A new hope (Ceinwyn and Tri'lanna's path)

"...and that's when the Goblin slavers captured me." Tri'lanna said, staring at one of the braziers, its coals still glowing with heat, with her knees drawn up to her chest, "I had been running for the entire night, fully drained, and had no strength left to resist them when they inscribed the tattoo on me. And when the ritual was finished I could feel my mind slip and scrabble along the cliffs of insanity, just hanging on by my fingertips, but never able to pull myself up into rational thought. I could feel their hands roughly touching my body, I could feel my clothes being torn away. Even when dimmed, I knew that they were planning on taking pleasure in their new ****."

Ceinwyn resisted the urge to shiver. She saw what happened to her friends, the other druidesses. How they were violated and broken. That was the worse part. The screams. Hiding in the little storageroom, underneath the cottage she shared with Master Derreth, she was **** to listen to those women, many of whom she knew as friends, scream over and over as filthy creatures pushed their cocks into them and ravaged their wombs. The women were the last to die, and they always went in the most terrifying ways. She did not even want to think about what would've happened to her if Hans hadn't found her.

"And that's when Hans showed up." Tri'lanna said, mimicking her own thoughts. Then, slowly, the elfmaid smiled. It was neither remorseful or sardonic, only blissful. Her cheeks reddened and her eyes shone bright at the memory. "Like a shining white knight, like the ones that you have in your stories, he came charging down and slayed those monsters. He rescued me from a fate worse than ****, and on top of that, he followed through. Even though I had lost my wits, he took my burdens onto his shoulders, he took care of me, and through your help, he cured me of my madness. When I realized that he was from Gutandor and he had the Shining Stone, I felt that Fate had given me a second chance."

"So you see, Hans was my symbol. He was defiance in all that was Vanarim, and as long as he lived, my mission could still succeed. The day I regained my mind, I swore to the heavens that I would protect him and yet I....I c-couldn't do it." Tri'lanna faltered momentarily, her voice cracking, but she rallied her feelings and continued on in a somber tone, "I'm so weak. With all my magic and 'noble blood' as my mother loves to call it, I couldn't even protect the home or the life of the one man that I love."

"I...I love him too." Ceinwyn suddenly blurted out. Tri'lanna's eyebrows rose curiously, and the young druidess said again, "I'm in love with Hans."

She couldn't control it. Hearing her Elven friend talk about Hans that way, it was if she was reading a page out of her own heart. His courage, his kindness, his determination despite the weight he bore on his shoulders, these were all things that made her heartbeat quicken when she looked at him and she needed to reassert herself, her own feelings. "I'm sorry if this comes as a surprise, but everything you said and everything you felt for Hans, I feel it too. He's brave and strong and so gentle....I can't help but be in love with him."

For the first time since coming to Elohin, Tri'lanna laughed through her red-rimmed eyes. Ceinwyn blinked, and the elfmaid said, "Winnie, I think I'd know by now. You were doe-eyed around him since we left the Druid's valley, it was like hanging a sign around your neck. I am honestly surprised you two hadn't made at least a passing attempt at lovemaking."

Ceinwyn blushed again, covering her face with her hands. She wondered how would her friend react if she knew that they had, in fact, made 'a passing attempt'. The memory made her blush even harder. She replied back, "But what are we going to do? We both love him."

"Well..." She replied, smirking "I can think of a few things we could do."

Ceinwyn looked at Tri'lanna quizzically, not sure what she meant. When she asked what she was trying to say, the elfmaid gave her a smoldering, sultry look and her smile grew wider. And then it hit her. Ceinwyn choked on her own saliva and began coughing violently. she shot to her feet and stumbled a few steps away, completely shocked.

"You mean....Hans...you...and...and m-me?" The young woman stammered shyly, "No. Oh, no, no. I can't. I mean, we can't. We, we, we couldn't.....c-could we? B-but, but, it would feel really good, wouldn't it? But what would Master Derreth think though?! He told me these things are between a man and woman, never between a man and t-two, two....two women! Oh Gods, when did it suddenly become so hot in here?"

"Oh?" Tri'lanna held a hand to her chest in mock surprise, "Really, Ceinwyn, you're so dirty! I never said anything about a threesome!" Then she shrugged her shoulders and grinned like a fox, "But if you insist, I would love to do it."

"....Tri, you....you wanted me to react that way, didn't you?" Ceinwyn said, her eyes narrowing at her.

The elfmaid giggled and said, "But Winnie, you're just so easy to tease...how could I help myself?"

"Forget the Pretender. That was pure evil what you did."

Her laugh grew even louder and drew a few stares from some of the Elohin survivors scattered around the basement. Ceinwyn didn't care though, seeing Tri'lanna act like she did before, cheerful and positive, was more than enough for her. Even now, she could feel her anxiety passing, and her body starting to relax. A familiar twinge in her stomach, something she hadn't felt in a while, spoke up and prodded her to speak. "I'm hungry, Tri. Do you think we have any food left?"

"Well, lets see here." Tri'lanna chuckled as she reached over to Ceinwyn's pack, opening it eagerly with both of them looking inside."Well, we've got dried bread....and more bread....oh, and look, even more bread! And see, in here we've got...."

Tri'lanna and Ceinwyn gasped. It should not be possible. It couldn't be possible, but there it was. She must have picked Hans' sack up by accident and he grabbed hers. No matter how small, Ceinwyn could feel a twinge of hope rekindle.

There, lying innocently at the bottom of Ceinwyn's bag, was the Shining Stone.