Fifty Years of War Chapter Two PT 2

Kari watched the fire, hoping there would be a sign that they were coming close to stopping. This desire was only moments before the man put his hand out signaling that he was stopping. She caught a glimpse of his dark hand reaching out to something before him. A door. An intense amount of light flooded the hallway. Momentarily blinded she stood shielding her eyes. Jeplin, who was still behind her, guided her into the room. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she looked up to see its source, several large chandeliers holding massive amounts of candles.

They were standing at the cusp of a large entry hall. The walls were still made of dirt but that dirt was kept in place by wooden support beams. Everything was crudely made but seemingly stable. Several people were running about doing work of some kind. To the left, there was a tiny room that housed a handful of children playing. When Jeplin stepped forward, the people in the room froze. "I will tell them you have arrived." The man said. "Thank you, John, though I think they will find out soon either way." They laughed as they watched one man lean over to another while whispering something.

Two women approached them. Jeplin greeted them and they excitedly took his bags. Kari wanted to remove the weight from her body but was reluctant to hand over her only possessions. It was apparent Jeplin had been there before, almost everyone there greeted him excitedly as he led Kari to a large dining area. There were about ten to fifteen tables, and only a handful were occupied. He led her to one in the back corner. She was grateful for the gesture. She felt as though everyone's eyes were on them, watching every movement and observing every one of their physical qualities.

Kari felt very embarrassed and looked down as if trying to hide. As they made their way through the food they started to become a magnet for several men and women. They all seemed to be soldiers and they all were very polite and eager to meet her. She was not used to shaking hands to greet people but she didn't hate it. Two men and three women lingered at the table talking to Jeplin. They all seemed nice but not noteworthy, except one man. His name was Marcel and his face was very distinct. His stand out feature was his very strong jawline which was almost as strong as his personality. After they spoke for a bit Jeplin stood. He revealed that he would meet with them in the war room soon. Kari looked at him in shock, realizing that he was going to leave her alone in an unfamiliar place. The people scattered. Jeplin put his arm on her shoulder. "Charole will be escorting you to your room. Feel free to do what you want there. He waved over a lady. She was larger than her, in fact, she was bigger than she and Jeplin combined. Kari marveled at her smooth white pearl-like skin. She greeted them excitedly. "My name is Charole." She said, then she told Kari she would gladly lead her to her room. Kari felt more comfortable, and smiled meekly then stood to follow her. Side by side, they walked down a corridor silently. Kari kept her eyes fixated on the ground. They stopped at one of many rooms lining the hall. Charole reached past her and opened the rough wooden door.

The room was not large, but also not terribly small. There were torches hanging in various places on the walls, keeping the shadows to the corners of the room. Charole noticed Kari canvassing everything. "The beds here are pretty soft." She said, trying to make her more comfortable. Kari smiled. She was dying for a normal place to sleep. She hadn't slept in a decent bed since she left home. Charole handed Kari the sack she was carrying "Go ahead." She said, egging her forward, "If you need anything just let me know." She smiled while closing the door. Kari turned around, dropped the bag, and leaned her back against the door.

The room was dingy, and not welcoming, save for the bed. The bed was made of straw. The floor was disgusting, it was made of dirt and nothing else. The walls were also dirt with wood panels. She noticed a dark shadow in the far corner of the room. She peered closer. She couldn't tell what it was. She walked closer and realized it was a basin for bathing. A very dirty and oddly shaped one. Kari walked over to the bed and sat on the edge of it. She threw the bag she was carrying onto the thin feeble chair next to the door then leaned down and pulled off her mud-caked boots. They were cleaner before the descent into the dirt tunnels, though not by much. She kicked them to the side. Getting the extra dirt off her hands she wiped them on her pants then pulled them off awkwardly. As she laid down, She could feel her muscles release. Like a leaf hitting the surface of a pond and slowly slipping into the water.

Hours later she opened her eyes. She could not tell how much time had passed. The room dancing in a blurry haze as she sat up. She took a deep breath still caught in the coma of unrequited rest. The room looked the same, but it felt very different. It was much chillier than it had been earlier, she looked over to the fire and realized it had completely died. She grabbed her pack and pulled out a bunch of food. She stood while chewing on some soft meat and took another look around the room. She noticed the basin again. It was filled with water, something she hadn't noticed before. She looked at the door and noticed the door was still locked so she knew no one could've come in and filled it. She pulled a lit torch from the wall and stood for a moment holding it defiantly, she then knelt down and lit the logs. The fire was very slow starting, she waved the flame all over and eventually, the fire soon sprang up and danced, licking

The basin started steaming a bit. She realized it was close enough to the fore to heat the water. She got a tiny bit excited. She was very dirty and her muscles were sore so a warm bath sounded amazing. Slowly, catering to her sore muscles, she slipped herself into the water. The aroma of the oils that were mixed within the water slithered into the air. Despite her just having rested the spices soothed and coaxed her into closing her eyes again. She relaxed all of her muscles and began to slip deeper down into the water until her head was completely submerged.

Her last bath was at her home, she thought back trying to remember every detail. The room she would bathe in was covered in beautiful white tiles. When the drapes were open the sunlight would illuminate them like they were bits of the moon. Her memory warmed her through the breath she took as she pulled her head above the water was different. The room seemed darker and even though she loved the adventure she was very confused and lost.

She began to cry. She realized how alone and unsure she was. So far she had placed all of her trust in Jeplin, and she did trust him, but she had no idea what was happening. She spent the rest of the bath trying to suppress her emotions. She decided the only remedy would be to find Jeplin, she always felt more comfortable with him around.

In a parallel hallway, Jeplin sat at a table filled with maps and plans surrounded by several members of his elite army. A tall woman without any hair spoke. "How did it go?" Jeplin, who was the recipient of the question answered, "It was not unsuccessful, We made it here, but we had no spare time, I arrived there only hours before the attack." Another man continued the wave of questions, "What about the troops?" " They left a bit after I arrived, and had not reached Absconditi when I left with Kari. Robert did catch up with me at the inn in Dreden. He was fine and so was George, but everything was destroyed. Robert said his next mission was to lead the troops that were left, back to the mountain. "What is..um... George doing?" "Robert wanted him to come with him but he ran off on some private mission." "Do you know who else survived?" "No news yet." "What is our next step, and what are we doing with Kari?" Another soldier asked. Jeplin sat still for a moment and then answered: "For now her father deemed her my responsibility and in general all of ours, so we must protect her." They nodded in acceptance. "Unfortunately our plan of having George or Robert train her completely was not realized." "Well, at least she is alive." "True. It will only set us back a bit. Our next step is clear, we will be traveling to Etireniel." He looked at the map very intently.

Another soldier interrupted his thoughts ''How many of us will join you?" Jeplin was tired of answering questions, he longed for a bed. "We will all eventually go but I want to keep a low profile when with Kari. Movement is dangerous at this time, especially since Kari doesn't have any real-life combat experience." A soldier jumped in, "We will start getting everything ready for your departure." "I only need two people with us. I do not want to draw any attention. One ahead and one behind us, there is no need for traveling in large groups." A younger man, confused at Jeplin's lack of security spoke. "Are you sure you will be safe enough?" They laughed at him. Jeplin answered with a straight face "I am capable of keeping one person safe for a few days considering I have led armies for years." One woman led the younger man out of the room "I am sorry, no intention of offending you my Lord he does not know who you are." Jeplin waved off the apology, took a deep breath, and looked back down at the map.

Kari sat naked on her bed looking at the clothing pile on the chair across from her. She lazily walked over to it and put on some bloomers and an undershirt. Her movement reminded her how cold she really was and quickly finished dressing. She put on thick pants and a long-sleeved shirt, then a sweater.

The hallway was busy. It was cluttered mostly with children. They were running around followed by their parents or siblings who were trying to contain them. She slipped through unnoticed and made her way into the main entryway. She stopped in her tracks noticing that Marcel was sitting there. He looked up and smiled at her. She smiled back awkwardly and he waved her over to the table. The table was covered in food. He had been sitting with others but they had already left. He was tall and extremely confident, his hair was very short and his jawline very pronounced. He offered her food and they ate and talked. He was a bit smug to anyone who tried to come over and talk to him, but when they were left alone, he was very kind. He spent a lot of time talking about himself. She was very happy to indulge. She knew nothing about Jeplin and was making up for it with others.

His mannerisms while speaking were very meticulous and seemed that he was uncharacteristically lighthearted. "I have spent a lot of time training, more than I care to admit. All I can do is fight I really never learned anything else." "You must be very good," she said. "Yes, honestly I am." "Hopefully I will learn just as much. It seems like It might be helpful in my situation." He nodded. "Do you ever fight with Jeplin?" "I assume you mean with him as in together in arms." "Yes, together." "I fought beside him, but I do not fight under anyone's rule." She thought that very admirable. "I guess I really do not know where I am regarding allegiances. I guess I follow Jeplin because that is the only person I have." She trailed off, Marcel placed his hand on her arm." Even if you need protection do not think you have to follow someone blindly. You will someday realize all you need is yourself." Kari smiled "Until then ... You have all of us soldiers, our mission is to keep you safe." He gestured at the random men and women scattered around the room.

She locked eyes with him. They were very distinct and bright green. While he was looking away she continued to look at his face, studying it. She tried to determine how old he was. He was older than her, though she was not sure by how many years. His eyes did have a few wrinkles but the rest of his skin was smooth. His eyes spoke volumes. They had many things to say but he did not have the courage to pass the words through his lips. His hidden desires were not aimed at her in particular, but at everyone. They veered off the serious conversation to a frivolous one. They both wanted a break from the weight of their surroundings. "Before I started my journey here, my town was getting ready to celebrate the end of winter, we have a large festival and It is one of my favorite times of the year." "You must live in a secluded city." She looked at him a bit confused "Why do you say that?" "With the war raging off and on not many cities have celebrations anymore." She looked up at the ceiling thinking about what he said. "I learned a lot about a war from a tutor but I was never told where the war was taking place." "That might have been for your benefit." Realizing she was thinking about her home in a sad light, he jumped back into the positive aspect of the conversation. "So, tell me about the celebration, what did you do?" She smiled. He returned her stories with ones of his childhood from before he was sent to fight. He remembered a few celebrations though he had no memory of what they were for.

Deep into their conversation she looked over to the door and saw Jeplin. She suddenly remembered the reason she left her room. She enjoyed Marcel's company, but she felt truly comfortable with Jeplin, despite his limited words. He sat down at the table with them. Marcel adjusted his posture almost as if he was trying to show Jeplin that he was much taller than him. Jeplin, either did not care or did not recognize what he was doing, "Have you heard any news while traveling?"

The conversation led to a place Kari had no interest in. She occupied herself by watching people going about their business in the hall. Jeplin and Kari departed from the table when Marcel had to leave. "Where is the room?" Jeplin inquired. She assumed he meant the one she slept in. She showed him. They entered and he set his bags down on the floor. By this gesture, she realized they were sharing a room. She opened her mouth but before she could say anything he interjected. "Do not worry, I am sleeping on the floor, you can take the bed," Kari responded. " You do much more than I do, please take it, or at the very least share with me." Jeplin looked uneasy about sharing a bed with her, but she insisted. They lied on opposite sides of the bed both straight like wood. Kari was comforted by his presence knowing no matter what happened he was there to protect her.

When the sun rose, Jeplin awoke. He didn't need to see the sky to know the time. He began to gather their possessions. After eating breakfast and lunch they both left the caverns. They left without saying a word to anyone. She was disappointed they did not run into Marcel or Charole on their way out. She felt bad not being able to say goodbye.

Once they were back on Jeplin's horse she felt sick. She remembered all the time she had already spent on the horse and how it began to hurt. Almost as though Jeplin could sense how she felt, he didn't push the horse very hard.

The sky was bright and the sun was somewhat warming. It had snowed since they were underground. Kari was very grateful she missed it.

Hours passed, and she lost track of what direction they were going. Jeplin whipped in and out, dodging a large abundance of trees. She closed her eyes and focused on the breeze caressing her face. She started to see more sunlight and as the trees thinned out and they began to tackle a rockier terrain.

They eventually met up with the mountains that had been looming over them. The horse, not reluctant in the slightest under Jeplin's hands, began to tackle the climb. The sun was hidden by various rocks jetting out in every direction. It seemed that Jeplin was intentionally trying to stay in the shadows. They slipped into tunnels whenever they could, to hide from the open sky and any prying eyes. She felt like they were canvassing the entire mountain. They slowly ascended in a winding circular fashion.

Kari had never seen any sort of mountains in person, at least that she could remember. Seeing a mountain in person for the first time was very awesome.

The peaks were massive and ominous, they towered above them casting dark shadows. She could also see further than she had ever imagined possible. She loved the view and danger.

As the days passed, they saw rare birds and seemingly the inside of every crevice the mountain had to offer. Kari preferred trekking through the tunnels and caves, it meant they were cutting off terrain and she would not have to balance precariously on the edge of a tiny path inches away from falling to a gruesome death.

The snow, perched on various pinnacles, sparkled in the sunlight like beacons guarding the mountain itself.

One evening, right before dusk and after dinner, they were riding slowly on a larger pathway. Kari was very alert and was looking off in front of the horse.

She suddenly saw something dark. It was moving in the shadows. "Look." She said quietly while pointing at the movement. Jeplin had already noticed it. To her relief, it was only a horse. Jeplin recognized it at once. It belonged to Harry. The soldier that he sent ahead of them. Jeplin sat up drawing his focus and pulled out his sword. They moved very slowly along the pathway. Either the man was careless or dead, Jeplin assumed dead since he liked to think his guards and soldiers were not careless.

Kari held onto him from behind and leaned down a bit. Jeplin suddenly stopped and jumped off the horse. Kari fell with her face onto the horse's back and decided that was a safe position and stayed there holding on tightly.

Jeplin ran over to the edge of a crevice in the wall. He stopped, there was another black mass. He creeped slowly and carefully. It was a body. Kari peered to the side to see where Jeplin was. He kneeled next to the body. The body was lying at the mouth of a cave entrance and was wearing all black. He looked around wondering whether there was someone still around. He took the dagger and the clasp off the man's cloak and slowly walked back to the horse. If he had been alone, he would have investigated further.

They continued along the same path, similar to before but Jeplin remained more erect and alert. Kari looked over the edge wondering how many people had fallen to their death. "It looks like there is not anyone else around here." He partially said to himself.

His words jerked her out of her thoughts. She was shocked by the broken silence. Jeplin continued to look around at every turn. He was only being cautious because he was responsible for protecting Kari.

Acknowledging that there was not enough time or space to properly hinder any enemies, they began to delve into the center of the monstrous pointy beast that towered across hundreds of miles. Within the depths of the looming nightmare, there was a beautiful flawless lake. A poetic contrast. They stood still for a moment looking down at it. It reflected the glistening snow and captured silhouettes of the daunting vertical cliffs making the scene even more dramatic.

Their journey changed from that point, that's when they began their descent. The snow and wind stopped mercilessly harassing them. The night passed and led into a beautiful red morning. The icy colors were muted by a crimson hue tricking the eyes into a false sense of warmth. They began to slow their pace. "We are going to take a break and start again when darkness falls."

He led them into a dark tunnel. Standing at the mouth Jeplin pulled flint and a torch out of his pack. The torch-lit up the devious tunnel, casting daunting shadows. "Stay here for a moment, I'm going to check to make sure we are safe."

She stood alone shivering as his figure disappeared into the darkness. She pulled a blanket out of one of the bags hanging off the horse and wrapped it around herself then sat down against a dark rock. Jeplin returned seconds later declaring the area safe. They occupied their first moments there stoking the fire and heating food. After they ate Kari lied down and wrapped herself very tightly in her cloak and a blanket. She was hypnotized by the flames, they danced like blades of grass swaying in the wind. Their shadows flickered across the stone walls, gray and soulless.

The daylight flooded the entrance reflecting off the icicles that lined the mouth. The sunlight contributed considerably to several shadows shifting among them. The vision before her began to slowly fade as she drifted off to sleep. Jeplin sat leaning against the icy wall in silence. He took out a pipe and began to pack it with tobacco. The pipe was white birch with intricate details of ships and waves. As he released it from his lips, the smoke spun slowly upwards joining the fire in a tribal dance throughout the cave. After a few hours of silence and his mind racing, he too fell asleep.

Kari woke up and ate. The fire had died so she knelt close to it and regenerated it. As she sat back reveling in her victory, she looked at Jeplin. He was asleep and looked deathly pale. She panicked thinking he might have died. She leaned next to him and placed her hand on his cheek. "Jeplin" she whispered. He did not move. She grabbed his arm so she could pull him closer to the fire and that gesture caused him to open his eyes. "Is something wrong?" "Oh Good, you are alive." She said, feeling slightly foolish. "You were extremely cold." He smiled "I'm fine."

They both moved closer to the fire and snacked on the leftover meat. Jeplin looked to the entrance, all he could see was white. Jeplin stood up and walked over to look out of the cave's mouth. Moving from the protection of the rocky roof he stood out in the fresh air. He was doused with a layer of snow. Kari sat there with her mouth agape as he brushed it off. "I thought it was going to get warmer." Jeplin sat back down, "Well, you can never tell, especially being here in the mountains." They were stuck there for another day before the storm died down enough for them to continue.

Jeplin pulled both Kari and the horse reluctantly out into the open air. The snow that had already landed was dancing with the wind like graceful birds tossed into the sky.

It did not take long for them to reach the lake from where they were. Its surface was glistening with dark wet ice. The horse began to back away from the water. She looked down realizing Jeplin was causing the movement. Jeplin turned to speak to her. "Hold on to me and do not let go." He said. She realized what he was going to attempt and before she could protest, the horse began to move. She wrapped her arms around his torso and pulled herself so she was flat on his back. She held her breath as the hooves hit the ice. Kari did not let go once they reached stable land, she was still in shock. "Are you alright?" He asked, noticing her tense grip. "Oh," she said, releasing him, "I'm sorry. Yes, I'm fine. '' Jeplin leaped off the horse and put out his hand for Kari to do the same. "We are going to walk from here. It is not much further". His intention was successful, she felt relieved. They unloaded the bags and freed the horse again. Kari understood freeing it when they were in a warmer place, and near a forest or field, but letting the horse loose in a frozen mountain ice trap was confusing to her.

They walked for a bit then ate then walked a bit more. After riding for days on end, walking was surprisingly refreshing. The soft snow caressed her legs. She looked down at it, admiring the cold white flawless crystals. She was able to keep herself entertained with nature easily. Jeplin suddenly stopped and she looked up to see why. They reached a towering archway wedged between two stone walls on either side of a crevasse within the mountain.