{A land worth saving} [Chapter one]

Bump-Bump-Bump, the bouncing went. Up and down it lifted. Soft noises of the wind sounded, and muffled voices off elsewhere.

My eyes opened lazily, dizzy and confused. I found myself in a wagon or carriage type vehicle, a white sheet was over my head, but a opening was right near my face so looking out to my surroundings was doable. The rocking and bouncing made me sick to the stomach.

Then I flashed back to the crying, fighting; and Blind boy. I instinctively put a hand on my head, remembering the hurting of it. But my hand was stopped by the sudden, ‘Woah there!’ Of the driver. I quickly pinched the white sheet, pulling it over my head. It was not thick, so I could see through it. Though blurry, the outline of the driver came into view, with the blur I couldn't see what he was doing.

“Ah, there it is. Come here Jonathan!” The driver shouted. To, I would guess, a person named Jonathan.

“Yes master, Edwin!” The voice of a young boy came, his footsteps quickly clashing with dry ground.

Ah, apprentice. I thought, I remember being one myself. The worst years of my life.

The man and boy made more talk, but it seemed they had grown father. As it was very muffled and I couldn’t make it out. I lifted the thin white sheet once more, slowly eyeing my surroundings.

It was, as I suspected, a wagon. With a very torn and broken down sides. I didn’t know how it was able to keep from falling. The roof was a green fabric and sunlight streamed from it’s giant holes, so it seemed to be daytime. The dark brown wooden sides chipped and cracked held some crates and boxes. I would guess that held rations and supplies.

But, I almost screamed when I realised what I was in - A pile of dead bodies. I had to bite my lip to keep my mouth shut. There lifeless corpses and rotting exceptions made me go places I didn’t want to go.

Wait, did they think I was, dead? My mind looked from option to reason. This must be a dead man couch, or that’s what my family calls them. It’s a given. But did they really plan to bury me alive? The thought gave me bumps on my skin and cold through my body, my eyes were wet from the stench. My nose didn’t care for it.

Wanting no more time spent with my new roommates, I took one more look outward and crawled out from under the sheet. I made small movements before I just had to get out of there. Then, with one last fast push of my leg, I found the ground head first.

“Ow-!” I shouted under my breath, dirt filled my mouth. “Ugh.” I put my hands to the ground, pushing myself to my feet. Spitting out the earth from my teeth, I patted myself off. You know, like you do when you find yourself about to be buried alive.

It seemed to be a mining town, from what I saw when I got a good look of the place. There were many men dressed in the normal garb of what I saw mining men wear back in good times. A hard helmet made from iron or some other ore, coal stained covered pants and shirts with faded out orange silk woven within them. There were carts, crates, barrels filled with ore and coal. I nodded to myself, seeing my guess was true. Women were nowhere to be found. I remembered that they could be the same kind of women from my town, staying inside cooking and cleaning. My sisters always complaining about it not being fair.

The homes looked strange. I never had seen stone houses before. Wooden was all I had ever known. It seemed to work well. No cracks or holes were anywhere. Vines had covered most of the walls though, maybe the injures of the buildings were hidden under them? Big to, the homes loomed tall over even the carriage.        

No one seemed to notice me. Heads down and arms ethier carrying supplies or working on a rock just outside a large dark cave on the side of a hill. It was odd, and made me uncomfortable to think about how they didn’t see a possible zombie crawl to their location. Of course, I am no zombie. But if I was. This town would be dead quick.

I shook my head. I needed to find out what was going on. I know people thought I was dead, I guess? But what’s the date? What village is this? What happened at the battle? Where is home? My mind couldn’t stop making questions.

After who knows how long of me standing and thinking outside that dead man coach. With the dead body smell becoming normal and the sky getting darker. A boy stumbled out the nearest doorway, his eyes thin and tired. He looked around my age, but his size said different. He was very tall. After looking to me though, his tired eyes turned wide and fear filled.

“Wha-? Who? How?” He stammered, his hand coming to his arm. Pinching his very dark colored skin. His hair looked weirdly wet, and it’s color darkened into a dirt brown. A torn red bandana was on his neck. His clothes a light brown shirt with patches on the elbows and dark brown pants. A belt was wrapped around his waist holding a pickaxe and some kind of hamer.  I recognized the boy’s voice, it was the apprentice Jonathan. I stared at him, not knowing what to say. I mean, it would be startling to see a once dead person to then be standing once again. I gave a little wave.

“Hello. . . ?” I said quietly, it felt pretty awkward. Jonathan blinked his eyes, pinching his arms again.

“How. . . Did you. . ?” Jonathan kept staring. He looked on the edge of screaming. I put a finger to my lips just in case he did.

“Here’s this-” I started, clearing my throat of my slight fear. “I don’t know where I am, and I need to get back home. I have no idea why people thought I was dead, but I’m not.” Jonathan just nodded. I looked at a bird fly over my head and stop in a dark colored tree. I took a breath, “So? Where am I?” It was a start. Jonathan took a breath of his own.

“I mean, this the Northpass if that’s what your asking.” His voice was squeaky, I guess his height doesn’t tell his age. Or Jonathan was just scared. I nodded in response, I knew this town. In my days of, well, good. When I didn’t need to go for my mother. I used to set out here, it was the only way through the mountains. My eyes wandered away, realizing that’s where we were. Snowy mountains around the town except for the west and the east, a cobblestone road ran along the town in those directions.

I shook my head, maybe it was injured worse than I thought. Couldn’t even make out a place so well known by myself.

“You still with me?” Jonathan asked, his voice wasn’t squeaky anymore. It actually turned rough and raspy, what did that remind me of. . .

“Yeah, yeah.” I looked back to him, “Um, do you know of any, well, battles close to here?” I couldn’t find another way to ask it. I needed to know what happened. Jonathan’s eyes became wide with horror. His hand flashed to his hammer, pointing it in front of him towards me.

“Are you one of those Neafold spys? The ones making this war so difficult?!” His hands held the hammer steady, many years working with it I’m sure. I put my arms up, not needing any fights to break out.

“No!-” I started, but before I knew it. The ground met my back with force. But in my surprise, not from Jonathan.

The figure’s back was turned away from me. A white dirt covered cape waving above me, a hood over his hair. The figure did nothing but stand, until another movement of his arms. The figure had Jonathan on the ground. A small red slash on his chest. I looked in fear, thinking I was next. But as the cape turned away from me, and the hood in front of me. Nothing happened. Other than an outstretched arm.

“You really are the worst.” The voice was raspy, a chuckle within the words. Memories flooded my brain.

“Blind boy?” I let out the words, knowing I must be right. A laugh answered my question, then the outstretched arm went back above him letting his hood fall to his back. I stared at him, then remembered to get up. Getting to my feet, a hand patted me off. The boy’s blind eyes looked to the distance, but his hand could still find my shoulder. It puzzled me.

“How do you do that?” I asked bluntly.

“Do what?” Blind boy was done patting me off. I scratched my head, thinking of something else.

“Wait, how did you know I was here? How did you find me?” This question was better. Blind boy frowned.

“Pretty easy actually.” He left it at that as he turned and walked away. I stood there confuzed before walking up to him again. Blind boy kept walking on the road. I decided not to talk, wherever he was going was better than here. Blind boy tapped me, “You should really check on your friend there, losing some blood.” I turned frantically. But Jonathan was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Jonathan?” I took a few steps, before Blind boy caught me. I looked to him, he just stared down with a frown. Not saying anything. I turned back, unable to say no to his unsaid words, “Where are we going?” I asked instead.

“Home.”