Disclaimer- don't sue me. I'm not trying to steal anything. Really!
Author's note- I think this chapter is going to be longer. If not, the next one will be. May have to raise the rating for this chapter though. Don't be scared. It's really not that bad. Just sort of bloody, but I have to make it sound good, you know? Gwooooo… (In case you're wondering, Gwooooo is the sound that octopi make.) Can anyone think of more creative names for my chapters? I am being aggravated by their dullness. Double Blargh.
Chapter 3- A Close Call
Faolin woke up. The first thing he realized was that the sun hadn't risen yet. The second thing was that Arya had gotten up already. He got up and stretched, then went out to the balcony. Arya was standing there, already dressed, just like always.
"How do you manage to get up this early every morning…" Faolin said sleepily, "Are you ever tired? I haven't yet seen you asleep."
"Faolin," she said, laughing, "It's been ten years. Have you still not gotten used to it?" He yawned dramatically and wrapped his arms around her. Together he looked out at the pre-dawn world.
"Something feels… different today." Arya said, totally out of the blue.
"How so?" said Faolin, inquisitive.
"It seems like…" She said, "Something is waiting to happen, or… needs to. I don't know, really, but…" She sighed, and snuggled against Faolin's shoulder. "Something… is waiting… something good… hmm..." She lapsed into silence. Faolin laughed a little. "What?"
"I feel it too." Faolin said, "Like the entire forest is expecting something. Something… amazing. Everything seems so alive, and yet…" he also fell silent.
"I think," said Arya after a minute, "That it might be just us… waiting… for... something." Faolin thought for a moment.
"Ah. Perhaps." He looked at the fading moon. "It's nearly dawn." Arya turned around to face Faolin. They were inches away from each other. Faolin breathed in. Arya smelled like crushed pine needles. Like the forest in summer. "Maybe…" he whispered against her lips. Then they were kissing, pouring their love for each other into one simple act. Faolin then, on a total impulse, swept Arya off her feet. She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. Smiling, he carried her through the screen and back inside.
Faolin awoke to see soft, pale sunlight shining through the window. Arya lay beside him, asleep. He smiled. Faolin had never seen anything as beautiful as she was. The sun shone on her long, ebony hair, which flowed down her back like a wave of black silk. Her slanted eyes were closed, her lashes making delicate shadows on her pale cheeks. Her soft, pink lips curved upwards in a small smile. He wrapped his arms around her and softly kissed her forehead. She opened her eyes then, and smiled.
"I finally caught you asleep." Faolin whispered, laughing.
"Well," she replied, "I guess so." Arya got up, stretching, and pulled on a light green nightdress.
Suddenly she stiffened, and half fell, supporting herself against one wall. The hilt of a dagger protruded from her back. Faolin gave a cry of alarm, and caught her as she collapsed. Blood oozed from around the knife, which was embedded just below Arya's left shoulder blade. Faolin lay her down on the bed; then gave a tug on the dagger hilt. Arya gasped in pain and stiffened.
"You have to relax." Faolin said softly. The blade of the dagger had emerged about two inches. Faolin looked at the blade, horrified and amazed. Instead of having straight sides, it had barbs; about a quarter inch long, sticking out from one side of the blade. They pointed up towards the hilt. He grimaced. Arya spoke, in a soft whisper.
"Just do it… quickly." Faolin took a deep breath, then took hold of the dagger hilt and pulled. Arya screamed in pain as the dagger ripped out of her flesh, her back arching. Then, she went limp and still. Blood gushed from the wound, creating a quickly spreading stain on her nightdress. Faolin placed his hand on the wound, and blood welled between his fingers. He intoned a complex healing spell; because healing this wound would take a lot more than a simple heal. He repeated the spell over and over, and he could feel the wound begin to heal under his hand. The flow of blood began to lessen, and finally skin closed over where the wound had been. Faolin ended the spell, and felt a huge drain on his strength. His arms shook, but he managed to hold himself up. He looked up as Arya awoke, and sat up. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him, softly.
"Thank you" she whispered. Faolin smiled, and said,
"Arya, love, you don't need to thank me. It is thanks enough that you are still alive. I could never have done anything else." they embraced each other for a while longer, and then Faolin released Arya. She got up, stretched, and went into the washroom. Faolin sat for a moment, then got up, and stripped the bloody blankets from the bed, cleaned them with a spell, and re-made the bed. After a few minutes, Arya emerged from the washroom wearing her now clean nightdress. She sat down on the edge of the bed next to Faolin.
"That is a very odd blade," she said, looking at the dagger on the floor.
"I know." replied Faolin. "It wouldn't be very useful in a fight, or for much else." "Definitely." Arya replied. "I wonder who…" she trailed off.
"Tried to assassinate you?" Faolin said, bluntly. "Yes, so do I. I can't think of anyone in Ellesmera who would do such a thing. You didn't anger anyone in court did you?" the last question he said with a slight laugh.
"No. I don't believe so." Arya replied. She got up, picked up the dagger from the floor, and murmured a spell. The blade of the knife melted into a silver glob. It then proceeded to fly out the open window and drop to the base of the tree.
"There." Arya said. Faolin laughed. "Ow! What the-" said a voice from the base of the tree. Faolin and Arya looked out the window, to see a male elf standing in the dirt road, rubbing his head.
"Hey!" he shouted, "don't go throwing lumps of metal out your windows! You might hit someone." he then ran off into the trees. Faolin and Arya looked at each other, and burst out laughing. They had to smother their giggles so that the elf didn't hear them, because it would be extremely embarrassing if he came back to yell at them again. After a few minutes, their laughter subsided. Arya sighed, and flopped down on the bed.
"I almost died just now, didn't I?" she said, quietly. Faolin sat down next to her.
"Well," he said, "I… I guess so. But-" Arya cut him off.
Someone's coming," she said, suddenly tense. "Actually a lot of someones." Faolin had heard them also, and was sitting rigidly, staring at the door. They both relaxed a fraction when they sensed that the approaching people were not meaning to harm them, but to see what had just happened. After a few more seconds, several elves burst into the room, swords drawn. After a moment of confusion, they stood in the doorway, looking nonplussed. One elf, who seemed to be leading the force said,
"What happened? We heard someone scream, I'm sure it came from here. You both look unharmed. Did you hear anything?" Arya replied, smooth and cool.
"I believe that we were the source of the commotion you heard." she and Faolin then proceeded to tell the elves about the events that had transpired.
"Where," said one of the guards, is the knife you spoke of? I don't see it." Arya looked a bit sheepish, and said,
"Umm… gone. At least mostly." she then held out the hilt of the knife. She then cast a spell that caused the metal of the blade to re- form into it's original shape and re-attach to the hilt. The elf looked confused, but wisely didn't ask.
"Wow." he said, "That is a wicked blade. I've never seen the like of it." The other elves nodded. Then the lead elf then asked to see their memories of the attack. Arya and Faolin agreed. After seeing their memories, the elves conferred in hushed voices. Faolin stared out the window at the sun, which had now risen fully above the tall pines of Du WeldenVarden. He had never expected to get attacked here, in the safety of the elves capitol city. Who would do such a… Faolin was brought back to reality when he heard his name called. He realized that Arya was waving her hand in front of his face.
"Faolin!" she said, seeming slightly worried. He sat up straight, and said,
"What is it? I apologize, my mind was drifting." Arya smiled.
"Nothing, I was just… getting you back to reality." she said with a slight laugh.
"We are going to report to Islanzadi. I will station two guards here so-" Arya interrupted. "There will be no need," she said in a very imposing, royal voice. "We did not have any wards set up, for as I hope you will understand, we did not expect to be attacked here in Ellesmera. As you know, an attempt on someone's life happens very rarely among our race, so… we were unprepared. All of you may go." Looking slightly abashed, the elves left. Murmuring words in the ancient language, Faolin and Arya set wards around themselves. A sudden buzzing filled the air. Faolin jumped, and then realized that t was Arya's alarm. She stood up and turned it off. She hurriedly began to get dressed.
"I forgot!" She said, tugging on her tunic, "I have a court meeting today!"
"I'm sure Islanzadi will understand once she knows what has happened." Faolin said, reassuring her.
"I still don't like to be late." she said. "and mother will be furious with me until she finds out what happened."
"Arya, I'm sure they," Faolin said, gesturing towards the door, "will arrive there before you so she'll know already."
"What is your point?" Arya said, lacing her boots.
"Umm… well, I was just saying that…" Faolin trailed off.
"You don't know, do you." she said, and laughed. She then gave Faolin a quick peck on the cheek and hurried out of the room. Faolin sighed, feeling fairly nonplussed.
"well." he said, "that was quick. Really, I need to get her to relax a bit or something.
Author: Well, that was better than I thought. Still a little short. I hope you didn't think I would kill off Arya in chapter three. I know I said it was a tragedy, but I would be mad at anyone who ended a story like that, and besides, I have a much better ending planned. (No, I will not tell you.) Review! To Morzan's Elvish daughter, Faolin is older than Arya; the plot bunnies told me he was short.
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