A. N. - Several questions will be answered here, so your patience has been awarded, dear readers. Mention of dark themes later in chapter, you are warned. Other than that, it's really long...oh well.
Chapter Twenty Three - Whispers of the Past
"Aw, damn it-"
A crash, a startled yell, the sound of wood splintering, a sudden and very potent odor of fermented pickles, and then a quiet spell before the tinkling of broken glass penetrated the deep black of sleep.
Anex smiled, lazily opening his eye. Darin was standing next to the remains of a stand that had been selling an array of things. The owner was gaping in shock of the wreckage as Darin spewed a long string of profanities, hitting himself on the head with a cutting board. The Avari assumed that his blonde friend had removed the cutting board to inspect it and caused the perfect balance of the other items on the stand to fall.
His deep chuckle made Darin turn around, glaring up at him. "Come off that tree and say that!" Darin threatened, brandishing the cutting board.
"I didn't say anything," Anex said innocently.
"Well...you were thinking something," Darin said, hastily tossing a bag of money to the stand's owner, who had come out of his stupor. "Damn it," Darin said again, striking his forehead. He slumped under the tree Anex was reclining in. "Give me a Bo or a sword or a spear and I can balance a teacup on the tip of any of them! I could hit any given target five times over before I could blink! Give me-"
"A cutting board and you cause hundreds of dollars in damage," Tan cut in as he walked up to Darin, smirking as he tossed a bundle of cloth into Darin's lap. He saw Anex and threw a smaller bundle up to the Avari, saying, "They had the right color, but not exactly the right amount. Tried to compromise."
"That's fine," Anex said, catching it. He rubbed the material in his hand, testing the tension in the fabric. "This will do," he confirmed, tucking it into his side pouch.
"Is that it? Can we go back before I destroy something else?" Darin said, grimacing when another barrel of fermenting pickles cracked open.
"Did you find Aurora's board? Ah, so you didn't break that," he added when Darin showed him. "We just have to find Clad's request, though I'm not sure how. Are there any stores that sell-"
"If not we can ask Bowman for some," Darin said, waving a hand to dismiss the matter. "He's got plenty."
"All right then, we can go now," Tan said as Anex jumped down from the tree.
No sooner had Darin stood up than a deafening 'BOOM' pierced the air. A bright flash of light illuminated the area, painting everything an eerie green hue.
Anex squinted against the light, quickly located the source as people screamed and ran around him to try to get indoors. A pillar of fire broke through his field of vision. His breath stilled for a moment, recognizing the direction it was coming from. The fire was green...
"I think Caled's awake," Tan said gravely.
Heat like she had never felt surrounded Aurora, making her recoil. She lost her footing and fell, sliding against the smooth wood of the floor as the force around the pillar of green fire twisted and grew to form a barrier. She gritted her teeth as she slammed against the wall, feeling the plaster crack. She strained to see against the brightness of the flames, raising her hands to block as much as she could from her eyes.
When she had opened the door to the room, she saw Caled rising from the bed, looking around in a daze. Aurora had gone over to her to examine her when Caled let out a scream that shook Aurora to her soul. Then the fire had erupted, bursting through the roof above them and on all sides. The older sections of the walls and floors had caught fire, spreading outside in the hallway. She dimly wondered what had happened to Clad, and Legolas if she was right in assuming he had followed her. Neither was in her direct field of vision nor were they at the top of her priority list.
Aurora squinted against the light, focusing on the center of the flames. There, huddled on the bed which was miraculously not burning, was Caled. She was clutching her head between her hands and rocking back and forth on her knees, sobbing incoherently.
"Caled!" Aurora shouted. Her voice seemed so quiet in her ears. "Caled! Calm down!"
Caled did not hear her.
Aurora dug her hand into her bag, finally closing it around a few of her powder bombs. She eyed the distance and threw them. They struck the pillar and ignited, swirling harmlessly upwards in the draft leading out the hole in the ceiling. However, Caled seemed to notice the explosions. She jerked her head up.
"Caled, it's me, Aurora!" Aurora shouted, lowering her hands to show her face. "Calm down! You need to calm down!"
Caled drew in a shuddering breath as her face twisted in a pained grimace. Her head slowly shook from side to side. "No," she groaned. "No...no...no...not again...not again..."
Aurora frowned, confused. "Caled, what's wrong?" she shouted over the roar of the flames.
Caled just continued to moan. "Not again...no, no, no...not again..."
"Caled, it'll be all right once you calm down!" Aurora insisted. "Please, listen to me!"
Caled suddenly thrashed wildly, screaming random words Aurora did not understand. The pillar around her grew then shrunk quickly. Aurora caught a brief glimpse of Caled, back arched like a bow, arms raised upwards at the hole above her, and her head thrown back, before the flames retreated and closed around her. Tears flowed from her eyes which glowed a vivid green.
She'll kill herself!
Aurora stood, not knowing what she could do to stop her but know she had to do something. She was just about to run to Caled when a hand grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back.
She collided with someone's chest. A cool sensation wrapped around her as an arm circled her waist protectively. She looked up into Dias' face, alarm flashing in her head when she saw the burns that covered his arms.
"Sorry we're late," Denya said, pulling herself up through a hole in the floor. Auron followed closely behind her. All of them were covered in soot yet did not seem to be injured.
"What-"Aurora started, staring at Dias' arms.
"A little late casting an ice spell," Dias cut in. "I managed to cover most of the ground floor so people could get out but I caught a back draft. I'm fine," he added before she could say anything.
"Took a while to make sure everyone got out," Denya said. "Rali's outside, he said he'd tell Darin and the others what happened." She stepped closer, peering around Aurora and into the room. Her eyes widened. "What did happen?"
"I don't know, but we've got to get her to calm down," Aurora said. "She's going to kill herself if she doesn't stop this."
"That's what she wants."
Aurora spun around, staring at Mornie. "What was that!" she demanded.
"She's trying to kill herself," Mornie said seriously. He was standing next to her, looking into the room with an expression of helplessness. Ever since the fight that had left both Legolas and Caled comatose he had had a hard time healing. The throw had cracked his spine and it had taken every ounce of Aurora's medical expertise just to keep him alive while his body mended itself. Still, he could not function as well as he had been able to before, regardless of what form he was in.
"Why?" Denya and Aurora said together.
"She knows," Auron said quietly. They looked at him, realization dawning suddenly. "She knows what Legolas saw."
The smell of wood burning cut through his senses, jarring Legolas awake. He went stiff, staring down the gaping hole he was hanging over. Slowly, he turned his head to see where he was.
He recognized the inn, or what was left of it. The hallway he had been running down scant moment before must have exploded, he reasoned. His clothes had been caught by a broken plank of the floorboards, leaving him to dangle high above the hole. Below, he could see the shredded wood catching fire, the flames growing higher.
Legolas felt a sudden lurch as the plank he was hanging off of snapped under his weight. Before he had time to worry about how to land on the ground below without skewering himself, something grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. He was lifted and pulled to safety as the wood crumpled away.
Clad looked down the hole, giving a grunt of dislike. He turned back at Legolas, who was righting himself where he had been thrown. "Danger," he said, motioning towards the end of the hall behind the Elf. "Caled make fire. Hurt Caled."
Legolas immediately sprang to his feet, spinning around and running back to the room Caled was in. Clad caught him by the arm, stopping him. Legolas turned, anger blazing in his eyes. "What are you-"
"Care," Clad said, his words almost lost in the roaring flames around them. "Caled hurting. Careful with Caled. Fragile."
Legolas searched Clad's face, wondering for what felt like the hundredth time what the Half-Berserker was thinking. His hair and hood never allowed his eyes to be seen, thus covering any real clue as to his expression. "I know," Legolas said, pulling his arm out of Clad's grip.
Clad nodded. Without another word, the two made their way down the hallway. It was obvious that the flames had been ignited in random scatterings along the walls, ceiling, and floor. Now the flames had merged together, consuming the old wood at an alarming rate.
Just at the end of the hallway stood Auron, Denya, Dias, and Aurora with Mornie at their feet. They were all outside the room Legolas knew was the one Caled had been in. They were discussing something, looking very worried. A green light was pouring from the remains of the doorframe, now a shattered hole in a slowly burning wall.
As Legolas neared them he heard Auron say, "She knows what Legolas saw." A frown crossed Legolas' face. What did he mean? Was he talking about Caled? Fear gripped him, causing his stomach to twist unpleasantly. What would Caled do if she knew that he had seen those particular memories?
She already knows, said the part of his mind not numbed. That's what happened here. She knows and lost control of her abilities again.
On their on accord, his feet took him through the hole in the wall, closer to Caled.
Aurora gasped his name. Maybe as a warning, maybe just because of surprise or shock. Or maybe in fear.
Caled had jerked, glowing eyes set on Legolas.
pain...pain...so much pain...
he knows...he knows...
valor make it stop...its hurts...it hurts...
he saw...he saw ...
it hurts...I want Theo...I want my Theo back...
Theo can't come back...and that bastard knows it...
no...no...he can't...that's private...
he knows...damn him...he saw...saw Theo die...
no, keep him out...keep him out...keep him away...
he saw it all...
stay away...stay away...that's private...
he saw it...all...
no! It's a secret! No one knows! No one will ever know!
but he does...
no!
he saw it...he saw the Orc...
Valor, no! No! No one will ever know!
he does...
the Elf saw it...
he knows...he saw...
keep it private.
The scream that tore from Caled's throat was like the sound of a soul breaking.
The pillar of fire that had been pouring into the sky twisted around, bending backwards on itself. It was like a giant caterpillar had stood on its end and was bringing its head down to the ground.
Aurora shouted at Legolas again, warning him of the fire descending on him. Dias and Auron were hastily casting a spell that would not arrive in time. Denya and Mornie could only stand and stare.
Legolas did not hear any of this. The roar of the flames covered all but the small, shaking voice that was reverberating in his head.
he knows...he saw...
He felt an intense heat and his vision was bathed in green. He did not flinch, though. His eyes were steady, focused on Caled.
She was staring back, glowing eyes alternating between wide and narrow, her tears cutting tracks in the soot on his cheeks. Her scream had died away, replaced by a gasping whimper that cut at him. She looked to be in so much pain.
keep it private.
The fire around him grew hotter. Legolas could feel his clothing beginning to catch fire in some places.
Still he kept his gaze.
For a moment, Caled's eyes returned to normal, wonder passing through them. She looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. Then the glow blocked them out again and she howled brokenly, clutching her head as she bowed forward sharply, tipping herself off balance.
Legolas felt as if he were moving through tar. The fire was so heavy. But he had to get to her, he had to catch her. She was falling, she would be hurt, she had been hurt so much already, she was falling.
Legolas caught her before she hit the ground.
He could always catch her.
Something warm enveloped her. It was cooler than the fire she was accustomed to and strong yet gentle. She had not felt like this in a long, long time. Not since Theo had been alive. Still, it had never felt that this. This was different. This was...closer, more comfort and protection...more care...
All this passed through Caled's mind in a second's time. Then she realized what it was.
Legolas' embrace.
She tensed, odd jumbles of memories and voices passing before her as she started to push away.
:Her Uncle setting her on his shoulders as they talked, walking around the village. "Elves may have banished us Caled-Veleg, yet they had without a doubt a place among the most blessed of the Races. Remember that, dearheart.":
:"Do anything else and I will kill you! You have my word on that, Elf!":
:That cursed old man in white leaning over her. She trembled, bloodshot eyes staring at his hands in case he would touch her again. "You will kill that spawn of Elven filth when you see him. Understood? He is just like the others.":
:"You were born, Elf. That is reason enough.":
:The old man prodded her with a booted foot as she lay twitching on the ground. "Should I continue with the lesson? Or have you gotten it? Elves are scum! They only wish to harm you as those have done!":
:"Because I was once at the mercy of Elves. I still have nightmares.":
:"Elves only want to use you as their plaything! You are below them! You are not worth mud to them!":
:Legolas fretting over her, the fear in his eyes for her safety startling her. "Did they hurt you? Did they touch you?":
:"You're filth, that's all you are!":
:"Why are you so intriguing?":
:"Do you think they would listen to such a bizarre story as this? They would beat you for just speaking to them!":
:Legolas smiling at her as she held the undamaged egg. "The way I see it is that egg is you trust. It is fragile and can break if one is not careful. I kept that in mind as I carried it.":
:"No Elf would ever touch you. You're filthy. You reek of Orc. You'll never be able to be clean again. You're dirty, spoiled, revolting. You're trash; no more to it.":
:"Go back to sleep, coramin.":
:"Uncle? What's 'coramin' mean? Daddy says that to Mommy a lot?":
Her arms lost their strength and she collapsed against his chest. She hid her face in his signed shirt, breathing in a mixture of the burnt clothing and his own scent. An odd mix that brought out the rest of her tears.
A shuddering breath heralded the sobs that escaped her battered chest, the dressings blooming bright red. The stress of conjuring the fires and awakening into that nightmare had taken their toll. What little good Aurora's stitching had done was useless now.
Legolas knew. He had seen what those foul Orcs had done to her, what the wizard had done, all that had happened.
And still he held her. He held her to him. He rocked her slowly, gently stroking her hair. Even in such close proximity, he was mindful not to touch her skin directly. He still recalled her heated words that day, warning him never to touch her.
He still held her.
Darin stared, mouth hanging open, as the fire that had looked to be on the verge of engulfing the entire building suddenly-'POOF'-vanished.
The citizens that had congregated outside the inn broke into nervous cheers, some concerned that the fire would start up again.
Tan and Rali exchanged worried glances before tugging Darin out of his daze. They hurriedly yet carefully made their way through the crowd and back into the inn, mindful of the burnt wood.
Denya's hand covered her mouth, holding in a sob of her own.
Aurora had forced Legolas to release Caled, laying her on the floor to treat her bleeding wounds. The Elf Prince had allowed it yet was kneeling beside Caled, one of her hands clutching his sleeve in a death grip. It was obvious that Legolas wanted to take her hand in his yet was restraining himself.
And with good reason. Denya sighed, turning away. She sat down, dangling her legs over the side of the hole in the ground she had climbed through to get to this level. It seemed that Caled's curse had conditioned a reflex in her. One that would be very tough to break. And the scene behind her was enough to break your heart.
Denya rubbed her face, fighting fatigue. She would stay up all night with Auron, Dias, maybe even Aurora and Tan, and they would find a way to speed up Caled's recovery from the reflex. For the sake and sanity of both Caled and Legolas, they would have to succeed.
Clad's familiar shadow fell over her before a thick arm reached around her. He pulled her back against him, settling himself behind her. His other arm draped itself loosely around her waist. Even with his large frame she could feel him trembling.
Denya took the hand around her waist and laced her fingers through his, squeezing it reassuringly. She closed her eyes, her tension flowing out with every exhale.
The others talked, thinking they knew what was going on. No matter what she would say, they all thought what they wanted. Well, let them. It did not matter. Clad meant so much to her and vise versa, yet it was not love like Aurora and Dias shared. It never would. She was closer to Clad than anyone, alive or dead, yet they both knew they were not the other's infamous 'soul mate.'
They had been through so much together. Words were not needed between them. It was unnecessary jargon. A mere action or touch spoke thousands to them.
Clad was reeling from almost losing two friends, possibly more if the fire had gone out of control. The loss of their old friend still haunted him, making the normally fearless hulk quake at the thought of being left again.
He had been left behind enough. Anymore would kill him.
Clad lowered his head, resting it on her shoulder. Denya felt his teeth clench together tightly, no doubt fighting again a scream. She raised a hand, pushing his hood off and combing her fingers through his hair, lightly scratching his scalp.
Now was the time to comfort. Soon they would have to move on. The Reapers had been unnaturally quiet and it bothered her. They would make their move soon.
The question was when.
The pain was still there, yet it was numbed somewhat. Opening her eyes, Caled slowly blinked, taking in the sunlight pouring over her head and onto the sheet covering her. She turned her head, taking in her surroundings. She was in a room, an inn more than likely. Sparse furnishings yet all in all well kept.
Something was in her hand. She was holding something.
Sitting beside her bed, head lying on the sheet, was Legolas. Her hand was clenched around a part of his sleeve, unyielding until she realized it and loosened her grip. He was turned to face her, brow furrowed in worry though he was asleep.
A smile crossed her face. For some reason, it warmed her heart to see him waiting at her bedside for her to wake up. More so that he had allowed her to hold onto him.
As if sensing her eyes on him, Legolas stirred. His pale blue eyes blinked open, then moved to look at her. His head jerked up. His mouth opened but he stopped.
"'Morning," Caled said, her voice dry and scratchy.
Legolas looked at her a moment more before smiling as well. His other hand came up to brush her sandy-blonde hair back from her face. "Good morning, Caled," he said softly. "How're you feeling?"
"Weird," she said honestly. "Painkillers?"
"Painkillers," Legolas nodded. His eyes were still studying her, hand still brushing her hair back though no more strands were in her eyes.
For a fleeting instant, Caled wanted to reach out and hug him and cry her eyes out for no reason. Then it was gone, replaced by the recollection of what happened.
"The inn!" she gasped, jerking upwards.
"It's fine," Legolas stopped her, gently holding her in bed by her shoulders. "It's fine. The others are working on it. No one was hurt, just some damage to the building itself."
Caled allowed him to guide her back to the bed. When he drew his hands away, one of hers reached out and caught his sleeve again. She blushed as he frowned momentarily at that but did not say anything. She laid her hand at her side so as not to give his arm a cramp. Legolas smiled at her again.
Silence came between them, slowly growing tense. Legolas was about to burst, wanting to ask questions but refusing to. Caled was slowly working through the memories of what had happened. When at last it all came back, she turned her eyes back to the ceiling.
"So, you saw," she said, voice dulled.
Legolas looked down, nodding.
"How?"
He shook his head. "We don't know for certain, yet everyone seems to think it coincides with you having my wounds."
Caled nodded. "How much?" she asked, her voice very quiet.
Legolas closed his eyes, willing away the scenes. "A lot."
Caled closed her eyes against the tears.
"Was it real?" Legolas asked before he could stop himself.
Silence. Then, "Yes. It was."
Caled opened her eyes, looking up at the ceiling. She took a deep breath. "It shouldn't have been any different, now that I think about it. After all, we had gone there countless times."
Legolas frowned, confused. Then it hit him: she was telling him what had happened to her and the Shadow Elf hybrids all those years ago.
"We always hated being in the village. All the other children wouldn't play with us for fear of winning a game or accidentally hurting us and having to be punished for it. We were fine with that, after all, there were a large number of us and we entertained ourselves.
"Seena had found it. She showed it to us and we couldn't stop thanking her. It was a huge lake, complete with a small waterfall on one side and a sand bank on the other. It was our secret place."
Legolas suddenly recalled the night they spent in the Shadow Elf village and seeing Caled weeping at a cratered clearing, talking about time spent in their 'secret place.'
"We play all sorts of games that day, stayed until night, and watched the sunrise in the morning. We always came back, always."
Caled paused, swallowing. "That-that morning we knew something was off. It didn't smell as clean as it usually did. The Orcs appeared before we could prepare ourselves. We ran, we ran faster than we ever had. The older one who could control their powers tried to fend them off but for some reason they wouldn't burn and they couldn't fall into the holes they made. They simply walked over them. We ran, ran right into another group. The leader caught Seena, who was leading us out. He laughed, saying it was useless. We were theirs now. We belonged to them. Then, he broke Seena's legs and-and slit her throat. I was near the front of the group with Theo, my brother. I was right there when she fell on the ground. I was hit with her blood."
She paused again, fighting against tears. She swallowed against the lump in her throat, then went on. "They marched us all the way to Mordor. They had some wizard put spells on the younger ones. The spells stopped our mental powers from developing. The Orc were afraid we would grow to use them against out captors. They kept the older ones in check by threatening the young ones. Every time they acted up, another child would go missing for a few days and returned in a bag.
"A while passed, not long. Someone came and inspected us, wanting to buy a good number of the little ones. I was spared, said I was too ragged." A dark chuckle. "They had other plans. They kept us as slaves, working in their armory. Every time we'd speak in our native language they'd beat us. If we looked at them, they'd beat us. Even though I was the youngest one left I still had to work with the older ones. If I didn't, they'd punish me by defiling my brother." She closed her eyes momentarily. "As I grew, they stopped having their fun with him and turned to me. Every day," she whispered, shaking her head. "Every day..."
Legolas gently squeezed her arm, making sure it was covered by her sleeve. She tried to smile at him, but failed.
"We tried to escape once. Failed. We could have gotten away, but they took Cali out with them, saying they'd kill her. She was pregnant, the father another hybrid like us, Jaycon," her eyes misted. "I couldn't let them do that. It was too cruel. They rewarded my surrender by killing Theo, then later torturing Cali in front of me. When they were through with her they tossed her into the kiln and turned to another that had tried to escape with us, Denni.
"Everything blurred after that. The next thing I knew, I was being examined by a potential buyer. The Orc that was showing the buyer around tried to gloss over me, saying I had been used to much. To prove his point, he shoved his tongue down my throat. I finally snapped. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to act. I grabbed the nearest thing and bashed it against his head. It's a blur after that, just that I was on the floor after it was over, covered in Orc blood and the buyer was laughing as he agreed to take me.
"I was taken to Orthanc and chained to a wall in a room near the top. The only thing in there beside me was a large mirror." A small laugh. "Funny, but some times I thought I felt someone watching me through that mirror. The buyer, a wizard in white robes, came in and...and...put a curse on me. He said it was for training, that I had a greater purpose to fulfill and that the curse would be a blessing in due time." Her breathing grew ragged, tears gathering in her red eyes and falling down her cheeks.
"He had cursed me so that whenever a man touched me I would relive those days. I would feel them...raping me. It didn't end there. He had prisoners that he sent up regularly to act out the deed, making sure it was embedded into me. He seemed fond of using Elf slaves. Then, he sent up Elves that weren't his slaves; they were his spies. And they did it freely.
"Everything was hazed over during that time. I have no idea how long I had been in that tower. Then one day I heard strange sounds. It was like trees moaning in the wind but a thousand times stronger. There was shouting and shouting and so much chaos. But all I cared about was that no one had been sent up, I was glad for that. Then the Orc came. It came ready to kill me, as ordered. Orthanc was being attacked, there was no way the wizard would fully win. He was going have me killed as a precaution. I couldn't do anything to stop it, too weak from hunger and the curse's effects to do anything but lay there.
"Then I saw it: a Reaper. It stood behind the Orc and killed it. As it fell, its blade sliced through my side. The Reaper broke my chain and dragged me away. I can't remember how or where to, but I got away. I got away. I wandered for countless days, the haze the curse induced lingering. It must have been months before I met Mornie. He took pity on me and cared for me, even tried to treat my wound as it was getting infected no matter how many times I tried to cure it. Even then I was still in that haze. While wandering, I fell in the river and was washed downstream. Went I got ashore, I was alone. Mornie couldn't find me. I wandered around for days."
Caled turned her head, looking at Legolas, her eyes still watery yet warm. She smiled. "Then I met you. And threatened to kill you after saving you from those Orcs."
Legolas allowed a smile, willing her prior words away from his mind. "I believe I had saved you from them, Caled," he quipped.
She laughed softly. "Yeah, guess you did."
Legolas studied her, fascinated by her. It was a miracle that she was alive and here she was teasing him. There she was, melting his heart with her smile. "That was a long tale," he said, as gently as he could, "and you must rest. I don't think you know how tired you are."
"I think I have a fair idea," Caled said, stifling a well timed yawn. Her eyes felt rather heavy after talking for so long. She knew she could not fight sleep much longer.
"Go to sleep, Caled," Legolas said softly.
The words struck a chord in Caled's memory. "Elf?" she said, tentative.
"Yes?" He refused to show disappointment as she still did not call him by name.
"Can you...can you stay with me?" she asked, blushing.
"But of course I will," he replied. He had been planning on it anyways.
"I meant...in the bed," she said, so quietly it might have been a whisper. "I just don't want to wake up and you not be there, even if you're just going to check on the others, I'd start thinking all sorts of things and-"
Legolas' laugh cut her off. He shook his head, amused. "If it's what you want, Caled," he said, "then I will."
Caled's blush deepened. She scooted over as best she could to make room. He crawled in the bed, staying on top of the sheets she noted. She smiled; he was still mindful of her skin. Even though the curse had been taken care of he was wary.
He jerked when she turned on her side, facing him, and wrapped her arms around him. "Caled?" he said, unsure of what to do. This was the most affection she had ever shown him and he did not know if he could control himself.
"It's ok," Caled said. "Dias took care of the curse, remember? It shouldn't be active." She closed her eyes, sleep tugging at her. Just before she fell in to the darkness, she felt Legolas' arms encircle her, cocooning her with his warmth.
A. N. - Let the sappiness begin!
Ok, seriously, the sap was long overdue and I think after all that's happened they deserve some happy time. Yea!
On another note: several people have e-mailed me with questions pertaining to Denya and Clad's relationship. Well, there's you answer. Sorry, but they're not an item.
