"I'm Albain, Albain Tinderblade."

"Albain, I like that." Lielay smiled.

Over the next few days as the two traveled, Lielay and Albain got to know each other by asking many questions. Both were followers of The Mother of All, Tunare, druids, and within the same age range of each other. As they made their way to Lake of Ill Omen the two saw very few dracnids. Other dracnids probably scented that Lielay and Albain could take out a dracnid easily.

"I'm glad we ran into each other, I would have been dead by now if it wasn't for you." Lielay said as she and Albain sat under a tree meditating.

"I am too," Albain smiled, "I think we will reach the windmill in the morning."

"I hope so. I haven't seen anyone in a couple of days and it's starting to frighten me."

"Well better get some sleep to regain our energy."

"I agree." Lielay muttered, half asleep.

The two slept soundly that night and when the sun began to rise with all its bright tendrils of colors and lights, Albain opened his eyes. He leaned over and kissed Lielay gently above her eyes. Lielay stirred and then awoke. "That's a pleasant thing to wake up to." She stretched and smiled.

"I had to get you up somehow." He said sheepishly.

The two got their camp packed and started out to the windmill. The landscape was so beautiful as they walked on; sparkling blue lake water, endless ranges of mountains, and the enhanced greenness of the trees. After an hour or so of walking the two wood elves came to the giant windmill.

"This is wondrous." Said Lielay.

"It is, Lie."

Lielay rolled her eyes. Walking into the mill they found clusters of people; a professor studying and casting spells, a short merchant, and mostly taller races then themselves. The people in the mill were fierce looking; they sat sharpening their swords, mended their shields, and bandaged wounds. Lielay had to look up into their faces since wood elves were much shorter then humans and some other races.

"I don't like the looks of these people." Lielay whispered in Albain's ear, she stepped closer to him.

A group of ugly trolls conversed in a corner of the mill as they stared and pointed their fat fingers at Albain and Lielay. The trolls then started whispering to each other in a language Lielay didn't understand, they made her feel uneasy.

"It's all right, lass, they won't hurt you." Albain smiled and then kissed her on the cheek.

"Those trolls just make me nervous." Lielay stirred. The two walked out of the gaping mill to go look for a place to set up a new camp. Finding a nice secure spot behind the mill, they lit a small fire and pulled out the afternoon meal. "I just feel uneasy." Lielay continued on about the trolls.

"Don't be silly, Lie, you have nothing to worry about, I'm with you." He smiled again.

When camp was finally set up, Lielay thought about exploring the area to check for a good place to hunt or where to find rare loot that surrounded the lake. ".I can go alone Albain. Don't worry. You need to finish things here." She told him as he complained.

"Are you sure, neither of us have ever been here before," Albain shifted his weight to his other foot, "well, if you don't come back in two hours I'm tracking you down."

Lielay laughed aloud and patted his cheek. She walked off westward as Albain followed her with his eyes until she wandered over a hill and out of sight. He sighed and started to sharpen his sword's blade, even though it didn't need it.

Walking over the hills and by the beach of the lake, Lielay took her time to explore. After some time of exploring she decided to take a refreshing swim in the lake. Stripping off her boots, outer vest, and breeches, Lielay swam out a few yards, floated around for a bit, and started back to the shore. As she swam back she felt a strong slimy hand grab her ankle. Becoming very scared of what had her by the ankle, she placed her head under the water and stared at a green, vile looking goblin that was smiling evilly at her.

Tiny air bubbles surrounded Lielay's head as she screamed and tried to swim away. The goblin just stared and kept on smiling. It then started to pull Lielay deeper into the black abyss. She struggled to the surface and screamed for help, she looked over the hilltops hoping that Albain was following her again, there was no sign of him.

Lielay was under the water again; she was being dragged deeper than before. She became dizzy, and had no air left in her lungs, they felt as if they were going to burst from the pressure that was building up. Just when everything was going to go black she saw a massive form swimming towards her with a glint of metal in its hand that must have been a sword. Then everything went black.

*****

"She'd be comin' round soon, huh boss?"

"Dat se'd might do, buh me dunno."

Lielay heard two strange voices above her, she tried to remember what happened but everything was still black and fuzzy. She began to stir.

"Lookie boss! She id wakin' up!"

Lielay sat up slowly, she looked around and what she saw was horrid. She was staring at a group of hideous trolls and they were staring back with confused expressions. "What...what am I doing here?" Lielay muttered.

"Me save you from nasty bloodgill gobbie." said the biggest, ugliest troll.

Lielay then recognized these trolls; they were the trolls from the mill. "Where am I?" she stuttered.

"Near da sarnak fort." said a smaller troll.

"Shut up you, me am talking to her, not you." the massive troll growled and sent the smaller troll into the wall.

"Why am I near a sarnak fort?" asked Lielay. "And what are sarnaks?"

"Well, me save you so you gotta do something for me." He ignored the other part of her question.

"What do you mean?" Lielay stared at the troll that was slammed into the wall wipe blood off from the back of his head.

"You id gonna be sarnak bait."

"WHAT! I don't even know what a sarnak is!" she spun her head back around.

The trolls looked at her and laughed. "Dat id what you gotta do."

"I think not!" Lielay tried to stand but she was tied together with something. "Let me go you monsters!" she fell over and tried to get back up straight.

All the trolls laughed, it was a sickening sound. Then one of the trolls started to advance on her with a club.

"What are you doing!?" she screamed. The troll held the club up high and brought it down fast, knocking out Lielay with one blow.

*****

Albain was still at camp waiting for Lielay to come back when he noticed that three hours had passed; he started to worry. "I'd better go find her." he said aloud. Stomping the fire out and grabbing his sword, he hid Lielay's and his own packs before running over the hill Lielay walked over. Albain began to track her; he searched for an hour and only found where she went swimming because her backpack was left behind. He began to worry a great deal more.

*****

Lielay reawakened to the painful throbbing on the side of her head. After piecing together what had happened, she noticed she was still tied, but this time she was alone. "Untie me now! Where are you trolls!? Let me go or else you'll regret this!" There was no response except for a low sound of sarnaks. Lielay was terrified, she thought about the time with the dracnid that occurred just days earlier, this was much worse.

*****

As he followed Lielay's track, Albain neared the sarnak fort.

*****

Lielay was screaming and trying to get free, but wasn't getting anywhere. She thrusted herself around hoping that someone would find or hear her, then she heard it, footsteps down the dark hall that she lay in. "Please help me, I'm over by the wall!" she yelled. The footsteps came closer; it was dark in the passageway so Lielay couldn't see anything. Seeing a form not far away, she waited until the form stepped into the light only to horrify Lielay, it was a sarnak. "Help me! Please anyone!"

Five trolls appeared around the corner and smiled widely. "Da bait for sarnak id workin' boss!" said a troll.

"Me can see dat." said the leader as he smacked some of his goons' heads.

"Please let me go!" Lielay said through teary eyes.

"Too late." the leader sneered.

The sarnak stepped on Lielay and slashed her face with its razor claws. Its ugly dragon-like appearance reminded Lielay of the iksar, the lizard race, as she received another blow to the face, Lielay screamed. The sarnak attacked her more fiercely every time she yelled out in pain; Lielay felt as if everything was going to go black again. The sarnak slashed her again and again, Lielay saw her life pass her by: her home in Kelethin, her family, her childhood, her parent's deaths, and last she saw Albain. Lielay looked up for a brief moment, but Tunare had already answered her prayers; charging towards the sarnak was Albain with his sword drawn.

"No da stinky wood elf id gonna take sarnak and bait!" yelled the lead troll.

Albain hit the sarnak full blast and it backed off from Lielay. He cut Lielay free and carried her to a ledge where she would be safe for the time. The trolls were already attacking the sarnak. Albain watched them out of the corner of is eye while he bandaged Lielay. "Hold in there, Lie."

The trolls killed the sarnak and began to loot it greedily. They shouted and hit each other for the different pieces of loot. When they finished their bickering, they stood up and backed away except for the leader of the five. "Now me squish you, you tiny elf!"

"Gotta catch me first, fat ass." Albain smirked.

"You'll pay for dat!"

"I doubt it." Albain crouched.

They ran head to head into each other, when they hit it knocked the wind out of Albain's lungs. The swords clashed together of the two duelers continuously. Albain, being smaller then the troll had the advantage of dodging when the troll thrusted his sword around. On one occasion Albain leaped into the air only to be sliced in the leg by the troll's sword. The troll let out a sickening laugh. Albain grabbed his leg and winched, he let go and jumped backwards to avoid another blow from the troll. The powerful force of the troll made Albain back way in a defensive move.

"Little elf won't last much longer." It laughed again.

Albain, enraged, charged the troll. Right as he neared the creature he tricked it by faking what direction he would run, this caused the troll to look away. Albain saw his chance, he thrusted his sword into the troll's chest.

"Oww!" bawled the troll.

The troll howled in pain, dropping to the ground. Albain knew if he didn't kill the troll now that the other trolls would be back thinking they could kill him because he was weak for not killing their leader. Albain raised his sword up into the air and brought it down swift and fast. The troll's head rolled onto the ground. The other trolls lowered their own heads and began to mourn for their dead leader.

"If I ever see any of you near me or her," he pointed to Lielay, "I'll kill you the same way I killed him, but with more pain inflicted." The trolls shook their heads and ran off without stopping to carry their dead leader off.

Albain watched them leave and once they were gone he ran over to Lielay to check on her. "Lie, are you awake?"

"Nope, I'm dead." she joked.

"Not funny. Now I'm gonna take you to the mill, I need some help to heal you."

"Oh, how nice."

"Your delusional."

"No, just trying to look on the bright side." She feinted in Albain's arms.

Albain carried Lielay all the way to the mill without stopping for anything. Once they reached the mill, Albain laid Lielay down and asked a female barbarian shaman if she would help. "My gods, what happened to her?!" asked the shaman.

"Long story." Albain sighed. As the shaman healed Lielay, Albain told her what happened.

"You two have been through a lot from the sounds of it. Well, that's all I can do for her, hope you have some safer journeys in the future.farewell."

Albain carried Lielay back to their camp where he re-lit the fire and began to cook some food to help regenerate her strength. Lielay awoke a little time later feeling much better. She just stared at Albain without saying anything. He turned around and saw she was awake. He smiled brilliantly at her.

"Later we should plan on where to go next." Lielay said.

"Sounds good, but right now just wait till I'm done cooking."

"Oh, all right."