Part VI
Hope Renewed
A week had passed and still Jasmin lay in Ramsin's dungeon. She had recovered from the sorceress's spell late last night and now she lay in an untidy heap sobbing her heart out. She remembered now she remembered everything in her life up to this present moment and she was petrified.
Through the cracks in the wall Jasmin had been able to work out that the sun was directly over the mountains, which meant it must be nearly midday.
She was desperate now she didn't want to stay here and have to see the sorceress again; she didn't want to see Alarna. After recovering from the spell Jasmin had remembered everything she'd forgotten except where she had hid the Crystal and the dagger, which she was rather thankful for because she knew as soon as she remembered Alarna would want her to talk.
Jasmin wiped her red puffy eyes and slowly raised herself onto her hands and knees and crawled over to the wall. She was rather grateful now that she had been under that spell because although seeing the images was painful she had remembered a useful spell she'd learnt, which would let Taffi know where she was. A powerful magician had shown her how to do it when she was little and she could use it without a medallion since it really relied on mental contact and energy than magic.
After scooting slow enough to the wall she put her face right next one of the cracks and whispered "Givum Taffi myum locatum"
A bright white light engulfed Jasmin's body then shot out of one of the cracks spedding towards its destination, Taffi.
Jasmin slumped down the side of the wall exhausted, she'd only been fed once since she'd arrived here so she was already physically weak and that spell and just drained her mentally.
She smiled weakly knowing that Taffi would know where she was and come and get here, because the spell would contact Taffi mentally telling her the exact location of Jasmin and she would also know her condition.
Jasmin slumped the rest of the way down the wall until only her head was against it the rest of her body lay flat out on the floor. Her dress was now it rags and her fur caped in dirt and grime off the wall and floor, but she didn't care she was to exhausted to care. Her heavy eyelids drooped and she surrendered to the sleep that beckoned her.
*****
Evening had approached and Taffi sat alone in one of the chairs by the fireplace it had been a week since Jasmin's disappearance and she had been mentally and emotionally stressed all that time she wasn't used to being so helpless in situations like this. She swung her feet and stared at the ceiling her eyes began to tear slightly as she began to think over in her mind where Jasmin could be. A bright light entering the Glen broke her concentration it whizzed past Grammi who was laying food on the table all though she seemed completely oblivious to it, as did Tummi who was sat of the table eating a cherry pie. Taffi soon latched on to the thought that only she could see this ball of energy and light and as it came spiralling over to her then it hit her Jasmin had sent it, it was a technique they often used when they got separated from each other.
The ball hit her chest and engulfed her body in light although no one could see it and she started shaking and collapsed to the floor in a type of seizure as the spell informed her of Jasmin's whereabouts. Taffi screamed in pain as the light entered her brain divulging its information.
The Glen's heard a scream and ran into the hall where it had come from. They saw Taffi lying on the floor clutching her head and seeming to be in some kind of fit.
Gusto was the first to react he walked over to Taffi and picked her up in his arms and cradled her in an attempt to stop her whimpering and shaking. As she began to calm down he asked, "What happened Taffers?"
Silence fell as all of them looked at Taffi looking for an explanation to her sudden outburst.
"J-Jasmin cast a spell l-letting me know where she is?" said Taffi a bit shakily.
"And that wat the affet wert, I mean that's the after effect was" said Zummi.
"Yes" replied Taffi. "It hurts the receiver of the spell because your mind is being made telepathic to another, but we keep using it because it's useful for when we get separated from one another" said Taffi climbing onto one of the chairs.
"You must be crazy to do that more than once" muttered one of them.
Taffi knew instantly who had made that comment and reeled round to face them positively seething with anger.
"WE ARE NOT CRAZY!" she shouted.
The rest of the Glen's quickly exited the room leaving Taffi and Gruffi alone to argue.
*****
Jasmin awoke next morning with a sharp pain in her stomach. She opened her sore, tired eyes and looked up to see Alarna standing over her.
"Get up you lazy bear" she spat.
Jasmin sat up and slowly and painfully rose to her feet, which could now bearly support, her own weight.
"That's better," said Alarna narrowing her eyes and sneering at Jasmin.
Without warning she grabbed Jasmin's neck and squeezed tightly as she lifted her off the ground to her own height. She smiled as she saw Jasmin's feeble attempts to loosen her grip on her neck, which only made her squeeze harder until Jasmin was choking.
"Now" she said "You are going to tell me what you know about that Crystal aren't you?"
Jasmin was unable to speak because of Alarna's tight grasp around her neck so instead she shook her head.
"Well if your not going to talk on your own then maybe you need a little persuasion," said Alarna smirking.
Jasmin could hear footsteps descending from the floor above and guessed either Ramsin or one of his personal guards was coming below. She didn't have to wait long before Ramsin's form came into the dungeon.
"Is our guest giving you trouble my dear?" said Ramsin as he walked over to Alarna.
Alarna seemed to flinch at his words and anger shone in her eyes, but disappeared so fast Jasmin was unsure whether she had seen it.
"Yes, she doesn't want to talk to me," said Alarna mockingly.
"Well, our guest should be more respectful towards her hostess shouldn't she?" said Ramsin grabbing Jasmin by the scruff of the neck.
Alarna released her grip on Jasmin's neck when Ramsin grabbed her, but grabbed her face instead forcing her to look at her.
Jasmin tried to force herself out of Alarna's hands, but she just held her more tightly making her look at her. Jasmin just wanted to scream, but she couldn't her throat was raw and her mouth dry. She didn't want to look into those eyes they held no emotions, no mercy, nothing except coldness and cruelty.
"You'll learn to respect us…" Ramsin started, but Jasmin cut in weakly.
"You don't deserve respect"
The next thing that happened was a loud cracking sound echoing throughout the dungeon. Alarna had smacked Jasmin across the face, it hurt and she was fighting back tears of pain.
"Why don't you teach this insolent little bear some manners, Ramsin?" said Alarna sneering and glaring down at Jasmin.
"It would be my pleasure," said Ramsin as Alarna left the dungeon.
Ramsin raised her a bit higher in the air and Jasmin using the telephatic bond between her and Taffi sent out a message saying "Taffi, please hurry I don't know how much longer I can last"
TBC…