ATHMAE

Jo, Palamon, and Grunthor were leaning back in their dinning room chairs, looking at Athmae throw daggers into the wall. Jo was beginning to see a pattern in Athmae. Whenever she was mad, worried, or frustrated she would throw daggers at the same wall for hours on end. Each one hitting its mark. It was if both the daggers and the wall were magnetized.

Both Athmae and Jo turned their heads at the sound of Rhapsody and Achmed's angry voices entering the room.

"I forbid you to go with him!" Achmed spat.

"Well I can't go alone now can I!" Rhapsody retorted.

"Then you won't go at all! I need you here!"

Thud! Thud! Thud! Athmae went back to throwing her daggers into the wall, while keeping an ear open to the conversation. Achmed slowly turned his head toward Athmae in annoyance. Athmae didn't stop throwing.

"Grunthor can come with me then." Rhapsody said.

"I need him here as well." Achmed replied returning to the argument.

"If Oi 'ould make a suggestion," Grunthor interjected, "'ittle Athmae 'ould go 'ith the Duchess."

Athmae accidentally let the dagger in her hand slip and cut her hand... "Hrekin!" She looked down at her hand and saw the cut going across her hand. Dark blood shined brightly all the way across her cut. She looked up and said "What? Me? Go where?"

"To find the dragon called Elynsynos, and give her this." Rhapsody said showing Athmae what looked like a dragon talon.

"And you need me why? Hell if I know the way."

"To keep an eye on Ashe." Achmed said through gritted teeth.

"So you changed your mind then?" Rhapsody said turning back toward Achmed.

"I suppose." Achmed replied still with gritted teeth. "I'm sure Athmae can take care of you."

"I can take care of myself thank you very much."

"Come, come now Achmed," Athmae said wrapping her arm around Rhapsody. "The only thing that Rhapsody here should fear from Ashe is if he might jump her!"

Achmed smiled beneath his veil. But Rhapsody rolled her eyes at the comment. Her eyes came to rest on Athmae's bloody hand. "Let me help you with that." Rhapsody said reaching for Athmae's hand.

"Thanks, but I'll be fine." Athmae replied slowly trying to pull her hand away. Rhapsody grabbed her hand again and looked at it. She grabbed a cloth and poured water from a pitcher that was sitting on the table into a bowl. She dipped the cloth into the water and gently cleared away the blood. Athmae flinched, "It's cold!" Rhapsody looked back down at Athmae's hand and took a better look at her cut. She couldn't believe what her eyes were seeing. The cut wasn't there anymore! It was as if there wasn't even a cut there!

"I could have swore you had a cut on your hand. What else would have made you bleed?" Rhapsody said looking utterly confused.

"I've always been a quick healer." Athmae retorted jerking her hand away. Achmed rushed over and took a look at Athmae's hand and looked up her in question.

"But this happened just a few seconds ago." Rhapsody said.

"Maybe I'm a really...really fast healer." Athmae added.

"I don't think so. I think it may be apart of your lore."

"Are you saying I can heal myself instantly?"

"Or if I'm correct," Rhapsody said grabbing Palamon's hand and pulling him to his feet, "you can heal others. Take off your shirt."

"What?" Palamon said taken aback.

"I can't heal him! I don't know how!" Athmae exclaimed.

"Just try," Rhapsody said calmly placing a hand on Athmae's shoulder. "Palamon, your shirt, please."

"All right, all right. If you wanted me to strip for you all you had to do is ask." Palamon said taking off his vest and throwing it to the floor. Rhapsody turned to Palamon and untied his bandage around his arm. The burn mark on his shoulder was still raw. Athmae carefully placed a hand over the burn. "Ahhhhhh! Your hands are cold!"

"Would you like me to place it somewhere else where it will create just as much discomfort?" Athmae snapped.

"No! That's ok."

"Then hold still." Athmae placed her hand on his shoulder again. She closed her eyes and concentrated on Palamon's burn mark. She opened one eye and removed her hand from the shoulder. The burn was still there. "I told you I couldn't possibly do it!"

"Maybe you need a certain...feeling." Palamon said reaching his hand behind Athmae. Athmae caught what he was doing and slapped his hand before it touched her. Achmed rolled his eyes.

"Ouch!"

"Concentrate arse rag." Athmae put her hand back on his shoulder once again and closed her eyes. She let her whole body relax. She felt her whole body start to tingle, and a warmth came out of her hand. She slowly let her eyes open and removed her hand. The burn mark was gone. Athmae stepped back in shock. Palamon looked at Athmae then back down at his once wounded shoulder.

Rhapsody smiled at Athmae then said, "See your just as good as any Namer."

Athmae returned the smile. She turned back toward Achmed when the room started to spin. She felt weak and tired. Achmed placed a hand on her shoulder and looked into her distant eyes. "Athmae? Are you alright?" Achmed asked.

"Yes." Athmae replied shaking her head. "Getting back to that quest thing. When do we leave?"

"We leave tomorrow afternoon." Rhapsody replied. "But we can discuss this over dinner. I'll go fetch Ashe."

"Does he have to come?" Achmed said. Rhapsody shot him a poisonous glare. Achmed rolled his eyes.

"I'll skip dinner thanks," Athmae said walking towards her room. She walked in and looked down at her hand, it was shaking. Along with the rest of her body. Her vision started to blur. She heard her door shut behind her. She spun around toward her door and fell into Palamon's arms.

"Hey take it easy." Palamon said looking down at Athmae.

"I'm fine." She replied waving him off. Athmae stood back up and turned toward her bed, but fell backward into Palamon. He grunted and stumbled backward.

"Right, your just fine? You're not fooling me Athmae." Palamon sat Athmae on the bed. He could feel her body shivering next to his. He looked into her blue eyes and gently touched her shoulder. "Healing me took a lot out of you, didn't it?"

"Yeah it did," Athmae replied faintly. She noticed he still had his shirt off. She gently reached up and stroked where the burn mark once was. "But all that matters is that it's healed right."

Palamon set his hand on top of hers and said, "It was at your expense though." He clasped his hand around hers and stared into her eyes. "Thank you." He got up and walked out of her room.

PALAMON

Palamon shut the door to his room and leaned against it breathing hard. His heart was beating heavily in his chest. He walked toward his bed and fell back onto it smiling to himself. That was the closest I've ever been to her. He thought. I want to be with her all the time. And to be closer. Palamon closed his eyes and pictured Athmae and him sitting back on her bed holding each other's hand.