Siv stumbled a bit as he walked toward the tree. He was still looking at the elven girl, and she was looking back at him. As he grew closer, he could see her flawless alabaster skin and thick dark hair more clearly. Her green eyes had a warm glow to them, illuminated by the gentle blue light.
Reverberations shook the cavern. Siv looked back to see Eiranhal laying down under the canopy.
He turned back, walking to the elf. The willow trees' leaves swayed gently under a draft that came from some part of the cave exposed to open air. The elf held something in her right hand- growing closer, Siv could see an elegant blade with no hilt. It was about a meter long.
Siv held his own weapon in his right hands, holding the chains near where they met the hooks. An ominous clinking was heard as he trudged toward the tree.
The elf girl's face was wary. She had an elegant balance that paired that paired with a calm confidence, leaving Siv with no doubt that she was practiced in using that blade. She wore a white sundress that was rather dirty.
He was a few meters from the elf girl. She was beautiful, and young. Siv knew that elven ages were deceptive, however. She could be an ancient hag, come to suck the life from him. He stopped walking towards her.
They both said nothing for a moment, each warily gauging the other.
"Hi." Siv began. His voice cracked. He scowled, deepening his register. "I am Sivilan, Marked of Suffering and chosen of Eiranhal."
The elf girl's expression softened a bit and she gave him a dry look. "I am Yvenna of the Elves. Chosen of Eiranhal." The corner of her mouth curled into a smile. She seemed to make an effort not to smile. Siv's pale skin turned bright red.
He scratched the back of his head, avoiding the girls gaze. "So, uh, what brings you here?" He spoke normally now.
She laughed now, unable to hold back her smile. "Your voice has many variations, Sivilan. Is that an effect of being Marked of Suffering, or because you are chosen of Eiranhal?" Siv turned even redder.
"Siv. Uh, you should call me Siv, not Sivilan. Only a weird bald lady calls me that." Siv met her gaze with effort. She tilted her head, still smiling.
"Very well, Siv. Come and sit by the tree." She gestured, and Siv walked forward again. She looked at his chains and said: "That is an ugly weapon you carry." Siv didn't really know what to say to that.
The girl leaned her sword against one of the tree's large roots, and took a seat on the ground. She was truly beautiful. The bright green grass complimented her eyes, which were further accented by her deep black hair and full lips, which were curled into a little smile. Siv swallowed.
He sat down across from her, placing his chains on a root.
"So, did Eiranhal abduct you, too?" Siv asked. Yvenna's face turned sorrowful.
"He rescued me from... it. I lived in an elven settlement near the glades. It was a few weeks ago when the silence descended and the creature began hunting us." Her voice choked a bit.
Siv did not know what to say. "I- um, I'm sorry."
"That's okay." A weak smile returned to her face. "I have never seen a human up close before. Only one time, when I came across two of them mating like rabbits in the forest. You are more pretty than the elves usually describe humans to be."
Siv turned scarlet again, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to organize his thoughts. The elf girl laughed again, a pure sound that made his heart beat a bit faster.
He finally managed to speak. "You aren't like, an old hag or something, right? Uh, I know elves have long lives and they look eternally young and stuff. So uh... I mean..."
She tilted her head and smiled coyly. "Do I look so old? I am probably not much older than you, only fourteen summers." Siv swallowed again. Were all elves like her?
'Damn it, man up, Siv! She's talking circles around you! Regroup and prepare for second assault!'
"Well, you know I've been told I'm mature for my age." Siv said nonchalantly, pretending to inspect the roots next to him. "A hard life is a longer life, you know."
Yvenna's smile grew. "I see." It dimmed a bit. "Though, that must be true if you are Marked by Suffering. I have never met someone with that Mark."
Siv fiddled with his chains a bit.
"So, what does your mark do?" She asked, after a moment of awkwardness.
"I, uh, don't know. I can heal really fast, but that's not my specific Mark, just what all people of Suffering have." He fiddled some more. "Though, my... I don't know, teacher? Says that hes never seen someone like me before. Oh yeah, he also wants me to kill him. But I can't yet, so I kind of came to eat Eiranhal so I could kill him... but don't worry! I don't really wanna eat him because he seems pretty nice so uh... I guess I'll find something else to eat so I can kill him. He's lived a long time though and I bet he's tried lots of things so I must be pretty special." Siv let out a whirlwind, dumping his thoughts out. The girl looked bewildered.
"So, you are here to eat Eiranhal so you can kill your teacher?" Yvenna's brow furrowed inward in a confused expression.
"Er, uh yeah. That was the plan before but Eiranhal kind of came and I kind of climbed on his head and came here now, and left my... teacher and some guy he knew from a long time ago in some cabin at the edge of the forest. Don't worry though! I don't want to eat Eiranhal anymore." Siv felt a flush rising in his cheeks as he spoke. He was making a damned fool of himself.
'Retreat! Retreat! We are being routed! Second wave has been repelled! Regroup and form up!'
Yvenna still looked a bit confused. "Okay. So why does your teacher want you to kill him? It seems there would be easier ways to do that."
"Well, he is also Marked. By Suffering. And also the Bound God." Yvenna's face paled a bit and her smile faded. "He's like, nice in a weird way, though. So don't worry."
"What is his name?" She said.
"I mean, I doubt you'd know him because he kind of seems like a homebody. Or, I guess, a bar-body. He drinks a lot of alcohol." Siv said.
"There are less than ten of those Marked by the Chained God in all of recorded history. Among the elves, most of their names are known and they are both feared and revered. So it is likely I know his name." Yvenna said.
"Oh, his name is Taln." Siv said, looking at the girl.
Her mouth open and closed for a moment.
"Do you know him?" Siv asked her, eager to learn more about his taciturn teacher.
Yvenna looked at him with a strange reverence. "Taln the Oathbreaker."
"What oath did he break?" Siv leaned forward.
"The one he made with the Chained God. The only man in all of known history to have broken a Covenant and kept his life." Yvenna said. "Wh-who was the other man at your camp?"
"He called himself Ilrien." Siv said. Taln had broken a Covenant? With the Bound God? This revelation raised more questions than it answered.
"He is another Bound by Chains. Though, he has often visited the elven land and has generally been active in the world. I saw him as a young girl, once." Yvenna looked thoughtful. "Are they here to kill the beast?"
"Well, from the last conversation they had it seemed like they didn't think they had a choice. The old man looked like he was about to blow a gasket!" Siv chuckled a bit, remembering Taln's pissed off expression.
"And Taln has been teaching you what exactly?"
Siv held up one end of the chains. "I've been practicing with this, while we've been traveling here. I don't think I'm that good yet. But I guess he's ultimately teaching me how to kill him."
She was looking at him strangely. Siv felt a blush rising again. "Why is Taln so famous?"
"He has lived for countless years, even in elven standards. A lot of human mythologies can be traced back to his early days as an adventurer. Elven history is better preserved, but even so many of his deeds are lost to time." She smiled a bit. "Though it is said that he and Queen Tessyr had quite the romance."
Siv guffawed. The old man, a star crossed lover? How embarrassing! For all his nonchalance and brooding, he was really just another human after all!
The thought made Siv grin wider than he had in days.
A rumbling shook the ground. Siv hurriedly cast his glance out into the see of grass, looking for the great stag.
Eiranhal was risen to his feet, and walked to the mouth of the cavern before lumbering out.
"Where is he going?" Siv felt uneasy without the beast's protection. Though, the cavern did seem to be isolated from the Wendigo's hunting grounds.
"I am not sure. I've been here for a couple weeks and he goes out often. Sometimes he brings back fruits for me, but this was the only time he's brought back something like you." Yvenna was looking outward too.
"So what do you do here, all day?" Siv asked her.
She smiled.