Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ Arrow, Bequeath my Heart ❯ Chapter 11

Sara-Li did everything possible to avoid Troy after the encounter she had with him in his bedroom. The love that she thought she once had for the young teen seemed to vanish completely after his forced attempt to mate with her. While still inwardly blaming herself for his violent reaction, she couldn't help but worry about what else he would do should she be caught alone with him. Thunderhawk had noticed Sara-Li almost refusing to show up for any sessions regarding training in magic, leaving him with an opening most of the morning since Troy refused to return either on the basis that he didn't need anymore help from the old guardian.

“Troy I can understand but…not Sara-Li,” said Thunderhawk to Baltheer, his high priest.

Baltheer could tell Sara-Li didn't do as he suggested with how bewildered Thunderhawk was acting. Tossing his staff from one hand to the other in thought, he blew his side-combed, dark maroon hair out of his face with a disappointed look to himself over the young woman's decision though attempting to be understanding in it all the same. The priest bit his tongue in the end—he knew it wasn't his place to say what happened. “Your Highness,” began Baltheer, as he finally stopped fidgeting with his staff, “why don't I attempt to talk to Sara-Li for a moment about continuing her studies with me, perhaps?”

Thunderhawk looked at his high priest with a confused look on his face. He didn't like the idea of swapping teachers on her. “I don't…want her to think I am abandoning her…” The jarl struggled to speak, as inwardly, his heart was confused with what he deemed to be the correct form of words given his emotions. Was he just protective of the idea of tossing her on someone else? He put a lot of hard work into Sara-Li's training, and he had really grown attached to his time with her.

The old healer smiled gently as he could hear the struggle with the guardian's choice of words. Baltheer walked closer to Thunderhawk, placing his hand upon the lilac echidna's shoulder. “Let me talk to her, at least. I am sure I can reach an agreement with her to continue her studies in some fashion.”

Sara-Li had started spending most of her time in the library of Winterhold College, in hopes that she wouldn't be disturbed by Troy given the amount of people who would drift in and out. What had happened was personal, and she could only continue to hope he wouldn't have the courage to try to talk about it in public. Her eyes narrowed at the text in front of her, her fingers digging gently into her forehead as she tried to find a conjuring spell, which would suit her on the battlefield. “Light Familiar…Light Familiar…I know Thunderhawk conjured a Fire Familiar before…there should be one for every element, I would think…”

Having found the young healer, Baltheer couldn't help but overhear her mumbling to herself as he smiled with a playful look upon his face. “There are such things,” he interrupted, causing her to jolt her head up in shock. “Beyond the Fire and Earth Familiars, they are just harder to find spells for, as nobody has perfected them.” Seeing that terrified look in her eyes, he apologized: “Forgive me; I didn't mean to startle you.”

“I-It's okay,” Sara-Li insisted, burying her nose back into the book before her as she hoped Baltheer wouldn't bring up what happened weeks ago.

Baltheer wasn't oblivious to what her actions were attempting to convey, so he avoided the subject of Troy. “Lord Thunderhawk has been asking about you lately.”

Sara-Li blushed fiercely, though did her best to hide it behind her periwinkle bangs when she lowered her head to pretend to study the text before her further.

“While I know you don't wish of me to speak of the other incident, I won't, but…why do you avoid the guardian as you do now?” Baltheer asked, sounding a bit concerned as he took a seat on the opposite side of the table.

“I just…what happened was embarrassing for me, Baltheer…” Sara-Li practically whispered, as she rolled her teeth over her lower lip. “Not to mention…frightening.” Sighing, she found the courage to finally look at the healer. “I've never seen that side of Troy before…he hardly seemed…himself.”

Baltheer gave her a worried look, twisting his frown to the side as he reached over and placed his hand gently on hers. “I understand that what happened was difficult, Sara-Li, but locking yourself into your own personal solitude will do nothing to help you.”

The young woman recoiled her fingers and moved her hand from Baltheer's. “I just don't have the courage to face him right now, Baltheer.” Sara-Li closed the book she was studying and removed herself from the chair. “I-I should go…I need to talk to my family about what we're going to do involving the move back home.”

His white, bushy eyebrows rose at her words. “So is that it? You're upset about moving, is it?”

Sara-Li shrugged her shoulders. “We haven't decided yet, but my parents do make it sound as though it is to be final.”

Placing the butt of his staff into the ground beneath him, the old healer found his feet again with a low grunt. “Then why do you continue to shut out Lord Thunderhawk? You know it is worrying him that he did something wrong to cause you to act so distant.” When she tried to look away from him, he gently directed her face back towards him with his fingertips upon her cheek.

Seeing that curious look in the old man's eyes made Sara-Li cave as she could tell that he wanted validation to what he already knew was true. “Saying `goodbye' is going to be too hard, Baltheer.”

“I don't know where your generation believes that `goodbye' means `forever',” Baltheer chuckled lighthearted. “In all honesty, my dear, aren't you old enough to decide whether or not you wish to stay here should your parents decide to move back home?”

While she was considered a woman when she hit her heat cycle at eleven, Sara-Li always tended to forget she was an `adult' by law since she had yet to marry and settle down to have children. “Well, I guess so…but I've never lived without my parents before, and I have no man to take me as his wife.” She furrowed her brow, thinking about Troy again. “I would have asked Troy to be the man who loved me and took my hand, but…the past few weeks have been unsettling, to say the least.”

“A young lady can still be independent without the aid of a man,” replied Baltheer with a gentle look in his old eyes. “If memory serves correctly, I'd say that you were the one that was helping your family a lot lately, and even keeping your brother healthy.”

“Which causes you to bring up another reason I am hesitant to stay here—my brother,” Sara-Li explained with a slight gesture of her hand. “While I have been doing what Lord Thunderhawk asked of me—weaning him off of my magic and getting his breathing under control on his own—I still worry he may need me.”

Baltheer stifled a chuckle as he shook his head at her constant worry. “You'll get gray hair faster than I did in my eyebrows from all this worry, Sara-Li,” replied the healer, as he moved some of her periwinkle hair from her face to get a better look into her violet eyes. “It's not your responsibility to hold everyone's happiness and health in your hands. As a healer, especially, you just do what you can for others and be there when they need you. Trying to be everywhere at once is impossible.”

Sara-Li managed a brief smile when she knew he was right.

His face light up in return for a moment with a crooked smile. “Ah! There's that smile! I was worried I had no hope of seeing it again.”

Sara-Li couldn't help but smile a bit more this time with a playful shake of her head. “I thank you,” she said softly, stuffing the tome she was reading under her arm before picking up the others she had nearby. “While I know none of this is Lord Thunderhawk's fault, I just don't know how I will tell him.” She scoffed to herself. “I am sure my leaving won't bother anything. He's had citizens come and go before, I am sure.” She was trying her best to lighten any damage that might be dealt her heart in the situation.

Baltheer leaned against the gnarled staff with a crooked smile to her, his old eyes lidded as he looked down at the female echidna. His actions seemed to imply he was studying her a bit closely. “I wouldn't say that. I've never known him to be upset over just a student of his shutting him out like this before.” Tossing his staff back and forth in his hands again, he shrugged his shoulders. “Why not go and talk to him? I am sure he'll be happy to hear from you.”

The idea made Sara-Li's knees buckle, and she would have gladly, but a frown easily washed over her muzzle once more as she shook her head at the idea. “I should go see my family first.” She turned slightly to head in the opposite directly. “I need to see what we're going to do regarding our move back to Morrowind.”

The old healer merely nodded in understanding as he inwardly hoped she would reconsider later. It feels as though everyone else knows those two love one another but the ones in question. He wrinkled his brow in confusion. I cannot help but find that odd, but I guess that just goes to show the level of stubbornness in our ruler and the naivety in that young woman.

Thunderhawk stayed near his bedroom window as he saw Sara-Li surface from the college doors soon enough to head to the small living space her family was granted years ago. Seeing her for a moment, he merely watched her trot across the courtyard until she paused to look up at him there at his window. With her eyes gazing upon him, he stepped back slightly with a catch of his breath. His heart squeezed as he managed to wave to her at the very least, but feeling like a fool by the shy gesture. “I swear, I'm acting like I am a kid again…!”

Sara-Li smiled at the simple gesture and returned one briefly herself before hurrying to see her family with the books in her arms.

Jade-Li was busy putting out the dishes on the dinner table when her daughter arrived. “Ah, there you are, Sara. You're just in time to help me with supper.”

The young echidna placed the books down on the nearby table, mindful of the candles, before heading out of their living quarters to make it to the public kitchen there on the opposite side of the tower. Jade-Li had noticed her daughter hadn't said a thing yet as she grabbed up some of the potatoes, carrots, and onions to start chopping away at them for the soup she had in mind. “Is something wrong, sweetheart?”

“I am just thinking is all, mom,” said Sara-Li softly as she took to the carrots while her mother had the potatoes. “I guess I am just not looking forward to moving from here back home…”

Jade-Li frowned with a wrinkle of her brow. “I know we've lived here a long time, Sara-Li, but you know it was because Lord Thunderhawk was so gracious to not tax us dry. Your brother and you are hardly as young as you once were, and living in a place that is so small with two grown children is…hardly realistic. Your brother and yourself need your own space, and that's why we need to head back home to Morrowind for a better living arrangement, and for the sake of Cyrus' health.”

“But, what about the things I learned here…!” Sara-Li complained with a saddened look. “What about my studies with Lord Thunderhawk? I don't know of any healers back home who will be happy to take me in as their student!” The idea terrified her, really. She knew there were some back home, but she didn't want to switch teachers when she felt so close to the one she was with now.

Jade hated the idea of scolding her daughter, but the situation seemed to call for it. “Sara-Li…! Stop being selfish, and think of your brother and everyone else for a change! What do you expect us to do—stay here in this cramped, unhealthy weather for your sake! We cannot do that!”

Stopping with the cutting of the carrots, Sara looked tearfully up at her mother. “Then maybe it is best I just stay here! That way, everybody's happy!” Sara-Li didn't have the heart to continue looking at her mother at that moment or even working beside her for the sake of dinner. Leaving the knife there on the cutting board, she tore away from the kitchen and ran out of the college grounds and towards the city while ignoring her mother's calls.

She knew her mother was right behind her, but that didn't stop Sara-Li from bolting as quickly as she could into the streets of Winterhold and losing her mother with a series of turns and jumps over any objects in her way. Being younger, she had the advantage of escaping her grasp and sight.

Jade-Li watched in horror as her daughter attempted to disappear into the night. Turning around quickly, she shouted for her husband as she hurried back towards the college—calling Devon to her side. “Sara-Li—she just ran off! I am going to get on our horse and go after her!” she insisted, running off to fetch their painted mare.

Devon's head was spinning as he tried to think of what to do. Jade-Li could reach her faster on the horse, but there was only one man who could track her faster and easier. With the worry a dragon may nab her, Devon tore through the circular courtyard and ran to the college to try and grab Thunderhawk. Throwing open the double doors, he was relieved to see him there in the center of the college with his high priest and house jarl. “Your Majesty! Sara-Li—she just ran off a moment ago, and my wife lost her to the nearby woods! We need your help, sire!”

The frantic father hardly finished the last of his sentence when Thunderhawk ran past him and out into the blistering cold of the unforgiving atmosphere. Fixing his cape about him, he turned to Devon with a worried look on his wrinkled face. “She just left? Was she prepared for this sort of weather!”

“I don't know, sire!” said Devon with a worried frown. “All I know is my wife was calling out to me and told me that Sara-Li just left!”

Thunderhawk whistled loudly for Silverstar, causing the Clydesdale to come trotting through the snowfall towards his master. Grabbing onto his mane, he threw himself on the bare back of the creature before pointing down at Devon. “You and your wife will be better suited for checking the village in case she comes back or ends up hiding somewhere in town! I'll go out and look for her in the woods!”

“My wife is already out there, my Lord!”

“Then I will send her back should I run into her!” shouted Thunderhawk as he gently nudged the horse, causing Silverstar to take off towards the gates, over the bridge, and out of the city to find Sara-Li.

When she could no longer hear her mother's voice or see the village and college any longer, Sara-Li found herself slowing to a halt there in the snowy earth of Skyrim. Falling to her hands and knees, she heaved a bit from sadness at the idea of having to leave the Lord of Winterhold behind. It shouldn't hurt this much…Sara thought to herself as her tears felt cold as ice as they stung her cheeks. It's not like things will be much different when I am gone… I am just a student to him…

With the cold, snowy weather starting to get to her, Sara-Li stood to her feet, brushed the snow from her and looked to the nearby caves ahead. Deciding that was better than nothing at all for safety, Sara-Li hurried towards the mouth of the cave and made her way slowly inside.

The walls were covered in moss and mushrooms, making her mindful of where she placed her hand as she went deeper into the rocky formation. The tunnel she was within eventually opened to a wider area filled with long forgotten bedrolls, a wood rotted table, and old oil lamps. “H-Hello…?” she called, as she straightened up her cape to try and wrap it around her a bit tighter since the inside of the cave was still a bit cold. Examining the items a bit closer, she could tell it had been months since they were last used or even bothered with. “I guess whoever lived here doesn't live here anymore…”

After dusting off the old chair near the table, Sara-Li sat down with a somber sigh to herself. She knew she couldn't stay away forever. Sara knew she'd have to go back at some point and face the consequences of her actions as well as be forced into the idea of returning to Morrowind. Overlapping her hands before her, she rested her chin on them as she eyed the oil lamp there that was covered in cobwebs and some weird slime as well. “Not just yet,” she mumbled to herself in thinking about returning to Winterhold. “I just want to be alone a bit longer…”

As she closed her eyes, Sara-Li was about to drift off to sleep when she heard a weird `chattering' sound about her. At first, she dismissed it as her imagination, until she heard it again with movement somewhere across the room. Opening her eyes slowly, she shot upright where she was sitting when she swore she saw something in the darkness moving about. “Wh-Who's there…!”

Only hearing an eerie growling sound, Sara-Li was quick to conjure up a ball of light in her hand to illuminate the room better. Upon doing so, she saw—just inches from her face—the skull of a dead human looking at her with nothing but eyeless sockets. The bony jaw moved open in a way to show that the remains were cursed with dark magic. The smell of death so close and something so unnatural there before her, Sara-Li reacted without thinking and used her other hand to conjure up the light blast she had been working so hard on in the past.

Screaming and with a quick wave of her right hand, the light shot forth in waves and shattered the skeleton to pieces; obliterating it there against the wall on the far side of the room. Sara-Li struggled to catch her breath as she was just in shock over what happened. Her mind was racing and her knees felt weak when she realized what she had encountered. The fear slowly began to subside as she looked at her hand and then back at the shattered bones. “I…I did it…! I actually used it on an enemy…!”

Her victory, however, was short lived when she could hear the nearby doors concealing the distant, eerie song of the undead coming closer towards her. Swearing at her misfortune, Sara-Li found herself paralyzed by how many she could hear. The thought to run didn't dawn on her, and when it did, she ran in the wrong direction—heading deeper into the old cave.

Keeping low to the ground with the magic light there in her palm, she couldn't seem to shake the rattling sound of bones and the uneasy groaning of the undead. Ducking into a nearby room, she buried herself into the corner with hopes she would have enough time to get her courage back up to fight them as her fear was becoming her own logic's worst prey. “You can do it…you can do it…you have the power to fight them off…!” she whispered to herself, but clamming up when she heard the hurried sound of boney feet and old, rusted armor and weapons clanking just down the corridor.

The former, human warriors soon entered the room and one, an archer, took aim at her there in the corner and fired without a second thought. Screaming at the idea she'd be hit, Sara-Li crossed her wrists together above her head and conjured up a protective barrier about herself. “Go away!” She yelled, as if the undead could comprehend what it was she was saying. With them nothing but bones now, they only knew to listen to the magic, which had a hold onto their bodies. Not able to conjure too many things at once, Sara-Li was forced to drop her own light source to try and unleash another offensive spell upon the attackers. She was able to knock out the two, but that didn't stop the others from being alerted to where she was.

Sara-Li was also starting to feel fatigued as time went on. Never had she been forced to cast so much for so long. Doing her best not to show it, she struggled with the fifteenth attack. The light spell was weak, and her barrier soon faded from her grasp. “N-No…! Dammit…!” she swore, her weary eyes looking to the oncoming group heading for her. She knew she couldn't do much else. This would probably be it for her, as even her legs refused to work. Closing her eyes tightly, she waited for the two-handed axe that the one in the front was carrying to come down and kill her. Inwardly, Sara-Li apologized for everything she had done. All of this, just because she was selfish and wanted to remain where she was. Now, who was going to find her body? Who was going to tell her parents that their daughter was gone forever? Her family was going to be plagued with not knowing unless, by sheer luck, someone would get to find her hacked corpse.

With her mind rushing a thought a minute, she heard the sound of fire swooshing through the outside of the room and soon even tickling her periwinkle fur with the feel of it so close. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw the Fire Familiar carefully throwing its firebolt spell about the room to burn the old bones to ash. It didn't dawn on Sara-Li what was going on until she saw the old guardian run into the room with his bow at his side. Taking to his knees before her, he checked to see if she was alive.

“Sara…! Sara, are you alright!” he shouted. Thunderhawk saw her eyes drift to him, and his heart expelled his worry. “Thank the Goddess…!” Picking up the young healer, he let the Fire Familiar stay close and deal with anymore undead obstacles in their way as he hurried towards the mouth of the cave to get them to freedom.

Once out of the cave, he rested her down beside Silverstar, who was there on his belly in the snow. Thunderhawk removed his cape and wrapped it tightly about her to keep the woman warm. “I'm going to get you back home, Sara…don't worry!” He checked her face and head as well as her arms and legs to make sure she didn't get hurt or infected by anything in the cave.

“How…how did you find me…?” Sara-Li asked wearily, a bit confused on the matter as she wasn't aware Thunderhawk even knew she left.

“Your father asked me to help find you, and since you sink a bit in the snow, it's easier to follow a long, deep trail like that than a pair of footsteps, which can easily get lost to the snow in a couple of minutes with constant, heavy snowfall like this,” he admitted, relieved to find nothing appeared injured. Thunderhawk could tell she was exhausted, but that was a given with how much magic she was no doubt putting out for her age. Helping her back to her feet, he got Sara-Li on the back of his horse before mounting up behind her. The Clydesdale snorted with a small whinny as Silverstar rose to his hooves and headed back towards Winterhold.

“Th-Thunderhawk…I don't…I don't want to face my parents right now…” Sara-Li insisted with a furrow of her brow. “I can only imagine how upset they are with me…”

“They are worried about you, Sara,” said Thunderhawk with a shrug of his shoulders. “What do you want me to do? I cannot tell them I didn't find you or intentionally keep you out late. Devon and Jade-Li will be worried sick over whether or not you're alive.”

Sara-Li knew he was right. She couldn't put more worry on her parents. “Then…can you at least let me stay with you tonight after you tell them I am fine? You can tell them…I am sick or something, and I need the healer to look after me.”

Expelling a nasally sigh, Thunderhawk rolled his eyes at the predicament he found himself in. “Alright…I will do so, but if you ever run off like that again, I am going to hand you over to your parents without a second thought.”

Sara-Li didn't think that being scolded by the leader would feel so refreshing and relieving, but it made her smile as she closed her eyes in attempts to regain her strength.