Xander (Part 5)

Three days traveling, and Xander was privately wishing Adonis was as silent as Kaymele's dragon. The guy wasn't chattering nonsense in the normal term, but the constant growling and arguing and sniping was growing old. It had grown old early too. But, Bly wasn't any help either, instead of trying to calm Adonis' nerves or settling their heated arguments, she watched, apparently humored by it all.
Adonis had rushed ahead about an hour ago, earlier in their trip, they might've asked him to please keep together with them, but he complained and called them "The children of snails of turtles" and raced ahead anyway where they'd catch up with him about nightfall. And now, they just let him go, what was the point of insisting on your way if it didn't matter? And it was quieter with him miles ahead where only he could hear his own grumblings.
Xander sighed deeply, and threw his head back, lifting his face to tawarathion's canopy, no distinguishable sunlight filtered through, so it didn't matter.
"Ya know, I didn't think I'd miss pure sunlight this bad" Xander commented.
Bly smiled at nodded, "Don't worry, we should be getting into where Elfin Lied merges with Tawarthion soon, it's a much more pretty forest there, and it has sunlight"
She had been cheery and optimistic the whole trip here, and Xander was glad to see her so pleased with herself and the World.
"So, tell me Bly, how many times have you actually left Voronwë?"
She tilted her head, "If I answer your question, will you answer one of mine?"
He laughed, "Is it an Elf custom to demand a Question for a question?"
"No" she grinned, "It's an Elvish custom to not ask personal questions without permission. But I'm forgiving you and punishing you by making you answer one of mine"
Sometimes he forgot she was Elvish, she was nothing like he had heard about them from his Mother. The graceful, dignified people who could have strict laws, and strict emotions. But then she would surprise him and remind him, like now.
He dipped his head, "I submit, I'll answer yours, Lady Ambassador"
She smiled again, and answered, "Three times. All in the past 100 years. It isn't customary to allow younger Elves to leave Voronwë until they reach their 3,000th year, but Tenzin wasn't orthodox, and managed to influence the council in our favor"
Xander nodded, "I see, but, that brings another question, just one more, please?"
She faked reluctance and sighed dramatically, "oh I suppose so. You humans are such a curious lot"
"Oh don't fake it, you like answering them. Anyway, you say you are a young Elf, if you were to put that into human years, how old would you be?"
She pursed her lips in thought, "Lithônien, my eldest brother, would probably say it was "Wrong to constrict an Elf to a human's timeline" but good for you, Me and Lithônien only share blood, not opinions. I would say I'm still a child, I'm learning things about the world still, learning to walk on my own feet, and normally would still hide behind the skirts of my elders. I just decided to fly out of the nest quicker then most".
It was hard to imagine that this woman was older then his Grandparents, bless their souls whoever they were, and still considered herself a small child.
"And now my question" she wiggled on Ciar's saddle, and blurted while pointing, "Your sword".
Xander raised his eyebrows and lifted the scabbard, "Why yes, little girl, it is a sword, and it's in a scab-"
She lifted an apple threateningly, and glared at him and his teasing. "That wasn't funny" she said, all while hiding a grin.
"Then why are you smiling? Hmm?"
Her face went completely blank, and in a trance like voice replied, "There is no smile on my face, Captain Bolivar" but it only lasted for a few seconds before it cracked and she leaned over Ciar's mane, laughing.
He watched her, laughing all the while himself, and felt a bubble of pure joy rising in his heart. To hear her laugh so whole heartedly, without a care in the world, he wanted her to always be so.
She sat up, and regained her composure, "I was going to ask, Xander, the story behind your sword. It's quite interesting".
"Indeed it is; I've yet to find a comparable sword of Ry'zyyk's strength. It's a family heirloom of my Father's, his Mother passed it to him in my grandfather's place. It seemed my Father never knew his Father either, he once said there was a sickness of some sort that had killed him, and it forced my Grandmother to flee with their child to a safer place, and she was left to pass down the family heritage"
He passed it over to Bly, so she may look at it closer, as she had leaned precariously over to look at it in his lap.
She dropped Ciar's reigns, and ran her hand over the red blade, astonishment marking her face.
"You are quite sure it was a family heirloom?"
Xander nodded, of course it was, "why wouldn't it be?"
She shook her head, and pointed to the circle that was etched into the tip, it had a four pointed leaf inside of it, and was made from a clear jewel. "This is the sign of the best Sword's maker in Voronwë, he makes all the Elvish decoration swords for the prominent families. My Father owns one of his masterpieces, but I don't believe he had ever gifted a human with his swords"
Xander blinked, stunned, while Bly continued pointing out various facts of the sword, "you see these words? It's an Elvish incantation against breaking or scratches. Ry'zyyk will never break as long as you have that on there. And this ivy vine down the middle? It's from the house of Beriadan, but they left into the Forest of Unknown Whispers years ago when Queen Riana died. She was of that house and-"
Bly suddenly stopped, looked at Ry'zyyk, then back at Xander, then back at the sword with wide eyes. "Never mind, I actually think it is just a replica" she hastily handed the sword and scabbard back to Xander, and faced the road ahead of her, her face as solid as a stone, and Xander was completely unable to get a word from her.
'Whats wrong with her? What was she going to say? Is she embarrassed that she thought it was a real Elvish sword when it was a replica? A mighty well crafted replica, but a fake all the same'
It was a bitter bite that Ry'zyyk wasn't real, but it made more sense. His father was no lover of Elves, why would he have an Elvish sword? Then again, it wasn't his decision what came in a heritage either.
Xander slid his sword back into the scabbard, and glanced at the canopy above their heads again, a few places he could make out a sunset, they would meet up with Adonis soon.
He rubbed the back of his neck, and hoped for a slight moment that perhaps Adonis would get lost, but then he chided himself, that was terribly brutish of him, and uncalled for.
Besides, The horse Adonis was riding was of good stock, it would be a shame to lose it.

 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"How late do you think it is?" Adonis asked as he and Xander tied the horses to nearby brush.

Xander tried looking through the dense tree cover above them, but it was practically impossible to see anything but dark folage.

"Probably near Dark, if I could guess.  It's hard to tell, since The Tawarthion is always dark" 

Adonis nodded, and they walked the short distance where Bly had laid everything out, and she glanced around her as if expecting something to appear from the shadows around them that were growing longer.

"You've been in here for weeks, and you still aren't used to the place?" Adonis asked, for the first time he started to seem good natured again.

About Time.

Bly shook her head, "Listen, both of you"

Xander frowned, and Adonis tilted his head, both of them listening for any odd noise, but they both shook their heads, "What? I don't hear anything" Adonis shrugged.

"Exactly" Bly got up, her eyes wide, but it seemed not with fear.

Xander nodded, "Thats true, the forest is normally making all sorts of noises, but, it's completely silent now"

He saw Adonis shiver, and clutch his own sword a bit tighter, but Bly rested her hand on his shoulder, "No, it's here, you mustn't act fearful of it, or it will think you are a threat to Elfen Lied"

"It? Whats here? Is it some sort of Monster?" Adonis asked quickly, his golden eyes darting around, looking in all the shadows.

"No, no. It's the Guardian to Elfen Lied, the Greer. It makes sure none of the evils of Tawarthion enter the Elven forest, we can sleep safe tonight, as long as it is nearby, none of the creatures of this dark place will harm us"  Bly smiled at the both of them, and Xander had to ask, "So, it's silent right now because it is keeping the creatures at bay? Does it know we are here? What does it look like? Can it speak?"

Bly laughed lightly, "The beasts of Tawarthion choose not to be around it, for it will suppress their vileness.  It speaks Telepathically, through thoughts and urgings instead of words, I've never seen one, though it has been said that it is huge, like a magnificent boulder, but has the face of an old man, for old it is indeed.  It's been here for as long as Elfen Lied and Tawarthion have touched each others tree lines, where it came from, who knows. There are many things about these two forests, one good and one vile, that even we do not know.  It is our forest, but it's mysteries aren't easily given, even to us. Oh, and it probably knows you are here, for all your talk and chatter" she smiled, and tossed a pack at him, "So, you both need to sleep. If I'm correct, we have two rivers to cross and a Fort to avoid in the morning"

They all settled down to rest, and, amazingly, sleep came much easier then it had the previous nights in the forest. Almost as if the Guardian, Bly called it a Greer, was laying a thick blanket of peace over the whole area.

He didn't know how long he slept, but Xander was suddenly forced awake with the sudden feeling that danger was near.

Bly and Adonis also seemed to be affected, and they all looked at each other, "Did you hear it too?" Bly asked, wringing her blanket's corner into a tiny knot.

"I didn't hear anything, but I felt...I felt...as if, something bad is coming"  Xander stood, quickly fastening his Sword belt, and Adonis doing the same.

"Yes, I felt the same" Adonis looked around, and then turned to Bly, "Was it...?"

She nodded, "The Greer, but, I heard it...." she paled, "Xander, Felix is sending soldiers after us. Seven of them" she closed her eyes, and grimaced, as if she were thinking too hard, "They are....5....5 minutes away.  Greven isn't one of them...he..." she turned ash white, and Xander stepped forward, "Bly, stop it, now. You are hurting yourself" 

She nodded, and nearly collapsed, but Xander caught her, and she opened her eyes, looking terribly tired.

"I, I could see them, Xander. For one moment, I was aware, but..." she shivered, "It's terrible being so aware of things" 

Xander held her for a moment, before Adonis coughed, "Uh, hate to break up this endearing crucial moment in your relationship, but, there are King's soldiers mere minutes away!!" 

Bly blushed, and Xander stood to his feet sheepishly, "Oh, of course, what would we do without Adonis here?"

Adonis mumbled something about a rotten mess, and began hurriedly packing everything up, 

"Are we going to fight or flee?" Bly asked, her eyes big, and she gripped Xander's arm with a strength that always surprised him. How did some one so small and dainty have such a painful grip?

"Fight" Adonis answered, "I can't stand all this inaction. They are just going to follow us, or get new reinforcements if we let them get away"

Xander nodded, agreeing with this, but there was another matter, "It will make getting around Fort Hallows all the more difficult"  He looked down at Bly, her blue eyes were wide, but her mouth set in a firm line, "I want to help"
He couldn't very well deny her offer, but neither would he be able to fight well if he was worried about her wellbeing.
"Bly.."
"No. I'm adamint about this. I'm normally a dead weight, I'm going to do something this time to help"
He opened his mouth to protest, but she laid a finger across his lips, and raised her eyebrows, "It was not a request, Captain, but a statement"
Xander gently held her hand, and raised it to his lips in a gentlemanly kiss, and Adonis heaved two packs their direction, "Let the Elf Girl fight, Xander, we'll need all the help we can get"
Bly, blushing under Xander's attention quickly stood to her feet, "I didn't say I was going to fight, Adonis.  But if need be, I have been trained with archery"
Adonis shrugged, "Whatever you like, though, playing Ambassador won't help you much this time"
She frowned at him, and Xander stifled a laugh at how fiery she looked when she frowned.  Like a tiny mouse shaking it's head at a dragon.
"Ambassador isn't a role in a game, Dragon"
Xander sensed the growing tension, and quickly decided to intervene, "Lets not get our feathers ruffled at each other.  Adonis, you and I will pack the horses' saddles, and leave them a short distance from here, and Bly, since you have the most acute hearing, and can run faster through Tawarthion then we, do you think you can keep a guard out on the way they will approach from?"
She nodded, and took off in the direction she had sensed their arrival, her fast elven feet carrying her quickly through the twisted forest, and Xander sent up a silent prayer to God that no harm would befall her, and went to assist Adonis.