Destroyers and the Dragons

Page 2

     A swatch of light appears and I'm momentarily blinded as a non-descript man enters the tent. He starts a fire across from me and then begins to cut up things and toss in the pot. The smell is nauseating at best. He ignores me and continues to prepare the meal while I rack my brain for a plausible escape. I come up with nothing, so I sit and wait for a genius plan to form. The cook finishes the meal and several elfin soldiers file in with wooden bowls. I can tell they are only tolerant of the food. I watch and wait even as my stomach growls. Finally, Snow enters and grins down at me.

     "I might let you cook your own food once we're done, let you have the leftovers to make yourself sustenance. Show us your famous pull it together meals," he taunts as his bowl passes under my nose. I grimace from the heavy use of garlic in the stew, but I remain silent as Snow makes snide remarks at his own cook's expense. Finally, my hands and feet are released but I am tethered to a tent pole to keep me from escaping. I wait until everyone has cleared the mess tent and am given my supplies. I get a few bits of vegetables, a chunk of almost spoiled cheese, a handful of flour and access to the limited seasoning. I wash out the smallest stew pot and stoke the fire. I bring a half a bucket of water to boil and add the bits of vegetables all diced into uniform pieces. I then take the dry cheese and remove the starts of mold. I add a pinch of pepper and salt to the water. Then I slowly mince the cheese. I let it melt into the water making the water a bright yellow-orange color. I check the thickness and add a little flour until it's thickened to a nice thick soup consistency. Then I check the seasoning and add a pinch of garlic and some more pepper. When the soup is done I pull it from the fire and place it on the table. I begin to eat it with the spoon I was stirring with. I down the entire thing leaving nothing for Prince Snow. I then quickly pull the knife from my boot slice the rope I turn and dash for the door flap and run straight into the barrel chest of someone and land on my butt hard. I scramble back and then jump to my feet and around one of Snow's bodyguards. I slash at the tent and make a new opening which I quickly slip through. I slam into the barrel chest again.

     "Leave me be and you might live," I snarl gaining my feet again and looking for a new escape route.

     "You couldn't escape from me, I taught you everything you know," says the man. I blink and look up at my uncle.

     "I thought you were dead," I mumble as he grabs my arm.

     "We thought you had died too, you should have visited the plains."

     "They hold too many memories," I say. "Why did you send an exiled prince after me?"

     "I figured he'd have the best chance of finding you. He can go places we can not," Uncle Marion says.

     "Why did they take me captive?" I ask as we sit down in the nearby grass.

    "If they had tried to get you to leave would you have?" I shake my head.

    "Well then there's your answer," he says with a laugh. "We need you to come home and help us."

     "Straight to the point as always. How long would I be expected to stay."

     "It would depend on what we can accomplish and some other variables."

    "That is not a straight answer," I say getting to my knees and sheathing my blade.

    "It wouldn't be forever, but you'd have to give up this life for a while," he says.