A prehistoric complex, including two 6,000-year-old tombs, has been discovered by archaeologists in Hampshire.

The Neolithic tombs, which until now had gone unnoticed under farmland despite being just 15 miles from Stonehenge, are some of the oldest monuments to have been found in Britain.

Archaeologists say they will hold valuable clues about how people lived at the time and what their environment was like.

The discovery is also close to Cranborne Chase, one of the most well researched prehistoric areas in Europe.

“It’s one of the most famous prehistoric landscapes, a Mecca for prehistorians, and you would have thought the archaeological world would have gone over it with a fine tooth comb,” Dr Helen Wickstead, the Kingston University archaeologist leading the project, said.

From examining similar sites, archaeologists know that complex burial rituals were common at the time. Typically bodies would be left in the open air until the flesh had decayed, leaving only a skeleton. Then bones were put in special arrangements in the tombs.

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“The tombs were like bone homes for important people in the community,” Dr Wickstead said.

The tombs were discovered by Damian Grady, an English Heritage photographer, who flew over the area in a light aircraft taking aerial photographs of the land, looking for marks or features on the landscape suggestive of ancient monuments. One photograph showed two long mounds.

After discussions with colleagues, Mr Grady was left in little doubt that the mounds were the site of ancient tombs. He contacted Dr Wickstead inviting her to investigate.

After carrying out a survey of the land using electromagnetic detectors and ultrasound, Dr Wickstead created a map of what lay beneath the fields. She was able to identify the two tombs with troughs on each side, known as long barrows, typical of Neolithic burial sites.

Her team was also found artefacts, including fragments of pottery, flint and stone tools, close to the surface.

So far Dr Wickstead’s team have only used non-invasive techniques to figure out what lies inside the tombs, which are located on the land of a local female farmer.

Because the original surface of the land has been preserved beneath the mound, scientists will be able to examine it for traces of pollen and identify which plants and trees were common at the time.

Whether they are excavated will depend on local feeling, she says.

“We’re treading very carefully on the excavation issue,” Dr Wickstead said.

“We want to be sure that it’s what people living in Damerham village want. It’s their heritage.”

The Kingston University team are due to publish preliminary findings of their research in the journal Hampshire Studies.

State legislators faced with mammoth budget gaps and sharply lower revenue are looking to residents to bail them out.

Right now, at least 47 states are facing significant shortfalls in their 2009 and/or 2010 budgets, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a think tank in Washington, D.C. And many of those states are looking to tax hikes to help fill the gaps.

“Pretty much everyone is doing poorly,” says Kim Rueben, senior research associate at the Tax Policy Center. “It’s just a question of who’s hurting more than others.”

The top honor goes to California, which is projecting that it will fall about $25 billion short come fiscal 2010. Taking second place is New York with a projected $17.6 billion deficit for fiscal 2010, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, a bipartisan policy research organization in Washington, D.C.

How can these states miss the mark so badly? The recession has sapped the two major sources of state revenue: income taxes (thanks to rising unemployment, fewer people are getting paid) and sales taxes (quite simply, consumers are spending less.) “Those two things together really, really lead to a high loss of tax revenues, far in excess of loss of income,” says Michael Hicks, director of Ball State University’s Center for Business and Economic Research.

Even though raising taxes are typically a last resort, many states have no choice but to do so. And, in some, lawmakers are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to finding items or services to tax. New York, for instance, has raised taxes on tobacco, wine and limo services. Meanwhile, Massachusetts is proposing a tax on satellite television service and Georgia lawmakers are proposing a “pole tax” that would charge gentlemen’s club patrons $5 at the door.

To figure out which states are inflicting the biggest tax hikes on residents, SmartMoney pored over reports from tax research groups and contacted state budget offices. We looked at state budget deficits tracked by the National Conference of State Legislatures and current sales tax rate data from the Federation of Tax Administrators, a group that provides services to state tax authorities. Finally, we turned to the Tax Foundation — a nonpartisan tax research group — for figures on tax burden, the average percentage of each state’s residents’ income that is paid in state and local taxes (the figures we use are for 2008).

Here are six states where residents should prepare to pay up.

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California: Diminishing This Huge Deficit May Just Be a Dream

State deficit estimate for fiscal 2010: $24.7 billion
Percent of general fund budget: 22.3%
State and local tax burden: 10.5%; Rank: 6

California is facing the biggest budget deficit in the nation, yet voters’ willingness to chip in is starting to wane. Last month, they voted down five ballot measures that included sales and income tax increases. Who could blame them? At 11%, California has one of the worst unemployment rates in the country, the housing market has been decimated, and the state already raised taxes on sales by 1% to 8.25% and income by 0.25% (both of which expire in 2011). Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s latest budget plan includes steep spending cuts across the government and cutbacks in social services.

In a testament to California’s grim predicament, one assemblyman’s proposal to legalize marijuana for personal use and allow counties to tax it is gaining public support. It’s one of the “wacky things you might be able to get away with now,” says Rueben.

New York: If It’s Bad for You, It Will Be Taxed

State deficit estimate for fiscal 2010: $17.6 billion
Percent of general fund budget: 31.9%
State and local tax burden: 11.7%; Rank: 2

New York State Gov. David Paterson may have been unsuccessful in levying an 18% tax on soda and other sugary drinks in the name of combating obesity, but he’s had a hand in raising taxes on plenty of other “sinful” items, including tobacco (up to 46% from 37%) and wine (up 58% per gallon, or about two cents more per bottle).

For those living in New York, all those tax hikes can really add up. Second only to New Jersey, New Yorkers bear the second-highest tax burden thanks to a high income-tax rate of 7.85% (for those earning more than $200,000). And property and gas taxes are among the highest in the nation, according to the Tax Foundation. Nevertheless, shoppers can rejoice: The sales tax here remains relatively low at just 4%.

Florida: Driving and Smoking Will Cost You

State deficit estimate for fiscal 2010: $6 billion
Percent of general fund budget: 27%
State and local tax burden: 7.4%; Rank: 47

Florida passed its budget in May with a not-so-pleasant surprise for smokers: a $1-per-pack hike (the first such increase in 19 years). Motorists also got hit with higher fees to renew a license or register a vehicle. It could have been worse, though. Senate lawmakers had proposed eliminating the sales tax exemption on items like bottled water and tickets to sporting events, both of which didn’t make the cut.

Still, residents here aren’t feeling as much tax pain as some of their peers in other states. Overall, Florida’s tax burden is the third-lowest in the nation and it’s one of eight states that imposes no individual income tax, according to the Tax Foundation. But those perks may be outweighed by the rest of Florida’s economic situation. Home values are among the nation’s hardest hit and the state’s $6 billion budget deficit could mean more tax hikes are on the horizon.

Massachusetts: Shoppers and Couch Potatoes, Prepare to Pay Up

State deficit estimate for fiscal 2010: $3 billion
Percent of general fund budget: 11.2%
State and local tax burden: 9.5%; Rank: 23

Just when Massachusetts was starting to shake its “Taxachusetts” nickname (it’s ranked a middle-of-the-road 23rd in the Tax Foundation’s tax burden assessment), the state is preparing to hike taxes on everything from alcohol to satellite TV.

The most hard-hitting for residents is a proposed increase in the sales tax to 6.25% from 5%. Both the House and Senate approved the measure and it’s looking likely the increase will pass by the July 1 deadline, says Noah Berger, executive director of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, an independent research group. Satellite TV subscribers may also get hit. The state is proposing a 5% sales tax on satellite services. Providers, of course, are fighting the tax.

Arizona: Proposed Sales-Tax Hike Could Hurt Already-Strapped Residents

State deficit estimate for fiscal 2010: $3 billion
Percent of general fund budget: 28.2%
State and local tax burden: 8.5%; Rank: 41

The recession has thumped Arizona harder than most other states, says Lee McPheters, research professor of economics at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey business school. The housing slump is partially to blame: During the boom, construction accounted for at least a quarter of new jobs created. Since home prices have fallen 43% from their peak, the construction industry has lost tens of thousands of jobs, says McPheters. Arizona’s unemployment rate in April was 7.7%, shy of the 8.9% national average.

If Gov. Janice Brewer gets her way, residents will pay for the state’s problems by shelling out an extra 1% at the cash register. The proposed sales-tax hike, which would bring the rate to 6.6%, was omitted from the budget the legislature passed this month, but the governor may veto the budget until it’s put back in. (She could also place it on a November special election ballot.)

Nevada: What Happens in Vegas Is Going to Cost You More

State deficit estimate for fiscal 2010: $1.2 billion
Percent of general fund budget: 32%
State and local tax burden: 6.6%; Rank: 49

Nevada’s freewheeling, low-tax past is coming back to haunt it like a bad hangover. The state levies no personal income tax and imposes some of the lowest taxes on businesses in the nation, says Bert Waisanen, a fiscal analyst at the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Nevada used to be able to afford being so generous with its residents. Revenue from tourism and gambling supported the state just fine. But now, as consumers would rather put their coins in a bank account than a slot machine, that revenue source is drying up. In fact, the state boasts the dubious honor of having the largest deficit in the country as a percentage of its budget – 32%. It’s hiked the sales tax by 0.35% to 6.85% and taxes on hotel rooms are up 3%. It’s even gambling with its business-friendly climate by raising taxes on businesses.

Leadowers - I'm spending some time this summer thinking about the leadership class curriculum and I need your help.  I'd like to encourage you to change your settings on your posts in this community - please post publicly.  I certainly can't force you, but you're all very bright writers and I plan link this community to my blog.  That's where I'm developing my thinking about the class. I encourage you to engage my thoughts in the blog and help me develop the class. 

If you're reading this, call everyone you know who's been in leadership or thinks they might want to take it next year.  Spread the word. 

- Share what we're doing with the cyber community.  Seems like workshop is pretty useful but we're kind of selfish about it.  How can we share with teachers, students, parents, principals, professors...

- Document what's happening. Surely this hasn't happened to anyone reading this but at some point, some student has actually misplaced his or her readers responses and had some difficulty with the end-of-quarter reflection.  I know that suprises you, but it's happened:)  This'd help y'all see how you grow as readers and as writers.

- Provide more opportunity to write and get feedback about your writing.  One of the biggest complaints about this class is that y'all don't get to do more than one workshop.  Some of you remember when I tried to move the workshop into the moodle - it was a bit of a disaster.  Do you think there is an online format that would allow you to do a traditional readers response?  

So - if you're paying attention, please give me some feedback.  What ideas do you have that can help me meet these goals?

Oh, and check out this poetry blog.  It's authored by Loveland's alternative poets.

She's beautiful, loves dancing and painting too

She works hard, everyday attends to school

She loves the time with her family and friends

And prays for it to never have an end

She adores a boy and falls in love

Always feels as if he's from above

Feeling high never wanting to come down

They talk for hours about the world around

It all seems so perfect without a second guess

Love is all she sees, nothing more, nothing less

As time passes by, day after day

Right before her eyes their love begins to slip away

She feels a difference with the connection between

She is no longer feeling like a royal queen

Where is their love going? She begins to wonder

She doesn't enjoy the feeling of going under

A phone call comes to her from a friend

What she hears she can't comprehend

She feels disgusted as the walls begin to spin

Her control of emotions starts to grow thin

She slowly presses end on her cell phone

Feels the whole time she's been with a clone

"It can't be him, he is against every lie"

She tells herself as she feels an urge to cry

This is why he always slipped away

She sees the games he wants to play

He was unfaithful and betrayed her

The anger within her begins to transfer

Now she understands what she must do

She knows that she can make it through

She forgets his promises and leaves

Respect and truth is what she believes

He disrespected her with what he did

While she was carrying his own kid

He lost the truth that he swore to hold

Withholding truth is just as cold

After all this she puts him behind

She begins new while feeling undefined

She holds her hed up high for she knows

When her child looks at her its strength she shows

Dreams have various meanings but this dream was beyond explainable. I began walking down the narrow stairs; a foggy mist of light led my eyes towards a big metal door at the bottom of the well. I had no idea how I had gotten there, no idea for the purpose. I was confused and scared yet my mind overflowing with curiosity. Hands trembling, I grasped firmly to the rail that was wet an tarnished as if it was worn. By the looks I could tell this abandoned, unknown place had history. It was old and reminded me of a prison.

Every step I took creaked the wooden planks under me. Trying hard to keep my knees from giving in, I kept walking one foot in front of the other. After what had seemed like forever I finally reached the end of the staircase. I looked up and noticed a chain of pipes leading a maze down the perimeter of the wall, sounding as if water were being drained. Once my eyes followed the bronze tubes down they hit the floor. The hard concrete ground was cold and bare. A small flashing light beamed from underneath the door. I observed the engraving and bolts on the outside entrance which would lead to another unfamiliar place. The doorknob was aged and flipped up to unlock. I took and deep breath and pushed the passage open.

The temperature of the air had changed dramatically. Every inhale; a cold breeze, which became painful as it filled my lungs. I looked up to the center of the barren room. My heart dropped, as did I. My cousin was strapped with leather and silver buckles around his ankles and wrists onto a wooden chair. He sat with no words coming through his dry pale lips. Tubes were leading in and out of his body supplying oxygen. Once he looked towards me with his eye lids struggling to raise, I could see he was silently begging for help. I crawled up to release him, but as soon as I got close I was blocked. As if some force was not allowing me to touch him. I began screaming for help as tears rolled constantly down my face. I felt the room begin to shake and noticed a large black shadow in the corner of the room. That's when my body decided to wake from this mesmerizing night. 

Imagine

Lying there day by day

Doing nothing

Starring, eyes slightly open

But open to what?

Blankness, more of this word called 'nothing'

Hard to sleep

Hard to dream

The only time for my mind to be distracted

Yet I imagine the same every night

Tubes leading in

Tubes leading out

A cold room

Eyes locked on the center

Ears open but I only hear what  I want

Clock tends to move fast, but body moves s l o w

I pray for something new. . .

I'm sure we all do

They say to give is better than to receive

Well here I am arms open on my knees begging to give

Give my legs, to walk

Give my voice, to talk

Give my lungs, to breathe

No one would want to be in his shoes

Yet here I am willing  to trade it all

* I love you paul. . .

Their is an overwhelming force pressed upon me to drop out. my reason are im already legal drop out age and i feel if you cant do something right dont do it it at all. i feel like im not ready to be successful in school considering i havent yet been continusly good in school i start off good then slowly decrease in academic performance. and besides its not that big of a deal more than 60% of high school students drop out by their junior year. so what is keeping the rest of the percentage from dropping out is it that they love school is it they are afraid to tell their parents or what?

i try not to think about how the further the generation goes on the more spoiled and rich or drug addicted we get.

these kids seem to learn from ciggarette burns in the way that many parents abuse their children or do illicit drugs around or with them

they also learn from fast cars in the sense of they always need the best newest most biggest extravagant object.

they learn from fast women as if all women are loose and should be treated as an object instead of a person

and cheap drinks like its ok to do grugs alcohol ect.

and my favorite quote "all these asphyxiated self medicated take the white pill youll feel all right."

this is saying kids these days arent afraid to try anything, i would know.

so next time you think about having kids think what moral values are you going to teach them. are you going to be the cigarette burn parent or the good parent that your kid actually didnt die from drug overdose suicide  alcohol consumption. or drunken car crash. or ended up in prison from a gang fight or from selling drugs or killing someone.

we have a thing called governance where we all meet together in one room with the whole school and we have room to breath i mean how cool is that. what other school can u do that at. we vote on things from our schhol such asanything from attendance policies to people who dis obey our laws. but we need a better way of doing things because we always end up not coming to agreement or just tableing the whatever we are agreeing on or not agreeing on its a weird thing but its like a community we all come together as one and control our stuff

i love this school its people are sensitive seem to care and always give you a cigarette when you need one but THEY DONT LISTEN. how hard is it to cross the ditch off school property when you need to smoke if you walk all that way to smoke you sure can just hop over the ditch. or how hard is it to put your cigarettes in the ash trays and trash cans. we have two. thats what the school used their money for so you wouldnt messy up the ditch. also if the ditch is such a problem and the school thinks its so dirty then why dont just do the easy thing go to the city and ask for a fire permit and burn out the ditch. Ya sure it will just get dirty again but you can just keep burning it out. and if its still that big of a problem just fill the ditch with cement and close off the ditch its not that hard. THE SCHOOL AND KIDS ARE JUST SITTING HERE AND NOT DOING ANYTHING!!!  like my grandpa said if you dont vote you cant complain i know its not the same thing but it makes sense dont it. im not sitting here on the other side of the computer saying im not guilty of throwing my cig on the ground but i learned i just wanna say if your not evasive action then stop complaining i think you should actually do something be the good person you are and be a part of your school and communtiy

                                                     ANGRY CITIZEN

Like the universe, the community we create around us is ever expanding and shrinking. New people are accepted into it as the old respectfully bow out, and those who remain are left surrounded sometimes by a new sea of faces. At OCHS the community is the school. It is the people we teach and the lives we change. It is something that can last forever.

The way our minds work and how each individual experiences and process the daily events in Olde Columbine is unique and different. But the community I see is not only in the students who attend the school and the teachers who teach here, but the community is also in the walls that surround us and the air we breathe. There are so many memories in the school that not every student will be a party to, but if someone were to take the time to listen, the building will always have a story to tell. After all, as the students and teachers come and leave, and the faces and personalities change the school will still be here. It will be keeping our secrets and remembering the paths we lead through our time here.

To me community is not just a material thing like the students and the staff and the families who have tread our halls, but it is the memories we made in the school that we will carry with us throughout our lives. I do not believe that our community is the people here and now and the bonds we make and break. I believe it is much deeper, it is a feeling we will always have. As long as the feeling of trust and hope and passion and love stays with us, our community will last however long we choose to remember it. 

the spear of the pain that you caused by being yourself. i can’t stand you being around me. no more please no more. why do you always have to torture me with your presence? i thought i would always be yours. to hold in your arms when i was down. to help me pick myself up if i fell. i guess i was wrong to think that you would always be there. now you tell everyone else that i am horrible. all that ever wanted was for you to be happy and get what you wanted. if i were to say that your happiness was what made me happy would that change anything? i feel sorry that you have lost me as a friend and even more so for the fact that i do not get to see you leave for your dream. yes i remember the one thing you wanted to do. the fact that you wanted to join with the navy and fight for your nation. when i think about life i hope you die while your out there. yet i also hope that you are happy and live life to its fullest. one thing that i hope you remember is how great you are. you even made me laugh on my worst and made my good days shine. how i hope you remember me the way i remember you. goodbye i say one last time as i let you go and drift off into nothingness because without you i found that i do not exist.

A Bird May Love A Fish...

But Where Would They Live?

Sometimes life is rough. Usually hope is the friend you can count on to get you through things; especially it feels like everyone else has jumped ship. But lately hope has been the enemy. After loss and pain and being left behind by people I care about the pain of hope is greater a burden than accepting the loss.

 I have changed my ways, though some things have stayed the same. Now that I have realized my faults, and the hurt I have caused the people I care about most, I cannot make amends because so few people can see the change. I will not be given another chance. So I have given up hoping for forgiveness and the day when everyone realizes we are all just teenagers and the things we do now are not permanent. I have moved on. Tomorrow is a new day (how cliché is that?) and I am not going to live in the past. Life is pushing, on whether or not I agree that it should. So I might as well pick myself up and follow.

Hope hurts, but its not permanent. Life will get better.

This piece was done in my creative writing class as part of our scary stories projects. I did this piece to show that there are events that happen in real life that are scary and that really do happen. Also the thing that inspired me to write something like this that I used to watch the crime T.V. show that showed what the mastermind criminals write down and how they think. It interested me so I wanted to put my mind to the test of writing something like that with fictional people. In this there are a few disturbing things that happen. My teacher knows that I was writing a piece like this and allowed me to do it.

Crime T.V. Report

First entry August 13, 2013:

Watching the girls one by one as they talk about cute boys and going shopping while coming out of school. I pick one out. Her, I choose her the one with the black hair and small round face. Her name does not matter now. I will figure it out soon enough.

Second entry October 13, 2013:

Her favorite color is purple. Purple everything, everything including her skirt and her cute shirt with purple and pink hearts on it. I must have her she is so pretty.

Third entry October 15, 2013:

Alright her mom drives a brown minivan with dark tinted windows. So after school I am going to trick her into thinking I am a friend of her moms, who just came to pick her up. She will be mine; I just have to wait till 2:30. What time is it now? 11:30 why do I have to wait so long?

Fourth entry October 15, 2013:

She is wearing a purple tank top with a big pink teddy bear on the front today along with her little shorts. My, she looks pretty today. I won’t mind taking her today.

Fifth entry October 16, 2013:

I have her in my possession. It was so easy she didn’t scream or anything. She really believed until we came up to my house and I put handcuffs on her that I was her mother’s friend. Now that she is tied up and blind folded she is mine to do with as I wish.

Sixth entry October 18, 2013:

She is so loud. Why won’t she stop crying? That’s all she ever does. She cried the entire time I touched her and kissed up and down her neck. I asked why she was crying, she wouldn’t answer me. So I took her pants off and did what I had planned on doing from the start.

it clouds your mind

you are confounded for an answer why you did this

crippled on your knees

crying you can’t bare to look at your hands

fear of who it is

a red liquid substance coats the floor

daring not to look up

you know who is lying there in a messy heap

trying not to think about it

trembling in pure regret of what just happened

you let go of the knife

to stand up takes all strength in your body

loud sirens blare off in the distance

before walking into your room

you grab your dad’s gun closing the door behind you

praying for forgiveness you point the big black hole at your head

Chapter 3

Fire and Water

The Water Kindred treaded closer to the old council hall. Siren was ablaze with emotion. It had been many years since something had made her unsure in her action, but the child she had parted ways with miles back made her unable to think clearly. There were only two persons alive to this day that knew the girls past, and future. Siren was one of them, the other was her father. The girl had a mysterious past, which even she herself did not know. Siren only knew what her mother had told her when she left her in the care of Siren in the village of the water sign. Siren only knew the child had to be protected. She only knew that if any harm befalls on her, something would happen to change the world.*          *          *The night was calm, and the stars were brighter than usual. The planets were all in alignment, and she knew this could be the night of the coming of the girl. Days ago Siren had received word that a child had been born in the Village of Tine. She had heard whispers that the Fire Elder in Tine had foretold a prophecy the hour of the birth, and that the prophecy was meant for the baby girl. The Fire Elemental had a vision that the contract of time would expire with in the child’s lifetime, and it would be up to the child to finish the battle that had been left incomplete so many years ago. The mother of the newborn feared for her child’s life, and had sent word to the village of Adrid that she was unable to care for her child and would be sending it to the care of Siren, who was to raise it as an innocent girl, and to say nothing about the prophecy. Her mother had told the messenger to keep what the prophet Elemental had told her a secret. And only to tell the Village Elder of Adrid that if this prophecy were to come true, the Tine Elder had said it was sure to claim her life. So here Siren stood in the door of her house waiting for this small baby, who had the power to change the world. A slight movement at the gate told her that the messenger with the baby had arrived. As he moved closer, Siren could make out the features of his face, and she was sure she knew him. “Feothan?” she spoke into the night. “Feothan is that you?”“Hush you’ll wake the whole village,” he replied. As he got closer to her stoop she could see the tears that streamed down his face. He would not look at her, but nor would he look at he child in his arms. He stood in front of her, and she could see all the pain in his eyes. He did not explain why it was he who had come, and not the fire village messenger, or even what he had been doing in the fire village, but Siren could guess by his wet cheeks, and the permanent frown on his face. He handed the small bundle that was the baby to her and started to leave. Siren looked down at her and into her green eyes that sparkled and glistened in the moonlight, and back up to where Feothan had stood.“Feothan, I do not condone what you have done,” Siren whispered to him as he walked away towards the gate. “I will keep her safe until the time comes that her destiny will unfold. I expect for you to be the one to tell her the truth, and I expect that you will do it on your own. I cannot say anything; I promised Naomi I would not tell her of the prophecy. It is up to you, and only you.” She knew he could still hear her even though he was no longer in sight. And she knew that when the time came, he would do what he knew to be right.*          *          *The memory of the night Aquarian came to Siren welled in her head, and Siren started to become sure of herself again. The old council hall came into view, just as the sun peaked over the horizon and onto the tall rocks that lingered in the grass as the Kindred exited the wood. Siren knew she had stayed true to what she told Feothan almost seventeen years ago.  She had kept the girl safe and the prophecy a secret.  It was in Feothan’s hands now to tell the girl of who she was, and what she had really been born to do.*          *          *Aquarian and Feothan continued their path in the wood, and sunlight began to peak though the overgrown trees. Aquarian could tell by the silence that now befell them that there was something Feothan was not telling her, and she was trying to find the words to ask him the truth, but the sound of footsteps and the clanking of a staff interrupted her thoughts. She had been looking down at her feet and watching the dirt and smooth pebbles pass her. Her head moved upward to see what had been making the noise. She saw for the first time in her comparatively short life the entire Kindred of Wind Elementals.  Feothan stopped and waited for their paths to cross, before gliding forth and greeting them with a bow and a smile. “The night has passed, and Mennen tells me that the clouds move closer. We are close to Talahm, what is it you wanted to show this human?” An Elemental at the front of the Kin asked. Aquarian was confused. Had the entire kingdom known she had been following Siren? And how did they know she was with Feothan now going to Talahm? “She has a past with me. Siren wanted to show the girl what will happen if the Elementals vanish from Talbarah. That is the meaning of this.” Feothan stood erect, and held his head up high. The girl didn’t know what was going on, but she was soon to find out.*          *          *The Water Kindred marched on closer to the council hall. A sigh of relief exited their mouths as the old vine covered building came into view for the rest of the Kin. Siren slowed down as the long line of Fire Elementals appeared form over the northern hills. Ahead of the procession was a tall dark man. His face was covered in tattoos of fire colored black and purple. The staff he wielded bore the same markings as Feothan’s and Siren’s. They were a burnt orange that faded into sky blue, and the crystal imbedded in the top was clear, like all the staffs of Element. He wore a black robe that covered his body, and his head was almost hidden under the hood. Siren stopped her procession, and waited.   Over the western hill came the Kindred of the Wind Elementals. Hand in hand, Aquarian and Feothan lead them onward. Siren smiled, feeling that the secret she had kept all these long years was off her shoulders. She could tell by Feothan’s dimpled smile, and the way that Aquarian’s bright eyes glistened that he had told her. Told her the truth about her past and the prophecy, and about her mother. In her heart, Siren wished Naomi had been standing beside her, sharing this moment. But in her mind, Siren knew that wherever the girl’s mother was, she was better off not knowing her daughter was soon to be consumed by what the prophecy had foretold, the death of Aquarian.

Note:Hello, this is the second half of chapter 1 and all of chapter 2. Thank you for reviewing, and for any comments you may have.

Moving south, the terrain had gotten steadily rougher as they neared the
base of the mountain. Coming out of the forest, the rocks that jutted up
from the ground seamed to become more jagged, and knife like, and although
the grass had gotten harsher miles ago, the tall thin stalks became scarcer.
Night fall was upon them, but it seamed to the human girl there was no sign
of stopping for the Water Elementals.
 The sun slowly drifted behind the mountain, and then the bleak night
engulfed them. Her feet hurt from the march, but she drove herself onward. A
thought entered her head that made her move faster. Louder her muscles and
frame swore at her. Her pace quickened, her heart raced, and her bones
ached. She must have realized what was happening, and she knew that if she
did not hurry, the vanishing Elementals would disappear soon leaving her in
the dust.
 A council meeting was a once in a life time sight to witness. There would
be at least one Fire and Wind elemental at the hall. And despite what the
legend told, this would be a perfect opportunity to see the Earth Gohn. It
was not an elemental, but rather the descendant of one, mostly human, still
possessing the power to weald a staff of Element.
 Elementals can produce healthy offspring with humans, but most hold their
noses up to the thought of it. Mixing species is not exactly the brightest
idea; one never knows what could result. There are only a few of them,
half-breeds known as a Gohn. They must spend most of their time trying to
blend in with the human side of Talbara since their kind is strictly
unaccepted by the Elemental side. This gathering is one of the few times a
Gohn can have civilized conversation with elementals, and have a voice in
the decisions made by them.
 For a few more long hours, the girl marched on thinking about how exciting
it would be to meet a human elemental. She was so deep in thought that she
almost didn't notice the water Elementals slowing their pace and turning
back into the tree thicket away from the tall grass, sharp rocks, and
mountain mahogany that had become their trail. She followed making sure to
stay somewhat hidden, although she didn't know for sure that the kin of
Elementals would greatly protest her presence. She was convinced the humans
were bound to find out what was happening anyway. The kin stopped suddenly
and another blast of air came rushing through the wood. Ahead of the
procession was Siren, who had her back to the rest of the kin. Stagnant she
stood waiting. The wind began to encircle her, and then it came to a
standstill.
 "I thought you were following us. Feothan." Siren spoke in a confidant
voice. The wind Elemental that had been in Arid gusted into a solid form,
and smiled in a friendly sort of way. There was something different about
him this crossing. He held one of the staffs of Element. It was glass
looking, clear and bore the same harsh markings on the stem that Siren's
staff did, but they were evergreen colored. His long white hair was tied
back in a ponytail, and his skin was so pail if it had been snowing, the
girl would have lost track of his thin body. He was the same age as Siren,
and looked just as young. His features were almost perfect and the way he
moved, even when he stood corporeal, was especially graceful and light, like
the wind. His long white cloak was made out of a thick velvet fabric, and his tan
pants and blouse clung loosely to his body, and rippled in the wind that was passing.
The tall boost on his feet were a dark green color, almost matching his staff.
 "The breeze has been blowing in an odd direction for the past hour or so.
You wouldn't have anything to do with that, would you?" Siren asked.
 "I have been following you," he lowered his airy voice so only siren could
hear his words, "why are you taking the old path towards Talamh, there is no
reason to go there. It is an abandoned village now. Without the earth
Elementals to run the hall the admin couldn't keep order over the humans and
everything fell apart. They all left. The town is empty now, just ruins, you
know this."
 "The child, the one who follows us,"
 "Oh so you did notice,"
 "Yes we've all noticed," siren replied impatiently, "She needs to know. She
has a role yet to play in the council, what it is I'm uncertain, but I have
a feeling, and you know my feelings are never wrong," She straightened up
and stared at Feothan with an expression of knowing. Siren always seems to
have the right answer, or be positive of the outcome of any situation. The
look on her face and the feeling in her heart was sure and confidant, so
Feothan did not question her. After all Siren was one of the oldest and
wisest of all the Elementals.
 "You are wasting time going this path, let me take her, we will move
quicker if its just the two of us," He lowered he voice even more, "she has
a familiar presence to her, an energy similar to Naomi's. Do you think she."
 "I don't know," Siren cut him off, "you guide her, but tell her nothing we
don't need her or someone else knowing. I feel another presence near, I'm
not convinced it should be welcomed with information kept hidden for thus
long. Understand?" Siren's voice cut sharply on her last word. Feothan
nodded to her, and then bowed with respect. Siren returned the gesture and
then the water Elementals began to move again.
 "Child walk with me, I will show you the path from here," Feothan's voice
was no louder than a whisper, but seemed to come from the wind bouncing off
the trees coming from every direction as it echoed through the woods.
The girl realized he was referring to her and stepped out of her hiding
place behind a large leafy bush. She slowly walked closer to the wind
Elemental, and he held out a hand of welcome. His face was unemotional
however, so she did not quite understand the gesture, and paused.
 "What is your name girl?" Feothan spoke in a calm, soft sort of way almost
like a whisper, but louder.
 "Shelia," She spoke in a nervous manner, and didn't know why but this made
her embarrassed so she looked to the ground while her cheeks flushed
brightly. This action made Feothan smile, and he glided closer to her.
 "I meant your sign," He said still smiling friendly.
 "Aquarian," she replied as her face lifted from the ground and gazed at
the Elemental before her. He studied her features for what seamed like a
long time before saying,
 "Heh, I knew your mother."

Chapter 2
Leon's Stronghold
 
 The height of the mountain and the way the moon fell on the towers and
walls of carved rock made the fortress look mysterious, and threatening.
Light shone through windows and cracks in doors onto the side of the
mountain casting eerie shadows on its slope, while sounds of laughter and applause came from the main floor.
 Leon stood on the balcony of his quarters staring off into the distance and
listening to the roar of noise coming from the dinner region. Although the
celebration was in his honor, he felt nausea at the thought of going to join
the party. He let his thoughts wander in and out of focus while trying not
to pay too much attention to the racket from below. The day had been long
and strenuous and he was tired, but the thought of sleep seemed like an old
joke to Leon. He wondered if his father would have approved of his actions
due to the recent loss of his mother, or if he would have told him to put on
a face and join the fun. Sometimes Leon felt so lost without his father's
guidance, and now the pain of losing his mother weighed more heavily on him
as the burden of ruling Talbara passed so quickly into his lap. His family
was vanishing like the Wind Elementals, except they would not return to his sight.
 Too overwhelmed by thoughts of the slow-paced week, he decided to go for a
walk to cool his head. Quietly sneaking out of the fortress, he headed down
the rocky dirt road in darkness. Being of the lion kindred, Leon could see
quite well in the bleak darkness that surrounded him. Having traits similar
to the free-roaming lions served the kindred well in the forest, they could
hear prey or enemies sneaking up, ready to attack, and see the path they
tread when the sun could no longer guide their way.
 It was cold out, and Leon wished he had thought to bring his thick cloak to
keep himself warm, but he figured if he could keep moving fast enough the
air wouldn't seem as chilling. As he walked he listened to the song of the
nocturnal forest. Exotic animals rarely seen in daylight scurried about,
while birds who kept Leon awake at the fortress when night fell were louder
here, and their song seemed more obnoxious than ever.
 Leon's mother was a gentle sort of woman who had love for the forest on the
slope of Brink, and when Leon was a boy she would take him walking through
it. They would laugh at the funny insects and odd creatures they would
happen upon as she gave him lessons about Talbara. But the world he knew
seemed to disappear when it was just the two of them, and everything was
knew. Once Leon almost stepped on a walking stick bug thinking it was just
another twig in the road. His mother screamed at him telling him not
everything it as it seems and he should be more wary of where he let his
foot fall.
 The fond memories that flooded his overwhelmed mind gave him a moment of
peace. As if the world did not exist, and it was just Leon, alone in the
forest with his Mother again.
 The peacefulness was broken when out of the corner of his eye Leon could see
a large figure on the path. A human wouldn't have been able to hear their
voices over the sound of the night, but Leon could hear them quite clearly.
 "She was a beautiful woman, your mother. I had not been told that she had
any children before she died," Feothan's voice was distant although he was
drawing very near.
 "Truthfully I didn't know her very well. She died when I was four, and the
village elders raised me after that. I asked about her constantly, but no
one seemed extremely interested in telling to me about her." Aquarian had a
much more distinct voice than her companion, although she looked so timid
and small. She was a young little thing, barely old enough to call herself a
woman.
 The finery Leon was accustomed to made him cringe at the sight of the
girl's appearance. The raggedy scraps of cloth she wore had been poorly sewn
together to create a very makeshift dress, while her dark brown hair was
knotted and askew to create a sort of mad look about her. The cloak that was
draped across her shoulders was torn and old, but the cloth, Leon could
tell, had been quite a catch in its prime. The smooth pale face of the girl
was covered in dirt smudges. Leon thought she would have been quite a
beautiful girl had she been cleaned up, and then she looked up and her eyes
gave her away. The sort of green eyes he had heard stories of Earth
Elementals possessing. The green was so bright, and had a mystical quality
about it that made her now seem not dirty, but mysterious. She walked
quickly, and her companion, he could tell, set the pace. They neared the
bend where Leon stood, and he concealed himself behind a tree. The dark
night would have hidden him well enough if the girl's companion didn't have
a lantern.
 As they stepped in front of Leon, he saw the light the man carried was not
a lantern, but a staff of Element. The crystal imbedded in the top of the
staff was aglow, and set off quite a bit of light. They moved past, and Leon
decided to follow them. Wind Elementals hardly ever come this close to the
fortress, and they are it is even rarer to see them with humans.
 After the rise of the Lion Kindred, the Elementals went quietly into the
villages. They became known as the village elders, and governed the towns
like mayors. Elementals were old and wise, and the humans knew enough not to
protest their power. After time past however, they slowly started to lose
their power over the humans, and had to settle as towns' people. Humans
accepted the Elementals as just another person in the village, but the
Elementals still had power in their staffs, and even though they recognized
this new place in life, they envied the old ways.
 Leon crept quietly following the two strangers, curious to learn more about
the arcane maiden. He darted swiftly form trees to overgrown shrubbery and
ferns, careful to stay hidden from the soft glow of the Elemental's staff.
"It seems silly of me to ask now, but how did you know my Mother?"
Aquarian's face was lit with interest. Her eyes looked to Feothan, and bored
into him. It wasn't the type of stair that sends shivers up one's spine and
makes one want to run and hide from those eyes. It was a stair that looked
into Feothan's soul, that made him feel safe and as though he had known this
young girl all his life.
 "I met her a long time ago, she was probably just a little older than you,"
he smiled, and held his head high as if he was looking into his past and
could see happy memories in the stage of darkness that surrounded them, "she
had been lost for hours probably, and the sun had been set for a while. I
didn't sleep much in those days, and had been wandering in the forest near
Seithe, the wind village. I could hear her crying through the wind. I went
to her, and took her back to the Village. She said she had been looking for
a man who had told her about an old contract, one that could be used against
the Superiors."
 Leon stopped dead in his tracks; he didn't care if the staff revealed his
presence. That contract was well known to the royal Family of the Lion
Kindred. His father, Superior Ragoth, had told Leon about it as a child, and
he knew that if humans had knowledge of it, the entire kingdom of Talbara
could fall apart.

Shallow breathing can't be heard through all the screaming.  Insanity pleads in those eyes glanceing down at a mangled clump of meat, or child if you wish.  They've never been people to him.

Note: Ok so I decided to break it down since I was not getting any comments. This is half of chapter 1, and the forward, which isnt that long, but it is still more than most people like to read. Even if you read just the forward, I would appreciate any feedback you have to offer... Eg: I liked this part, I didnt like this, it would be better if you said this instead of this, or any facts you have to offer about the setting (yea I know it is fiction, but there is alot about Elementals on the web from Greek Mythology).

Black, white, purple, green

Every outside unique,

   but in is a beating heart

A heart of hate

A heart of love

Stages of  love change everyday

   as the leaves on a tree

No matter if they

   F

      a

         l

           l

   wither

   CRACK

They come and go

   but must return back

A heart of hate

A heart of love

As children

   stareing, gazing, mocking. . .

Making silly of a thing called

   "love"

Taking   s.

             t.    e.

                    p.    s.

Having to trust, another soul

Kissing the lips, of once a stranger

A heart of hate

A heart of love

Fairytale version sets into mind

Things seem so clear,

   your drifting on distant clouds

Soon smiles fade . . .

   . . . to frowns

Because we all know good,

   must come with bad

A heart of hate

A heart of love

Fights seem as the end of you know

But when the storm SeTtLeS,

   and your still STANDING...

Your "Love" will  be never ending

One day you play my ~Prince Charming~

Next day you are the enemy,

   that i hate with a passion.

To others they always see my smiles,

   atleast the ones i force on my face.

In your eyes money will fix our problems,

   you must be blind,

   cause money is the farthest thing from my mind.

After all is said and done,

   atleast on your part,

   my lips are to scared to open.

To tell you how I really feel.

Sometimes I catch myself bending the truth,

   thinking this is what they call 'tough love'.

Well i got some news for you. .

Baby, im tough now,

   and i realized the one you

   "love"

is yourself.