Had a mad rush for writing this week, done at lest four chapters in 2 days, and I have finally got some of our heroes to Redcliffe, were they met with a few others ;) so we now return to Aeden and is walk through the forest.
Aeden was exhausted; he and the elven woman had been walking for several hours. The sun was now high in the sky beating down on him through the gaps in the browning leaves. His lack of sleep was making him jittery, almost hyper aware of everything that was going on, he felt as though he had too much energy and yet not enough. Each step jarred his unhealed injuries and sent spikes in to his joints and muscles.
His skin felt hot and itchy under his armour, he wanted to stop and rest but he knew he couldn't he had to get to Redcliffe, he had to find his brother and sister and get word to the King of Arl Howe betrayal.
He looked over to the Elven woman, her bruises from last night had completely disappeared, and the heat of the forest and the uneven terrain did not seem to faze her. She hadn't even broken a sweat.
"Must be out of shape" he thought with a self deprecating smirk.
They had walked in silence for so long, with only the soft sounds of the forest around them, that when the Elven woman Keeli spoke; he nearly allowed his foot to slip.
"Why were those Shemlen chasing you?"
His mouth was dry and his voice felt cracked from lack of used. He ran his hand through his hair pulling the long strands back from his face "I'll have to cut it soon" he though absent-mindedly. He concentrated on the placement of his feet on the uneven ground, swallowing thickly before testing his voice.
"They were trying to kill me." His voice was as cracked and tasted like gravel on his tongue, he almost wondered if she had been able to understand the words he had croaked out until she questioned him again.
"Why?" he could see from the corner of his eye how her brow came together in confusion and her mouth pursed at the question.
He struggled to answer that question, there were a hundred reasons why he should be dead though there were a hundred more reason why this shouldn't have happened in the first place. He believed that if he tried to question it too much, look at it too closely, he was likely to crack like his voice. He did not have time to stop and take stock of what he had lost what he could lose still. So he gave the simplest answer he could: "Because, I lived."
Keeli brow smoothed again at his words, she did not question what he had said, just accept it for the truth that is was. The confusion cleared from her eyes as her expression became blank, nodding her head, the silence returned as they continued.
The sun had begun to drop in the sky as they kept walking, though Aeden still felt too hot in his armour, he could feel his shirt stick to his back as he sweated. He concentrated on breathing deeply though the pain that continued to shoot through him. The bandages over the small cut on his right arm itched as the fabric rubbed against his shirt and armour.
A hand came out and grabbed his forearm, halting all of his thoughts as he looked over to the woman, confusion and fear flickered over her face as her eye darted around the trees faster than he could follow.
"Wha-" he cut himself off when he seen her finger pressed lightly to her lips then brought up towards her pointed ear. He glance around straining to listen, to hear whatever she might of heard that cause her to stop so quickly.
"The sound, it is gone." she whispered, he realised then that there forest was completely silent. The leaves of the trees did not even bristle as the soft breeze flowed through the air.
He reached down for his sword and shouldered off his shield too run his arm through the leather straps. The soft ring of metal as his sword came from its sheath seemed to rubble and echo loudly through the air. Until ever thing was still, frozen for a perfect moment before hell came crashing through the trees like thunder.
Four creatures that looked more like skeletons than man, their gray and marred skin stretched over their bones teeth jagged baying for blood, screamed as they charged towards them sending the vibration in to his bones.
Quickly recovering he nudged Keeli behind him bring his shield up to block the first attack from one of the smaller of the creature quickly pushing it back before bring his shield to block a bolt send by another small creature still standing by the tree.
"RUN!" he shouted back at the elf and began to back away from the monsters shield and sword at the ready. He felt more than heard her comply as her heat left his side. He quickly cut down one of the taller creatures that had stupidly tried to charge him, slicing his sword in an arch to bring it across its throat. Another bolt went flying passed, missing his neck by inches. Two of the short creature made their way towards him as the third prepared to fire another bolt. He allowed them to charge towards him as he tried to move further in to the coverage of the trees. He cut out at one of the creatures that side stepped him easily he shifted his footing to push his left arm out to bash his shield in to its chin slicing along its stomach as he swept his arm out. He fought the urge to vomit as the creature black blood stained cuts spilled out from the wound.
The second creature swung out at him with a giant maul, he twisted to avoid the hit but could not miss it completely at the flatten end of the giant maul slammed in to his torso sending him backwards. He struggled to catch his breath as the creature hefted the weapon up bring over his head with both arms when he froze in place. He looked around to see green glowing symbol underneath its feet.
Not caring to question he good luck yet, he shouted as he brought his sword down over its head, cutting it off in one swing. He looked down at the creature fallen head as the rest of its body crumpled to the ground.
Looking around he seen the elf Keeli standing by a tree, her hand glowing with residual magic. He smiled at her, a large smile that crinkled his eyes and showed a small flash of his white teeth, he probably looked crazed to her in that moment.
The whistle of an arrow flying past him drew his attention behind him in time to see it imbed itself in to the creature that had been firing bolts at him earlier. He looked round again to see three more elves standing beside Keeli, all looking at him with wary eyes.
"Thanks," he said still smiling "forgot about that one." He felt a laugh bubble up in his throat, but as he opened his mouth he was greeted with the taste of copper and bile and blood burst forth. He was dimly aware of it trailing down in to his beard as he fell to his knees and in to a sweet abyss.
Ooo I do so love writing Aeden chapters, they always turn out to be the best for cliff hangers :P and I'm afraid to say you'll all have to wait a while to find out what happens, Mwahahaha lol hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Don't forget to drop me a review. Also updated my summary, cause I don't really like it lol