Chapter Six- Monsters

"AH! It's a giant, hairy monster! Save me! ...Oh, it's just you, my Lord. Don't scare me like that. I'm very easily scared when I drink too much ale, you know that."

~*~

Cemahla poked at the fire with a stick, trying to keep the flames alive just for a little while longer. If he could do that, then their evening meal would be ready... the mercenary grinned. He'd managed to catch another huge fish today.

Then he frowned. The Lady Rynna hadn't been happy about them stopping, but what could he do? It was impossible to pass by a stream and not fish for at least a little while! Catching dinner was always a good thing, too... He sighed. Nobles just didn't understand.

Oh, well. At least she kept herself entertained with Lrykkan. Of course, just about anybody who liked to talk could get along pretty well with the shapeshifter.

The mercenary smirked at that. /Anybody who listens can get along well, too. I could probably plug my ears with wax and still look like I'm paying attention to him, because I'd only have to nod once in a while./

Then he looked away from the fire, up at the sky. /I don't know why I'm in such good spirits. Even fishing doesn't usually get me this cheerful.../

He returned to poking at the fire. /I suppose it has to do with the fact that this journey is getting close to its end. We've only got one or two weeks left on the road, and after that I can get back to the west side of the world and away from that School. And from anyone who might want to talk to me about magic./

He grimaced. /I know that's not fair to Lady Rynna. After all, she doesn't know or understand my problems. And I don't expect her to. But as soon as she gets through the gates, I'm gone. If Lrykkan wants to stay, he can catch up with me later./

Cemahla glanced over at where Rynna was sitting by the creek, staring into the water and fingering that silver chain around her neck. Apparently, she was lost in thought.

/I suppose she has a lot on her mind. Then again, of course, she should have plenty on her mind now. We are getting closer to that mountain range, and closer to her new home. She's probably wondering about what sort of clothes they'd wear, and whether anyone there has taste, knowing noblewomen. Though... I haven't noticed much of that sort of thing about her./

Indeed, Rynna had rarely insisted on baths or changing clothes during the traveling. She was now wearing a riding dress that she'd had on for about three days.

/But it wasn't like she packed much anyway./

The mercenary tossed the stick he'd been using into the fire, returning his gaze to the flames. /It's none of my business what she thinks anyhow. In a couple weeks, I'll never see her again. She'll be some high ranking mage and I'll still be Silence./ He smirked slightly. /If only my family had known how ironic that name was... Now I really am silent./

"Are the flames that interesting?" asked a voice nearby.

Cemahla blinked, and turned to see that Lrykkan was sitting up from his position a little ways away from him. The shapeshifter was in his usual form, the young man in his twenties with dark hair and eyes.

Lrykkan stretched and scratched at his head. "I never found 'em that fascinating myself," he admitted. "Though I suppose it's more interesting than watching paint dry. At least fire moves, eh?"

The mercenary cracked a smile at his friend.

The shapeshifter sighed. "Still not talking, huh?" he asked. "Then again, I should have expected that. Especially on this trip. You know, I still think you're making a big mistake about that..."

Cemahla shook his head fiercely.

"Very well. I suppose the past can tie you down, after all," Lrykkan mused, then shrugged. "Not that I can remember much of mine. So many interesting things to do, you understand, and immortality makes a few parts of my past sort of hazy. I can't even remember if I had a family." The shapeshifter shrugged with a little smile on his face. "Though I guess it doesn't matter now, does it? After all, if I did, they're dead. If I didn't, then so what?"

His friend nodded back.

"To be honest, though, I think you should open up more," Lrykkan said. "Your past isn't coming to get you, you know."

Cemahla snorted and waved a hand in dismissal. /Please. Go back to sleep, Lrykkan./

Those dark eyes of the shapeshifter seemed to pierce through him then, a rather uncomfortable feeling for Cemahla. Lrykkan didn't stare at him so very often, but when he did it felt as though the world's secrets were an open book to him. "You'll be up for a while after the usual bedtime, I take it? Fine, but don't worry the Lady. Nobles get touchy about bedtimes, after all. The Gods know why. Lemme know when dinner's done." Chuckling, Lrykkan stretched again and lay back down.

After a long moment, Cemahla's eyes did turn back to Rynna. Right, Rynna was her name, wasn't it?

He snorted at himself. /You are getting too lazy, Cemahla. You can't even remember your ward's names anymore. Not that that matters, either. It seems that everything I think of doesn't really matter. At least, they don't matter to anyone but me. Though why I should care about someone's name is beyond me. I never was good at names, so why bother anymore?/

Finding these thoughts rather uncomfortable, Cemahla shifted slightly in his sitting position and tilted his head back to look up through the treetops to the night sky above. Again, it was a clear night with no signs of clouds.

/Though, back to that thought about being in good spirits... I definitely shouldn't be, since those Elves passed us by./ His smile returned to a frown. /What were they leaving their Forest for? Certainly not to deal with humans. Those particular bastards prefer to make humans come to them. Unless.../

He stiffened. /Shit. Looks like I'm on watch tonight after all./

Rynna had apparently come to some sort of decision about whatever she was thinking about, because she was returning to camp with a somewhat satisfied expression on her face. She paused, however, when she saw Cemahla suddenly stiffen.

"What is it, Master Cemahla?" she asked. "I hope you're not planning on going back to fish out there! It's dark, after all..." she cast a nervous look at the woods nearby.

Did she realize what was wrong? No, of course not; she'd never met an Elf. How could she know what was going on? Cemahla shook his head and waved a hand at the fish he was cooking, then his eyes widened; it was dangerously close to burning entirely!

Getting on his knees, Cemahla grabbed at the fish and bit back a gasp as the stick he'd been roasting the monster on nearly burned his hand. However, he merely dropped it into a pan, wondering why he hadn't thought of just cooking it with a pan earlier...

/Right. I didn't feel like wasting my energy holding my arm over the fire to cook, too. And Lrykkan wanted to take a nap, and you don't ask your ward to do anything for you. Damn. I believe I am starting to get lazy, after all./

"Ah, done finally!" Rynna said, seating herself nearby with a cheerful expression on her face now. He could tell the expression was forced; ah, so she hadn't come to any decision about her problems. Oh well.

Cemahla nodded and slipped out a small knife to start cutting the fish up into small portions, offering a bit to the Lady first. Rynna accepted her piece carefully, trying not to burn herself.

Then the mercenary kicked Lrykkan in the leg.

"OW! My word, what was that for?" Lrykkan yelped, leaping awake. "Honestly, Cemahla, you could just shake my shoulder or- hey, dinner's done! Thanks!" Forgetting his aching leg for a moment, he too took a piece.

The group ate then. Lrykkan was casual as always, chattering between bites. The Lady Rynna cast glances around herself at the wood, but was otherwise normal.

Cemahla kept his eyes glued to those woods, especially when he could hear the faintest rustling of a nearby bush. His hand slid down to the hilt of his sword, the weapon he hadn't taken off since this journey began. /Alright, you bastards, why don't you come out here and we will put you out of your misery?/

~*~

Rynna looked at her silent companion and frowned; he was glaring into the woods like he was expecting something to come out. /What, yet another odd companion?/ she wondered. Then she looked closer. /No. Something is definitely wrong./

Her alarm grew when his hand slid down to the hilt of his sword. "M... Master Cemahla?" she faltered. "What is...?"

Lrykkan took a look at Cemahla, then at the woods, then promptly smacked himself on the head with his free hand. "Oh, my Lady, we must've forgotten in the excitement," he said. "I do apologize."

"What is going on?" she asked, her voice hardened with urgency.

"Well... you see, those particular Elves rarely ever leave their forest. They don't ever go out visiting, you see. They prefer we come to them, er, that you come to them that is." Lrykkan scratched his head uncomfortably, pausing.

"Well?"

"And, think about it, my Lady. What's one thing that all creatures despise, especially Elves and humans? What were they _ running _ from, my Lady?"

Rynna blinked at him. Then her eyes slowly traveled back towards the wood, where she now distinctly heard rustling noises. Her hand closed over her necklace, tightening until the knuckles turned white. "You don't mean..."

"I'm afraid so, my Lady. I believe they're monsters."

"What sort?" The hand closed even more tightly than before.

"Hmm." Lrykkan glanced at Cemahla. "From how Cemahla's acting, thankfully animal-like ones. Otherwise we'd be running, not sitting here waiting for them to come out. These, you can kill with a sword." He waved a hand at the wood. "If they were, say, undead, then we'd need magic, as I'm sure you know."

"I do study from time to time, Master Lrykkan," she snapped. "I know about the different types. You have no need or the right to talk down to me."

Lrykkan blinked, then assumed a hurt expression. "I was just trying to be nice, my Lady," he mumbled.

She sighed, trying to calm down. "It is all right. I apologize for my outburst. But I have rarely seen or even fought a monster."

The shapeshifter nodded back. "No problem. You just surprised me is all..." he glanced at Cemahla. "Should we wait more, my silent friend, or shall we go forth into battle with these miscreants?" He pulled out his own sword (which appeared to merely be an extension of one of his arms) and waved it around dramatically.

Cemahla rolled his eyes. Then he stood and walked over towards Rynna, until he was between her and the wood.

"Right then. We'll protect you, my Lady," Lrykkan said easily, and followed suit. "Fortunately these brutes aren't that bright; if we stayed still it'd take 'em another hour to find us. It's amazing they've come this far without falling over a cliff or something..."

"This is rather flat territory, Master Lrykkan," Rynna whispered.

"They migrate everywhere," was the reply.

"True."

There was a long, tense silence, and Rynna's hand clenched ever more tightly around the chain on her neck. Even the crickets seemed to cease their chirping, listening.

Finally, they heard the rustling and growling of something big in the nearby wood.

Rynna involuntarily took a step back, while Cemahla and Lrykkan stepped forward. Cemahla had a grim expression on his face. And, for once, the shapeshifter seemed to be taking something seriously.

"Let's go."

With that, Lrykkan seemed to shimmer, then disappear from his place as something leaped out from the trees. Rynna took another step back with a startled cry as the thing came a little too close for comfort. Then Lrykkan reappeared, his sword slicing through the monster with great ease.

The Lady couldn't help but shoot a grateful smile at the shapeshifter. "Thanks," she said.

"Not a problem, milady," he replied with a grin. He then leaped into a nearby tree (where he'd 'disappeared' to before) and waited for his next prey.

Cemahla had taken a few steps closer to the wood, always keeping himself between the hidden threats and his ward. Sword drawn, he lifted it to his head as though in a sharp salute.

Rynna then could have sworn she'd seen his lips move; not just a frown, or a quick intake of breath. It seemed as though he was actually muttering something, most likely a prayer of some sort. However, before she could be certain, the moment had passed and her bodyguard was attacking one of the other monsters.

Fortunately, there were only five of the monsters, and all of them were of the animal type. Thus, they were all disposed of quickly. Moments later the camping ground rotted with the new corpses that littered the ground, and Rynna felt the urge to be sick growing. She quickly turned her head up to stare at the sky, trying not to think about one of the monsters lying not five feet away from her.

"Whew, not a bad skirmish," Lrykkan commented, dropping from the tree. "You all right, milady?"

"Fine, thank you," she replied. She glanced back down at the monsters, then quickly looked up again. "And you two?"

Cemahla was busy cleaning his sword, but did nod in her direction.

Lrykkan shrugged. "I'm fine, thanks milady. Well, it looks like we'll have to camp a little ways away from here. Don't want to attract any kin of theirs, or their magical counterparts either. One batch of monsters at night is bad enough, thanks."

"I agree, though I preferred it when there weren't any at all," Rynna said. Then a thought struck her. "Master Lrykkan, correct me if I'm wrong, but if these are animal-types... why didn't the Elves attack them?"

Lrykkan gave her a blank look. "Milady, you really need to get out more. Come on, let's go take a look at the horses and get going." With that he turned and started off.

Blinking in confusion, the lady turned to Cemahla for an explanation. Of course, the mute had none; he was readying to follow his shapeshifter friend. Then she frowned.

"Of course. Elves hate destroying life, even monsters. Don't they?"

Cemahla gave her a small smile and a nod. Then he gestured towards where Lrykkan and the horses were.

"Shall we, Master Cemahla?" she asked.

He nodded again, and they started away from their camp.

In the near distance, they could hear Lrykkan's outraged shrieking. "I say, that's awfully rude of you- hey, don't you dare-! Ooh, those were my best boots, you rotten horse!" They could then hear a whicker. "If you weren't one of our only horses I'd have you for dinner! Don't give me that look, you dirty bastard, and stop that snickering! I swear, you horses can be so evil... My poor boots..."

Rynna couldn't help but chuckle and raise an eyebrow at Cemahla, though the idea of what the horse possibly did to Lrykkan was a nasty one. "Do I want to know, Master Cemahla?"

He shook his head.

"I thought not."

The two smiled as they approached the clearing.

"And hey, I just risked my life and limb for you horses! No, I DON'T have sugar on me- hey, not you too! OW! Just 'cause I'm a shapeshifter doesn't mean my legs grow back overnight ya know! You have no right to kick me. You evil horse..."

Rynna followed her mercenary companion towards Lrykkan and the horses, smiling at her friend's outraged ranting. Then she stopped and frowned as a sudden thought came to her.

Most humans couldn't deal with monsters as easily as these two just had.

How on earth did they know so much about monsters, anyway...?

And did she really want to know?

~*~