The soft chirping of a pine tree bird roused her from her sleep. Aegwyn sat up and squinted as the sunlight struck her on the face. She groaned and got up and looked around at the empty room. The wind wafted through the open windows, fluttering the torn curtains and stirring the dust and leaves that had blown into the room. Aegwyn rubbed her arms and looked out the window and then back at the bed she had slept in. It was made of straw and there was a simple checkered patchwork blanket.
The whole night before was a blur and she shook her head trying to clear the grogginess. Her steps were hollow as she pulled her cloak about her. She was hungry and went outside to try to forage something to eat.
She stopped suddenly when she saw an armor plated man sitting on a rock, looking out into the valley that lay beyond the trees. His auburn hair flowed from his scalp down towards his shoulders like oily tendrils and his face was creased with marks that showed a life of hardship. His armor was dulled and there were several dents in the plating.
He snapped his head in her direction when he heard her approaching. He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly and then turned back towards the valley.
Aegwyn’s stomach rumbled and she stepped forward cautiously. She opened her mouth and began to speak when he jumped off the rock and walked quickly towards the hut. She blinked her eyes in surprise. What was his hurry? She followed him and nearly crashed into him when he hurried out the doorway with the quilt in hand.
“I’ve got to go,” he said to her.
“Why? What’s the matter?”
“There’s no time!” he hissed at her as he stuffed the quilt into a leather knapsack that hung from his belt. “You can stay if you want, though I wouldn’t advise it.”
Aegwyn put both her hands on his shoulder and spun him around. She was tired of all his games. “What are you talking about!”
He grabbed her arms and pulled her forward. His iron grip dug into her flesh, sending shocks of pain up her nerves. “Don’t do that again,” he growled, showing his teeth.
She glared at him defiantly and he threw her off, grunting in frustration. She thought she heard him murmur “crazy old bat” but the wind was blowing so fiercely that it was almost muffled.
Aegwyn scrounged around until she found a something decent to eat and she hurried to catch up with the stranger. He was walking briskly down the valley wall and was getting further and further away from her. “Wait up!” she cried out. He didn’t seem to hear her.
Aegwyn stuffed the food into her mouth and chewed on it. She leapt over the grassy plains that wafted in the wind and made her way to his side. “Who are you? What’s your name?”
He stared forward, not even appearing to notice her. He spat out to his left and continued.
“I demand that you answer me! What’s your name!”
He stopped suddenly. He turned and looked over his shoulder to stare at her with wide eyes.
“You demand?” He suddenly began to laugh bitterly and then stopped suddenly. “What right do you have to demand from a Paladin of Lordaeron?”
She scrunched up her brows at him. “Paladin? What in the light is a Paladin?”
He rushed forward and knocked her off her feet. Aegwyn sprawled onto her back and looked to see him glaring. “Don’t you dare upon call the light in such a manner! If I weren’t in such a hurry I’d run you through!”
Her eyes widened suddenly and she lay there still. She suddenly remembered how few defenses she had to her name and was frightened again.
He seemed to sense her fear and then he let out an exasperated sigh. He shook his head and tromped off, leaving her behind once more. Aegwyn gathered enough courage to get back to her feet and she hurried off after him. She took a deep breath. You’ve got to remember he doesn’t know or care who you are. The thought almost made her cry. In her day, many people knew about the Guardian of Tirisfal. How the world had changed.
“Please, kind stranger, I meant no harm. But please, would you tell me your name?”
He glanced at her over his shoulder and then turned back towards the way in front of him. “Tarmand,” he grunted before moving westward in silence.
Tarmand the Healer. That had a sort of nice ring to it. She continued to pace him as he walked the length of the valley floor. They were starting to ascend again, back into the crowd of trees.
“May I ask you a question?”
He raised and eyebrow towards her. “Go ahead, you’ve asked plenty so far.”
“Do you know what happened to my son? Medivh?”
He blinked at her before furrowing his brow. “No, never heard that name before. What did he do?”
“He was a Conjurer.”
“Conjurer? Conjurer. What in goodness...ah, the Conjurers!” He let out a brief bitter laugh before he continued. “Poor little devils, eh. So many lost and those that survived? Don’t ask how they’re doing. It’s not pretty...”
Aegwyn stopped suddenly when she heard him talk. The most powerful sorcerers in the land! How could they die? With so many things at their disposals and all their mastery of the elements. She remembered feeling their calling upon the mystic powers of the earth. Summoning the power of lightning and searing the air with their fire. The reminder of their power almost made her shiver. But how could they die? And from the way Tarmand was talking, it sounded like a lot were lost.
He didn’t even seem to notice that she had stopped. She hurried to catch up to him. “...if you ask me, a bunny rabbit is no way to write books.”
She opened her mouth to say something and then decided to stay quiet. “You’re from Lordaeron?”
“As much as Orcs are from...hello, what have we here?” Tarmand knelt down and pushed aside the grass blades to reveal an imprint in the mud. He stared at it a hard long time before he back to walk off, faster than before.
“What’s the matter?” Aegwyn asked, huffing to keep up. “What’s wrong?”
Tarmand said nothing. But from the look in his eyes, he didn’t have to.
