A Second Chance

[Gildor]

Gildor recognized Amerylis's touch and voice as that of the younger Elf's as soon as she spoke her name and placed her hand on his. So the second person who was standing behind her must have been the older Elf Rider he unintentionally insulted just before he passed out. This could only be Kaala Rain Salyn, the only female Elf Rider the Varden had. Of course he had known of her, but he had never actually met her before. He hadn't associated with many Riders until recently... and he hadn't met any he particularly liked yet either.

The gaps in his memory quickly filled after that. "I think I remember now, thank you," he said, moving his hand away from Amerylis's again, this time with a single brow raised. She was quite touchy for an Elf, in a rather literal sense.

"I have only a wineskin filled with Faelnirv."

Both of Gildor's brows suddenly went up upon hearing that.

"Faelnirv?" he asked in delighted disbelief, "I haven't tasted faelnirv in near a hundred years!"

He uncapped the wineskin as soon as he felt it in his hands and took a long drink from it. He looked as though he had spent a long week traveling in the Hadarac without water, the way he gulped it down. He was, however, both careful to savor the strong taste and leave a decent amount left for Amerylis.

Exhaling in satisfied relief, he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and held the wineskin out for the younger Elf to take back. "Thank you muchly. Can't tell you how much I've missed that wonderful stuff," he said once she had taken the drink back. For the first time since meeting the two Elvish ladies, he was... smiling. The expression seemed to... fit him just right.

It didn't last long, though. A moment later, his hand found his staff and he fell serious again. At least he seemed much more energized than he did a moment ago. He cleared his throat and swung his legs over the side of the bed, saying, "If you'll excuse me ladies, I have a bloody dragon egg to find for the Council of Crazies."

[Kaala]

Kaala watched in facinated confusion as Gildor drank what appeared to be about half a wineskin of Faelnirv. She shook her head as he handed the skin back to Amerylis.

Thank you muchly. Can't tell you how much I've missed that wonderful stuff."

She kept her eyes trained on him as he slid from the bed, grasping his staff. "Careful Gildor." She told him, concern etched into her voice.

If you'll excuse me ladies, I have a bloody dragon egg to find for the Council of Crazies."

Kaala let out a rather undignified snort at these words. "Sorry to ruin you fun but unfortunately for all of us, Gildor, we have been requested to follow you on this journey. Even if we hadn't, we would be going anyway. I have been searching for the dragon egg for the Queen for quite some time. Surely you don't expect me to let you have all the fun?" She told him, her eyes glinting mischieviously in the dim light.

"While I'm at it, I believe I owe you an apology. I insulted you and acted quite immaturely before. I would ask your forgiveness."

[Gildor]

"Sorry to ruin your fun, but unfortunately all of us, Gildor, have been requested to follow you on this journey."

"Eheh. No you haven't," Gildor corrected with a shake of his finger in the direction of Kaala's voice. "The Council said no such thing. This mission is my punishment and my punishment alone."

"Even if we hadn't, we would be going anyway. I have been searching for the dragon egg for the Queen for quite some time. Surely you don't expect me to let you have all the fun?

Gildor's brows narrowed suddenly at that. "What are you saying, Rider?" he asked, suspicion rising in his voice. "Do you intend to prevent me from bringing the egg back to the Varden once I find it? Do you wish to take it from me and bring it to your Queen, thus destroying any chance of redemption I might have left?"

Without knowing it, he found himself standing and gripping his staff so tightly the blood was forced out of them. He pointed it's feathered tip in Kaala's direction and told her firmly, "Apology not accepted until I know your true motives, Rider. Speak them now in our native tongue or do not speak at all."

[Amerylis]

Amerylis took the wineskin gratefully. She tucked it away and stood up with him. "Careful." She muttered.

"Sorry to ruin you fun but unfortunately for all of us, Gildor, we have been requested to follow you on this journey. Even if we hadn't, we would be going anyway. I have been searching for the dragon egg for the Queen for quite some time. Surely you don't expect me to let you have all the fun?"

"Yes. Plus the only other dragon I've seen was Mirror." She said looking to the window. Her falcon was perched on the window. She clicked her tongue twice. It perched on her shoulder, a note attached. She unraveled it. It mentioned something about her supplies being in the stables with Arsen. She tucked it away and looked up.

Apparently Kaala had upset Gildor. "Okay. Listen. We mean you no harm Gildor. You will have your redemption." She said in the ancient language. She looked him up and down. "Now both of you calm down. I'm sure we can settle this..."She looked to Kaala. "In a civilized manner." She said in a warning tone.

[Kaala]

"Okay. Listen. We mean you no harm Gildor. You will have your redemption." She said in the ancient language. She looked him up and down. "Now both of you calm down. I'm sure we can settle this..."She looked to Kaala. "In a civilized manner." She said in a warning tone.

"Hmph, I never said anything about being uncivilized." She said, her voice teasing. She furrowed her brow and began speaking in the ancient language. "You misunderstand me, Gildor. I never meant to cause you distress." She told him.

"When I said I was looking for egg for the Queen, I meant she had given me a mission to find the it for the Varden. As such, I have been on this mission for awhile. You shall have your redemtion and I shall have the end of my quest. Perhaps when this is over, I shall visit my brother." She pondered the thought before shaking her head.

Switching back into the informal language she told directed the next comment to them both. "But first, we must find said egg." With that, she let out a sharp whistle. Once more the courtyard was filled with the sound of giant wingbeats.

[Gildor]

After a moment's pause, Gildor lowered his feather-tipped staff and relaxed his tensed arm. "Your apology is accepted... and I hope you will accept mine as well. That was rather rash of me," he said wearily. "I have not been myself lately...

However, I will tell you both this now: there is no 'we' in this mission. I work strictly alone. Always have, always will. That will never change." His words were authoritative and final.

He then lowered his staff and placed the end out in front of him so he could feel the ground there. His use of sensory magic hadn't completely kicked back in yet, and his staff was always a useful tool when it came to finding his way around.

"Again, if you ladies will please excuse me, I'm off to find out what the guards did with the rest of my belongings and gather supplies."

With that and a slight inclination of his head to the two of them, he walked towards the door, the end of his staff skimming the ground back and forth as he went. If Kaala or Amerylis had known him longer, they would have noticed that he indeed wasn't himself judging by the way he walked out. What was once a confident swaggering stride was now a regular, if not carefully measured step. Although he usually tended to slouch, he seemed to be hanging his head a little more than usual. The personal guilt of killing an allied Rider was clearly a heavy burden on his shoulders. Only the future could reveal whether or not he would ever be the same.

On his way out of the infirmary, he managed to perk up a enough to give the healer by the entrance a handsome smirk. Momentarily entranced, she forgot to ask him to pay his dues as he walked out the door.

Well... it seemed the future was near.

[Amerylis]

"Well Kaala. I believe we should do the same."She said going to the window. "The nurse outside seems distressed. I think we ought to take the hard way out. Or more like... the fun way." For the first time upon arriving in Abernon, Amerylis felt carefree. She leaned out the tiny window and slipped through. She stood on the tiny ledge. With one mistivious glance backwards, she jumped from the ledge. The wind whistled as it pasted by her. She felt the ground suddenly beneath her feet. Without hesatation, she began heading to the stables, where her horse was packed and ready.

This topic is closed!