Antirne sat unmoving, staring into the cold, dancing flames. A feeling of isolation and panic filled her chest, leaving no room for her to breathe. She forced herself to remain still, wanting only to bolt from the newfound camp. Questions filled her mind, accusations filled her thoughts, and vengence raped her of her heart.

"How can you just sit there and not help her!" demanded Flitz shrilly.

"This is a battle that she must first face alone,"said Duade softly.

"But---"

"No Flitz...." he said not looking at her as he stirring a sweet-smelling concoction over the biting flames. "And besides, I thought you didn't want her here to begin with," his eyes moved to the small jerky figure dancing around his head and smiled mischieviously.

"Well that was before I saw what kind of trouble she was really in!" sputtered Flitz, her small form beginning to quake in a fury.

Antirne continued to stare into the flames, unmoving, unblinking, pulling a blanket of despair so tightly over herself that it felt as if she could no longer breathe. A single tear traced down the line of her face, but she could not feel it's purity.

"And I still don't see why----!"

"Why couldn't you just leave me there to die?" demanded Antirne softly. Her gaze slowly averted from the flames, settling finally upon Duade. Her face was blank, as white as a sheet, but the light of the fire seemed to illuminate an emotion so much like an accuciation around her. "Why couldn't you just let me die?" she repeated, her words were clipped with a bitterness Duade had not heard from his own lips in years. Shocked, he stood slowly and stared at Antirne, his mouth opened slightly. "Why couldn't you just leave me alone?!" she stood screaming, unnerving Flitz and sending her back to her pouch. "Who asked you to save my life?!" she demanded heatedly, her gaze withering.

"No one." said Angelic quietly from the shadows. Antirne, taken aback, stared at her. "So if it is too shameful to live with the fact that one you hurt has remained loyal to you, then end it yourself," she finished while throwing a daggar at the elf-girl's feet.

Antirne gaped at her, unsure of what to do. She shook her head in disbelief, forcing herself to look from her challenger, to the blade, to Duade. His gaze penetrated her own. Still shaking her head slowly in disbelief, she turned away, letting the shadows of the night swallow her broken form.

Angelic eyes lingered on the elf's exit for a moment before turning to Duade. His face relaxed as she gave him a knowing look. "Don't let her get to you," she said before returning her attention back to sharpening her sword.

Antirne slowed her pace, refusing to run any farther from the encampment as she came upon a still lake. If they insist on not letting her be, then she was not going to run away from them, she thought. But why did she blame them? They had honor where she did not. They had not been a drudge, a servant, a slave; she thought bitterly. They did not know what it was to be hated, to be feared, to be only known as a station and not for who you are. To be known as a body.... Antirne shuddered at the mere thought of the memory. So why did she blame them and hate them so much for their ignorance of her past? Why did she have to hate them at all?

"Because I'm jealous," she whispered into the trees. The sudden sound causing her to jump, turning in confusion. So... after all this time... I was just jealous... she thought as she stared at her reflection in wonder. A sudden spark of fury engulfed her thoughts; she forced herself to remain as still as possible. "Jealous of them never knowing the biting of the whip," she screamed as she pounded her fist into the water. The broken image rippling and changing in front of her before settling back into its mirror form. "Never knowing the sound of your own muffled screams," she slammed her fist into the passive water below. "Innocent of the pain, and the tears, and the blood!" She screamed in pain as the hand she withdrew began to swiftly drip red. She looked into the calmming pool and finally saw the sharp rocks and shells covering the pond-floor. She laughed slightly, tears sliding down her face as she braced her left hand to her chest.

"It hurts... doesn't it?" came a gruff voice behind her. She jumped and turned, tensing her muscles to run if need be. "The past always does." said Duade as he stepped out of the trees shadow and into the moonlight. Antirne relaxed slightly and looked back to the water as she continued to crouch. She continued to watch the water as he made his way noisily towards her. She had a feeling that he was making the noise just to make her feel more at ease. She hid a slight smile before quickly replacing it with a blank look. She slowly stood and turned to face him, knowing he was only a few feet away from her, watching her every move. She didn't blame him for being weary of her, but it did not soften the blow of reality for her either. She looked at him wonderingly. "It's like your hand here," he said gently taking it into his own and studing it, "the pain is raw right now, excruciating when the wound is first given, but in time.... it will begin to mend. Sometimes a scar is left in its wake, but even that will fade in time, just like the memory of the pain, until it is nothing more.... than a memory," he finished looking into her eyes. Antirne blinked at the intensity of his gaze and looked away. Duade smiled softly at her as he continued to hold her hand, waiting for her to look at him again. Antirne took in a shaken breath and looked down to her hand in Duade's. Blushing, she slowly began to withdraw it when he firmly but gently grabbed it back. "And sometimes," he said still smiling as his other hand showed her a bottle he had drawn out of his pouch, "another's medicine is what one needs to heal all the faster. Otherwise, an infection could set in before the wound is ready to close all its own," he said as he poured the vile over the wound. Instantly her hand felt better, and even a little of her heart. "Come on then," he said as he softly bound her hand with a cloth, "let's go back to the camp and get some sleep. Besides..." he said as they began the journey back, "you haven't eaten in over a day, and the stew should be ready right about now," he said as he put his arm around her and drew her close as they continued to walk.

"So how was the stew then Antirne?" asked Duade cheerily. She nodded sleepily in response and smiled slightly to show that she had enjoyed it. She quietly placed her bowl next to her bed and laid down. "Tired?" he asked mildly surprised. "Well then it has been a long day for you. I'll wake you in the morning then so that we can train you up a bit. You can fight, that I'll admit," he said smiling and touching the wound she gave him, "but you can't defend yourself at all." Antirne blinked at him before looking at Flitz who had gone to bed a while ago. She still couldn't understand why Duade let something sleep around his neck. She rubbed her own throat at the thought before settling down and falling into a deep sleep.

Duade smiled grimly to himself as he picked up her bowl to place it with the others to be washed in the morning. He walked back to the fire, quietly feeding it before settling himself down for the night. Suddenly his eyes jumped open, looking straight into Angelic's own ten feet away. She sat calmly staring at him, a grim expression etched into her facial features. She glanced towards Antirne's sleeping body before returning her gaze back to his own. "Do not betray us Duade." she said calmly, her eyes turning to ice. Do not betray her, she thought. Angelic continued to look at him for a moment more before nodding and lying down for sleep. Duade settled down, unnerved by the half-elfs words.

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