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Feel the Silence

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Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“Hey, you’re Lucas, right? The medic?”
“Yeah.”
“Damian.” He shook the offered hand, surveying the young man before him. He was probably only a few years older than Lucas, with spiky blond hair, narrow eyes, and a nervous smile. He was tall, broad-shouldered, muscular – no stranger to the fighting, Lucas guessed. *Listen, can you help me with something? I could this weird rash thing earlier today, and it itches really bad.” Damian was hopping back and forth trying not to scratch.
“What happened?”
Damian flushed, startlingly red, with his fair skin. “I was in the jungle – I stopped to, you know, and after I saw this pretty purple flower. It was huge. I touched the petals, they were so soft…and now I have this weird thing all up and don my arms.” He lifted his sleeves, revealing forearms covered in bumps and painfully red blisters.
Lucas hissed through his teeth. “Ouch,” was all he could think to say. He wracked his brain, thinking of books he had read on medicine and diseases. Every plant he could imagine that cured itches did*’t exist in this climate. “I don’t know…Let me ask Sorokin. He’s a little more experienced with this than I am. Stay here.” He found Sorokin sitting with Jonah a little ways away. They both fell silent as he approached, and stared expectantly.
“Sorry to interrupt,” he said quietly, “but I could use your help, Sorokin.”
“What’s up?”
“One of the guys, he has this rash he needs help with. He touched some flower, or something. You know anything that’s good for itches? It’s pretty bad.” He gestured over at Damian, who held up one of his blistered arms.
Sorokin gave it some thought. “That’s rough, man. I really don’t know what’s out here that could—“
“I know,” Jonah said. He reached over and snatched up a small tin from his pack. “Walk with me, Myren.” He walked quickly toward the edge of the jungle. Lucas ran after him. When they reachedthe trees, Jonah hunkered down, examining the plants that grew in the spare dirt.

27-Aug-2011 15:27:21 - Last edited on 27-Aug-2011 15:27:59 by Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Finally, he ripped up a small plant by its root.
“Take a good look. This will cure just about anything out here.” He pointed at it. “Three leaves, each has three points. Brownish tinge. Grows close to the ground, usually in sun. Got it?”
“Okay.”
“Tear up some leaves, heat for a few minutes, mix it with water, stir until it makes a paste. Rub it on the rash. It should be okay by morning – not gone, but better.”
“Wow, okay. Thanks.”
“Tell those idiots not to touch the purple flowers. They’re poisonous.” Jonah walked back to Sorokin, and Lucas made his way back to Damian and the fire. He shredded the leaves and left them in the tin hanging over the fire.
“It’ll be ready in a few minutes.”
Meanwhile, Travis was preparing the fish for dinner. “Let’s eat!” he finally yelled. Lucas rescued his leaves and began to stir them as some of the men handed out servings of fish on wide leaves taken from the jungle. As everyone gathered around, Lucas stood up and waved to get Travis attention. “Everyone! The young medic has something to say!”
Silence fell over the group. Lucas felt every eye on him, and forgot what he was going to say.
“Um, I just wanted to tell you, uh, you know those purple flowers? We all saw them today, right? The huge ones? Yeah. Don’t touch them. Unless you want to look like this guy.” He nodded at Damian, who raised one blistered arm triumphantly. There were hoots of laughter. Lucas sank back down to enjoy his fish, periodically stirring his paste for Damian with a small stick. He noticed Jonah studying him from across the fire, looking slightly surprised. Maybe he hadn’t been serious about telling the other men. Or he hadn’t thought Lucas would actually do it. He leaned over Damian’s arms, administering the paste, and allowed himself a small smile of pride for having surprised the commander.

27-Aug-2011 15:28:36

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
***
Justine found James waiting outside the house with two saddled horses and a bouquet of flowers. He was dressed in plain riding clothes, but looked as handsome as ever. It was nice to see he did*’t need all the jewelry and fancy dress to look good – this was James before her, not the Prince.
When she opened the door, he smiled and handed her the flowers. “My lady,” he greeted her.
“Your grace,” she replied with a curtsy. “They’re wonderful thank you!” She peered around at the horses. *What’s all this?*
*I thought we could go for a ride.”
“Where to?”
“North, my family has a property there. There’s a very small lake, and it’s quite beautiful.”
“That sounds lovely,” she said, then sobered. “Don’t you have work to do?”
“That’s why he has people like us around,” Gray said, appearing behind Justine and neatly sidestepping her to place a fatherly hand on James’ shoulder. “Even Princes get to have a little fun.”
“I think the Kingdom can survive without me for a day,” James agreed. Will you join me, Justine? Just for the day?”
“I suppose I can. Let me just go change and pack a few things.” She began to climb the stairs to her room, and Gray followed close behind.
“This should be quite fun,” he said finally, when she ignored him.
“You must be thrilled,” she replied.
*I did*’t know you were seeing the Prince again, that’s all.”
“I’m not *seeing’ him. We’re just spending time together as friends.*
*That’s what you used to tell me about the servant boy.”
She whirled around on the landing, advancing toward him and shouting, “His name was Lucas. And I miss him with every possible part of my being. So don’t you dare speak to me about him when it’s your fault he’s dead!”
Gray threw up his hands defensively. “Apologies. All I meant was that it seems like the Prince is courting you. It’s a good thing, darling.”
“You always used to tell me to stay away from him – what changed?”

31-Aug-2011 02:41:36 - Last edited on 31-Aug-2011 02:42:55 by Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“Well…to be honest,” he said in an exaggeratedly pained voice, “It was because you were always running around with – Lucas.” He had to force the name out. “Our family is in much better standing now. You and James – it would be a good match.”
Justine’s mouth worked silently for a moment, until finally she stormed into her room and slammed the door. Inside, she flung the flowers on the bed, then tore through her closet and dresser for her riding clothes. She found a pair of pants, ones she hadn’t worn since – since the last time she went riding with Lucas. And there was one of his shirts she’d kept, rather liking the way it fit her. She considered briefly that she should dress nicer for the Prince, but did*’t bother to change. She packed a small bag with a book, water, some cosmetics, and stopped to put on a pearl necklace and bind up her hair. Not her best, but it would have to do. She raced downstairs to James and found him standing in the doorway.
“Is everything okay?” he asked softly.
“No,* she whispered, “but I’m fine. Let’s just go.”
On the steps of her house, as she mounted the horse, she took a moment to look back at the house and saw Gray watching from an upstairs window. He waved.
Even though he was gone, Lucas and her father would forever be at war with one another. He’d been a soldier long before he went away, she realized now, constantly fighting for his right to love her. And now that he was dead, she was all that remained to defend him. And what would Lucas say to all this, to her behavior now?
He’d mock her, certainly, for spending her days with the Prince. Would he want her to be happy, or would he be jealous?
She turned to James, and the path forward. She might have to stand up to Gray to defend Lucas’ memory, but that’s all it was now – a memory. She couldn’t always be looking for him over her shoulder.
“Ready?” James said.
She smiled up at him. “Yes, let’s go,” she said, and her horse began to move forward.
End of Chapter

31-Aug-2011 02:42:30

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Chapter VIII

The troop passed another few days in peace, hiking quietly through the jungle each day. Each night Jonah guided them out to a safe, secluded place along the coast to camp. He was their leader in every way, always making sure they had food and shelter, sending scouts to hunt, watching for signs of the natives to keep them out of harm’s way, guiding them ever closer to Brimhaven. Despite having no maps, he seemed to know the way. They felt so safe in his cae, they began to forget about the natives altogether; Jonah never mentioned when he saw their tracks. They began to think this would be easy, that they could make it to Brimhaven unharmed. Lucas even began to let go of the night of the storm. He was so impressed by Jonah, who somehow managed to inspire such confidence in them while hardly ever saying a word. He began to think that maybe this whole expedition wouldn’t be so bad after all. He was actually having fun, enjoying the company of the other men, finally feeling like he belonged.
They’d been hiking for almost a week now. It was a sunny, beautiful day, and the squad had paused to eat a small lunch. They were spread out in a long line through the woods, sittling tentendedly on rocks and munching away. Lucas was hunched over, sweating from the heat, trying to satisfy the growling in his stomach with a few scraps of dried meat.
Everything was peaceful out here. He loved the jungle, despite the sweltering heat; he loved being enveloped in nature like this. He had no idea how much ground the had covered or how much further it was to Brimhaven, but it seemed like they would get there soon. The squad had gown complacent in their easy days of walking.

09-Sep-2011 22:49:09

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
And then Lucas heard a scream. He turned to find the source. Down the line, a ways behind him, one of the men clawed frantically at the arrow protruding from either side of his neck. His scream became a wheezing gasp as his windpipe filled with blood. They all watched with sick fascination. It felt like minutes to Lucas, but it couldn’t have been more than a few seconds before the soldier toppled off his rock, writhed in the dirt, and then lay still.
“Get down!” Jonah shouted, and everything burst into real time again. Lucas threw himself on the ground and drew his sword. There were a few moments of silence, and the soldiers listened to their own ragged breathing and wondered if that was it.
Then the natives materialized from the trees and descended upon them, shrieking in an unknown language. Lucas burst upright and charged at a native. They found with spears, he noted, as he struggled to get closer. The long thrusts of the spear kept him at bay * they were skilled fighters. Lucas knocked aside a blow at his stomach and rushed forward, dodging inside the range of the weapon. He stabbed the native and yanked his sword free.
Arrows whizzed by from all directions. Lucas stayed in a low crouch and sought his next opponent. He saw Sorokin nearby and struck a native aside before it could hurt his friend. He fought quickly and more smoothly than he had before in the war; he could see his training put to use. Finally, in a battle, he felt like he knew what he was doing.
“Lucas!” Sorokin yelled in his ear a few moments later. “We have to get the wounded out!”
Lucas scanned the narrow battlefield and saw a few bodies sprawled on the ground that still moved. They were being trampled by the fighting. Together the two medics fought their way to the nearest downed soldier. Lucas grabbed the man under his shoulders and began to drag him away into the trees. Sorokin appeared a minute later with Rohan, who had been stabbed in the leg.

09-Sep-2011 22:49:43

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
A native came running at them with a dagger. Lucas managed to hit his wrist after a brief struggle, forcing him to drop the weapon. Sorokin hit him from behind, and he collapsed. Lucas bent and slipped the dagger through his belt loop. Then he saw the bow and arrows on thenative’s slender body, and he snatched those up too. “Go find more. I’ll stand guard!” he told Sorokin.
Sorokin ran off as Lucas shouldered the quiver and noc*ed an arrow. From this vantage point, he could now see the battle much more clearly than when he was in the thick of it. The natives just kept pouring out of the woods as fast as the troop could kill them. While Lucas’ fellows stumbled over the rocks and roots, the nativs moved lithely between them. Better weapons and sheer determination were keeping them alive for now, but they wouldn’t last long. They’d already killed at least twenty or thirty natives, Lucas counted, and they were running out of steam.
He picked a target, a native chasing after Sorokin as he struggled to drag another body out of the fray. The arrow spun through the air and caught the native in the arm. Not a fatal would, but he fell to the ground in seconds. Lucas examined his next arrow and sniffed the tip – poison. How convenient. Sorokin appeared with the next soldier, who was no one Lucas recognized.
“Should I start treating them?”
“Not yet – just cover me. They’ll be all right.”
It was almost impossible to hear over the sounds of battle. He realized that his side was the one making the most noise – their armor and weapons clattered loudly and they screamed with every blow. The whole jungle could probably hear them fighting – hell, Brimhaven might be able to hear the commotion. Hopefully they weren’t that loud. Lucas fired a few more arrows, enjoying the way those he hit collapsed almost instantly.

09-Sep-2011 22:50:09

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