S1E4 - Memories

“Memories…”
Her hands broke the crystal-like surface of the cold forest stream. The smell of the meadow flowers mixed with aspen and birch sweetly. She smiled thinking of her friend’s stories of how the forest calmed her and set her spirit free. She blinked a tear away gently, knowing Elloveve was gone her spirit free hopefully in her beloved forest.

Elloveve by Artmmkay

Elloveve Hawklight by Artmmkay

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She took a deep breath bringing the icy water to splash gently about her face. She imagined the battle being washed away as well in her mind. She drew a breath and counted.

She remembered.

The hard branch Kartilaan used to train with struck her across the thigh dropping young Sophie to her knees.
“OW!” she said through clenched teeth angrily.
“Now count Sophie . Count until you are calm.” Kartilaan, being 17 towered over her. Her raven black hair cascaded about her shoulders. Icy blue eyes stared at her with no emotion, the eyes of a killer, the eyes of her sister.

“1..2..3..4..5..” Sophie panted for air between breaths shortly her anger holding her in its grip.
“Slower… you must breathe to fight. Every breath should give you more power.”
"...6…7….8…..9…….10”
She could feel the air in her lungs and the power it brought. Her blood slowed feeling rich and full. She stood up and her sister smiled wryly. “Good.”
“Sophie.” Zane’s voice snapped her back to reality.

“What?” Sophie was short in her response sounding agitated

“It’s just… I wanted to tell you...”
“What that you’ve been alive this whole time? That you’re sorry you abandoned us… that you abandoned me?!”
“No… Its." Zane drew in a deep breath. “I want to tell you. About what happened.”
Sophie glared at him. “Fine. I’ll listen.” She sat hard on a fallen log crossing her arms. Truth be told she very much loved this familiar ghost of a man before her. His eyes and voice were all the same she remembered for the last 10 years. The boy she thought dead, that they all thought dead had returned. Now here they were, in the same place again. Was she still that same little girl he knew? What of him, was he still who she remembered, or was it like Elloveve's cookies where they may have been better in memory than in reality.
So now after escaping the town and camping last night in the dark forest he wants to talk. Inside she was screaming for answers, but as Kartilann had said, “We win because we wait.”
Zane was staring off into the distance where the forest opened up into a glade. The birds soft chirping and the cries of the occasional hawk were soft on the ears as the breeze was to the touch.

"I woke on the back of a horse bouncing with my hands tied. The smell of the horse; and the dried sweat and blood caked to my face were enough to make me sick. And by where I was at and the sight of that horse's leg I already had.
We had been riding way out to the west from the town I gathered. Despite my nose’s damage I began smelling something else. Muggy. Like old dishwater. I could hear voices mumbling to each other. I… I don’t remember much else.
I was given to an old dwarf named Sillius . Sillius was rough and hateful. He’d smack you for breathing out of turn let alone for stepping out of line. He showed us smaller ones how to go deeper in those mines than the “tall folk” as he called everyone else could.
We would slide these wooden trays in front of us and we scurried on our bellies in the dark. Gods Sophie, it was so dark. Blindly groping at the walls for ore to bring back to the smelter. Ore to make iron and iron to make steel. Steel to make weapons. Weapons for his army.
Over time we grew accustomed to it a bit.
Not like the elves or dwarves can see in the dark but we could almost sense shapes in the dark. Feel the dark. Feel how close the walls were to us as we drug our tray in that endless dark.
Anyways I did this for a long time until one day
'Hey, you there! Boy get up and fetch my mug.'
I looked up to see a large ogre towering over me. My eyes were still adjusting to the light in the mine shaft junction where we brought back our collections.
'Boy?'
To be honest I couldn’t hear him very well. Being in those tunnels really makes you distant. Like you aren’t part of this world. I just kinda stared at him.”
'I said BOY! Fetch!'
I remember him hitting me across the cheek so hard stars danced across my squinting eyes. “Zane” was all I could mumble.
'What did you say to me?'
'Zane.' It felt so good to say I forgot about the pain. I hadn’t heard my own name in so long. I knew I could die, but I didn’t care. This big lunk of an Ogre would say my name or i would die trying.
'My name is Zane'
'You', he grabbed me with one hand and threw me against the wall. I felt every jagged rock edge dig into my back while the wind flew out of my lungs.
He cursed as he walked to me drawing a cracked leather blackjack from his belt. I sputtered on the ground unable to move. Then I saw him.
'Back down Sledge .'
The ogre stopped immediately and from behind him appeared a tall man in black tattered tight-fitting clothing. A great club was strapped to his back though looking at the muscled arms hidden beneath the dark leather bracers and blue-black cotton shreds he didn’t need it. His chest was protected by a dark set of charcoal chainmail with leather segments sporadically placed. It was his face."
Zane paused for a moment thinking. The smell of the trees was lost to him and the running brook at his feet no longer captivated him.
Suddenly Zane snapped back and cupped his face in his hands taking a deep breath of air. He shuddered slightly. Sophie put her hand on his shoulder, "it's okay, it's okay," he looked at her and smiled.
"It was his eyes. They were blood red. He had no face, well none we ever knew. See there was the same black gauze covering the helmet he wore, the black horns the only thing protruding out curving down towards the front of the face like an angry bull.
Sledge backed up looking both disappointed and scared at the same time.
'Hmmm. we will keep an eye on this one.'
'Why wait, Maldros ?' I saw Silas hobble over glaring at me. 'He’s no good here.' He walked over to me.
'Maybe your pits would be a more suitable place for someone as irresponsible, lazy and, generally worthless.'
He jabbed me with the crooked stick he carried to drive the point of each word.
Maldros sneered at me from behind that mask.
'Yes.. Why wait indeed.'"
“Hey!” Zorin ’s voice shook Zane back to reality.

He came up to them in a light jog, “are you two ready to hit the road?” Sophie stood up and checked her swords fit briefly.
“Yeah, I think we are,” Zane said briefly. Zorin nodded and walked back to where Cordelia was packing their small collection of shared supplies in a small backpack.
“Zane.” Sophie began softly. “I can only imagine what you’ve been through. I hope you understand if I’m…”
She paused. Truth be told she never stopped loving him, nor did she think she could. Little did she know he felt the same for her.
“It’s ok." He smiled. “I don’t think we should jump back into where we were." He offered her a hug with a crooked smile she knew all too well. If she had any doubts this was really him they were dispelled at that moment.
“Where we were? What …when we were 10?” Sophie sighed. “Let's just start here. We don’t need to talk about then.” She smiled and pulled back looking into his eyes. “Let's begin here and now. Will you stay with us now?”
“Forever,” Zane said with a smile. “I never want to leave any of you again.”
Sophie laughed happily, “Then come. Let's go.”
“Friends?” Zane said sheepishly
Sophie laughed “…For now Zane Shieldheart. For now.”

Cordelia smiled at Benedict . “Its good to hear her laugh again.”

“Sure is,” Benedict smiled at their happiness. It was like a dream come true. They were all back together again.

They traveled for four days in the forest and meadows trying to stay off the roads themselves in case of sympathizers from Pallus army might appear. On day three they rounded a hillside and could see a small encampment of dark armored soldiers tucked back in a glade as well with a red dragon feeding on some freshly slaughtered cattle. She was slightly smaller than Fury and her beard of black horns wasn’t nearly as full, Zane noted.
“Scouting party,” he said to Zorin in a hushed tone. Zorin nodded in acknowledgment. Cordelia's face showed her curiosity. Zane smiled remembering his cousin’s fascination with dragons.
A few hours later once they were a safe distance away he broke the numbing silence.
“Hey, Cordelia.”
“Yeah Zane?”
“Did you see the beard on the dragon?” She nodded. ” It's not as full as the one Pallus was riding. That means she’s younger, not as powerful.”
He thought about what he said and corrected “But still way too dangerous though. Not even the mighty Benedict could take her down.” Benedict shot him a warning eye that made Zane laugh.
“Thanks, Zane. Real Cute.”
“There she is gang. First port.”

They came out of the trees overlooking a rocky cliffside to the sprawling green valley below. The mid-afternoon sun to their back and right made the trees cast a cool shadow across themselves. To their left, they could see the port city on the edge of the expansive sea.
Zorin clapped a grinning Zane on his back, who was in thought chewing a small blade of grass. Smiling in return he pointed at the docks and they snickered at some private joke.
Benedict was in awe.
“Its so green. No wonder they call this land Viridian .”
They all stood silent. The birds softly called from the trees. Drifting they heard her voice on the breeze and could smell the elderflowers and honey that accompanied Elloveve’s graceful elven footsteps.
“She would have so loved to have seen this.”
“I think she has,” Benedict said. Then he smiled placing a hand on Cordelia’s shoulder. “In fact, I think she’s here with us now.”
Sophie closed her eyes and smiled too.