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I looked up from my wineglass as my friends joined me, yet again, for another evening spent in front of the fire of the Green Dragon Inn. Across from me, Quinn and Darkstar sat close, murmuring soft nothings to one another. Over by the window, Calagreth quietly chatted with Lady Firehair. I looked into the dancing flames in the fireplace, my eyes darkening a shade as I thought. My right hand absently toyed with the stem of my wineglass as I thought.None of them knows. It is better that they don't.
I rose from my place, going outside into the cool night air. I sat beneath a pine tree that had a good view of the lake. Carefully, I unclasped the Amulet of Bast from my neck. I held the gold and emerald piece of jewelry in my hand, feeling it's immense weight. I sighed, blinking past the tears that threatened to come to my eyes. My grip tightened around the cold metal as I heard a voice from behind me.
"Nice night, huh?"
I looked up and saw Calagreth standing there, regarding me quietly. I did my best to smile, "Oh, hello Cal."
"Is anything wrong, Kat?" he asked.
I feigned my joy, "No, of course not."
He stared at me so much that I had to turn away, "Tell me the truth, Kat..."
Something within me broke, I clutched at the Amulet willing myself not to cry, to show no weakness to this man who knew so little of me but was willing to be my friend. I opened my green eyes, staring at the clear waters of the lake, "You cannot understand..."
He touched my shoulder, "Then help me to understand..."
I looked over my shoulder at him. My green eyes flaring in anger I could not comprehend. Cal was my friend, he was concerned, there was nothing to be angry about, "You can never understand. You can always go back home. I...I cannot...I can never go back..." The last came out in a series of bitter sobs as the tears I'd been trying to hide came flowing, fast and furiously.
"Kat..." he said, gently turning me around, "I understand...I can't go back home either. My father is dead and my mother won't have anything to do with me."
I turned again, leaning against a tree, "It's not the same...Your parents gave you up unwillingly, I'm sure. My parents KNEW. I am an exile. They knew me, though if asked today, they would deny ever sharing my blood."
"It must be..."
The still night was suddenly shattered as Darkstar's voice came echoing across the inn's grounds, "Cal! Kat!" I flicked an ear in the direction, but Cal was already gone. I took off after him, but I stumbled and fell. I picked myself up, untangling myself from the tree root I'd gotten caught in. Quickly, I made my way to the inn, pounding up the steps and stumbling through the door into the Taproom.
Krolaun, an elven thief whom I'd befriended right here at this very inn, was laying across the floor with his head on Darkstar's knees. I could tell that Darkstar was busy working some kind of magic, so I kept silent. Cal was there also, working some other magic to purge some type of poison from Krol's body, or so he said. Quinn sat on the other side of Krol, looking white as a sheet in her terror. As I took in this I was frozen in fear and concern. Suddenly, Krol began to shiver and mumbled something about being cold. I grabbed my velveteen scarlet cloak from it's peg by the door and tossed it over him. His tunic was drenched with blood and I saw the remains of an arrow tossed haphazardly on the floor near his shoulder. From the dried blood on the pieces, it looked to have been removed from him.
I glanced up worriedly at Cal and Dark as they worked their magic. My heart beat painfully in my chest as I saw Krol grow more and more pale. Darkstar growled, "Don't you die on me you, freakin' elf!" Die? My mind almost didn't seem to register the word.
Krolaun can't die...
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© 1999 E. Angeli Mansfield