Friday, July 18
Bulletin #1
There may not be another update to either of the stories for the next two weeks after this Friday, 18th of July. I'm working on one, but it's coming along really, deathly slow. I've got about... one page of a chapter on the slate though, but it's going to take time. Hopefully I get back to speed after these summer classes are over. (And I ace them and get good grades.)
Monday, July 14
Heart and Sword PT. 2
And so it goes, the second part of Heart and Sword. Will Lilithia die during the long night? Or perhaps will she survive...
Heart and Sword, Part Two
Lilithia awoke the next day, with Malifain still by her side. As she groaned from the searing pain in her ribs, she opened her eyes, and though she couldn’t see Malifain through her bleary vision, Lilithia knew who the owner of the voice that greeted her as she woke up.
“Lilith! Oh, I thought your fever wouldn’t break…” He said, pressing a cool hand to her brow. She was still quite hot to the touch, but the fever was slowly easing. Malifain’s blurry but cheerful smile made her shift just slightly, but she found herself wrapped tightly in his arms, held to his chest. She must have been squirming and fighting, drenched in sweat now. She felt a cool rag move across her forehead as she closed her eyes, though the light in the room was dim. She could remember Solanil shooting her with two arrows. That explained the pains in her stomach and ribs.
“Where…” She began, her voice too soft for Malifain to really hear. He shook his head and covered her lips with a palm to quiet her, having taken her amulet and worn it around his neck as long as he had been with her when she was sick. He had seen her dreams and her thoughts, though some were very clouded and distorted. His face turned a slightly paler shade of fine ivory as he remembered seeing through her eyes the murder of his sister.
“That one?” The male soldier standing next to Lilithia had asked. She nodded, chanting a low incantation as she watched the girl. She took an arrow, the same one used by the surface elves, and strung it on a short bow that had been made with the stiff tendon of a dragon. As she shot the arrow, it blasted through Aya’s chest, the hole sizzling as the girl dropped and bled to death in the dirt. She would never have taken such precaution in killing just one child unless it was important. This was. Lolth herself had told Lilithia of the child’s future, the child was to be her rival. So she had slain the girl to open her own path to becoming a goddess.
Lilithia gave the bow to her soldier with a sneer of disgust and smiled, though the light burned her skin and eyes, she knew Lolth would be pleased. Maybe one day she would even push Lolth off her thrown and claim it for herself, but she must be careful.
Malifain sighed, knowing that she couldn’t have helped it. Though he had not seen the death blow himself, he knew now that the stories were very, very real.
“You and I are in Celaine’s cottage.” The elf whispered, prying himself away to kneel beside the cot and check her bandages. He saw the wicked wound in her ribs, the arrow head was still lodged deep within her flesh. Malifain picked up a slender scoop like utensil off the table, looking to her.
“I was advised to wait until you were awake for this, I need you to help.” He told her calmly as he pushed the blankets back. He slowly pushed the small scoop into the hole, searching for the metal arrowhead. Lilithia nearly fainted at the pain in her ribs, moaning lowly and barely managing not to move to curl away from the cruel pain.
“Deeper.” She gasped, her hands wrapping around his fore arm. Deeper went the scoop, and Malifain smiled as he wiggled the small metal point free, working it back out of her skin. He saw her jaw tense and the tears welling from her eyes, but once the bloody arrowhead was set on the table he smiled.
“It’s out now.” He said, wiping the blood away from the small hole. Then he saw the dark green paste on her skin. Poison! On Solanil’s arrows? Solanil had been planning, he had known he would get only one shot. Malifain knew now why her fever hadn’t broken. Malifain kept calm, wiping the poisoned paste carefully away and frowning. If it was the type Malifain suspected, Lilithia had a slim chance of surviving, and if she did she may never see or hear after this tenday. Celaine entered just then and saw his troubled expression.
“Malifain, what is…” She almost asked until held the green and red splotched rag up. She gasped, biting her lip and shaking her head. She doubted that she had the experience to counter the powerful potion, with Solanil gone at least. He alone knew the cure, and as the village’s leader, chaos had followed his swift escape.
“I cannot.” She whispered as she closed the door, her thin lips curling into a slight pout. She really wished she could help him, despite her jealousy of Lilithia for gaining his attention. “It’s Atropa Belladonna, I’m sure… but I don’t know how to make the antidote, Solanil never taught me.” Celaine said, shrugging and leaning on the door. She knew it was too late to have sucked the poisons out, and even then, the person that did that would be poisoned slightly.
“Wait!” She said, shaking one hand as she darted across the room to the cupboard. Solanil, as the main botanist, had a supply of herbs here for her, and if she could find the powder that he had recently placed in there, she could cure Lilithia. “Damnit!” She spat as she closed the cupboard and crossed the room again. Malifain stood, dropping the rag on the small desk by the bed and walking towards Celaine cautiously.
“It’s gone.” He said, having heard the powerful outburst of thoughts. He frowned and hooked an arm over her shoulder, leading her out the door so they could both get some fresh air. “I suspected he was planning this, after he started being restless the last few days she’s been here. The council refused to send her away.”
Celaine nodded as she looked to him, his stark blue eyes piercing straight to her soul. He knew that she had loved him, and perhaps that might change, he hoped. He wanted her to see that he wasn’t the only one looking at her. One of Celaine’s friends was always watching her, like Malifain watched Lilithia.
“Where is her father?” Celaine asked him, her ideas running through the ways she might acquire the antidote to the poisons. The salve was made to be slow acting, Lilithia might have three weeks at best. Just enough time for her father to find and return the beans that would save her. Malifain shrugged and nodded to the dark elf approaching from the path ahead. Drizzt’s face was stoic, a few small worry wrinkles creasing his cheeks around his lips.
“Is she awake?” He asked Malifain, nodding to Celaine as she smiled. Malifain shook his head and took a deep breath.
“She’s been poisoned, but we know the cure. Celaine and I will need your help to get the pods.” He said, glancing at Celaine, who was busy closing her mouth as she wondered how he’d know her every thought without her speaking them. Drizzt nodded and relaxed, leaning back on his heels to digest their information. He was worried that there had been poison on the dart, he was the first to suspect that there may have been.
“Pods?” He asked, quirking a brow. Malifain nodded.
“Bean pods to make the potion antidote and counteract the effects of the poison,” He said, taking his arm off of Celaine’s shoulder to step forward. “Solanil himself created the poison salve, and he found a way to make the naturally quickly fatal poisons last for weeks.”
Drizzt nodded slowly and looked to Celaine. He had known that she was Solanil’s assistant, but what could she know?
“Celaine,” He asked, shifting to face her, “Where is this bean and how long do I have to find it?”
Celaine bit her lip, gnawing on them as she calmed her thoughts.
“Three weeks. You must go to Waterdeep and ask Gruez. He knows where to find the bean pods.” She said, hoping he was up to the task. Drizzt nodded and shifted again, anxious to be on his way.
“I need supplies and a horse, I’ll leave tonight.” He said, planning his route slowly. He would have to pass through Mirabar, but he decided against that. He’d have to travel off the road, many still did not welcome him with open arms. After that, he wasn’t sure, but he knew it would be a rough task to complete in only three weeks.
Malifain whistled, bringing a large smoky grey gelding up from the back of the house. He smiled, walking towards the shed to saddle the horse up and fill a pack for Drizzt to have him on his way. They both knew, without words, the troubles and difficulty that lay ahead. Once Drizzt had the pack and his water skin strapped on and he was mounted on the big grey, he nodded to Malifain where he stood, again, with Celaine in front of the hut.
“Goodspeed, light trails and fair weather.” Malifain promised as Drizzt wheeled the horse about and jogged away. Malifain secretly hoped that he could find some cure here before he had had to send him away. Three weeks away with his daughter about to die. But Malifain understood Drizzt too well. He turned to Celaine, sighing and letting his smile pass away. Celaine nodded and they both returned to the comfort of the cottage, Malifain to sleep once more at Lilithia’s side, Celaine to search through Solanil’s abandoned tomes for the cure.
Heart and Sword, Part Two
Lilithia awoke the next day, with Malifain still by her side. As she groaned from the searing pain in her ribs, she opened her eyes, and though she couldn’t see Malifain through her bleary vision, Lilithia knew who the owner of the voice that greeted her as she woke up.
“Lilith! Oh, I thought your fever wouldn’t break…” He said, pressing a cool hand to her brow. She was still quite hot to the touch, but the fever was slowly easing. Malifain’s blurry but cheerful smile made her shift just slightly, but she found herself wrapped tightly in his arms, held to his chest. She must have been squirming and fighting, drenched in sweat now. She felt a cool rag move across her forehead as she closed her eyes, though the light in the room was dim. She could remember Solanil shooting her with two arrows. That explained the pains in her stomach and ribs.
“Where…” She began, her voice too soft for Malifain to really hear. He shook his head and covered her lips with a palm to quiet her, having taken her amulet and worn it around his neck as long as he had been with her when she was sick. He had seen her dreams and her thoughts, though some were very clouded and distorted. His face turned a slightly paler shade of fine ivory as he remembered seeing through her eyes the murder of his sister.
“That one?” The male soldier standing next to Lilithia had asked. She nodded, chanting a low incantation as she watched the girl. She took an arrow, the same one used by the surface elves, and strung it on a short bow that had been made with the stiff tendon of a dragon. As she shot the arrow, it blasted through Aya’s chest, the hole sizzling as the girl dropped and bled to death in the dirt. She would never have taken such precaution in killing just one child unless it was important. This was. Lolth herself had told Lilithia of the child’s future, the child was to be her rival. So she had slain the girl to open her own path to becoming a goddess.
Lilithia gave the bow to her soldier with a sneer of disgust and smiled, though the light burned her skin and eyes, she knew Lolth would be pleased. Maybe one day she would even push Lolth off her thrown and claim it for herself, but she must be careful.
Malifain sighed, knowing that she couldn’t have helped it. Though he had not seen the death blow himself, he knew now that the stories were very, very real.
“You and I are in Celaine’s cottage.” The elf whispered, prying himself away to kneel beside the cot and check her bandages. He saw the wicked wound in her ribs, the arrow head was still lodged deep within her flesh. Malifain picked up a slender scoop like utensil off the table, looking to her.
“I was advised to wait until you were awake for this, I need you to help.” He told her calmly as he pushed the blankets back. He slowly pushed the small scoop into the hole, searching for the metal arrowhead. Lilithia nearly fainted at the pain in her ribs, moaning lowly and barely managing not to move to curl away from the cruel pain.
“Deeper.” She gasped, her hands wrapping around his fore arm. Deeper went the scoop, and Malifain smiled as he wiggled the small metal point free, working it back out of her skin. He saw her jaw tense and the tears welling from her eyes, but once the bloody arrowhead was set on the table he smiled.
“It’s out now.” He said, wiping the blood away from the small hole. Then he saw the dark green paste on her skin. Poison! On Solanil’s arrows? Solanil had been planning, he had known he would get only one shot. Malifain knew now why her fever hadn’t broken. Malifain kept calm, wiping the poisoned paste carefully away and frowning. If it was the type Malifain suspected, Lilithia had a slim chance of surviving, and if she did she may never see or hear after this tenday. Celaine entered just then and saw his troubled expression.
“Malifain, what is…” She almost asked until held the green and red splotched rag up. She gasped, biting her lip and shaking her head. She doubted that she had the experience to counter the powerful potion, with Solanil gone at least. He alone knew the cure, and as the village’s leader, chaos had followed his swift escape.
“I cannot.” She whispered as she closed the door, her thin lips curling into a slight pout. She really wished she could help him, despite her jealousy of Lilithia for gaining his attention. “It’s Atropa Belladonna, I’m sure… but I don’t know how to make the antidote, Solanil never taught me.” Celaine said, shrugging and leaning on the door. She knew it was too late to have sucked the poisons out, and even then, the person that did that would be poisoned slightly.
“Wait!” She said, shaking one hand as she darted across the room to the cupboard. Solanil, as the main botanist, had a supply of herbs here for her, and if she could find the powder that he had recently placed in there, she could cure Lilithia. “Damnit!” She spat as she closed the cupboard and crossed the room again. Malifain stood, dropping the rag on the small desk by the bed and walking towards Celaine cautiously.
“It’s gone.” He said, having heard the powerful outburst of thoughts. He frowned and hooked an arm over her shoulder, leading her out the door so they could both get some fresh air. “I suspected he was planning this, after he started being restless the last few days she’s been here. The council refused to send her away.”
Celaine nodded as she looked to him, his stark blue eyes piercing straight to her soul. He knew that she had loved him, and perhaps that might change, he hoped. He wanted her to see that he wasn’t the only one looking at her. One of Celaine’s friends was always watching her, like Malifain watched Lilithia.
“Where is her father?” Celaine asked him, her ideas running through the ways she might acquire the antidote to the poisons. The salve was made to be slow acting, Lilithia might have three weeks at best. Just enough time for her father to find and return the beans that would save her. Malifain shrugged and nodded to the dark elf approaching from the path ahead. Drizzt’s face was stoic, a few small worry wrinkles creasing his cheeks around his lips.
“Is she awake?” He asked Malifain, nodding to Celaine as she smiled. Malifain shook his head and took a deep breath.
“She’s been poisoned, but we know the cure. Celaine and I will need your help to get the pods.” He said, glancing at Celaine, who was busy closing her mouth as she wondered how he’d know her every thought without her speaking them. Drizzt nodded and relaxed, leaning back on his heels to digest their information. He was worried that there had been poison on the dart, he was the first to suspect that there may have been.
“Pods?” He asked, quirking a brow. Malifain nodded.
“Bean pods to make the potion antidote and counteract the effects of the poison,” He said, taking his arm off of Celaine’s shoulder to step forward. “Solanil himself created the poison salve, and he found a way to make the naturally quickly fatal poisons last for weeks.”
Drizzt nodded slowly and looked to Celaine. He had known that she was Solanil’s assistant, but what could she know?
“Celaine,” He asked, shifting to face her, “Where is this bean and how long do I have to find it?”
Celaine bit her lip, gnawing on them as she calmed her thoughts.
“Three weeks. You must go to Waterdeep and ask Gruez. He knows where to find the bean pods.” She said, hoping he was up to the task. Drizzt nodded and shifted again, anxious to be on his way.
“I need supplies and a horse, I’ll leave tonight.” He said, planning his route slowly. He would have to pass through Mirabar, but he decided against that. He’d have to travel off the road, many still did not welcome him with open arms. After that, he wasn’t sure, but he knew it would be a rough task to complete in only three weeks.
Malifain whistled, bringing a large smoky grey gelding up from the back of the house. He smiled, walking towards the shed to saddle the horse up and fill a pack for Drizzt to have him on his way. They both knew, without words, the troubles and difficulty that lay ahead. Once Drizzt had the pack and his water skin strapped on and he was mounted on the big grey, he nodded to Malifain where he stood, again, with Celaine in front of the hut.
“Goodspeed, light trails and fair weather.” Malifain promised as Drizzt wheeled the horse about and jogged away. Malifain secretly hoped that he could find some cure here before he had had to send him away. Three weeks away with his daughter about to die. But Malifain understood Drizzt too well. He turned to Celaine, sighing and letting his smile pass away. Celaine nodded and they both returned to the comfort of the cottage, Malifain to sleep once more at Lilithia’s side, Celaine to search through Solanil’s abandoned tomes for the cure.
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