Chapter 4: Enigma

"I am well now, Malfoy. I shall leave at the crack of dawn and I will no longer be a burden to you"

"Don't be silly, Lessien.  You are no burden, that I must bare, you are a…" he searched his mind for a word that would convey his feelings.

 Tell her she is a treasure!  A dream!  A Veela!  Tell her something; anything, you fool!  

"…able to fend for yourself.  There is no reason why we cannot travel together; now that you can hunt for yourself and tend to your own needs…"

Is that all?!  You intend to woo her with that?!  Pathetic!

Lessiens lips curled slightly at its ends, producing a faint smile as she turned towards the edge of the clearing. It had been so long since she had walked on her own.  She had never been so still for so long.  She tried to rise to her feet.  They felt so weak and unsteady.  She tried to walk towards the forest, and like a newborn horse testing its legs-she wobbled and finally began to fall.  The dull sound of wood tumbling towards the ground echoed in the clearing. Warm, steady arms wrapped around Lessiens waist.  Draco had caught her and in the process had dropped the firewood he had gathered. 

"Perhaps.  Perhaps, Draco, we shall travel together…" She said as she steadied herself on his shoulders.  Dracos heart sang upon hearing this.  He helped her settle down on the ground. 

"Where exactly were you planning to go?" 

"Nowhere really, I just thought it would be nice to have some pheasant for supper.  I haven't had pheasant in such a long time-I've almost forgotten what it tastes like…"

"Well, you should rest, now.  You aren't nearly as strong as you say you are.  Rest" And with that he vanished into the forest.  Lessien was alone.  She tended to the fire as she waited for Dracos return.  Every so often she would look up searching for any sign of him.

Look at you!  Swooning over a man!  Waiting for him to bring you food.  Are you a babe lost in the woods?!  Are you not a warrior?  Are you not an assassin? Why do you dishonor yourself further by submitting to his ways?  You heard him, you are well now and you must provide for yourself! 

"What has happened to me?  Why do I behave like a strumpet?  I take orders from no one.  I am my own master."  And with that Lessien gathered up her bow and arrows and with a great effort rose to her feet and vanished into the murk of the night.  With each step, her legs grew stronger-as if they were remembering their former glory.  She moved nimbly through the trees, the trees began to spread out and thin.  She had found what she was looking for:  The Lost Lake.  The water glistened in the moonlight and the golden backs of the spirit fish sparkled like the facets of a diamond.  It was a well-known fact that the flesh of the spirit fish rejuvenated and restored the strength of those who feasted upon it.  As a result, the spirit fish had been hunted to near extinction and had become scarce and elusive-only in the Forbidden Forest were they still plentiful.  Lessien took careful aim, there was no room for error, and if she should miss the fish would scatter and vanish below the glassy surface of the lake.  She released her arrow, the quite surface of the water was broken by the sound of her prey thrashing and then there was silence.  She could see the fish's body floating on the surface.  Lessien waded into the water-a calm engulfed her.  Something in her blood had always made her feel at peace in water.  Perhaps it was her atlantian ancestry, whatever the reason, it had helped her craft transcend from a mere science to an art form.  She scooped up her prize and returned to shore.  She gathered up her belongs and walked towards the line of trees surrounding the lake, soon the shadows of the woods devoured her and she vanished from view.  She walked through the darkness towards the encampment, she moved gracefully and with complete silence, like a shadow gliding across a desert.  A glorious aroma filled her lungs, enticing her taste buds-could it be…

"Pheasant!" Draco said with such exuberance and joy that seemed to not match the façade he had erected.  He smiled at Lessien, and she noticed that he had small cuts on his hands and face.  As if he sensed her eyes trace the lacerations that marked his face, "Oh, its nothing.  The darn bird lived in a thicket…" he forced a laugh that filled the void in their conversation.  Lessien reached out to touch his face but withdrew it before her fingertips could brush his pale skin.  "Lessien you're soaking wet!  Here sit by the fire, warm yourself!" Draco led her closer to the fire and draped his cloak around her; he took the fish from her.  "The pheasant shall be ready soon.  I'll prepare the fish, you haven't lived until you've had my famous stewed fish."

Lessien smiled coyly, "don't you stew everything?"

"Well, yes.  How else would I get so good at it if I didn't practice a lot?"  He laughed and set to work. 

"He is so odd.  How can he be so snide one moment and so gentle the next…he truly is an enigma." 

It begins.  You are weakening.  You know it's true.  You can feel yourself falling, can't you?  Falling…Falling….

"It's ready!"