Chapter 2

Aquila took a deep breath and turned the knob. At the same time a cool draft caught the door and it flew backwards, banging against the wall. Aquila jumped and screamed. There was nothing but a dark hallway. Aquila took a deep breath. Calm down. There is no one else here and what possibly could be living in here besides rats and bats? Just watch out for them and they will leave you alone. Now get a grip!
Aquila took the torch that sat on its anchor beside the door and lit it with the torch she already held. She would need all the light she could get. She poked the torch through the doorway and held it high to help illuminate the hall and eliminate the cobwebs hanging down. If she did live in this place, she would need it slightly decent and she might as well start now.
There were two small double doors just to the left as she started down the hallway and she opened one and poked the torch in. There was an old fireplace at the other end of the small room. Two dusty settees sat opposite each other in front of the fireplace, dust and cobwebs now the only thing taking residence on them. Beside the one to the left on top of a small wooden table lay a tin cup on its side, a dark stain told of its contents now long gone.
Aquila left the door open and turned back to the hall. Torches lined the hall that she now took the time to light. There were two other doorways, one to each side that she opened. Beds lined the walls in each with a small fireplace to one side of the room. The same story in each one: cobwebs, dust, and occasionally a rat or two.
Now the corridor turned at a sharp angle and on the darkness went. She cautiously moved forward, lighting the torches as she went. Her guess was that she had just come through the servants' quarters.
Halfway down the hall she found a set of double doors that opened into a large spacious room that had double doors lining the sides and on the far right were two magnificent oak doors that reached the ceiling. It was no doubt the front of the ballroom. A beautifully ornate chandelier sat in the middle of the floor, a rope going up from it to the ceiling through a pulley. The other end of the rope was rotted and hung loosely halfway down.
Aquila closed the door softly and then continued down the hallway until she reached a door to the left. It's hinges groaned and complained as it revealed a large desk at the far end of a wide book-lined room. A settee sat with it's back to her and there was a small table at each end. A single beam of light that shone through the vine covered window, who's drapes hung half torn from its hooks, rested on top of the desk just beside a small tattered book, a quill and pen.
As Aquila stepped into the room, the feeling of something unknown and mysterious returned and she shuddered. Goosebumps covered her skin as the hair on her neck rose. The air was tense with a sense of dread. Aquila could not understand why. It was an uninhabited room.
Aquila moved around the room looking at the endless volumes of books. There was a row of thick historical texts and she pulled one that lay flat off the shelf. It was the latest dated text on the shelf but it was 200 years old. She ran her finger over the top and dust an inch thick rubbed off. She wrinkled her nose and wiped her finger on her robe. She blew on it and instantly regretted it. Dust flew everywhere, into her eyes, mouth, and nose. She sneezed three times as her eyes started watering to rid themselves of the intruding particles.
When she had finally cleared her eyes of the dust and able to see again, she opened the cover. Just inside was an inscription that read, “Quentin, of the Lucian royalty, in the province of Meru”.
She carefully turned the pages until she found “Quentin”. There was an ink sketch of a magnificent castle in all it's glory. Flags flew at each corner hailing the circular cobblestone drive that came up to a wide staircase that led up to two gigantic oak doors. The grounds were well cared for, rose bushes lined the steps and the drive and the grass was kept well cut. Two guards in full regal attire stood at each side of the doors and two more at each side of the bottom of the steps and a carriage with a coat of arms painted on it's side sat attached to two beautiful white bays just off to the side.
There were two guards that patrolled the top of the castle and just below them on the second floor was a good sized window with beautifully ornate curtains drawn back. The picture was done so well that you could see couples dancing in the ballroom there on the second floor.
A beautiful sunset framed the castle in the background and Aquila felt as if she were there...for a second. The door creaked and she jumped and dropped the book. No one was there.
Aquila scooped up the book and quickly placed it on the shelf. She moved to the desk, her attention was drawn to the book on which the beam of light rested beside. Her heart skipped a beat as she opened it tenderly so as not to tear the fragile pages and read the first line aloud. “The humble recordings of Alverdine Portchi, beloved of Sark Thatcher, of the royal Lucians.” Whatever was causing this dread in her was found somewhere in these pages. "Just what is in these pages that casts such feelings?" Aquila asked aloud.
Aquila read a few entries at the beginning and then moved to the middle of the book. Her eyes scanned the page until they spotted the word, “threatened”. Her eyes focused on that one word for a moment before she went back to the beginning of that entry. It was dated the thirteenth day of the month June, in the year of our Lord, 1224. It was fifty years ago that this entry had been written.
The entry started, “How could I have been so foolish! When I came here I came under the pretense that Sark was a man who truly cared for the people. Even those in his own household. But this morning I walked in on him as he was hitting one of the servants! How awful it was. He may not have done something properly, but it never requires one to hit them! Well, I talked to Sark about it and told him that if this was the way he was to treat those under him, that I would leave. It only proved to aggravate Sark more and he threatened me! I do not know who I am marrying and the wedding date is two weeks away. I thought I knew him, but he is not like I thought at all. After that occasion, he told me that if I thought of leaving again he would...I shudder to think of what he said he would do to my family and I shall not repeat it. I am now confined to my room, the library, and the garden. I am to go nowhere else or he will punish me severely. I pray that he simmers down before our wedding. I do not wish to be abused but I could not run. I tried talking to the servants just after this incident and they ignored me. I do not understand. What did I do wrong? I was trying to help them. But of course it was to be expected. They have never given me much notice.”
Aquila frowned and closed the book. She would take this with her for later reading. Aquila tucked the book into the front of her robe and took a last look around the room before heading for the door.
*********
Aquila slowly clicked the small rusty trap open and pulled away. Wiping the sweat off her brow with the back of a grimy hand, she took a deep breath. She had been walking along for a day now plotting a trapline for her to use as a means for a living and had just now started the turn towards home. The discovery of a wide clear stream would prove useful as a good camping ground as well as a natural source to lure animals with.
After sufficiently covering the trap with leaves, and hoping that the rusty trap would come through for her, Aquila stood and continued on her way. A few hours later she abruptly found herself at the edge of the forest a decently sized thriving village sprawled out before her.
She had known by references made in the books in the library that there was a town nearby but she had not been certain as to the direction it was. Thank you, Deus, for guiding me to this place. Your hand is in this, I know! You are so gracious to provide for me, Deus! she prayed.
Aquila cautiously ventured into town. Halfway down the first street and she could already tell that they were not all too accustomed to strangers. Atleast not from this part of town. Everyone seemed to stop and stare as she walked down the middle of the street. Maybe I should not walk down the middle of the street. That is probably what is drawing all the attention, you numbskull! Aquila mentally laughed at herself.
Aquila walked up and down every street she came to until she walked upon the trapper's store. Venturing inside she studied the wares and then walked up to the proprietor. "Excuse me, sir."
"Yes, my lady?" the older gentleman asked.
"I am new to the area...and I am beginning my trapline. I noticed that you sell furs here and wondered if you would be interested in the future in buying furs from me the next time I come into town?"
A smile lit up his round face, as he replied, "I am always looking to assist newcomers with getting their bearings. You bring what you have in and I will take a look a them and give you a fair price, that I promise you."
Aquila quickly warmed up to the man and placed her small hand in the large brown leathery hand that he had offered. "Thank you, Lord--"
"Lord Boar Knifethruster," he supplied.
"Lord Knifethruster. I am Aquila," Aquila gave a small curtsy. "Thank you for your time and I look forward to doing business with you in the future."
Lord Knifethruster nodded and Aquila moved away. It would be good to have one place established that she could count on. When she did come back with furs, she would learn to make leather out of some to use for other things.
As Aquila stepped outside, she forgot about the porch and fell into the dirt. Aquila lifted her head and shook it. Spitting the dust out of her mouth, she struggled to her feet, barely noticing the hand that was gently helping her up.
A large but nicely fit woman stood in front of her. “Are you alright? I saw you take the fall. That must have come as quite a shock!”
“Yes, I am fine, thank you,” Aquila nodded and smiled.
“Good. I am Lady Fridgeirsen,” the lady beamed.
“Aquila.”
“My home is just two streets down. Would you care to join me for my afternoon tea?” Lady Fridgeirsen invited as she tucked a stray wisp of her sun-bleached hair back into her straw bonnet.
Aquila thought for a moment. She had nothing better to do other than go home and that could wait a little bit. She was certain that if she stepped up her pace, she could certainly make it back to the creek before she had to camp for the night. “I would be delighted, Lady Fridgeirsen. I am feeling a little faint with the heat.” The last part was a lie and Aquila mentally slapped herself for not leaving it at “I would be delighted.” Even with her small stature, she could endure what some people four times her size could not.
Aquila followed silently behind Lady Fridgeirsen as her host talked on and on about the town and all the happenings as of late. Aquila's eyes widened and laughed as she talked of everything from devastating swirling winds to flocks of chickens running through town as if their heads were chopped off.
Before she knew it, Aquila found herself in a messy little kitchen, sitting at an oak table with four decorative chairs. Messy was putting it lightly. It was obvious she was doing some renovations.
“Excuse the mess of things. I'm preparing it for the market,” Lady Fridgeirsen chuckled as she placed a kettle over the cast iron stove. “We just started repainting the kitchen, as you can tell.”
Lady Fridgeirsen moved to sit in the chair beside her, and for a moment, all was silent. Aquila folded her hands and placed them on the table, uncomfortable with the lull in the conversation.
Lady Fridgeirsen placed a hand over Aquila's and squeezed. “You are new to town and young. If you need a place to stay, I would be more than happy to accomadate you.”
Aquila smiled reassuring. “Thank you so much for your kind offer and concern, but I am staying in the eastern mountains far out of town away from harm. You need not worry, Lady Fridgeirsen.”
Lady Fridgeirsen patted her hands. “Well, if you ever need anything, you are always welcome here. And also, please call me Michelle. That is my first name and I would be very happy if you and I could become good friends. Are you planning on coming to the village often?”
“Whenever I check my traps, I will come right through the village,” Aquila informed her.
“Then you must stop in here every time and have tea with me.”
Aquila thought for a moment before deciding that she rather liked Michelle. “I would love to see you, Michelle, whenever I can come through town.”
An hour later, Aquila finally managed to take her exit and quickly left town. A glance at the sky told her she should not have taken so long. Still, she could make it to the creek.
The sun disappeared and the wolves were howling long before Aquila finally came upon the creek. It had taken her a little bit longer to set up the few traps she had plotted for her return trip than she thought. Relieved and completely exhausted, she collapsed under a large oak tree and fell asleep.
*********
Aquila sighed beneath the warm morning sun and opened her eyes. There just in front of her face was the long face of a hideous creature. It's dark yellow scales shimmering in the sun. She could only see one glassy green eye from the angle of the face but it was watching her carefully.
She would have loved nothing more than to run but not knowing how it would react to such rash behavior, she stilled the wild beatings of her heart and remained motionless.
It seemed to sense her conscious state and it moved. Suddenly the warm comfortable feeling left as it rose to it's feet. Aquila blinked as she realized that it had not been the warm morning sun that she felt but the warmth of the gold dragon that had come to cover her overnight.
It turned it's full attention to her, it's wings securely tucked beside it's muscular body. Remembering that Gold Dragons were supposed to be friendly, Aquila moved slowly and cautiously to a sitting position. Still the dragon did nothing.
Aquila cocked her head to the side and did a double-take when the dragon did the same. Aquila straightened her head and then cocked it to the other side. The dragon mimicked her again. Aquila straightened and then leaned closer. The dragon did so as well and Aquila choked back a laugh. “Can we be friends?” she asked the creature.
Remarkably the dragon moved to her side and tucked her safely into the folds of his left wing as if to say yes. Aquila smiled. “Then I shall call you Leo.”
A few minutes later Aquila moved from her spot to the river and waded in. Breakfast would have to be fish as she had forgotten to purchase anything in town. No mind at all. Aquila had taught herself to be a fairly decent fisher at home when she had nothing better to do than to sit by the river and sing.
Ten minutes later she threw a yellow bullhead onto the bank, a safe distance away from the water's edge. Aquila started to turn back but stopped abruptly when Leo stood and breathed fire onto the rebellious catfish.
When Leo pulled back, the fish lay still. She noticed the brownish-gold hue the fish now had and nodded, “Hmph.”
Her attention was drawn away when something shimmered in the water and she prepared for her final catch. Five minutes later she came up with a white catfish this time and threw it next to the first fish. Leo did the same thing and Aquila returned to the banks.
Once the fish were thoroughly cleaned and the meat was taken off the bones, Aquila studied it. The meat was already well done. She took a bite. “Mm, Leo! You need to come home with me. You can be the cook!”
When she had finished the fish, she looked up to find Leo watching her curiously. “Oh, no! How rude of me. I shall catch you one before we go home.”
Ten minutes later and Aquila had him a fish on the bank where he again cooked it. This time instead of standing back, Leo snatched it up headfirst and down the fish went. Aquila dried her hands with her robe and smiled. “We make a good team, Leo!”
Aquila walked upstream for a little ways, Leo's shadow from above the trees following her all the way, until she found a thinner part in the river where she crossed. That night as she walked up to the base of the mountain where the palace sat, she looked up wearily and moaned. She was tired and exhausted but she had hoped she would make it home for a good night's sleep on her homemade straw mattress.
Suddenly, Leo appeared and lifted her onto his back. His long wings expanded to their full length and began flapping gracefully and before Aquila knew what was happening, Leo lifted them both into the sky. They were soaring up the mountain side as a brisk pace and much sooner than Aquila could have imagined, he had them sitting on the cliff where the palace sat.
“Good boy, Leo,” Aquila patted his head. “You can sleep in the kitchen if you like.”
Aquila opened the door and stood inside as Leo looked hesitantly through the doorway. Finally it cautiously ventured inside. Aquila shut the door and patted it's head. “Find you a comfortable spot to sleep, Leo. I shall see you in the morning.”
*************

Aquila pulled at the board. She had been exploring the kitchen for what seemed like hours, the words in the journal playing over in her mind. I found a stash of weapons in a secret compartment in the bottom of the cupboards. It was an accident that I came across them, the compartment was well hidden. I was going through it washing out the mess the rodents had left when my rag caught on something.
Aquila paused for a moment, wondering what servants could hold over a distinguished lady, as the King's betrothed, that would force her to do a servant's job. She shook her head. It was all a certainly dead mystery. At first I thought it was just a large splinter, but when I looked at it, the corner of a board had been dislodged and had caught my rag. I pulled it up and there inside was a pile of spears, daggers, and swords of various shapes and sizes! I could barely believe what I saw, but I touched one and it was real.
Obviously they had not used the weapons to coerce her into working, for she did not know they had any. Suddenly one of the boards moved and she froze. There it was. She quickly prodded at the board until the opposite end came up and she was able to pull it out. It was a long board and instantly she nearly smacked herself. It was longer than any of the other boards in the cupboard and she should have seen that first off.
The board removed, she reached in and felt around. Her hand touched something rough and long. She carefully pulled it out and inspected it under the light. It was a long sword, dull, and rusted over time. There was nothing else in the long deep compartment so she returned the sword and placed the board back over it. She would retrieve her cross pendant later and hide it under the boards.
********
Dearest brother or sister,
I send this letter out with a prayer that it shall find you. I shall press upon my falcons that I wish for you to receive this, but I cannot be sure that they shall obey.
I know that by doing this, I am defying Duard and his direct order. However, I feel I am somehow right to do so. Perhaps it is as Father Andrew said. We need to regard Deus’ will as higher than Duard’s when it comes to moral decisions. I think it is thus with this. If it isn’t, my heart will at least be at peace in the knowledge that I have attempted to contact you.
If you fare well or poorly, please let me know. Pen a reply on the back of this parchment and reattach it to the falcon’s leg. He or she shall return to me with your message, of that I am certain.
Your loving sister,
Wren

Aquila pulled her hair over her left shoulder, as she looked at the palace behind her. She had just come out to get a breath of fresh air when she saw Gavin, one of Wren's gyr falcons, flying in. It had landed just off aways and it had taken her a little time to slowly and cautiously get the falcon's trust enough for her to approach.
Now she returned inside to retrieve her writing instruments. She had managed to come up with an ink well at the town she had visited before finding the castle. The pen had been scarce to find, so she found it very convenient that there was one in the library. She pulled it out of the drawer and paused. Maeron had expressly forbidden them to contact each other. Why? She did not know but how could he find out that they were contacting each other?
Aquila laid the letter flat on the table and picked up the quill. Dipping it into the inkwell, she began,
Dearest Wren,
I miss you terribly. It has been a long hard journey. Talya died halfway into the journey. After a prolonged stay in a monastary, I finally left on foot until I reached my final destination: a long forgotten palace. There are mysteries of which I have yet to discover and could never be told by air that which I have discovered. I fare well and hope this missive finds you doing so as well. All my love, Aquila
Aquila wanted to tell Wren of what she had discovered at the palace and the journal. She wished that Wren were there so she could sit and have a long talk about Mistress Portchi. Alverdine's servants were never respectful to her, though they knew she could complain to Sark, despite her predicament, and they would feel his wrath. Many times she was forced to do their work which she did without complaint in hopes of at least gaining some respect but it just seemed to get worse. They even hit her a few times when her work was below par. Aquila wished to tell Wren of how during one particular morning when Alverdine woke up after falling asleep cleaning the floor of the servants' kitchen, she overheard a few of the menservants talking of executing Sark and running away with a treasure of great value, but she knew she could never utter a word for they would surely kill her. But instead she quietly slipped out before she was noticed. At one time they caught her when Alverdine stumbled across a pile of weapons hidden in the servants' kitchen and she was sure she had seen the last she would ever see but some of the guards employed under the royal guard walked in and found her cornered. It was then that she was escorted out and Sark berated her for not informing him of their mistreatment of her. The servants from then on looked at her with nothing but pure malice and she felt tense for reasons she did not know. Every night she dreamed of the two servants who were talking about executing Sark. Despite her situation with Sark, Sark was her only protection and she would rather face his anger than that of the servants so she knew she would have to tell him soon. The last entry in the journal was dated the morning of her wedding. Alverdine again expressed her fear of the servant's uprising and plans to tell Sark of what she heard the next morning when she was clear of any repercussions from him when he heard of what they were planning on doing. But that was the last entry in her journal. But Gavin could never carry a message so long and heavy.
So far I have only covered the downstairs grounds. I have yet to make it to the second floor where I believe the wedding to have taken place. I must venture to the second floor for surely something up there would tell of the mystery. If someone did actually put the mortar there to hopefully hide the whereabouts of the entrance, who was it? Who came out on top of it all and do they come back every once in a while to check on the place? Oh, to get to the bottom of this whole thing! Aquila stomped her foot in frustration. She hated not knowing the whole story and she would hopefully remedy that tomorrow. Now it was too late and she had to get the letter sent back to Wren.
**********
Aquila sighed as she opened her eyes to find herself tangled in her thin blanket and hair again. This was becoming a routine. Every morning she was all tangled in her bedding and her hair never helped. It got twisted in with her blanket and it was a literal pain to get herself untangled. One day she would not be able to get herself untangled just because of the magnitude of the mess.
Then it dawned on her. Today she had vowed to uncover any mysteries the second floor held. She unwound her way out of the covers, stood, and grabbed the torch. Even in the middle of the day it was rather dark where she did not open windows and still even then it was not so bright, as the vines were so thick, it choked out the sun's rays.
Aquila stumbled to the staircase and looked down the dark expanse. She bit her lip. She slept in a room that was more like a small attic room above the second floor but she had never ventured around the second floor. Why not? She had purposed to explore it a week ago but had not got the nerve up to do so. The wedding that was to have taken place the same day that Alverdine's journal ended on would have been held in the ballroom on the second floor. Something surrounded the second floor...something worse than that of what she had felt when entering the library. It just grew worse and worse at each step she took, drawing her closer to the second floor.
Aquila took a deep steady breath as she stepped onto the carpeted second floor. She lit the two torches on each side of the stair case and then continued down the hallway. The only way she would get the courage to open the ballroom doors was if she went directly there and did not give it a second thought.
The hall seemed to go on and on, an endless tunnel towards the unknown, the torches numberless. The flames cast shadows on the wall as she steadily made her way. Time seemed to stand still, life on pause as the dread rose higher and higher at the thought of what she might find. Why she thought she would find something, she had no idea. It was just an empty room. It was an empty castle. There was no reason for her to dread it. She was on an adventure...it was not working. Nothing she could tell her nerves would work. Her skin was crawling now and her hand shaking.
She almost jumped when she turned to light a torch and it was the door to the ballroom. Quickly recovering, Aquila's shoulders rose in determination. Her hand went to the door knob and she shoved the door open. She stepped inside and lit the torches on both side of the door. Now she turned and jumped. The silence that had pervaded her journey was disrupted with terrified screams.

Chapter 3

Aquila wanted to run. To flee from the room and the castle. Yet her legs were frozen as her lungs emanated high pitched vibrations through the otherwise cold still air. The scene before her...it was nothing but pure horror.
What could have taken place in this room half a century ago to have left such devastation? There, just five feet in front of her, lay the skeleton of a human body. A long sword stuck out of it's rib cage, the clothing that had once clothed it had deteriorated so much that it was barely discernible but the gold badge hanging by a weak thread said that he had been a royal guard. Two feet to the right another skeleton of a guard lay lifeless, the wood floor underneath both skeletons stained with what could only have been blood.
She had come in on the far end of the ballroom. When her feet finally were able to move they plodded forward in between the two skeletons. There were various other skeletons sprinkled around the room, the clothing only hinting at wealth now, after the years of deterioration. One was laying at the foot of a door, as if they had tried to get out, but had not been able to make it.
Aquila trudged on as the scene unfolded in what had to have been sheer terror in the few minutes it took whoever to accomplish. Dark stains splattered the floor. Her pace slowed as she reached the podium. There were four skeletons laying here in close proximity. The two on the right were smaller than the two on the left. The two women's dresses were not quite as deteriorated as they had obviously been the thick gorgeous dresses accustomed to women of stature. The two men's clothing, though, were much like the others. The man on the far left had something intertwined in his fingers.
Aquila stepped closer and knelt. The skull was crushed, which had to have been the cause of his death, as there was no obvious knife or sword markings. She frowned. It was a chain necklace with a cross pendant on it like that of what priests might wear. Why was he holding it? She turned to the other three skeletons and bit her lower lip.
The first man had a knife in his chest and the woman next to him had a knife in her stomach. The other woman's head was in an odd position. Whoever had killed her had grabbed her around the neck and broke it, for when she nudged it with her foot, it rolled away. There were no necklaces or jewelry on any of the other skeletons laying there, or a crown, but Aquila knew instantly that they could only have been Alverdine Portchi, Sark Thatcher, and their attendants. The reason for the massacre was not robbery but whoever had done it had thought to make it look like it. But why was the male attendant holding the priest's pendant?
Aquila pulled the chain free of the skeleton's fingers and studied it carefully. The clasp had been broken. It was possible that in the struggle, the attendant had grabbed hold of the priest's pendant and it had broken free of his neck. But where was the priest? There were various other skeleton's around the room but the one that caught her attention the most was the one that had tried to escape.
Aquila walked over to the skeleton that lay at the foot of the door. His clothing had been black and could have been the cloth that a priest was accustomed to wearing. Her mouth dropped slightly as she noticed the blood stains around him. They were not just stains of a puddle of blood. This man had lived long enough to write in his own blood.
Aquila squatted on her heels to look closer at the writing. Aloud she read, “This day, the thirtieth day of June, in the year of our Lord 1224, the High King of Lucia, Sark Thatcher, was executed with his bride, Mistress Louisa Alverdine Natasha Maybelle Portchi Thatcher, by their own servants. May God keep their souls.”
Aquila sighed. What a terrible ending. Aquila rose and was headed back for the door that she came out when she noticed that one of the doors was slightly open and blood-stained footprints led up to the door. Had someone tried to get out and succeeded? She opened the door and followed the footprints out the door, down the hall, and down a second servants staircase. Was this one of the servants themselves that had acquired an injury in the struggle?
Whoever it was had escaped for they led out the front door and dissipated down the grand stair case. Aquila pulled the large door shut and returned to the kitchen. She was hungry but after the scene she had seen, she did not feel up to eating. Instead she sat at the table studying the priest's pendant. Her thoughts returned to the pendant that had been left with her. She retrieved the pendant and stashed it in the cupboards.
**********
“Braedoch is no longer home to you...you will depart alone...terrible consequences will follow...I am warning you now...you have three days!”
Aquila sat up suddenly, her breath coming in heavy gasps. She closed her eyes as she pulled her long black hair out of her face and over one shoulder. After a few seconds she stood up and walked to the one window that looked over the rocky expanse that led to the ocean.
She stepped onto the crate she had carefully placed under the window and folded her arms over the window ledge. She could see the stars clearly but no moon. It was on these nights that the last time she had seen her siblings would come to haunt her. What had happened to them after that? Letters had been the only way they had been able to keep up even though they had been expressly forbidden to contact each other. Yet even letters were far and few what with the time that the birds had to take getting from one to the other.
Aquila turned from the window. She would never be able to get to sleep tonight. Her bare feet quickly padded down the hard floor down two flights of dark stairs and and through the back hallway to the kitchen. A back door opened to the small ledge she used as a pathway down the side of the mountain.
Something that only she knew, was that halfway down where there seemed to be a a little cubbyhole full of bushes, was that it was a small hallway into a cavern where a spring trickled out of the rocks and down a deep expanse of blackness. There, she followed a small ledge down the steep cavern to the bottom where the water collected into a little pool until it got too high for the pool and then it flowed over a thin rocky riverbed down to the ocean.
She uncovered the lilac soap she had made just three days before, as she stepped down into the pool. It was not too deep but deep enough for her to take a bath in it. It beat carrying buckets and buckets of water up the side of the mountain to boil for sanitation and then carry by the bucket full to her tub.
She had washed her body and was about to get out when she heard something. All movements stopped and she held her breath. She did not fear being seen unless she made too much noise.
This part of the pool was also hidden in the mountain but there was an opening only big enough for a small horse to get through that she now watched intently.
There it went again...and again...and again. It sounded like the slow steady clopping of a riderless horse. Still, she must wait.
A few seconds later she could see the head and neck of a horse drinking from the river just outside the cavern. It was bridled but the reins lay at a heap in front of the horse. It could mean one of two things: it had run or wandered off from its owner, or it was not completely riderless.
If it was not riderless, who was the rider? Had he somehow discovered her hideout, seen her go into the cavern, and this was an attempt to lure her out, and to test her strength, her ability to fight him off? Or was he injured and unconscious, allowing the horse complete freedom?
After several minutes and no new sound, Aquila gracefully stepped out of the pool and quickly pulled her robe over her head. The amusement some would find over worrying about being exposed to a horse was lost on Aquila as something in her was not quite sure it was alone.
She shivered as her clothes soaked the cold water from her body, making it miserable to be out in the chilly night air. This horse was not starting out on good footing.
Aquila moved ever so quietly to the cave entrance. It was her ability to move without making a sound that allowed her to walk up on a deer unnoticed, and it was this ability that she thanked Deus for as she pushed down the urge to gasp when she saw what looked to be a lifeless body hanging over the side of the horse.
There was not much light due to no moon but her eyes worked excellently in the dark and could tell her visitor was a man. I hate dealing with men! Deus, why a man?
Still with caution etched in every step, she approached the smelly motionless visitor. When no sign of threatening movements came, she placed two fingers under his jaw and put her ear to his face. His breathing was shallow but his heart was strong. This worried her.
If he had been dead, she could have buried him and sold his horse and tackle. Now that he was alive, she could not let him die but neither did she feel comfortable nursing a complete stranger in her home. After all, if her nursing worked, he would wake up and gradually regain his strength. At the same moment this thought crossed her mind, something wet and sticky ran down the hand she held under his jaw. The smell! It was fresh blood.
Alarm slammed through her small body. It had happened within the hour. Who did it? Where were they now?
Aquila took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Questions, questions, and more questions. They would get her no where without a conscious body to answer them. Besides, she did not want to stand there any longer then she had to in risk of getting spotted by his attacker. The question of whether it was a human attacker or something else would have to be determined later.
********
Aquila's foot slipped for the umpteenth time and she paused to catch her breath. Both pathways were too narrow to risk using the horse to ferry her visitor up the mountain. The ledge up the cavern was too steep for her to attempt with him in tow. Now she wondered if she would be able to make it up at all.
For once, Aquila had underestimated everything...almost. First thing, her visitors size. And she had overestimated her own size and abilities. Her guest had to be 6'0 at least and there was no doubt in her mind all his weight lay in his broad shoulders and rather muscular body. All of that against her 4'11” 70 pound body, she was having a grand old time.
For all the animals, and the rare humans she crossed paths with, she always gave a name. She was fighting the urge to give this one a name. Creating an attachment to this large and unwelcome stranger was the last thing she needed.
I am so glad he is unconscious, or otherwise this would be a rather awkward task, she thought, her eyes going to the sky.
Since beginning her struggle up the mountain, clouds had somehow managed to produce and reproduce until they opened up and laid their wrath on her. As if her robe had not been wet enough, she was soaked to the bone and her robe was pasted to her body with a mixture of rain and mud from literally scooting on her side up the mountain.
The one good thing this rain was good for was to help clean the wound in his back. She had torn her robe from the knees down off and with it had successfully stopped the bleeding, once she had found the source.
Aquila looked up at where they were headed and gave a determined sigh. With her left arm she pulled him up farther onto her body, and with her right arm and legs, began dragging them up the ledge. A couple of times her hand or feet slipped and she was sure they were about to plummet down the side of the mountain, but just as daybreak hit, Aquila reached home.
She was so exhausted that she stopped for a moment to enjoy the warmth. Until she realized the warmth was coming from a sticky red mess that was now all over her and her guest!
Aquila growled. “Why me?”
Within the next half hour, Aquila managed to get him into the kitchen on a rug she had been intending to throw out and stop the bleeding. Yet she knew that his wound would need cleaning and that would need water.
Getting water meant going back down the mountain with an empty bucket and returning with a once-full bucket of water that would have inevitably sloshed out to a half-full bucket of water which meant six or seven more trips down the mountain...and back up.
She had attempted to get water from the spring, but the buckets lip was too thick to fit in between the rock wall and the spring itself. Waiting for it to fill up by what little made it into the bucket would take twice the amount of time it would take her to make one trip down and back up and not worth her time.
Aquila grabbed the bucket and opened the back door. Leo had just come home from his monthly rendezvous and and was just making his landing. Aquila smiled. “Old faithful Leo. I do not suppose you would tell me where you have been going, huh?”
For three months now he had been disappearing every night for a weeks time. “Do you have a friend?” Aquila teased.
Leo seemed distressed and Aquila frowned. He snorted and hissed and shook his head. Suddenly it dawned on her. He did not like the smell of fresh blood.
Aquila held up the empty bucket. “I need some water to clean up with, Leo. Wanna help me?”
Leo was a smart dragon and caught her drift rather quickly. He lowered himself onto his belly and spread his wings out. Aquila climbed atop his back. “Good boy.”
Leo lifted his head and wings and rose to his feet. It was only seconds before they were in the air. Leo was not a very large dragon but he was much bigger than Aquila and thus he was able to carry her to the bottom.
Aquila watched the rocks turn into water. “Leo! I need—“
Before she could finish her sentence, Leo rolled to the side dropping her into the cold water. Aquila surfaced and wanted to let Leo have it, but all she could do was laugh. Leo must have thought her intentions were to take a bath and presumed upon himself to accomplish the task.
Leo came swooping down and grabbed her by the arms. Aquila managed to catch hold of the sinking bucket and pull it up with her.
Aquila closed her eyes as Leo took a directly vertical shot up the side of the mountain leaving her in between him and the rock wall. Seconds later she felt her feet touch ground and opened her eyes to see the still wide-open door.
“Show off,” Aquila said.
She looked down at the bucket to find a rather full bucket of water. Hurrying inside she poured the bucket into the gigantic cauldron and started a fire. “Should have had this fire going before I went for water,” she grumbled.
Once the fire was going good, Leo took her for three more rounds. Aquila hoped it would be enough for the morning. Once the water had boiled for a solid ten minutes, she took a towel to grab the cauldron.
The cauldron alone weighed 50 pounds and due to her size she could not move it alone for very long when it was cold, but hot and full of boiling water was impossible.
Remembering different techniques from her older brothers and sisters, she had created a sturdy cast iron rod over the fire that she could use to hang the pot on. It was also movable so that she could pull it off of the fire. Even with this, it was a trick.
With the cauldron now off of the fire, Aquila went to check on her patient. The current bandage was holding up. She put her hand to his forehead to test for fever. He was warmer than usual and would need to be watched, but it was not currently life threatening.
She was about to open his eyelids to check his eyes when they voluntarily opened. Aquila jumped and screamed. She had not prepared herself for when he would actually wake up.
He moved his arm and his sleeve brushed against her bare knee reminding her that she was completely unprepared for a conscious male guest. Aquila jumped to her feet and fled the room.
As hurt as he was, he had made it this far and he would hold on long enough for her to throw on another robe. She was back in a flash but when she came into the room she found him trying to sit up. “No, no, you fool!” she nearly screamed. “I just got your bleeding to stop for the second time and I did not get you all the way up here to have you bleed to death in my kitchen!”
When he continued to try and sit up, Aquila attempted to push him back. The instant her hand touched his shoulder he moved and grabbed her wrist.
Aquila gasped, surprised with the strength he held her with after all the blood he had lost, yet she could tell he was seeing everything in a blur and was not able to intelligently ascertain the situation.
Still, there were many different reasons to fear an injured and disoriented man, especially one his size. Aquila was searching for something to say when he released her arm and fell back onto the rug. Aquila winced. “Lets not get a concussion on top of everything, all right?”
Aquila tried to roll him onto his stomach but with no luck. It seemed all her strength had left her. All the sleep she had lost that night and all the energy spent trying to get him this far suddenly caught up with her. She could not even get off the floor to climb the two flights of stairs to the safety of her own room. Aquila crawled two feet away and fell asleep.