Adelina laid a cool, wet cloth over Hildebran's forehead. It was burning hot, and beads of sweat had formed over the skin of his forehead. She had sat for hours over his sleeping body for days now, much to the disapproval of her father. His inability to speak had been no impediment to him getting his contempt towards the stranger understood by Adelina. She could not simply send her guest away; he was hardly conscious. That would be handing him over to die. Her good conscious would not allow for that. Her father would not have hesitated to slip a potion from the village's potion master into his drink and be done with it. Adelina nearly slapped him when he had suggested as much with his sign language.
Adelina gasped excitedly when his eyelids popped open. His fever was still burning, but his heart rate had gone down, and his breathing felt normal for once.
"How do you feel? Are you okay?"
"It was the dream," Hildebran wheezed it out, but his throat closed up to from his illness.
"What dream? Actually, don't tell me. You must rest your voice and we can talk later. I assume you're famished—you've been out for a couple of days." Adelina scurried out of the room and into the kitchen. When she returned Hildebran was sitting up in his make shift bed. He noticed his breeches and travel cloak were missing. He was naked, it seemed, but the thin sheets were spread loosely over his torso.
Adelina noticed he was looking puzzledly at that fact.
"Oh, I hope you didn't mind. Your skin was burning to the touch, so I tried cooling you down. You had thick, wooly breeches on and heavy garments from the cold conditions when you were travelling."
"It fine," croaked Hildebran, although his voice was already sounding a little better. Adelina was knelt by his side and held a cup of tea up to his mouth for him to sip.
"You need to get your strength back. It's tea with some special herbs from the potions master. Drink it, you'll feel much better."
"No, I don't believe in potions," said Hildebran, veering his mouth away from the cup like a child.
"Please, Ser Hildebran."
"That's magic. I hate magic." He eventually gave in and took a small sip of the tea. He was tempted to gag from its potency, but he forced it down. Adelina seemed pleased so she finally laid down the cup.
"So, what of this dream?" asked Adelina, once Hildebran had assured her that he was feeling better.
Hildebran described to her a vivid dream about travelling an abandoned road made of black sand. He was on his way to somewhere he could not remember, but he was prevented from arriving because of a band of Ki'vatsu who chased him down on horse. He dared not explain to Adelina that he himself was a Ki'vatsu and ended up brushing aside the details of the Ki'vatsu—even after Adelina had briefly showed an intrigued interest. "I'd always wanted to travel that side of the world, the continent of Aina and its beautiful land of Rednork." Hildebran had smiled kindly and then continued on until the end of his dream which had prompted his awakening. A Necromancer with a familiar face had emerged to greet him once the Ki'vatsu had him captured. He spared the details about how uncomfortable he had felt when the Necromancer stared him down, it had felt so real—as if the Necromancer somehow was seeing him for real. It had given him a shutter and then the last line, it was the worst part. "I see you everywhere you go."
Adelina poked him on the shoulder and asked if he was okay, and Hildebran suddenly was aware that he had been staring blankly beyond her as if she was not there. He had recalled upon the last part of the dream and it had left him ponderous. But where have I seen that face before? It looked a lot like someone I have seen, someone I despise...
"Why do you think you dreamed of Ki'vatsu men? Are they pursuing you?"
"What? No, I mean I don't think so. I have no idea what the Ki'vatsu would want with me. Why, what do you know of them?" asked Hildebran.
"King Erilin of Weptswur made a deal with the Ki'vatsu that had been inside Weptswur's borders. They were ransacking villages and towns under the orders of some man; I forget the name now. King Erilin had had enough of it so he sent out a large host of his finest knights and brought them to court. Eventually, they agreed to work under the King's will, as they found common ground on one thing."
Hildebran had been listening intently, his eyes ever set on Adelina's. "What was the one thing? What did they agree on?" Hildebran realized how bold he had become when talking to the beautiful Adelina. He tried to push aside the memories of how awkward he had been when she had first welcomed them inside.
"Well the Ki'vatsu sought the Maldur Slayer, for there are many out there in the realm who seek him for the reward. This aligned with the King's wishes, and he granted them free reign in the realm so long as they no longer did harm to his people and continued hunting for the terrible Maldur Slayer who lifted the curse that protected the realm."
Hildebran was thankful for the fever because he began perspiring nervously as he thought about Terran who was now out there alone somewhere—travelling through a nation that had all eyes on the lookout for him.
"Have they found him yet, this Maldur Slayer?"
"No, I fear not. I sure hope they do find him though. It would bring a lot of peace to our people to have the man found and hung. He damned us all." Adelina's eyes dropped to the floor as she sat with her legs folded under her, upon her knees.
I mustn't tell her but how I so greatly wish I could tell her everything. Maybe If I can explain everything from the beginning, she would understand that Terran is not who they say he is. I cannot risk it though, if she turns against me, she has me in a vulnerable state, and she would surely call in the village guards to take me away to the King.
They sat in silence for a couple minutes. Adelina grew tired of sitting with her legs folded under her, so she sat upright against the wall beside him with her legs stretched out in front of her. Hildebran found it unusual for a lady to sit so casually in the presence of a stranger, a guest even. A part of him liked it though. It made him feel more at ease for the time being.
"Tell me about yourself, Hildebran. Where do you come from?"
"Ohh, erm, well I come from a place called Fereton. It is much farther north than here—in fact as far north as one can travel. It is a great place really. I loved it."
"How did you end up here?" Her voice was comforting. She had a way of making him feel safe with her soft tone.
"Well, it started in Fereton, as you'd expect. There was some turmoil in my home nation. A Necromancer rose to power and had a great influence over our King. He was a young King as well. He was in no place to replace his father who had passed during the war. He became poisoned down to his soul and, being one of his advisors of the King's council, I could no longer bring myself to serve him, so I left." He left a pause to see if she was curious as to the rest, and she nodded her head for him to go on.
"After I left, I brought as many with me as I could. I did not want to see those who were close to me get hurt. I wouldn't be surprised if Fereton is in ruins now, but I hope to return one day. If I had it my way, I'd have that necromancer's head on a pike outside the castle walls and the King usurped by someone much more competent." Adelina gave him an affectionate smile and he continued on. He thought for a second how nice it was to finally spill it all out. It had been buried inside for a while, and it needed to be flushed out. This felt good, felt right.
"I made my way to Scourden with those who had followed me out of Fereton. Long story short, I had an odd encounter with some Dark Knights, I believe formerly of the Magi Order. The next day I was framed for murder of the King of Scourden, and my own people believed the whole thing and I was soon banished from Scourden. I was sour, and desolate. I almost froze to death in the wilderness of Ulthrak. I had no idea where I was venturing or who I was, and that's when Terran, I mean, erm, Tarn, found me and saved me. And then we made our way here, to Weptswur."
"It sounds like you've had quite the journey, brave knight of Fereton. What do you plan to do now?" She gave a warm smile and her eyes sparkled in the glow of the dim candle that lit the room.
Hildebran knew inside he wished to return to Rednork. Everyone he had known or loved in Modena had turned on him and left him alone. He could not tell Adelina of his desire to return to the home of the finest swordsman, where sword was religion for the Ki'vatsu. She would surely be suspicious. He couldn't explain that he sought out the Ki'vatsu, because he was a Ki'vatsu. That was the matter of it though. If he could free the Ki'vatsu of the grip that this necromancer had on them, he was sure that they would seek a return home. A Ki'vatsu never dwelled in a foreign land longer than they had to, it was just not the Ki'vatsu way. He suddenly became anxious, remembering the reason he had left his home...he was zoning out again.
"Hildebran...Hildebran? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." His head was spinning, and his cheeks were rosy and hot.
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"Okay, I am going to go check on my father, I'll be back soon, Ser Hildebran of Fereton." She left the room with one last warm smile. It sent fluttering through Hildebran's chest. It was soon met by angst. What was he to do now? He couldn't stay here for long. Terran was likely long gone by now. Maybe he was already captured. Hildebran wondered whether the dream has simply been just that—a dream. Or, maybe, it was a message from the necromancer himself. It was not uncommon for a necromancer to interrupt the dreams of those they seek and reveal themselves in that way. If they are after Terran then why he would be coming for me...unless he knows of me and that I am a Ki'vatsu.
The timing could not have been worse by the time Adelina returned. She burst into the room with a look of distress.
"Hildebran, do you have anything to hide? You must speak now; my father is just outside the door with a host of guards from the village watch. They will likely be coming inside at any moment." The news was enough to send another heat flash through his body and he threw off the thin sheets from his lap, clutching his hands to his head in distress.
"I...I...should have...told you. They can't find me, Adelina. I am a—" He retched, adding to the pile of dried vomit beside him. Adelina paid it no mind as she tried to listen.
"I'm a Ki'vatsu, banished from Rednork a decade ago. I cannot have them find me, if I am captured and the Ki'vatsu find me, it may very well be the end for me."
"What? Hildebran, how could you say that? How would you know that? If you haven't done anything wrong in Weptswur, I don't know why they would want anything of you. Here, we can go explain this to my father and the guards, come on."
Hildebran snapped now, "No! I must leave, quickly. You don't understand. That other man who was here—Tarn. His name is Terran the Squire, the Maldur Slayer. Now you see. I cannot stay here, your father probably overheard me talking and knows who I am." Hildebran had risen and frantically began pulling on his breeches and his cloak and furs. He left his heavier Ki'vatsu garments on the floor, kicking them underneath a wooden table as best he could.
"Adelina, I need to leave, now. Is there another way to get out of here?" The sound of the front door opening sent panic through Hildebran. She took his hand without saying a word and they moved quietly, tip toeing through the house out the back door. The door had old hinges and it creaked loudly as they opened it. Hildebran heard a guard shout from the front of the house, but they were gone.
"Okay, Adelina, you cannot come with me. I need a horse. Quickly!"
"No, let me come with you. Here! There are horses just here, in the stables behind the house."
Hildebran saw movement inside the house as the guards scurried out towards the back door. Hildebran had no time to argue with Adelina. He hoisted her up onto one of their two horses and he saddled up in front of her. Untying the reins, he kicked the horse off into a powerful gallop.
"My sword, I left with my sword inside," shouted Hildebran as they rode.
"It's too late now, we must go. The guards will chase us, and we still have to ride through the front gate to get out of the village," shouted Adelina up to Hildebran.
A Ki'vatsu never rides without his sword. Hildebran reined the horse around, turning back for the house.
"What are you doing Hildebran? You're going to be captured, they outnumber you anyways! You'd never make it inside." Adelina grabbed Hildebran's wrists firmly and twisted the reins, resisting Hildebran despite his strong arms. Hildebran allowed it to happen now. The horse would soon become confused and fall to the ground if they grappled over the reins. He let out an angry scream and the horse turned back towards the road to the front gate.
Guards mounted their horses and road after the two. Hildebran could hear orders being barked from behind him as the guards spurred their horses on as fast as they could. My sword though, likely gone forever. It was fine steel, forged in Rednork. He had owned it since he had turned sixteen and joined the sacred guild of swordsman. He kicked his horse on faster now, his anger giving him energy. If he wasn't going back, he may as well ensure he makes it out of here.
"OPEN THE GATE! OPEN THE GATE!" The confused guards who stood by the watch post by the front gate just watched as the horse charged at high speed towards the gate, which was barred shut. Hildebran yelled again. One of the guards hesitantly moved towards the lever and motioned the other guard over to help him and together they naively opened the gate just in time for Hildebran's mount to charge through the opening. He could hear shouts of fury from behind him as the guard's received stick for letting the enemy get away. Hildebran's horse was still cantering at a high speed once they were far from the village. He had almost forgotten Adelina was still with him until he became conscious of her arms around his torso, holding on for dear life as they sped on. He stole a glance behind her which told him the guards had given up. He figured them to be lousy anyways, no king sends his best men to watch over an underwhelming village. They were likely the scum of Weptswur's royal guards. Men who were not needed nor wanted at the main keep and so they were assigned the duty of guarding the small village. It had backfired now, he and Terran had both made success escapes. At least he assumed Terran did.
An hour had passed, and the sun sat in its frozen position right above the horizon before it was to set. Hildebran could already feel the bitter night air beginning to gnaw at him from the wind of the horse charging onward. He eased the horse to a light canter. Eventually the horse was at a walk now, and it came time for Hildebran to consider where they would go next.
"Adelina, I hope you know the lay of the land, because if not we are terribly lost. Weptswur is quite disorienting."
"I used to roam these lands with my mother upon horse as a child. Of course, I know where we are." There was a certain bite to those words that Hildebran had not heard from her tongue yet. He understood her apprehension. She had just abandoned her father to stray along with some stranger she had just met.
"Are you okay, Adelina? I did not mean for you to come with me, it surprised even me that you desired to come. It would probably be wise for you to return before nightfall to your father, if you so wish." Hildebran noticed tears streaming from her cheeks as he glanced back. Oh no, I did not wish for this. I do not have the energy—although maybe for a woman as beautiful as she I can make an exception.
"No," she stammered, "I am meant to leave that village. I cannot live with my father anymore. Not one day more." She began to bawl. Hildebran felt awkward. He could stop the horse and get down from the saddle to comfort her. It would be difficult to show that he cared since he was facing away from her in the saddle. Before he could do anything, he felt her arms grasp his body tightly in a sort of hug. He felt his breath draw tight, and he awkwardly pet her arms with his fingers as her body shook with gasps of tears.
I know the feeling too well. Here we are, deserters of our homes. Well, at least for now. I wouldn't be surprised if she changed her mind on the 'morrow. As if she read his mind, she ended her crying.
"I cannot ever return. My father is a treacherous man, and I dare not imagine what he would do to me if I should return home from helping a fugitive escape." She sniffled her nose, but she could not prevent the cool snot from escaping her nostrils.
"I understand," is all that Hildebran could say in return. They rode on in silence for an hour until the sun had set. It had not felt like awkward silence, at least to Hildebran. The sound of the horse's hooves clacking on the dirt had a melodious tune to it. Hildgard wondered if Adelina was even still awake behind him. If she was, she had not moved a muscle and her arms felt limp around his waist. Her cheek was pressed against his shoulder blade as she leaned on him in the saddle.
They came to thicket of thin trees that were spaced oddly symmetrical. The oak smelled strongly of sap, and the leaves were dying on the branches. Hildebran stopped the horse and nudged Adelina off his shoulder. She jerked upright and dismounted together. Hildebran tied up the horse and together he and Adelina went about setting up a place for them to sleep. Hildebran was thankful to find that a coiled fleece blanket was tied to the rear hump of the horse. He laid out the fleece blanket and together he and Adelina cuddled in the dark of the night—mainly for warmth more than anything. Yet, he was grateful for her presence and her warm body more than he had anticipated. He draped his thick furs over both of them and pushed his face into hers, drifting into silent sleep. He didn't actually sleep, for a long time. He kept his eyes close, wondering if Adelina was actually sleeping. He did not hear the usual rhythmic breathing of her sleep but his thoughts wandered elsewhere anyways.
It was hours before his mind slowed down, and he drifted off for good this time. He had forgotten how rotten he felt until he slept. In his dream his body was rotting, and his muscles ached. He could feel his muscle tearing and ripping apart when he walked. In his dream someone was following him around with a mallet meant for a drum, and they would not stop banging it against his head. He became angry, but when he turned to see who was hitting him with a mallet all he saw a pile of leaves, flailing in the wind behind him.
The wind swirled and suddenly he was on a windy, stone road. The stone had many cracks in it, and it groaned under each step he took. He feared that the next step would open up the ground and swallow him whole. He began to tip toe down the path and saw that up ahead was a great, majestic kingdom. The castle walls stood a hundred feet tall. Golden watch towers boasted great horns that trumpeted a great tune through the beautiful spring air.
He had stepped too hard, the ground split open. He took a fearful step back and suddenly the air did not feel like spring. A cold, hard rain pelted at him. Up from the crack in the ground came fingers that clutched at the ground where it had opened up. Ki'vatsu poured out of the crack in the ground and smiled daringly at Hildebran.
"We've got him," one of them snarled. Hildebran felt his feet become cemented into the ground. He could not feel his arms. He looked down and they were simply gone. The golden watch towers of the majestic kingdom far off into the distance began to play a sad tune, it reminded Hildebran of death. It was a sad, off-key note and it sent shivers down his spine. The worst was yet to come. Out of the split ground came a great, huge spider. Its leg sharpened down to a sharp point sharper than his sword. The spider had a face that he knew. Hildebran's jaw gaped open now, it was Edmund Nightclaw. He somehow knew without asking. It was the same face he had seen in a dream the night before.
"How do I know you?" He called to the spider as it rubbed its front legs together. It stood ten feet tall, wavering toweringly above the Ki'vatsu. The cold rain continued to slap at his face like sharp pricks.
"I know where you are, Hildebran. I think it's time we met up; your brothers have missed you." The spider gave out a crude laugh that sounded like iron being against rusted steel.
"You're a Nightclaw. You're the father of the traitor, Alvar. He had me banished from Scourden!" Hildebran felt his courage return and his arms returned as well. He felt his sword's cold; metal hilt fills his grip.
Hildebran felt his voice go missing, and suddenly the ground was opening up around him. The Spider began to charge at him, and his heart pounded vigorously. The Spider had a talon raised to crush his head like butter through knife and then the ground swallowed him up. Down and down he fell until he the ground met him like a punch through the gut.
He woke up winded to find that Adelina's knee had driven upward and smashed him in the ribs in his sleep. He struggled to find his breath but tried to keep quiet not to wake her up. He became keenly aware of a rustling amongst the dead leaves of the thicket of trees they were laying in. I pray to the gods of Aina that is just a squirrel. Let it be a squirrel. He finally heaved a sigh of relief when a rabbit emerged from behind a think trunk just a few feet away from him, eyeing him cautiously.
No sooner had he closed his eyes again did he hear the words that pricked the hairs on his neck, and this time he knew it was no dream, "I've found you, Hildebran of Rednork. Your brothers have missed you."