Yrantan adventures (Completed)

[ArcticFox]

Levon stood up from the chair and crossed the distance to the tent flap. The expression on his face was unreadable, but he was in sort of a hurry to turn his back onto Anna. When he spoke, his voice was calm, with a hint of a smile.

"I understand." He paused. "Either way, I cannot stay here with you any longer. Someone will be sent to provide you accommodation for the following two days if you are uncomfortable staying inside my tent. Do not worry, they will know that you are my guest and you will be treated as such. After that you will be free to go."

- Agree with the proposition.
- Ask to stay in his tent.

 

[Ezri]

Anna didn't know how Levon would take her ambiguous statement -- even she hadn't known she was going to say it until she did, after all. He didn't appear to be hurt, which was a relief, but it was impossible to tell how he really felt about anything anymore. Perhaps that was what he thought she would say all along; she felt an ache in her chest.

She wasn't afraid of him, although she admitted that she probably should be. Yet as much as he insisted on threatening her, she believed staying in Levon's tent would be more embarrassing than dangerous. Part of her wanted to ask if she could stay with him, to see if his gentle side would come back, but she didn't trust herself not to do something she would regret. If she thought about what he did to Zach, she didn't think she even wanted to be near him. Scattered thoughts aside, if she did want to risk snooping around, it would be easier if he wasn't right beside her.

"...alright. Thank you." she agreed, nodding even though he wasn't looking at her to see it.

 

[ArcticFox]

After Levon left, one soldier in Ulmo's garments raised the tent flap, nodding to Anna in greeting.

"Please follow me, ma'am." He said and then led her through the camp, while the other soldiers threw odd glances in her direction. She must have been a strange sight to them.

After a couple of minutes they passed the tents of the support staff, the cooks, cleaners and the rest, and soldier stopped in front of one small tent a bit further from the others. He moved the flap and showed Anna in. It contained only a small cot and a crate with a lock for the storage of gear. It was clean and neatly organised despite being very bare.

"I will be on guard in front the tent at all times, ma'am." The soldier announced. "You will be kept safe." If that was said in order to reassure her or to discourage her from making any rash moves, Anna couldn't decide. Either way, if she wanted to snoop around the camp she could try slipping under the tent or through the doors, if she was feeling confident. The best time for any escape attempt would be during the night.

- Squeeze under the tent.
- Walk through the front.
- Stay and wait.

 

[Ezri]

Anna thought she might be able to get some clarity without Levon around, but at the moment she felt more stuck than ever. From one cell to another, she supposed, even though she chose to be in this one. Left to her own devices it was hard to forget that she was in an Ulmo camp, and while she didn't think the soldiers would bother her against Levon's orders, that thought wasn't terribly comforting. At least with him she had some idea about what his motives were, but Ulmo's current plans were still something of a mystery.

Escaping was too risky, and for the moment she felt no pressing need to escape as long as she was still a "guest". Unfortunately her little tent was as empty as comfortably possible, so if she wanted to learn anything new she would have to sneak out. Her heart thumped in her chest, hard enough that she almost worried someone would hear it. Carefully, she lowered herself to the ground and pushed up the bottom of the tent just enough to see through. If there were too many pairs of boots walking around she might have to abandon her plans, or more likely postpone them until nightfall.

 

[ArcticFox]

As her tent was on the outskirts of the camp, most of the people prowling about were cooks and camp helpers. Peeking underneath the fabric she saw two pairs of boots walking past and after that nothing. She waited until the sounds of footsteps died down before squeezing through the gap. Once outside she quickly ran toward the edge of the forest, deciding that the best way to do her exploring was through the least busy parts of the camp. She wore no distinctive garments and the people she encountered would only give her nods of greeting - she looked just like another camp follower.

Walking at the edge of the camp proved to be safe, but not so productive. She only encountered civilians who went about their respective businesses. Levon was nowhere in sight and the Ulmo soldiers were scarce. She managed to pick up bits of conversation from two boys that carried large crates toward the cook-fires.

"Man, I hope they wrap things up quickly here. I wanna go home."
"Yeah, I get ya. My old man must be worried sick."

Suddenly, a rustle coming from behind Anna, from the treeline. A swish of wind as the arrows flew. The two boys fell down, crates crashing to the ground, bits of wood scattering about. More arrows as Anna ducked behind a barrel, unsure if she should hide from the camp residents or from the unknown threat in the trees. She did not have much time to thing it through. A rain of arrows filled the sky. They were falling down, some alight, setting the tents on fire, some just finding targets among the camp followers. But they weren't the only ones attack. As she looked around she saw that the tents of the Ulmo soldiers were set on fire already, the men were screaming, scrambling to get their weapons out, to face the enemy, but they could not see them.

Everything quickly turned to chaos, as soldiers and civilians alike fell to the ground screaming in agony, but the rain of arrows did not subside. Further into the camp the soldiers tried forming a formation, groups running into the trees. And then there was Levon. Astride a dark horse, among a squad of the Ulmo soldiers, shouting commands and getting them to form a line. Their defenses were strengthening and soon a volley of crossbow bolts was sent into the trees, and the screams from the other side were heard.

Suddenly the arrows stopped. It seemed like the whole camp had taken a deep breath and was now holding it in. And then - release.

Horses galloping down the slope on the clearing, on the opposite side from which the arrows were released. There were so many of them. Majestic beasts, with their riders raised in the stirrups, bows in their hands, sending the deadly projectiles with fearsome precision. Forest elves. Their leader must have tired of waiting.

The elves slung their bows and took their longswords just as the mass of horse flesh hit the Ulmo defenses from behind. Men and horses collided and a new kind of slaughter ensued. Anna had to get away from there. Nothing good would come out of it, no matter which side prevailed. She stood up and turned to run, but immediately hit into something. A man. Looking up she saw a familiar face of...

- Zach
- Levon
- Nerith
- Nate
- Marcus
- Altharion

 

[Ezri]

Anna had been listening to the boys intently when the attack began, and for a moment she was too stunned to react. The Ulmo camp was well-guarded, and the elves had seemed pretty resistant to provoking an attack like this. She kept close to the ground, watching arrows and finally Levon giving orders, and there was no doubt that this conflict could end very badly for everyone.

"They couldn't wait two days?!" she hissed to herself, startled and almost frustrated. Altharion really was a madman... or maybe he had been planning this from the start. For the time being it didn't really matter. More importantly, she had to run--

Her urgency led her to smack right into someone else, although even in her panic the other form felt somehow familiar. She looked up at his face, more surprised than anything else. "Zach?"

 

[ArcticFox]

"Of course it's me." Zach hissed at her, his voice urgent. His eyes had gotten softer just for a moment when he said, "I've promised to look after you."

The sounds of the clashing of swords had interrupted their moment and Zach quickly grabbed Anna by the arm and pulled her into the trees. With the elves emerging from the treeline on two sides of the clearing, Zach carefully threaded, turning west. Thankfully they did not encounter neither of the two sides in the forest, but they were out of breath when they stopped to rest.

"We ran some three kilometres through this damn shrubbery." Zach said, hacking at a branch with his knife in frustration. "Should be far enough for now." He turned to look at Anna, mouth opening to speak, but he stopped mid motion, his gaze averted to the ground. It was clear that his feelings were mixed, he was rejected over and over and still he was always there to keep Anna out of trouble. No matter how rough their beginnings were, Zach stayed a consistent presence in Anna's life for the past year. But, his usual confidence was missing now.

They needed to construct a plan. Anna's father was still with the elves and his faith was uncertain. The two of them did not have anywhere to go. When Anna voiced her concerns about the faith of her father Zach gave her a smirk.

"I thought about everything." Noticing that she had looked at him on confusion, he offered an explanation. "Mr Penrose is safe, although he is on the opposite side of the battle. Your driver did not fare that good." He gave a shrug. "Your father said he will try to find shelter with the human residents of the Kullari plains. You can meet him there."

- Find your father with Zach.
- Find your father alone.
- Go somewhere else with Zach.
- Go somewhere else alone.

 

[Ezri]

Running with Zach felt almost natural at this point. It felt like the two of them were always in one bad situation or another, but Anna hadn't realized how much she had been depending on him. Just by being nearby she felt more at ease. Conversely, it was difficult to see him acting so unlike himself -- as annoying as it could be at time, his confidence had always been something she could rely on. She remembered that his change in mood was her doing, and looked at the ground herself.

She wasn't sure what her father would want to do... maybe he would still continue to Yranta as planned, despite the danger. After speaking to Levon, Anna wondered if she even cared anymore. But while that was her initial motivation, she still had questions that begged for answers. Could she give up on it completely? No, she was getting ahead of herself -- right then, she and Zach should just get somewhere safe.

"Thank you. I think we should go find my father, at least for now." she decided, and realizing her assumption she frowned. There was a lot that she felt she should say, but this didn't really seem like the best time or place. Hopefully he would still listen to her, after what he'd overheard. "I do... want you to come with me."

 

[ArcticFox]

Zach's gaze was hopeful again when Anna spoke. His eyes focused on her and there was his signature smirk again.

"Sure you do, you would get lost in under an hour without me." He mocked her playfully, before turning through the woods again while Anna followed.

Their trek, as so many of them were, albeit not terribly exciting, which was a good thing at this point, was very exhausting. Zach had only meagre provisions, which he managed to steal god knows where, and they shared that food over the next two days, practically eating only crumbs. On the third day both of them could barely walk, but still they took only short breaks. When the lands of the elves were behind them and they emerged onto the plains, Zach gave Anna a confident grin.

Underneath them, down a small hill, stretched out rows of houses with dirt roads leading between and around them. There was a smell of animals and sounds of horses neighing, and soon enough they could see a herd of the famous Kullari bred horses trotting on the plains a little bit farther from the settlement. But, there were Ulmo soldiers here too. Of course, Levon had told Anna that they had an interest in human settlements only.

There was nothing on Anna that might suggest that she was from Yranta. She did not even know if Ulmo still considered Yrantans a threat or if it was all Levon's ploy. Without his nearby influence the soldiers might act differently. Or they might share his beliefs. If her father was inside the settlement he also might be hiding, or he might be already caught. Everything was uncertain.

- Be sneaky about it.
- Go straight through the settlement.

 

[Ezri]

As awful as trekking through the woods had been, Zach's lifted spirits kept Anna in as good a mood as she could be considering they were both near starving. These trips had almost become commonplace for the two of them, but they never got any easier. Even reaching the settlement wasn't much relief, with the state that it was in.

Anna wasn't too worried that she would be recognized, even the Ulmo soldiers were on the lookout. They must have some larger mission aside from Yranta anyway, since they were in Kullari to begin with. But she still had to find her father, and hope that he had managed to keep a low profile.

Trying to be stealthy was her usual plan, but if they were caught doing anything suspicious that would undoubtedly end badly for them. Acting casually seemed like it might be a better strategy -- at least if they were caught then, Zach was always good at talking his way out of things.

 

[ArcticFox]

"Follow me." Zach spoke before going down the slope and toward the settlement. It was dusk when they arrived and the torches were not yet lit. It was a perfect time for them to slip in through the end of the day's gloom. Skirting around the main entrance, which was not really a gate, but more of an opening where the dirt roads entered the settlement, Zach led them behind the outer rows of wood and brick houses and then through a side alley, inside the place.

There were patrols about, but the residents did not seem to be under oppression. They walked they own pace, some not minding the soldiers and some greeting and engaging them like they were long friends. It seemed that this Ulmo invasion at least was peaceful. The pair blended into the crowds of residents like they belonged. The main question was though, where do they look for Mr Penrose?

"We should find a tavern. Ask about." Zach suggested, to which Anna could only agree. For her everything in this area was unfamiliar.

--

After a short search Zach managed to find just the right place. A rickety shack with a creaky sign hanging above the doors, that looked like it could fall at any moment. Of course that they were bound to hear some gossip in a place like that. When they entered they were greeted by the strong smell of spilled beer and sweaty men, who paused in their drinking to pay them a questioning look. The only other woman beside Anna in there was a serving girl, so it was obvious that her appearance would attract unwanted attention. Zach immediately placed himself protectively in front of Anna, leading her to a corner table, out of sight of most of the patrons.

"How may I help?" The serving girl approached with a bright smile and a full display of cleavage.
"Two mugs." Zach said, returning the smile, while his eyes strayed down the girl's neck, though he stopped himself quickly.

- Ask the girl about your father.
- Ask the bartender.
- Ask one of the patrons.

 

[Ezri]

Their entry into the settlement and subsequently the pub was thankfully unremarkable. Despite their past trangsressions, at least Ulmo was treating these people well. She didn't really visit pubs like this, maybe only a few times with Nate, and the atmosphere was definitely rough. But it was lively too, in a way that was at least interesting to watch from afar.

Zach's wandering eyes did not go unnoticed. Anna gave him a little warning glance (more exasperated than angry -- this was to be expected of him, and he seemed to be controlling himself), but the serving girl wasn't an unwelcome presence. She seemed cheerful enough, maybe she would be chatty too.

"Oh, and one more thing." Anna spoke up, trying to sound casual. She then briefly described her father and asked if she might have seen him.

 

[ArcticFox]

"Ah." The girl stopped, looking at Anna for a moment. Then she laughed. "Mr Penrose is our guest!" She said cheerfully, pointing toward the stairs that led up into the rooms.

It was quite odd to think of Anna's father frequenting a place like this, let alone sleeping in one, but since the Kullari settlement was not a large one, there probably was not much of choice. accommodation wise. The serving girl offered to go "fetch him", which was not a term that one should have related to Mr Penrose back in his Councillor days. So much was changed now. Within a couple of moments both the girl and Anna's father descended into the tavern. He had a frown on his face, but was visibly flushed, due to being awoke or due to the girl's presence, it was uncertain.

"Anna." He approached and gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. That was about as much affection as could be expected of him even in such a circumstance. "I'm glad to see you." Then he looked to Zach, giving him a respectful nod. "Zach. Thank you for keeping my daughter safe. You really are a man of your word." In order to explain he said to Anna. "Zach helped me and Oscar out of the elven prison. Poor Oscar did not make it." He paused, before continuing. "Then he promised to go after you."
"I would never leave my fiance unattended." Zach said with that awfully sweet smile of his.
"And that is how it should be." Mr Penrose sat at their table ordering a cup of warm wine for himself.

They spoke briefly, recollecting the days that passed. Mr Penrose had been through much of the same rush as they were, but he seemed to know a person or two in every town. He managed to get into Kullari safely and decided to wait for them in this inn. Zach then said how he found Anna just when the battle occurred.

"I'm afraid that our escape might have triggered it." Mr Penrose spoke in a grave tone. "The wood elves are a mistrusting sort. They must have thought that we are in league with the invaders. How wrong they were." He shook his head. "Anna..." He sighed. "I spoke to the Ulmo soldiers stationed here. They told me not much remains of Yranta. It is a city of ghosts now. I am still going to see for myself, though I am not optimistic. You, however, cannot go." He raised his hands to stop her before she spoke. "No, don't argue. You and Zach will return to Odessand. Go to your mother. Wait for me there." He offered a small smile. "Then we can finally think about your wedding."

- Choose your path.

 

[Ezri]

It was a relief to see her father alive and well, although that Oscar didn't share his fate would weigh on her. This excursion to Yranta had been very treacherous for everyone, and even though it had been her father's idea to come she now felt conflicted about agreeing to it at all. If she had known how everything would turn out, she might have decided differently. But the past was a useless thing to worry about, and she dismissed it from her thoughts as much as she could.

Still, Anna was immediately in protest when she was told she couldn't go further. What would be the point of it all if she turned back now?! She frowned, arms crossed in anticipation of an argument, but even she had her doubts. Yranta was meant to be a 'monument', but even Levon had told her that it was mostly empty. It was hard to see what could be gained by going there, even if she was still curious. She couldn't recklessly chase this forever, if it would hurt the people around her. Speaking of which--

"You really shouldn't travel on your own." Anna insisted; after what they'd all been through, surely he knew that himself. "I don't particularly like the idea, but we will go back to Odessand if you can promise me you'll be safe."

 

[ArcticFox]

Anna's father gave a soft chuckle, which was quite surprising. "You have really grown." He said, his eyes giving off a warm glint that was not usual for him. Then he sighed. "I will be safe, Anna. As safe as I can. I promise." He stood up from the table and called the serving girl over. "Give them a room for the night, please." He turned towards the two. "Sleep here tonight. In the morning we'll part ways."

With that Anna's father retired to his room upstairs, while the girl handed them the keys of another available room. "Third door on the left. Have fun." With a wink she disappeared somewhere behind the counter.

The two of them climbed up and entered the room. A double bed. Well, they were used to it by now. Zach did not even mention it, instead his eyes flickering to follow Anna as she moved toward the bed. She was exhausted. They did not have any rest at all, but at least they weren't hungry any more. Zach fidgeted. He took out his knife, flipped it in the air and then re-holstered it. Then he kicked the floor with his booth. Finally he took a deep breath and stepped to stand in front of Anna.

"Anna..." His voice was reluctant. "What do you want of me now? Be honest, you owe me thst much. Your family still thinks that we are getting married. I... despite everything... I think I'd like that. But, back in the woods, you were ready to leave. I don't know what happened, but I'm not a person who likes being a second best choice." There was a frown on his face. "Tell me now. Do you want me in your life or not?"

- Respond.

 

[Ezri]

Anna had been so worn out from their travels that the heavy topic caught her off guard. She was still unused to seeing Zach so reserved, and when he spoke up it was hard not to simply be shocked. Her face flushed red in embarrassment, and she gulped.

"No, no, I..." Anna frowned at his mention of a second choice, although she couldn't blame him for thinking it. She'd been confused about it all for ages, herself. "That's not it. I was fond of you for a long time, but what was I supposed to do? You were awful for a while, and even when you weren't you were always so... casual." She laughed, more at herself than at him. "I thought you'd just run off eventually, so I told myself to keep my distance."

"By the time I realized you wouldn't, it felt like it was too late to stop." She looked at the floor, brow furrowing. "And all of that with Levon, I was frustrated and I wanted answers. But I was acting on some childish whim, and it took me a while to see that. I'm sorry, I'm sure it hurt you." She sighed and shook her head, straightening up. "Of course I want to... stay with you, if you'll forgive me. Although it's still difficult to imagine you wanting to get married..."

 

[ArcticFox]

Zach laughed. His laughter continued for a while, a tear of mirth sliding down his cheek. He was apparently amused with Anna's answer, but there was a hint of relief in his laughter too, like he finally got rid of a heavy burden.

"I don't really want to get married." He said after he calmed down, but a playful grin was still there. "But, I'm planning on sticking around and if we go back to your mother, you know that's bound to happen. Unless you want to elope." He gave her a teasing smirk, his fingertips brushing over her jawline, slowly raising her chin up so she would look at him. Before she could answer, he continued. "I want a fresh start and I don't want to separate you from your family. Let's make a home in Odessand." He leaned forward, his lips meeting hers, gently, softly and so carefully as if fearing that she might break under his touch.

He did not pursue anything further that night, keeping to his decision of starting anew. The two of them rented horses and rode for Odessand in the morning, parting ways with Mr Penrose who continue toward Yranta.

--

During the next three months, Zach had begun properly courting Anna. It was quite a scene, really, considering that Mrs Penrose already thought of them as almost married and kept them sleeping in the same bed and teased them constantly. Zach endured it all with a straight face and a kind smile, giving Anna nothing more but gentle embraces and kisses of the hand until she grew more comfortable with such public displays of affection. When they were alone, he led her by the hand always, kissing her forehead in affection when they stopped to take a break during their many walks. Eventually, they both started wanting more and their kisses became more forward and urgent, but still Zach did his best to control himself each night that they slept in the same bed.

After three months, Mr Penrose returned. He did not speak at all for the first couple of days, staring at an empty space and sipping a glass after glass of whisky. Only when Anna burst into his study one day to demand answers, he snapped out of it. That sight would stun anyone, he said. Yranta was a ghost town, much like Levon claimed. No one was left in there, no boats came to the harbour, no carts rolled through the gates. He could gather some info about the residents, though. It seemed that the whole Council was executed on spot, along with most of the wealthy and important persons of the city. Duke Tiel managed to escape, though, and he had sought out refuge with Nerith's elves. The people of Yranta were shipped off to islands or to the borders of other countries or kingdoms, left there to fend for themselves. He did not know how many still lived. Mr Penrose had not returned the same way, he passed through Nerith's desert and stayed with them for some days. The dark elves had received a number of human and elven refugees from Yranta and were making permanent homes to those that wished to stay. It was a generous gesture that many of them did not deserve. Nate had gotten married there also, which were some good news to relate, at the least. He promised to come visit them with his new wife very soon.

They did not find out what happened with Levon's forces in the Kullari forests. No one knew about that sudden slaughter it seemed. Who ruled the forests now was yet unknown. If Ulmo managed to come out on top, though, Mr Penrose feared that it would not take them long to reach Odessand as well.

When Anna's father finally recovered from the shock and came to terms with being forced to stay in Odessand for the rest of his life, the Penrose parents started talking about merrier matters - their daughter's wedding. Anna and Zach were not against it, but they were just getting used to their new relationship, taking things slow, even though no one else knew about it. They gave their best to delay the wedding for a while longer, knowing full well that it would happen one day and that day they will be ready to commit to one another for the rest of their lives.

- The End.