Author's Note: This is the story version of an RP going on at the Orlando Bloom Fans ezboard @ http://pub75.ezboard.com/borlandobloomfans under Role Play. The characters are copyright their respectful owners. Only Kaze Windseeker and the layout of this story are mine. WARNING: This story will probably be SUPER long and updated msotly every day if not several times a day so check back periodically for updates.

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Before the Quest by Harley

Chapter Three

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As they ran together, Sarei spotted a group of torches in the distance and headed in that direction, hoping they would be able to see clear enough in the mist.

Suddenly, she came to a halt and Emrald nearly ran into her but stopped himself from knocking her to the ground even if it did cause him to stumble a bit to get his ground.

"Shh." She said sharply and put a hand behind her, as if to stop him. "Did you hear tha-"

SHHHHRRRIIIIIIEEEEEEK!

Both of them winced, ducking a bit before Sarei grabbed his arm and pointed. "There!"

The supposed torches turned out to be the burning village and several giant, spider-like creatures were fighting against armed Men although it was obvious the Men were ill prepared and many of them had already fallen.

With a burst of speed, Sarei jumped, hands clamping upon a low branch above head. She quickly swung up and then took an advantage point before hurtling herself down and landing upon one of the awful creatures. Careful to avoid the clear but obviously deadly liquid dripping from it's giant fangs, Sarei plunged her dagger into it's chest before ripping it upward and quickly slaying the dread beast. Without hesitation, she quickly went to the nearest creature to slay that one was well.

Emrald leaped into action, pivoting and twirling, long sword drawn, the gleaming blade soon dripping with blood, gore, and poisonous venom.

The fire soon spread to the surrounding forest and both Human and Half-Elf alike were soon huddle together in a circle of spiders as fire blazed around them. Emrald took a slash and Sarei a stab at any that ventured too close but it was soon apparent they were out-numbered.

One leaped at Emrald and he ducked, screaming as it's claws sank into his sword arm, blood flying from the deep wound and sword clattering to the ground.

An arrow whizzed by and lodged itself into the monster's throat and the blue feather's weapon was quickly followed by two more before the creature bellowed in outrage and fell dead.

Both Emrald and Sarei turned to see the previous young male Elf come leaping through the fire, bow drawn and another arrow flying to hit one of the spider's in it's left eye.

The previous Elvish Healer came out of the mist, hacking at the circle with her own sword drawn.

Drawing up courage, Sarei let out a cry and leaped at the nearest monster while Emrald grabbed up his sword in his other hand and met the oncoming attack of another monster.

Soon, the battle was over and the four of them stood there, blood dripping from wounds, the Healer only having a mild scratch as her other wounds were healing at an alarming speed.

"We must put out the fire!" Sarei cried, he elvish inheritance screaming within her. From the look on both the whole Elves' faces, they too, heard and felt the pain of the dying Mirkwood.

Emrald shook his head. "The fire is too big. We must run for it!" He shouted as he noted that the village, what people still remained, were long either dead or had run away.

Sarei closed her eyes for a moment but then opened them and gave a curt nod. She disappeared quickly within the smoke and, Emrald noted, so had the other two Elves.

Fear clutched him but he quickly ran in the direction he thought Sarei had, holding his wounded arm close as it was burning like the forest around him.

Soon, he was lost and coughing from the smoke. He tried to wrap his cloak about his nose and mouth but could hardly see for the smoke was thick.

A hand tightly griped his arm and he felt himself being pulled in a different direction. Thankful for whoever was helping him, he followed and was soon free.

He doubled over, coughing and wiping his eyes. When he glanced up he was both Sarei and the Elvish Healer a bit ways off, nearest the inn door, the Healer dabbing something at a heavily bleeding wound above Sarei's left eye.

With a wince, he noted the Male Elf standing next to him, bleeding from a large wound at his thigh and a cut upon his cheek, neither of which he appeared to notice.

Emrald straightened and went over to Sarei, who looked up with a sigh of relief. "Youre' ok."

"You too." He said, frowning a bit as Sarei looked over at the Elf.

Once the Healer was satisfied, she turned to Emrald. "There should be no infection. Hold this above her eye to stop the bleeding and it will be fine."

Emrald, nodding, took the cloth and held it to Sarei's wound as the Healer went back inside. Sarei scowled at this. She did NOT like being babied but she let him anyway.

"Someone should see to Mister Grumpy over there. He's bleeding quite bad." Sarei commented as the bleeding Elf hobbled around the corner of the inn and down an alley way, a trail of blood giving away his where-abouts.

"I heard that!" Was the muffled reply from the alley way.

Both people chuckled and Emrald said, "I'll go see if I can get that Healer again." Sarei held the cloth now as Emrald went back into the inn, now clutching his wounded arm.

Sarei hesitated and then followed the bloody trail to find the Elf sitting upon the dirty cobblestone floor, back to the brick wall. His trousers were torn open at the thigh, giving way to pale skin and a large, bleeding wound. She watched as he tore a bit from his trousers and tied it tightly above the wound to help stop or subdue the bleeding. His face was hard, like a mask, as he did this.

She coughs a bit but he pointedly ignores her. Her gaze falls to his open trousers and she blushes a bit but can't see anything. She decides not to make a snide comment about THAT.

"You're leaving a trail." She says, still holding the cloth to her eye. The Elf leans back and sighs. She steps closer.

"Like you care."

"You ok?"

I will be once you leave, he thinks to himself before saying, "Do I look ok?" And opens his eyes, leaning forward a bit and turning his head so he can face her.

She takes the cloth off, glancing at the soaked red piece of cloth, before putting it back to her wound. "…Not really." She replies, honestly.

Emrald leaves the inn, not being able to find the woman. Damnit. Hoping she'd be back soon, he glanced down to see the trail of blood.

He followed it to find Sarei and the Elf.

"You know, you can stay here and bleed like a pig or go inside and find a healer." He says gruffly to the Elf, not mentioning he had already TRIED to find her. His voice softened a bit. "My name's Emrald and I didn't get a chance to thank you for helping me make it out of that fire." He frowned, noting that the wound was, really, quite bad and feeling sorry for making a sarcastic remark earlier, he knelt in front of the Elf. "Want me to go get someone for you, instead?"

The Elf's face softened a little and he nodded. "Kaze. Windseeker. Just trying to… ah… help. And yes, I don't think my walking would be a good idea."

Emrald stood and nodded, disappearing around the corner once more. He went back inside the inn and breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted the Healer at the bar. He pushed his way through, wincing as someone brushed by his arm. But there was a reason he was clutching it. His hand had already begun to work it's healing magic upon the wound he tried to conceal.

"Excuse me, but my other… ah… companion is hurt quite bad. It would be much appreciated if you could assist him?" He was in debt to the Elf-Kaze, right?-and sounded pretty desperate. He WAS pretty desperate. His healing techniques weren't THAT good.

The Healer, nodded and got off her barstool, grabbing her sack and Emrald followed her out of the Inn before then leading her to Sarei and Kaze.

The Healer knelt by the Elf and retrieved some herbs from her sack. She then crushed them in a clay bowl and poured some clear liquid from a clear vial into the bowl. Stirring it together, it became an almost paste and she spread it along the wound, Kaze hissing softly in pain.

"That should do." She said. "It will heal the wound, stop infection, and will not scar." She glanced up at the already scabbed-over cut on Kaze's other-wise smooth, pale cheek. "That, on the other hand, WILL scar." She said a bit huffily, as if trying to tell him he should have waited for her.

Kaze snorted but clasped her hand anyway before she could stand all the way. "I appreciate your willingness to help me." He said and offered her a rare smile.

The Healer smiled back and shook his hand. "The name is Loraiyer, and I am always willing to help." She then turned to Emrald, who was standing like a worried mother to the side.

"Do you have a room at the Inn?" Loraiyer inquired.

Emrald snapped out of his daze and focused upon the Elvish Woman. "Who, me? Yes. Yes, I do… why?"

"He needs some rest." Loraiyer responded and Kaze nodded.

"I myself do not have a room." He supplied.

Emrald chewed his lip in thought. "I-uh-Ok." He said lamely.

Kaze jerked his head at Sarei. "She may need rest as well."

"My room's not that big!" Emrald said, eyes wide. "But since you two are wounded, I shall offer the bed to you two and sleep on the floor." After he said that, he mentally groaned.

Loraiyer chuckled as she made her by him and rested a hand upon his shoulder, leaning close to whisper, "Do not worry. The herbs I gave him also inflict deep slumber. He shall be asleep shortly." She winked and with a chuckle, disappeared from sight.

Emrald nodded and helped Kaze up and they both looked at Sarei who sighed. "I will sleep in my OWN room, thank you." She said and went back inside, bloodied cloth dropped to the ground.

Both males shrugged and hobbled inside and Kaze glanced at Emrald, not bothering to tell him about the blush he had spied upon the Half-Elf's face.

Kaze leaned against the banister while Emrald retrieved his room-key from and quickly found himself falling asleep.

"Ok. Got the key-" Emrald stopped as he saw Kaze had, indeed, fallen asleep by the stairwell. Sighing to himself, he put a hand to the Elf's shoulder and shook gently. "Kaze. Wake up now. We must go upstairs." When this got no response, he shook a bit harder and spoke in Elvish tongue. "Cuiva, melloneamin.*" He hoped that Kaze, hearing Elvish words from a Human mouth, would wake him.

Kaze did indeed start awake. "Oh? Oh." He said and went up the stairs. "awake, yes. I am awake." His sleepy mind dimly processed that the Human had called him friend. Kaze frowned a bit as his eyelids grew heavy.

Emrald followed close behind, catching his companion when he nodded off again. "A few more steps Kaze. C'mon."

They managed to get upstairs before Kaze leaned against a wall and fell asleep again. Emrald sighed once more. Some part of him suggesting ROLLING the Elf to his room but he quickly pushed that thought away with a chuckle.

He went and unlocked his door and then picked up the surprisingly light Elf and took him inside his room.

Emrald gently put the elf on his bed and Kaze immediately curled up, falling deeper into slumber. The Human then turned around and dropped his bag onto the floor, chuckling a bit at what had happened over the course of that night.

He got up, and shot a glance at Kaze. Fast asleep. He was gonna be fine here. He opened his bag, and pulled out a clean white shirt, pulling off his dirty shirt and winced when he pulled loose some fabric that got stuck at his wound. He investigated his hurt arm, the wound had scabbed over and it seemed to already have gotten somewhat smaller. The healing ability his mother's side had bestowed upon him came quite handy in needful times such as these. He looked at the dirty and torn up shirt in his hand before tossing it into a near-by wooden trashcan and walked into the bathroom area. Feeling rather tired, he merely dipped a piece of cloth into the water filled basin and pressed it to the wound, careful not to disturb the scab and make it bleed all over again. He then took up the bar of soap and leaned over, foaming up his dirty hair and hoping he got the spider goo and smoke smell out of his tangled locks.

Once he was done, he looked in the mirror and sighed. He looked almost exactly the same now as he did when he was 18. His skin was rather pale and even now he didn't know if it was because of his mother's side again or because of his shocking red hair. Well at least he didn't have freckles. He then began to analyzed his face. His large, round brown eyes. His turned-up nose. His finely shaped, but thin lips. His strong jawline. His smooth skin. He rubbed his chin with his hand, the skin as smooth as that of a baby. He never shaved, not once in his life. One of the few things that gave away he was not as human as he seemed. He glanced down at his body. He was thin. Almost skinny. He was quite strong, though. His build was probably one of the things he inherited from his mother's side. He looked at his face once more, putting his hair behind his ears. If his ears would have been pointy like his mother's, instead of round like his father's, would Sarei have been interested in him?

He scowled at himself, wondering why he was thinking of her at a time like that. He took up the nearby candle that lit the dim room and put it atop the small table in the corner. Sitting down, he retrieved the leather diary and quill pen and flipped over to where he had been writing eariler. He thought for a bit before writing, 'what a night. There is an elf male sleeping in my bed. I had to *carry* him to my room.'

That was as far as he got for his eyelids grew heavy and he pointedly fell asleep.

*Cuiva, melloneamin means Wake up, my friend in Elvish