The sound of the crackling fire filled their silent solitude. There were occasional murmurs here and there but most of the new recruits remained quiet, almost death like as they tried to comprehend what was going on.

Neither of their captains seem to be in the mood to talk, and neither of them seemed to be in a good mood.

Falasdir sat on a thick root a good 20 paces away from Lindethiel with his back turned to her. Lindethiel had a permanent scowl on her face, her eyes flickering briefly over the ellon before she rolls them and scowls even more.

The night was moving around them and now, thinking the exile was cool, had already left their minds as the searching fingers of the cold wind seemed to grab at them. Their King still had his heartless moments apparently.

Allea sat quietly beside Lindethiel, massaging her hands together and occasionally glancing over to a group on the far corner of their camp. She glanced there so often that Lindethiel had to wonder what it was that made the elleth seem nervous.

She turned towards the group and practically raised an eyebrow as her eyes land on the dark haired ellon that trained with Mantheniel. He was laughing quietly with the rest of the group in his company, and Lindethiel noticed he kept glancing over them as well.

"What is his name?" Lindethiel ask the elleth beside her who seemed startled at the sudden voice.

"Aeser," the girl replied shyly, averting her eyes. There was silence for a moment as Lindethiel studied her. She looked at all the other recruits and it seems that Allea was the outcast. She grew protective and even worrisome of the girl. They were alike in so many ways.

"Why do you not talk to him?" Lindethiel proceeds to ask the elleth who turns to her with wide eyes.

"I- I," she stammers before shaking her head, "it is not the way of the elves. Is it? Should not the male be the one to start the conversation?" She asked the captain hesitantly in which she was given a snort in reply. It was loud and unladylike that most of the people in their camp turned to them. Even Captain Falasdir.

"Sometimes," Lindethiel began, her eyes training on the dark haired captain, " it is alright to bend the rules a little. To get what you want." She turns to the elleth who had a look of bewilderment but admiration towards her.

"Talk to him, there is no shame in that." Lindethiel stands up, dusting the back of her trousers, "and if you will excuse me, I myself must talk to a stupid ellon." She muttered the last parts to herself and Allea watched Lindethiel make her way towards Captain Falasdir. She found the urge to giggle before her eyes flickered again towards the ellon having a good conversation with a group in their class. She shook her head slightly before turning away.

Lindethiel walked towards him, already feeling his brooding aura.

"If you hated camping in the forest so much, why join the guard?" She asked him when she was a step away, crossing her arms over her chest. She was answered with silence, irking her to the limit.

"Are you planning to ignore me the whole night?" She asked, her tone rising. Again, silence. She let out a heavy breath of frustration and reached a hand out to cease the pompous ass by the shoulders when his arm shot up and grabbed her wrist, as he turned around to face her with a stern expression.

"Are you still trying to teach me of elves fast reflexes?" She asked, hoping to ease the tension but he only shook his head in reply and let her wrist go as of it burned him. By now, everyone in the camp seemed to have quieted down and were observing their odd exchange.

Lindethiel bit her lip as she crossed her arms over her chest and studied him for a moment. His eyes were downcast and glanced up at her for a moment before he turned around again. Lindethiel knew what she must do. And she hated him for it. Hated him with every gut and nerve in her body.

"Fine," she finally spoke, with a reluctant tone but it was firm and determined nonetheless, " I am sorry," she says through gritted teeth and Falasdir inches towards her slightly, his ears pricking up. She could already feel the smile on his lips, irritating her all the more.

"What else do you want me to say?" She was practically screaming at him now, " that I am sorry? This is all my fault? I shan't do anything foolish again?" She was on the brink of hitting him straight with a sheathed sword but before she could do so he had already turned around with a smirk on his face.

"Yes, that actually did nicely." He began and Lindethiel huffed in annoyance before punching him in the stomach. Falasdir doubled back and winced in pain, surprising even Lindethiel. He held on to one side of his abdomen as he seemed to bend down for a moment in pain. Lindethiel studied him and concluded that there was indeed, something wrong.

"What's wrong?" She asked, surprised by the worry in her voice. Falasdir held up a hand and gave a slight shake of his head.

"Nothing," he breathed and Lindethiel quickly held on to his shoulder as he seemed to be falling.

"Falasdir," she warns, as he held on to the tree beside him as to not put too much weight on her.

"I am fine," he states with effort and some of the recruits had even begun to stand up, concern etched on their features.

"The pride of elves!" Lindethiel groaned as she forcefully pushed him down, enticing a broken groan from him, before her quick hands grabbed on to his breast plate. Her eyes glanced briefly on the part where the breast plate had been punctured.

"Why did you not say?" She scolds, pulling the breastplate off him. The recruits were all about them now, with curious faces and peering eyes.

"I was too angry," he replied and even had the audacity to smile like a fool. Lindethiel sighed, as her hands reach for the ends of his tunic. His arm is quick to grab hers and she turned to him with a serious expression.

"This is not how I imagined it to be," he practically slurs and Lindethiel knew the poison was working fast, although she could not help but burn up at his comment. She pulled on the tunic violently, and he hissed in pain. She smirked, that will show him.

"What is wrong with him?"

Allea was at her side, her eyes wide and full of concern.

"A lot of things," Lindethiel muttered as she took a dagger and quickly cut of his shirt, " the worse of all is that he is a fool."

She pried the shirt open and sucked in a breath before turning away. This was not how she expected it to be as well. She completely loathed him then but damn him for being attractive. Her hands hesitantly hovers over his warm skin. The 6 ellith in their care did not even hide their gawking and blushing faces, only Allea seemed to be unfazed.

"Will you fetch me clean cloth and water?" Lindethiel asked her and she quickly nodded before running towards what provisions they managed to take with them. Lindethiel knew a few things about elvish healing, but she never really practiced them for she never needed them and now this fool had gone and gotten himself injured and had not even spoken about it.

She waited for Allea's return, as Falasdir seemed to fall in and out of sleep, muttering and murmuring to himself. What she wondered was, why was she feeling uneasy? She had seen countless of male bodies before... It was not like she was pure.

Her eyes glazed over his exposed skin, feeling the unease running through her skin. He was breathing heavily, and her eyes maneuvered their way from his broad chest down to his perfectly sculpted stomach, making her stomach churn with what she would not admit as desire. She bit her lip aggressively and cursed under her breath as Allea appeared beside her with water, clean cloth and a bag of Kingsfoil.

Ah, the magic of Kingsfoil. Lindethiel ordered the elleth to crush it, and place it inside the water container.

"Have you ever had any experience with healing?" Allea asked as she handed Lindethiel the crushed herbs infused water. Lindethiel shook her head before reluctantly placing a hand on Falasdir's wound. He sucked in a breath as the feel of the cold cloth but he was more aware of the hands that held it.

"Let us hope the poison does not kill him before I do," Lindethiel mutters as she began to use what elvish blood she had to heal him as best she could.

The recruits watched in wonder and even envy as Lindethiel held his body still before he started fidgeting.

"Hold him in place," she orders and at once Allea held fast on Falasdir's shoulders and Aeser held on to his feet while two other ellyn held on to his arms and legs.

"Foolish idiotic bastard," she hissed, as she finished what she could do. Falasdir lay still and Lindethiel was beyond exhausted. Allea and Aeser caught her as she stumbled backwards and quickly helped her sit beside Falasdir's still form. Lindethiel let out a tired sigh as Allea sat in front of her and Aeser kneeled to watch Falasdir with curious thought.

"We must get back to the palace," Lindethiel breathes, she was feeling quite tired. Allea nodded but could not help but worry for their captains and their group. What a night it has become and it was only the beginning. Lindethiel drifted off to sleep as the moon sunk somewhere over the looming trees with one hand on Falasdir's wound.

She awoke in the middle of the night to someone moaning and muttering under her. Her hands roam around slowly and she jolts up quickly, realizing she was on top of someones chest. She felt her cheeks burn but she quickly recovered upon seeing the grave expression on Falasdir's sleeping face. His brows furrowed in pain as his skin was drenched in cold sweat. And he was shivering!

"Fever," she breathes as she moved over to him quickly. Allea had suddenly appeared out of the shadows, holding on to fresh bandages and herb infused water.

"I thought you might need some more," she handed them to Lindethiel as she quickly unwrapped the bandage of Falasdir's wound and her face contorted upon seeing the black veins that seemed to spread out of it.

"I thought you healed him," one of the elleth says, watching them. Lindethiel shoots her a glare and she stumbles backward, slightly.

"I can only do so much," Lindethiel found herself muttering as she cleaned the wound yet again.

"You look exhausted, captain," Allea eyes her with worry but Lindethiel brushes it off.

"We must take him to the palace," She says and she makes a move to stand up when Falasdir's arm grabs on to her with a vice grip. She froze and turned to face him.

"Don't go," he murmured and Lindethiel watched him with both surprise and irritation. She tried to pry her hand lose but it only made his grip tighter.

"Don't go," he rasped and Lindethiel looked at him with confusion.

"I'll go, the palace is not too far," Allea offers and does not wait for an answer before darting off into the dark forest. Aeser stands to watch Lindethiel for a moment before dashing after Allea.

Lindethiel groaned and sat herself back beside Falasdir, his hand still holding on to hers. She found his hands were warm and yet he was shivering like he had been dunked into a river of ice. It was the second time she had put his life in danger and her heart felt heavy on the thought.

Concern filled her that even she seemed surprised as her hands held on to his with the same fierce grip.

"Don't you dare die on me you idiotic fool," she whispered as she watched him with pure fear running through her chest. It seemed like an eternity had passed and Lindethiel grew fidgety. What if something happened to Allea and Aeser on the way?

Falasdir stirred and Lindethiel gasped as he seemed to squeeze the life out of her hand. He was tossing, restless and struggling as she was trying to pry her hand off.

"Falasdir!" She called, wincing at the strong grip. The recruits stared in horror as Falasdir's eyes seemed to open and a bone chilling scream pierced through the night. His eyes were wide, frantic and alert. He turned to the shadows of the trees and felt as if they loomed over him too close, almost depriving him of his breath. He could see a shadow, moving and gliding in the dark woods. It was coming for him. A harsh whisper filled his ears, of death and a dark lord. Of the end of the race of men. He shut his eyes tight, hoping to shut the voices out as well and then one voice broke through everything.

It was distant, yet it was music to his ears. He felt the darkness sink bank and at last he saw the canopy of trees above his head before a face appeared out of the darkness. A face he had grown accustomed to seeing everyday. With eyes that held the world's secrets and hair as black as the night sky. She loomed over him, her face etched with worry and much toil. Then he felt her hand between his, squeezing in gentle reassurance. Then he was swallowed by darkness again.

"Lin..." he seemed to whisper but Lindethiel was not entirely sure she heard him or if he really did speak her name, but she was aware of her own breathing and the drumming in her chest. The way he had looked at her...

A sound of hooves fill the night air and murmurs and shouts. Suddenly, out of the trees came a group on four horses. Lindethiel immediately saw Mantheniel as she jumped off her horse and started towards them.

"Lin!" She called and Lindethiel could not speak as Mantheniel's arms clasped around her.

"He's wounded," she stammered, " I did what I could. There is poison still."

Mantheniel nodded and at once two ellyn held on to Falasdir and carried him off, finally breaking their grip on each other.

"Are you alright?" Mantheniel's eyes were searching, concern swam in the embers as Lindethiel gave a soft nod.

"Yes," she says as her eyes watch Falasdir being taken away, " I am fine."

--

Authors: yep.