Twisted Fate
Chapter 12
The only indication that night had fallen in Undercity was the increased activity of the undead, who were mostly nocturnal. It was oddly backwards to Nariel, but that thought was not on her mind as she slipped quietly through the streets. The night had been a disaster for her. On top of seeing Solarius at the inn with another girl - not the first time I've seen that from a Paladin, she had noted with bitter irony - she had come to realize that she was in serious danger of falling in love with him. Or perhaps she already had; she wasn't really sure. As soon as the thought had crossed her mind she had frozen in fear, the realization immediately followed by an overwhelming desire to escape. Nariel had not questioned her instincts this time; she had only fallen back to the natural reaction that had protected her for years:
Nariel was running away.
As she moved through the Undercity she silently berated herself. She felt foolish, hurt, and angry at the same time.
Why didn't I just listen to my head? She asked herself. I knew this would happen.
What's wrong with me? She thought, each step leading her farther from rationality. Why do I let this happen?
Had she really been that naive the day they caught her getting off the boat in Stranglethorn? Had she really convinced herself that she could stay with them - get close to them even - without risking everything?
I deserve this. Nariel decided bitterly.
It served her right for trusting someone again after all she thought she had learned, and she was lucky to have found out his true feelings now rather than after she had grown even closer to him.
Quietly she approached the inn. The sounds of laughter from her friends had long died out, replaced with the quiet calm of night as the live quarter of the Undercity slept opposite it's freshly awakening dead citizens. She stepped inside quickly, heading straight for her rented room. What few possessions she had were scattered about, and she considered leaving them; she didn't know how long she could stand to be there. As she packed up her gear, something fell out of her bag. Kneeling down, she wrapped her fingers around the soft leather, recognizing it instantly as her mask.
Perfect. She thought. In an instant it was back on.
She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She felt the sense of protection return but it wasn't like before. It felt the same, but she saw it now for what it was; it felt as if she had draped a blanket of thorns over her heart. The mask was her feeble attempt at hiding away from the world, but in the absence of true friendship she had been fooled into thinking that it was a shield of iron rather than a barbed cage. It felt nothing like what she had known since that night in the Searing Gorge.
Still, for five years it had kept her safe, while her foolish gamble had only caused more pain.
Her things packed, she slipped down the stairs and out towards the stables. She could see her wolf sleeping peacefully just where she had left it, but as she approached, a familiar white blur materialized in front of her.
"Frostbite?" Nariel exclaimed, surprised.
The cat crouched down slightly, a low growl escaping its jaws. Her mouth was turned up in a snarl but she was not preparing to strike; instead she looked defensive. Nariel looked at her in shock for a moment until she realized that the cat was there for the same reason she was.
Just like in the Searing Gorge... she thought. Frostbite knew.
"I'm sorry girl. I can't stay" she said apologetically before quickly walking past the tiger and draping her pack over the wolf's saddle.
The mount had awoken at the noise, and at the sight of the agitated tiger its fur prickled up slightly. The cat gave another low growl and took a step towards the wolf, but whatever the creature was preparing to do was lost as fate intervened once again.
"-y" came Molikor's muffled voice as he approached the stables.
"Mhm." Came a grunt from Solarius, not far behind.
Of course. Nariel thought to herself.
At the sound of their approach, she quickly stepped aside into the shadows, becoming invisible just as the pair turned the corner.
"You should have fed her before we started drinking." Complained Solarius, clutching his head.
"I wasn't exactly thinking that far ahead." Replied Molikor gruffly. "It's not like you mentioned it either."
"Yeah yeah." Said the Paladin, pausing before adding "Well, it's not like I can sleep anyways."
"Aye, my head is already killing me." Said the Orc. "I'd even take some more of Nariel's poison if it would fix this."
As he reached Frostbite, the cat had lost focus of the rogue but now pawed at Molikor's foot uneasily.
"Eh?" he said, looking down at his pet. "I know, I'm sorry we forgot." He said, placing an oversized slab of meat before the cat.
"He forgot" said Solarius, pointing accusingly to the Orc.
But Molikor had grown suddenly concerned at the fact that the cat did not even sniff at the offering, instead continuing to paw at his foot. His instincts as a hunter took over and he immediately picked up that his pet was uneasy.
"Something is wrong." He said, sobering up instantly.
Molikor looked around the stables, as if expecting to find the source of his pet's discomfort but saw nothing. Nariel's heart skipped a beat and she held her breath as his eyes scanned directly over her, but it was only a reaction – she knew as well as they that she could not be found unless she wanted to be. Suddenly a thought struck Molikor like a blow to the jaw.
"Where is Nariel?" he asked gravely, adding "She should have been back by now."
Solarius immediately straightened up. "You think she's in trouble?"
"I don't know." Replied Molikor quietly, his voice drifting off as he looked around again.
Finally the effects of the alcohol began to wear off as he forced his mind out of its groggy haze. He closed his eyes, tuning them in to the expert vision he had as a hunter before once again scanning them over every crack and shadow, up to the rafters and finally around to where Nariel's mount was standing. The wolf made no sound, its eyes locked on Frostbite, who had turned away from it. He stared at it for a long moment before finally it hit him. The clue had been hiding in plain sight the entire time. He couldn't believe he had missed it.
"Look." He said quietly, pointing to the wolf, Nariel's pack draped over its side as if it were a giant sign spelling out her intent in flashing lights.
"What?" asked Solarius, his voice growing more panicked. "You think she's leaving?"
"I don't know." repeated Molikor, glancing around again before walking over to the wolf.
He inspected the creature briefly before lifting his eyes, turning to stare directly at Nariel. Her breath froze as his eyes searched the shadow. Molikor stared at the spot for nearly a full minute. Something was strange about that particular corner of the room. It was darker than most. In fact, he was almost positive that Frostbite had been staring at it as well only a moment ago. Perhaps it-
"I'm worried about her." Solarius said.
Molikor stared for a moment longer but whatever thought had been inching into his mind dispersed instantly. He shook his head before turning to the Paladin.
"What do you want to do?" He asked.
"We need to find her. She may be in trouble." Solarius replied.
Molikor nodded in agreement. "Come, we need to get our things." He said. "Quickly."
Nariel watched the pair retreat to the inn, guilt rising in her chest. They were the only friends she had. Leaving again - especially without warning - would hurt them. It made her feel worthless. She watched them go before turning around to see Frostbite scanning the corner again knowingly.
If she stayed it would only cause her more pain. She knew she could not control what she felt for Solarius, but after today it had driven home the point: he was not hers. Whatever she felt was one sided. If she left however, she would hurt the two people who had done so much to help her heal.
Could she really look at herself and say she was better off now than before they met? Was the pain of not having what you wanted any better than the pain of losing it entirely? The questions raced through her head even as her instincts screamed at her again. She had ignored them before and now look what had happened. Could she risk it again?
Perhaps she could try, she thought. Maybe she could learn to avoid him and slowly regain control of her feelings. Maybe tonight was just a tipping point and it would get easier to ignore from here on out, she thought.
No! Her mind screamed.
Had she really learned nothing? An image of Sath'rovok, arms wrapped lovingly around the black haired female flashed torturously in her head, followed by the victorious look she had seen from the brown haired elf as she sat in Solarius' lap. Nariel squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see any more, but the images in her mind kept flowing. Sath'rovok's eye's, devoid of any feeling for her…Solarius watching the girl longingly, and a reminder of what he had promised to do to her.
No more! She pleaded silently with herself as she heard the clatter of running footsteps approaching.
Time was up. What did she do? Stay, and hope to control it, or flee, and live with the pain she had incurred? Out of sheer willpower she forced the images from her head, quickly thinking over her options.
"-rt." Came Solarius' voice.
For some reason hearing it calmed her. Even without knowing what he said, she heard his tone; she heard his concern for her. Her eyes crept open slowly as the choice became clear, and in an instant everything she had just felt was hidden behind her trained eyes.
Very well then. She thought; she would have to act quickly.
As her friends entered the stables, Solarius approached her mount while Molikor went directly to Frostbite. As soon as they stepped past her, she emerged from the shadows behind them.
"What's going on?" She asked, conjuring her best surprised face.
"Nariel?!" Solarius exclaimed.
"Is everything alright?" She asked, motioning to their full armor.
"Yes." Molikor replied uncertainly. "At least…" he paused, scanning her carefully. "Yes."
"You hadn't come back, and we saw your wolf packed." Solarius said slowly. "We thought something had happened."
"Oh, yes." Nariel said, trying to sound surprised. "I forgot my things earlier when I got back." She said, moving to the wolf and lifting the pack off of it quickly.
"Where were you?" Molikor asked.
"Just out for a late walk." She said with a hint of finality, hoping to avert their questions. "Sorry to worry you."
The pair said nothing but finally Molikor turned with a wave of his hand. "Good to know you're alright then Nariel." He said. "I'm going to sleep."
"Goodnight." She replied, watching him go.
With the Orc out of sight, Solarius took a step towards her. "Nariel…" he said slowly.
She turned to him, the scene earlier in the bar not forgotten. "Yes?" she said stiffly.
He paused, looking from the wolf to the rogue, pack in hand. Her eyes seemed unusually cold, he thought. He knew her well enough to recognize that she was hiding something from him bit he could not determine what.
"Nothing." He replied finally. "I'm glad you're safe."
She said nothing in reply, but turned on her heels and retreated to her room inside the inn.
She stepped inside, closing the door quickly and crashing down on her bed where she spent the rest of the night awake, wondering if she had made the right choice. Across the hallway, Solarius lay awake in his own room replaying the scene from the stables over and over, trying to understand what he had felt was odd about it. Just when he was ready to give up, it hit him. His concern and the darkness had caused him to miss it at the time but it was perfectly obvious now. Despite his revelation the simple act led only to more questions. But he had no doubts now; she was distraught over something.
There was no other reason Nariel would have been wearing her mask.
