~A.N.~ I'm sorry!! My computer broke and by the time we got another one, I
lost the will to do anything! Everything of mine was completely lost! (
Well, I'm sorry and I hope this chapter doesn't suck. …Oh yeah, I don't
own these characters, so don't sue.
Parn waited patiently outside the small hut. Curiosity and concern completely etched across his features as he kept an eye on his and Deedlit's belongings. He replayed a very recent scene in his head again.
What happened? …He woke up, Deed was roaming around the forest in a melancholy daze, they packed their things, and followed the path. It was all now a strange and worrying routine, but something else had happened. He remembered glancing back at Deed, and she looked as though she was dying to say something. He was more than grateful for that, praying to God that she would finally say what had been sitting in her head for so long. Maybe the gods had answered his prayers- yet decided against it the moment she strode next to him on her horse and opened her mouth. He was hoping for some sort of burden to be lifted from her shoulders, but was rudely interrupted by the sound of a scream.
And so, they did what made them 'heroes' in the first place. Following the blood curdling scream without a moments hesitation, they splashed through the once stoic ponds until they viewed a group of woodland thieves. Parn sprang to his feet, sword drawn quicker than the eye could see.
It was all normal battle he thought. Save someone, knock out the enemy with your fist, hilt, or the flat of the blade. He was used to it. Deed was used to it. Yet as he stood there, leaning against the sturdy wood logs of the house, he wondered why Deedlit acted so differently.
He had just punched the flat side of the blade into a nameless face when he turned around. Deed was going after a man who could only defend himself. She moved quickly as he merely held up his sword, barely blocking as she launched a random series of blows. He fell to his knees, begging her to stop, begging for forgiveness. She complied, instead, gripping the collar of his shirt and slamming him into a tree. She held him there, fire burning in her eyes as she brought the sword to his throat.
Parn was still registering this in his mind as he watched with terrified fascination. The intensity Deedlit gave off was not friendly, not happy, but not sad. He could feel her anger rising to its climax as her sword was brought closer to the thief's flesh. What was she thinking? Has she lost it!?
"Please…please don't kill me…! Please…I'll…I'll…I'll never do it…ever again! Please!" He begged. Parn could've sworn he saw a tear squeeze it's way out of his squinted eye.
Deed had not loosened nor tightened. "Not everyone gets what they want, thief." She hissed with venom.
"Deed! Stop this!!! What are you doing!!?" Parn had shouted before her sword could sweep across his throat. With a calmer voice, he said, "Don't. Just let him go."
Deed stood still for several moments until she lowered her sword. She looked away from the thief.
"Go away." She said to him. Nodding violently, he took off running to god knows where, disappearing into the trees. To Parn's surprise and dismay, Deed had sunk to her knees as her sword fell with a small thump to the ground.
"What…what did I just do…?" She whispered. She looked up at Parn, who's shock had still not warn off. "Parn… What am I doing?"
He could only stare back at her. How could he give her an answer when he had none? He wanted to help her, he wanted to take away whatever was causing this pain in her heart, but he didn't know how.
Finally, someone broke the silence by a loud throat clearing.
Parn broke from his daze as he realized the whole reason why they came down here. He turned around as an old woman approached them cautiously. When she had convinced herself it was okay, she knelt be Deed and put a hand on her back. She had begun to converse in tones that Parn couldn't hear, so he good-naturedly placed himself on a rock as the woman brought Deed back to reality. She hadn't shed a tear, because maybe she was too lost to do so.
And as it turned out, the woman was some sort of fortuneteller.
She had taken an interest in Deed, dragging her into her house/business the moment they stepped inside the village. And so, Parn waited outside, worried, but patient. But with the way things were going lately caused him to think too much. Deedlit wasn't happy…what could he do? What could he say…?
Maybe she didn't want to travel with him anymore. Maybe she wanted to go home.
The thought killed him. The feelings that burnt inside of him seemed to intensify every second he thought of her leaving… He loved her. He needed her.
As he stood there, under the warm sun with a soft breeze that tugged at his hair, he shuddered. He knew it all along…he had always known he loved her, but to lose her before he could find the strength to tell her…and he still wondered what she was going to tell him…
His thoughts finally ceased when the door opened. Deedlit stepped out, taking a deep breath. Parn watched her throw her hair over her shoulder.
"What happened?" He asked.
Deedlit looked at him and shrugged. "Nothing much. The usual for-telling that never really happens."
"The…'usual?' Like what?" He asked curiously.
"Well…" Deedlit was rudely interrupted by the door sailing open again by the fortune teller.
"May I speak to you, young man?" She asked in a crackled voice.
Parn blinked at her hunched form. "A-alright…" He stepped towards the door. Looking back at Deedlit, who had a concerned expression. "Wait for me?"
"Of course."
He nodded and went inside. The old woman shut the door and walked behind a normal old table with strange things a psychic woman would have…tarot cards, a crystal ball…the usual that made up someone like her.
"Stupid, stupid man…" She muttered as she waddled her way to her chair. "Men…all the same!" She said a bit more audible.
Parn had stood with a puzzled face. "Huh?"
She sighed, frustrated. "See? You're so dense! You know what I mean. That young woman out there. Do you…" She faltered. "You do see it, don't you?"
"I'm not as clueless as everyone thinks I am." He said. "She wants to leave."
The woman looked at his downcast eyes. "No." She said. "You are wrong. Something is calling her. I could sense it the moment I saw her. It's like…a sort of longing. As if she's heard a beautiful melody, but has never finished the song."
He looked up in surprise. "C-calling her?"
"Yes, calling her! What? Are your ears clogged?"
Parn nearly twitched an eye with impatience at the woman's attitude. "I heard you. So…what's calling her?"
"Tch! I'm not that good, kid."
As she relaxed with a sigh, Parn stood, thinking. "So…she's being taken away…"
"Ha…" The woman rippled slightly with a chuckle. "You care for her, yes?"
"I think it's none of your business."
"Oh, well, that proves it right there, doesn't it?" She sat up and dug through a small chest at her side. "I don't know how to help you, but I can give you this."
As she pulled back up, she revealed in her hands a sleek sheathed dagger, such a deep red it seemed black. The hilt was plain besides the small ruby that sat in the middle. It was beautiful, so plain yet stunning he couldn't take his eyes off.
"Why…? Why do I need this…?" He asked softly.
She set it on the table. "Never question a fortune teller. Its bad luck. But I can feel it within my bones- It will help you."
He looked at her, then back at the dagger. He's refused the most beautiful armor the King had offered…why couldn't he refuse this? "I…"
She nearly sent a glare at him, warning him to challenge her wisdom.
"Very well." He picked it up and slipped it behind his sword. He decided that maybe he should wait before telling Deedlit.
"Farewell, young Knight." She said.
'That's it?' He thought. He had expected more, but with her attitude, he left it alone. "Farewell." He replied as he headed to the door and went outside.
What was he going to do now?
~A.N. Geez…I think I'm getting worse! Now what? Oh crap…
Parn waited patiently outside the small hut. Curiosity and concern completely etched across his features as he kept an eye on his and Deedlit's belongings. He replayed a very recent scene in his head again.
What happened? …He woke up, Deed was roaming around the forest in a melancholy daze, they packed their things, and followed the path. It was all now a strange and worrying routine, but something else had happened. He remembered glancing back at Deed, and she looked as though she was dying to say something. He was more than grateful for that, praying to God that she would finally say what had been sitting in her head for so long. Maybe the gods had answered his prayers- yet decided against it the moment she strode next to him on her horse and opened her mouth. He was hoping for some sort of burden to be lifted from her shoulders, but was rudely interrupted by the sound of a scream.
And so, they did what made them 'heroes' in the first place. Following the blood curdling scream without a moments hesitation, they splashed through the once stoic ponds until they viewed a group of woodland thieves. Parn sprang to his feet, sword drawn quicker than the eye could see.
It was all normal battle he thought. Save someone, knock out the enemy with your fist, hilt, or the flat of the blade. He was used to it. Deed was used to it. Yet as he stood there, leaning against the sturdy wood logs of the house, he wondered why Deedlit acted so differently.
He had just punched the flat side of the blade into a nameless face when he turned around. Deed was going after a man who could only defend himself. She moved quickly as he merely held up his sword, barely blocking as she launched a random series of blows. He fell to his knees, begging her to stop, begging for forgiveness. She complied, instead, gripping the collar of his shirt and slamming him into a tree. She held him there, fire burning in her eyes as she brought the sword to his throat.
Parn was still registering this in his mind as he watched with terrified fascination. The intensity Deedlit gave off was not friendly, not happy, but not sad. He could feel her anger rising to its climax as her sword was brought closer to the thief's flesh. What was she thinking? Has she lost it!?
"Please…please don't kill me…! Please…I'll…I'll…I'll never do it…ever again! Please!" He begged. Parn could've sworn he saw a tear squeeze it's way out of his squinted eye.
Deed had not loosened nor tightened. "Not everyone gets what they want, thief." She hissed with venom.
"Deed! Stop this!!! What are you doing!!?" Parn had shouted before her sword could sweep across his throat. With a calmer voice, he said, "Don't. Just let him go."
Deed stood still for several moments until she lowered her sword. She looked away from the thief.
"Go away." She said to him. Nodding violently, he took off running to god knows where, disappearing into the trees. To Parn's surprise and dismay, Deed had sunk to her knees as her sword fell with a small thump to the ground.
"What…what did I just do…?" She whispered. She looked up at Parn, who's shock had still not warn off. "Parn… What am I doing?"
He could only stare back at her. How could he give her an answer when he had none? He wanted to help her, he wanted to take away whatever was causing this pain in her heart, but he didn't know how.
Finally, someone broke the silence by a loud throat clearing.
Parn broke from his daze as he realized the whole reason why they came down here. He turned around as an old woman approached them cautiously. When she had convinced herself it was okay, she knelt be Deed and put a hand on her back. She had begun to converse in tones that Parn couldn't hear, so he good-naturedly placed himself on a rock as the woman brought Deed back to reality. She hadn't shed a tear, because maybe she was too lost to do so.
And as it turned out, the woman was some sort of fortuneteller.
She had taken an interest in Deed, dragging her into her house/business the moment they stepped inside the village. And so, Parn waited outside, worried, but patient. But with the way things were going lately caused him to think too much. Deedlit wasn't happy…what could he do? What could he say…?
Maybe she didn't want to travel with him anymore. Maybe she wanted to go home.
The thought killed him. The feelings that burnt inside of him seemed to intensify every second he thought of her leaving… He loved her. He needed her.
As he stood there, under the warm sun with a soft breeze that tugged at his hair, he shuddered. He knew it all along…he had always known he loved her, but to lose her before he could find the strength to tell her…and he still wondered what she was going to tell him…
His thoughts finally ceased when the door opened. Deedlit stepped out, taking a deep breath. Parn watched her throw her hair over her shoulder.
"What happened?" He asked.
Deedlit looked at him and shrugged. "Nothing much. The usual for-telling that never really happens."
"The…'usual?' Like what?" He asked curiously.
"Well…" Deedlit was rudely interrupted by the door sailing open again by the fortune teller.
"May I speak to you, young man?" She asked in a crackled voice.
Parn blinked at her hunched form. "A-alright…" He stepped towards the door. Looking back at Deedlit, who had a concerned expression. "Wait for me?"
"Of course."
He nodded and went inside. The old woman shut the door and walked behind a normal old table with strange things a psychic woman would have…tarot cards, a crystal ball…the usual that made up someone like her.
"Stupid, stupid man…" She muttered as she waddled her way to her chair. "Men…all the same!" She said a bit more audible.
Parn had stood with a puzzled face. "Huh?"
She sighed, frustrated. "See? You're so dense! You know what I mean. That young woman out there. Do you…" She faltered. "You do see it, don't you?"
"I'm not as clueless as everyone thinks I am." He said. "She wants to leave."
The woman looked at his downcast eyes. "No." She said. "You are wrong. Something is calling her. I could sense it the moment I saw her. It's like…a sort of longing. As if she's heard a beautiful melody, but has never finished the song."
He looked up in surprise. "C-calling her?"
"Yes, calling her! What? Are your ears clogged?"
Parn nearly twitched an eye with impatience at the woman's attitude. "I heard you. So…what's calling her?"
"Tch! I'm not that good, kid."
As she relaxed with a sigh, Parn stood, thinking. "So…she's being taken away…"
"Ha…" The woman rippled slightly with a chuckle. "You care for her, yes?"
"I think it's none of your business."
"Oh, well, that proves it right there, doesn't it?" She sat up and dug through a small chest at her side. "I don't know how to help you, but I can give you this."
As she pulled back up, she revealed in her hands a sleek sheathed dagger, such a deep red it seemed black. The hilt was plain besides the small ruby that sat in the middle. It was beautiful, so plain yet stunning he couldn't take his eyes off.
"Why…? Why do I need this…?" He asked softly.
She set it on the table. "Never question a fortune teller. Its bad luck. But I can feel it within my bones- It will help you."
He looked at her, then back at the dagger. He's refused the most beautiful armor the King had offered…why couldn't he refuse this? "I…"
She nearly sent a glare at him, warning him to challenge her wisdom.
"Very well." He picked it up and slipped it behind his sword. He decided that maybe he should wait before telling Deedlit.
"Farewell, young Knight." She said.
'That's it?' He thought. He had expected more, but with her attitude, he left it alone. "Farewell." He replied as he headed to the door and went outside.
What was he going to do now?
~A.N. Geez…I think I'm getting worse! Now what? Oh crap…
