Archives: Trials of the Half-Elven
Chapter 20: Krisatris’s Return
About an hour after Olula had disappeared into the bathroom, a knock came to the door of the girls’ rooms. On the other side of the door, Krisatris waited for a response.
After her brief stint in jail, a finely dressed courtier had come to her rescue. He had assured her he was serving a noblewoman who was intent on helping Olula and won Krisatris’s trust. After a questioning about her journey, he had her released, then saw to getting her a room in the castle, of all places! Krisatris learned that Olula had made it there under the care of a Lady Joline Kavryn, and that tomorrow, there was possibly a trial in Olula’s favor.
Flora sat up slowly as she heard a knock at the door. The girl crawled out of the bed and quickly headed out to the entrance. She cleared her throat as she asked, “Who is it?” and opened the door. To her surprise, it was Krisatris! Flora’s eyes shined as she hug the girl. “Kris.. is it really you?” she asked as she stepped back. “Oh Falis! I am so glad you’re alright.”
The girl quickly walked over to Olula door and knocked on it. “Sorry to disturb you, but there’s a surprise out here for you,” the girl said as she moved her hand in a motion to say come in to Krisatris. Oh, thank Falis for bringing her back to us, the girl thought as she giggled softly.
Olula answered the door wrapped in a silken robe that she found in the wardrobe. She was partially hoping for Nat, but she had to tell herself there were more important surprises in this case. “What is it?” she asked Flora, and her eyes drifted to the door to see Kris and her face lit up. The half-elf dashed over to the door and threw her arms around Krisatris.
“Welcome back!” she said as she hugged her friend. Kris returned the embrace with a slight blush on her cheeks. “Are you alright?” Olula asked as she drew back.
“Yeah, they roughed me up a little, but nothing too bad,” Kris said with a shrug. “What’s going on with you guys?”
“Let’s go sit down and talk about it,” Olula said and pulled Krisatris back to the couch by the hand. “Flora, maybe you could go get Trent and Thangroth?” she suggested.
Flora watched the two, still wearing a smile, then she nodded to Olula and quickly left. Walking over to the Thangroth and Trent’s room, she knocked on the door and waited for an answer.
* * *
After the interview Trent sprawled on the floor, staring at ceiling. Having spent most of the past year sleeping on the ground or on simple straw mattresses he found the beds in the castle far too soft lay down on, much less sleep in. He sank too far in them, felt like they would swallow him as soon as he drifted off. He never cared for wine, and spewing his emotions during the interview so intensely robbed him of any appetite he might have had. So there wasn’t much the castle could offer him aside for a place of quiet contemplation, which he was happy to have.
As one of the last ones to speak with Joline, Trent wasn’t there long before he heard a knock at the door. “I’m coming,” Trent said as he opened the door and saw Flora in the hallway. “Hey, is something wrong?”
“Everything is just fine,” Flora told Trent before she continued. “Krisatris is back and she is in our room. I just came to tell Thangroth and yourself,” she said with an excited voice.
Hearing voices, Thangroth roused from his sleep and rolled out of his bed. The dwarf was in his bedclothes as he peeked out of the door of his room. Trent and Flora were talking and he overheard mention of Krisatris being back. “Kris is back eh?” he said as he approached the door. “That’s good news! Lets go and welcome her back then.” Clapping Trent on the back, the dwarf stepped out alongside Flora.
Trent was smacked with enough force that he had to take a step forward to keep his footing, if not for his leather armor he would probably red imprint of Thangroth’s hand on his back. He knew dwarves were strong but had never actually seen one display it before. “Yeah, that would be nice,” Trent replied as he walked behind Flora and Thangroth.
Flora nodded to the men and led them back to her room. The girl opened the door and made her way over to the two elves, smiling as she watched the two.
As Flora entered, both Olula and Krisatris looked up expectantly to see Thangroth and Trent following her. During the wait, the two girls had discussed what happened after Kris was kidnapped.
“No Nat?” Krisatris asked. She hadn’t been too trusting of the bard, but after she heard how much he helped get things together, she was warming up to him. She wanted to thank him personally for his help.
“Oh...I’ll get him,” Olula said. She was reluctant to involve him, but if Krisatris requested to talk to him, there was nothing she could do. The half-dark elf rose from the couch and headed for the door. “I’ll be right back,” she said to her guests. “Make yourselves comfortable!” She called as she stepped out the door.
Flora watched Krisatris as she spoke. The girl was already turning on heels, but she stopped when she heard Olula. The lavender haired girl stared at the door as Olula headed out. Her face suddenly calmed as she turn to face Krisatris. “So, how are you?” she asked in a calm voice. The girl didn’t feel like expressing her feelings to her, something told her not to.
Trent sat down on an intricately carved wooden bench as Olula left to fetch Nat, he had just enough perception to sense that she was hesitant in bringing Nat in, but not nearly enough insight to speculate why. He then hunched over with elbows resting on his knees and looked over to Kris to see for himself that she was alright. That’s what he kept telling himself, Kris was alright. That he wasn’t a coward for not fighting back at the inn, for going with Nat’s story and concealing himself. It was alright that she was hauled off because she was fine now, it all worked out.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Kris assured Flora. The half-elf leaned forward on the couch, resting her elbows on her spread knees. “They yanked me around and pushed me a bit, but the rest of the time I was just sitting in a cell until this man in nice clothes came down to talk to me. He told me that a Lady Joline Kavryn was interested in helping Olula and I told him all about our trip. Did you guys talk to this lady?”
“Yes, I did,” Flora answered Krisatris as she looked at the other two men.
“Aye, she took us all aside, one by one, and interviewed us,” Thangroth replied to Krisatris with a nod.
“I’m pleased to see ye back safe, lass. I only hope that all this Lady’s assistance isn’t in vain. I can’t say I know much of King Reona, aside from having fought to take back Kanon. He could be just as prejudiced against dark elves as Darvis was.”
Flora made her way over to a chair by a table and sat down. “I hope he is not like that,” the girl said as she looked at the group.
“Yeah...” Krisatris said. An uneasy silence seemed to fall over the room without Olula. The ticking of the clock on the mantle and the crackle of the fire in the hearth were the only sounds in the room for a moment. “Wonder what’s taking her...” Kris wondered aloud.
* * *
Crossing the hall to Nat’s room, she paused in front of the door. Her heart was racing, her hands were tingling...how would he react to her. After a moment’s hesitation, she knocked on his door and waited for his answer, each second that she had to wait passed at a snail’s pace.
Hearing the knock at his door, Nat hauled himself off his couch. He’d been enjoying the wine, perhaps a little too much. Since he was here, he figured he’d make the most of it—he’d already stashed away a couple bottles in his belongings. Moving to the door, the half-elf had a bit of a sway to his step, though he wasn’t quite drunk yet. He opened the door and he was surprised to see Olula again. Nat grinned and leaned against the door frame. “Can I help you, Olula?” he asked.
Olula’s eyes drifted away from Nat uncomfortably. She recognized his flirting now, and realizing how readily he employed it with everyone he met. Only now, much to late, did she realize he probably didn’t care about her at all, she was just another conquest. “Krisatris is back,” she said coldly. “She wants to thank you for helping us.”
Olula seemed wounded, and it actually made him feel a little remorse. Maybe it was because he wasn’t usually around this long afterwards, or maybe there was a connection to this girl since she was a half-elf like him. No matter what it was, Nat couldn’t tolerate the sound of betrayal in her voice. Reaching out, he grabbed her wrist and stepped toward her. “What’s wrong, ’Lula?” he asked, reaching up to touch her cheek.
Olula blushed at hearing him shorten her name. She hadn’t been called Lula since she left home. That, combined with his piercing green gaze, the gentle touch on her cheek, made it hard to hold onto the sense of betrayal and anger, but she adverted her eyes to the floor to gather her wits. “Am I... am I just a conquest to you?” she whispered softly, so low that only the sensitive ears of a half-elf could hear.
Nat brushed back her hair and leaned forward to kiss her brow. “Olula, I do care about you...” he said, trying to come up with something to say, but maybe he didn’t have to stray so far for the truth. He did feel something for this girl, but it wasn’t enough to make him want to stay. “The thing is... I’m not someone you want to get involved with. Even if I do care about you, I can’t offer a commitment, or what you need.” The half-elf put his finger under her chin and tipped her face up to look him into the eyes. “Can you just cherish what we had tonight? Find someone who deserves you.”
Olula had more she wanted to say on this subject, but Kris and the others were waiting on them. Defeatedly, she whispered, “Yes,” then pulled away from Nat. “Let’s go talk to Kris,” she said as she walked back to their room.
Olula returned to her traveling companions, Nat in tow. “Here he is,” she said as she entered, her voice tired and drawn. Without sparing a glance back to Nat, the half-dark elf girl sat down next to Kris on the couch. There seemed to be a lack of conversation in the room while she was gone, everyone was either at a loss for words, or soaked up in their own anxieties about the next day.
“Hey Nat,” Krisatris said to the half-elf with a wave and a small smile on her lips. “I wanted to thank you for helping out Trent and Flora. Jail wasn’t so bad, so no need to worry about me.”
Flora looked at the group of people and remain quiet. She reached over for a cup that was on the table and poured herself some water. Her face had a calmness to it and eyes showed that she was in deep thought. The girl did not know what she would do after everything settled, and she sighed softly and drank her water slowly. She didn’t really have a tight bond with the others, so she decided to stay quiet and listen to them, or herself.
Nat followed Olula in and leaned against the wall next to the fireplace to stabilize himself. The wine was really starting to hit him, and he was trying to maintain his composure. “Don’t menshun it,” he said with a slight slur in his voice. “I’m glad you’re alright.” Noticing the awkward silence in the room, he was at a loss for words for a moment. “I guess we should just go to bed huh? Big day tomorrow an’ all...”
“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” Olula said softly, avoiding looking at Nat.
At the suggestion, Thangroth nodded. “Aye, rest would do us all some good, especially now that we don’t have to worry about bein’ hunted in our sleep. Tomorrow, our journey should be complete. I am sure the king will give us justice,” the dwarf said optimistically, then hopped out of his seat. “Come along, lad, let the ladies get their rest,” he said to Trent and headed toward the door.
With the others leaving, Krisatris decided to head out too. “Sleep well, Olula,” she said to the half-dark elf with a small smile and patted her shoulder. Rising to her feet, Kris followed Thangroth and Trent out the door. She noticed an awkwardness between Olula and Nat, and she didn’t know what it was about, but it bothered her. Yet, she was torn between her gratitude to him and concern for Olula’s well-being. She just nodded and smiled to the half-elven bard as she passed him, hoping that whatever was going on with them wouldn’t cause any trouble.
“Well, goodnight all,” Nat said to the group. Turning his attention to Olula, he spoke, almost directly to her, “Sleep well.” With that, he turned and followed the others out.
“Goodnight,” Flora said softly as she stood up and walked into her room. The girl sat on her bed and laid down, staring at the ceiling as she went into deep thought.
“Goodnight,” Olula replied as Flora left the room. With all her company gone, Olula gladly retreated to her own room and quickly changed into a nightgown before collapsing into her bed. It didn’t take long for the half-elf to fall asleep after such a long, emotionally exhausting day.
