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= F.U.C.K. - Fucked Up College Kids - Born Jan. 24th, 1993 - F.U.C.K. =
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Loving Solitude
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The gavel clapped against the podium a third time, and the
room fell silent. Glancing around to make sure everyone was paying
attention, the auctioneer motioned for the two assistants to bring
out the next piece. From the left of the small stage, two ladies
dressed in black carried out a covered painting. Lifting it up a
little more, they deposited it on an awaiting stand, and quickly
moved off back to the left.
With a final look to the audience, the auctioneer moved over
and quickly removed the velvet cloth that hid the painting. As the
cover dropped off, a few people shifted to get a better look as
it became fully revealed but immediately moved back to their previous
position, apparently in disappointment. With a reluctant sigh, the
auctioneer moved back to the podium and cleared his throat.
"This piece of work was recently donated to our foundation
by an anonymous donor. Nothing is known about the artist,
and little is known about the history of this piece beyond
a few years. Since it's age and artist are unknown, bidding
will begin at two hundred dollars."
It took a few seconds before an elderly lady raised her hand
to offer the small amount. No one really seemed interested in the
piece but everyone knew that if no one bidded on it, the charity would
not do as well as it had the previous year. After a few minutes, the
bidding reached three hundred and forty two dollars. A small smile
crept over the auctioneer's face when the bidding slowed down, because
he knew that the next piece would be much more exciting and fetch a lot
more money.
"Three hundred forty. Do I hear three hundred and fifty?
Going once....Going twice..."
As the gavel started it's downward swing, a tall gentlemen
who had been standing in the doorway stepped forward and spoke up.
"One thousand dollars."
Looks of astonishment and surprise hit every face in the room
as people craned their necks to see who had bid such a ridiculous
amount on this piece of art. Strange looks and questioning glances
spread around the room like wildfire as the man slowly approached the
front of the room. As he reached the podium he slowly turned to face
the room full of people and spoke up in a deep voice.
"I can help put a more accurate price on this work and tell
you the story of the painting if you wish. Believe me, after
this story, you shall deem this piece priceless."
Disbelief could be seen on each and every person's face as
he finished. Turning to the auctioneer he looked him dead in the eye
before turning back to the crowd seated before him. No one spoke up
to stop him so he continued.
"I shall now relate the tale of Daryth and Aryn as I promised
the artist after he finished the piece. Many of you will
be skeptical of my story and if so, it is your loss. Know
that I tell this....as it truly happened."
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"Our story takes place in the foothills of the mountains
in Eastern Kriandia in the year 1056, Year of the Crescent.
At the mutual base of the two tallest peaks, a stretch of
forest ran through on both sides of a cleared trail. To both
sides of the trail, the forest gradually rose to cover each
of the peaks and continue beyond. It was several miles from
peak to peak and the valley was well over ten miles long. Just
over a fortnight to the south was the town of Camishal, the
largest trading center this side of the continent. The
outlying town of Britania was just under a fortnight to the
north, and the only other civilization in the area. Traffic
between the two cities was quite heavy, especially during
the later fall months, with everyone trying to get to one
place or the other so they could settle in for the harsh
winters that always came.
This valley between the two peaks was well known as a natural
resting place amongst the beautiful trees and open forest.
During the more recent years, brigands and bandits had used
the place as an ambush sight for weary travelers who were
not armed. Rumor had it that for years, the valley was inhabited
by a guardian who protected innocent travelers and saw to the
safety of the road but years ago, the protection people had
relied upon disappeared. It was believed that the man died at
the hands of brigands, although some people still maintained
that he moved, to take residence in other parts of the land.
Regardless, the roads had not been completely safe for years."
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Looking around, the man saw that everyone was becoming more
and more interested in the story as he told it. Some of the patrons
had leaned back to get more comfortable, and others had leaned forward
in their chairs to hear the story better. Either way, he was fulfilling
his promise made years ago.
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"Eight miles to the north of the valley was a small community
of farmers and a few merchants that had settled in a quiet grove.
Although more and more people settled there until it had grown
into a small town, it was still considered peaceful compared
to most other cities. Protection for this town was provided
by the Duke of Carolina who had built a keep to the east.
Bandits and brigands kept their distance from this town because
of the keep and the small army that dwelled there in his keep.
That year was the Duke's daughter's twenty first birthday, and
a huge celebration was in preparation. Since birth, attendants
and maids had taken care of the young woman, and had seen to
her every need. The maiden had never left the walls of the city
since she was born, due to her father's orders. Her father had
always been protective of her, but she had grown accustomed
to living inside the town. Even her trips into market or other
places in town were always cut short by her father's orders
and worrying about her well being. When she awoke the morning
of her birthday, she quickly ran through the castle to find her
father in hopes of catching him before he left for town. In the
dining hall she found him and begged to talk to him before he left.
When she told him that she wanted to leave the city for the
day in order to explore the fields and woods near the castle,
he immediately began laughing. He thought it the most foolish
request, but he slowly realized that she had turned twenty
one and had never left the town.
The sun shone high above head and the noise of the marketplace
carried to the front gates of the castle as the massive doors
swung open to reveal the maiden. To each side of her was a burly
soldier armed with more weapons than a bird has feathers. It
was under her father's orders that if she decided to leave the
castle, she would be under heavy protection in case something
happened. Running full speed away from the gates and down toward
the market place, the two guards struggled to keep up. Seemingly
tireless, the young girl wandered the market for hours before
heading farther into town to explore even more. Late afternoon
approached and the girl hadn't stopped for one bit, not even to
eat or drink, and not a sign of fatigue crossed her face. Her
two guards had long ago given up looking rigid and stolid, for
the weight of the afternoon sun was almost as great as that from
the weapons covering their bodies.
Needless to say, they were not surprised, or happy, when
she announced her intentions of taking a walk through the
woods to the south of town. Sprinting out of the town gates,
the two guards jogged and tried their best to keep up with
the young girl, and prayed to their gods that she would
grow tired very soon. A cool breeze blew through the forest,
cooling off everyone and everything after the long hot day,
and the guards felt as if their prayers had been answered.
As the sun slowly approached the western peak both men
realized they were a good ways from the castle, and that
it was getting late. And even worse, should something happen
to the daughter of their liege, they would be thrown into
prison if they survived their punishment.
Catching up to the energetic girl, both guards quickly spoke
up and told her that they should be returning to the keep
before it got too dark out. Mock cries of protest rang through
the valley as she complained about how much fun she was having
and how much she enjoyed being out here. A small but friendly
argument ensued and it was finally agreed that they would go
back after she took a brief swim in a stream they had passed a
few minutes ago. Heading back to the stream she lead the two
men on smiling the whole way. Once there she ordered them to
head on back a little ways, that she wanted to have some
privacy. Slowly removing a strap from her gown, she stopped
until they had turned around and left the immediate area.
Sprinting through the woods with no shoes on, her happiness
was apparent as her smile shone through the woods, almost lighting
the way for her. The sun had almost completely left the woods
engulfing it in darkness. What had minutes ago been beautiful
trees had now turned into vile monsters intent upon catching her
as she ran on. Direction meant nothing to her as she fled the
guards behind her and the shadows pressing down and her only
thoughts were of getting back to the keep in one piece. The
brilliant smile that had adorned her face fled as fast as she
did, and a pure look of terror took shape on her lovely features.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but she knew that she must
have been running for a good fifteen minutes in the same direction.
Despite the running the woods still looked unfamiliar to her.
Stopping to catch her breath and get her bearing it took her
a minute to realize that it was now almost completely dark out.
The only trace of sun was a deep lavender in the skies above
providing just enough light to give the trees a sinister
appearance and frighten her. Adding to that fear she began to
recall the stories from merchants and travelers that had passed
through the woods inbetween the peaks. The only other recollection
was that the protector of the woods had left years ago, leaving
merchants on their own, fair prey for any highwaymen that may
be in the area. Trying to push those thoughts from her head,
she quickly thought of pleasant stories she had heard growing
up in the keep while forcing herself to smile despite the
fear that had taken ahold of her.
Hours passed of walking in what appeared one direction before
she sat down to rest. Blisters had formed on her feet over an
hour ago and the pain from them slowly traveled up her legs
and began to fatigue her. Sitting with her back to a tree she
began to look around at the trees again once again trying
to get her bearing. A single tree caught her attention and
thinking back a little, she recalled passing the tree almost
two hours ago. A small tear rolled out of her eye and continued
down her cheek. With an audible sigh, she pulled her legs
closer to her chest and lowered her chin to her knees in
resignation. Sleep took her almost instantly.
Time had no meaning while she slept, but no matter how much
time had actually passed, an eternity had passed in her dreams.
Sometime later a loud snap sounded somewhere nearby. It took
her a minute to realize that she was awake, and that the sound
had not been in her mind like all of the others. Hesitating,
she opened one eye and looked up. Although it was still night,
the forest had taken on an odd glow from some light source
that reflected off of a fog bank that had appeared while she
slept. Opening the other eye while looking up brought her
a startling surprise. She was not alone. Around her, five
figures had taken position to cut off her escape. Each
figure was wrapped in the fog standing about twenty feet from
her and after a little closer scrutiny, each was carrying a
sword. Terror gripped her and her heart began beating like
a rabbit on the chase.
Without a word, all five figures moved toward her brandishing
their weapons. Using the tree as support, the maiden pushed herself
up with her legs and reached back to grab the tree for support.
Her breathing became more labored and her eyes darted back and
forth between each of the brigands approaching her. Together,
they formed a small ring around her, each pointing their blade
toward her. A tall gruff man stepped forward and dropped the tip
of his sword toward the ground a little. She thought about
screaming but her body would not obey. All she could get out
was a muttered gasp.
"Well well. Look at what we got here boys! Seems the little
missy got lost and wandered in our woods. 'Guess tonight
won't be so cold after all."
The gruff man reached out toward her breasts but seconds before
touching her a faint whistle could be heard followed by a dull
thump. Looking down she saw an arrow sticking through the man's
hand, apparently appearing out of no where. Screaming and holding
his arm, he spun around looking for the person who had shot him.
Almost as one, the four figures turned their back on the girl,
totally forgetting about her, instead more concerned with their
safety. She could see over the shoulder of one of her attackers
and glimpsed a silhouette in the distance. The black figure
was surrounded by the almost glowing fog that shrouded the rest
of the forest. Dropping a bow, the silhouette advanced toward
the brigands and drew two swords from sheaths at his sides.
As the brigands advanced to meet their attacker, the girl slid
around the tree with intent to run away lest she be captured
after they killed her temporary savior. She took one step toward
her freedom and ran straight into the chest of another brigand.
Grabbing her arm he led her back around the tree and held her
tight as he watched the fight. The brigand let out a snarling
laugh and looked at his catch.
"Looks like yer savior ain't gonna live long. Four against
one means we is gonna win. Then we gonna take you back to our
camp and have some fun."
Tears ran like a river down her face and fell to the forest
floor as she realized the truth of the words. Glancing up
she watched as the battle unfolded. A little over twenty feet
away, the four brigands had surrounded the dark figure and
began taunting him and telling him of the painful death he
was about to receive. Looking closer at the group of men
she now noticed that each of her attackers held longswords
and each wore armor of some kind. None of the bandits seemed
to be new to the swords and fighting, and it even seemed that
this group was used to fighting together from the way they
split up and surrounded the single foe.
Dressed in black, she could tell very little about her would-be
savior except that he was tall and well built. He wore a long black
cloak with blood red trim that seemed to have a mind of its own.
As he moved, the cloak always seemed to stay out of the way of
his moving swords, and never opened enough to reveal what
was underneath. Despite being attacked from all sides, the lone
figure fended off each attack moving in slow circles being
careful that he never left his back to a single attacker.
It was only a minute later that the brigands altered their attack
routine, and began to attack faster and with more precision.
With that many swords and that kind of skill, the girl knew that
she was as good as dead.
Dancing back and forth, the swordplay kept on for several minutes,
with no signs that anything new would happen. The figure in black
almost seemed at ease as his twin blades moved around blocking
each attack, and seemingly appearing somewhere else to block
another a half second later. Growling in frustration, the leader
of the group stepped forward intent upon killing this person in
hopes of a quick battle. No sooner than he had taken a step,
a loud clang resounded from his blade. The maiden gasped as she
saw the brigands blade shoot upward and the tip of another sword
appear on his back. Falling to his knees, the brigand dropped
his longsword and held the wound with both hands as he fell
backward, out of the fight.
Seeing their leader drop visibly shook the others attacking
this figure. Hesitation by one of the brigands cost him his
life as two long gashes appeared on his chest forming an 'X',
spilling his life in his own hands. With a snap kick to the
face, he fell backwards out of the way of the remaining three
fighting. A spark of hope flickered in the girls mind as she
realized it might be possible for her savior to win the fight.
As soon as the thought entered her mind, it was quickly forced
out as the man holding her wrist pulled her backwards toward
the tree. Turning her around, he pushed her face first against
the tree and planted his knee on her back as he drew some rope
from a pouch on his belt. He quickly tied her hands behind her
back and then proceeded to tie her feet. Yanking her back around
to face her, he growled once and slapped her across the face
causing her to fall to ground. Sneering at the girl, the man
then moved to join his two remaining companions.
The man in black kept in motion, blocking each attack that came
toward him. With only two remaining it was harder to counter
the attack since he had to turn 180 degrees each time an attack
came in. Looking up from the ground, the girl saw that the
brigands had began a pattern attacking her savior that would
lead to him wearing down and growing tired, while they kept
a safe distance and kept some of their energy. Realizing
this, and seeing another foe approaching, the dark figure leaped
toward the man approaching him and stabbed outward with both
blades producing two lines of red on the bandits neck before
he could block either blade. Without hesitation the figure jumped
over the body of the fallen man and turned to face the other two
brigands who had moved to resume their attack. This time, she
noticed that she was right behind him, and the tree right behind
her. His move had cost him though, as she looked up she could see
a deep cut in the man's left arm, and another on his right side.
Rolling backwards a little, more in fear of getting stepped on,
she hoped to get a better look at the fight and possible get
a glimpse of the man who had saved her. With the loss of position,
the two remaining attackers lost confidence, and in doing so,
quickly lost their advantage. It was a minute later before
another man dropped, blood pouring out of where his eyes used
to be. Cloak swirling, the figure turned to face the remaining
foe and quickly end the fight. Deciding to take his chances on
his own in the woods he turned to flee but instead, ended up
flat on his face as he got tripped from behind. Breathing
deeply he turned over and tried to scoot backwards to escape the
man that had just killed the only four friends he had had.
With no expression, and no show of emotion the man in black
walked over and touched the tip of one of his swords to the man's
chest. Holding it there, he mouthed something and stabbed downward
ending the life of the enemy. Backing up as if in fear of the
dead man before him, the savior stopped and looked down at
himself. Both swords clattered in front of him as he dropped them
and moved both hands to cover his two wounds. An involuntary
grunt escaped him and he fell to his knees, visibly hurting.
The man in black tried to stay on his knees but could not,
and pitched forward into the leaves in front of him.
A faint gasp escaped the lips of the maiden as she watched the
figure fall face first, and she realized that he may be dead,
because of her foolish actions. She quickly untied the rope
bounding her legs and pushed herself toward the fallen man,
her only interest in getting to him to help if she could. It
seemed like forever before she was even near him and as she
drew near she could tell his he was breathing, but it was labored
and he was not moving. Cursing herself, the ropes bounding her,
and the brigands, she kept moving toward her fallen savior,
desperate to help in any way. Finally drawing near she reached
out with both hands to feel for a pulse but as her hand drew
near another voice sounded out from the woods nearby.
"Do not touch him."
From behind a tree stepped another figure dressed in similar
robes and clothing. On his side were two swords as well. Moving
toward her, the new man walked past her and kneeled down to
examine the wounded guardian. He checked for a pulse, and then
moved on to examine the wounds with his fingers. Wiping the blood
on his cloak he rolled the wounded man over and spread his
cloak out revealing more of the man beneath. The maiden sat nearby
watching the whole thing with a mixture of confusion and
concern. Drawing a sword, the new figure stepped back and sliced
downward with a quick stroke severing the ropes that bound her.
"Leave us. Head north until you reach a small grove and then
turn eastward. Keep moving until you cross a road. From there
keep going north and you will be home. Never speak of what
you saw here. It is of no concern to you."
Frightened, the maiden stood up and backed away slowly in
front of the armed man guarding his fallen comrade. Visibly
shaking, she turned and fled north as instructed, not even
looking back to see what was happening. Something in the
man's eyes warned her that if she had protested, she may
have ended up like the men who attacked her. As she fled
to the north, despite her fear of what took place, something
stopped her from running on. Slowing down she placed her
hand over her heart and stopped everything. Something felt
terribly wrong, she had to turn back. It was beating in her
heart, and the compelling thought of returning to help
the person who had helped her overwhelmed her.
Slowly she crept back up and stopped behind a tree a good
distance from the two figures. She crouched down and made
herself as comfortable as possible trying to remain quiet,
hoping to find out more about the two men. All thoughts of
getting home had long since fled her mind and only the thought
of learning more occupied her.
The scene in front of her startled her more than anything else.
She was used to such a simple life at the keep, with no worry,
and to this day she had never seen a person die, and never
even imagined someone dying in such a horrible way. The new
figure was moving the bodies of the brigands and arranging them
in a row a little to the side of where his fallen comrade lie.
Moonlight filtered through the trees above and swept over
the small clearing where everyone was, and using the little
light from above, she could tell that her savior was still not
moving. Perhaps he was dead already, and that thought made her
sick to her stomach. Looking back up she watched the man finish
moving the corpses away.
The job completed, the new figure once again went to his
fallen comrade and checked on him again. The pulse was weak
but he had been bandaged and the bleeding had stopped. It still
didn't look good. Kneeling down the man pulled back his cloak,
removed his sword belt, and placed his palm flat on the chest
of the wounded swordsman. Closing his eyes he began to chant
and slowly lifted his head toward the sky. A pale blue light
engulfed his hand and spread outward over the chest and on to
the arms, and eventually to the wounds. As the light from the
healing spell faded the other man slumped down onto his knees,
apparently weaker from the spell. Something made him jerk his head
up though, and he reached down for his own blades.
The maiden cursed herself for making so much noise. When the
spell began, she couldn't believe what she saw and had gasped,
not sure if this were dream or reality. She huddled down, hugging
herself behind the tree praying to all the gods that he had not
heard, but she knew he did. Footsteps sounded from the clearing
and she could tell he was moving toward her. Panic took her and
she debated on running away from the man but she knew she was
in no condition to run and no doubt, the man would catch her.
Recalling stories she had read, and tales she had heard, she
figured she should at least face any threat as brave as the
knights of old, and act like a mature women, which she was.
She stood up and slowly caught her breath, and with a final
shudder, stepped away from the tree. No sooner had she taken
one step as two blades sliced through the air, falling
a hair's width from her chest. The realization that she could
and should have been dead hit her and she was a loss for words,
however she didn't need to say a thing, because the warrior
in front of her did.
"What did you see?"
The tone of his voice suggested that if she lied, he would
know about it, and would kill her. Taking a deep breath
and summoning all the courage she could, she whispered:
"Almost everything."
His eyes closed a little and anger flashed over his face. He
held on blade to her neck and drew back the other as if to strike
her down, and as he did, she closed her eyes, mouthing a prayer
to her god.
Instead of the killing blow she heard a loud ring in front of
her face. Opening one eye she saw the blade poised inches from
her face. She noticed her savior standing beside her, his own
sword stretched out, blocking the killing blow. She realized
that he had saved her life again. Relief flooded over her and
she took a tentative step back. For the first time she heard
him speak. He was leaning against the tree with one hand on
the deep cut in his side, the other shaking, but wielding
his weapon.
"No Lyell. I can not let you kill her."
His voice was so soft spoken, and so clear, she could hardly
believe this had come from the same man who had minutes ago
killed five men, and then almost fell to his own death.
"You know of our vow. It is our way and you are breaking it.
Hell, you already broke that vow again by saving her in the
first place. You must be crazy."
"I know. I understand what I have done and that is my decision.
You have been my friend for just over two hundred years, all
I ask is that you support my decision."
A look of pure confusion hit her at the talk she had just heard.
Two hundred years kept flashing through her mind, and she
wondered what he meant by that. Not caring about interrupting
their conversation she broke in.
"What do you mean two hundred years? Who are you? Who is he?
What vow are you talking about? What did he mean by killing
me?"
The one called Lyell that had been ready to kill her growled
at her silencing her instantly. Lyell spoke up:
"She knows too much and can't be allowed to live. If she told
anyone, you know what the consequences would be. It just
can't happen. No matter what you think of her. These foolish
emotions of yours will get you killed, almost like they did
tonight."
The last comment hit him worse than any blade could have,
but he stood there as if unaffected. Lowering his sword,
he sheathed it and removed the hood covering most of his
face. His gentle features matched his voice perfectly,
and she questioned how such a person could take lives with
the deadly efficiency that he had shown. That was only one
of a thousand questions that flew through her mind each second
that passed during their conversation.
"I understand Lyell. All I can say is thank you, and you know
that I will repay you one day. Lets sit down, rest and have
something to eat and talk about this. Things will work out."
"By the gods you know I owe you my life a hundred times over,
but you know how I am.....fine....lets rest and get refreshment."
From there they walked north toward the stream she had been
at earlier the previous day. The maiden followed nervously
not knowing what to do, or what to say, if anything. Following
them at a small distance, the past few minutes replayed in her
mind and she questioned whether she was dreaming or not. Looking
up she noticed that the one called Lyell was staring at her.
"You aren't dreaming."
That was all he said before he turned his head and continued
leading them on toward the stream. Once they arrived they
followed the winding water toward the west a ways, until
they reached a small clearing nestling against the slow moving
current. Tall grass and shrubs concealed this place well, and
once closer, the princess could tell that it had been used
quite frequently. The two warriors moved to separate sides
of a small ring of stones, and each removed their sword
belts and placed them within easy reach. Lyell began digging
through a few belt pouches while her savior walked to the
stream bank and knelt down.
A few feet from the water, on his knees, he straightened up
and clasped his hands in front of him. The maiden slowly
stepped to the side and down toward the water to see what he
was doing. From the side she could see his hands were not
clasped, but rather one fist was pushed into the curved palm
of the other. His eyes were closed and the gentle wind blew
back his long brown hair. Moonlight cascaded off the water
and presented the stream bank with a beautiful pale radiance.
Not wishing to disturb the man, she moved back toward the ring
of stones hesitantly. It was obvious that the man called Lyell
did not care for her, and wished her dead, but she got the
feeling that now they were back here, nothing would happen
until they had talked about everything.
Reaching the ring of stones she kneeled down and spread
her cold hands over the fire that he had built. After warming
her hands a little, she took some cheese and bread offered
by the warrior. Lyell then sat down and crossed his legs
and looked at her. Taking the hint, she sat back and made
herself as comfortable as she could on the rocky beach.
"Since we are here, and we have time, I will tell you more
about us, so that your curiosity will not consume you. Know
that what you hear now has never been told to another mortal
and never will be again if it can be helped."
Lyell finished off his piece of bread and washed it down with
a small sip of some liquid he produced from a wineskin. Leaning
back on his elbows he began:
"You know of the legend of the guardian of this forest and
the protector of the valley no doubt. Most people know about
it, but don't know the whole story. Hmmph. Most people hardly
know the tiniest bit of it. If you think back to the few
stories told about the guardian you may realize that he
has been around for as long as you remember. Yes, he. It is
not a monster like some believe. That guardian is the man
who saved your life. Daryth is the name he goes by now and
he has been protecting this valley for just over two hundred
and thirty two years. I am Lyell as you now know.
I know you have a hard time believing that, as you should,
but I speak the truth. When you look at him you see a human
about twenty five years old. Don't let that deceive you.
The cloaks we wear are magical, and change our appearance to
whatever we need. If we wish to be shadows in the night, then
that is what you would see. Nothing more. Anyway, he is
the first guardian to keep the form he has always known. That
is what he looked like when he lived a normal, mortal, life.
That is truly him.
Yes. We are both immortal by your standards. He is three
hundred and eighty two years old right now. When he was mortal,
he committed crimes that led to this punishment. When
the town he lived in was overrun with clerics of evil, he
did not convert to the new false religion like everyone else.
He kept his faith and fought against the evil clerics despite
what his goddess told him to do. He was to leave the town, and
seek a new home, and to forget what had happened, but he couldn't
live with himself knowing innocent people were being subjected
to false and evil gods. Staying, he fought them every way
he knew how. His goddess left him and when he was finally
captured, he was sacrificed to the new gods of the town.
As the knife plummeted through his heart, he only remembers
a bright flash of light, a second or two of what he calls
a trial, and next thing he knew, he had been changed. He woke
up in this spot with clothes, two swords, and the cloak next
to him. The only thing he remembers is that he was to serve
as protector of this valley for two hundred years. After
that, he could lead his own life and do whatever he pleased,
as long as he didn't come into contact with other people.
I understand that is a little confusing, let me try to explain
better. Two hundred years of protecting the travelers and
innocent people was a punishment by the gods, but he didn't see
it that way. He loved every day of it, and took his job more
seriously than any other guardian in history. The true punishment
lie in not being able to see anyone afterwards, including other
guardians. Once the last day of the two hundred years guarding
the valley passed, he was free as long as he didn't make contact
with anyone, and if he did, he sentenced himself to another
one hundred years of guarding the valley, and solitude.
You see us together tonight, but that is rare. We may only
see each other if one of us is hurt, and needs help. By morning
I must be gone or we both suffer the consequences. So for the
past seven years, he had been fulfilling his vow and staying
away from people. He had done that perfectly until this
afternoon when he saw you. As soon as you entered the forest
he had taken up the responsibility of guarding you. He won't
tell me why he did it, but I can see it in his eyes. Your
beauty has taken ahold of his heart and seemingly won't let
go. I do know that he has risked many a trip into town, disguised
as a peasant so that he may see you and make sure you are safe.
It seems that his love for you is deeper than you could imagine.
Take that to heart though, for he has never loved before. Not
as a mortal, or as an immortal. I am his only friend right now
and that is why we look after each other.
Part of our vow, like all guardians is this: No one can learn
of us, what we do, and who we are. If it happens they must die
or never tell another soul. Since you live a plush life back
in town, and speak with too many people, I say you must die.
That is how things must be in my eyes. He sees it differently
though, and brought you back to this place to talk."
She sat back in stunned silence, absorbing everything. Several
minutes passed before she could even look up and look into the
eyes of Lyell. She almost wished this could be all some cruel
joke, or that she would wake up from a bad dream safe in her
room, but that didn't happen. Looking over to Daryth, she
couldn't believe that he had followed her through town on so many
days, and couldn't believe that her beauty had captured him
like this other man said, it just wasn't possible!
"I don't know why, but I believe you. It's just so hard to
accept all that. To think that he did all that for me, and
risked his own life for me is so crazy. I don't exactly
have a lot of people that care for me, and especially not
like that."
She took more time to let all of it sink in, and Lyell cleaned
up the area and added wood to the fire in front of them. It
had been almost an hour since they had reached the clearing,
and the night was about to fade into the morning hours. Daryth
still sat at the stream bank, apparently praying or meditating,
and he hadn't moved.
"What is he doing? He's been there for an hour."
"That is how we can sense danger. I guard a stretch of woods
on the other side of the peak and have taken the night off
to make sure he is not wounded too bad. Each of us has our
own way, but we sit and meditate and pray to our deities
in a special place to us. While we do it, we know of any
possible danger within twenty or so miles of us and that is
how we can react and make sure nothing bad happens. He
will be done in a minute though, and I will begin the
sequence while he rests for a little, else he would not get
any sleep and that would not be good considering the night
he has had."
The warrior and the maiden sat there for a few more minutes
before Daryth dropped his hands and stood up. After standing,
he immediately stretched his arms and legs and turned to face
the others. Walking up to the fire he belted on his swords
and sat down on his knees before getting a small snack of his
own. After he ate, he nodded once to Lyell and then turned
to face the maiden.
"I hope Lyell explained everything to you. I understand if
it is hard to accept, and if you have any questions,
please ask."
"I do have one. What is to become of me? By what he said, I know
too much and he wants me dead."
"That will not happen. Trust me. It is hard to explain but
let me try. Since I first saw you from a distance something
about you reached out and took ahold of me. That first day
in town I followed you from a distance, doing my best to get
a good look at you, and wishing moreso that I could talk to
you. But I couldn't, so I kept watch that night over your room.
I sat on top of a building and made sure you slept as sound
as possible. I prayed to Mielikki that you be well rested
and protected from any danger. That night, I realized that
you were the first person to do that to me. Never had I cared
so much about a single person as that day I saw you. It was
that day that I broke my one hundred year long vow of never
loving another person.
For days after that I followed you in town, watched you while
you slept, made sure no one bad got near you. I risked everything
to be near you when you slept. One night I went as far as to
go into your room, and sit in a corner to watch you.
I have prayed long and wished that you could someday meet me,
and I wished even more that maybe, by some miracle you could
talk to me. You are different Aryn. I can sense it in you from
miles away, and now that you sit near me, it beats in my heart
so loud. I know that you are different, much more than the
people that surround you. Something in my heart tells me that
one day you will become much more than you are now."
He sat looking into the fire, not sure what to say next.
Confusion had taken his heart and for the first time in
his life, he was unsure what to do. The chaos played itself
out in his mind, and finally released him so he could
continue.
"I know that you will want to go back to your life at court,
and I will let you go. All I can do is hope and pray that you
will keep what you know to yourself. I don't know if Lyell
told you, but if you tell another person, we both suffer for
breaking our vow. I have faith in you, and my life is in your
hands whether you know it or not. Know that when you leave
this morning you carry the lives of two guardians, protectors
of the woods and nature.
Also know, that I have complete faith in you. I trust you.
And...I love you."
Daryth dropped his head and looked back into the fire, not
wanting to watch her face as she laughed inwardly at him. He
knew that she would not believe him, and he had already
accepted it. Not wanting to hear the answer that was to
come, he stood up and turned to leave. He could not bear
to hear the word 'no' ring the small grove so he left.
Half rising, Aryn extended her hand to stop him, but he had
already moved to the edge of the clearing. By the time she
stood up, he was gone, and only the gentle breeze was left
to follow.
=-=-=
Sunlight filtered through the balcony door, and displayed
itself over the bed in the center of the room. The sound
of people carried up and acted as a morning alarm to the
sleeping figure. Aryn awoke with a start and sat up in the
bed, unaware of where she was. Putting her hands to her head
she tried to remember what had happened, and what had been
a dream.
Unsure of what was real, and what lay in the land of dreams,
she stretched before standing up. Without a noise, she moved
to her nightstand to gaze into the mirror and brush her
beautiful hair. Setting the brush down she noticed a single
pendant in the middle that she had never seen before. On
the end of a long silver chain, two crossed blades were
fastened, a symbolic reminder of her night before.
=-=-=
The hooded figure kept walking. He had been walking since
the night before when he left his only friend, and the
only person he had ever loved. He scolded himself for walking
away, not sure of her response, but something in the back
of his mind, and something deep in his heart told him that
she would not understand, and would not accept him. It was
almost an hour before noon, and he knew what was to come.
He could not prepare for it so he didn't try, he simply walked
his pattern until the time came.
Minutes before the sun shone directly overhead, he walked
into his clearing by the river. He kneeled down in front
of the stream, and eased back a little, ready for what was
to happen. The last thing he remembered was a figure approaching
from the other side of the river.
Centuries passed, or so it seemed, before Daryth awoke,
and as he opened his eyes he regretted it instantly. The
sun above him bore down onto him and blinded him quickly.
He quickly raised a hand to shield his eyes and adjust to
the light from above. As he did, he could feel the presence
of someone nearby. He lay back down and closed his eyes before
he spoke.
"Hello Lyell. Sorry to bring you back like this, but it is
always good to see you."
"And you my friend. Do you remember any of it?"
"A little here and there. The trial commenced, and my
record reviewed. The judge sentenced me to another hundred
years. But there was something else. I can't quite place
it. Oh well. And you?"
"Nothing. Yes, I was surprised too. I take it they realized
I had no choice this time, and that in my case it could
not be helped. I am sorry for you my friend, and I am not."
"I know. I enjoy the solitude, and love my punishment.
Anyway, I am all right. Thank you again for showing, but
it is time we went our separate ways once again. Hopefully
it won't be a full one hundred years, but I shouldn't think
otherwise."
"I am afraid so."
"I remember. My faith is once again well placed. Our goddess
has returned, and she will look out for us. Mielikki is
back."
Daryth sat up fully and stood before his friend.
"Mielikki granted me this one day to do as I please..
I may do as I wish."
The smile on his face showed his happiness, and Lyell could
tell that his friend was in bliss. Lyell stood up and buckled
his sword belt and prepared to journey back to his own
territory. As he passed, Daryth reached out and clasped
Lyell's hand.
"Wait. I need one last favor old friend."
"Anything..."
=-=-=
Spiraling down the stairs, Aryn felt better than she had
ever felt before. She could recall most of last night
and remembered enough to make her realize how lucky she had
been. The bizarre events still flooded her mind, and she
thought fondly of her savior, and what he had sacrificed
to help her.
As she entered the dining hall, her father was more than
shocked to see her walk through. Jumping up, he rushed to
her and buried her in a hug so big as to almost smother her.
She hugged back, and they stood there for a minute letting
him absorb that she was safe and unharmed.
"What happened? Are you alright? What..."
She cut him off and sat him down in a chair close by.
"Father! I am alright. I will tell you what happened. During
my walk I strayed off a trail and got lost in the woods.
I wondered around for hours before it got dark, and finally
gave up and rested in a small grove. I remember falling
asleep and the next thing I woke up here in the castle.
That is all I remember."
They talked more for part of the morning and she assured him
that everything was fine and decided to go to the market
place to buy some new clothes. A better part of the afternoon
had passed before she returned home.
With a loud bang the oak door to her room hit the wall
and she entered. Setting down her new clothes she removed
a few other necklaces, careful to leave her new one on
and went to the balcony door. Throwing it open she startled
herself as she walked out and almost hit something.
As her eyes adjusted to the setting sunlight, she focused
on a painting set up on a hand carved stand. Below the
picture was a carved plaque that said "Daryth and Aryn"
and below that "Sothi Nuinqua Tsalarioth". Slowly her
mouth dropped down, as the beauty and clarity took ahold
of her. She stood there an hour looking at it, studying
every detail before the sun set and she had to move it
inside. It was the most valuable thing she had ever been
given and she wished she could see Daryth again to tell
him one thing.
'Yes'.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
"And that is the story of Daryth and Aryn. Take it for what
you will and know that this piece means a lot more to two
people of the past."
The gentleman stepped back and leaned against the stage
where the auctioneer was and let his story sink in. So caught up
in the story many people finally blinked and leaned back, unaware
they were sitting on the edge of their seats. A short heavyset man
stood up and walked out of the room, obviously disbelieving the
story. He was the only one to leave the room though.
"What became of Daryth and Aryn?"
The auctioneer had voiced what was going thought everyone's
mind and a near silent murmur rippled across the room.
"That, is a different story."
The man pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to
the auctioneer and walked toward the back of the room. A stunned look
was all that registered on his face as he took the item and watched
the storyteller leave. Once the door had closed he looked down at
the card and turned it over. It said:
Lyell Razdyn
Ranger of Mielikki
=-=
This story inspired by the painting titled "The Diamond Warrior" by
Michael Parks. The story further inspired by a good friend.
- d1s
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