The Dark Guardian

Chapter 13

When Robin woke up she automatically reached for Lokar's coat, but her hands met only the smooth fabric of her dress. Groaning she stretched, sore from a night spent on the hard floor. Sitting up stiffly Robin looked around. The room was dark and shadowy, but she could make out two forms. Lokar leaning on the wall, and Sophie curled up under Lokar's coat. Jealous, Robin glared at her, then with a pouting lip walked over to her friend.

"Lokar, I'm cold." He looked down at Robin, she stared at him eyes wide. In the dim light his face was ghostly pale, and looked as though it had been sculpted from marble. The planes of his features were both harsh and soft in the light and his eyes glowed. Their color was much more intense than it usually was. Robin blinked and his face returned to normal.

Uneasy she waited for his response. The silence stretched out longer. Robin looked at his face closely, his eyes held an infinite sorrow. It echoed deeply in the silence, creating a pang of empathy in Robin. Feeling silly for worrying about something as simple as a coat Robin reached for Lokar's hand hoping she could comfort him in some way.

He looking like he was about to cry Lokar slowly slid down the wall, sinking onto the floor. He pulled his hand out of Robins and hid his face in it. "Robin, there is something wrong with my sister. And there is nothing I can do about it." Robin reached out, resting her hand on Lokar's shoulder. He allowed it to rest there for a moment, then without warning Lokar twisted and slammed his fist into the stone wall that he rested against.

Robin jumped back in surprise gasping slightly. Lokar's fist was bloody with small slivers of bone showing through the torn skin. Jaw hanging open Robin stared at the injury. Lokar was growling in frustration, but showed no signs of pain. Whirling he waved his fist under Robin's nose.

"Do you see this?" Frightened Robin nodded. "Years ago, generations, any elf could have waved a hand over this injury and the skin would knit together, the blood would wash off, the pain would fade instantly! But then the elves decided they needed to take responsibility for the beast that was terrorizing humans! So they took the magic of the elven nation! They bound our power to the prison. And now if any elf wishes to draw on the innate abilities they were born with, they cannot. The only way to fulfill their potential is to release the beast and allow the power to return to its source."

As if realizing who he was ranting to Lokar slid a sideways glance towards Robin. She did not move, but instead sat quietly thinking about what Lokar had said. Seeing that she was not retreating Lokar continued his discourse. "Robin, if I had the magic of the elves I could . . ." he paused but seemed to fortify himself "I could heal my sister."

Robin hesitated, seeing her indecision Lokar said one more thing. "And that tribe you used to be part of, well, the beast could destroy their livelihood. Make them go through the same thing you had to go through." This sibilant promise caught Robin's attention. She looked up and smiled.

As she spent time in that cell Robin's hatred for her tribe and grown to a white hot flame. The hatred faded to a glowing ember, ready to burst into flames again at the slightest provocation, with the time spent with Lokar outside of the cell. Provocation had come when she followed Lokar when he was cast out of the tribe. The experiance, even if it was her own choice, brought back memories of her own removal from her own tribe.

Though she did not want to admit it to herself Robin harbored a desire for revenge against the place she once called home. The more she thought about it the greater her anger grew. She had only been eight years old, she had only wanted to eat. To survive. But nobody had cared, they still threw her out. Face darkening at the memory Robin relished in the idea of revenge.

Eons ago, it seemed, the beast plagued the flocks of her ancestors. But it had been imprisoned. The idea of it stalking them once again brought a dark pleasure to Robin's heart. If she helped Lokar with whatever it was he wanted to do, not only would he gain power. But she would have her revenge against the tribe that cast her out more then a year ago.

The thought of time that had passed brought the bright flash of anger to her chest yet again. She had spent months waiting for her ankle to heal. Then months more, simply waiting around in the dark. The final weeks in Sophie's nice room. While it happened it felt as if no time passed, but she now realized how long her incarceration had really been.

Her thoughts continued down this path, then Robin's eyes widened and she frowned. Turning quickly Robin looked down at herself. Her flat chest, was not so flat. Gasping she whirled on Lokar, tears streaming down her face. Lokar ignored her, staring at his ruined hand. "Lokar!" Her voice used to have a high screech but now it was imperceptibly lower, the voice of a young woman. She was sobbing now, looking down she saw her ankles. Several inches of bare skin stood out from the hem of her dress.

Lokar barely glanced up as she had this crisis. "Lokar, what happened to me? How long was I with you in that cave!" Now Lokar looked up, his face twisted with fear and worry. He stood up holding his hands out calmingly, "Robin, Robin listen to me." Closing her hands into tight fists Robin waited for Lokar to continue, trying to hold back hysterics. "Robin, you are only human. And when living with elves, well, time doesn't seem to pass the way it should." Robin sat down heavily trying to process this.

"How old am I?" Robins voice was small and defeated. Lokar looked sympathetic, "you are fifteen years old Robin." She didn't respond, her mind shut down.

Hours passed, all Robin could do was try to remember all her lost time, she had thought a year had passed. And now she knew it was seven. Soon her mind focused on a single thread of thought. If the magic of the elves could heal a broken hand and even a broken mind, then maybe they would bring back her lost memories. Or maybe even bring back her lost years.

Holding tightly to that hope Robin picked herself up, brushed herself off, and faced where Lokar stood. "We are going to get your magic back, and you are going to fix what was taken from me." An expression flitted across Lokar's face, too quick to read. Then he nodded, short and business-like. "Agreed."