Chapter 4: A Desire to Leave
As you can tell, things haven't been going that good for me lately. I haven't gotten out of bed ever this whole time. Right after Bandit's escape, Strollheim had to clean up Spire. It hurts to think about it, the closest thing I've had to a friend, a true friend, is gone. Now all I have is Strollheim. When I said I would escape, I meant it; I just haven't gotten the opportunity yet.
Strollheim feeds me, so at least I get fed. "I guess I will actually survive, huh." I said to Strollheim (I had enough energy to talk) "Well, you've still got that poison in you" Strollheim said. I knew that, I was just trying to give the situation hope. Strollheim continued "Actually, there just might be an antidote for you, I should go out and find one, the sooner the better, right." I nodded knowing that either way I would die. I couldn't even imagine that there would be an antidote for it but I guess there's always a little hope. Strollheim was out the door in an instant, I guess he saw hope for me.
After a while I had realized how in the world I was going to feed myself. I could last for a few days but not forever, I really didn't want to think about food because I was extremely hungry, for anything, even raw squirrel, ok maybe not raw squirrel, but I would eat almost anything.
As it may seem, things just keep getting worse for me, and now there about to get worse but better in a way. I heard a knock on the walls on the walls of the caravan, I thought, thank you god, Strollheim is back. It wasn't Strollheim, it was two other bandits, they jumped in the caravan, started the horses up.
After a few hours, one noticed me; it left the room to talk to the other one. I could hear them talking, "well, what should we do with him" one asked, "I say we keep him, and when we get to a town, we sell him as a slave." The other answered. Uh-oh, I thought. "ya, good thinking, rolas" the other replied.
A few days passed and no Strollheim, I had this feeling we were getting closer to a town, and that would mine goodbye for me. The good news about this whole ordeal, is since they wanted to keep me alive, they fed me, once a day. That was enough. As soon as I gave up hope, he was there. He saw the caravan was moving, and he jumped through the doors, and knocked them out of the caravan, they got up and ran for the lives. I was safe again.
He did it, Strollheim had an antidote, a real antidote to save me. I didn't believe it, I couldn't believe it, but he showed it to me, and I drank it down. I was the happiest person alive. Of course I wanted to know how he found it, so that night he told me.
Strollheim began "Well, I walked down the road until I got to a town. I stopped by the Apothecary and asked if they had any Boars Blood antidotes. He said he didn't even know what Boars Blood was. I moped outta the apothecary, and into the streets. I went over to the pub, for a drink, or two, or three, or four. I stumbled outta there, and fell down to the ground. Then, a strange looking man walked up to me and helped me up. He had a large purple robe on, and a purple mask-like thing and a red jewel were his face was, it looked like he was floating slightly off the ground. I asked him, am I hallucinatating yoo, cuz I do thats sometimes. He replied no, my name is Barouza. Then, he asked me for a fight, I agreed. Hey, I was all liquored up, you couldn't blame me. I charged toward him, only to stumble to the ground. I heard him mutter pathetic, right after that I was mysteriously flown into the wall of one of the houses. When I looked up, he was gone. I walked over to where he was, and on the ground was a bottle, a bottle that said Antidote For Boars Blood Poison. After a few days, I got back to where the caravan was, but it wasn't there. I knew something was wrong, so I followed the road to where you where and I found you."
"Wow, Strollheim, did you know that guy?" I said to him. He replied after thinking about it for a while " I'm afraid I don't, Auron" Two weeks passed, and with the poison gone, my wounds healed faster, I was on my feet, everything but the arm was healed, we wrapped it in bandages, and it stopped hurting. Strollheim put me back on horse patrol, running 2 horses with one hand, it was a difficult task, but I managed it.
In about a month or so, I was ready to leave, but I couldn't, Strollheim is my stepfather, I mean I didn't even know my father. Eventually the desire to leave was too much, so that night we talked. "What do you mean, you have to leave, like leave the entire caravan." Strollheim asked "yeah I do" I replied. I could see his face and it was not good. "But I practically raised you." He said. " I know, but I can't stand to live with the person who killed my mother." I yelled. " HOW DARE YOU" He yelled back. He charged at me with a dagger, the same one I had used. I dodged and ripped the dagger out of his hands.
I cut the rope to one of the horses, and took off. This startled the other horse, and then it flew off the side of the road and into a tree. That knocked the caravan over and smashed Strollheim's head on the ground. I looked back, and saw him with a bleeding head, and a sobbing face. He yelled " AURON! " I yelled, "I'll never forget you, Strollheim". By this time, I was crying too. I rode down the road, leaving the caravan behind.