Trailing Silence | Chapter I - Section IV

Section IV

"Alice!" Faerie screamed and the party's attention was suddenly caught and they looked at them in time to see Alice fall to her knees. Laurten was the first to move with May at her heals.

Alice closed her eyes tightly her breathing fitful as Faerie did her best to keep her upright. "What the hell happened?" May asked as she knelt beside the she-elves while Laurten stared off into the forest.

"What on earth is going on?" One of the dwarves asked.

"What does it look like Osker?" Alice hissed between her clenched teeth.

"May don't just sit there do something!" Osker told the cleric who sat there, hesitant.

"The arrow points are nearly clean through. I could push them the rest of the way but it would be painful and if I pull them back then that might be even more painful..."

"I'll do it," Laurten told May. "Osker keep an eye on the forest for more arrows."

"Right miss," Osker told her. Laurten rested her right hand on Alice's shoulder and her left on the arrow shaft.

"Ready?" Laurten asked.

"Just do it." Alice gasped. Laurten winced slightly as she pushed the first arrow completely through and snapped the arrow head before pulling the rest of the shaft out the other way. Alice's breathing had become worryingly rapid by the time Laurten got out the second arrow but it didn't stop her from pulling out the third that was lodged in her left shoulder.

"Please my dear god Lanther grant me the ability to heal her." May prayed before gently touching Alice's shoulder. THe wounds began to close and Alice started to fall over but Faerie quickly caught her, carefully pulling her close.

"Well... that was painful." Alice pushed herself off of Faerie.

"Are you alright Elf?" Osker bellowed.

"I'm fine Dwarf." Alice replied, rising to her feet and Osker looked back at her.

"Good don't need any more dead warriors." Osker told her.

"Mm," Alice rested a hand on his head. "Well I'm not that easy to kill." He nodded and the other dwarf stood beside Osker.

"What seems to be a miss?" He asked.

"Elf was shot." The other dwarf looked up at her.

"You fine Elf?" He asked.

"I'm fine Dwarf." Alice smiled.

"Good," The dwarf told her. "Now what do we do Elf?"

"May, can you detect any magic?" Alice asked turning back to the young cleric.

"Yes, it's faint but I can detect it." May replied, staring at the new holes in Alice's armour. Alice turned back and looked at her.

"You alright May?" The girl's copper like eyes looked up at her.

"Yeah, fine Alice." Alice slowly nodded her head. Faerie slowly rose to her feet, holding one of the broken arrows in her hands.

"These look like stone points," Faerie muttered as she handed it to Alice who's eyes gazed over the arrow.

"Handmade too, see there are blade marks along the edge of it. Think the shaft is oak, what do you think?" ALice handed it back to Faerie.

"Yeah I think it is too, the forest is filled with oaks. They must have made them in there." Faerie muttered.

"ARROWS!" One of the dwarves yelled. Laurten pulled May to her. While Dean and the few other males ducked behind the dwarves or drew their shields and weapons. Alice moved to pull Faerie down as well but not before an arrow hit her.

"Faerie!" Alice yelped. "Oh god no..." she breathed as she pulled the she-elf to her.

Tears of shock crawled down Faerie's cheeks as she slowly looked at ALice before at the wound in her side. "I..."

"Sh, don't speak, May help her!" May crawled over to them.

"It's a through and through, so it will be less painful but... I don't have my healing powers anymore."

"Just help her." Alice told May.

"Laurten, I need help." The rouge knelt beside them. "Hold her still Alice," May ordered and Alice sighed.

"Sorry," Alice muttered as she squeezed her shoulder. "Shh... rest now." Faerie's eyes widened slightly before falling against Alice, limply. May blinked at her before going back to the arrow.

"Alright, three, two, one..." Laurten quickly broke the arrow head and pulled out the shaft while May put pressure on the wound. THe three girls moved Faerie so she was lying on her back. "Three, two, one..." May lifted her blood soaked hands from the wound and Laurten lifted her shirt slightly while ALice put gauzes on on either side of the wound, Laurten moved beside her and wrapped some bandages around Faerie's stomach, tight enough to keep the pressure but lose enough to let her breath.

"There..." Laurten told them.

"She alright?" Osker asked as she readjusted his grip on his shield as a few more arrows were sent at them.

"Yeah, should be." May sighed. Alice pulled out her cloak and laid it over Faerie, kissing the top of her unconscious elf's head before pulling out her bow, her eyes growing dark.

"Alice don't," May begged.

"It's in my blood May. I protect the ones I care about and avenge them when I can't." Alice replied.

"But you can't win this, we don't even know what we are fighting so you do what elves are good at and run, meet us at the town we were heading to just get Faerie out."

"But..."

"Go Alice," Laurten ordered, reluctantly she nodded and picked up Faerie in her arms.

"I'll see you guys later," Alice told them. "Dwarves keep these humans safe you hear?"

"Aye Elf! We do!" They replied in unison.

"Boys," Alice nodded to the men who nodded back. Alice took off running up the hill and down along side the road.