Disclaimer: I dunt own Escaflowne and characters! I'm just..borrowing them...
A/N: This chappie is looong, finally sum action tho
Chapter 14: Skirmish in Misty Wood
Cevena screamed, snapping awake. That same dream. . . that same stupid dream, but it was intensifying. She touched her face; it was wet with tears. She buried her head in her hands.
Someone grabbed both her hands, wrenching them away from her face. She bit back a yell, and then saw that it was Dilandau, not that that was any less scary.
"Why are you screaming? What's wrong??" He whispered his fierce interrogations. Cevena jerked her hands away from him as if he was toxic. She glanced over at Tuin and Raj; amazingly they had not stirred.
She looked down, she should have been feeling awkward with the albino captain leaning so closely in. She would have, if she wasn't still so scared from the dream.
Crazy as it was, Dilandau's ferocious presence somehow countered the nightmares and made her feel safe. Lesser of the two evils, she figured. "It was nothing, sorry, I'm being a baby, just a bad dream" was all she managed to mumble.
Dilandau snorted, disgusted.
"A bad dream? You're right; you are being a baby. Might as well get up though, its dawn."
He rose and walked away.
Raj suddenly rolled over and sat up. He glanced at Cevena, yawning and gently shaking Tuin awake. "After breakfast Lady Fanel. . . we will ride." His voice was monotone but Cevena immediately perked up. The fear drained away to be replaced by sunny anticipation.
Breaking up camp and breakfast flew by. No body had a problem with Cevena and Raj riding the gift Stallions, Tuin was slightly miffed at being left out, but she quietly settled back in the carriage. "Leaving me all by myself, you two? Ah well, as they say, I hope you knock yourselves out."
Dilandau as predicted spazed at her. "Are you deaf? I said you aren't riding outside, get your ass back into that coach!!"
"Oh come ON, Dilandau! I can't believe you're this concerned over my safety! I mean, wouldn't it make you happy if I fell off and broke my neck??"
She didn't mean to add the next part but it slipped out anyways,
"And me dying would certainly make you even with Van wouldn't it??" She willed herself not to clap her hands over her mouth, she always had to go and add gasoline to the fire!
Raj half tensed, expecting to have to fend off the captain, but to the surprise of everyone Dilandau stiffened slightly and turned away. "Do whatever of the fck you want to." He tossed the comment over his shoulder casually and began saddling up his horse.
Raj patiently showed Cevena how to tack up the horses, and she learned quickly. Before she knew it, she was riding along, Raj chuckling beside her. "What?!" She snapped, sweaty, bum sore from all the bouncing and nose getting burned on top of that.
The Giant looked down but answered shyly, "I'm sorry Lady Fanel, it's just that you. . . you sit like a sack of gumtates!" He tried to swallow down a burble of laughter.
Cevena flicked a lock of sweaty lank dark hair away from her face, cursing herself for not tying it up, "Well, I'm doing ok for my FIRST time aren't I?! And it's CEVENA for the last time!" She followed up her reprimand by nearly toppling off the side. She glared at Raj, "and what are gumtates anyways?!"
Raj didn't make a sound, but his massive shoulders shook.
Dilandau rode behind them, making no comments, but that did not make him any less oppressive. Cevena worked hard at not noticing him glowering though, and after a while she began to get the hang of it.
They had ridden till noon when the entourage had called a halt and taken a lunch break before continuing on once more. After fording the Bay River, they had decided to stop for the night. Tomorrow they would pass through the Misty Forest and the guards and drivers wanted to be well rested tonight.
By night fall, Cevena was so stiff that she could barely dismount from the huge stallion. Midway between dismount, she thought her back foot had reached the ground so she released her grip on the saddle.
Her back foot still had half a metre to go. She gave a little yelp as she felt herself start to topple backwards but just as suddenly, strong arms grabbed her and held her steady till she regained her balance.
She thoughtit wasRaj, but twisting around, she saw the red armour and black leather.
"Watch it, you clutz." He sneered down at her.
Cevena hesitated a bit, "Thanks. . . " she offered tentively, choosing to ignore the insult. Dilandau just moved off.
Just like the last night, the sky was clear and bright with stars. The three of them stretched out next to each other and Raj and Tuin were quickly asleep. Although Cevena was exhausted and sore as hell, she couldn't help thinking about Dilandau.
Maybe he wasn't as bad as the stories said he was. Maybe all his bad ass attitude was just a front. If only she could get to know him a little better, if only he didn't hate her dad so much. Slowly, she drifted off.
They were off bright and early like that last morning. Every single one of Cevena's muscles seemed to have turned into lead and she was hurting in places she didn't even know she had.
But she had fiercely clambered back onto the stallion and she was happy that she had been able to hold in her screams last night from the dream. After a couple of miles away from the Bay River, she began to see a large forest in the distance.
True to its name, the mist was indeed spilling out of the edge of the woods. Cevena began to feel a tiny bit scared. She chided herself; a little mist wasn't going to hurt her! A sudden image of the dragon reared up in her mind.
She forcefully squished it into the little corner where she put all things that scared her and tried to focus on the rhythm of the horse beneath her.
Raj glanced over at her. "Cevena? Would you like to ride in the carriage now?" It was the first time he'd used her actual name. She could practically see Dilandau's smirk of satisfaction if she returned to the carriage.
"No, no Raj! It's much nicer out here! And more exciting too!" Her tone was light.
The Giant stared at her for a minute and then half shrugged. And so the procession continued on into the Misty Woods.
The initial shock of the blinding white mist eased off as they continued deeper in. The mist too was thinning deeper in the forest. This enchanted mist seemed thickest around the edges of the forest, creating a sense of white walls that either locked you out, or locked you inside.
Cevena tightened her grip on the reigns. Her horse whickered uneasily. Cevena felt something strange in the pit of her stomach. She unconsciously touched the pendant for reassurance.
DANGER.
A white light shot through her head.
They were surrounded. She could feel a ring of creatures crouched all around them.
She reached further. Not creatures. . . men.
Then, she was back inside her head again, but she could still feel the men, all around.
And theneverything happened at once.
As Cevena twisted around in her saddle to shout a warning, a red fletched arrow zinged past to bury into the chest of coach driver at the front with a wet thunk. Cevena had her mouth open in mid shout when someone slammed into her with full force.
She flew off her stallion landing on her back on the ground. She was winded, fighting for breath. She had expected the person who had just tackled her would land on top of her squishing her, but instead he was arched over her. . . protecting her.
Dilandau. She was then suddenly dimly aware of the screaming and more whistles of arrows.
When she finally got her breath back, she struggled up. "We're surrounded!" She shouted. And then "Why the hell did you have to tackle me like a football QB for?!"
"Stay DOWN." The albino hissed. "You want to get shot?!" He shoved her down, but then continued. "We're way too open, we got to move. These bastards are nothing but a gang of thieves. They're idiots for choosing this forest for their hit."
The sound of arrows quietened. Cevena strained to see over Dilandau's shoulder. Whoops and shouts filled the forest now as the thieves began to thunder into the midst. The mercenaries and guards had formed an impromptu ring around the carriages. She scanned desperately for Raj.
"Listen! There's no time!" Dilandaunudged her roughly. She snapped to attention. "When I say go, run your ass off and get inside the circle, stay with Tuin."
She felt him tense, "Get ready. . . GO!"
They both flung themselves up at the same time, Cevena didn't even turn to look at Dilandau, she just threw herself into a dead run for the protective ring.
It was chaos. The fighting was fiercer then the time on the ship. The raiders, dressed all in black seemed to be all over the place. She almost made it.
Seized from behind in a terribly strong grip she felt the shock of cold metal being pressed against her throat. She half-gagged while flailing and kicking wildly.
"You wanna die, bitch? Then keep on moving! Now WALK." Cevena fought for each breath and twisted to try and get a look at her captor. His whole face except for his eyes was swathed in black cloth.
He began to half drag, half carry her away from the ring of guards. "I said WALK!" The man growled in her ear. He pushed the knife harder into her larynx. Cevena choked.
With his free hand, the ruffian began to feel up and down her chest and stomach. He snickered. "You're quite a catch little green-eyed bitch!" Cevena gritted her teeth.
But as they moved across the clearing, sudden screaming drowned out all other cacophony of fierce battle. Red spots were dancing in Cevena's eyes.
Her captor suddenly stopped in mid stride and Cevena felt him take in a huge breath. "Holy Shit." He continued to let out a string of curses. The pressure eased off a bit.
Breathing coming easier, it was then that Cevena saw what the thief saw.
Silver and crimson whirlwind, Dilandau seemed to be everywhere at once, lethal and deadly.
He was making short work of the bunch of bloody robbers.
His silver hair was flying in all directions and his blazing eyes matched the blood being spilt all around him. Cevena felt a tingle of fear even in her. The man who held her was about to wet himself.
Suddenly, the blade pressed into her throat, even harder than before. Cevena let out a gasp. He grabbed a fistful of her hair, violently yanking her head back. Cevena expected to die right there but instead the man screamed into her ear. "Call of your demon!!! I will kill you right now, I swear! Call him OFF!"
Cevena felt anger swell inside her, numbing all feeling for a second. Forcing in another breath, she spat at him. "Bite. Me." She choked out.
Everything blacked for a moment and then when everything swam back into focus, Dilandau Albatou was standing before them.
The robber clutched Cevena even closer. "Stay back! Or the wench dies!"
Dilandau's smouldering eyes glared unflinchingly back. "Kill the girl then, but do it quickly. It's your blood that I thirst for." His voice was terrifyingly cold and flat.
At this the man faltered. His grip loosened slightly, hesitating. Sucking in a breath, Cevena was all fury. "Dilandau you jerk!!! I am going to kick your-" The man was thrown off balance, caught between wanting to run for his life, getting ready to fight for it or killing the girl. The result was that he half-heartedly tried to restrain her, while shifting his eyes between the "demon" and the cover of trees.
Dilandau moved. Cevena's eyes couldn't even follow his lightning quickness.
In one swift motion, the captain made as if to raise his sword and then in the next moment Cevena heard a sickening splat/crunch.
Hot blood splattered across the left of her neck and face. The now deceased man still had his arm wrapped around her. As he toppled over, Cevena was knocked down and squished under his weight.
Stunned and in shock, she let herself be pressed into the dirt. She slowly, fearfully looked to her left. What was remaining of the man's face was hanging over her shoulder. A metre of silver sword protruded from his forehead.
In the background she thought she heard a collective cheer that the raiders were all dead, but she felt millions of miles away.
She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. Open. Close. Time seemed to stand still and it seemed hours that she lay there, his blood seeping into her clothes. It could have been hours or days or seconds. Abruptly, his weight was shoved off.
Someone grabbed her by the shoulders and wrists, pulling her up to her knees. "Are you hurt?"
She snapped to. Looking up, she saw a pair of ruby eyes. Silvery- grey hair was caked in sweat and blood. The hands holding her wrists were blood covered also. She felt revolted to her very core. This guy was a cold-blooded killer.
She tore her hands away from him, scrambling backwards. "D-Don't touch me!" She whispered hoarsely. She scrambled to her feet. Blood rushed to her head. She swayed.
The bloody hands reached out to steady her. She slapped them away with all her might. "I said don't touch me!" She screamed. Why was she so hysterical? She wondered dizzily.
Dilandau backed off, his eyes flaring with annoyance and puzzlement. "Take it easy. . ."
Then Tuin was beside her. The satir gently lead Cevena away from the confused captain. The entourage had quickly set up a tent for the wounded. Inside, Tuin wiped the blood off Cevena's face. Raj had quietly joined up with them later that day. He had some scratches but was otherwise unscathed.
It took the rest of the day to bury the dead and make repairs. They would camp within Misty forest that night.
The casualties were light, but a few faces were missing at dinner. The hired guards and mercenaries were in high spirits at having fended off the attack. They were chugging large amounts of Gaia's equivalent of beer, slapping each other on the backs and cheering.
Dilandau was nowhere to be seen though; not that Cevena wanted to see that bloodthirsty maniac. She wrapped the wool blanket tighter about herself. Tuin sat with her, her small body a huge comfort. The satir left her side for a moment to get her dinner. The smell of food, roasting wild pig on the spit, made her stomach roll inside out.
Sickened she retreated from the fires and made her way towards the carriage. On the way, she could hear the groans coming from the makeshift infirmary tent that had been set up. She finally felt something stir inside her that had been numb since the attack.
She patted her cheeks. "Okay Cevena, knock yourself out of this! Pull yourself together! Moping about doesn't help anyone." She muttered to herself aloud. Resolved, she marched determinedly towards the tent.
Tired healers glanced up at her entrance. A haggard looking man stepped up. The white gloves of the medic that he wore were stained with blood. "Can I help you, my lady?" Cevena taken a back by the number of wounded lying in the cots cleared her throat. "Yes sir. . . Is there anyway I can be of some use to you?"
The doctor rubbed his eyes against his shoulder. "Most of the wounds were arrow wounds. Nasty serrated tips though. . . makes pulling them out very difficult. We separated the wounded into two groups. Ones we can save and ones who are beyond help. We've been concentrating entirely on the ones with some hope. . . sorry to give you this task, but the dying need to be comforted too. Could you ease their last moments the best you can? The water table is near by in the back of the tent. Just do what you can. . . " Sighing, he walked back to his patient.
Cevena made her way to the back. Upon second glace, there were not so many as she first thought in the tent. And a good portion only had flesh wounds. But there were three men lying in the back. Grabbing a bowl and a sponge from the water table she made her rounds.
They were all grey-faced, unconscious and breathing very shallowly. The only thing she could do was wipe their cold, clammy brows with the warm water. She held their hands and sang a little soothing tune that her grandmother had once sung to her.
The hours flew by and the healer was suddenly tapping her shoulder. "I think my lady had better return to her carriage and rest for the night. You've done what you can and I thank you. You are the pastKing Van's daughter are you not? I knew him briefly when he was young. . . my name is healer Juino Yantak."
Cevena realized how exhausted she was. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, healer Yantak." She stifled a yawn. The doctor nodded gently and moved off. Giving one last glance at her poor charges, she headed for the door.
She was almost there when she saw the moonlight reflect off silver hair. He was in a secluded corner, half hidden from view.
"That's where he was! I didn't even know he had been wounded!" Her thoughts were laced with guilt. She hadn't even tried to look for him. She had been so. . . angry at him. Mad at him. . . for killing those bandits. It didn't seem very rational anymore when she thought about it.
She hadn't exactly been very gentle with him either after the attack. Looking at his sleeping face, memories of that night on the lifeboat flickered through her mind.
She was so used to his big, bad attitude and thinking of him as a monster and menace that she continually forgot that he was human too.
Juino was at her side. "Is something amiss, Lady?" She whirled to face him. "Was he injured badly?"
He looked at the sleeping captain. "Ah, Captain Albatou. . . I hadheard he was your bodyguard. His wounds were numerous but not serious. He was mostly just exhausted. It was most curious because he kept refusing to rest. Kept saying that he had to keep watch over some blue-blooded wench. We were forced to give him a heavy sedative. He's been sleeping since." He frowned a bit. "I suppose he was referring to you. Does he always refer to you as such?"
Cevena's temper flared at the albino, but only slightly. She'd forgive him that one.
She sighed. "Yes. But I'm getting used to it. He's a pretty good body guard."
The healer looked at her. "He ought to be, he sure knows how to slaughter people."
Cevena looked up.
Juino frowned. "To be honest, I really don't know how you got him to be your protector. People in the Destiny Wars said he was blood thirsty and mad, not to mention that he had some sort of death feud with your father. Now he's protecting his nemesis's daughter? Very peculiar. . . "
Cevena looked at Dilandau. His white skin, almost translucent eyelids; there were deep shadows under his eyes.
She sighed again. "I was afraid of him when I first met him. And I was reminded today again why I feared him. But, there are two sides to a coin and many sides to a person. I'm just trying to see them all. . . its hard because people don't like to get to know things they're afraid of. . . but I'm trying."
She felt like crying suddenly. She didn't know why.
"You seem to trust him a great deal, Lady Fanel, and you almost have me convinced that this Dilandau Albatou is more than a cold blooded killer. A word of caution nevertheless, this young man killed many, many people. Not all have forgotten, and you will do well to be careful of those who would seek their revenge."
Cevena shuddered. It was as if a cold wind had blown up her spine.
"Thank you healer Yantak for your warning. Good night. . . " The old man nodded slowly and knowingly and then left her.
Without even knowing what she was doing she took Dilandau's pale, white hand in hers. It was cold and the sword calluses were rough. "I'm sorry. . . "
Her pendant began to glow, but Cevena didn't notice. Neither did Dilandau stir.
Cevena released his hand and walked back to the carriage. She would not sleep under the stars tonight in this cursed forest. "Especially with no one to protect you." A voice nagged.
Tuin hugged her when she returned to the carriage. "Where were you Cevena? Raj and I were worried."
"I'm okay now Tuin. I just wanted to help the wounded. Not doing anything drives me crazy, you know? I'm beat. . . I'll see you in the morning."
The satir held her questions. There would be time in the morning. "Asha lin." She whispered good night in her native tongue.
