14 May I know who you are?

Astrid swings her arm again and stops mid way when she heard that voice...

"I see you've woken up".

She quickly turns her head to the direction of the voice.

"You're in the wrong territory... ".

"Umm, you saved me". She said while thinking.

"What are you doing here human?".

"Huh... "

"He just called me human. Does it mean? My eyes are... " she thought to herself.

"What colours are my eyes?" She asked him, not so sure herself.

"Black".

"You're sure?".

"Yes".

She sighs, "Seems using so much magic in just some hours really drained the energy out of me and returned me to how I was. Perfect, he doesn't know. Wait who is he by the way?" She thought to herself again while making a thinking face.

He just stares at her, not so sure of what's going on in her mind.

"Thank you for saving my life... huhh... " she thanked him but not knowing his name, she expected he'd get the clue with her pause and tell her, but he didn't.

She sighs again, "where did he come from? Can't he introduce himself?. Hmm you're one to nag, you haven't introduced yourself yet" she mentally scolded herself.

"May I know who you are?" She asked him.

"No".

"How can he... arrrggghh so blunt outright rude" she said in her head.

"Its only natural for me to know the name of my saviour".

"No need. But on the other hand, I'd like to know who you are and what you are doing here across the border, considering you are in the wrong territory and how did you get poisoned?" He just kept on pouring the questions.

She didn't answer him and just kept quiet staring at the ground.

After some minutes of silence, he got up and made to leave. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to".

"Where are you going?" She called out to him.

"Somewhere, well you are okay now, so I don't need to tend to you".

"Thank you for saving me. How long was I out for?"

"A day and a half" he replied her gently.

"What? A day and a half? Ohh no".

"You were poisoned, if I hadn't seen you and treated you in time, you'd have been a goner".

"Whoa, I recall waking up and trying to get up but you forced me to sleep back".

"You were in no condition to move or get up. The poison still had some traces in your body. You needed to be asleep while I removed it".

"What poison was... "

"It was the deadly Nightshade poison from the Nightshade plant Atropa Belladonna".

"Hmmm, well please accept my thanks mister".

All the while he still wore his cloak and had the hood on very low, with his face barely visible.

"Take care" he said and left.

"Hey wait up" she gets up, pick her bag and things and hurried after him.

She kept on chasing him, trying to catch him, "He just loves making me suffer huh" she thought to herself.

"Hey mister. Please wait. Do you have a second?" He stops and turns to face her.

"There, a second" he turns again and kept on walking fast.

"Huh.. Wait, not fair. I mean can you spare me some of your time?".

"No"

"Why?"

"Busy".

"Alright, ten minutes".

"No"

"Okay five please" he turns yo face her.

"One, two, three, four, five" he turned again and continued walking.

"Really? What was that? I meant five minutes not for you to count".

"Okay, what is it?".

"Finally! "

"That's it? "

"No, just wait please".

"How do I get to the Valley of lost souls? " he stops and looks at her.

"Okay, how do I leave here, I know I'm in the kingdom of the Elves. So please can you direct me? "

"You're going where?"

"The valley of lost souls ".

"I know"

"Then why did you ask again? "

"Gee, where did this girl come from?" he thought to himself. "It was a rhetoric question, what are you heading there? "

She didn't answer, "Why aren't you speaking all of a sudden?".

"You said it was a rhetoric question".

He face palmed himself, "was this girl daft or what?" He thought to himself.

"What?"

"The first was the rhetorical question, but the second was not".

"Ohh, sorry, but why do you want to know?".

"Nothing, you can go for all I care and get lost".

"Are you sure?".

"Yes bye".

"You haven't told the road out of here".

"Hmm, walk down that path behind you, you would see two paths, follow the one by your left, then right, then left and... "

"Right again and left and right again" she said cutting him short. He just stared blankly at her.

"Oh sorry, that's not it".

"Yes it is, so you can leave. Bye" before she could say another word, he had jumped far and disappeared without a trace.

"Wow, so I got it. I'm impressive".

She giggles and starts her journey.