Light from the midday sun reached even the bottom of the snaking pass for a time as Iorveth traveled through it, and the wind tore fiercely at him. He reached the other side as the sun slipped behind the mountains, and a brookside village lay before him. Human fisherman were making their way from a mountain lake that the rushing stream probably fed into, trout aplenty in tow. Pigs and goats trailed in front of their owners, being herded to pens for the evening, and human children played among the creek's banks. Iorveth caught the attention of all he passed by. New faces, again, were uncommon in these mountainous villages. He found the tavern, where many were congregating after a long day's work. This village was much bigger than most, and even had its own brewery.
"Another elven traveler in such a short time.. What brings ye around?" the portly woman at the bar said in her mountain lilt, as Iorveth approached her.
"The first elf that arrived. I'm looking for her." The woman nodded and nodded as she set out to cleaning a glass.
"Aye, shoulda thought as much. You see Caervo about it, he's the one who's been looking after the poor thing. Set to help us out with some missing villagers, and came back cut up brutal. Drink for ye?" She extended the now-clean glass, setting it down in front of Iorveth with a thud. He declined with a dismissive shake of his head..
"Where can I find Caervo?"
"Top 'o the village. Follow the path through town straight up the hill, he's the great big cabin at the top. Should be back from hunting any time now, if he's not come back already."
"Thank you," Iorveth said, before leaving the tavern with haste. Following the barkeeper's instructions found him indeed in front of a large cabin at the highest point of the village, built against a stark and jagged cliff. Before he could approach the door, a voice sounded behind him.
"Come for the girl, eh, elf?" Iorveth turned, and a gruff dh'oine stood behind him, longbow strapped to his back and hares hanging from his belt. He was built heavily, with a prominent gut and large arms. Blood from game old and new stained his hunting-dirtied clothing, and two other men flanked him.
"You're Caervo?" Iorveth asked shortly, not answering. The human's eyes narrowed slightly for a brief moment before he spoke again, and his companions muttered between themselves.
"Aye. Chief of the village. And savior of the elven lass, who remains in my care. Why have ye come, how can I help?" He added the questions in a curt matter, brushing past Iorveth to hang his bow and quiver on the porch. He stood, then, in front of the door, thick arms crossing over board chest. Iorveth was aware the other two were behind him.
"I indeed seek her. She is my companion." A gruff smile flashes momentarily from the older dh'oine.
"I'll be happy to let 'er know you've arrived, and direct you to our famous tavern, where there're always spare rooms. Perhaps she can come see you when she is well."
"I intend to see her now," Iorveth articulated slowly, dark eye matching the dh'oine's smug gaze deliberately. The man moved leisurely down along the porch, arms unmoving from their crossed position as he chuckled.
"She 'as some debts to pay for me care, when she's well enough. I see no reason for you to enter my home. After she do, I'm intent on 'aving her stay a while. Leading the biggest village this side of the range gets mighty lonely, and I've always fancied elven lasses." Iorveth's blood boiled hotly at his words as the dh'oine pushed past the elf and started back down the path. "My men'll see that ye not enter, and escort ye to the tavern, if ye wish. I'm sure you can buy them a drink." Iorveth was left with the lackeys, of whom snickered at this predicament.
"Let's go, elf, off to the tavern," one said, reaching for Iorveth's arm. It was met with thin air as he moved swiftly up the porch. They barked a warning riddled with choice words as he jigged the handle of the locked house. As fast as they spat at him in alarm, his bow was out and loaded with an arrow quivering with rage and the immense force it was being drawn at. They silenced at the action.
"The first dh'oine to follow me through this door will be the first to lose an eye. Now, back off!" His gravelly voiced boomed, and the men staggered backwards. With a swift kick after undrawing the arrow, the door was open, and Iorveth was in to bolt and bar it again. The sound of a woman's voice calling weakly from the other room caused him to drop his bow and seek it. In the other room, a bed rested against the far wall, beside a window. In it, she lay. Eyes hazy, dark hair a mess from unwash and bed rest, she rolled her head towards the door. He stood still in the doorway, allowing her to process, and taking her in with his gaze for the first time since his revelation, and really, for him at least, the first time in 8 months. Her eyes turned from fear, to confusion, finally settling on disbelief. She made a desperate sound, and he closed the distance between them to sit beside her.
"Iorveth..?" she breathed, her voice weak. Her chest heaved as her breathing became irregular and laborious with emotion, her dusky eyes gleaming with tears and pure shock. "Iorveth..!"
"I'm here," he whispered, leaning over her carefully to rest his arms on either side of her head on the pillow. His hands gently cupped her face. She shook her head weakly, abnormally pale skin brushing against his fingers.
"...how..?" Her voice was strained, breathy. "I can't believe.. you're here.." His fingers disappeared into her dark locks as he half-held her, face close above to speak to her softly.
"I followed your trail from Vergen after waking up. Luckily, you left one." Small sobs shook her chest.
"Why?" Her eyes struggled to search his desperately, her voice thick with emotion. He couldn't help but smile softly, smoothing her hair lovingly back from her face again and again in a caress.
"Why?" He repeated, gaze moving all about her face, holding beauty that made his heart squeeze even in her sickly state. His hands rested on either side of her face as he bent to seal the small gap between them, lips pressing firmly against her cracked ones. The kiss was deep, long. Her hands grasped his jerkin at the back, and her tears wetted his hands. He ended the kiss with three small ones, not able to have the moment end quite yet. Her hands remained on his lower back as he moved to look at her again. "I don't wish to be without you. I want to accompany you in the mountains, on your journey, if you'll have me. It's selfish.. But I want to get away and finally rest. With you, Siore." Tears flowed still as she smiled, laughed, even.
"I'm just glad to see you alive," she breathed, hands moving around to rest against his chest, fingers brushing against his jaw. "I wasn't sure I ever would." Iorveth drew himself to her again, kissing her forehead. He allowed Sio some space as she shifted, face screwed up in pain. "We can talk later. I need you to get me out of here.." Iorveth nodded, throwing the bedding back off of her to reveal her heavily bandaged midsection, blood stains seeping through. After retrieving his bow from the front room and checking for activity, he returned to the bedroom to wrench open the window beside the bed. Sio was sitting up, looking nauseous.
"Caervo's men are gathering out front. Hold onto me as best as you can," Iorveth said, slipping an arm underneath her knees and cradling her to his chest. "I believe he's expecting you to repay him with your body," his voice rumbled as he moved with her to the window. She scoffed, gripping his shoulders shakily.
"Repay almost killing me? I need real medical care, he's been keeping me as long as he can by not tending to my wounds properly," speaking made her short-of-breath, and her grasp around his shoulders weakened as Iorveth swung a leg out of the window, and held Sio on his lap as he rested, straddling the sill. "The only part of my body he'll get as payment will be my fist," she wheezed. Iorveth cracked a large smile, resisting the urge to kiss her again.
"Once we get you proper care, perhaps you can repay your debt. First, I need you to hold on tightly, if you can." She nodded, face burying into his neck as her arms slipped around it. As smooth and gently as possible, Iorveth moved his other leg out the window, turned them around to face it, and gripped the windowsill with both hands to lower them to the ground. The drop wasn't far, but the impact was enough to cause Sio to groan a stifled cry into his neck. Iorveth scooped her legs back up and made off into the trees beside the house, off and up a steep goat path.
Sio's joking demeanor quickly dissolved as they traveled on, and Iorveth didn't think she could get any paler. Eventually, she slipped into unconsciousness. He quickened his pace. The path split many times, and he took the branches that went ever up into the mountains. It soon found them at a small outcropping with a shallow cave, overlooking the valley they had fled far below. Evidence of a camp could be seen there. An old fire pit lay before the cave, which looked to be man-made, a shelter carved out of the rock. It was better than anything he could have hoped for. Kicking away branches and leaves that got caught in the shelter, Iorveth cleared it somewhat before laying Sio down near the far cave wall. Thankfully, the wind was moving opposite the entrance, and the cave sheltered them from the biting mountain gales. The last light of the day was slipping from the hills, and Sio wasn't wearing much. He could feel a chill in his fingers. From the neighboring valley on the other side of the mountain, Iorveth spied multiple trails of smoke, indicating another village. Hoping she would remain undisturbed, he began the descent down the path that led towards the village for supplies.
The village the smoke trails belonged to was thankfully home to a healer, whom Iorveth was able to locate quickly. Twice while going between merchants, he almost ran into Caervo's men, who had reached this village, and were searching for Sio and him. Finally armed with enough items to get Sio through the night, he carefully retraced his route back up the mountainside, after making certain he hadn't been seen or followed. At the top where he left her, Sio lay still. The sun had finally gone down completely some time ago, and after setting the bag of goods down beside her, Iorveth crouched to inspect Sio. Beads of sweat covered her brow, but she was frigid to the touch. He set about making a proper bed for her, before building a fire with the brush found around the camp
