Garthalan: Mother of the Wood

Not So Easy Task

Artunous pov

I ran for a the exit as our military entered. Helena stayed back to find the king, he was the one who made the decision to have them put the demon in her, which puts the blood of her family on his hands.

I would be gone for a time to free Adaya. As I reached the gates I found yennefer tending the wounded, both sides, this had her arguing with Gretha. "Those bastards messed with adayas head and got Garen killed! Now you want to save them?! No! They will die!"

"your letting your anger cloud you. For now we will hold them, later, when you've calmed down you may judge them." She turned to me. "Take the commander with you, he needs to be away from the dead for a time."

Gretha moved for his blade but I grabbed his arm and practically drug him along with me. " she's right Gretha, you need to calm yourself. Then you can decide who lives and who dies."

Seeing that he would not win this argument Gretha kept quiet and followed me to the ruins where we had Adaya subdued.

Adaya pov

My mother, my father, and my brother. This trio stood staring at me with dead eyes and covered in blood I turned away only to find them in front of me once again. I could feel the creature in the area, he was the one doing this, trying to break my mind so he could destroy me and take all my thoughts, that's not an option.

Helena pov

I stood waiting for the door to fall. I had found the king he ran and barred himself in his room, leaving his wife to the sword of a dark elf. How low can one get that they would leave their own family to save themselves?

His wife was dead, a fact that I would shove in his face before he dies.

Finally it splintered and collapsed to the ground, the men stepped aside. I walked in to have an arrow dig into my thigh. "You'll not be putting me in a cell knife ear!" I looked up to see him in the window he no longer held any arrows and keeps looking back. He's gonna jump.

"I have no plans to put you in a cell, you got my whole family killed with your orders. I want you dead you cowardly bastard." My voice never wavered though each word wanted me either lunging at the fool or breaking down in tears. My anger won as my sword left my hand and planted in his chest, he fell from the window. An overly large bird soared upward with the dead man laying on its back, glad I killed the bastard.

Adaya pov

I had found my best way to fight back was reclaim my own memories, he was feeding off them along with my emotions. The memories I can do, emotions are nothing I can control however, I can hide them or tame them but not stop them from coming.

I had been reclaming memories for what feels like centuries, the creature had already feasted upon some of them leaving blank spots, my brothers face was one of them. I could no longer bring him to thought, his face was replaced with a blurred shape that I will never figure out... This made me push faster and harder, the memories came rushing back.

An eleven year old memory somehow popped, my first time seeing the beach. "Papa! Papa! Look what I found!" It was a clam I shoved in his face, ugly and something I now know is common yes but it was the first time I had ever seen one and thought a rock had eaten a critter. This ammazed me. My father took the clam and held it out. Then spoke voice clear as day, even now.

"This could be a great find Adaya often the ugliest things bear the most beautiful fruits. I mean look at me, and I was half of what made you." At the time I didn't really get the words but what it implied would've made me blush now. He pulled out his knife and pried it apart. "you have a good eye for beauty Addy, don't lose it." He held up a beautiful black pearl, at the to.e I thought it was a marble Anne wound up breaking it.

The memory moved on followed by many like it, some with my now faceless brother even. I dont know why but I was not feeling the urge to cry or kill the creature when I was seeing his, in fact I didn't really feel anything at all, he was just someone in my life...that can't be right, he was my brother, my reason for even learning to survive from a young age, I always wanted to impress him. He used the bow, I picked it up within a week, he tracked a deer, I tracked a badger.

Yea there's something wrong here.

Artunous pov

We reached the ruin to find all the guards dead, Adaya lay passed out in the middle. The demon must have regained control then lost it again. We have to hurry.

" Stand at her head, not too close. If she wakes up we still can't stop." He stood in place and awaited further instruction. Thankfully, he still looks angry. "Ok copy my words, go slow if needed but do not get them wrong."

Adaya pov

I was back in my minds plain, my memories safe with me, the creature appeared again. I whisked away all the memories in the area leaving us in a what I imagine a dessert looks like, a great big nothing filled with hot sand that can alter at any moment. The creature smiled at me, I wanted to throw up. "I do hope you've come tell me your leaving my mind and fighting me flesh to flesh? Otherwise I'd really rather not have any interaction with you." He didn't speak just rushed to me and grabbed me holding right, I could feel him being pulled off but his arms, tentacles and whatever else he had at his disposal envelped me so that I couldn't even move to break away.

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Raka is another suggestion I've received for the names, so yea, one more on the list.

Sorry for the slow updates school just started so it might happen a lot. Thank you all for sticking with me. And I'll be having my friend edit the chapters from here on out so enjoy.