User blog:Leea/The Tale of Voronwe, Chapter 4

4th Era 100, 8th First Seed, Summerset Isle
He was kneeling before his King, staring at the royal boots as Orgnum pronounced his fate. He could feel the eyes of all the elves gathered around to watch the spectacle.

"...They have stolen our rights, as they always have. Our home, our deserved home, everything. Our culture is not one of great history, it is one forced on us by them. You think they would honor an agreement? They are untrustworthy. They have broken and interferred with all our 'agreements' in the past. They will never change. By my right as King, I now proclaim you a traitor to Pyandonea, its people both living and dead, and to its King. Your sentence for your injustice is death. Guards! Take him to the sacrificial site!"

Continuing to feign defeat, Balasian continued to stare at Orgnum's boots as he heard the soft rasp of the Royal Guards' armor as they walked up behind him. So this was to be his fate. His soul would give increased youth and vigor to the King via necromancy. The King used to have offers of souls by his subjects, though offers from these poor folk had dried up mostly over the centuries, leading to Orgnum using criminals and other condemned persons in their place. "I am not a criminal," Balasian thought vehemently. Throwing out his hands in front of him, he cast a thunderclap spell which knocked the unsuspecting King off his feet, and immediately planted his hands on the ground and kicked out his feet at their legs, hearing the sharp crack as his feet contacted their shins and broke the bones underneath.

Ducking into a roll, he banked the right, hearing the whistle of two arrows flying past his head. Finishing the roll, he sprang to his feet and ran through the now panicked and fleeing crowd, towards the harbor, already hearing the war horns behind him. Ducking into a small alleyway, he ran, and, tearing past a corner, just managed to miss the dagger that swept past his throat. Leaning to the left, he missed the assassin's dagger again and grabbed the man's hand as he brought it back up and yanked him to the left, and quickly slashed against the man's stomach with his own dagger back to the right, slicing deep with the momentum. Dropping the dying Elf in the alley, he leapt over the small moat that separated the harbor from the alleys and public square.

Working quickly, he cast more thunderclaps on the boats moored in the harbor, the force of the spell jarring loose the intricate patchwork of shells and causing the boats to take on water at a fantastic rate. Cutting loose the rope on the one remaining boat, he pushed away from the gangway with a paddle and started to drift away from the harbor. He could hear many booted feet of the Royal Guardsmen and army behind him, but the boat was too far out in the water for them to attempt to board it. Climbing quickly up the mast, Balasian was just adjusting the rigging when he felt a sharp pain in his side and cried out, losing his grip on the mast and falling into the waters below.

* * *

Waking with a start, he felt he was on a bed. Looking about, the room was otherwise empty. Remembering where he was, he heaved a sigh and lay back down, listening to the hammering of his heart. Closing his eyes and rubbing his face with his hands, he tried to fall back asleep, but couldn't. Was it the dream that had woken him? Maybe. Opening his eyes again, he rolled over and scanned the room, which was awash with grey light, signaling early morning at the least. He breath caught in his throat when he thought he had heard footsteps outside. Trying to control his breathing, he listened hard, and, indeed, there were footfalls outside, slowly coming closer. Carefully rising out of bed, he silently thanked it when the frame didn't creak. Carefully crouching next to the door, he cast a life detecting spell as silently as he could muster. Through the spell, he could see a body moving about outside, and turning around before the spell wore off, he saw with new fright that there was a sleeping female form just down the hall. Whoever was outside, it was not Curwe.

Knowing that the door would creak this morning as it had last night, Balasian thought quickly on how to open it slilently. Using the only thought that came to mind, he spit in his palm and rubbed his saliva onto the hinges so that to metal wouldn't rub on itself. Carefully opening the door a crack, he was relieved when it didn't herald its movement. Taking crouched steps, he hurried quietly down the hall to Curwe's bedroom.

Carefully trying the door, he sighed in relief when it didn't creak. Slipping into her bedroom, he laid his hand on her shoulder and gently shook her awake. Jolted from a deep sleep, she was about to cry out, so he quickly put his hand over her mouth and laid a finger over his, signaling to be quiet. Taking his finger away and cupping his hand, he put it behind his ear and whispered, "Listen." Her eyes, still alarmed, darted around the room until she heard one of the footfalls, whereupon she nodded at him to let him know she had heard it.

Taking away his hand, he helped her sit up. "Does anyone ever visit your farm?" Balasian's whisper was so quiet, she had to lean in to hear him. Attempting to be as quiet, she whispered back that an old alchemist dropped by every few months to get a new supply of pearls. "Other than him, no." At that same moment, a knock resounded on the front door, making them both jump, jerking their heads in the direction.

Looking back at her, he asked, "Do you have a window near the front door?"

Glancing back down at him, she frowned, puzzled. "Yes, but...why do you ask?"

His eyes bored into her. "Because I'm not sure if I wasn't followed."

Her insides felt as if they had turned to ice. He continued. "You check the door, just as whomever outside expects. I'll watch from the window."

She was just about to ask how he could watch from the window unseen when he waved his hands in front of himself and was gone. She then felt a hand on hers. Balasian's voice whispered, "Don't worry, if it's who I think it is, I'll make sure they get me and not you."

So that's what he did, she thought. She had never seen an invisibility spell before. The hands she could feel but not see helped her out of bed. Smoothing her dress, she sighed and whispered back, "Well, try and not let that happen. I would still like to get to know you better."

She could hear the grin in his voice when he whispered back, "I'll try not to dissapoint." He voice turned serious once more. "Go on, now."

Heaving a great sigh, Curwe walked down the hall to the front door. Feeling someone follow her but who was totally invisible was slightly unnerving. In fact, with an unknown at the door and the possibility of Balasian being followed, she wasn't so sure she wasn't scared stiff after all. She realized her heart was pounding.

As she reached the door, she felt Balasian brush past. With a deep breath and smoothing her hair, she turned the handle.