Chapter 0.3

  The knight braved the journey through the night, as to avoid having to spend the night in the wretched Treigthe. The trek had given him plenty of time to ponder how he would find the girl, and he rationalized that he would just walk around the forest until he came across something. The wound on his side had begun to ache will all his movement, and he craved the little bed at the cabin. There was a weight on his legs then seemed to become heavier with every step, his eyelids drooped sleepily and he became more relaxed and heavy with every deep breath he took. 

It was unnatural that the journey had drained him so much, but he put it off that it was because of his injury. The cabin began to come into sight in the distance. The town was roughly 4 hours behind him, but he could still smell the wretched haze around him. The town would stay in his mind for, but he was glad to be away. The cabin looked as old and broken as it had ever been, but he felt a sense of homelyness. He liked the cabin, it was little, simple, and quaint. He liked simple things because they were the easiest to handle. 

He slipped inside, but there was something wrong. The place was trashed, ransacked by the look of it, but nothing was missing. He slipped off his helmet and laid it on the bed, the darkness hid everything from him, but he could easily assess the damages. The boxes had been kicked in and thrown about, the food pot was missing and ashes were strewn around everywhere from the fire place. It was a little cold in the cabin, he figured why not make a fire and clean up the place a bit. ‘Who would’ve done this? No one even lives here, so why trash it?’ he thought to himself. There was no retaliation to what had happened and the best he could do was to tidy up. He knelt and scooped the ashes back into the fire place, and laid logs down, he quickly started a fire with his spark stones, and the cabin was alight once more. He turned back from the fire, and looked at the bed. But there was something wrong. Someone did indeed live here, well as of tonight she did. 

The girl had lain cuddled on the edge of the bed, hidden under the blankets. Her frame was so small, that he didn't notice her on the bed when he had first entered the room. She was asleep softly snoring, he couldn’t help but think that she looked incredibly cute. Her arm was nestled under her cheek and it lay smushed under her head. The blanket covered her beside her leg that had fallen off the side of the bed. He thought it would be the best thing to fix her sleep arrangement, and then wait outside  all night until she woke up in the morning. It was very pleasing to him that he found her so easily. 

Her hair splayed messily around her soft face, and he had an impulse to run his fingers through it, it looked to soft and lovely. Her face was quiet and soft, deep in a relaxing sleep. He wondered what he looked like when he had been sleeping around her. ‘Hopefully i didn't do anything embarrassing.’ Then he wondered why he wondered that. He had never cared what people thought of him, but there was something pleasantly strange about this girl. He notice that a long pale ear stuck from the edge of her face, an elf ear. The woman was right, she was an elf. The knight had never encountered a real elf before but the stories that he heard had made him imagine that they would look like tall goblins. He was happily incorrect, and he continued to examine the girl. Her lips moved in sleep and it looked like she was speaking, and he was intrigued what she might be saying so he crept closer to her. Each movement left a clanking armor noise in the air, and he was beginning to notice how loud he was. He took a knee beside the bed, his face inches from hers. The warm breath fell on his face and it sent shivers down his back, why did she do this to him? This wasn’t normal for him. He pulled closer to hear her unconscious mumbling. Her lips tickled the edge of his ear and he almost gasped at the contact. 

It was to much for him, he couldn't stay by her anymore, there were strong impulses deep inside him, and he wasn’t sure if it could be kept down. He stood sharply, loud armor noises cut the silent air, and he froze out of fear that he would wake her up. She frowned as if something unpleasant had happened and rolled over, pulling the blankets over her body. He suddenly caught glimpse of something. Her back laid bare before him, the blankets were cuddled in her arms and had fallen from her back. The soft flesh shone a pale white, he wanted to badly to take off his glove and trail his fingers along the soft velvety skin. He shook his head when he noticed that his had was beginning to extend outwards. ‘This is torture!’ he yelled in his mind. ‘I just have to get out of here.’ He turned harshly around sna marched quickly to the door, he opened it quick and ran out. The cold air blew around him, the sky was coated in millions of stars. They sparkled and shined, just like her eyes, bright and intelligent. That thought shocked him, why can’t he get her out of his head! ‘This is madness!’ he whispered out loud to the ground below, the grass bowed and nodded in agreement. The knight sat and laid his back against the side of the cabin, if he just slept, maybe that would clear his head. He closed his eyes, and felt his body relax, the wind brushed through his thick hair. The stars shone brightly onto the ground as he shortly fell into a deep sleep.

The birds chirped loudly, and lulled him back to the land of the wake. He opened his eyes only to be lost in hers. The blue and green danced gently together, hugging the strong ring of brown around her pupil. ‘Wait.. her eyes, they sure are pretty. But.. hmm.’ It then his him like a freight train, she was sitting on her knees, propped on her hands, staring at him. She was here! in front of him. The sun was rising behind her, sending rays through her hair, giving her the look of a halo, angelic and gentle. 

“What, wha.. I um.  You… There.” he managed to squeak out, rustling from the ground, trying to find ground to stand on but his knees were weak for whatever reason. He shakily stood and frantically tried to look anywhere but at her, thoroughly embarrassed. She sat back on her feet, tucked neatly under her. Her eyes never left him, she just stared watching him. She reached behind her and stood, hiding whatever it was behind her. She tipped her head to the side and smiled mischievously, somehow pleased by what she saw. Then from behind her back, she presented him his rusted helmet. ‘S**t! Helmet. Face. Her saw. She saw. I’m. FACE’ his words tumbled over each other in his mind, trying to rationalize what to do, but they were as flustered as he was. He snatched the helmet from her, and hurriedly put it back onto his head, happy that he was a little more hidden from the girl. She snickered at him, a soft sweet laugh. It made him blush so bad he was worried that the helmet would melt off his face. ‘Why was he so embarrassed?’

He was so flustered he didn’t even realize how she was presented. Her chest was shamefully exposed to his view, whether it was on purpose or not, he felt very ashamed that he couldn’t easily look away. A feeling filled his gut, and he was afraid he was going to vomit. Her body was tightly hugged by a light powder blue shall. It splayed her curved in a very flattering way, and he had definitely noticed it’s alarming length. He didn’t know how to react to such a provocative state. His face blushed harder, and he was about to try to speak to her, when she cut him off. Her voice was as smooth as her skin and it held a rhythm like she was singing, 

“I’m really glad you came back. I haven’t had anyone in my home for a very long time.” she looked away to the ground and began to paw at it with her foot, tearing up the dirt and pulling the grass. He remained silent, but was beginning to gather himself again. 

“I’m also sorry that I ran away from you earlier. I’m not good with people.” Her voice continued. She looked sad for a moment, but quickly spread a little smile again, her eyes seemed to have lost the shine and go dull for a split second, but he thought it was just a trick of the eye. He noticed that her hair was tied neatly around itself, probably to hide her ears. She looked at him, expecting a response, but got nothing in return. 

“Why did you come back?” she inquired excitedly, as if that was the happiest sentence she had spoken to anyone in a long time. 

His mouth hung open slightly, he had rationalized to himself that he must find her and say that he was sorry and that he had to see her, but that motive seemed a little off putting at the moment. His voice was soft and timid, but he spoke anyways.

“I uh.. I had to say thank you.” he paused shortly and reached for his side, “Thank you for fixing me up. And letting me stay here for so long. And for the food, and.” He added quickly, “For the flowers.” 

Her face brightened, the praise of her good deed seemed to reverberate inside her. He could sense the happy pride she was giving off. 

The knight looked her deeply in the eyes, tingles went down his spine as he remembered her last night in the bed.

“I know what you are.” He blurted out bluntly.At that, the smile vanished, her eyes went cold and her movements became sharp. She stepped backwards and squared her feet on the ground, arms tensed. Ready for him to attack. He immediately felt guilty and waved his arms trying to reconcile her mind.

“no. no. no. I’m not going to do anything. No, In fact, I would like to help you. Don’t be frightened. Nothing is going to happen.” he called a little too loudly. She stood silent, not believing anything he said.

“I don’t get afraid.” she informed him, her stance remained poise for any sudden movements, but her eyes softened, hoping so much that he was telling the truth. 

“It’s okay. I just wanted to talk to you.” the knight said. He bowed to one knee and extended his arms to the side, expressing grace with the rusted armor clanking as he got back to his feet. “I am Gadreel Castium. A simple traveller.”  They stood facing each other, as she evaluated her next move, unknowing if he was to be trusted or not. She sloppily copied his bow and roughly informed him,

“I am, Klau. Klau Brienem A simple Freeland Elf.”  ‘This is great progress’  Gadreel thought to himself. Klau relaxed her stance and came closer to him, she raised a hand, and casually flicked the metal on his breastplate.

“Why aren’t you going to try to kill me? You aren’t a hunter but surely you are human enough to try and get rid of a foul creature such as I.” Her voice was on edge but seemed cool and normal. He sighed as she spat out the last sentence as if it was acid burning up her mouth. Her eyes were sharp and demanding, they burrowed into him and he tried to look away. Despite her small innocent appearance, Klau was very intimidating. Gadreel had faced many monsters far worse that her, but he just couldn’t hold his ground or even his gaze. Gadreel took a deep breath and explained that he had gone into the town and learned about her. What they had done to her long ago and that he intended to help her anyway he could. Help set up the house a bit better, maybe? He had no idea what he could do for her, but there was determination behind his words that hinted he would not be leaving anytime soon. 

“I don’t need help. I have been fine on my own and I intend to keep it that way. But I cannot force you to leave, so stay if you wish. That’s what this place is for anyways.” Klau motioned to the cabin behind him, as if that explained everything but he was a bit confused. ‘Isn’t that where she lived? if that were true then why all the dust?’ he thought to himself. 

“Do you not live here?” he inquired dutifully, trying to understand it all. She chuckled as if the notion of staying in a cabin was completely idiotic to her. She turned to the woods and pointed towards the great ancient trees.

“Of course not, I live there. In the forest where the drove me off to. I’m an elf, it’s kinda what we do. Being in depth with nature and all. I had found this cabin, abandoned and decided that I wanted to meet people, just not the villagers. I figured that if a traveller came along,that they would stay, and become my friend. But i’ve only had a few people pass by, and they were all hunters trying to kill me. Until you came in, wounded and all. I was so happy that someone was here, not trying to hurt me, or anything like that. I brought you food everyday, and tried to work up the courage to say hello. But when I finally decided to present myself as a friend, you were leaving. I thought you weren’t coming back, and that made me angry and sad. Mainly at myself.” Klau explained to him lengthily, but he was glad that he understood her disposition now. And that also meant that he could stay here on his own. And be her friend. The last thought excited him to to end, he had never really had a friend before. 

“Why were you here last night?” He continued to ask questions, not really thinking that he had admitted to sneaking in and seeing her. She did not seem to mind however, and her face turned a light shade of pink as she blushed. Io

“It’s silly, but I come here when i want to feel a little more normal. Make pretend that i’m in my home and that someone I love would come through the door. I felt so bad when you left that I wanted to pretend a little bit.” She folded her hands into themselves and looked away embarrassed. 

“I’ve never really said that out loud. Now it sounds kinda childish.” She admitted to the ground, as she continued to tear it up with her little toes. 

“How old are you anyways?” Gadreel asked innocently. Then he remembered with a jolt that you should never ask a woman her age. Or weight for that matter. However, Klau wasn't phased or embarrased or took it in any bad way. But she did look a little puzzled, as if the thoughts in her head were giving her trouble. 

“Um, I don’t really know. I have never had to keep track of any kind of time, or stuff like that. I can’t write either, or at least not well. I can’t do a lot of the normal humany things because I have had no real need for them.”

That made sense to him, what need would there be for writing and watching the clock if you were busy living in the woods, away from people, for years. 

“Well, if you would be so kind, may I see your hand?” he asked politely, kneeling down below her level, and extended his gloved hand to hold hers. Klau was understandable hesitant for a few moments. Her last physical human contact had been when she tore a hunter’s head off trying to protect herself. This was very weird for her to feel actual touch from another person without malicious intent. Gadreel ungloved his hand and felt the warm air against his skin, she came closer and gently poked his hand with her finger. She extended more and laid her palm flat onto his. The softness of her skin soothes his rough skinned hands. The sensation of her touch sent shivers down his back and the hair stood straight up on the back of his neck. It took all the resistance he had not to pull away and shiver.

“What are you going to do?” she inquired timidly. Her body was still poised for flee from him at any moment, but the hope of a friendship between them was visible in her blue eyes. It looked like he was her last hope before she would give up on trying her dream of finding someone.

“There is a trick I learned, on my travels. For a few months, I worked as a regulator for a woman’s health thingy. I didn’t quite know what the place was but i was instructed to look at their hands to determine the age before I let anyone in. You can read on the palm of the hand, through these little lines.” Turning Klau’s hand over in his, and trailing a finger around the lines of the palm, explaining the positioning. “It’s called palm reading. I can tell how old you are, how long you’re expected to live, if you’re good with money and people. All kinds of things, but i only learned the basics.” He flattened her palm with his two hands and lead his pinky finger across a long line, “This says you’ll live a long live, and since it isn’t all scratched up that means it’ll be comfortably easy for you as well.” Her eyes glared into him as he said that, daring him to say that what she had been through was easy in any sense. ‘Okay maybe this isn’t as accurate as I thought.’ he made a mental note. He moved down to a second line, it was shorter but held space for growth, “Judging by this, I’d say you are about 15 or 16 years of age.”  His grasp released her hand and she pulled it away slowly, as if treasuring the personal contact and wanting it to continue. Tracing the lines with her own fingers, she looked at him puzzled,

“Is that good? Do I want to be 16 or 15?” Her voice inquired interested at the new knowledge she had just gained. That puzzled him, Gadreel wasn’t quite sure how to answer her question. He himself had never expected to live to be 18, but so far his life was holding strong. 

“It’s not a bad thing, but i’m not sure. What i do know is that we are almost the same years. I am 17, almost turning 18 in the mid of winter. It’s just a number that helps you keep track of how long you’ve been alive.” He felt that that was a good enough explanation but himself also wondered if it was a good or bad thing. “Oh well.” He added, “It’s just the basis of opinion. I guess.” There was an awkward pause of silence between them. ‘ugh. Why am I so bad at talking to people? And to her? I just can’t get the words right. There is something about her. I’m so nervous. What if i say something stupid. She may laugh at me. Oh I really don’t want to say something stupid now. But she’s just so. How do i put it? She’s so cute.’ The monologue went on through his head as the silence grew even more awkward and long. She folded her hands, wringing them and her face turned a darker red. As if she had remembered something troubling or embarrassing. Klau raised her head and walked a little closer to him. She reached forward and took his hand. Gadreel had completely forgot to put the gloves back on, and they had remained neatly tucked in his belt. Her skin brushed his, it seemed as though she wanted to hold his hand. It was an odd movement, but he thought nothing of it. It just made the thoughts in his head turn into a blur. He couldn’t think straight, but she ended up leaving his hand at his side and pulled back. Deciding against whatever she had planned to do. 

“I ruined the cabin.” Her tone was distant and longing, but fast and rushed. As if trying to distract herself from thoughts in her mind. “I thought I had failed in trying to help you stay a bit longer.” Klau continued, her eyes tracing the details of his helmet. She explained that the morning he had left, she wanted to surprise him with a big yummy meal, and try to talk to him. But all she saw was him leaving, and it wasn’t a nice feeling. 

“Let’s tidy it up together.” He decided, it would not only be a nice gesture, but it would let him get to know her a bit more. They could have some time together. Her features sharpened with over enjoyment at his suggestion. The blue in her eyes was bright with excitement. I was just a simple cleaning job, but that meant he didn’t want her to leave. Gadreel wanted to help her. That thought made her very very happy. He was becoming her friend. She nodded her head excitedly and smiled wide. Klau’s excited steps lead past him and into the cabin. 

The carnage was a bit worse than he suspected last night. The wood boxes were spilled and preserved foods and homemade gord water jugs spilled onto the floor. On the farther wall, he saw a slight indented crack in the wood, as if somebody had punched it. The dust that had covered everything hung in the air as they moved about shards of wood from the boxes and assorted goods. 

“Why do you have all this foods?” Gadreel asked, while lifting the end table back to where it originally sat. 

“I was stocking up for anyone that would come by and wanted to stay for a while. Even though nobody had come, I still felt like I should keep it spare in case. And like that a traveller did come through. You. I kept in the hope that I could use it to feed my new friend.” She easily informed him. As if it was the most normal thing in the world. Her skirt lifted slightly as she bent to pick up something. His gentlemanly ways sprung into action and he turned abruptly, knocking over the end table. It clattered to the floor and he stumbled after trying to catch it. A shamed red covered his face, and he was thankful for the helmet covering his face. He picked up the table and turned back to face her, saying, 

“Alright, that makes sense. Why WHA!” Gadreel stumbled out a small cry of shock as she was standing directly behind him, staring and smiling as if she had just pulled the best prank ever. A silence had followed her as she noiselessly snuck up behind him to scare him with her abrupt presence. His face turned redder as he tried to recover from the shocked cry he let out. But her face lead him to believe that she enjoyed it a little too much. A small mischievous giggle escaped her and she snorted with laughter. He couldn’t help but smile as well, Klau’s joy seemed to infect him and he felt lighter and happy. Definitely a strange feeling that he hadn’t encountered for a very long time. 

Suddenly, without warning, she bashed into his chest with her shoulder and in one fluid motion swiped the helmet from his head while he fell backwards onto the bed. The motions were so precise and smooth, her instincts and skill were far beyond his in the way of grace. The shock hit him, and he was slightly enraged. Mostly at himself for letting her get a slip on him. Klau bounded happily to the other wall of the cabin, the prize helmet in her small hands. Gadreel’s face felt incredible bare and he rose abruptly from the bed. His face contorted as he tried to avoid letting her look at him directly. Even though she had been the one to see him completely bare of armor, this was as separate matter. He couldn’t let her see. ‘Please don’t look at me.’ he thought desperately to himself. Gadreel marched angrily towards her and reached for the helmet, sure that he could just grab it from her, but Klau was to quick. 

Her body flew under his arm and around to his back. She teasingly poked the back of his head with her finger. Gadreel turned violently and grabbed her wrists. Klau dropped the helmet, alarmed that she had been stopped in the game. But the footing beneath her stumbled and she fell backwards  onto the bed. Gadreel had refused to let go and confused by his sudden victory fell with her. His arms fell heavily beside klau’s head and pinned her arms above. His face was a mere few inches from hers. The softness of her skin seemed to glow against the sun streaming through the window. Her face flawless from blemishes. 

The scar on the side of his face burned from the attention he was expected to get. But Klau’s eyes were locked into his. They lost the mischievous sparkle and held a warm feeling. 

 They paused at the new development. Unsure exactly what to do next. She stared into his eyes, with a longing intend in them. He felt a sudden urge to caress her soft lips with his, hold her in a tight embrace. The thought confused him very much. He had never had such a longing for someone. Her eyes scanned his face closely, deciding over every feature. Her face blushed a crimson red and she began to struggle under his grip. He pulled back abruptly, and staggered back. His head was suddenly spinning, he had never noticed that she had a wonderful scent. She hugged her knees in a form of embarrassment. 

He rubbed the back of his head, looking onto the floor. Supposedly looking for his helmet that had been thrown under the bed. He felt the heat from his face changing his olive skin the a darker color, he had never felt so exposed even in his armor protection. She watched him over her knees as he knelt down and reached under the bed for his lost helmet. Reaching it over his head, he moved to put it back onto his face, safe and covered. 

“Please wait.” her voice begged quickly. He stopped moving, his hands held over his head with the helmet. She laid down her knees and stood gracefully. The dust in the air mixed with the sunbeam that landed generously on her. The light illuminated her eyes, making them look piercing and direct, but not without her soft innocence of the smile beneath them. She held out her hands, expectant of his to hand over the helmet that he had just “fought” her for. The helmet lowered, as if his body was disobeying him. Her hands laid on the backs of his as he held to sides of the helmet. Klau’s soft touch was so warm and comforting, her scent still in his mind. It all made his brain swim.

“Why do you wear your armor so much?” Klau inquired gently, as if afraid it was a sensitive topic to him. Gadreel knew she would ask this question eventually, and he never really had given it much thought.

“I don’t really know. I wear it to be protected from the monsters I encounter and I guess I just got used to wearing it so often. I very much dislike being around people without it because you never know what they would do. It’s good to always wear protection.” he explained, his eyes floated around in the air. Trying to avoid her captivating gaze. ‘Why do I keep looking away from her? I could stare into her eyes all day. They’re so nice and pretty. She is nice and pretty.’ His mind determined. It was official, he admitted. She was very pretty. 

“That makes sense. I’m sorry I took your helmet. I didn’t really think it would be so mean of me. But wouldn’t it be easier to clean without it, so you can see?” Klau’s hands departed from his, and she left him to make his decision of whether to wear his cover or not around her. He stood for a moment, his senses weren’t on edge or harshed in anyway. Gadreel felt peaceful and nice, but insecure in every aspect. The helmet was set gently on the table beside him, unused to seeing it off of his body this way. Gadreel noticed  just how old the helmet looked, rust covered the sides of it, there were several dents and abrasions, not to mention the mysterious chip on the back edge of it. 

A smile brightened her face instantly, ‘He trusts me! Well, at least enough to be without the helmet. I’m so glad. My friend trusts me.’ Her mind seemed to keep running over this new development. Klau was very happy that the day was going so so well. 

Gadreel’s features were rounded yet defined. There was a mangled scar on his face, it looked to be a few years old, but but deep enough to permanently damage him. His eyes were a deep hazel, old yet hopeful. It was obvious to her that he had been through a lot, and yet held a sense of gentlemanly refinement about himself through it. ‘He is very handsome. Is that the word? I don’t really know. I can’t ask though! But am I right? Oh I just don’t know. Maybe if I play it off I can ask and he wouldn’t notice what I meant. Perfect.’ Klau’s mind was relentless with thoughts. All she could see was him continuing to clean up the cabin, but she swore that he was looking at her from time to time. She could see it our of the corner of her eyes, but when she turned to make sure, he was busying himself with the work of cleaning. 

“Hey, what do you,” she started to asked timidly and quiet but his speech overran hers.

“I think we are just about done here.” Gadreel declared happily, standing by the door and admiring his work. They looked around and noticed that there was nothing left to be done. The dust was swept away, the food restocked nicely on a shelving unit. Even the bed had been made up, and the ashed thrown out. 

“It’s never been so perfectly clean before!” Klau said ecstatically, clapping her hands and bouncing slightly. He turned to look down on her happy little form and unconsciously put his arm around Klau. She was the perfect height for Gadreel to comfortably drape his arm across her small yet sturdy shoulders.. The reaction from her confused yet pleased him very much. Klau did not shake him off or jump away, in fact, she seemed to pull closer to him. Embracing the touch and job well done. ‘Freaking armor digging into my back. I like him holding me like this, but damn.’ She complained to herself. The sun was at it’s highest point, mid noon. They had spent half the day together, talking, cleaning. It was the happiest half a day she had had in a long while. 

Klau swooped down and under from his arm, and walked out the door, into the warm sunshine. The long grass rippled like small waves in an ocean of earth. They walked through the grass,  enjoying the  peace of the scene when a rumbling sound disturbed the serenity. Klau rubbed her belly and pouted at Gadreel,

“I’m  hungry” she said, a cute pouty face made him swoon. ‘why was that so f*****g cute?’ he thought to himself curiously. Gadreel instinctively wanted to help her and reached behind him for his backpack that held his rations, but then he remembered that he lost it in the fight with the creature. The wound on his side sung slightly as he remembered the fight. 

“I’m in the mood for meat. Fresh meat though, nothing we have in there.” she said mostly to herself, waving a hand lamely at the words in there. Klau smiled and turned to Gadreel who had been watching her thought process, trying to determine why she had such an affect on him. Klau excitedly took his hand in hers and walked towards the forest. 

“Let’s go hunting.” You can show me your skills too.” she nipped playfully at him and lead him into the ancient tree maze.