A long way from home

[Gilthoniel Kye]

Gilthoniel Kye was sitting at a back table, staring into a glass of water. The usually joking eyes were filled with sadness and exaustion. He felt dead. The tension from the past week had taken it's toll on the young man. And now, he had to deliver bad news.

[Tainen Baal]

Tainen walked in and spotted Gilthoniel. She knew something was wrong, two visitors from home within such a short time meant nothing but bad news. She made her way to him and sat down. "Suilad Gilly. How are you?" she greeted him with a small smile.

[Gilthoniel Kye]

"Suilad Tainen. Not well I'm afraid." He took her hand.
"Tainen, your brother was right. Kreer, he has returned. The Daka have taken Elbereth. And Tainen...they...they killed Liranna." His voice was rough, and his eyes were glassy. Liranna, Tainens birth mother, had been found outside the Bali territory boundaries.

[Tainen Baal]

Tainen's breath caught in her throat. It felt as if someone had slapped her. She jerked her hand out of his. "No Gilly. No it can't be true. Please...tell me you're joking." She knew he wasn't. Gilthoniel would never take a joke this far. She stood up but didn't move away. She couldn't move away. "Gilly, I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have had to come here. It shouldn' have been you."

[Gilthoniel Kye]

"Yes it should have. I would have gone after Elbereth had the Elders not sent me here, and probably have ended up worse than he. Are you all right old friend? There is no shame in mourning...don't hide it on my account" He stood as well, and tugged on one of her braids, affectionatly, though his face remained pained.

[Tainen Baal]

"You know me better than that Gilly. It's not so much Liranna as it is Elbereth." She sighed. "So there is to be a war. Will you fight?" Tainen asked.

[Gilthoniel Kye]

"Aye, I do know you better than that. You'll wait till I'm gone before you'll let a tear fall. Tainen, you've got to admit you were close to Liranna. I know you deny it but I wasn't the only one who saw you walking with her in the mornings. I know you worry about Elbereth, as do I and the Elders, but honestly, he will be fine. If he is killed, he will die a warriors death. You know that. It is Liranna that is hurting you. And it will be harder if you don't admit it." Gilly echoed her sigh. "Yes I fight. I've no choice. The Elders are going to get the Tala's from the jungle. They will complete their Trials on the battlefield. There is nothing we can do."

[Tainen Baal]

Gilly's words were true but Tainen wouldn't lose her composure in a public place. Especially not in front of Gilly. She knew he was worried about his brother and despite the speech he had given she knew it was taking all his strenth not to break down. Liranna had been close to him as well. She was his maina, his guardian. No, right now Gilly needed her to be the strong one. "How are my father and Ewan doing? Are they alright?" she asked, knowing they were.

[Gilthoniel Kye]

Gilly nodded. "Aye, they're fine. Ewan's ready to go and kill all the Daka warriors single handedly. We had to physically restrain him from leaving when he heard about Elbereth. He's livid with the Elders, including your father, for not listening to him. I've brought Elbereths blade, it's in my ship. They wouldn't let me bring it in here. Hold on to it. Tainen...the Elders want you to come and fight. I don't want you to. Stay here Tainen. Please. I know it would break your oath but I can't let you go. If anything happened to you I'd never forgive myself and Ewan and Elbereth would kill me for not stopping you."

[Tainen Baal]

Tainen pursed her lips. She could still remember the day she took her oath.

Listen! Listen! Can't you hear their cries? Smoke filled lungs,Calling out to the skies. Twisted arms,That writhe in flames 'MURDER!', they cry. We're all to blame. Watch them wilt. Can't you feel their pain? Their agony ended,By the falling rain. A minute-two,Vanished them all. No mercy, no grief,No funeral. No chance to fight,A last breath in vain. What more important,Than lives ne'er seen again. Yet out of the ashes,Comes new birth. Be there a next time I will be there first.

"Gilly...I can't promise that I won't come. But I will wait. That's the best I can do." she said, gazing at him. Gilly knew better than to argue with her. She won every time.

[Gilthoniel Kye]

He sighed and looked away, annoyed. After a few moments he nodded. "Aye, that's the best I'll get out of you. I'm holding you to your word though...none of your nonsense excuses about needing to even out the odds. We can manage without Tainen Baal for a few weeks." Gilly grinned.

[Tainen Baal]

"I know. But...it will be difficult. The Bali should not fight. What of your mother? She is too fragile to fight. And the children! What will become of them?" Tainen was silent for a moment. "Gilly...I must come and convince the Elders to leave. They must not fight!.
If you help me, perhaps they will go to the sacred grounds...or Taskiels fortress!"

[Gilthoniel Kye]

Gilly was shaking his head before Tainen finished. "No, no, no Tainen. They will not listen. There is nothing we can do. If we leave they will follow and we will have less of a chance. By not fighting we condemn everybody's lives."

[Tainen Baal]

"They were condemned the minute the Elders declared war!" Tainen said, nearly shouting. She looked away. When she spoke again her voice was soft. "Gilly...either way, many lives are going be lost. Why not try to save those that we can?"

[Gilthoniel Kye]

Gilly swallowed painfully before looking at Tainen. "Tainen, they killed my maina, your birth mother, and they have my brother. I will not leave. I'll try to get the Elders to get the woman and children to safety in time but...without us leading them, I do not know how far we can get them."

[Tainen Baal]

Tainen nodded. "I understand Gilly. And I will wait...but if the Elders do not agree I want you to send word to me. I will come and I will lead them to safety. I know the way." She lokked hard at him, searching his face for clues as to what he was thinking. "Well Gilly. If you are to talk to the Elders you'd better hurry. We don't know how much time there is left."

[Gilthoniel Kye]

He nodded silently. He raised his hand and she pressed it to his in farewell. "Goodbye Tainen..." Gilly wanted to say more, he wasn't only saying goodbye because he was leaving here. He was saying goodbye in case he never saw her again. Gilly tugged on one of Tainens braids once more and then walked by her. goodbye old friend he thought to himself.

[Tainen Baal]

As Gilly walked by her, a tear fell. Tainen wiped it away quickly in case he turned around. A whisper of a thought brushed her mind. goodbye old friend. What was left of her composure crumbled and she sat at the table and let her head rest on her arms. The tears fell down her face but she made no sound. Her shoulders were trembling slightly. She was scared. things were changing too quickly.