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Great Writing - Home > Extended > Unfinished tale: Chapter Three (Part One)
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Extended Work
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| Unfinished tale: Chapter Three (Part One) | |
| By ellipinnock | ||||||||
| 06 September 2006 | ||||||||
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Hel-nar awakes from her dream of the previous chapter and the pair take their first steps to finding the ranger. Enjoy The perimeter walls of Nathar stretch up towards the heavens, impossibly tall and seemingly too slender to support themselves. They have stood for a thousand years, witnessing the rise and fall of Gods, empires, civilisations, men and women. Now they bear witness to the birth of an uprising, the hope that a new age may dawn, bringing more joy and less sorrow than the one before. This is, as yet, a dream, however, and life goes on. seemingly as normal. Jaris had taken Hel-nar to a small house on the edge of the city where she woke just before dawn, the Dream leaving her in ragged tatters, receding fast to leave only fear behind. Jaris sat and watched her groping at shadows beyond his sight and then gently reached out to nudge her awake. She blinked, eyes rolling, tongue lolling, gasping for breath, 'Oh. Jaris. I was so scared. I had another Dream. From Ben-Leret again. I think. They were hunting him. Like an animal. Just a little boy. Hunted in the dark. I could feel it...the terror...and the loneliness...' 'Hush now,' Jaris held her as sobs wracked her body, 'We knew this would be anything but easy love. I know you thought we had left Ben-Leret in the past...We can still do that, if that's what you want. You don't have to be involved in this, no-one would ask that of you or think less of you.' 'I cannot escape the Dreams Jaris, you know that. Wherever I go, whatever I do, they will follow me. I cannot escape this nor deal with the consequences of stepping aside. But...I'm so frightened. Promise me I won't have to do this alone' 'Hey, hush now, I'm not going anywhere in a hurry. We'll do this together, I promise. Now, how are you feeling?' 'Like a bear trod on my head!' 'Well enough to get up?' 'I suppose...where are we going?' 'To solve this little mystery of yours if we can. The underground movement has many contacts, maybe we can find some help there.' 'Are you sure you want to involve them in this? Surely it's our quest?' 'Hel-nar, the true people have been waiting for their freedom for so long now. So many rules, restrictions on our behaviour, where we can go, who we can meet, how many of us can meet at one time. This may be a chance for our salvation, we must grab it with both hands. Of course we must tell them. I'll let you get ready, we leave as soon as you're ready.' The dingy, dilapidated warehouse on the edge of the slums of Nathar suited Talon perfectly. It enabled him to carry out some of his less than honest dealings without fear of scrutiny and allowed him to deal with the true people and yet avoid reprisal. Talon made some of his living as an information broker, tracing people, things, conversations, ideas. It was not unknown for him to aid mutual enemies in finding each other or to deal both sides into the middle; this made dealings with him somewhat precarious and security impossible to assure. Still, Jaris and Hel-nar were desperate and, having spent the day trawling more reputable sources for information about the ranger without luck, they found themselves outside his door. Jaris hammered on the door with fists wrapped in cloth, 'Talon. Talon. Come out you grimy bastard. In know you're in there, I can smell you. So get your carcass out here right now.' There was silence for a minute and then the door crept open, just a touch and a nose peeped out, long and grimy, protruding hair and an indescribable odour. The nose was followed shortly by a face that could only be described as rustic. Talon grinned showing rotting gums and his one remaining tooth (which he was particularly proud of and cleaned assiduously), ' 'Ello, pets. Is bin a long time since ol' Talon saw the likes of yer roun' 'ere? wha' can I do for yer?' Jaris and Hel-nar recoiled initially at the stench then composed themselves and stepped forward, Jaris inserting a foot in the door, 'I think you'd better let us come in you old scoundrel. At least then we can find out for ourselves who's listening on the other side of that door.' There was a scuffling and the sound of muffled cursing. Talon beamed, 'I dunno wha' yer on 'bout, pet. Come in then, it sure 'ent good for my reputation to have the likes of you standin' on me front doorstep.' 'The likes of us...' 'Hush Hel-nar, just get inside' Jaris stifled her and thrust her through the doorway before Talon could close it on them. 'Now, what do you know about the ranger?' Stunned silence permeated the room. Talon scratched his nose reflectively leaving red weals in the grime, 'Can' say as I've 'eard of no 'ranger'. Come to the wrong place you 'ave pet. Never min', better luck nex' time.' He shuffled towards the door before Jaris caught him and dragged him back to the table by the collar of his faded velvet coat, 'Don't try that. You're the best there is at finding out things you shouldn't. I'd wager my house you know something that could help us. Otherwise the authorities might here that you've been entertaining true people. Which is, I believe, against several regulations...' 'You dun even 'ave an 'ouse' sniffed Talon, 'I knows all 'bout you folk you see. All that sharin', t'ain't good for nobody.' 'Stop whinging and tell us what you know and we'll begone' extorted Jaris, a hint of exasperation creeping into his voice. Hel-nar also stirred from her seat in the corner, 'Please Talon. I can't stand the Dreams much longer, you have to help us, please!' 'So yer 'avin' dreams are yer? Well that's a piece of information I might trade for summat worthwhile. Ver' well, head North, into the Mountains, you know the path to tak' I takes it?' Nods from the silent pair. 'Well yer'll find a hermit what lives at the top of the first mountain. He'll tell yer more. I can' say nuffin else, t'ain't worth my skin.' 'We thank you Talon, we will remember this kindness.' Hel-nar bowed gracefully and they left the warehouse, slowly retracing their steps to the sound of muttering in the distance, 'Kindness. pah, I'll never live that down. S'not kindness, jus' wanted 'em gone, right?'
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