Jessi: I seem to be on a roll with this story lately. The next few chapters have been planned out in my head for some time now, but I was stuck on some difficult bits in the middle. Hence there shall be faster updates!

A tiny flicker of light shone through the trees. Vale had set up her own camp away from the paladins. Chel sat and watched the distant flames, his knees drawn up against his chest and his head resting in his hands.

His mouth twitched as another brief stab of pain flared into existence. Beneath his bandages his face was rebuilding itself and the pale elf welcomed the pain as a distraction from his thoughts. Inevitably, however, his mind returned to his ward.

His face felt as though it was aflame.

Sighing, Chel got to his feet and wandered into the forest.

Blood-stained bandages fell from his fingers. His other hand gently explored the new flesh. His eye gazed at his reflection in a small shard of mirror from his bag of holding.

The regenerated skin was already gaining a silver tint to match the rest. Soon it would look as though nothing had ever marred it... almost. His right eye was still an empty socket, a dark hole that balefully stared out at him.

Controlled by magic, a length of cloth began to wrap itself around his head, covering the offending blemish. Chel watched it, his mouth unsmiling.

Almost automatically he drew the small knife from the belt, sending the mirror shard floating off while the other hand shook the voluminous sleeve from his arm. He sank to the ground, his robe spread out like an inky pool against the grass.

The knife edge settled against his silver flesh, but the hand that held it was shaking.

Abruptly he shrieked and flung the knife away into the darkness. The wingless elf wrapped his arms around his chest, his entire body shivering.

When the male elf returned to the paladin's camp the twins were dividing up the meat of two rabbits that they had caught. Chel noticed that there were three dishes.

Keroigar picked up one and walked over to him,

"Chel, could you take this to Vale? Maybe she'll eat something if you give it to her."

"... She has not been eating?" Chel's flawless brow creased slightly.

"No," the blond aasimar bit his lip, "I haven't seen her eat anything since... Well, since the night you were gone..." he lowered his gaze from the pale elf, "I don't think she's been sleeping either..."

With this grim news running through his head, Chel took the bowl and headed for Vale's camp.

The young cleric was hunched over in the folds of her cloak. The firelight highlighted her mouth and throat, but left her eyes in shadow. She listlessly moved her head as the black-clad elf moved into her camp.

"Vale... I brought you some food," he set the bowl down then knelt opposite her, "Keroigar said you haven't been eating... you must be hungry."

There was no response from Vale, no movement, no speech.

"I... I did some thinking while we were travelling today... I know why you are so angry with me and I know that I deserved that slap..." he paused, taking deep breathes, "Vale, down there... in that cavern... and after I saw you get injured like that...when she used that illusion on me...

"I know that it doesn't excuse my actions but... I wanted you to be alive so badly... so badly that I truly believed that she was you..." he bit his lip and raised his gaze to meet Vale's.

There was no response.

"Vale... Talk to me, please," Chel's voice was soft and pleading, "Shout at me. Hit me. Anything!" he leant forward, to see under her hood, to look into her eyes-

He shrieked and was up in an instant, his claws and fangs out and his hair writhing in the air,

"You are not-!"

He got no further. The female elf shot forward, much faster than any mortal should be able to move, and her hand covered his face. There was a silent green flash and Chel fell backwards, his eye closed and his body limp.

Vale stood above him, eyes glowing in the darkness.

"What happened to him?" Keroigar looked up at the magic user.

"He is unconscious so that he can regenerate his wings. It is nothing to be concerned about," she turned and mounted her horse. Inside her prison Vale screamed.