As the last warm summer days are savored by half-elf and gorgon, the two start to spend much more time in each other's company. It makes sense, of course. As the only two souls out in these woods, who else would they spend their time with? Though, despite their fragile truce, It's not as if Eben has forgotten Daisy's warning. It rings in his mind constantly;
Nobody knows why he did it. Maybe it was an accident, or maybe she made him mad, and he lost control. Either way, she's dead and he's dangerous.
The bandit burns with curiosity and anxiety. Did Adder really do it? Did he kill the woman he regards as his mother?
As Eben's servitude to the gorgon continues, he's made it a habit to watch and monitor the monster...and the half-elf has come to a conclusion; Adder does not seem the type to kill out of rage. This is made all the more clear when hours after the bells have rung, Adder returns to the cave, bruises and slashes scoring his body.
"Gods, you look rough. What opponent could've done that?"
The gorgon sits at the table, sighing heavily. "It was a group of humans...bandits. They're not uncommon around here..."
Eben swallows an uncharacteristic lump of guilt that's suddenly lodged in his throat. "You didn't seem to have any trouble dealing with my group," he coughs.
"It was different this time. They made it seem like they were attempting to escape...I was going to let them all go. I didn't realize they had an archer on the roof."
The redhead puts down the pot he'd been stirring, tilting his head in contemplation. So Adder lets intruders go if they try to run instead of fight? He sighs, wishing he'd known that earlier...but who would imagine a fierce gorgon displaying such a show of mercy?
"So you killed him?"
Adder sinks onto the table morosely. "Yes. He's been petrified..."
Eben fiddles with the hem of his shirt awkwardly. The mood has quickly become dark and the half-elf is unsure how to address it. It seems he doesn't need to though, as the gorgon pinches his mouth and shifts uncomfortably.
"Eben...would you please assist with this?"
"Your injuries?" The redhead asks nervously.
"I can tend to most of it myself but..."
Adder pulls away from the table, turning to display a pale, muscled back. There, the half-elf examines a grisly sight; a feathered arrow is lodged neatly under one of the winged shoulder blades of the gorgon.
"Gods!"
"It's not too deep, but I can't reach it..."
"I can see that! Lay down..."
The gorgon does as instructed, stiffly laying on his front. He tenses as the half-elf cautiously approaches, delicately examining the wound.
"Are you sure it was bandits?"
"Fairly sure. Some of the nuns got attacked..."
Eben's hazel eyes flick to the blood-red feathers on the end of the arrow's shaft. "I think you had a run-in with the monster-hunting guild. These are the arrows they use..."
The monster clenches his fists as Eben grasps the base of where the arrow is lodged. "Have you encountered them before?"
"Plenty of times. They have a huge faction in Crestholm—they pay handsomely if you give any tips about nearby monsters."
"Have you ever tried that?"
"No. They have attempted to kill me enough times for me to blacklist them as a potential source of income. Besides, the things they do to the creatures they capture—even I am not so cruel. You should've seen the poor mer I saw them toting toward the palace..."
"A mer? What did—"
The gorgon howls as suddenly, Eben yanks the arrow free. The half-elf clutches the weapon to his chest, backing away in fear of retaliation.
"You could've warned me!" Adder growls, claws scoring the stone floor.
"You needed to be relaxed or it would've caused more damage," Eben grits.
He fears the monster won't believe him, but the gorgon seems to wilt in the face of the half-elf's anxiety.
"Oh, I—I'm sorry...I didn't mean to lose my temper. You can—you can return to whatever you were doing before..."
Not looking a gift horse in the mouth, Eben quickly retreats to where his soup is simmering. He stirs the pot, but there's not much else for the redhead to do but wait for the ingredients to soften. With nothing to keep his hands busy, the tension between him and his master feels suffocating.
He glances at the gorgon. The monster's mouth is pinched in pain as he applies his bandages. A small kernel of pity blooms in Eben's heart at the scene...Adder's life seems hard. There's nothing the bandit can do to fix that, not really, but he can entertain the gorgon at the very least.
"Adder...would you like to see what I painted today?"
Immediately, the creases on the monster's face smooths, the tip of his serpentine tail wagging. "Yes, please show me..."
Quickly retrieving the papers from his room, the half-elf places them before the gorgon. "I'm closing my eyes now."
He hears papers shuffle as the gorgon sifts through his work. The monster giggles. "That's a fat squirrel."
Eben can't help but laugh. "I know! He was too perfect a subject, I had to immortalize him!"
Another shuffle of paper. "Your horse?"
"Her name is Fairy."
"That's a lovely name..."
The gorgon flips to the next page. There's a sharp intake of breath. "Oh..."
"What is it?"
"You...painted me?"
Eben feels himself flush. He did paint Adder. How did he forget? "Ah, yes...I did paint you, didn't I
?"
The gorgon is silent as he studies the artwork. The half-elf feels face heat...did Adder think it strange Eben had chosen to paint the monster?
"Is this scene from when you returned with the nuns? When I had been waiting for you to return...?"
"Yes. It's just—well—it's not every day you see a gorgon sleeping out in the open. I guess I was inspired."
"It's...beautiful."
Eben grits his teeth as he feels his reddened ears wiggle at the compliment. "Thank you."
"Stay right there, I want to show you something."
The gorgon leaves swiftly. The half-elf takes the opportunity to grab his ears, attempting to force them into stillness.
The gorgon returns a moment later. "You can open your eyes now..."
The redhead opens his eyes, immediately spotting something bright orange in Adder's hands. "What's this?"
The monster hands the item over, a small flush on his own cheeks. "Well...I was inspired too. I made this..."
Eben feels even more heat flush his cheeks as the item is handed over. It's a blanket, seemingly woven by hand. Amongst the fiery orange fibers is delicately woven depictions of autumn leaves, apples, and of course, a large green serpent in a circular formation.
"This is amazing! You started making this recently?"
Adder adjusts a lock of dark hair, smiling sheepishly. "No...I started it, um, that first day you came here..."
"Really...?"
The half-elf studies the blanket. So when Eben had been avoiding Adder, screaming at him to keep away, the gorgon had secluded himself in his room making this? Making a tapestry somehow inspired by the bandit?
"It's nothing like your paintings, but I tried to make it the same color as your hair using marigolds and madder root..."
Suddenly Eben can't contain his laughter. "You noticed my hair, but not my ears? Your priorities are so skewed..." The half–elf covers his mouth, attempting to stifle his giggles.
"I—I had never met someone with red hair!" Adder grumbles.
"Well, then you understand how I felt. I've never met a person with horns and a snake body," Eben titters.
The redhead turns his attention to the blanket once more. He lets his fingers follow the intricately woven scales of the green snake.
In a work inspired by Eben, it was an odd choice to include a serpent. If anyone else had presented this to him, he might say they were slyly attempting to insult him by including an animal associated with the great deceiver...but Eben doubts that's the case here.
This whole town seems to associate snakes with Adder, so what does it mean that the gorgon included himself in a piece meant to invoke Eben's essence? It could be that the gorgon is asserting his ownership of the half-elf, the serpent representing his hold on Eben...or it could mean something else. Maybe Adder added it to express an unconscious desire to be closer than he was permitted...closer than anyone would reasonably permit a monster.
"It's amazing, Adder. Why didn't you tell me you were such an artist?"
The gorgon's cheeks redden further. "I can only do simple things...I don't have much talent for more complicated works."
"Do you have other ones?"
"Ah, yes..."
"Can I see?"
"If you want to..."
"I asked because I want to," Eben huffs, "bring them here. You've seen all my paintings, it's only fair."
The gorgon does as asked and soon, the half-elf is observing all of Adder's colorfully woven works. Eben is astonished at the vividness of the fabrics, studying them carefully as he brushes his hands against the soft textures of each one.
As the redhead is examining a ruby-red pair of feminine-looking gloves, his focus is broken by the sound of the gorgon's voice.
"Would you like to see how I make them?"
"Yes, please show me."
Adder reaches into a satchel he'd brought to the table, pulling out a pair of knitting needles as well as a ball of sunshine-yellow wool. The half-elf watches as if by magic, the gorgon begins to weave a row of yarn together.
It's enchanting, really, that the sharp and brutal-looking clawed fingers can weave each delicate rows with such precision. The redhead watches intently as the monster creates a small square of patterned wool. "Can I try?"
The gorgon nods, handing over the needles to his servant. Eben attempts to replicate what he'd observed, but ironically, his nimble fingers fail to copy the finesse of the monster's claws.
"You made it look so easy..."
"Do you want help?"
"Yes, if you would..."
Goosebumps rise on Eben's skin as Adder cups the half-elf's hands with his own. "You have to hold the needles correctly, or the yarn will slip out..."
Gently, the gorgon manipulates Eben's fingers into the right position. He continues to describe something about yarn and patterns, but the redhead is long past learning to knit. Instead, Eben is transfixed with the sensation of cool hands caressing his own.
Not too long ago, he'd been repulsed by the gorgon's touch...now he seemed enthralled by it. Was it the isolation? Is the half-elf so touch-starved now that even the hands of a monster leave him wanting more? Undoubtedly, there's some truth to that...but there's something more, as well. There's something about the way Adder gingerly moves his fingers, gliding pale skin over freckled knuckles. This monster could crush every bone in Eben's hands but chooses not to. Adder is restraining himself, withholding his true power so he can show his servant how to knit...
Suddenly, the gorgon pulls away, looking bashful. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you..."
"What...?" Eben asks in a daze.
"You're frightened..."
The redhead's brow furrows. "I'm not frightened. I'm fine..."
Adder frowns. "Your heartbeat is very fast. It's okay, I'm not mad."
"My heartbeat?"
The gorgon nods, fiddling with his wool. "As I mentioned before, I can sense when someone is nearby. I can sense both body heat and vibrations in the ground, so I can feel your heartbeat..."
The redhead opens his mouth to respond, but his tongue feels fat in his mouth. Is Adder really using his monstrous abilities just to make sure Eben is comfortable?
"Um—it's okay. I was just frustrated," the half-elf lies, "I think I'm more suited to painting and drawing."
The gorgon's face brightens, seemingly glad to hear that his servant holds no fear of him. "Oh! Don't feel bad, I felt that same way when I tried carving...Helia tried very hard to teach me how to whittle, but I ended up just cutting myself."
"Oh, that's unfortunate."
"That's what Helia said," Adder laughs, "and you should see how horrendous my painting skills are..."
"Oh, I need to see this," Eben grins.
For the rest of the evening, the duo compares their drawings, laughing over Adder's crude renditions of Eben's paintings.
But even as the half-elf watches the gorgon chuckle and grin, pigments smeared across pale skin, he can't help but wonder if something dark lurks under the surface. Is this who Adder really is? Is the gorgon just a misunderstood soul, wrongly vilified as a murderer?
Doubt continues to grow in Eben's mind. Only time will reveal the truth...