The exhausted band of travelers happily greeted the splinters of golden rays that shot through the pinkish sky, heralding the arrival of a new day. For them, the warm bursts of light meant a cessation in their endless travel.
"We make camp in that grove ahead," Prevos announced, pointing at an outcropping of trees not far ahead. Murmurs of agreement filtered through the tired company, but no further words were spoken. By this time, the travelers were too weary to engage in idle chatter.
As they drew up beside the grove of trees, the men carefully worked to guide the wagon onto the dry banks, the task requiring most of their combined strength as they battled the muddy slopes of the riverbed. A camp was hastily thrown together – a fire pit prepared, supplies removed from packs, bedrolls laid out. Spits were erected around the fire to roast the game they'd killed the previous evening, having taken the opportunity to fell a pair of rabbits near the water's edge.
The last thing to be removed from the wagon was the slumbering form of the elf child, still deep in his drug-induced sleep. At the behest of the healers, he was placed near the fire's side.
Tewarn ran a hand through his hair, brushing the tie that held the long reddish strands back from his eyes. He could scarcely remember being so tired, yet his job was not yet finished. Glancing sideways, he caught the gaze of his young apprentice. The young man looked just as worn as he felt, with dark circles shadowing the undersides of his dark eyes.
"We will dress his wounds once more before we rest," he asserted, already pulling supplies out of one of their packs.
The dark head of the young healer nodded, though he said nothing. For his part, he was impressed he was even still coherent. They had trudged through the river for an entire day and night, taking only the shortest of breaks. As a healer he had been afforded some reprieve, and was allowed to spend part of the trek on the wagon with the elf child. Yet the times he had been wading had taken their toll on him. His legs felt like lead from constantly pulling themselves through the tireless current, and the prolonged cold they had been subjected to while submerged had left them utterly numb to the touch.
Forcing whatever mental capacity he had left to focus, Sade aided his teacher in removing the dressings from the elf's wounds. His surprise grew with each bandage they pulled off, for the young elf's wounds had healed an incredible amount. In all his life he had never heard of injuries repairing themselves so quickly: most of the smaller cuts and scrapes were now barely perceptible on the ivory skin, and the more severe ones looked as though they'd had a week to mend.
"Elven healing truly is remarkable," Tewarn commented with a wry grin, answering the questions he knew to be circling his apprentice's mind. "I have never had the occasion to see it myself before, but I can now attest that the myths do not lie."
Finishing the final dressing, the healer again broke the silence to address the young man, "We have done what we can for now, and you have done very well. Take some nourishment and retire while we may. Likely it will be another long journey later today," the old healer stated tiredly as he laid a gentle hand on the younger man's shoulder.
They had finished inspecting the many injuries of their patient, and had redressed them all. Tewarn glanced around himself to see that the majority of the men were already sleeping, having quickly eaten as soon as the meat was at an edible temperature. On legs that threatened to give out, the two made their way to the remains of the meal, took their fill, and then passed out on their bedrolls, each on either side of the Elven boy.
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The sun was well on its path of descent when most of the men roused again. All still worn from the incredible exertions they had been recently undertaking, it was a very quiet group that milled about the camp, with only a few grumbles and grunts to be heard. A few set out to obtain meat for a meal, while others saw that their supplies were stocked and packed, ready for the imminent departure.
Of the two healers, Tewarn was the first to awaken. His joints ached in protest as he forced himself to a sitting position, the hardships of travel not agreeing with the onset of age. He ran a hand over his face, clearing the last remnants of sleep away. A wry smirk pulled at his lips as his fingers brushed the coarse stubble that now covered his face. He was unused to the feel of a beard, and he could not quite recall a time he had gone so long without shaving. Shrugging off such unimportant thoughts, he turned to check on his slumbering patient.
With eyes still closed, the child appeared in no different state than that morning. A rudimentary inspection revealed that his breathing was normal and his heartbeat strong. Tewarn then turned to regard his companion, wondering if he should wake the young healer. He studied the young face, so serene in sleep… so innocent. Even in full wakefulness the man was hardly more than a boy.
He did not have to consider long, however, for short moments later, a pair of dark eyes opened to blearily meet his gaze. Tewarn smiled at him, and the youth raised himself up beside his master. His eyes immediately fixed themselves on the blonde elfling, noting the gentle rise and fall of the small chest.
"There has been no change," the older man assured him, patting him gently on the shoulder.
Sade nodded, feeling somewhat sheepish that he had slept so soundly when he had a charge under his care. "Shall I fetch us something to eat?" he asked instead, feeling the emptiness churn inside his own stomach.
At the other end of the camp, the men had returned with their catches, a few birds and some fish, and the smells of the roasting meat were wafting enticingly in the air. Tewarn nodded his consent, and Sade fairly bounced as he made his way over to the food.
Soon after, the dark brown haired youth returned, beaming as he presented his mentor with a plate full of a variety of meats. They had scarcely begun enjoying the fair , however, when they were interrupted by a soft moan coming from the being beside them.
Without a moment's hesitation, the healers dropped their plates and flew to the elf's sides. Seeing the sudden flurry of motion, the other members of the party froze, all eyes following the pair as they rushed to attend to the elf.
Blue eyes slowly fluttered open, the dark pupils contracting as they were assaulted by the brilliant afternoon light. The young elf let out a low moan again as he turned on his side, hiding his face from the sudden attack of blinding sunlight.
Allowing him time to accustom himself to the waking world, the healers patiently waited beside him, the younger of the two once again holding his breath, his patience more strained than his master's. Excitement coursed through his veins at seeing the fair being awaken, and though he knew not what he expected, it was a struggle to remain still and silent.
Small fists rubbed at the blue orbs, rubbing out the initial shock of the burning light, before the youth attempted to fully take in his surroundings. His gaze clear at last, he opened his eyes, and rolled to his back. Sights, sounds, and smells assaulted his senses all at once, and for a moment he could do nothing but lay stricken, taking them all in. As his mind ordered the rush of sensory input, he found himself lying on some form of cloth or bedroll, which cushioned him from the hard earth below. There were trees around him: not many, a cluster perhaps. He smelled them, felt them first before he saw them, though his gaze eagerly sought their green plumage and soon identified the leafy canopy above him.
His sharp ears registered the rush of water nearby, a small river he deduced, and at the same time the crackle of a fire that had been burning for some time. There were a few birds singing off in the distance, and a few other smaller creatures roaming about in a meadow somewhere off to the east of where he lay. For the young prince it was puzzling that none of the creatures were nearer, and in fact seemed to be purposefully avoiding the glade he now laid in.
The smells of roasted meat incited his stomach to gurgle noisily, demanding his attention. His throat seemed to take that same opportunity to announce to him its parched state, and he at once wondered when he'd last he'd eaten or drank.
No sooner had the thought risen to the fore of his mind, than scattered bits of memories began flooding his consciousness. An audible groan escaped his lips as he lay subjected to the deluge of images and thoughts. Emotions colored the flashing clips, with joy, fear, terror, and despair each taking their turn. He'd been running… there'd been Orcs… and the spiders… and then…
His breath caught, and his widened, fearful gaze turned to at last take in the two forms beside him.
And then Men.