Endless Shadows

Chapter 21

Amarth's POV

Something cold presses against my forehead; water runs down the side of my face. 
What happened? 
Cautiously I open my eyes; a black sky filled with stars is the first thing I see. A cool breeze caresses my skin. I am not in Oroth's lair anymore, where am I? 
"Amarth?" I recognize Darovel's voice and turn my head to face him, he's the one responsible for the cold water on my forehead. 
"How are you feeling?" Darovel asks removing the wet cloth and pressing a hand against my forehead. 

"Terrible." There is no sarcasm in my voice, no snarky comment follows, just the blunt truth. If Darovel notices he doesn't say anything. Instead, he returns the cloth to my head and I close my eyes again. It feels good but doesn't do much to heal my weary body. 
"Where are we?" I ask quietly.
"Somewhere in the desert, after we escaped our only thought was to get as far away from Oroth as possible." 
"Are Ramben and Morwen alright?" 
"They are resting." 

I wait for him to say more but he changes the subject.
"What do you remember Amarth?"
I furrow my brow and though I'd rather not I try to recall some memory of what happened in Oroth's lair. I quickly divert from any thought of Daeris; a shudder runs through my body at the mere thought of all that she did to me. I try to piece together what happened during our escape. I vaguely remember Darovel carrying me out of that place, but everything else is unclear.

"I can't think of anything now." 
Darovel nods his head.
"Try to get some more rest Amarth, perhaps you will remember tomorrow after your body has had time to recover."
"What about you? You're hurt just as I am."
A quiet laugh comes from him, but I see nothing funny about this.
"I will be fine Amarth, get some rest. I will wake you in the morning." 

I'm too tired to argue anymore. Rolling onto my side I try to go to sleep, but it will be a long time before I will be able to fall asleep again.

/\\//\\/

Morwen's POV

She splashed cold water on her face as if it would wash away the memories of what had befallen them. Straightening herself Morwen allowed her gaze to wander over the vast expanse of desert. Sand stretched before them as far as the eye could see, if they hadn't found this small oasis all of them would be dead. 

For hours she and Darovel had run blindly, only stopping rarely to rest. Neither Amarth or Ramben had awoken during that time. Morwen glanced over at where her three companions, all of whom were sleeping. Ramben trembled as he slept, muttering incoherent things as he grasped the amulet tightly in his hands. Darovel had tried to remove it from the elfling but he refused to release it, even in slumber.

She still couldn't believe what he had done in Oroth's lair. He had commanded the shadows and destroyed two more, all with the amulet. So far Ramben was the only one who could kill the shadows, but why him? And how did he do it?
Morwen sighed and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, the one that always fell in her face, the one Amarth said he liked... 

Her mind flooded with the image of him writhing in pain on the ground, screaming in a voice that was not his own, begging to be brought back to the darkness.
The light harms him...
As of now, Amarth was lying under the shelter of the solitary tree that grew beside water, his body shaded from the bright sun. Darovel feared what would happen if he was put in the sunlight again, and so did she. They'd had no choice but to render him unconscious, Darovel said that he had awoken briefly last night but had no recollection of the events that had transpired.

Her only desire was that he would awaken, healed and able to return to the same Elf she knew and loved. She was tempted to heal him herself but fear held her back. She didn't know what ailed him and trying to take away his hurts could kill her.
I can't leave, not when a creature such as Daeris is hunting him.
Morwen swore that she would not stand by and let that monster harm Amarth any further. Fear would control her no longer. 
I was trained to fight without fear, and that's what I will do.