COTN House of Canaan Part 5

5. Recovery

Cedi opened his eyes to see where he is, but each movement of his body is with great pain. Cedi felt himself lifted up and a bundle of cloth was placed above his neck. He is lying down on the thin bedding on the flooring with his face facing up, but he could see now that he is in an unfamiliar place.

He slowly turned his head to the right and left to have a better understanding of his current area. He can see now that he is placed in a cave which is about the height of a man like himself. The place is still unfamiliar to him. Cedi can see that this is not a cave of a Dark Elf but that of a unkempt one found in the forest. The only difference is the small fire place which is keeping him warm from the cold draught coming in through the open cave entrance.

He tried again to move his body, but more agony and pain was all he could feel. He looked down at his body to see it covered with a thick fur of a man sized creature and he feels naked underneath it. He reached out with his right hand for the wound which he earlier had experienced pain when moving. Its a deep wound at the upper ribs, but it missed his heart or he would not be waking up now.

"You are awake. Its good that you are as I was concerned on your health. It has been so long since you slept here." Cedi followed the voice to the person who has now appeared before me.

"Medi, is it you?"

Cedi blinked his eyes and looked again. Its not that he do not trust his own sight, its just that she looked so much older.

"Yes, Cedi. It me and you have slept for over three months now. There were times you woke up but you were mumbling in your replies. Do you remember any of that?" She sat down on her haunches and raised him up to take the drink she is holding.

The water tasted sweet to his parched throat as he swallowed it down, but he soon pulled the goblet away.

"You are still weak and need more rest." Medi lowered me down back to my bedding and she got up.

"I need to hunt for food or we would be eating tree barks soon." She did not look at Cedi when she got up. Medi took her sidearms and proceeded to the outside. Cedi tried to move again, and she turned back to look at him.

"Cedi, rest and you would be fine soon, but try not exert on your energy. I would be back soon."

She was out and Cedi was left alone that day.

It took him another three weeks to recover enough to move without pain. He took to wearing his tunic and pants but his  sidearms are all missing. Cedi tried many times to asked Medi of the battle which caused him to be here, but she avoided my query. And finally on the end of the third week, when he was able to stand that she told him the whole truth.

"Cedi, the Elf Nation has been wiped out two months ago, including the Canaan's. After the fateful battle at Pento, the Human Leagues marched into the Dark Valley and annihilated the tribes. The Human Leagues were assisted by the survivor of the Judas who override all the codes and magic in the Dark Valley. Your House of Canaan was destroyed by them and so were the other tribe's towers. Not only was the House of Canaan gone; the House of Genoe, Micha, and Karen. The Elves are now slaves or criminals on the run; and of the later, there are not many. We probably numbered less than a thousand but we would fight to free our people."Medi told him of this tale as they sat down for their first meal together in the cave.

"Medi, my weapons? Where are they?"

Cedi glared at her as in his mind and heart now is vengeance for my people. She motioned to the end of the cave which he can now see all his belongings are all kept there.

"Medi, what happened at the Battle of Pento? Did you save me and what of the others?"

Cedi desired to know the details so he can find the reason for them walking in to the trap. The question on his mind was that Medi was in the forward scout team and how come they did not picked up any scent of the enemies.

"You were injured and I carried you away on the back of my mate. We jumped and ran from the canyon being pursued by the Human Leagues' calvary but none could outrun my mate. We got cleared and it was him who found this cave for me. I took you in to treat your wound while he stands guard. It was much later when I went back there but there was only carrion birds swarming the place. Almost all your men died in the battle and those who survived were taken as slaves. I then alternate between taking care of you and checking on the war. The Human League took no more than a week to annihilate your House. They then took on the Karen, Micha and finally mine; Genoe." She paused to sigh and then looked away, and Cedi can see tears formed on her eyes.

"How did they do it when we were supposed to consolidate our forces.?" Cedi growled back in frustration of the defeat.

"Yes, we were supposed to but they had ambush everyone of the Houses during their march to the designated area. We been betrayed by our own kind; the Judas infiltrated the Houses and knew our movements. They had all of us trapped and slaughtered before they hit the poorly defended Houses." Medi slumped down to her knees to cry out loud.

It was also got her wolf mate to come pouncing in with a fangs bared. Medi stopped him from attacking Cedi and she explained to the wolf. The creature then looked at him before walking out of the cave.

"You trained him well, Medi."

Cedi looked at her now as she straighten up herself from her emotional state. She smiled at him and walked out to her mate.

"Does it has a name like mine? My Gryphon is named Leoni as it reminded me of my mother. Fierce yet loving." Cedi asked of her' and she told him.

"His name is Silver."

The wolf growled at the mentioned of the name, and it went up to Medi. She pat his head and motioned for him to follow. They both walked towards the cave entrance. He wanted to asked her to stay but he cannot bear myself to speak then. She is no more my mate but that of the wolf.

Cedi knows that he must live with that fact or he would had to fight the creature for her love. The later may be fruitless, as she had declared her love for the creature.

It was not for another week before he can emerge from the cave to see the sunlight. Its a great morning and the sunlight was not too bright for his skin.

Cedi looked out for Medi and find her sleeping while being curled up against the white wolf at the side of the cave. The wolf is awake and its staring at him with its fangs bared but its did not growled like before. The wolf walked back into the dark recess of the cave.

"You are getting better, but I think you may need a washing as your body scent is more unappealing."

Cedi turned back to see Medi standing there in her cloak and smiling at me.

"I am sorry to wake you up. Yes, I may need a washing. Is there any stream nearby?" She held out her hand to Cedi to followed her.

Cedi did like what we did before five years ago, but this time she is not of mine. They passed the wolf and she told him to guard the cave. Cedi was sure he can hear the wolf whimper in protest but Medi is already pulling him with her.

There was no stream but a small pond with a low cascading water fall of three times my height. Medi stood there and remove her cloak. She was naked underneath and she jumped into the water.

"Come on in. The water is cold but its nice to swim in."

Cedi don't know why he hesitated when years ago, he would had done like she did. He guess its because they are not lovers anymore that he held myself back. He cannot deny his feelings for her still stands in him, but he have to accept the fact that she may not be the same.

Cedi turned his back to her and removed his tunic before pausing at the strings to his pants. It was then she must had come up and pulled him by the back his pants into the pond. Both of them landed in a splash in the water and she was laughing at him. He swam to the side and kept his distance.

"Medi, it would not be appropriate." He spoke out to her with his sight looking to the side.

"Cedi, why? We used to do this before. Its not that you are shy or..... I see now the issue. Okay then, I would swim this side and you stay at the other side. Agreed?"

Cedi nodded my head.

Later, as they sat by the fire to dry ourselves and they were all dressed in their attire for the day.

Medi asked him to allowed her to braid his loose hair. She used to do it when they were together back then but now he  find it very strange to have it done now. She did nevertheless with the skill she once employed and Cedi is back to his old self now.

"Medi, why did you looked older compared when we met in the hall? Tell me.......please."

Cedi turned to face her and she looked away.

"Please tell me. Did you use magic? Necromancy? Oracle?"

She nodded.

"It was needed to save you. I gave a part of my life soul for yours. Its the price of the sacrifice. You should know why." She looked back at Cedi and he knew that the past is still within them.

"But I am bonded in by the Clan wishes, but my soul remains with yours. As you are now with me."

"You have the Oracle? Now, here in this cave." I looked at her but she shook her head.

"I had it when I trained on it. I gave it back to the Priests when I left for your hall. Its could be lost or with them. Or with whoever that was assigned to guard it. I am not sure. But why are you so fixated on the Oracle?"

"Its the only thing that can probably help us win this war now. The Oracle commands the spirits of the dead. They are the brave ones and most of them are proven soldiers. The Oracle could do it if we have it. We could raise an army to battle the Human Leagues. Do you understand now?"

She just stood up and walked away to the cave entrance back to her new mate.

Cedi sat back and gave himself some private time to think.

After thinking for some time, Cedi got up and picked up his sword, Excab. He put his body through the rigors of training again. He needed to be well to take on the fight to free my people.

And her's too.

The next morning, Medi joined Cedi on the training like in the old days, but this time she is very serious and deadly with the weapons. At times Medi would bring in her mate to joined in and they are very coordinated in their movements.

Cedi wished he had the Gryphon here, but he is still weak in his body. The training took longer because of long inactivity but he is learning and remembering it fast.

After two months of training, Cedi felt that he was able to travel and his first desired destination was his own home. Cedi told Medi that he is going back to the Dark Valley for his personal things if he can find it. She offered to follow it but he asked that she pursue more information for our coming battles.

"If we are to help our people, we may need more than the two of us. We need to find the others and above all, we need to find out who are those from Judas that assisted the Man. No elves sworn at birth would ever share their secrets to an outsider of their kind. Its the biggest sin of our nation. The secrets and spells which we have, even the wizards of Man do not know them all. Find out where our people are kept. That is your task, while mine is to seek the old home. There may be things which I can use there."

It took them a few days to travel back to the Dark Valley, with most time him having to take a break from the the travel.

Soon Cedi made it back to the spot where the Tower used to reside.

What was once a piece of clearing now is a deep hole which exposed the cavern beneath it. He can see deep beneath the ruined structures which used to house a few thousand of us. He raised his whistling out loud and await a long lost friend. It did not take long for his pet to arrive; the golden Gryphon named Leoni.

It landed and stood a distance from him as if he is a stranger again. Cedi looked at her and held out his hand. The Gryphon growled and then raised its nose to smell the scent again. Then it whined and moved towards him as it caught hold of his old scent. It walked towards him and licked his hand.

"Thank you, Leoni. We have a number of tasks to do. Are you with me?" The Gryphon rubbed her mane against his face and he knew then that they would a pair again.

"I need to go to the Temple of Canaan. Can you take me there?"

The Gryphon flew him down to the base of the Dark Tower, where he could find the temple. It has been looted and its altar destroyed for Man feared the magic of the Elves. The Man could not fight in equal combat unless they had helped from others like the Judas traitors.

Now its time to teach them that the elves are more than their equal. Cedi walked into the temple main hall and approached the altar. What he is seeking is beneath the altar table. The table is made of granite stone and its very heavy to move. He had to summoned a spell given to him by his father as the keeper of the Oracle. Its allowed him to call forth some spirits to assist in moving the table but there is a price for it.

The four spirits came as I recant the spells to call them.

"Cedi of Canaan, you know of our prize?"

I nodded to the four hovering sprits before me. They are the Guardians of the Spirits World; and there are four of them. The price they demanded of me is that I would need to fulfill theirs when I am called for. Most times, that wish would be a removal of a person's life to appease the Guardians. His father once used their services and he was asked to kill Cedi' mother in return.

"We do not want our prize now, but maybe of a later time. We know you seek the Challenge Shield which can protect you from any magical weapons attack that lies beneath the table. We would retrieve the item for you as per your request, but note that when we claim our prize, you must delivered or forfeit your life to us."

Cedi nodded.