A while after the Griffin Sword Wars I found myself back in the familiar town of Wehnimer's Landing. I would love to be able to say that it was good to be home, but it wasn't. Life for me had changed, drastically; friends were few and very far between. I had a well deserved reputation as a killer, well, murderer actually, and almost everyone I had named as a friend was no longer. I don't blame them for this, I would probably have done the same given that the roles were reversed. So when I returned after the war it was Eclipse and I, and not much else.
Life was different back then, for one thing there were more of us in that part of the world, which didn't really help my situation... word tends to spread about such things. But I endured it, after all, it's not like I was forced to do as I did, it was a choice. If I wasn't ignored I was ridiculed, but I had, and still do have, a rather thick skin when it comes to matters that pertain to myself, and life goes on.
It was around that time when people gathered less in town center for spells and were more apt to congregate in the small park, town center was mostly for the empaths to practice their trade. I too began hanging around the park, but always on the fringes, trying to be as unnoticed as possible. I rarely spoke and only cast my spells when specifically asked to, which wasn't very often. Once in a while someone would ask me to fetch some skins for them, but that was about the limit of my interraction with people back then.
While in the park I took notice of a lass, why I don't know. She was quite a bit less trained than I, and she was beautiful, far above my station in life. She was a bardess, and when she sang it took my breath away. I'd never approach her, she was eloquent and intelligent, very, very pretty, and well mannered... not the girl for me. But I'd watch her from time to time, without her notice of course, and marvel at her voice. Under different circumstances, in a different life and time, maybe I would have approached her, but not now. The Radeek of old might have had a chance, the one who tried to be honorable and chivalrous, but not this one, not the one fallen into darkness.
There came a day when the park was mostly empty for some reason, and in she came. I had been playing with Eclipse, she has a tooth marked kitten toy that she used to love to tussle against me with. For some reason I decided to talk to the Bardess; foolish, I know, but it seemed like the thing to do at the time. I began to approach her and I lost all my nerve. I stopped, embarrassed at my own indecision, turned and began to walk away. I heard her call to me, asking my name. "Hell," I thought to myself, "what can that hurt?" "Radeek," was the reply I tossed over my shoulder as I continued walking, just wanting to get as far away from this area as I could to avoid further embarrassing myself.
I heard Eclipse growl, a deep powerful growl, and I looked around for enemies, since this is her normal warning of danger. I saw none in evidence and looked for my companion to see what was troubling her. She was sitting at the side of the Bardess, nuzzling her hand, licking her fingers and staring at me with those golden eyes. I don't know why, but this sparked a moment of puzzlement, indecision, and no small amount of embarrassment within me. I suppose maybe I had been alone too long with only Eclipse as my companion and what I was really feeling was jealousy at the fact that my wolf was showing affection to another.
In Tehir I said to Eclipse, "Let's go, leave the lass alone." Eclipse promptly laid down at the feet of the Bardess and whined at me. Eclipse had never disobeyed me before, ever, and this surprised me, a great deal. All I can do is look between the woman and the wolf. I can only imagine the expression on my face. I think if I had to put a word to it "Befuddled" would be my choice, I've always liked that word. The bardess is also obviously uncomfortable to be placed in the middle of this and that only adds to my embarrassment. The last thing I want to do is enter into a lengthy conversation and apology to this woman of beauty, especially with the way I talk. "This has not been a good day, and it's probably about to get a lot worse" is all that goes through my mind.
The bardess tries to shoo Eclipse to me, telling her to "go on". I can tell the poor woman is becoming embarrassed as well. Eclipse solves everything for us though, in true wolf fashion. She stands up and takes the Bardess's hand into her mouth and begins to pull her to me. I can see the look in the lass's eyes, her hand in that maw full of gigantic, razor-sharp teeth that have ripped limbs from both people and creatures many times in the past. She's afraid of what's happening, but more afraid to protest to the wolf. Me? I just want to crawl into the ground and disappear.
As Eclipse drags her close to me I see the Bardess looking at my face... her eyes go directly to my scars, and linger there, and I become even more self-conscious. I normally tried to keep my scars as covered as I could, to avoid just this kind of encounter, but during my play with Eclipse I had removed my veil. I can feel myself blushing, I can't help it. At that point in my life I thought of my scars as a mark against me, denoting me as something less than human in the eyes of others and I had been told as much many times after the Griffin Sword War, so many times that I believed it myself. And then, as if to add insult to injury, the Bardess chuckled. Damn, now she laughs at me, perfect, just perfect. I think to myself, "Thanks Eclipse, I thought you were on my side."
I turn to leave, I just want to get out of here, with or without Eclipse. I can't deal with this, not today. And then I hear it, that voice, that lovely voice coming out of that beautiful woman. "Radeek," she says, "please... please stay. My name is Phever, Phever Ta'rsakh." I stop and turn to face her, although every fiber in my being is screaming for me to turn and run. "What's your wolf's name?" she asks as she gently scratches Eclipse between the ears, right where she likes to be scratched the most.
"Eclipse," I answer, so softly I'm surprised she heard it. "She's very beautiful", Phever says. "She be a'likin' ya I reckons," I say to Phever and immediately regret it. Dammit, I wish I could speak common like everyone else, I've tried, Gods know I've tried. I can feel myself blushing again, my entire face is hot with embarrassment. She sees my discomfort and asks me what's wrong. "M'common be wretch'd", I answer, as I drop my eyes. "I don' talks ta folks much on accoun'a it. I opens m'mouth an' right off dey reckons I ain' none too smart. Bes' not ta speaks mos' times, so's I don'."
All I can do is look at the ground and pray a hole opens up beneath my feet and swallows me; maybe there's a hungry Morduska down there... I certainly hope so. I hear her voice again and my heart skips a beat. "Radeek," she says, "look at me, please." I look up from the ground that refuses to give me a merciful escape and our eyes meet. Hers are the most gorgeous blue I have ever seen, turquoise blue. "I don't believe that," she says to me, "I don't believe that at all." She continues, "As a matter of fact, I doubt anyone who wasn't smart could have such loyalty from a creature such as Eclipse. She loves you, you know. And you love her. It's plain to see."
I smile at Phever then, and 'lo and behold, she smiles back. My heart melts. We spent the rest of that afternoon just talking. We spent many, many more days together after that, telling each other the stories of our lives. She told me of her past, her youth, and her loss. I tell her of my life among the Tehir, the loss of my mother and my subsequent adoption, my Trials of Manhood and my scars; my role in the Griffin Sword War, what I did, and why. Much to my relief she did not judge me as so many others had. As a matter of fact, she never has judged me, nor has she pitied me.
As time went on we grew closer, Phever and I, well, we fell in love. There have been many times over the years that we had plans to get married, but something always came along that put those plans on hold... invasions, incursions, wars, some sort of disaster, one of my many walkabouts, it always seemed to be something. But not this time. Now that we've beaten Althedeus, this time it's going to happen. I'm going to marry her and we're going to be happy.
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