The Pain of a Memory - Part XIII

I apologize for how long it's been since I last posted on TPoaM, but here is the next installment. Very soon, I will edit a couple of the posts (I will note it on another post when I do so), primarily the first one, so, while it will not be absolutely necessary to understand the story to re-read those parts, they will have some information that pops up later more in details. The last episode - for lack of a better word - can be found here, and it contains links to all the previous ones.

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            Errius looked out across the haze around him. There was a voice faintly ringing in his mind, saying a good-bye. He knew the voice well enough. It was the voice of someone long dead, but somehow Errius still remembered its sound. He looked around. There was also a vague face in the mistiness, a face Errius couldn't quite see all the way.  

            Errius stepped closer, gazing intently at the face. It had appeared before, but he had never been able to quite pick it out. He looked a little closer. It started to become slightly clearer. Yes, now it was becoming clearer... Errius could almost tell who it was... Then another face came, one already extremely clear. It was that of the bandit captain, Rogan. And suddenly the faces merged, blending into one face. Somehow it was still Rogan, but it was somebody else too... Errius just couldn't think who...

            Suddenly Errius opened his eyes. He looked around. The dawn was streaming into the sky, and Elystra was still asleep. Errius stood up. The faces... It had just been a dream, though, and it was time to forget it. But then, the dream had seemed as though it were telling him something... What, that Rogan and that vague face from the past were the same? That he'd seen Rogan before? It must have been Elystra stirring the idea in his mind. He'd never dreamed that before. But then, he had seen that vague face before...

            Errius strode over to Elystra. He shook her shoulders gently. Slowly her silvery eyes opened, to reflect the sunrise through the trees above her.

            She turned and looked over at Errius. "Errius...?" Elystra sat up weakly. "Oh, I'm sorry - is it time for taking to the road now?"

            Errius nodded. "I only wish that we could rest a little longer, but..."

            Elystra smiled a little sleepily. "It's alright, Errius. I am not weary anymore, see?"

            Errius helped her to her feet and smiled. "You were never very good at fooling me, Elystra, and you're still not now. But I'll make you take your rest once we reach the capital"

            Elystra took his hand. "Make me? Oh, dear, I suppose I must behave myself if the captain of the royal guard himself is threatening me"

            Errius rolled his eyes. "More like your older brother, who isn't impressed by your little bit of jesting, by the way."

            Elystra laughed. "Is it  bad thing, Errius, that even in this odd way, I'm glad to have you to myself?"

            Errius looked at her chidingly, but ended up breaking into a smile. "If you don't behave yourself, you may be having me to yourself more often."

            Elystra coughed and then gestured to him as though impatient. "Come, Errius, we mustn't tarry about here bantering when we've got a journey to make," she said innocently.

            Errius laughed a little, for the first time that he could remember doing so in a long time. "Alright, then let's depart, Elystra. I'm sorry my bantering was delaying us"

            With this, they set off. After a few hours, they'd made it into a small glade in the forest. Errius stopped. He looked up at the sky. The sun was in the center of the sky now.

            Errius turned to Elystra. "We should be coming across the river anytime now, and the path is along it"

            Elystra heaved a little breath, and coughed. "That's good"

            Errius sighed. Poor Elystra... She was already exhausted. Errius took a breath and trudged on. Any moment now they should come across the river road... Errius pushed aside the branches of a tree on the edge of the glade. There it was. The river.

            Errius turned back to Elystra again. "There it is, Elystra" He smiled. "Don't worry - now it will be a lot easier from here. Only one day more until we reach the first town on this road"

            Errius slowly began to aid Elystra over the river. It would be soon now... Very soon...

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