Author's Notes:
Well, it took a while but I am back and updating. Sorry about last week
and the upcoming weekend. I didn't get the chance to write a lot, but I
have about twenty pages written out that I haven't gotten to posting yet.
Also, the bit where Fanfiction froze me for a week due to a contest
challenge that I posted a year ago which was just now deemed illegal did
not help .... Ah well. Belated it is, but finally I have an update!
It occurrs to me that if I don't want to drive you fine people insane with delayed updates that two weeks is a more reasonable time to post anyway. That way I have a chance to keep an update in reserve so that I can work on it and post it at a later date if I don't get around to writing what I know I need to. Hopefully I won't be putting off other updates for such a terribly long time again. Sincere apologies for this!
Thankyou for your reviews, once more, and thanks for waiting.
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. Kannath rode ahead of Jain before they'd traveled too far, but the ranger remained unconcerned. Kannath's path was easily traceable, and Jain knew it would remain so. Though Kannath had some talent when it came to tracking others, he had never learned the talent of concealing his own trail.
Jain's only worry was what kind of trouble Kannath could have possibly gotten himself into. He had never left the party to solve things before and Jain knew that for Kannath to be agitated enough to go, and almost forget his fiddle something quite serious had to be going on.
His group had stumbled across Kannath in the town of Dunnshire while they were investigating disappearances in the town. The elf was playing the part of a musician at the town they visited and asked to be allowed into the party. They had allowed him in, doubtful that he could be of any real help, but Kannath had proven them wrong. Kannath had proven his value, both as a bard and as a fighter when need be. Since then they had worked as a group. Now something threatened to change that, and Jain would not allow it to happen needlessly.
It was dusk when he finally reached the place that Kannath and his companion had chosen to camp. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. A female wood elf tended the fire and Kannath was attending to the horses. She might have been attractive, Jain observed, if not for the scar that ran across her cheek and marred her appearance. There were three horses, Jain noticed, though he only saw two elves. All three were outfitted for traveling, though Kannath had said that there were only two in their party. Jain moved forward another ten feet then scanned the camp again. He froze as the sound of someone approaching the camp from the left reached his ears and he watched in horror as the drow strode into camp.
His fear and concern for Kannath evaporated as the elf greeted the drow warmly in the drow's own tongue. Horror was replaced by a feeling of betrayal and mounting anger as he realized that this was the same drow Kannath had claimed to have tortured and killed that morning.
Filled with rage Jain crept closer to the camp then drew his sword and charged at the drow, determined to destroy the creature who had corrupted his friend.
Kannath called out a warning and the drow turned. By this time Jain was only a few feet away and the drow was unarmed. With a yell, Jain drove his sword forward.
What happened next did not seem as if it was possible. The drow caught the blade between his palms and kicked at the ranger's hand and the sword's hilt, then flipped the sword out of the ranger's hand and placed the blade at his throat. It happened before Jain even had the chance to realize that the sword had not met it's mark.
Jain waited for the blow to fall, and when it didn't he dared to look up. Kannath said something in drowish and started approaching.
Jain felt the sword shaking slightly as Kannath approached. Are you truly that eager to kill me? He thought in contempt. He dared not meet the drow's gaze, for fear of setting it off.
Kannath was now only a few paces from Jain, and he was still talking to the drow in it's tongue. What exactly was said Jain was uncertain but the drow handed the sword to Kannath, then stepped away, leaving Jain facing his former party member alone.
"I had thought that you were a true friend, not someone who could be corrupted and turned against his allies so easily as this." Jain spat on the ground to accentuate his disgust.
"Jain ..." Kannath began, his expression one of despair. Jain waited a few moments for the elf to make some sort of an excuse for this, but none was forthcoming.
"I do not know what the drow offered you but the price must have been high indeed for you to have betrayed your own party and your people as well." Jain continued, trying to provoke Kannath into giving way something.
"He was offered nothing." The female elf said, stepping up to Kannath and taking the sword from him, facing the human ranger squarely. "Kannath joined us of his own will and he left your company because he knew you would not understand this."
"Threats then? I understand corruption very well elf." Jain retorted. "And I understand the nature of drow as well."
"No threats." Kannnath said softly as the female elf pressed the sword against his neck slightly. "Dathien is not what you assume him to be."
Jain looked over at the drow as the sword came away from him slightly. The drow was watching them from a distance. Jain noted that he carried no visible weapons or armor, just the ragged pants that they had first spotted the drow wearing during that encounter in the woods and a newer shirt. If the drow understood what was being said he gave no indication. His eyes, Jain noted were blue and seemed calm, even if the drow wore a troubled expression. The fact that Kannath was still alive told Jain that either this drow was truly alone or a far distance from his allies.
Several years ago his group had stumbled across what had been an elven village before it had been ransacked by the drow. Memories of this still woke him occasionally.
Yet perhaps this drow was different ... Jain would like to have believed this but everything he knew told him that this could not be, and that his friend was placing his life at great risk.
The female elf asked Kannath something in what sounded like a form of elvish but some variation that Jain had not heard of. Kannath replied in the same dialect and the two began a hushed conversation.
Jain kept perfectly still, waiting for something to happen. The sword came back a slight distance more from his neck and Jain sprang into action. He feigned a sudden loss of balance and fell to his knees, below the sword, then pulled a dagger from his boot, rolling away from the sword and charging at the drow.
He heard the sword swish behind him and heard Kannath yell out something but his attention was entirely on the drow as he brought the dagger forward and lunged for his heart. The drow moved to the side, ducking under the blade. Jain turned as he passed, ready to attack the drow again but this time the drow was ready for him. He saw the fist flying for his face only a moment before the blow to his head, followed by a kick to the gut and another to the groin. Jain fell to the ground, winded, dizzy and in a lot of pain. He heard movement above his head and saw the butt of his own sword coming down to meet his temple. Then he fell into darkness.
Jain opened his eyes again to find himself in the same clearing he had collapsed in, still on the ground. Kannath and the drow were gone but the female elf remained. She looked over to him as he tested the ropes that kept him bound but made no other move. Jain struggled with the ropes for a moment more, then gave up on undoing them without help.
"You could have killed me while I was unconscious rather than waiting for me to wake up, unless you plan to torture me. Considering your company, that does seem like the more logical of the two choices." Jain finally said after a moment of silence.
The elf shook her head. "I have no plans to harm you, Jain Tathitch. Kannath told me of you and I will not harm one of Mielikki's followers. Especially when I do not have to."
"Since the drow and their companions are well known for their compassion and mercy I will believe you of course." Jain replied sarcastically.
The elf clenched her jaw and her hand strayed to the sword. Jain tensed, expecting her to attack, then mentally sighed relief as she shook her head and moved away from the weapon.
"I cannot blame you for your actions, for I know that most would make them."
Jain began to laugh at that, but stopped as he realized that she was serious.
"Kannath and Dathien are gone. They packed and left after I knocked you unconscious. We are going away from the elven village ... my home and we are not seeking trouble." She explained as she rose from the ground, walked to him, then knelt by his side.
Up close, Jain couldn't help but notice that her eyes were an intense blue flecked with gold. Their intensity lent a unique look bordering on beauty to the elf's face that the scar could not take away.
"I swear to you that Dathien has done no evil and I know him to be good." She stared at him for a moment and Jain felt as if he was being measured.
"You do not believe me completely, of course. Who would without proof?" She reached for a gold chain that was hanging around her neck. The pendant she produced bore the sigil of Mielikki.
"The drow could have killed you as you fought, or turned on Kannath and I at any point, but he has chosen not to. I swear, as a follower of Mielikki that if he ever shows himself to be evil I will not hesitate to kill him." Her eyes settled upon Jain's evenly. "If this day comes I will seek you out, that you might deliver the appropriate punishment. I do not ask you to name the drow as good, only to give him time to prove what he truly is. Allow his actions to dictate what you make of him, for I assure you, he is no ordinary drow."
Saying this, she sliced the ropes that bound his arms then handed the dagger to Jain.
"Your weapons and supplies are in the tree to the left. I go now." The elf took several strides towards the forest, then whistled. A horse appeared and she jumped on it with a single graceful motion, then rode off.
Jain sliced the constraints that bound his feet and watched as the elf bounded off into the forest on her horse. She glanced back at him once, then turned away and continued on at full speed.
For a moment, Jain considered following her again, then decided against it. There was nothing to gain, not now when they would be watching and waiting for him to follow. Besides, Rhynn was waiting for news on Kannath, and the rest of his group as well. What do I do? Jain wondered. Usually answers came easily to him but this time he was torn.
It occurrs to me that if I don't want to drive you fine people insane with delayed updates that two weeks is a more reasonable time to post anyway. That way I have a chance to keep an update in reserve so that I can work on it and post it at a later date if I don't get around to writing what I know I need to. Hopefully I won't be putting off other updates for such a terribly long time again. Sincere apologies for this!
Thankyou for your reviews, once more, and thanks for waiting.
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. Kannath rode ahead of Jain before they'd traveled too far, but the ranger remained unconcerned. Kannath's path was easily traceable, and Jain knew it would remain so. Though Kannath had some talent when it came to tracking others, he had never learned the talent of concealing his own trail.
Jain's only worry was what kind of trouble Kannath could have possibly gotten himself into. He had never left the party to solve things before and Jain knew that for Kannath to be agitated enough to go, and almost forget his fiddle something quite serious had to be going on.
His group had stumbled across Kannath in the town of Dunnshire while they were investigating disappearances in the town. The elf was playing the part of a musician at the town they visited and asked to be allowed into the party. They had allowed him in, doubtful that he could be of any real help, but Kannath had proven them wrong. Kannath had proven his value, both as a bard and as a fighter when need be. Since then they had worked as a group. Now something threatened to change that, and Jain would not allow it to happen needlessly.
It was dusk when he finally reached the place that Kannath and his companion had chosen to camp. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. A female wood elf tended the fire and Kannath was attending to the horses. She might have been attractive, Jain observed, if not for the scar that ran across her cheek and marred her appearance. There were three horses, Jain noticed, though he only saw two elves. All three were outfitted for traveling, though Kannath had said that there were only two in their party. Jain moved forward another ten feet then scanned the camp again. He froze as the sound of someone approaching the camp from the left reached his ears and he watched in horror as the drow strode into camp.
His fear and concern for Kannath evaporated as the elf greeted the drow warmly in the drow's own tongue. Horror was replaced by a feeling of betrayal and mounting anger as he realized that this was the same drow Kannath had claimed to have tortured and killed that morning.
Filled with rage Jain crept closer to the camp then drew his sword and charged at the drow, determined to destroy the creature who had corrupted his friend.
Kannath called out a warning and the drow turned. By this time Jain was only a few feet away and the drow was unarmed. With a yell, Jain drove his sword forward.
What happened next did not seem as if it was possible. The drow caught the blade between his palms and kicked at the ranger's hand and the sword's hilt, then flipped the sword out of the ranger's hand and placed the blade at his throat. It happened before Jain even had the chance to realize that the sword had not met it's mark.
Jain waited for the blow to fall, and when it didn't he dared to look up. Kannath said something in drowish and started approaching.
Jain felt the sword shaking slightly as Kannath approached. Are you truly that eager to kill me? He thought in contempt. He dared not meet the drow's gaze, for fear of setting it off.
Kannath was now only a few paces from Jain, and he was still talking to the drow in it's tongue. What exactly was said Jain was uncertain but the drow handed the sword to Kannath, then stepped away, leaving Jain facing his former party member alone.
"I had thought that you were a true friend, not someone who could be corrupted and turned against his allies so easily as this." Jain spat on the ground to accentuate his disgust.
"Jain ..." Kannath began, his expression one of despair. Jain waited a few moments for the elf to make some sort of an excuse for this, but none was forthcoming.
"I do not know what the drow offered you but the price must have been high indeed for you to have betrayed your own party and your people as well." Jain continued, trying to provoke Kannath into giving way something.
"He was offered nothing." The female elf said, stepping up to Kannath and taking the sword from him, facing the human ranger squarely. "Kannath joined us of his own will and he left your company because he knew you would not understand this."
"Threats then? I understand corruption very well elf." Jain retorted. "And I understand the nature of drow as well."
"No threats." Kannnath said softly as the female elf pressed the sword against his neck slightly. "Dathien is not what you assume him to be."
Jain looked over at the drow as the sword came away from him slightly. The drow was watching them from a distance. Jain noted that he carried no visible weapons or armor, just the ragged pants that they had first spotted the drow wearing during that encounter in the woods and a newer shirt. If the drow understood what was being said he gave no indication. His eyes, Jain noted were blue and seemed calm, even if the drow wore a troubled expression. The fact that Kannath was still alive told Jain that either this drow was truly alone or a far distance from his allies.
Several years ago his group had stumbled across what had been an elven village before it had been ransacked by the drow. Memories of this still woke him occasionally.
Yet perhaps this drow was different ... Jain would like to have believed this but everything he knew told him that this could not be, and that his friend was placing his life at great risk.
The female elf asked Kannath something in what sounded like a form of elvish but some variation that Jain had not heard of. Kannath replied in the same dialect and the two began a hushed conversation.
Jain kept perfectly still, waiting for something to happen. The sword came back a slight distance more from his neck and Jain sprang into action. He feigned a sudden loss of balance and fell to his knees, below the sword, then pulled a dagger from his boot, rolling away from the sword and charging at the drow.
He heard the sword swish behind him and heard Kannath yell out something but his attention was entirely on the drow as he brought the dagger forward and lunged for his heart. The drow moved to the side, ducking under the blade. Jain turned as he passed, ready to attack the drow again but this time the drow was ready for him. He saw the fist flying for his face only a moment before the blow to his head, followed by a kick to the gut and another to the groin. Jain fell to the ground, winded, dizzy and in a lot of pain. He heard movement above his head and saw the butt of his own sword coming down to meet his temple. Then he fell into darkness.
Jain opened his eyes again to find himself in the same clearing he had collapsed in, still on the ground. Kannath and the drow were gone but the female elf remained. She looked over to him as he tested the ropes that kept him bound but made no other move. Jain struggled with the ropes for a moment more, then gave up on undoing them without help.
"You could have killed me while I was unconscious rather than waiting for me to wake up, unless you plan to torture me. Considering your company, that does seem like the more logical of the two choices." Jain finally said after a moment of silence.
The elf shook her head. "I have no plans to harm you, Jain Tathitch. Kannath told me of you and I will not harm one of Mielikki's followers. Especially when I do not have to."
"Since the drow and their companions are well known for their compassion and mercy I will believe you of course." Jain replied sarcastically.
The elf clenched her jaw and her hand strayed to the sword. Jain tensed, expecting her to attack, then mentally sighed relief as she shook her head and moved away from the weapon.
"I cannot blame you for your actions, for I know that most would make them."
Jain began to laugh at that, but stopped as he realized that she was serious.
"Kannath and Dathien are gone. They packed and left after I knocked you unconscious. We are going away from the elven village ... my home and we are not seeking trouble." She explained as she rose from the ground, walked to him, then knelt by his side.
Up close, Jain couldn't help but notice that her eyes were an intense blue flecked with gold. Their intensity lent a unique look bordering on beauty to the elf's face that the scar could not take away.
"I swear to you that Dathien has done no evil and I know him to be good." She stared at him for a moment and Jain felt as if he was being measured.
"You do not believe me completely, of course. Who would without proof?" She reached for a gold chain that was hanging around her neck. The pendant she produced bore the sigil of Mielikki.
"The drow could have killed you as you fought, or turned on Kannath and I at any point, but he has chosen not to. I swear, as a follower of Mielikki that if he ever shows himself to be evil I will not hesitate to kill him." Her eyes settled upon Jain's evenly. "If this day comes I will seek you out, that you might deliver the appropriate punishment. I do not ask you to name the drow as good, only to give him time to prove what he truly is. Allow his actions to dictate what you make of him, for I assure you, he is no ordinary drow."
Saying this, she sliced the ropes that bound his arms then handed the dagger to Jain.
"Your weapons and supplies are in the tree to the left. I go now." The elf took several strides towards the forest, then whistled. A horse appeared and she jumped on it with a single graceful motion, then rode off.
Jain sliced the constraints that bound his feet and watched as the elf bounded off into the forest on her horse. She glanced back at him once, then turned away and continued on at full speed.
For a moment, Jain considered following her again, then decided against it. There was nothing to gain, not now when they would be watching and waiting for him to follow. Besides, Rhynn was waiting for news on Kannath, and the rest of his group as well. What do I do? Jain wondered. Usually answers came easily to him but this time he was torn.