A quick meal and they’re once more on their way. They continue along the road as it follows the shore of Crystal Lake. By noon the clouds have completely blotted out the sun and not long after that it begins to rain. Not a hard rain, but enough for them to break out their rain gear.
James acquired a wide brimmed hat and poncho for just such an emergency. When he has it on, Dave says, “You look like some Mexican out of the old west.”
Grinning at his friend, he says, “Better than being wet.”
When the light begins fading with the coming of dusk, they come to a town situated on the northern shore of Crystal Lake. “Should we stay here or continue on?” Jiron asks.
“We’re not in any hurry,” James says, “Let’s find a spot here. Beats the heck out of sleeping on the ground in the rain.”
“Thought you might say that,” he says.
The town as it turns out is called Crystal City. Despite such a name, it is just another fishing village, though larger than most they’ve come through since leaving Wurt. They find an inn with a sign outside depicting a fat fish lounging in a bed.
Inside, they find the proprietress of the Fat Flounder, a rather jovial fat woman who greets them warmly. Arranging for rooms and stall space for their horses, they’re soon settled in and having dinner down in the common room.
Outside, the sound of the rain beating against the windows tells them it’s increased in severity. James is quite glad they didn’t decide to continue on in this weather. Tomorrow will be soon enough.
No bard makes an appearance while they eat so they make do with conversation. During the course of their meal, a serving girl is bringing over another round of ale to their table when she’s accidentally tripped by another customer who stood up from his chair abruptly.
Two of the mugs she was carrying on her platter fall off and hit Dave in the head, dousing him with ale.
James begins to chuckle at the sight but then it dies on his face when he sees the expression coming to Dave’s face.
“You stupid girl!” Dave says as he comes to his feet. Red faced and dripping with ale, he turns on her and strikes her across the face. “Don’t you know how to carry a few measly mugs?”
“Dave…” James begins to say when Jiron comes to his feet.
“Relax,” Jiron says to Dave. “It was just an accident.”
The room has grown silent as everyone there watches the events unfolding at their table. Face turning red from where Dave had slapped her, the girl begins to tear up as she says, “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry!” yells Dave. “I’ll show you sorry!” He makes to step toward her when Jiron grabs his shoulder. Turning around, he looks with eyes burning in anger at him and throws a punch.
Almost without effort, Jiron blocks the attack and in two lightning fast punches has Dave on the ground. “Apologize to her,” he says as he stands over him.
“Jiron,” James says trying to calm the situation down.
From the kitchen the large proprietress enters the common room. Upon seeing the whole room staring at Dave and Jiron, she makes her way over to their table. That’s when she sees the serving girl with tears in her eyes and face turning red from where Dave had slapped her. All jovialness leaves her as she demands, “What’s going on here?”
“Mother, it was my fault,” the serving girl explains. “I spilled drinks on this gentlemen and he became angry.”
“Did he hit you?” she asks her daughter. When her daughter nods yes, she turns an angry expression upon the supine Dave.
“He was about ready to apologize to your daughter,” Jiron says. Then to Dave he asks with an edge to his voice, “Weren’t you?”
Eyes dark from the smoldering rage bottled up behind them, he looks to James who nods his head. With absolutely no sound of feeling sorry for what he did, he says to the girl, “I’m sorry.”
Jiron reaches down and takes Dave’s money pouch. When Dave tries to stop him, he slaps his hand out of the way. Opening it up, he pulls out two silvers and hands them to the girl. “Here,” he says to her in a kind voice, “take these as recompense for what transpired here.”
She looks to her mother who nods. “Thank you,” she says as she takes the offered coins.
“Go back to the kitchen,” her mother tells her and she turns and quickly disappears through the kitchen door. To their group, she says, “Any of you strikes my daughter again and you’ll be out the door. Understand?” She looks from one to the other.
“It shall not happen again,” Jiron assures her. “I’ll see to that.”
“Very well.” She then turns and walks back to the kitchen to console her daughter.
Reaching down he grabs Dave by the shirt and hauls him to his feet. “You and me got to step outside,” he says and shoves him toward the door.
James starts to get up when Fifer puts a hand on his shoulder and says, “This needs doing.”
“But Jiron will kill him!” he exclaims.
Shaking his head, Fifer says, “No, he won’t.”
Looking around at the others, he can see they’re all in agreement with Fifer. Sitting back down, he watches as Jiron pushes Dave outside. After they leave, the room maintains a hushed silence for only a moment before the normal murmur of conversation resumes.
Shoving hard, he propels Dave out the door and outside into the pouring rain. People standing near the entrance give them room as it appears they’re about to get into it.
“What the hell’s the matter with your?” Jiron shouts at him as he comes to a stop two feet from where Dave lies sprawled in the mud of the street. The rain plasters his hair against his face as he confronts him.
Turning a gaze burning with hate and anger, Dave gets to his feet. “This ain’t none of your business!” he spats back at him.
“Whatever effects James is my business,” replies Jiron. “He’s my friend.”
“He was my friend first,” he says.
“That is true, he was,” agrees Jiron. “But how someone like you could ever be a friend of his I’ll never understand.” Looking at Dave, he adds, “The only reason you’re even alive is due to him.”
“You’re all trying to turn him against me!” Dave accuses.
The crowd around them begins growing despite the downpour as they yell at one another, attracting everyone in the immediate vicinity.
“I haven’t even tried yet,” he retorts back. “None of us have.”
Dave glares back at him, not responding.
“You want to take a swing at me?” Jiron asks.
“No,” replies Dave. “Just to rip your head from your shoulders.”
“Then let’s have at it,” he says.
A murmur runs through the crowd as they await Dave’s response. Even though his anger is red hot, his wits are sharp and he knows that to go against Jiron is a death sentence.
“You all don’t even seem to care what I went through before I met up with James!” he shouts out accusingly.
“What? That you were a slave in the Empire?” he asks back. He spits on the ground and hollers back, “My sister was a slave in the Empire as was Miko! Don’t you even think to play that card with me! If you were any kind of man you would get over it and start living your life.”
Dave glares back at him, rage burning within him.
“But no,” he continues, “you keep whining about it like yours is the only life ever to experience hardship. The difference between you and the others is that they had the strength to carry on.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” he cries out. “Your sister and Miko went through nothing like what I did. Don’t even think for a moment to compare their pain with mine!”
Jiron can see a subtle change come over Dave, his rage beginning to subside and something else taking its place.
Dave’s voice gets a far away quality, “The darkness.” His eyes get wide and tremors seem to shake his entire body. The crowd around them begins to sense things are not going toward the figh
t they had been expecting.
Looking at Jiron, his eyes almost get a pleading look, “Pain in the dark. The biting and tearing. Voices, voices saying words you don’t know, but yet do. I…” His eyes dart around, almost as if he’s looking at something that’s not there. “They come for you. They are coming for you but you can’t escape. Wh…” He backs up several steps and then…
Noooooooooo!
…a blood curdling scream is ripped from his throat and the crowd nervously edges back from him.
James is suddenly there running past a shocked Jiron as he comes to his friend’s aid. “Dave!” he cries as he grabs his shoulders. “Dave, it’s James,” he says as he looks into Dave’s panic stricken eyes.
Noooooooooo!
Dave’s scream again echoes through the night. James strikes him across the face with the palm of his hand and it seems to bring him back to the here and now.
His eyes focus on James’ face and he asks in a raspy voice, “James?” then passes out.
James is quick to catch him before he falls. Looking to Jiron he says, “Help me get him up to our room.”
Nodding, Jiron comes over and between them, they carry him up to the room James and he are sharing. Removing the wet clothes from him, they lie him down on one of the beds. Again they see the patchwork of scars and burn marks from his time as a slave. James looks to Jiron and asks, “What happened?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” he says. “We were arguing and then he started talking about his time as a slave and then things went from bad to worse.”
“He must have had a flashback,” explains James. Using a finger, he pushes a lock of Dave’s hair that had strayed across his face to the side.
“A flashback?” Jiron asks.
Nodding, he says, “In his mind he was reliving his time as a slave.” Looking up, he sees the others there gathered in the doorway. “I think he’ll be alright,” he tells them.
“You need anything?” Miko asks.
“I don’t think so,” he replies. “Maybe some ale for when he wakes up.”
“I’ll get some,” he says and leaves to head downstairs.
To Jiron, he says, “It might be best if you all weren’t here when he comes out of it.”
“You going to be okay?” Jiron asks.
“I think so,” James assures him. Then looking to Dave, he says, “Him I’m not so sure about.”
Jiron moves to the door and before he leaves says, “If you need something I’ll be in the room next door.”
“Thanks,” he says.
Jiron closes the door and James can hear them outside as he relates to the others the gist of the conversation he and Dave had out front of the inn and what happened after.
A minute later a quick knock on the door and Miko walks in with a pitcher of ale and two glasses. “Thanks Miko,” James says.
“Anything else you need?” he asks, casting a quick glance at the comatose Dave.
“Nothing right now,” he replies.
“Alright.” He moves to the door and pauses before opening it. “Are we still leaving in the morning?” he asks.
“Maybe,” replies James. Nodding to Dave he says, “We’ll have to see.”
“I’ll let the others know,” he says as he opens the door and walks out.
When the door closes, James creates his orb for light and then sits there with his friend.
He must have fallen asleep for the sound of sobs wakes him up. Dave is there, lying in a fetal position sobbing into his pillow. “You okay?” James asks him.
Dave’s eyes glance to his friend and another sob wracks his body. James gets up from the chair he’s sitting in and takes his place on the bed next to his friend. “It’s okay Dave,” he says.
“I’m sorry James,” he says between sobs. “I don’t know what came over me!”
“I understand,” he replies soothingly. He puts his arm around him and pats him on the back.
“You’re all I have here,” he says despondently. “I want to go home.” His sobs are beginning to quiet down.
“Don’t worry Dave,” James assures his friend. “I’ll always be there for you.”
“No matter what?” he asks.
“No matter what,” he says with conviction.
The rest of the night they stay there in the room together, talking of old times. They tell each other favorite scenes of old movies, remembrances of food long gone, and things they once did together before that fateful trip downtown. Sometime around midnight they finally fall asleep and when they wake up in the morning, Dave seems to be more of his old self. Still wearing a solemn expression, he at least can crack a smile when James tries to joke with him.
It’s a little after sunup when they leave their room, the others have already congregated downstairs. When they join them Dave is quiet, casting occasional glances to Jiron and the others while he eats.
“Everything okay?” Fifer asks.
“As well as can be I suppose,” James replies.
“We leaving?” Uther asks.
Nodding, he says, “As soon as we finish eating.”
Standing up, he says, “Me and Jorry will get the horses ready.” Jorry comes to his feet and together they cross the common room and exit through the door leading to the stables out back.
Much to James’ relief, no one makes any mention of the events of the night before. They finish their breakfast quickly and are soon on the road. The rain from the night before has stopped, leaving the world wet and soggy, their horses splatter mud as they move along the road. The sky above still threatens possible rain with dark, ominous clouds.
Taking the road leading north, they soon leave Crystal City behind them and after but a half hour, the lake as well. Coming to a crossroads just north of the lake, Fifer tells him they need to continue along the north road, that it will lead them to the northern pass.
“A fellow back at the inn said the road would follow along the Three Sisters,” he explains. “It’s a series of three lakes set against the foot of the Silver Mountains connected by a single river.”
“Wonder why it’s called Three Sisters?” Miko asks.
“Who knows how anything gets its name?” Jorry says.
An hour after the road begins curving to the east, they see the first of the Three Sisters to their east, the spires of the Silver Mountains rising majestically behind it. The lake looks to be of fair size, nothing as grand as Crystal Lake.
“Might be a good spot for fishing,” announces Uther.
“Perhaps when we have time we can do some fishing there next summer,” James says. “A campout would be fun.” Looking to Dave he asks, “Wouldn’t it?”
“Sure,” his friend replies.
Throughout the rest of the day they continue along the road, passing the second sister and reaching the third by nightfall. Raindrops have peppered them occasional while they rode, but not with the intensity of the night before.
With the light failing, James decides to pull off the road and camp at the last of the sisters. It’s neither the largest nor the smallest of the three, perhaps a mile or more across at it’s widest. Trees dot the area and they find a suitable spot to make camp along its shores.
While Miko takes his crossbow along with Uther and Jorry to scare up some dinner, he and the others begin gathering what dry firewood as can be found. “Not much to start a fire with around here,” comments Fifer as he brings in his first load.
“We’ll get a fire going then set wood around it to dry,” Jiron says. He was fortunate to have found a section of moss hanging from the underside of one of the trees that is relatively dry and is using that as the base for the kindling.
Taking out his flint, he strikes a couple sparks and then gently blows as he tries to coax a fire to life. At first a small amount of smoke appears, then a fire catches and begins to consume the moss. Putting several smaller relatively dry pieces on, he gradually gets a fair sized fire going.
When Miko and the others return with a sma
ll game animal, the fire is going well and enough firewood has been gathered to last through the evening. By the time the animal is roasting over the fire, the sky has grown dark and the occasional baying of wolves can be heard from the nearby mountains.
Dave appears to be doing better, his jovial mood having returned which soothes the worries James has had over his friend. If there was a way to get him home, he would send him there in a heartbeat. As for himself, ever since Dave raised the question as to whether he wanted to return home or not, he’s begun to wonder.
Despite the ruggedness of this world and the small fact that several groups out there are bent upon his destruction, he rather likes the life he’s living. And Dave’s right, here he is someone. Back home he’s just another teen looking for a job with little prospects for a future, job market being what it is and all.
Do I really want to go home? No, I don’t think I really do. It surprises him that he thinks that way, there are many things from back home he misses. His family for one, sure they were a bother, but whose family isn’t? They loved and cared for him and he hates what they may be going through on account of his disappearance. He wouldn’t mind returning briefly if for no other reason than to put their minds at ease.
Computers. Man does he miss his computer and all the games. Aside from reading, that was the one thing he really liked to do. Empire building was his favorite type of game and it occurs to him he may have inadvertently been doing the same thing here.
Starting out with nothing, he now has a place to live, a small army and enough money to do what he wants. However, the stakes of the game have changed. Where before on his computer he was out for either world domination by conquest or for accumulation of wealth, here he wishes to simply be left alone. Of course that doesn’t look as if it’s going to happen for quite some time.
When it’s time to bed down for the night, he finds a spot under a tree which will afford some protection from the rain should it begin again in the night. Dave takes a spot close to him and is soon out. The others take turns at watch throughout the night, they don’t bother James with it and they don’t trust Dave to do it.
The Star of Morcyth: The Morcyth Saga Book Five Page 25