Chapter 8 – Fierce Attacks in the Caves
Nathyrra merely looked at Valen as Donnia's shadow faded with each step she took away from them.
Valen was speechless. What Donnia had said to him before she walked away was still ringing in his ears. What had caused him to say such things to her? It was obvious that something horrible had happened to her while she had been gone, something that she had not told neither him nor Nathyrra. Could he not see the strain, the worry, and yes, even a little bit of fear that had come to her eyes in the short amount of time the Valsharess had her? While he was still adjusting to the idea of having someone other than him in charge of defending the Seer and her other followers, what he had done to her, after everything she had trusted him with, was inexcusable. But there was that word again, trust. Already she seemed to have given him her implicit trust. He knew what she had told him the night before had not been easy, had not been something she had told to many other people, if any others at all. She had trusted him to listen while she told of the horrid event in her life. She had trusted him to protect her while she was lost in her own grief. Yet when it came down to it, he never seemed to have any of that trust to return to her. Not even after traveling with her for over two weeks' time. In that time he had come to almost enjoy her company. No, he never did talk to her much, but he was not a talkative person. He said what needed to be said and anything else that was not vital to discussion was left unsaid. But there was something else about her, other than her trust in both him and Nathyrra. There was something almost familiar about her, as though he had known her a long time ago. He doubted he could have ever forgotten someone like her. It was almost like he had dreamed of her, dreamed of knowing her, that knowing her and traveling with her was the most important thing he could do. If he did not then nothing would be the same. But now was not the time to philosophize on dreams.
He started at the sudden silence. He swore ripely under his breath and looked after Donnia, but even her shadow was gone. Without a word to Nathyrra he went after Donnia, going only on hope that it was not too late.
Nathyrra had never before seen Valen like this. It was true, she did not know him all that well, but she thought she knew him better than that. He had no excuse for the way he had treated Donnia just then. Even if he did not fully trust her, couldn't he see that there was nothing inside of her that would allow her to betray someone once she had given her word? With a quiet sigh, she ran to catch up.
Donnia heard his footsteps growing nearer, but did not turn to see him approaching. She was beginning to doubt that anything was going to give them an advantage if she could not convince even one person that she was not going to betray the Seer. Why was it that no one ever seemed trust her until she basically died for them? She had done nothing to in any way show that she meant harm to anyone in the Underdark, except of course for the Valsharess and her minions, especially not the Seer. She wondered if Valen knew how vital the Seer had been to her as well.
Her throat burned with emotions she did not recognize. She said nothing to him, but silently thanked him for staying several steps behind her. She did not want to face him now, and she was unsure if she could again. She had put almost every bit of trust she had in him and he had thrown it back at her before one day had passed. What was it about her that always left the opening for someone to hurt her so deeply and so quickly? She heard Nathyrra's much lighter steps come up next to her and quickly looked over at her as she came up beside her. As Nathyrra turned to meet Donnia's glance, Donnia quickly looked away.
You were quick, but not quick enough, Nathyrra thought to herself. She had seen the tears forming in Donnia's eyes.
The entrance to the beholder cave loomed in front of them. Without a break in her stride, Donnia walked right inside, directly into battle.
Three beholders, in all their ugliness, turned to the three intruders and quickly began their attack.
In all of her adventures, Donnia had never before seen a creature like what she was currently fighting. It seemed as though there were hundreds of eyes staring back at her, casting their magic, trying to paralyze them all.
With her emotions so near the surface, her attack was fierce, almost brutal. She plunged her sword to the hilt into one of the beholders before it had even the chance to react to their presence.
Nathyrra was busy trying to dispel the magic that the beholders were using against them. The remaining two beholders fell not long after the first.
Donnia paused only long enough to catch her breath before going deeper into the caves.
Room after room was filled with beholders, but with the three of them fighting, they all fell without much effort on the individual's part. Donnia never slowed her pace except during a fight. She honestly could not care if Valen or Nathyrra was there. If they could not trust her, why should they continue to travel with her? Why don't they just go back to Lith My'athar so they can tell the Seer I'm not to be trusted, Donnia bitterly thought to herself. It's not as though I've done anything important thus far. And yet through everything we've already been through, with everything I've already shown to them, still I cannot earn even the smallest bit of trust. Donnia's heart burned in her chest. Even if they don't believe in what the Seer has envisioned, can't what I have shown them myself be enough? I don't want the Valsharess to gain anymore power just like the rest of the rebels, and yet, they won't trust me to help them.
Donnia observed hundreds of kobold slaves in the caves. She tried talking to one of them, but quickly saw that all of them had had their tongues cut out.
Despite their mounting victories, Donnia still spoke nothing to her companions. She was not sure what to say to people who would not trust her, even after having proven herself many times over.
At last they reached the room of the Eye Tyrant. It was at least five times the size of any beholder they had met thus far. While Nathyrra and Valen battled the other beholders, Donnia headed straight for the Eye Tyrant.
This battle was not going to be as easy as the others had been before. Donnia fought hard to keep the beams from striking her, to keep the Tyrant busy in its own defense to prevent it from moving to the offensive. However much she did not want them there, Donnia could tell the difference from fighting with them at her side than fighting without them nearby. Before she was able to block it a beam escaped from the Eye Tyrant and struck Donnia. The pain was immense, but so was the anger at being rooted to one place while things happened around her that she could not affect. Why is it that everything seems so familiar? Donnia thought to herself. She tried vainly to move her body, to block some of the non-paralytic attacks from the Tyrant but the pain merely increased as she struggled against the strong energy that had her stuck in place. She became further injured before the effects wore off enough for her to raise her sword and fight back.
She was able to consume one of her healing potions before she became paralyzed again. By the time its effects had worn off, Valen and Nathyrra had destroyed the other beholders and were coming to her aid. Before they could reach her, though, she came out of her paralytic state and quickly drove her sword into the large eye that covered most of the body of the Eye Tyrant. It fell dead, its great eye blank and bloody.
Donnia removed her sword and quickly cleaned it so it would not degenerate.
While fighting the other beholders, Valen had watched her fighting the Eye Tyrant. He watched as she became paralyzed and injured. He watched as she bled from her wounds but still fought the great beholder. She never gives up, he thought to himself. Even when it hurts her more, she keeps fighting. Quickly he moved to talk to her before she could walk away from them again.
Still bleeding slightly from her wounds suffered from her attack on the Eye Tyrant, Donnia turned around to leave the caves and ran directly into Valen.
She said nothing, nor made no move to go around him. Instead she stared up at him with her glowing green eyes that seemed to peer into his soul.
Valen took a deep breath before speaking, "Donnia, do you have a moment?"
Donnia said nothing, but continued to stare at him with those entrancing eyes.
Valen took another deep breath and pressed on, "I owe you an apology, Donnia. Before you showed up I had myself convinced that you could not be trusted despite what the Seer saw. I just knew that you sought only fame and fortune and would care nothing for our plight here. I even probably resented you, a little. I had been in charge of keeping us safe, of keeping us alive for so long that I did not want someone completely new to the...issue coming in to take that from me." The whole time he had been speaking he had been watching Donnia's eyes for any sign of anything, but despite their depth, they remained blank but still rigidly fixed on his. "I don't know what happened between you and that Valsharess, what was said or done, but something scared you. I saw the fear in your eyes when you woke up."
As he mentioned what had happened with the Valsharess, Donnia relived those few minutes again. And again the fear came back in her eyes, fear that everything had been a dream, an hallucination brought on by death, or near-death, in that stone.
What is it that scares you so, Donnia? Valen wondered as he pressed on. "Even seeing it then, recognizing it for what it was, I still doubted you. I can see now how foolish I have been. Everything you have done demands trust and respect for your actions. You gave your trust to me so quickly, so fully, allow me to do the same for you."
Nathyrra was watching the emotions play over their faces. Each was unaware that their faces showed so much. She had seen Valen's own self-anger, trepidation, and then hope pass over his features just as she had seen Donnia fighting not to reveal her own hurt and fear as Valen had been speaking to her. Nathyrra only hoped the fear was the fear Valen had been speaking of and not fear of the tiefling himself.
Donnia remained quiet for a few moments, planning out how she was going to say what she needed to say to him. Drawing her bright green eyes up to look him in his own blue ones, finding herself once again caught in their seemingly endless depths, she asked him, "Will you trust me with your life as I have trusted you with mine?"
Valen was relieved to hear her say that to him. He had been so certain that his actions had doomed them all to defeat. "I will. I am sorry that I did not see before what is now so obvious before my eyes."
"Alright then, let's continue." Donnia started to walk away, but Valen gripped her arm, stopping her. She turned back to him, wondering what more needed to be said.
He said nothing, but took her hand in his and placed it to his lips, once again unsure of what was guiding his motions, but following them nonetheless. "The deal is sealed. I will follow even into the depths of the hells. You shall not be alone when you next face the Valsharess or any other evil."
The feel of his warm lips pressed softly to her skin cause Donnia to shudder slightly. An unexpected rush of emotions swept through her as Valen raised his gaze to look her in the eye once more. Just like Valen, Donnia followed the motions, though unsure what was guiding them. She removed her hand from his and trailed her hand lightly over his cheek and slid a tendril of his hair that had fallen loose behind his ear. Her fingers lightly rested on his neck before her mind once again took over. She felt the blush creep up her cheeks and she stammered out something about needing to move on quickly before turning to exit the caves.
Nathyrra could barely stop her smile. Since first meeting her, the Seer had yet to be wrong.