[Flashback] A Road Taken

[Eris]

45th Day of Fall, 507 A.V. You left without saying good bye. He knew I was leaving. Does that make it alright? The man cared for you for seven years and this is how you repay him? Shut up. Eris shook her head from side to side, bright orange bangs slapping against her face. This wasn’t the time. Not the time for regrets or stabs of guilt or uncertainty. She had made up her mind about this weeks ago, had prepared herself both mentally and physically for a life on her own. She knew how to defend herself, how to earn a living, how to talk to unsavory characters without getting killed. And yet, she felt lost and helpless, with the narrow cobbled road stretching out in front of her and into oblivion. She quickened her pace, slinging the satchel over her shoulder with her left hand, keeping her right one resting on her dagger. She walked along the side of the road, her eyes darting around nervously every few seconds. Joel had drilled it into her mind that the open road was a dangerous place – that one should not travel there alone if possibly, especially not on foot. And here she was, disobeying his lessons after only a few hours of being on her own. Recalling the memory later on, she couldn’t tell when exactly it was that she sensed the motion beside her. She didn’t know if she heard the soft shuffle of footsteps first or saw the glinting of metal out of the corner of her eye. All she remembered was turning. Turning and falling backward, her dagger clutched in front of her. She felt a searing pain reverberate through her shoulder and down her left arm. She lunged forward blindly, catching her attacker with the tip of her dagger. She saw the cloaked figure move to the left, swiping at her injured arm with the blade once more. Her right hand flew up to block the attack, pushing the figure back a few steps with the unbalanced force of her lunge. Play by your own rules. Don’t let the opponent set the stage. Taking advantage of the enemy’s momentary stumble, she pounced - brining the edge of the dagger against the man’s left side. The man howled in pain, swinging his weapon madly at Eris. This time, it was her turn to leap back as the offensive blade came within an inch of her throat.

[Eris]

Know when to quit. You only win if you’re alive to tell the tale. She jumped away from her adversary’s attack, landing half a step behind him. Cut off your opponent’s means of pursuit. Quickly, she aimed the dagger in the general area of his leg, catching him just above the knee. The man’s leg gave out under him and he momentarily fell on one knee. Run, you stubborn child. Run! And Eris ran. She ran down the dark road, barely seeing where she was stepping. All the while she could hear Joel’s voice shouting incoherent things in her head. Her breath was coming out in short raspy gasps and she felt as if her arm was on fire. She ran until her legs began to weigh heavily against the ground, pulling her down. Brining herself to a shaky stop, Eris gulped mouthful after mouthful of air. Unable to stay standing any longer, she dragged herself under a thick canopy of trees by the side of the road. Leaning against the thick trunk, she drew in another ragged breath. The voice in her head has calmed and she was no longer sure if it was Joel or her own conscience screaming at her earlier. But he was her conscience in a way, she realized with a start. Not the kind of conscience that told you not to kill people, or to steal, or to gamble. No, Joel would never advice against gambling. But he was the reasonable voice in her head that told her where to move, how to block an attack, when to run… Waves of pain washed over her arm like molten lava, scorching the bones under her skin. Eris rummaged in her satchel with her right hand, wondering how the bag had managed to stay attached to her as she ran. She was sure she had dropped it, but it was a welcome surprise that the bag had stayed put. Without this meager-looking piece of cloth, she had nothing. Her hand shaking, Eris drew out a roll of bandages and a tiny bottle of herbal oil. And to think that I might have decided against buying this bottle at the market last week. Uncorking the bottle, she spread some of the watery paste over the bandages. Then, gritting her teeth, she tied the strips of cloth around her shoulder as best as she could.

[Eris]

Eris couldn’t see the extent of the damage done to her shoulder and frankly, she was a bit scared to truly wish to see it. Gulping down the fear that was rising fast in her throat, Eris took a few calming breathes. This was not how she had envisioned starting life on her own. She was hoping for a healthy dose of adventure, but at a much slower pace. It wasn’t wise to sit here waiting for more cloaked stalkers to find her. She needed to keep moving, no matter how unwilling she was to leave her comfortable place under the tree. She rose slowly, feeling like an old woman – her joints cracking and legs shaking. A striking thought lit up the darkened corners of her mind: I’m alive. Bruised, scared, but alive! Eris almost laughed out loud, suddenly feeling delirious with happiness. If only Joel could see her now – hair tangled, arm spattered with blood, and grinning like a maniac. She stepped back onto the road, briefly wishing that her teacher and friend was standing here with her. But Joel had done his part – he had taught her all she could possibly learn from him. And even with him not by her side, she could still hear his counsel. Eris turned to face the distant point in the darkness where she had started her journey. Slowly -almost reverently – she bowed her head and parted her lips. Her words were carried away by the soft night breeze: “Thank you.” FIN

[Dusk]

XP Award! Eris XP Award: Running: 1 XP, Medicine: 1 XP Lore Award: Traveling the Roads Alone