chapter2...Dim awakening
He opened his eyes slowly,he blinked and sat up feeling a light throbbing in the back of his neck,he winced and rubbed his neck gingerly.He looked at his surroundings and noticed he was dry and wearing different clothes.He blinked "Where am I?"He asked out loud,There was a creak and the door to the small bedroom opened and Sala came in her long tunic swaying her her sapphire gaze directed at him,her eyebrows rose"Your awake,good."She said with a slight smile,He couldn't say anything his tounge felt like it was in knots,he nodded trying to stand up only to be lightly pushed down by her,he complied and sat back down on the bed as she brought a chair over to the bed she stared at him for a minute before she touched the back of his neck"Your neck is going to hurt for a while,a bruise is forming already in a few days it will be healed."She said rubbing it lightly.He swallowed hard trying not to focus on her gentle hands "Who are you?"She asked softly sitting back in the chair "I'm...Hengrayd I am Master Cadrin's apprentice,and you are?..."He said looking at her legs and every other aspect of her,she opened her eyes and looked at him "I'm Sala,I'm Mr.Careith's worker,I'm suspecting your the apprentice he is expecting,am I Right?"She said smiling and tilting her head to the side He blushed lightly and nodded again"Uhh,ummm,did you happen t-to get my pack with the scrolls back?"He asked nervously,"OH! yes I did do you need it now?"She asked getting up,and walking to the dresser she grabbed his pack and handed it to him "Shall I inform Mr.Careith that you have arrived?"She asked ,he looked out the window and saw the dark azure sky speckled with small white stars,he ran hand through his messed up hair "No,tell him in the morning,do you mind if I stay here tonight."He said smiling sheepishly"No,rest until morning,"She said "I"ll be in the Den if you need anything just call and I will come."She said as she walked out of the room"Sala?"he said befor she left"Yes?"She said looking over her shoulder "Thank you."He said with a grateful smile,"Don't mention it."She said with a real,full,smile,he blushed as she walked out of the room.He stared after her,then sighed and laid back down on the bed,Her scent was all over the sheets he sniffed with great comfort 'Sala...she was quiet beautiful' He thought as he yawned and drifted off to sleep.
She sat in the middle of the small den near a roughly carved fireplace,she sighed and pulled her knees to her chest after a few minutes of thought,her thoughts drifted to that large pearl she found.With quick silent steps she grabbed her pack and pulled out the pearl.She stared at the pulsing pearl with silvery veins in it.She stared at the pearl and it's faint glow "This...isn't a pearl this is...something else."She murmmured entranced by pulsing gem.She touched the polish surface "This looks like a master jeweler's work..."She whispered,she yawned widely and decided to examine the gem in the morning slipping it back into her pack she grabbed a spare blanket and allowed herself to relax and fall asleep.
The sunlight hit Hengrayd's eyes,he winced and sat up he shook his head and stood up and walked out of the small room he saw the fireplace with fading embers and scroched wood,but the thing that caught his attention was Sala curled up into a cozy ball on the floor,covers pulled tightly around her shivering.He knelt down beside her and felt her forehead,no fever she must be having a nightmare,"Sala...Sala..."He said shaking her lightly,Her eyes shot open and she sat up clutching the cover to her trembling "What's...wrong Hengrayd?"She asked gaining her composesure letting the covers pool around her waist,Hengrayd gasped inwardly seeing her tunic hanging off one shoulder,her tunic riding high on her thighs "Hengrayd...do you have a fever."She said touching his red face,he reeled back falling on his butt "Uhhh nothing-nothing's wrong I just thought you were having a bad dream,so I-I woke you up."He said swallowing hard"Oh...right...thank you."Sala said fixing her tunic,She stood up and helped him up "Are you hungry?"she asked him"Yes,I'll put wood on the fire."Hengrayd said fidgetting slightly 'anything to get my mind out of the gutter'
he thought as he turned to start putting wood in the fireplace,Sala walked into her room and pulled on her pants and her tunic and vest.When she left he had just grabbed a flint to start the fire,she walked to Mr.Careith's house and told him about Hengrayd,then she went to the chicken coop and grabbed four eggs.She walked back into her hut and Hengrayd nowhere in sight,but the fire was started she grabbed a small pan and cooked the eggs,"S-S-Sala are you home?"Hengrayd called softly from her room.She rushed to her room "Are you ok?"She asked nervously,she looked at him and saw he had started to change into his own clothes well half dressed he was having some trouble with his shirt he had his head through the neck hole and it was hanging around his neck while he sat there hunched rubbing the back of his neck,she walked over to him "What's wrong"Sala asked placing a hand on his bare shoulder,"I just need some help getting my shirt on if you wouldn't mind."He said blushing lightly at her touch She said nothing and carefully pulled his shirt down over her bruised shoulders and neck,once it was pulled down he sighed "I think I they hit your shoulders too,come on I've cooked breakfast."They both walked out of her room,they ate their breakfast in a comfortable silence,Hengrayd mainly stared at Sala's features,She didn't even notice.There was a soft knock at the door,Sala went and opened the door and saw Emma and Jarik grinning at her,Emma was an average sized woman with dark hair like her father,and light green eyes and a fair complexion,Jarik was tall lean man,with sandy blonde hair like their mother and the same mahogony eyes,"Good morning Sala!!"They said in unison in cherry voices,Sala winced,she had never been such a happy person in the morning,"So were is the scholar's apprentice?"Emma said in a sweet innocent voice peering over Sala's shoulder,said man appeared and smiled in a goofy manner at the two people"Hello!!! I'm Hengrayd I'm Master Cadrin's apprentice."He said slicking his hair back with water and a comb from his pack,Emma 'eeped' and blushed and jumped behind Jarik who cocked an eyebrow,"Our father sent us to get you and show you to your room,oh and Sala,Father wants to see you."Jarik said ,Sala nodded and started out the door Hengrayd following like a lost puppy.they all walked to the farm,much to Hengrayd's dismay Sala had to go a different way.She walked towards the back where the grazing feilds,When she walked out she saw Kenneth walking into the stables.She followed him she saw him grooming a large grey stallion with a blak mane.
"Mr-Kenneth?you wanted to see me?"She said patting the side of the large stallion's head it whinnied slightly,"Kenneth looked at her and smiled slyly "You know that apprentice,hengrayd? I want you to show him around help him a bit he seems to like you the most."Kenneth said chuckling slightly Sala cocked an eyebrow,"Ok Sir ,I'll show him around."She said walking away,leaving the broadly smiling Kenneth behind.Sala sighed as she pushed the door to her hut open,she went into her room and plopped down,staring up at the tatched roof.She decided it was time to get a professional's opininon on that gem,pushing herself up grabbing her pack she walked through the crowded streets.She found a small shop,she entered the small shop.
Musty air filled her lungs she coughed lightly,a man popped up from behind the counter surprising Sala,"Yes,girl what do you want!?"He said in an irratated voice.Sala blinked and walked to the counter,"I have a gem that I want you to look at."Sala said slinging her pack on to the counter the man gave an irratated sigh"Let me see it."He said,she opened her pack and tilted it towards him,He looked into the pack and his eyes widened,He quickly rushed and locked the front door and beckoned her to the back room,she complied following him,They entered and warm room with a blazing fire he told her to sit on a very comfortable chair,"Now please,take the gem out again."With narrowed eyes she placed the it on the table,He touched the polished surface then tapped it lightly with a small mallet,Sala winced at the small klinking noise"Hmmmmm..."The jeweler hummed,next he opened a drawer and pulled out a small wand-like staff with a small diamond on the end,He dragged the sharp diamond across the surface she opened and closed her hands as he continued to put more pressure on the staff,suddenly the tip of the diamond broke startling both of them,"This is no ordinary gem,however it is harder than diamond,I'm not sure if it is worth anything you should keep this gem."He said handing the glowing gem to her,she slid it into her pack,"Now go and keep that gem safe I'm not sure but,that gem is one of a kind."The jeweler said shooing the girl out the door.She stood outside the shop very confused,she sighed in defeat and walked back to her hut.
She opened the door to her room and placed her pack on her dresser,and went to her bed.She laid down and heard an 'omphhh'from...underneath her?She shot off the bed and saw Hengrayd laying on her bed,face red."What are you doing in my house...hut you know what I mean!!"she said her face lightly red."Sorry I was waiting for you and then you come and lay on me,well sorry."He said standing up.She sighed and mumbled an apology,"so where do you want to go for inspiration?"She asked putting a smile on her face,"Let's go to the Spine,I want to see the wild animals."He said shouldering his pack on.She grabbing her arrows and bow.
They had deciced on a bank of a small stream the cut straight throught the large clearing ,Hengrayd had sat down under a shady tree looking up every now and then at Sala who was sitting on the streams bank letting her hands drift in the quick moving water.She was smiling at the true beauty of the Spine,Everyone thought the Spine was an Obcursed place,but they only saw the scraggly dead trees at the entrance,Sala saw so much more the pure radience of the mountain range,She sighed happily closing her eyes and tilting her head back.There was a small lapping noise from across the small stream,She opened her eyes and saw a fit alpha-male white wolf,Hengrayd gasped slightly the sketched furiously catching the true intelligence of the wolf,It looked up directing it's yellow gaze at Sala,She saw a deep intelligence and proud demeanor,She smile and took a peice of dried meat from the small bag around her neck,Sala held it out to the wolf.The Wolf sniffed it hesistantly and opened it's jaws and took the meat chewing it slowly,The wolf sniffed and nudged her hand she giggled and gave it another peice this time patting it's head lightly,A black wolf stuck it's head from behind a bush and barked lightly,The white wolf turned and left following the black wolf,Sala smiled and didn't even notice Hengrayd sitting next to her,sketching the last of the picture he was drawing and then placing the opened pad on his lap and looked at Sala."How was it?I mean to pet that wolf."He asked warmly,She turned to him and smiled "It was...amazing."She said almost breathelessly.They sat in a comfortable silence,Sala glanced down at the pad and saw a beatifully sketched woman hair being blown back by the wind standing on a massive rolling hills."Who's that your wife-to-be?"Sala mused,prodding him in the ribs with her finger Hengrayd blushed dark red and fidgetted "No it's ...you."He mumbled quietly avoiding her shocked stare.She looked down at the pad,and burst out laughing"Right!!! I'm not that beautiful"She said holding her sides and fell back,laughing softly.Hengrayd looked shocked,'Has she not seen her reflection!'he thought,he blushed at her laugh as well it was light and wistful,very pleasent."We should go back it'll be dark soon."She said standing up,Hengrayd gathered his things,and they walked back with him in deep thought.
Sala was walking to her hut,just before she entered she thought she saw a dark shadow dart behind some houses,she ignored the prickling at the back of her neck and walked inside her hut.She sighed and pulled on her night tunic contemplating all that has happened in two days.She pulled the large gem out and placed it on the small dresser admiring it for a minute before going to her bed and tunneling under the covers and closing her eyes.
Sala woke up with a start,a cold sweat covering her face,body trembling she took a ragged breathe.The dreams she had been having no nightmares she placed her hand on face clenching her eyes shut."Who or what are these dreams?"She asked aloud.She looked over at her dresser and saw that the gem was gone,forgetting about her own troubles she jumped out of her bed and rushed into the den seeing Hengrayd on the floor sketching the large gem.She placed a hand to her racing heart,Hengrayd jumped and turned around and saw Sala breathing hard and her knees shaking,He jumped up and grabbed her shoulders steadying her."Are you alright?"He asked with concern She nodded "I thought someone took...never mind"She said straightening herself "How long have you been here?"She asked softly picking up the gem.He smiled "Long enough to make you breakfast."He said handing her a plate.She ate the eggs graciously and watched Hengrayd put the finishing touches on the drawings he did yesterday and the gem,he handed the her the pad with a confident smile.She looked through the first few pictures of trees,and birds,then it changed drastically to the same woman,the one that caught her attention was the woman poised to release an arrow with a black and white wolf standing in front of her legs."Wow...these are amazing."She said entranced by the strong look in the woman's eyes.Hengrayd just smiled broadly,Sala handed him the sketching pad."Is there anywhere specific you want to go today?"She asked placing her plate away after she washed it."Can you show me around Therinsford"He asked shyly as she got up to go change,He watched her hips sway as she walked,he swallowed hard."Yes that'll be fine,wait here a moment."She said going into her room.Hengrayd sighed in disappointment,he wanted to see more of her,She came out wearing her loose pants and vest with a pale blue shirt.To him the clothes where a sucker punch to the gut,He stood and they walked out the door.
The rest of the day went pretty uneventful,Sala had heard a few sniggers when she introduced Hengrayd was here sent by Master Cadrin for some studying.She ignored all the stares she was getting from people on the street.They walked around til twilight came then they said there goodbyes,She saw a little regret in his eyes.
Sala was actually sleeping pleasently that night,when out of the blue some loud screeching shattered her deep sleep,before she knew what was going on she toppled out of the bed hitting the hard floor.Biting back a curse she struggled against the tangled sheets,When she finally she escaped the sheets and looked around for the loud screeching source.As the second round of screeching began she covered her ears,She looked around wildly then her gaze settled on the silver gem that was tittering left and right until it fell off the dresser with a loud clang.Sala winced and watched the gem screech and tittering left and right until suddenly a crack appeared over the surface,her eyes widened as the crack spread and spiny nose poked out of the surface.Sala at that moment realized it wasn't a gem,but an...egg!