In her surprise, she had quickly pulled her hand away and backed off as his eyes shut open. Ilena was immediately taken aback by his large eyes that seemed to pull all attention towards himself. They were of a colour she had never seen before, shining a gentle warmth in the coldness that had surrounded them all. Her amazement turned into what could be described as horror, though it wasn’t exactly that, but rather a strong overpowering feeling of agitation as the child talked and called them both by their names. The boy seemed to be wise beyond his years; what he said was so right… It was maddening, how he seemed to be able to so easily read her and the course her actions would take if one thing was to be done. This boy’s gaze froze her on the spot; she could do nothing but stare back in those eyes. Her safety. Again, someone started about her being safe and all. What was it with people trying to keep her safe today? Had the world gone mad? Was this all really a dream? The girl’s mind was spinning around, nothing seemed to make sense. This kid who was half-dying in what were simply moments ago, was now requesting her to do something. Ilena had to admit, she was very curious as to what that particular thing could be. Though a rather creepy saying suddenly swept through her mind; ‘Curiosity killed the cat’. Although she indeed was very curious, she refused to immediately agree to do something for a stranger. Even though the girl fully realized this was one of her weak spots. The pouty face this boy made absolutely did not help in her attempt to resist the request. However, rationality took over again; who knows what it could be? And, besides, all the strange things that had happened today made it more likely that this boy, somehow, could have a role in whatever ‘all this’ might be. She had to watch out. “What the hell…”, Ilena managed to utter out, glancing backwards towards Skill as she stepped closer to him “Who are you?” Why was nothing making sense! It was truly maddening. Everything that had happened today simply had to have a connection; otherwise she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to retain her sanity. Not that she was completely sane to start with, but all these events might push her over the limits that are the human mind. After all, don’t they lock up people who claim to have experienced things alike to the events she was experiencing right now? The girl shivered at the thought of that. No, she truly hoped this was real. And that she wasn’t going to end up crazy. Though Ilena guessed that seeing as she already was nuts, it wouldn’t matter to become a little more insane. She focused on the boy again, “I suppose you are going to tell me first what it is you expect me to do and why?” Although her voice sounded questioning, it obviously was demanded with the prospect of receiving an answer and nothing less. The amount of authority with which this young boy was able to speak didn’t matter; f he expected she would simply do as he said, he was wrong.

"Oh, Ilena," that little voice accompanied the little hand which was still stretched out, still waiting for acceptance, "Were that this was a dream, but it is not. Have you then this assurance, you are not mad, but rather I am." And for a moment, if only that, the brightness in the eyes faded into a dark oblivion, like the moon eclipsing the blood-red fire of a setting sun. The fringes of his very form seemed to fold and curl as though he were a piece of parchment and the same flames licked and caressed him. Long, dark hair, dark clothing, pale skin, sharp teeth that lay behind thin lips, claw like hands, and an air of darkness all passed by so quickly that they too might have been just a phantasm. Then stood there still that little child as if he was still saying words that never touched the chill night air, "This is who I am."

"You have asked many questions this night. Until now, I would have not graced you with an answer, but fate would have a different course, and I am bound to that master if none else," Such a small voice talking about fate as though he knew the entity personally did seem quite absurd, but so sure was he in everything he said that one could not feign even disbelief. A step brought him towards the young woman, this strange child cast like a figure made of ice in the pale moonlight. "Take then my hand, and I will show you the answers. Should they be to you no more than undesirable, I will accept that and return you to what you were," as if grasping through some thick mire, the last saving grace, that hand was extended towards her.

A quick glance cast over the shoulder, as if he were waiting for something or afraid perhaps... But of what? Then his eyes returned to hers and a reflection of the pale, blue moon cast a dark shadow over the golden irises, likened indeed to an eclipse, a passing of time. The night drawing itself ever to a close. Did this creature really fear the light of day? So weak had he been, maybe that was cause to fear, weakness, but when night brought life again? There was in those eyes a pleading. "Say yes," they seemed to beg, "Oh, please, say yes." Sorrow, fear, wonder, they were all bound in those yellow lanterns. His eyebrows drew together ever so slightly and his facial muscles were pulled taut. It was a frown of worry. Delicate little fingers curled in the night. A ghostly breath was exhaled, it even caused a cloud of steam in the chill, and his small jaw began to quiver and chatter in the onslaught of cold. His other hand clenched into a little hist and seemed to be trying to press the warmth that it had caught in its pitiful grasp back into the small frame.

"Quickly," he said almost desperately, "I will explain what you have requested of me, but we must go now, please." His voice almost broke with the strain put on it. It was as if the wait of the world itself lay upon this moment and that choice. "Take the hand," nature itself seemed to be screaming out, "Take it!" Once again it was thrust forward, a little bit closer. And the boy nodded, his light brown hair shaking slightly in its tangled manner. Innocence, encouragement, everything about him was indicative of safety, of calling, of summoning... "Come," his voice was no more than a whisper.

The girl felt completely exposed, small even, as he liberally, and without a doubt absolutely not by accident, voiced her thoughts. She honestly did not know what to think about this, except perhaps sheer amazement for this child. An icy wind, appearing out of nowhere, stole away the warmth that the boy’s amber eyes so generously bathed her in as it violently disheveled her clothes and blonde tresses. Ilena shivered, quickly hugging herself when the piercing cold, harshly brought by that sudden breeze, seemed to chill her to the bone. Her hands harshly stroked her arms, trying to get a bit warmer though not exactly succeeding at the attempt. At that moment, as if a lightning had struck, the boy’s form momentarily changed into that of a much taller, intimidating person. Who possessed peculiarly familiar intense dark eyes. Her own blue ones widened in utter surprise as it happened, the truth that this image, no, not image, but rather revelation, bared to the young woman was a lot more than simply terrifying and thrilling at once. It immediately vanished again before she could really distinguish who this person was, leaving her frozen on her spot before the small boy as if it was nothing but merely the appearing ghost of a memory…

Though the boy did not seem to be taken aback by surprise or to have noticed his own swift transformation at all. Ilena quickly shook her head, closing her eyes in a small attempt at getting some grip at what she had seen just now. A slight attack of dizziness assaulted her mind and body as her brain tried to fathom what had happened in merely fractions of an instance. As the boy -or man, she mentally added- spoke further, pleaded further, certain things slowly started to make a little more sense than before. The power, the incredible lure his gaze had, so easily demanding nothing less than all of her attention for himself, strangely resembled that of another particular person she had met not too long ago. Then there was the way he held himself. A delicate pale hand traveled up her cheek, to slightly massage her temples as a new wave of dizziness and a headache hit her, making her waver slightly on her legs. Could it be? Could it be true that this gentle young boy, who pleadingly stared at her with those unique golden eyes that effortlessly engulfed her with their warmth and invitation, his petite hand still desperately held out for her to accept, in fact was another person? Another person of whom she didn’t think they would meet again, on top of that. How was it possible that someone who obviously possessed this much power could need someone like her? No, a little voice in the back exclaimed, this was enormously ridiculous. She herself was acting ridiculous, her mind scornfully lectured itself. The girl indubitably simply was seeing things.

Still, as her questioning gaze focused on that strange boy again, she could not help but be intrigued by the sincerity of his beseeching. “I…”, she leisurely said, or perhaps muttered, for the first time since he asked her to come with him, her silent tone sounding unsure and hesitant as it trailed off through the heavy presence of night that seemed to have tangled itself through the air. Her pale features distorted in doubt and distrust as she was put before this dilemma. Ilena pensively bit her lower lip, moving her arms and legs a little to somehow get some warmth in this chilly night. Joining a stranger in whatever thing he might be doing without knowing exactly what your part is in that particular something that needs to be done certainly wasn’t a smart move according to her opinion. She shifted her form, slightly advancing a tad closer to the brown haired boy and couldn’t help but be caught up in his eyes again. Yet, she mentally continued to herself, would it truly hurt? After all, he did promise to answer all her questions. This was something she valued highly, as she suspected he probably knew one way or another. The young woman had the feeling this was one of those things that happened once in a lifetime. How could she possibly reject an offer like this; a chance at adventure? Everything she had asked for, a small drop of excitement in her life, lay ready for her to take.

Her form stood rigid and proud as she determined took another step forwards, closing the distance between herself and the boy some more. A small breath, forming a little cloud of vapor in the air, escaped her lips as her figure slightly relaxed a bit. Her hand brushed some wandering strands of hair away from her face. Doubt still misted her eyes as she parted her lips, ready to give an answer. “I will… I shall come with you”, Ilena found herself whispering back, her soft voice only audible to the young boy. Once she had uttered these few words, a new feeling made its appearance inside herself. She would do it; without a single doubt, without a single thought of regret. The young woman slowly stretched her hand; somehow slightly being pushed forward, perhaps supported, by the gentle force of her own words, and carefully laid it in the boy’s delicately extended one.

A smile, a touch of cold fingers, a swirling black, the colors fading, and then the world stopped spinning. The boy still grasped her hand tightly, Skill was still the same distance away, still in the same posture and position he had been a moment before. Nothing at all had changed, except for the location that three now stood in. They were in a small room, a cozy sort of place. The was a massive hearth in which burned a magnificent fire. The stone walls supported bookcases which stretched to the ceiling, which was just too far away to touch if you jumped. Before the fire were set up two, high-backed arm-chairs with obviously old upholstery. A carpet lay beneath the chairs and a table rested between them. The only other significant feature was the large wooden door which hung open to reveal a dark hall with an arched ceiling hanging above it.

The child was still smiling quite warmly and holding her hand when he pulled her away, towards one of the chairs, with the might of a young lad and the gentleness of one who handled a delicate flower. "Please, sit," he was like a warm and excited host, in fact, that is exactly what he was. "Do you mind the smoke of a pipe? Antony does so enjoy a good smoke, and I would not grieve him that after the terrible day he has been put through, yet you are the guest and if it would inconvenience you?" One might have noticed the pipe and tobacco resting upon the little table along side a little, hard-covered book of a green hue. "And would you have something to drink, or eat? You have had as rough a time as any, and I would not allow a guest of mine to suffer for a single second," how he did chatter on in his own way, and how the fire did dance across his yellow eyes, making them shine with the flickering reflection.

The whole place smelled of a sort of dusty must and the residue of a sweet smelling smoke clung, but more overpowering than these was the smell of the wood burning in the fire, pine logs perhaps... It was all dark except for the fire and no sign of electricity or an electrically powered device anywhere about the room or even the hall without. It did all leave an impression of such a medieval nature, and yet it was as cozy as that memory of home that everyone does seem to have.

And he was still holding her hand...

Ilena gazed back at the boy for an instance, then gently let her hand fall out of his grasp as she carefully went to sit on the chair, slightly glancing around to take in all the rarities the room seemed to contain; there were all kinds of things she had never seen in real before. “Oh, I certainly don’t mind the smoke”, she answered, eyeing him slightly nervous, seeing as in fact, like he suggested, she also was really hungry. It had been a long time since Ilena had eaten or drunk something, and although that nagging feeling was something she had gotten more or less used to over the years, it was anything but enjoyable. However, she did not want to force anything just because she felt a bit hungry. Or a lot. “Well... If it does not bother you, something small would be nice.” Her lips faintly parted in amazement as she observed the warm and inviting room, a small content smile gracing her lips, never before had she seen or been in a place such as this one. There was an ocean of difference between this incredibly welcoming chamber and the kind of things she was used to. It gave her a pleasant feeling inside, the coziness this place held. She had to admit though, it unquestionably was an understatement to say that she was unbelievably curious for the answers, in whatever trend those might be, he had promised to give her.