They had been set to the task of scrubbing. Their specific target: a wall in an elaborately decorated bedroom. Tapestry was randomly hung upon the stone walls, but it gave the place a kind of raggedly handsome look. The bedcovers were made from silk and the pillows, from the softest goose feathers. The frame, which supported the enormous bed, was made from a rich mahogany wood source. The kind picked by kings for building their own comforts and revealing their wealth.
And so they scrubbed the walls, from when the early sunrays peeking over the mountains until the time it had completely risen out, in all its splendor and glory. Joren threw the thick horsehair brush down, wincing a bit as pain laced through his body. Kel ignored him and continued on with her work. He looked at her, mind reeling with confusion and disgust. How could you crack all of a sudden? Her back was to him, arms stretched upon the wall and soap bubbles covering her palms. Face completely emotionless.
"What is wrong with you…" he whispered under his breath. Shaking his head, Joren bent down to pick up his brush.
"Nothing's wrong with me, what do you mean?"
He looked up, Keladry's eyes were upon him, emitting a steady and cool gaze. Her arm had frozen in its position of scrubbing. Joren stood up straight, despite the agony, and walked to her. Raising his right hand to tilt her chin up, he looked into her eyes. And saw nothing, no sparkle of life, it was like looking into a set of dull marbles.
"What are you two doing?" Both of them turned.
Nathan stood in the doorway, masked in mass layers of black silk. His veil had loosened slightly, revealing a sharp nose and thin lips. His hands were clutched behind his back and shadows of men surrounded him from behind. Joren straightened and stared back at the man, who had a slight frown upon his face. Kel just sat down, placing her folded hands in her lap.
"Come on, you two." Nathan swished his cloak dramatically as he made to turn about. The blonde rolled his eyes and stalked after him, Kel following. They followed through several twists and turns in the tunnel until the dark man stopped. He opened a small oak door, which caused him to bend down to walk through. Joren made to step in.
"No, only she comes in. You stay out."
Prissy block. But he stayed, watching Kel enter obediently.
***
"Sit, sit down." He pointed to a cushioned chair by the one he sat on. Keladry sat.
"Now…" He folded his hands and leaned forward, eyes glinting with anticipation.
"I suppose you know about the Golden Daggers, hmm, dear daughter of the Lady Ilane."
She gave a slight nod of her head, her face void of emotion. But a furious glint shown from her eyes. The man noticed it and chuckled.
"Yes, yes, I'm sure you enjoy the gift's properties as I do. Obedient little one. Come on now, voice your thoughts."
"God-dess, you twisted bastard! What the hell do you think you're doing? Get this piece of crap off of me and I'll show you a piece of my mind. You pouncy piece of silk-covered horseshit!" All this was said in monotone, since only the words obeyed her mind, not the body.
The man raised an eyebrow, surprised that the necklace had managed to actually suppress and control her so well.
"Silence." He said quickly, as Kel opened her mouth to speak again.
"My dear, you will show me where they are hidden. Starting tomorrow."
All she could do was glare vehemently.
***
The next morning, Joren found himself shaken awake by the man who had carried him. He grimace as pain coursed through his body from his twisted sleeping position. He peeked through one eye, the sun shining powerfully through a small hole in the cave roof. He sat up carefully, as to not to move his torso much.
"Oh my god, Mithros, not you again."
"Lord Nathan wants you up and prepared in thirty minutes."
"What for…"
"Just prepare."
"I won't do anything for that creepy man until I know what his intention is."
"He also said that if you disagreed, I am to carry you out immediately."
Joren gulped, and said in a weak voice, a hand running through his bed hair.
"Really? Whoever said I disagreed?"
The man looked at him suspiciously and exited.
"I have to get out of this place." Joren threw on a tunic and a pair of breeches.
***
Stone Mountain came out to the joined chamber where he was instructed to meet. As he entered, the blonde immediately spotted Nathan, but another dark figure was standing by the man's side. His mouth fell open when he recognized who it was. Kel, with her hair newly straightened, was dressed in a long black wavy dress, made of the same material as Nathan's. She turned toward him as he came in.
"Ah, Joren, so nice of you to join us."
He narrowed blue eyes at the tall man. Nathan ignored it and turned to Kel.
"Now, Keladry, you may begin."
He watched curiously as the girl slowly trailed through an opening, walking so smoothly that she seemed to float. Joren cursed as he stumbled and almost slipped on a pebble, bending his body in such a way that a strong wave of pain swept through, leaving negative tingling effects. Mindelan lead them through such a twisty path that Joren forgot all sense of direction. They continued on like such, for the entire day. Soon, the blonde was sweating heavily, the pain in his sides getting worse and worse. He gasped and finally collapsed against the wall of the tunnel.
"Joren?" Nathan's face was turned toward him.
"Pain…in ribs…rest…"
"You want Kyshe to carry you?"
A familiar man stepped forward.
"No. Not even if he was the Goddess in disguise."
"Very well, he shall drag you then."
Kyshe smiled subtly as he folded his hands before him, in a pleasant manner. Joren blanched.
"I'll hobble just fine."
"Better keep up, or Kyshe might take it upon himself to help."
Nathan turned back to Kel and nodded. She continued on.
"Touch me and by the time I get through this, I'll find an ant hill and, beside it, strap you to a stake, cover you with honey, and, for a bonus, add a beehive as a decoration to the wooden pole." Joren growled to the man behind him.
***
They all came to a rest soon. Keladry could've gone further, but Nathan had said it was enough. A large opening in the sidewall provided shelter for the night. Joren breathed a sigh of relief and slid down to the floor. He peeled off the soles of what remained as his shoes and winced as several blisters busted. Keladry had taken the opposite wall to his and was gently wiping her foot clean of blood. Her skin had peeled off at the sole and only a few layers protected the bone. She tore at her dress, making a bandage to wrap around her feet.
"Here, let me help." Her struggle with the task, made him pity the girl. He took the ends of the cloth and tied them tightly, but loose enough so that it did not constrict any blood vessels. She nodded her head in thanks. He looked at her and realized she was full of uncontrollable rage that was somehow restricted within her. Hazel eyes flashed with dreams of death and torture, which softened as they looked at him.
"You can't talk, can you…it's him." She nodded at the truth of his statement. Slowly, she motioned him to come by her. He crawled to her side and leaned against the wall. Blonde strands of hair falling into his eyes as he leaned all the way back to relax his back. Dark bags had formed under his eyes and his thickly lashed eyes were closed, slightly tightened with pain. Softly, she prodded his shoulder. He opened one eye. Kel pointed at his side.
"Yes, it hurts like hell when I move. I'm starting to consider wearing a corset." She smiled righteously. Even if Kel had said nothing, he knew this would be the moment where she'd reply, I told you so. He stuck out his tongue at her.
Then the light provided by a fire, which the men had made, reflected something he hadn't seen before.
"Keladry, where'd you get that necklace…"
Umm…I was trying a different, more descriptive style in this chapter…not like my big spaced sentences in the others. :p Just experimenting. Is it better? Or…yuck?
***Note: I hope it didn't get too confusing x_x and everything was figured out in this chapter…if it wasn't you can email me and I'll try to explain. And I apologize beforehand because I suck at explaining stuff. =/
Happy thought to keep until next chapter comes…: They escape and wander lost in the tunnels…with only each other for company. :D
The purple button says, "I know you want to press me and leave a message."
I say, "Listen to the purple button, it has good sense."
::pats purple button::