Chapter Four

PAIN. A stunning, throbbing pain at the back of her neck.A wickedly sharp stone positioned just the right way to send a jab of pain up her calf. Something hard and rough across her shoulder blades.

Across her shoulder blades?

The womanstirred with a groan and opened her eyes. A green canopy stared back at her. Forest. Where the hell was she? Who was she? She couldn't remember much more than a white haze. Her complaining back reminded her that this probably wasn't the best position to think. She forced herself to a sitting position and looked around at the trees. One of them was huge, stretching far beyond the canopy with a thick spread of leafy branches. It looked rather familiar. Something nagged in the back of her head.

I've seen this bef...

The Tree of Life!

And I am Lina.

Suddenly, clarity burst in her mind and with it came images that sent her stomach contents roiling furiously. Blood. Lots of it, spurting fromher neck. The one that didn't have a head attached to it. She tried desperately to keep her stomach under control for but a few moments before emptying it onto the ground.

It hadn't seemed so bad before, it wasn't the first time she had seen a decapitating. This was war, after all. But it was the first time that death had been this up close and personal. And the darkness that haddescended on her was terrifyingly stifling, as if a piece of nothingness had wrapped her in a tight cocoon, sealing her off forever from the world.

Gradually, she asserted control over her rebellious stomach, which was still trying to regurgitate its now nonexistant contents. When she'd gotten that under control, she tried to stand even though her muscles screamed aching protestations. Tottering over to the washbasin kept available there by the elves ever since they found Travex slumped there, she cleaned herself of soil and vomit. Of blood, there was no sign, thankfully, since she wasn't sure if she could keep from retching again if she looked down and found dried blood on herself. The clean water sluicing over her skin calmed her mind and nerves.

When she was clean, she looked around for something to wear. In a carved wooden box were a pair of robes and underclothes, one set for males and another for females. She selected the one for the appropriate gender and slipped it on. The fabric wassmooth and slightly elastic, it slid into place without much hassle.

Lina gulped, steadied her nerves and walked out of the sheltered clearing, towards her cottage, just wanting to be home.