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'Ahh! How many years has it has  been since we were all together like this, eh Pashan?' asked Nox abruptly, slipping away from my hold.

'Rightly said, Nox', Pashan joined in, slinging an arm over Nox. 'Cimme why don't we just savour this moment now? We'll answer all your questions later'

By this time I was completely confused. Now even Pashan has something to hide? Just what had happened in these last few years I wondered?

'I thought friends don't hide anything from each other. Some friends I've got', I said rudely trying to guilt them into letting me in on their secrets.

'My mistake...' I began bitterly.

'What's the point of hiding any more Pashan?', Phoebe cried out. 'Its better he heard it from us, rather than some unreliable source. He too has a right to know', by this time Phoebe was completely distraught.

'Oh, my dear Phoebe', replied Pashan morosely, engulfing Phoebe in his arms. 'Everything will be OK, everything will be fine'.

'But...but how?', Phoebe hiccuped, ' How long can we live like this without the Council knowing?', her voice dropped down to a whisper,but I heard it, loud and clear.

'Everything will be OK someday Pashan, but when? What about our lives, our forever?' Phoebe fired back.

'Phoebe, my love...'

'OK stop. Just stop for a minute', I cried out, my hands outstretched in front of me, with my palms facing them to physically tell them to stop cause I was thoroughly confused by now.

'What in the world is going on here? What does the council not know? And why are you two', I asked indicating at Pashan and Phoebe,behaving like lovers?'

'That's because they are Cimme', Nox piped in.

'OK...', I began, unsure of what to say.

'And we are married', Phoebe replied with finality.

'What!?', I exclaimed, nearly shouting. 'You two...married,this young? How? Didn't the council say anything? Dare I ask, does the Council even know?'

'The bloodlines to which we both belonged are dead. We were free after that and decided to settle in Iceland', Pashan replied.

'That doesn't explain how you're married mister', I responded dryly.

'Well we weren't reinstated. I mean we did wait for a couple of years but the orders never came. So...', Phoebe began with uncertainty, we decided to get married and live happily ever after', Pashan concluded speedily.

'You're lying', I said directing my gaze at Phoebe, who was jittery by this time. 'Parts of it might be true but this isn't the whole story. What are you hiding?'

'What they lied about is that after they secretly married and took their vows...', Nox began,

'Shut it Nox! There is nothing wrong in what we did. And Cimme doesn't need to know those details', Phoebe cut in fuming at Nox.

'Is that so Phoebe?', Nox inquired tauntingly, 'Then who was it earlier with all the "It's better to hear it from us, rather than some blah blah blah"', Nox replied mimicking Phoebe's voice and walking around the place with his hands thrown up, acting like a lovesick girl.

Pashan stepped in between Nox and Phoebe taking a protective stance in front of his wife.

'I will not tolerate such disrespect Nox', he stated solemnly raising a finger at Nox.

'Disrespect', Nox began mockingly, his voice ringing out in the forest. 'Disrespect, Ha', he scoffed, the octave of his voice rising with each word, 'What right do you have to speak of disrespect huh!'

'Please Nox, I beg of you stop this', Phoebe begged, her voice cracking as tears trickled down her face.

Nox however turning a blind eye towards Phoebe continued his tirade.

'You're the ones who abandoned your posts. Disregarded the council's orders and now live here in hiding. You have humiliated us all!', Nox roared.

Phoebe was by this time crouched on the forest floor, her wails audible in every corner of the forest.

'Are you done now boy', Pashan asked blazing with fury now.

I took a hesitant step forward. I wanted answers yes, but not at the cost of their friendship.

'Guys, Nox...'

'No Cimme, it looks like Nox has a lot to say. Let it all be said today then. Looks like he's been keeping it in since a very long time',sneered Pashan.

'And I will Pashan, because I have had enough. You went against each and every single belief, every morale...'

'And you're  telling me that you didn't!?'

'I did openly. I wasn't a coward like you. You hid and lied and...fled!'

'You never cared for anybody but yourself Nox! What do you know about love? You deserted your own family!'

'Don't start something you can't finish Pashan', Nox replied warningly, his voice taking on a guarded tone. 'Don talk about things you don't know. Those are my personal issues and have nothing to do with the present situation.'

'Why not Noxy? Afraid that dear Cimme will leave you when he understands what truly lies under that facade? Don't even have the guts to tell your best friend. What sort of a person have you become eh?'

'Pashan!', Phoebe bellowed aghast.

'At least I am what I am on the face, unlike you.'

'What is it that you really want to say Nox? Just say it already and get it done with. Want to accuse me? Go ahead! I'm tired of you beating around the bush.'

'Is that what you want? Fine. Cimme...', Nox turned towards me. Raising his arm and pointing towards the couple, 'These two indeed did wait to be reinstated before they married, which they did secretly, against the law and...'

'Nox just...' I pleaded completely exhausted and drained by now.

'They deserted their master and when their letter of appointment arrived they defied the Council and fled. Their  names are on the wanted list along with many others.' Nox said in one breath.

'Cimme...we', Phoebe looked pleadingly at me.

'They broke their vow, completely', Nox delivered the ultimatum.

A deathly silence fell over us all. Not a sound was to be heard. It  was all, eerily silent. My friends, my dear friends whom I grew up with were now...criminals? Just the thought left a bitter taste in my mouth.Had matters really worsened to such an extent? And how was I in the dark for so long? How did I not come to know of any of this? Wanted list? What in the world was that?

'What about you Nox?', I asked turning towards him. For if I was to be fair, I would need to hear every side of the story.

'I...' Nox began reluctantly,

'Nox turned rogue'. Pashan dealt the death blow.

My palm found my left chest trying to rub the pain away. Why did it hurt so much? 

I heard the sound of leaves crunching under my knees. When did my knees hit the ground?, a fleeting thought passed through my mind.

I was numb.

Rogue, criminal, married, abandonment. These thought kept swirling.

My head hit the forest floor, my eyes closed on their own.

Pain. Void. And finally...darkness.

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