Chapter 7

The group grows worried, as there is still no word of Marrik. Edileth has a run-in with Joenek. Later, Edileth wakes to find quite a surprise, and the group joins in common cause.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Seven

 

The rest of the day passed without incident; each elf again finding odd tasks to pass the time. Marrik had not yet arrived, nor did Rikku receive word of him from any of the surrounding animals.

Little was said that evening as the five elves sat about the fire. Each of them ate in silence, too absorbed in his or her thoughts to make light conversation.

After Edileth had finished her meal, she decided to release some of her pent-up energy with a few swordsmanship drills.

Grabbing her blade, the blonde elf moved out to the darkened main cavern. She stood just outside the beam of light that shone from the opening of their niche.

Edileth inhaled, slow and deep, filling her lungs with the night air. She enjoyed the calm of eventide, letting peace fill her. As she allowed her mind to escape and drift from thought to thought, she readied her stance and began her drills, wincing as her rib ached from the movement.

Her body moved with the grace and fluidity of many years of practice. She calmly went through the various motions, ignoring the pain of the rib, and allowing her muscles to stretch before moving on to more rigorous routines.

As she began the more complicated and strenuous drills, Edileth felt her frustrations ease. She became absorbed in her thoughts -- performing In Quartatas, Passata Sottos, and Fentes, as well as various others -- without needing to focus on her movements.

Sweat beaded on her brow and a slight trickle scudded down her back. She was breathing slightly faster as her weakened body fought against her. A frown appeared on Edileth’s face.

She turned, then, arching her blade; handling the sword with grace and precision even in her wearied state.

A shocking clash rose to her ears as another sword interrupted the downward motion of her own.

Looking up with widened eyes, Edileth beheld Joenek. Immediately, her calm demeanor dissipated and anxiety took its place. Her heart pounded even harder as the male studied her. A rather brash grin played on his face and the look in his eyes frightened Edileth; it gave him an almost wild appearance.

“Shall we spar, Edileth? I’m sure you would love a chance to attack me, wouldn’t you?” He had backed away from her and now began circling, as a wolf does its prey.

Edileth was unnerved, though slightly intrigued. With only the slightest hesitation, the rothnak readied her stance, once more.

She stood, knees slightly bent, poised for attack. Waiting for Joenek to make the first maneuver, Edileth analyzed his every movement, all the while watching his eyes.

At last, he darted forward with a taunting jab, only to whirl around and swing his blade at her side.

Anticipating his move, Edileth parried the blow and moved out of reach. She awaited his next attack.

Their sparring continued in this manner. Edileth kept herself on the defensive; allowing Joenek to make his move, responding with a Parade or a Seconde Intention -- which would allow her to follow through with a Contre-Riposte. She would then step back and again ready her stance and await Joenek’s next move.

After some time, Joenek began taunting her.

“What’s wrong Edileth? Can’t you fight anymore?” An amused grin played on his lips. “What happened to that fiery she-elf? Why do you not attack me? I know you want to.”

“The most important thing a warrior must learn is how to let his enemy defeat himself.” Her words were laced with superiority.

Joenek’s brow rose, but he made no comment -- instead assaulting her with another barrage of swordplay.

After a few minutes more of their sparring, Edileth was ready to strike. Having moved about in their assaut, Joenek now stood directly in front of a sizeable chunk of rubble -- his back facing the stone. For the first time during their mock fight, Edileth took the offensive position. She moved forward with a Fausse Attaque -- feigning a Coup de Pointe which she knew would fail.

With elvish speed, Joenek brought his sword up and blocked her thrust. He gave a smug grin and belted a condescending laugh in her direction. He then moved to step back -- hoping to regain a balanced posture -- only to trip over the portion of rubble.

With great satisfaction, Edileth watched Joenek’s face change from one of triumph to one of wide-eyed disbelief, as he wobbled. He nearly caught his balance, waving his arms a bit to steady himself.

However, Edileth stepped before him and, with a sweet smile, used the hilt of her sword to shove his shoulder and send him backwards.

Joenek toppled back, legs splayed over the pile and arms outspread. A muffled thud resounded as his head tapped the floor and a ringing crash rose as he tossed his sword away to prevent impaling himself.

He spluttered in indignation and shock; incoherent words stumbling from his lips.

Edileth moved closer to the downed elf, an expression of mock surprise covering her face. She leaned over him, placing her hands on her knees.

“Oops.” The blonde batted her eyes in a rather girlish manner. After giving a saucy, nose-wrinkling smirk, she proffered one of her hands to assist the fallen elf.

“There now,” Edileth began as she helped Joenek stand. “You have defeated yourself. You became overly confident and sure of your success. When, all along, you were playing right into my hands. And on top of it, you tired yourself far more than was necessary.

“If you wish to best your enemy, Joenek, then you must first know him…or her, as the case may be.”

“Bravo, dear girl.” Torben hollered from the alcove, beaming in delight. Yena and Rikku also stood, grinning. “I couldn’t have made a truer statement.”

Edileth felt embarrassment stir as she realized that her sparring match with Joenek had been observed by the others. Glancing at the male elf she saw that she was not the only one feeling disconcerted. Joenek’s face had turned a piquant hue and he shifted on his feet.

“You may have bested me in swordsmanship, but I’d like to see you try to beat me at Daindreken.”

Edileth’s face contorted into a mask of disgust. Daindreken was a hand-to-hand form of fighting which often ended on the ground, with a wrestling match, of sorts. The thought of grappling with Joenek was enough to send shivers of aversion down her spine.

“I think not. I would rather have my sword between us.”

Joenek let a crooked smile creep onto his face, his gaze drifting over Edileth’s body in a way that made her ever more worried.

Oh, Feridh, help me. She thought in panic. I do believe Rikku was correct.

Needing to escape Joenek’s perusal, Edileth sheathed her sword and made for the niche.

“I am quite tired and shall sleep now.”

She brushed past Torben, Yena and Rikku. Edileth quickly settled into her blanket and ignored the others as they shuffled into the alcove and prepared for bed. After some time, she overheard Torben speaking quietly with his wife.

“I grow ever more anxious with each passing hour. Marrik has still not arrived, and even Celik ought to be here by now. This troubles me, greatly. I am eager for their arrival; we mustn’t remain here much longer.”

“We cannot abandon them; we shall have need of their skills.”

“I know, my love. But with each day we stay here, our chances of being discovered increase. We shall wait until tomorrow evening, and if they have not arrived by then, we must away ere break of the following morn.”

Edileth heard Yena begin to protest.

“Now, my darling, there’s no need to fuss. We can leave them a message through one of Rikku’s birds, detailing our plan of action for the next week; along with where we will likely be able to meet, at week’s end. Hopefully, though, it will not come to that.”

As the young blonde listened to the quiet breathing of her companions, she thought of what Torben had said. It did not bode well that the last two members of their group had yet to arrive. Edileth wondered what had happened that they should still have no word of Marrik and Celik.

However, she was glad that they would be leaving soon. She feared she would go mad should she be cooped up in the cavern-city for much longer. While the caves were spacious and provided ample lighting during a sufficient portion of the day, there was an undeniable gloom that hung in the air �" thick, doleful curtains of it clinging to the very stones.

After a short time, Edileth’s mind at last drifted into sleep.

 

*                      *                      *

 

Edileth jerked awake, nerves humming. Her eyes strained in the dark, looking for any motion but finding none. She listened carefully, hearing nothing but heavy breathing and subtle snores from the other elves. She sat, silent and tense, slightly quivering from the adrenaline of anticipation.

She was certain that something had stirred her from slumber. Taking a few deep breaths and quieting her mind, she focused on her surroundings. For what seemed an eternity she heard nothing. Just as Edileth was about to lay back down, she sensed them; two forms were lurking about, coming from deep within the bowels of the mountain.

Edileth leapt to her feet with elvish stealth. After taking hold of her sword and unsheathing it, she moved quietly from the “room.”

There was enough moonlight within the cavern that she could make out faint outlines of the ruins. Her eyes scanned the cavern quickly, and then studied the shadowy buildings again.

The wary rothnak found a shadowed recess among them, where she could watch for the intruders unnoticed. She moved with silent speed, striding across the expanse between the niche and the collection of partial walls, dilapidated stairways, and precarious arches.

Then, crouching in her darkened corner, Edileth waited.

It was only a few moments before a faint shuffling sound came from one of the tunnels on the West end of the main cavern. The female turned her head to the right and began scanning the wall for any movement. At last, she could espy their shadowed forms exiting a smallish tunnel.

One of the figures was quite tall, with a relatively thin frame. There appeared to be a large, irregular-shaped mass attached to its back, and the head was hidden within a somewhat fulsome covering. It walked very near the other form, and would occasionally lean forward, as though looking to its companion, and then looking about the cavern.

The other figure, on the other hand, seemed unaware of anything. It appeared to be hunched over, and moved in an odd, lurching manner; being the cause of the shuffling sounds which Edileth heard. In addition, an eerie, almost chant-like moan rose from the shadowed form. It would occasionally stumble, colliding with the first figure, and nearly falling to the ground. After receiving a gentle push from its companion, the staggering form would continue as though nothing had happened; carrying on with its quiet moaning.

As a lioness stalks its prey -- silently padding upon the earth -- so, too, did Edileth move about the rubble. She made her way through the shadows, nearing the two beings. Once she was only a meter or two from the pair, Edileth took a steadying breath.

Then, moving from the gloom, she strode toward the two forms. She moved with such speed that neither figure perceived her advance. Only when she was nearly upon them, did the tall figure notice her. Edileth had lifted her blade to the first form’s throat; ready to strike should it prove necessary. The tall figure, however, had moved with rapidity as soon as it had seen her, and now a blade swung up and knocked hers aside in unison with a bellow of consternation from the form.

“In Feridh’s name, what are you doing? ‘Tis Celik; and here is Marrik, beside me.”

Edileth jumped back in surprise.

“What in Naine Mithale were you thinking; coming here in the middle of the night, with no word of warning?”

Celik gave her an incredulous look.

“I was attempting to get here as soon as possible so Marrik could receive the medical attention he requires.”

With a pointed look, the ranger sheathed his single-handed sword and began leading the stooped Marrik toward the center of the cavern.

Edileth released a sharp sigh and moved to walk just ahead of the two.

Joenek and Torben burst from the alcove, presumably having heard the ring of swords and Celik’s holler. As they looked about for the source of commotion, Edileth trotted over to assuage their concern.

“Celik and Marrik have arrived. Marrik is injured.”

Yena -- who stood somewhat bleary-eyed at the entrance of the room -- perked up at Edileth’s last statement. She bustled over to help Celik lead the wounded elf.

“What happened?” The healer looked to Celik.

“He had a run-in with a Bekhron.”

Yena’s head jerked at the mention of the foul beasts and she sent a lengthy look in Edileth’s direction.

“How many?”

“There was only one. I came upon him late this afternoon -- or, I suppose it was yesterday, now -- and he had already felled the beast. He has a rather sever stab wound to the stomach.”

By now, they had moved the groaning Marrik into the “room,” and Rikku had set a blanket out for the male.

Yena and Celik helped lower Marrik to the ground and then laid him down as gently as possible. His face was twisted in agony and his body nearly convulsed in shivers of shock. He let out a wail of pain.

Joenek hastily stoked their fire to provide Yena with more light to work by.

The healer immediately set to work. She started by checking Marrik’s airway, making sure that it had not been blocked by vomit -- the traces of which could be seen on his clothing. Once Yena confirmed that Marrik was breathing, and nothing was obstructing his airway, she glanced up. Seeing the blonde rothnak near, she called to her.

“Edileth, come check his pulse.”

The young elf moved closer, feeling nervous. As Edileth laid her hand against Marrik’s throat, Yena felt the man’s fingers and nose.

“They’re cold as ice. How is his heartbeat?”

“It is beating so rapidly.”

“I suspected as much; he is losing circulation. Torben, darling, I need…” The auburn-haired woman began, but her husband was already rummaging through her medical bag.

 “Ah, here they are.” From Yena’s bag, Torben produced a small vial of amber-colored liquid, a small jar filled with pale-blue powder, and an odd little bag with a needle attached to it.

 The female elf thanked him, and then proceeded to “pour” three droplets of the thick liquid into Marrik’s mouth, while Torben began mixing some of the powder with a large amount of water.

Yena moved one of Marrik’s hands from where it pressed a wad of bloody rags against the injury. With the help of Celik and Joenek, Yena removed all articles of clothing from the wounded elf’s upper body. Again, a sharp yelp of pain leapt from his lips.

A glaring gash, surrounded by angry, red welting marred Marrik’s otherwise flawless torso. Dried blood covered a goodly portion of his stomach, and thick, dark blood was beginning to ooze from the wound.

Yena watched for a moment, and then gently pressed around the injury. This time, Marrik only released a slight moan, his eyes seeming distant.

Now that the amber liquid had gone through Marrik’s body and masked the pain, Yena could make quick work of things.

The elder rothnak took the odd bag and inserted the needle into one of the injured elf’s veins. She then called Rikku over and had the small elf begin pouring the blue-powder-water into the bag. From there, it went through a thin tube of the same material, where it connected to the needle, allowing the solution to go directly into his bloodstream.

While Rikku continued to slowly pour the solution, Yena used fresh cloth to clean a majority of the blood. She then inspected the severity of the gash.

Edileth was still sitting near and gagged as Yena carefully moved the flesh aside to inspect Marrik’s organs. The skin, itself, had an awful lumpiness to it; a look akin to curdled milk with a splash of purple-red hues. A small section of the elf’s intestines bulged through the gap, and a mix of blood and waste slowly gushed out with them.

“Feridh have mercy.” Yena’s face took on a look of surprise as she whispered a short prayer. She did not, however, show any signs of the aversion that the rest of the group was feeling. “His intestine has been lacerated. We must find the tear, now.”

Torben, again, went through Yena’s medical bag and pulled out a pair of forceps, a needle and stitching thread, and a peculiar looking tool.

“I need the retractor.” Yena held her hand out, and Torben gave her what she needed, setting the other items on a clean cloth beside his wife.

Yena took the tool and used it to keep the incision open so that she could investigate Marrik’s insides without hindrance. Having cleansed her hands, the elven Healer carefully began handling the bowels, searching for the site of the cut.

Edileth, again, found herself gagging at the sight before her. She turned her head to the side for a moment and attempted to swallow, feeling bile rise in her throat. With a subtle quivering, the young elf turned to face the gore-y scene, once more.

 Yena seemed to have found the laceration and looked to Celik for assistance.

“I need you to use the forceps to hold the intestine in place, while I stitch it up.”

Celik gave a grim nod; his face noticeably blanched. He took the forceps and gently pinched the tissue -- careful not to obstruct anything while still keeping the viscera from squirming about.

Yena immediately began stitching the perforation. Once she was finished, she performed another search of his digestive organs. After carefully inspecting these, she did a thorough examination of the surrounding area. When she was satisfied that there were no other lacerations, the healer sighed with relief.

“I need a bowl of Yefidhe.”

Her husband quickly gathered what she needed and handed her the collection of herbs and cleansing solutions. Yena combined the ingredients with swiftness and skill. She then soaked a wad of cloth in the Yefidhe and proceeded to clean the entire area of operation. The woman gently dabbed, removing the blood and waste matter from Marrik’s insides, while also disinfecting.

When this was done, Yena removed the retractor and began sewing up the large gash in Marrik’s torso. Next, she took a select few herbs and began crushing them together in her mortar. Edileth noted that they appeared to be the same herbs that had been used on her Bekhron-poisoned wounds. Yena combined everything quickly, working with the speed of countless years of healing. Once she was satisfied with the herbal paste, she coated the stitched injury with it.

With another relieved sigh, Yena let her shoulders droop.

“He was very fortunate. However, he’s not out of the woods of Si-ol quite yet.

“Thank you, everyone, for your help. Rikku, if you have used all the Lelle-Enne, you may give the drip-line to me; leave the needle, though.

“Torben, darling, can you prepare some Rei N’Ar? We must rehydrate Marrik; and give him the nutrients he will need to survive any fevers that may come.”

Rikku handed the empty bag to Yena with widened eyes. The diminutive elf looked down at Marrik, studying his pale features, and then looking around at the others.

Edileth noticed that everyone else seemed to be doing the same; watching the injured elf and then looking to one another with anxiety scrawled across their faces.

Yena suggested each member pray for their comrade, cleaning her medical supplies, as well as her bloodied hands. Edileth noticed a smear of grime on the elder woman’s forehead, where she must have brushed away a loose strand of hair without thinking of the gore that covered her hands.

Torben moved close with the Rei N’Ar. Before he attached the bag to the needle, Yena put one drop of the amber liquid into the solution and mixed it.

“What is that?” Edileth questioned.

“It is Naimmin Imdrez-Mina; Feel Naught. It numbs the pain, so that it is only a dull ache. It is highly concentrated, and when given directly through the bloodstream -- as I am doing, now -- it has a higher potency than when given orally. That is why I’ve only put one drop of it in the Rei N’Ar solution.”

Yena then tied a cord around the tubing -- making a slightly smaller space for the liquid to slide through -- and attached the bag to the needle. The liquid within the drip-bag began doing just that; dripping down the tube and into Marrik’s vein, providing him with nutrients to supplement those he had lost.

Torben moved close to his wife, giving her a warm side hug, before taking the bag from Yena’s hands. Then, lifting his face up, the aged elf said a few short words in an ancient tongue which Edileth had not heard.

Never had she heard words that contained such beauty within them. She longed to know the language in which Torben had spoken. But then she noticed what was happening to the drip-line that the wizard held. A faint swirling shimmer eddied beneath the bag, as Torben un-cupped his hands and left the bag floating in the air. It hovered above, and to one side of Marrik, allowing the liquid to continue its steady dripping without needing to be held.

“There, now. We should, all of us, rest.”

Torben turned to Yena and, noticing the smudge of gore on her forehead, smiled tenderly at his warmhearted wife. Edileth watched as the wizened elf dabbed a cloth in water and lovingly rubbed the grime from his wife’s brow.

The young elf quietly moved to her spot, only one and one-third meters from where Marrik still lay and continued to watch the couple.

Torben had finished cleaning Yena’s forehead; he held the healing woman in his arms, stroking her lengthy, braided locks. He pulled away just enough to lean down and kiss his wife’s temple.

The auburn-haired elf turned into her husband, wrapping her arms around his torso and tucking her head so that it lay against his strong chest. Torben scooped her into his lap and shuffled back a bit, until he could lean against a crumbled section of wall.

A low, rumbling hum emanated from the male elf’s chest. It was very quiet -- and not quite in key -- but Edileth recognized it as one of the many songs of praise that Ferlian people sang.

A small smile lit the blonde’s face as her eyes closed and her mind casually wandered into sleep.

Author's Note

As always, critiques are greatly welcomed.

Reviews

[Michele Harman]

I enjoyed this It was selected as part of discovery I will come back to read from the beginning. Looking forward to the whole story

[Elina]

My apologies for the late response. Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. I am glad that you enjoyed it.

[Stefanie Holmes]

I always enjoy reading your work, because you don't have errors and I can freely read the story. I like that!
Anyway, this was a very good chapter and I enjoyed the fencing scene. I like that you are incorporating fantasy with real world things. You're so creative. :)

~Stefanie

[Elina]

Thank you so much!

[Stefanie Holmes]

You're welcome! :)

[Josh Dollar]

I really liked this chapter. I am really into the story. Chapter 8 will be good, I know.

[Elina]

Thank you!

[Josh Dollar]

You're welcome!

[Glen Yumang Manese]

I see another completed Chapter 7 ---
this is a bit longer than the others...
seems that way any way...
the waiting is still being endured...
the love --- hate relationship with the sparring...
the rest of the pack coming in...
and another injured member...
the ending wraps up as usual...
liked the terms and usage of them...
seems like ballet and fencing...
they have a language all their own...
looking forward to more of this work...

[Elina]

Thank you for the review!

[Glen Yumang Manese]

Thanks for the chapter...keep it rolling...rolling...rolling...

[Eddie Davis]

The Elves medical skills are impressive and it is interesting to see how they work their healing. I enjoyed
Edileth's sparring match with Joeneck and was impressed with your knowledge of fencing terms. I found only two errors:
"Edileth had lifter her blade to the first form’s throat" I think you meant 'lifted'.
"With a subtle quivering, the young elf turned to face the gore-y scene, once more." I think you want 'gory' for 'gore-y'. I'm looking forward to your next chapters.

[Elina]

Thank you. I want my book to be as real as possible -- while still being fantasy -- so I'm constantly doing research for various things (the sparring and healing scenes in this chapter, the sizes of military forces in the previous chapter, etc). Much of what I write is simply what I create, from my own imagining. However, there are certain scenes that involve things that I don't know a whole lot about. That's when I do extensive research; I really want to KNOW what it is I'm writing about. It's also during these scenes that I sort of teach the reader what I've learned. I don't want my books to be useless drivel; I want people to take something from them, maybe even learn something they never knew.
Sometimes, when doing my research, the act of looking up all the information I need sort of kills my motivation to write anything (that happened when I was researching military sizes, ranks, untis, etc). But I really do enjoy learning knew things, so ultimately I have fun with it.

Thank you, again, for reading. Thanks, too, for pointing out those little blunders...totally missed them.

[Eddie Davis]

My pleasure, it is the least I can do for all your kindness to me. I understand about research, I tend to get wrapped up in that myself.

[A. Amos]

Interesting story telling and enjoying the read

[Elina]

Thank you for taking the time to read it.