Across the ocean Book 1: On the run

Chapter Twenty-Six : Deliverance

Mayen could finally see again, albeit with a stinging right eye and a darkness not yet touched by the light of dawn. He was cold, cold and sweaty from the anxiety which those taken hostage can relate to. He wanted to pee, he wanted to drink... Wanted to scratch his back, to wipe his forehead, to crush and grind to a pulp that mosquito buzzing into his ear, to sleep, to remove the stiffness from his legs. So many things. But he was back to having hands tied behind him as the leash now tied him to a tree trunk. Good thing he was in a sitting position, that allowed him some relative freedom with his knees, such as wiping awkwardly his forehead and hurting his nose the first time he tried to squish a bug taking advantage of an immobilized blood source.

Dor and Weld had brought them to a halt which had been for far too long postponed. Now that they were all four into the forest, the two captors had no qualms of unlocking the prison door of the mind. To be blinded for so long, forced to go where you knew not without any sense of direction, only thoughts could come. Yes, one could hear, one could touch, smell and taste, but sight was the eye of one's heart literally and metaphorically.

Mayen searched for his father and found him safe and sound. With only an oil lantern of course the ruffians would keep it mostly for themselves, still, he could see a little. Though gagged, the wayside peasants managed to communicate by tonality alone. Words, expressions... A lot can be codified within a few notes, as if speaking, when deprived of articulation, is but raw music. Granted, the sounds father and son made were far from harmonious and pleasant to hear, and generally it was but a sequence of three to six, or seven at maximum. The more there were notes, the harder it was to interpret and rather by a steep increase in difficulty.

-"Are you okay? I bet that is what you said." Weld had nothing better to do than to find amusement in guessing. "Yeah, we always say the "o" of "okay" at a slightly lower tone than "are", then the "kay" is the highest note."

Even with simple guttural noises, Mayen feared to drop hints. Too many exchanges would be dangerous. Indeed, if the captors deemed it acceptable to let their preys recover sight, then what about speech? And, of course, Mayen would then be forced to speak openly what he and his father were conversing about.

-"It's along the lines of "I am all right". Is it? Hey, answer me when I ask a question!" Weld shoved the lantern in Rowen's face for two heartbeats.

Mayen saw his father's face much clearer. With a mouth full, albeit with cloth rather than food, Rowen voiced a yes and nodded emphatically.

-"Weld, leave them be. It is enough already that they have their lives taken away from them. Let them rest and have some dignity before Pete and the Boss return."

-"Feeling soft and compassionate?" Weld sniffed. "Not like you."

-"Like me it is! I do for a cause, breath for a cause, live for a cause. This bullying will just damage the... Well, you know what I mean. Just leave them alone."

Mayen watched Weld walk back to Dor. Dor seemed to be reasonable, almost capable of honour to Mayen's eyes, but none serving a Norvun could have any crumbs of respect within his heart.

-"Any of you need to pee?" Dor behaved kindly that it seduced Mayen right away to take the offer. "And you? So both, eh? No wonder. Just stand up and I will give you each a turn by lowering your pants. I promise I will not look."

-"Hope not," said Weld, "nothing interesting in a peepee. Give me a--"

-"Shut the fuck up you asshole! Think your sister would approve that attitude of yours now?!"

Weld went silent, wounded by the comment and shocking Mayen by the display of it. For the adolescent, ruffians were all just evil brutes without anything good in them. And what was good according to Mayen? Leaving a tranquil and peaceful life and having a family and some friends. Caring about people, as well, was part of it. Oh, and loving animals. Now, he really missed Mulette. Elf and Junto as well, his two cats. And... And the mountain kite. What had happened to her? Had she died, was she dying, would she die? The last he had seen of her had been in Soren's home.