A/N: Here we gooooo! Please please review! I need feedback to know this is being read!
-A
Chapter 7
The Meeting
Amara jumped at the taunting voice. She spun around looking for its owner, but there was nothing. "I carry it in the event that a disembodied voice suddenly attacks me," she replied. When the voice did not answer she tried again, "Where are you?"
She felt something tickle her cheek and when she looked she found it was a feather floating to the ground. She looked up but the sunlight blocked her vision. "So you're up there? Come down."
"Come down says the little lamb to the wolf. Come down and play."
A large shadow blocked out the light coming through the canopy and grew closer by the second. Amara jumped out of the way just before it came violently crashing to the ground in a whirlwind of feathers and mass.
"Look away!"
She quickly covered her eyes, just then remembering the tale.
You must never lay eyes on one, for they must never let an outsider see them.
She could hear rustling, almost as if leaves were falling from the trees. Then, all went silent.
"Why… are you… here…" it asked in what seemed to be a strained voice.
She gulped down her fear and stood as straight as she could, "I have come to assure the safety of my dear friend."
Now she could hear the thing's heavy breathing, it was definitely hurt. "Ah, yes… the little one…"
"So you remember?" she questioned, still blind to the voice.
"I remember, I remember she was… terrified."
She could almost hear the smile in his voice, which only enraged her.
"What do you plan to do with her? She knows she has seen you. The poor thing cannot rest."
"Plan? Oh I have great plans for her, but I have yet to truly decide. Maybe I should tear her limb from limb? Or, maybe I should rip her skin off…"
Amara had had it. She raised her sword and did her best to hide the shaking she felt from her growing anger, "You will not touch her."
"Well I must, she has seen me."
Amara imagined the terrible scene, and all she could feel was an overwhelming sense of guilt. It was her fault Kerrigan had even been put in that situation at all. "Take me. Take me instead. She is but a girl."
The words came out before she even had time to weigh them. It was done.
"A girl, you say? Are you not a girl yourself? Your face is still unmarked by the stresses of time. You glow with the youth and naivety of a child." The thing let out a grisly cough. She could hear it move from its spot across the clearing and move towards her. Suddenly there was a small gust of wind. "You would willingly give yourself for her?" She jumped when the voice answered from directly behind.
"If left with no other choice," she tried to answer as confidently as she could. The thing's breathing became heavier and it began to cough. "You are injured, are you not?" When she did not receive an answer she continued, "I can help you, on the condition that you do no harm to Kerrigan or any person of the village."
The thing coughed once more, "So… foolish. Just like the rest… I have no interest in bringing harm to village people, I never… did. Why do you think I am... in the condition that I am in now?" it answered with an anger she had not noticed before.
"You people are all the same," he coughs, "with your idiotic stories and fears. If there is anything to fear… it is your ignorance."
Amara shakily removed her hand from her eyes and turned around. As soon as she caught a glimpse of it, it growled and flew across the clearing. She watched as it slumped against the base of a large oak tree. She stood in awe, it was similar to a man from what she could tell. It had a mop of dark chestnut brown hair that covered its downward face. Amara took a few cautious steps forward. She was an arms length away before its head snapped up and two of the brightest green eyes she had ever seen met hers with an indescribable fury. Its large white wings stretched to their full potential, spanning multiple of Amara's length's. He reminded her of a wounded animal, on edge and unpredictable. He barred his teeth like a dog.
"Treaty breaker, treaty breaker…" it taunted.
Its eyes grew a shade darker as it rushed forward to meet her with a speed she did not think possible, "Do you realize what you've done?!"
She froze, eyes wide with fear.
"It is because of you that those fiends can now cross onto your lands. As if I did not have a hard enough time keeping them in check as it is?! There are boundaries for a reason you little idiot! You are lucky they are weak now, you are lucky I took care of so MANY!"
"I… we didn't know, I thought it was just myth-"
"That is the problem with you humans, you think with your hearts and not your heads. That treaty has kept them in and you lot out for centuries! THEY MADE IT FOR A REASON!" he screamed inches from her face before he crumpled to the ground, coughing and clutching his side.
As she took another step forward it growled at her, "Stay back!"
Though Amara didn't listen. She stepped forward and knelt next to the wounded creature. "I could kill you in an instant if I wanted," it warned menacingly.
"And so could I, if I wanted. But, I don't believe either of us truly wish to do so."
She slowly put her sword down to the side, letting it know she did not plan to use it and reached into the medical pouch on her hip.
"What are you doing," it growled.
"I am going to treat your wounds."
She pulled out some rubbing alcohol and gauze. The first wound she saw was on its lower arm. She reached out slowly and gently held his arm, which was no different than a man's. "Now this may sting a bit, but it will help it greatly."
She cautiously poured some on, earning an irritated howl from her patient. "What is that!" She sighed, "It is rubbing alcohol, it cleans the wound." Next she wiped it clean and wrapped the area with gauze.
"There, now where is that nasty one on your ribs I saw?"
When she looked up she froze. The furious glowing green eyes she had seen before had faded, and all that remained was a face. Two guarded, yet curious forest green eyes watched her warily. His skin was slightly tanned and his face handsome. It was unlike anything she had seen before, otherworldly even. He had high cheekbones and shoulder length chestnut hair. She snapped out of her reverie and cleared her throat. With his good arm, he pointed to the afflicted area on his left side.
His side was torn up from being repeatedly bitten and the clawed by the creatures. One, she noticed, would need to be stitched. Amara reached into her pouch once more and retrieved a needle and thread.
"What is that!" he shouted.
"Must you question everything I do? There is a cut that is too deep to be left alone. I have to sew it back together. It won't be very pleasant, but you will thank me for it later."
He nodded carefully and she went to work. About halfway through she asked, "Did you save us… last night?" After a pause he answered, "Yes." She nodded, "Why?"
"Must you question everything I do?"
"Fair enough."
As she finished up the last few stitches she began to hum a melody her mother would sing to her before she would put her to bed. She was hoping it would calm him down a bit. Suddenly, his magnificent wings dissipated into a thousand white feathers and blew away in the breeze, leaving only a man behind.
A sudden feeling of sadness crept into her heart. They were so… "Beautiful," she said. He looked at her strangely, "What?" She continued, "Your wings, they are beautiful." The confusion on his face grew tenfold, "You certainly are a strange one."
Now she had finished tending his wounds and was left in silence. She stood and held out a hand to help the strange man up, after a moment of staring at it he finally accepted and sturdily gripped it. Once standing she studied him. He towered over her. His lightly tanned body and green eyes made it seem like he was almost part of the forest. He wore dark brown pants and boots, but no shirt, which made sense if he was to spread his wings.
"Thank you," she said softly, not sure of what else to say.
Again, the man looked at her confusedly.
"-For helping us… if it wasn't for you we would not have made it out alive."
The man simply nodded. "You should return. These woods are not safe for someone like you. You risked your life returning, I shall see you back safely." As they made their way back to the border Amara couldn't help but notice the way he studied her. It was similar to the way she had studied him; equal curiosity, yet a shared sense of caution. Once they were in sight of the edge the man stopped. "You will not speak of any of this. It is far too dangerous for the both of us."
"I understand."
She began to walk towards the village but stopped and turned back around. "Wait, I have so many questions-"
The man smiled at her with a hint of mischief that she had not expected, "Alright, then a question it is."
Amara racked her brain for one of the thousands of questions she had floating around. "What is your name?"
"Lye."
She nodded.
"Also, tell that blonde man to practice his aim. He was inches from hitting me instead of his real target..." he mumbled.
Amara nodded and glanced back at the border. She tested the name on her tongue, "Lye."
When she went to tell him her name he was already gone.
A/N: "Lye" is pronounced "lie". Review! Please:)
Jimli - I'm glad to hear you think the chapter breaks are alright, phew I was worried about that! Thank you so much for reviewing! I really appreciate it!
LegacyofBlood - Hope your holiday went well! Here's your update!
