And the Madness was Dead
Her gallop was fierce, almost reckless. String drawn to her cheek, with the arrowhead resting on the riser, just above her hand that firmly was pressed against the grip. It had become so natural now; she barely needed to aim anymore. She let go of the nock, and as the fletching caressed her fingers, she already knew it would hit. The infected man fell backwards with an arrow drilled into his eye-socket.
Eylinn climbed from the horseback in full speed and balanced on the right stirrup. She drew the sword as far back as she possibly could, readying to strike. It severed the head of the next Corpus, straight from its body, and an immediate ejection of a long stream of dark putrid blood showered her horse and person. She did not care.
The rest of her party launched from the foliage and proceeded to cut the rest of the infected down from the rear. It was short work, as the mindless mad had paid full attention towards the diversion. Only the final process remained. To ensure they would never rise again. With spear, blade and hammer, they proceeded to destroy the brain by any gruesome means possible. Every limb had to be dismembered, to ensure the pyre would consume every cell of unclean. When the slaughter was over, the whole road was stained with crimson. As the party started to gather the remains into a single pile, they had learnt to tread slow as not to slip in the drenched soil. Every arm, every leg, every organ needed to burn. Just to be sure. The foul smell was relieving for once, because this was the last trace of Corpus in Galadriel. As the smoke rose towards the sky, the men, and the woman, stood in silence, each left to their own thoughts.
It had been a month since Eylinn had received a letter, an update, or anything concerning something other than the purge. It had been quite liberating. Leaving civilian responsibilities aside for a while, and only focusing on the task she had taken upon herself to do. It wasn't without sad moments, when the nature of the plague reminded her, she was not killing any abominations or creatures of Darkness. She was ending the lives of Humans, Elves, and Dwarves. Young and old, no demographic spared whatsoever. She had composed a small list that she kept reading during the nights she could not sleep. “Clemency, curing, containment” and so it went on. It was too late to do anything for them, but it wasn't too late to prevent more innocent to fall ill. It had kept her sane when battling the insane.
As the army returned to the rally point a league west of Balen Don, Eylinn gave them her thanks and blessing to return home. It was a short speech, because she didn't think they really needed, or craved, a long one. This wasn't a war for glory or what is right. Not for fame, not for gold, not for new lands, not for old lands. It was medicine, a necessity. Something that just had to be done, and they were sent there to do it. “The invisible heroes.” She had told them. “So that the remainder can come home without fear or worry, to fight without uncertainty of the health of the families they left behind.” She rode off with her guards, and that was the end of it. Now what?
She lent a gaze to the north, towards her own realm. She lent it south, towards the Golden City. “You should go to the assembly. It's not too late.” Her mind wasn’t as hostile as it used to be. The campaign had been good for her. But she still hesitated. A lot of responsibility laid in waiting down that path. “At least wash yourself. Maybe it will help you decide on what to do?” Her dress and hair was tainted with gore. It was a good advice. She asked for her bag and sent her guard home along with the army, intent on going alone and incognito to wherever she decided to go hereafter. She pulled out a hooded cloak from her travel gear and wrapped it tightly, showing no more than her eyes that she needed herself.
A short ride later, Eylinn arrived at the capitol of Berandrail. She had heard the chilling stories about the castle towering in the background. “Probably just rumours. Don’t put your trust in Human tales.” She looked up at the massive structure. There was definitely an air of something sinister about it.
“Halt!” A guard blocked the entrance. “Are you Elf, or Human?” She looked at him, confused. What a strange thing to ask. Had it not been more prudent to check for Corpus first? On the other hand, she had never seen any Corpus that could ride. She left the scarf to cover her face, and pulled the hood back far enough to show her ears. “Why are you armed, girl?”
“Protection. What of it?”
“Well, it’s just to see a woman with... Uh...” The guard was not sure how to handle the situation. Eylinn stared at him.
“May I enter, or not?” He signalled for the gate to be opened and spoke no more.
She was not interested in sightseeing, heading immediately for the nearest inn. It was a fine establishment by the looks of it. Roomy, with a scent of acorns escaping the kitchen. Still masked she went straight for the clerk behind the desk.
“What will it be?” He asked with a stern face, clearly not appreciating visitors this early in the day.
“I need a room. And a bath.” She slide a silver coin over the counter. “Two of these if you bring supper to my room, but remain outside.”
“The clandestine type of girl, are you? I do appreciate unwrapping a mystery, if you catch my drift.” He gave her a wink.
“Fine. I’ll go somewhere else.” She was about to turn around as the man raised his hand.
“No! I jest! Of course, whatever the lady’s wish, will be my law.”
The water was hot and heavenly. She sank her whole body into it slowly just to savour it as long as possible. Like a soft blanket in winter, it enveloped her. Leaving only her nose above the surface, she studied her toes for a while before closing her eyes. “You can’t hide forever.” No, just for a little while longer. It felt so good to be alone. “The room has a nice scent to it.” It was quite the experience. Still, this whole city had something ominous about it. “Well, they do use slaves.” Yes, they did.
She looked up into the ceiling, trying to spot the wooden pattern through the mist. She reached for a bucket and poured it over her head. She studied herself in the mirror. “Pink...” Repeated washes after bloody combat had left the ends of her hair miscoloured. She suddenly felt terribly embarrassed, leaning her head back with a sigh. She groomed herself with soap, washed again, and then left the tub. She stared at her own image as she dried.
“
Don’t wrinkle your nose. It will make your face age faster.” She could hear her father’s words echoing from the past. “
Your eyes look tired. It does not become such a pretty girl as yourself. You need to sleep through the nights.” She did look tired. She turned around, carefully observing her reflection as it spin around. She kind of liked her new colour. It was, unusual. More personal, and more unique. It was a shame the dye was so gruesome, or she would have kept it that way forever. She felt pretty. “
You need to sleep...” She went to bed.
The coq had yet to crow when Eylinn left Balen Don. It had been a good trip, but to a bad place. She turned her horse around by the gate and took a last glimpse of the town. She recalled the words he had told her, as the light vanished back into him. “
Think upon what I’ve said." She was done thinking. With determined pacing, she took off, heading south.
If anyone steals this quest, I'll curse them and let Wan Shi Tong kick their ass.))
