Twins of Twilight

[Nelyia]

<div></div><font size="5"><font size="2"><u>Foreword</u>This is a story I wrote quite some time ago for a community site - unfortunately (and I honestly feel bad about it) I could not muster the time to really help them with articles and stories which was why I forgot this little tale for quite some time. Perhaps this post can be considered a sneaky "I am sorry for being silent"... Anyway, I do hope you (the Traveler's Tales community) enjoy it and excuse the errors you will undoubtely find - not being a native English speaker is my favorite excuse there <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />Some part of the story might not be suitable for children, I guess - so.. er... if you are a child... I don't know... don't read it? *grin*It's the tale of two unlikely twins, their past and "troubles" - which might be continued sometime in the future.Enjoy!</font><b></b></font><hr size="2" width="100%"><font size="5"><b>Twins of Twilight</b></font><font size="4">Part I</font>It definitely wasn’t a good night to travel by boat. For hours, the wind had raged on the verge of storm, rocking the sleek merchant vessel like a nutshell thrown into Torrent River. The masts creaked dangerously and the bow sail bore more resemblance to a torn bag hung out to dry than a triangular piece of canvas.Despite the waves washing over the deck in a regular interval, the lone figure would not leave her place to seek shelter in the dark bowels of the ship. The faint feelings and images shared over the link suggested that her sister was alone down there, staring at the planks above her head, deep in thought. Perhaps it was the best if they each enjoyed a few hours of solitude and calm, even if the storm did its best to deny the latter.Sighing, Nelyia dodged a piece of plank shooting past her head to watch it vanish in the darkness of the sea. No, it definitely was not a good day for this trip. It was not the first time they had been on a ship sailing through unfavourable weather; but being honest, the winds had been their least problem then. Memory came like a lover, caressing and gentle just to be revealed being a twisted shadow a few moments later. One year had passed since they had met and realized that something was amiss, the time since they had become sisters in heart, but not blood.Pushing her damp white hair out of her face, the Teir’dal turned to face her sister she had known to be standing behind her for more than a minute now, and smiled. This time tough, the smile did never reach her eyes. The other elf was everything but a mirror for Nelyia, standing taller and appearing pale against the dark background of the storm clouds. She was Koada’dal, another opposite, and her music brought joy to the people’s hearts, something Nelyia had never known. Hers was another domain.“You should come below decks with me, sis… or you will get swept away here.”To support her words, a powerful wave collapsed over them, leaving them drenched to the bone. Somewhere in the distance, a deckhand yelled. The Teir’dal shook her head and turned to face the sea again.“Do you remember the ship, Ninia? The first time we have ever met?”The other elf stood there, silent. The link carried worry and old pain. So she did remember. Ninia joined her at the railing.“How could I ever forget…”, she murmured. “Perhaps we should never have tried to bring back that memory.”Nelyia put her hand on top her sister’s.“We did not summon it, Nin. But I guess the time was right for us to see.” Sensing her sister’s amusement, she grinned. “Well, I admit it; we never learned to control that skill of ours. But that did not stop us from pushing it to learn more.”Picturing a Moonglade flower, she planted the thought into Ninia’s mind and the other elf took the mental projection with a smile. The link always offered the privacy they needed and would never reveal the truth to strangers. Many a Teir’dal would love to present Nelyia’s head to one of Father’s followers for being a Fallen One, and certainly High Elf nobles were no better when it came to “traitors”.Memory however, would not be pushed down that easily. Only a few moments after their hands had touched, it won.***The young elf opened her eyes and yawned, as loud and heartily as she could. All of a sudden, a cushion landed on her face and dipped the hazy vision of a just-awakened into shades of white. The voice of a girl about her age exclaimed tiredly:“Nat, if you continue to yawn that rudely into everyone’s face, not even Silariel will continue taking ‘walks’ with you. Or Temrin, or Ylphar, or this cute guardsman our dear parents don’t know about.”Pulling the cushion off her face, she glared at her sister, who grinned sweetly.“Now you are surprised, huh? Tell me, was it fun?”They both started to crawl out of the beds, enjoying the scenery of the lush gardens outside the huge window leading to the balcony. The room was furnished richly, decorated with colourful carpets and curtains. A painting of some upstart elven artist hung next to the wooden door. Scurrying feet of servants doing the late morning chores could be heard faintly.She couldn’t help smiling at her younger sister.“Fun does not even describe it…”Shaking her head, the other Koada’dal sighed.“You know that one day you will get into serious trouble because of this. We are not supposed to be in the company of commoners, Natheena. It is not the way of the leading caste.”Having heard such statements dozens of times, Natheena pulled a face, browsing through her huge collection of summer dresses. Having entered through the door silently, a servant carefully set down a tablet with fruit, sweet bread and spiced tea. While her sister ignored him, Natheena turned around and grinned.“Thank you, Paerin. How is Ghelana’s tavern idea progressing? I would really like to see her dream coming true!”<i>Not only hers…</i>The servant, startled by the girl addressing him, blushed and cast a side-glance at Nadhia.“Er, she has joined the Guild recently, they promised to help her. With the money we saved and her awesome ideas, they would gladly support her – according to Master Jua. We might even hire wandering musicians to play… not only elven ones, you know.”Listening to his words, she felt envy, imagining a place full of different faces, peoples and tunes. Bowing, Paerin left by walking backwards out of the room. The very moment the door was closed, Nadhia confronted her.“This is what I meant! Nat. You can’t go on like this, what do you want to gain by rebelling all the time? Behave like what you are! A highborn – even one that will most likely inherit the High Seat to share the table with Firiona!”Natheena could not help but continue grinning. “Listen to you, little sister. This is a dusty, old system speaking through your mouth, not you. As for me, you can have the Seat for all I care. Including balls, ceremonies, listening to endless speeches… And by the way: Why should our family even inherit this bloody seat? There are others who would lick the Queen’s horse’s shoes to get hold of it! And now, leave me be, I am going to have sword training now. Have fun with your knitting.”Sticking out her tongue, she fetched her wooden blade hidden in a piece of cloth. Nadhia shook her head and smiled, turning around to look for a dress. Clinging the practice sword to her chest, Nat opened the door and hurried along the corridors, knowing that it would be better not to get caught with that weapon in her possession.***Wiping some spraywater off her face, Nelyia smiled.“You have been a very interesting noble, sis. But tell me, how was your blood sister like? You miss her, don’t you…”Ninia continued to stare into the blackness.“Natheena misses her, not me… It is past, Nin, and we have both become someone else. What about you? You had siblings as well, didn’t you?”The question was met by silence. They both knew, but had never really talked about it. Sometimes, words were much stronger than thought. After a few minutes, the dark elf nodded and suppressed a pained laugh.“Yes, I did have siblings. I have just tried to recall their names and failed. Funny, isn’t it? Usually I never forget the names of the people I kill.”***The bloody dagger dropped out of her ashen coloured hand, leaving a red smear on the carpet. The small body lying in its on blood still twitched, the lifeless eyes of her sister stared up at her, accusingly. She turned to run, but before she could take more than three steps the door to the small room opened and her mother’s mute servant suddenly blocked the way. Screeching, she fled back into the far end of her sister’s room. Dreiss stepped aside and bowed, followed by house matron Olanthia X’Hai stepping into the room, which seemed to shrink in her presence. She regarded the corpse coolly.“Nelyia, come here.”The girl hesitated just a moment, and then meekly went to her knees in front of her mother, avoiding looking at her dead sister or the matron.“Nelyia, get up and look at her. I will not have you squatting on the ground like a slave.” Her voice was calm, yet the icy undertone made her shiver.Slowly, the young elf got up and turned to stare at those lifeless eyes again. She breathed hard, but calmness began to return. She had done what was necessary, what has been part of X’Hai heritage ever since, like being one of the few matriarchies in Neriak. The other Houses might refrain from those traditions, but she would not. Pride returned to her features and she looked up at her mother. She sounded very much like the girl of six she was, when she addressed Olanthia.“Death by blade, Mother. I am heir.”Her mother nodded and a slight smile curved her lips.“Well done, Nelyia. But if you really want to claim my place one day, you have to defeat fear. You cried over your brother and hesitated to kill your sister. In the future, such weakness will not be tolerated. You have been chosen to wear the Veil at your childbed, and that is what you will do. Your blade will make kings and queens one day, Nelyia.”With a determined look on her face, the young Teir’dal tore the slightly curved blade out of her sister’s chest.“Yes, Mother.”***Nelyia snorted. “Oh yes, I did have siblings.”Ninia appeared even paler than usual, steeling herself against the next wave to hit the ship.“Nel… stop blaming yourself. Neriak can do that to people, even those with a pure heart.”The dark elf shook her head. “Then why do I not feel regret? I killed people, Nin, and still do so. I may have silenced the call of hatred for now, but the decision made the day I was born can never be undone. I am an assassin and pretty good at what I am doing.”There was sarcasm in her voice, but the other elf chose to ignore it. The link carried warmth and reassurance. She continued without letting the last sentence settle.“See, House X’Hai did not tolerate weakness and everything was done to defeat mine. My fears, the nightmares and what were left of my conscience. Did I tell you about the spider?Well, you know that I could never stand them, but in my childhood I was scared of the huge, woolly creatures. We had one as a guard pet and I would avoid it whenever I could. One day, my dear mother put it into my room during night. Imagine how it feels to wake up and have a spider bigger than yourself sitting on your chest, spitting its saliva all over your face? It used its venom to paralyse me and slowly started to wrap me into its cobwebs. I tried to scream, but my voice failed me; not even my fingers would respond.My mother came the next day, grinning into my face while the spider had started to devour my arm. The pain had been so great that I only realized hours later that they had cut me free and tended to my wounds.”There was little emotion in Nelyia’s voice and not even the link carried any feelings. There was sadness in her sister’s face.“Don’t worry Nin, from that day on I did no longer fear spiders. Even thinking back to that moment will fail to bring back the fear. In that regard, Teir’dal education is very effective. Well, a few days later I killed the creature. Not soon thereafter I began to develop a certain liking for pain. I think I was ten summers old these days.”She shrugged. “Trust me sis, there is nothing special about my past. With my leaving Neriak House X’Hai ceased to exist - and that was it.Until the day we met for the first time on board that ship, there still is a huge gap. I suppose I was travelling, looking for adventure and constantly getting into trouble.”The storm had lessened and several deckhands moved around the ship to assess the damage.“What about you? When did you decide to leave Felwithe?”***Listening to the birds, Natheena strolled around the huge garden, waiting for Nadhia. The entire palace was still upset by the questionable decision of the High Council that excluded her from the Seat inheritance in favour of a family with almost no station or past. So everyone was avoiding this part of the gardens right now, which was exactly why she had chosen it. Eying the bags leaning at a stone bench, she felt sadness for the first time.<i>No more court intrigues</i>.Listening into her heart, she was surprised to find a glimpse of disappointment of not becoming the next High Lady of the court of the Queen. But on the other hand, she would have had no clue what would have been expected of her anyway.She heard someone approaching over the gravel paths long before she spotted her sister. With a jolt of sorrow Natheena suddenly noticed how much both of them had changed since the days of youth. Now, a young woman approached her, looking regal with every fibre of her body. They both smiled and embraced each other in a sisterly hug. As they stepped apart, Nadhia eyed her, sadly.“So it is final, isn’t it? You will leave.”Suppressing tears, the other young woman nodded.“But you have promised not to go, Nat… You wanted to stay and become what you were destined to…”Putting a finger over her lips, the addressed hushed her. Taking her hands, she led her sister to the bench.“It is not my destiny to stay here forever… I always knew that. And you did, too. I have said goodbye, Nadhia, have tied all lose ends. Even the quarrel with mother is set aside. And it is not that I will never return.Just a few years, enough time to see the world and find new friends, coming to know other peoples and customs! I always dreamed of that, wandering from one place to the next, earning my food with my music and just enjoying life!”Nadhia smiled, glancing at the bags. Stopping the words in her throat two times, she finally spoke, her voice sounding choked.“I know… and it sounds wonderful. Take care, big sister… And come to see us one day...”Embracing her to hide the tears welling, Nat muffled the words into Nadhia’s clothes.“I will.”***Ninia smiled at the memory, watching the first rays of the sun penetrating the black clouds overhead. The storm had stopped as suddenly as it had begun, and activity was returning to the <i>Faarstrider</i>.“I have never seen her again, Nel. You know, sometimes I am no longer sure if this even is my memory at all. The gaps, the unlikely time span… Many things do not make sense. Same with your vanished years, I have a hard time to believe that I am <i>that</i> old.”She laughed, the honesty of the sound summoned tears into the dark elf’s eyes. Nelyia nodded.“I know the feeling. Perhaps it is just the glimpse of another life, or several lives. But does it really matter?”“I guess it does not. To my convenience and thanks to my bardic talents, I somehow rewrote my story into a coherent bulk of events, with a few hundred years missing in between.”The troubadour grinned, but the happiness soon faded as memory took over once again.***The tavern was bustling with cheerful sounds, laughter and dancing feet with Natheena towering over the crowd by standing on a huge table that has been cleared exclusively for her performance. Not even after three years on the road she tired of the aura and spirit of such places, the cheering of the audience or even the bragging comments of some males trying to impress her. Feeding a young human with a berry while approaching the climax or her song, she just couldn’t help to laugh happily. This was how life is supposed to be. She being in here, earning coin and fans, while heavy rain thundered on the roof and the night forced all inhabitants of the village to look for shelter. The more it startled her as the door suddenly burst open.Most people turned around to identify the source of interruption and she also skipped some tunes out of surprise.The man wore a ranger’s attire similar to the one Nat’s friend in the Scouts of Tunare had, during their secret training lessons. Only on second glance she realized the dark stains on his clothes to be blood, not water. Letting go of the doorknob, he collapsed. A brawny farmer had jumped to his feet to catch him but was too slow. People started to gather around the man and someone yelled for water. Along with the innkeeper, she made her way to the first row.Blood had already started to seep through his leather jerkin and began to form a pool beneath him. Judging from its colour, the wound was at least several days old but obviously did not close or heal. A tiny splinter of an arrow still sticked out of his chest. Opening his eyes, he was caught by a spasm and flinged his hand around, suddenly catching the young elf’s collar and pulling her close. She recognized the last stage of poison fever, him living his last moments. She swallowed hard. Coarse words, surprisingly comprehensible:“The… Teir’dal… have invaded the Faydark… Felwithe is under siege…”His grip loosened somewhat.“The royal family… there were… traitors… the battle… has begun…”Sinking back with one last, deep breath, he let go of her collar. Nobody in the room dared to stir until she started to get up like in trance.<i>Home</i>.Taking her flute, she walked to the door without looking back. Not even the rain did seem to touch her skin as her feet started to carry her back to the place were she had been born.Boat, horse, feet – all those Nat had used to bridge the distance as fast as she could. 17 days had passed before she encountered the first signs of battle. The village had been burnt to the ground, not a single person to be found – and most strangely – not even bodies. An aggrieving fog had rested over the charred houses and trampled ground, with no sound at all to be heard. A sole crow had regarded her suspiciously as she had sneaked through the settlement.From then on, every hour the signs of death and destruction had multiplied until the first corpses lined the road. From the forests of Faydark, thick smoke arose.She crouched behind a bush and tilted her head, listening. Armoured feet trampled over the ground nearby and according to the tracks, she was quite close to a bigger camp. From what she had been able to glimpse of the walls of Felwithe, the city still stood and fought. Her plan was simple: she had to get in. And if someone knew the area and the shortcuts into the city, it was her, having spent many hours sneaking around the commoner’s districts. The steps faded in the distance and silence returned. Taking a deep breath, she left her hiding place and sneaked on. The smell of burnt wood and flesh invaded her nostrils, making it difficult to breathe without puking. But a single thought of her sister, her friends and parents was enough motivation to go on, despite all fear. Scurrying to the cover of another tree, she realized that the forest suddenly ended where it should actually continue up to the gates. Glancing around the tree, Nat held her breath. The wood was gone. On the black ground dotted with the carcasses of old trees, a huge camp sprawled as far as she could see. Tents aligned in military fashion housed an insanely great number of soldiers flying the dark elven banners. Hundreds of feet away, at the edge of her vision, battle raged, the dry wind carrying the sounds of death and suffering to her ears. Dead and wounded lay around like discarded clothes, feeding the burnt soil with fresh blood.With trembling feet she sat down, staring in disbelief. The peaceful world she had lived in, the home the girl had left all those years ago, was about to fall.As the cold metal blade touched her neck, she was unable to muster the strength to run, let alone fight. Turning around slowly, she stared into the Teir’dal’s emotionless face. Two others flanked him, their notched arrows pointing at her chest. With a sudden movement, the soldier’s fist connected with her temple, sending a jolt of pain through her head.She willingly accepted the soothing darkness.“The little [Removed for Content] is waking up…” Slowly, Natheena regained consciousness. Hazy shapes danced before her eyes and wavered like seen through a stirring silk curtain. A face appeared before her vision and stared at her, unblinking. Without any warning, lukewarm liquid splashed over her face, making her cough and finally wake up.The room was bare except for two rough wooden chairs, a table laden with strange tools and chains dangling from the ceiling. Three Teir’dal surrounded her casually, the one with the empty bucket stood closest. Her attempt at moving was stopped by thin ropes tying her to the chair she sat on and denied even the slightest change of position. Her hands met behind her back.Feeling the pain at her temple, Natheena began to remember the events that had led her here and resignation took the upper hand.<i>No escape</i>.The dark elf set down the bucket and approached her calmly. His Kaoda’dal sounded like metal grating over stone.“Natheena Deynir. What a pleasant surprise. I am intrigued to hear how you managed to leave the city.”Her mouth opened and closed, her not being able to find the words for a reply.“The main gate has been sealed, so there must be another way in… You will tell me.”His tone did not leave any room for interpretation. Not telling him meant certain death.<i>If I help them, I won’t live either. But maybe my family will if I don’t</i>.Meeting his stare squarely, she shook her head. He just nodded.“Very well. This has been your choice.” Nodding to the two elves in the background, he stepped back. “Take your time.”Watching the men preparing their instruments for torture, the bound elf got sick.Time no longer mattered. Days became years and every moment of pain stretched to eternity. She did not know how long it had taken them to break her. But in the end, the mind could no longer stop the body from surrendering. It had only been a matter of time before she would have told them everything, but before she had the chance to do so, they had stopped and left.The time of waiting and uncertainty had even been worse than the men approaching her with their tools. She cringed away from every sound; fearing unexpected suffering would follow. But it would not come.The ropes had long taken over the task of holding her body upright.After an eternity, the door opened again. Two shapes stepped into the dim room, one of them her Teir’dal tormentor. The other figure’s face was hidden by a hooded robe. They both stood in the doorway, as if considering the captive. After a few long moments, the stranger nodded, turned around and left, shutting the door behind him. For a moment, the dark elf seemed to look at Natheena like she had suddenly become someone else.In the days to follow little changed. Her body had started its recovery and the hours passed without anyone beating her. In the darkness of the room, she failed to keep track of how much time actually passed. For the first time since her capture Nat remembered how her life before the night in the burnt forest had been.The men entered without talking and approached her, after she had had a moment of time to adapt to the brief illumination of the room, provided by dim daylight. The human was clad in a reinforced leather cuirass and had the appearance of a sailor. The Teir’dal, whose name had never been mentioned, nodded to him.“Take her to them, as I told you. Unharmed.”The human grinned. “Aye, my men will watch after her… by the way, how does your war go?”The elf regarded the man icily. “We are losing it. And if you do not want to lose your life, be silent and leave.”The bearded man extended his arm to cut Natheena lose, leaving on the ropes around her wrists and picked her up like a straw puppet. Shivering in fear she realized how weak her body had become.“Don’t worry, she’ll arrive in one piece.”The next time she opened her eyes, Nat recognized rough wooden planks. The entire world seemed to sway and she threw up the last remains of food her body had stored, lying coughing on the ground. Raising her head she tried to identify the small cabin she was in. It was barren, a wooden chamber pot sat besides the locked grating enabling the view down a narrow corridor. Other people were stuffed into similar compartments nearby and many a person could be heard moaning in agony. Lifting the weight of the heavy chain around her neck, she sat up and leant against the wall. A bowl containing brown stew sat on the ground next to her. She ate hungrily, forgetting all etiquette or manner. The only thing she wanted now was to survive.“It is a slaver ship… we are heading to a Freeport colony.”She turned to spot the speaker, a lean human male sitting not far away, staring into the distance. She swallowed hard. She heard steps approaching and turned to note two sailors standing in front of her, regarding her body hungrily. After an eternity in captivity resignation finally won. With tears starting to stream down her haggard face, only one thought managed to surface.<i>Why</i>...She floated. Probing her surroundings, she sensed dozens of presences and individuals. The odd place soothed her bruised mind, turning it into an entity of another world. Her body was beyond her perception, an unresponsive heap of bone and flesh somewhere in the back of her mind. It did not matter how she had come here, only to stay as long as possible. In this world, she even remembered how to smile.Clutching her knees, she sat up and continued to stare at the opposite wall. Someone whispered coarse words barely heard over the sounds of the rocking ship.“You are so strong…” Natheena looked up, realizing that the captain was no longer there. They had even given up hitting her for her passiveness. As new footsteps approached, she looked up again, but instead of her tormentors coming a female Teir’dal was dragged past her prison, moving like being drugged with her wet hair sticking to her body like the rags she was clad in. As she stumbled past Nat, she briefly raised her head and their eyes met. For an unknown reason, the moment seemed to last forever.***Nelyia put her wet cloak over the railing to dry. The weather had changed quite suddenly and with the sun gaining power the water was drained out of their clothes fairly quickly. Deckhands were busy fixing the shredded bow sail and the First Mate bellowed orders to correct the course. She turned to study her sister.“I can remember that moment like it was yesterday. For some reason, this pale Koada’dal prisoner was different to all the other anonymous people stuffed into the bowels of that slaver. The treatment, the pain… it had brought back the hatred to my heart and I would have had every reason to despise every living being onboard; but yet, I could not force myself to feel that emotion when looking at you.Hatred… can be such a powerful force to prevent you from giving up. But it denied me this very moment.”Ninia sounded sad.“As the Teir’dal tortured me, I could feel it welling in my chest, too. I tried to force myself to remember my family, the goodness of their spirits, the teachings of the gods. But I would have ripped them apart with my bare hands, had I gotten the chance to do so. Those months in captivity did to me what Neriak failed to do to you in years. You are so much stronger than I am, deny it all you can.”She smiled, causing Nelyia to close her mouth again, briefly.“Nin, there is just one factor that silences the call of my blood – you. I do not care if someone sets Qeynos afire as long as you are not within the city walls.”A hint of anger could be perceived in Ninia’s voice as she replied.“You know that I cannot stand you talking like this. But…”<i>But I know it is the truth</i>.She crossed her arms below her breasts. “Don’t spoil that moment, Nel, please.” She had to smile.“My Shadow Twin.”***Concentrating on the sounds of battle, Natheena turned to her neighbour. “Who is she?” The old woman shrugged.“She has been found on an island, signalling with a fire. I guess she expected someone different to pick her up.” She tilted her head. “They use her for fighting against other slaves. I hear she has never lost so far, though they drug her somehow to keep her at bay. She didn’t even know her name after that.”Natheena shrugged. “Teir’dal. They deserve it.”There was no real power in those words. As she listened to the cheers of the crowd above her, she couldn’t but wonder why her mind could not stop to think about the dark elven woman.During the next days, the ship became more silent. Sitting in its belly and listening to the waves seemed the best way to make time pass faster. Sudden clashing made you look up, just to see the Teir’dal stumbling to her knees in front of Nat’s compartment, being hit by a slaver. As she was dragged upright again and ushered away, Natheena noticed a small bottle of liquid lying in front of her cell. It seemed to have been dropped during the struggle.<i>…did not even know her name after that…</i>She stared at the bottle. Memories of the past weeks invaded her mind like daggers piercing her flesh and she did not even realize that it was her own fist hitting her in the face until the lip had already split open.She <i>had</i> to forget. As she had been floating in the great Nothing the night before, she had almost been able to see her mind slowly crumbling apart. After all she had endured, the elf had now reached the point of where she could no longer stand it. Her fingers closed around the chain.<i>No more bonds. No more pain. No more Natheena</i>.Summoning up the images of the happy life before the attack on Felwithe one last time, she picked up the bottle and empted it all at once.Darkness. Floating. ‘…is still breathing…’‘…destroyed her mind…’‘…still use for the body…?’‘…will tell them she committed suicide…’‘…understand it…?’‘…overboard…’‘But the Shaiith Avuna never forget.’ Her mind tried to open her eyes, but the body denied it.<i>Shaiith Avuna?</i>The voices sounded alien and she was certain to have never heard them before. She tried to remember, just to realize that it was not the only thing she could not recall.<i>Who am I?</i>Water engulfed her.“Good morning, m’lady. Welcome to them Isle of Refuge and Queen’s Colony. Ye be well? The cap sayin’ this be yours.”Trying to remember how she had come onboard the ship that had brought her here, she slowly took the small medallion the deckhand offered her. She looked at him, irritated.“What is this?”He shrugged. “Me ain’t knowing. Looks elf to me, m’lady. Ye noble?”Not sure of what to reply, she continued to stare at the tiny piece of metal. She finally shook her head. “I don’t think so… it’s not mine, I am afraid. Maybe the captain is mistaken. Please bring it back and thank him once again for his help.”The boy grinned. “Aye, me lady. Fare ye well.”Turning around, she studied the shore of the island fate had brought her to.***“Sometimes, I wonder what would have happened if we had not fled and met the Shaiith before they decided to consider us a threat. Would have everything been resolved by a normal conversation?”Ninia stepped aside to let a sailor check on the damaged railing. Nelyia scowled at the copper-skinned man who suddenly decided that there was something else to repair on the other side of the vessel.“I don’t think so, Nin. They already assumed that we might develop the ability and any confirmation would have led to our certain death. They gave us time to prepare, which proved to be a dire mistake. For them.” Her voice had become dangerously low.“Or, they would have admitted us into their ranks.”Nelyia snorted. “Would you really have liked becoming part of a constantly scheming band of people too arrogant to realize other paths but theirs to be right? Not me. We eluded them, and they chose to hunt us down. In the end, the prey had become the predator.” Her smile matched her words.The fair-skinned elf sighed.“It is too late anyway. It is just… that they never actually told us how they found out and more importantly, why it is actually us who developed that skill so strongly. I mean, this is more than just a bond of minds.”They watched the deckhands work for a while and while one of the sailors occasionally glanced in their direction, everyone seemed to generally avoid them. Nelyia toyed with a small dagger.“It is. But I never understood their arguments; not that they talked much in the end. We were not posing a threat to their valued Balance and did never manage to extend the skill to others much. We talk to each other by mere thought? So what, this is far from special.”The dagger vanished up her sleeve. While Ninia did not reply and the dark elf remained silent, they both knew that it was not entirely true. There was more.“Vessel on starboard, thirty-five!”The lookout yelled as loud as he could, his booming voice probably being heard even down in the bilge. For a moment, men turned to stare at the small dot on the horizon, but they were professionals. In a matter of moments, the deck was busy like an ant heap, feet scurrying over the planks and orders being relayed by the first mate.The two elves at the bow squinted their eyes to make out details of the other ship. It was obviously heading their direction, its grey sails tautened by the wind. It flew no flag.<i>‘Something is wrong… They are too far off route for a merchant</i>.<i>’</i>Nelyia pictured the map she had seen in the captain’s quarters as they had bargained the passage and shared the thought with Ninia. She nodded, but replied in the same fashion. It came as easily to them as talking aloud – or breathing.<i>‘Perhaps the storm…’</i>But they both knew that it was no merchant craft carried into the wrong direction by the storm. The lookout confirmed what they pictured in their minds, as the other vessel slowly raised their flag.“Vallon Zek Banner! On Intercept!”If the crew had been fast before, they were flying now. Within a minute, every sailor was armed and a ballista had been put in place, its huge shaft dwarfing the arrows sticking out of many a sailor’s quiver. They were no warriors, but they knew how to fight.<i>‘A ship full of orcs. That’s better than Frostfell.’</i>Nelyia grinned and eased her long daggers in their scabbards. The link betrayed her nervousness. In any case, they both were ready to dance. Ninia’s voice carried over the shouts without suffocating other voices, her song intermingling with the stiff breeze. As if feeling a reassuring hand on their shoulders, the men sped up and wore resolute faces, gifted with new courage and strength. Nelyia smiled, studying the approaching vessel as the captain stepped up to the pair and cleared his voice politely.Quite skinny for a Halasian, he was not a man to be underestimated despite his appearance. The crew followed his orders to the letter and as fast as they could, even though he never raised his voice. He had donned a sturdy leather jerkin and carried a slightly curved dirk at his hip. His face was grim.“M’ladies, I guess ye ain’t one of them lasses hiding in the cabins in case of trouble?” He did not bother to wait for a reply; the answer was written on the two elves’ faces. “Dinnae thought so. My boys are experienced in fendin’ off the occasional raid… but that boat there ‘as the look of pain to it.”Ninia put a hand on the man’s forearm.“Don’t worry captain, we will help to defend your vessel. I trust your command in that situation and will…”Nelyia had taken a few steps in the direction of the stern, scanning the dark wood, stripped down crates and the cover the narrow doorframe provided. It would do.<i>‘Tell him we will defend the cargo hatch. Stay next to the mast and use it for cover, I have all the shadows I need here…’</i>With the captain joining his second mate, most of the preparations were done. The ship was clearly visible now, as well as the heavily armoured orcs, their deep voices chanting an ancient battle song. Many held crude bows but none of them loosened an arrow yet. They were well aware that they were still out of range.Supported by her lute, Ninia’s song became faster and more powerful, as if she tried to undo the music drifting over from the raider vessel. The Bloodrose of Zek she sang, captivating her audience without ever disturbing their concentration or slowing them down. Nelyia could feel the rush of power cursing through her veins, filling her with resolution, strength and undeniable love for her odd twin.<i>‘My Light Twin.’</i>They waited. The captain had ordered the archers to hold until his command came, and no one did loose an arrow even as all the details of the orc ship came into view. They could easily make out the determined faces of the creatures, often wearing primitive and aggressive expressions that could fool people to believe they were simpleminded. Except for the conflicting songs, it was silent on board the ships. The foes stared at each other. Both the elves had positioned themselves out of view, Nelyia having almost merged with the background and waiting in the shadows, motionlessly. This was her element, the hunter looking for prey and always ready to strike when it was expected the least.<i>‘Try to enjoy it not too much, sis.’</i>There was wry amusement in Ninia’s mental voice. The assassin just shared a grin.“Draw!” The first mate bellowed and all at once two dozen bowstrings were pulled taut. If they had miscalculated, they would loose a critical advantage.“Loose!”Whirring sounds filled the air as the feathered shafts sped towards the orc vessel awkwardly pulling in at portside. They had not miscalculated. Arrows sprouted from greenish and brown-tanned orc bodies a moment before the hostile archers started to unload their quivers into available targets. Arrowheads met flesh, shield and armour, some bouncing off harmlessly into the water. Screams of pain arose by the time the fastest of the archers had already notched another shaft. With a deafening clash, the two ships collided portside to starboard, sending men and orcs likewise sprawling on the ground.<i>‘Time to dance.’</i>Ignoring the dead and wounded, orcs lept over the partially shattered railings to greet the human defenders with steel – them returning the favour equally. In the first moments of the battle, none of the elves could be seen. Even as an orc warrior turned to ensure that his partner was still guarding his back to end up staring at a lifeless body and blood streaming out of the bloody gash across the other orc’s throat, neither troubadour nor assassin were noticed by the combatants.Howling, the orc sought to identify the killer but ended up coughing and dropping to his knees. A beautiful tune silenced the battle sounds around him and the very moment he died without ever crossing blades with someone, he felt at peace.The skirmish did not even so much as to slow down. There was no more time to waste or the ship would end up crewless on the wide ocean. Launching another attack at a group of orcs Nelyia whirled around, blades connecting with soft flesh and cutting through armour. Finding themselves bleeding nastily, all four decided to ignore the sailor they had cornered and launched a counterattack. Steel met steel as the assassin danced past their slashing swords and plunged her right blade into an attacker’s leg, releasing the deadly poison. She hardly felt the pain as something slashed across her back and did not even turn. Ninia was there and already launched the attack that would incapacitate or kill the orc in a matter of moments. She just knew it without ever even concentrating on her odd twin.The moment Ninia’s blade ended the faceless orc’s attack, one of the Teir’dal’s throwing knives kissed flesh while she seemingly never stopped to dance the sleek daggers past her foe’s defences.For the two of them, they had stopped to exist as two distinct individuals. Hits dashed against the Koada’dal’s shield when aimed at the dark-skinned assassin and Nelyia’s blade deflected attacks on her sister as naturally as she did those aimed at herself. Back to back they danced and orcs died whenever they met to accept the unspoken challenge. Ninia’s voice filled their minds, their hearts.<i>"Blood burns and senses sharpened,eyes fixed on the foe;Slowly turns he, being heartened,blade ready for the blow;Steps done swiftly and they meet -Dance with us, beloved fiend, and twirl to your end;Dance with us, Shadowspawn, to kill or to be killed.Steel clashes sweetly and either blood is spilled,eyes meet only briefly, the air feels as if chilled;Slowly comes the insight, that only one will live,Generous is the fight, with no less th'n life to give -Dance with us, beloved foe, and twirl to your end;Dance with us, Shadowspawn, to kill or to be killed."</i>Judging from the screams, it would be a costly victory. An orc stumbled back while clutching his belly and for the first time since the battle had begun they both had the chance to assess the situation. Leaning against each other, panting, they scanned the deck. Bodies lay sprawling everywhere; blood of both men and orcs drenched the wooden planks beneath their feet. They took several careful steps to get a better view at the other ship. It had become silent.Gently, the waves rocked both vessels causing the hulls to grate against each other. Other than that, nothing moved. They spotted what was left of the captain and Ninia turned away, feeling sick. Blocking the images from passing over the link, the assassin forced herself to study the victims.<i>‘They are all dead.’</i>It had been a massacre. Neither party had ever considered turning back or fleeing, somewhere a dead sailor still clutched his dirk plunged into an orc’s chest, while the two arrows in his back quivered slightly in the wind. Ninia forced herself to look, tapping into her sister’s forced calmness.“That was no raid… it was a slaughter.” She was startled by the sound of her own voice in the unnatural quiescence that surrounded them. Sheathing her daggers, Nelyia nodded. It did not make sense that the orcs continued to attack after the battle was lost. Their own ship was deserted; every single warrior and sailor had been involved in the skirmish. She even recognized the garb of a cook.“We are not even close to the passage, why would they d…”Ninia turned to see why her sister had stopped half a heartbeat before she felt the reason like a fire burning in her veins. A black arrow sprouted from Nelyia’s chest, her own face showing surprise rather than pain. Ninia gasped for air, trying to ignore the pain flowing freely over the link and making her feel like she was the one who had been hit. They both were too slow to react. The rugged shape of an orc pulled itself into view, another arrow notched. His own injuries were fatal, but with surprising strength and speed he launched another dart, plunging into the dark elf’s belly with a sickening <i>thud</i>.Ninia did not even see him sliding down the railing lifelessly. It did no longer matter. Both mentally and physically she screamed, dropping to her knees beside her sister, hardly able to breathe. The Teir’dal’s lips were curved in a slow smile, blood trickling down the corner of her mouth. They were both unable to speak.<i>‘I would… very much dislike… to die… today… - Hate, even.’</i>Ninia wanted to cry, to laugh, to die, and to scream at the same time. There was an odd calm in her reply.<i>‘Wherever you go, I will follow.’</i>She did.