Heed My Warnings and Survive (Second Draft)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Finley was right about it only taking a few days to reach the castletown, which was good considering time was not on my side. Once I reached the town, I made my way swiftly to Phonwhin, and Coan’s house. I knocked on the door urgently. It was late at night, and I needed my knock to be heard through the deep vail of sleep.

The door opened shortly after, and Coan came into view.

“Draven?” he asked, sounding confused, as well as tired. I nodded.

“May I enter?” I asked. He stepped out of the way.

“Of course. What are you doing here? And where are Finley, and Kiara?” I held my hand up.

“One question at a time if you will,” I said. He nodded.

“Come sit.” We went to the dining table, and sat across from each other. “Now I’ll start with the most pressing question. Where are Kiara, and Finley?” I clasped my hands together on the table, and took a deep breath.

“Our village was attacked by raiders. They took Kiara, and Finley is tracking them. As for what I’m doing here, well I’ve come for yours, and Phonwhin’s aid, I thought perhaps you would be able to track better then Finley, and I, and it wouldn’t hurt to have a few more arms whilst we free her,” I explained. Coan Rubbed his forehead.

“Give me a moment. I’ll go wake Whin, and you can tell her about this.” he got up, and left the room. Returning a few moments later with Phonwhin by his side.

“Draven?” She asked. I gave her a small smile. “What are you doing here?” I explained quickly my reason for coming. She put a hand over her mouth. “Well of course we have to go.” Coan gave her a look.

“Whin. you can’t go,” He said. Putting a hand on her shoulder. It was then that I noticed her slightly swollen belly. I gasped.

“Phonwhin, are you Pregnant?” I asked. She smiled, and nodded, and for a moment all my worry, and dread was replaced by joy. “That’s amazing. I’m so happy for you both.” I hugged them tightly. Then the dread returned. “But of course, that means you can’t help us,” I said, sitting back down, and placing my head in my hands. Phonwhin placed her hands on my shoulder, and tilted my chin up, and despite her not yet having a child, her smile was the most motherly I had seen since I was a small boy.

“Don’t be disappointed, Coan will go with you,” She said reassuringly. Coan stepped forward.

“Are you sure Whin? You’ll be ok without me?” he asked. Phonwhin nodded. Coan smiled, and kissed her cheek.

“I’ll go prepare my things then,” He said exiting the room.

It took him no more than ten minutes to gather everything he needed, and after kissing Phonwhin goodbye he was ready.

“Wait. I know someone else we can ask. Wait here. I’ll fetch him,” Coan said.

“Who is it?” I asked.

“Best tracker in the kingdom, he’ll help us.” Coan left me for nearly an hour, and when he returned the soldier named Balor was with him.

“Wait him? He arrested me,” I said indignantly.

“You,” Balor growled, drawing his sword.

“Now now gentlemen. You need each other’s aid. Balor Kiara is in trouble, and this man is in love with her, and would do anything to get her back, so please let’s not fight,” Coan said. Balor sighed, and sheathed his sword.

“A truce then boy,” He said, still in a low growling tone. I stood up straight, and nodded.

It was nice to travel with Coan again, it felt safer then with Finley, and Kiara, since he had done this many times before, however having Balor there lessened the sense of safety a

It took only a few days for us to pick up on Finley’s trail, and after that dread weighed a little less heavy on my heart.

We were sitting next to a small fire when Coan asked me how long I’d been searching for Kiara.

“Ten days. I can’t imagine what’s happening to her.” I sighed, sorrow filled my heart, and tears pricked the corners of my eyes. “I miss her so much.”

“We’ll find her. Whatever it takes,” Coan said.

“Even if that means sacrificing your hide,” Balor put in, giving me a dirty look. I resisted rolling my eyes at him with great effort, and satisfied myself with a glare.

“I would gladly sacrifice myself for her,” I said, giving him an exaggerated smile. He rolled his eyes, and I turned away.

“Don’t let him get on your nerves, he’s only worried,” Coan said in a low tone. I scoffed.

“Yes, and he hates me,” I said. Coan shook his head.

“Balor doesn’t hate people unless he has reason.” I furrowed my eyebrows, and nodded.

“Coan I escaped prison, I’m a fugitive,” I said. Coan pressed his lips together.

“Ahh yes, that did happen,” He said. I sat back, and sighed, running my fingers through my hair. I glanced at Balor, making sure he was sleeping. Once I was sure he was, I looked back at Coan.

“I was going to ask for her hand, Coan,” I said. Coan raised his eyebrows, and smiled.

“Well then, we rescue her, get you a place to live, and you’ll live happily.” I scoffed.

“If we rescue her,” I corrected. Coan gave me a look.

“When,” Coan insisted. Balor sat up.

“When we rescue her, she’s coming back to the castle with me, where she belongs. I jumped, silently cursing Balor for not being asleep.

“She doesn’t want to live in the castle, and if anyone would listen to what she has to say, they would all know why, but since everyone ignores her, her last resort is to run away,” I told him harshly.

“Who are you to say what’s best for the princess? Who are you to tell me what the girl I’ve practically raised wants?”

“Who am I? I’m the man who intends to marry her weather or not she’s a princess, and having no loyalty to the king, I can run from soldiers with her to avoid her getting forced back to the castle,”

“Or perhaps you’re the man to marry her for the riches of the kingdom, and pay her no heed otherwise.” I scoffed. My face was beginning to heat.

“If I were the man you just described, then why would I be risking my life to encounter a man I hate with every bone in my body to make sure she’s safe? Why would I have come to the castletown to get aid, and agree to a truce with you if all I wanted was her gold?”

“To fool everyone else. To pretend to love her. To make people believe your lie.” I stood swiftly, as did he.

“If all I cared for was treasure then I wouldn’t risk my life for it,” I said venomously, my blood was boiling. Why couldn’t he see that my intentions were good?

“I’m sure you would.” I clenched my fist, and groaned.

“Listen, I have lost my sister, my mother, and my closest friend, I am not going to Lose the woman I love, and there is nothing that you can do to change that,” I said, in a low deadly voice. Balor looked as though he was going to say something else, but Coan stepped between us.

“Let’s not focus on how much we hate each other, and focus on the task at hand. Now if we’re not gonna sleep. Let’s look for our lost friend,” He said glaring at the both of us. I folded my arms, and nodded.

We searched through the night, and most of the morning before finding Finley’s first mark, an F roughly carved in the tree bark, and an arrow above it, telling us which direction to go in.

“Ha. He was here,” I said triumphantly, scratching out the mark once I had seen it.

“What are you doing that for?” Coan asked.

“So no one with bad intentions can follow us,” I said, moving forward. We didn’t stop following the marks until we reached one that was different then the others. It was a C carved into this one, and a tent underneath, with an arrow pointing forward.

“He found the camp,” I said. I went forward, and just ahead we saw the light of fires, and heard the yelling of Devin. As we got closer, we began to hear what he was upset about

“Where could she have gone if she didn’t escape?” He was yelling at one of his guards. The guard said something I couldn’t hear.

“She must have had help, she was too broken to escape on her own.” Panic flooded my chest. I stepped back, putting a hand to my mouth, breathing rapidly.

“Calm yourself lad. She escaped,” Coan whispered reassuring me. I took a few deep breaths, and nodded, the panic not leaving me for a moment.

“Find her. I want her back here alive, and I want the head of whoever helped her escape,” Devin said, dismissing his guards. “Don’t worry, mistress, we shall get Kiara back, and you’ll have the souls of those you were promised,” he said. A silky beautiful laugh came from someone we couldn’t see, but I knew it had to be her. The witch Zander had made his deal with. The one they called soul keeper. We backed up, and unfortunately for us we backed right into two patrolman, and before we could even think about turning back, they knocked us unconscious, and I was unaware of what happened for the next few hours.

I was woken a few hours later by a hard kick to my stomach. I grunted, and curled up, in order to protect some of my body.

“Wake up brat,” I heard a gruff voice say, before feeling another kick, this time to my side. I grunted again.

“I am awake,” I said, opening my eyes, and looking up at the man. He was big, muscular, scared, the little hair he had was cut messily, close to his scalp, and he had a thick long beard. He sneered at me.

“Devin.” the man called. The tent flap opened, and in walked an annoyed looking Devin.

“What?” He asked, his voice made my brain hurt.

“He’s awake,” the gruff man said, gesturing at me. I looked Devin in the eyes, and for a moment I forgot there was a guard in there, and I ran at Devin, only to be caught, and thrown roughly to the ground. I held in a groan as I landed. I would not give Devin that satisfaction.

“Bind him,” Devin said, an obvious fear in his voice. The burly man complied, tying my hand tightly behind my back, I kept a placid look on my face, not wanting to contort it for Devin’s amusement.

“You’re not very fun. Perhaps we’ll get something out of you.” I chuckled.

“As if I’d ever give you that satisfaction,” I said in a low tone. Devin made a quick twirling gesture, and I was kicked again, and the blows kept coming, to my stomach, chest, legs, back, arms, and face, until every inch was battered, and bruised, and I had coughed up blood. My body was screaming in pain, and I was just barely holding in tears, and screams. At some point Devin must have decided I had had enough, and he, and his goon left me alone in the tent. I sat up slowly with a grunt, my body was screaming at me. During the beating I had managed to halfway wriggle my hand out of the rope, despite it being tight, it was a rubbish knot, and came undone fairly quickly. Once my hands were free, I assessed the wounds that were littering my body.

“Alright, no broken bones, a lot of bruises forming, a split lip, and a pounding headache,” I mumbled to myself. My body was already beginning the healing process, which unfortunately meant my energy was beginning to drain. I sighed, and leaned up against the center tent pole, and closed my eyes, my breath growing shallower, and shallower, but before I could slip into the blissfulness of sleep, the tent flap ruffled, and my eyes shot open, but it was only Coan, and Balor being forced into the tent, my eyelids drooped once more.

“Tuliana’s ghost Draven. What did they do to you,” Coan said, coming over to me.

“What? They didn’t tie you guys up?” I said weakly. Coan shook his head,

“No, we needed to find you somehow before we left, and that weasel Devin threatened us with harm to you if we fought back,” He explained to me.

“Aww Balor held off fighting for me? How sweet,”

“I don’t care what you’ve done, but no man deserves to suffer,” Balor said, in a cold tone, “and don’t mistake it for good opinion on your behalf.” I nodded,

“Whatever you say,”

“Enough about that, let me look at you,” Coan said.

“No, I already assessed all my wounds. No bones broken.” I winced as I repositioned.

“Oh that one might be broken,” I said as a sharp pain ran through my side.

“But other than that, just a few bruises, and a split lip.” Coan felt my side where my hand had shot after the initial burst of pain.

“It’s only cracked, not broken. If I could find your supplies I’d wrap it for you, but I don’t believe that’ll be a possibility at this present moment,”

“How do you know how to wrap cracked ribs?” I asked. Even raising my eyebrow hurt.

“I’m a field soldier, we’re taught basic medical skills before we’re allowed to go into battle.” I nodded, and fortunately the kicks never reached my neck, so that was one thing I could do with ease.

“Well we gotta get out of here,” I said. Coan shook his head.

“You’re not strong enough Draven, we can’t leave until you can walk,” He said.

“I can walk, I can def-” I winced as I tried to stand. “Nope, can’t walk, definitely can’t walk,” I said, sitting back down.

“So what do we do? We can’t just wait here for Devin to come back for round two,” Balor put in. Coan stood.

“Then I offer myself as a meat sack instead of him, and he doesn’t agree,”

“No no no, I’m not gonna let you do that, furthermore we’d have to wait for you to heal as well, which we definitely don’t have time for,” I said. Coan sighed.

“True. perhaps if he believes we’re dead,” Coan said.

“How would we do that?” I asked. Balor pulled a knife from his boot.

“We could create enough blood to make them believe we’ve been killed, and once they throw our bodies out, we run,” Balor said.

“But Dravin can’t walk,” Coan put in.

“I can with help,” I said. Coan nodded.

“Alright then. This is gonna hurt.”

When Coan, and Balor finished with the knife, they smeared the blood around they’re faces, arms, torso’s, and legs, making the bleeding look much more severe than it really was.

“Careful. Do not let those cuts get to dirty, they might get infected, and that could actually kill you,”

“That’s the least of our worries,” Balor said. I rolled my eyes. We came to the conclusion that I looked beat up enough to have died from that, so the three of us laid on the ground, feigning death. Waiting for someone to find our “dead” bodies.

An hour or so passed before Devin came back. He cursed Tuliana when he saw our supposedly dead bodies. He called a guard in.

“Did you do this?” He said, growling at the man. The man must have done something that Devin didn’t like, seeing as how the next thing I heard was a sword being drawn, and impaled into a human body. The man grunted, and gurgled, then fell to the ground. Devin yelled, and began ransacking the tent, throwing a tantrum like a child of three years old. He kicked us multiple times I assume to check if we were dead, or perhaps just out of anger, the kicks were very hard.

After a while of screaming, and throwing things, he left, and yelled for his men to take care of us. We were dragged out a fair distance away from the camp, and left to rot. Once we were sure they were gone. We opened our eyes, and sat up.

“Ow,” I said. Coan chuckled,

“I believed we underestimated the courtesy those men would give us,” he said. I chuckled as well, but stopped quickly when I realized that hurt too.

“Let’s just get out of here, and find Kiara,” Balor said. Coan and I nodded. Coan helped me stand, and walk.

It didn’t take us too long to find Finley’s first symbol, and it was easy to find our way to the small village just a few days later. We entered the village, there was no inn so we looked for some sort of public building, or something, but we couldn’t find anything, so Balor decided to ask around, while Coan went to get medical supplies for me. Balor returned first, and said no one had seen them.

“Finley’s trail led us right here,” I said frustratedly, pounding my fist on the ground. Balor grunted.

“I’ll go have another look,” He said. Getting up, and leaving me alone once again.

I wasn’t alone long however due to Coan arriving back with bandages.

“How are you holding up?” He asked. I scoffed.

“Not good. Balor was just here, he said no one has seen them,” I told him. Coan’s let out a curse.

“I’m so sorry Draven. But it’s alright. We’ll find them. Where did Balor go?”

“He went to have another look around.” Coan nodded.

“Well then let’s focus on those ribs of yours,” He said, taking from his newly bought bag, a roll of bandages. I nodded, and removed my shirt, letting him wrap my ribcage tightly. I grunted as he knotted it when he was done. “Sorry. Too tight?” I shook my head.

“No, just unexpected.” Coan chuckled.

“I got you a new set of clothes as well.” I thanked him, and he helped me change, since there still wasn’t much I couldn’t do much without help. Shortly after, Balor returned.

“A young woman said they passed through here. They told her they were going to the castletown,” he said.

“Then that’s where we should be headed,” I said, attempting to stand, but I grunted and fell back, which hurt more than standing.

“One more night of rest, then we’ll go. I’m sure if they’re in the castletown, they’ll go to my place of residence,” Coan said. I sighed, and nodded. Perhaps tomorrow I could walk on my own