The Outsider of the Summerset Isles

Chapter 7

"I'm not... well, maybe a bit drunk," he laid his hand on her knee preventing her from getting up. "But tomorrow I won't be able to tell what I wanted to tell you long ago. Er... You are very special, Dess. And... If I go back to Morrowind, I— I will never see you again. And that... makes me sad."

She studied him for a while and then sighed, "Go to sleep, Llanas. You are not making any sense."

Llanas suddenly grasped her shoulders, drew her closer and kissed her on the lips. Dessa couldn't resist kissing him in return but then pushed him away.

"What is this supposed to mean?" she asked annoyingly. "A farewell?"

The Dark Elf seemed to be abashed at her reaction.

"I don't know," he mumbled uncertainly.

"Let's talk tomorrow. If you remember this at all..." She got up and walked to her room, leaving him sit on the terrace alone, her lips still burning and all her body shaking. She was tearing apart between the greatest desire to come back to this dark-skinned elf and her natural prudence that was telling her to keep her heart shut for this one. She had known him for more than a year — so what, her inner cold voice told her. He had been and always would stay a stranger, unpredictable individual, with values known only to him, with the Dark Elven heritage and appearance, one who never would fit a notion of an ideal partner. But who was she to judge him, Dessa retorted to herself. Half-blood — who spent almost all her life ashamed of herself, then was used by the Dominion as a spy in the dirtiest places, including a thieves guild, and now involved into a very suspicious mission — now she felt the least belonged to the place and people which she was surrounded by as she had never felt before.

***

In the morning, Arquenn woke all of them up early and the companions gathered in the tavern downstairs.

"My informer told me the Dark Elven squad has just entered Malabal Tor. Perhaps, they're trying to avoid the border of Elsweyr," Arquenn chuckled, "which suits us very well. We should meet them in the middle of the region. These jungles are dangerous, so keep your weapons ready—we are going now."

The elves left the gorgeous Bosmeri city after quick breakfast and shortly entered dark, hot and humid jungles. Instead of a road, Arquenn chose a little path which was barely recognizable among the intertwined trees and lianas covered with moss.

They had left their horses in Silvenar because the creatures only would slow them down, and now Nerien walked first, cutting down lianas and tree branches that hung too low. It was hard to breathe in this forest as the air was hot, heavy and extremely humid. Llanas' steps were getting heavier with every step, and his clothes got wet and felt nasty. He looked back and saw Arquenn who was suffering as well but kept her nose high and her posture proud. Faendal trailed behind her with a miserable expression on his face. Llanas stopped and moved to the edge of the path, letting Arquenn and Faendal to pass him, but Dessa was nowhere to be seen.

"I will catch up," he mumbled to their backs and trotted back along the path.

The Dark Elf saw Dessa on the ground near the path struggling with vines of a strangler—a plantlike predatory creature—that dragged her to its gaping toothy maw. Llanas had never seen such a creature before but believed it was deadly.

"Help!" he cried out as loudly as he could. He knew that this act could draw other dangerous inhabitants of the jungles to them, but he wasn't sure how to fight this living plant alone. The Dark Elf rushed to Dessa and started to cut numerous vines off her legs and arms. She panted trying to crawl away from the plant, yet cut vines only seemed to increase their numbers. The strangler spat greenish liquid at Dessa's face and her movements slowed down. Soon Llanas was knocked to the ground, too; he lost both his swords and couldn't offer any resistance because the vines twisted around his body and immobilized him completely. He watched Dessa helplessly, who was in the same state and looked unconscious, being dragged slowly to the strangler's jaws.