Tamain opened his eyes. At his side, curled up against him slept his new beloved, Lysia. It was pity, more than anything, that first drew him to her. She was a weak, meek creature that needed his help as she was now wrapped up in a dangerous web spread all over the neutral lands. If he didn't take her under his protection, she wouldn't last much longer -- even among her own people. As odd as it sounded to him, it was what made him so affectionate towards her. He fancied the idea of having a lady to protect. He brushed the stray hair from her face as she slept.
Among Zecairins there are no meek women. Zecair wastes little; if one is not capable of ruling, then they are ruled or they are dead. The Rulers are haughty, powerful, unapproachable, and treacherous. The ruled are sycophantic, obsequious, and secretly scheming of becoming a Ruler -- equally treacherous. Tamain wanted a lover he didn't constantly need to be suspicious of. That ruled out Zecairin women. Human women were nice, but they lacked Zecairin stamina and they became very contrary once a month. It was a biological aspect he had never quite wrapped his head around. There were other races he had bedded... Cutharins, Ergosts, even a cute little Chibbit half his size. But most of them shunned him after their foray was over. Zecairins were not tolerated for long. He had never thought he'd find what he was looking for in an Elthairin -- the butchers of his people. Such warm thoughts settled his senses and he closed his eyes to resume his sleep.
But the splash of water snapped them wide awake again. It was quickly followed by the wet sloshing of booted foot falls -- a single pair. Lysia still slept soundly next to him; he could rouse her, but the only escape route was past whoever was intruding on their secret cavern. Tamain could not put her in harm's way, not until he had trained her properly to defend herself. If he engaged this intruder, she would be left defenseless. If he tried to flee with her, she would be at equal risk. His only option was to hide.
Subtly, he called the elements together and created a dome of ice to hide them. It was thin, any thicker and his next trick wouldn't work. The ice started to turn a purplish hue to mimic the crystals that grew in this secret cavern. A slight adjustment to the ice crystals, and he made his view through it one-way. With the camouflage complete, he waited and watched the distorted image refracted through the ice shell. Silently he cursed himself for being careless, he should have set a trap or two, or at the very least an alarm ward at the water tunnel leading to the cavern to give them more time to prepare.
Lysia shivered in her sleep from the growing cold. Tamain wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. The ice dropped the temperature inside the dome, a critical flaw that could undo his effort if their intruder was smart.
A person strode into view from around the large central crystal, and Tamain's blood chilled to his bones. An Elthairin Leaf Knight with sword in hand cautiously investigated the area. When the Elthairin turned to face their direction, Tamain silently cursed under his breath when he saw the telltale glow of heat vision magic coming from the elf's eyes. It was unnecessary in this cavern illuminated by the natural glow of the crystals, but it was the obvious choice of an Elthairin Leaf Knight tracking someone. A certain runaway trainee perhaps...
"I see you Zek," Valel's voice said coldly in the darkness and he locked his stare right at Tamain. Tamain dispelled the camouflage and gently roused Lysia. He sat up and stood as she wiped the sleep from her face and tried to make sense of her surroundings.
"Valel?" She asked sleepily and stood up. Tamain pulled her behind him and put himself between her and this Elthairin Knight, Valel.
"Release her," Valel commanded and pointed his sword level with Tamain's neck.
"Not to you," Tamain said evenly, but made no move. Surprise would be his weapon, and he would wait until the last possible moment to ensure its success.
"Valel!" Lysia blurted out and shouldered past Tamain. "Stop this!" She spread her hands out to block him from Tamain. The Zecairin wasn't sure how to take this change of roles. But she looked just as beautiful from behind as she did from the front. Her long brown hair flowed straight down her back, free of its braid and slightly disheveled from their love-making. The pale pink light basked her naked skin and revealed every delicate curve and every dimple. He wanted to take her right now, right in front Valel. But now was not the time for such thoughts, and Tamain quickly pushed them aside.
"Whatever you have done to her, undo it Zek." Valel said coldly.
"Did it ever occur to you that when you threw me out there was only one place for me to go?" Lysia scolded him. Tamain was as shocked as Valel at her boldness. "I am not with you anymore. Not your order, not your people. I'm tired of my own people trying to kill me because I'm in the way! I haven't done anything wrong!!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Her voice echoed and reverberated off the walls. Both men were equally taken aback.
Lysia was crying scared tears; she had never let her anger out like that before. But she stood her ground firmly. Valel lowered his sword.
"The two of you...?" Valel asked, trying to be delicate. "Do you know what he plans for you?"
"Freedom. Freedom is all he offered me." Lysia gritted through her teeth. Tamain relaxed. Valel returned his sword to its sheath, and ran a gloved hand over his face to wipe away the dripping water from his swim He took a moment to process her words. Lysia had reached him, but it was still a hard concept for him to swallow. "Leave, Valel."
"I need to know more," Valel said and rested his hands on the hilts of his weapons. "If I am to entrust the second most precious woman in my life to him, I need to be able to trust him."
"No you don't." Lysia argued. "You only need to trust me. This is my choice." Valel crossed his arms over his chest in defiance but started to take a step back as he reluctantly accepted her request.
"Would you help me understand this then? Or is my ignorance my penance for my greatest sin?" Valel countered trying to be friendly.
"Get out Valel." Lysia growled.
"No, wait." Tamain interjected at last. He had been content to let this play out and see just how much fire his little mouse had to stand up to this Leaf Knight. But there was an opportunity here he couldn't let slip. "He has his reasons, and something good can come of this." Lysia turned to glare at Tamain, but he threw his hands up defensively. "Hear me out. If you trust me." Lysia covered her exposed chest with her hands and stepped back reluctantly.
"Valel," Tamain started, "I am Tamain, of the Discarded." He paused to let that sink in, but Valel apparently hadn't a clue what he was talking about. "I suspect you would know what that means if you bothered to interrogate the Zecairins you encounter before you murder them. Not all of us are your enemy. But I will explain..." Valel didn't move, but merely listened stoically, almost casually. He showed no annoyance, aggression, or sympathy. Tamain coughed to clear his throat and collect his own thoughts. "Lysia is not here against her will, she can leave whenever she wants. I thought I would make her the offer of a new home, as it seems she is out of sorts with her previous one. And... negotiations ensued." Tamain looked to Lysia to see if his clever phrase entertained her at all, but the girl had returned to her cold, hardened state and locked herself away mentally. All of his hard work thawing her out had been undone by this Knight's mere presence. Tamain sighed in exasperation -- Elthairins had their own personality quirks as well it seemed.
"The Discarded," Tamain began, and stood before Valel with his hands grasped behind his back and his feet firmly planted. He was naked, but it seemed to make Valel more uncomfortable than it did Tamain. "...are exiles - Children of Zecair that have been banished because the red elixir they are given as a child did not take hold. If it did, I would be under the same 'corruption' your beloved Queen recently cured herself of." Tamain walked over to his trousers and proceeded to clothe his lower extremities. Hopefully, some modesty on his part would help Valel loosen up.
"Please extend my heartfelt congratulations to your queen. She is the only elf I have heard of that has beaten the curse." Tamain said with a smile, as he buckled on his trousers. Valel gave Lysia an aggravated look, but still remained silent. "Oh, very well." Tamain complained and approached the Leaf Knight casually. "If it will make you feel better, you may strike me for stealing her away from you. Although I doubt she views it that way." Valel looked as if he was about to take the Zecairin up on his offer, but the frankness of it all, and how he had cut right to the source gave Valel pause. But there was a sudden tremble of fear in Lysia that told Tamain it best not to tempt that tiger.
"No? Hmm," Tamain said before he could swing. "Then let me say this. We could be allies." He paused to let that settle in. "But not until this blood feud ends. Not settled.
Ended
." Valel gave the Zecairin a curious look. Tamain had finally said something that intrigued him. "You will need allies if you are to win back your Queen's throne. More if your kin hope to survive the hell that is coming from Zecair. It is time you started to think... unconventionally. We, my comrades and I, can no sooner lower our guard than you can. But it must start somewhere, and with someone making the first move. So let this be it." He offered Valel his hand, and the overconfident smirk on his face turned dark and serious. "This I extend to you, and you alone, Valel. Each of your kin will have to grasp it of their own accord when they have earned it. Take my hand and I swear neither myself nor any under my command will harm you nor hinder your path. It will remain offered until you grasp it, or until you give me a reason to rescind my offer."
