Page 3 of 3 A hand did touch her arm then. "Lady Ae'thenal."
"Cedwyn Brighteye," she did reply as she did incline her head
towards the archer champion. Cedwyn dark of hair and handsome in his
prime, and with his keen eyes that had gifted him his name now focused
upon her.
"I would ask of you if you did in truth know that the Lady
Si'anelle did not intend to hunt within the forest when she did make
her leavetaking of me."
Bowing her head and with her face colouring in her shame she did reply, "In truth I must tell you Cedwyn that I did know."
And the archer champion's hand did now grip her arm the tighter
and he did shake her with his anger now worn openly upon his face. "To
make search for the Banepearl," he did accuse. "I did think of you as
possessing some small measure of intelligence Ae'thenal."
A scream of utter fury did build within her breast, "We did not know!"
Her voice did cut across the clearing like a storm wind as she did
break free of Cedwyn's hold. "We did not know Cedwyn Brighteye." Now
all of Cedwyn's archers did look her way, weapons being touched in
their uncertainty. When Cedwyn did take a step towards her she did hold
him back with the blade of her spear, the Banepearl's terrible strength
within her, which did cause her to be of a sudden very afraid. Closing
tight her eyes she did moan aloud and bury her weapon's blade in the
ground before turning her back upon Cedwyn.
"The thing was beautiful Cedwyn," she did say as her tears did escape
her eyelids, "its song was pure and it did heal our bruised and weary
bodies. When we did make our returning, light did go before us driving
away the night's shadow and not a one of the wicked creatures within
the forest did prevent us." Sighing she did unbuckle her helm casting
it aside, then she did draw her sword and discard it. "By the pool
'Despairing' a one of the Banepearl's witch guardians did sieze me in
her grip Cedwyn Brighteye. And she did mock me and my oath to
Si'anelle; saying she would take me down into the pool if I did prevent
Si'anelle from claiming the pearl. So chastise me if you will Cedwyn,
because you can not be the more harsh than I am with myself already."
Her hands had been busy with unbuckling her breastplate when
Nimine her foster mother had quietly laid her hands upon her wrists and
drawn her away towards Si'anelle's pavilion that did stand by itself
within the clearing. She had gone without protest, not meeting the eyes
of any of Cedwyn's archers in her shame as she had passed them by.
Knowing in truth that she could not cast off her fault by the simple
act of discarding her weapons and armour. And terribly afraid in the
certain knowledge that if she had indeed been successful in removing
her armour and clothing without interruption , she would have torn her
flesh from her bones with the nails of her own hands.
Two hours afterwards she and Si'anelle had walked out from her
pavilion flanked by Elanise, Nimine and her female guard. The both of
them in appearance seeming to be two Elven ladies of high birth richly
girt as for war in the absence of their Lord to lead his people. Save
that Arhaindir Moonhand, and Telimis, called the brave, would not ever
walk this World again. And that the silver Ithilmar, and the white and
green of Avelorn did feel false upon their backs.
Si'anelle had raised up her voice as Cedwyn and his archers
and the two children with Cedwyn had turned their faces towards them.
"I shall quit Ulthuan," she had said, her despair locked in a fierce
struggle to overpower her resolve. "For beyond our homeland's shores it
will be the more difficult for the Banepearl to work its evil against
Alarielle our Everqueen. In this hour I do hold not a one of you to the
oaths you did give to my father or myself. In the name of Isha go in
peace." And Si'anelle had clung to her hand tight enough to bruise as
the Banepearl did punish her for speaking Isha's name, and clung on in
her anguish while not a one of her people did make any move to abandon
her.
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