CHAPTER 3
Miache struggled against the rope that the guards had used to tie her to her bed. She knew it was hopeless, but anything was better than sitting there and doing nothing.
Cheko (the fat man's name) took the note from the sill, read it, smirked, and turned to Miache. "Ah, politics," he said dreamily to the prisoner. "It's so confusing, isn't it?" Miache mumbled something under the handkerchief tied over her mouth.
"What are you trying to say," he asked. Cheko removed the handkerchief and Miache spat in his face. He slapped her cheek and she winced, letting her head drop.
"Do not try to do that again!" Cheko growled at her. Miache kept her eyes to the ground, hoping that he would kill her painlessly like Aiora, and not torture her. She was surprised when she heard his next words.
"I have a proposition for you thief," Cheko spat out the words, like it pained him to say them. Miache raised her head. Perhaps she wouldn't be killed after all. "I am representing a group in Galla. They want me to find someone who can go into the palace and steal the Dominion Jewel from their king. How about it? You steal the jewel, and then we will set you free."
Miache knew that Cheko would kill her as soon as she handed over the Jewel, but realized that the palace wound be the perfect place to slip away from him. After all, palaces were big places. She nodded her head, trying to look meek and obedient.
"Very well then." Cheko looked happy and rubbed his hands together. He whispered something to a guard standing beside him, but Miache never worked out what he said; as just at that moment, a hand clapped over her nose and she inhaled a sharp-smelling liquid that immediately sent her off into a deep sleep.
^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^
The journey from Carthak to Galla across the sea wasn't fun. While she was unconscious, they had loaded her into a small compartment in a ship. It was dark all the time, except when a guard came and pushed food and water through a slot, once a day. Her legs were chained together; luckily her hands weren't.
On the first day, she had tried shouting for help, but all she received for her sore throat was no food. So Miache spent most of the day thinking of what she had gotten herself into and regretting it.
After maybe a week, Miache was just about ready to starve herself rather than eating the soggy vegetables again. However, on that day, the door was opened and Miache's eyes shut in pain; the sunshine was too bright for someone who had spent 8 days in total darkness.
A guard dragged her out of the shed and another pulled her hands together and chained them behind her back. Miache lay collapsed on the deck while they did this, still getting used to being outside again. A voice spoke menacingly from above her head.
"Get up." The voice belonged to Cheko, and as he said it a guard pulled her roughly to her feet. Miache found she could stand, and faced Cheko with her eyes still closed. A hand slapped her cheek and she winced.
"Open you eyes, now!" Cheko growled. Miache slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She was on a cargo ship, an expensive one, and it was docked in a harbour. Miache assumed it was Galla. A sword scabbard poked her in the back and she shuffled forward, following Cheko and the two guards in front of her.
As she walked slowly down the gangplank stretching between ship and land, Miache looked around at Galla. It was a lot like the harbour of Carthak, except for the fact that everyone was speaking a different language, and also everyone on land wore warmer clothes. She found herself shivering in her cotton tunic and breeches; Galla was going to be a lot colder than her birthplace.
^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^
Miache struggled against the rope that the guards had used to tie her to her bed. She knew it was hopeless, but anything was better than sitting there and doing nothing.
Cheko (the fat man's name) took the note from the sill, read it, smirked, and turned to Miache. "Ah, politics," he said dreamily to the prisoner. "It's so confusing, isn't it?" Miache mumbled something under the handkerchief tied over her mouth.
"What are you trying to say," he asked. Cheko removed the handkerchief and Miache spat in his face. He slapped her cheek and she winced, letting her head drop.
"Do not try to do that again!" Cheko growled at her. Miache kept her eyes to the ground, hoping that he would kill her painlessly like Aiora, and not torture her. She was surprised when she heard his next words.
"I have a proposition for you thief," Cheko spat out the words, like it pained him to say them. Miache raised her head. Perhaps she wouldn't be killed after all. "I am representing a group in Galla. They want me to find someone who can go into the palace and steal the Dominion Jewel from their king. How about it? You steal the jewel, and then we will set you free."
Miache knew that Cheko would kill her as soon as she handed over the Jewel, but realized that the palace wound be the perfect place to slip away from him. After all, palaces were big places. She nodded her head, trying to look meek and obedient.
"Very well then." Cheko looked happy and rubbed his hands together. He whispered something to a guard standing beside him, but Miache never worked out what he said; as just at that moment, a hand clapped over her nose and she inhaled a sharp-smelling liquid that immediately sent her off into a deep sleep.
^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^
The journey from Carthak to Galla across the sea wasn't fun. While she was unconscious, they had loaded her into a small compartment in a ship. It was dark all the time, except when a guard came and pushed food and water through a slot, once a day. Her legs were chained together; luckily her hands weren't.
On the first day, she had tried shouting for help, but all she received for her sore throat was no food. So Miache spent most of the day thinking of what she had gotten herself into and regretting it.
After maybe a week, Miache was just about ready to starve herself rather than eating the soggy vegetables again. However, on that day, the door was opened and Miache's eyes shut in pain; the sunshine was too bright for someone who had spent 8 days in total darkness.
A guard dragged her out of the shed and another pulled her hands together and chained them behind her back. Miache lay collapsed on the deck while they did this, still getting used to being outside again. A voice spoke menacingly from above her head.
"Get up." The voice belonged to Cheko, and as he said it a guard pulled her roughly to her feet. Miache found she could stand, and faced Cheko with her eyes still closed. A hand slapped her cheek and she winced.
"Open you eyes, now!" Cheko growled. Miache slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She was on a cargo ship, an expensive one, and it was docked in a harbour. Miache assumed it was Galla. A sword scabbard poked her in the back and she shuffled forward, following Cheko and the two guards in front of her.
As she walked slowly down the gangplank stretching between ship and land, Miache looked around at Galla. It was a lot like the harbour of Carthak, except for the fact that everyone was speaking a different language, and also everyone on land wore warmer clothes. She found herself shivering in her cotton tunic and breeches; Galla was going to be a lot colder than her birthplace.
^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ ^_^
