Halo: Enter the Vale Ch 2
Merrill and the Spartan had been walking for a while staying generally silent despite the questions flying through her head. They stopped for a moment and Merrill took a moment to observe where they were a bit more closely. She sat down and rested her legs, massaging her feet as they were sore from the walking, she was confused as to why it was taking so long.
The Spartan put down Himlum and checked a purple, well she wasn't sure what it was, thing. She tilted her head curiously as she looked at it, it was purple in design and had a long snout-like thing on it, and purple shiny crystals on the top of it.
Maybe it was a staff of some sort, maybe it came with him from wherever he came from. A new question formed in her mind and was coming out of her mouth before she could stop it, "What exactly did you mean when you said you came from a fighter? Did you mean your father was a fighter?"
He stopped what he was doing and glanced up at her, "I never knew my father," he said. Then added, "But to answer your question, a fighter is a ship that is used to fight other ones in space."
Ships in space, did he mean the space between the oceans? "No I mean the space between planets, flying among the stars, I guess to put it into your perspective." She blushed a little, she had known she had thought aloud.
"Well since we're asking questions might I ask what your name is?" he said putting the purple staff on his back and resting his elbows on his knees.
"I'm sorry, I never did tell you… was I being rude? I mean-I—I mean I haven't met many humans before," she said, "and I'm babbling again." She felt her face get hotter.
He continued to look at her, she couldn't see his face so she didn't know how he reacted to it. "Of what I understand you're not," he said, "And I believe you've told that to me before…" he said spinning his hand a bit as it let it trail off, she still hadn't told him her name.
"I'm sorry, my name is Merrill, First of the Keeper," she said. Since they were on the topic of names she thought she'd ask about his, "Why do they call you Reaper, and why are you also called Spartan R-eight sixteen?"
He reached into a small pouch on his side and pulled out several oval shaped pieces of metal on a chain, but instead of being interconnected the metal was in the form of balls, interesting. "I collect lost souls, so to speak," he said, the comment made her shiver, between the name, the way he acted, fought, and moved, it was a bit scary to her. He put the metal links away and then added, "It's all that's left of my team, Roger Company, Red squad, I was leader and I made some poor decisions," his voice edged with emotion, the most he had expressed this entire time.
But so little that Merrill would have missed it if she had been listening so intently. She looked at him up and down, his posture was unchanged, "So why is your name so strange?"
He looked at her for a moment, she imagined he raised an eyebrow at that, "My name is Will." He said sitting straighter and looking to the right, immediately reaching back and grabbing the purple staff in two hands, all in the matter of a second. She still didn't know what was happening until an arrow came whistling out of the woods and barely missed her face.
Suddenly six men in plate and leather armor were charging out of the woods, sword above their heads and screaming like madmen. Will raised the rifle and fired twice, downing a man, the needles exploding after a moment. An arrow came flying from an archer on top of a pile of rocks, Will's head shot to the side as he dodged it, his hand shooting up and catching the shaft, snapping it in two with the same hand and putting the rifle in his back as they approached.
A man hesitated when he saw this and Will used this to run forward and grab his sword arm, his palm shooting out and breaking the mans shoulder even through his light plate armor. The man bellowed in pain and Will took the sword from his limp arm, raising it above his head and throwing it like it weighed no more than a dagger. The sword spun through the air before smashing against the archers chest, flinging him from the rocks.
The ranged threat was dealt with, Will thought as he finished off the man, breaking his neck with the arm he had wrapped around his neck. Three left, they started to surround him, he almost smiled, he reached down slowly to his hip and pulled the energy sword off the magnetic strip.
He checked quickly to be sure of Merrill's position, she was pulling the younger boy behind a tree, good. He threw the inactivate sword into the air and caught it as it came down, squeezing the pressure trigger, the energy blade popping out with the sound of lightning.
The men were visibly unnerved when they saw this, they shifted uncomfortably as he brought the sword down below his waist to take a stance, circling the small group. They rushed him at once, screaming and swinging their swords crazily, he parried a downward cut, the blade being sliced in half easily. He finished off the man by impaling him in the gut and spinning to the side to dodge another attack, slicing the mans armor and bones like butter, his entrails spilling onto the ground.
He grabbed a fighter by the throat and lifted him off the ground after lunging forward and taking the man by surprise before he could attack. He slammed the poorly armored human to the ground and decapitated him as he stood, taking a greatsword to his calf. His leg bent a little at the power of the blow, but it didn't even drain his shield to half, he turned and looked at his opponent, who was utterly baffled by what little affect it had on his, what would have bitten through armor and bone had he been wearing their armor.
He raised his hand and waved his finger back and forth, ah, ah, ah. The man yelled and made another sideways attack with the two-handed sword. Will raised the energy sword and it sliced the blade in half before it could touch him, the other half spinning harmlessly off his back. He decided to end this quickly, his sword shooting out as he passed the human, slicing his legs off at the knees, the man screamed. But as his useless legs gave way, Will sliced the air again and decapitated the man before he could hit the ground.
He looked at the carnage around him and deactivated the blade, scoffing as he did so, it was a poorly led ambush to begin with. He looked over to where he had seen Merrill dragging the boy and she ran forward, grabbing the staff off of her back and looking stupefied that the battle had already ended.
"You already killed them?" she asked confused as she looked about the carnage, her eyes finally rested on him. "I thought you said you didn't know magic?" she asked him also.
He raised an eyebrow and looked down at the deactivated sword, "It's not magic, it's concentrated plasma," he said. Judging by the look on her face she didn't have a clue what he was talking about. He noticed something that bothered him, his shields just returned to full strength, and even so that was slowly. He remembered to when he awoke on the ship, his shields had taken long to recharge as well, but not this slow, they must have been damaged.
"We should keep moving there might be more of them," he said, focused on what his instincts told him. He didn't see or hear anything, but that didn't mean there wasn't anything there. He walked over to where Merrill had dragged the young boy and picked him up, he was much more aware now, listening for everything so as not to almost be caught off guard again.
After several more hours they walked into the campgrounds, at least what was left of them. The only sign of the Dalish's presence here was the fire pits and wheel and foot prints. She instantly began to worry, why had they left without them?
Then she remembered what the Keeper had told her that morning before she and Himlum set out. "We will be moving camp today, if you do not return when we leave then you find us at the village that is two days south from here." Had she really expected her to be able to manage on her own for two days with little to no magic training other than from her free time. Well and there was Himlum, but he was young as she was and had barely any training in fighting and bow work.
In fact if it hadn't been for the Spartan she and Himlum wouldn't have even had made it this far. She looked up at the giant as he knelt and set Himlum down, inspecting a wound that the boy had gotten in another smaller ambush.
She walked to him, "They have already set out south to a small town, it's about a two day journey," she told him and he nodded, picking Himlum up again. It was well past noon, but if they set out now they might be able to catch up with them.
"Lead the way then," he said looking behind them to make sure they weren't being followed she guessed.
"I think I know a short-cut there that all of the clan together wouldn't be able to use," she said remembering exploring a bit when they had first set camp.
He just nodded and they were off again.
A half hour later Merrill and the Spartan stood looking up the sheer rock face.
"You sure this is the way?" he asked, this was nothing compared to what they had him do in training, but that didn't mean she could handle it. But then, he wasn't sure it the rocks could the sheer weight of his armor and the boy combined.
"Yes, I know it isn't the best of ways to go but I believe it will get us there faster," she said. "That or lead us in the opposite direction toward the mountains," she added and he looked at her. "I never made a map or anything, I just spotted it when we passed it," she said and he threw the boy over his shoulder and began to climb with ease.
She marveled at his agility despite the armor, she felt herself get warm again and she looked away, grabbing a sturdy ledge and pulling herself up. He's a human, she told herself, the story tellers told stories of humans eating children who strayed to far and those who killed the innocent. But yet here she was being saved several times by one and helped reach her clan, she countered herself.
There was also the one who had taken Rradal with him after they had discovered the Eluvian. What was his name, Dugan, Docnac, Duncan, yes that was it, Duncan, he had taken Rradal with him and turned him into a legendary Grey Warden. She had a crush on him when before he left, Rradal she meant, and she heard stories that he had slew the Archdemon and defeated the Darkspawn.
She had all been thinking about this while climbing and was still when she neared the top, Will having already made it there. She was about to reach the ledge, when the rock holding her foot gave way and she began to fall. Fear gripped her as she felt a sense of vertigo, but before she could fall too far back, an armored had grabbed hers and she looked up to see Reaper, Will, looking down at her, her small hands miniscule compared to his strong and powerful hands.
She looked down as she dangled in the air, him being the only thing between a fifty foot fall and safety, her other arm reached up and grabbed his wrist. He pulled her up without so much as a groan, turning and setting her down next to Himlum. She stumbled a bit when he set her down, he legs felt like jelly sap, wobbling and shaking from fear.
"You alright?" he asked her as she knelt down to ease herself.
"Yes, but can I please have minute?" he nodded and she thanked him, then again for saving her.
When she was ready they set out again, he had briefly scanned the landscape, the path did indeed lead to the town they were heading to.
"Where are we exactly, what planet?" he asked out of nowhere.
"Well that is an odd question. Well we are in the land called Ferelden, but right now we are in the Free Marshes, the main wooded part of Ferelden. There is another land to the north called Orlais, but I have never been there."
He simply nodded and Merrill fell silent. The sun eventually sank below the horizon and they trudged through the dark, she stopped and Will looked at her.
"We should set up camp, it is dark now and we'll need rest," she said, she was very tired from the constant walking and the fighting.
He shook his head, "I'm sorry Merrill but we should keep moving, the wound your friend here suffered is a little more severe than you may think. As good a fighter I am I'm no medic," he said and then he looked passed her into the dark of the woods. "And I think we're being followed," he added, finally expressing his feelings on the matter.
Merrill looked behind her cautiously, and then felt his hand on her shoulder, "Come on I bet I can see better than you in the dark, I'll lead the way, just stay close," he said.
She gladly took the offer, almost pressed against him she followed him as he led her through the dark woods, calling out obstacles and picking her up when necessary. She blushed and became warm every time he did, and she was glad the night covered her features because she was almost sure he would act differently if he caught her like this.
Finally he stopped and she did with him, she saw his form in the dark, he bent over and set Himlum on the ground, she took up a stop next to him. She didn't know what to do, she never was separated into such a small group, she suggested they make a fire.
"No that won't be a good idea. If we are being followed, or even if we aren't, it'll draw creatures and let enemies know of our position. Sorry but no, I'll go scan the area, stay here and cry out if someone or thing is near that isn't me, got it?" he told her.
She nodded, then realized that he probably couldn't see her, she opened her mouth to tell him, but he had indeed seen her for he moved off after putting a finger to her lips to silence her.
Several minutes later she heard a twig snap behind them, maybe it was Will, but why would he be behind them? "Will, is that you?" she called out, there was no response. "Will?" she asked again quietly seeing a shape come up in front of her, it wasn't till it was too late did she see the other figures.
