Eclipse: A Wisterian Tale

Chapter Two: Soren

It was getting cold. Really cold. And there was an awful breeze that was sure to blow dust into his nose. Or even worse, cause him to fall ill with a terrible cold.

Colds.

"Gods," Soren grunted. He didn't often use the gods' names in vain but now seemed as good a time as any to start. Maybe they would hear and maybe they would smite him. Yes, that would do very nicely. A big jolt of lightning from Karos the sky god. Huge even. Of catastrophic proportions. It could strike the orphanage, spread its tendrils across the land, and heat him to a crisp.

It was a lovely dream. On par with the ones in which he woke up with his vision fully restored. Soren grimaced as a sudden pain stabbed his heart. Of the two dreams, he feared being smited by the gods would be the most likely to come true.

He should've accepted it by now. There wasn't a day he could remember before being blind. He didn't know why it was still so upsetting. In all truth he'd always been without sight. Since he was four years old, but who recalls much before those years anyway.

His stomach growled, reminding him to add hunger to his growing list of complaints.
Soren let out a long drawn out breath, trying to remember to breathe.

Chopping wood was laborious. He'd been given the job ever since he was old enough to hold up the only rusted ax the orphanage owned. Having just turned fourteen that very morning, Soren had spent the last few years getting very good at swinging the ax, but there was always a point in time when the job became arduous.

Now, in addition to the cold and hunger, there was an aching soreness seeping into his muscles.

"There you are!"

He jumped, nearly dropping the ax on his foot at the sound of a high voice.

"Lucy, how many times do I have to tell you not to sneak up on me like that!" He snapped.
Lucy muttered something apologetic under her breath. She knew Soren despised being startled, but at the moment there were bigger things to worry about.

"Something terrible has happened," she continued, suddenly sounding sorrowful. She leaned forward and whispered, "But it's not my place to say. Come, Miss Karina searches for you." Soren crossed his arms, feeling suspicious. If something so terrible happened, why couldn't she say so for herself?

"Very well," he relented, nodding his head slowly, "but she better not be in a sour mood."
A moment later, Miss Karina's shrill voice pierced his ears. "Blast it, where is that lame boy!"

"The lame boy is right here," he muttered, carefully avoiding the rotted boards in the narrow hall. Being 'lame', Soren didn't see why he should have had to chop wood tirelessly everyday, but Miss Karina positively reveled in working her orphans to the bone.

"I'm here," he called out, reaching the living room in a few long strides.

Her cheap shoes clacked against the wood as she approached him. "Where," she snapped, breath smelling of breakfast, "have you been!?"
Soren cleared his throat. "The same place I've been at this hour every day for the past eight years."

"Don't grow a brain on me you maggot!"
Soren stood quietly until he realized that Miss Karina required a reply.

"I was chopping wood, ma'am."

"Fuck the wood!" Miss Karina screeched, jabbing her finger into his chest. "We have a problem."

Soren's heartbeat quickened. Miss Karina was a first class narcissist. Meaning she relished power, and nothing granted power like knowledge. So the fact that she was turning to him with information meant something was truly wrong.

"I-I'm not sure how your problem could be mine," he stammered. "Ma'am."

"Fine," Miss Karina huffed. "I'll be sure to add that in the letter I send to whatever brothel Vi ends up in."

Soren tensed. "What are you talking about?" He noticed for the first time that Lucy also stood in the living room, ten feet away, quiet as a mouse.
Miss Karina said nothing, which was of course worse, as now Soren was imagining every possible scenario where Vi ended up in a brothel.

"Speak!" he shouted, startling her. She didn't believe Soren had the capacity to raise his voice, especially at her.

"This is your fault," she growled. According to her, everything was his fault, but this time she might actually be right.

Soren gulped and said, "Could you just be out with it?"

"Royal soldiers did a surprise raid on Grimwater this morning!" Lucy burst open like a clogged pipe. "They found Vi in possession of a book and she was arrested."

"You loose-lipped ingrate." Miss Karina sneered. "Precisely, she was arrested trying to buy your undeserving worthless self a gift!"

The world seemed to stop spinning. Soren desperately wanted to shower them with questions, learn every detail about the situation, but his breathing had become irregular. "W-Where is she now?" He managed.

"Probably chained to some horse," Miss Karina said, "On her way to Mikael's Scar." The western bay carved into coast of Vataana like the gash of a clawed beast. There lied the port city of Teleroa, which was one of the largest slave trading bays in the north.

"How long ago did they leave?" Soren gulped. Teleroa had to be at least eighty leagues away, and he was lacking a horse.

"Soren?" He turned toward Lucy. "Miss Triyanka the seamstress overheard the soldiers saying they would stop in Beckinsdale village for the night." Miss Triyanka grumbled then turned to head out of the room. Soren drew a sharp breath before rushing past her down the hall.

"Have you lost your mind!?" She screeched. He ignored her, running straight for her room instead. She kept her door locked at all times, but it was made of a cheap wood. One firm kick sent it flying off its hinges.

He walked around the room's edge, feeling for her desk until he found it in the corner opposite her queen sized bed. He tore each drawer on its sides apart until his hands wrapped around what he seeked; a velvet pouch. The weight of the silver made Soren's jaw slack. The children of the orphanage risked losing one of their younger members every year during the harsh winter moons, yet Miss Karina stashed away this much coin.

"Oh?" Miss Karina stood in her doorway. "Would you care to explain why you're in my chambers and more specifically, why your grubby little hands are rummaging through my desk?!" she snapped. When her eyes landed on her coin purse in his hand, she blew a fuse. "You put that back this instant!"

"Get out of my way." His voice came out firm and so full of authority Miss Karina almost obeyed. Her nose flared with anger as she lunged forward. At the sound of the floor creaking, Soren moved the purse out of her reach, and used his other hand to grab hold of her wrist.

"Curse you!" she screeched. He kept an iron grip around Miss Karina, but she resisted him with all her strength. She refused to calm, and he felt like he grappled with a snake as she writhed and kicked. She landed a sharp kick to his shin before driving her forehead into his exposed cheek bone. His hold on her weakened and she snatched the purse from his hands as she escaped his grasp. "You'll have to learn to walk again after the constable is finished with you, you ungrateful swine!"

There had been a time when Miss Karina terrified him, but those days had long gone. He tolerated her abuse so as to not cause trouble for any one who might be involved if he rebelled. He only had so much patience however, and in this case anything that kept him from Vi was an obstacle that needed removing.

Soren lunged toward the sound of her shoes clacking out the door, savagely satisfied at her yelp as he grabbed a handful of her hair. The sound of coins clattering against the wood rang out, and before she could maneuver out of his grip, he twisted his torso and threw her like a sack of wheat. The crunch of her body slamming against the wall was followed by an eerie silence.