Silent Vows Chapter 3

He gathered wood and made a fire. He had given her his quilt to sleep on. Her skin was so badly peeling and cracked from the heat and her own dehydration. Ointment made from fink berries and linret root and many silk wraps he placed upon her face so that they may hasten her healing. He had removed the leather boots from her feet only to find they were just as bruised and broken as the rest of her had appeared to be. He gathered water from the nearby stream and propped her up, and carefully put the flask to her bleeding lips. She drank thirstily. Her eyes fluttered for a moment, then flew open.


"Who are you? Why did you save me? Where am I now?" she questioned, whispering.


As she looked at him, she noticed he looked somewhat like her, only with much lighter skin. It did not have the same bluish tint as her own. He was lightly armored, but had a very stern look upon his face. She wondered what his plans for her were, as he did not look in the slightest bit amused with her presence.


He struggled for words. It had been many seasons since he had spoke the Teir'Dal language. He sat for a moment and with a suddenness all of his lessons in the language returned to him.


"I am Aildien. And I do not believe you could call what I did saving you. I've my own agenda to protect, Miss".


"Well you don't have to be so rude, I was merely asking questions anyone in my situation would!" she retorted. She was regaining her strength, and she was becoming angry at his demeanor. She tried to stand, but her body betrayed and she stumbled, completely left at the mercy of this person before her.


"I could say the same for you, woman. Tell me, what is a Teir'Dal doing near Kelethin? Did Morgalanth send you?"


"Morgalanth? Teir'Dal? What are rambling on about?"


"Do not play ignorant with me. Your kind should know better than to be this far from Neriak, especially alone. Where is your army?" He was growing impatient with this woman's ignorance. " How dare she act like she knows nothing! Never does a Teir'Dal wander without some malicious intent!" he thought to himself.


"I honestly don't know. ." she started.


He was done playing. He stood and walked over to his things, retrieving his sword. He walked hastily towards her and placing the blade at her throat he yelled at her.


"I am done with your games, dark elf! Tell me what Morgalanth's plans are for Kelethin or be slain here and now!"


She began to cry. Two days ago, she realized she knew nothing of herself or her past. Now, she sat with a blade at her throat, being questioned about things she had no knowledge of.


"I'm telling you the truth, if you will just listen to me!" she pleaded. "Please sit down and I will tell you everything I know!" She could feel even more of her strength returning, and managed to sit upright on her own.


Her words seemed to satisfy him for the moment and he took his place on the opposite side of the fire. Letting her regain her composure, he waited a few moments.


"So...SPEAK!"


"Look, I know you're not going to believe me...But I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. The truth is I awoke in that dreadful cavern a few days ago" she paused and wondered to herself "Was it a few days ago? How long have I been here?" "I woke up and tended to the wounds I possess, although I have no clue how I got them. I found that pack there", she pointed to the leather backpack he had set next to his own. "dressed myself and ate what I could. I tried to ration my supplies but I guess I didn't realize just how few I had."


"When I found you, you were almost dead."


"Well I thank you. For saving me. I thought no end to those tunnels. Just how did you manage to find me?"


"You really don't know do you? You are like me. We were both of the same race once. Your senses are heightened like mine. Did you not notice that you could see, even in dark spaces?"


She pondered this for a moment. How else could she have found the locket? Remembering, she realized there were no torches in the caverns, no lights anywhere as a matter of fact.


"I didn't notice." she said with a sort of confused look on her face. "You said we were the same once, what did you mean?"


"You better grab some rations from my pack. I believe there may still be some dried tipper meat. You are welcome to it, if you can find the strength to eat. This will be a long story" he said as he nodded towards his pack.


Could she eat? Her tongue was still very sore, and her lips still bled. But the pain in her stomach called out to her, and she accepted his offer. She managed to gather every drop of her strength and stumbled over to the small backpack he motioned to.


He felt a twinge of guilt at not helping her to her feet. It was quickly replaced when he noticed what she was looking at in his pack.


She had opened his pack, and she noticed more weapons and a small wooden box intricately carved on the lid. She pulled the small box from the pack.


"Don't touch that! That is mine. I use it to craft my arrows and I don't need you breaking it!" he said and he grabbed for the box to replace it back to its spot in his pack.


"I'm sorry. I was just curious" instantly afraid once more of the man now acting like a child when it came to his belongings. He definitely had a temper.


"Well don't be so curious. I had half a mind to kill you. Snooping around in my things is probably not in your best interests right now"


"You're right, I apologize again" she said, and she found the tipper meat and took her seat again beside the fire. Instantly amazed that this time it took hardly any effort to move around.


"Please tell me what you meant about us being alike. And why am I different now?"


"Well you see many years ago, you were a Feir'Dal, like me. ." he began. "We worship Tunare, Goddess of Nature. It is only speculation, but one of the wisest druids was slain by Morgalanth. He was never quite like the rest of us. Never quite happy with his life as a druid. His powers far exceeded many of the men in the city, and he was always quick to inform them of his magical prowess."


He paused a moment and thought to himself "This is going to be a long night."


He continued his story and she listened very attentively into the early hours of the morning. He had not believed her when she first proclaimed of having no memory, but seeing her expression as she listened was quickly changing his mind. Somewhere in his heart, he even felt the need to help her. To make her understand. Could this really be happening? Could he really be feeling the need to help a Teir'Dal?