The Pain of a Memory - Part X

All previous parts can be found here. [A Note: Read at your own peril. The present draft is uncouth an in need of remodeling. That, is, unfortunately, not a task of this day, so, for now, the only form of the book that can be posted is that which I post now. Apologies in advance for the confusing writing, as well as the gap between this and the last installment.]

***

Echo glanced ahead. The road was clear for many miles, but a village could be seen by it on the horizon. Echo sighed. The village was a marker for their journey. It meant that they only had a little over four more days to go until the Silver Forest, which was where the band of robbers supposedly were. And then it would be eight days back... fifteen days until he could see Ariff and Orlania again...

***

Anwynne looked down, still pondering over Rogan's discourse with her. Had her story, referring to the prisoner here, made any difference? Had Rogan detected its true meaning? Well, it had definitely gotten to him. There was no doubt of it. His swagger had been broken, at least for a moment, to show Anwynne's victory.

But then, had she really pulled anything over him? She still couldn't puzzle out his story. A boy...Who had Rogan been speaking of? Did the person even exist? Or was the story merely a distraction? But then, he surely didn't want her to be distracted from his proposition, and it was he who had interrupted the story after all. Then had it merely been to catch her off her guard with a re-asking of his question? Anwynne shook her head to herself. No, it hadn't seemed like a simple diversion... Somehow it felt like it was more than that... But what then? What had he meant by it?

A boy who had lost his best friend... lost in a war... a war that had raged for years... Hmm... Could Rogan have been speaking of the Great War, between Belestine and Nistria? It had only ended seven years ago, and had gone on for eighteen years before that. It could have easily been the war that Rogan had spoken of...

Was the story even true? And if it was, how did Rogan know it? Perhaps... Perhaps he had known the boy of whom the tale spoke...? Or, perhaps... Anwynne glanced down uneasily. Rogan had said the boy was not unlike the man in her tale... Perhaps the boy... the boy was the same person as that man... Rogan's prisoner. Perhaps this was why Rogan had cut the story off - merely because what had happened to the boy next was a terrible imprisonment at his hands.

Anwynne shuddered. If it was true... Only a boy...? She blinked away a furious tear. Only Rogan could be as inhuman as this.

***

The Pain of a Memory - Part XI

The previous part (with the rest of the links) can be found here.

***

Anwynne crossed her arms. Any minute now, Rogan could return and re-request her acquiescence to his proposition. And she was quite sure he would too. But she was quite determined not to give in. Anwynne would do whatever she had to, just to avoid giving Rogan any reason to think she was complying.

And just then, almost as though in response to her anticipation of it, Rogan and Ariff stepped into the cave room where Anwynne was. Speaking of..., thought Anwynne dryly. And sure enough, Rogan nodded to Anwynne. At this, Ariff went to Anwynne, and carried her back into the dark room of before, Rogan following. Once Ariff had set her down in there, he promptly left. And Anwynne was once more alone with Rogan. But she wasn't going to be afraid this time...

Rogan turned to Anwynne as the door closed behind Ariff. He smiled felinely. "I'm sure you know exactly why you're here, Queenship, so I'm going to save words, and cut right to the part where you finally make an answer to my little proposition."

Anwynne folded her hands determinedly. "Why don't you tell me something interesting, rather than boring me with your dull outlaw talk, Captain."
Rogan shrugged. Then his expression hardened a bit. "Why don't you tell me something interesting, Highness, since you're the one who already knows everything about me."

Anwynne nodded stubbornly. "Fine" She looked around, trying to think about something else she might have heard from Rogan and Ariff's conversation. She couldn't think of anything... So she would take another risk. "I have a story to tell you, Captain."

Rogan leaned against the wall in a leisurely manner and nodded to her swaggeringly. "Do tell me your little tale then, Highness."

Anwynne nodded coldly. "I will" She looked out. "There was, come time ago, a man who was alone. Whether he remained alone or not was never known to anyone else, though, because something happened. Something terrible happened to him, and he was taken a prisoner."

Rogan had lost a little bit of his swagger, but he still attempted a cool tone. "By whom, may I ask?"

Anwynne turned to Rogan coldly. "Someone he couldn't protect himself from. Much time passed of his imprisonment, but still he was not free. Soon enough, he lost all hope of ever being released or escaping, and he was locked away in a dark cave, where no one could find him. He was there so long, so, so long... He would even be there now if another thing had not happened."

She glanced at Rogan. Rogan had paled considerably, and his look was grim and stony. Good. At least I am getting to him more.

So Anwynne continued. "Yes, a thing happened which ended his lonely, miserable imprisonment. One day, he died. Alone, with no one to cradle, heal, or miss him. All alone, with only bitter memories to comfort him in his darkest hour. And no one ever missed him, and no one ever knew..."

Anwynne swallowed to prevent herself from choking a sob. When she spoke again, her voice sounded to her very harsh from her shakiness. "All alone... And there his story ended, because no one was there even caring to remember it."

Anwynne looked down a moment, closing her eyes. Then, once she felt herself more steady of countenance, she looked back at Rogan.

Rogan's face was pale, and the expression in his eyes was cold, but surprised. He glanced down at her keenly, with an air of stoniness and shock to his observation of her. He recovered himself quickly in his expression, but in his eyes there was still almost a certain measure of harsh curiosity.

Perhaps he knew of what her story was about... Perhaps she had actually gotten to him... Anwynne glared up at Rogan determinedly. He wouldn't gain any victory over her, nor even believe he had... not for a moment.

Anwynne nodded to Rogan coldly. "Well, I have told you a story, Captain. Now you tell me one."
Rogan shrugged, perhaps in an attempt to recover his easiness of stance, though the action was grim, and little easy-seeming. "Alright, Princess" His expression then turned very hard. "Since you so delight in such stories, I shall tell you one very similar to that one."

He started to pace a bit. "Once there was a boy, a very young boy. He was very similar, perhaps, to the man in your own story, Highness. Only a boy he was, only almost five and ten years. Once his fifteenth birthday arrived, though, a terrible thing happened. A war had long been raging, and it was at its peak at this point. The boy's birthday fell just at its peak, when it was calling men of fifteen or older to fight in the war. So the boy was forced to fight, in the same war that had raged for years, killing everyone he knew. He had wandered alone for so long..."

Rogan turned his back to Anwynne. "He had but only one friend... A friend who was much older, who had found him wandering alone, and yet befriended him. When the boy was called away to war, his friend - his greatest friend - volunteered to fight also, only so that he might accompany the boy. The boy... he thought it would be alright, fighting in this war, since he had his friend with him..." Rogan's tone became bitter.

"He was only a boy, though, and boys have no sense. He knew very well all the terrors and desolations of war, and yet he allowed his own only friend to join him... He was a selfish, ignorant boy, who never thought once of the consequences of his friend's decision. His friend had a family, and was married... His friend had to support a wife... And yet, the boy thought nothing of it, only thoughtlessly allowing his friend to make that choice for his sake." Rogan's fists clenched.

"His friend's family even came to the boy's country, just so that they could see the boy's friend when the regiments were encamped. The very first battle the boy was to fight alongside his friend was not far from them... At that very first battle, against the brutal country that had started the war, the boy's friend..." Rogan's form stiffened.

"Well, the boy's friend died. He died in the battle, just feet away from the boy, right in front of the boy's eyes, leaving the boy all alone in the world. And the boy..." Rogan suddenly cut himself off, and turned back to Anwynne, a statue-like coldness upon his face. "Well, I believe you have most likely grown tired of hearing about the miserable boy at this moment, Highness. Perhaps now you will answer my question of earlier?"

Anwynne remained deliberately still and silent.

"Fine." Rogan turned away from her again, going to the door. "Then our audience is finished until tomorrow."

Then Rogan strode out of the dark room, his cape falling behind him as he took his leave.
Anwynne could not puzzle out the purpose of his story, but could only think of one thing... She had won another day for Errius and Elystra.

***

The Pain of a Memory - Part XIV

It's about time for another excerpt for TPoam…! Here are the links to all the previous excerpt posts:
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
XI
XII
XIII

***

Errius glanced ahead. Finally, there it was, after almost four whole days of walking through sylvan wilderness. The town! He fingered a lock of Elystra's hair as she walked by him. She looked over at him. Errius nodded ahead. Elystra looked ahead as well, and her silver eyes widened . 

She turned back to Errius and flung her arms about him gleefully. "We've made it!" 

Then, suddenly, and unanticipated by Errius, she broke out into a run for the village ahead. Errius stood still a second in surprise, and then laughed a little. Elystra... She never changed... He shook his head smilingly, and then ran after her. 

It must have looked a rather odd spectacle as they got into town, Elystra coughing from the cold air, and Errius just finished running up. 

Errius smiled down at Elystra, and shook his head again, trying not to be too stern. She was clearly exhausted just from that. It worried Errius, but he tried not to show it. "You know, I don't believe you've changed much since you were four years old, bolting off like that" 

Elystra looked up at him innocently, then breaking into a little grin, despite her obvious weariness and the breathlessness of her voice when she spoke. "Of course I've changed, Errius. I'm taller, aren't I?" 

Errius rolled his eyes, smiling, and ever-so-slightly tempted to laugh. "Let's hurry, Elystra. We have no time for banter" 

Elystra's smile became a little less teasing, and she nodded. "Yes, let's go" 

"Do you still have the money?" 

Elystra nodded again. She pulled a small bag from inside the bodice of her dress. She handed it to him. 

Errius nodded, then gestured for her to come with him. They both walked through the town, and Errius looked out for a stable. Finally, they came across 

Errius scanned the area for some attendant. there was a stable boy inside. Errius strode over to him. "Is it possible to buy a horse here?," he asked the boy. 

The boy turned to face Errius. "You are a foreigner." 

My accent. Errius sighed and nodded. "Yes. But my sister and I need a horse." 

The boy looked over Errius' shoulder. "What sister?" 

Errius whirled around in worry. Elystra was gone. Oh no. Errius looked around frantically. She wasn't anywhere! He ran through the town, eyes scanning desperately for any sign of her. There didn't seem to be anything to indicate what had happened to her. 

                                                                       

                                                 

Errius stepped back into an alley. There was a sound from down the alley suddenly, like a muffled scream. Errius ran in the direction of the sound. He sprinted through the alleys of the village, eventually coming back into its center. No! He'd lost them! 

Then there was a sound of quickly moving horse's feet from the direction of the stable. Errius turned around quickly and went to the stable. He got there just in time to see a steed ride off... with a man, and Elystra, mounted upon it. 

Errius glanced at the stable boy. He handed him the money bag he'd been holding. "Here."

Then Errius hurried inside the stable and let out one of the horses. Not caring that it was totally unprepared for being ridden, he mounted it and quickly sped out of the stables after Elystra and her captor. 

Errius rode through the village and out of it, onto the river road. The other rider was ahead of him, a silhouette against the forest. They wouldn't be able to stay ahead, though. There were two riders on that horse, whereas Errius had only himself. 

Within minutes, Errius was catching up to them. He rode his horse alongside of them, and pulled the reins of the other rider's horse hard. Then 

Errius pulled his own reins, and kicked the other rider off his horse. Errius himself soon replaced the rider. He pulled the reins tighter. Once the horse with Elystra had stopped, Errius helped her down, and dismounted himself. 

Errius turned to Elystra worriedly. "Are you alright?" 

Elystra nodded, her eyes still a little wide in fright and her face pale. 

So Errius turned to her would-be captor. It was one of the bandits from the cave! Errius held the man's wrists and pulled him up forcefully. Then Errius noticed a satchel at the man's side. That meant... It wasn't just any of the bandits... It was the ransom messenger! 

Errius looked down at the man grimly. "And, how, may I ask, came you by the right to apprehend an innocent girl, much less take her with you?" 

The man didn't answer. He merely glared back up at Errius. 

Errius nodded to the satchel at the man's side. "Give me that and I'll let you go" 

The man shook his head. 

Errius shrugged. "So be it" Then Errius swiftly released the man's wrists, whirled around him and swiped the satchel. Then Errius backed away with it, going back to Elystra.

The bandit only smiled. Then he ran to one of the horses, and took off on it. 

Errius opened the bag quickly. There was nothing in it but some traveler's bread and some money. Blast! This was surely why the man had been so willing to run and let Errius take up the bag. 

He helped Elystra up on the horse, and then mounted himself. "You are sure that you're alright?" 

Elystra smiled a little shakily. "Yes" She looked a little confusedly at Errius. "Why on earth did he try to...?" 

Errius sighed. "He was the ransom messenger for the Silver Forest Bandits. He must have recognized you as a prisoner escaped, and seen your presence as a threat to his own mission"

Elystra looked out ponderingly. "I had thought he was ahead of us?" 

Errius nodded gravely. "So had I..." 

Errius gazed out silently, in the direction that the man had gone. Why had the bandit even been in this village? Errius had guessed that the man would be ahead of them... And, even if the man had only set off shortly before Errius and Elystra, why would he take this road? The forest road was on the robbers' doorstep, and the mountain road was equally as close as the river road, and easier to find. Why would he take this one? It just didn't make sense... 

Well, Errius thought, At least it gives us hope for one thing. If we travel correctly, we can make it there before the ransom note. Errius nodded determinedly, but looked back at Elystra. He wouldn't be able to travel without stopping, not while riding with her. It wouldn't allow her any rest. But then, if he didn't he might not catch up with the ransom note... Errius sighed. He'd just have to press on, and only stop when most necessary. It was a choice between letting his queen down, and letting his sister down. He would just have to moderate his stops, because he couldn't choose either. 

Elystra sighed softly, and placed her chin on Errius' shoulder. "I wonder, Errius...?" 

Errius broke himself from his thoughts. "Yes?" 

Elystra lifted her face and looked away. "Errius, maybe you should leave me back at the village, while you go and catch up with the ransom messenger. Once you reach the capital and get aid, you can come back for me... then I won't slow the journey down, Errius" 

Errius shook his head grimly. "I'm afraid not, Elystra" He reached a hand back and stroked her hair, smiling a little now. "With an encounter like that, you think that I would leave you alone in a small town for days, leagues away from me, with no one to protect you? No, my little maiden, I'm afraid not..." 

Errius heaved a deep breath. He only hoped he was making the right choice... 

***

The Pain of a Memory - Part XIII

I apologize for how long it's been since I last posted on TPoaM, but here is the next installment. Very soon, I will edit a couple of the posts (I will note it on another post when I do so), primarily the first one, so, while it will not be absolutely necessary to understand the story to re-read those parts, they will have some information that pops up later more in details. The last episode - for lack of a better word - can be found here, and it contains links to all the previous ones.

***

            Errius looked out across the haze around him. There was a voice faintly ringing in his mind, saying a good-bye. He knew the voice well enough. It was the voice of someone long dead, but somehow Errius still remembered its sound. He looked around. There was also a vague face in the mistiness, a face Errius couldn't quite see all the way.  

            Errius stepped closer, gazing intently at the face. It had appeared before, but he had never been able to quite pick it out. He looked a little closer. It started to become slightly clearer. Yes, now it was becoming clearer... Errius could almost tell who it was... Then another face came, one already extremely clear. It was that of the bandit captain, Rogan. And suddenly the faces merged, blending into one face. Somehow it was still Rogan, but it was somebody else too... Errius just couldn't think who...

            Suddenly Errius opened his eyes. He looked around. The dawn was streaming into the sky, and Elystra was still asleep. Errius stood up. The faces... It had just been a dream, though, and it was time to forget it. But then, the dream had seemed as though it were telling him something... What, that Rogan and that vague face from the past were the same? That he'd seen Rogan before? It must have been Elystra stirring the idea in his mind. He'd never dreamed that before. But then, he had seen that vague face before...

            Errius strode over to Elystra. He shook her shoulders gently. Slowly her silvery eyes opened, to reflect the sunrise through the trees above her.

            She turned and looked over at Errius. "Errius...?" Elystra sat up weakly. "Oh, I'm sorry - is it time for taking to the road now?"

            Errius nodded. "I only wish that we could rest a little longer, but..."

            Elystra smiled a little sleepily. "It's alright, Errius. I am not weary anymore, see?"

            Errius helped her to her feet and smiled. "You were never very good at fooling me, Elystra, and you're still not now. But I'll make you take your rest once we reach the capital"

            Elystra took his hand. "Make me? Oh, dear, I suppose I must behave myself if the captain of the royal guard himself is threatening me"

            Errius rolled his eyes. "More like your older brother, who isn't impressed by your little bit of jesting, by the way."

            Elystra laughed. "Is it  bad thing, Errius, that even in this odd way, I'm glad to have you to myself?"

            Errius looked at her chidingly, but ended up breaking into a smile. "If you don't behave yourself, you may be having me to yourself more often."

            Elystra coughed and then gestured to him as though impatient. "Come, Errius, we mustn't tarry about here bantering when we've got a journey to make," she said innocently.

            Errius laughed a little, for the first time that he could remember doing so in a long time. "Alright, then let's depart, Elystra. I'm sorry my bantering was delaying us"

            With this, they set off. After a few hours, they'd made it into a small glade in the forest. Errius stopped. He looked up at the sky. The sun was in the center of the sky now.

            Errius turned to Elystra. "We should be coming across the river anytime now, and the path is along it"

            Elystra heaved a little breath, and coughed. "That's good"

            Errius sighed. Poor Elystra... She was already exhausted. Errius took a breath and trudged on. Any moment now they should come across the river road... Errius pushed aside the branches of a tree on the edge of the glade. There it was. The river.

            Errius turned back to Elystra again. "There it is, Elystra" He smiled. "Don't worry - now it will be a lot easier from here. Only one day more until we reach the first town on this road"

            Errius slowly began to aid Elystra over the river. It would be soon now... Very soon...

***



The Pain of a Memory - Part XII

I apologize for being gone so long - I was celebrating my birthday this month and totally forgot that this blog was also (yay! Bloggie's two years old now!). Hopefully you can forgive me for my absent-mindedness once again!

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Part VI

Part VII

Part VIII

Part IX

Part X

Part XI

***

            Echo dismounted from his horse. He turned around a signaled his men. "Time to camp," he said to them, getting his satchel out of the horse's saddle pack.

            At his command, the other men in the party dismounted their own horses and began to get their packs out. Some of them began to set up a camp. Good, Echo thought. Everything is taken care of.

            Echo opened up his satchel. He looked inside. There was some of Lania's bread inside. She had packed it for him, and put some of the fresh-baked loaf in there. Echo smiled. Now this was traveling food. It was certainly far better than what he usually got, which was also traveler's bread. But the real difference was that one kind reminded him of home, and the other only reminded him of the journey. Echo sighed a little, still smiling to himself. Soon enough, he would be home again.

            With these thoughts in mind, Echo turned back to his men. The camp was all set up, and a good fire was blazing in the middle of it. He walked towards the center of the camp. Then he sat down next to the fire. Echo tore a chunk off of the bread from his satchel and ate it. Then he put the rest back. He looked into the fire's resplendence absently.

            Then one of his men sat down next to him. Echo looked over. "Hello, Evern," Echo addressed the knight.

            Evern nodded. "Captain"

            Echo smiled. "It's Echo when we're alone, Evern. And aren't you hungry?"

            Evern shook his head. "I'm a bit unsettled about this journey, Echo. I've heard plenty a thing about this robber band from some Nistrian travelers. There are supposed to be a hundred score of them, so I'm told"

            Echo laughed. "You listen to travelers too much. If there are a hundred score of them, then why has no one before gone after them?"

            Evern shrugged. "You tell me, Echo. You're the one who's been in this area before"

            Echo nodded and sighed a little. "Yes... But it's been a long time since I've had to be here. The last times I was here it was for a mission"

            "And it is so once more"

            "Yes..." Echo looked off into the distance. "But in particular, we're going to a place I haven't ever been to for a mission"

            Evern looked over at Echo. "I thought you'd been there before?"

            Echo nodded. "I have. I was there about fifteen years ago, back when I was a infantry man in the war"

            Evern laughed. "Has it really been that long?" He shook his head. "It doesn't seem like the war was that long ago, does it?"

            Echo shrugged. "Well, in all hopes, it will be very long before any such thing ever happens again"

            "That could be accomplished, so long as Nistria would be compliant"

            "Well, they'll have a new king soon enough, so that may help things, Evern"

            Evern nodded. "And I've heard rumor that Ingrecia is considering an alliance with Nistra, which would also help things"

            Echo looked back at Evern. "Really? What kind of an alliance?"

            Evern shrugged. "I have absolutely no idea"

            Echo smiled. "Well, you're the one who talks to travelers all the time - haven't you heard something from any of them about it?"

            Evern shook his head. "Not a thing"

            Echo laughed. "Well, why'd you go and hear the beginning of the rumor if you weren't going to have the decency to hear the end of it?"

            Evern joined him in laughter. "Well, you know, I cannot choose what I hear or don't hear, Echo"

            "Yes, but you can choose what you begin to tell me and what you keep silent. Why did you even tell me the beginning? You know I hate stories without an ending, Evern"

            Evern smiled. "Well, I'm no storyteller such as yourself, Echo. But at least all of my stories are true, whether they ever are finished or not"

            Echo chuckled. "Was that jest a jab at my truthfulness, Sir Evern?"

            Evern shrugged nonchalantly. "Perhaps. But if you have a story to tell, it often is one, well, of your own fancy"

            Echo shook his head smilingly. "I at least finish my little fairytales, which is better than having an unfinished real event to tell"

            Evern nodded in defeat. "I suppose so" After a moment of silence, Evern just laughed. "We are rather ludicrous knights, now aren't we, Torriven? All we've done since the camp was up is discuss foreign politics and storytelling, when we have a mission five days ahead of us"

            Echo shrugged. "You forget that you were the one who started both of those so-called ludicrous discussions, Evern. And the mission is ahead of us. We have not reached it yet"

            "Yes, I know, but surely we must put some measure of focus on it?"

            Echo laughed. "You are the ludicrous one really, Evern. We went over it when we were in the town" At Evern's comical expression, Echo laughed again. "Don't worry, Evern. I was only jesting. Believe me, I have been thinking about the mission"

            Evern nodded and stood up smilingly. "Good, because I don't want to follow a distracted captain into a mission. I mean, it wouldn't be quite ideal to follow an absent-minded knight, who's only constantly thinking of his little village and little family the entire mission, would it, Echo?" And with this, he promptly left, still smiling, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone and expression.

            Echo merely burst out laughing. Evern knew him perhaps a little too well...

What did you think? Any critiques? Comments? Suggestions? I would love to hear any feedback, especially since this story's now being prepped for longer roads, so speak your mind!