back home, or not...(open)

[Lennia Silverwind]

Len looked at the temple. It was still a while off. Why did she even come this way. The village she grew up in was close by. It had been years since she went there. Lately she had been the babysitter of the young prince Galen. Now she felt something was going to happen and she needed to find some peace. She felt a shiver run down her spine. It took her only a couple hours to arrive here where it would take a normal person weeks or longer. A bag was over her shoulder. She woke early that morning to leave. Galen had seen her pack and wanted to know where she was going. He was about three right now. She could sense some of her own magic flow in him from the day he almost died before he was born. She told him she was going for a little trip for a month or so. What type of answer was that? She wanted answers but why tell a little kid something like that.
"Where we going?" Said the little childish voice of Galen. He had insisted to come along. His parents would kill her when the found out but it was so hard to say no to the little child. Susan had another little one to worry about, now she would fret over Galen too.
"We are going to a small village not too far off. We will stay there for a bit then go home okay" She told the little kid. "While we are there call me auntie okay" The child nodded. He hadn't been too far out of the castle without his parents. He was excited for the trip.

It took them an hour but they reached the village. She walked in. People looked at the two but not in a hostile way. They accept the two to Len's surprise. This was the very village that exiled her. They must of thought she died years ago. She still didn't know why she came here.
"What can I do for you miss" Said someone. He was an elder.
"Is there an empty house or something. If it isn't too much my nephew and I would like to stay for a bit before going on our way" She said.
"Your in luck there is a small house just inside the village" He said then showed her the way. "Once you settled please fell free to meet some of the villagers" He said then left Len and Galen to the small house. That was easy Len thought. Galen ran into the house inspecting their new home.

[Damian]

Damian smiled to himself, nothing more than mere, invisible light. He had followed her when he had seen her take the young prince. So this was where they were headed. He flowed into the living room of their new house, where a few old logs sat in the fireplace. So he lit them and sat there, waiting. He was fire now, and dare not move from the hearth. Even if he wouldn't burn anything, he didn't want to give himself away just yet. It would be odd enough for her to walk into this room and see a fire going.

[Lennia Silverwind]

Len walked to the living room of the house. Galen was inspecting his room and playing with some of the little toys Len brought for him. She looked around. It was small but alright for now. She noticed the fire going. Wait I didn't light the fire. She looked around to see if there was anyone else in the room. No one. That was strange. Who did she know could have followed her. There was only one person who could have, the only person she knew who could become fire or smoke. Damian. "So when I decide to go away for a little bit and the prince incests on coming someone has to follow. You can come out Damian" She whispered. She knew he would hear her. She was contemplating on putting water over the fire or ice one of the two.

[Damian]

A bright smile appeared in the flames, and he was quiet for a moment. Then he pounced at her in an attempt to frighten Lennia, but he purposely missed and hit the ground. "Oomph." he grunted, and stood up, now completely human. "Hello." he said, smiling his childish grin. He laid down, but not on the floor. He was laying on top of the air. Seemingly floating. "What are you doing here?" he asked her. "Why is the young Prince with you?" and then, as his little smile turned into a sly one. "Been up to mischief?" he asked.

[Lennia Silverwind]

Len put her hands on her hips as she eyed the fire spirit. "I should be asking you the very same thing. Is there something wrong with taking as break. I needed to search for some answers, and something is about to happen and I really don't want to be apart of it. As for the Prince, well he wanted to come along" She said. "What are you doing here?"

[Damian]

"What am I doing here?" he repeated. "Well, right now I'm floating." Damian grinned. "What don't you want to be a part of? What answers are you searching for? Maybe I can help you." he offered, tilting upside down so that his feet were straight up in the air and his head was down towards the ground. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her, then laughed. "Call for Galen. Tell him that there's a Vampire in the living room." It would be fun to play a trick on the little kid. He was old enough now to take that kind of a joke.

[Lennia Silverwind]

Len turned her back to the fire spirit. She couldn't afford anyone seeing Damian like that. She knew the village would never changed. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Listen up. If you don't leave then don't use your powers. This is not the place to joke around. Here you don't use your powers understood" She said. Her voice was harsh and strict. She couldn't have anything happen to get them thrown out. "The answers I seek can only be found at the temple and you are not to go or get involved" She didn't need to explain anything to Damian. The prince was a hand full, she didn't want to have to worry about Damian as well. "And while we are here don't call me by my name" She said.

[Damian]

Damian stood right-side up again and planted his feet on the ground firmly, and his right hand flew to his forehead in a salute. "Yes Ma'am!" he said, his eyes straight forward. Then he couldn't contain himself anymore and began laughing again. "So serious." he teased her. Damian tugged at the ends of her hair. "If you get too crabby, I'll have to tell Galen to come in here and tickle you until you pee." The Fire Spirit chuckled and hopped back into the fireplace, though he didn't transform. He just sat there, black soot falling down into his face. He smiled up at her again. "Come on, Lennia." he grinned, his eyes sparkling like a cat's. "You can't be grumpy all the time." then he winked. "And don't pretend like you're not happy that I'm here." Damian laughed again and stepped out of the fireplace, walking down the hallway to search for Galen.

[Lennia Silverwind]

Len placed her hands on her hips. She shook her head, "Look you can stay just don't get me into any trouble. And we are to go see the villagers in a little bit" She said with a small smile. "Besides you can't really help me with my questions so don't worry about it" She whispered. Len walked passed Damian and toward the back room where Galen ran off to. "Hey Galen look who decided to show up" She said the the child.

[Damian]

"Galen! Guess who has to be tickled!" Damian said to him when he saw Len put her hands on her hips. The little boy came running, and Damian grabbed Len by the shoulders. As a soldier, he was taught how to hold people on the ground. He brought her down quickly but gently and held her there, "Get her Galen, get her! She's crabby!" Damian encouraged him, laughing. The boy began to tickle Lennia, and Damian helped. "You shouldn't have done that, Len." the Fire Spirit teased her.

[Lennia Silverwind]

Len started to laugh as the two tickled her. She struggled to get out of their grasp. She heard a knock at the door. Quickly she stood and looked around. "Listen Damian the people of this village don't like magic or anyone that has to do with it. So please don't use your abilities around them" She stated softly. She smoothed out her dress then walked to the door. She opened it to see the person who greeted her earlier.
"How are you settling in?" He asked.
"Fine, thank you" Len stated.
"How about a tour?" He asked.
"Alright let me grab my nephew" She said
Len closed the door and hurried over to where Damian and Galen were. She looked at the two. "Galen we were invited to tour the village. Damian you might want to stay here" She said.

[Damian]

Damian tickled her with no mercy, though laughed when he heard her giggle. "Oh no you don't!" he exclaimed merrily as she tried to struggle away from them, and held her back, still tickling her.

Galen was laughing too. "Ticklish Auntie! Ticklish Auntie!" he teased.

Damian joined him, but stopped as Len had to get the door. When she returned, he gave her a goofy smile and put his right hand to his forehead in another salute, just as before. "I'll guard the house!" he told her happily. "I'll be waiting here when you two get back." Though Damian had no intention of guarding anything, except for perhaps Len and Galen. Though it wouldn't be so much guarding, it would be more like.... following. They wouldn't even see him. He gave her a smile, and scooped Galen up, handing him to Lennia.

[Lennia Silverwind]

Len sighed and shook her head but took Galen in her arms. She walked to the door and placed Galen back on his feet before heading out the door. She followed the man through the same village she used to live in. Nothing had changed since she left. Except for maybe the fact there were some houses that were burnt or looked as it they had gotten in a fight. The man noticed her looking at the scorch marks. "Don't worry about those. It has been a while since when we've been attacked. It uses to happen every month or so now it is just every now and then" He smiled but Len knew he was hiding most of the story. She noticed the villagers coming out to see her and Galen. There was a group of kids playing not that far off. Galen pointed and pleaded to go play with the other kids. Len was weary for a moment but allowed the prince to play as she watched.

"Children are so sweet at that age" Some girl about her age stated. She was watching the little boy about Galen's age. "Is that your kid?" She asked Len.
"No, he is my nephew" She said no knowing who the girl was. She was one of the ones who teased her when Len was little. Only this one was the one that got Len into the fight with one of the boys that led to her being exiled from the village.
"Oh, well then. I am Nancy. Who are you"
"My name is Lilly. It is nice to meet you" Len lied. She looked around to see some other man walk up to them. "Lilly this is my husband, Rick" Nancy said with a smile. Rick, he still had a scar on his arm from where Len burned him. She smiled not really wanting to meet these people. She knew that they were meant for each other. And if things couldn't get any worse Rick's father walked up with one arm slung over a woman's waist. The woman was Len's mother. Len wanted to run at that moment but knew she couldn't and why not? She really couldn't answer that question.
"It is nice to see some travelers. We never see any people from other villages" Her mother stated sweetly. None of them recognized her. That was a good thing, right?

The sound of horse hooves reached her ears then the smell of smoke. She calculated that there were at least seven if not more people heading for the village. She quickly took Galen's and and swung him onto her hip and looked around to see the woman grab the children and run for shelter and the men grabbed whatever weapon they could. Len took out her dagger that was hanging on her belt.
"The battle field is no place for woman" Rick spat.
"You know nothing, boy. A fight is a fight no matter who fights it" She stated back at the boy. She looked around with the feeling that Damian was nearby. That would be helpful.

[Damian]

Damian smirked slyly as he watched them out the window. It was then that he changed, his body becoming simple heat. No one could spot him now. He flowed past the window and followed the three of them. Galen, Len, and the elder man. He felt like a ghost, with no one to see him. He smiled. If this was what being a ghost was like, then he liked it. But he didn't think he could do it all the time. Being visible was just as sweet. Yet now he walked beside Lennia, just as he normally would. Any could pass through him as they pleased, and simply believe that a warm breeze had touched their skin.

His eyes watched as Galen went to play, and then continued to observe the scene that played out in front of him. He was shocked to see a woman that looked almost identical to Lennia, with someone that Len clearly hated. He could feel the anger radiating off of her. But he was even more shocked that no one else saw the resemblance.

His ears made his head turn as the sound of hoofbeats came. The scent of smoke. The already scorched buildings. He prayed not. Only time would tell, when the raiders got close enough for sight. He hung close to Lennia, ready to fight. Stay invisible as long as he could, even in battle.

[Lennia Silverwind]

Len looked around before setting Galen down. "Listen carefully. I want you to run, head to the woods and I will come for you when things have cleared out alright" She told the prince. He nodded and ran. She turned her attention in the opposite direction where the raiders were coming from.
"You really think that was the best idea. He is going to die now" Rick said as if Len had just sealed Galen's death.
"Well at least I keep my work" She spat. The raiders came into view and then it started the burning and screaming as people ran and the men tried to fight off the experienced raiders. Len had an easy time fighting one of the men. He didn't expect her to know how to fight let alone being able to pin him to the ground. She spun around just in time to see two head off to the woods. She hurried after them. They could not reach Galen if she had anything to do with it.