Lights in the Darkness

The Watcher

The Gate loomed high before the company. “Let’s get going times wasting” Haravan replied gruffly as they stood for a moment waiting in the shade created by the high stone walls.  Macka and Haravan started heading towards the gate when Prowler stopped

             “I almost forgot to talk to watcher before we left.” He said slowly remembering

            “What?” Macka said turning around looking at him.

            “lets go see him then already you do this every time you think you would remember him one of these days” Haravan sighed, adjusting his pack slightly turning around and walking down a road that shot off the road to the gate.

            They walked for a while past larger and larger houses till finally they reached a not to large home situated between two much larger fancier mansions.  The house wasn’t in a hovel but it seemed very out of place in the middle of the district it was in.  Prowler pulled out a small key and unlocked the door; he dropped his pack as he entered the door.  “Watcher” he called out as it echoed around the house.

            “Yard” a short calm voice called from through the halls. As Prowler lead Macka and Haravan through the halls a dull thunk was heard repeating and repeating getting louder as they walked further on.  Suddenly the hall opened into a wide courtyard filled with everything one would expect in a courtyard of the rich district a small garden a few trees and large plants near the walls but in the middle of the courtyard a man about the size of Prowler stood. He looked like an almost clone of Prowler but his hair was the black as the night sky.  He had on the cloths of a well off individual embroidered with golden thread and red as a fire burning bright. Over his eyes was a black cloth blocking his sight and hiding his eyes. In his hands he held a large horned bow ornate with runes running along its length along with many lines tracing to where his hand rested as he continued to fire shots into the target dummy on the other side of the courtyard.  The shots were all landing between armor plating they had been placed on the dummy.

            Macka whispered to Haravan “Why is he firing blinded?” Haravan let out a small chuckle.  Suddenly Watcher turned

            “Haravan welcome as always and Prowler welcome back” He put the bow on the ground leaning gently on it, “planning on staying a while?”

            “Not too long” Prowler said “keeping in practice for something?”

            “Not really just making sure in ready for the future, Haravan help yourself to a drink you know where it all is, just in case” Watcher said motioning back inside to Haravan who seemed to have disappeared at the mention of a drink. . “And whose is that you have with you?”

            “This is…” Prowler started

            “The lady can speak for she can’t she?” Watcher interrupted

            “Macka” Macka said “I’m Macka” reaching forward to shake his hand. Watcher took her hand and kissed it gently.

            “Such a lovely name, Elven isn’t it?” Watcher asked as he stood back up

            “Yes, can’t you tell?” Macka said her hand straying to her ears as if to check they were still long and thin.

            “Watcher,” Prowler said

            “Go have a drink; I’ll be in a moment.”  Watcher seemed to give a glare from beneath the blindfold at Prowler.  Prowler seemed to hesitate but followed after Haravan anyway.

            “He can be stubborn, can you try to help keep him in line” Watcher said as he walked to the dummy

            “I doubt I can do that” Macka said looking around at all the trees in such a small courtyard “this reminds me of my home.”

            “That’s because it’s modeled after the Elven lands.” Watcher said pulling the first of the arrows from the dummy “Has Prowler ever said anything to you about me?”

            Macka shifted slightly, she had never heard Prowler talk about anyone very much besides Haravan. “Sit we have more to talk about and I had forgotten to offer my guest a seat, how rude of me

.”  Macka sat at small table that sat beneath one of the trees.  Watcher stood quiet for a moment pulling an arrow from the target dummy’s eye.  “Just as well that he didn’t talk about me, he never was one big on family.”

            “Family? Macka said thinking for a moment at all his actions since arriving. “You two are...”

            “Brothers, yes he’s my younger brother. Our family was known for having unique eyes. His haven’t come in yet.”

            “We elves have an ancient poem that about a watcher and a prowler,” Macka said it had seemed just a coincidence before but now it seemed more relevant.

            “Yes I know it, but save it time is rushing us we should get back with those two they will be wondering what’s taking so long.” Watcher walked over to the door back into the house and started hanging his bow and quiver up on an oak stand Macka hadnt seen before.  She walked up behind him as quietly as her elven feet would let her.  He turned to face her as she reached up and pulled knot tieing the blindfold to his head.

            As the red cloth fell she noticed that his eyes were fine at a short glance but suddenly it hit her, where iris and pupil is should be there was a sigil drawn in gold, the sigil was two diamonds being divided in half by lines. All around the rest of his eyes runes in a myriad of colors revolved slowly each rune changing colors at random as they turned.

            “Magic!” Macka gasped

            “They used to be; now like the rest of magic there effects have vanished leaving me as if my eyes had never worked in the first place.” Watcher turned

            “Your blind” Macka said she couldn’t break his eye contact no matter how hard she tried.  Watcher picked up the cloth from the ground and tied it over his eyes again. As soon as he did Macka finally could look away.

            Watcher turned and entered the house not saying a word.