Chapter 7

The Hunger

We found ourselves back in the crowd that we had come from what seemed like so long ago. We went to find our followers as you might call them; we found them right were we left them.
“What took you so long? I’m so hungry. Let’s go find somewhere to eat.” Torin said as we walked up to them.
What a great welcome. Eldon thought to me
I know, his manures have improved. I joke back
What should we tell them? He asked
“We got lost.” I lied “That’s a good idea. I am getting that empty feeling inside as well.” I tried to change the subject.
“You got lost…how?” Torin asked with a strange voice.
“The same way that everyone else does.”
“I see, are we going to go eat or are we just going to just stand here?”
“I thought that we could stand around for awhile, just talk, you know.” Eldon said sarcastically.
“You know that doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” Rostlyn said from behind me. Everyone laughed except Torin.
“We can’t stay here for very long, if they find that I am not at my post there will be hell to pay.” Abby said looking from Eldon to me.
“I understand. We will go and get a quick bit to eat then leave.” I told her as we turned in the direction of the tavern. (Where else?)
As we enter and sit down at a table I notice that there are only five beings at the table instead of the six of us now that Abby has joined us. Eldon must have noticed to because he had on the same puzzled expression on his face. It is Rostlyn is missing. Where could he be, he had left long before we had, he should have been here by now. I even remember seeing him in town. He was standing next to Abby. So where is he now? This really puzzled me, but I let it go thinking that he could, after all, take care of himself.
Suddenly I was interrupted a voice asking: “So what did you talk to the man about Alana?”
“What?” I asked looking around trying to place the voice.
“I asked what you talked about with the man that you went to see.” Torin answered as I looked at him.
I saw Eldon give him a look of aversion, he didn’t like people prying into business that is not their own.
“Oh nothing that you would be interested in hearing about.” I said with a smile. As I said this Rostlyn walked up behind me and put his hand upon my shoulder. It made me jump, I was not expecting it. I also did not know who it was until Torin jumped up to give him a piece of his mind. I grabbed Torin before he could do any damage, not thinking.
“Sit down.” I scolded.
As I said that the waiter came up to take our order. He looked vaguely familiar. His dark eyes looked from one of us to another. He was tall. He looked to be part reptile. When he looked at me a second time he said: “Lady Al…”
“Sorry you have the wrong person.” I cut him off before he could finish. It was then that I recognized him. He was a servant at our castle. He had one day vanished and was never seen again. He walked away puzzled. After a few moments of silence Abby’s voice rang out.
“That’s where I have seen you before. You...”
“Abby may I talk to you outside a minute please?” I asked.
“Fine if you must.” She answered.
We walked outside the tavern and the waiter followed. “I know that you know who I am.” I said looking at the waiter who we called Hadrin. “But who do you think I am?” I asked looking at Abby.
“You and your brother are Lord and Lady LaCombe. You went missing a little over a week ago. Your pictures have been sent out to all the towns that they can possibly reach. You are the people that I was to watch out for.” She answered in a strange voice, that of a scared child. “There is even a reward on your safe return.”
“There is, how much?” I asked as Eldon walked out of the tavern.
“500 gold pieces.” She answered.
“What’s going on out here?” Eldon asked
“There is a price on our safe return, 500 gold pieces. Mother and Father have sent out pictures of us to all the towns that they can reach.” I answered with a grin. “You know what that means don’t you?”
“Yes. I know what that means. It means they will find us sooner then we want to go home.” He said. This made my grin fade away. I really had not put that much thought into it.
“I was thinking of something else but this is true. We mustn’t stay here. We have to leave as soon as we can.”
I looked at Hadrin. “You must tell no one that you saw us. That goes the same for you too, Abby. You must swear on your graves that you will not tell a soul.” They both agreed and we headed back inside.
What are we going to do about this? I thought to Eldon as we walked into the tavern.
I don’t know yet, but I will come up with something. He replied with a confused look on his face. I don’t like that there are this many people that know who we are. I don’t know that I can trust them to keep their moths shut.
We will just have to keep a close eye on Abby, but what will we do about Hadrin? We can’t take him with us as well; there are already too many people with us. I thought as I sat down at the table.
I will do what I must.
What is that supposed to mean?
Don’t worry about it. I will take care of it.
I don’t think that we will have to worry about Rostlyn, so you?
No he has been with us this long knowing, I don’t think that he would turn on us now. Besides we know more about him now to.
“Where are we going to go next?” Rostlyn said a few moments after Eldon and I sat down.
“Wherever the road takes us.” I said quickly trying to get back to my conversation with Eldon. This is not going how I had planed it to.
Nor is it for me, but we must go along with it. There is not turning back now.
Even if there was an opportunity to would I take it.
Nor me.
“Alana, what do you think?” I heard Quentin ask.
“About what?” I asked in return.
“Haven’t you been listening? I asked if anyone knows where we will end up.”
“Oh, hopefully far away.”
“Why are you running from something?” Abby asked with a slight grin on her face.
“No, I just want to find adventure, and the type of adventure that I want to find is not around here.”
“I see, and what kind is that?”
“The kind that is unexplainable, one that no words would be able to express.”
Nice one, what are you trying to do? Eldon came into my head.
“Wow, you never mentioned that before.” Torin said.
“If you were listening to anything that I said you would know that I have said it many times.” I said. That is all that I could come up with on the spot.
“What are you talking about, I listen to you plenty.” He said and al could tell that the alcohol had set in.
So is that the reason that we left, to find adventure? Eldon questioned.
“I am not going to start to argue with you it is a waste of my time.” My temper was starting to show. What do you want me to tell them the real reason that we are here, that we are looking for our brother who disappeared about 3 decades ago?
I just think that you could have come up with something better.
“I am a waste of your time?” Torin came back.
“No arguing with you is.”
That went over really well. Eldon thought.
I thought that this conversation was over with. It is really hard to participate in two conversations at once.
Well if anyone could do it, it would be you.
You are so not funny. I thought with sarcasm
I am you just don’t thin so because you know that it is true.
I know the truth hurts. I thought ending the conversation.
After we ate we left, we had little time until dark fell upon us. Torin was still riding with me. Abby was on Torin’s horse with Rostlyn. I could tell that she took a fancy to him. He was after all very handsome. Well, to her at least. I could not admit that I took fancy in him out loud, well once you get past the paws and claws and those horrid teeth. She had not seen him as his real self yet, and it was not my place to tell her.
She had brought a horse of her own but she had put her baggage on it. There was no room for her because she brought too much stuff, so Rostlyn pulled her onto Torin’s horse. The horse was white with a black strip running down its nose. I would have ridden with her but if I put Torin and Rostlyn on the same horse we would never hear the end of it.
We set up camp a short time later. The sky had no stars in it so I knew that rain was on its way. Sure enough before the sun came up the next morning the rain was falling. It came in like it was on the wings of a huge bird. It poured down on the tent like arrows.
None of us wanted to leave the tent but we know that we had to get to the next town as soon as possible. The rain did not let up. It came in sheets that stung when it hit you. I even brought the horses into the tent.
“How long are we going to have to stay here?” Asked Torin, “I’m hungry. I haven’t eaten since last night.”
“Fine you want to go get food. Be my guest.” I answered.
“If I do go will you come with me?” He asked, his voice quiet.
“Fine I will go with you. But I will not stay out there for long.” I told him with a stern voice, almost like I was warning him. “It is very unlikely that you will find anything in this weather.”
I love the rain; it is very calming to me. When I was very little I would sneak out of the castle to go play in the rain. Sometimes I would even get Eldon to go out with me. But I knew he would not come with me this time.
We got up to leave and were almost to the door of the tent when Eldon asked: “Where are you two going in this weather?”
“Torin is hungry so we are going to get something to eat. We will try to find a lizard or something.” I said
“Fine just be careful. Why not take Rostlyn along?” He asked.
“Because there is only room for two on a horse. I think that he should stay here so that you can watch him very closely.” Eldon gave me a smile. The first that I had seen in a long time.
“We will be back as soon as we find something.” I yelled as the horse dashed forward. Then said just before we were out of earshot, “Take my dragon out and get him use to people.”
“Alright, I will see to it.” He yelled at the top of his lungs.
When we were out of sight I slowed the horse down a little. It was good to get away from the rest of the people. I was finally as alone as I was going to be for some time. Even though the rain poured down upon us I felt soothed and comforted. There is a strange feeling that I get every time that it rains, it is that of someone watching over me. It seems as though there is someone that is there with me and they are trying to sooth and comfort me in whatever way that they can. There is really no other way to try to explain this feeling.
But this feeling was not exactly long lived, as I looked at the sight in front of us my happiness faded. Torin saw it to. He put his arm around me as he had done many times before. Though him arms were warm and soothing even in this weather, they did not make me feel any safer this time.