Chapter Three
When I awoke, the first rays of sunlight were just beginning to appear through the thick branches of the trees. I kept my eyes closed as I breathed in Durza's unique scent, unable to compare it to anything else. I could feel Durza running a hand softly through my hair, and I also noticed I wasn't exactly lying in that bed of grass anymore. I was lying on Durza's chest, and a blanket was on top of me. I realized that Durza must have done this some time in the night to keep me warm and comfortable.
I hummed in satisfaction to myself quietly for a short moment, feeling a sudden hesitation in Durza's movements. He began to slowly move his hand away from my head and shift a little before I murmured "You don't have to stop." After a moment's hesitation, Durza made himself comfortable again and began to stroke my hair, the repetitive movement causing his muscles to relax.
After a while of the two of us just laying there in a comfortable silence, Durza began to hum quietly to himself. The tune was very soft and slow, and Durza's rich voice caused the notes to flow smoothly through the air. The song reminded one of a time of peace and quiet, but held an edge of longing sorrow to it, a sorrow I couldn't rightly place. Durza hummed quietly to me for a while as he continued to stroke my hair, and soon he began to add words to his repeating tune.
What stays alive
With darkness around
There is not a single sound
Ever darkness
Encased in my soul
Until a light paid the toll
Wind and light
Thoughtful silence
Revealing life
Revealing life
(To the tune 'Pippin's Song' from the third Lord of the Rings)
As Durza sang, I listened to his words and closed my eyes. Durza's soft voice brought life to his gentle and sad song, but yet I foresaw a bright light of hope shining in the future.
When Durza stopped singing, I could sense a slight tenseness in the air, and I realized he was waiting for my approval. I permitted myself a small smile as I opened my shadowed eyes to the misty morning. Seeing the Durza's hand was scant inches from mine, I reached out and slipped my fingers between his, holding his hand as I lied there. I felt him tense for a moment, then felt him softly squeeze my hand. I squeezed softly back, and he relaxed with a sigh of relief.
I smiled to myself and moved a bit so that I was more comfy, snuggling into Durza's chest and breathing deeply as I relaxed.
We stayed that way for most of the morning, neither needing to eat or sleep or move. When the sun had risen higher in the sky, Durza pushed me up a little so that he could slide out from under me, laying me back down on the grass with the blanket. I sat up slowly and watched Durza start cooking breakfast for me, since a Shade didn't need to consume food or water to survive.
As I watched him, I smiled to myself. Some part of me felt connected to Durza, and it always had. Suddenly, I remembered my burning curiosity, and I had a million questions to ask him. I waited and watched Durza cook some meat on the spicket, turning it occasionally. When he was simply sitting there and waiting for it to cook, I asked him quietly "Why do you not eat?"
He glanced over at me in some confusion and with a far-away look in his eyes, as if I'd just pulled him out of a trance. "A shade doesn't need food or water or rest to survive. Since we're full of dead spirits, we live much as they do. The dead don't need to eat or sleep; they simply exist. We are the same way." He answered, turning the meat again.
"If that's the case, then is there any limit to your energy or magic source?" I asked him. He nodded after a moment.
"Yes. We have no limit on energy, but we do have a limit on how much magic we can use. Magic is the only thing that takes any effect on the body, and we become weaker if we use more magic than we should. While we can't die from using too much magic, we can still be killed." He explained. I nodded slowly.
"What was it about you that caused me such excruciating pain all those years ago, and again a few days back?" I asked him. He sighed and walked towards me, sitting in front of me in his usual cross-legged style.
He took my hands in his as he spoke to me, and his voice was just above a whisper, often growing softer and then louder again as he spoke.
"The dark spirits within me saw that your soul had a light within it, a light that could harm them if you somehow learned to use it. So, they tried to destroy the light within you. To do that would be to destroy your very soul, and to leave you empty. It's a terrible process. I've never met anyone else with a magic like that within them, but the dark spirits somehow knew what to do. It was them who led me to you when you were so young. They could sense you from the other side of the continent.
"When I realized what the spirits were trying to do, I felt remorse. I had been through something similar when I'd received these spirits, so I took pity on you and fled. Something within me changed that day, something grand. My mind began to take control over the spirits, and I began to fight them. All for you. Some strange part of me wanted to change and return to you, though you were only a small child at the time. I had to stop myself from running to you, incase the spirits escaped me and harmed you again."
"And they did." I said quietly. He nodded.
"And they did." He repeated. "But you must understand, it has been many many years since that first encounter, and I felt sure I could restrain the spirits long enough to see you, and maybe even talk to you. The spirits went rabid when I got to Therinsford though, and they caused me to burn down your home so that they could kill you, but you surprised them. You weren't inside. When you appeared outside of your home later, I took one look at you and was able to fight the spirits back down for control.
"I took you to a safe place to help you heal, and so I have. When you destroyed one of the dark spirits within me, I gained amazing control and flexibility, though the other two spirits are still strong. They're stronger than the one you destroyed, but they're also not as cruel as the last one was. That small little fact may give me the control I need to overthrow them once and for all, but I know I can't do it without you. The spirits will never leave me unless you destroy them." He concluded, watching me with mysterious eyes.
"Such a prophecy." I murmured to myself. "I will do what I can to vanquish the spirits, but I fear I may be too weak to do anything about it right now." I told him sheepishly. He smiled softly at me.
"I know that you're weak, but the white light strength will return much faster when you are away from me. Sometime in the future, we shall meet again, and you shall be able to free me once more. I just hope you catch me on a good day in the future; if you catch me while I'm under the control of the spirits then you may die." He said sadly, looking down at his lap. I gently squeezed his hands, which were still clasped in mine.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine. I won't be totally defenseless anyways; I'll probably receive some training while I'm away, and then I can defend myself until I get close enough to you to help free your soul once more." I told him, smiling. He permitted himself a small smile for a moment before he sighed again.
"But, Durza," I said quietly, my voice dropping down into a whisper as fear overtook me, "Please promise me that you'll be careful and not get hurt when I'm away. I mean, if anything happened to you-"Durza's gentle hand over my mouth silenced me.
He gazed into my eyes with a gentleness that seemed impossible in the eyes of even the purest of elves, and he whispered softly "Hush Ayla. Nothing will happen to me, I promise. I'm too strong for anyone to harm me, even the almighty Galbatorix. Just promise me the same." He said.
I nodded as he dropped his hand from my mouth. The shade then stood and went over to the campfire, tearing off some meat and placing it in another wooden bowl, returning with the bowl, half a loaf of bread, and a water skin.
I ate my meal in silence, trying to ignore Durza's probing gaze. After I'd eaten, he said quietly "You may have to leave sooner than I thought. The spirits are giving me much difficulty now, and control is slowly slipping away. You may have to leave tonight." I nodded silently, sorrow filling me up.
Durza tilted my chin up, making me look at him. He then moved his hand to my cheek, holding my face softly between both of his hands. For a while he just stared at me, his face closer to mine than usual. Almost as if by moving closer he'd be able to look through my eyes and see all the way to my soul. Suddenly he froze and pulled back, lifting his nose to the air. An inhuman hiss came from between his lips, and the Shade quickly stood and started chanting words to himself.
After a long moment he released the spell and his magic shot from his hands, creating a dome of dark light around our encampment for a moment before fading away. If I stared long and hard enough I could see the faint ripples and sparkles in the air where the dome had been and knew that the spell was still there.
I was about to ask a question when Durza put a finger to his lips and whispered "It's a shield for silence and invisibility. People are searching the area nearby on horseback, and I'd rather not be found. Stay quiet; they're getting close." He ordered. I nodded and sat up straight, looking around the clearing with an attentive gaze.
After a quiet minute, I began to hear people moving around nearby us on horses. It sounded like four horses, which meant four riders. The horses were tired; their steps staggered every so often, and their labored breathing was easy to hear. The men were hacking at the branched and bushes with swords, and they were all talking quietly to each other. As they got closer, their voices were very clear to me.
"Are you sure you saw a fire out here Ganel? It was probably just some traveler." One man scoffed to another.
"It was no traveler; travelers move on after the night is up. This campfire has been here for a few days, and that means something suspicious. We're betting it's Darvin's little girl, ain't that right Darvin?" the second man, Ganel I presumed, asked.
A third man spoke. "Yes, I think it is. She probably left the kettle on the heat for two long and caught fire to something. She probably ran away out here so she wouldn't get caught, but I know she's still alive. She's out here somewhere, and she's not alone." The third man, Darvin, told them.
"I still think it's folly." The first man muttered.
"Shut up Terris, before Darvin decides you're of no use to him anymore." The fourth man hissed at the first. Terris scoffed.
"Oh please Margle, I'm no threat to him. He knows I just love to complain." Terris told him, laughing.
"Be silent." Darvin ordered. "If she hears us coming because of your confounded laugh, we'll never find her. Now let's hurry; she must have gone up over the next hill." Darvin said. The men rode away at a gallop, their tired horses wheezing in exhaustion as the men pushed their mounts harder up the huge hill.
When all trace of sound had faded from them, I let out a sigh of relief. Durza glanced over at me in confusion.
"That was my father, Darvin. He's looking for me, and if he ever finds me he'll probably kill me." I grimaced. The shade glowered in the direction of the four men, but he didn't make a move after them.
"He won't find you, that I can promise." After a moment he relaxed and sat down beside me. Without any hesitation or a single word, Durza pulled me into his arms and held me close to him, holding me in his warm embrace as he breathed in my scent and I breathed in his. We sat there together for a while, wrapped up in each others arms. With Durza, I realized with a slight shock, I felt safe.
As the day progressed, Durza and I did very little until sunset, simply talking to each other or laying side by side. Often for no particular reason at all, Durza would stroke my cheek or wrap me in his arms, just as I would hold his hand or snuggle into his chest for no obvious reason. We simply enjoyed the comfort and safety of each other's company.
As night began to fall, Durza turned to me and said "You need to eat, and then be on your way. My control has been slipping further away all day, so you need to flee soon. Are you strong enough?" he asked me. I nodded to him, and he nodded once back.
Durza leaned in and gathered me up in his arms, rising to his feet and holding me as though I weighed no more than an infant calf would. He carried me to the fire and sat me down beside it, handing me a plate with some roasted meats on it and saying "Eat quickly, for you will have to leave soon. I can't fight the spirits for much longer."
I nodded and ate my food quickly and quietly as Durza set about saddling the two warhorses he had tethered in the clearing. After he had them tacked up, he cleaned up the supplies around the campsite. I saw him pick up the small backpack and slip something small inside, quickly closing the zipper and walking towards me. I set down the plate to indicate I was done and he handed me the small bag. I slipped it onto my shoulders as Durza picked me back up and carried me over to the dark brown warhorse that was waiting patiently for its rider.
He set me up in the saddle and pushed my feet into the stirrups, handing me the reigns as he told me "I shall ride south to Utgard and then continue onto Uru'baen. Am I to assume you shall head north into Carvahall?" he asked. I nodded silently, unwilling to speak yet. He stopped his hurried movements and leaned in close, holding my face between both of his hands. "Let us pray the dark spirits left residing in me don't know where you go to hide, and that only my true self shall remember clearly, for I want you to be safe. Please don't let yourself be killed; you're more important than you know."
That last bit had almost sounded like a prophesy, one that I felt I should know. Like a song you try to remember but can't quite grasp onto. I nodded and felt the tears beginning to well in my eyes as I looked at him. This was a goodbye already, and I wasn't ready for it. However, I knew he was right. If there was any chance of us meeting again without my death being the result, I would have to run and hide. I reached out one tentative hand to his face, placing it on his cheek and staring deep into his eyes.
"Be safe Durza." I whispered quietly, my gaze saying a million words.
Durza nodded in silence for a moment before whispering "You too." Then he stepped back and straightened, saying in a louder voice, "We will meet again Ayla Sharmila, that I can promise. Farewell." He smacked my horse and the charger took off into the woods, heading north towards Therinsford and towards what would soon become my new home in Carvahall.