BAD WINE CRAPPY CHOCOLATE

CHAPTER TWO-3

They rode onto a farm that was situated on the far side of it. Brandon led her down a narrow dirt path separating two fields. Cori watched the breeze gently tossing the whiskered wheat from one side to another. The path continued into the woods at the end of the cultivated land. A small brook ran between the trees.
"Let's stay here for the night," he said.
"That sounds good to me."
They dismounted and took the saddles off their horses. Brandon opened his knapsack. He took
out some vegetarian food for their dinner. Cori was so hungry it tasted as good as any meal she ever had. The sun set soon after they finished it.
"I'm going to..."
Brandon never finished his sentence. A man wielding a knife suddenly emerged from the darkness, grabbing him from behind. They struggled as Cori watched, immobilized with fear. The man managed to free his hand with the weapon, raising the sharp instrument with the intention of delivering a fatal blow. Cori suddenly overcame her inertia and picked up a thick branch that was lying on the ground. She hit the stranger across his broad back.
That was enough to skew his aim, though Brandon suffered a deep cut on his arm. Using the other one, he delivered a devastating blow of his own. After quickly removing a taser from his knapsack, Brandon shocked his assailant into submission. The man collapsed on the hard ground, writhing in pain. Before tending to his arm, Brandon took out a rope and tied up his attacker.
"Is it bad?" Cori asked. "I'm sorry it took so long for me to help you. I was scared."
"Sorry? You saved my life. You're my guardian angel." Brandon hugged her with his undamaged arm. "The wound is deep, but I can take care of it."
Brandon found a long, stringy plant that grew on the forest floor. Then he sharpened the end of a small stick. Using that as a needle and the plant as a suture, he sewed the wound shut.
"What does he want?" Cori asked, looking at the captive with disdain. "Vitala," Brandon replied.

"What's that?"
"It's like a vitamin supplement, though much stronger than anything you know. People here believe it can prolong a person's life."
"He'd kill you for it?"
"Yes he would. I was afraid to start a fire before, because I caught a glimpse of our friend here while we were still on the road. But now that he's been taken of, you can have a hot meal. Ben put some of the stew in the sack. I'll heat it up for you."
"Are you sure it's okay to start a fire? There might be more of them nearby." "They each have their own area. We won't be bothered again."
"Can you have him arrested?"
"No. This is a desolate place. There's no one around to enforce the law." "Then what will you do with him?"
"In the morning I'll loosen the rope. It will be tight enough to hold the bastard until we're far away from here, but he'll be able to free himself eventually. I couldn't just leave him here to starve. Now, let me heat up that stew."
The next morning they rode off, leaving the thief to struggle with his bonds. The crisp country air was satiated with the fragrance of living things. Cori kept a wary eye on the woods beside them, despite Brandon's assurances. However, there were no signs of danger on this day.
"It was nice of Ben to let us use his horses," Cori said after they stopped for lunch.
"I paid him a fee to use them. I also bought the clothes we're wearing from Ben."
"I'll go half with you," she offered. "How much did they cost?"
"That's not necessary, it was the least I could do," Brandon responded with an appreciative smile.
"Besides, I didn't give him money. I gave him some of this."
Brandon handed her a leather pouch. Cori looked inside and saw that it contained a fine gray
powder. When struck by the sunlight, the grains sparkled like stars in a winter sky. "What is this?"

"It's Vitala."
"This can make you live longer?"
"Well, that depends on who you believe. Some people think it's the fountain of youth.
Personally, I think that's a lot of bull." "Can I try some?" Cori asked.
"No. And that's because if you do, you'll have to take it for the rest of your life."
"It's addicting?"
"It becomes a necessity. Not psychologically, but physically. After a person uses Vitala, their
body can't function without it. Even one dose is enough to create a dependency." "Is it illegal?"
"No. We'd best be on our way." He took the pouch back from her.
They approached a group of majestic mountains on the third day. The sun set toward their jagged peaks, giving no heed to being impaled upon them. Cori watched as the imposing sentinels became bathed in golden light.
"We'll stay here for the night," Brandon told her. "We're very close to our destination, so Bardy's people might spot us. Don't be surprised if you're suddenly awoken. Just let me do all the talking."
Cori slept little as a result of Brandon's warning, though to her great relief no one emerged from the night to harass them. As the rising sun illuminated their surroundings, Cori noticed the steepness of the mountain's slopes. The trees that grew on them seemed to be defying gravity. After spending the better part of that day riding through a narrow valley, they came upon a level plain. In the middle of it was a large hill embayed by the mountains. There was a large wooden building on its crest.
"We're probably going to be stopped before we reach the knob," Brandon told her. "But don't panic."