Garthalan: Mother of the Wood

Two Missions

Adaya pov

Helena burst through the Door. "Sasha, are you alright?!" She was at the sleeping girls side in less than a second. I had already extracted all the demons poison and sealed the wound, now it's based on her will to live.

"I have extracted the poisons, the rest is up to her. The most I can do is keep her comfortable for now, is there anything she likes to keep with her? It would help her willpower." Helena turned to me digging deep trying to find any useful information.

" She has this circlet, her father gifted it to her before he was killed but she always keeps it in her bag."

"She didn't have one when they brought her in. Maybe she dropped it, the claws seem to have been more than large enough to cut through straps."

Helena looked scared for the girl, as a mother gets scared for her child. A true keeper for her caravan. "Well let's go find it then."

She began to rise, I put my hand up and stopped her. "From what I can tell you are helping her just being present yourself. I will find the bag, you stay with her. Read a book aloud to her, hold her hand, those should help her. I will be back as soon as I have found it."

"But what of this demon? Sasha is the best hunter we have, and it seems to have not been enough."

"I will deal with the demon, and it looks as though she was attacked from behind, most likely by surprise."

Helena looked to be at war with the options, but leaving Sashas side would only make things worse. "What if..."

"What if nothing. You are helping a lot more by being here. You have no choice in this matter, she is my patient and at the moment the best medicine seems to be you. I will try to be back by nightfall but if I take longer you must still be here. I also want you to watch Liya while I am gone, make sure she eats and goes to bed at a decent time." I turned to my cupboard and grabbed my armour and weapons. The armour is leather, thick enough that if the demon surprises me it will not be a disabling blow, I also have a long sword, shortsword, knife, bow, and arrows. I do not have a lot of experience with demons but I suspect being ready for anything won't hurt.

Garen pov

I was sent on a scouting mission with a couple of the surviving wardens, the ones Duncan had ordered to stay behind the wall in case the worst should happen. Which it had. There were 20 wardens left, the rest were on the outside of the wall. All died.

Our mission was to head for the capitol and see if they were preparing another siege on the fort, the wardens are excellent infiltrators. They would get us in the right places while I would gather the information. A week would pass before we returned however.

I still had Adaya on my mind, I think I have grown on her enough to begin a romance, and according to the commander she seemed to be waiting for me to make a move. Once I get to the capitol, I will find a good gift to bring back to her. Traditionally I would first have her father's permission, but seeing as she has no father I would need to skip that part without mention.

"Garen, your gonna fall off your horse if you keep daydreaming like that." Ben, a human warden, smacked my arm. "So tell me. How many enemies did you count on your blade in the attack?"

"More than I wanted, less than was needed. How long have you been a warden?"

Ben looked up in thought. "I'd say a good 12 years now. how bout you? How long were you with the order?"

"since I was a child. Probably 15 years now, I was sent at the age of three."

"Interesting.....I would expect a better fight from an army trained so young."

"Not all join at such a young age, most of the older soldiers. The ones with skill, they were trained as I was, it only happens to those who owe so much to the capitol that they wouldn't be able to pay them back. My parents had apparently been a family that had fallen out of grace of one of the high lords, that Lord ensured that they would be buried in debt. I was the youngest child and therefore the only one they would take as payment."

"That sucks. Why would you stay for so long with people who would do that?"

"I was raised in the orders schools, it was the only thing I knew. They hammered into my head for years how we were far superior, and the wood elves were the lowest of the low and needed to be extinct. I just accepted it because I didn't know anything else, I expected the wood elves to be vile, almost demon like."

"what changed your mind? What made you want to leave the order?"

"partly because I trusted the commander, and partly because I went through an event showing me the wood elves weren't vile, in fact they are more kind and beautiful than any high elf I've ever met. They're also far superior in a fight."

"I could easily beat one of those wood elves in a fight."

"If you seen them before the arrow was released, and were able to dodge their blades. I have no doubt you could, but I suspect you would find an arrow in your chest far before you got your own blade unsheathed." We stopped to make camp. As we were unsaddling our horses I continued. "The order are trained specifically to fight the wood elves, and most of the caravans found surrender hoping to get mercy, but the ones who fight. The only way we beat them is the superior numbers, which we lose most of."

Ben scoffed."Superior numbers is the only reason sir Duncan didn't make it. Even if I would have died, I still wish I had been allowed to fight at his side."

"Your one of the best warriors of the wardens Ben, I think you can save a great many more lives and find so much more glory this way." We had just finnished laying out our makeshift beds, Ben stood over me with his overly large body, all muscle, sounding angry as he spoke.

"I do not look for glory, but I do protect my friends, and those I respect. As a warrior or otherwise. Do not mistake me for a night Garen, I am a warrior. I dropped the honor charade many years ago." And with those last words we lay down to sleep for the night.