Silanus slowly opened one eye and thought: "Ugh, who dares to disturb my slumber?!" Of course, when he saw a big leg horse leg infront of him, the man began to panic… Even if he was wounded, the soldier tried to stand up… That before he realized he had a damn arrow stuck inside his flesh… Then, he stopped and remained in the floor…

If one looked at Silanus' eyes, it could be seen all the agony Silanus was suffering… But well, what is done is done, and now, Silanus had to deal with the pain… After he realized the big leg was from Paradox, he… Well, he calmed down… The man said: "Oh, Paradox, you would not belive, Silanus is a step closer to become the chieftain of… Of the goblin clan! Oh, poor little Silanus needs your help, he HAS to go to his camp, on the land of the so-feared orcs! A medic, THE medic!" Silanus' voice slowly decreased, at the point it would be hard for a human to head him… He closed his eyes, breathing heavily and loudly, then he began to constantly touch the ground, searching for the amulet he recieved earlier… 

It took some seconds, but Silanus finally found it, and quickly held it… Then he opened his eyes a little bit and said: "Gratia… Gratia Postumia… She, she is the camp alchemist, she should have a… A way to remove this damn thing give Silanus streghts before the full moon… Please, take poor Silanus there, he will tell you the way to go to the camp… Take him there, before the time reaches, and Silanus shall lead the goblins…"

The goblins gave Silanus a last trial… There is an ogre in the neighboor land of the Highlands, the home of orcs. If he killed him within 7 days, he would lead the tribe. "
This is not lust for power… Silanus just needs every help possible to his cause, goblins would…. Would be most useful to him. Please, just follow the river to the south, you will find the camp…"

Paradox looked down the injured man lying on the ground at her feet. She was starting to be very convinced of his mental instability. Chief of the goblins? Who would desire that is surely mad. He yelled at her and started talking about a woman named Gratia. She wanted him to take her to his camp? Really? She didn't think so and flipped her ears back to her head. She squinted her steely gray eyes at him and swished her tail, the thick braid slapping her legs. 

"Do I look like a common nag to you?" She asked, thoroughly annoyed with him. "I do not take orders from a man, and I am in no way capable of going to your camp right now, never mind taking you with me." She lifted up her bad leg so that it wouldn't have to hold her weight any longer than necessary. It ached terribly still, but at least the herbs would help to speed the healing process. "Going now would be foolish and very reckless," she said, slightly less aggravated. "I have no intention of going, but if you want to, I will not stop you. Rule the goblins if that is what you desire, but I will not associate myself with a vile race such as theirs."

She snorted and shook her mane as he held the necklace. "I can help you if you want, but I am not travelling anywhere." She bent her lower half down and took a good look at him. His eyes were sparkling brightly, either from pain or fever, probably both. Gently, she lowered herself to the ground next to him and laid her good hand on his leg. She turned his leg just slightly to see it better in the dimming light. The arrowhead was deep into his leg, and likely barbed on the sides like the axe that the goblin had used on her leg. 

She looked back at his face, his body lying still on the ground. "I can pull this out, but it's not going to be pretty," she said quietly. She reached back to her side and brought out her dagger. She cut around the pant leg, heavy and wet from his blood, staining it a dark brown color. She glanced at it and grabbed a piece of thick leather out of her pack. She gave it to him. "Take this, it won't taste good but it'll help a little." She turned back to his leg and braced herself. "Tell me when you're ready."

Of course, of course! She refused, what a "surprise" for Silanus. The peace lover who only fights in self-defence refused his offer. Unfortunately for Silanus, Paradox was his only way of going to the camp… Alive… The man's neutral expression became a furious one. A part of him wanted to curse her, tell her to go to hell… However, he had to stay calm… Find a way to make her cooperarte….

Oh, if only Silanus could remove the damn arrow and walk! If only he could stop depending on Paradox! But the goblins were clear, he had to go and slay the ogre without their help, so it was vital for Silanus to persuade the centaur… What a pity, she is a smart one, so it would ne a hard task to make her understand…

Silanus saw carefully how she cut his bloodied pant; now he was able to see his wound… It seemed that it did not touch his bone, nor something important… Just flesh, if the arrow removal went well, perhaps in a month or two Silanus would be able to walk again… That's it, without advanced recovery techniques, such as alchemy…

Silanus gladly took the piece of leather… Bah, who knows if it's atleast clean! Before Paradox could begin, he interrupted her and said: "That's not the best way of removing an arrow, my dear half human friend…. Ugh, damn it! Cutting everything around? Are you playing the doctor or the butcher? Hm… Let… Let me explain…"
Silanus closed his eyes and took s heavy breathe, then pointed his fingers towards the "tail" of the arrow. "See this? Cut it, but not too much! Just cut the… Damn, what is it's name agaib? The wings of the stupid arrow, removs it… T-then, with a hammer, push it… P-push it until it's completely insidie, and the point of the arrow is… Out. Then simply pull it… Excuse Silanus' manners of talking, you don't speak about this topic everyday…"

Paradox glared at the man. How dare he question her. Once he had taken the leather in his mouth, she folded her legs up under her and lied next to him. "I have taken arrows out before, Silanus," she said, focusing on his damaged leg. "I saw arrow injuries a lot back home, when we were hunted. By your kind." She flicked her ears back at that and hissed. "Brace yourself." She cut the wound, making it longer on the sides and a little wider.

She switched her dagger over to her hand and slid her fingers down the shaft. She put one of her knees on his upper leg to keep him still, before slipping her fingers into the wound. His flesh was warm, his blood making the arrow slippery. Her long fingers reached the end of the shaft and felt the arrowhead embedded in his muscle. Not moving her hand from inside his leg, she gently twisted the shaft of the arrow with her other hand. She was relieved to feel the arrowhead move with the shaft. It wasn't embedded in bone.

She felt the edges of the arrowhead, getting the approximate size and location. Carefully, she grasped the arrow head with her fingers and guided it out, slowly, with the shaft. When the arrow was successfully out of his leg, she put it down and reached for her strips of cloth. She packed the wound with some herbs and padded the puncture wound. She bound the leg in the cloth strips, wrapping it securely and fastening it with her large thorns. She wiped her hands on her ruined shirt that lay next to her, she had switched into a light cloak for her upper half while he was unconscious.

She took the leather out of his mouth and put it away. "You should be alright in a week or so," she said, eyeing her handiwork. "The natural body heals surprisingly fast from these sorts of injuries. With or without magical aid." She stood up and limped toward the barn doors. Her leg was still faulty and couldn't yet hold her weight. She reached the doors and leaned against one of the boards, easing the pressure of her bad leg. She looked outside and crossed her arms, tail flicking back and forth and ears forward. 

Oh, damn her! Damn her over and over! How could she? Is she mad? There were many easier alternatives, but she chose the quick and mediocre solution! That brief moment was a living hell for Silanus, if the piece of leather was there, he would surely scream…. After the arrow was gone, a hole was on the man´s leg…. Really? That is like a torture! Oh well, what is done, is sadly, done… Now, with some pieces of cloth Paradox covered his wound… Well, atleast she did what seemed to be her best… That is something Silanus should be thankful for, he could not have done it for himself… For a short moment, Silanus hated her with all his soul, then, he was thankful, and then, he began to appreciate… Most people would have left him, or even much him, she already had a wound of her own, why would she help Silanus? What would she get? Exactly, nothing…She did it because she wanted, because possibly she felt it was the good thing… Or perhaps it is a centaur´s nature… Who knows…

What did Silanus say? What were his words? Of course, curses… Not against her, against everything else… He cursed the arrow, the wound, the pain and many other things… Some words were even in an orchish language! Now, she left. It seemed that Paradox wanted to breathe some fresh air instead of being inside a dusty, dirty, mossy and old barn… Well, who blames her? Silanus quickly began to think in other things, trying to "ignore" the pain… Well, it did work a little, but now he was not only suffering, but also stressed… HOW WOULD HE GO TO THE CAMP!?

Silanus mumbled to himself some words: "Damn it all… He REALLY needs the goblins… If not, his goal will be a failure, a horrible, sad failure…" The man glared at Paradox and said, thankful, but dissapointed: "Well, thank you for everything, Paradox. You shall not be forgotten by Silanus, oh no, never…" Silanus stopped talking for a brief moment… He looked at his wound, some of the agony he was feeling could be seen through his eyes… After that short second of silence, he continued talking: "But Silanus fears that, since you are not willing to help him in his new journey, he shall go alone. If the Kelonians want it like that, so be it! Who am I to oppose them?"

Silanus grapped his backpack and left it close to his healthy leg… He slowly struggled to get up, of course, he did not… Silanus sighted and began to think: "Now what shall I do to go there? A miracle is needed, the tribe won´t help, the centaur won´t help… Let´s see how this goes…"

Paradox, after looking outside for a few moments, turned back into the barn and limped to her pack. She stumbled briefly, before folding her legs up and lying in her straw nest. She curled up and rested her head on her arms. She sighed to herself, but then went silent and turned an ear when she heard Silanus start speaking again. Goblins again…She folded her ears back and ignored him. She heard his voice change, from pleading to gratitude. She lifted her head up and looked at him. 

"You are Silanus," she said, her eyes level with his. "You are brave, sometimes foolishly so. You are resourceful. You are a soldier. You are a man. You can make your own choices and choose the path that you want for yourself, without the Kelonians governing your life. I felt the same way with my herd, they made the choices for me. Then I realized I could choose my own fate, and be what I wanted to be. So I left, and I'm better off for it. Perhaps you could be the same."

She stopped talking and looked up at the darkening barn then back at the man. She snorted quietly before speaking again. "Killing this orc means a lot to you doesn't it." She stated firmly. "You are in no condition to fight by yourself yet, and if you only have a week, that isn't going to happen, you do realize that." She ran her good hand through her mane and started to undo the braids. She hissed to herself. "I will not have the death of you on my conscious, knowing I could have prevented it. I hope you know that I am really not happy with this idea." She glared at him.

"Pack up your things," she ordered. "We leave at first light." She flopped back down on her pack and closed her eyes. She felt the wind blow over her hindquarters and woke. She straightened upright and dug into her pack. She pulled out a thick wool horse blanket and rolled it into a ball. She eyed the soldier and tensed up her arms. She chucked the heavy blanket over to him, not really caring where it hit. "You can keep yourself warm tonight, Son of Adam." She lied back down and closed her eyes to sleep.

"Great, she is cooperating! The ogre won´t stand a chance." Silanus thought. It was a great thing to hear that Paradox would help him…Even if she was wounded, she was in a better state than him. First light, at the evening, it would not be a problem for Silanus, he is a disciplined man, things like that would not bother him. The centaur gave him a blanket, it was thick, warm enough… The Highlands are one of the coldest places, the wooden floor felt like ice… But it was nothing he could not handle. Let´s just hope that his wound would hurt a little less tomorrow…

Silanus lied on the floor, with the thick blanket covering him. It seemed he stopped bleeding… Silanus closed his eyes and said: "It´s not… Not something you would understand… They, well… The Kelonians are not gods, nor sacred, and not even our ancestors… They, well… They are THE truth… The kelonian ways, their manners of acting, writting, their buildings, their philosophy and their logic… THOSE are the REAL things… But their times are, sadly, gone. Silanus would feel better if he could tell the secrets about the kelonians, but well, at this moment it´s not important… Not for you, atleast." Silanus stopped talking and began to cough, just a little. His throat was dry, and he was thirsty. 

Silanus licked his lips and continued talking: "It´s not easy to live with a curse, you know? A curse that, not even your friends, will be able to help you with… The curse of being stalked, all the clan Silanus is in is cursed, in the same, but different manner… Ugh, it´s just… Hard!" Once again, Silanus stopped speaking. He was already stressed, he opened his eyes and looked around, he seemed to be worried… Most of his life, Silanus, well, not only him, but most of the members of his clan had been carrying a heavy, heavy weight… As time passed, they felt the weight lighter, and lighter… Of course, this is a weight they have, not on their bodies, but on their Souls. This weight was a curse, a curse that happened when their lives almost came to an end… What is the curse? Of course, corrupted valkyries…

Valkyries… Those damn "ladies" are the creatures that claim the souls of the people dead in battle. However, what happens if, someone who was SUPPOSED to die, survives? If the enemy feels mercy, and lets someone live, rather than killing them? The valkyrie that was supposed to carry his soul, gets… Corrupted. Now, this thing will not claim the soul of those that died in battle, but, instead, they will Murder the one whose enemy had mercy… Now, they will hunt it, until one of them dies. This, is what happened to almost every member of the Fratis, the clan where Silanus is in…

Silanus remained in silence for a long time, then, fell asleep. It was a calm night, no sounds, no birds making noises… Only silence, under the bright, silver moonlight. The evening finally came, and the sunlight entered through the holes the barn had…

Paradox had her eyes closed and her limbs curled up into a ball. She looked asleep, but she was actually far from it. She flicked an ear as she heard Silanus speaking. He spoke about his cursed people and she opened her eyes slightly, remembering her own kind. How her own race was, in a sense, cursed. They were part beast and man, and hunted by both if the opportunity arose. Most animals didn't mind Centaurs, regarding them as one of their own. But on occasion, a bear or a wolf pack would attack and take a foal or two if they could. 

Humans were tricky. Some looked at them and saw the human portion, the logic, the reason, the intelligence. These people typically saw themselves as equals with them. Others saw only the animal, impulsive, aggressive, unpredictable. So they hunted the Centaurs just like any other creature and saw them as no different. She hoped Silanus was the other sort, and wasn't just using her for her strength and power. After a while, she allowed sleep to take her.

The night went by quickly and she awoke as the sun was peeking through the boards of the barn. She didn't want to leave yet, but she knew it was time to move on. Besides, she made the man sleeping near her a promise. She lifted her head up and stretched her arms. She yawned and shook her mane. Slowly she stood upright, her hurt leg was stiff and achy, though not nearly as painful as last night. She looked at her wrist and flexed her fingers. Hesitantly, she tried a spell and discovered she still couldn't cast any magic. She sighed, gathered up her bag, and swung it over her shoulder, tying it securely at her waist.

She stepped forward, the straw ruffling quietly from her hooves. She limped up to the sleeping man and nudged him gently with her foot. "Wake up, Silanus." She said softly. "It's time we were off." She grabbed the blanket and made it into a tight roll that she slung over her back and tied to her bag. She straightened and walked to the door, looking back at him attentively. "We have a long way to go and not a long time to get there."

Silanus slowly opened one eye, then the other one. It was at last, time to wake up. This was one gray, cold morning… The sun was completely covered by light, large clouds. The man cleaned his eyes a little bit by scratching them with his hands, oh, he was dirty, his face, legs and arms were covered by dirt, however, as Silanus said yesterday, they had to follow the long river, to find the ogre's cavern; as soon as they find the river, he would clean himself a little.

Silanus said to Paradox: "Oh, wonderful! You kept your promise, yesterday, for a brief moment, Silanus thought you would leave, and leave the poor man alone… What a fool he is, to think something like that!" Silanus tried to stand up, but his damaged leg did not help… So, he held one of Paradox's legs, and slowly stood up… It would have been impossible for him to walk without help, so, he held his left arm on the centaur's lower body. Then, the man whispered: "Thanks…"

Time to go… Ugh, how will Silanus carry all his stuff? He looked at Paradox, he began to think that giving his stuff to her would be helpful… Oh, but it would not feel right, she is already doing too much for him… He thought of hiding his armor and stuff inside the barn, and after they slay the ogre, he would return and take them… Oh, it was not the best plan, but it would be handy…

Silanus was about to tell Paradox about his idea, however, an odd noise stopped him… Something was coming out of the gate… The gateway opened, and two small, young goblins came out of it. They had no armor, and their only weapon was a bronze dagger… What were those two little guys doing here? One of the goblins waved his hand at the man and the centaur, and then he began talking to his companion… Silanus carefully listened at the goblins' speech… He could not believe it… Their language was a little similar to the one that orcs talked!

Silanus knew the basics of the orchish language, after all, he lived in a settlement with them. The goblins were complaining about something… They were… They were punished by their clan. Last night, one of them stole a small obsidian ring, and their clan sent him away from the cave. Since those two are brothers, both of them recieved the punishment… Well, this can be quite helpful… Silanus tried to say something to them in orchish language, oh, they understood!  He was right, orcs and goblins had a similar language! Silanus said, that if they helped him become the chief of the clan, he will allow them to join the clan again… The goblins gladly accepted to carry his stuff, oh, wonderful! Now, the trip can finally start!

Paradox looked down at Silanus as he woke up, glad to see the fever gone from his eyes. She bent down at snorted at him. "I don't back out on my word," she said quietly. She let him grab on of her legs so he could stand upright next to her. She turned an ear back to him as he mumbled to her. She didn't say anything but nodded to him and stood still as he held on to her back for support. She heard a faint squeaking and looked back at the hole in the ground. 

She glared at them and flicked her ears back as two small green heads popped out of the ground. She huffed at them, disapprovingly, and would have walked away from them if Silanus wasn't still holding on to her. She listened as the man switched tongues and started conversing with the two smaller creatures. After a short while, the two goblins walked over and gathered up the soldiers stuff. She growled low in her belly as she looked down at the man. "They are not coming with us," she stated flatly.

Once she realized that she had no choice in the matter, she stepped forward, almost dragging the man along beside her. She limped through the doors, her hand on her knife at her hip. She didn't trust these little creatures that walked along behind her. When they walked towards the front of her, she bent down and snapped at them. She didn't care if she bit them or not. They were nasty little pests and she didn't like them at all. She was only tolerating them because the man at her side needed them.

"So where are we going?" She asked Silanus after they reached the road. She shook her mane and looked down the road. She turned and looked the other way. Fortunately, she couldn't see anyone. She flicked her tail and felt one of the long hairs brush one of the goblin's heads'. She was tempted to kick them but refrained. If they got under her foot, she wouldn't feel much sympathy if they accidentally got stepped on.