Blood And Stone

Chapter 11: Thorkill Inn

A sluggish, slow voice reached her ears before she had the strength to open her eyes, so Lyric decided to just lay still and listen. She could not make out what the man was saying but, judging by the feeling on her arms, she guessed she was restrained. She tried to give her right arm a tug and found she was correct. On the bright side, this gave her even more reason to just lay quietly.

Her head ached with a dull throb. It was strange to feel one's heartbeat in their teeth but it also made her aware that she hadn't lost any, which made her happy. Val wouldn't want a wife with missing teeth. Val. The groan escaped her lips before she had time to even acknowledge its existence. The ache now ran across her chest as her memory came flooding back in painful waves.

Val was dead. She was homeless. She had been attempting to hunt in the woods when she was attacked by a giant oaf and an unremarkable man. She was without a doubt, lost at this point.

A softer, more melodic voice chimed in as the ogre of a man finally shut his mouth. This one had to belong to a woman, though she wasn't quite as sure as she ought to be. The voice was soft but it was a bit deeper than most female voices. There was a harsh rattle that vibrated with every word, causing Lyric to once again, try to open her eyes.

The light was blinding, though it couldn't have been that bright in all actuality. Lightening shot through her skull again, clashing with the gasp of pain. Her eyelids snapped closed once again but a wave of nausea tore through her as she jerked her head away from the light. There wasn't much inside her stomach but what was there, poured out of her mouth without care. The two voices both let out a slight yelp at the regurgitation, the oaf letting out a gag of his own.

"Oh, come now Brail. Was it necessary to hurt her so badly? Look at the poor girl's face. It's a shame to damage such beauty with your beastly boots." The woman said.

"She came ter kill ya! I was just keeping you safe, m'lady." The oaf managed to spit out. The sound of his voice sparked a bit of rage inside Lyric.

"You wouldn't be able to keep her safe unless she was steak on your plate." Is what Lyric intended to say but all that came out of her mouth was a slur of mushed groan and a small line of drool.

"Hush now, darling. Rest your head. You're going to have quite a lump for a while." The woman said. "It may even rival the ones on Brail's head." A chuckle escaped the woman's throat and rattled Lyrics brain.

"I found this on her. It has your name on it." The slug slurred out. Lyric had yet to open her eyes but could only imagine he had found the scroll Val had given her.

There was a shuffling of feet, followed by the crinkle of parchment, and the world faded from her reach again. Giving in to the pain and exhaustion, Lyric let her head fall forward, her chin bouncing off her chest, and let the world disappear.

Ice cold water splashed against her warm, dirty skin and dripped down onto her soiled shirt. The liquid soaked into the fabric and plastered it against her skin, keeping her shivering and unable to sleep any longer. Heavy as stone, Lyric attempted to force her eyelids to open but she found it to be harder than she excepted. She must have taken a massive hit to the head to make her feel so weak and tired. Even with her eyes closed, she could see her heartbeat pounding, causing a rhythmic flash of light to interrupt her darkness. Each throb and flash of light sent more pain dashing through her skull, bouncing off the sides and slamming directly into her brain, shaking her entire body. As the pain rolled through her, Lyric's stomach turned, more warm liquid spilling from her mouth.

A soft, cool hand rested itself on her forehead and, as it pressed against her, she realized she was no longer sitting up in an uncomfortable chair with her hands tied tightly. She was laying on something soft, something she assumed was a bed. The hand rolled her head to the side so that the liquid fell into a bucket. Once she had purged the entire contents of her stomach, her head rolled back to rest on the soft pillow beneath it and a cool wet cloth dabbed at her forehead. The wet and slightly abrasive cloth ran across her lips, wiping them free of the vile mess that lay upon them, leaving them damp and cool.