SWNOVELS Chapter † 18 - flight †
Dazed by the choking smoke, hanging thickly beneath the trees, Galen pushes blindly forward not entirely certain of their direction but trusting the feeling in his gut.
The choked breaths and splutters following from behind, reassures him that the two rescued captives are still following him.
Reluctant to halt, he pushes on, muscles protesting and cramping savagely at the mistreatment.
Gritting his teeth against the pain, he trudges ahead, only stopping when a shadowy figure looms ahead of them in the murky gloom.
‘Finally!’ a grunt of joy as he recognizes the large tree standing in front of them as the one described, by Virian, before the rescue attempt.
‘Not too far to go now!’
Glancing behind him he tries to discern the two shadowy figures following slowly behind, faint silhouettes moving through the grey smoke.
The breath of relief reaching his ears echoes his feelings, and he pushes forward hastily, closing the distance with renewed vigour.
Rushing along quickly through the murky air, Galen steps into a hole in the ground, and tumbles to the ground twisting his
ankle sorely.
Groaning loudly he clutches at his foot, rolls onto his back and rocks back and forth, pain pounding onside his foot.
‘Argh!’
‘What happened?’ Talli’s voice inquires through the thick smoke, approaching apprehensively.
‘Twisted... my.... ankle!’ he roars at her, stars flashing across his eyes, face scrunched up in agony.
Talli walks forward, stops close to where he lies and looks down at him. Siril huffs up, following closely behind her, and stops next to her shoulders touching lightly.
He looks down at Galen over his hooked nose with his piercing grey eyes, mouth pulled in a tight line.
‘Where are we headed?’ he asks sombrely, before looking around them into the smoke.
‘Virian said to meet at the tree over there. She knows of a way out of the forest.’
Words strained by the pain flaring up his legs, a pained expression etched over his face.
Siril looks towards the tree, frowning, then with a silent motion, gestures to Talli before bending down and gripping Galen under his arms.
Straining under his weight, they heave Galen up, positions him over their shoulders and begin to walk slowly towards the tree.
Galen’s foot throbs painfully with each jarring step they take, each painful jab up his leg taking them closer to the giant tree. Finally, all three panting and breathing heavily, they collapse tiredly in a small heap at the foot of the tree, the large roots crawling over the ground offering them naturally formed seats.
Talli perches birdlike on top of one of the roots and surveys the area around them. Tired and tense after the wild escape, her body jerks at every sound emanating from within the dense bushes surrounding them. Eyes vague and distant turn to look at Galen, sprawled at the foot of the giant root.
‘So where is she?’ her voice cracks slightly from strain.
‘She will be here.’
Replying icily, Galen glares up at her, rearranges his body and turns his back on her a much as he can.
‘So you say! We do not even know you. We blindly trusted you.’ Her voice tremors slightly, emotion seeping through to her thin face, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.
‘Oh, father! What now?’
Her wail rips from her throat, deep seeded anguish thick in her words.
‘Hush now Talli! I am sure it will all be alright.’
‘How can you know?’
She screams back angrily at him, tears streaming freely down her soot covered cheeks.
‘Talli!’
Siril’s voice turns hard, his face set to stone and eyes flashing dangerously.
‘Control yourself! Crying will not help any of us if someone should hear your incessant wailing.’
‘To late... I have already heard it.’
A husky voice answers from behind the giant tree trunk, its owner hidden by large twisting roots and thick bushes.
Talli spins around on her perch, a smile spreading wildly over her wet face as she jumps up and leaps through the air, landing gracefully on the ground behind her.
Rushing madly around the roots she springs into her sisters open arms, laughter rolling merrily from her lips.
‘Vi! You are here!’
‘Hey Tal!’ Virian answers happily, joy making her voice even huskier. Hand in hand they walk around the roots, joining their companions on the other side.
‘What has happened to you again?’ Virian asks as she looks down at Galen lying on the ground.
A pained grin spreads over his face as he shrugs his shoulders innocently.
‘You can never do anything the right way, can you Galen?’
She teases him lightly as he looks up at her, amused that the stiffness between them has finally disappeared, and snickers softly.
‘I think you dug that hole out there while I was risking my neck to save these two.’
‘I might have.’
She flashes a grin back at him.
‘A girl gets bored when she has to sit around and wait.’
Siril’s eyes flick from Virian to Galen, then back to Virian, taking in the whole exchange between them with interest.
‘I will remember that next time we plan rescue mission.’
‘A next time? Why would there be a next time?’
‘Things happen.’
Galen smiles broadly at her, levers his hands against the root and pushes himself up. Putting her arms on her hips, her head cocked to the side as she looks at him, Virian fakes an unhappy pout.
‘Aaahh! I thought I would get the chance to administer to your wounds before we got going again.’
Galen’s eyes snap towards where Siril stands snickering softly, amusement flickering in his eyes as he views this exchange from the side.
Leaning against the root, Galen clamps his mouth shut, his pride stinging in his chest.
’Enough! We have to get moving. Now would be best.’
Mouth hanging slightly ajar, Virian looks at Galen, face masked with surprise. The joy felt earlier fades from her face, replaced by a coldness that erases all the sparks of playful
happiness that had danced lively in her eyes.
‘Yes! We should go.’
She replies icily and without glancing back she turns around and walks stiffly off, back straight and rigid. Talli follows wordlessly behind, stretching her legs to match her sisters’ lengthy steps.
Sighing softly, Siril bends down, sliding back under the crook of Galen’s arm.
‘Come along then.’
Lurching, Galen rips out of Siril’s hands and off his proffered shoulder and steps back onto his sprained foot.
Teeth gritted against the pain he hisses.
‘I can manage!’
Looking sideways at Galen, Siril waves his hand nonplussed and moves off, following the retreating figures of Virian and Talli.
Smoke envelopes the three figures as they move further away from him, their outlines vague in the surrounding greyness.
With a resigned sigh Galen follows, hobbling uncomfortably after them.
‘Now that was just plain stupid, you imbecile!’
Berating himself angrily he stumbles on, trying desperately to keep up with the three as they walk rapidly deeper into the forest.
Every footstep forwards reminds him painfully of his stupidity, and with gritted teeth he pushes on.
Tiring rapidly from hobbling along on mostly one leg, Galen peers into the billowing smoke. Vaguely able to discern the outlines of the three family members ahead, he pushes resolutely on.
Afraid of falling to far behind he hastens his pace, each footstep a stabbing pain up his spine, muscles burning from the exertion.
Forcing his mind to block out the pain he clenches his fists tightly, demanding his failing body to obey his will.
The three figures ahead of him become clearer as the smoke thins and he slows down slightly, feeling ashamed of his earlier behaviour.
Relief floods through his mind, as he realises that they have stopped ahead and were probably waiting for him to catch up.
Spurred on by this chance to rest his aching body, he hastens forward, crashing noisily through the bushes around him.
The three figures, heads bent close in conference, fail to hear his approach and as he lurches through the bushes close to them, their heads jerk up.
Guilt ridden they avoid looking at Galen as he stumbles to stop in front of them, the three of them shifting around nervously.
‘What have we here?’
Galen asks venomously into the uncomfortable silence.
‘Uh... Galen...’
Virian begins to speak, unsure of what to say.
‘Looks like a nice little family reunion.’
His eyes shift between the three standing in front of him, glaring unhappily before dropping his head and whispering meekly.
’I am sorry for behaving like that earlier. I just felt we were wasting precious time.’
Almost gasping with relief as they realise Galen did not hear what they were discussing, they babble incoherently together.
‘No matter.’
‘You were right.’
‘It’s fine.’
Virian motions them to silence before turning to Galen. A friendly smile spread over her face. Galen smiles widely back at her then asks lightly.
‘So what are we doing now? Virian, you said you knew of a way out.’
Feeling comfortable again amongst them, Galen sits down quickly before she answers, injured foot spread out in front of him on the ground.
’As I was just telling my Father, we need to get to the river to the west of where we are now. If we follow that in a northerly direction we should come to a branch in the river.
That is also the edge of Reishs’ borders.’
‘And where do we go from there?’
‘We were just starting to discuss that when you came along.’
‘Glad I made it.’ Galen says edgily, ‘as you know I do not know this lands geography.’
‘Don’t be so touchy, Galen!’ Virian snaps heatedly.
Galen looks at the three standing in before him, suspiciously eyeing them in turn.
‘Fine.’
The word sulkily muttered as he drops his eyes to the leaf strewn ground, idly rubbing his hands over the tight muscles in his leg.
Virian looks exasperated over to her father before she kneels down next to Galen, hand placed gingerly on his.
Galen glances up and looks straight into Virian’s green-grey eyes, compassion written in their depths.
Pupils dilate slightly, pools of black in the greyish expanse, a sea of shadows to get lost in. Nodding her head gently she releases his hand and stands up again, moves backwards towards her father’s side.
‘Talli. You are better with the healing arts then I am. Could you please attend to Galen’s injury whilst father and I discuss the next step?’
Talli nods her ascent and moves closer to Galen, dropping to her knees in the dirt next to him. A faint smile trickles over
her mouth as she looks at him.
His dark hair tied back raggedly; piercing blue eyes glittering sharply in the dimmed light; broad coppery coloured chest exposed at the collar of the unbuttoned shirt.
Her green eyes trace a thin band of leather hanging into the top of the shirt, dangling something unseen beneath the cloth.
Unbidden her hand lifts up, pulled subconsciously closer to his chest by some unseen power, fingers lazily inching nearer to the coppery skin.
Whack!
‘Ow!’ Ripping her burning hand back savagely, Talli stares up at Virian in disbelief.
‘Why did you go and do that, Vi!’
Eyes flashing angrily Virian grabs her sister by the arm and pulls her up, dragging her a few paces away from where a silent Galen sits dumbstruck.
Siril moves closer to Galen as the two sisters whisper heatedly off to the side.
‘What is that all about?’
Eyes flicking momentarily to the two sisters, Siril bends his knee to the ground and looks at Galen intently, grey eyes narrowed suspiciously over the hawkish nose.
‘What!’ Galen recoils slightly, voice edgy and strained
‘Why are you looking at me that way?’
‘Galen... Who are you?’
Siril’s voice soft, eyes locked on Galen’s face.
‘I... uh... I am not sure what you mean.’
‘What I mean to ask... What are you doing here? Why did you come to Reish? Where were you before you came here and what is your purpose here?’
‘Like I tried to tell Virian before... I was shipwrecked. I did not mean to come into this forest and I damned well do not know where I am.’
Agitated and tired Galen spits vehemently at the ground.
’If I had known this blasted place would be so inhospitable to others I would have been happier to have drowned!
Siril sits back, surprised and shocked by this display of angry frustration. Seeing the look on Siril’s face Galen continues unabated, only happy to express his disdain and anger unfettered.
‘Instead of that pleasant thought occurring... I am held captive against my will; dragged to and fro through this hell hole you people call home; dying nearly from dehydration and loss of blood; and after all of this... I risk my life to save people, people I do not even know or owe anything, only to be questioned as if it was my choice to actually be here... to hell with all of you!’
Breathing heavily Galen sneers at Siril, who stands up stiffly and moves over to where Virian and Talli stand shocked into silence.
Following the retreating back Galen takes a deep breath and says ashamedly.
‘To answer almost all of your questions at once...’
Siril stops, turns his body slightly towards Galen as he continues to speak and listens in silence.
‘... I have no idea why I was on the boat or where I was headed, nor do I know who I am or where I come from. The only certain thing I can recall... is my name.’ Galen’s voice softens, hope flaring into his face.
‘Memories are coming back to me as the days’ pass, just not quickly or nearly enough yet to answer any of your questions.’
Nodding his thanks, Siril walks towards the sisters, his slumping back a silent rebuke for Galen’s unnecessarily violent outburst.
Lying back heavily, Galen closes his eyes. Frustration pooled in his stomach, a weight pressing down on his chest.
Soft footsteps move towards him, a faint rustle of fabric as someone kneels to the ground next to him.
Showing no acknowledgement, Galen keeps his body silent and his eyes closed as his pants leg gets pulled up.
A slight gasp escapes from Talli’s lips as she sees the damage inflicted cruelly by her sister’s harsh actions. Talli’s soft hands feel warm against the skin of his injured legs, butterfly caresses of fingers over the mangled skin where the ropes were tied.
Feeling the faint ripples in the air as Talli reaches into the flow, Galen relaxes his tense muscles. Warmth spreads over his flesh, a faint tingling running across the scarred skin. Tightened skin relaxes, scabs peel off and swollen flesh recedes as Talli works soundlessly. The pain subsides rapidly to a dull throb in his limbs.
The sound of a fire crackling and voices whispering in hushed discussion, fade away as Galen drifts to sleep.