Night Navigator
69th Ymiden 719
CHAPTER THREE
Continues from here During Ashling's sleepy dip into meditation and praying to Myrkvior the Stormlight Amulet she had been holding in her hand had come alive with a mysterious power. That power had run through her like she was a channel for it. It had hit her stormtouched patient Nathon and he had run away. Now, she was alone in a small park in Fensalir. The stormtouched hadn't answered when she had called for him. As it was night it was dark. Nathon, being a stormtouched with eagle-owl traits had excellent night vision and so, he had led the way to the park. Now, when he was gone, she would have to find her way on her own ...
That was, however, her least important problem. The major crisis was that she was a healer who might have harmed her patient. Not only that. She didn't know where he had gone. Worse, she couldn't examine him to investigate if the amulet had damaged him. All she could do was call for him and try to find him. It could turn out to be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Like herself, Nathon was born and raised in Fensalir. If he wanted to hide he would hide. There were always those secret places form people's childhood which nobody else knew about. His memory loss hadn't included the way to the part, a childhood playground of his. He could very well recall more places from the past.
So, the navigation in the darkness of the night wasn't her most important problem but it was her first problem. She had to find her way from this park to streets she was more familiar with. It would still have to be smaller streets without lanterns. Nathon would want to stay in the darkness due to his light intolerant red owl-eyes. It wouldn't be a good idea to "search under the lanterns" ...
Ashling braced herself for the job she was facing and had to get done. She must find her way in less familiar parts of Fensalir at night, find Nathon and find him before he got himself in trouble. If he would already be in trouble she must get him out of it. Then, she must make him agree to an instant examination of potential injuries and answer questions about what the amulet had done to him.
None of these many unexpected tasks seemed simple. All of them were necessary.
”Nathon?” Ashling kept calling the stormtouched’s name, but not in a loud voice.
He didn’t answer.
She walked at a slow pace in favour of better navigation. To run or even to rush her steps was a sure way to miss landmarks in the darkness and get lost. She didn’t need that on top of all the other things she had to solve. It was better to take her time and ensure that the landmarks she found were the right landmarks. As a result, her progress was slow. She also took the wrong direction several times. When expected landmarks didn’t appear she went back to the previous point she had made sure was correct. From there she made a new attempt to find the right route.
It was a time-consuming procedure.
She figured it would be a mission impossible for people to hunt Nathon down in the streets of Fensalir at night. It made her think that he could have become a perfect criminal. But, no, he wouldn't. He was a Ydalir ranger “off duty ” and a stormtouched with owl eyes that shone like big red lamps in the darkness. The eyes would reveal him. Besides, she didn't know how she could even think of this. He was a law-abiding and very dutiful man although with owl traits.
This thought should have calmed her down, but it didn’t. It was also easy to imagine Nathon intervene against a crime. She could see him “swoop” down on potential criminals ... and get in trouble if they were more than one and armed. There were other risks to worry about too. Street brawls weren’t so common in Fensalir but when they happened it was often at night.
It was essential to keep calm, but her worry for her runaway patient increased with every step she took.
Don’t think. Focus on finding him. Save him first, think afterwards.
Thinking of all the risks she missed a landmark and so, she had to go back in her tracks. While she figured out what the right direction was, she told herself to pay attention. She couldn't afford to get lost in her thoughts again. Getting distracted was counterproductive to finding the way.
“Nathon!” she called out again, feeling like a fool for doing so.
By now, he could be anywhere. She knew that even though she wasn’t searching under the lanterns, she was doing a very similar thing. She kept looking for her patient in the streets where she happened to be at the moment. It was stupid. Still, she hoped that she would happen to stumble over the stormtouched if she ... continued forward.
But. The city was big. It was also integrated into the forest. This meant that there were many back routes, narrow alleys and paths between the trees. In the daytime it was lovely. In the night it was a labyrinth. People used to bring lanterns with them if they had to go somewhere at night. But, as Nahton hated the light and also was a top navigator in the darkness she had no lantern. A bad mistake. She ought to have brought one, in case she would need it. Why had she not foreseen that this situation could happen? Why had she taken it for granted that Nathon would stay with his healer as a patient should?
By Myrkvior, why had she trusted an owl?
It was an unfair thought. The man had never asked her to trust him. She was the one who had demanded that he must trust her, as she was the healer and he was the patient. But instead, Ashling and her amulet had caused whatever had happened to Nathon in the park. She still felt a bit angry at him but she also felt bad for feeling angry at an injured patient.
Now, Ashling made her first acquaintance with some of the very few criminals in Fensalir. It was a couple of burglars from the ill-reputed Fenmoor. They were trying to break into a workshop when Ashling came walking around the corner.
Her troubles were about to rise to new heights.
A witness. The boys from Fenmoor didn’t want anybody to call for the Ydalir to come and catch them. They even preferred corpses over living witnesses. Their reaction to the Ashling’s sudden appearance was to grab their weapons and advance. They didn’t say anything, but their intent was obvious. If Ashling hadn’t had her inner spiritual familiar to warn her and send her running for her life it could have ended there.
And run she did. The burglars were two against one and they were armed. Her only option was to run as fast as she could and try to shake them off in the dark maze of streets. Ashling had an advantage because she had already done so much navigation this night. Her eyes had adapted a bit to the darkness and she had fresh memories of the landmarks she already had found. Se could hear the footfalls of the criminals behind her as they gave chase. But, she could also hear them run into trees and other obstacles and she could hear them swear. Between those crashes, the two crooks were fast runners though. Ashling was under the impression that they were coming closer. It felt like they would soon catch up.
Taking a known route had saved her for the moment. But, it had also brought her back to the park where she had been sitting with Nathon. All her efforts to leave the place had come to nothing. The advantage of knowing the way was over. She could run in a new direction but her brain was working at high speed now and she realized that it would be a bad idea. Her best option would be to hide.
Climb up in a tree. That was a good idea of Kyrie! Even if the criminals would find her despite the darkness and the foliage she would at least be out of range for swords. Arrows and thrown knives ... she didn’t even want to think of it. Ashling ran straight to a big gnarled tree and climbed up as fast as she could. She didn’t get particularly far but was at least above the lowest branches. There was no time to climb higher up because the persecutors were entering the park. She leaned into the trunk and hoped that her shape would blend in with trees uneven form.
Now, when she didn’t move any more, her heartbeat felt almost painful.
That was, however, her least important problem. The major crisis was that she was a healer who might have harmed her patient. Not only that. She didn't know where he had gone. Worse, she couldn't examine him to investigate if the amulet had damaged him. All she could do was call for him and try to find him. It could turn out to be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Like herself, Nathon was born and raised in Fensalir. If he wanted to hide he would hide. There were always those secret places form people's childhood which nobody else knew about. His memory loss hadn't included the way to the part, a childhood playground of his. He could very well recall more places from the past.
So, the navigation in the darkness of the night wasn't her most important problem but it was her first problem. She had to find her way from this park to streets she was more familiar with. It would still have to be smaller streets without lanterns. Nathon would want to stay in the darkness due to his light intolerant red owl-eyes. It wouldn't be a good idea to "search under the lanterns" ...
Ashling braced herself for the job she was facing and had to get done. She must find her way in less familiar parts of Fensalir at night, find Nathon and find him before he got himself in trouble. If he would already be in trouble she must get him out of it. Then, she must make him agree to an instant examination of potential injuries and answer questions about what the amulet had done to him.
None of these many unexpected tasks seemed simple. All of them were necessary.
”Nathon?” Ashling kept calling the stormtouched’s name, but not in a loud voice.
He didn’t answer.
She walked at a slow pace in favour of better navigation. To run or even to rush her steps was a sure way to miss landmarks in the darkness and get lost. She didn’t need that on top of all the other things she had to solve. It was better to take her time and ensure that the landmarks she found were the right landmarks. As a result, her progress was slow. She also took the wrong direction several times. When expected landmarks didn’t appear she went back to the previous point she had made sure was correct. From there she made a new attempt to find the right route.
It was a time-consuming procedure.
She figured it would be a mission impossible for people to hunt Nathon down in the streets of Fensalir at night. It made her think that he could have become a perfect criminal. But, no, he wouldn't. He was a Ydalir ranger “off duty ” and a stormtouched with owl eyes that shone like big red lamps in the darkness. The eyes would reveal him. Besides, she didn't know how she could even think of this. He was a law-abiding and very dutiful man although with owl traits.
This thought should have calmed her down, but it didn’t. It was also easy to imagine Nathon intervene against a crime. She could see him “swoop” down on potential criminals ... and get in trouble if they were more than one and armed. There were other risks to worry about too. Street brawls weren’t so common in Fensalir but when they happened it was often at night.
It was essential to keep calm, but her worry for her runaway patient increased with every step she took.
Don’t think. Focus on finding him. Save him first, think afterwards.
Thinking of all the risks she missed a landmark and so, she had to go back in her tracks. While she figured out what the right direction was, she told herself to pay attention. She couldn't afford to get lost in her thoughts again. Getting distracted was counterproductive to finding the way.
“Nathon!” she called out again, feeling like a fool for doing so.
By now, he could be anywhere. She knew that even though she wasn’t searching under the lanterns, she was doing a very similar thing. She kept looking for her patient in the streets where she happened to be at the moment. It was stupid. Still, she hoped that she would happen to stumble over the stormtouched if she ... continued forward.
But. The city was big. It was also integrated into the forest. This meant that there were many back routes, narrow alleys and paths between the trees. In the daytime it was lovely. In the night it was a labyrinth. People used to bring lanterns with them if they had to go somewhere at night. But, as Nahton hated the light and also was a top navigator in the darkness she had no lantern. A bad mistake. She ought to have brought one, in case she would need it. Why had she not foreseen that this situation could happen? Why had she taken it for granted that Nathon would stay with his healer as a patient should?
By Myrkvior, why had she trusted an owl?
It was an unfair thought. The man had never asked her to trust him. She was the one who had demanded that he must trust her, as she was the healer and he was the patient. But instead, Ashling and her amulet had caused whatever had happened to Nathon in the park. She still felt a bit angry at him but she also felt bad for feeling angry at an injured patient.
Now, Ashling made her first acquaintance with some of the very few criminals in Fensalir. It was a couple of burglars from the ill-reputed Fenmoor. They were trying to break into a workshop when Ashling came walking around the corner.
Her troubles were about to rise to new heights.
A witness. The boys from Fenmoor didn’t want anybody to call for the Ydalir to come and catch them. They even preferred corpses over living witnesses. Their reaction to the Ashling’s sudden appearance was to grab their weapons and advance. They didn’t say anything, but their intent was obvious. If Ashling hadn’t had her inner spiritual familiar to warn her and send her running for her life it could have ended there.
Killers! Run! Run! Run!
And run she did. The burglars were two against one and they were armed. Her only option was to run as fast as she could and try to shake them off in the dark maze of streets. Ashling had an advantage because she had already done so much navigation this night. Her eyes had adapted a bit to the darkness and she had fresh memories of the landmarks she already had found. Se could hear the footfalls of the criminals behind her as they gave chase. But, she could also hear them run into trees and other obstacles and she could hear them swear. Between those crashes, the two crooks were fast runners though. Ashling was under the impression that they were coming closer. It felt like they would soon catch up.
Taking a known route had saved her for the moment. But, it had also brought her back to the park where she had been sitting with Nathon. All her efforts to leave the place had come to nothing. The advantage of knowing the way was over. She could run in a new direction but her brain was working at high speed now and she realized that it would be a bad idea. Her best option would be to hide.
Climb.
Climb up in a tree. That was a good idea of Kyrie! Even if the criminals would find her despite the darkness and the foliage she would at least be out of range for swords. Arrows and thrown knives ... she didn’t even want to think of it. Ashling ran straight to a big gnarled tree and climbed up as fast as she could. She didn’t get particularly far but was at least above the lowest branches. There was no time to climb higher up because the persecutors were entering the park. She leaned into the trunk and hoped that her shape would blend in with trees uneven form.
Now, when she didn’t move any more, her heartbeat felt almost painful.
Continues here
