8
A knock sounded at the open door-frame. Chloris looked towards it, glad to break the dark elf's disconcerting gaze. He stood and crossed the room.
Another man stood there, he was hooded and cloaked. They both conferred in whispers for many minutes, there voices getting more agitated by the second. Finally the other man was dismissed and the dark eldf returned.
"Chloris," he said, surprising her with the knowledge of her name. "Are you feeling better?"
"I am well enough," she replied confused.
"I am glad, for we need to leave and quickly. Get dressed while I speak to my men, I will come back for you. Stay quiet." With that he left, sweeping out silently.
Chloris swung out of bed and cast about for her boots and cloak. She donned these, then she crossed over to the dresser. A basin filled with water sat there, she washed her face then ran a wet comb through her hair. After that was done she opened her door and peered down the hall.
It was the same hall she had walked down days before. The stairs to her right led to the common room, she knew. To her left the hall continued until it was enveloped in shadows. She listened hard, she thought she could here a conversation coming from the direction of the common room.
Someone came from the shadows and put a hand on her shoulder. She whirled and, out of habit, groped for her dagger, which she had forgotten she didn't have.
The dark elf raised his eyebrows, his face vaguely amused. "Looking for this?" he quieried quietly, holding her dagger out to her.
She accepted without a word than followed him into the shadows and down a back set of stairs she had not seen. He opened a door that led into an alleyway. He quietly closed the door behind them than lifted his hood to cover his eyes. Chloris did the same.
He put a finger to his lips as she followed him out into the drizzle.
They skirted the inn and walked quickly through a maze of alleys that Chloris knew she would not remember later. She followed him as he weaved in and out of buildings, and finally reached the town square. The square was emty, which was odd, even for this dismal weather, but not overly so.
The dark elf crossed the square and made for another alley. This alley branched into another, than another. As they ventured through the rain, Chloris realized that he must be trying to lose someone. A chill crept down her spine and she looked over her shoulder, but saw nothing.
Than they stopped.
He slid against the wall, feeling for something. There. His fingers met a doorframe. He knocked three times loudly than scraped his knuckles across the wood.
The door clicked and he opened it.
Rand clenched his hands until they were as white as bone. Part of him was in denial. Chloris. He had trusted her, trained her, and stood up for her. He had cared about her. She could never have done such a thing. There was not a traitorous bone in her body.
But, a nasty voice whispered in her head, she did betray her family.
Rand remembered the event well.
She had been sick…
Fever racked Chloris's features, her gray eyes were distant and her vision blurry. Her face was white as chalk, her mouth dry, lips cracked and bleeding. Beads of sweat lined her forhead. Rand had been sitting next to her for the past day, ever since the fever had gotten bad, having just recovered from it himself.
The fever had swept through the region, bringing with it horrible illusions , 2hipping out towns, but it was said that those that survived it would be immune to it. That was why he attended to Chloris now. He felt somehow responsible for her.
He had shivered remembering the illusions that had accompanied his sickness. Chloris was in that realm now and he wanted to make sure that she wasn't there alone.
Chloris sturred and murmered. Than she sat bolt upright eyes blank and staring. Rand wrestled her as carefully as he could back onto the bed, then he sat back, looking hoplessly on as she began to talk, her voice rising into fear. All he could do was hold her hand. He refused to look away, as that would be shameful.
Then Chloris began to scream and rant.
"WHY, WHY ARE THEY GONE?"
Rand didn't bother to respond.
"MOTHER? MOTHER WHERE ARE YOU?" Tears bagan to stream down Chloris's cheeks. "WHY DID YOU LEAVE? IT BURNS, WHY WON'T IT STOP? HELP ME!"
She twisted, wrenching her hand from his grip, curling onto her side. Than her voice turned into a whisper. Rand had to lean forward to hear.
"Why did I do it? Burning, everyone was burning."
Rand had never questioned Chloris on the incident, the fevers illusions were nightmares, in which the worst you feared come to pass. Besides, he could have misinterpreted what she had said.
A part of Rand knew he was just searching a reason for Chloris to betray him. The Chloris that had always been beside him, the Chloris that had always supported him in her own sarcastic way.
But for some reason he couldn't believe that such realistic rantings had come out of nothing.
Stephen stared at his commander's face as conflicting emotions ran across it. Stepen made a noise in his throat. "Urm, Sir…"
Rand looked up.
"I'm sorry Stephen, you may leave now."
He could barely conseal his disappointment, he had hoped he would be given permission to find her. But he would have to be patient.