The Silver-Eyed

II

A narrow ray of sunlight pierced Erevon's closed eyes, waking him up. He rubbed his eyelids lazily, then sat up and stretched.
«Hmm... I'm getting old...» he grumbled, feeling the tenseness in his muscles. Oh, how he wished he was bathing in some warm saltwater in Waterdeep. When he looked to his side, the attractive waitress was still deep in her sleep, hugging the pillow. He stroked his fingers across her nude back, reminiscing about the previous night. He stood up, sighing and he gathered up his clothes from the ground. He examined the shoulder pad that had come off during his fight with the owlbear: it had a few scratches, but still in good shape. The chest plate, on the other hand, was severely damaged. He placed his palm on the tear and a faint glimmer flashed on it. When he removed his palm, the chest plate was as good as new. He tied the top part of his black, long hair in a ponytail and he placed the backpack over his shoulders.
«Erevon, are you leaving already?» the girl whispered tiredly, sitting on the bed and covering herself with the blanket.
The elf turned around, leaned in closer and tenderly held the girl's hand, before saying: «Yes, dear, I have commitments ahead of me.»
He kissed her slightly rough knuckles and gave her a sultry gaze.
«Does that mean we won't see each other again?»
«Yes, it's highly likely.»
The girl sighed and reached out a hand to caress the old scar on his nose.
«Well, then... Best wishes, brave hero», she said sweetly, looking at him.
Erevon stood up straight and smiled back. He placed his hand on his chest.
«My lady, I shall never forget your beauty.»

«What was her name again?» Erevon muttered as he made his way to the inn. It was a beautiful day with a gentle breeze, ideal for travelling. He approached the doorway of The Thirsty Wanderer once again, looking around for Kaelin. The half-elf waved as he bit into a sweet roll. Erevon sat down at the table and took a pastry.
«Good morning to you too» Kaelin murmured, lifting an eyebrow.
«Mornin'» Erevon replied, his mouth full of food.
The blonde one grinned and leaned in closer.
«Did you sleep well in the woods?»
«Actually, I slept in a pretty nice bed with an even prettier girl», he said proudly.
Kaelin pulled back and crossed his arms, clearly disappointed.
«So you did manage to conquer the waitress, in the end.»
«Did you have doubts?»
The half-elf looked down on him and sipped his milk. He licked his lips before continuing: «Anyway, I have arranged a carriage for both of us. It will take us to Arabel, where my master resides.»
Erevon nodded, resting his back against the chair.
«Arabel... Isn't it in Cormyr?»
«Precisely. We will be there in about thirteen days», he sighed, then he added: «I cannot wait to spend almost two weeks in your company», with a sarcastic tone in his voice.
Erevon parted his lips to reply, but Kaelin got up from his seat, wiping non-existent crumbs off of his legs.
«You may finish my meal. I will go talk to the driver.»
Erevon slid the platter close without hesitation.

He was not a great fan of sweets, but those pastries and the milk were enough to get him going in the morning. As he left the inn, he noticed Kaelin instructing an half-orc, as the guy stacked some goods in the carriage. Even though his clothes revealed his low status, the young half-elf had an unbelievably snooty demeanour. He was a servant, yet he acted like a master. Erevon walked towards the driver, greeting him politely to show the blondie how decent people behave. When everything was ready, the half-orc spurred the two horses to leave the village.
The first few hours were mostly spent in silence, as Kaelin laid down, with his head on his bag. Erevon took a look at him: his nose had a small hump; his short, pointed ears were slightly protruding; he had a much smaller build, but he was still quite tall; his dark brows were neatly plucked; his complexion was fair and free of blemishes; his medium-length hair was soft and clean, with a perfectly combed side line; his lips were plump and smooth.
«I can feel you staring at me», Kaelin said, his eyes still closed.
Erevon cleared his throat, pretending he was not.
«I was wondering if you've ever seen daylight. You have the skin of a banshee.»
Kaelin opened his eyes and asked the elf: «Have you ever seen one?»
«I fought one.»
«Did she explode as well?» commented the half-elf.
Erevon pursed his lips and gazed up at the sky.
«No, I simply began shouting uncontrollably. Our quarrel kind of devolved into a yelling contest.»
Kaelin chuckled, immediately covering his lips with his palm.
«You know, I would love to see your magical abilities in action.»
«I doubt it'd be safe to do it now, the carriage might easily burst into flames. Or a unicorn might appear. They're relatively chill creatures, albeit not particularly chatty.»
The half-elf shook his head in amusement, sat up and said: «Selûne really did you wrong, did she not?»
«Well, I guess it's my fault for never learning how to deal with my powers», he said, staring down at his calloused hands. «Back at my village, my mother entrusted me to the local archdruid. A wise elf, no doubt, but a terribly dull instructor. He kept making me magically mend things, telling me that I needed to perfect this cantrip before learning other spells.»
He tapped the finger on the previously damaged breast plate.
«This is the only thing I can do without becoming blue or something.»
He sighed and shrugged, waiting for a comment. instead, Kaelin tilted his head in silence for a couple of seconds, before saying: «Your eyes possess a strange glow.»
«Well, thank you for ignoring my explanation», he pouted, «My mother often stated that my silver eyes reflected Selûne's blessing. I would have gladly preferred to have black irises like yours if it meant being normal..»
Kaelin crept beside Erevon, grabbing his chin and pulling his head towards him. With this unexpected gesture, the elf felt a bit uneasy. The blonde one remained silent, his dark gaze fixed on his.
«Why do you believe she picked you to wield such power?»
His charcoal eyes were staring at him so intently that he felt he could strip him naked with the flick of his long eyelashes.
«I... genuinely don't know.»
Kaelin scrunched his nose before gently slapping him on the cheek a few times and leaning back.
«My master will take excellent care of you», he smirked.
Erevon gasped. He felt this strange sensation, as if the half-elf had pierced a hole in his chest and tightly crushed his heart. He pretended to be nonchalant about it, taking a big sip from his water bottle.

The journey went on smoothly, until they had to halt for the horses to rest for the day. Erevon assisted the driver in setting up a camp at the edge of the woods, while Kaelin stood there doing absolutely nothing.
«You realise he is paid to do that, right?» asked the half-elf as the ranger lit the campfire.
«You realise you're a bit of an ass at times?» he said, looking up at him.
Kaelin chuckled and sat on a log in front of the fire to warm his hands, replying: «I am simply suggesting that you should not waste your energy when someone else can do the job.»
«Yeah, like letting someone else kill an owlbear and then taking their reward.»
Kaelin sighed as he rolled his eyes.
«As I already stated, I took your money as compensation for the significant damage you caused. Besides, you seemed to have found a way around your lack of funds yesterday.»
«Yeah, the waitress was quite nice,» Erevon said with a grin, «with an even nicer pair of-»
Kaelin pressed his finger on his lips.
«I did not ask for details regarding your little... adventure.»
Erevon pulled the finger away and narrowed his eyes.
«Why? Do you wish you were in my place? Or hers?»
The blonde one swiftly drew his hand back, wiping it on his trousers.
«Neither. I am not that desperate.»
«I am not that desperate...» Erevon mocked, «Get that stick out your ass, blondie. At least, I'm a free man.»
Kaelin crossed his arms with a displeased expression on his face.
«I, too, am a free man. I am simply committed to be loyal to my master.»
«About that, who is your master? Who is this individual you claim to have a solution to my problem?»
The half-elf straightened up, with a proud grin on his face.
«I am glad you finally inquired. My master's name is Blackthorn and he is a wealthy and influential tiefling in Arabel.»
«I had no doubts about the "wealthy" part, given that he can buy a stuffed owlbear...», Erevon commented, «What's his influence exactly about?»
Kaelin shrugged, looking up at the clear night sky.
«You could say he is a philanthropist. He assisted many individuals, including myself.»
«How did he assist you?»
«You ask a lot of questions for someone who has yet to make me a nice dinner.»
Erevon stuttered and put his hands on his hips.
«Excuse me?! There is food in the carriage, simply grab it and cook it!»
«Nah, I will wait for the half-orc to do it.»
The elf stood up and exhaled deeply. Perhaps all the blondie needed was a good, solid punch on his hooked nose. He counted to ten while clenching his fist. No, he would not hit him until he got to Arabel and had a full conversation with this supposedly great Blackthorn. He was desperate to get rid of his curse.
«I'm going to sleep», Erevon announced.
«Without having even eaten dinner?»
«What are you, my mother?», the elf scowled, «If I get hungry, I'll simply eat something. Because I am capable of cooking for myself.»
Kaelin was unfazed.
«All right, do not snore or I will suffocate you. Goodnight, Erevon.»
Erevon grunted and took the sleeping bag out from his backpack, stepping away from the stuck-up blondie to find a decent place to rest.