After having taken leave of the Innkeeper they went into the streets of the city. Aribeth had donned a dark cape over her too recognizable armor. They wandered without knowing too much where to go. Arwen hoped that while speaking about common and merry things she could relax her comrade a little. She spoke about her youth, Silverymoon, her family ... Aribeth listened, being satisfied with nodding from time to time. The prattling of her young friend had their desired effect and kept away her black thoughts.
They had crossed the principal bridge located close to the entry and circumvented the imposing building which was the brothel. Just after having left the second bridge they saw a group of men moving towards them. They had just time to shelter behind an overturned carriage to protect themselves from a flight of arrows.
Drawing their weapons, they saw a group of soldiers and archers carrying the colours of the High Captain Baram. The archers stopped to around fifty paces away to reload their bows, while the soldiers charged by howling "Death! "
"Ellistrae! " Shouted Arwen, while taking some arrows from her quiver. Aribeth plunged behind another nearer carriage so as to place herself between the soldiers and her friend, while avoiding the arrows launched on her. As soon as these were quivering in the wood of the carriages, Arwen rose and plucked two arrows out with disconcerting speed. Two of the archers fell, dead, while the others were thrown back behind the ruins of the adjacent building. She pointed two new arrows in their direction in order to prevent them from lifting their heads while she ran towards a practically intact stone building.
During this time the soldiers had reached Aribeth's position. One of them jumped over the broken carriage, hoping to run his adversary through with his sword, but Aribeth had heard him and raised her sword on which he impaled himself. She withdrew her sword, and the inertia of the body made it pass over her head, and she then whirled her weapon against the next soldier who emerged of the right corner of the carriage. He screamed one shout of anguish as she rolled on her side to dodge his comrade who arrived on the other side of the carriage. Her sword struck him on the middle of the stomach. She withdrew it quickly, parrying on her right and striking once again, hitting thus the leg of the man located behind the dying soldier. He fell, holding his leg.
While shooting at the archers, Arwen kept an anxious eye on her friend. She was astonished by the rage of her fighting. It was far from the feints and techniques learned at the Academy. Suddenly Arwen located a soldier who had succeeded in placing himself behind her friend and was ready to deliver a fatal blow.
She shouted "Ari! Duck! " and shot at the man.
Aribeth ducked down just before the sword struck her. Instead of slashing her head the blow had slipped on her Armor and had slightly notched her calf. The man did not have time to strike another blow, an arrow from Arwen had just pierced his throat. Before Aribeth could rise, yet a second man fell beside her, an arrow planted in the chest, at heart's level. That was enough for the survivors who fled without asking for further orders
Arwen remained in her hiding-place, closely watching the surrounding neighbourhood while waiting for her friend who arrived limping. "Thank you Arwen. I did not remember any point you were not fast and precise!"
The compliment made Arwen redden. "You too manage well ... even if the style does not resemble which that you taught us at the Academy."
Aribeth gave her a wink "What counts are the results!" That said, she sat down beside the young half-elf and started to search in her bag. A few moments later she came out with a potion that she swallowed.
"Ari, why don't you use your healing skills?"
"Healing skills? Me? Huh ... I am too much tired ... Yes, that's it, I am too much tired!"
Arwen did not believe a word of her denials but did not insist, fearing to revive her anger. 'Hmm, you lie, Ari... Is it possible that even your God abandoned you? Why are you reluctant to talk openly?'
Seeing the dubious glance of her friend, Aribeth knew that she was not deceived. She patted the top of her thigh in a friendly fashion "Don't worry, I'm fine ... Come on, we must be on the move again!"
A few moments later they were on the great place in front of the temple of Tyr. Aribeth froze on the spot. She fixed the Temple in a baleful glance, closed her eyes, gritted her teeth and clenched her fists to avoid to cry.
Arwen could see her fingers blanched by the tightened tendons, a sign of great great inner turmoil. She passed her arm under her friend's, and pressing her head on her shoulder tried make her move on. "Come on, Ari! It's useless to revive your pain ... We will be able to return later ... If you wish it. While there is no use standing around here, waiting; let us look elsewhere."
"You don't want to enter it?" Asked Aribeth, surprised.
"No!" Laughed Arwen.
"But Aarin must await you inside!"
Arwen tightened her hold a little more strongly on her friend's arm. "Come, mule!" She smiled conspiratorially. "Come on! Aarin can wait. I am with you for the moment."
On their right they could see the masts of the boats moored to the docks. Arwen resolved to not turn her friend in that direction, thinking that it was preferable that they be alone to talk and decide what to do.
So, she moved towards the left of the temple.
After only a little while, Aribeth screamed and collapsed on her knees, clutching her head between her hands "Nooo! Leave me ... Nooo ... Aaahh ... Not now ... Leave me alone."
Alarmed, Arwen knelt beside her friend. She noted that she was sweating and trembling. She put her hands on her friend's. "Ari, what is happening to you? Are you all right?"
Aribeth breathed fast and jerkily. She slowly recovered from the crisis, "N ... Nothing Arwen ... It is finished, it will go away now." The paleness of her face contradicted her words.
Arwen indicated a large stone placed in a recess between two houses. "We can stop here. I will be able to watch the streets while you recover and you explain to me what is worrying you."
Aribeth seemed embarrassed "No ... it is not nothing ... don't worry ... I ... I suppose that I ate something that didn't agree with me."
"And you ask this something to leave you alone? Tell me the truth, please. Tell me what happened to you."
Aribeth was recovered and ignored the question "I have a headache! " Searching in her bag, she drank her potion once again.
Once more Arwen felt that her friend hesitated to speak openly. She was pretty certain that she had undergone a mental attack. She remembered her own first meeting with an Illithild. Only the protective amulet of her goddess had saved her. But her friend Aribeth was an elf, more she was an experienced paladin. Only a very powerful creature could overcome her mental defenses. Unless ... one idea germinated in her head ... Unless than they used a product to reduce her mental defenses ... A potion for example. A potion like the one she is drinking … Who had given her that potion?. She needed to investigate. Shocked by the implications of what she considered, Arwen could not retain a scream cry "NO, this would be monstrous!"
Aribeth looked at her astonished and a bit worried "What are you thinking about?"
Arwen decided to keep her suspicions to herself; it would be useless to alarm her friend with what were only assumptions. She decided to change the subject and to try to lighten the atmosphere a little, "Ari ... It doesn't bother you that I call you Ari, does it?"
Aribeth felt guilty for the way she had talked to Arwen the day before. "Forgive me, Arwen, I was in a bad mood. I am often in a bad mood these days." A small smile brightened her sad face a little. "You know, you have called me like that for some weeks ... In fact, I like it when you call me Ari ... It recalls my youth ... My mother called me 'Sweet Ari'; those were the happiest days of my life."
Arwen put one hand on her friend's shoulder and looked her in the eye, "Well ... Sweet Ari ... Many other happy days await you." She emphasised her words with a smile. A smile which acted like a powerful antidote to Aribeth's torment, "If you want to trust me with what disturbs you, that will remain a secret between us two ... Try to imagine that I am your sister and that you can confess to me what bothers you... "
"My sister?" Aribeth put a hand on that of Arwen. A great sadness was perceptible in her eyes, "My sister died young, I will have liked that she had grown and become like you ... Yes, that I would have liked. We would have been able to share all our burdens ... She would have prevented me from doing silly things." Aribeth closed her eyes, her hand tightened on that of Arwen very strongly. Her torment was almost palpable. Arwen did not dare to speak. She felt that the rampart that her friend had drawn up around her heart was yielding and did not want to waste such a chance. After an interminable moment Aribeth spoke again, "But it is too late and I should not bother you with my doubts ... I do not want any of the blackness of my heart to come into yours". She pulled away from Arwen and turned over to hide her tears.
Arwen felt that her suffering was too great and that she would not speak as long as the force which crushed her soul could not be neutralized. All she could do was give some kind words and show her friendship. "Ari ... my older sister ...", she approached Aribeth and took her head between her own hands, dried her tears and said gently, "Ari, trust me ... I will give all I have to help you ... I am your sister ... I am your soul ... Do not give up. Together we will fight and together we will win."
Aribeth hugged her. She tightened her hold very strongly. Arwen could feel the tremor of the body of her friend. They remained thus, quiet during a long moment. It is Aribeth who broke the silence. "Thank you ... Thank you from the bottom of my heart ... And forgive me, I have nothing against you and I sincerely regret not being a merrier friend." After a short pause she added, "I feel better, we should leave, night will fall soon."
Arwen passed her arm under her friend's and answered "Come, then! We must find a refuge, I do not want to have to spend the night on these streets."
Aribeth followed her steps, "I will follow you, Arwen, and I must acknowledge you that your presence made this day the best in weeks! It is the first time since the death of Fentick that I do not feel alone."
