Under a Violet Moon
Disclaimer: "Neverwinter Nights" and all the characters and places within belong to Obsidian and Bioware, not me, and I just borrowed them for a little joyride through Faerun. Keridwen is mine. Attentive readers might find some of her weaponmaster philosophies similar to some aspects of Frank Herbert's 'Dune' saga... and they're right. I always found his concept about fear and its control highly intriguing, and so I decided to use it as Keridwen's mantra in an altered form.
Author's Note: So, finally things are heating up a bit and we have reached my first battle scene. I never wrote such a scene before, so I'd really appreciate to hear your thoughts – what did you like? What could be improved?
And again, I'd like to thank all of you who left a comment or added this story to their favs or story/author alert – your support is highly appreciated!
Aeltari Kareidis: Thank you so much for your kind words, dear – I'm glad that you enjoyed the last chapter, and that I managed to pull off the dark mood I was aiming for. And that's exactly why I love writing alternate stories – the momentum of surprise! ;P
Psychic Koala: I'm really happy to hear you liked the last chapter, especially the descriptions and Bishop's part. There he wanted to show that he can still be reasonable, and then she just ran off and left him behind – poor chap. ;)
Minxie: *laughs* I think Bishop would like to rescue her in epic fashion – then Keri would have to feel doubly ashamed for all the trouble she was causing him.
Kalyane: Thanks, dear – your comment was lovely, and I really appreciate that you took the time to write it, especially when it was hard to do (which keeps surprising me, because your English is always well and understandable). I'm glad that Keri still seems human and likeable to you, and that you think that I'm adding some depth to Bishop while still keeping him in character, which is a wonderful compliment. You're right, they would deserve a happy ending of some kind… so we'll just have to wait and see what they'll do about, shall we? ;)
*****
5
Although the world was still a place of twilight and bloodred shadows, it was now also a world of brutal clarity that cut like a knife through the veils of pretense and hypocrisy that helped most people to live their lives in peace, clinging like children to a candle in the middle of the night and hoping that its light would be enough to keep the darkness at bay.
Keridwen felt as if she kneeled at the edge of a wide, deep canyon, her eyes staring into the fathomless abyss of unspeakable horror and pain, and she knew without a single doubt that, should she ever stumble across its edge, only insanity would await her at the end of her desperate fall. She could hear the sounds of the rising dead surround her, closing in from all sides, but Keridwen's eyes were solely focused on the woman approaching her, and there was something so terribly wrong with her sluggish movements that it made cold shivers of dread run down Keridwen's spine, freezing her to the spot.
"He knows, Captain."
Kana's voice, usually deep and curt, was now a hollow, rasping sound that seemed to coil itself around Keridwen's head like snakes. Although the woman's dark eyes had dimmed in death, they still seemed to hold a painfully bright light, as if she was touched by a fever, and their burning stare drew Keridwen mercilessly deeper and deeper into their strangely shadowy depths.
"He can feel the pain that pulsates through you, echoing in the shard in your chest."
There was a sudden movement behind her, and Keridwen's eyes widened in alarm as a group of Greycloaks stepped out of the shadows of the main building, with their weapons in hand and their eyes shining with the same feverish light as those of her former second-in-command. Kana finally stopped a few feet away from her, her lifeless features forming a disturbing contrast to the fire in her eyes and the emotions Keridwen had heard in her terribly hollow voice, and it pierced her like a thousand needles in her heart while the words slowly poisoned her mind.
"All these doubts that eat at your very soul, Captain… all the despair."
Kana's rasping voice held a tone of gentle mockery, but there was also something reassuring in the way the woman spoke to her, a promise of happiness and salvation and the assurance that finally, someone would put an end to all the fear and doubt that Keridwen had been forced to live with for such a long time, and a part of her craved desperately for what the woman had to offer. Kana lifted one of her pale hands commandingly, and Keridwen caught herself just as she felt her own hand rise against her will.
What's happening to me?
Her hand started to shake violently as the geas that Kana had woven with her voice tried to force her to let go, to give in to the seductive insinuations and let her senses be drowned in shadow, but Keridwen fought. The woman still held out her hand, the rasp of her voice goading her to accept the offer.
"Come with us, Captain, and he will take all pain away from you. Join us, and together we can make this world a better place, restore it to its former glory!"
Fight, Keri. You must fight. This is wrong!
A soft, scratching noise at her feet caught her attention, and with great exertion, Keridwen finally pulled her eyes away from Kana's terrible burning gaze to watch Dori's little hand clawing deep furrows into the muddy ground, as if the girl was desperately trying to stand up, but the tons of stone that buried her small form obviously hindered her rise.
Keridwen could feel the dark powers pulsating through the ground beneath her feet emanating from Kana's destroyed form like heat from a fireplace, raising the dead with its unholy breath of life while it still tried to dominate her mind, but at the sight of Dori's sluggish movements something seemed to break inside her, and Keridwen realised that she had finally regained control of her movements once more. The urge to reach for Kana's offered hand was gone, and she inhaled deeply, steadying herself as she reached for the part of her soul that always urged her to keep fighting till the very end, no matter what the odds may be, and she let its strength surround her while her mind became sharp and focused once more.
My way will not end here! I am Keridwen, a disciple of the blade, and I will never give in to the shadows, not as long as I still draw breath!
Slowly, the former Captain of Crossroad Keep rose to her feet, Bishop's knife firmly in hand, and turned her sharp eyes to look calmly at the woman that she had once called a friend. Kana's terribly empty expression changed almost imperceptibly, as if the woman was surprised at Keridwen's sudden resistance, but now that she had finally broken the spell and regained her balance, Keridwen miraculously felt no fear at the sight of the numerous undead surrounding her, only a calm determination to do what needed to be done. Keridwen raised the knife in salute, and her voice, although calm and deliberate, rang across the courtyard like a bell, echoing ominously from the broken walls of the Keep.
"I am truly sorry, Kana, that I could do nothing to spare you this terrible fate. But I swear to the gods that from now on, I will not rest until he is defeated, so that you and all that have died for our cause can finally rest in peace!"
There was a long moment of silence in which the world itself seemed to hold its breath, waiting in almost fearful anticipation for the things to come while Keridwen's words still echoed from the walls. Then the ground under her feet shook ever so slightly, and suddenly, the undead jumped into action as they lunged for their former Captain, but Keridwen was already on the move.
With one fluid motion, she rolled to the left and right under her opponents, leading Bishop's knife in a swift upward arc while she got back on her feet, aiming for the tendons at the back of the knees of the living dead standing right before her. Her fast reflexes had brought her behind her opponent before he had even realised that she had moved, and she could feel the knife cutting deep into his flesh, felling the undead like a tree as his legs suddenly gave way beneath him. Keridwen heard his soft moan of surprise as his body hit the ground, but her mind was already focused on her next target.
I need more room to maneuvre.
Four of her former Greycloaks were slowly closing in around her, their eyes gleaming menacingly as they raised their weapons, but Keridwen simply shifted her weight to her left hand and whirled her legs at the one closest to her. Her feet hit him with bone-breaking force against his temple, and the undead stumbled backwards, taking one of his comrades down with him as their feet got entangled and made them loose their balance.
Keridwen let her momentum carry her further and back onto her feet, just in time to parry a clumsily aimed strike for her head. She could feel the force behind the attack vibrate up and down the entire length of her arm, and she gathered all her strength to push the blade upwards, her body following swiftly through the opening she had created and bringing herself on the backside of her enemy. Before her opponent could react, she had buried the knife deep within his throat, satisfied as she felt its magically enhanced edge cut cleanly through flesh and bone.
The undead froze the very moment Keridwen's attack almost severed his head from his shoulders. For a fleeting second, he simply stood rooted to the spot, his arm half-raised in his attempt to turn around and press his attack, his head wobbling ominously, and Keridwen watched in surprise how the feverish light in his eyes first diminished and then died as the undead fell heavily onto the ground, his destroyed body now unmoving. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see more undead closing in around her, and Keridwen knew that she needed to find a way out of these ruins and back to open ground if she wanted to survive the day.
She was hopelessly outnumbered, and even her agility and superior reflexes wouldn't be enough to keep her alive if she was forced to fight in the narrow spaces between the broken buildings, with no possibility to outrun her enemies or to use their slowed movements to her advantage.
Retreat to higher ground!
Keridwen dodged another attack aimed for her head and stepped quickly through the opening before her, her feet carrying her unerringly across the ground and onto the pile of rubble that blocked the entrance of the outer yard. With some fast but well calculated leaps, she made her way across the stones while sheathing Bishop's knife under her belt, her hands reaching for the rough stones of the wall that separated the inner and the outer courtyard of the Keep, and with several swift movements, she pulled herself up onto the high wall.
She felt a burning stare in her neck and looked down, only to find Kana standing at the feet of the wall, simply staring up at her with that terribly empty expression on her face and her eyes burning like coals in the dim light. Her undead henchmen gathered slowly around her, obviously waiting for further instructions, and Keridwen couldn't suppress a cold shiver running down her spine as she looked into those disturbing eyes. Kana hadn't taken place in the first skirmish of the day, obviously preferring to watch the fight, and observed her attempt to escape with a calmness that was more than a little unnerving, and her dead eyes gleamed with inhuman curiosity as the woman simply continued staring, drawing Keridwen irrestistably deeper and deeper into their shadowy depths once more.
Don't you dare let this filth distract you, woman. Now move!
She didn't know why these words suddenly came to her mind, but they were enough to startle her out of her reverie. Keridwen turned around and sprinted across the wall, her feet carrying her away from her silent hunters and swiftly across the stones while she headed for the outer fortifications of the Keep.
Getting onto the battlements presented a real challenge. Although the walkway of the outer wall was almost on eye-level from the inner curtain, parts of these fortifications had partially collapsed during the siege, and Keridwen felt her heart grew heavy as she stood at the edge of the gaping breach that separated her from her way to freedom, and her mind was racing as she pondered on the remaining options.
A movement to her right suddenly caught her eye, and she turned to see an undead lizardman stepping out of the shadows of one of the towers that marked the staircases to the battlements, making his way slowly towards her. Keridwen could see more and more of the undead gathering in the yard below her, staring up at her with these terrible lifeless faces, and she decided that it was time to put her faith in the gods and make a run for it. Keridwen closed her eyes briefly, and after a short but heartfelt prayer to Lathander and Lady Luck, she ran and jumped.
Although she had estimated the distance correctly, she had not been prepared for the fact that the part of the wall that she had wanted to use as her take-off point would crumble right under her feet as soon as she stepped onto it. Keridwen lunged desperately for her destination as the wall suddenly collapsed beneath her, and she felt all air leave her lungs as her chest slammed with full force against the battlement while her hands and feet clawed desperately into the cracks in the masonry, searching for a hold.
For a few moments, she simply hung there, trying to catch her breath, before she gathered her last reserves and pulled herself slowly up onto the walkway, her arms aching painfully from the effort. She was attacked as soon as she got to her knees, the reptilian eyes of her opponent glowing with the same feverish light as those of his human allies, and Keridwen managed to get Bishop's knife out from under her belt just in time to parry the forceful blow of his vicious looking blade.
Keridwen felt her arm shake violently under the powerful onslaught of her enemy, and she knew that she wouldn't be able to hold long against her larger opponent with a weapon like this. Bishop's knife was an excellent choice for skinning pelt golems or stabbing someone in the back, as he had told her once in one of his rare humourous moments, but it was almost useless in close combat when she needed to parry blades or other weapons with it.
Keridwen deflected the edge of the sword to the right, dodging the lizardman's next strike and letting herself fall onto the ground while her legs kicked forcefully against his knees in an effort to bring him down. The undead stumbled and fell towards her, his blade clattering onto the walkway only inches away from her head, and Keridwen let go instantly of the knife and lifted her arms and legs instead, using his momentum and every ounce of strength she could muster to lift the lizardling off his feet and throw him off the battlements and into the courtyard below.
His body hit the ground with a disturbingly wet sound, and Keridwen felt no urge to turn her head and take a look at the mess. For a fleeting second, she simply lay on her back, breathing heavily while her limbs ached quietly from their strenuous work, but her instincts nudged her to move on, no matter how fatigued she might feel.
Stay focused, Keri. You're not safe yet!
Her eyes fell on the lizardling blade as she finally got to her feet again, and with one fluent motion, she picked it up along with the knife, making her way swiftly along the battlements towards the gaping hole in the wall that had once been the main gate of the Keep. As she passed the staircase, Keridwen could hear the shuffling of feet and see some shapes moving in its depths, and she knew that she didn't have much time before the battlements would be swarming with animated corpses, all hunting for her.
The staircase that had once been close to the gate and a part of the tower that Nevalle had chosen for his head-quarters lay now scattered across the courtyard and the fields, most likely blasted away by the same spell that had brought down the gate, but Keridwen wasn't aiming for the stairs. Her eyes scanned the shadows close to the wall and the fields beyond as the sounds of approaching footsteps echoed menacingly across the battlements, but she felt a wave of relief wash through her as she saw that most of the dead she had spotted on her way to the Keep were now gathering close to the gate, obviously intending to block any way out and therefore leaving the fields mostly unguarded.
Now or never, Keri. There's no turning back.
After another short prayer, Keridwen sheathed Bishop's knife quickly under her belt, and with the lizardling blade firmly in hand, she stepped onto the charred wooden platform that had once been the landing bridge of one of the siege towers.
The wooden construction creaked almost foreboding and started to lean dangerously to one side as soon as Keridwen made her way carefully across the ruined platform, but to her great relief, it kept standing. The ground was somewhat slippery, and she avoided the large cracks and holes in the wood because she didn't want to risk to break in, but finally, she reached the staircase that led down to the ground.
Keridwen watched her steps as she slowly descended through the bloodred half-dark of the inner tower, her senses alert and taut like a bow-string while she listened intently. The smell of smoke and burned flesh hung thickly upon the devastated construction, and she was thankful for the cloth covering her mouth and nose as suddenly, her senses screamed in shrill alarm and a skeleton jumped from the shadows, its magically enlarged form clad in scale armour and swinging an impressive looking axe with both hands. Keridwen ducked just in time, the axe whirling so close past her face that she could feel the cool draught in the air on her cheeks before the axeblade embedded itself deep within the wooden wall, giving her just the opportunity she needed.
With all the force she could muster, Keridwen slammed her shoulder into the skeleton's bulking chest as it tried to retrieve its weapon, ignoring the pain in her upper arm as she felt her opponent stumbling under her swift attack and then falling down the stairs with loud rattling sounds, the axe still embedded in the wooden wall beside her face. She didn't wait for the undead to recover its strength, but followed it swiftly down the stairs and onto the next landing, her eyes carefully scanning the half-dark for other opponents.
The skeleton tried to rise as it heard the woman approach, its hellish red eyes piercing the bloodred shadows like two burning candles, and Keridwen heard a strange hissing sound escape its osseous jaws as she swiftly lifted her foot and slammed her heel with full force on the curvature of its skull, hearing the satisfying sound of breaking bones and feeling its pieces scatter under her hobnailed boot as the skeleton suddenly collapsed on the wooden floor and lay still, its limbs finally freed of the dark essence that had given them their unholy life, and Keridwen watched in amazement as the bones shrank back to their usual size.
Mental note, Keri. Keep going for their heads!
The entrance area of the siege tower had partially collapsed, which maybe explained why there had been no other unpleasant encounters on her way down the stairs, but it took Keridwen a while to search her way through the splintered wood and burst beams before she finally stepped onto the fields in the shadow of the Keep. Her skin was bleeding from several nasty cuts on her hands and face, but Keridwen felt her heart swell beside the pain as she looked onto the fields and the woods that stretched out before her. With no more undead standing in her way and the road to safety now lying openly before her, she felt hope spreading its wings and allowed it to raise her spirits in its path.
Maybe I will live to tell the tale, after all!
She sensed the looming presence even before she saw the sudden movement in the corner of her eye. A figure melted right out of the shadows of the tower and lunged at her, and all Keridwen could do was raise her blade in defense as the figure hit her hard in the chest, hurling them both to the ground with its forceful attack. The figure sat firmly on her upper torso, its hands ripping away the cloth covering her mouth and nose to search for her throat while its legs pinned Keridwen with inhuman strength to the ground, and she could feel her blood run cold as she recognised Kana's pale face in the twilight.
There was only a brief moment in which Keridwen wondered how the woman had been able to find a way from the inner courtyard to the foot of the siege tower in time to attack her before dead fingers closed tightly around her throat, and suddenly the world narrowed to the feeling of icy fingers pressing mercilessly into her skin and the hissing sound of her own breath as Keridwen desperately fought for air, all her instincts solely focusing on her survival.
Kana tightened her grip around her throat, and Keridwen could see bright spots of red and blue dance before her eyes, and she had to fight down a sudden wave of panic as she tried desperately to gasp for air… and couldn't.
Fear is the mindkiller.
The litany against fear came suddenly to her mind, helping her in her fight for balance and calmness of heart, and Keridwen let go of her blade and reached with both hands for the fingers around her throat instead, her muscles flexing in a powerful attempt to break the undead's hold around her neck. Her sudden movement caught Kana by surprise, and Keridwen was able to loosen the icy grip around her throat long enough to draw a deep breath before the undead redoubled her efforts to choke her victim, her dark eyes still burning like coals in this terrifyingly lifeless face.
The moments passed with agonizing slowness, each stretching like hours while Keridwen lay on the ground, fighting for her life. She only managed to break Kana's grip long enough to take a short breath here and there, but the pause between these blissful moments became longer and longer, and Keridwen could feel her eyes darken as her strength diminished with each passing attempt to free herself, while her opponent simply seemed to reach deeper into her unnatural reservoir of power, her inhuman strength unwavering as her fingers cut deeper and deeper into Keridwen's flesh.
"Hold!"
A shout rang across the field and echoed loudly from the dark wall, its deep sound cutting like a knife through the ringing in her ears, and Keridwen was so surprised to hear this voice that she almost let go of her opponent, confusion mingling strongly with relief as she felt the beat of her heart quickening in anticipation.
This can't be happening…
Suddenly, the whirring sound of a bow-string carried with the wind, and Keridwen could see a fiery arrow soar through her field of vision just as Kana turned her head and looked up, obviously intending to make out the unsuspected disturbance. The arrow embedded itself deeply within her right eyehole, a shot that would have killed any living being in an instant but merely confused the undead sitting on Keridwen's chest, but a short moment of confusion was all she needed.
Gathering her last reserves, Keridwen let go of Kana's fingers and positioned her hands between her arms instead, reaching for every ounce of strength she could muster as she tried to push them to the sides to finally break their grip while she forcefully kicked out with her legs, trying to throw the undead off her lithe body and to the side. For a short moment, Keridwen feared that all her efforts had been in vain as Kana's fingers tightened around her throat once more. But after one last and desperate struggle, Keridwen finally managed to break the woman's vice-like grip and to throw her off to the right while she rolled quickly to the left and onto her feet again, her hand already closing around the hilt of her blade as she turned around to face her former second-in-command for the last time.
Kana simply looked at her, the fiery arrow still protruding from one eye while the other burned with its strange bewitching intensity, and for a fleeting moment, Keridwen saw a hint of emotion flickering across the woman's pale face before her blade came down in a wide arc and severed the undead's head neatly from her neck. Was it anger she had seen on that face? Relief? Keridwen wondered briefly as she watched Kana's devastated body now lying still on the grass, but after this last exertion, her strength finally gave out, and all she could do was sink back onto the ground and gasp for breath as everything slowly faded to black.
There was the distinct sound of soft leather boots approaching fast across sandy ground, and Keridwen struggled to sit up, her mind acutely aware that she was still in danger. But her vision was still clouded and blurry, and after her most recent fight, she simply couldn't find the strength to keep moving. The footsteps came closer and closer, and then she was grabbed roughly around her shoulders and hauled up into a sitting position, her head swimming violently from the sudden movement. For a fleeting second, Keridwen feared that she would be thoroughly sick, and so she closed her eyes in an attempt to regain control over her body. A rough hand slapped her onto her cheek, firm but strangely gentle in its touch, and her eyes snapped open to focus on Bishop's angry face, his dark eyes burning and narrowed to slits.
Keridwen knew that there were still undead roaming free across the Keep and its surrounding lands, that she should either meditate to gather her strength or at least try to move on, but all she could do was stare at the man kneeling before her, with her eyes widening in disbelief and her mind in an uproar as confusion, relief and even joy mingled in her chest, her heart beating fast.
I can't believe you're here.
Obviously, Bishop mistook her confused stare for exhaustion because he slapped her again, a little harder this time, and his voice was an angry growl as he spoke. "Don't you dare start fainting right now, Captain. I may have carried you once, but I won't make it a habit- so if you want to get out of here alive, you'd better start getting a grip on yourself!"
"I won't faint!", Keridwen replied rather sternly, and it startled her as her voice didn't come out in its usual quiet way but in a strangely strangled sound, reminding her more of a croak than a human being. She had clearly underestimated the damage Kana had dealt with her hands, and the sudden pain in her throat made her want to wince. Bishop stared at her, and his dark eyes narrowed even further as he reached with his calloused hands for her chin to lift her head, taking a look at her throat.
Keridwen watched with growing concern as Bishop's eyes widened for a brief moment, only to be then set ablaze by the same raging fire she'd seen during the night of the siege as he'd grabbed her by the hair. His hazel eyes suddenly seemed to glow like liquid amber in the dim light of day, and Keridwen shivered as she realised where she had seen such eyes before.
Wolf eyes. No wonder he and Karnwyr have bonded so strongly.
The fiery amber held a hint of the old turmoil she had seen so often in his eyes over the past few weeks, and just like then, it made her feel more than a little uneasy when he was so close to her. His gaze was somewhat frightening in its intensity, and Keridwen could think of only one thing to distract him to take this burning stare away from her.
"That was an excellent shot."
Bishop scowled at her croaked words, his sudden anger radiating so strongly from his tense form that Keridwen thought she could feel it stroking over her skin like a hot breeze. His hands didn't let go of her chin as he continued to stare hard into her eyes, and his voice became harsh and almost cruel as he spoke. "Now, now, Captain, you're not thinking that such honeyed words will be enough to make me forget all the trouble you've been causing me, now do you?"
"Could I at least get some water before you start throwing a fit?", she asked quietly as she closed her eyes in an attempt to steady her weary self, her voice barely more than a croaking whisper. Bishop made a sound somewhere between an angry hiss and a growl, and she could hear the soft creaking of his leathers as he stood, finally taking his hands away from her face and no doubt still glaring at her with his blazing eyes, but Keridwen kept her own deliberately closed to evade his burning gaze.
She felt his hands close tightly around her arms, startling her out of her meditation, and before she could do anything but gasp in surprise, he had already dragged her roughly to her feet and was hauling her across the drillground, his anger still livid and clearly edged into the sharp lines of his face. Bishop held her left arm in a vice-like grip as he headed swiftly for the woods, his eyes scanning their surroundings for any signs of the enemy, and Keridwen had to hurry along to match his angry strides.
"Don't worry, Captain, I'll get to you soon enough. But we're still a little too close to the Keep for my taste, so I suggest you'd better start moving your legs, or I'll leave you behind."
"I can walk!", Keridwen replied a little tartly, but Bishop simply snorted and continued to drag her along with him, not letting go of her arm before they had finally reached the cover of the trees. She was secretly thankful for his support, for despite her own words, Keridwen had to admit that she was still too exhausted to walk far without help or a proper meditation, and her movements were not as vigorous as she had hoped they'd be.
Keridwen sat down on the mossy ground as soon as Bishop released her arm and stretched her legs, giving them a well-earned rest. Her fingers reached up to carefully probe her throat, and she inhaled sharply as even her gentle touch was enough to send a sharp ripple of pain through her body. Bishop knelt down behind her, and she turned her head just in time to see him holding out a small vial over her shoulder, her heart aching quietly as she recognised the sparkling green liquid.
Sand made these before we set out to destroy the bridges.
Another wave of sorrow welled up inside her, mingling strongly with her exhaustion, but Keridwen forced herself to return to the here and now, fighting the pain. There would be a time to mourn what had been lost, but it was not now! The vial felt cool in her hands, and she cast Bishop a small, thankful smile despite the grim expression on his face. His posture had lost nothing of its tense hostility, and there was still a sharp edge to his voice as he finally addressed her, sending another wave of shivers down her spine as she felt his breath hot against her ear.
"Drink that! I'll take a short look at the surroundings, and then we'll talk."
He stood, and Keridwen saw a strange light flicker in the depths of his eyes as he continued to stare hard into her face. There was a sudden dark and dangerous undertone in his voice that she had never heard before, and she had to admit that it startled her a little.
"Just a word of advice to you, Captain. You've done nothing but wasting both our times with your futile attempt to make a difference, but I'll be quiet on that- for now! But I can promiss you, should I ever have to hunt you down again, you'd better believe that I would have to show you a more… gentle side of my hospitality just then; so I'd suggest you simply make yourself comfortable and recover some of your strength while I'm gone."
His open threat made her raise her eyebrows in surprise, but she nodded nonetheless, signaling him that she had understood. His eyes narrowed to slits as he watched her, but after another hard and calculating stare, he simply turned around and made his way swiftly across the small clearing, heading for the fields. Keridwen followed him with her eyes, watching him move through the undergrowth and onto the open fields, using the ruined farmhouses for cover on his way back to the Keep, and a part of her wondered why he had come to her aid at all.
The memory of his voice, full of so much hatred and contempt, all directed at her, was still very vivid in her mind, and although it was truly painful to admit, it was obvious to her that his ill feelings towards her hadn't changed at all. So why had he come all this way to save a woman that he so clearly despised? What had happened between him and Duncan in the past that Bishop was so deep in her uncle's debt that he was even willing to risk his life, only to get rid of her one day?
Keridwen closed her eyes with a sigh as her trail of thought was again accompanied by a saddening feeling of loss and regret. She had accepted her role in this play long ago, and now wasn't the time to dwell upon the things that might have been, had she acted any differently. And why should he have friendly feelings for her, anyway? She had always been wondering about the lines he had drawn around himself, but had she truly been any different? She had deliberately kept her distance, even after he had started to open up in her company, always kind and understanding but never encouraging, and so he had maybe never realised how much she had enjoyed their conversations, in a friendly way.
You cannot change the past, Keri. There are more important tasks at hand right now, and you'll need all your strength, should you wish to survive them.
Keridwen smiled sadly as the voice of her former mentor echoed through her mind, calm and reassuring, but it took her a while to work past the hurt and the pain and finally find the strength to go on again. With a sharp pull, she uncorked the vial in her hand, and the familiar spicy scent of magical herbs filled the air and made her nose itch uncomfortably.
It's time to move on, Keri. You cannot change the past, but you can influence the future, and you dishonour your friends and everyone who has died for you today if all you can do now is sit here and lament your fate, while he is still out there, spreading his evil farther and farther across the world.
But what about Bishop? Was he not just another villain in this particular play now? Had he not abducted her from the Keep for his own selfish reasons, and ever after she had refused his offer to run away with him, never thinking twice about how she might feel about it or what his actions would cost them in the end, as long as he got what he wanted? He didn't deserve her sympathy, after all. He had never cared for anything or anyone but himself, so why should she shoulder any regrets about the things she had never said to him, because it just wasn't the time?
Keridwen lifted the vial to her mouth and closed her eyes as she steadied herself, her jaw tightening in fierce determination once more.
I regret nothing!
The pain after the first gulp was almost unbearable, but Keridwen embraced the anguish rippling through her body as the cool liquid ran painfully slowly down her raw throat and to her stomach, letting the pain help her to wash away all her doubts and fears and regrets and leaving nothing but clarity in its path. A familiar warmth spread through her body, and Keridwen opened her eyes, the aching in her limbs already diminishing as the magic of the potion began healing her wounds, and she felt her spirits rise again as she finally regained her balance.
***
