Thief of Scales

Chapter Four

I felt something cool pressed against my forehead and opened my eyes long enough to see the silhouette of someone above me, before the blinding brightness caused me to close them half a second later.

"Mother? " I mumbled. I heard a few people laugh.

"Jeesh Ronan," someone, young and male, joked, "You're a ma? Is there something you'd like to share?" More laughter.

"Well, turns out you owe me five coins, Trent. She's alive." said the person above me, presumably Ronan.

Trent, Ronan? Where was I? What had happened?

"Who are you? " I mumbled as I struggled to sit up. I was so confused. And then suddenly, I remembered everything that had happened. The Leap. Arrows. Pain. I felt myself become extremely dizzy, and then I returned to the darkness I had just woken up from.

*****

"Finally, you're awake. "

I moaned in reply and opened my eyes. Thankfully it was dusk, and the light was no longer painful. "I thought I'd have to become a necromancer in order to get my information. "

"What?" I tried to rub the blurriness out of my vision but to my shock, and outrage, I couldn't because my hands were bound behind my back.

"What the hells! " I exclaimed sleepily. Sluggishly I realized I was bound upright to a tree. "Who are you?" I blinked a few times, finally able to see.

"None of your business, Gingham wench."

I craned my neck to see my captor. Even in the low light,I could see how handsome he was. He had black hair, and beautiful grey eyes. His frame was muscular and he had a strong, chiseled jaw. He couldn't be much older than myself. However I was too angry to properly admire the aesthetics. And what was a Gingham? It sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. Was it some type of plant maybe?

"I think it is my business." I retorted, "Considering you have me tied to a tree! What even is a Gingham?!" And then I quickly added, "And I dare you to call me a wench again, mongrel. You won't have a tongue!" I threatened him.

He ignored my threats entirely, "Don't play stupid." He told me, "isn't it kind of funny how you magically manage to fall from nearly the same spot as the Gingham army was shooting the dragon?" I then remembered that Gingham was the name of a small, military country on the mainland. "Gods, you people are stupid. Who's soldiers stumble off a ledge that large? But I suppose that's what they get for enlisting any random country bumpkin who can walk, nevermind wield a weapon."

I had my fill with this cocky bastard. I quickly swung my feet in an arch, and sent the man tumbling to the ground.

He cursed, and picked himself off. It was hilarious, seeing him go down, but my aching body and pounding head made me regret it.

"You know, it's not wise to infuriate your captors." He informed me as he dusted himself off. I snickered at how red his face was and received a withering glare. "I was gonna feed you, but now I don't think I will until you tell me what I want to know."

"What do you want to know?" I asked while gritting my teeth against the pain in my head, "that you're an insufferable jackass? Because I'm sure plenty would willingly tell you that if this is how you attempt to make friends!"

"No!" he shouted at me, "What Gingham's plans are, you infuriating cur! Why did you kill the island's dragon?" Nightfang was dead? I couldn't believe it. Now what was going to keep the larger countries from invading us? What would happen to Mother or Sari? "Not like I care about this island or its inhabitants" he continued, each word making my dislike edge closer to hate, "but I'm going to sell the information to the king of Purdue. I was going to bribe the information out of you with a percentage of the profit, but I think now it'll be the price for your freedom. So you better start talking."

I spat at him in reply, my mind reeling too much to think of anything to say. Why did Gingham's army kill Nightfang? How did they get past Nightfang to begin with? And what would the king of Purdue do with the knowledge that Skeerum was unguarded? Right now, Purdue was our trading partner, but made no secret that it'd love to get its hands on Skeerum's natural resources and precious metals. Pretty much like every other country. However, unlike every other country Purdue had an extremely strong military and could very well take over Skeerum if it weren't for Nightfang.

"Leave her be, Ronan," called a female voice. She came into view. She had long black hair, dark skin, and brown almond shaped eyes. "You're being irrational and overly aggressive because we lost the scale. Wait until you're calm before interrogating the prisoners. Your advice, remember? "

"We didn't lose the scale, Casi," Ronan growled, staring daggers at me, "This halfwit fell on it, sending it crashing into the sea. And it's not like we can get another because her idiotic people killed the damn lizard! Her clumsiness costed us fifteen thousand coin, our largest job yet" he ranted on and on, "It should've been her that tumbled over the edge instead of the scale,if you ask me."

"Well nobody did ask you," I told him, "and more importantly, those aren't my people who killed the dragon. I'm a native to this island! I was only on the cliff for The Jump. And I didn't fall off, I jumped intentionally if you couldn't already gather that from the name of the ceremony." I couldn't help but add a jab, "But I suppose your intelligence could be as weak and slippery as your grasp."

"Enough with your lies! " sneered Ronan. "Nobody is that stupid to believe you."

"Actually" broke in a young boy who looked about fourteen, "There is a rite of passage that involves jumping off this cliff. Plus she has the upturned nose and brown eyes common among the natives of Skeerum. I think you've made a mistake, Ronan."

Based on Ronan's earlier behavior, I expected him to snap at the boy. Instead however, he cocked his head to the side and considered the boy's words.

"You sure, Jeff? " he asked, "You're not just going soft on me? " I wanted to yell at Ronan that yes, Jeff was a thousand percent correct, but figured it'd be best to keep my mouth shut. Ronan and I weren't exactly on the friendliest terms. And I didn't want to risk doing anything that would increase my time of captivity. I needed to go to my mother right away. I could just imagine her wringing her hands in worry, anxiously awaiting my long-overdue return home.

"Yes." said Jeff. "And since when has Gingham allowed women to join their forces. It's your decision what to do, but the facts suggest she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. "

Ronan ran his hand through his hair, thinking.

"Fine," he sighed, "I'll untie her."

"Thank you! Finally someone rational! " I exclaimed before I could catch myself. Before Ronan could reply however, there was the wail of a child.

"Sage!" Exclaimed Casi, as a little boy appeared from over a hill, bloodied.