For All Things Eternal

Chapter 3

"I'm surprised Averen didn't lecture you, or even make you run the courtyard like he does every other time your late! Which seems to be every single time you're summoned to the guard." Corym chuckled as we caught back up to the rest of the group.

"I'm not late all the time! Only when Averen decides to leave at first light. I'm not a morning person, you know that!" I chuckled and punched his arm lightly.

A snort came from a tall dark skinned elf ahead of me, drawing my attention away from Corym for a moment.

"We all know you're not a morning person, Keenor." The malice in her voice as she said my last name made my hands clench into tight fists at my sides. My long black nails dug into the flesh of my palms before she continued. "Why Averen decided to bring you along on a simple scouting mission I have no idea."

"Oh Thalia, you're just jealous Averen came to her personally and I had to be the one to fetch your sorry ass." Corym chimed in, bumping me lightly with his shoulder and flashing Thalia a wicked grin, showing off one of his elongated canines. Thalia rolled her eyes and turned away from us, giving Corym a rude gesture before picking up her pace so she walked beside a tall high elf with light brown hair cropped short to his ears in loose waves. They didn't speak, just walked in silence a few paces ahead of us while Averen took point.

I thought over her words for a moment, confusion settling in as I glanced to Corym. "What did Averen tell you about this scouting mission?" I asked in a hushed voice, careful to not let the others hear with their improved elvish hearing. Corym shrugged and kept his gaze fixed on Thalia's back as he whispered, "He said there was an attack last night. He didn't say who was involved or what happened but he seemed worried and didn't go into any more detail. Just that we were going to investigate the scene." My lips formed a tight line as my gaze shifted to Averen, annoyed that he had left out some very important details and that the whole party had no idea what we might be getting into.

"It was Onas. He was murdered, torn to shreds, by something or someone out here. Averen thinks his wounds were caused by multiple weapons but he's not sure." Corym cursed quietly, glancing nervously at the woods around us. "That's not good. Onas was tough and Averen really should have told us before we agreed to come. If whatever got to him finds us first I don't think this will end well." I nodded in agreement and glanced around at our small party, taking note of the group Averen had chosen.

Thalia was skilled with daggers and was a master at hiding in the shadows. Her lean form made her extremely fast, and from personal experience I knew she was absolutely vicious in a fight. There were no rules when it came to her as long as it always turned out in her favor and I actually appreciated that. It always made our brawls more interesting and always ended with who found the dirtiest, most creative way of ending the fight.

Katar was built like an absolute mountain of a man. He wielded a large greatsword and wore heavy plate mail armor that had been specially forged for him by my father. He didn't speak often, but I had never seen him back down from a fight. I'm pretty sure out of our entire party, he's the only one that I've seen take down over five men in a fight with nothing but his fists. The only downside is that because of his massive build, he is incredibly slow.

Averen has never missed a shot. When he holds a bow it is not just a weapon in his hand, it is an extension of his very being. He is tall and nimble like Thalia, but more muscled and well rounded for any form of combat. There isn't a single weapon he is not trained in, and there is a very good reason he was named the captain of the guard. Despite his stern demeanor I've actually grown to like the man, even if most of our interactions are him yelling at me for purposefully trying to piss him off.

Corym has a special knack for magic. Specifically magic in the form of fire that he has to use a focus to channel his energy through to create certain spells. When it comes to close range combat though, he is completely helpless. No matter how many times I have tried to train him with any kind of weapon he just can't grasp the concept so he typically sticks to his spell work. Which is why every time he is sent out on a mission I volunteer to tag along. His spells can take a minute to cast, and a lot can happen in those precious few seconds so we have been training together for years and work best as a team. I protect him, and he protects me. That's how it has always been.