Authors Note: My, my, my, it has been quite a while hasn’t it? Well, instead of regaling you with the stories of why it’s been such a long time, I thought that I’d better give you a really good chapter. This chapter pretty much explains the existence of Tamers and Hadrian. There is still so much to explain about the why of things, but all in good time, I guess. Enjoy the chapter!

Hana just wished that the pounding in her head would go away. She knew she wasn’t in her bed at home, and she was almost certain that she had been attacked by something. The last thing she remembered was stopping at the side of the river with her horse, Eros. And now here she was, coming to consciousness in an unfamiliar place.

“You’re awake.”

The voice startled her, and she sat up quickly, regretting the movement almost immediately. The pounding in her head increased and she had half a mind to start to try and claw her own eyeballs out.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” There was that disembodied voice again.

“Do what?” she hazarded. She was quite sure that the voice was not a figment of her imagination because it wasn’t the soothing one she recognized when she read to herself. It was male, that much she could tell, but it wasn’t human – at least not entirely.

“Claw your eyes out.” The voice sounded amused, and Hana made to move towards it. Again, she moved too quickly, setting off another violent round of pain in her head. It only slightly concerned her that the voice knew what she was thinking.

“Where are we?”

“In a cave in the forest,” the voice explained calmly. “I couldn’t well leave you to die out there.”

“Well, thank you, I suppose,” Hana replied. “So I wasn’t kidnapped, then. That’s good, I guess.”

The voice chuckled, and Hana could hear the shuffling of feet. “No, not kidnapped.” It seemed to be closer to her, though she couldn’t see anything in the pitch blackness.

“What happened then?” she asked, trying to move a little slower. “And where is Eros? Is she okay?”

Again a small laugh. “Your horse is fine. She is outside of the cave. She followed obediently all the way here.” A short pause. “You were attacked by something near the river. I found you lying unconscious. It was starting to rain, so I brought you here.”

“Oh.” It was only then that Hana noticed her clothes and hair were slightly wet. She gave an involuntary shiver. “What are you then?”

Another pause. “My name is Dom.” A shuffling of feet before a hand came out of the darkness and offered her a blanket. She took it hesitantly, and covered herself, grateful for the extra layer of warmth. She didn’t let it go unnoticed that Dom hadn’t answered her question.

“I’m Hana. Good to… meet you Dom,” she said. “But what are you exactly? And why are you hiding? I can’t see much of anything in this darkness anyway.” Another chuckle. She thought it sounded pleasant, his laughter.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” he told her. “Not human, not animal. Somewhere in between.” Hana’s thoughts were confirmed. It occurred to her that she should be afraid, but she figured that if Dom wanted her dead, she would have been by now.

“Ok,” she replied simply, not pushing for more. “Is that how you know what I am thinking?”

“Yes.” More feet shuffling and suddenly a small light appeared before her, and she could see better her companion.

He was tan, in stark contrast to her pale skin dotted with freckles. Her eyes traveled up his arms, lingering briefly on a scar on his left shoulder, and finally landed on his face. Hana had to admit, he was good looking in an unfamiliar way. He had sharp angles to his cheeks and chin, and his jaw seemed to be set in a permanent small grin, slightly revealing a set of sharp, glistening canines. His eyes were a bright golden color, both unsettling and intriguing at once. His ears were slightly pointed at the tips, and a bright green loop dangled from one ear. His hair was a deep brown and hung nearly to his shoulders.

But what drew her attention the most were the three large gashes sweeping down from the right side of his face to the left. It had long ago healed, and the skin was lighter and thinner. Were it not for the slightly glassy look in his right eye, Hana would have thought that the scars were some sort of elaborate body art.

“You’re blind in your right eye,” she commented quietly, resisting the urge to reach out and touch him. “How did it happen?”

“It was when I was a pu – a child,” Dom replied. Hana noted the quick correction of whatever he’d planned to say. “You’re hungry.” It wasn’t a question, but Hana nodded slowly, hoping to minimize the still persistent pain in her head. He stood without a word, and though she was sitting, she could tell that he was at least a head taller than her. He disappeared further into the cave, returning a moment later with a bag.

“I hope this is enough.” Dom offered her the bag, and she dug inside. She pulled out a bundle of dried meat, carefully wrapped in a lightweight cloth. She didn’t ask what it was (she was afraid to, honestly) but murmured a thank you, and began to eat. It was good, a smoky sweetness, and easy enough to chew.

“Why is it so dark in here? I mean, that is, how far in this cave are we?” She asked, eager to break the silence.

“We aren’t that far, but there is a bend in the path that blocks the light from the entrance,” Dom explained. “It should have stopped raining by now. It has been a few hours, and it never rains long in this section of the forest.” The pain in her head had subsided to a dull ache, closer to an annoying fuzzy heaviness than a full-scale immobilizing migraine. Putting the food back to the side, she attempted to stand, and was grateful that her legs hadn’t been affected in any way.

“I should go,” she said quietly. Dom’s face was unreadable, but he gave a short nod and led her to the mouth of the cave. “Thank you for your hospitality, Dom. I hope we can meet again, though not under such unfortunate circumstances.”

“I hope so, too, Hana,” he replied, tracking her as she mounted her horse, Eros, who was indeed wait calmly where Dom had left her. He watched as they took off in a slow trot down the narrow and tricky path, turning away only when the horse burst through the edge of the trees at the end of his line of vision.

*

A week later, and much searching on her part, Hana once again found the cave. This time, the sun was shining brightly, and not a hint of rain threatened the day. She peered into the eerie darkness, knowing she wouldn’t be able to see a thing.

“Dom?” She called hesitantly. She wasn’t sure that he would be here, or even that he lived here in the first place, he hadn’t really said that before. “Dom! Are you here?” A snap of a twig caused her to whip her head around, drawing the dagger from her belt in one swift movement. About 25 yards in front of her was a tawny colored wolf, eyeing her curiously.

“Git! Go on, git!” she said, waving her arms about and shouting loudly. The beast just looked at her and cocked it head to the side, almost as if it were amused by her actions. Seeing that her arm waving and shouting was having little effect, Hana sighed and sheathed the dagger, turning back to the cave. The wolf didn’t look like it wanted to harm her, so she let it be.

“Dom!” She called one more time before giving up. Deciding that it was probably no use to keep searching – he found her last time – she started to head back to where she’d tied Eros, only to bump into something very hard.

“You were looking for me?” Hana looked up to find Dom grinning impishly down at her, his eyes filled with mirth. “I’m surprised you managed to find your way back here.” Hana crossed her arms and took a step back.

“I told you I wanted to meet again, didn’t I?” She grinned back. “Eros is a good horse; we hardly ever lose our way once we’ve already been to a place once.” She glanced back over her shoulder to find that the wolf had gone, probably scared by the sudden appearance of Dom.

“If I didn’t know any better, I would bet that wolf was you playing a trick on me,” She told him, earning a sly smile. “You should be careful in any case. Fully human or not, wolves can be dangerous.” Dom snorted and walked over to Eros, combing his fingers through the mare’s long mane.

“They aren’t the worst thing in this forest,” He replied. He met Eros’ eyes, and the horse stared at him for a moment before snorting and turning her face towards Hana.

“Right…” Hana said with a roll of her eyes. She knew he was serious, she had been attacked in this forest after all; but she wasn’t here because she was afraid. She was here because she wanted to see him again, forest creatures be damned.

“Let’s walk,” Dom suggested. And walk they did. They walked for hours, exchanging questions and answers with each other, and enjoying the beautiful day. Once the sun started to set, Hana returned home, promising to come visit whenever she could. This time, Dom walked with her to the edge of the forest, and watched as she and Eros took off running in the direction of Hana’s village.

Just as she promised, Hana came to see Dom at least once every five days, sometimes more frequently if she wasn’t occupied with which she sarcastically described as “womanly training sessions.” Dom only chuckled as she described the so-called torture her mother put her through, grooming her to be a good wife to a lucky man.

“I don’t know what she’s thinking, my mother,” Hana would complain. “I’m “wild”, she says. If that’s the case, then just let me come live out here in the forest. She wouldn’t have to pay that old hag so much to come and teach me.” Dom merely shook his head.

“The forest is no place for a lady to live,” he told her with a smile. She frowned back at him.

“Not you, too,” she groaned. “I like it much better out here. It’s open, it’s free, and I can run around and ride Eros to my heart’s content. Besides, I have you to protect me if something wild attacks me again.” This time it was Dom’s turn to frown.

“I’m not all powerful,” he replied. She shrugged. “Hana, the only reason you don’t get attacked coming out here is because I’m here. But that can’t go on forever, you know.”

“Why can’t it? I’d spend forever out here if it meant I could be with you.”

Her words hung in the air, heavy with her confession. She and Dom stared at each other with such intensity, it made the air crackle.

“You don’t mean that,” Dom finally said, slowly, his eyes never leaving Hana’s. Her frown deepened and she took a step towards him.

“I most certainly do,” she challenged. “I’m nearly 19, Dom. I think I can decided for myself what I want and what I don’t.”

“But not this,” He sounded exasperated, and his eyes had lost their playfulness. “I… You and I just don’t fit.”

“What do you mean we don’t fit?” Hana asked indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest. “That’s absurd, Dom. We get on very well, and frankly, I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a man’s company like I’ve enjoyed yours.” Hana surprised even herself with her words. She wasn’t expecting to sound so… well, so much like her mother. She closed the distance between them and wrapped