18 Elsewere

Chapter 18 Duncan on a mission.

Elsewhere...

 

    Snow seemed to fall in sheets. Somewhere the sun tried to shine through but it was losing the battle with the snow. Bitter wind howled out of the north. A lone figure trudged slowly into the wind. Each step the figure took buried a leg up past the knee. Ice clung to every inch of the skins that were wrapped tightly in layers around the traveler. The figure was covered almost entirely. Two small slits were cut into the cover over their face to allow sight. Though all there was to see was endless white. The traveler's pace was slow but steady. On and on they walked. Eventually a dark shape appeared out of the white ahead. The traveler trudged closer to see that it was a dark opening to a cave. The ice covered figure stopped outside the cave entrance for a moment then walked on inside it. A fire roared deep inside the cave. Three creatures sat around the fire, drinking and telling stories. They all stopped when the visitor walked into the cave, and looked up curiously. All three creatures were a mix of bull and man. Their lower legs were covered in shaggy hair and their heads were similar to a bulls. Their chests were covered in fine hair but were the shape of a human's chest with human arms. All were taller then a longbow though their fur was colored differently. One was jet black, another was spotted brown and white, the other was a brownish red shade. The black one stood and spoke.

    "Come warm yourself by the fire." He motioned to the empty spot around the fire.

    "Thank you." The visitor murmured through the thick hood. The figure began to take off the many layers of covering. First the gloves came off to reveal pale human hands. Next the hood was removed. The face under stared out from under it. The face was human and male. A long blond beard covered the lower half of his face and was frozen with bits of ice in it. Deep blue eyes shown with intelligence. His brow showed the beginning of worry lines. He was as tall as the minators that surrounded the fire. He took off a long bow and quiver of arrows that was covered to protect it from the elements, and leaned them up against the wall. Next he removed two outer layers of skins and hung them to thaw out on the line that was strung up against the wall of the cave. He then sat down in the spot offered and held his hands close to the fire.

    "Have a cup of hot tea." The black minator offered. The man took it and nodded thanks. "What brings a human this far north in our country?" He asked politely. The black haired minator seemed friendly though his two companions held looks of contempt upon their bull like faces.

 

    "I seek someone named Kemersek." The man replied as he sipped at the hot tea.

 

    "What do you want with him?" The brown and white spotted minator asked, a tone of contempt in his voice.

 

    "I have a package to deliver him. Do you know where I could find him?"

 

    "What's your name, human?" The reddish tinted minator asked with a snarl.

 

    "Duncan." Duncan replied quietly. His eyes had not left the black minator's face the entire time. Though his look held no threat in it. Silence hung thick in the air.

 

    "Never heard of you. We don't know anyone named Kemersek so finish your tea and leave." The brown and white spotted minator stated.

    "Thank you." Duncan said. He drank his tea slowly and let the fire thaw him out. After a time he finished the cup and stood up. He slowly wrapped himself back up in his skins and was reaching for his bow to strap back upon his back when the black minator spoke up.

 

    "Sit back down." Was all he said, though his tone was gentle it carried a sternness in it that let you know he was used to being obeyed.

 

    "I'm sorry, but I must continue on to find Kemersek. I've been trying to find him for a while now. Thank you for the tea and the fire but I cannot waste any more time." Duncan said and reached for the bow once more. The other two minator's stood up suddenly.

 

    "He said sit down." The brown and white one said menacingly.

 

    "Don't try to stop me, please." Duncan said and stood up straight. "I've no wish to hurt you.

 

    "Puny human!" The red tinted minator said and moved toward Duncan.

 

    "Stop!" The black skinned minator commanded. He then turned to Duncan. "I know where to find the person you seek but you must do something for me first."

    "What do you want me to do?" Duncan asked, his dark eyes locked onto the red tinted minator.

 

    "Our people are known for our strength but not for our brains, I'm afraid. I want to you to wrestle Holdvir here and if you can best him maybe he will learn some humility. If you can beat him I'll tell you where to find Kemersek." he said as he motioned to the red tinted minator.

 

    "No weapons?"

 

    "None."

 

    "It ends with submission or one of us unconscious?"

 

    "Those are the rules."

 

    "I'll do it." Duncan began again to take off his skins. He stripped down to a short sleeved shirt and a pair of thin woolen pants. He took of his boots as well. From neck too toe Duncan's pale skin was covered with intricate tattoos. The patterns of the tattoo's seemed delicate and fragile though extreamly intricate. Duncan was equal height with Holdvir if you didn't count Holdvir's horns which twisted up from his head. Duncan backed up and did some stretches. "I'm ready."

    "Make him bleed Holdvir!" The brown and white spotted minator said to his friend.

 

    "This human will not walk out of here. If anything he'll be crawling." Holdvir said and pressing his hands together popped his knuckles. The muscles of his chest rippled. He put his head down and without warning charged full force at Duncan. Duncan stood his ground then at the last moment he dropped down flat on his back and placing his feet upon the minator's chest he pushed and vaulted the minator over him. The minator's momentum carried him through the air to crash against the cave wall. He got up quickly with a snarl and approached Duncan again, though more slowly this time. He threw a punch at Duncan's head. Duncan once more waited till the last second then twisting his body he grabbed the minator's extended arm and jabbed two fingers into Holdvir's elbow. A sharp crack echoed in the cave. The minator roared in pain and pulled his arm back.

    "Do you give up?" Duncan asked calmly.

 

    "You die!" Holdvir shouted and punched again with the other arm. Duncan went to dodge but it was a feint. Duncan dodged right into the minator's knee that slammed into his ribs. Duncan fell to the ground the wind knocked from his lungs. He brought himself back up on his hands and knees but the minator kicked him savagely with his right hoof into his left side. Duncan felt two of his ribs crack. He rolled with the blow and somehow managed to prop himself up against the cave wall. Duncan coughed into his hand and looked at it in the fire light.

    "No blood at least." Duncan grimaced and pushed himself off the cave wall to a standing position. Holdvir had a grin on his face even though his right arm hung limp at his side. He walked back to Duncan.

 

    "You ready to give up and crawl home, human?" Duncan answered with a quick jab that connected with Holdvir's jaw. His head jarred back and he was dazed for a moment. Duncan didn't waste the time. He swung his right fist hard into Holdvir's stomach. The blow carried such force that Holdvir doubled over and vomited onto the floor. Duncan clasped his hands together and brought them both down upon Holdvir's neck. The minator crashed to the ground. Duncan paid for the move though. Pain shot through his left side and he could do nothing but gasp and hold his cracked ribs. Holdvir recovered and kicked out with his right hoof connecting with Duncan's right knee. Once more a savage crack echoed around the cave. Duncan cried out in pain and fell to the floor. Holdvir jumped on top of him and placed his left forearm across his neck.

    "Now you die, filthy human!" Holdvir shouted as he pressed hard against Duncan's neck. Duncan's face took on a deep shade of red. He pushed against the minator's arm but couldn't budge it. His vision started to go dark around the edges. In desperation he reached up and placed both his thumbs against the minator's eyes. He started pushing against them. Holdvir roared in pain and rolled off of Duncan, clutching his eyes with his left hand. Duncan coughed and slowly pulled himself over and straddled Holdvir. Grasping his horns he pulled up and slammed Holdvir's head again and again into the stone floor of the cave. After the second time he did this Holdvir reached up and grabbed Duncan round the throat. Duncan ignored the choking pain and poured all he had into slamming the minator's head again and again into the floor. Eventually Holdvir's hand dropped limp from his neck and his eyes rolled back into his head. He wasn't dead though. He was merely unconscious. Duncan dragged himself painfully over to where he had been sitting and sat down. He pulled his right pants leg up past his knee and looked at it. The knee was dislocated. He pulled a leather strap from his pack and bit down upon it. Then he grasped his lower leg with one hand and the knee cap with the other. With a sharp pull he popped it back into place and screamed into the leather strap. When his vision was no longer swimming he looked back to the black haired minator.

    "Well done." he said. He poured Duncan another glass of tea and handed it over. Duncan nodded in thanks and took it. He sipped at it slowly.

    "Where is Kemersek?" Duncan asked. It hurt to breathe, but he tried to ignore the pain. He had been through worse.

 

    "You are looking at him."

    "Why did I have to go through all that?"

 

    "Well you see, most people that are looking for me wish only to do me harm. My clansmen here try to keep me safe. Though I imagine Holdvir won't be happy when he wakes up."

    "Well if you are Kemersek then I have a package for you." Duncan reached back into his pack and withdrew a small leather bound package. He handed it over to the black haired minator.

    "Who sent it?" He asked as he looked the package over.

 

    "A man in Norsehiem. I was on his ship for a while and when I left he asked me to take this to you."

 

    "What's his name?"

 

    "Captain Cregnard."

    "He's still alive?" The minator laughed at that. "I had thought him long dead by now."

 

    "Will you please open it? My instructions were to wait till you had opened it then I could go on about my business."

 

    "How long have you been looking for me?" Kemersek asked looking up at Duncan.

 

    "About three months. You are hard to find." Duncan sipped again at his tea.

    "Hope it wasn't food in here then!" Kemersek said with a laugh. He untied the leather binding the package and slowly unwrapped it. Inside was a folded letter and an item wrapped in a piece of purple silk. Kemersek took out the letter and read it slowly. Then he refolded it and picked up the item in silk. He unwrapped it carefully. Inside the silk was a ruby the size of his fist. He held it up to the firelight and looked at it. It was beautiful. The stone was a deep and polished into a perfect sphere.

    "Well I'll be leaving then. Thank you again for the tea." He got up slowly and tested his knee. It seemed to have healed up fine and he placed the rest of his weight upon it. He took a deep breath and his ribs hurt him only slightly. Seemed the tattoo's still functioned. He methodically put on the many layers of clothes that kept him a bit warm out in the blizzard.

    "Wait a moment. Did you know what was in this package?" Kemersek asked.

 

    "Yes, I was with the Captain when he put it together. Now if there isn't anything more, I must be going before the sun goes down. It's a long way back to shore."

 

    "You knew you carried this jewel and you didn't just steal it and run off? Why would you do such a thing?"

 

    "I said I would deliver the package to you and I did." Duncan shrugged. "Is that so very hard to understand?" Kemersek stared hard at this strange man. Then seemed to make up his mind about something.

 

   "Stay the night here. We leave tomorrow morning to head south. We'll travel with you. You need to let that leg heal anyway."

 

    "I'm not sure I would be welcome to come with you." Duncan looked down at the minator that still lay unconscious on the floor. "Someone should set his elbow back in place before he wakes up or he'll never be able to use his arm correctly again. Oh and my leg is healed already." He hopped up and down on the leg a few times to demonstrate that it was indeed fine.

    "Don't worry about him. I'll talk to him when he wakes up, he won't give you any trouble."

 

    "Thank you for your hospitality." Duncan said after a long pause as he thought it over. He walked over to the wall and unrolled his bedding off of his pack and laid down. He piled his leather wrapping over him for warmth. He had just about fallen asleep when a sickening sound woke him up. He looked over and saw the brown and white minator holding Holdvir's arm. He had pulled it back into place. Duncan closed his eyes again and faded off to sleep. His dreams were nightmare's of the past as they always were.

Author's Note

Probably full of grammar errors again. Again just wondering if it flows well. Is it descriptive enough? Things of this nature.