Tales From The Emerald Isles: Hope Chest

7

"Are you okay?" she heard someone say. The voice sounded familiar. It's him. Oh gods, it's him, she thought as she coughed. "I..." she continued to cough, "why?" Farrah asked as she struggled to breathe.

Ash rubbed her back, patting it gently. "Why not?" he asked. "I heard you scream."

She coughed again, "and so you came running?"

Ash looked to Selene, "Well galloping, but yes."

She giggled in between coughs, which were beginning to be less frequent. She rubbed her head.

"Is your head hurt?' Ash asked. "Let me see." He gently examined her head, "You've a nasty bump and a small gash, but you'll live. You shouldn't try robbing anybody for a while though."

She looked into his eyes, her lips made the motions to form words, but none came out. She felt that chill run downward to the pit of her stomach again at the mention of her robbing others. "We should get you dry, and fed, and rested. You've had quite an experience." Ash said.

Farrah tried to get up, but stumbled to balance on her feet. Ash put his arm around her waist, putting her arm around his neck. "We'll take it slow. I've got you" he said as they walked back towards the forest to look for a place to make camp for the evening.

One of the Hylaen soldiers spat on Ash audibly, drawing Farrah's attention back to the present. She struggled to be free. Marric noticed both the soldier's action, and Farrah's reaction to it. He was seething. He wanted the heart. He needed the heart. Allying himself with King Caelen allowed him the use of these soldiers. He needed their numbers to take the castle. He thought this would allow him to right the wrongs of Alric, that lecherous bastard of a king. Even if he had to... His gaze turned to Ash then back to Farrah, "Try that again and the flames of my rage will be felt in earnest next time, my dear princess." Marric open his right hand to reveal a flame swirling upward in the palm of his hand, it began climbing ever higher towards the sky. The flames flickered in her eyes and she thought back to the fire that Ash had built for her that night.

"No peeking" she said. "Why, I would never" Ash replied as he rummaged through one of the packs on Selene. Of course you wouldn't she thought to herself. "Here. Wrap yourself in this blanket. It'll keep you warm and covered until your clothes dry." He tossed her the blanket. She came to the fire wrapped up as tightly as she could manage while still being able to walk and carry her clothes. He took them from her "Sit" he said, as he laid the clothes out around the fire, "rest". She did as she was told. She was tired, but she was just happy to be warm and able to sit again; not lying permanently under the water on the bed of the river "Why did you come back to help me?" Farrah asked?

Ash smiled a big smile, "I didn't know it was you at first." He said gently scratching the back of his head, "I heard a scream that sounded like it came from someone in trouble, and so I came to help. I recognized that it was you when I got close enough to see you fighting to keep you head above the water." Farrah's head hung low. Who runs towards the screams of others?, she thought to herself. No one from where she came from did that. Her father might have done that for her mother, but she was long gone.

"But, I robbed you," She said. "I pointed an arrow at you and threatened the lives of both you and your horse. And, yet, you still saved me?"

Ash stoked the fire' "Of course" he said "Why wouldn't I? I gave you the gold because you seemed to need it badly enough that you would attempt to rob a knight of Larutte. You saw my armor, and I'm sure you saw the sword strapped to Selene, and yet you still felt it was worth it to attempt to rob me. I admired your tenacity and I felt badly about whatever circumstances forced you into such a situation. I can always get more gold. I have that luxury."