With a quick move, Eraniel jumped to the side, landing in a roll, a soft breeze followed the creature's swift attack. He managed to evade the creature's attack by reading its body movements to anticipate the ferocious attack. Being a hunter, Eraniel knew a lot about the various creatures that inhabited the forests, including their anatomy, weak spots and attack patterns.
The beast, which was a shrrg that had yet to fully mature, had soon realized that it had missed its target by a small margin. With its eyes fixed on its prey, the young shrrg quickly took advantage of the fact that its target was lay on the ground and darted its head in an attempt to bite the victim's unprotected leg.
Eraniel retracted his leg as fast as he could, evading the sharp fangs by a small allowance. He then pulled his arm back and with a quick move he threw his sword with all his strength at the creature, trying to distract it long enough so he could get up from his uncomfortable position where he was vulnerable to most of the attacks the shrrg would most definitely throw at him.
The sword didn't hit its target because of the poor aim, but had managed to distract the shrrg for just a bit as it switched its eyes to the strange object that headed towards its location. It missed the animal and landed on the ground with a loud clanging sound that manage to alarm the creature a bit.
The elf, however, had not wasted any time following his first attack with a second as he quickly got up and ran towards the young shrrg at full speed. Then, he jumped in the air and kicked the creature with both of his legs, but the attack wasn't as effective as the elf would have liked it to be. Realizing his mistake, he reached for his sword as soon as he landed on the ground. But it was too late.
The shrrg had already recovered by then and prepared to pounce once again on its target. Its burning yellow eyes were focused on the bipedal creature that invaded its territory.
Eraniel did the only thing that he could do in that moment. He opened his mouth and shouted, "Stop!" but nothing happened. As soon as he finished the word the creature was on top of him, snarling viciously. Eraniel knew he had to act fast and smart if he was to get out of this mess unharmed. With a move from his wrist, he swung the sword, hitting the shrrg's left leg, being stopped only by the tough bone. The beast howled in pain as blood started to pour out of its leg, its focus being breached for a moment. This was the chance Eraniel has waited for. Wrenching his sword from the wound, he positioned his sword firm in his hands and drove it into the creature's head, silencing it forever. The giant creature fell limp to the ground with a thud. The ever-flowing blood quickly formed a vast pond on the turf, offering it a sinister appearance.
Panting and shaken from this sudden encounter, Eraniel removed the lifeless body that was resting on top of him as he slowly got up. Why do I always end up fighting something in bad moments such as this one? the elf thought while he turned around. He noticed the now awake elf approaching him. All of the commotion from the battle had probably woke him up, right when the battle has ended.
The younger elf approached Eraniel shyly and scanned the sight, his eyes widened with surprise, almost as if he was shocked because of the sight presenting in front of him.
"You…you killed that beast?" asked the dark haired elf with a trembling voice, unsure how to address the one who had probably saved his life. Eraniel simply nodded and glanced at the beast, a proud look on his face. He was not really in the mood for dialogue after a fight such as the one that had just transpired, even if it was not that difficult to him. What had probably pissed him off was his inability to end this fight faster because of the wounds he had suffered from the earlier encounter, so he remained silent for now. Noticing the foreign look in his dark eyes, the younger elf continued, his voice full of gratitude
"You have probably saved my life! If it were not for your heroic deed, there is no telling what might have happened." He barely finished what he had to say when he bowed to Eraniel as a sign of appreciation.
Eraniel was moved by his behavior. Never before has one showed his gratitude for his actions. What was probably even more curious was this elf's behavior. He seemed to be a hunter, but the look in his eyes when he sighted the dead beast betrayed him. A skilled hunter would not view defeating a beast of the forest noteworthy, yet this elf seemed to consider it an opponent of significance.
Noticing the lack of reaction coming from the elf in front of him, the raven-haired elf asked loudly, as if to make sure that he would not be ignored this time. "Hey mate, are you alright? You look a bit shaken," he asked and waited for an answer, dismayed at the lack of a response. Trying to get the other elf to react, the younger reached with his hand and laid it on the hunter's shoulder, looking at him with a concerned expression.
"Is there something wrong?" Maybe I…" suddenly, Eraniel shrugged, his reaction causing the other elf to stumble back a few inches. "I...I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention to appear intrusive," said the elf apologetically and then started to mumble something that only he could understand, probably scolding himself for his rushed actions.
Eraniel simply sighed as he looked with surprise at the other elf that now started to search for something among his different belongings.
This has to be the one of the strangest elves I have ever met. Judging by his look and his actions, he most certainly isn't qualified to be a hunter. Poor fool, there is no telling what might have happened to him if it wasn't for my quick intervention. The picture of the campfire entered his mind. As it did, Eraniel smiled slyly, as if he had already concocted the plan that was already forming in his mind. Yes, I saved his life. For that, I deserve some kind of reward. That's the least he can do to repay his debt, thought Eraniel, trying to assess the current situation and make the best use of what he could.
Abruptly, he shouted, startling the anxious elf. "You! I suppose you have something to eat, so why don't you share something with me? I think I deserve something in return for that," he said with impatience as he motioned offhandedly towards the dead shrrg.
"Yes, yes, of course I have. Just come over here and I'll even let you choose what you want as a sign of appreciation for killing the beast," the elf answered as he beckoned for Eraniel to follow him. When they arrived at the strange elf's camp, he picked up his bag with a quick flourish and sat down, smiling giddily at Eraniel.
It didn't take long for Eraniel to take a seat by the small, cozy fire. The elf handed him his bag, which Eraniel took gruffly. The bag contained mostly fruits and a few rags. The hunter rummaged through the bag but the only things he found were a ragged tunic and chain mail, which he pulled out with a curious expression on his face.
Anticipating the question, the other elf commented, "The chain mail you are holding belonged to my father. Sadly, he was killed while he was in a mission to fend off a band of urgal scouts. Since then, I have become its new owner." The elf gazed at Eraniel with a regretful look before continuing." I have kept this with me thinking that such fate will not befall me. It is more a reminder of him rather than a simple piece of armor," he said with a hint of melancholy as he looked at the chain mail. His eyes did not seem to be seeing Eraniel, they were gazing through him, seeing something that Eraniel could not.
"Anyway, I don't want to bore you with my life story if you aren't interested," he quickly added, coming out of the reverie and taking a bite from a rather large reddish colored fruit.
Eraniel had put the chain mail beside him and reached for the fruits that were positioned at the bottom of the bag. Without even looking at the bag's owner, he grabbed a medium sized orange fruit and started to eat in silence, staring at flames that were dancing in front of his eyes. The tangy juice of the fruit was fresh and tasted good.
The young elf switched his gaze to the one on his left, analyzing his features. He looked older compared to him. His solemn, stoic expression a looking glass to an elf who had been through too much for his age. The raven-haired elf could not quite put his finger on what exactly it might have been, so he decided to break the silence in a hope to find out what.
"My name is Deleith. May I know what is yours?" Silence was all that he got for an answer, but the elf did not frown, even though he felt like doing so. Instead, he asked, raising an eyebrow, "You are not the talkative type of elf, are you?" Deleith sighed as Eraniel continued to eat, seemingly deaf, as if no one was sitting there besides him. Deciding not to continue until Eraniel would listen to what he had to say, the elf turned his head around, eyeing the dead shrrg. The large amount of blood that had flowed from the creature had stained the grass around it, its metallurgic smell reaching the two elves. Deleith wrinkled his nose.
Deciding to take a closer look, the younger elf got up. With slow steps, he approached the corpse of the dead beast. The elf jerked back as his foot landed in the puddle of blood, staining his boot with the red, consolidated substance. The profound darkness prevented him from accurately distinguishing the area tainted with the blood of the beast from the areas without the clotted crimson liquid. Deleith frowned, but his curiosity had not yet been satisfied. Because of that, the elf decided to circle the corpse until he found a way to reach it without staining more of his boots. He let out a gasp of revulsion as he neared the dead beast from behind. Without reason, the elf nudged the shrrg in the back, as if to make sure it would not get up all of a sudden for another attack. Content with the result, the elf began to inspect the beast's features, like a hunter inspecting his kill.
Realizing that no trophy had been claimed, Deleith reached for the dagger that was hanging from his belt and with a quick move he cut the beast's front paw, the cartilage and bones shattering under the blow. The result was a clean cut. With slight interest and satisfaction, he picked the medium sized paw and headed back to the campfire to inform Eraniel about his actions.
As he approached the older elf from behind, Deleith extended his arm, placing his hand tentatively on his shoulder. The contact caused Eraniel to stir, but the raven-haired elf quickly added. "I believe this belongs to you. I couldn't help but to notice that you have not claimed a proof of your deed, so I thought I'd do it for you." The elf handled the paw to Eraniel, smiling encouragingly. The older elf took it from the extended hand, inspecting it with an impassive look on his face.
"I have no need of such insignificant trophy," retorted Eraniel with pride as he threw it on the ground." It would be a great dishonor for a hunter like me to enter Taelmarlis with such a pathetic trophy," he added with irritation as his dark eyes resumed staring at the fire. His actions had taken the other elf by surprise, who glanced at Eraniel's bag. Certainly a hunter like him had claimed another trophy, but what could it possibly be? Shaking his head, Deleith dismissed this thought. It was irrelevant at this time, and his mind conjured a new idea, or so it seemed. The raven-haired elf moved towards the place where the discarded paw was, his brown eyes looking at it with anticipation. The elf reached for it, but was suddenly interrupted by an irate voice, causing his hand to stop in mid air.
"What are you doing, picking that worthless thing up? I suppose you have not managed to ensure a kill for yourself if you lower yourself to the point where a young beast like that one catches your interest." Eraniel nodded in approval as the elf picked up the paw, his dark eyes looking at him with pity.
Deleith threw Eraniel a submissive look as he headed back to the campfire. Once it was within his range, the raven-haired elf picked his knapsack that had no fruits left inside it by now and threw the paw in it. Feeling a bit embarrassed, the elf said in a slightly low voice. "I have had no luck so far in acquiring a trophy. Perhaps my emotions deceived me into thinking that I am prepared to participate at the Festival of hunt this spring. I do not aspire to kill a great beast, so I will settle with this one. For that, I must thank you for your generosity."
Eraniel nodded sleepily as he carefully laid down on the grass, the coldness of the ground making him shiver slightly at the contact. He lay in his usually comfortable position, but his arm was still troubling him, so finding both the right position to sleep and taking care that his hand would not bother him was quite frustrating.
Noticing his wound, Deleith quickly moved closer to inspect it. It was a very ugly wound which was made of three lacerations, the last one stopping at his elbow. The gashes were not bleeding and a thin scab was beginning to form, but they were not as clean as they were supposed to and an infection could start at anytime from now on.
After he finished analyzing the wound down to its last detail, he asked worriedly. "How did you manage to get a wound like that? Surely it was not made by this beast. I inspected the paw and its claws cannot possibly cause so much damage!"
Eraniel did not even shift from his position as he answered in an annoyed tone, "What do you think? That I caused it myself? Of course it was made by a beast, but I don't have the mood, nor the patience to speak about it." He then closed his eyes in hope that the other elf would stop pestering him for the time being.
However, his hopes did not come true as Deleith felt the need to do something for the one that saved him from the shrrg's attack. He had also allowed him to take a trophy for himself, so he ignored what Eraniel said about not wanting to be disturbed right then because he felt the need to repay the impassive elf.
"Excuse me, I did not mean to annoy you; I got a bit carried away and for that you have my apologies. But, would you like me to heal that wound for you? It could get infected and you would be in a lot of pain. It could cause lasting damage as well," said the young elf quickly, hoping that he chose the right words.
Frustration started to build up in Eraniel as the irritating elf couldn't keep his mouth shut for at least a bit. Different thoughts began to cross his mind, from wanting to discipline the elf or to simply leave the camp and go to a more secluded place. Nevertheless, in the end, rationality prevailed as he pondered on what he heard from the other elf about healing his wound. All the discomfort would then be gone and he would be able to use his arm just like before, not to mention that sleeping would not be so difficult. Oh well, at least he may prove useful at something in the end. If hunting skills evade him, the least he can do for me is alleviating this pain, thought the elf while deciding whether to let the elf take care of his wound or not.
"Hmpf, I suppose I can't get rid of you that easily. Very well, you may try and heal it, but this doesn't mean I am going to carry a conversation with you. My body aches from tiredness and I suppose a good rest is in order," he said in an exasperated tone and stretched his damaged hand towards Deleith so that he could begin the healing procedure. As he did so, he laid his head on the ground, facing the elf who was tending to his wound. It was slightly uncomfortable, but he could handle the discomfort if he did not have to talk to the irritating elf.
Deleith quickly moved to his own pack and took out a thin strip of fabric and a small crystal bottle with an emerald colored, translucent substance in it. Then, he slowly moved back towards Eraniel, cut the fabric in half and carefully poured a bit of the liquid on different parts of its surface.
"It will sting a bit, but I recommend you to stay still and endure the pain. It's a small inconvenience in order to prevent an infection," he added calmly as he waited for a response from the older elf.
Eraniel shifted a bit from his position before answering on the same displeased tone, "Get on with it then! I don't need to know all the details involved when using such a simple spell".
Deleith frowned at the mention of a spell, his brown eyes giving away a feeling of uncertainty. The mention of a spell made him feel uneasy for some reason. After a moment of silence, he shook his head as another idea crossed his mind. Feeling a bit more confident, he made up his mind as he quickly wrapped the fabric around Eraniel's arm.
Eraniel shuddered at the contact with the wet and cool material, but he didn't bother to turn his head and watch. All he thought was that Deleith was cleaning his wounds before using the spell needed to mend his wounds.
"It is done!" Exclaimed the raven-haired elf proudly. "Now, all you need to do is lay still and wait for the healing reagent to take effect."
Eraniel lifted his head in confusion as the elf's words reached his ears. "Healing reagent? What are you talking about? All you need to do is to… Arghhh!"
The elf let out a high pitched yell out of a sudden. He felt like his arm was being torn off again as the burning sensation given by the healing substance was seeping the partially healed over scabs into his damaged limb's muscle.
"What do you think you are doing? Get that thing off me!" screamed Eraniel as he violently shook his arm, throwing the piece of cloth on the ground. Deleith watched the scene with dismay and tried to say something, but nothing came out of his mouth. He only wanted to help Eraniel, but this elf was not taking it lightly. It seems he was not familiar with this method to cure wounds. With a disapproving look, Deleith looked at him, voicing his thoughts in a slightly high voice.
"Why did you react like that? I warned you about the upcoming pain, yet you obviously ignored it. I was just…" an angry shout coming from Eraniel abruptly interrupted him, his face livid.
"Then I don't need your help! Use your obsolete, useless remedies on yourself from now on, but keep me out of your weird experiments! Do you hear me?" With that, Eraniel got up and moved farther away from the raven-haired elf, who was shocked at his sudden reaction.
Deleith merely turned his back at Eraniel, moving a few steps in the opposite direction with a deep scowl on his face, „Spell? What do you think I am, a sorcerer? I may not use magic to heal wounds, but my remedies are as good as any other healing methods, for they had never let me down so far. I see that you seem to reject this method of healing. Suit yourself then," replied the elf as he laid down on the cool grass, disappointed that his methods were not approved by the one who had saved his life. As tiredness started to take over the raven-haired elf, he yawned before voicing his need to rest. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to get some rest. If there is anything else you might need, do not hesitate to ask for it."
Eraniel smiled contently, glad that his new annoying companion had finally shut his mouth. Shifting into a more comfortable position, facing away from the fire, the elf's heavy eyelids covered his dark eyes, his senses starting to dull as sleep conquered his body and then went numb.
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