So, here's the thing: I love to write and I think I'm pretty good at it (but you'll be the judge of that, won't you?) and, therefore, I've decided to write a story about my two favorite Guild Wars characters - Mhenlo and Cynn. Don't shoot me, I'm a hopeless romantic. Of course, I'll do everything not to make the story a pathetic, cheesy bunch of different love declares and things like that. Just the beginning 
Feedback is not necessary, but will be appreciated. Oh, and I hope my grammar isn't too embarrasing, since English isn't my first language. Ok? Ok! Here we go...
The Price of Love
Chapter 1
It was still unbelievable how everything prospered. Instead of plain, red dirt, his horse trotted across vast fields of fresh, green grass bejeweled with numerous flower cups in all shapes, colors and sizes. The sounds of birds chipper made him want to close his eyes and just stop, taking full pleasure in his surroundings. There was no more heavy smell of scorched wood and flesh, but scents that could only be found in the Mists, he was sure.
General Tydion thought he will never live to see Ascalon recover from the horrible Charr invasion. And yet, he is now patrolling the area north of the Wall, still astonished by what he sees. On the other side, the land is even richer. Every city and town is being rebuilt remarkably fast. Even Surmia, for which he thought there was no hope.
And it's all thanks to a young Warrior, Devona, and her friends. Yes, everyone now knew their name. General smiled - his own son dreamed of becoming a Ranger as great as Aidan. He pulled the reins and his stallion came to a stop, just on top of a small hill. A sigh of content escaped his lips as his eyes traveled across the horizon where the sun slowly drifted away: finally, the days of peace arrived again.
Suddenly, his horse began to shiver. It was so light that only an experienced rider as he was could sense it. Something made the animal anxious. It started backing up, nervously waving its long, silver mane.
"Shhhh..." general tried to relax him, tugging on the reins, but it didn't seem to work. The horse just became more restless, turning around and slowly but steadily heading downhill.
"What's wrong, Gryff?" general asked, doing his best to find the source of all this. As he was searching for anything out of the ordinary in the peaceful nature around him, a strange feeling struck him. A feeling that he was being watched.
Without hesitation, he drew out his long sword, its blade shinning magnificently in the dying sunlight. Whatever it was, he was going to slay it.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something move. Gripping tightly on the handle of his sword he whirled around, ready to strike.
But what he saw made his arm stop in mid-swing, almost dropping the weapon.
The figure in front of him most certainly wasn't a human being. He didn't know what it was. It was tall, incredibly tall, twice his height. It's... face, if you could call it that way, was long, with a chin ending in a sinister thin point somewhere where its navel should be. There were two eyes, size of general's fists, staring at him blankly, with no irises. Just pure blackness. No nose, no mouth, nothing. It was wearing some sort of a long white dress, covering its whole body, only it couldn't have been made of cloth. The clothing was gleaming eerily in the dusk, turning into white smoke just before reaching the ground.
It spoke. No, no, it couldn't speak, thought general, it had no mouth. And yet, he could hear its voice in his head. A sound he never heard before.
And, before he managed to react, to take another swing at the being, a silent scream escaped his throat; his sword fell to the soft ground, as his whole body went numb and his eyes became completely black, empty, just like those of the creature.
***
Cynn opened her eyes. The bed was empty. Bright, silver moonlight sneaked into the room, illuminating the canopy around her and herself. From where she was lying, she could see the stars glitter in the night sky and feel the soft, summer breeze on her face.
Slowly, almost reluctantly, she rose up and grabbed a light blue, silk robe from the floor next to her feet. Donning it, she walked across the bedroom and out through the open, glass door leading to the garden.
There, at the end of the green path, beneath a tall statue of Dwayna, knelt her Monk, his hands put together in a prayer. She sighed - she lost the number of nights in a row he spent like this. Something was troubling him deeply, but she didn't know what, he refused to say.
Careful not to frighten him, she walked to his side, determined to get him back in bed.
"Mhenlo..." she whispered gently, placing a hand on his bare shoulder.
Saying last words of his prayer, Mhenlo stood up and turned to look into her blue eyes that always left him breathless.
"What's wrong?" Cynn repeated the question she seemed to ask a lot lately.
He smiled reassuringly and kissed her forehead, "Nothing, dear, everything is just fine."
Suddenly, the brightness of her eyes was replaced by a dark blue shade. She gritted her teeth in a rush of anger and desperation. Knowing these signs all too well, Mhenlo backed away one step, as far as the statue let him, bracing himself for what was going to come.
"Just fine?!" Cynn's voice boomed across the garden, "For more than a month I've been sleeping alone in that bed and you say that everything is fine?!"
"Cynn, please..."
"No! I don't want to hear it!" she continued yelling at him, throwing occasional pokes in his strong chest, "I'm trying really hard to make this work, you know how difficult it is for me! But I can't do a damn thing if you won't talk to me!" her voice was turning from angry to devastated, "You're drifting away and I can't do anything to stop that! I..." her eyes began filling with tears, "I don't know what to do anymore, because it's clear that something is wrong and..." she broke into a whisper as the pain from the past weeks arose in her and a few tears rolled down her cheeks, "...I just don't know what."
She lost control over herself and slumped down to the soft grass, burying her face in her hands, crying.
Mhenlo started feeling the pressure in his chest, as he does every time Cynn is unwell. He crouched next to her and removed her hands from her wet face.
"Look at me," he whispered softly, still holding her hands. Reluctantly, she did what he told her to and he gently wiped away the tears from her cheeks, "I can't tell you the reason of my strange behavior, for I don't know it yet myself. I'm hoping that Dwayna will guide me to the answer. When I decipher what it is that Gods wish to tell me, you will be the first to know, I promise."
She calmed down a bit, listening intently as he continued, "And I love you, Cynn. More than my life. Don't you ever doubt it, not for a second."
"Well, I hate you," she retorted, avoiding eye contact, "You make me feel so weak. I hate being so vulnerable."
He laughed and wrapped his arms around her, "That is the price of love, my dear."
Cynn opened her eyes. The bed was empty. Bright, silver moonlight sneaked into the room, illuminating the canopy around her and herself. From where she was lying, she could see the stars glitter in the night sky and feel the soft, summer breeze on her face.
Slowly, almost reluctantly, she rose up and grabbed a light blue, silk robe from the floor next to her feet. Donning it, she walked across the bedroom and out through the open, glass door leading to the garden.
There, at the end of the green path, beneath a tall statue of Dwayna, knelt her Monk, his hands put together in a prayer. She sighed - she lost the number of nights in a row he spent like this. Something was troubling him deeply, but she didn't know what, he refused to say.
Careful not to frighten him, she walked to his side, determined to get him back in bed.
"Mhenlo..." she whispered gently, placing a hand on his bare shoulder.
Saying last words of his prayer, Mhenlo stood up and turned to look into her blue eyes that always left him breathless.
"What's wrong?" Cynn repeated the question she seemed to ask a lot lately.
He smiled reassuringly and kissed her forehead, "Nothing, dear, everything is just fine."
Suddenly, the brightness of her eyes was replaced by a dark blue shade. She gritted her teeth in a rush of anger and desperation. Knowing these signs all too well, Mhenlo backed away one step, as far as the statue let him, bracing himself for what was going to come.
"Just fine?!" Cynn's voice boomed across the garden, "For more than a month I've been sleeping alone in that bed and you say that everything is fine?!"
"Cynn, please..."
"No! I don't want to hear it!" she continued yelling at him, throwing occasional pokes in his strong chest, "I'm trying really hard to make this work, you know how difficult it is for me! But I can't do a damn thing if you won't talk to me!" her voice was turning from angry to devastated, "You're drifting away and I can't do anything to stop that! I..." her eyes began filling with tears, "I don't know what to do anymore, because it's clear that something is wrong and..." she broke into a whisper as the pain from the past weeks arose in her and a few tears rolled down her cheeks, "...I just don't know what."
She lost control over herself and slumped down to the soft grass, burying her face in her hands, crying.
Mhenlo started feeling the pressure in his chest, as he does every time Cynn is unwell. He crouched next to her and removed her hands from her wet face.
"Look at me," he whispered softly, still holding her hands. Reluctantly, she did what he told her to and he gently wiped away the tears from her cheeks, "I can't tell you the reason of my strange behavior, for I don't know it yet myself. I'm hoping that Dwayna will guide me to the answer. When I decipher what it is that Gods wish to tell me, you will be the first to know, I promise."
She calmed down a bit, listening intently as he continued, "And I love you, Cynn. More than my life. Don't you ever doubt it, not for a second."
"Well, I hate you," she retorted, avoiding eye contact, "You make me feel so weak. I hate being so vulnerable."
He laughed and wrapped his arms around her, "That is the price of love, my dear."
