Forgotten Memories
Elizabeth Smith
Copyright 2011 by Elizabeth Smith
Smashwords Edition
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Dedication:
Thank you to Mandy who allowed me to use her work to make the cover:
http://lilsweetmandee.deviantart.com/
This Book is dedicated to a number of people I hold dear to my heart. To my father and mother for never giving up on me and my outrageous goals; to Ethan who introduced me to Etrius, and who in a way will always be the Etrius I originally dream of; and to Tim for putting up with my silly goofy ways and pushing me to finish. I love you all!
CHAPTER 1
Pain danced through his skull, causing him to moan, as he gained consciousness. The sharpness of the pain grew as he attempted to sit up, turning into a throbbing nuisance. He opened his eyes. The world around him came into focus slowly; he blinked, taking in his surroundings.
The room was dim and bare; the only hint of life was the small squeaks and patter of rodents and insects behind the stone walls that surrounded him. The flickering of a single candle, which sat upon a small stool in the far corner, cast menacing shadows along the limestone. He rose cautiously clinging to his precarious balance as his head began to whirl. The unfamiliar surroundings left a cold sweat on his bare chest while his cloudy mind fought against him as he tried to remember what had happened and how he had ended up here.
Confusion swept through him as the image of a very short woman filled his thoughts: She was stoat for her height , the skin of her bare forearms were a dark auburn; as if she had spent too many days out in the hot sun. The hood of her cloak was dusty and hid most of her features. She was so familiar, and yet he couldn’t place where he knew her from, or even her name. As he focused on her, her image began to become fuzzy. Her lips pursed into a frown as she drew her weapons and faced off with him. His heart sank with sorrow as he watched the scene unfold. Confusion began mix with a multitude of emotions; as the image dissolved and was replaced with another.
She stared down at him, her blue eyes drowsy, and her blond braid falling on his chest. His chest swelled at the sight; she was beautiful in a rough kind of way. Her mouth tilted upwards in a sly smile as she leaned in for another kiss. His heart began to pound as he leaned in as well. But before their lips connected the image once again faded.
She stood with a knife to his throat. He could see her yelling something at him, but the image was soundless. She was shaking as she held the blade to his jugular, which was unlike the cocky confident woman he knew. Tears began rolling down her cheeks, shocking him. He could not remember who this woman was but he was sure that he had never seen her cry. The sight hurt him worse than the words he could not hear. His desolation deepened as the image disappeared.
This time horror struck him before the image itself. Her scream came first, filling his thoughts, sending chills down his spine. The gravely sound was full of terror. Then she was there in his arms staring unseeingly forward. Blood stained her lips as she gasped for air. His only thought was to stop the bleeding, that he could do something, anything to save her. He looked down at his hands; they were pressed together over a large gaping hole in her chest. Blood was pouring from her, he couldn’t stop it, she was going to die; and it was his fault. His chest constricted as he began to sob. He began talking to her, trying to comfort her. Her eyes moved to his face as her lips pulled back into a gentle smile. He tucked a small blonde strand that had worked its way loose, behind her ear, leaving behind red trail. He felt her hand on his cheek as she struggled to continue breathing.
“Etrius…” the weak sound of her voice drifted to his ears. Was that his name? Etrius? She had said it so lovingly as if it were a caress of its own. Her mouth moved as if she wanted to say more but the only thing to make it past her lips were the red liquid that filled her lungs, suffocating her. Her hand slipped from his face as her eyes became glazed and her body limp. The image vanished as the emotions struck him full force. He braced himself against the nearest wall as he was overcome. Tears soaked his face as he was left gasping for air. His body shook uncontrollably as he slid to the floor.
He knew nothing of his life: who he was, where he was from; nothing. He didn’t even really know who this woman was. Only that he had loved her; more so than he could have imagined possible. He had watched her die, and he could do nothing about it. He let out an angry scream as he pounded his fists against the limestone, until they began to bleed. His body sagged with exhaustion. He sat for what seemed like an eternity waiting for sleep to take him and all the pain away.
The pounding in his head began to subside as he sat motionlessly against the stone. He began to contemplate his lack of memory: He may not have any recollection of who he was or his past, but that all seemed irrelevant to him now. Only two things mattered to him: He loved a beautiful woman who had been killed, and he was going to find whoever was responsible and make him suffer.
Slowly the pulsing in his head became almost unnoticeable as his mind drifted to the woman’s last words: Etrius… The name brought with it the feeling of resentment, of sadness, of pain, and yet it felt so familiar. He was sure it was his own. He spoke the name aloud, causing himself to jump at the sound. It felt a bit strange on his lips, but it would do: the name that was spoken through pain and fear, and summoned such hatred in him.
He sighed accepting his decision. His name would be a constant reminder of his purpose in his new life. Without a past and with a violent future ahead Etrius would need it. Slowly the numbing darkness came and he slept unaware and unafraid of his surroundings.
Chapter 2
The candle had burned itself out by the time Etrius awoke. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed as he slept, and didn’t really care. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness as he sat for a few moments in silence. The pain in his head had eased immensely overnight, but his outburst left his hands swollen and caked with dry blood.
The thought of his anger brought the images of the woman back in full force. He moaned as the waves of emotion washed over him once again. He sat against the wall for a few more seconds wishing he knew the woman’s name. But now was not the time to wallow in his too few memories. He stood, careful not to use his hands for support. A wave of dizziness struck him, causing him to lean on the wall.
His stomach churned as he wondered how long it had been since he last ate. His mouth began to water at the thought of food. He licked his lips, which had been dry and cracked from lack of water. Staggering forward still using the wall for support as he ignored the painful cramps of his empty stomach, and tried to focus on figuring out where he was and how to escape.
The stone was rough against his bare skin as he dragged his shoulder against it. The darkness of the room was almost blinding, the only shapes he could make out were the glowing eyes of rats that scurried across his path. Suddenly, the texture of the wall changed from the coarse texture of stone to the smoothness of sanded wood. Etrius stopped and turned, running his injured hands along the surface of what he perceived as a door.
The wood was old and rotted, in place of the door knob was a rough slab of what he guessed was iron; perhaps a lock. He took a few steps back before throwing his muscular form against the frame. The wood creaked under the force but didn’t give way. He paused catching his breath before trying again, to no avail. The pounding in his head had returned, full force as he paused again. As he stood leaning against the door he almost didn’t notice the faint sound of footsteps over his heavy breathing. He stiffened, not knowing what to do. Moving to one side of the door he began to assess his situation.
He had no weapon, no armor; the only thing he possessed was the rags that covered the lower half of his body, even his feet were bare. He could barely stand on his own, between the dizziness and his body’s malnourished state. The footsteps were growing louder by the second. He needed a weapon, but what? His eyes scanned the impenetrable darkness of the room; there had to be something here he could use. The only thing he knew that was in the room was the candle… and the stool it sat on!
He scrambled over to the corner where the stool sat; feeling along with his throbbing hands until he found it. He paused listening for a few moments. The footsteps were closer but they paused, his heart pounded in his chest, a loud crack reverberated from the walls making him jump. The footsteps sounded a few paces then paused once more followed by another crack; this time closer. He rushed back to the door holding the stool above his head, ready for anything that might show itself.
A few more steps and another crack; his breath began to catch. Again: step. Step. Step. Pause. CRACK! As he stood listening he began to hear the murmur of a voice every time the footsteps paused. Step. Step. Step. Murmur. CRACK! Step. Step. Step. Murmur. CRACK! The last one was close; too close. He could hear bare feet hitting the stone floor just outside his door. His heart was pounding against his ribs.
“If there’s anyone there let yourself be known. Friend or for?” A woman’s whisper came. He paused. “Very well.”
“WAIT!” He panicked, realizing that he had answered.
“Friend or Foe?!” The woman demanded sounded sterner than before. His thoughts became jumbled as they all raced forward at once, leaving him speechless. “Answer or I shall leave you hear to rot!” He breathed deeply before answering.
“Friend… I hope.”
“Move to the far wall.” There had been a pause before she spoke he was sure of it; but he was in no state to cause trouble. He did as she instructed, a bit shakily, but continued to hold tightly to the stool. “Ready?”
“Ready… as I’ll ever be…” He said to himself more than to her. The door splintered away from its hinges as the sound of cracking wood filled the air. Dim light began to seep into the room forcing Etrius to blink back the darkness. The first thing he noticed about the woman in front of him was her lack of clothing: A crude clothe in a single strip was barely covering her bare chest and the remnants of what he supposed use to be a pair of trousers hung in rags at her waist; forming a makeshift skirt. Her dark hair, a mass of tangles, swayed with her every movement. Blood was smeared all over the tan skin of her curvy figure. She was very menacing standing in the midst of shattered wood holding a dagger at the ready.
“Step forward, so I can see you!” She demanded. He detected a hint of some foreign accident but he couldn’t tell what it was; probably wouldn’t even remember if he had. He did as he was told; stepping into the light, still clutching his makeshift weapon. She looked him over a few seconds before relaxing, a small smile seeping into her lips. “Hey! It’s you! I thought for sure you were dead with how much blood you were covered in. Looks like you’re alright. Good on ya!” She stepped forward to give his shoulder a gentle punch. He swayed on his precarious footing, before catching himself.
“You… you know me?” He asked fighting a wave of dizziness. She caught him by the arm to help steady him.
“Wow, you’re in pretty bad shape. I’ll answer your questions later; right now we just need to get out of here.” She threw his arm over her shoulders; dagger still palmed, and tried to carry a bit of his weight. He thankful accepted her help as he shifted his weight of his exhausted feet. His whole body felt heavy from his weakness, it was a wonder he was still alive. The woman was a few inches shorter than he was but she seemed to be able to carry the burden of his weight quite well.
They staggered forward into a small hall, light by a large crack in the ceiling that allowed sunlight to seep through. The temperature was a bit higher in the hall than the cell but neither of them seemed to pay much attention to it. One side of the hall was littered with the splinters of broken doors, while the other was covered with chains bared to the wall. Slowly, Etrius and his savior made their way back up the hall, following the path of shattered wood, until they came across a “T.” She paused as she looked both ways. She was beautiful, but Etrius didn’t much care for her looks; she had a too pure look to her beauty that didn’t really sit right with him. Her brown eyes were shallow; as if she hid everything from the world. The thought mad him pity her a little. Blondie – for that was what he decided to call his woman—had deep eyes that always gave her away. The thought made his chest ache a bit but he couldn’t keep the smile from his mouth, though he wasn’t quite sure why he was smiling.
The woman moved him to the far wall and sat him down against the stone. She raised her eyebrow at the small grin on his face, but shrugged it off. “What’s your name big guy?” She asked, lifting her makeshift skirt a little; revealing a large pouch.
“I thought you knew me?” He replied confused. She gave him a look that mirrored his confusion, but turned back to the pouch, which she began to rummage through.
“I saw the slavers bring you in about a week ago, figured you were dead or soon to be.” She pulled a bottle from the bag before continuing. “Looks like you’re a little stronger than I gave you credit for. At least you had a nicer stay than I did.”
“Slavers?”
“Uh, yeah. You know: big guys lots of chains?” She uncorked the bottle and held it out to him. The sound of sloshing liquid drifted to his ear, before he grabbed it up greedily. “I’m Aurora by the way; I’ll be your rescuer this evening.” She smiled as he began chugging the contents of the jug.
The water had a dirty copper taste to it and burned his throat as it went down, but it felt so sweet against his lips that he couldn’t contain himself. Too soon the bottle became empty. She laughed as she took the empty bottle away and replaced it with a small chunk of bread. “I’d let you have more but we’ll need it later. Now are you going to tell me your name or am I going to have to continue with the pet names?” The bread chaffed his raw throat but he didn’t complain; it was heaven in food form.
“Etrius.” He choked out. The name still seemed a bit strange but he didn’t pay much attention to it. Aurora placed the bottle back into the bag and secured it back under her skirt, before standing and looking down both halls ounce more.
“Well Etrius, I’m going to have to leave you here while I scout ahead but I’ll be back as soon as I can ok?” He nodded before he watched her curved figure make its way down the hall to his right. He was exhausted; both mentally and physically, he was surprised he had made it thus far. Leaning his head back against the cool stone he began to drift into unconsciousness.
The next thing he knew Aurora was shaking him awake. He wasn’t sure how long he had been out; the light was still shining through the cracks in the ceiling so it mustn’t have been that long. “Come on, this way is clear; and I think I’ve found a way out.” She helped him to his feet with a small grunt before leading him down the hall. He was so tired; the thought of his next step left him wearier by the second. His eye lids felt heavy. Aurora stumbled and cursed “Hey now!” She barked at him. “I don’t mind helping you walk, but I’ll be damned if I have to carried your large rump out of here! Now wake up!” She jostled him with her shoulder as he pried his eyes back open.
Etrius tried to focus on his feet; stepping with his left and then his right. His surrounding became a blur as he fell into a rhythm; he almost didn’t even realize when he began walking up a flight of stairs. Distantly he realized that the more steps he took the hotter and drier the air around him became. Finally Aurora stopped him. “Here, lean against this wall.” He voice was chopped with heavy breathing as she helped him stay upright. Bracing himself against the stone, Etrius looked up at his surroundings: the stairway was dark and crowded with the two of them side by side.
His gaze found the woman’s outline as she took a few more steps, her bare feet making noise against the stone. She reached for something; the sound of a chain scraping stone filled the air. Slowly a wooden panel at the top of the passage way lifted causing bright rays of sunlight to pierce the gloom. Etrius blinked back tears from his stinging eyes as he tried to make them adjust to the sudden change. Aurora grunted as she pulled the chain again; with every yank the panel opened a few inches until it was just wide enough for her to squeeze through. She wrapped the chain around the metal latch protruding from the wall adjacent to her, before turning back to him. “Don’t fall asleep. I’ll be right back!” She commanded. If Etrius wasn’t so tired he’d be getting fairly annoyed at all of her commands.
His body sagged against the limestone; he was so exhausted. His head began to nod as he fought sleep. Slowly he looked up through the opening to the sky. There were no clouds against the pale blankness just a never ending yellow with a blue tint. He sighed taking in the scratchy air.
As he watched a small lizard scurried into the passage way to take advantage of the protection from the sun's rays. Etrius studied the creature trying to keep from dozing. Its skin was lump and covered with cracks; three yellowish splots took refuge on its back. It froze as if sensing some form of danger before scuttling into a small crack above the second step.
He envied the lizard: he'd give almost anything to just crawl into a hole and just sit there and finally get some sleep. "It's clear. Come on." He hadn't noticed when Aurora appeared again but her voice made his heart sink. She hoisted him up and helped him through the opening. The sun beat down on him fiercely, causing sweat to seep from every pore. The sand beneath his feet burned his skin as he took in the desert plain that surrounded them.
"How far does it go?" he asked weakly as he attempted to shield his eyes as he squinted to see further. The hatch slammed shut as she kicked the metal bar, which held it open, on her way out, before turning to see what caught his attention.
"Don't know." She shrugged. "I don't care to find out either." She took her position under his arm once more, before nodding in the opposite direction. "I found some tracks a few yards that way. For whatever reason most of the slavers left in a hurry. If we're lucky those tracks will lead us to a town or village; at least some food and water." She dragged him in the direction she had indicated. Etrius was dumbfounded.
“You want to follow the men that did this to us in the first place?! What if we catch up to them?" he demanded. She glared up at him not pausing in her march.
"Now listen here! I've got a hell of a lot more to hate them for than you but it doesn't matter: I’ve got enough food to last me a whole week sparingly and water a little less than that, if I’m lucky, and that’s without sharing with you! Now I could have left you in that cell to rot; but I didn’t. I could have horded my food and water, but I won’t. We're going to follow those tracks because they are our only hope of survival." She paused, waiting for a response; but when none came besides his wary gaze she continued with a shrug. "Besides, it might not be the slavers; it could just be the bandits from earlier."
“Bandits?” He asked a bit surprised. She sighed before replying.
“Are you sure you’re not dead; because you’d have to be to be as dense as you seem.” She continued to drag him forward. “Bandits. They came this morning; after the slavers disappeared a few days ago, they must have thought the place was an easy target. Too bad for them I’m a lot stronger than I look: I got a number of those bastards before the rest got away; I only wish I had killed more.” An evil grin slid across her face as he watched through heavy lids. “I figured they might come back so it’d be best to move on as fast as I could; of course I searched for survivors. You’re the only one I found alive: it seems most died of thirst after the slavers abandoned us; I’m actually pretty surprised you’re still standing…. sort of.” She looked up at the sky: the sun was beginning to drop low. “Come on.” She urged him on picking up their pace a little.
Chapter 3
His feet were covered in Blisters from the hot sand, but the pain just added to that of the rest of his body. His head still pounded, along with his wounded hands and his cramping stomach, but he had no choice but to carry on. They continued for what seemed like forever, only stopping every so often for small, rare, sips of water. Their pace was steady but it wasn’t soon after that the sun began to dip beyond the horizon and the sky began to darken.
Aurora stopped just before full darkness began to envelope them. A chill began to seep into the air as she helped Etrius to the ground. “We’ll stop here for the night. I’ll see what I can gather for a small fire, it’ll bring a little warmth but not enough; we may have to huddle to keep warm.” Her voice was a bit harsh as the words formed. Etrius shot her a glance. “It’s not ideal and if I find any of your appendages in a place I don’t like I’ll remove your manhood. Understood?” She said with a glare. Etrius scoffed; as if he’d do such a thing.
“Don’t flatter yourself woman.” He remarked. She was attractive but he didn’t much care for her; she was bossy and egotistical. The thought of Blondie filled his head. What a sight they must have been, he mused; compared to him she was the height of a child no older than ten or eleven. How old was she? He wondered. He slouched forward lost in his own thoughts; he hadn’t even heard Aurora’s respond or departure. She looked to be in her mid-twenties but he didn’t believe she was human; she was too short and stout for that. A dwarf maybe? From what he could recall of the dwarven race it made sense. But something nagged at the back of his mind. He was sure she was dwarvish but her mannerisms, at least the ones he could recall, didn’t fit. Etrius was so caught up in his train of thought, that he hadn’t noticed Aurora or the fire until she was kneeling next to him in the dim light.
“How are you feeling?” She asked, taking one of his injured hands and examining it. Etrius just grunted in response. Ripping a strip from her skirt of rags, she held the cloth to his lips. “Spit, we can’t waste any water on minor injuries.” It took him a moment to gather saliva in his dry mouth, but he did as she asked. After a sigh of impatience she ran the now damp cloth across the dirt and blood encrusted palm of his hand. The friction burned causing in to inhale sharply but he sat still as she cleaned the wound. After the task was complete she retrieved the pouch from beneath her skin and began to rummage through it. “So… Etrius, right? Where are you from?”
Her attempt at small talk was comforting but the knowledge of his hometown evaded him, leaving desolation in its wake. “I…. don’t know.” He mumbled. She glanced at him with a confused look as she pulled a small tin from her bag.
“What do you mean you don’t know? Are you an orphan or something?” She replied, as she opened the tin revealing a slimy green paste.
“I don’t know.” He sighed, a little angry. He flinched as she applied the paste to his wound causing it to sting badly. “I can’t remember anything; not who I am or where I’m from; it’s like it all just doesn’t exist.” Aurora never paused in her application of the salve as she listened, though she waited a few seconds before she responded.
“Well there has to be something; otherwise how would you know your name?” He glanced away, not wanting to talk about the dwarven woman. He heard her sigh as she began wrapping his hand with the same strip of cloth. “You don’t have to tell me; if it’s really that bad.”
“How do you know it’s something bad?” He glanced up at her as she moved to his other hand; this time ripping off a strip from his own trousers and repeating the process.
“Are you kidding? You have the most depressing look I’ve ever seen, dripping from your face. It’s pretty obvious.”
“What about you? What’s your story?” He asked, desperate to change the subject. She sighed, without looking up from her task.
“I’m just a nobody. I grew up in a clan of barbarians out in the red frog jungle; that is… until slavers came and captured the one’s that could work and slaughtered the rest. They meant to sell me right away, but I was too spirited so they broke me; of course it took a few years.” She looked up to give him a small wink. “Anyways, I was eventually sold to an old woman who owned an herbalist shop and did a bit of sorcery. After a few years of beatings and experimentations, I was fed up. Killed her in her sleep.” She shrugged her statement off as if it meant nothing. “Was free for a while; wondered the world, learned to live off the land; but every now and again a band of slavers or soldiers with catch me by surprise, but I always manage to escape. This times no different.” As she spoke her voice became more and more saddened. “How’s your feet?” she asked without pausing for an answer, she moved to care for them; applying the salve before wrapping them in more strips of his trousers.
“Sounds like you’ve lived a hard life.”
“I’ve lived. I guess that’s what really matters.” She shrugged. The sat in silence as she finished wrapping his feet before moving to her own. When she finished she began to return her items to the bag. Pausing she looked back up at him. “I do have one question. What little you remember… does it explain that scare?” She nodded towards his chest.
“What—“ Etrius looked down for the first time taking in his physic. His body was toned though excessively thin from lack of nourishment. Sand and sweat covered his tan skin, leaving behind chunks of dried mud. A burn mark lay on the left side of his chest, just above his heart; the scar was shaped like a cross: the four arms were equal in length, at the center was a dark circle, as if a jewel had been set there. Two circles, one within the other, surrounded the cross so that the larger one just touched the ends of each of the cross's arms. Dark spots lay were the arms and circle met, perhaps places where gems had lain. The symbol pulled at his mind; dragging something familiar from his memories, but the more he tried to focus on it the further away it seemed.
“It doesn’t.” He answered flatly, tracing the tissue with his fingers. He pondered the meaning of it: Was it some kind of spell; maybe a curse? Perhaps it was the symbol of a cult. Was he religious? He turned the questions over in his head repeatedly as he watched the pathetic excuse for a fire. Aurora broke his concentration every so often, adding small twigs she found under some brush here and there or handing him a small chunk of bread or a sip of water. The cold had set in and soon, despite the little heat given off by the flames, Etrius began to shiver.
Soon, Aurora was huddled close to him shivering just as badly; her body heat was welcome as she scooted closer. The shivering subsided a bit but remained ever present. “Again, don’t get any ideas big guy.” She stuttered flashing the blade still in her hands. After what seemed like only a few minutes they we’re both fast asleep using each other to lean on.
The heat woke them just after dawn. Aurora was the first to stir, kicking the long dead embers of their fire into the sand. Etrius began to topple backward from lack of support, before he managed to catch himself with a grunt. “Morning sunshine.” Aurora teased her voice a bit scratchy. “We’ll have to get underway soon: the heat won’t really be on us for another few hours. Can you walk on your own?” Etrius tried to stand, becoming lightheaded halfway up. He plopped back down in the sand. With a sigh Aurora helped him up. He waited for the dizziness to pass before he tried to let his legs bare his weight.
They felt stronger today; the small bits of food and water must have done him good. He took a step forward; the lightness in his head struck again causing him to sway, before he was able to catch himself. Aurora moved to catch him but heeded his wave as he shrugged her off. Another step; this time the dizziness was less. “I’m fine. I think I can handle it.”
“Good, I was contemplating letting you crawl your way on.” She poked. He wasn’t sure whether or not to take her seriously; but for the rest of the day she never strayed out of arms reach.
The day dragged on, with only a few food and water breaks to break the monotonous march. When dusk came; the two made camp. Though they found little to make a fire with, the cold bothered them little compared to their exhaustion and soon they both were asleep.
The next few days went without incident, each day Aurora would announce that they were gaining ground on the wagon, but Etrius never saw any discernible change in the tracks. A few times Aurora called for a break, she refused to rest; claiming that she wasn't tired or that she was only taking his "fragile state" into account, but Etrius could tell that she had lost the trail and decided to just play along. With every passing day he seemed to regain more and more of his strength and he was sure she had noticed as well. Eventually she would find the trail again and they'd be on their way.
On the third day, just at dusk, Aurora explained that they only had a little more than a day's water. "We're close enough to the wagon to make it there tonight if you’re up for it. We may be able to steal some food..." she paused, a sly smile on her face. "Or maybe the whole wagon, wouldn't that be grand. No more walking!" Etrius held back a chuckle as he just nodded along. Over the past few days they had said little; not having much to talk about.
"I'm up for it." he paused considering the outcome the night might hold. If they were caught there would be a fight to ensue; he wasn't sure how well he'd be in a fight. Had he ever been in one; or were his muscles the result of a hardworking life on a farm? "Which do you think it'll be: slavers or bandits?"
"I'd put my money on bandits." her grin widened evilly. "In fact I'm sure it. Most of the slavers have been long gone for a while now; it only makes sense that it'd be the bandits. I'm hoping that it is." Etrius watched her as she spoke.
"Oh? Why is that?" He asked. The bloodthirsty smile on her face evaporated as it was replaced by a somber glare.
"I'd just hate to let the one that managed to evade me, escape." He was sure that she was lying through her teeth, but he didn't press; she obviously didn't want to talk about it and she hadn't pushed the issue of his memories of the blonde woman; it was only fair that he let the subject lie.
The sun set soon after their conversation; plunging them into cold darkness. The cold was lessened by the continuous exertion of their march; it was still not enough to keep them from shivering every time a breeze picked up. The chill burned Etrius' lungs with every breath, rubbing him raw. About midway through the night Etrius spotted the glow of a fire in the distance; after pointing it out to Aurora she nodded.
"That must be them, we'll move a little closer and sneak up behind. We'll have to keep quiet and stay low. There shouldn't be more than four or five of them but we'll take count and regroup; come up with a plan ok?" Determination dripped from her every word. He nodded signaling his agreement.
It didn't take long before they were close enough for the sounds of laughter and soft music drifting toward them. Aurora held a finger to her lips before motioning for him to get down. "Keep close big guy." He barely heard her whisper before she was ahead of him. Mimicking the way she lay on her stomach and used her arms and legs to propel herself forward he made his way forward.
Soon the mumbling of words became coherent and Aurora stopped just outside the circle of light cast by the men’s large fire. There were there of them; two sat leaning against the large wagon, as the horses stood dosing still latched to the harness, the third lay off to the left of the fire blowing softly on a lute. “—get there?” The one sitting against the right side of the wagon finished.
“Another day, maybe two.” The man next to him answered. The three were dressed darkly in fairly nice tunics and trousers that made them appear a bit bigger than their actual size. The first man took a swig from a small flask before getting up to walk to the fire.
“I could really use a wench to chase away this cold.” He sighed.
“You mean like the one that had your member at knife point back at the jail?” The man with the lute laughed causing the second man to join in. The first glared at them both.
“If Sam hadn’t of been so rough with her, I’m sure she would have bent over and taken it like the nice little piece she is.” A small movement caught Etrius’ eye as Aurora’s fist tightened around her dagger with so much force her knuckles became pale. “Ugh,” the man moaned pulling Etrius’ attention back to him. “But she had the greatest body I’ve ever seen.” He waved his hands in the air outlining the curves of a woman.
“Yeah… one that could rip your throat out before you had time to undo your trousers; just like Sam.” The lute player sighed. The first man continued ignoring the remark.
“If I could just have those gorgeous legs wrapped around me…” Etrius looked at Aurora once more; her lips were pulled back in a snarl as rage filled her eyes. She looked menacing in the dim light as she lay there blade in hand, ready to pounce. That same angry began to burn at the bottom of his stomach as he realized why Aurora had been so blood thirsty; what these men had done to her. He glanced back up at the three of them. He would make them pay for their actions; he would give Aurora her retribution: though he had no idea how. “I’d make her scream for more.” He finished. That was the last straw for Aurora; he control snapped. In an instant she was on her feet racing forward. Etrius had barely any time to think before he jumped up after her.
The men had just enough time to jump to their feet as she lunged over the fire, with a head splitting scream, at the standing man. She hit him legs first, sending him sprawling backwards. Still crouching, as he landed, she plunged her dagger into his throat and twisted. The sound of snapping bone filled the still air, followed by the gurgling of blood as the man’s scream was drowned by the red liquid.
Etrius threw himself at the second man knocking him to the ground, before he had a chance to advance on Aurora. The man’s fist connected with Etrius’ chin, before he could throw the first punch. The lute player’s arm wrapped around Etrius’ neck and dragged him off the second man. Etrius lungs began to expand, begging for air as he clawed at his attacker’s grip. The second man rushed forward for a second attack. He threw his right arm out for protection against the onslaught.
Blue light flared in front of him, blindingly as his palm extended. The light jumped from his hand and slammed into the man's chest. The lute player released Etrius; sending him sputtering and coughing to the ground.
Aurora slid the blade from the man's spine, still blinded by rage. She stood panting, searching for her next opponent. Slowly, when none came, her blinding fury eased. Etrius kneeled, rubbing his throat as she made her way to the unconscious man.
A hole lay burned through his tunic, to his chest filling the air with the putrid smell of smoldering flesh. His body shuddered slightly with each breath he drew. Aurora leaned close and whispered a few words before snapping his neck. She stood and slowly made her way back to Etrius; landing a kick to the dead man's ribs as she went.
Etrius knelt staring at his bandaged hand in awe; nothing was different; the filthy clothe lay the same as before. Aurora drifted past him heading for the lute player. “You never told me you were a spell caster.” She accused tauntingly as she studied the man at her feet then stared at Etrius and back again deep in thought. Etrius looked up at being addressed.
“A sp… spell caster?” He stammered. “I… I didn’t know.” He was dumbfounded by the realization of what had just happened. She nodded to herself before pulling the body into sitting position.
“Well it’s nothing to be ashamed about, maybe a little frightened,” she laughed throwing him a wink, “but not ashamed; some of my best friends are...” She paused. “Use to be, spell casters.”
“Use to be?” he asked. “Well that’s comforting.”
“I’ve lived a hard life; some people can’t keep up: It’s sad, and not really their fault.” She tried to pull the blood stained tunic off the musician but failed, as he began to slide back down. “Are you going help me undress this guy or just sit there like a toddler with a new toy?” she asked with a huff. Slowly Etrius stood; his body seemed a bit more tired than before, but it seemed understandable after all the excitement.
“Why are we undressing him?” He asked as he made his way to join her. She looked up at him as if he were stupid.
“You don’t want to walk into town in rags do you? Someone might get the wrong impression.” She teased. “The rest might fetch a little coin.”
“But stealing from a dead man?” Etrius argued. She rolled her eyes.
“It’s not like he’s going to use them.” She rolled her eyes. “Besides, by dawn coyotes will have dragged the bodies away for their meal; it’d be a waste to see these clothes dragged off with them.” Etrius turned her over quickly, before agreeing with a sigh. They stripped each man individually before carrying their bodies a few yards down wind and dumping them.
Returning to camp, they began to sort through the clothes: Etrius was built a bit bigger than the men but was able to find a tunic that would do; though be it a little small, as for trousers The first man was tall and had a bit of a belly, giving Etrius just enough space to squeeze into. Aurora had no problem picking out clothes for herself; though Etrius was forced to turn away as she began to strip before his eyes, with no regard to self-preservation or decency that Etrius was accustomed to. Aurora gave a small chuckle at his chivalry as she began to dress. "If you’re so bashful go behind the cart to dress; though I'm sure it's nothing I haven’t seen before." She teased. Etrius, offended, left abruptly without gracing her with a reply.
After a time he deemed appropriate, Etrius returned. Aurora stood leaning against the end of the cart taking a swig of the flask she took from the second man. Her hair, still a mess of tangled black, at least looked as if she had attempted to run her fingers through it. Her eyes, so filled with hate no less than an hour ago, were now a blank mass of brown. Aurora's swig of the flask's content drew attention to her heart shaped face. The dark tunic bagged a bit but still fit enough to hint at her womanly figure. The trousers were also a bit too large for her but they covered her legs neatly, with the ends tucked neatly into her boots.
She extended her muscular arm; offering the flask to Etrius. The smell of warm liquor steamed from it causing him turn up his nose. “No thanks.” She shrugged him off before climbing into the wagon.
“Found food while you were making yourself pretty.” She called. “And water; plenty of it. What do you say to a feast?” She lifted a large sack that bulged with weight and carried it to the edge before plopping down, legs dangling just inches off the ground. After digging for a few moments she pulled out a water skin and passed it to Etrius; who took it, greedily downing half its contents. When he offered the rest to Aurora, she explained she had already had her share. “There more where that one came from too; they have enough stashed here to last the four of them a week.” She boasted.
Next she handed him a large bundle wrapped in cloth. Unwrapping it, he found half a loaf of bread, a large chunk of cheese and small strips of dried meat. His mouth began to water as he examined the food. Aurora had already unwrapped her own and was chewing over her jerky when she looked up at him. “It’s not poisoned and actually tastes pretty good. Go on, eat.” He didn’t need to be told twice and soon most of his share was gone; his stomach distended. Soon they both fell silent, focused intently on their meal.
“Why didn’t you tell me about… what they did to you?” He said, breaking the quiet. The question had been plaguing him since the initial attack. She didn’t look up from her bread to acknowledge his question, and soon Etrius started to believe she was never going to answer his question.
“I don’t see how it would matter; or what you could have done about it.” She replied. “Besides, what’d you expect; it’s not like it’s your problem.” He sighed, she had a very good point; he couldn’t have done anything to change what had happened, if anything it would just make him pity her.
“Perhaps you’re right; at least they got what they deserved.” He murmured; she gave a cynical laugh.
“You’re only half right; I am right but they deserved so much more.” The rage from earlier flashed in her eyes before disappearing just as quickly. “Come on; let’s get some sleep. You’ll have to sleep under the wagon if you don’t want the sun to wake you.” She tossed her bundle back into the bag, before grabbing a nearby bed roll and jumping of the wagon. Etrius nodded, following her lead.
Chapter 4
Two more days past without any sign of civilization; the horses and wagon allowed their traveling to move a bit faster; and much more comfortable. The small village lay just on the outskirts of a small oasis; giving it the resources needed to survive. A few huts were scattered between the trees; allowing the shade to keep them a bit cooler than the surround atmosphere. The only well-constructed building seemed to be a small in on the edge of the pond at the center of the village. The few people they passed eyed the warily as they went one: Aurora ignoring their glares smiled down at them and even waved here and there.
“What are you planning to do once we’re out of this blasted desert?” she asked, not looking up from her showy greetings. Etrius had often wondering about the subject himself during the past few days. The subject left him a bit uncertain; but he only had one lead.
“I need to find someone,” he started but was interrupted by an elbow to his ribs.
“AH, got a girl I see!” She winked up at him. His face dropped at the subject, leaving her to reassess her statement. “Or a guy; hey that’s cool too.” She shrugged as if it were normal.
“Oh, no! I mean it’s not a guy,” Etrius stammered a bit shocked at the accusation. “That is to say it is a woman…. Or was…” His face was a mask of sorrow once more.
“Oh…. I’m sorry… I didn’t know.” Her face was sincere as she apologized.
“It’s fine, but that’s where I’m headed; to find who did it…” The images returned along with the pain in his chest. “She’s all I can remember…”
“That’s terrible, but how do you expect to find them if you don’t have any clue to who you are?”
“I’ll just have to figure out what this symbol means,” He answered rubbing the place where his scar lay, through his tunic. “Hopefully, it’ll help me figure out who I am; maybe where I’m from.”
They pulled up to the end and called for the stable boy. Before he could run off with the horses and wagon; Aurora collected all the bags, loading half of them into Etrius’ arms. “I wouldn’t trust these villagers; they seem a bit shifty.” She whispered as they headed towards the doors.
The Inn was small and empty as they entered; the tables where spread apart leaving plenty of room to walk by them with ease. An old man was hunched forward on the bar snoring into his mug of ale. “Excuse me?” Aurora called, catching a raised eyebrow from Etrius. “What? I have manners…. Sometimes.” A middle aged woman stuck her head out from, what they assumed to be the kitchen.
“If you ain’t got coin, I can’t help ya; too many people come in and expect charity: I gotta live ya know!” She said as she took a step into the room; wiping her hands on her apron. Aurora nodded along as the woman spoke; while Etrius stood next to her silently.
“Yes ma’am, we have coin.” She answered; which was news to him. She produced a large purse from one of the bags, causing it to jingle from the movement. The woman’s face brightened with a smile.
“What’ll it be then?” she asked.
“Two rooms, a hot and hearty meal, 2 pints of ale… and two baths,” Aurora demanded. With a nudge from Etrius and a roll of her eyes she added ‘please’ to her sentence as well.
“Three gold and a two silver; it’d be cheaper but water is expensive out here, and I don’t expect you’ll be wantin’ to take a sponge bath.” The woman replied.
“I’ll make it an even five; if you make sure we have locks on our doors and see that our horses are taken care of; six if you can find us a map.” Aurora offered.
“You got it.” The woman’s smile became genuine as the number grew. “Your rooms will be at the top of the stairs, end of the hall on either side: the beds aren’t the greatest, but it beats sleeping in the cold or on hay. I’ll be up to draw your baths as soon as I can manage; Dinner will be in about an hour and I’ll have the boy find you a map and care for the horses.” With a nod and a few of the coins promised; they received their keys and made their way up the stairs.
The hall was dark with no windows to allow in any sunlight, but it was simple enough to find their rooms. The doors lay at the end of the hall, just as the innkeeper had said; exactly across from each other. With one last glance at each other and a nod, they entered the rooms.
Light flowed through a small round window, adjacent to the door, lighting the sparsely furnished space. A loosely feathered bed lay in the far corner on a shaky frame next to a small in table, while a chair sat next to the window collecting dust. Etrius dropped the bags of supplies into the chair before plopping down on the lumpy bed; causing a precision of squeaks. He didn’t mind much though; the dusty mattress was a step up from a sandy bed roll.
Lying down, he stared up at the ceiling pondering Aurora’s earlier question; what was he going to do next? If he couldn’t figure out what his scar meant, where would he go? It was his only chance; unless he could remember something else about his past.
He tried to concentrate as he studied the boards above him. He brushed through the memories of Blondie with as much haste as he could manage; only pausing to study the face of a truly happy woman only once. With a sigh he continued shifting through the black for what must have been half an hour, before a soft knock at his door stirred him. Getting up, he made his way to the door. The Inn keeper stood holding a stack of folded clothes and a pair of boots; which she placed in his arms.
“Your bath is ready. Your companion invested in some new clothes; it seems like you could use them.” She informed him. “Bathes are in the house out back; I assumed you wanted a separate tub; unless I was wrong?” She winked.
“No.” he answered flatly; in no mood for jokes. “Thank you, I’m sure I can find my way.” She shrugged before nodding and walking away.
“Dinner in half an hour.” She called before disappearing around the corner. He inhaled deeply before shutting the door behind him and locking it and making his way to the bath house.
The waiting room was just a small area with a mass of benches. Two doors sat side by side; both identical, except for a small sign that hung from the latch of the left’s that read ‘occupied’. The humid atmosphere inside the structure was a nice change to the dry heat outside; leaving him a bit more refreshed already.
Taking the door on the right he entered his chamber: a large room filled with the smell of scented soaps. A large metal tub sat in the center of the room, filled with clear crystalline water; a small bench lay against the far wall and a full length mirror sat in the corner; only separated by a few hooks to hang clothing. Etrius pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it to the floor before unwrapping his hands and feet and making his way to the mirror. For the first time since he awoke in his cell he looked upon his reflection.
He stood tall; shoulders squared as if maybe he had been a part of some form of military. His hair was short enough to stand on its own; gray dusted the sides, interrupting the flow of auburn. How old was he? It was the first time the question had entered his mind. The gray in his hair made the number higher than he expected, and yet he didn’t feel older than his mid-twenties. He ran his hand through the week old stubble on his chin before continuing his inspection. His eyes were a green-hazel that seemed filled with pain; the square of his chin seemed to emanate dignity. His abdomen was a mass of muscles; though he was still rather thin. His scar stared up at him almost mockingly from its place on his chest. He studied it for the thousandth time; tracing it with his fingers. The wounds on his hands were nothing but a small scab that had begun healing over. He turned from the mirror and continued to undress before stepping into the warm liquid of his bath. Slowly he submerged himself; lost in the comforting thought of cleanliness.
A soft knock came from the door, stirring him from his relaxation. “I’m sorry to disturb you good sir…” A boy’s voice came. “But the mistress sent me to attend to any of your necessities; I’ve brought your soaps and towels.” He sounded nervous; stuttering here and there.
“Come in.” Etrius answered, waving a hand without realizing it. The door swung gently open as the boy slipped in, and shut quickly behind him. He was a messy looking child, in his teen; but he seemed fairly well built, as if he were akin to hard labor. Baring a tray full of linen and a variety of soaps in one hand and a small stool in the other, he continued to Etrius’ side; setting down the stool and with the tray on top of it.
“Is there anything you need?” He asked softly before remembering his manners with a bow “Good sir!” he hurried. Etrius gave a small chuckle at the rough manners, rubbing the progressing beard on his chin.
“Are you good with a razor boy?” He asked, eyeing him. The boy gave a bit of a startled look before answering.
“Well… no sir… I can’t say I am… I’m not old enough to shave just yet…” He admitted as he began to scramble about the room; picking up Etrius’ discarded clothes. His reply made Etrius laugh a bit harder. “I’ll ask the mistress if she can find you someone who can be of assistance.” He said bowing repeatedly as he rushed from the room without a dismissal. Something pulled at Etrius; the boy’s easily excited mannerisms reminded him of someone; but he couldn’t put his finger on whom. He sighed, sinking lower into the water.
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