Post by Meluivan Indil on Feb 16, 2006 22:22:59 GMT -5
Author’s Note: I should point out that this world they are living in is something totally created in my mind, so if you see something that seems out of place, it is just how it turned out in my mind.
Chapter 2
Things were not working as he had planned. Destin stood in front of yet another Metal Crafting shop after being turned down yet again for an apprenticeship. It had been two weeks since they had settled in and he was having no luck with finding either an apprenticeship or even a manual labor job. He knew he would have to find a regular job after hours so he could support he and his mother, but as of yet nothing had come of his search.
His mother had surprised him by announcing a week before that she had found a job, keeping house for one of the local wealthy merchants. He was worried about her health though. The money she would make would help them to survive, but what if the extra work caused her to have one of her spells? He wondered if she had even warned the merchant or his wife that she suffered from poor health. Would they know what to do if she was to suddenly stop breathing? He knew he must find work as soon as possible for her sake. She had run out of her medicine two days before and they did not have the money to pay for more yet.
He decided he would stop by the merchant’s house in hopes of seeing his mother for a few minutes and possibly speaking to the merchant about the possibility of a job. At that moment he would muck out twenty stables to be able to buy that medicine for his mother.
As he approached the large house that belonged to the merchant a feeling of apprehension stole over him. He could see that the front gate and door leading into the home were both standing wide open. As he drew closer he could see a man coming from the other direction at a dead run. The man was dressed as a healer. The healer arrived at the gate a moment before him and he entered the front door right behind him. Destin was shocked to see his mother lying on the parlor floor turning a shade of blue gasping for breath.
The merchant’s wife was standing to the side wringing her hands in worry. “Does anyone know what brought this on?” the healer asked kneeling beside her.
Destin was on the floor next to him within seconds. “She has problems breathing. Her lungs were damaged in a fire many years ago.”
“Who are you?” the merchant’s wife asked staring down at Destin.
“I am her son. I was on my way here to see her when I saw the healer arriving,” Destin answered.
“I would have never let my husband hire her if I had known there was something wrong with her.” The woman said haughtily.
“Normally she’s fine. But the medicine she received from the healer where we used to live ran out two days ago,” Destin explained to the healer, ignoring the hysterical woman.
“I know what medicine you speak of,” the healer said looking at Destin. “I’m assuming you could not pay for it.”
Destin felt the anger burn in his cheeks. His mother was lying there suffering, possibly dying and this man was thinking only of payment. “Do you have any?” he said gritting his teeth, attempting to control his anger.
“Yes,” the healer said staring at Destin without attempting to help Annalise.
“Give it to her, and I will get you the money.” Destin said in a demanding tone.
The healer stared from the boy to his mother making up his mind. “I will give her a dose now, but if you want any more you must bring me payment first.”
Destin wanted to hit the man more than anything, but he was the only one who could help his mother at that moment. “I’ll get it.”
The healer nodded and opened a small pouch that was tied around his neck and finally pulled out a jar containing a greenish paste. He measured out a small amount and placed it in Annalise’s mouth. Destin was not sure what was in the paste, but he knew it would soon bring his mother out of the attack she was suffering through. Her lips had begun to turn blue from the lack of breathing as she gasped trying to bring in enough air to survive.
The healer did not wait to see if the medicine would work, and the merchant’s wife demanded that they leave as soon as his mother was able to stand. Destin wrapped his arm around his mother’s tiny waist and she leaned upon him as they walked home.
“I’m sorry, Destin,” she whispered as they rounded the last corner leading to their home.
“Don’t speak, Mother. At least not until you are at home and in bed. You need your strength,” he said placing one hand over her veil in a shushing motion. This is not your fault. I will get your medicine, and I promise you will never suffer through this again.”
That night Destin sat at the only table in their one room shack listening as his mother cried herself to sleep. He looked around at the pitiful excuse for a home they had ended up in. “This is where my foolish dreams have brought us,” he whispered, knowing by the sound of her breathing that his mother had finally fallen asleep. He then laid his head on his arms that were folded on the table as the tears of guilt and bitterness overcame him. “I’m sorry, Mother.”
Why had he not just been content with being a blacksmith back in Kelsey? They had been poor in Kelsey, but had always managed to stay ahead, and his mother had always had her medicine. And how was he to get her medicine now?
Annalise woke the next day feeling as if her breathing was extremely constricted. The attack she had suffered the day before had deeply affected her breathing, and she was positive that the healer had not given her enough of the medicine to truly help her. As she sat up she noticed that the cottage was eerily quiet and Destin was nowhere to be seen.
As the day progressed she felt no better, and the absence of her son bothered her more than she would have liked to admit. Normally he would not leave her for at least a day after one of her attacks, but she realized that he must be even more determined to find a job now than ever.
But as the night progressed and Destin did not come back Annalise began to panic. It was far past midnight when she finally decided she must find him. She decided that the best place to look would be the local Magistrate’s office. If any harm had fallen her son, it was the best chance of finding out quickly.
As she stepped into the Magistrate’s office she was not surprised to see one of the Magistrate’s men asleep in a chair. She hated to wake the man but it could not be helped. “Excuse me, sir,” she said tapping his shoulder.
He shook violently and nearly fell from the chair, but was surprisingly able to hold his balance. He looked up at her and she could see the surprise at first but then he came to his senses. “What do you need, M’lady?”
“I’m sorry to disturb you, sir, but my son has gone missing,” Annalise explained.
The man scowled at her. “M’lady. I’m sorry but we have greater problems in this city than your errant child.”
Annalise was shocked to hear such a rough reply. “Sir, my son is not errant. He is very responsible, and was out looking for a job and never came back.”
“May I suggest you look to the nearest tavern?” he said leaning back as if he would fall asleep again.
Annalise wanted to slap the rude guard, but knew if she was to garner any information from him she must keep her cool. “Please, Sir. Can you at least tell me if there were any disturbances earlier today? Any …deaths?” she asked swallowing hard feeling her breathing become more constricted knowing it had nothing to do with her condition.
The man looked at her and could see the fear in her eyes. He shook his head from side to side in answer. “No deaths to day, M’lady,” he answered and could see that she breathed a sigh of relief. “Today has been a slow day. Just a couple of drunks and a thief,” he assured her.
“Well I know my son. He does not drink, and he is certainly no thief, so I will leave you to your work. Thank you for your help,” Annalise said beginning to turn around to leave.
At that moment another guard entered through the closed door, which she assumed led to the holding cells. “I tell you, for a short one, that boy is quite a handful,” the guard said before he noticed Annalise. His words made her freeze.
“I’m sorry sir did you say that one of your prisoners was a boy who was quite short in stature?” She asked when he finally noticed her standing there.
“Yes, M’lady. The thief we brought in earlier,” he answered.
“Tell me does he have eyes and hair the same color as mine?” she asked touching her golden hair.
“Well that’s hard to say, M’lady. I didn’t take a good look at his eyes and by the time we caught him he had rolled around in the dirt enough that his hair is a mess. But I guess it could be the same as yours,” the guard answered.
“May I see him?” she said just loud enough for him to hear her.
“Now, I don’t know if a lady such as yourself should be back there with the likes of them.” The second guard said, but then the first waved him off.
“Sir, I must see.” Annalise knew what she would see as she entered the holding area. This is the reason she had felt horrible all day.
Her worst fears were confirmed as she entered the cell. She could see the drunken men passed out in the corners of the holding cell but standing next to the window was Destin. His cloths were ripped in places and his hair was filthy with dirt, and she could see bruises and scrapes on his face and arms. He turned towards the door scraping open and his eyes widened when he saw her standing there. “Mother, but how did you …?” he asked in bewilderment.
“Destin, what happened?” she asked moving closer to him. The holding cell was little more than an open room with straw in the corners.
“I’m sorry, M’lady, but his is a prisoner,” the guard said placing one hand on her arm.
“You shouldn’t be here, Mother,” Destin said turning back towards the window. “Go home. Go back to Kelsey. There is nothing in this city for you. It was my mistake to come here. I will be the one to pay.”
“Destin, whatever the penalty is I will stand by you. I know why you did what you did,” Annalise insisted.
“Mother, they don’t fine or jail thieves in Halcion. They don’t even cut off their hands,” Destin said quietly.
Annalise turned to the guard with a questioning look. He looked away not able to face the piercing stare she bestowed upon him. She turned back to Destin in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“They hang thieves in Halcion,” was his whispered reply.
Chapter 2
The Sacrifice
Things were not working as he had planned. Destin stood in front of yet another Metal Crafting shop after being turned down yet again for an apprenticeship. It had been two weeks since they had settled in and he was having no luck with finding either an apprenticeship or even a manual labor job. He knew he would have to find a regular job after hours so he could support he and his mother, but as of yet nothing had come of his search.
His mother had surprised him by announcing a week before that she had found a job, keeping house for one of the local wealthy merchants. He was worried about her health though. The money she would make would help them to survive, but what if the extra work caused her to have one of her spells? He wondered if she had even warned the merchant or his wife that she suffered from poor health. Would they know what to do if she was to suddenly stop breathing? He knew he must find work as soon as possible for her sake. She had run out of her medicine two days before and they did not have the money to pay for more yet.
He decided he would stop by the merchant’s house in hopes of seeing his mother for a few minutes and possibly speaking to the merchant about the possibility of a job. At that moment he would muck out twenty stables to be able to buy that medicine for his mother.
As he approached the large house that belonged to the merchant a feeling of apprehension stole over him. He could see that the front gate and door leading into the home were both standing wide open. As he drew closer he could see a man coming from the other direction at a dead run. The man was dressed as a healer. The healer arrived at the gate a moment before him and he entered the front door right behind him. Destin was shocked to see his mother lying on the parlor floor turning a shade of blue gasping for breath.
The merchant’s wife was standing to the side wringing her hands in worry. “Does anyone know what brought this on?” the healer asked kneeling beside her.
Destin was on the floor next to him within seconds. “She has problems breathing. Her lungs were damaged in a fire many years ago.”
“Who are you?” the merchant’s wife asked staring down at Destin.
“I am her son. I was on my way here to see her when I saw the healer arriving,” Destin answered.
“I would have never let my husband hire her if I had known there was something wrong with her.” The woman said haughtily.
“Normally she’s fine. But the medicine she received from the healer where we used to live ran out two days ago,” Destin explained to the healer, ignoring the hysterical woman.
“I know what medicine you speak of,” the healer said looking at Destin. “I’m assuming you could not pay for it.”
Destin felt the anger burn in his cheeks. His mother was lying there suffering, possibly dying and this man was thinking only of payment. “Do you have any?” he said gritting his teeth, attempting to control his anger.
“Yes,” the healer said staring at Destin without attempting to help Annalise.
“Give it to her, and I will get you the money.” Destin said in a demanding tone.
The healer stared from the boy to his mother making up his mind. “I will give her a dose now, but if you want any more you must bring me payment first.”
Destin wanted to hit the man more than anything, but he was the only one who could help his mother at that moment. “I’ll get it.”
The healer nodded and opened a small pouch that was tied around his neck and finally pulled out a jar containing a greenish paste. He measured out a small amount and placed it in Annalise’s mouth. Destin was not sure what was in the paste, but he knew it would soon bring his mother out of the attack she was suffering through. Her lips had begun to turn blue from the lack of breathing as she gasped trying to bring in enough air to survive.
The healer did not wait to see if the medicine would work, and the merchant’s wife demanded that they leave as soon as his mother was able to stand. Destin wrapped his arm around his mother’s tiny waist and she leaned upon him as they walked home.
“I’m sorry, Destin,” she whispered as they rounded the last corner leading to their home.
“Don’t speak, Mother. At least not until you are at home and in bed. You need your strength,” he said placing one hand over her veil in a shushing motion. This is not your fault. I will get your medicine, and I promise you will never suffer through this again.”
That night Destin sat at the only table in their one room shack listening as his mother cried herself to sleep. He looked around at the pitiful excuse for a home they had ended up in. “This is where my foolish dreams have brought us,” he whispered, knowing by the sound of her breathing that his mother had finally fallen asleep. He then laid his head on his arms that were folded on the table as the tears of guilt and bitterness overcame him. “I’m sorry, Mother.”
Why had he not just been content with being a blacksmith back in Kelsey? They had been poor in Kelsey, but had always managed to stay ahead, and his mother had always had her medicine. And how was he to get her medicine now?
Annalise woke the next day feeling as if her breathing was extremely constricted. The attack she had suffered the day before had deeply affected her breathing, and she was positive that the healer had not given her enough of the medicine to truly help her. As she sat up she noticed that the cottage was eerily quiet and Destin was nowhere to be seen.
As the day progressed she felt no better, and the absence of her son bothered her more than she would have liked to admit. Normally he would not leave her for at least a day after one of her attacks, but she realized that he must be even more determined to find a job now than ever.
But as the night progressed and Destin did not come back Annalise began to panic. It was far past midnight when she finally decided she must find him. She decided that the best place to look would be the local Magistrate’s office. If any harm had fallen her son, it was the best chance of finding out quickly.
As she stepped into the Magistrate’s office she was not surprised to see one of the Magistrate’s men asleep in a chair. She hated to wake the man but it could not be helped. “Excuse me, sir,” she said tapping his shoulder.
He shook violently and nearly fell from the chair, but was surprisingly able to hold his balance. He looked up at her and she could see the surprise at first but then he came to his senses. “What do you need, M’lady?”
“I’m sorry to disturb you, sir, but my son has gone missing,” Annalise explained.
The man scowled at her. “M’lady. I’m sorry but we have greater problems in this city than your errant child.”
Annalise was shocked to hear such a rough reply. “Sir, my son is not errant. He is very responsible, and was out looking for a job and never came back.”
“May I suggest you look to the nearest tavern?” he said leaning back as if he would fall asleep again.
Annalise wanted to slap the rude guard, but knew if she was to garner any information from him she must keep her cool. “Please, Sir. Can you at least tell me if there were any disturbances earlier today? Any …deaths?” she asked swallowing hard feeling her breathing become more constricted knowing it had nothing to do with her condition.
The man looked at her and could see the fear in her eyes. He shook his head from side to side in answer. “No deaths to day, M’lady,” he answered and could see that she breathed a sigh of relief. “Today has been a slow day. Just a couple of drunks and a thief,” he assured her.
“Well I know my son. He does not drink, and he is certainly no thief, so I will leave you to your work. Thank you for your help,” Annalise said beginning to turn around to leave.
At that moment another guard entered through the closed door, which she assumed led to the holding cells. “I tell you, for a short one, that boy is quite a handful,” the guard said before he noticed Annalise. His words made her freeze.
“I’m sorry sir did you say that one of your prisoners was a boy who was quite short in stature?” She asked when he finally noticed her standing there.
“Yes, M’lady. The thief we brought in earlier,” he answered.
“Tell me does he have eyes and hair the same color as mine?” she asked touching her golden hair.
“Well that’s hard to say, M’lady. I didn’t take a good look at his eyes and by the time we caught him he had rolled around in the dirt enough that his hair is a mess. But I guess it could be the same as yours,” the guard answered.
“May I see him?” she said just loud enough for him to hear her.
“Now, I don’t know if a lady such as yourself should be back there with the likes of them.” The second guard said, but then the first waved him off.
“Sir, I must see.” Annalise knew what she would see as she entered the holding area. This is the reason she had felt horrible all day.
Her worst fears were confirmed as she entered the cell. She could see the drunken men passed out in the corners of the holding cell but standing next to the window was Destin. His cloths were ripped in places and his hair was filthy with dirt, and she could see bruises and scrapes on his face and arms. He turned towards the door scraping open and his eyes widened when he saw her standing there. “Mother, but how did you …?” he asked in bewilderment.
“Destin, what happened?” she asked moving closer to him. The holding cell was little more than an open room with straw in the corners.
“I’m sorry, M’lady, but his is a prisoner,” the guard said placing one hand on her arm.
“You shouldn’t be here, Mother,” Destin said turning back towards the window. “Go home. Go back to Kelsey. There is nothing in this city for you. It was my mistake to come here. I will be the one to pay.”
“Destin, whatever the penalty is I will stand by you. I know why you did what you did,” Annalise insisted.
“Mother, they don’t fine or jail thieves in Halcion. They don’t even cut off their hands,” Destin said quietly.
Annalise turned to the guard with a questioning look. He looked away not able to face the piercing stare she bestowed upon him. She turned back to Destin in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“They hang thieves in Halcion,” was his whispered reply.