The Outsider of the Summerset Isles

Chapter 13

His head felt as it could explode any minute. He couldn't see anything because his eyes were bandaged, nor he could move because his hands were tied up behind his back and his feet were tied together as well. His wounds were bandaged tightly, though. He sat leaning back on a tree—he could feel a rough tree bark behind.

"Robasha, you crazy dirty cat, stop playing your games!" Llanas yelled angrily, and every word caused a sting of severe pain in his head.

"Is that a name of your opponent?" he heard a soft masculine voice which definitely wasn't Robasha's.

"Yes. Who are you?"

"Nobody."

"Is this your name? If you want to kill me, too, do it, or untie me!"

"Patience, elven friend. All in its time," the voice got closer, and Llanas could hear as the stranger kneeled before him.

"What do you want from me?" the Dark Elf jerked, but his bonds sat tight.

"Your story, of course. You, Dark Elves, always love to tell exciting stories," something touched his cheek that had started recovering but still felt bad, so he couldn't say what it was. It could be a hand or a blade. He said nothing, thinking hard of how to get out of this tricky situation.

"You don't want to speak, that's fine," Llanas heard him standing up and his voice receded, "This one is going to just leave you here, tied up and helpless."

Another damn crazy cat, Llanas thought. At least, he didn't catch Faendal, as he apparently wasn't here. If only he was alive at all.

"Alright. What do you want to know?"

"Did this one hit the poor little elf too hard?" He said in a voice full of false sympathy. "This one wants to know your story! Don't make him regret saving your life."

"Where is the other cat?" Llanas asked cautiously.

"The one you were fighting? Gone. Fled like a scared kitten," he uttered a small laugh.

"Why did you save me?"

"Well, you two seemed pretty serious about killing each other, and this would make impossible for this one to learn your story, so he threw some stones which worked just fine. The other one got away, though."

"He will come back."

"Even if he will, he won't be able to get close unnoticed."

"Why is that?"

"Wait. Who is telling a story here?"

"I'm not a storyteller."

"It's simple as that, elf, you either tell your story, or you die here. This forest is full of senche-cats, you know. Decision is yours." Llanas felt the warm breath of the captor on his face, as something lightly touched his injured cheek again. He jerked his head to avoid it and painfully hit a tree behind him.

"Oh, don't be a bitch, this one just wants to know you better," the stranger said calmly and sat next to Llanas, close enough to feel the warmth of his body.

"I'm trying to get off the Dominion land. I have the Dark Brotherhood after me, and that cat who fled was one of their assassins, happy?" The Dark Elf said irritably and shifted trying to move away from him. "Now untie me."

"This is a bad story, and this one doesn't like it. Tell him more."

"At least take off this from my eyes so I could see you."

"Hmm, this one doesn't see any harm in that, yes-s," he untied the cloth off Llanas' eyes, and the Dunmer saw a Wood Elven face, smiling at him. "You have rather strange eyes."