Inferno

Chapter 2

P.O.V- Cole

As he walked into the tavern loud music filled his ears. He scanned the tavern looking for a place to sit. In the far corner he say a cloaked figure sitting in his corner booth.

The booth right in front of him was empty so he pushed his way through the drunk men slowly making his way to the booth. Suddenly a drunkard stumble on his feat and spilled his wine all over the floor in front barely missing him. Cursing quietly he moved on toward the booth. Finally he dropped down into the booth. In that moment the cloaked figure looked up. Bright green eyes meet his cold, icy blue ones. They continued staring at each other when a waitress appeared out of nowhere and interrupted them. She started talking to the person, so he left not even ordering anything. After exciting the noisy tavern he grabbed his horse and left. A nasty headache was starting to form from all of the noise. He rode north of town where his camp, and all of his belongings where. His horse, Nylron, snorted at him when he descended asking for food. He sighed and reached into his saddle bags. When he drew his hand out Nylron whined softly begging for a treat from his long day of riding. After feeding Nylron, he got out his bedroll from the saddle bags and laid it out next to the fire pit he had dug anew before his trip to the tavern. He had already gathered fire wood, so he placed it in a tent formation. He pulled out his matches and lit his fire. His brushed his hands off and stood up to tie up Nylron. Nylron nickered softly when he approached him, but gave no protest to him tying him up. He then picked up his bedroll again and stepped inside and laid down. When he laid down the stars twinkled in the sky making him home sick. His home had been raided by thieves and his father, Lord Antino, being a good lord fought gallantly, but was mortally wounded and died not a week later. His mother had committed suicide not long after his father's death. He had run away the day his mother died because he could not stand the sorrow he felt. As he gazed upon the stars he remembered the promise he's made to his father.

"Son. . . please promise me. . . that you will take care of the . . . people when I die," he in between fits of coughing. His dressings on his wounds covered in crimson blood.

"But father. . ."

"No promise me. . . promise me Cole," he said sounding desperate.

"Yes father I will protect the people. I will father, but what is to happen to Kirtis?" He inquired concern etched upon his face. His father smiled which made him look ten years younger.

"You decide Cole, you have made me. . . extremely proud. Please continue to. . ." He paused gasping for air "continue to honor your family name," he gave Cole one final smile as his soul left his body on its long journeyed to the next phase of his life.

Brought back from his memories he teared up, his father was among the stars now looking down on him. He thanked his father for all he had taught him. He fell into a peaceful sleep with the stars as the last thing he saw. Dreams swallowed him, taking him to the stars to be with his father.

We he awoke the sun was barely rising. It was only a sliver on the horizon, not that he could see it. There were too many trees blocking his view. The clearing he picked for his camp was surrounded by lush vegetation.

He stood to clean up his camp when he realized he was soaking wet.

"The dew must have fallen last night. One of the downfalls of sleeping outside," he muttered while cleaning up the camp.

His horse, Nylron, stood off to the side still asleep. Cole noticed this and took to waking him up by throwing sticks around him. One of them he misjudged and it hit Nylron's flank, startling him, and making him buck wildly.

Cole now hidden behind a tree was laughing, while trying not to be seen by his horse. When Nylron had finally settled down Cole moved out from behind the tree. He held his hands out in front of him because he didn't want to scare the horse again. After reaching the horse, he put his hands down, and the horse snorted and bobbed its head.

He walked to the side of Nylron, and hoisted the saddlebags onto the sleek back of his horse. He grabbed the saddle of the ground and put it onto Nylron. He then pulled himself up, and sat on the saddle. He had his father's sword sheathed at his side, and a hunting knife strapped to his leg. He took out the hunting knife and cut away the ropes that tied his horse to the tree.

After the rope was cut, he rolled it up, and positioned it on the left side of his horse. The morning sun was a little higher, almost high noon. He checked his supplies again, they were almost out, so he decided to go to the closest village market especially since it was market month in almost all of the territories ruled by King Landow. He stirred his horse into a steady trot since the trees were so thick. Soon enough the trees all around him started to thin out, and light broke through the tallest branches and shined upon the forest floor. After a few more minutes of riding, he broke through all of the trees, and only the path to the village lay before him. He was about to call for Nylron to go faster, but then he saw the mob chasing a young girl. He retreated into the forest where it would be harder to see him from the path.

He waited for what seemed like hours as the mobs noises grew louder, but the girl was still not in the forest. Maybe she went a different way, he thought to him himself. He barely finished the thought when the sound of a large thing crashing through the forest was heard. The girl finally entered his vision she was a few yards away, but gaining on him quickly.

She was a few inches away and he grabbed her and hoisted her up onto the horse with him. She was startled and afraid and also very likely about to yell, so he knocked her unconscious.

The mob was still trying to follow her, and they were very loud. They were getting closer and he was a sitting duck. He stirred Nylron back down the path only a little faster, trying to outrun the mob. The noises the mob was making were growing faint and the clearing he spent the night at was just ahead. He rode right until he was in the clearing, then jumped off his horse, and lifted the girl off too.

He tied Nylron down again, and left the girl next to him. When he got a closer look he thought he recognized her, but couldn't place his finger on where. Maybe it was one of the many eligible ladies his mom invited to his 18th birthday celebration, he mused. Well then why is she out here alone without any sort of bodyguard, another part of his mind argued. It doesn't matter, he thought just before the girl woke up.