Heir of the Dragon

The Swamp Pt. 2

My head pounded with a splitting headache and my muscles had the consistency of limp seaweed. Before I could even open my eyes, a wave of nausea washed over me and I quickly rolled over to let my body purge itself of its last meal. Groaning, I sat up slowly and rubbed my eyes. Warmth was licking at my toes; a fire. Blinking, I let the orange-lit scene sink in. Shadaii sat across from me, rubbing his temple and looking at me with a grim look on his face. I immediately noticed the slightly swollen bite-mark on his face and it all came rushing back; the lake, the fish-women, ...the arrow. 

"Holy deities," I croaked, catching Shadaii's eyes across the flames,"We're alive." He opened his mouth as if to say something, but his eyes flicked to the edge of the fire-light at a sound. I followed his gaze and watched, shocked, as a figure moved into the light. I leapt up and frantically searched myself for some kind of weapon. 

"Shadaii..." I hissed through my teeth at him, but he sat calmly watching the tall young woman approach. When she saw me she immediately threw her hands up in front of her defensively. I glanced questioningly at Shadaii. He shrugged. 

"Wondering why we're alive?" he said, then gestured to her with his chin. She'd saved us? I silently noted the beautiful bow slung around her and the quiver of arrows she wore on one shoulder. I relaxed my stance and she lowered her hands.  

"I am called Aywa," she said solemnly, and nodded in greeting "It is an honor."  

" Ellany. We owe you our lives," I said, nodding back. Out of the corner of my eye I felt Shadaii's eyes flick up from the fire. I suppose he knew my name now, not that I minded. The fact that I'd lied to him seemed almost ridiculus at this point. The young woman offered a sincere smile, lighting up her pointed, angley features. 

" I have a feeling that in the time we shall know one another, you will repay the debt ten-fold," She held her stark brown eyes steady in mine. 

"..Oh," I dropped my eyes, suddenly realizing that she would have seen my bodily meltdown. Humiliating. I cleared my throat and lowered myself back to the ground. She sat too, crossing her legs beneath her. She wore a short smock that only reached the middle of her thigh and around her thin waist, she wore a decorated leather corset that laced up the front. Beneath her short white dress, she wore leather leggings, laced tight up the sides of each leg. She was bare-footed and her hair was cut short, shorter than even Shadaii's, hardly reaching the middle of her forehead, but a thin, long braid hung down her back. It was then that I noticed her ears. Each came to a dainty point that stuck out from beneath her short brown locks. 

"I couldn't find any more dry firewood," She was saying "We'll need to move somewhere drier soon or we'll be eating nothing but wheat cakes." 

"You're an elf!" I threw in suddenly. She'd been addressing us both, while somehow actively avoiding Shadaii's eyes. Now she glanced up at me with a slightly humored expression, and Shadaii raised an eyebrow. "S-sorry..." I stuttered "I'm still new to this." 

"It is certainly okay. I did notice you were having trouble on the dock today," The self-consciousness bloomed inside me again. Apparently she had taken "this" to be a little more all-inclusive. I glanced at Shadaii and was met with an inquisitive expression.  

"I, uh, don't know what happened," I said, addressing her, but still looking at Shadaii, watching as his illuminated amber eyes gave me an 'I'd bet I do' look. I rolled my eyes at him and glared into the fire. "What were those things?" I asked, clearing my throat. 

"My people call them Isloaken, the fish people," the elf said running her fingers absentmindedly through the damp earth. 

"Whole troops of men have wandered into that swamp and never returned," Shadaii said, shaking his head. "That is why no one would have dared follow us there."