Talon may as well be a marble pillar for all the emotion he shows. He rarely speaks apart from ordering Nura to lift her arm or turn her head as he helps clean and bandage her wounds. Nura lets him help, too shaken to have steady fingers at the moment.
Talon is an Ice Elf. She's known the whole time, his looks are evident enough of that, but he's an Ice Elf. The powers he displayed...
Nura sucks in a breath and she's not sure if it's because Talon dabs at the deep laceration on her head, or the thoughts of him unleashing his powers.
She's never seen such a display before, she only had to heal the aftereffects of such devastating magic. Even then, it wasn't like that. Freezing an entire group of men in one breath and not even being exhausted because of it. Magic takes a lot out of someone, even the most powerful Elves have to practice restraint for fear of tumbling into unconsciousness. She knows that much from her teachings in the war.
Nura closes her eyes, her stomach tying in knots with each thought that surfaces.
"I'm not going back to Aurmir's," Nura says, trying to focus on something apart from the mystery surrounding the man before her.
Talon's fingers pause at the wound on her temple and his cold eyes bore into hers. "I don't remember giving you another option," he replies and Nura glares at him.
"The Witch Hunters found me even in the Elven lands. I'm not putting Aurmir at risk. My best hope is to continue going north."
"What do you hope to find in the north?" he asks, his voice a low hum as he sits back and pours water from a flask over his bloodied hands.
"My husband."
Talon shakes his head, his snowy hair draping into his eyes. "Sworn Elves, you mean. You believe they're the ones who have Rephas."
"I know that are," Nura snaps through gritted teeth, her fingers tightening in the fabric of her cloak.
"Then there's little hope of getting him back. Kepfew isn't an overly welcoming place."
Nura's eyes widen. "Kepfew? They took him to Hold Kepfew?"
Talon doesn't reply, instead he wipes his hands on a cloth and stands.
Kepfew, the centre of Cirallian. The Dark King fought with everything he had to take the fortified city, but that place was built to withstand the full might of an assault. Sworn Elves are the Elven Empire's military strength and that's where most of them reside. If they've taken Rephas into the city then getting him back out will be near impossible.
But such a thing won't deter Nura from getting her husband back.
"You'll take me to Kepfew and you'll help me get Rephas back," she says.
Talon's movements still once again, the only indication Nura has that her words affect him as his features remain neutral. "Will I?" Talon bends to gather their supplies and pack them away.
"Yes. You're clearly a capable fighter and know more about these people than I do, so you'll help me."
"A few hours ago you were abandoning my help to go at it alone." Talon glances down at her from the corner of his eyes. "What makes you think you can demand my help after that?"
Nura swallows and brings her knees to her chest, his icy regard pricking her skin. "Because with or without you, I'm going after my husband, and with you I might have a chance of survival." She meets his eyes, not allowing herself to bulk under his indifference. "And you made a promise to my husband to protect me, one I know you intend to keep for whatever reason."
Talon tilts his head as he unrolls the sleeves of his black shirt, considering her words for a few aching heartbeats.
Nura lowers her head when she deems that he's not going to answer her. Regardless, she's going, she just knows she'll most likely die without him.
"Your husband and I served in the war together," Talon speaks, a breath on the wind that Nura nearly misses.
"The war?" she asks. She must have misheard him. Rephas came to Hold Tiore after the war had ended. He was already battle-hardened when he enlisted with the Imgardian soldiers, but most men were during that time.
"Yes." Talon sits by his pack and rights the straps as Nura gapes at him. "He served the Elven Empire during the Abyssal war."
Nura covers her mouth with her hands as bile rises and her body threatens to hurl up the little she's eaten recently. "But..." she forces out, her voice muffled behind her hands. "But Rephas is Human."
"He is," Talon replies, not looking at her. "He killed many of his own kind for the Elves."
Nura's stomach heaves but she swallows. "Why are you telling me this?" she croaks.
Talon looks at her, his eyes filled with shadows and sorrow. "Because your husband isn't the man you think he is. He's not honourable. He's not truthful. He's not good, Nura, and he made a lot of powerful people angry. He's a bad man, just like me, just like the people who took him." Talon draws in a breath and his gaze pierces the dirt at his boots. "But he loves you, and he never wanted you involved in any of this. You're the only good thing in his life, Nura, and you're going to get yourself killed by continuing on this path."
"You know who took him?"
"I do, and Rephas has always known they would find him eventually."
"Shouldn't you have told me this earlier? Wouldn't this have been useful in finding him?"
Talon presses the heel of his palm to his eye. "I have no hopes of getting Rephas back, Nura," he murmurs.
Nura's gut plummets to the Abyss itself but she shakes her head, refusing to lose hope so easily. "I'll fight whoever took him and I'll get him back."
"You'll die."
"Then we'll fight together," she insists but Talon's lips press together.
"I can't."
"What do you mean you can't?" Nura asks, her voice rising. "I just saw you freeze a group of Witch Hunters with only a raise of your hand."
"I mean I can't fight the man who took him. He owns me."
"Owns you?" Nura breathes.
Talon glances at her, desolation in his eyes, but he blinks and it's gone, his face a slate once again. "I've already told you too much. You're going back to Aurmir's and you're not delving any deeper into this."
"After everything I just heard, I can't possibly go back now."
"Everything you just heard should deter you," he bites back.
"No, it just makes me understand how much danger my husband's in and how much he needs help."
Talon's jaw works as he grinds his teeth, his features seeming sharper in the low light of the forest. "You have no idea what you're facing."
"Then explain it to me."
Talon looks away, keeping his lips sealed.
Nura shifts and lays down on her bedroll with a wince, everything aching within her. Tears prick at her eyes but the cold wind dries them before they touch her cheeks.
The man Nura married is the furthest thing from a monster and she's certain he can explain his actions. But she can't leave him in the hands of monsters. What type of wife would she be if she abandoned him the moment things got hard?
Nura closes her eyes, her resolve not once wavering. She made vows to Rephas and she won't be the one to break them, not for anyone or anything. She can only hope the Spirits look upon her and decide to help her. She's going to need all the help she can get.