Chapter Two: Damned till Death

Time spent with the Kalagan family passed agonizingly slow for Mairi, she was constantly worried about staying too long, she rarely left the house, and under no circumstances did she stray near the wood, to do so would be her own demise, she was certain of it. Finally though, her brief respite with the kind family was over and, with enough supplies to get to Mitanoros, Mairi took her leave of the family… mostly. The twins, Orin and Oran, were to accompany her on the way to the city by the sea, which was three days away by foot.

Mairi entered the forest with trepidation written clearly on her face, one of the twins, Orin if she were to fathom a guess (the trim colours on their tunics differentiated one boy from the other, white for Orin, green for Oran), noticed the look on her face,

“You need not worry of bandits or murderers, Miss Mairi, Oran and I will protect you.” He said solemnly, startling Mairi with his sincere attitude. Oran smiled jubilantly over at her,

“He’s right, don’t worry your pretty head about it. You can count on us!” He grinned but Mairi could sense the sincerity in his voice as well.

“Thank you boys.” Mairi murmured, watching the thickening trees warily despite the boys’ assurances. They didn’t know what they were up against, if Mairi was correct in whom she assumed the hunched murderer to be. She hoped to whatever deity was listening that she wasn’t.

“Now that’s enough silly talk,” Oran proclaimed loudly, startling Mairi from her thoughts. “Let’s go on to some more interesting news, eh?” He smiled and winked at Mairi,

“Oh, and what do you consider to be interesting?” Orin retorted quickly, “And stop flirting.”

“I was not! You wound me for assuming such a thing, brother!”

Mairi frowned slightly and glanced up at the boy, “Are you saying you’re offended for someone to even consider that you would stoop so low as to flirt with me?” She narrowed her eyes at the suddenly flustered boy.

“I- uh- that’s not… what I meant was-”

“Relax, Oran, can’t you see she’s kidding.” Orin muttered lazily, slapping the back of his twins’ head, said boy clutched the offended spot and gaped openly at Mairi,

“You mean Morose Miss Mairi was telling a joke?” He grinned widely and scooped Mairi up, pack and all, and twirled her around “My, my, the time spent with our family has done wonders to your somber personality!” He set her back down on the path,

“You bounced back quickly.” Orin noted with amusement, far more subdued than he had been in the past.

“Aw, you’re just upset you’re leaving Marella.” Oran chuckled, tugging Mairi along to catch up with the boy, once up close he dropped her arm and clasped his hands together, looking up through lidded eyes at the annoyed face of his brother, “’Oh, Orin please come back to me quickly, I cannot stand-‘”

“That’s enough of that!” Orin roared, picking up a stick and brandishing it like a sword.

“Ah!” Oran beamed and scooped up a stick for himself as all forward progress stopped, “Is it a fight you want, you rogue?” He taunted, jabbing the stick towards his fuming brother,

“Indeed it is you cad! Prepare yourself!” They each took a stance, and without a word began attacking the other with superfluous embellishments of the hand and foot and exaggerated cries of ‘pain’. The fight was over as quickly as it had begun when Orans’ stick went flying past Mairi’s head and back into the forest, “Surrender!” Orin cried, jabbing the other boy lightly over the heart,

“Never!”

“Surrender!”

“No!”

“Oh just surrender already.” Mairi rolled her eyes and tapped her boot-clad foot, more than eager to move and get to the other city. Oran pouted but conceded and they all once again moved on down the path.

“You can be quite callous, Miss Mairi.” Oran stated after a few moments silence, “Quite callous indeed, your words wound me to my very heart.” He clasped his hands over his heart to illustrate his point.

“You deserve it.” Orin mumbled, hiking his pack farther up his back.

“Is this pick on Oran day?” The twin whined, pouting and glancing pitifully over at Mairi.

“This is going to be a long trip.” Said girl muttered, already feeling a headache coming on. It had been a long while since she had spent any length of time in the company of others, and now she was going to have prolonged exposure to the exuberant personalities of Orin and Oran. Though to be honest she enjoyed the change of pace, being alone for so long never helped things.

“Three days, give or take.” Orin stated matter-of-factly, “We’ve gone up and down this road countless times to sell our produce and livestock in the market place at Mitanoros.”

“And whenever we had a few free days. Mitanoros is a very beautiful city.” Oran continued where his brother left off.

“I have heard of it but have never been there.” Mairi said uncertainly, “One of the few, actually.” She divulged to the boys, both immediately regarded her curiously,

“Oh?” Oran asked curiously, “You travel a lot?”

“Yes, it was part of my profession and spilled over as… a hobby.” She almost said something she shouldn’t. There was something about these boys that set Mairi at ease, and that was potentially dangerous, she could not afford to let her guard down… even with bodyguards.

They seemed to notice her slip and subsequent cover-up but neither of the boys pointed it out, “I wish I could travel to distant lands.” Orin sighed, “But father needs us.”

“We’re the only other men in the family.” Oran grinned proudly.

Orin grinned wickedly, “Well, you hardly count as a man, Oran.”

“I never!”

“And you will never too.”

“That doesn’t make sense!”

“Yes it does, just use your head every once in a while!”

Mairi sighed as the boys bickered back and forth, “A very long trip, indeed.” She muttered under her breath.

The small path only just large enough to fit a medium sized wagon opened out onto a larger clay road, the dirt packed hard and countless footprints, animal prints, and wagon grooves littering the clay, the bickering boys automatically turned left and continued on. Mairi only intervened in the mock argument when it looked as if the boys would pick up sticks and outright brawl again.

Silence blanketed the group as the twins stubbornly ignored the other and, when they did need to say something to other, used Mairi as the middleman, much to her annoyance. About an hour later Mairi had become tired of the round about arguing and ignored the boys entirely. The quiet put Mairi more on edge and every snap of a twig or rustle of a tree made Mairi jump, which in turn caused one of the twins (usually Oran) to laugh gleefully.

Then the silence was broken by humming, courtesy of Orin, and eventually the boy began to put words to the nameless ditty, “Steady, steady, steady she goes,”

Oran caught on to the song and sung the next line, “As she floats down the river!”

“Unyielding and fast,” Sang Orin,

“Timid and slow.” Oran added smoothly,

“The river changes as she goes!” Both boys finished off, laughing. Mairi glanced at them in bemusement,

“What is that?” She asked, having not heard a song like it before.

“Hmm?” Orin grinned down at her, “Oh, just an old river song. We used to watch men steer their boats down the river, which passes right next to the village proper. They went from Mitanoros to Giradatche and back again, delivering cargo.”

“We used to watch them when we were supposed to be helping dad.” Oran added deviously, “and the men would teach us the song, among other things, when they stopped for rest and supplies.”

“Do you know any songs, Miss Mairi?” Orin asked curiously.

Mairi tapped her chin in thought, she’d come across a great deal of songs in her travels but she never truly remembered them. She shook her head, “I don’t remember them fully, though there was one sung in a mining town far from here. It was about a woman stuck deep inside the mountain in a room made of stone with no exit or entrance, if I recall correctly she was waiting for her love to return to her. But, sadly enough, her love had died a long time ago and would never return so she is doomed to wait until the end of time for him.” Silence stretched after Mairi finished before Oran chuckled,

“Well that is depressing!” He exclaimed, “Do you have any cheerful songs? Or stories even!” Mairi sighed and frowned, wracking her memories for something that would interest the twins.

“There was once a tale about a strange man in a foreign land,” She began, unsure, “Who was cunning and devious and all around a very evil man.” The twins closed in on either side of her, clearly interested. “He was of Kyvarian descent,”

“Elves, right?” Oran interrupted.

“Not elves, elves died off a long time ago” Orin answered before Mairi could open her mouth, “Though it is speculated they are related. Kyvarians are… tall with pointed ears, and there are several different types,” It was Orin’s turn to tap his chin thoughtfully, “Wood, Nomadic, Mountainous and… and…”

“Aquatic.” Mairi offered helpfully,

“Ah yes, of course. Each has distinctive features, but they all have a small amount of magic in them.”

“Yes, this particular Kyvarian was a Nomad, named Tiernan, he lived in the desert all his life, some three hundred or so years, and knew it like the back of his hand. He was a learned man who had mastered the languages, especially the ancient languages of the desert. No one knew of his cunning mind or his malicious intent as he was seen as a kind and benevolent man. One day an old friend called upon his services-”

Orin raised a hand, effectively cutting Mairi off mid sentence. Curious, Mairi watched the boy as he regarded the trees warily, and quickly her curiosity melted into mind numbing fear. Both boys had grown stiff and their hands were perched on the hilt of their swords as they listened to their surroundings. Mairi quieted her breath and listened intently for any noise.

There was none.

No birds, no wind, and no forest animals scurrying around. No noises that had filled the forest only moments prior, just a deathly hush.

They only had a minute warning; a black figure swept out from the cover of the trees and went straight for Mairi, sword drawn and ready to strike. Almost as quickly Oran had drawn his sword and intervened, the clash of metal on metal ringing throughout the area. Mairi winced and hurried backwards, looking over her shoulder for any more attackers. Orin was also guardedly eyeing the surrounding forest but he kept an eye on the mysterious man.

Mairi turned back to fight, only to gasp in surprise as the hooded man pushed Oran forcibly back, knocking the sword out of the boys’ hand. Quickly the strange man (with an hour glass symbol on his hood, Mairi noted distantly) turned back to her and Orin and attacked, his sword aiming straight for her heart.

This time Orin intervened, glaring hotly at the man, and deftly matching his vigorous strokes. Someone grabbed her from behind and pulled Mairi back, a hand settled over her mouth before she could scream and Mairi found a large muscular arm pining her effectively against another body, her heart leapt into her throat and made a permanent home there.

“It’s just me.” Orans’ voice floated down from above and almost immediately she was released. Mairi whipped around and hit the boy on the arm as hard as she could, glaring at him,

“Don’t ever do that again!” She grumbled vehemently, but followed him as he directed her behind a bush.

“I’m sorry, I had to get you away and if I had tapped you on the shoulder you would likely have gutted me!” He smiled down at her, though the smile did not meet his eyes like all the other times, then again she hardly expected it too, his brother was in the midst of a sword fight with a cloaked man.

Mairi turned back to the battle and watched as Orin and the hooded man exchanged blows; Orin was decent with a sword, but the hooded man was better, or at least Mairi thought he was, at the moment the strange man seemed to be toying with Orin, holding back even. Mairi didn’t like that one bit.

“He’s good, isn’t he?” Oran asked quietly, effectively jarring Mairi from her thoughts.

“Aye, he is very good.” She did not mention her suspicions.

“He was always the better at swordplay, and he’s very knowledgeable, even when we were younger. He loved to read and learn things from travelers.” Oran smiled faintly at the memory.

Mairi nodded, “And what are you good at?”

Oran chuckled, “Nothing much. I’m only slightly beneath my brother in swordplay, but I am a good shot.” Mairi eyed the bow and arrows on his back, would he shoot and kill the man if need be? Could the affable and cheery Oran become a cold-blooded murderer? It was hard to swallow.

“I see.” The silence that passed was uncomfortable, only broken by the clash of swords.

“Recently Orin has been practicing more with the sword, late into the night. I worry about him sometimes,” Oran smiled grimly, and his eyes glazed over for a moment, his mind caught up in a memory, Mairi jumped when he eventually spoke again, “It’s so strange, he becomes a different person when he fights...” He trailed off, and watched his brother, “But then again we all do.” He added, “There is no place for frivolity during battle. We learned that the hard way, Orin especially.”

Mairi looked up at the younger boy, surprise etched on her face, it amazed her how his attitude could change so fast, they had all been talking pleasantly and even joking before they were attacked, now both Orin and Oran held an air of seriousness about them, Orin she could understand, but Oran? It made Mairi wonder, how and when did they learn that frivolity had no place in battle? What had they seen?

Mairis’ eyes were drawn back to the fight, Orin was barely holding up and the strange man didn’t lessen his attacks, in fact he only put more force behind every strike and parry. Mairi feared that Orin may get hurt, or worse, and it would all be because of her. She looked up at Oran, who was avidly watching the fight, ready to jump in at a moments notice and again take the man on. If Oran knew that the strange man was connected to her in some way, a way she herself wasn’t even sure of, would he blame her for his brothers’ own demise? Would he hate her? Even though she met the boy only a few days ago Mairi didn’t think she could handle someone else, especially him, hating her for something beyond her control.

Next thing she knew Mairi was slammed fully into the ground, branches snapping underneath her, as a dagger sang through the air where her head had been moments prior and embedded itself in the tree behind her, Oran growled and pulled an arrow from his quiver and notched it on his waiting bow, ready to shoot. Mairi looked back, hoping to see Orin standing and fearing the worse. Her fears were unjustified this time, the boy stood standing with only a minor looking gash on his side, he was glaring fiercely at the cloaked man.

“Why do you protect her?” The man spoke, his voice low and gravely, as if unused. “She is filth.” He spat, “She does not deserve protection. A damned woman.” Orin visibly bristled and she could feel Oran, still slightly covering her, stiffen.

“Be quiet.” Orin growled out, threatening the man with his sword, the man merely chuckled.

“She deserves death, and I shall deliver it.”

Two things happened almost simultaneously, the man lunged towards both her and Oran and Oran loosened his arrow quickly, hitting its mark. The man stumbled and dropped his sword as the arrow embedded itself in his hand, and then he gave a cry of pain as another struck him in the shoulder.

No one moved for a second before the man turned heel and ran back into the cover of the forest, not even bothering to scoop up his sword as he went. Mairi heaved a sigh of relief and took the steady hand Orin offered her, the boy quickly pulled her to her feet and patted her down,

“He didn’t hit you, did he?” He questioned, his brown eyes meeting Mairi’s blue ones, concern flashed through the orbs.

“N-no.” Mairi muttered shakily, “Oran pushed me down in time.”

Oran chuckled, “Thank Dea for good ol’ Oran!” He declared exuberantly, Mairi chuckled slightly,

“Yes, thank the deities for Orans crushing body weight.”

“Why, was that another joke, Miss Mairi?”

Before she could reply back, and tell him that it was indeed another joke, Orin intervened, “I hate to break this moment, but we need to get moving. I doubt that man will be back but I want to put as much ground between us before nightfall as possible.” Mairi agreed wholeheartedly but first,

“We need to take care of that wound.” She motioned to the gash on his side, immediately Oran was at his brother side and poking and prodding the bloody slash.

“It’s worse than it lo-OW! Oran!”

“Baby. That didn’t hurt at all.” The green trimmed twin pulled out a canteen of water and a strip of cloth, he quickly fixed Orin up to the best of his abilities, “Your lucky you came out with only a minor scratch, I don’t even have to wrap this. That man looked very skilled with the blade.”

“He was.” Oran muttered, “Let’s get going, you can play doctor once we reach our destination.” He slapped the other boys’ hands away and marched onwards, Oran and Mairi were left with no choice but to follow.

It had been a few hours, much to Mairi’s chagrin, before they finally slowed down and Orin lead them off the main road and onto a game trail, veering off that trail twenty minutes later and finally leading them to a moderate sized clearing. Mairi glanced around at the empty clearing curiously. “This is where we always stay the night,” Oran began helpfully,

“When we travel on our own to Mitanoros.” Orin finished, fishing out a flint from his pack. “Oran, why don’t you get some more water for the canteens and some firewood?”

“Would you also like me to also fetch a rabbit, chop down a tree, and do a funny dance?”

“Please.”

Oran snorted and waltzed away towards the river, Mairi assumed. Orin had settled about pulling out pots and pans, “I’m sorry we didn’t stop for lunch, Miss Mairi,” Orin began, startling Mairi from her roaming thoughts, “We just like to cover as much ground as possible on the first day.”

“It’s quite alright.” Mairi assured him, smiling at the younger boy, “Would you like me to check your wound?”

“Don’t worry yourself, this is nothing, you should see what Oran and I come home with sometimes.” He smiled reassuringly and for the moment Mairi was pacified.

Once Oran returned the camp sprung to life and a fire was merrily blazing in the center, the boy left and returned once more, this time sporting two small dead rabbits just as darkness descended upon the earth. Dinner was an ephemeral affair and hardly anyone spoke through the night, the usually raucous personality the boys sported had been subdued, and Mairi knew why.

Still Mairi watched in silence as the campfire crackled merrily and flared up from time to time as Orin, at least she thought it was Orin, the boys had moved about preparing dinner and both were without tunics, fed small sticks to the flame. She watched the fire dance with detached interest as silence reigned over the camp; even though she was quite used to the silence she was on edge at the moment. Mairi cleared her throat, gaining the attention of the somber boys, “If you... couldn’t die, what do you think you would do?” She finally asked, wishing to take the words back as soon as they left her mouth.

The boys stared at her for a moment before looking to each other, clearly contemplating her question.

“It’s a strange question,” One began, she believed him to be Oran.

“To say the least.” The other finished, the one by the fire, Orin.

“But,” Oran murmured contemplatively, “I think I’d like to travel, and learn all there was to learn.”

“You would, Orin.” Ah, so she had been wrong. Oran was by the fire, and Orin was the first to speak. “I would like to travel too, yes, but only to study and learn? No, I would like to travel to see what I can, and meet new people and races. I hear there is one with no ears, who can do magic of sorts!”

Mairi smiled, “The Jhayliane.”

Oran blinked in surprise and grinned widely, “So you’ve heard of them too?”

“Yes, I met one once; the first time I was on an expedition with my uncle. He was looking for a lost tomb, I believe. My uncle, that is.”

Orin looked up in mild interest, “What was it your uncle did?”

“He was very interested in the past, races long gone, ancient cities and towns, even the beliefs of the ancients. Last I saw him he was pursuing an ancient belief, a large panther that guarded the underworld. But, anyways, he mainly documented those ancient sites, he tried to find out what he could about those before us, because of him the archaeological community knows more about the past now than they ever have before.” Mairi explained

Orin nodded, “I see. And you traveled with him?”

“Yes,” She answered slowly, remembering times long gone, “I first began traveling and helping my uncle on my eighteenth birthday, I stayed with him until just before I turned twenty-three; that was when we parted paths. If I could, I would have stayed with him and continued to help. But it was not meant to be.” Mairi blinked back a few tears, surprised at herself for becoming so emotional. For a moment it was silent again; both Orin and Mairi stared into the fire while Oran stared at Mairi oddly.

“What happened?” Oran asked, finally jumping back into conversation. “Why’d you leave?”

“What happened was beyond my control.”

“That man,” Orin said quietly, still staring into the fire, “He mentioned you deserved to die, he said you were damned; would that be your uncontrollable event?”

Mairi stared at the younger boy in shock about to answer, but it Oran who spoke first, “Orin, that’s rude.”

“It’s fine.” Mairi answered solemnly, “He’s right. I am cursed,” She had never admitted this to anyone before, it was hard, but she wanted to tell someone, and these boys were outright asking, “I can physically die but I will never remain dead. I can feel the pain of death, but I am not relieved of it. Every time I close my eyes, I feel that pain again, I see those last moments. I have not gone a night without nightmares of my deaths.” The words tumbled out and with every new one it became easier and easier to say, to explain… to admit.

“And that man is trying to kill you.” Orin questioned tightly, his teeth clenched.

“So it would seem.”

“You will need protection.”

Mairi stared at the boy in surprise, “I have made due this long without protection, I do not need it now.” Her tone was harsh, but she had the best of intentions; she didn’t want these boys to get hurt because of her, ‘Again,’ she thought sadly, remembering the earlier fight. She didn’t want them to die because, unlike her, they wouldn’t come back.

“Well that’s too bad,” Oran answered joyfully, and his brother cracked a grin,

“Because we’re coming with you.” Orin finished his brothers’ sentence, fully grinning now. “Now that’s enough dreary talk,” Orin trailed off,

And Oran picked the sentence up, “It doesn’t suit you, Miss Mairi. A lady as pretty as you should be smilin’ and laughin’, not looking all gloomy and downcast.”

“You flirt!” Orin shouted chucking a burnt stick at his brother.

“Orin! That’s hot!”

“You deserve it!”

“I think not!”

“Exactly, you don’t think at all!”

And just like that the boys were back to normal. Mairi couldn’t help it, she started smiling, it was hard to stay ‘gloomy and downcast’, as Oran put it, with the twins around. They wouldn’t allow it. Things would be much more interesting with the twins traveling with her.

She was thrown out of her musings when Oran gave a roar and launched himself at his brother, thus starting a scuffle between the two in the dirt as they hurled amusing insults at each other.

Oh yes, it would be much more interesting.