It's been a while. I figured I'd upload the rest of this for old times sake.

CHAPTER 11

Unsurprising Truths

The cave was dark and cramped, the floor cold and equally hard. In comparison to some of the other places I'd stayed it was comfortable though.

Davyn stood at the mouth of the cave, keeping watch. Near a fire that raged at the centre of the cave, Jirah and Nearra were curled up against once another beneath their cloaks. The flickering firelight cast intricate patterns of orange and black over their small sleeping forms. Smoke swirled up to escape through a hole in the craggy ceiling that revealed the clear night sky.

Keene was snoring impressively loudly. I hadn't known the little man had it in him. His small body was splayed out haphazardly between two boulders, his small dog curled up atop his stomach.

Besides Davyn and me, only Icefire was awake. He sat deep within the cave, on the other side of the fire from Davyn, with me, reading the book we'd acquired in Tarsis.

Wow, it seemed so long ago now that I'd mistakenly stolen Nearra's staff from this small rag tag group in Tarsis.

The voyage to Southern Ergoth had been surprisingly easy. We'd expected attacks from Kirilin, certain that the mad cleric was still on our trail, persistent as ever. Nothing had happened though, so, instead, I'd practiced my swordsmanship with Bem and Davyn, occasionally chatting with Tu and the other shipmates.

Jirah hadn't partaken in as much practice with the blades as she had on previous trips upon the Troubadour's Song. I'd been marginally disappointing, knowing from past experiences how fun it was to wipe the arrogant sneer off her face when I bested her time and time again. She'd chosen instead to stay within the refines of Icefire's cabin, practicing magic and assessing what the bow was capable of with the elf in question. It was not at all uncommon for Nearra to also partake in such activities

Now we waited and rested ―all except Davyn, Icefire, and me.

I lay curled up on my side near the crackling fire, a thin blanket around my legs and my head resting atop my arms. I watched the silent ranger as he stared out over the untamed forest beneath him. I wished that moment that I knew what he was thinking, a look of deep contemplation clear upon his boyish features.

"Anything wrong, Davyn?"

Icefire's nearby, and equally sudden, voice gave me a slight jolt. The elf remained unaware of the reaction he'd managed to attain from me, his eyes still on the page he was reading.

Davyn turned, inspecting the elf.

Icefire continued to read his book, flipping through the pages as though he hadn't just spoken.

"I'm fine," Davyn grunted.

With that said he turned dismissively back to face the outside of the cave.

"Sleep," Icefire said. The way the elf said it made the word seem almost like a command. "We have a big day tomorrow."

Despite my given distance I could still clearly see Davyn clench and unclenched his fists.

"I need a walk," he said, not bothering to turn as he spoke.

Without waiting for a response, he strode out of the cave and into the dark night. His short brown hair blowing around his ears was the last thing I noticed before he disappeared from sight.

Knowing that I wasn't going to fall asleep anytime soon, I sat upright, running slender fingers through my closely cropped hair. Moments later I gave a low groan, pushed myself up off the cold stone floor, my muscles straining under the effort.

"I think Davyn had the right idea," I muttered to Icefire in reply to his questioning stare. "See ya later, bookworm." I gave him a half-hearted finger wave.

On that note I too retreated from the cave.

I smirked as my lithe form cast intricate shadows upon the walls. My shadow broke off, and grew in size as I neared the mouth of the cave. From the corner of my eye I could have sworn I saw it stop moving even though I was still walking. Looking back at the wall with a rapid turn of my head, however, I noticed nothing out of the ordinary.

It's just my tired mind playing tricks on me.

Icefire didn't say anything, returning all his attention once more to his book.

I strode out of the cave and into the dark night. The chilling night breeze flowed down the cliff face and met my bare forearms. I tugged down the rolled sleeves of my jerkin, blinking rapidly as I tried to erase all remnant of the firelight so as to regain my reliable night vision.

I felt goosebumps form upon my skin as I followed the stony path down into the thick of Southern Ergoth's woodlands, the only way Davyn would have gone, but I simply shrugged it off.

Branches cracked beneath my leather boots as I crept between the tall trees, following Davyn's distinguishable scent. Reaching for the sky they towered above me, shadowy giants rustling in the breeze.

"I am the Dragon Knight," Davyn's voice whispered from ahead, carried on the breeze.

Bypassing but a few more trees I could make out the ever distinguishable form of the young man. He was smiling grimly, grasping the hilt of his ornate sword tightly in a defensive position.

He faced off against one of the trees. The tree bore a strange formation of knots that vaguely represented the shape of two eyes and a tightly pursed mouth.

Watching on with interest, I silently lent a shoulder against that of a large trunk to my left. I crossed my arms over my chest and did nothing more.

The ranger certainly did make it a habit to talk to himself, it seemed.

"I am the one who was called on to help Nearra. I am the one who is to be at her side when the curse breaks. Not you!" his voice rose with each word.

With a shout of frustration, he brought the blade down hard against the side of the tree. Bark exploded into the air as the sword's edge cleaved the tree's trunk. Brown sap oozed from the fresh wound.

"I was by her side for two years," he continued through tightly clenched teeth as he wretched his sword free forcefully. "I loved her through it all."

Down the sword went. More bark flew.

With a grim set to my lips I felt a deep, unexpected sorrow rise within myself for the hurt young man. I wanted to comfort him in some way, but I knew not how.

I reached out a hesitant hand, making to step forward. Fear for the ranger's reaction and uncertain of what I could actually do welled up within me, forcing me back into the shadows.

With a sneer emphasised by the moon's patchy light Davyn pulled his sword free and brought it down again. Again and again he hacked at the tree, scarring its trunk and sending small branches flying. As time passed his attacks only became more ferocious. He did not relent. He would not relent.

Suddenly and equally unexpectedly, he thrust the sword point into the leaf-covered ground and fell to his knees. With a frustrated shout he buried his head in his hands, his yell sending two small birds flying from the safe confines of their home in the tree tops in fear. Breathing hard, he simply looked up from his palms to that of the damaged tree. It was completely mangled, a mess of slices and gashes.

I thought rangers were supposed to respect the environment. I gave a grim smile.

Distracted by my thoughts I was taken completely off guard when a shadowy form broke off from a tree not far from my own and silently approached that of the ranger. I pushed off the tree, uncrossing my arms as I opened my mouth to call out in warning, a hand falling to one of my knives in preparation for what was surely to come.

A long slender arm of the shadow reached out and gently touched Davyn's shoulder.

With a start, Davyn reached back and grabbed the intruder's arm. Leaping to his feet, he simultaneously twisted around and pulled his other arm back into a first, ready to attack.

That's a'boy, I thought appraisingly in reply to his quick reflexes.

The look of initial shock was almost instantly replaced with that of recognition. When he saw who his mysterious attacker was, he let out a surprised laugh.

"Rina?" he said, as if he didn't really believe his eyes.

I relaxed my tensed muscles and allowed my breathing to return to normal, but kept my hand upon that of my pommel, just in case.

I took a step closer, hoping to chance a better look at the shadowy figure.

It was a tall, petite girl. No, it was a young elven woman. The elf held her head high in regal defiance. Golden curls cascaded over her slender shoulders, which were covered in an armoured tunic.

Stepping carefully around the tree for a better vantage point the elf chanced a look over her shoulder in my direction, seeming to look right at me, her bright feline green eyes sparkling knowingly in the moonlight. Her full lips were pursed in indignation. She turned back to face Davyn, and then, in turn, her tightly grasped wrist.

The elf girl broke the silence. "My hand?" she said.

Davyn blinked and let her arm fall. "Rina?" he repeated. "How…" he shook his head. "Where did you come from?"

He really should know where people come from at his age. Hadn't he heard of the birds and the bees? I smirked at my trail of thought. Maybe I'd offer to show him one day.

The elf gave a short burst of laughter. The sound rang pure and was beautifully enchanting, unsurprising given her race. The pleasant sound was soon gone, however, replaced by that of a sternly set jaw.

I continued to make my way around the tree, being sure not to crush any dry leaves or fallen twigs beneath my booted feet. I ran my hand along the bark of the tree as guidance, my eyes all the whilst of the two communing figured that stood fifteen-odd feet away from me.

"We've had people waiting for you to arrive," she explained. "I was… alerted that you were coming. We have to talk; it's important. I think your friend Nearra is in trouble."

I resisted the urge to huff out indifferently. Tell me something I don't know.

Regaining his composure, Davyn pulled his sword free from the ground and put it back in its scabbard. In a show of sudden self-consciousness he wiped quickly and roughly at his cheeks with the back of his hand. Only now did I notice that they were glistening in the moonlight. Leaning back against the knotted tree, Davyn then crossed his arms atop his broad chest.

"Well," he said with a shrug, "that's nothing new. Is this about the cleric Kirilin? Do you know if she's on her way here?"

From my new vantage point I could not make out both of their faces under the cover of shadow. The elf's eyebrows furrowed at Davyn's mentioning of the cleric.

"Who's Kirilin?" she queried, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"I guess not," Davyn said. His expression softened. "It's good to see you again, friend."

She seemed taken off guard, as if not having expected such a kind welcoming. She recovered quickly, her frown turning into that of a gentle smile.

"And it is good to see you, Davyn," she replied formally.

Despite the formality of the returned greeting, I could hear how much she'd missed the boy through the tone of her voice. It was something she could do nothing to hide, try as she might. From the unchanged look upon Davyn's face I doubted he'd picked up on it.

"I… I need to tell you something. It's important," she continued. "It's something that concerns both of you."

I froze, my stomach caught it my throat as I held my breath. Did I hear that right? I waited silently, thinking that I must have misheard.

The elf chose then to look right at me. Davyn, on the other hand, simply wore a confused expression. He searched in my direction fruitlessly, his eyes travelling unseeingly over my form twice over.

The elf, Rina, locked her green eyes with my own like-coloured ones.

I was beat.

With a small sigh I stepped forth from my cover of shadows. Some cover they had been.

Davyn's face gave way to a show of utmost shock followed by a small sheepish frown. He was no doubt realising I was more than probably beholden to his show of hurt and anger from before. I averted my eyes pointedly, choosing instead to watch Rina. I gave a shrug and a lop-sided hangdog smile. As I walked forth to join the two I nodded my head in greeting to Rina, feinting casual.

"Greetings Anya," she simply said.

Her narrow chin held high, Rina turned to face Davyn once again. She got straight to the point, unaffected by my imminent presence.

Davyn watched me from the corner of his eye with an unreadable expression as Rina spoke next. In agitation my tail flicked from side to side, trying to hide the indignation from my face.

I was losing my touch if she'd found me so easily.

"The Messengers," she started. "Ring any bells?" the question was directed at Davyn, not me.

The ranger tore his eyes from me and shook his head. "Why? Should it?"

The elf girl rolled her cat-like eyes. Leaves crunched beneath her feet as she began to pace. "When we fought Asvoria, two blond children went and found your friends so that they could come help us fight. They called themselves The Messengers, remember?"

"Cant say I do," I said.

They both pointedly ignored me. With a huff I crossed my arms atop my chest; my flicking tail picking up it's pace.

Davyn nodded after a moment of remembrance. "Yes, of course. What about them?"

"They were here in Southern Ergoth. They're not children. They're powerful elf mages; powerful, angry, vengeful elf mages. They're after Nearra, the Trinistyr, and anyone who get's in their way. "

I gave a humourless smirk. "I guess that's where we come in," I said.

Hunching his shoulders, Davyn snorted. "Of course they are," he muttered. "All right, so we have some new people to look out for. But they helped us with Asvoria. They can't be all that bad, can they?"

Rina shook her head. "I don't think you understand."

That's our Davyn.

"The boy, Tylari, he's insane. I saw him at the prison where their father is being held. He took his sister's power. He was talking about becoming a god. Maybe they wanted to help Nearra in the past, but not anymore. Tylari was going to kill me, but I ran away when he was distracted. He'll try the same for anyone else who gets in his way. I heard stories about The Messengers, why they were banished." She shook her head. "They're dangerous."

Of course they are, otherwise, why else would you be out here in the middle of the night warning us of them?

Davyn took a deep breath, massaging the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger before he spoke. "Well, now that we know about them," he said, trying, and failing, to maintain his calm composure. "We can be on the lookout."

"Davyn," Rina said, coming closer and gripping his arm. "It's worse than that. They've been working with Jirah. They told her to kill me."

How does Jirah get enough time to consult with the enemy, plot random elf girl's deaths, and be so gods be damned annoying? I'd love to know what her secret was to such great time management.

"What?" Davyn stammered for the barest of moments. "Jirah would never hurt anyone."

Even as he said it his uncertainties were clear. He didn't say anything for a few silent moments, his eyes thoughtful as he processed this information.

I hurried the process along, knowing that what this elf claimed was not so farfetched.

"What about all those times we've heard her talking to someone, only to enter the room and see no one else there? Hells, what about that lucky guess back in Tarsis about what book we should look into next?" I urged. "It makes sense."

Plus she's annoying as hell, and it would make me feel a whole lot better if I had a more tangible reason than that for disliking her.

From what he said next he must have come to the realisation that Rina was indeed right. "By the gods," he whispered, "Jirah."

I didn't know how to react to the realisation that I wasn't at all surprised by this disclosure of the girl's betrayal.

Ever so slightly Rina smiled. It was a dark smile that marred the lovely elf's face in such a distorting way that I noticed Davyn shudder.

"That's right," she said. "Now it all makes sense, doesn't it? Everything Jirah's said and done had been an act. Now, because of her, The Messengers know exactly where you're going, and everywhere you've gone. The only reason I knew you were on your way here is because Tylari said so. The only way he could have known is because of her."

Davyn shook his head and backed up toward the knotted tree.

"They must have misled her," he said. He was desperately trying to reassure himself; not Rina, not me. "They must've used her desperation to get information. She's trying to break the curse, nothing more. She'd never hurt Nearra, she's her sister."

It looked as if Rina had more to say.

"She's not the only problem," she continued.

There's more? I was beginning to have trouble keeping track of all the people hunting us, and all of the people who had apparently betrayed us. How could there possibly be more?

I sighed, shaking my head. "Of course there is," I said.

"Our scouts recognised someone travelling with you; an elf named Icefire. The Messengers weren't always a duo. Icefire used to be the leader of their little group, alongside Tylari's sister, Janeesa. If Jirah's working with then, then I'm willing to bet he is too. That means he may not exactly be an ally either."

"Janeesa?" Davyn and I both simultaneously gasped at the familiar name.

I watched Davyn's reaction, noting a mixture of strong emotions rushed across his face. First I saw that the initial shock was quickly replaced by that of anger. Such a reaction was not at all unexpected. The shock of hearing that two of your companions are in cahoots with someone who's trying to kill you was maddening, a betrayal deeper than I ever would have expected. Quick to replace this was a look of pure satisfaction, a sick twisted smirk marring his handsome features in a sinister manor that surprised me more than Rina's information had.

Davyn stood still in the midnight shadows, lost in thought. Once more I found myself wishing to know his thoughts, yet afraid that I might already know them all too well. I was willing to bet all the shiny belongings I owned on the guess that he had only one thing on his mind; revenge.

Only when Rina was once more at his side did he look up and meet her eyes and then mine. The elf chose to speak again and he returned his gaze to her.

"I'm sorry, Davyn," she said. "I know learning this has got to be hard, but you needed to know. I never wanted to meet you again like this, but I had to wait until you were away from the others to tell you. I didn't want Jirah and Icefire to find out what we know about them."

Davyn gave a humourless chuckle, the smile not reaching his emotionless eyes. He looked to me, a sneer of sorts taking form on his lips.

"Never thought I'd see the day when the only person in my group that I can trust has a tail."

I gave heed to a small smile, giving a mock frown.

"Who?" I asked jokingly, "Pip?"

He gave another brief chuckle, but I knew that my small jest did nothing to lighten his spirits. His eyes were blank as he looked back to Rina, not giving away anything more of his inner thoughts.

"Thank you," he said. His tone was cold. "You've been very helpful. Once our lives are a bit more settled, this being if I'm not killed on this fool's quest, we'll have to catch up."

Rina opened her mouth as if she were about to say something more. Then, after a moment, she looked down.

"All right," she said. "I have to get back to my village. It seems there are dark quests all around these days."

Davyn nodded curtly, not really listening. His thoughts were obviously, and understandably, consumed with less pleasant things.

Without bothering to say good-bye, he turned and strode back to the rocky cliff path we'd both come from. The path which would lead us back to the cave where our supposed friends dozed.

I looked to the elf who, in turn, watched the retreating ranger with an unreadable expression upon her delicate features.

"Thanks, Rina," I said with a tip of my head.

She bowed her head lowly at me, her eyes all the while on Davyn's form.

In the distance I heard the ranger give a low laugh. In reply Rina cringed, her brow furrowed and her eyes saddened.

"Davyn, wait," the elf called to his retreating back, shaking her head.

I stayed where I was.

"There's something else. It's… It's about Elidor," she said, an array of mixed emotions coming with that simple name.

Davyn stopped in his tracks as soon as the name was mentioned, awakening my natural curiosity. Shaken so suddenly from his thoughts, Davyn turned and faced Rina once more. The elf in question bore a look that was strangely hopeful.

"What now?" Davyn's tone was harsh and clipped.

I wanted to slap the boy for the look of hurt that flashed briefly within the helpful elf's eyes. Apparently he wasn't finished being all-round unpleasant, however.

"Elidor is dead, Rina. Just accept it already. He told me about you ―his half-sister― he didn't even think you liked him. Why do you care so much?"

Again Rina's look turned to hurt. She lowered her eyes in obvious self-disgust for her own show of emotion.

Davyn let out an exasperated sigh, obviously noticing her hurt too. "Look, I'm sorry, alright," he muttered. "I didn't mean…" he shook his head. "What about Elidor?"

A moment of silence passed.

Finally Rina looked up. "Nothing," she said meekly before strengthening her voice with newly found resolve. "It was nothing."

With that, she spun on her heels and disappeared into the dark trees, as if she'd never been here with us. It was as if she had never been here to change everything with her shared information.

Davyn shook his head again, and I noticed how the sight of the knotted, mangled tree caught his straying eye. At the sight of it he smiled darkly. The dark grin remained plastered upon his face as he made to walk back up towards the cave again.

I followed close on his heels, wanting to say something but not knowing what.

"Time to sleep, Anya," he muttered. "We've got a big day tomorrow."