Darkness carved in bone

Chapter 14

Helen

On the nightfall of the third day something snapped in Helen. "Please, just tell me something before I go insane!" She was almost startled to hear something beyond the storm, her voice slightly hoarse from staying quiet for so long.

Ten jumped, he too startled by her voice. His eyes turned to her, and he looked at her for a moment. He looked at her with suspicions eyes, his lips put in a firm line. It was as if he was considering just staying quiet, ignoring her request. But then something shifted in him, he sighed heavily and clenched his jaw, before he gave her a tight-lipped smile.

He stood and picked up something from the mantle above the fireplace. Helen's eyes surged to whatever he had picked up, and it took her moment to understand what the object in his hands was. It was a deck of cards. Her heart started beating just a bit faster in her chest. He gestured for her to join him at the table, which she did with a bit too much enthusiasm in her step. It was just that a game of cards seemed like the most exciting thing in the world right now.

Ten shuffled the cards before he started handling them out between them, when a thought hit her; "We play for questions, the one who loses has to answer a question from the winner, truthfully," she emphasized.

Ten stopped handing out cards as she spoke and considered her words for a moment and started handing out the cards again, silently agreeing to her terms. Adrenaline spiked through her at that, making her senses suddenly that much more alert. The room, the cards and Ten were all of a sudden much clearer to her.

"It will be your loss, and I guess it will be your soul that will be at display tonight then, as I never loose in cards," Ten said as he studied his cards, his tone slightly playful, but at the same time assertive.

Helen shot him a glare that suggested he should shut up, before she returned to looking at her cards. She wasn't especially good at cards, but she had played some games before. It was considered more of an activity that was appropriate for boys, not girls, in their village. Sometimes inexperience could overthrow experience, she hoped, even though her cards suggested otherwise.

"Well, even if I win, there won't be any soul to display, as you don't have one," she replied as their eyes met. And to her surprise Ten gave her a small half smile for her remark.

Helen of course lost the first round. She had seen the glee in his eyes when he understood he would win, and in turn she had almost started fuming with anger. She needed just to win once, so she could ask why he had saved her, but if he were as good as he claimed, then perhaps she would never get a chance at asking him that.

He shuffled the cards as he looked at her as if he was contemplating what to ask her about, but instead of asking her anything at first, he grabbed one of his bags and pulled out a glass flask with some brown liquid inside it. He popped open the cork and took a shot of the liquid that smelled strongly of alcohol. He offered it to Helen, but she refused. It was perhaps smarter to stay sober if she was going to have any chance at all at winning against him. He put the bottle between them and drilled his pale green blue eyes into her eyes.

"Tell me about your betrothed," he asked, his sharp eyes glowing in the darkness.

Helen's eyes widened in shock, and almost as a reflex she grabbed the bottle and downed a large sip. Ten let out a low chuckle. The brown liquid burned in her throat, but she forced herself not to cough. She could do without any humiliation now. Not that it wasn't humiliating already. Her betrothed, what was she supposed to say about him? Why had she been so stupid to rig the game in this manner?

"What do you want to know about him?" She asked, her tone slightly defensively.

"Why did you run away from him?" He answered immediately.