Chapter 2: The Knife of Life Stealing
About a mile past the village, Daelin came to the Tel'Shan wood, one of the smaller forests in the lands of Atarandor. Being on the outskirts of the realm, Tel'Shan wasn't as magickal as the forests found near the center of Atarandor's arcane influence. Pixies were rare, dryads not as common, and overall it was as mundane as any other wood found in the lands of Vyantha or Symmet.
As she approached the entrance to the wood the moon was rising, and the opening in the dark forest yawned like the open mouth of a grave. A chill tingled down Daelin's spine, but she took it as nothing more than the breeze. For some reason, Daelin began to walk faster. Only fifty paces away now. The trees were a safe place, she thought. But why did she feel the need for safety? Her heart began to pound, and she stopped.
Was someone following her? A brownie playing a prank, no doubt. Or a forest faery with nothing better to do. Daelin's gaze drifted to the dark Water village in the distance. So silent, almost as if it were lying in a death. Then, her Elven ears heard it - the quiet ring of metal sliding against metal.
Daelin's arm shot up between her neck and the dark blade, the serrated edge cutting deep into the flesh of her forearm. Her breath came sharply through clenched teeth, and soon her own short sword stabbed at the body behind her. She whirled as it lept back.
Cormeer seemed to be overjoyed at the sight of blood, which he licked slowly from his blade, savoring the taste of it. The small cut in his arm gave him no displeasure. Daelin stepped back a few paces, her wounds burning strangely and her mind reeling. Cormeer gave a low chuckle as he disappeared into stealth.
Daelin froze for an instant before breaking into a mad dash for the trees. The lush meadow terrain lent her tired legs speed while it gave away Cormeer's position, who could be heard giving chase. She slipped into stealth and was lost to him as she faded into the woods.
She wove in and out of the trees, her whole arm beginning to ache, and her chest pounding. There was a brook not far away, but she wasn't sure if the Assassin was still following her. The thick brush and bushes now opened up into a dell, which she ran into, unaware of the three Dark Elf halberdiers waiting for their leader to return with the meat of an Eldren.
Daelin skidded to a stop, not more than five paces from the nearest Dark Elf. They were sitting around on the ground and an old fallen branch, all silent and brooding. One picked up his head and glanced her way, but looked past her, unseeing. She took quiet, careful steps backwards, unaware of the blood dripping from her arm to the dirt. The three halberdiers rose.
"It seems Cormeer has led us a pretty morsel.. the blood smells fresh and young."
Daelin looked down around her feet, where spatters of dark crimson oozed from her wounds to be seen by all, though she was still invisible. She cradled her arm to try to stop the flow of blood, and moved silently away from the small puddle. The Dark Ones searched around the clearing.
"It is a Thief, no doubt. Thinks she can hide. Not for long, dearie, I can smell you!"
As she watched the prowling three, Daelin began to feel faint. Her wounds, oddly, were beginning to feel numb, but the flow of blood was ever increasing. Her vision began to cloud, and a tiny rivulet of blood began to flow down the bark of the tree she was leaning against. Keen on the scent, they easily detected her, and the one nearest raised his halberd to strike.
There was a sickening thud, and the halberdier fell, a lump forming at the base of his skull. Daelin herself slumped to the ground, hearing the sounds of the fight around her. Forcing her eyes to focus, she looked up to watch as the second Dark Elf parried with an iron-bound staff, which moved like lightning to strike its target over the head. The third thrust his bladed weapon at something large and pale yellow, but did not pierce it. He too fell with his comrades at the deadly, but merciful quarterstaff.
Daelin stood, still in stealth, as her now clear vision took in the sight before her. Mounted upon a great war reptile, an Eldren Warrior stood silently amidst the unconscious bodies. He looked down at them, almost thoughtfully, as his pale golden hair fell past his shoulders in curtains. Light skin, faintly tanned from days of travel, glowed in the dim moonlight, and his mail glimmered silver, matching the metal circlet which crowned his head.
Suddenly, he looked up, and Daelin started. She followed his puzzled gaze to the blood on the ground, of which he had not spilled from the Dark Elves. He looked on either side of his mount in the unlikely event that their weapons had pierced the tough scales. Nothing. He looked then to the tree, where the flow of the rivulet was still fresh. The warrior began to ease his mount in that direction till a sound broke the silence.
The Assassin. Daelin, against all of the strange aching and pain which had now spread through most of her body, dashed from the tree - still in stealth - and threw herself onto the back of the warrior's saddle, thrusting a bloodied arm around his waist and putting them both into stealth. She hissed in his ear.
"Fly, you fool!"
About a mile past the village, Daelin came to the Tel'Shan wood, one of the smaller forests in the lands of Atarandor. Being on the outskirts of the realm, Tel'Shan wasn't as magickal as the forests found near the center of Atarandor's arcane influence. Pixies were rare, dryads not as common, and overall it was as mundane as any other wood found in the lands of Vyantha or Symmet.
As she approached the entrance to the wood the moon was rising, and the opening in the dark forest yawned like the open mouth of a grave. A chill tingled down Daelin's spine, but she took it as nothing more than the breeze. For some reason, Daelin began to walk faster. Only fifty paces away now. The trees were a safe place, she thought. But why did she feel the need for safety? Her heart began to pound, and she stopped.
Was someone following her? A brownie playing a prank, no doubt. Or a forest faery with nothing better to do. Daelin's gaze drifted to the dark Water village in the distance. So silent, almost as if it were lying in a death. Then, her Elven ears heard it - the quiet ring of metal sliding against metal.
Daelin's arm shot up between her neck and the dark blade, the serrated edge cutting deep into the flesh of her forearm. Her breath came sharply through clenched teeth, and soon her own short sword stabbed at the body behind her. She whirled as it lept back.
Cormeer seemed to be overjoyed at the sight of blood, which he licked slowly from his blade, savoring the taste of it. The small cut in his arm gave him no displeasure. Daelin stepped back a few paces, her wounds burning strangely and her mind reeling. Cormeer gave a low chuckle as he disappeared into stealth.
Daelin froze for an instant before breaking into a mad dash for the trees. The lush meadow terrain lent her tired legs speed while it gave away Cormeer's position, who could be heard giving chase. She slipped into stealth and was lost to him as she faded into the woods.
She wove in and out of the trees, her whole arm beginning to ache, and her chest pounding. There was a brook not far away, but she wasn't sure if the Assassin was still following her. The thick brush and bushes now opened up into a dell, which she ran into, unaware of the three Dark Elf halberdiers waiting for their leader to return with the meat of an Eldren.
Daelin skidded to a stop, not more than five paces from the nearest Dark Elf. They were sitting around on the ground and an old fallen branch, all silent and brooding. One picked up his head and glanced her way, but looked past her, unseeing. She took quiet, careful steps backwards, unaware of the blood dripping from her arm to the dirt. The three halberdiers rose.
"It seems Cormeer has led us a pretty morsel.. the blood smells fresh and young."
Daelin looked down around her feet, where spatters of dark crimson oozed from her wounds to be seen by all, though she was still invisible. She cradled her arm to try to stop the flow of blood, and moved silently away from the small puddle. The Dark Ones searched around the clearing.
"It is a Thief, no doubt. Thinks she can hide. Not for long, dearie, I can smell you!"
As she watched the prowling three, Daelin began to feel faint. Her wounds, oddly, were beginning to feel numb, but the flow of blood was ever increasing. Her vision began to cloud, and a tiny rivulet of blood began to flow down the bark of the tree she was leaning against. Keen on the scent, they easily detected her, and the one nearest raised his halberd to strike.
There was a sickening thud, and the halberdier fell, a lump forming at the base of his skull. Daelin herself slumped to the ground, hearing the sounds of the fight around her. Forcing her eyes to focus, she looked up to watch as the second Dark Elf parried with an iron-bound staff, which moved like lightning to strike its target over the head. The third thrust his bladed weapon at something large and pale yellow, but did not pierce it. He too fell with his comrades at the deadly, but merciful quarterstaff.
Daelin stood, still in stealth, as her now clear vision took in the sight before her. Mounted upon a great war reptile, an Eldren Warrior stood silently amidst the unconscious bodies. He looked down at them, almost thoughtfully, as his pale golden hair fell past his shoulders in curtains. Light skin, faintly tanned from days of travel, glowed in the dim moonlight, and his mail glimmered silver, matching the metal circlet which crowned his head.
Suddenly, he looked up, and Daelin started. She followed his puzzled gaze to the blood on the ground, of which he had not spilled from the Dark Elves. He looked on either side of his mount in the unlikely event that their weapons had pierced the tough scales. Nothing. He looked then to the tree, where the flow of the rivulet was still fresh. The warrior began to ease his mount in that direction till a sound broke the silence.
The Assassin. Daelin, against all of the strange aching and pain which had now spread through most of her body, dashed from the tree - still in stealth - and threw herself onto the back of the warrior's saddle, thrusting a bloodied arm around his waist and putting them both into stealth. She hissed in his ear.
"Fly, you fool!"