Author's notes: Hey, everyone! Just wanted to say that, since web design is one of my fav hobbies, I took a few hours out of yesterday to make an EQ site. It's not much, but it does have some info on Arelle, as well as my other EQ characters, and you can also see a pic of Arelle. The Arelle that I play on EQ and the Arelle in this story are different in some ways, but the one in the story was based off the one that I play. So, go check it out! The site is called Amai's EverQuest Site (how original I be), and the addy is www.sailorchibimoon.com/everquest/index.html. Go, now!

Sorry the updates have been really late recently, but something's really whack with FF.net, and most of the time I can't log in to upload a new chapter. Some of the time I can't even get to their main page! Grrr..

Oh, and btw, all hail Digitaru, for she reviews all my chapters! Yay!

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Arelle squinted in pain as she accidentally pricked her finger on a thorn while reaching for some berries. She jerked her hand back and tried to pull the small thorn out of her finger.

"Hello, Arelle!" Lilliah said coming out of some nearby bushes, startling Arelle so much that she jumped slightly.

"Lilliah! Great Tunare, don't scare me like that! I thought I was about to be attacked!" Arelle said, laying down the sword that she had reflexively drawn when she was startled.

"Oh, sorry! I was just carried away and didn't think about it." Lilliah said, walking up to Arelle.

"It's fine, Lilliah." Arelle replied.

"May I help you pick berries?" Lilliah asked.

"Of course. I would appreciate your help." Arelle said, passing Lilliah a large, wooden bowl to put the berries in. She then resumed picking berries, and Lilliah did the same. "Moren's out hunting for our supper, and he left me picking berries. "Oh, that's so annoying! I hate picking berries! I'd much rather be killing a wolf for our supper!" Arelle sighed in frustration. Lilliah furrowed her brows.

"Killing... A wolf? For our supper? I see... But... Why a wolf, Arelle? Why not a rabbit or something?" Lilliah asked. Arelle looked at her questioningly.

"Well... Yes, I suppose a rabbit would do, too. I was just saying 'wolf' as an example... " Arelle said, wondering what Lilliah meant.

"Oh. Well, that's fine then." Lilliah said.

"Do you not like to eat wolf?" Arelle asked. Lilliah paused before replying.

"The wolves are my friends," She replied.

"Your friends?" Arelle asked, questioningly.

"Yes... Not all wolves as much as certain ones, though. My ancestors, when they died, turned into Wolf Spirits. They have the spirits of my ancestors, but they live in the forms of wolves." Lilliah said. "The Wolf Spirits protect me whenever they can. I haven't seen them around for at least a few weeks, though. They come and they go as they choose. Who knows where they wander off to."

Arelle paused, thinking about it. It seemed like it would be nice to have your ancestors constantly looking out for you like that.

Suddenly, Lilliah remembered what she had come to Arelle for. "Oh, yes. Umm, Arelle?" Lilliah asked.

"Yes?" Arelle replied, looking up at Lilliah.

"You don't dislike Akinen, do you?" Lilliah asked. Arelle turned back to her berry picking.

"Dislike? Well... What makes you like Akinen so much, Lilliah?" Arelle said, changing the subject.

"Oh, I like everything about Akinen." Lilliah said, suddenly smiling brightly.

"How can you say that so assuredly?" Arelle asked, questioningly. Lilliah's bright smile seemed to fade slightly. She stopped picking berries and sat on the ground. Arelle sat next to her, wanting to hear what she had to say.

"Perhaps now I should tell you how I met Akinen." Lilliah said, starting her tale. "When I first met Akinen... So long ago, it seems now. At the time I was an outcast. I was wandering in Greater Faydark woods with no home, and little ability to protect myself. I was attacked by a band of orcs who came at me by surprise. There were five of them, all Orc Centurions. I was weak at the time, and unable to defend myself. It still brings back painful memories as I remember their heavy blows against me. I screamed a loud, painful yell, thinking it would be the last time I would hear my own voice again.

Moments later, when I was at the brink of unconsciousness, I saw a man suddenly jump out and attack the orcs. The orcs quickly ignored me in their battle with the brave man. I watched him kill them all, and then I saw him turn to me. It was the first time I could clearly see his face, and now I saw that his face was covered with a gruesome scar. I was scared of him. I used my strength to try to roll away from him, but he knelt beside me and began bandaging my wounds. But as I watched him, I could see he was nervous and stressed about something. He bandaged my worst wounds very hastily, but gently. Suddenly, I heard a loud whistle. The man stood up quickly and looked into the direction it had sounded from. He had a concerned look on his face as he looked first in the direction of the whistle, then back at me, then back towards the whistle. Suddenly, he leaned down and picked me up in his arms. I struggled to get away, but I was too weak. I was surprised he was strong enough to be able to carry me so easily, since I was Barbarian and he was High Elf. He swiftly ran to some nearby dense underbrush and laid me down gently in it, moving the bushes around me to completely conceal me, and laying something beside me. All this he did within seconds, and after one more look at me, he ran off in the direction of the whistle.

I spent several cold nights in that bush, though I don't remember how many. The days and nights ran into each other, and I couldn't tell when one was turning into the next. My mind was numb, and I rarely slept. Most of the time I spent in that bush, I watched the green leaves above me with half-open, hazy eyes. When I was well enough, I looked down at what he had laid by me before he ran off, and found a loaf of bread and a canteen of water. I was eager to eat this food he left for me, but it did not quench my hunger fully. My stomach growled with hunger, but my wounds were what caused me the most pain. One of the bushes within reach of me was a berry bush, but the berries were just ripening, and many were so sour that they only added to my torment. The Wolf Spirits came to me at this time, and tried to help me in ways that they could. The laid by me to give me warmth, and when an enemy wandered by they attacked and killed it so that it wasn't able to hurt me while I was weak. They tried bringing me food, but I couldn't eat raw meat as they did, so I was unable to eat any of it. Eventually I was well enough able to stand, thanks to many of wounds being bandaged. The man had left some unused bandages next to me, and I used these to bandage my other wounds, myself. As soon as I was able to, I left the area. The stink of the decaying Orc Centurion corpses had haunted me for long as I lay there in the bushes, and I knew I had to escape the fowl odor, I continued my wandering in Greater Faydark. I had no real destination. So, when deciding which direction to go, I decided to go in the direction the man had left.

For a few more days I continued slowly walking in this direction, taking many breaks to rest and many more to find food. The wolves followed me for several days, but after it looked like I was all right, they wandered off on their own again. Then, suddenly, I was ambushed by orcs. It was another band of orcs, though this time only three Centurions and a few Pawns. Still, with my wounds, I was unable to defend myself against the assault. I struggled to get away, but it was of no use, and I yelled in pain. Something inside me longed for the man with the scar to come back and save me. I watched for him until I lost consciousness.

When I woke up, I realized I was being carried in someone's arms. But it was much different than being carried in the man's arms. I slowly opened my eyes to see an unfamiliar face. The man who was carrying me was apparently a Barbarian, like me, but he looked awful. His face was covered in dirt, and he smelled as if he hadn't taken a bath in months. I didn't like him, and I decided I didn't want to be in his arms. So I used my strength to try to push away from him. Of course, it was no use, for I was terribly wounded and could've have stood straight on the ground.

"Who... " was all I managed to choke out. My body was covered with wounds, and the pain was nearly unbearable. I closed my eyes in pain. He didn't seem to hear me, or if he did, he kept walking. Soon I felt him come to a halt. I heard some voices. One of them was the man who carried me talking. Although I was at the verge of unconsciousness, I tried to listen carefully to what they said.

"What's that bundle of rags ya holding?" came a rough voice.

"We was in the forest, on patrol, when came across a bunch of them filthy orcs. They was fixin to eat this here girl, havin already killed her five burly bodyguards. But seein as we're so much stronger than them stinkin citified bodyguards, we managed to take them down. Them city-folk, what calls themselves fighters, only killed four amongst 'em, but we slaughtered more than fifteen." One of the men said, obviously exaggerating things to an incredible extent.

"Commander's busy right now. 'Et's kill 'er now, I'm sure the Commander won' mind."

She heard this talking and was frightened. She would have pushed away, had she felt able to move her body. Then, suddenly, she heard another man coming.

"Aka, look at the prey we've found!" One of them snarled. There was a silence.

"I see." He replied.

"Yah don't thank the Commander wou'd mind if we kill'd 'er now, do yah?" Aka paused.

"Don't kill her." Aka replied. The man paused in confusion.

"What? What do yah mean?"

"I have decided now. She'll be my woman." Aka said.

"Are yah sure? Look how bloody she is! Yu'll have to heal her up, 'n that'll be a lot of trouble."

Lilliah felt herself being laid into another man's arms, the one they called Aka. She used the last of her strength to open her eyes. Looking up into a face she saw the man that had rescued her in the forest and bandaged her wounds.

"It's... you... ." She managed to mumble. He looked down at her with a solemn face.

"Did she say, 'it's you'? Do yah know 'er, Aka?" One of them asked. She could see him shake his head.

"She's just seeing things." Lilliah heard him say, as she lost consciousness again from the pain.