My mind had become a tome of memories, and as I turned each page, I felt nothing but tremors coursing through my body.
The murmurs in my ears were silenced as if they never existed when someone who was standing beside me interrupted my thoughts by rapping a wooden glass on the table where I was seated, drawing my attention to himself.
"You must be Kalavine, the one who captured Banshee," a young man dressed like the other waiters of the tavern where we were, was gazing at me.
"I'm...Ava...Ava gray"
"It's evident from your name that you've been a member of the Gray Cloaked Elves for quite some time."
"No way, Gray... that's my last name. I'm not part of that scene," I said, grabbing the handle of the wooden mug pulling it towards me.
The glass overflowed with a colorless liquid that was like water but thicker. Every shake stained the edges of the glass like milk.
The prophecy that the Gray Cloaks had been waiting for had finally come true," the boy whispered, his voice barely audible over the din.
"Maybe," I said with a grin on my face. I had no idea what he was talking about and just wanted to escape the chaos for a while. Perhaps then I would better comprehend the events that had happened around me in the past two days.
The other elves were rejoicing in the so-called freedom of the first line with their instruments and songs when some of them raised their voices by banging their glasses on the wooden tables. The sound echoed through the hall as the smell of ale filled the air.
"Well… I was standing at the corner of the wall, watching... I saw how you bravely danced the sword in the air and knocked down that witch woman, who had not been hit by anyone for years. "It was really great," he said, his voice trailing off. After a few moments of silence, the boy continued by sitting next to me.
After the series of unfortunate events that had taken place, I didn't have the energy to talk, but I was okay with receiving compliments.
"I'm not trying to oppose you... But why didn't you slay Banshee? "You landed the sword right next to her face and let the others get away?" the boy questioned.
"Well… Well, there was already too much bloodshed. I didn't want to add to it." I tried to sound composed and rational, but deep down I lacked the courage to even kill a mosquito.
"Well, anyway—my name is Arwen, and I've been working here for a couple of years now..., honestly-- I've been mulling over this. I've been considering... if… we could have a--walk..."
"The fifth glass ever maketh me drowsy like a babe." Suddenly, Neldur interrupted the guy's words by slamming his glass on the table. Sitting next to the boy.
The table went silent for a few moments as Neldur wad struggling to maintain his balance due to his drunkenness. At the same time, the stench that permeated the room made him start rambling and reciting poetry.
"I have to talk with Adaman," I muttered under my breath as I pushed myself up from the hard wooden bench. The rough wooden floorboards creaked beneath my boots as I made my way through the crowded tavern. The sound of clinking glasses and raucous laughter filled the air as I was pushing past the patrons.
The soldiers and townspeople were not fitting in their skin. They raised their hands in a drunken salute as I passed by. The sound of cheering and laughter filled the air as they stumbled around, their words slurred and their coordination off.
As I walked past them, I could feel the heat of their bodies radiating towards me. The ground shook beneath my feet as they danced and sang. The flickering torches cast eerie shadows on the walls as the night wore on.
The sound of my footsteps echoed through the empty hallway as I made my way up to the second floor. The air was thick with the smell of old wood and dust. The walls were lined with peeling wallpaper and the occasional cobweb.
When I reached the white wooden door where Prince Adaman was taken about half an hour ago, I could feel my pulse quicken.
"I hope I am not disturbing." I noticed when I knocked and opened the door.
In front of my eyes was a rather large room full of war equipment and so on, and a large double bed under the broken window where Adaman was lying.
He looked like he was still in a daze with his eyes closed, lying on his back on the bed. The only thing he had on from his splendid armor was his shoes. The room was quiet except for the sound of his shallow breathing and the occasional creaking of the bed.
His neck was covered with prominent black veins that seemed to burst every moment due to the intensity of the swelling. His lips had completely taken on the color of his soldier's cloak when those interlocking eyebrows twitched.
"Kalavine..." whispered as he turned his face towards me, revealing his ocean-blue eyes that shone like diamonds under his eyelids.
Undoubtedly, I was called Kalavine around here. I didn't know what it meant, but it sounded important.
I took small steps towards the bed, my feet barely making a sound on the wooden floor. I noticed that he was looking at me with concern etched on his face.
"You feel better now?" I asked softly.
"It couldn't be better than this."
He squeezed his eyes shut and sat down on the bed, putting his palm on his neck veins as if he didn't want anyone to see. I could tell that he was in pain.
"The people here owe their freedom to you, Adaman," I said as I tucked my hair behind my ears.
"No, they owe you Kalavine."
"This...what exactly does this kalavine mean—I mean, maybe you've got me mistaken with someone else?"
"Kalavine means giver of freedom, and today you have given our people the freedom they deserve."
"well maybe" I said with a chuckle as I looked away.
'Maybe he was right,' I thought to myself. 'Maybe I really have powers that I didn't know before. I'll have to give it a try—maybe I can lift off the spears that are outside.'
"Well, wishing you a speedy recovery, I have to go." I turned my face towards the door and started to leave.
As I reached for the door handle, Adaman raised his voice. "Why don't we take a walk through the forest before you leave? It'll only take a few minutes. I know—I shall take a rest, but I'm more stubborn than I look."
"Ummm..." I didn't know what to say, I was just staring. My mind was blank, I hadn't thought about this moment at all.
"I--I..." I was in the middle of my hesitations when chaos began downstairs.
Without uttering a word, I shut the door behind me and strode down the stairs. But before I could even take a step, several men with green armor like the ones I had seen on the first day with Neldur appeared out of nowhere. They were clutching swords and shields looking poised to fight.
They pointed their naked swords at me, and it was as if they were not jesting at all.
"Apprehend the traitor!" barked one of the green-clad soldiers as he glared at Adaman.
"Get off your hand!" I shouted. Suddenly, one of the soldiers plunged his sword into my shoulder. I felt the cold steel slide through my flesh and out of my back, but I didn't feel any pain.
I pushed the man back with both hands, but he flew across the room and hit the corner of the wall with a loud thud and laied there motionless, his eyes closed and his breathing shallow.
The second man's blow landed with a sickening thud; his blade passed through me as if I were made of air, I felt nothing but a wave of nausea and weakness wash over me.
I stumbled backwards and drew the Adaman sword from its sheath, but before I could strike, another man in green armor charged at me with a spear that had an iron tip like a bear trap. The tip caught my legs, and I fell to the ground with a sickening thump.
I expected the trap to pass through my legs like the previous blows, but instead, it caught me off guard and sent me tumbling to the ground. The sword fell from my hand and clattered into a corner.
"So you're Kalavine," the man in the green armor said with a grin on his face. He placed his leather boot on the blade of Adman's when I could feel the weight of it pressing down on my sword arm.
"Everyone, take everyone to the central prison; these rebels must taste the king's hospitality tonight."