The Storming Of Verjhe

Chapter 3

As Darian slipped in and out of oblivion, time felt blurred and his vision hazy like a  fine gossamer sheet had been stretched across it. In the few moments he was conscious, before the darkness beckoned him once again, all he could make out were fast-moving trees, creatures just like the one he was on galloping on the side, and gradually some mountains. From what he could discern, the landscape seemed to change, the rolling easy plains giving way to unyielding stoic mountains.

We must be going east, he thought drowsily, that's where the mountain begin, or maybe north.

Even this little effort to think made his head hurt. There was no point in forcing himself to stay awake to figure out where he was being taken, since they were moving too fast to catch any conspicuous landmarks to gain his bearings. Anyway, even if he managed to spot anything, he wouldn't really be able to figure out where he exactly was, haven't ever stepped foot outside the tiny house and village he had called home until now. A cold, hard, unwelcoming home, but a home. A place to come back to and rest after the monotony of the day. All his life he had yearned for something more, and now overnight his life seemed to have taken a turn. However, he had imagined it happening of his own accord, the adventure, the trembling concoction of excitement and anticipation, the adrenalin singing in his veins to the beat of the pounding in his head, the freedom. But, now, all he felt was cold slimy dread pooling in the pit of his stomach. 

Darkness called again, its hand outstretched, a welcomed respite, and he gave in, exhausted and unable to resist.

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His eyes briefly flickered open again. A light green wall or was it blue? The light of the single glowing translucent vase, didn't really make it  discernable. A cool wind was blowing from somewhere, kissing his cheek and tousling his hair. It seemed to be dark outside, and his room empty save for himself. 

He turned his neck to the right, with some difficulty. There was a large floor length window, framed by the silhouette of two curtains on either side. A path, paved with stones and lighted at intervals with small floor  lights seemed to lead out. 

He pushed himself to sit up, and remove the hair covering his left eye. A large, intricately patterned bedspread was tucked in tightly on either side of the bed, restricting his movement. He tried to free his legs from the bound nightmare but the sheets seemed to have been pressed far below the mattress he was currently lying on.  He rolled over slightly to the left and tried again to pull out the sheets from the right side.

Suddenly, a loud crash resounded through the room. He froze, not daring to move a muscle, then quickly laid back against the bed. Heavy thuds of footsteps running along the path could be heard. A woman, a cloth tied around the waist of her dress appeared, her round face creased with worry.  She frowned, a cleft forming between her brows, and walked around the bed to the left side. Spotting a glass of water shattered on the floor, which Darian hadn't noticed during his bid for freedom, she bent down.

Darian had closed his eyes, when he had heard the running footsteps, and had kept it squeezed closed all this time. He could hear someone swishing something on the floor. Then the person stood up and moved closer to his bed. 

The woman sighed and said, "Darian, I know you are awake, eyes aren't generally squeezed that tight when a person is peacefully asleep". 

Darian opened his eyes in embarrassment, as the woman turned around and went to a table placed on the far left corner of the room. She busied herself, pouring something in a glass. Darian craned his neck suspiciously trying to make out what exactly she was putting in his glass. 

She finally turned around and walked to his bed, a clear blue liquid in hand. She offered it to him as he just sat there and looked at it warily. 

"Just drink it. It will cure you of the haziness, headache and stiffness you have been experiencing", she said extending her hand again in reinforcement.

"I am fine. The last drink you people forced into me, actually gave me the symptoms you are claiming to cure." said Darian, tightly.

The woman sighed again, and pinched her nose in frustration. 

"Yes, well, Ehtiyaat isn't exactly known as the poster of comforting acts." she said in slight distaste, "However, that drink was essential, to immobilize you and bring you here without a struggle. Time was precious. He couldn't afford to have you screaming or fighting to get off. It would have slowed him down greatly."

Ehtiyaat huh, he mentally noted the name in his head.

"Fighting to get off? Why would I? I definitely knew all along that I wasn't being taken to be killed anywhere or kept in hostage, or tortured or well anything. Black cloaked men abducting me in the middle of the night truly is the very promise of safety." said Darian sarcastically.

"Well, now, no need take that tone." said the woman warily, "There are a lot of things you don't know yet."

"Ah then, until I gain mind reading powers that obliviousness is clearly here to stay, since nobody uses physical voice to tell secrets nowadays, do they?" he said waspishly.

She pinched her nose again. He was clearly giving her a headache. 

"Just drink it, will you. We will use our physical voices  to explain secrets tomorrow morning. Right now, you need to rest." she said, handing him the drink firmly this time.

Darian sighed loudly, and drained it. There really wasn't much he could do. His legs still felt weak, and he doubted he could get out of bed  in this state and escape the woman in time. Besides, if this drink actually did help him get better, he might have a better chance of eluding the woman.

Darkness, his familiar friend, crept close and swept him away again.

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Heyy guys! How are you liking the story so far? Please vote and comment so I know where you are with it.....

Lmao looks like Darian's sarcastic side has just announced its presence. Pretty sure, the woman must have also taken a similar blue glass of liquid to help her deal with the headache, stubborn Darian is. 

Where do you think Darian has landed up? And what are the secrets he will be told tomorrow, using physical voice?

Thanks for reading as always!

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