Great Heads

7: Found

Kaleb

S|n: surname

I felt giddy. My eyes opened slowly and the first thing my eyes met was a big thick clothe strewn over me. 

I looked around to see myself lying beside harvested farm produce. My body moved rhythmically to the movement of the carriage I was in. I wondered what had happened and how I got captured again. After all my efforts, I still ended up being taken as a prisoner.

Although I found the farm produce on the carriage strange. 

I began to recollect what had happened. I remember escaping on a horse, then fell off due to my unbalanced position and lack of control over the hostile horse. I knew I felt rain pouring on me, and that was it. I had blacked out for the rest parts.

 I felt a severe headache as I rose up. 

My hands were free which was another weird thing I observed. Why would they capture me and let me move freely in a cart that wasn’t escape-proof? I could escape if I wanted to. 

Maybe I was wrong. I couldn't escape since I was weak and weary. I removed the double layer of clothing that covered me and saw that a slight drizzle was falling. It was still dark but a lantern was placed in the cart and also in the person’s hand that rode the carriage.

“Oh, you've finally gained consciousness.” The person said to me in an accent that I wasn't very sure if I was familiar with. The voice sounded lively, kind, and hearty. I saw that the person was an old fellow as he turned back to face me. “May I know why a lad like you was lying down on the ground, under the rain by the forest?”

I was still trying to assimilate the whole thing. I refused to speak with this so-called ‘capturer’.

“Oh poor thing, you don't seem to remember, do you? Do you remember at least your name? Where yer from?”

I wondered what was with this old man and questions. Why did he sound concerned? No one could be that nice, right? Was he tricking me into revealing top information?

I too had a couple of questions to ask but he didn't see me yapping. In my head, all I thought of was how I would escape from the beguiling strange old man. I refused to let out any possible information that he might have wanted out of me, in fact, I didn't speak at all.

I wasn't giving any answers until I had gotten some myself. I was vigilant and since I was weak, I had no choice than playing prisoner. I knew people and how cunning they were. His method was indeed strategic. I grew up in Rocain land, I knew there wasn’t any such thing as being nice, especially to someone you just met. 

He didn't know yet that he was actually dealing with blazing fire. A trained Rocainian wasn't someone you could mess with. I Kaleb (S|n) had defeated and killed even trained warriors, so a spineless old man like him wasn’t a challenge. I just needed my strength.

I didn't know when my eyes had closed and when I slept but I remember waking up to see a grotty-looking cottage with a barn next to it.

“We’re here boy.” I heard the happy man inform.

He came closer to me like he wanted to assist me out of the carriage but I quickly pulled myself back, for I was cautious.

I managed to come down by myself, moaning silently in pain as I limped. When we got in, my eyes instantly met a young girl. She was about the same age I was or probably a bit older.

I thought in my mind, 'So this little girl is his accomplice, or maybe a captured slave.'

I looked at her for a while trying to assess her, not minding if I made it obvious. She noticed the way I looked at her and stared at me the same way. We had a long moment of silent staring all in assessing each other.

 The way she acted reminded me of that cocky- Krista back at home. Right. “Home.”

Thinking of that suddenly reminded me of my terrible experience at Rocain. How I saw the people that I once thought were family stone my own mother mercilessly to death. It made me feel hate for my own people.

 I glared down as I thought of this, trying to hold back my anger and tears of sadness. I didn’t want to cry again. I drowned myself in the thought of going back there to avenge my mother and Alec, who was now probably gone.

“Why don't you take him to the room…” the man spoke, making me sheer away from the thought.

The cocky girl took me inside. I turned to the girl who stayed behind me as we moved. She certainly wasn’t a captured slave, judging by the look she gave me. Unlike the man, she showed her real nature. It was only a matter of time before he also revealed his true colour.

“Are the men still coming for me? What if I closed my eyes and they raided this place?” I spoke to myself as I watched through the small window.

I had made up my mind to stay awake and keep watch. I couldn't afford for what happened to I and my brother happen again. Oh Alec, what could they possibly be doing to you right now? I wondered. Would you be stoned like mother? As I looked out staying up, the cocky girl didn't let her eyes off me. She watched me like a prison guard.

..

“They knooow!” Mother's voice echoed.

I and Alec rode on a horse that he called Nile. I turned back and saw how the villagers were casting their stones at my mother before my eyes. Everything was happening again. I felt the terror once more. I was back at Rocain. Mrs. Silvia's body fell from the nut-brown horse she rode on. She died trying to help us escape. She died being loyal to mother. 

My brother and I finally made it out of that land, then he was captured. Alec was gone. He was now gone and there was nothing I could do.

“Mother, father, Alec!” I called their names. “Come back! Please come back!”

“Head southwards until you find a town called Forestille” Mrs. Silvia quoted mother, “It will be your own home. Forelenes are nice warm-hearted people by nature. They will take you in for you are also Forelenes.”

“We were Forelenes? Was that why you were killed, mother? Was that why they were after us? How did they even find out?”

One..two..three.

 I tried counting the stones that were thrown at mother but they were too many. I found myself back there in the forest. I was now being beaten. They were trampling on me. The men started giving me hard blows multiple times in the face. I was dying. I saw myself losing consciousness. It looked like the end for me. Maybe I should give up. It’s easier to give up.

 No! I'm a fighter. I should never give up.

“Do something, brother,” Alec said to me in a hush tone.

“You’re still here? I thought they’d taken you. I saw them take you away.”

Alec stretched out his hand towards me.

“Do something brother. As far as you do something you may still have a chance. So please let’s do something.”

What can I do? I was going to die. The beaten was too hard. I didn’t think I could get up. There’s no home to return to. The men were still hitting me hard.

“You have another homeland. Forestille. Forelenes are nice warm hearted people by nature. They'll take you in. Remember you are a Forelene.”

With that I forcefully rose with my last strength. As I woke up, I then realized that I had just been dreaming. It was all a bad dream in my head.

Waking up, my eyes instantly met faces gazing at me.

“Good morning boy. It seems you've woken up.” the old man said in his usual happy friendly tone.

I wanted to be alone. I just saw my entire family die again. I wanted to have a little moment of silence.

It was like the old fellow read my mind, they did leave me alone.

I was starting to think he wasn’t a capturer after all. He reminded me of mother. I think I now recalled where I had heard that accent before. Was this how all Forelenes talk? Did I make it to Forestille?

I rested my body for a bit. The injuries were deep and painful. I thought I had to do something about them. I used my shirt to tie around my injured stomach. 

My back felt like a million ants were biting on me. 

I then suddenly noticed something happen behind me. After what I had been through, I highly doubted that a person could just sneak on me that easily. I didn't have to turn fully to see who the person was. I knew whom.

“I know you're there!” I said to the cocky girl. It was her all along.

She came out of her hiding place.