiful child. ::Her sudden intake of breath would alert him they would have company. Very soon. Her heart began racing as she felt her cousin's presence bearing down on them. She was angry. She gave her self a small little smile as she whispered into the night:: ~Payne. Breath. Tis only Ryu. I am fine as well as Cambridge. Slow the horse down before you break him.~ ::She looked to Ryu and then walked up to him.:: Thank you Ryu. For everything. and just to let you know my cousin is fast approaching. And for some reason she is not a happy camper.

[ryuyogen]

"I know. Remember, she rides in my domain. Darkness." He eyes would glint red for that single flash of a moment before he would face right where the woman was approching from. One hand rising right toward her niether though she was not in sight yet. Darkness would collect around Payne, blocking even the campfire from view, almost like blindness, but it was simply the fact all the light that had helped her see was cast away.

He would now chuckle sadistically. "Now my evenings entertainment... watch people hitting trees and be knocked to the ground by unsuspected branches." Those eyes would look back to Tempest. The blue glinting mischieviously.

[kavancambridge]

Steady eyes watch from one spot his arrogant brother could not sense him, in the light of the campfire hidden from them by the tent. A voice would pierce the womans head known as Payne.

~If you value your life. Stop your horse. My brother may take kindly to you and the other womans kind, but I rather behead both of ye. The evil radiates from the other woman and you like a rancid stench...~

He would go back to watching his brother.

[Payne Blackwood-Corbin]

As the campfire goes dim, she growls, still heading in the same direction. Hearing the strangers voice in her head only made her more angry. Did this voice or Ryu think she was stupid? Did they think that a child of the night wouldn't be able to see in complete darkness? Hello? Vampire.

Eyes still aglow, she rides up on Ryu and Tempest, having heard her cousin's voice in her head right before the stranger's. This stranger who had no right to invade her mind. Blocking out the idiot that threatened her, she dismounts and makes her way through the darkness that Ryu put forth, making her way to her cousin's side.

"I see you are still an idiot, Ryu. It would take wiping me off the face of the earth to keep me from getting to my family. And I suggest that you put your brother on a leash. I am in no mood for your family's antics. I am taking Tempest someplace safe. A place where the Clan can't find her. If you would stop and think for a second, the Clan is after your child. They would have him turned completely to ensure the Clan's survival. Step back, Ryu, let me tuck them away safely. You know damn well that I can protect them. I warn you, don't stand in my way."

Livid, she takes Tempest's hand and leads her away from Ryu, over by the tent.

"Are you nuts? Have you lost your mind? What if he is another threat to Cambridge? What if he wants to take him away from you as well? Use your head Tempest. Clear your mind of what might have been, and think about the danger you are putting you and your son in."

(And next time Kavan, you might want to get permission before just diving into someone's head. That was a huuuuge mode. Don't do it again. If you do, you will be ignored and deleted for moding.)

[Tempest]

::She walked to Ryu and laid her hand on his arm:: Ryu please don't. She is in enough of a snit already. ::She shook her head as he got that look in his eyes. The one where he was being a little evil and having way to much fun:: Ryu. Play nice. If not for me then for Cambridge. I don't want him to hear any fighting. ::Just then Payne would come thru the forest surrounding the glade. Her heart ached a little. The glade had been sacred. Turning to look at Payne, she held up her hands. :: Payne. :: To late, her cousin was raring to go. Suddenly she was being dragged over to the tent with her heels dragging. She shook her head:: No I am not nuts thank you. Evil yes. Insane no. And I am thinking with my head. Hello anyone there? We got separated. Knew this place was safe. And he is not a threat to Cambridge. And there is not danger here. The only danger I worry about is the clan and from what you said, his crazy brother, who woulds like to see my head on a silver platter. Which if I guess correctly would be half the people in this realm. You need to fricken breath. ::Just then a loud,piercing scream would be heard from within the tent. She knew in an instant that he had been woken up and was not happy. Tempest let out a groan. It would take hours to put him back down. He was just like his mother in that aspect.:: Balls.

[Payne Blackwood-Corbin]

"Fine. I'm going hunting. We have to eat, you know." Her tone was harsh as Tempest walked away to tend to Cambridge. Turning around, she eyes Ryu up and down then rolls her eyes and moves past him. He annoyed her to no end. No, wait. Not annoyed, in fact, he made her livid. She hated him for what he'd done to her cousin. It wasn't like Tempest didn't have enough to carry on her back, he had burdened her as well. Not that she wasn't grateful for her little cousin, Cambridge, she loved him. But that didn't excuse what Ryu did to Tempest. The only reason she didn't rip his throat out and drink him dry, was because she knew that Tempest would never forgive her.

With a heavy sigh, she mounts her horse again, glancing back at the tent. She could see Tempest's shadow moving around inside trying to calm Cambridge and get him back to sleep, then she looks at Ryu again. She opened her mouth to say something sarcastic, even smartassed, but thought better of it for now, closing her mouth and whirling her horse around to go back into the forest to find something for dinner.