Ring of Power

Chapter 13: The Pink Panther

     As the sun began to rise from the east and light up the morning sky with brilliant colours, Emerald and Xavier continued to hike through the Kaikon Forest to Gangrar. They had walked all night and as the sun rose they could see the outline of the Fanick Mountains through the trees ahead. As they walked Emerald continued to train and teach Xavier how to sword fight and use a bow.
     They found a small grassy patch off the trail where they sat and started on their breakfast of dried meat, cheese, and some berries from the river bank. Emerald laid back and let the warm sun hit her face through a break in the leaves. She was suddenly struck with a thought.
     "What did you mean by 'for you'?" She asked, remembering their conversation from the night before.
     "What do you mean?" Xavier replied, confused as to where this was coming from.
     "Last night you told me 'I got myself into this mess for you.' What did you mean?" She asked, sitting up and facing him.
     Xavier looked down at his hands as some colour faded into his cheeks.
     "Well, I meant that I wanted to learn to hunt and fight. I wanted to be like you and I wanted you to teach me. After you were captured it wasn't just about me anymore, I felt different about you. I decided then that I would never leave your side."
     There was a moment of silence as Emerald laid back once more. She smiled to herself, she realized that Xavier came back for her because he wanted to help her, not because he wanted to learn from her more. She was happy at the thought. She believed that he felt the same way about her as she did about him.
     After they rested for a while longer, Xavier stood up and put on his pack.
     "Well, we better get moving. We should make it to the mountains before the sun sets. We may be able to find a cave in the bottom of the mountain face." Xavier said, breaking the long silence.
     Emerald stood and put on her pack. They started walking back along the path until they reached the tree line.      As they stepped out into the open the sun bore down on them and it became much hotter without the ever-present shade of the tall trees.
     They walked and walked, no words passing between the two of them, until it seemed like they had walked for days. Finally, as the sun began to set in the evening sky, the Fanick Mountains towered over them.
     They moved along the edge of the mountains until they found a small cave hidden in the rock face. They worked their way in and unpacked their supplies for supper.
     They ate quietly and leaned against the rock at the back of the cave next to one another. Soon, Emerald and Xavier were both rolled up in their cloaks and fast asleep.

     The next morning Emerald woke to the sun's bright rays outside the cave entrance. She slowly sat up and waited for her eyes to adjust to the sudden light. As they adjusted, she noticed something was different. She looked at the spot where Xavier was supposed to be and found him missing.
     Emerald jumped to her feet grabbing her bow and throwing her quiver of arrows over her left shoulder. As she ran out of the cave, she put her bow over the same shoulder as her quiver and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.
     She stood outside the cave entrance and scanned her surroundings. In the distance she saw a movement; someone was coming her way.
     She saw a small bush near the cave and she ran for it, hiding herself. She removed the bow from her shoulder, drew an arrow from her quiver, placed the arrow to the bowstring, and drew the string back; ready to fire.
     Her target got in range and...
     It was Xavier! What was he doing out here?
     As he got closer to the cave she noticed he was caring a bundle of wood from Kaikon Forest. She pulled the bow string tight once more, aimed, and let her arrow fly. it landed with a thud in the bundle of firewood. Xavier, startled, dropped the wood and pull out his sword, looking for where the arrow had come from.
     Emerald came out from behind the bush laughing. Xavier's features went from scared, to angry, to a crooked grin forming on his lips.
     Emerald stopped laughing and became serious.
     "Why did you leave without waking me? You gave me a heart-attack!" She said.
     "Now you know how I feel when you leave without warning." He replied.
     "You have a point..." She admitted, looking down but a smile returned to her face.
     "I went to collect firewood." Xavier explained, "I don't know about you but I'm tired of cold meat for meals."
     Emerald looked up and nodded her approval. She helped Xavier pick the wood up off the ground, as she did she grabbed the log with her arrow in it and removed it, placing it back in her quiver with the others.
     The two of them took the firewood into the cave and started a small fire for their breakfast. Once they were done eating they put the fire out, gathered their belongings, and headed out once more.
     "We should make it to Gangrar late tonight. I have a few coins for us to get an inn room and a nice hot supper. Then we can leave tomorrow for Elensdor." Xavier stated.
     "Thank you for all your help, I don't know what I would have done without you." Emerald said, smiling brightly at him.
     "It's a pleasure to help."
     They continued on in silence. Neither knew what to say to the other.
     Finally, after the many colours of the setting sun faded from the sky, and only dark remained, Emerald and Xavier saw small specks of light on the horizon. The road to Gangrar was under their feet and the buildings were dark spots in the distance.
     Soon, they were in the village and looking for an inn to reside in for the rest of the night. About halfway into the village they came across a small inn.  The sign read: The Pink Panther.
     As they entered, the smell of sweat and smoke reached their nostrils.     Emerald wrinkled her nose, she wasn't used to the smell and she wasn't really expecting it to be like this. She had never entered a village, bar, or inn voluntarily and she was not prepared for what she witnessed inside the inn.
     Men were everywhere, mugs in hand. They all looked drunk as could be and still they asked for more. Music was being played in a corner and everyone was crowded around it. Some of them fought for the places closest to the musicians. It was loud and everyone was rowdy as could be as well.
     Emerald was not used to being this close to this many people and she was feeling overwhelmed. She slowly reached back and pulled up the hood to her cloak to hide her face, she started to feel sick and very uncomfortable.
     Xavier noticed Emerald's wariness and he understood what she was feeling. He knew she had never talked to anyone until she met him and she had never been in a town or close to lots of people. He grabbed her hand and picked a table in the corner of the inn, waving a woman over.
     She was tall and a bit big around the stomach. She had a white cloth tied around her midsection and had a tray of ale mugs in her hand. Her long brown hair was tied back from her face, which was shiny from sweat.
     "What c'n I get you two?" She asked with a grumble.
     "A nice hot bowl of soup will do for us ma'am." Xavier replied, ignoring her bad attitude.
     As she went to leave she noticed Emerald in the corner for the first time. She was surveying the room with her cloak pulled tightly around her body. The way the firelight hit her face where it could helped to tell that Emerald was female.
     "What's wrong with her?" She asked, nodding in Emeralds direction.
     "She just doesn't like being around this many people." Xavier said, thinking of something that was partially true to tell the woman.  She just shrugged and headed toward the kitchen.
     The woman returned a short time later with two bowls of steaming soup and two big mugs of ale. Then she turned and left without another word.
     After their meal was finished the two teens decided to make their way upstairs to bed. Just before they reached the staircase a man, full of drink, stepped out in front of them.
     "I been watchin' you for a while now." He said, pointing to Emerald and talking with slurred speech, "Why you got that hood on lil' girly?"
     "I just want it to be up." She replied angrily, "Now get out of our way."
     "I jus wanna see your pretty lil' face girly." Before he finished his sentence, and before Emerald could stop him, he reached forward and pulled back her hood.
     As the hood slid over her golden hair the man gasped, eyes wide.
     "Now if you'll excuse us..." Emerald began, trying to push the man away from the stairs, but as she did so, he grabbed her wrist tightly and pulled her close to his face. His breath smelled like stale ale and his teeth were yellow and rotten.
     "You's the prettiest lil' girly I ever saw" He remarked, "You's comin' wit me."
The man started to pull her up the stairs. She tried to reach for the dagger in her boot but he was gripping her hand so tightly she couldn't get free and she was using her other hand to help with balance as he quickly pulled her after him.
"LET GO OF ME!!" Emerald yelled.
     Xavier was bursting with shock and fury, but he didn't know what to do against this man who was two times his size and had muscles as big as bowling balls. Without thinking he reached for his sword and ran up the stairs behind the big man.
Just as the man reached his door, he felt a light tap on his chest and looked down to find a sword tip. He stepped back in shock and looked over to Xavier. When he saw who was wielding the weapon, he just laughed like it was no big deal.
Emerald pulled and pulled, trying to free her now numb wrist from the man's tight grasp.
Xavier swung his sword with the speed of a cat and cut the man's beefy forearm. The man let go of Emerald yelling out of shock, not hurt, that this little boy had cut him.
At his scream, two other big men came to help their buddy on the second floor.
The first man, blood running down his for arm, jumped on Xavier, who was not expecting it. He hit the floor hard, the big man on top of him. Xavier couldn't move as he was being punched in the stomach and face. He tried to squirm and break free, but had little success.
Emerald had jumped into action as soon as she was set free. Her sword in hand she charged the man on Xavier, but she was grabbed from behind and spun around to face the other two drunk brutes.
She easily got out of the first's grasp, but as she turned the other tripped her. When she hit the ground the air was knocked out of her, her sword falling from her hand and when it hit the ground the first man kicked it away.
"She is a pretty girl, ain't she Jed?" The one asked, holding back her head by her hair.
"She sure is Ned!" Said the other with a grin on his face, "You picked out a good one Dan!"
     Dan looked over and grinned, then he focused his attention back to Xavier.
Jed held one side of Emerald and Ned held the other. They started pulling at her clothes and hitting her, she felt blood run down her cheek and could taste it in her mouth. She screamed at the top of her lungs, there was no way they were getting away with this.
Xavier looked over at the sound of Emerald's screams, blood in his eye from a cut on his forehead. He burst with anger and writhed harder than ever, but he still lay under Dan.
Emerald had had enough of the barbarians. She twisted until her right hand was free, then she kicked Jed hard in the stomach. She quickly grabbed her sword and stabbed Ned in the shoulder. Once she was free she began to run over to Dan. Jed grabbed her ankle and she hit the ground once more, black spots appearing in her vision. She kicked him in the face, breaking his nose, but he pulled the dagger from her boot.
It was obvious he didn't know how to use a weapon, but he was still dangerous in his drunken state.  Emerald jumped up and swung her sword at Jed. He fell and barely missed being hit by the blade. He reached up and plunged her dagger in her left hip, causimg Emerald to scream in pain. She brought the hilt of her sword down on his head, knocking him out.
She limped up behind Dan and stabbed him in the ankle with her sword. He rolled off Xavier screaming in pain. He looked up at Emerald and cowered. He stood slowly and helped Ned pick up Jed, then they ran like cowards down the hall and into their room.
She ran over and grabbed Xavier, who was now uncontious, and with a sword in each hand she put her arms under his and pulled him as best she could toward their room. Once she was inside she dropped the swords and lifted Xavier onto the bed. Then she closed and locked the door behind them.
She ran to the dresser, lighting a match laying there and then lighting the lamp in room. She ran to the basin of water in the corner and wet a cloth. She then went to Xavier and cleaned up all the blood on his face and laid the damp cloth on his forehead.
She put some pillows under his head and made it so he looked like he was comfortable. She started to limp toward the basin to clean up her face and hip when she heard Xavier move. She turned and went to the bedside, sitting next to him with a grunt.
"Are you alright?" She asked worried.
"I'm fine." He whispered, "It's you I'm worried about. I saw what they did to you." He finished, looking at the dagger still in her hip and her torn clothing.
"I will be ok. How do you feel?"
"Better now that you cleaned me up."
"Good. Let me wash up and then I will find you some medicine for the pain. You need to rest."
"Let me help." Xavier started to sit up, and Emerald motioned for him to lay back down, "I just want to wash you up, like you did for me." He insisted.
Emerald smiled and sighed before she went to get another wet cloth. She handed it to Xavier and he cleaned the little bit of blood off her face. Then he placed it on her hip and looked at her. She nodded and closed her eyes as he quickly pulled the dagger from her side. She screamed and saw black dots once more, but she fought the pain because she needed to take care of Xavier before she could rest.
Xavier tore a piece of cloth from his shirt and tied it around her leg to help stop the bleeding.
"Why did you do that?" She asked, curious.
"You are my friend, I care about you. Plus, he didn't deserve you." Xavier replied, fire returning to his eyes.
"Yes, but you got hurt helping me."
"It was worth it." He said smiling, the fire dying, "Plus, I could ask you the same question. You helped me and in return got a dagger in your hip!"
Emerald just smiled back and realized how much Xavier really meant to her.