Legacy

Chapter 4

Mae opened her eyes slowly, her body could feel the coming of dawn, it was time to go. She rubbed sleep out of her eyes, she could feel the fatigue of her experience still, it would have to wait a while longer before she could sleep herself out she realised. Her body responded slowly to her minds demands to get up, but it did as it was bid. She splashed some cold water from the small bowl on the table next to her bed on her face, hoping the shock would invigorate her, it didn't. She sighed, it was going to be a long day of hard travel, it did not bode well that she felt so low to begin with.

Ashar finished packing the travel bags ready for the journey, he noted that there was not much of the hard bread left, though if this went well, it would be awhile before he would be called upon to eat that foul stuff again. He tied down the flap on the top of his bag, securing it into place with the buckle. He allowed himself a smile, this plain brown leather back pack was one of the few gifts he had ever received from someone other than his kin, Mae's father had given it to him over half a century ago. His hearing picked up the faint sounds of Mae moving around in her room, he considered his travels with this fragile looking girl. He had been there at her birth so many centuries ago, had watched her flower into the person she was today. It seemed strange that he should consider this half elf closer to him then many who had blood ties to him. He also noted that she was only the second person not of his kin who would be prepared to lay down their life in his defence, or indeed, his in theirs. He sighed softly as he realised that he would barring injury almost certainly outlive her by several centuries, possibly her children as well.

Mae stepped out to see Ashar's sad expression, her light green skirt flowed before her with the sudden halt to her progress.

"I don't need to read your mind to know that look Ashar. I've seen it too often for you to shrug it off."

"It is hard to realise that those you care for will be long dead before yourself. To see the entire life cycle of a being, from start to finish is difficult to really understand unless you have experienced it."

Mae looked down for a moment before replying "Then as I have said before, let us enjoy what time is given to us, there is little point to mourning the loss of those you haven't lost yet." She smiled at the last.

Ashar nodded sagely at this "I forget how quickly you have come into your wisdom."

Mae picked up her weather beaten grey backpack and slung it over her shoulders. She adjusted it until it was comfortable, then without a word walked toward the entrance.

Ashar walked past her as she turned, closing her eyes she whispered several words and the rocks sealed the entrance.

"Good bye Guardian. I hope our next meeting is in better times."

As do I child, as do I. Replied the Guardian.

Mae turned on her heals and started to follow Ashar's steady pace out toward the forest.

Mae wiped the beads of sweat that were forming on her forehead, even for her, the pace that Ashar was setting was punishing. It had been three days of hard slog, avoiding patrols had added an extra day to their travels. She could just about smell the presence of the human's settlement. Fort was close, but at this distance it was not clear as to how close.

Ashar raised his hand, signalling a stop, Mae heard nothing but that didn't surprise her, Ashar's senses were far more acute than her own, although hers were far more sensitive than a human's.

Mae closed on Ashar, straining her senses to seek out the as yet unseen threat. She looked at his face for a moment, waiting for him to tell her what the problem was. He did after a while.