Onyx

by Kimra

Chapter One

She waited in silence, black eyes scanning the deserted ground that lay before her. Black hair whipped behind her in the strong wind as she stood patiently. She did every day, waiting for the moment when purpose would be granted to her existence.

* * * * *

They approached slowly watching her unmoving eyes with a weary caution. Several held back, afraid of her dominating presence although her form was slight. Two brave, or foolish, men stepped forward from the cluster of people and moved to pass her.

The smooth black sword raised in her slim hand and was held before the two men warningly.

“To pass intent must first be declared.” Her smooth voice slicked over the crowd and travelled to the far mountains sliding along there surface’s until the sound had faded and only the whip of wind echoed in their ears.

She glanced at the medallion hanging from his neck on a thick bronze chain.

“We are dignitaries of the Eagle Lord. We request entrance to the Tiger Lands.” The man to her left stated in a calm voice. All she noted of him was that he kept his courage before her blade.

“Very well.” She replied calmly, allowing them to walk past her as her sword swung down into a passive stance. She still watched them with weary eyes but there was something to be said for people who walked about with the emblem of the Eagle Lord hanging about their necks. She counted them as they went, keeping her eyes on the emblems that flashed past her. The Tiger Lord would not be happy, but then he was a grouch the best of times. So many dignitaries meant something was amiss. She hoped it wasn’t war, war made her position far more unstable then she ever liked to have it.

When the slightest flicker of bronze caught her eye her attention shifted from wondering why there where so many to closely, out of the corner of her eye, scrutinizing one of the emblems. It reeked of forgery, the bronze was cheap, the eagle looked slightly out of wack, she assumed it was the wing, folded back a little too far.

With a swift motion she blocked the man wearing the emblems path pushing him back to the natural territory of the bridge. He went to fight when she brought the blade to his throat and the surrounding procession stopped. Twenty men and women stared.

“What is it? Has he offended you my good Lady Stone?” The original speaker, a man dressed in the proper dignitaries of the Eagle Lord pushed back through the people to witness the spectacle first hand.

“Where did you get this one?” She enquired her eyes hard and fixed on the man, her outstretched arm separated them, her palm flat against his chest. Below it she felt his heart beating a pace too fast, although his face was perfectly indifferent. As if realising she could feel it, he took a step further back, pulling his chest from below her hand.

“We found him near the Mews, not far from Eagle Land.” The dignitary replied, but his eyes held a sudden suspicion. “Is there something wrong with him?” His voice was slightly joking, pretending to be chiding her, he preyed to the flight that she wouldn’t take it seriously. It was one thing to demand passage through Tiger Lands, quite another to mock a Stone Lady.

“His crest is false.” She took two steps forwards and grabbed the medallion, quickly snapping it off it’s chain and holding it to the speaker. Without a pause he took it off her, staring at the emblem intently.

“I see no difference.” He murmured, a frown slipping into existence as he scrutinised the image closely.

“I am a guardian of the Tiger Lands, I know when an emblem is false.”

His eye brow cocked at the words. He desperately wanted to ask when a Lady of Stone became a guard of Tiger, but the answer, if she chose to give him one, would probably only raise more questions.

“I still see no difference.” He snapped, almost angry, he was sure she was right Stones where not renowned for saying things unless they where absolutely certain. He was angry with himself for not knowing his crest well enough to spot it. Quickly pulling his own out from below the robes where he had returned it he compared them closely. The wing was at an odd angle, he decided after a long search, and the colour was not quite the same. “Are you certain it is not mine that is wrong?” He tested carefully, he knew as well as she which was wrong, but he wondered how she had done it without the comparison.

In response she grabbed at the nearest spectators medallion and thrust it, still chained around the hapless boys neck, towards him.

He hardly glanced at the new medallion before nodding reluctantly and she released her death grip, allowing the misused boy to sink back into the lines.

“This one may not cross.” She stated and returned to her post in the middle of the bridge. The leader of the group nodded and stood beside her as the remainder of the group crossed. The intruder watched both Stone and Eagle for a long time before turning and disappearing into the darkness.

“He looked like a Snake.” She told her guest looking deep into the shadows after the liar. “If he wore his emblem he too could have passed.”

“You hold nothing against the Snakes?” He was surprised, Stones and Snakes where meant to be enemy’s, the last he had looked they had been.

“I have nothing to hold against them. I am a guard, and no Snake has ever disrespected that. Butterfly’s have and so too have Bears, but never Snakes.” She shifted her weight turning quickly to the man standing by her side. “Enjoy the Tiger’s hospitality Lord Eagle.”

“What’s your name?” He asked briskly, aware he shouldn’t have asked, but compelled to, it wasn’t every day you met with a Stone.

“I am Lady Stone.” She replied with studied avoidance. He cringed a little, every man who walked past probably asked her, she was after all, a beauty.

“I’m Talon Brown.”

“One of the Eagle’s uppers, I’m impressed.”

“Disturbed?” He asked tentatively, aware of the sudden strain in his voice.

“Perhaps the Snake was there to kill you.” She snapped feeling the disturbance ringing in her body. The uppers only travelled on the most important of missions, though she found herself at a loss to remember what Talon Brown did. Talon White guarded the sky’s of the mews, Talon Gold watched the sun, Talon Silver the moon, and every other of the Talon’s had there places, but there where so many that without the list before her she could not remember.

“No, probably to kill Tiger.” He replied with the same amount of anger. She stiffened at the words but relaxed, reminding herself that she had sent the stranger away.

“Well Talon Brown. Perhaps you should report to the Tiger as you pass his Lair and inform him that you nearly brought an intruder in with you.” She would send a message anyway, she wasn’t that stupid, but she wondered if he had the courage to do so.

“Shouldn’t you do that? But then I forget, you’re a Stone. You have no allegiance to Tigers.” His sneered the words a little, trying to bait her. His party had moved on without him, heading directly for the stronghold of the Tiger Lands. She merely smiled at his words and nodded her head towards the thin rays of light slipping over the jagged mountains to the east.

“My duties are done.” She added and turned from the natural lands to face a tall slender violet eyed lady. Talon jumped, the new comer had made no noise in her approach.

“My duties are begun.” The lady responded in a chant like voice. They stepped past each other and Talon found himself following the Lady Stone towards the Tiger’s Lair.

	Property of Kimra Lelanst, do not duplicate without consent.