The Answering Cry, Tales of Pennilor

Cadvan glanced at the brambles over the riculet disconcertingly with a wary eye. The bushes rustles once again and this time, Cadavan sat down and sighed glancing around the cheerless campsite.

"Maerad!" he thre back his head and yelled.

The bushes rustled yet again, and Cadvan's lips were set in a tight grim line.

"Forget your anger." he said gently. "Life's too short to be arguing all the time."

Maerad bristled slightly before limping from the bushes with her poultices in hand and a nasty gash running up her left calf.

Cadvan staggered and grimaced at her bloodied leg. he helped her sit on the muddled and dirty ground as she turned away, not looking at him.

But gentle fingers trailed across her wounded calf, as Cadvan watched with almost morbid fascination. He grazed her bloodied gash gently, and watched her recoil.

Maerad winced and looked despairingly at her leg, and then to Cadvan, who looked tired and skinny in his tattered traveling clothes. The dark in his eyes scared her, as his face was shadowed under his dark hair.

"I'm sorry." he said, eyes dark and brooding.

Maerad didn't know if he meant for hurting her leg, not protecting her, or frightening her with the dark look in his eyes.

Maerad shrugged and nodded stiffly, and smiled a little at him.

"It's fine!" she said with false bravado. "It isn't your duty to protect me. I have Irigan, it was my fault. I wasn't paying atten-"

"No!" he said harshly and Maerad jumped in surprise as his eyes darkened ominously. He fisted his hands at his sides, and his jaw was clenched. Maerad cringed at his rare anger.

And she felt fear, for the first time for her teacher, who always cared for her.

"Can you not sense it?!" he said, nearly snarling. Maerad's eyes widened in shock and she toyed with the notion of running away.

"There is a darkness that grows between us, between us all. it starts with a sliver of doubt and then it spreads like the plague." his voice was now calm, his hands rested on her own, but his eyes were still dark, his tone still grim.

"it grows because it remained unspoken." she replied.

"Then we must speak of it." he said suddenly, his voice now full of suppressed passion. "If this friendship means anything at all, by the oath we owe each other as teacher and student, friends and companions, Maerad of Pellionor tell me what disturbs you."

Maerad pressed her lips together, trying to master herself and with the sheer fibres of her being, she refrained with difficulty from not throwing herself to the ground and sobbing desperately.

Cadvan gentled, and waited patiently for her to compose herself, but he watched eerily, his eyes haunted.

"When we were fighting those Hulls, and that Kulag," her voice was as soft as a whisper and Cadvan strained to hear. "Usually, your light is pure, white as the first snow of winter." she said smiling at the memory. But then she hardened, matching him with a cold look of steel.

"I don't know how it happened, but it did. Your bardic powers were darker then that of the Wight we faced at the Broken Teeth. I was faced with horrible visions and memories and there was a weight pression down on my mind like an anvil. I got up to help you, I ran! But, the minute I touched you, a searing pain jolted up my left leg, and you looked insane! You unleashed your powers on the Hulls, and that Kulag and nearly me as well, if I didn't throw up that shield."

Cadvan listened grimly and it seemed like he wasn't there, his thoughs seemed to wander broodingly to the moment that was black in his mind, the moment he couldn't remember. he narrowed his eyes at nothing, not looking at her, intead casting his eyes to the ground, cursing it.

"You said such horrible things to me." she said brokenly while she furiously wiped away the insolent tears that dared fall from her eyes.

Cadvan looked at her, and slowly reached his hand out, not missing her wince. He withdrew slightly but gently brushed away a lone tear that she missed.

"I do not remember that. I remembered glowing white, and Likud, that disgusting hull said something." he paused. "Whatever he said, it angered me. White hot anger licked my insides, and then...the rest doesn't come back to me." he said.

Maerad didn't reply and pulled her cloak tighter around her.

They sat in silence and Maerad though back at what happened into that moment that seemed frozen in her frenzied mind.

Cadvan nodded and swallowed wincing.

Maerad glanced at him a last time before limping away to across the campsite and closer to the fire.

Quietly, she tended to her leg and reached for the poultices.

"I'll take first watch." she stated. "You get some sleep."

Cadvan nodded but did not meet her eyes, he rolled over and went to sleep, leaving her to tend to her leg alone.

The next morning, Maerad woke up groggily, sleep still clinging to her mind, and eyes. Her visioned was blurred with sleep.

A delcious smell caught her attention and she sat upright, she looked around madly and saw Cadvan sitting on the ground and ladeling hot stew from their humble cooking pot.

He seemed better today and most signs of exhaustion and depression seemed to have evaporated.

He looked up from his arduos task and smiled at her, with what looked like to Maerad, too much gusto.

"Good morning Maerad!" he said scrambling up to his feet like an eager servant. "Shall the ravishing Lady take a bath first or break her fast?"

Maerad giggled and waved her hands at him.

"Later, later!" she said wiping tears of mirth from her eyes.

She smiled and it seemed like a large burden was lifted from her shoulders. Her mentor was back to his old self: Arrogant, sardonically humorous, and suffering from moodswings that spring on you like an un-suspecting fog.

Maerad's smile was infectious and soon Cadvan felt the corner of his lips twtich upwards into a crooked smile.

Maerad turned away from him, and paused as if in though. Unexpectedly, Maerad spun around and flung her arms around his neck, surprising both bards.

"I-I'm really glad you're back to normal Cadvan." she said earnestly looking at him. "But knowing you, you'll be brooding about this over the next few days so I'll try hard and stay out of your way." she finished and looked into his dark blue eyes.

Cadvan felt as if something was lodged into his throat making it dry and hard for him to swallow. He looked down at her honest looking face and felt moved. All her concern and tears, just for him? he could not suppress the first wave of tenderness that hit him like a tsunami, but mastered himself and veiled his eyes carefully once more.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Cadvan smiled gently at her and said in a warm voice that flooded her ears. She did not miss his endearing look.

"Maerad, you are true of friend and have a heart pure of light. your words and concern for my well being are greater then any gift except for the gift that the light gave me, when they allowed me to meet you. You were in that cowbyre." he said laughing. "it seems so long ago." he said looking into her eyes. he indulged in a brief hug and pushed her away gently.

Well, I'm done for now. i'll post the next part later. <3 CYA!

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