Chapter 4. Painful Vow

orisedd let fly a final arrow which pierced the charr warrior in the armpit as it raised its axe.  He lowered his bow, not bothering to ensure that his aim had been true for the death rattle of the creature told him everything he needed to know. Its malevolent heart was pierced.  Ten paces off it staggered and fell in a cloud of red dust.  He strode casually past the singed corpses that were Uriel’s hallmark and retrieved what he could of his red fletched arrows.  It annoyed him that the flashy mesmer fop had easily taken out the charr shaman.

His gut clenched with anger as he glanced back at Pendaran.  Morisedd watched his chances with Uriel diminishing by the moment as the pretty boy flirted with the woman he loved.  Even now, Pendaran was making them laugh as he predictably drew a shiny gold coin from Lemony’s blushing ear and walked it lightly across his knuckles.

“So I’m ugly,” he thought, “but at least I don’t play with women’s hearts like that coin.”

Brooding, he wiped the gore from his retrieved arrows on the russet fur of the charr corpses before stashing them back in his quiver.

“He probably has a woman in every town,” he fumed.

And to his further annoyance he realized he was jealous of that fact.

“Not as noble as you thought,” he chided himself, his gray eyes falling upon Uriel as she laughed at Pendaran’s antics.  He had performed a stunning flip and was now dancing, his feet moving so fast they were a blur of black and purple.  Uriel’s black hair fell around her shoulders like a deep forest pool shimmering with sunlight as she clapped in delight.  He could not remember the last time she had laughed and its sound was both a blessing and a curse.

Morisedd reflected bitterly that he did not need to wonder what she saw in Pendaran.  He was not attracted to men, but even he had to acknowledge that the mesmer possessed a raw masculine force that put everything else around him on notice.  The ranger hated him for it.  And he hated himself for his own pettiness.

“We’d better be moving on,” he announced.  He was the scout and, therefore, the leader of the party.  But he knew as well as everyone else that it was Uriel around which the sun and moon revolved.  Everyone loved Uriel. 

They moved on, the rugged terrain hardly producing a sweat as the sun climbed toward its noontide perch.  Pendaran was gracefully slinking along beside him, his sharp green eyes scanning the ruined landscape. Morisedd wondered what he was doing so far away from the women.

“When will we reach Grendich, Master Morisedd?” Pendaran asked, his warm voice oozing friendliness.

“Just before sunset if we keep up this pace,” Morisedd replied, unable to dull the anger in his voice.

“You do not like me very much,” Pendaran said mildly.  It was clear he did not really care what Morisedd thought.  The ranger, however, was overcome with rage and resentment and it seethed from his lips.

“No, I don’t.  You’re little more than an animal in fancy dress.  You hurt either one of them and I’ll make it my life’s ambition to hunt you down and kill you.”

To Morisedd’s surprise and further annoyance, Pendaran merely tutted and laughed.

“I do believe I have never heard it put so succinctly before,” he mused, “I will have you know, Sir, half the petty nobles of Tyria would like to see my head on a pike.”

Morisedd burned with rage, but did not reply, ignoring the mesmer as he quickened his pace.

“You know, it would do you some good to spend less time alone in the wilderness,” Pendaran continued airily, “There is a rather fine brothel in Lion’s Arch.”

“Is that so?” Morisedd growled, “I rather thought it might do you some good to spend some time alone in the wilderness.  I can think of several creatures that would be happy to meet you over supper.”

Pendaran burst out laughing, its sound jarring Morisedd’s composure.  He wanted to punch the pretty little fop in the teeth.

“Go back where you are wanted.”

“Adieu, Sir,” Pendaran cooed, bowing quickly before fluttering away like an exotic bird.

Morisedd narrowed his eyes, trying to focus on the task at hand.  He knew from long experience that the gully they were heading toward was often thick with charr and he did not plan on meeting them all at once.  Not that they were in much danger with Uriel’s considerable mastery of fire.

He hardly noticed that she had come to his side until she tugged on his hand and clasped it.  He pulled away, furious with her.  What was she playing at?  He was not some toy she could just discard at her convenience.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured.

“Why him?” he snarled, biting his lip.

“Five times!  Five loud, annoying times with my beloved Uriel.  I’ll skin him alive.”

“He suits my purposes. You’ll just have to trust me,” she said coldly in a voice that he had learned not to question. 

“If he hurts you in any way…”

“Then you have my permission to do with him as you wish,” Uriel said sharply, cutting him off.  Her face was dark with anger and he read in her backward glance a great disdain for the mesmer.  She had once confided in him that she hated men, regarded them as little more than animals.  Of course she was also careful to exclude him from that category despite the fact that she never invited him into her bed.  No, she preferred random scum, using them and discarding them like dirty clothing.

“Why do you…”

“…Don’t ask me,” she interrupted, her dark eyes strained with something resembling sadness, “You vowed that you would never ask, so keep your word and be silent.”

Morisedd blushed, turning his face from her so that she could not see the hurt her words caused him. 

“I love you, Morisedd,” she said quietly, “more than you will ever know.”

Biting his lip against pain, he saw tears coursing down her olive cheeks.  He wanted to yell at her for all the anguish she caused him and yet he loved her, had always loved her. Until Orr, he never imagined doubting their bond.  He had once believed they were destined always to walk together upon the path of life. Once.

When he did not respond to her words, she slowed her pace, fighting to regain her composure. 

“I love you, too, but it hurts too much.  I cannot go on like this.”