After a long two kilometres of walking, Zinah started to complain. "Why can’t I just air- or earth-bend myself there?"
"The wind would send the trail flying," Saryn said simply. "And the earth thing would mess it up too."
"But how far can this thing walk while shot and after a fight?" Zinah asked again, only to be shushed by Saryn.
The trail entered a cave. Firelight came out of it, casting deep, scary shadows out in the snow.
"Are you sure we should go in?" Zinah asked, scared.
"We’ll be fine." Saryn pulled out an arrow and nocked it into her bow.
Zinah gulped but slunk forward with her bodyguard.
Saryn fired the arrow. A scream filled the cavern.
"That was... not that monstrous," Saryn said, tilting her head. "Maybe..."
She was cut off by a tan blur jumping on her and knocking her down. Zinah let out a scream, but Saryn stayed calm, pulling out her sword and slicing her enemy.
The thing slowed, falling to the ground from the slash on its leg.
Saryn approached it. It did have a tail, one like a lion's. On the ends of her hands, there were sharp claws. From her angle, Saryn could see the sharp fangs in its mouth as it panted. White hair covered its face, putting it in shadow. Tan fur, bristled and dry from blood and snow, covered the rest of its body.
"Elvin sword, is it?" It asked in a feminine voice. "Heh. Neat."
Zinah, farther away, screamed. "You can talk?"
"How did you recognize it?" Saryn asked calmly, tilting her head.
"First off, darlin', I’ve seen enough metals to know which is which. Second, you’re an elf. That’s a nice accent." It said, standing up and blowing some hair out of its face. Saryn could clearly see its eyes, a cool icy blue, with a cat-like pupil.
Saryn took a step back. "You’re a Leorian."
"And a girl too." She looked at herself up and down. "Any more obvious?"
"But... aren’t Leorians extinct?" Zinah asked, approaching them cautiously.
She looked down painfully. "I don’t remember."
"I’m sorry," Zinah said quietly, looking down.
Saryn growled under her breath. "I know how it feels."
The Leorian tilted her head. "Huh?"
"My whole camp... my clan... I don’t know what happened to them. I remember arguing with my father, hearing my mother cry from that, then... " Saryn’s eyes filled with pain. "being alone, in the snow, the only thing left being my dad’s bow, with the camp in ruins."
"I remember my dad, my sis and me going to the castle, our heir to the throne running out in tears, and then being stuck in an avalanche with the heir and my sis." She said in return.
Zinah looked around. "Where are they?"
"My sister's dead." She said quickly as if she didn’t want to think about it. "The heir... haven’t seen him since. My sis and I were monslaves. We didn’t see him after the avalanche. We assumed he died." She looked down. "So everyone I’ve ever known and loved is either dead or I don’t know if they still are alive."
"I’m an orphan. My parents were murdered by the Blue Shadow and his accomplice, Tebbrin." Zinah said sadly.
The Leorian looked shocked for a split second. "I’ve meet Fu- I mean, the Blue Shadow. Once. I fought him. We called it a tie after three hours."
"Three hours?" Saryn shrieked.
"We’re tough people." She shrugged. "Takes a lot to get to us."
"The wind would send the trail flying," Saryn said simply. "And the earth thing would mess it up too."
"But how far can this thing walk while shot and after a fight?" Zinah asked again, only to be shushed by Saryn.
The trail entered a cave. Firelight came out of it, casting deep, scary shadows out in the snow.
"Are you sure we should go in?" Zinah asked, scared.
"We’ll be fine." Saryn pulled out an arrow and nocked it into her bow.
Zinah gulped but slunk forward with her bodyguard.
Saryn fired the arrow. A scream filled the cavern.
"That was... not that monstrous," Saryn said, tilting her head. "Maybe..."
She was cut off by a tan blur jumping on her and knocking her down. Zinah let out a scream, but Saryn stayed calm, pulling out her sword and slicing her enemy.
The thing slowed, falling to the ground from the slash on its leg.
Saryn approached it. It did have a tail, one like a lion's. On the ends of her hands, there were sharp claws. From her angle, Saryn could see the sharp fangs in its mouth as it panted. White hair covered its face, putting it in shadow. Tan fur, bristled and dry from blood and snow, covered the rest of its body.
"Elvin sword, is it?" It asked in a feminine voice. "Heh. Neat."
Zinah, farther away, screamed. "You can talk?"
"How did you recognize it?" Saryn asked calmly, tilting her head.
"First off, darlin', I’ve seen enough metals to know which is which. Second, you’re an elf. That’s a nice accent." It said, standing up and blowing some hair out of its face. Saryn could clearly see its eyes, a cool icy blue, with a cat-like pupil.
Saryn took a step back. "You’re a Leorian."
"And a girl too." She looked at herself up and down. "Any more obvious?"
"But... aren’t Leorians extinct?" Zinah asked, approaching them cautiously.
She looked down painfully. "I don’t remember."
"I’m sorry," Zinah said quietly, looking down.
Saryn growled under her breath. "I know how it feels."
The Leorian tilted her head. "Huh?"
"My whole camp... my clan... I don’t know what happened to them. I remember arguing with my father, hearing my mother cry from that, then... " Saryn’s eyes filled with pain. "being alone, in the snow, the only thing left being my dad’s bow, with the camp in ruins."
"I remember my dad, my sis and me going to the castle, our heir to the throne running out in tears, and then being stuck in an avalanche with the heir and my sis." She said in return.
Zinah looked around. "Where are they?"
"My sister's dead." She said quickly as if she didn’t want to think about it. "The heir... haven’t seen him since. My sis and I were monslaves. We didn’t see him after the avalanche. We assumed he died." She looked down. "So everyone I’ve ever known and loved is either dead or I don’t know if they still are alive."
"I’m an orphan. My parents were murdered by the Blue Shadow and his accomplice, Tebbrin." Zinah said sadly.
The Leorian looked shocked for a split second. "I’ve meet Fu- I mean, the Blue Shadow. Once. I fought him. We called it a tie after three hours."
"Three hours?" Saryn shrieked.
"We’re tough people." She shrugged. "Takes a lot to get to us."
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