Memories - Chapter Four.
Pain was a constant. Jarlaxle's back was still injured, sure, but this pain wasn't from a flesh wound of some kind. It felt as if it was in his very bones.
Turning to one side, he groaned and managed to drag himself to his feet. He only remembered then, his mind muddled with pain, that he had also been beaten.
And still, he was ordered to class. Of all his luck, he had to go today, lest he get another punishment worse than last nights...
Slowly he made his way to bathe, Zak staying next to him, ready to catch him whenever he stumbled. He stubbornly stayed on his feet, not accepting help if he needed it...
Until he tripped over his own feet. Zak stopped his fall, but jarred the injured arm badly. Without meaning to, he cried out in pain.
"Are you alright?" Zaknafein asked, his voice giving away what Jarlaxle could only call concern.
"No." His reply was short and to the point. It held every ounce of the pain he was feeling behind it. Oh, how he wanted a healing potion or three...or better yet, his own potion so he could sleep through the pain.
A sudden craving for doing just that took him then, but he shrugged it away. He wouldn't take it until he knew just what Phlann had added into it.
Sighing, he limped his way to the bathing room, glad when the water helped ease a few of his aches. He could have stayed in the warm water all day, but was jarred out of his musings when Zak decided it was time to get ready for today's lesson.
Slowly he dressed, putting on loose fitting clothes that would not irritate his bruises and welts. Before long, they were making their way to class, the other boys in their class with them.
As the Loremaster came into view, Jarlaxle couldn't help the instinctive reaction of shying away from the adult. Something that must have delighted the male, if the smug grin on his face meant anything.
Letting out a small sigh, Jarlaxle followed the rest of his class into the room, already counting down the minutes until he would be free from the evil clutches.
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Jarlaxle slumped exhausted onto his bed. He had managed to go the entire day without getting into trouble, a feat that, for his current behaviour, was amazing.
The lessons had dawdled their way by, but he had avidly paid attention so he could answer any questions he was asked right away. It seemed every question asked had been aimed his way today.
After that, he was sent to be an errand boy for some 7th year students. Running about all day had not helped him in the least, opening some of the wounds that had managed to close the night before.
He closed his eyes, but found himself unable to sleep. Oh how he wanted to! Tired physically, he lay on his bed and begun thinking about what it is Zaknafein would discover about the potion.
The older male had gone off to the tower of Sorcere to learn what he could. All Jarlaxle could think of was that the commoner better hurry up. He was feeling impatient.
Grimacing slightly, he made himself as comfortable as possible on his bed and put a hand over his eyes, trying to will himself to sleep.
He had almost succeeded when Zaknafein came back, a look of determination on his face. "Rizzen wants to see you personally ... something about signs or symptoms. Withdrawal he called it though. I haven't really got an idea of what that might be, only that it has something to do with coming off drugs. I heard some of the House soldiers talking about it one day..."
Jarlaxle sighed loudly. "He wants to see me now?"
"No. Rest first, but don't have the potion...tomorrow after our chores are completed."
Yawning, Jarlaxle nodded, once again covering his eyes to fall asleep. He didn't manage to the rest of the night.
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Zak rolled over and hopped out of bed before the dagger fell. Looking blearily about, he realised that he was acting rather foolishly. Nobody was anywhere near his bed, apart from the sleeping neighbour on one side and a quietly chuckling Jarlaxle on the other.
Blinking, he flopped back down on his bed, still expecting the sacrificial dagger to fall and claim his heart. He wondered if it was dreams like that, that continually plagued his friend. If so, he could understand why Jarlaxle had problems sleeping.
"Nasty dreams?" The person foremost in his thoughts asked, though it sounded much like a statement. A quiet laugh at his expense followed.
"Perhaps..." Zak muttered, not in the mood to share his nightmare with the younger drow sitting up on the bed nearest the wall.
"Welcome to my world. Hope you enjoy it. If you end up anything like me, you will wish for sleep before too long."
"Thanks for trying to lift my spirits...not very drowlike of you."
Jarlaxle snickered. "I am nothing like the sheep you see about you. I will do my own thing, regardless of being a male in a female oriented world."
"You are braver than me then." Zak answered back, not really thinking he would ever be able to act like his friend. He was a commoner, born practically into slavery for the House his father had worked in, his mother no higher up in ranks apart from the fact that she was a she and not a he.
"Bravery has nothing to do with it. It is me. If the females don't like it, they can either put up with it or kill me, and they don't dare kill me, insolent or not."
Zak turned to his side and looked at Jarlaxle. "Why won't they dare?"
The young drow smiled at him, an annoying habit of his that immediately made everyone about him drop their guard slightly. Manipulative sod that he was.
"That, my friend, is a secret." Was the only answer that he got.
"Do you know you are really annoying, sometimes?!" He said, before being hushed by a glare from the male on the other side of him. He had forgotten to lower his voice.
"Of course!" Jarlaxle stated, his voice high but not a shout, the rest of the males woken up by the noise. Never had so many articles of clothing been flung in one of the bunkrooms before.
After a while, all was quiet again. Drow after drow going back to their sleep. Zak found himself drifting back off to sleep, but not before remembering that he had to take his noisy friend to meet with the junior wizard tomorrow. The thought made him uneasy. He fell to sleep, strange yet unknown thoughts and dreams running about in his head.
A/N - Hmmm, this chapter is a whole lot shorter than the others isn't it? Sorry about that, but this was where I was told to stop. By my imaginary, almost non-existant, muses. Sorry also for this chapter not being the best.
Ah well, thank you to all who have reviewed.
glomis, Em Starcatcher, Dark Epiphany, Chickens, Kurai Catt, Lynn-Minmay.