Chapter 10

“Hey………….hey……… hey sleepy head wake up” Damion looked up to see Rose dressed in her usual work apron and her own little touch, a silk dress patterned with Rydonia flowers. “I heard you’re working for us so come on” she walked to the door and looked back to him placing her hand on the door frame. “You’ve got ten minutes to get ready” she dropped her head before he could answer and walked out. Damion sat up stiffly, his body seemed to ache a little after last night incident. He swung around until he was sat on the edge of the bed and stretched out trying to loosen his muscles; it worked he felt a little more refreshed now. He looked on the cabinet and spotted clothes with a note placed upon them. He got up and walked over to the note; he picked it up and began to read quickly knowing the urgency that he had to get ready. ‘I know you don’t have many clothes on you so I got you some new ones. The clothes here shall be your work clothes and under your bed is some clothes to wear out, Alastair.’ Damion picked up the clothes from the cabinet, they felt soft within his hands and quickly began to put them on. He started with the white silk shirt and worked down to his black trousers. The trousers had a gold trim around the bottom of the legs. Damion studied the clothes quickly and darted out of the room down to the Inn. As he got to the bottom of the stairs he was greeted by Rose who had also just arrived to work. She turned to him as he came up behind her.

“Hey, you look nice” Damion blushed,

“Um thank you” he replied “You look really beautiful in your dress” her expression didn’t move yet she soon replied to him.

“Thank you” she said dully. Damion smiled at her and walked past to greet Alastair who was already working drying the cups from the night before.

“Good morning Alastair” he greeted cheerfully,

“Why, good morning boy” he chuckled slightly, “You’re looking much better this morning. It’s nice to see a recovery from you”   

“Thank you sir” he smiled shyly.

“Rose my darling come hither” he beckoned. Rose approached and stood aside Damion. “Now because you’re here boy I have a task for the both of you to do for me” he paused “Well a few tasks I must say but I need you two to work together, understood?”

“Yes sir” the both replied at the same time.

“Now, I need you two to gather some ingredients for me as we have a very special visitor coming”

“Who might this be father?”

“Now now darling you shall see in due time” he smiled at her before continuing “Ahem. Anyway I need you two to go into the forest and gather some fruit for me. Such as Irye nuts, Hugan berries. The blue ones not the red though, the red are poisonous. Huras berries too, be sure to gather lots of those ok?”

“Yes sir”

“Now one last thing, Damion I trust your father taught you how to fish, correct?

“Correct sir” he said enthusiastically

“Good good, I need you two to go out and catch some fish for me”

“How come you can’t use Sherman’s fish father?” she asked.

“Because the fish we want are too smart to be caught in nets, you need to use a good old fashioned rod. Now you’ll know when you have caught the fish I’m after because when threatened the markings upon it will begin to heat up. So take a cloth to check if it does so as if you touch it with your hand you will burn yourself I can guarantee you that” he laughed to himself and placed down the final dry glass.

“When do you want us to leave?”

“Right away would be a good start Rose”

“Aye aye sir” she saluted to him and made him laugh loudly.

“Go on you two, off with you” Rose took off her apron and placed it behind the bar and led as Damion followed her. They both took a step outdoors and stopped a few feet out. Rose turned suddenly to Damion making him jump.

“So fishing or foraging first?” Damion pondered for a moment,

“Foraging, that way we won’t be wet all day” he smiled and looked up the street. “Is that where were headed?”

“Indeed it is” she answered and led ahead up the strret until the street was no more ahead of them. Rose led Damion into the forest and awe struck Damion as she did.

“Wow” he exclaimed “It’s so beautiful in here” the sunlight glistened off the dew amongst the flowers and trees and lit the floor amber. The trees grew many metres high above towering over them, many of the trees had fresh blossom upon them. The blossoms were blue in colour and flourished in packs above in the canopy. The floor however was different, all shades of colour were scattered along the floor and many groups of flowers were seen.

“Yeah it is, but come on you hurry up we can look at these later” Damion didn’t hear her as he stared distantly into the canopy. Rose sighed and wandered over to him until she was stood just behind him. She lifted her hand and slapped him gently around the back of the head but just enough to knock him forward. Damion bellowed with laughter and smiled brightly at her. Rose too suddenly cracked a smile and giggled for a few seconds yet stopped when she fell to her knees. Damion knelt down quickly. Rose was short of breath her breathing was shallow and quick but corrected itself in seconds. Damion held out his hand Rose looked at him deep into his eyes. The flowers around hid them from any watching eyes. Damion smiled as she stared deep back into his, she smiled gentle back but stopped as she soon again felt breathless.

“Hey, are you ok?” Rose looked up and answered,

“I’m fine” Damion offered his hand again and Rose accepted his help, her hand was now slightly muddy and rubbed off on Damion yet he didn’t mind. He helped her to her feet and both stood still as she caught her breath.

“OK lets go, I’m fine now” she had not let go of his hand and led him through the forest a little way he stayed close to her side until she stopped and looked to her hand, she pulled away quickly,

“Oh I’m sorry I feel that I have intruded” she stepped in front of him to carry on,

“Wait” Damion said abruptly. She stopped but did not look back, Damion stood behind her and took her hand again, and he held it softly running his thumb down her palm,

“There was no intrusion” she turned and looked him in the eyes. He smiled at her and walked around to her front and took hold of the other hand still looking into her eyes. Still smiling he whispered to her.

“Come closer to me” he was nervous about what he was about to do and how she would react. She nodded and stepped closer but not taking focus off his eyes. He placed his left hand on her hip and led her right down to his he laughed a little and began to move side to side. She started to follow him until she realised they were dancing. He smiled shyly at her now and began to blush, she step another foot closer and rested her head against his shoulder and continued to dance with him. He rested his upon her head. The danced for another 6 minutes until she finally spoke,

“I’ve waited so long for someone to come who could finally understand me, maybe even love me.” She stepped back and looked him in the eyes. “I’m different like you yet it’s harder for me”

“How so?” he asked gently.

“I have no soul Damion, I cannot truly feel. I do not feel happiness, sadness……….love”

“I knew something was different, I never knew it was so bad”

“When I laughed before, it tired me out because I put so much and power into feeling something yet it’s just too difficult” Damion hugged her and comforted her in his arms.

“I’ve waited for a moment like this for so long with someone who would understand me, but I feel very little in return” a tear grew in her eye.

“Oh hey hey, no” he said gently, “I know you feel something, I can feel it as I hold your hand. Your still you inside, you just need to try harder now to show it” she backed away and looked down. Damion placed a finger under her chin and stared her in the eyes.

“I can’t say I love you, but I know from the second I laid eyes on you yesterday that I felt something” he smiled at her. “It feels odd thinking you can feel for someone in such a short time. And I know deep deep deeeeeeeep down, you can feel something too” She smile briefly but became breathless doing it. He held her in his arms until she calmed.

“I do feel something, but I can’t show it” she stepped back and took his hand once more and led him down through the forest.

 

The Inn was busy, Alastair was behind the bar serving a local his drink of rum and a shandy for his friend.

“Thank you Alastair” he said cheerfully,

“Anytime Fredrick” The door creaked open and Sherman entered through. “Hello Sherman my good friend come, sit have a drink” Sherman sat down at yet refused a drink.

“No drink for me Alastair, I’m just here to ask you something but in private” he whispered.

“Sure thing Sherman please right this way” he showed him upstairs and followed behind him. He shut the door upstairs so the others could not hear. Sherman cleared his throat before starting.

“So… I hear we have a ‘special’ guest arriving soon”, he said seriously.

“You have heard correctly Sherman, why?” he questioned nervously.

“Tell me, now who is this ‘guest’”

“I cannot say it’s a supri-”

“Tell me this Alastair” he interrupted raising his voice, “Is the same guest that came the sixth day that boy Theodore arrived?” he began to get angry,

“Well I….N-n-no?” he stuttered,

“Alastair!” he shouted at him pinning him to the wall “Do not let that boy suffer the same fate Theodore did, I’m warning you now” he said angrily.

“Wha-what do you know Sherman?” he choked,

“I know enough and I know Theodore did not leave town willingly” he let go of Alastair “I’m warning you right now, leave this boy alone. He seems nice and who knows maybe your daughter might actually find love instead of feeling like she’s some kind of freak!” Alastair slammed his fist down on the table,

“How dare you Sherman” How dare you tell me how she feels” he shouted,

“Because you’re greedy, and you’re so damaged inside when you lost your wife you vowed that none shall take your daughter away from you. But you have to, she’ll never be happy staying here, let her go and find love and happiness.”

“How dar-”

“And that’s the end of it Alastair!” he interrupted “Don’t let me catch your friend here, now goodbye” he stormed off angrily down the stairs and all had gone quiet as Sherman slammed the Inns front door.

 

Rose led Damion out into a large field, the wind whipped through the grass revealing the effect of a wave upon the earth. Clouds passed above as they walked through the fields.

“Do you know where you’re going Rose?” she stopped and looked sternly at him but couldn’t hold it for long, Damion knew then it was a joke.

“Of course I do, just don’t let go of my hand and you won’t get lost” she pulled him like a mother would with a stubborn child. They had already gathered two of the things they needed and Huras berries were last on the list.

“So when he asked us to gather some?”

“Yeah?”

“Well can you define just quite how many some is?”

“Well I would say a few bunches would be good, you never know with father quite how much he wants”

“Oh well that was helpful thank you” he said sarcastically. They had reached the end of the field and a small arched doorway sat leaving an opening into the next area.

“It’s just through here” they entered together into a small area filled with bushes and a wide amount of different species of mushrooms and fungi. On the bushes were white berries and lots of them at that.

“Hey Rose?” Damion spoke,

“Yeah?”

“Well you’ve lived here all your life, can you tell me what these ruins are, and you know all the arches and crumbled walls everywhere” he asked.

“Well there all elven structures its believed” she stopped and sat down on a fallen tree and Damion sat beside her. “Many years ago, as legend goes anyway, the elven race used to live out here in the forest. They thrived for years until they came.”

“They?” he cried,

“A group of outcast entered the forest in search of a new home and took a liking to there structures and designs, they asked if they could join their tribes yet they said no as the weren’t elven” she cleared her throat, “They got so angry and upset about being outcast again they attacked their tribes killing all of them on the spot and feasting on their bodies, the ruins were destroyed and the only things left are now these bushes” what do the bushes have to do with this?”

“Well we call them Elven blood. The remnants of what the they left behind”

“Are there any of them left?”

“Well people have said they still have seen small groups in the forest but not dared to approach in fear of offending them. So there you go, now you know can we please get these berries and head back? We still have to fish” Damion smiled at her,

“Of course we can” they stood and began to gather the berries around them. They collected a large amout in hope it’ll be enough so they need not return back.

“Right” she sighed “Lets head back, take a break and get this fishing done”

“Aye aye” he responded laughing at her. Her took her hand and started running dragging her behind him.

“Damion stop” she tried to hold back the giggling so she wouldn’t lose her breath again.

“Nope” he laughed “My turn to lead us back, so just remember just hold my hand and you won’t get lost” he beamed at her and dragged her into the forest.

 

A cold wind slithered through the town, the air was damp and an odd aura was felt by the villagers. Damion and Rose came out of the forest happy to set foot back on the dusty road. They had stopped holding hands now in fear that someone would see. Damion looked up at the sky and felt relieved a moon still could not be seen. Rose looked at him.

“Hey it’s ok, there won’t be a moon for a while, your safe” Damion smiled at her,

“I guess your father won’t mind if we do the fishing tomorrow, we’ve done everything else”

“Yeah I’m sure he’ll be fine” They walked together through the town and entered the Inn; Rose entered first, Damion after. The Inn was dark, the bar had been cleaned and everything was shut down.

“Hmm, odd. Father is usually still open. I wonder where he is”” she walked to the stairs and looked up, no light was showing from up there either. “Really odd. Damion can u light a candle please”

“Yeah sure” Damion grabbed the box of matches from behind the bar and struck it causing little sparks to come off the end ending in a flame. He carefully lit a candle and finally light was apparent to the room. They both began to walk upstairs until a knock was heard on the door.

“Go on up and get into bed, I’ll get this one”

“Ok” Rose replied. Rose disappeared through the doorway and the knocks came again. Damion wandered over and opened the door to reveal Sherman.

“Good evening, The Crumbled Arch Inn how can we help?”

“Say you’re the new boy, Damion aren’t ye?” 

“Oh, yeah and you are?” he asked in return.

“I’m Sherman and I need to speak with you boy but not here, meet me down at the Pier in about half an hour……..ok?” he whispered but a sense of urgency was heard in his voice. Damion’s eyes shifted a little.

“Well um, ok” Sherman darted off into the darkness down to the beach. Damion closed the door in a little confusion and made his way upstairs to be met by Rose who was sat on her chair writing in her leather bound diary.

“Hey” she gasped and looked towards Damoin shutting the book quickly. “Ok I guess I have intruded”

“No no” she replied quickly. “It’s just I’ve never let anyone read my diary before”

“Don’t worry I understand, it’s private to you” he sat down on the chair by the fireplace and watched her contently write.

 

 

 

April Friday 16^th 1832

 

I had a really nice day today. I spent all day with Damion. He made me laugh but I know that I shouldn’t so I’ll be more careful from now on. We danced amongst the flowers, it was so romantic, and I’m getting breathless just writing about it, I need to control my emotions a bit more now. I feel like he’s the one I want to love but I know I can’t, I need to get it back but I can’t let him risk his life to do that for me. We’re about to go to bed but I want to hug him, yet I don’t know how it will affect me.    

 

Rose put her pencil down and looked to Damion still wondering if she should hug him. She sat on the floor next to the fire and beckoned Damion over. Damion followed at sat next to her. She leaned against him and hugged him gently. A warm electricity coursed between them and Damion felt it too.

“That’s so odd, I can feel warmth from you, but it’s not your body warmth. I feels more like it’s travelling over me” she held tighter and replied,

“I feel it too, but it’s nice” she loosened her grip a little and looked up to him. “Damion?”

“Hmm?”

“Please don’t leave here, it’s been so long that I’ve been able to feel this strongly for. It hurts me but it’s worth being next to you feeling this pain”

“I won’t leave” he stroked her cheek.

“Promise me” she whispered to him.

“I promise” she snuggled up to him both enjoying the warm of the fire and the warmth coursing their bodies.  

25 minutes had passed and Damion suddenly remembered Sherman’s words. “Hey you go on in to bed; I’ve got to do something before I come in”

“Ok” she didn’t question him and she didn’t know why. She got up and left the room to go to theirs. Damion stood and made his way down the stairs each creaking after the other. The front door still wasn’t locked. As the door creaked shut Damion had started walking down to the pier. It was windy as he got closer to the pier; he set foot on the beach and walked down the pier a little. The wind whipped past Damion hurling his hair upwards.

The boards behind Damion began to squeak and the sound of hard boots drummed against the pier. Damion turned to see a figure materialising within the darkness. He looked into the dark straining his eyes to acquire recognition.

“Sherman? Is that you?” Damion asked slightly worried, his voice was almost drained however by the curling winds.

“No my dear boy, I am not this Sherman that you speak of” a deep male voice ventured through the dark void between them. Damion spooked by this stepped back further away.

“Then who are you?”

“Who is but a question of mortality and mortality is what I am not” Damion looked puzzled,

“Excuse me?” The figure sighed and looked down grasping the bridge of his nose gently with his index finger and thumb.

“It appears my words elude such a simple mind”

“What? How can you just assume I am such a ‘simple mind’ as you so quote?” he blurted back angrily.

“No my dear boy, assuming is the indication that I am unsure of my knowledge and unsure of my knowledge is counterfactual to the truth”

“So you’re saying that my knowledge that you do not know of my mind is but a false statement”

“Ah so I see, you do have a vague understanding of proper grammar” he applauded him sarcastically “You have proven that initial statements on first appearance should not be judge so quickly”

“Quit this! Who are you?”

“Again my dear boy you step back into past mistakes. It is not who I am…” the figure paused and stepped forwards revealing his true self and not his shadowed counterpart in the darkness. “It is what I am” Damion fixated on the man. He was upper class and seemed proud to show it. The bridge of his nose curved almost giving a bird like reference, his clothes draped down him. He wore a beautiful satin robe, red like a ruby. Underneath laid a black waist coat and tailored trousers along with black leather boots. His hair showed not a strand out of place and was black in colour. Damion gulped,

“And what are you then?” Damion shakily said as he stepped further back to the edge of the pier. The man clenched his fists.

“I am your ever closing death” he sprung his hands open violently and a black aura spark off them glowing darker than the night itself. Damion’s eyes widened dramatically and stepped right to the edge of the pier. He looked back as the waves crashed against the pier violently splintering the wood.

“Who knew death would be so well educated eh?” he chucked evilly and focused in on Damion. The man threw his arm forwards at him, hand aiming for his heart, when suddenly the pier began to echo sound of another’s racing footsteps.

“Don’t touch that boy Tybalt” Sherman leapt up wrapping his trench coat around Tybalt’s head and pulled him down to the floor. “Run boy” Damion nodded and ran swiftly past Sherman as he held Tybalt to the floor. Damion turned back briefly to see Tybalt throw Sherman off him but turned back before he saw anymore. He raced up the path and forced himself inside the Inn. He leapt the stairs two by two and briskly ran into his room slamming the door shut. Rose sat up bolt right to see Damion wet with beads of sweat hang of his face.

“Oh my god, Damion are you alright?” Damion replied breathlessly,

“No I’m not” he leant forwards putting his hands on his knees.

“Hey come quickly, sit on my bed with me” Damion did so rapidly. “Now what happened?”

“Someone attacked me on the pier, and Sherman tried to defend me” Damion looked towards her as tears filled his eyes.

“Who attacked you Damion?”

“I don’t know, some person called Tybalt. I don’t care though, what I do care is another person has died for me and I can’t let this happen again I just can’t” 

“Hey how do you know Sherman is dead?” Damion lifted his head from his hands and stared hard back at her.

“Because he wasn’t mortal, no mortal could have survived him. I…shouldn’t have survived him” Damion coughed and keeled over to the floor and not long after passed out.

“Damion!” Rose cried immediately moving to his aid. She placed him upon his bed and kissed his salty forehead.

“Rest now, you’re safe”

 

Rose stepped outside the Inn now fully dressed, the night seemed calm and the wind was still and humid. She ventured down carefully to the pier looking to both sides of her each time she took a few steps as if she suspected an attack. As her feet reach the pier the wood clunked and echoed a little. She walked halfway down the pier and stopped looking out all sides for someone or any sign of Sherman.

“Sherman!” she cried “Sherman are you here?” she waited for a reply yet none came to her. “Sher-” she stopped halfway to see to her side what seemed to be a trail in the sand as if something had been dragged through it. She didn’t stay long as the story Damion had told may actually have truth. That something could have been Sherman and Rose didn’t hang around she hurried to the Inn and locked the door behind her as she entered. She gasped for air and words seemed locked away. The story had not been confirmed fully to her yet she still took to bed mournfully in the hope Sherman would walk into the Inn safe and sound.

Reviews

[Silent Wolf]

~“Hey………….hey……… hey sleepy head wake up” Here, in between each hey, you could put something he does instead of the million dots. For example, ("Hey." I stir slightly. "Hey!" I groan and roll over. "Hey, sleepy head. Wake up!" I open my eyes as she takes my blanket.) something like that would work.
~"He swung around until he was sat on the edge of the bed and stretched out trying to loosen his muscles; it worked he felt a little more refreshed now." He swung around until he was sitting on the edge of the bed, then stretched, trying to loosen up his muscles, then he stood up.
~"Damion picked up the clothes from the cabinet, they felt soft within his hands and quickly began to put them on." He picked up the clothes, which were soft to the touch, and put them on.

Interesting. Yeah, I forgot to edit. Not bad. And if she's really powerful, then why doesn't she try to take Tybalt on? Just my own opinion. Otherwise, not bad. :)

[Forgotten]

Oh the dot thing was edited a while back, it even made me angry when I looked at it XD She's not powerful in the sense you're thinking of ;)

[Silent Wolf]

Lol. She's a demon! Or is she one of those things?

[Forgotten]

She's still human, but her power is pretty useless when it comes to fighting

[Silent Wolf]

Ah. I see.

[Forgotten]

Haha in all fairness her power is explained a lot more in the second book XD

[Silent Wolf]

Lol, fun. Brb.

[Coyote Poetry]

You are a storyteller. I like the complete chapter. From the direction given to the hunt for herbs and the fish. I like the discussion in the forest. Thank you for a excellent chapter. The story is getting more entertaining with each chapter.
Coyote