14. First Blood

Lorelai felt a smile twitch across her face as she heard Ifan's nearly silent approach. His stealth abilities were truly commendable—almost as impressive as Sebille's—but Lorelai had had much practice living amongst animals who were made to walk in complete silence. If she could sense those, she could sense any upright race trying to emulate them.

Lorelai kept her eyes closed, however, allowing him to get close. She was still lying on her back in the sun, her hands clasped upon her stomach. Lorelai could not get enough of this sunlight and doubted she ever would. Sebille was curled up in a tight ball, relaxed and sleeping soundly from Lorelai's calming spell.

Ifan's movement paused beside Lorelai's head, and she heard his clothes rustle as he crouched down beside her. He waited for a long moment, then poked Lorelai on the cheek just as she had done to him this morning. Lorelai held back a chuckle and opened one eye.

"Although I look alive," she said lazily, "I am not. There is no need to awaken me." Lorelai opened her other eye to inspect Ifan's slightly embarrassed face. He had clearly forgotten her lack of sleeping ability. Feeling playful, she blinked daintily at him. "I wish you had not woken me, in truth," she said, "as I was quite enjoying your rapturous gaze."

Ifan's cheeks reddened, just as Lorelai had intended, and he glanced away with a soft curse. Putting Ifan off-balance was quite enjoyable, as he tended to saunter about with his deserved self-confidence. The tiniest flirtatious insinuation had him bumbling like a sheltered adolescent with a crush, and Lorelai was unused to seeing such reactions from anyone, especially from a hardened warrior like Ifan.

Lorelai closed her eyes to allow Ifan to collect himself. Sebille's breathing had changed subtly, so she was now also awake. Lorelai hoped she was enjoying the show.

Only a second later, Ifan cleared his throat and tapped Lorelai on the cheek again. "I thought it would be polite to at least pretend to wake you up, for appearances' sake," he replied with his usual unbothered laugh. "You've been lying here for hours."

Lorelai hummed, deciding not to call him on his bluff, and then his words processed. She sat up with a gasp and gazed at the sky. "Gracious, how late is it?" she cried in alarm. The sun seemed close to setting, so she gazed wide-eyed at Ifan. "I did not notice!" she informed him with sincere panic.

Ifan raised one eyebrow in disbelief. "I thought you didn't sleep," he drawled.

Frazzled, Lorelai looked around at the long shadows covering the camp around her shaft of sunlight. People were muddling about the camp, swords were clanking, conversations were occurring, and general life had been surrounding her, apparently for hours. Lorelai had not been aware of it until Ifan had walked over.

"I have two responses to that," she said blankly. "First, I believe I have mentioned before that I quickly lose track of time. Second, I believe that the sun… lulled me into a very relaxed state with which I am unfamiliar."

Ifan stared at her, then burst out into raucous laughter. Lorelai felt a confused smile decorate her face as she waited for his explanation of why he found this situation so terribly amusing. He stood and held out a hand, remaining thus until she took it. She allowed him to pull her to her feet, but she did not release his hand. Lorelai enjoyed the roughness of Ifan's palms. It always tickled slightly, so she began swinging their interlocked hands back and forth to produce more of that fascinating friction. She was so entranced by feel of the wind resisting her motions that she barely registered when Ifan next spoke.

"Er, why do you, ehm, speak like that?" Ifan asked nervously.

"Hm?" Lorelai murmured as she continued holding onto Ifan's hand.

"The… numbers," Ifan explained. "Some number of responses. You only do that sometimes."

"Ah," Lorelai realized. "It is a mechanism I implement to organize my thoughts when I am anxious."

"Damn, I didn't notice," Ifan said with surprise coloring his voice. "Why are you anxious right now?"

Lorelai frowned thoughtfully, gazing at her and Ifan's interlocked fingers. "I was almost sleeping," she mused. "Sometimes, I shall wander about in a sort of daze when I am alone, but not when I am around others. To put my guard down in such a manner is… atypical and worth studying."

"Your guard is up around people?" Ifan remarked, sounding amused. "Just how trusting are you when your guard is down?"

Ifan was sounding far too recovered for Lorelai's tastes, so she looked up at him. He was smirking, and she did the same, her eyes hooded just slightly. "My dear Ifan," she purred, emulating Sebille's sultry tone, "seeing me with my guard down means… seeing much more than most people would dare hope for."

Ifan's expression froze, so Lorelai winked and leaned forwards to press a light kiss on his cheek. Lorelai had not had the presence of mind to commit his beard's texture to memory when she had hugged him before, so she made to lean in further. She wanted desperately to press her cheek against his, but Ifan snatched his hand back violently as he took a stumbling step back before she could. Lorelai stared at him, noting his bright red face, and recalled how sensitive people were to touch. Instead of remorseful, however, she felt delighted that he was even more unbalanced than she had ever seen him. She grinned widely, her eyes bright with mischief.

"I have millennia without nerves to make up for," she enthused, her excitement outweighing any care for Ifan's discomfort. "So many different sensations that I simply do not remember feeling ever before!"

Lorelai beamed at Ifan, grew distracted again by the wind, then bounced into the air experimentally. Her hair flopped against the back of her neck, and Lorelai gasped. She lifted a lock of hair from her skin, studying it with narrowed eyes as she twirled it around a finger.

"My hair is rough whereas Sebille's is silky," Lorelai observed in a murmur. "Ifan's beard is rough in a different way than my hair is, more ticklish." She gazed at Ifan imploringly. "May I touch your hair?" she inquired eagerly.

Ifan looked surprised and uncomfortable, but Lorelai was overcome with the need to understand any texture that she could. "…Er, ehm, sure," Ifan eventually muttered.

Lorelai gave him an unbridled grin and bounced forwards. She wove both hands into Ifan's hair and used them to twist his head back and forth. Ifan allowed her this, though his posture was stiff and tensed, his muscles poised to flee at any second. After a moment, he relaxed, and Lorelai tilted towards him. She rested her cheek on the top of his head and remained that way, content.

"Should I leave?" Sebille asked dryly, jolting Lorelai out of her comfortable haze with her cheek atop Ifan's head. Lorelai's eyes flew open, and she smiled delightedly. She released Ifan to spin and grab both of Sebille's hands. She drew Sebille to her feet just as Ifan had done to Lorelai, and Sebille smirked. "Apparently not," Sebille remarked.

"I know the difference between soft and rough," Lorelai explained to Sebille eagerly, "but I forgot how the sensations felt, if that makes any sense." Lorelai grinned and could not help dragging Sebille into a tight hug. Sebille inhaled sharply and Ifan began to laugh, but Lorelai refused to release Sebille's thin form. It felt nice to hug someone her own height.

"Yes, okay, darling," Sebille said calmly.

Lorelai felt a stiff pat on the back, so she nuzzled her face into Sebille's neck. Sebille's body vibrated in a soft sigh and, before Lorelai could grab her back, Sebille slipped smoothly out of Lorelai's hold. Lorelai made a small noise of displeasure and looked up, giving Sebille a mournful pout.

"You can't fool me, darling," Sebille scolded with a smirk. "I have used these childish techniques all my life. No more theatrics."

Lorelai sighed theatrically and turned her pleading expression Ifan's way. He put a hand on one hip and grinned. "I've been in the manipulation business for a long time, kid," he said smugly. "You'll have to do better than that."

Lorelai dropped the pretense and sighed petulantly before she was distracted by a rounded pebble she spotted on the ground nearby. She picked it up and bounced it in her palm delightedly.

"Moving to more important topics," Sebille stated, turning to Ifan, "did you learn anything, puppy?"

"Ow," Lorelai mumbled when she accidentally tossed the pebble into her own face.

Ifan bared his teeth at Sebille, and she blinked slowly while Lorelai massaged her own stinging cheek. "I did," Ifan said, holding Sebille's challenging gaze with one of his own. "The Seekers want to escape on a magister ship called the Lady Vengeance. It's guarded by Shriekers,"—Lorelai looked up and hissed unhappily, her pebble forgotten—"but there are weapons to destroy them. Gareth left to explore some old ruin but first gave me the location of where a weapons cache should be, and he, of course, wants us to retrieve them."

"Braccus Rex made the Shriekers," Lorelai reminded them cautiously, "and they can be destroyed using a method of purging… recovered by Braccus Rex." Lorelai frowned at her feet as she pushed back her first instinct to berate Ifan for even suggesting they recover the weapons. "Any weapons of Braccus Rex, even if used as an apparent necessity, are not to be trusted."

"It might be our only way off the island, darling," Sebille piped up soothingly.

Lorelai folded her arms across her chest and bit her lip—which was a sharper sensation than she had expected—and forced herself to think rationally. After a moment of silence, she breathed out a deep sigh. "Are these the artefacts the magisters are searching for as well?"

Ifan nodded.

"…Better we retrieve them than the magisters, I suppose," Lorelai relented, unable to keep a slight bitterness from her tone. "Bloody Braccus Rex…" she muttered. "Bloody magisters…"

"Glad you agree," Ifan said with a relieved grin. Lorelai wondered if he would have gone even if she had objected. "Also," he added slyly, "Alexander just so happens to be protected by those same Shriekers."

That cheered Lorelai up immensely, so she instantly grinned. "That is brilliant news," she said in glee. "I wonder what his hair feels like."

"Yes, darling, that's what we are all wondering," Sebille indulged her. She yawned and stretched lithely. "Well, shall we go, then?"

"Where, exactly?" Lorelai inquired.

"Ah, Gareth also gave me a map of the Hollow Marshes," Ifan told her. Ifan shuffled through his pack and handed her a large roll of thick paper. Fascinated by the miniscule markings and variety of color, Lorelai stared at it intently for a long moment. She began tilting it from side-to-side to see how the shapes changed.

"I have never used a map before," she murmured. She tugged on the corners to test its structural integrity, but Ifan quickly snatched it back.

"Never?" he asked in disbelief. "In four thousand years, you've never used a map?"

"Not that I can recall," Lorelai said, gazing at the paper hungrily. "I prefer to allow my feet to take me where they want to go."

"Quaint philosophy," Sebille said, "but rather impractical for our purposes."

"I cannot disagree with that," Lorelai giggled. "Ifan, lead us to the cache, if you please, and perhaps we can break some of Braccus Rex's curses along the way." She smiled, turning her head between Ifan and Sebille. "I only ask," she said gravely, though she kept a comforting smile on her face, "that you would allow me to handle any of Braccus Rex's artifacts or curses. They are often deadly so are far less likely to affect me."

Ifan narrowed his eyes, looking as though he was about to disagree, so Lorelai dropped her smile. Ifan studied her intently but nodded.

"I have no problem with that, darling," Sebille said airily, but Lorelai caught a similar flash of unhappiness in her eyes.

Lorelai brightened again, and she tilted her head to the side with a grateful smile. "I am aware that neither of you are particularly enthusiastic about sitting uselessly while someone else faces the danger, but I thank you for putting my noncorporeal mind at ease." She gave them both a shallow bow, her hands clasped in front of her chest.

"You are welcome," Ifan said as she remained in that position. When she lifted her head with a grin, he held out his hand until she clasped it with both of hers and allowed him to draw her upright.

"Your hands are so much rougher than mine or Sebille's," Lorelai informed him exuberantly as she clutched him tightly. "It is ticklish." She released Ifan's hand and clapped her own together, then jumped at the sharp influx of pain. She stared at her stinging palms with a frown and shook them out. "I am growing quite distracted and somewhat overwhelmed with all this touch," she muttered, suddenly aware of how much time she had been wasting.

Lorelai huffed decisively and threw her hood over her head. She peeled off her mask and stuffed it into her ribcage before anyone could notice, simultaneously pulling on gloves. She shivered slightly when she was once again surrounded by a strangely comforting nothingness, and she patted Sebille on the head with gloved hands. She giggled at the lack of sensation while Sebille gazed at her impassively.

"Thank you, dear one," Lorelai told her warmly. "I had a pleasant nap." Sebille recoiled and glanced away without responding. "Let us depart before the day is up," Lorelai said to decrease Sebille's discomfort. "I wish to complete this distasteful task as quickly as possible."

"The sooner we get off this island, the better," Ifan agreed. He led everyone back to the main area of the Seeker camp. A few people cast Lorelai a glance and narrowed their eyes at her coverings, but no one made a comment.

"It is good that there are so many willing to fight the magisters," Lorelai said as she glanced around the bustling and diverse camp. "I was worried that only sorcerers would be desperate enough to rebel."

"Many people aren't a fan of the new Divine Order," Ifan growled with unexpected anger. He seemed to catch himself and puffed out a breath from his nose. The grin he gave Lorelai was forced. "All the better for us, eh?" he said.

"I suppose so," Lorelai mused. She glanced at him, wondering if she ought to ask why exactly he had left the Divine Order, but she was distracted by the sound of approaching footsteps. When Lorelai saw who it was, she let out a small noise of recognition. "Hello, friend," she called out. "This is one of those whom I healed," she said to Ifan and Sebille, happy that one of her patients was already up and about.

Ifan eyed the elf rushing over suspiciously, but Lorelai hoped he was appeased by the sheer gratitude in the man's eyes. The elf halted in front of Lorelai and clasped his hands in front of his chest. He gave Lorelai a shallow bow, and she mirrored it respectfully.

"I awoke feeling better than I ever have before," the elf said with a grateful smile. "I was told that you were the healer responsible. For that, I thank you."

"It was my pleasure, dear one," Lorelai told him warmly. "I hope—oh, wait," she interrupted herself, but the elf had already reached forward and grasped both of her hands in his.

The elf's expression froze, and he slowly drew his hands away, his eyes wide.

As horror and realization began to fill the depths of the elf's eyes, Lorelai felt panic swell up. "Oh, dear one," she said with a calmness she did not feel, holding up a pacifying hand, "please do not—"

Quick as a flash, the elf reached forwards and snatched off her glove. His gaze fixed itself upon Lorelai's skeletal fingers, and he took a stumbling step back. "An… an Undead!" he shouted desperately before Lorelai could speak. "An Undead has infiltrated the base! Help!"

"Bloody bugger," Lorelai whispered to herself. She knew what was coming.

Lorelai remained relaxed and still as Seekers and sorcerers rushed over with weapons drawn or magic ready to cast. At her side, Ifan drew his crossbow but did not raise it; Sebille fell into a predatory stance with both daggers unsheathed. Lorelai mentally begged them not to provoke an attack.

The elf whom Lorelai had healed skittered backwards and pointed to her emphatically. "That's the Undead," he said in a high-pitched voice that made Ifan snarl softly. "Kill that thing before it murders us all!"

Lorelai sighed heavily and threw back her hood. A collective gasp rippled through the camp, and Ifan tensed visibly when every weapon in the camp was instantly pointed at the trio. Grateful that no one had tried to kill her just yet, Lorelai cleared her throat in the proceeding silence. "If I might—"

"Where is the elf you have been imitating?" the man Lorelai remembered as Kerban growled.

"…Pardon?" Lorelai inquired, puzzled. She tilted her head to the side as she tried to remember to what he was referring.

"This is the same Lorelai," Ifan snapped at Kerban. "She is no different than she was a moment ago."

"I saw her," Kerban retorted. "She wasn't that"—He waved an emphatic hand—"thing."

"Oh," Lorelai realized, "the mask." She reached into her cloak to retrieve it but froze at the sound of multiple crossbows being loaded. "Please do not be alarmed," she said very calmly, holding Kerban's gaze. "I simply wish to prove to you that I am Lorelai."

"Proceed," Kerban said suspiciously, "but know that if you try anything abnormal, you'll be getting a dozen blades and crossbow bolts into your plagued corpse."

"I do not doubt that for one moment," Lorelai said cordially.

Lorelai was lightly peeved that he had called her plagued. She took great pains to make sure her bones were well cared for at all times. Reminding herself that it was just a random insult, that her bones did not look plagued, she scrounged through her ribcage until her hand alighted on the mask. She took it out and carefully placed it on her face. A few swordsmen rushed forwards as her body shimmered, but they paused when they saw her appearance.

Kerban gazed at her in shock, something at which Lorelai had to prevent herself from laughing. "How in…"

Lorelai removed her mask a moment later, and his eyes narrowed as he hefted his sword again.

"So," he spat, "you falsify your appearance to pretend you're one of us, and then you infiltrate our encampments? Your kind should not even exist, never mind take a single step out of your crypt!"

Lorelai kept her voice soft and soothing. "I am not—"

"The dead don't belong in this world!" he shouted wildly. "Let us put you down quietly and we'll spare the living ones you tricked."

Ifan growled savagely and aimed his crossbow at Kerban, his teeth bared.

"Disarm!" Kerban ordered. "My mercy is limited."

Sebille hissed and Ifan placed his hand on the trigger, but Lorelai shoved him to the side before he could shoot, causing a crossbow bolt from behind to hit her instead of him. She stumbled with a small grunt as the bolt dug itself into the side of her collarbone, and she mentally thanked every lucky star in existence that she was not still wearing her mask; the pain would have been excruciating.

Ifan regained his balance and stared at her with wide eyes, his gaze turning furious when he noticed the bolt sticking out of her bone.

"Please do not attempt that again," Lorelai said calmly before Ifan or Sebille could retaliate. She had not even finished speaking when another crossbow bolt whistled through the air, this time hitting her in the back. Lorelai stumbled forwards again from the force, and Ifan swept behind her to shield her from further projectiles. "Please," Lorelai said. She knew she would not get through to these people, but she had to try. "Please, I wish no one harm."

"Lorelai's one of us," Ifan growled furiously. "Put down your weapons or you'll get the fight of a lifetime."

"And not a very long lifetime for you," Sebille added in a low, threatening voice.

"No," Lorelai told them, and they both turned to glare at her this time. "They cannot harm me," Lorelai reminded the pair, "but they can harm you. I do not want death."

"They seem to want it, darling," Sebille retorted. "I do not see many options."

Lorelai silently considered this for a long moment before she sighed. She raised her hands and flicked her wrists, inspiring another crossbow to fire, this time into her ribs. Before Ifan and Sebille could move, both were incased in a sphere of blue light. Two more bolts and a throwing knife flew towards them. The knife bounced off Ifan's sphere, one of the bolts embedded itself into Lorelai's shoulder, and the second was deflected by Sebille's sphere.

Lorelai had never been struck by a crossbow bolt before today, and they were far more powerful than she had realized. She could tell that her bones had been damaged, that some well-aimed hits to her legs could prevent her from escaping without bloodshed. The last two bolts were also starting to make her feel woozy; Lorelai was unused to feeling woozy.

"I have three responses to your aggression," Lorelai said peaceably as she desperately smothered the desire to lash out in panicked self-defense. "Will you allow me to speak?"

"What did you do to the others?" Kerban yelled.

"They are within a shield and unable to move," she replied. She glanced at her immobilized friends inside their spheres, and Ifan was glaring at her furiously. Lorelai turned back to Kerban. "I regret the necessity," she said, "but I do not wish for them to be harmed."

"You'll get no sympathy from me," Kerban hissed.

"Nor did I ask for it," Lorelai said in a tranquil voice that hid her exasperation. "Will you allow me to speak?" she repeated.

There was a short silence, but Kerban gave her a swift nod. He and everyone else, however, did not lower their weapons.

"First," Lorelai said, "I would reiterate that I do not wish to cause harm, and I refuse to take any of your lives."

"You do not have the power to take any—"

Lorelai's temper frayed slightly, so she muttered a spell under her breath. A series of pale green telekinetic tendrils sprung from her hands and wrenched every single weapon from the surrounding men and women. Only one person managed to attack in time, and a throwing knife embedded itself into Lorelai's skull. Her head snapped to the side at the heavy impact, but the telekinetic tendrils still deposited every other weapon into a pile behind Lorelai. The entire encampment was now unarmed.

"Children should not be given such dangerous toys," Lorelai said in a threateningly soft voice, no longer able to keep her annoyance in check. "You said you would let me speak. Stop. Interrupting."

Kerban and the others fell silent and slowly backed away.

Lorelai paused to collect herself and mentally cursed her idiocy for provoking these people. The weight of the knife in her skull caused her head to tilt to the side, and she could not bother to lift it upright. The combination of her magic use and whatever was on those last two crossbow bolts was rapidly sapping her strength.

"Second," Lorelai continued cordially as if nothing had transpired, "I will still find the weapons to kill the Shriekers so that you may board your ship."

Terrified silence.

Lorelai felt another flash of irritation rush through her, and her voice lowered until it was as cold as ice. "Third," she growled dangerously, "if anyone attempts to harm my companions again, there shall be consequences."

Lorelai let that sink in for a moment before she gestured with her hands. Both spheres were drawn beside Lorelai, remaining at her side her as she slowly walked down the path towards the entrance of the camp. The pitter-patter of feet along with a hoarse battle cry and the clash of metal elicited a sigh from Lorelai. She paused politely for one of the discarded swords to pierce through her back. She felt it slide between her ribs and poke out the other side, burying itself into her arm.

"Let her go, Exeter," Simone's voice called out softly. "She saved three lives last night and rescued Gareth from the magisters. She doesn't deserve… this. Just… stop. Please stop."

"It's an Undead!" Kerban yelled.

"Shut up, Kerban," Simone snapped. "Stop posturing. She could clearly kill us all if she wanted to, which she obviously doesn't."

"Thank you, Simone," Lorelai said without turning, a flicker of warmth running through her at Simone's defense, no matter how belated. "I wish you well."

"Thank you, and… I'm… sorry," Simone replied, sounding close to tears, "so sorry."

"No apologies necessary," Lorelai replied tiredly.

Lorelai began walking again, the sword clanging inside her. Her pace was slowing, but she made it to the vines without too much effort. She dawdled at the top of the cliff before gently lowering Ifan and Sebille to the ground. She gazed at the vines, hopelessly aware that she would not be able to climb down unaided. Thus, she stepped off the cliff and allowed herself to crash to the ground. The impact jarred her but did no real damage. Lorelai pushed herself to her feet with a grunt.

"I assume you are incensed with me at the moment," Lorelai said tiredly to Ifan and Sebille as she continued away from the camp, "and you have good reason to be. I shall release the two of you momentarily, and I am sincerely sorry for using magic to enforce my will upon you."

True to her word, Lorelai lowered her arms after a few minutes of walking and allowed the blue light to dissipate. The moment she did so, she collapsed against a nearby tree.

"I should have stayed in the bloody forest," she complained with a strangled laugh. Lorelai could only hope that her companions did not wish the same.