I WILL LIVE FOR YOU

"She's escaped!"

A voice echoed throughout the Basin, cutting through the silence and surely waking anyone who had dozed off during that moonlit night. He had only called out when Mirage's draconian body was but a silhouette disappearing over the mountain's peak, not that anyone could stop her now regardless. The Weyrleader's words rang loudly in the grullo's head, and with his heart pounding, he prepared for whatever, or whoever, was to come.

It had been an agonizing, dreadfully boring task to be a guard, and he had always been surprised that hardly anyone had come to see the famed Dragonheart. While his views towards the mare had been different the first day, he had been glad to see no harm had ever come of her. The words they had shared had been rather brief, but each conversation was deep, personal. And just minutes ago, she had promised him a new start to life within her own home of the World's Edge. He could recall with clarity how many times the Aurorans spoke of the land, and a small part of the stallion wanted to laugh in their faces, to rub it in, but that was not in his nature. Besides, the Plague and the rest of the residents had a beautiful new home, and he doubted they had any interest in returning to their old home.

Xanthos stood covered in blood near the mouth of the cave, the same one he had held Mirage at for the past several weeks. The rocky ground he had grown familiar with was now sprinkled in the same blood that was drying upon his coat, staining the virgin snow that lay across it in patches. It was a grotesque scene to behold if one did not know what had truly happened, although in truth, the grullo was still terrified that someone would see through the faux attack. Despite being covered in blood, there was no open wound marring his skin, and he could only hope that the others would be too blinded by their rage to notice.

His sides heaved as if he had been running, like he had just finished a long battle. His nostrils flared as they drank in long, deep breaths, the poor stallion doing his best to make this all believable. His eyes scanned the area for any approaching bodies, waiting, just waiting to see the dark Empress slip into the moonlight and give him the smiting of a life.

BEFORE I DIE