The End
Mel would have returned the cloak if Danric hadn't just up and left. She didn't really need it, but it was so comforting to wear his cloak, almost as though it were him wrapping invisible arms around her, keeping her safe. All right, it's a little farfetched, but it could happen...
(I'm gonna skip a little of this part, because we all know what happens and I want to get to the end part that y'all want to read.)
"Really, my dear, I expected you to be more careful."
"I was as careful as one could be in a situation where one's life is a bargaining chip for the lives of thousands."
Danric's gray eyes hardened as he put his hands on Mel's shoulders, forcing her to face him gently. "Meliara, if you ever needlessly risk your life like that again, I'll..."
"You'll what? And it wasn't needless! I needed to help the Hill Folk, if the covenant was broken-"
"I know what would happen; you don't need to tell me." He sighed and hugged her close. "I just want you to be safe..."
"I am, though."
"You could have died out there."
"There are many times I could have died, and I haven't. So can we not dwell on it, please?" Mel burrowed her face into his shoulder, holding him close.
"As you wish..." He stroked her back, his eyes closing almost sleepily.
"Danric..." She looked up at him, wanting to say more but not knowing what to say. That seemed to have been happening to her a good deal lately.
Danric smiled softly and caressed the side of her face, shushing her with his touch. Mel sighed softly, thinking ruefully that she should have known that he would understand without her even having to say anything... then he kissed her again, a soft and loving kiss. And everything was right again; everything was so perfect-
Someone came through the door without any warning. Mel hardly noticed what happened then, just that she was with her Danric and that they were on the road home. Things didn't seem right, though...
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"What happened here?" Mel asked, looking around the deserted city forebodingly.
"I am not sure... stay close." Danric hardly looked at her; his gaze was focused on a statue of a man in front of them. Mel hardly thought anything of it, unless you counted the fact that it resembled...
"That's one of the servants."
"Yes. Come, my dear."
They made their way to the throne room, trying not to dwell too much on the staring, lifeless statues that seemed to point right to the throne. And of course, Flauvic was waiting for them there, lounging on the throne as though it already belonged to him.
"My dear cousin." Danric had his familiar court drawl again, but there was something else there. Something that almost seemed feral.
"I did warn you, cousin. It hardly is my fault that you failed to listen."
"You two are... cousins?" Mel knew it was stupid to be so focused on that one fact when much more important issues are at hand, but she could hardly help it.
"Unfortunately, yes." Flauvic rose from the throne and came to stand near her, ignoring Danric's warning glare. "But you shall find that traits in the family favor one of us more than the other."
"Of course." She wanted to back up and run, every instinct screamed at her to do so even as they had warned her at the maze. But she couldn't abandon Danric with this... what was Flauvic, anyway?
"Have you made your decision yet, Meliara?"
"What decision?"
"I am a patient man. I wish to help you, to teach you, but you have to let me. You have to trust me."
"How can I trust someone that just turned an entire city to stone?"
Flauvic laughed, looking as though he was truly enjoying this banter. "And there you have me, Meliara. But I would hope that you could trust me despite my shortcomings."
"That will never happen. Danric is the only one for me."
Laughter and amusement fled from Flauvic. "Very well. It is a shame I must destroy you, as well, but I can't have you ruining my plans."
Mel stepped in between Danric and Flauvic immediately.
"Mel, no." Danric tried to get her to move to the side but she would not do it.
Flauvic laughed. "Do you really think you can protect him? You don't have the training to defeat me."
"I can try. Otherwise you shall become king."
"That is the general plan." A blast of power knocked her to the side. She vaguely heard Danric cry out as she tried to get up when another sound reached her.
Danric had taken out his dagger and the two men were circling each other.
"Danric!" For a moment they both looked at her. "Stop, maybe... maybe we shouldn't fight him. He wouldn't make that bad of a king."
Silence was the only response from either of them. That was no good, they'd hear...
"Flauvic... is it perhaps too late to change my mind?" She wouldn't look at Danric...
"What caused you to change your mind?"
"What if you didn't kill Danric, merely imprisoned him?"
"You are using yourself as a bargaining chip."
"Mel, no! Remember what I said-"
"I'll be safe enough, Shevraeth." Mel still didn't look at him. She couldn't bear to see the hurt and betrayal there...
"Perhaps... what is that?" Flauvic heard the distant music of the Hill Folk, but now it was far too late.
Mel smiled then grimaced slightly in pain. The blast earlier had injured her somewhere around her middle, but she'd had no time to see where... it seemed as though Danric was having trouble as well. "The Hill Folk, of course."
With a small growl, Flauvic grabbed her arm and a knife kissed her throat. "Tell them to leave. Now."
"I can't." His grip tightened. "They won't be able to hear me, and they wouldn't listen, either."
"Make them."
"Let her go, Flauvic!" Danric started to get up.
"Come any nearer and I'll kill her, cousin." A thin line of blood flowed from her neck and Danric stopped.
"Flauvic, I can't stop them from coming, please, let me go..."
He looked down at her, his grip loosening just enough for her to roll away from him and to Danric instead. Flauvic shouted something and a huge... thing... came at the couple. Danric tried to shield them, but something inside of Mel knew that it would kill them if it were able to get to them.
Perhaps Danric will hate me for it later, but I have to... I can't let him die; he is our future. She broke free of Danric, taking his knife as she went. Time seemed still for a few precious moments as she ran towards Flauvic, trying to get to him before the spell was completed.
The sorcerer was prepared, though, and returned her blow with his own dagger, retaliating faster than she thought he would. White-hot pain shot from her left side and she fell heavily, staring in horrified fascination at the red that covered the ground beneath her. Flauvic stood above her, ready to deal the killing blow, when the Hill Folk reached the throne room. Mel didn't see how, but Flauvic was no longer human. His dagger fell harmlessly beside the tree that used to be a man.
Mel fell back, exhausted. Danric was there in a moment, holding her close. "You broke your promise to me, Meliara..."
"What promise was that?" Her voice was raspy, but she could talk.
"You said you would be safe."
"I am not... made of glass, my love... but I'll be fine, truly..."
Danric gently brushed a hand along the cut that stretched from her ribcage to her hip. She tensed, trying not to cry out. "Mel..."
"I am sorry. I never meant to hurt you..."
"But you didn't. You did what you could to help, I just wish it had been me to be hurt, not you."
"I thought that you were."
"Merely a scratch, my dear."
"Oh."
They sat in silence for an eternity before Bran, Nee, and Russav ran in a few minutes later.
"Mel? Oh, Mel..." Bran ran the rest of the way to Danric and hovered over his sister, concern etched into his face. "What happened to her?"
"She tried knife fighting with Flauvic the tree, isn't it obvious?" Russav asked lightly, trying to make the most of the situation.
"Is she all right?" Nee asked.
"Of course I am. Stop fussing, all of you... it's just a scratch."
"The size of Flauvic the tree there, almost. Let's see if we can find a healer... for both of you." Nee replied sternly, glancing at Danric, as well.
"It's just..." Danric closed his mouth.
"A scratch. We know." Russav snickered, then went silent at Danric's warning glance.
"All right, can we stop gabbing and get her to a healer before she bleeds anymore all over the place? Please?"
"Of course, Bran..."
THE END
I would like to thank everyone that read this story and especially those that reviewed. I'd have never finished this without any of you!
Mel would have returned the cloak if Danric hadn't just up and left. She didn't really need it, but it was so comforting to wear his cloak, almost as though it were him wrapping invisible arms around her, keeping her safe. All right, it's a little farfetched, but it could happen...
(I'm gonna skip a little of this part, because we all know what happens and I want to get to the end part that y'all want to read.)
"Really, my dear, I expected you to be more careful."
"I was as careful as one could be in a situation where one's life is a bargaining chip for the lives of thousands."
Danric's gray eyes hardened as he put his hands on Mel's shoulders, forcing her to face him gently. "Meliara, if you ever needlessly risk your life like that again, I'll..."
"You'll what? And it wasn't needless! I needed to help the Hill Folk, if the covenant was broken-"
"I know what would happen; you don't need to tell me." He sighed and hugged her close. "I just want you to be safe..."
"I am, though."
"You could have died out there."
"There are many times I could have died, and I haven't. So can we not dwell on it, please?" Mel burrowed her face into his shoulder, holding him close.
"As you wish..." He stroked her back, his eyes closing almost sleepily.
"Danric..." She looked up at him, wanting to say more but not knowing what to say. That seemed to have been happening to her a good deal lately.
Danric smiled softly and caressed the side of her face, shushing her with his touch. Mel sighed softly, thinking ruefully that she should have known that he would understand without her even having to say anything... then he kissed her again, a soft and loving kiss. And everything was right again; everything was so perfect-
Someone came through the door without any warning. Mel hardly noticed what happened then, just that she was with her Danric and that they were on the road home. Things didn't seem right, though...
************************************************************************
"What happened here?" Mel asked, looking around the deserted city forebodingly.
"I am not sure... stay close." Danric hardly looked at her; his gaze was focused on a statue of a man in front of them. Mel hardly thought anything of it, unless you counted the fact that it resembled...
"That's one of the servants."
"Yes. Come, my dear."
They made their way to the throne room, trying not to dwell too much on the staring, lifeless statues that seemed to point right to the throne. And of course, Flauvic was waiting for them there, lounging on the throne as though it already belonged to him.
"My dear cousin." Danric had his familiar court drawl again, but there was something else there. Something that almost seemed feral.
"I did warn you, cousin. It hardly is my fault that you failed to listen."
"You two are... cousins?" Mel knew it was stupid to be so focused on that one fact when much more important issues are at hand, but she could hardly help it.
"Unfortunately, yes." Flauvic rose from the throne and came to stand near her, ignoring Danric's warning glare. "But you shall find that traits in the family favor one of us more than the other."
"Of course." She wanted to back up and run, every instinct screamed at her to do so even as they had warned her at the maze. But she couldn't abandon Danric with this... what was Flauvic, anyway?
"Have you made your decision yet, Meliara?"
"What decision?"
"I am a patient man. I wish to help you, to teach you, but you have to let me. You have to trust me."
"How can I trust someone that just turned an entire city to stone?"
Flauvic laughed, looking as though he was truly enjoying this banter. "And there you have me, Meliara. But I would hope that you could trust me despite my shortcomings."
"That will never happen. Danric is the only one for me."
Laughter and amusement fled from Flauvic. "Very well. It is a shame I must destroy you, as well, but I can't have you ruining my plans."
Mel stepped in between Danric and Flauvic immediately.
"Mel, no." Danric tried to get her to move to the side but she would not do it.
Flauvic laughed. "Do you really think you can protect him? You don't have the training to defeat me."
"I can try. Otherwise you shall become king."
"That is the general plan." A blast of power knocked her to the side. She vaguely heard Danric cry out as she tried to get up when another sound reached her.
Danric had taken out his dagger and the two men were circling each other.
"Danric!" For a moment they both looked at her. "Stop, maybe... maybe we shouldn't fight him. He wouldn't make that bad of a king."
Silence was the only response from either of them. That was no good, they'd hear...
"Flauvic... is it perhaps too late to change my mind?" She wouldn't look at Danric...
"What caused you to change your mind?"
"What if you didn't kill Danric, merely imprisoned him?"
"You are using yourself as a bargaining chip."
"Mel, no! Remember what I said-"
"I'll be safe enough, Shevraeth." Mel still didn't look at him. She couldn't bear to see the hurt and betrayal there...
"Perhaps... what is that?" Flauvic heard the distant music of the Hill Folk, but now it was far too late.
Mel smiled then grimaced slightly in pain. The blast earlier had injured her somewhere around her middle, but she'd had no time to see where... it seemed as though Danric was having trouble as well. "The Hill Folk, of course."
With a small growl, Flauvic grabbed her arm and a knife kissed her throat. "Tell them to leave. Now."
"I can't." His grip tightened. "They won't be able to hear me, and they wouldn't listen, either."
"Make them."
"Let her go, Flauvic!" Danric started to get up.
"Come any nearer and I'll kill her, cousin." A thin line of blood flowed from her neck and Danric stopped.
"Flauvic, I can't stop them from coming, please, let me go..."
He looked down at her, his grip loosening just enough for her to roll away from him and to Danric instead. Flauvic shouted something and a huge... thing... came at the couple. Danric tried to shield them, but something inside of Mel knew that it would kill them if it were able to get to them.
Perhaps Danric will hate me for it later, but I have to... I can't let him die; he is our future. She broke free of Danric, taking his knife as she went. Time seemed still for a few precious moments as she ran towards Flauvic, trying to get to him before the spell was completed.
The sorcerer was prepared, though, and returned her blow with his own dagger, retaliating faster than she thought he would. White-hot pain shot from her left side and she fell heavily, staring in horrified fascination at the red that covered the ground beneath her. Flauvic stood above her, ready to deal the killing blow, when the Hill Folk reached the throne room. Mel didn't see how, but Flauvic was no longer human. His dagger fell harmlessly beside the tree that used to be a man.
Mel fell back, exhausted. Danric was there in a moment, holding her close. "You broke your promise to me, Meliara..."
"What promise was that?" Her voice was raspy, but she could talk.
"You said you would be safe."
"I am not... made of glass, my love... but I'll be fine, truly..."
Danric gently brushed a hand along the cut that stretched from her ribcage to her hip. She tensed, trying not to cry out. "Mel..."
"I am sorry. I never meant to hurt you..."
"But you didn't. You did what you could to help, I just wish it had been me to be hurt, not you."
"I thought that you were."
"Merely a scratch, my dear."
"Oh."
They sat in silence for an eternity before Bran, Nee, and Russav ran in a few minutes later.
"Mel? Oh, Mel..." Bran ran the rest of the way to Danric and hovered over his sister, concern etched into his face. "What happened to her?"
"She tried knife fighting with Flauvic the tree, isn't it obvious?" Russav asked lightly, trying to make the most of the situation.
"Is she all right?" Nee asked.
"Of course I am. Stop fussing, all of you... it's just a scratch."
"The size of Flauvic the tree there, almost. Let's see if we can find a healer... for both of you." Nee replied sternly, glancing at Danric, as well.
"It's just..." Danric closed his mouth.
"A scratch. We know." Russav snickered, then went silent at Danric's warning glance.
"All right, can we stop gabbing and get her to a healer before she bleeds anymore all over the place? Please?"
"Of course, Bran..."
THE END
I would like to thank everyone that read this story and especially those that reviewed. I'd have never finished this without any of you!