The Shattered Soul

Winner among Losers

Note: This chapter is over double the length of normal chapters. I couldn't split this one as well as others. There is a note +--- half way point ---+. If you only wantted to read a normal length chapter then read to there and return when you are ready to progress.

This Chapter contains violence.

Chapter Five – Winner among Losers.

The morning arose and sun light shone through the window on to the bed and directly on to Jaro face which at the time looked emotionless and with eyes closed. He rolled over and towards Cherrie as to avoid getting up. Although this may had worked for a minute or two it soon seized to keep him asleep as the sound of a bell awoke Jaro. Being a heavy sleeper Jaro normally wouldn’t be woken up by something so quickly however now he was in a town, and the country air was merely an illusion of his village seeing as directly after the bell awoke him the sound of people trailed into his ears. The bell notice sounded again and Jaro gave into opening his eyes and then begun to scan the room. He looked out of the window and noticed that the rain from the night before had stopped. He continued to move his head left and saw Hershi on the chair looking out of another window on the extension. On Jaro’s far right and beyond where Cherrie was sleeping a figure stood in the door way. The light shone from behind the figure and so Jaro could not make out the person.

She stood forward and Jaro got a better look, her hair long and blonde and would be long enough to trail down her back were it not tied up. Her eyes seemed all too optimistic for Jaro’s liking, in a pale blue. Her figure seemed somewhat thin and unlike many of the maids that he had seen in the rain yesterday. Jaro placed his hands in his palms and rubbed his face from the top to the bottom and gave a yawn just after then turned back to her and begun to wonder of the reason she was in the door way.

“Yes? Can I help you?” Jaro asked her in a slightly confused and integrating manner. She took a breathe in all the way, held it and then decided to talk.

“Yesterday, you enquired about transport to the fort.” She answered Jaro,

“Indeed I did. I understand there’s a ranch somewhere close” Jaro pointed out from previous knowledge of summers in the town he lay in.

“If you want transport you’ll need to me a small favour first.” She continued and looked down at her hand for a moment then looked up.

“I have the funds to pay for it, Labour won’t be required.” Jaro explained to her, her turned to his right and on the floor and pulled up his trousers onto the bed. He reached into the pocket and took out a handful of Gold.

“Money isn’t the problem; the problem is that there is a competition in the town, to decide who from Teriana will receive special training for Welds championship in four moon passes." She explained to Jaro her trepidation.

“If we need to leave out tomorrow we don’t mind staying another night. We’re in no rush and it’s not like we have anywhere else to go.” Jaro adjusted and proposed his new plans to her.

“Cherrie is a horse rider..... We are one rider down.” She finally got to the point of her coming and speaking to him. Jaro yawned and then turned his head slightly from her face before putting her out of her misery.

“Wait in the lounge downstairs and we’ll discuss this over breakfast... after I’ve gotten her up” Jaro ended the conversation with, which seemed to provoke the girl to nod and then leave closing the door behind her. With that Jaro got dressed into something more formal than previously, into his black cloak and robes. He got up Cherrie and discussed the situation as she got dressed. Hershi awoke as they spoke and although this would bring his fate further along the line it was the only option for the only way to the fort was via Horse or sacrifice another day.