The Last of Us

Chapter 4

Crawling out of the tree trunk, I felt a few cramps coming on. Two on the same leg, one of my thigh and one of my calf in the back, and one on the inside of my upper arm.

I hurried as fast as I could so I could stretch before the cramps got to me, but it didn't work. I felt the cramp at its worse on the back of my calf, causing me to move faster. It hurt. Bad.

I finally got out of the log and stretched my entire body out on the soft green grass, helping the cramps go away and bringing new pains from being stiff.

When I had finally gotten out of my little situation, I got up, rotating my neck a bit to loosen up the muscles, and looked around.

There was an axe sitting on top of a rock near by along with a napsack sitting on the ground beside it. I assumed it was the bandits. Norakvar was his name right? Oh well.

I thought about looking through the napsack and taking some goods but then I thought of what he would do to me and how upset that would make him. So I decided not to.

"Ah, so you're finally awake I see." I whipped around, startled by the bandits sudden voice.

'He didn't walk that far I guess' I thought to myself.

I drew a dagger out from the waist band of my pants, holding it up, ready to defend myself.

"Do not worry. I'm not going to harm you. Merely talk is all." He smiled, moving to go sit on the rock that held his axe.

I looked at him, not sure if I should believe him. He held up his hands to show he wasn't armed, then slowly took his mace out of the holster on his side and kicked it off towards the log behind me. He kicked his axe over there too, sitting on the rock and crossing his arms with the same smile still on his face.

I didn't move for a few moments, still deciding if I should trust him, but eventually went and sat on the ground in front of him.

"Ahi, thank you. It's nice to sit and talk with someone who doesn't taunt me. The named Norakvar. What is yours?" 

I thought for a moment, wondering if I should actually say anything to this man, Norakvar. During my small silence, I took in his features.

He was burly, not too muscly but still big. He had dirty blonde hair parted straight in the middle, almost touching his shoulders, and his eyes, brilliant blue-green messes, reminding me of the northern lights.

"Apollo." Was all I muttered in response. He didn't say anything at first, but looked down at the ground in thought.

"That's an odd name. I like it though. Suits you well. But tell me, what are you? I've never seen anything with skin like yours. You remind me of those elves." He studied me, awestruck by my snow white skin and matching hair, my eyes being a piercing golden brown.

I shrugged, "My ma and pa only ever told me that I was special and that I came from a now extinct race of elves. I'm the last of my kind is what pa would tell me." I looked away and at the ground when I mention pa in my last sentence. It hurt to mention ma and pa so soon after they had passed.

"Well, no worried. It doesn't really matter to me. I'm not like the rest of those damn Nords." He spoke looking over at his mace by the log.

"What are you doing out here? Solitude is right up the road that way, you could find a place to stay there if you're alone." He trailed off at the end when he saw the pained expression cross my face. I looked down at the ground, not wanting him to see my struggle, trying to keep the tears from falling. But, despite my efforts, a few fell, hitting the soft ground beneath me in silence.