The plains stretched endlessly, illuminated only by the faint light of the moons, offering just enough visibility to see the area in front of me. Our horses grazed calmly nearby, ripping up whatever small flora they deemed appetizing.
I stood watch with my spear at my side. After yesterday's battle with the Nox, Valor and I split the night watch into two shifts so Eldrin could rest before we began our journey back tomorrow morning. He seemed to be recovering well, but it would still be best to have Hestia examine him.
We had accomplished what we came for. I now had a Nox tail to present to the elder. Soon, I would officially join the guard alongside Valor and Eldrin.
To put it simply, I was elated.
As usual, time passed slowly during my shift. There was little to do, but dawn was fast approaching, and I would soon be finished.
A few more hours passed, and the first light began to break over the horizon. Wanting to start our travels early, I had already taken the initiative to break down most of our camp. All that was left was to water the horses, which should no longer be an issue with night quickly fading.
Sliding my spear through a strap on my leather backplate, I grabbed the reins of Valor's horse and began to make my way toward a nearby river. Being herd animals, the other two naturally followed.
As I stood by the water, the sound of the rushing current filled the air, drowning out everything but the loudest birds. Preparing to return to camp, something caught my attention. A large flock suddenly shot up into the air, as if fleeing from something.
I hesitated, pulling my spear off my back and holding it in front of me.
Could it be another Nox?
No, it was far too bright for them to be out now.
Then what?
After a moment of internal debate, I decided to investigate. It was close by, and if it turned out to be dangerous, I could quickly retreat to the mounts and escape.
As I approached a small cluster of large boulders, I noticed something.
"A blood trail?" I muttered, confused.
Following it with my eyes, I saw it continued toward the cluster.
‘Most likely an injured animal trying to get to water and rest.’
Curiosity piqued, I continued forward. But when I reached the source, what I saw stopped me in my tracks.
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It was a woman. Injured, propped up against one of the stones. Her bruised white skin and incredibly small stature stood out immediately. Her hair was blond with streaks of brown running through it, giving an almost dirtied appearance. She wore peculiar armor, different from the leather we often used in the village. Small pieces of shaped metal covered various parts of her body, each etched with a symbol resembling the sun.
Studying her strange appearance, I noticed she was clutching the back of her calf. It was bleeding and looked as though it had been mauled. The flesh was torn and jagged, with a decent chunk of it missing—far from a clean cut.
As our eyes met, hers instantly resembled that of a scared, injured animal.
"ETG ABCK TSAEB!" she screamed at me.
But I couldn't make out what she was saying. It was unlike anything I had ever heard before.
‘Could this be another language?’ I pondered, staring back in confusion. She continued speaking, but I couldn’t decipher anything.
Slowly, I continued to approach. Somewhere inside, I knew this was dangerous, yet my curiosity overcame me.
As I got closer, she started to move, trying to escape. Her hair shifted, revealing something truly bizarre.
“Your ears… They aren’t—”
"O DONT ERA DAKSPE TO EM OUY MAILNA!"
I had never seen anything like them. They lacked the slender nature of an elf's ears, and their tops had no defining taper or point. Instead, they were smaller and rounded. Everything about her was different from anything I had ever seen.
I attempted to approach again, but she only grew more wary, her eyes locked onto my spear.
Seeing her fear, I looked down at my weapon and slowly began to lower it. Her tension seemed to wane slightly.
When I took another step forward, she didn’t protest, simply staring back at me like a confused, suspicious animal.
Eventually, I was within a foot of her. It was strange.
We both seemed equally perplexed. Looking down, I focused on her wounded calf, which made her uneasy as she shifted to pull it away.
"O DONT KOL OAT EM!"
I looked back up to see her becoming visibly agitated.
‘What should I do…’ My mind began to race.
‘If I leave her here, a Nox will surely make easy prey. But can I really tell Valor? What would he think?’ My heart began to pound.
“SENNIN,” I heard a voice echo from the distance.
“Valor…” I whispered, turning my head to look behind me.
I had to decide now.
Turning back, I stared into the woman's eyes. They were full of fear and pain. I couldn't help but take pity on her.
Who knows where she could have come from? After all, I had never seen or heard of anything like her.
“SENNIN!” Valor’s distant voice called again.
After a moment of hesitation, I quickly stuck out my hand. Before she could react, I made my decision.
“Revivas.”
The bleeding stopped immediately, and the mangled edges of skin began to close.
She stared at her leg in astonishment and shock before extending that look to me.
I paused, meeting her gaze one last time before quickly turning back and running toward the horses, grabbing my spear from the ground as I did.
I know what Hestia said about magic and the risks of being discovered by anyone else in the village. But I cannot leave someone to suffer when I know I can help.
And besides—she was no elf.