Status: Comment and Subscribe and updates will be faster :)

Far From Never

An Dagger

The roots opened up to reveal a space just big enough for two people to lie down and sleep. The dirt has been packed down and the roots cut away. The trunks of the large tree have melted together and formed a roof above the room.

“What is this place?” I ask as I follow Elisha. She stands in the middle of the room, her short stature allowing her to straighten under the low roof.

“There are places like this all over the woods. They were created by my great-grandfather during the Woods War,” she explains.

“How? Why?” I wonder at the work that went into this place.

“The trees and roots naturally created an open space here, we just enhanced it, made it into something useful” she let her hair down and then pulled it to a ponytail to the side, “Places like this were created for the same reason that we’re using it; to protect from beasts and elements when stuck out in the Troid Adhmad.”

“I thought you said they were created during the Woods War?” I sit down in the dirt.

“Yeah, so?” she looks at me dismissively.

“So weren’t they created for that as well?”

“No, the Woods War took place in the east, far from Capital Castle” she starts looking around the roots for something. “Here they are!” she exclaims.

She pulls out a bundle of medium sized logs and sets them in the middle of the area. A flint sits on top of the wood. She looks around and then runs her fingers through her hair and on her person then, “Urgh!” she growls. She holds the flint in her hand and there is severe frustration on her face.

“Here” I pull out a small, curved dagger from under my shirt. It has two ornate, red flowers at the base of the hilt and she gives me a strange look as she takes it from me. She strikes the flint and creates sparks starting a fire in a few moments.

She tries to hand back the dagger. “Keep it,” I say.

“Why would I want your dagger? I have plenty for myself” she sneers.

“It’s a gift for you,” I say, “I got it specifically for you. Do you think I would carry a flowered dagger with me?”

“Who am I to question a person’s weapon choices” she smirks at me, “Besides, what makes you think a woman like me would want a dainty dagger like that one?” She sits down against the root wall.

“Because this dagger is special” I move closer to her. She looks at me with a wary look on her face and I can see in her eyes she’s getting ready to spring away. I take the dagger from her hand and slowly slide it into her ponytail, “This dagger is made to be concealed by a woman like you.”

“I got you this gift to show you that I know exactly what type of women you are,” he explains, inching closer to me, “And like I said, I would be disappointed with any less.”

I hesitate for a moment, entranced by his knowledgeable eyes. I can taste his breath mingled with wood smoke as I take a deep breath, “Get away from me!”

I push him away and his throws his hand out to catch himself. His palm lands on some stray embers and pain crosses his face. He grasps his wrist in his hand as he grits his teeth.

“Gah! What the hell?!” his lips form a straight line.

“Urgh, god you are such an idiot!” I exclaim.

“Me?! You’re the one who pushed me!” he looks surprised at me.

“Yeah well you were in my personal space” I shoot back.

“But you didn’t have to push me” his voice lowers. I glance at his hand and see a bunch of red blisters already swelling on his hand. One or two already look like they are about to burst and I can only imagine the pain he’s going through.

“Wait here” I sigh. I stand and rip the bottom to feet off my dress. It would be easier to move and we needed the cloth for his hand. I climbed out of the hollow roots and took off at a sprint for the bottom of the ravine. I needed to get the cool water before it got dark. Once the sun went completely down I was at a severe disadvantage.

I made it to the ravine and the small creek that ran through it. I pulled a small glass vial on a necklace chain from the cleavage of my chest and pulled the cork. I dipped it in that water until it was over flowing. I put the cork back in it and stuck it back down the top of my dress. I took off once more.

I shimmied back through the roots to see that Izaiah hasn’t moved. I walked over to the scraps of dress that lay in the dirt near him. I rip a strip and pour the water over it.

“Give me your hand,” I demand. He hands me his hand and I wrapped the soaked fabric around it. I hear him try to cover the sharp intake of air as the cloth hits the raw skin. I then rip another, longer strip of cloth and continue to wrap his hand.

“That’s all I can do” I move to the other side of the fire. The room is drafty because of holes in the roots but the fire is giving off plenty of heat.

“Thank you” he says and kind of cradles his hand.

“Since you’re the guest I’ll let you have first watch” I smirk and lay down, my head on the remainder of cloth from my skirt.

“As you wish” he says and just shakes his head. He rests his back against a large tree root and adds another log to the fire with his good hand.
♠ ♠ ♠
Just to clear it up, here are how I pronounce the odd-ish names:
Davina - Dah-veen-ah
Cynwrig - Sin-rig
Izaiah - Eye-zay-ah
Adalina - Ad-ah-leen-ah