Darkest Light

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Kana was anything but a deep sleeper - years of being on edge did that to you and in truth he'd had enough training as a warrior to be awake at a moment's notice - and he woke immediately at Elidi's touch and her voice. The Dark Elf didn't exactly react well, though, and he had a knife to the Princess' throat in the time it took to blink.....and that's what he did, several times as his mind left the realm of dark dreams and came back to awareness.

He released Elidi then immediately and he let out a harsh, shaky breath. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I didn't..."

Kana sheathed the knife and hung his head, white hair sticking to his face in places, but shielding his expression. "I'm sorry." He said it again quietly and dismounted, glancing at the female elf to make sure he'd not hurt her before looking away and around at their surroundings, feeling weariness still pulling at him but not as bad as it had been.
 
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Elidi's hands instantly went to Ekanath's chest and held stiff, not allowing the knife to come any closer unless he tried to use more force. But the knife was gone as fast as it appeared and the prince was apologizing with his head hung and the hair blocking the princess to see what he looked like. When he looked to her and his traveled at her neck to make sure he hadn't left a mark, she opened her mouth.

"You're fine," she assured as she went back to Glaweth and retrieved a flask. She opened it and took a decent drink before offering some to Kana. "Do we continue, or stop and rest?"
 
Kana decided that if she wasn't going to make a big deal of his actions, neither was he and he focused instead on Elidi's question, taking the water from her and taking a drink before he spoke. "We'll continue, just at a slightly slower pace. The mountains are three days away and we would do well to get there quickly, but we can't strain the horses. A constant, but steady speed throughout the day will keep us on schedule."

The Dark Elf ran his hand back through his damp hair, for once grateful that he DIDN'T have black locks. At least his white hair didn't absorb as much of the heat and there was going to be a lot of heat in the next few days. The thought threatened to wilt Kana there and then, but he was made of sterner stuff than that and when he untied Darkstep from Glaweth's saddle and then mounted, it was with a resolve he didn't exactly feel, but would fake anyway.

Gold eyes sought golden ones, questioning. "I trust you saw no sign of pursuit?"
 
Elidi nodded, understanding completely as she rubbed her horse's white neck and patted the bridge of her long nose. If they had no horses to ride, they would surely take longer than three days to reach the mountains and she didn't know how long the dark elf could handle the heat. Then she got back on a few seconds later than Kana had, putting the black cloth back up to the bridge of her own nose, and made her way to Darkstep's side.

"No signs," she said as she looked to him. "Unless they're better than we think..." she muttered. "It'll probably take them a while to catch up to us, if they do at all."
 
Kana nodded slowly, looking back the way they'd come, his expression thoughtful. "I don't think we'll lose them, but I also don't think they'll catch up with us until we reach the mountains. I don't think they will stop tracking us, though." It was times like this that he wished that wild falcon was back or that another bird would come along and he could send it out to report back to him. The sky was clear, though, and he was stuck to wonder how far back their followers were and when they might catch up.

The Dark Elf looked back at Elidi then, expression serious. "The men that were bidding on you, they were together. I think they're working for someone else." He felt it only fair that she know what he did now, especially since while now they were in one extreme - his weakness - they'd soon be in another situation altogether in the mountains - her weakness. Communication between them was key right now.

"If you see anything that causes alarm, even if you aren't sure, let me know, all right?"

He wasn't going to let anything happen to her.
 
"I agree," Elidi concurred, her eyes glancing all around her slowly. She also wondered how really far back their trackers were and if they'd have to worry about it more sooner rather than later. But when Kana looked at her with such a serious expression, she listened to him carefully and thought over his words. "Working for someone else?" she asked as she thought back. "Now that I look back on it, I do remember hearing them speak about someone, someone they called 'Sir'."

"I'll be sure to," she said with a firm nod. She also didn't want anything happening to the Dark Prince and she would try her absolute best to keep both of them safe.
 
Sir? Well, that wasn't a lot to go on, but at least it meant that his suspicious were probably correct. The Dark Elf couldn't speculate much more without knowing more information, though, and he was pretty sure that if Elidi had had it she would have shared it at this point. She would know that it could only help for them to be aware of the same things regarding their following enemy and he trusted that she was smart enough to know what information to share for both their protection.

Hmm, and there he went trusting her again. So far it hadn't led him wrong though and he hoped it would remain that way.

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The next few days passed much like the first; uneventfully.

The desert was just as hot, just as barren, they'd started to ration their water a bit more and the horses were tired but still going as they were careful to not push them too hard. The only change really was in Kana. He'd started to sleep more, even at night and he didn't talk unless he had to so there were no real conversations like they'd had that night he'd showed her his scars and the tattoo - he still intended to explain that to her if she wanted to know, but right now the energy eluded him.

The Prince could no longer use his ice power and he'd stopped eating. His body was constantly warm now, his skin paler than any Dark Elf's should have been and his gold eyes had gone glassy. He never failed to keep them on course, though, and Kana took care to make sure that Elidi was all right each day. There was no denying that he was sickening faster each day though and when the mountains came into view on the third day, it was a relief.
 
The three days in the desert passed by slowly. Nothing out of the ordinary was seen or heard, except the fact that Kana was feeling the consequence of being a Dark Elf in the desert for so long. Elidi wished she could help him, either by having the ability to create a ice shield around him or just simply heal him. But she couldn't. It was just his body's natural reaction to being in the sun, unlike hers which practically absorbed the sun's power. It was hot for her, definitely hot, but she definitely didn't feel as bad as Ekanath.

They rarely spoke unless each one had to and the Light Elf didn't mind it. She was usually a quiet character anyways. She had wondered about the rest of his tattoos' meanings, but she decided to just ask him once they got to the mountains, when he felt better.

As the mountain terrain came into view on the horizon on the final day, Elidi smiled through her black cloth and looked to Kana. "There it is," she said, happy that Kana was going to get the rest he deserved from the sun even if she'd get sick if they were there for so long.
 
Kana looked up at her words and a faint smile came to his face at the familiar sight. They were already heading into the shadow of the towering monoliths and the air around them grew cooler even then. A few hours later, when they finally started to climb into the rocky hills at the base of the larger mountains, their surroundings got a great deal colder and Kana had started to perk up just a little, his body shedding off the heat slowly.

They had to go a bit higher to find a source of water that the Prince remembered, but that could only spell better recovery for the male elf as they started to see snow drifts the higher they climbed. The air around them was nippy, but the sun still shown even here and it was a good medium for both his and Elidi's natures respectively. It wouldn't remain that way, but for now there was a good balance.

They stopped at the first stream they came to and it took all of Kana's will to see to Darkstep first, taking the horse's saddle and bridle off, but clipping his lead reign on to the halter he slipped over his face. He didn't trust the stallion not to bolt if he heard wolves or a mountain cat. Only when the equine was taken care of did the Prince stumble his way to the stream and the consequential snow drifts that had accumulated near it. Forgoing the water at first, the male simply laid down in the snow. There was an audible hissing sound as his power started to absorb the cold and Kana smiled for the first time in days, curling into the white chill as if it was the most comfortable bed in the world.
 
The princess kept to the trail and followed Kana for the few hours that it took them to reach the colder region. Already she could feel the chiller air as they began to climb the hilltops, but it wasn't a great deal to Elidi who welcomed the cooler air, especially since the sun still shone. At the first stream, Elidi could almost jump into it. But there were a couple reasons why she didn't: first being that it was more important for everybody to drink in it, and second because it was a mountain stream and was much colder than other streams lower in elevation.

She stripped the black cloth away from her face and stuck it in Glaweth's saddle as she dismounted and led her to the stream's edge, the horse drinking from it appreciatively. Elidi stroked the powerful animal's neck, looking at her with admiration before tending to the water herself. The slight surface of snow cooled her feet even through her shoes, but she didn't mind it all that bad. It actually made her glad, because as she turned to spot Ekanath, he was curling into the snow and smiling. His smile radiated to Elidi and she also smiled, knowing just as well what he felt like in that exact moment.
 
As Kana started to feel more himself, he also started to realize how childish he was behaving and the Prince sat up, brush his white hair back, snow falling from it in a powder and he looked away from Elidi, sheepish. He stood from the snow drift and moved toward the stream, grabbing the waterskins on the way so they could be filled. He crouched by the water, taking a long drink before attending to his self-appointed task.

He glanced at the sky, squinting at the brightness but studying the abundance of clouds in the distance; thick ones with an undertone of gray to them. His brighter gold eyes found Elidi's after a moment. "It's going to get cold tonight and by tomorrow it could be storming. There are warmer clothes packed in bag. Your mother insisted on them." It had been the first time he'd ever met Queen Nakiasha and the impression she'd made on him, the care she had for her daughter...it had reminded him of his own mother and perhaps it was THAT factor that had played a part in his tentative interest in Elidi. Perhaps part of him had hoped she was like her mother.

He could now safely say he saw a lot of the older Light Elf in the younger one, though, there was a steel edge in Elidi that had to have come form King Thorontur. It was a good combination.

At the thought of family, Kana stood and he unconsciously turned to look at the distant peaks, where his homeland resided. He hoped they were safe.
 
The princess didn't think that the prince had a reason to be sheepish, but she let him be as she took another drink of water before going to Glaweth again, looking to Kana as he started talking. She wasn't a big fan of storms.

"Thank you," Elidi said as she looked at the bag. She'd change into the clothes later. "Are we camping here tonight or moving forward?" she asked as she looked back to Ekanath. Her eyes trailed to where he was looking and saw the peaks, knowing that those were where his people resided. She hoped they could visit Dynasha.

(( Sorry for the shorter post. I'm sick and my brain's all mushy. n_n ))
 
Kana looked contemplative at her question, looking up at the sky and then biting his lip, calculating mentally how far they could get before the storm arrived and what shelter might be available. Even if they didn't travel far, they'd have to go some distance to reach a place of shelter. Right here was certainly not going to work. Maybe four...six miles up...

"We move forward, but not far. The storm won't hit until early evening, but if we push on we won't find adequate shelter." The Dark Elf smiled, glancing back at Elidi. "It's a half-day for us."

The notion didn't displease him. He felt better, but he wasn't fully recovered yet and resting for a while would be good. Getting established for a storm - extra wood, making sure the horses were safe, setting up bedding and getting Elidi into warmer attire - was all beneficial, too. The Prince saddled Darkstep again and bridled the horse, but he didn't ride, instead starting to walk up the path. It wasn't that it was too steep...Kana just felt like walking. He hadn't in some time and his body needed a stretch.

His gold eyes glanced back into warmer ones. "Have you ever been in a snow storm?"

(( Aww! You should be sleeping! ))
 
(( I've been sleeping all day. v.v I feel better than I did yesterday and this morning, but... yeah haha. ))

Elidi nodded and returned Kana's smile. "Sounds good to me," she responded as she looked at the ominous clouds in the distance. As long as they were in a better place for the storm, the princess didn't mind much.

Unlike Kana who walked, Elidi got upon Glaweth again but kept her walk slow. Maybe she'd dismount soon and walk alongside her elven companion. "I have a couple times when I was a child, however I was inside a building mostly, waiting for the storm to blow over," she answered as she met Kana's golden eyes. "But in more recent ages, yes, I've actually been in a snow storm... why?" she asked, curious to the reason the Dark Elf asked that question.
 
Good, she had some experience, though, he was in doubt that she honestly knew what a mountain storm was like.

Kana kept that thought to himself, instead shaking his head and looking forward again. "I was merely curious as to your experience with it, that's all. You'll endure a mountain storm better if you already have some experience with lower level ones." he confided, working his way around a tree that had fallen in the path, displeasing Darkstep who laid his ears back and snorted, pulling slightly against his bit in protest of the route.

The Prince promptly ignored the stallion who eventually followed in compliance, ears still back, grumbling in his horse-way.

"My father and I once got caught in a winter storm while hunting. I was scared at first, but we both ended up playing in it." A fond sort of smile flickered over Kana's face, his hair brushed back so the expression clearly visible. That had been many, many years ago, but it was a good memory and he looked over at Elidi again, curious.

"Did your father ever take you hunting?"
 
"Yeah, I have not had much experience with mountain storms," she admitted. She watched the way Darkstep and Kana maneuvered each other and it made her let out an amused giggle. They were cute, in their own way. Glaweth was much more calm, probably too tired to put up much of a complaint.

Elidi smiled as she pictured the Dark Prince and King playing in a snow storm, little Ekanath and his dad in the snow... it was a cute and somehow comforting image.

"He's taken me a couple of times, though it was against my mother's wishes," she chuckled as she remembered her mother fretting over her daughter. "Though, even I was hesitant at my first hunting experience, killing my first animal and all."
 
"I suppose that comes with your love of healing, yes?"

Kana said the words before he could think about them, about how they might be taken - his sisters were always telling him that was why they doubted he'd be a good ruler anytime soon; though, in all honesty they were teasing when they said it - and he backtracked a little. "I mean, your nature is to make things better, to help with injuries, so taking life must be hard for you, right?"

Or maybe he'd just dug himself a deeper hole. The male elf wasn't sure and he told himself to shut up as the path got a bit steeper and he had to concentrate on where he put his feet, keeping an eye on Glaweth in case the mare showed signs of instability as she climbed.
 
Elidi hadn't taken offense to Kana's comment, she merely smiled and shrugged lightly.

"You're correct. Since I learned to appreciate life, it was difficult even thinking of taking an animal's life. But in time, I also came to learn that it was necessary to live. And only when creatures were killed unnecessarily, like for sport or just for their fur, was when it really upset me." She shrugged again as she pat Glaweth's neck who neighed appreciatively in response. She would be alright for the rest of their trek up the mountain side.
 
"I understand that."

Yes, he could understand the part about only killing when necessary, but the part about finding it hard to kill...Kana didn't understand that at all. He'd been in wars, he'd killed others on orders, for survival, for the sake of his kingdom and over time, the difficulty of it had faded. Or perhaps his conscience had just died. The Prince didn't know and he didn't think he should bring that up with Elidi either. Surely she already knew what kind of creature he was; one of war.

They walked on in silence for a time until they came to the top of the mountain, to a ledge of sorts and Kana's eyes immediately found the cave he'd known would be there. It was large enough for a horse to fit through and Kana knew from experience that at least five people plus that many horses could fit inside the cavern. He'd come here, years ago with a group and they'd spent the night.

Now Kana let Darkstep's reigns dangle and he drew his sword, motioning for Elidi to stay. "I'll make sure nothing's taken up residence." With that he disappeared into the cave.
 
Elidi knew nothing of killing a person, but in her mind she figured it was much different than killing an animal. However, she always knew that if a time ever came for when it was necessary to kill someone in order to protect herself or her loved ones, then she could do it. Or at least she hoped. She didn't really know what she would feel.

What she did know was that Kana served in the war, that he surely killed several people. But she didn't hold it against him or anybody else that had killed before; just because she hadn't killed or wasn't sure if she actually could, didn't mean that she was going to hold it against anybody that did.

As they arrived at a cave, Elidi felt relieved that they had at least some shelter from the storm. She dismounted slowly from the white horse as Kana did from his horse, watching as he unsheathed his sword. She was about to say that she could go with him, draw up some fire in her hand for a source of light, but the prince had already disappeared in the cave.
 
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