Festering Darkness

Nightmare in the Aftermath

A dull throb was all he could comprehend as he pulled himself from the grasps of oblivion. His head pounded in time with his pulse, as did his arm and chest. He groaned, forcing his eyes open. The light blinded him and he quickly closed them again. What happened?

He groaned and opened his eyes again, blinking until his eyes adjusted to the light and the landscape around him came into focus. He was in a tent, gray fabric covered the sky. He tried to rise, only to have the pain paralyze him and stop the choked cry in his throat.

"Easy there," a man said, laying his hand on the captain's shoulder. Thaladir looked to his right, the man had dark, shoulder length hair and when he smiled, a gap showed between his two front teeth. Thaladir blinked, brow furrowed in confusion.

"What...?" he started only for a cough to cut him off, dry and corse. He closed his eyes as his head pounded. Finally, he slowly opened them again as someone knelt beside him. A woman smiled at him, a cup of steaming liquid in her hands. She looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place her.

She set the cup on the ground and reached her hand forward, brushing his hair back from his forehead and letting her hand rest there. He closed his eyes at the coolness of her hand to his forehead, letting out a breath. His mind felt thick and muffled. She moved her hand away.

"We didn't think you'd wake," she said and he opened his eyes. She reached for the mug and placed her hand beneath his head, helping him up enough so he could drink. The tea tasted good in his dry mouth, the heat soothed his throat.

"Hannon le..." he said. She gave him a sideways look. "Thank you."

She nodded. "It's the least we could do after what happened."

He looked at her again and realized where he had seen her before. She was the bartender at the inn they had been staying at. He vaguely recalled smoke...and heat. He remembered the panic, the desperate need to get out and then falling, but then everything went blank. "What happened? Where are my men? Are they well?"

Her smile faded. "Someone attacked the inn. Not an uncommon occurrence these days, but they were able to light the bar ablaze and it's been so long since we've had rain..." her voice trailed and she looked to the ceiling, blinking as her eyes turned red. Then she looked back up. "We barely got out of there alive. We have not seen any of your men among the injured, but there were elven bodies found amid the wreckage. Ten of them I believe. You were the only once we were able to save and we truly didn't believe you would make it. I am sorry."

It was like someone had hit him in the chest with a club. Ten? Where was Legolas? Was he one of them? Panic rose in his lungs and his head spun. He tried to rise again, but she held him down, gently. "You're not well enough, sir. You must rest for a while longer."

"I need... find Legolas..." the words came out slurred as his vision blurred. But his prince needed him. He needed to know if he had lived.

"We are doing all we can for the injured," the man said. Thaladir had forgotten he was there and suddenly realized he was holding him down as well. He tried to struggle out of the man's grasp, but the man was too strong and the injuries had drained Thaladir of his strength.

"Saes," the elven captain begged. "Saes--hir nin Legolas. Saes!" his mind was too gone to realize he had slipped into the elven dialect and the man and woman could no longer understand him. Pain washed over him, but he fought against it, his duty ran in his blood. He needed to find his prince before he could even think of resting.

"If your friend is injured, they are doing all they can for him, I give my word," the man said, but it wasn't good enough for the captain. The woman placed her hand beneath his head and raised it again, placing a different mug to his lips. He spit the first sip out but was forced to swallow the next as they held him there.