[Crystal Heart]

Crystal rode behind Maen, but in hesitation spun her horse around. She looked back and watched the men on their horses, standing ready for the inevitable attack. Atharen stood with Ferethor and Del. She swallowed hard and decided to go back. She ran over to Atharen.

"Shall you need help?" Crystal asked Atharen. He looked over at her and his eyes flashed. "Crystal! No, stay with Maen," He replied. Crystal nodded her head. She didn't want to let him see the fear that she felt for his life. He could die here. Any of these men could.

"Please be careful and come back to me alive, Atharen. I do not want to lose you yet," Crystal said softly to him.

"All of you come back to us alive. We don't want to have to bury any of you," Crystal said.

Her horse reigned back and then took off like a bullet after Maen and Iduril. Her heart ached at leaving Atharen behind, but she did as he had wanted. She would do her duty. She would make sure that their leader was safe. She pushed her horse against all possible means and caught up with Maen and Iduril fairly quickly. She knew that they were looking at her with questions in their eyes.

"I wanted to tell them to come back to us alive. We don't want to have to bury any of them. Although I have a fear in my mind that we will be," Crystal said as they rode away to safety.