The Choosing

by Jeremy Laszlo

  “That’s no problem.” Ashton chimed in. “We will teach you.”

  Garret nodded in agreement, and the two boys scooted closer to Sara forming a loose circle. Garret poured the contents of the pouch onto the stone floor beside Sara, and sorted the coins. As he sorted them Ashton told her their names. The small brown ones were copper. They were the least valuable. The same sized gray ones were silver. One silver was equal to one hundred copper. Next was a large brown one, which Ashton explained was worth twenty five copper, it was made of the same metal as the first one, just larger. The next coin was a large silver coin, valued at twenty five silver. Again this was the same metal as the smaller silver coin, and was larger therefore worth more. Finally the Last coin, which neither boy had ever seen before, was a small gold coin. It was the same size as the other smaller coins, but was made of gold, and had a crown stamped into its surface on either side. This one was valued at one gold, or one hundred silver.

  Sara committed it all to memory. Pointing to each coin she would state its value, and the boys would nod. They played a short game with her then, placing various coins together and asking her the total worth of the coins. She was an apt student and quickly learned the lesson and was able to calculate the value of varying piles of coins without any mistakes. The final pile they gave her to calculate was the entire contents of the small pouch. There were seventeen small copper coins, and three large copper coins. There were also eleven small silver coins, and two large ones. Finally there were the two gold coins. It took several moments for Sara to calculate, but her mother had taught her math at an early age and she was quite good at it. She figured after several moments that the total value was twenty six thousand one hundred and ninety two copper, or two hundred sixty one silver and ninety two copper, or two gold, sixty one silver and ninety two copper. The boys congratulated her graduation from their course, and assured her that the money that was now in her hands was a small fortune.

  Shortly after their lesson, Seth regained consciousness. He was weak, like before, but otherwise unharmed. He apologized to his twin, who brushed it off as if the attack had been nothing. Garret was quick to relate the afternoon’s tale to his brother, with Ashton filling in his perspective of the events that had taken place. Seth was astonished at the amount of money Sara now controlled, and assured her, like the other boys had, that she could buy nearly anything she wanted, after paying for the horses of course.

  Garret brought out the sack of food, which he had waited to open until everyone was ready to eat. In the large sack was enough food to satiate their immense hunger, and still leave them enough for a full day journey. Garret pulled from the sack two long loaves of bread that had apparently gotten squished in the twins’ battle earlier that day. He also pulled from the bag a hand full of salted pork and dried beef that had been cut into easy to manage strips. There was also a large block of cheese which he carved everyone a piece from. They all ate hungrily, filling their stomachs for the first time in days. Everyone but Sara had water left in their water skins, but Seth was all too happy to share with her. While eating they talked merrily, their spirits raised by good food and good fortune.

  As the night progressed Seth regained some strength once again, and as his brother and Ashton lay down upon their makeshift beds, he was able to gather his blanket off the floor, fling it around his shoulders, and once again slouch down to the floor, his back to the stone wall that had become his resting place. Sara had followed him around the small cavern, afraid he might get dizzy or hit his head. Seth had a full stomach, his eye lids were growing heavy, and tomorrow he knew would be a tiring day. He reached out his arms to the small, beautiful woman, that he was convinced was an angel, and smiled as she crawled into his embrace. Seth wrapped his arms around her tightly, lovingly, and crushed her body to his. He could hardly contain his love for her, yet he knew he must. He did not want to rush her feelings, force her to do or say anything she did not want to. So relaxing his hold on her he sighed loudly, trying to be patient. He would wait for her to take the next step.

  Sara did not take the step this night, though she now thought she understood what it was that Seth was waiting for, what was holding him back. She knew he struggled to contain himself, she struggled as well. She knew her feelings for him. She too knew how he felt about her in return. She still believed herself unworthy of him. She mostly though struggled with herself. It was her fear to trust anyone that kept her from telling Seth how she felt. She was afraid that if she told him, he might use her feelings against her. She felt guilty for thinking it, knowing Seth would never hurt her, but still unable to wash away the stains her past had left on her heart.

  Sara nestled up against Seth’s chest listening to his heart beat. It was a heart beat that had nearly stopped beating, only a few hours ago. It had been a tremendously long day, and Sara was glad it was over. Tomorrow, she decided, could not come soon enough. Tomorrow she would tell him how she felt. Tomorrow he would hopefully let her get closer to him. Smiling inwardly at herself with anticipation, she twisted in Seth’s lap, and raising her face to his she pressed her lips to his. Long and slow they kissed, hugging each other tightly, as if tomorrow might never come. When it finally became apparent that without oxygen they would probably die, Sara settled into Seth’s lap, and resting her head on his shoulder, kissed his neck lightly and closed her eyes.

  Seth too closed his eyes, wishing into the darkness that Sara would give herself to him soon. Not in a physical way, he could probably have that now if he let her have her way. He wanted more than that. He wanted her heart, her soul and her mind. He wanted what she feared to give him. He was aware of her feelings, he even thought he understood why she would not, could not tell him. He just wished that she would soon realize his intentions, and drop her inhibitions, and give herself wholly to him. Before, he hoped, he lost his mind trying to restrain himself. These were his thoughts as he drifted into a deep, all encompassing sleep.

  *****

  Seth’s eyes opened as if a noise had disturbed him. Looking around he realized he was not where he had fallen asleep. Panic took him and he jumped to his feet. Scanning his surroundings, he was both confused and overcome with fear. He was alone, in a dark room, with no perceivable door or window. The walls were made from stone and mortar, the stone glistening wetly. The room was dark, but not uncomfortably so, there seemed to be some light source though Seth could not locate it. He spun in circles, slowly, taking in the room and all of its details. He prayed to no one in particular that Sara was somewhere safe, unharmed. Try as he might he could not recall how he had arrived in this room. Nor could he find any way to escape it. It was as if the room had been built around him, an eternal prison, a tomb, a place from which none were meant to return. He found himself gasping for air. The walls seemed to be closing in on him. He spun himself around again looking in vain for some small detail he might have missed before. There were none. Seth knew that he must not give up. He had to find a way out, a way back to Sara and Garret. He continued searching the small circular room, this time dragging his fingertips across the stones of the wall, searching for a hidden seam, or hinge, anything that might determine a way out. It was then that Seth realized he was not alone. He spun on in his heels, and then gasped in disbelief as he registered the other inhabitant of his cell. His face had come so near to hers when he had turned that it had startled him, causing him to fall back into the wall he had previously been searching. Seth stood, confused, staring at the woman before him. She had not been here a moment ago, that much he was sure of. He could not imagine how she came to be here, but he intended to find out.

  Seth studied the woman before him. She was tall for a woman. She wore a long black robe and cloak that shimmered around her as if the fabric it was made of was not quite whole. It was as if the strands within the fabric were constantly rearranging themselves to better fit her body, a body that Seth was unable to measure with his intent eyes. Seth realized that this must be due to his tired eyes and the poor
lighting in the room. Perhaps the woman shivered under her clothing, causing it to move so much. The clothing fit her well, if not a bit tightly, yet with its constant movement he could not really tell much about her build, only that she appeared slender. But it was not her body, nor her clothing that had Seth reeling in unanticipated horror. It was the woman’s face. Not that her face was twisted or mangled, quite the contrary she had a small, pretty face. She had a familiar face. The woman before him had a face that Seth had seen recently in a dream. Or was it a memory? The face staring back at Seth was the face of his mother. Only it had been changed, altered slightly for reasons unknown to him. All the facial features were there just as he remembered them. Her high cheek bones, narrow pointy nose, full rosy lips, all there just as he remembered. The eyes and hair however were unfamiliar. The woman’s eyes could only be described as crimson. There was no pupil at their center, no interruption to the swirl of blood in her gaze. This looked horribly unnatural to Seth, and it made him uncomfortable, nervous. Her hair too was different than his mother’s. Instead of the long brown flowing locks he remembered, there was in its place rows of black braids. The hair was knotted tightly to the woman’s scalp in neat rows from her forehead, over the top of her head, and then still braided trailing down her back and over her shoulders. The image reminded Seth of a farmer’s fields. In all, the woman was beautiful, with a striking resemblance to his mother. Seth wondered what illness or injury had befallen the woman causing the insides of her eyes to bleed. He felt sorry for the woman realizing that she must be blind, not even knowing she was a prisoner. The poor woman probably did not even realize he was here with her.

  Seth’s scrutiny had only lasted a moment, but the woman remained, her gaze fixed in his direction, with no sign of emotion on her face. It was as if she waited for something. Seth watched the woman a minute longer, then deciding that what he was doing was rude he decided to let the woman know he was there.

  “Excuse me miss.” Seth began in a tone barely over a whisper, trying not to startle the woman. “Are you ok?”

  Seth waited for the woman’s response, but it did not come. The woman remained still peering with sightless eyes in his direction, her features unchanged. Perhaps she was deaf too.

  “Can I help you?” Seth said, this time quite loudly.

  The woman’s face stirred. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, and one eyebrow rose as if she were amused by his question.

  “Perhaps you can.” The woman replied, her voice much deeper than Seth had anticipated. Not so deep it was unnatural for a woman, but deep enough it did not sound as if it came from the woman’s mouth.

  “Are you hurt?” Seth asked.

  No answer.

  “Can I get you something?”

  Again the woman did not respond.

  “What can I do for you?” Seth again asked the woman, this time trying to broaden the range of his question.

  “Find me.” The woman responded simply.

  “What do you mean “find me” you’re directly in front of me.” Seth replied, now thoroughly confused.

  “I am lost, and nearly forgotten Seth. Seek me out once in Valdadore, find me and I shall help you.” She stated in her hollow voice.

  Seth’s mouth hung open. He did not know how the woman knew his name, or how she knew he was traveling to Valdadore. Nor did Seth know how the woman expected him to get out of this god forsaken room. Seth began to get angry, thinking the woman must have something to do with his imprisonment, after all she knew too much about him. Something in Seth’s subconscious brushed at him as if wanting attention, but Seth mentally brushed it aside, too busy now to deal with anything else.

  “Who are you and how did you bring me here?” Seth demanded of the woman.

  “I am who you seek, and I have brought you nowhere. You came here of your own volition.” The woman replied, no hint of emotion on her face, nor in her voice.

  “I seek no one lady. Now take me back to my companions.” Seth again demanded.

  “You will seek something eventually and when you do, look to the oldest buildings.” The woman retorted in a hollow melody. “When you have found me, and when you know me, I shall help you find what you seek.”

  Seth shook his head in both disbelief and anger. What was wrong with this woman? Was she both blind and crazy? How did she get here? How am I supposed to get out? What in the name of the god’s is she talking about? All this Seth asked himself, shaking his head, his eyes closed in concentration. He realized that no matter how crazy the woman might be, she had found a way into the room, and he needed a way out. He opened his eyes to face her once again and ask her this most important question, but she was gone. Replacing the woman was a swirl of blackness that steadily grew faster and faster, consuming within it the room and Seth alike. When the Darkness swallowed Seth he tried to scream, but no sound escaped his lips. Terrified, Seth forced himself to reopen his eyes.

  Seth found himself once again within the confines of the small stone cavern that was his shelter. In his arms slept Sara, peacefully breathing her sweet warm breath into the cold night air. His twin and Ashton both snored loudly across the small room. Everything was as he had left it, only he realized now that he had not left. It had been his dream that had awoken him. He remembered it clearly. It had been so real he could swear it had actually happened. He remembered every detail of the small circular room he had been in, every detail of the woman who was his only company within that room. A shudder raced down Seth’s spine at the thought of the woman and her unseeing blood-like eyes. It had been an unnatural dream. Something unlike any other dream Seth could ever remember having. He knew he would not easily forget it. Silently hoping to himself that he would not dream again this night, Seth closed his eyes, trying to quickly fall back asleep. After all, the sooner he slept, the faster the night passed, and the sooner he could again spend the day with Sara.

  Chapter 6

  The expected and the expectations

  As expected, morning came all too quickly. Sara was the first to wake, and decided she should wake the others so they could resume their journey. She turned in Seth’s lap, and kissed him gently, waking him the nicest way she could imagine.

  Seth’s eyes fluttered open, feeling Sara’s lips on his cheek. He reached his large hands up to cup her face, and lightly grasping it on either side, pulled her mouth to his. He tasted her sweet breath before their lips met, and reveled in the taste. Pressing their lips together, Seth held her tightly to him and kissed her firmly, passionately for as long as his sore body would allow. Releasing her face, he then wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body against his and whispered in her ear.

  “Good morning angel.”

  “Good morning to you love.” Sara replied softly in her musical voice.

  The greeting caught Seth off guard. There was the word he had been waiting for. However it was not in the proper context. He was happy to hear it in any case, assuming that Sara had said it purposely, perhaps testing his reaction.

  Sara, having greeted Seth quite deliberately calling him her love, did not bother to gage his reaction. Instead she looked inward, to see how she herself would feel saying the word. To her surprise she was able to say it easily, honestly, and it felt great. No longer afraid she might betray her own emotions, she wished to tell him now her feelings for him. She pondered for a moment where to start, and then instead decided to wait. She would wait until she and Seth had some privacy, where they could openly speak their feelings without fear someone might interrupt. She smiled to herself, her face hidden on Seth’s shoulder, finally able to at least know her own heart. She hugged Seth’s neck again tightly and kissed his cheek. Crawling out of his lap Sara stood and watched her dark haired, brown eyed guardian, rise and stretch his weary muscles. She watched him loving everything about him, wanting to spend forever with him, and wanting to show him her love in every way she was able.

  Finishing his stretch, Seth again gathered his angel into his a
rms and kissed the top of her head. He held her there a moment, wishing he could do so forever, and scanned the small room around them. He released Sara reluctantly and strode across the room coming to stand between his brother and Ashton who both snored lightly, sleeping on their backs. He nudged them each with his booted foot, rousing them. He then walked back across to Sara picking up the sack of food along the way.

  Seth sat near Sara’s feet gesturing for her to join him, and she did so happily. Garret and Ashton wearily rose from their beds, and joined the others for a filling breakfast. Their meal consisted of the same food they had shared the previous night, and once again each ate their fill. Seth stated during the meal that he felt well enough to continue their journey, and so after eating everyone went about gathering their belongings and loading them into their packs. Everyone prepared quickly, and they headed out of the cavern together, Garret and Ashton taking the lead, Seth and Sara trailing, their hands entwined. Garret left the Goblin’s short sword in the cavern when they left, not wanting to carry a reminder of the day he nearly lost his brother.

  They walked leisurely through the day, stopping to rest often. Seth was thankful for their stops, his body not as willing as his mind to handle the exertion. The path widened slowly through the day becoming more level as the path turned eventually into a road. Seth was able to walk further now without resting as the level ground allowed him to walk more easily. The group talked merrily, the light conversation allowing Seth to concentrate on something other than his body. His legs shook and his knees gave out on occasion, but he had been able to catch himself, with Sara’s help each time before he fell.