Fifty Years of War: Chapter Two pt 1

Violent thrashing and banging coming from the hallway woke her. She felt the walls shake as something hit the door. She sat up and knocked the empty plate beside her to the floor. She froze hoping the noise did not attract whatever was just beyond the wall.

Everything was dark except the faint glow of the embers in the fireplace. The windows were not forgiving, she could feel the icy air slip through the cracks. She jumped out of bed and quietly tossed a log on its remains. The embers began to slowly catch fire again. This coerced her into grabbing the blanket off the bed and sitting there until they transformed into enormous flames.

When the violence outside her door became louder, she realized Jeplin had not returned. She got up to make sure the door was still locked. She leaned over to look through a crack in the door frame. Two men were standing in the middle of the hall illuminated by sporadic torches placed on the walls. She observed them. They stood almost silently in that moment, the only noise, their heavy breathing. That was when she noticed the two other men. They were both leaning against the wall on the side she peered from. One man was very short and smoking an enormous pipe, the other was covered in blood and dirt. With a casual gesture from the latter, the two men lunged at each other and the noise started up again. Kari jumped back, a bit startled at the pure strength and disregard for everything around them. The sparring seemed to be between friends, spurred by ale and boredom. After a few moments of them lashing around and destroying a chunk of the wall they disappeared into another hallway.

Her attention was drawn back to Jeplin's whereabouts. She grabbed her cloak from the chair since it blended very well into the charred walls and floor. She carefully opened the door. She only opened it a sliver to look out into the hallway to make sure both sides were empty. She covered herself and slipped into the shadows. She walked slowly, scraping her back against the wall. Bits of wood clung to her cloak. They were feeble, and useless bits that were no longer helpful in the wall's construction.

Kari remembered that the bar sat directly under the stairs. She only needed to step down a few of the steps to see who was sitting in the room. She was careful to make sure she wasn't seen.

The room was still as dark as when she walked through it earlier. About a dozen men were lumbering around and sitting at tables. That's when she noticed Jeplin.

She was relieved to see that he was alright. He was sitting at the bar talking to a man. The man was mostly covered in mud, it was a common theme there and seemingly looked upon as the standard. She looked at the man's face, the mud on it glistened a bit under the very scarce light scattered by the way of candles. She continued to look at him, the mud was placed there intentionally to cover his identity. The clumps made him look inhuman, successfully. She looked at the rest of his clothing, all completely ruined. Despite the insane rumble of clatter from the men still attacking each other in a neighboring hallway, she was able to hear snippets of his voice.

It sounded familiar though the stretches of quiet were not long enough to figure out who it reminded her of. Satisfied that Jeplin was fine she, as gingerly as before, made her way back into the room. She sat down next to the fire, it sadly had gone back to struggling to produce warmth. She grabbed some food and sat next to it and ate while stoking it. It only took a few dedicated moments of prodding until it began to grow again. She wrapped herself in the blanket from the bed and lied down on the hearth.

The flames grew larger and they began to project light onto the walls which were only hindered by the gray and crumbling cobblestone that housed them. The structure itself could have been easily deconstructed with only one jarring motion. When she had completely exhausted looking at the fireplace, she turned to examine the rest of the room with closer intention.

The walls were grime-covered, mirroring the hallway. The dirt seemed to have been etched into each surface. It was clear water had long ago forsaken the room. The only location that seemed to have been touched by any water was the windowsill. Several trails of lighter dirt circled to and from the edges. They were the small divots eroded by the passing of raindrops. The shimmer of the lingering liquid looked more eerie than welcoming. She looked out past the panes and saw the grass, flailing back and forth covered in droplets flickering under the dark sky. Sheets of heavy rain lifelessly fell from the sky, in turn peppering the window with hundreds of minuscule water particles. She watched the larger droplets slipping down. They racked quickly, only praised by the sill itself. The water pooled at the edges and then overflowed continuing the journey down the wall. She was entranced by the intricate shapes left by the slimy trails. They revealed small waves of white among the sea of gray.

Her eyes traveled to the floor and continued to travel across the room until something out-of-place caught her eye. A small knife was sitting in the shadow of the bed. She shifted her weight and reached for it. The handle was cold. She held it to the firelight. It was covered in mud, like everything else in the city. Sitting up she began to scrape a layer of the dirt off. She looked to the bedside table where she saw the pitcher of water.

Gathering the blanket like a large dress, she stood and brought the tray back to the hearth. There was a plate of untouched food and the pitcher. She set the knife on the old floor then poured a few droplets of water on it. The water quickly changed the dirt from a dreary gray to a darker smoother substance. She wiped it onto the blanket until it looked somewhat usable. When she had finished the warmth began to overtake her and she lied down letting the flames hypnotize her as she slipped into an unconscious state.

The sun rose quickly on the next day. They could see the bright sky peek into the stable as they reunited with the horse after their elaborate breakfast. Several rays assaulted her eyes signaling the coming of warmth. She looked up to the roof. She shielded her eyes with the shadow of one of the beams in the stable. There was little movement that morning, at the peak where the two parts of the roof met allowed the creation of a column of light thanks to the spaces and poor construction. She looked up to the soothing less charring light stream. Tiny particles stood suspended in its wake. As though time had slowed significantly, they tediously danced downward.

Like a feather floating on the surface of a pool of water, each moment became more saturated and weighed down by the water itself. Jeplin, holding scraps from their breakfast, cupped his hands before the horse and it nimbly ate the offerings. Satisfied it turned and began to drink out of a trough of dingy water.

They exited the stable and were immediately slowed by the sudden burst of cold air. Kari could barely breathe, its icy destructive fingers held onto her throat. It was a large step back from the nice weather they had been getting glances of in the days previously. As they rode, she dreamed of the beautiful fire she was huddled next to only moments before.

As the meek morning hours passed the weather became less miserable. The nip in the air slowly dissipated as the days passed. One day the air brought back a rare hint of warmth. The dirt and sweat weighed on her more with the glare of the sun. Jeplin, taking advantage of the opportunity, stopped the horse at the bank of the lake they were racing past. Surprised by their deviation, Kari staggered off the horse too grateful to question his choice. Travel and wind-worn, she immediately collapsed at the bank. The fresh breeze that danced off the water soothed her. Jeplin pulled the packs off the horse and set everything under a tree that hunched over a corner of the water.

Jeplin had an affinity for confining himself to trees, he felt they were great assets if ambushed. Kari sat up and pulled off her mud-caked boots. She had brown stockings that went to her knees. She pulled them off and tossed them into the water.

She dipped her foot. The water was more soothing than she could have imagined. Her attention was drawn back to Jeplin, hearing the loud noise of him dropping his weapons onto the ground. He slowly pulled off each piece of armor that was intricately tied around him. As all but his undershirt and pants were removed, he exhaled. His small frame seemed as though it would have collapsed if he had not removed all of his gear when he had. Kari watched him. As he walked to the bank, she looked away. The river was glistening under the sun, nothing could have been more welcoming. He slowly waded into the water. The water soaked his clothes and caused his shirt to cling to his chest. Kari's eyes were drawn to him again. His skin was white as snow and his muscles wrapped his body elegantly. " Is it cold?" she asked. "A bit, " he said, pulling his other clothes into the water with him. He dipped the clothes completely engulfing them.

Kari was not wearing the clothes she had on when they met. She was wearing a pair of brown riding pants, and two brown shirts. She had on a tan undershirt and bloomers.

As much as she loved the dress she was wearing when she met Jeplin it was not fit for travel. The dress was light and mostly sheer but it was quite elaborate. There was a belt that held one of the layers on her waist. She hoped that she could wear it again soon. She slipped her whole body into the water. Covered up to her chest, she pulled off her pants to wash them. She rubbed the dirt off by hand. Jeplin, not as thorough, he took off his white shirt letting it float around while he sat chest-deep in the water. Her face turned a pale pink from looking at his bare skin. She noticed the smattering of scars covering his body, they were very coded in the afternoon light.

She stepped further into the lake allowing the cool water to touch her shoulders. She lifted her legs and she sunk below the surface. The cool hands of the waves caressed her face gently. She stayed still holding the feeling in her memory then let her feet touch the ground again and returned to the sun-drenched air. Jeplin followed suit, though his approach was less graceful.

After a bit, she pulled herself out of the water and lied on a blanket, leaving her bare legs vulnerable to the sun, a rare occurrence which she was grateful for. She turned her attention back to the water, where she noticed Jeplin had created a distance between them. She couldn't imagine how anyone enjoyed the sort of aggressive swimming he was indulging in. He began his journey back and she, in turn, closed her eyes to enjoy the warm sun on her cool wet body. Her eyes remained closed as Jeplin pulled himself out of the water. He knelt on the ground equidistant between her and the tree and started a small bonfire. She opened her eyes as he was lying his wet clothes on the edges of the fire to help in the drying process. She laid her pants and socks down in the same manner and returned to the blanket. "The water is nice." She said. Jeplin turned to look at her. "Yes. I enjoyed it." He said off-put by the broken silence. She lied back down and closed her eyes.

Her body was tired, it seemed no matter how much time she was given to rest, the traveling still took its toll on her in the same manner. She hoped they were going to reach their final destination soon. The wind whistled swirling around and through the blades of grass that in return danced effortlessly.

She awoke to the sound of Jeplin shuffling through some scrolls. The sun was still high in the sky. She sat for a moment then spoke. "What are those?" She asked. "I picked them up in the tavern." He responded. He paused for a moment. He was debating whether or not he was going to tell her the truth or not. "Your father sent them to me, I was supposed to receive them while I was at your estate but as you know things were difficult when I arrived." She was immediately caught off guard by the mention of her father, she had tried to avoid the topic of her family to stave off the possible bad news. She couldn't help but smile thinking that at least one of them survived. She thought about asking follow-up questions but the sound of a loud squawk from a bird caused Jeplin to stand up very quickly. He leaped from his seat gracefully and effortlessly, almost as if he was floating, and made his way up the tree. "There are a lot of birds." He suspiciously commented as he jumped down. "We should leave."

The continuing good weather made the traveling more enjoyable, though sometimes a warm endeavor. They mostly traveled at night for the cooler temperature and the cover. When they did move during the day, they tried to make quick jumps into any water they came across to soothe the pain of the almost desert climate. The terrain was uneven, some spots were very flat and barren and other spots were covered with plateaux and large rock formations. Despite the differences, all the hues were in a similar tannish vein. The path that they had been dedicated to, led to the edge of a cliff they had been climbing upwards towards all morning. Jeplin stopped the horse only inches from the edge, he looked down observing every crevice, like a hawk hunting for prey. Kari saw a smattering of little huts dotting the dry light brown grass below.

The color and textures were all the same, though the land below did look like it had once been lush and vibrant. The sand was minimal and dead stumps scattered the plain. Jeplin hit the horse with his heel, steering him down the cliff on a small narrow pathway. Their pace remained the same, slow, and cautious, even after they made it to the bottom. It was easy to tell that the huts were abandoned.

The wind was still, leaving the dry grass silently erect and unwelcoming. As they reached the cluster of huts Jeplin jumped off the horse. He gestured for Kari to stay as he disappeared into one of the huts. Without anything to occupy her, she began to look at the abode. It was like all of the others, small. There was about enough room for three people to lie down comfortably. The roof on their particular unit was made of thatch with a clay base that had started to crumble.

She looked to the ground and saw the fresh pieces scattered about in the grass. The fact that the clay had not changed shape or melded with the dirt, spoke to the frequency of rain, or the recent nature of destruction. She looked up at the sky. It was uncomfortably vibrant, with a dark clump of clouds approaching from the horizon. She was not fond of extremely dark weather, but the subtle gray coming towards her was welcoming.

Jeplin exited the hut with a new bag in hand. He looked to the horizon, following Kari's gaze, and then began to take their bags off the horse. He led them to a hut more central to the group. Kari left with the bags and began to set them near the entrance of the hut. Leaving the horse standing alone she ventured inside. The roof seemed to be a lot sturdier than the others and the interior was a bit bigger. There were two small rectangular shaped clumps of straw covered by old worn blankets. Between the beds, which were on opposing sides, was a terracotta lid. She kneeled and picked it up. To her surprise underneath was a hole filled with food. She took out two apples. She bit into one and gave the other to the horse. As she stood in the open without any trees blocking nature's true hand, she felt a shift. The silent still wind began to swirl like cool tongues around her head. She looked behind her at the impending storm clouds. They had traveled considerably closer. She closed her eyes. She could smell the moisture in the air. The horse finished the apple and made a noise trying to draw Jeplin's attention. Jeplin poked his head out of one of the doorways and waved the horse off. Satisfied and excited he tossed his head back causing his mane to flutter as he danced off playfully through the valley.

All of the huts were crudely arced around a large fire pit. Jeplin ignored it and created a fire much closer to their door. Kari sat down. She enjoyed the dry dusty ground, the dirt was packed tightly and was eroding with each gust of wind. Jeplin joined her on the opposing side of the fire. . He cooked some food for them. "I wonder what happened to the people that lived here." Kari implored hoping he might have an answer. Jeplin did not move his gaze from the fire as though he was in a trance. He answered without moving his gaze. "The people that lived here fled." Kari almost asked him why but figured that it was the same reason that she fled her home. Attacks. She did not notice the remnants of destruction. She smiled thinking that they must have escaped before they were attacked. Jeplin looked at her. She explained and he nodded understanding her reasoning. "Yes, they did escape before they were attacked." He said keeping the rest of the truth from her. He did not tell her even though they escaped he knew they ran into some trouble not far from them and they were all killed. Jeplin let her live in a hopeful world for that moment, he knew there would not be many more as they advanced deeper into the depths of a decades-old war. Kari lied down while watching the flames dance like she had many times before. A soothing hypnotizing sleep conjurer. She slowly faded.

The night came swiftly along with dropping temperatures. It shocked her to learn that the desert was very cold at night. It confused her. Jeplin sat and watched the fire for a long time that night. Only occasionally glancing away to look at Kari. Her face was still and pale like it was carved out of marble. He contemplated lifting her up and carrying her to the straw bed, but he wasn't sure if she was more comfortable where she was. When the fire died down and he finally decided to go to bed he stood up and scooped her into his arms and effortlessly then carried her into the hut to place her on a pile of hay where he covered her with several blankets. The sun did not break away from the clouds the next morning. Kari woke to the delicate pitter-patter of raindrops bouncing off the roof. She ate breakfast then ventured outside. The air was still cold. She wrapped the cloak around her tighter as she knelt by the remnants of the fire they enjoyed the night before. She looked around for flint. Assuming Jeplin had some in one of the bags she slipped back inside to search for it. She saw he was passed out in the corner. He was hidden mostly by hay and a blanket. She smiled looking at his head overcome by the brittle dry cushion. Moments later the fire was reborn. It flickered as though it was dodging the raindrops. She sat by it, hoping the rain would not get any worse. The fire reached its towering peak potential just as Jeplin began to stir. She turned her head and their eyes met. He greeted her, more cordially than he ever had previously, that morning was also the first instance where she had been awake while he was not. She could tell he was uncomfortable about it. He immediately started cooking food. When he had finished, they both sat in silence eating it hunching close to the fire. Kari felt refreshed from the long span of sleep and decided to get to know more about Jeplin. "Where are you from?" She asked quietly. She was curious enough to ask but was still a bit timid. He looked at her. He began to open his mouth but then stopped almost like he did not know how to answer the question. "I have been around a lot of places I would not consider my home just one." He was most definitely lying. Kari looked at him in a manner that let him know she was suspicious of his answer. He continued, "It's a place not far from where you are from." Oh, so you are familiar with Absconditi that must have made it easier to help me escape since you know the area." He paused, "I was not referring to Absconditi." She looked confused. "Then, where?" "You are not from there, you were young but you first lived in Asiroth." She wanted to say something but could not find the right words. She thought back to her lessons and recognized the city. It was known for its heroic fight against the evil and corruption of the war, though the kingdom was destroyed, she still only heard good words about it. She smiled thinking that it was nice to know that she was born in a city she liked hearing about.

Jeplin was relieved that the information he told her did not lead to more questions. "The weather seems to be getting worse." He commented. Kari looked up, also noticing the sky was getting darker. "It looks like it has not rained here in a while." "Yes it is good in a wider sense but it makes traveling harder for us." "Oh." She said realizing she had not considered how rain would affect their riding. "Does that mean we have to stay here?" She asked, not sure what answer she actually wanted to hear. "No," Jeplin said, "No matter the weather we must continue." She nodded understanding the situation.

They began to gather their bags when the sky released a waterfall of rain onto them. They quickly ran out of the hut as the mud roof melted. The horse was running to them as they escaped the mess. They hopped onto him and Jeplin spurred it as fast as he could almost as though he was trying to try and outrun the storm. Lightning whipped across the sky, a haunting white color that somehow was able to reach every corner of the sky with its bright blinding flash. The thunder that followed shook the ground and pushed the horse to gallop faster. Kari's senses were reeling. Jeplin held her as they entered the middle of the storm. His face was stoic and fearless. His black cape whipped in the wind trailing far behind him. His neck was the only thing that kept it from flying off into the storm itself.

There was a loud horn coming from the direction they were heading. Jeplin was ready. He assumed there was most likely a group waiting for any leftover people from the village. He drew his sword Kari looked at him, her blue eyes even more vibrant against the darkness. He spurred the horse faster. Through the dark curtain of rain, she saw a string of men holding out swords. All of them were riding white horses. Jeplin stopped his horse a good distance from them but still within viewing range. With his free hand, he took Kari's cloak and covered her completely. "Do not move, and close your eyes." He said to her. She obeyed. She could hear the men shouting, but in a language, she did not understand.

Jeplin yelled back. She heard the men again, almost like they were taunting him. They began to move. They were charging them. Kari was not sure why they were not running from them rather than towards them. She wanted to see what was happening but the cloak was covering her and she dared not move it and distract Jeplin. She could only see the muddy ground and the horse's hooves tearing it apart.

She shuddered as she felt and heard Jeplin's sword hit another. The clang of metal echoed, hauntingly matching the thunder. Jeplin pulled the horse with his left hand and swung with his right. He danced effortlessly around all of them. She looked down again and saw man after man hit the ground. She could not believe what she was seeing.

The horse swung around which caused her to grip the horse's neck tightly but without Jeplin's arms around her, she slipped a bit and her cloak flung around her. She heard a rumble followed by a bright light. By the time her vision had been restored, they stood in the middle of the field surrounded by dozens of dead bodies. He covered her eyes with his hand and they rode off. The rain continued and they were soaked. After they left the bodies far behind he removed his hand. There was blood dripping on her face, displaced by his hand. He said nothing about the event, he just kept riding.

Days passed and they did not stop to sleep. Jeplin was holding in more and more rage since the encounter. Kari relished the time they took to hunt, it being the only time there was a break since they typically ate while riding whenever they wanted. They finally made their way to a forest. It was not a particularly pleasant one, but it was not totally ravaged and she was glad for the change of scenery. Kari looked ahead, the moon was hauntingly bright, and flashed through every space between branches. Almost as if it was always watching her. Kari chose not to look exactly in front of them. She was amazed at their swiftness dodging branches and rocks, she trusted him it still made her nervous. It was good she was not able to see Jeplin's face, his expression would have terrified anyone who looked upon him, especially her. The horse jumped over a large depression, and Kari, who was not watching, slipped. She braced herself on Jeplin's arm. Her soft warm hands calmed him, pulling him back from his rage. She thanked him for keeping her from falling. To Kari's surprise, they began to slow down. She bent over to see what they were approaching.

They had reached a crude clearing nestled in the depths of the forest. Even with all the destruction the light barely made it through. There was a cluster of mud houses. They were made of similar materials to the ones they had just recently stayed in, but they were more formal. Several had a square shape and taller walls, some even had windows. They looked like they had long been abandoned, and most of the clear bits were overrun with ivy and weeds. She hoped they would not be staying there long. She was not sure how comfortable she could be in the rotting houses. Jeplin stopped the horse. She had the shocking realization that they might have reached their final destination. She looked at him. He hopped off the horse and pulled off all of the packs. After he helped her down he turned to the horse and touched its nose in a goodbye gesture. It quickly fled. She watched it dance into the darkness. She was drawn back to Jeplin when she heard the rustling from his feet hitting dead leaves. She followed him, both crushing dozens of already dead plants.

They stopped outside one of the smaller huts. Kari looked around at the others wondering why he seemed set on that particular one. He placed his hands on the odd metal handle and pushed, but nothing happened. He removed his hands and wiped them on his pants. She noticed that a large chunk of the knob was missing. He touched her shoulder signaling for her to move back. She obeyed as he stood sturdily in front of the door and swiftly kicked it.

It split down the middle and the locking mechanism opened. Kari smiled. Her amusement died as soon as she went inside. Like the outside, it was littered with old ruins and plants. The walls seemed to be melting, most likely from erosion. The rest was almost engulfed by the trees themselves. Little bits of sun bled through the singular window leaving the dirt that was stirred up by them, dancing in the air. Jeplin knelt. He wiped his hands across the floor. He was clearing away the debris. She knelt to help but he stopped. It was a door. It blended in with the floor and the only determining factor was the metal handle, it was small and covered with mud. He wrapped his fingers around it and pulled. The door flung open and Kari's smile returned.

The door creaked as he pulled it open. Kari bent over to get a view of what was beneath the door. All she could see was a punch of overwhelming darkness and the top of a ladder. She looked over to Jeplin, who had stepped over to the only shelf that had not crumbled despite its decrepit and corroded state. He grabbed what looked like a clump of branches and with one swift motion lit it. The light-flooded the room with a warm haunting glow.

He handed her the torch and strapped all of his belongings onto himself. She did the same. She relinquished the flame back to him and he began to descend into the hole. The hole was wide enough around to fit a few people at once. Kari followed. She firmly planted both feet upon the ladder and let herself cecum to the descent. "Close the door." He said.

The torch allowed her to see a bit of the wooden ladder they were balancing on. To her relief, the ground was not far away. The ladder was only about twenty feet long and led to a dark dirt tunnel. When they reached the bottom Jeplin took the torch and led the way.

Jeplin seemed to know where he was going but she was more careful, lightly dragging her hands against the walls to keep balance on the uneven dirt floor that progressively slanted downward. The smell of cold damp soil was very pungent, Kari had never really paid attention to the smell of dirt before, she had also never been under the ground before. Jeplin suddenly stopped. Kari was not paying attention and she ran into him. Apologizing, she tried to peer through the darkness to see why he stopped.

He stepped to the side and revealed they had reached a dead end. They stood in front of a sturdy wooden wall. Jeplin reached out and knocked on it very loudly five times. His fist had a jarring effect on the door, the pounding reverberated causing the dirt ceiling to rain down small bits on them. They stood in silence until the wood began to move. It was indeed not a wall but a door. It was very slow, the loose dirt floor fought against it. To her disappointment, there was not a relief from the darkness. She struggled to see the faint outline of a man fully clad in armor. Jeplin stepped forward and the light from the torch flooded his face. The man smiled, he was obviously excited to see Jeplin. He put his hand on the man's shoulder as a friendly greeting. The man did the same. Before he could say anything Jeplin gestured for him to stay silent. He nodded, understanding the reason, and shifted his head to the side to see Kari. Very subtly, as if looking for vindication, he looked back at Jeplin. He gestured to the dark expanse in front of them. The man began to lead them into another segment of the tunnel that was, just as dark and dirty. Jeplin gently placed his hands on Kari's arms and positioned her in front of him.

Jeplin handed the torch over to the man, and a second torch was born. The addition of another source of light was very nice, though the darkness seemed to eat it up almost as much as before. Their constant movement caused the shadows to dance like demons across the walls and ceiling. Flickering in and out, the distorted bodies flailed back and forth with them. Kari was mesmerized. After a while, the dancing shadow ghosts became a lot more haunting with the continuous silence. The silence to her was disconcerting, and she cleared her throat quietly just to hear a noise. The pack around her torso was beginning to weigh on her, another annoyance in the ever growing darkness. She tried to ease the pressure by pulling it up to her chest. The flap to her bag was close enough to her face she could smell the meat within, coaxing her to eat some, she obeyed.