The Forgotten Field Chapter 74

etiltedhisheadslightlytooneside.

isdamagedsensesoccasionallymalfunctioned.

Waitingfortheringinginhisearstosubside,hebrushedpastthewomanandenteredthetent.

Perhapsshehadburnedherbsagainduringthenight.hediminteriorwasthickwiththebitterscentofsmoke.Mixedwithinit,however,wasanotherpeculiarfragrance,sothinglikeoverripefruitonthevergeofrotting.

twasthatstrangescentthathadbegunclingingtoherskinatsopoint.

eheldhisbreathforamontbeforeslowlyinhaling.

henhequietlycalledherna.

“alia.”

oanswerca.

Buthecouldsenseherpresence.

Steppingintothedisorderlyspacelitteredwithbowls,winebottles,anddrinkingcups,hiseyesmovedbusily.

henhestopped.

Besidethedisheveledbedlayaheapofclothes.

ecrouchedbeforealargechestplacedagainstonesideofthetent.

Carefullyliftingthelid,hesawasmallfigurecurledupinside.

Again,hisbodyreactedstrangely.

tfeltasthoughahorse'shoofhadstruckhimsquarelyinthesolarplexus.

Suppressingtheturmoilwithinhim,heplacedahandonhershoulder.

hewomanwithherheadburiedinherkneesslowlyraisedit.

Beneathsoakedeyelashesappearedpureblueeyesuntouchedbyanyimpurity.Cleartearsspreadacrossskinsotranslucentitresembledthatofacreaturedwellinginthedeepsea.

oldingherdampcheeksinhishands,hegentlystrokedherslightlyreddenedchinandtiltedherbowedheadback.

Perhapsshehadscratchedherselfsowhere.Severalthinmarksranacrossherdelicateneck.

Asheexaminedthemcarefully,acrackedvoiceergedfrombetweenblood-redlips.

“Didyou...driveawayallthemonsters?”

elookedintohereyesagain.

hedarkblueirises,subrgedasthoughbeneathwater,trembledprecariously.

eremberedthefirsttihehadseenthoseeyes.

hedayheregainedcolor.

heyhadbeenthefirstcolorhesaw.

Atthesensationofsothingtighteningdeepinhisthroat,hedrewalongbreathandrosewithhisrigidbody.

Soft,supplearmswrappednaturallyaroundhisneck.

erfaintsobsdampenedhistautskin.

“thoughttheyweretakingawayagain.”

arkastightenedhisarmsaroundher.

twon'thappenagain.

hewordsthathoveredonthetipofhistonguesankbackintohisthroat.

versincetheaccident,hefoundhimselfswallowinghiswordswheneverhestoodbeforeher.

hewordshekeptswallowingaccumulatedinsidehimlikelayersofsedint.

Frowningattheuncomfortablesensation,asthoughstoneswerecrushinghisinsides,hegentlystrokedhernarrowback,whichtrembledintermittently.

erstiffbodygraduallyrelaxedandltedsoftlyagainsthim.

egentlyliftedtheheadrestingonhisshoulderandlookedatherface.

ereyeswerealreadyclosed,asthoughexhaustionhadoverwheldher.

isthumbbrushedherdroopinggoldenlashes.Adjustingherslippingbodyinhisarms,hequicklysurveyedtheroom.

Anovercoathungfromoneofthetentpoles.

egrabbedit,wrappeditaroundherbody,andsteppedoutside.

Crossingthecampswiftly,severalmountedwarriorsdismantlingtentscastcuriouslookshisway.

epulledtherobeoverherhead.

versinceshehadbeenlessthanfivecrevetstall,thosenhadlookedatherlikestarvingwilddogs.

Andthiswoman,thoughshefearedtheireyes,sotisexposedherselfbeforethemwithouttheslightestdefense.

Asthoughshedid❖оvеl𝚒ght❖(xclusiveonоvеl𝚒ght)notcareifsheweretornapart.

oldinghertighteragainsthischest,hequickenedhispace,asthoughtryingtoshakeoffthoseunpleasantgazes.

nteringhisowntent,helaidherdownuponthebed.

erbody,whichhadbeconoticeablythinneroverthepastfewmonths,enteredhissight.

Asighroseintohisthroat.

heirritatingthingwasthatherfrailtywasleadingherbeautydownadangerouspath.

iseyesslidoverherthinneck,herslendershoulders,andherprotrudingcollarbonesbeforeturningtowardtheentrance.

heyoungpagewhohadfollowedtoattendhimwasstealingglancesather.

ishalf-deadnervessharpenedatonce.

edismissedalltheattendantsandsecuredtheentrancetightly.

twasnotaparticularlywisedecision.

hetentwassoonfilledwiththesweetscentsheexuded.

Atthestrangethirstthatfeltasthoughhisthroatwereburning,heswalloweddryly.

Roughlybrushingbackhisstill-damphair,hecastanimpatientglanceather.

hepalecheeksstainedwithdriedteartracksenteredhisvision.

Wordsshehadspatoutinterroryearsagoechoedinsidehismind.

“h-thatmansaidso.ikeanaddict...hesaidhe'dkeep...keepcomingbackfor...”

epressedhismolarslightlyintothesoftfleshinsidehischeek.

etastedfaintblood.

appinghistemplewithhisfingertips,hegrabbedthecoatlyinginthecornerofthetent.

Steppingoutside,thetallicscentofbloodfilledhislungs.

Asthoughtryingtoerasetheclingingsweetnesslingeringinsidehisthroat,heinhaleddeeply.

Bythen,Barakanhadalreadyapproachedhim,fullyarmored.

“We'vefinishedpreparations.nceyourtentispackedup,wecanleaveimdiately.Shallwedismantleitnow?”

“Anhourlater.”

Afterabriefpause,arkasspokeinasubduedvoice.

“We'llleaveaftereveryonehashadtitocatchtheirbreath.”

Anamusedsmileflickeredacrosstheman'slips.

Shrugginghisshoulders,herepliedlightly.

“Asyoucommand.”

hemanimdiatelyturnedaroundtorelaytheorderstohissubordinates.

arkassatonawaterskinrackandgazedtowardtheordenPlains,faintlyvisiblethroughthedenselypackedtrees.

Adrygustofwindscrapedroughlyacrosshischeek.

Sowherewithintheairdriftedastrangelyfamiliarscent.

Whenhadheslleditbefore?

esearchedhishazymorieswhenthedistanthowlofawolfreachedhisears.

urninghishead,helistened.

hemournfulcrystretchedoutfromtheedgeoftheforest.

erweakenedbodycouldnotendurethelongjourney,andshesufferedapersistentfever.

Staringupattheswayingceiling,aliashiftedrestlesslyandbreathedheavily.

hecarriagemovedlittlefasterthanawalkingpace,buteventhatfaintvibrationfeltliketorturetoher.

Clutchingherheadasthoughherskullweresplittingapart,aliashuthereyes.

henasharphornsoundedfromoutside.

adtheyfinallyarrived?

Sheforcedherselfuprightandpeeredthroughthewindow.

Withinherfever-blurredvisionspreadthesightofanendlessplain.

heunfamiliarlandscapemadehereyeswiden.

Adarkbluegrasslandstretchedsofaritseedtoettheskyitself.

Strongwindssweptacrossthelushfields.

peningthewindow,shecooledherburningfaceinthechillybreeze.

“hatisKalmor.”

Startledbythesuddenvoice,sheturnedherhead.

Amanridingclosebesidethecarriagehadapproachedwithouthernoticing.

Drawingnearer,heofferedherafriendlysmile.

“Mynaisyron.Wewereintroducedbefore.Doyourember?”

Keepingherlipsfirmlyshut,sherelystaredathimwithwaryeyes.

heman'ssmiledimdslightly.

Afterstudyingherforamont,hecontinuedgentlydespitethecoldreception.

“Youseemquiteunwell.”

“...”

“We'llreachaedgoCastlesoon.ookthere.Canyouseethewalls?”

epointedahead.

aliafollowedhisfinger.

Attheendofthehorizonstoodgray-brownwallsthatlookedasthoughtheyhadbeenmoldedfromashandsand.

eaningfartheroutthewindowforabetterlook,shestudiedthem.

aedgoCastleappearedasthoughithadbeenconstructedbypilingtogethercolossalrocks.

hickouterwallsdevoidofdecorationcompletelysurroundedthefootofahill.

Abovethemrosecountlesskeepsandtowersmadeentirelyofstraightlines.

Unconsciously,shewrappedahandaroundthebackofherneck.

Wasitbecausetheplacewhereshewouldspendtherestofherlifelookedsounbearablydesolate?

Achillcreptupherspine.