The final scene for this story popped into my head while I was writing Stay and I couldn't resist at least attempting it. You do not need to read that story to understand this one. The only thing similar between them is the main characters Moth and Nelcara. However, their personalities have been slightly altered due to this story taking place about 10 years before the other one. (I.e Moth's more temperamental and Nelcara's more brazen) This story will be multiple chapters, not sure how many yet. Probably close to twenty. We'll see. Oh and Moth is 31 and Nelcara is 18 at the start of this story. Enjoy!


Nelcara kicked at the rocks underneath her feat as they went down the road. There was nothing else to do. She had given up trying to follow the conversation of the soldiers in front of her. Not that she really wanted to talk to them. She didn't like the way the short dark haired one, what was his name? Wraim? Something like that. Anyways, she didn't like the way he looked at her. He looked like a wolf that hadn't eaten in weeks. The other one never even bothered to look her way, as if she wasn't even a person.

Nelcara stuck her foot out, in preparation to kick the next stone in front of her, but apparently missed her step. Instead, she found herself stepping on the hem of her dress and falling face forward toward the dirt. She let out a yelp and threw her arms forward, ready to catch herself, when one of them was forcefully pulled back by a rough hand, along with the rest of her body. She turned to see the soldier behind her. The orc stood her up before letting go of the firm grasp on her arm.

"Thank you…um, I never caught your name…" He had never actually said it. In fact, he hadn't said anything since they had taken her into custody. She had tried to talk to him a couple of times but all she ever got was a grunt or a scowl, which seemed to be permanently seared into his face. They were almost equal in height, herself only being two inches shorter. So, he couldn't glare down at her as she was sure he wanted to. Instead, he just stared at her long and hard for several moments before he finally answered, "Moth" in a deep gruff voice.


Moth should have known better than to have answered the girl. She had mostly been quite during the last few hours. Now she wouldn't shut up. She was rambling about…something. He wasn't paying attention. That much should have been obvious. But maybe she just liked the sound of her own voice. He would have much rather have been at the encampment. He had work to do, weapons to fix. Instead, he had been sent out on this escort mission. But he was a soldier. He didn't argue with a command.

"Enough girl" he finally growled, hoping to silence her. The sound startled her into submission for a moment, but only just.

"My name is Nelcara and I am not a child." She huffed with an aggravated glare. He gave her a look over. She was almost as tall as he was, with long jet black hair, big green eyes, golden skin and as his eyes travelled down he noticed…oh yes, that was a woman's body.

"You walk like a toddler." She was constantly tripping over her own feet or bumping into something. It was surprising that she didn't manage to hurt herself. He'd seen more coordination in chickens after their heads had been cut off. Two more days. Just two more days he reminded himself.


It was late when they finally stopped to camp, well past sunset. Nelcara gazed past the fire that had been set up, thinking of home. She wondered how her parents were doing. They were probably worried sick out of their minds back in Rorikstead. Her mother's face when they had finally pulled her away had been heartbreaking. She prayed to Talos that her older brother Torbis wouldn't do anything stupid. All this trouble….all this grief…for what? They wouldn't even tell her. She had asked. She had asked so many times on the road but they wouldn't answer. They claimed they didn't know. Nelcara was at a lost. She had run so many scenarios in her head, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out what she had done wrong. She didn't even know where they were going. She thought that question was fruitless as well and didn't even bother with it.

"You know, it's quite a shame that they didn't have a better fitting dress for you out on that farm?" Wraim commented as he stoked the fire. The look on his face said otherwise. Nelcara turned her head away, avoiding his gaze, as she wrapped the blanket she had been given around herself.

"Try to keep it in your pants for a few days" the other soldier, Halnir she had learned his name was, said. He laughed as though it was a joke. "Don't flatter yourself too much" Halnir said turning to her, "he'd sleep with anything that moved." Great, she sighed to herself. How was she supposed to sleep now? Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Moth shaking his head. He was taking a whetstone to his sword, sharpening the edge. She looked towards him to say something, anything to get her mind on something else. But then he motioned for her. He cocked his head to the side, telling her to move near him. Not willing to find out what would happen if she disobeyed, she gathered her blanket and walked around the fire. She took a seat in the dirt, a foot or two away from him. Unsure what to do she sat there a little longer, hesitating before actually laying down.

"Go on to sleep girl. No one's gonna bother you" he said without even looking up from what he was doing. His tone wasn't gruff this time. It wasn't friendly either but still. His words had been strangely comforting and had allowed her to find the will to lay down and close her eyes.