Chapter the Twenty-Third

He was blind.
Even five long days afterwards Baeddan still huddled in his cell, unbelieving. Every time he awoke in the morning, he opened his eyes and blinked, just making sure that it was true. It was so hard to face. There was no use trying to escape anymore, for he could only hear and feel what he was doing, and that surely couldn’t be enough.
Two thoughts haunted him all this time: One was if perhaps Nasia, the fairy he had painted, actually existed, and the rather selfish thought of if she could heal his eyes. This made the pit of his stomach jolt with a nauseating mixture of immense hope and guilt.
Number two was what if Iraella came? He knew her well, and he knew that she would try to find him, no matter how much he tried to push away these thoughts. He had no ways of warning her not to come, and it was torture.
Baeddan shifted uncomfortably on the stone floor, re-wrapping his arms around his knees even though it only made him hotter in the stuffy room.
Then he heard voices. Heartbreakingly familiar voices.
Baeddan jumped up and desperately stuck his hands out in front of him to feel for the concrete door. “STOP, STOP!” he bellowed, hoping that she and whoever else was with her would leave. He pressed first his hands then his ear to the filthy door.
“Baeddan? Baeddan? Where are—Barden, let GO of me!” though Baeddan felt guilty for it, he loved to hear Iraella’s familiar voice again. Footsteps ran up to his door.
“I’m in here,” croaked Baeddan. He was so sad and yet so happy.
“Oh, are you alright?” asked Iraella’s concerned voice.
“Mmm—hmm,” mumbled Baeddan. He couldn’t possibly repeat it.
“Baeddan, are you alright?” Iraella asked again more sternly as more footsteps approached.
“Yes, okay! Now leave, leave before the Zerhze get you too!” snapped Baeddan.
“So that’s what they’re called,” murmured Iraella.
“That’s not the point, Iraella! Get going!” Baeddan groaned, pounding his fist on the wall in exasperation.
“No.”
“Leave!”
“No! Not without you, anyway. Mabon, will you go get those keys?”
“Sure,” said a thick, throaty man’s voice. Baeddan heard more footsteps running across the isle.
“We’ll be getting you out of here,” said Iraella.
Baeddan sighed. He supposed he would just have to accept it.
“Hand me the keys!” said Iraella’s voice urgently. “I think I heard something!”
“No, you said tha’ I could come all the way and help!” said the man’s voice with a Bellordian accent.
“Ugh, Mabon!” Baeddan heard some jingling of keys and frustrated groans, and within seconds he felt the door leave his cheek and hands. He stumbled forward and caught his balance just before he fell.
He looked around him, wondering which face was Iraella’s. “Where are you?” asked Baeddan, color rising to his cheeks.
Gentle fingers tapped him on the shoulder, and he wheeled around to face her. “Baeddan, can you see me?” Iraella asked, her hand remaining on his shoulder, as if to make sure that he wouldn't run away. He imagined the look on her face when she asked him urgent questions like this. Her green eyes would pour into his, her brow would crease in the center of her forehead, and her lips would purse slightly. Baeddan swallowed. “No.”
Before he knew what was happening, Iraella’s arms were flung around his neck and she was shaking with sobs into his shoulder. Baeddan uncertainly patted her back.
“It’s alright, really,” he said. Iraella removed her arms from around his neck, and Baeddan could still hear her sniffing.
“Iraella, I heard something. We have to go,” hissed an unfamiliar voice.
“Okay, Barden. Come on, Bae!” Iraella grasped Baeddan’s hand and started running, dragging Baeddan along. He didn’t know where they were going, but he was finding it difficult to believe that once they were there, he wouldn’t see the sunshine.

He was blind. Her best friend ever was blind. Those lines kept on running through Iraella’s head as she dragged Baeddan along behind her. The prison was made solely of concrete and metal bars. It was hard to tell which door was which and where it led to. Iraella stopped and Baeddan barely stopped in time not to run into her, and she looked frantically around.
“Barden, Mabon, which door did we come out of?” she whispered.
Barden shrugged calmly, but Iraella could clearly see his eyes portraying fear. Mabon looked frantically with her, and then pointed to a solid gray door with a dirty metal knob. “Yes, that looks right,” Iraella thought hopefully.
“Come on, Baeddan,” she said, glancing quickly behind her. It was hard to look into his eyes now. It was as if glass had shattered over the clear hazel that she knew so well.
She ran, Barden and Mabon scarcely ahead of her. Mabon lunged desperately for the door and grasped the knob, stumbling out into dimming light. Tall piney trees surrounded them. They ran for a short distance after that, then collapsed against a nearby tree, laughing, Iraella still grasping Baeddan’s hand as if that would prevent the Zerhze from ever taking him again.
“Yes!” Iraella cried aloud. She could have sung with joy, but Barden hushed her up.
“We have to keep going,” said Baeddan, and Iraella turned around, not looking him full in the face. Instead, she looked past the side of his head. Iraella nodded, then remembered that he couldn’t see her. “Yes, yes you’re right,” she agreed. She turned to the other two.
“Where should we—Oh no.” Her heart pounded its way up into her throat, for emerging from the tall thickets of brambles and trees were eight black, leathery and horrible creatures. And they looked angry.
Her grip tightened on Baeddan’s hand as they all backed away quickly. She glanced at Barden, whose eyes were wide with shock and horror, then at Mabon who had his jaw dropped.
“Run!” Iraella hissed. And they did. They ran faster than they had ever run before.
“Baeddan, are you okay? Do you need more help?” Iraella kept asking repeatedly when Baeddan would stumble and trip.
“No, I’m fine!” was always his answer.
Iraella continued to glance continuously behind her, to check if the Zerhze were still there. They were. They seemed to be enjoying themselves now, watching their terror.
Breathing hard, Iraella looked ahead and saw shore. Oh, shore! She picked up to run at a speed that she didn’t realize that she could run at and jumped into the water. Though a little slower to come, Baeddan jumped in too.
“What are we doing?” he wheezed as Barden and Mabon jumped in after them.
“You’ll see,” said Iraella distractedly. The Zerhze were getting uncomfortably close. “GO AWAY!” she screamed as they came within about six feet of them. They began shooting jets of red light at them. Iraella ducked and pulled Baeddan down with her. “Mabon, would you hurry up?!”
“I’m trying!” his reply. Soon they had a bubble and they were plunging in Neygren’s Lake, feeling lucky.