EverShadow: I…didn't need that…
Tiger of Blackness: *Still holding the pot* don't make me use this.
EverShadow: Meep. Well anyway, I see someone did a nice critique of this fanfic. Um…Lady Maeglin the Elvenjedi I believe? I know it's hard to understand at first but there will be more later on, including a few flashbacks that will answer your question. Remember, you cannot correctly assume thing from the first chapyter. Another thing you mentioned was the gender of the people. According to my knowledge, Astarael is a girl, they did explain that in Abhorsen, Mogget is a boy…yah…we knew that from his dwarf expeditions, Kibeth/Dog is a girl and Orannis is unknown. That's all the information I gathered from the two books that I have, Abhorsen and Sabriel but I have read Lirael. I just don't have it to confirm much. Well, anyway, if anyone finds anything wrong and has proof, please tell me so that I can correct it.
Tiger of Blackness: Ugh…open mouth insert foot.
EverShadow: My fanfic MINE!!
Tiger of Blackness: Calm down! It's yours keep it!!! Make mistakes!! Look all you know is that Kibeth if female, Astarael is female, Mogget is male. That's all!!
EverShadow: So? On with the show!
In the Garden
"Orannis, let me see your hand!" Saraneth commanded. The tall dirty blond man looked down at her with his black eyes. She met his gaze, unwavering when the gaze turned into a glare.
"Why do you insist on helping me?" He whispered. His voice broke in the middle of the sentence because he hadn't used it in a long time.
"We all used to be friends, let me help you." She replied.
"And you have the stomach to look upon such a face as this?" He snapped gesturing to his scars. "I am hideous, I scared the children as I crawled through the villages, pleading for help. None of them dared to go near me, no matter how much I begged for a stale crust of bread. No one dared to throw water at me when I needed it most." His voice was now clear and true as it had been years before. Saraneth sensed the hatred in it, the hatred that once almost took her as well.
"I don't care what you look like but if you're just going to leave that hand to get infected then I have to help." Her voice was stronger and he gave in. She tore off a bit of her sleeve and bound his hand. "That will do for now. Let's see if we can get any herbs from the garden to help ease the pain and prevent infection."
"Since when did you care about me so much?" He asked.
"Since you entered the house and became our friend again." She replied as she led him to the garden. Orannis stared at the girl. He towered over her though she wasn't short at all and yet she was leading him wherever she chose. Saraneth had grown quite a lot both in mind and body. She was beautiful with her wavy black hair that was so often brushed back by a pale hand. Her journey, Orannis knew, was no less difficult than his. She had been assigned a particularly difficult region because her voice was strong and she had strength enough to send many Dead Hands and other beings through the Ninth gate. Physically, she looked frail and he was sure that he could easily snap her arm with both hands. Even though he didn't look like someone with that much strength, he did have it. Traveling and battling had caused him to grow thin, almost thin enough to see the bones but whatever flesh he had was muscle.
"Where are these herbs that you were talking about?" He asked straining to break the silence between them. His hand did throb with pain. They stepped over the unconscious Yrael, Saraneth smiling gently at him before stooping down to pluck some greens. She crushed the leaves in between her hands and eased the salve onto his now unbandaged hand. The pain didn't leave immediately but the pain did stop the throbbing.
"You're a very good medic." Orannis said quietly.
"I had to know, everywhere I went people were suffering." Once again there was pain in her eyes as the memories of bloodshed and death became the topic again. Orannis felt that he should change the subject.
"Do you remember the last time we saw each other?" He asked. "Right before the Parting?" That memory was painful as well but not as much and Saraneth forced herself to listen. "Remember when Yrael fell into the water trying to catch a fish and almost got carried away before Kibeth jumped in and saved him?" She tried to remember but so much had happened since then that she had forgotten.
"I can't…" She whispered.
"Try…we were years younger back then. I said something to you that you promised to do if you were in trouble." She remembered Yrael falling and Kibeth jumping into the water in one smooth motion. She remembered how the two looked when they came out, drenched. Everyone broke into laughter, even Astarael. She wasn't as serious back then. "Saraneth?" She looked up at him and bit her lip, shaking her head.
"I remember the Parting. We had decided to rid the world of manifestations of undead beings. We had all been assigned a region of the world according to our powers. That was years ago, more than a decade ago. We were children; we wanted to bring peace to the lands, thinking that there wouldn't be much danger. We were wrong, there was danger." She tried to think about it again. "I remember everything but what you said to me." Orannis felt sad, everything but what he had said to her.
"I told you that if you ever got into too much danger, you call me for help and I will rescue you." Saraneth's eyes flew open in remembrance. Saraneth, if you are in danger, call my name and I'll be there to save you. Promise me that you'll return, that you'll call me if you need help.
I promise…And she had called. Her first encounter with the dead she had called his name for help. He never arrived and she forgot all about her promise.
Orannis! Help me! Why aren't you here? She closed her eyes, remembering that day. Tears welled up in her eyes. There was blood, her blood and the insistent roar of death in her ears. I need you…Orannis!!
EverShadow: Well, there you go, the next chapyter. I hope it answers some of your questions. Is there something between the two that we don't know about?
Tiger of Blackness: I dunno. Ask yourself.
EverShadow: Self, is there something between Orannis and Saraneth?
Self: ……………
Tiger of Blackness: All right, that's just too much for me. I'm going to bed.
EverShadow: This is EverShadow going to bed as well…er…signing off.