We Leave For Distant Shores

"You'll never beat me here though, that is something you ought to get used to." She smiled though looking over at her cousin now. "Thank you for finding me, Keya. I really do appreiciate it."

"Don't mention it." Keya smiled.

For someone had taken Gem from her tent after the battle with Lindan Marcos, and imprisoned her in Waenen Island. That someone had been Gem's sister, Hycis. Hycis now was to be punished but not yet. That would be dealt with, in time, she knew.

Drannor came in then and even he was smiling though he had never replaced Sahar and his children yet. "Well I guess this is it. Good to see you again, Gem, Keya, Glen." He'd come all the way from Taror for this.

Ashlere also entered, she knew what was coming at least. "It's going to be difficult to leave Nuban, all of us have family who remain behind." She knew that Drannor, herself and Gem did at least from the battle for Nuban.

"Be as that may, Ashlere, I made a promise to Keya and I am not about the pull out of it," Gem replied. She knew what she was leaving behind, her parents, plus two uncles and two aunts. Not to mention Keya. Her cousin. She looked at Keya. "At least you know we will come back if there is need for help here, but only in dire need."

"I know. I'll send Velatha if I need help."

I sighed, knowing this would have to be delt with eventually. "Though all the half elves remain here, when they find a human worthy of their title they will be brought across as well. This land will only have us elves in it, and all the nobles will be given cites to govern over, but they must answer to their weyrs demands."

I paused. "I unearthed a map earlier today that tells up of our new home, there are 5 islands, each with a place suitable for its weyr."

She was stunned for a moment when Auraka came in. He was alive was he? Well that was certainly news and her face showed it. She hadn't known there was any chance of him getting out, and Glen knew she had not known this was possible at all. Though at Glen's words she glared at him.

"Put it away or you'll find it on the ground before its even out of its sheath, Glenawing. Calm down!" she commanded. "This rivalry must stop once and for all. Auraka never did anything to you, if anyone did it was me, I chose Auraka as my mate, he did not force me into that decision."

She knew that it was time Glenawing knew about that. "Now can we please get back to what were were discussing?"

She shook her head warningly at Glenawing. There was no chance that Auraka was going to get hurt from him. Not without him having to go through her. Though she knew who all of them were, they were in for a surprise sometime soon.

"Hang on a moment." Drannor spoke, staring at her. "You're not who we all think you are, are you!"

"What on earth are you talking about? Of course I'm Gem!" she replied.

"No. Your not. You might act the same, look the same but your mind gave you away!"

"Let me explain why I just said that. You look and sound like Gem. You act like her. But there is one thing you did not factor in to your little scheme, which we'll find out in the long run. Your mind. Didn't take me long to figure you out. We all knew Lindan Marcos raised you, Princess Hycis Hawksong. Your mind just triggered me into realising you are not Gem, you thought about him, instead of what was going on here."

Drannor smiled as he looked at her. "You even had me fooled yesterday, but no longer."

She laughed. "As if I'm anyone but her. have you lost your damn mind?"

Something hard hit one the doors, and they swung open not even scratched, revealing one long golden tail shifting away from them. Then Velatha's big golden eye was looking in at them. "Oops. That was an accident."

"But I am no mirage," Gem said, striding into her own hall. She glared at the other elf who looked just like her. "I believe you can give me back my title, traitor." Clearly she had no time for a traitor, even if it was her own sister.

"Who are you going to believe, me or her?" Hycis challenged.

Drannor sighed looking between the two of them. not a single hair was different. both had blue eyes, both had golden hair. Then he blinked. "Very clever of you, Hycis. Changing your eye color to copy Gem's so we wouldn't see who you really were."

“If you really wanted me out of they way, you should have killed me. Not locked me up and then forced every memory of Anthatal out of me just so you could fool everyone into thinking you were me.”

“I even fooled Auraka,” Hycis replied smugly. “He wasn't hard to fool, simpleton.” Before Hycis could even dodge, one of Gem's hands struck out, slapping her across the face. “How dare you!”

“Once I wished you were never taken by Lindan Marcos from our crib when we were one week old. Now though it seems he got his claws too deep in you for there to be any change,” Gem muttered, rubbing her hand from where she'd hit Hycis. It throbbed. And it did not help that she was still injured from the fight with Lindan Marcos. “You gloat too much, Hycis.”

“You still have not proved who you say i am,” Hycis taunted her.

Gem laughed. “This next thing will.” All her council memebrs knew that a Rider's sword could only be drawn from its sheath by the one who it was made for. Or their chosen sucessor who rode the same colour dragon. She spotted her sword hanging on its hook in the wall quickly. “If you beleive you are me, then you'll draw Corellon from its sheath.”

“I guess you could say that sword knows who wants to use it.” Gem chuckled. Then she looked at Glen and the others, “I'm not finished with her yet. Don't need any help right now. She does not have a clue what trouble she's put herself in this time.” And as her sister was about to find out, payback was a serious pain in the ass. Would Hycis take the bait I had laid with my sword? Would she try and draw it only to have it not come out for her?

Hycis chuckled, thinking Gem was clearly mad, seeing as she certainly believed she was Gem, and that the other was the imposter. Drannor walked over with the white blade in his hands, anyone could carry them while they were in their sheath. He offered the hand grip of the sword to us both. Hycis reached out, wrapping one hand around the hand length blade and tugged.

Corellon stayed where it was, not moving a single inch.

“My turn,” Gem replied. Hycis certainly got out of the way, she knew things might get a little difficult for her to deal with right now. Gem stepped towards the sword, she could feel the life in the scales that made up the handgrip. Her hand wrapped around the handgrip and she shifted her shoulder muscles the tiniest bit. Out came the sword quickly, as if there was nothing holding it in there.

Hycis glared at her, though she got an equally angry glare back. “So what? It proves nothing!”

“Oh but it did. It told everyone else that you're not who you've been saying you are, Hycis Hawksong!” She did not add the Princess title, right now Hycis did not deserve that. “And I'm not finished dealing with you either.” Though Gem was still hurt from the fight with Lindan Marcos, she knew what she had to do, to deal with this once and for all. “I suggest you find your own sword, as I intend to fight you myself.”

“You think me a fool, sister? I know there are few handier with a blade than you.” Hycis scoffed. “I'm not a fool with that one.”

“Think you so? Even with a wounded shoulder in my sword arm?” Gem turned so that the bandage beneath her white shirt was obvious. “Look, even now, blood is soaking through the padding. I am a wounded woman, Hycis, and yet you are too cowardly to fight me?”

“I shan’t fight you, wounded or no.”

Gem laughed, though it was not without mirth. “Coward then, are you?”

Hycis glared at her. Clearly she didn't much care for all the insults she was getting at the moment. Something was clearly starting to stir her up.

“I know one thing you would fight me for, having put so much effort into it.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

“Who have you been posing as for the last two months?” Gem asked.

“What say you, sister?” Recognition seemed to shine in her sister's eyes this time. Then the smiled. “You challenge me for the throne of Anthatal? You know this won't be a fair fight for you, you know.”

“Aye.”