Martha's POV
I felt somewhat relieved after healing Chase's wrist. Believe it or not, it had weighed rather heavily on me for the four years I'd been gone...well, more like four hours to the others, but--four years to ME.
I sat across from Chase and both of us were silent for what felt like hours. I mostly thought about the past, and assumed that Chase had fallen asleep.
I found I was mistaken when I heard a sharp intake of breath.
"Is it your wrist?" I asked in a whisper. Chase groaned. "You're still here? God..."
"Sorry I didn't leave..? Is your wrist hurting you again?" I asked him again, this time getting a real response. "No, something else."
"Okay. Want me to heal that too?"
"Hell no! it'll heal just fine..." he grumbled. I heard his bones crack as he stood up.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Why are you asking so many questions right now?" | "Because I'm bored." I responded and he grumbled, "Well...that's just great for me..." he sighed. "I'm going to empty my bladder somewhere. And don't act grossed out, everyone does it. Unless there're dead or extremely unhealthy..."
"Oh...okay. I'll wait here."
"M'kay." I heard his footsteps echo quietly as he walked away.
When he came back and found his seat again, quietness resumed. I at some point must have fallen asleep because I was aroused by Ember shaking me gently awake. I then told them about the cave witch and my wish to go see her and the reasons behind that.
Which meant admitting I led them the wrong way. Thayne got pretty mad about that...which Chase found hilarious. But we went deeper and closer to the cave voices, which got louder and louder. When Ember and Thayne realized they were speaking some other language, there were questions about how we understood each other (mostly meaning them and I because Chase, Ember and Thayne all spoke English as their mother-tongue) but didn't understand the cave witches.
The answer to that was that the language of the cave is unknown to human ears, and only cave witches and wizards could know it. Not that I'd care to learn--it was mostly hisses and clicks, with some odd words whispered in between.
The first cave dweller that we came across startled Ember and Thayne. I'd even say scared them--and I could understand why. I remembered that the cave dwellers wore dark cloaks. Cave wizards were more uncommon then witches--mostly because, to my knowledge, they were more or less the guards of the witches. Therefore, they were very powerful in matters of defense, but not in what we needed, which was healing and direction.
His booming voice halted us. He asked about our business, and after determining we were no threat he let us past. As we were walking away, Ember leaned in to whisper into my ear; "Wh-why was his face...black?"
"Hm? Oh, that's not his true form. They cover themselves, but if they trust you then you see their true form."
"What's their true form?" Thayne asked.
I smiled slightly. "The most beautiful thing you can imagine..."
"Oh I want to see that..." Ember muttered and we continued in silence. A witches voice stopped us--"Halt, dear mortals. Pray tattle, where and thense doth ye traverse from and toward?"
"We search for the high witch called Zanta, and business is that of our own." I answered her.
The witch clicked and hissed and a friend of hers clicked back. "Follow me." She said. As Ember aided me along, the witch spoke. "I am called Beafra, and thou called Princess Martha, I remember. Or art thou Ruler of thy lands by now? No--wait, pardon that. I excused my memory--but I recollect now. Pardon my forthrightness. However, I've no knowledge of thy friends, if it wouldn't be too tedious a task to tell thine humble servant?" I heard playfulness in her tone.
YOU ARE READING
Hated to Loved
Adventure❝Question: do you want to go on an adventure?❞ ___________________________ Ember is incredibly lonely and bored, so when she makes friends, plural, and is offered a adventure, she accepts. But who would guess that there would be trouble? That they'd...
