Chapter IX: “Where Am I know?”
Early, very early, in the morning it was, when Jaramiah washed up on shore, in a beach place, like the one Mihanna was just at. In this place the water was more steady, and he was able to come out, very easily. He blinked several times, then looked around. It was twilight. There were no birds, no beasts, no noise, of any kind. The sand was soft, and fine, to touch. The fragrance of Honey Suckles came to his nose. There are Honey Suckles, in the Fifth Dimension. There were few trees near, and he wondered what had happened. Then he remembered. “Mihanna!” he whispered, trying not to wake anything, that didn't want to wake up right now. “I've got to find her!” he said. He lit a fire, took his shirt off, and laid it close by him, on the sand. The stretched out, and thought. Then he sat up, and looked around. “Where am I now?” he asked himself, tossing a pebble in the fire. “Mihanna is alone somewhere, if she has not already been captured.” he continued. He thought. “I've left her, with no protection too.” He got up, and looked at the stars. “Every one of my plans have gone eschew.” he finished. Looking down. “What do I do?” he asked, glancing around, and shrugging his shoulders. He had thought, and decided. His mind was made up. No sleep, no food, no any thing for him, until he had found Mihanna. Jaramiah turned, and put out the fire, after taking out a stick. He put his shirt back on, then walked over to a group of boulders. He lifted one smaller one, and wrote a small “ M” under it, then a small message. To do this, he used the burned stick, the one he took out of the fire. He poured sand over the fire, to make it look very old, then walked away. Then, as he left the ring of trees, he heard something. Maybe it was his mind, playing tricks on him, you always hear something, when it's crucial not to. He turned, and looked around. There was nothing. Then he heard the sound again, in front of him, this time. He turned, but didn't get a chance to look, for a sound like a rock, hitting another; or to make it to where you understand, a bowling ball, hitting pavement; came to his ears, and he fell to the ground, pain, in the back of his head! He remembered no more. The next morning- it was dawn, and the sun made a labor out of it- Mihanna came to an open place, where there were faded signs of a fire, not too long ago. She studied these, then saw the markings of something heavy, being dragged away, into the forest ahead. She saw a a smeared “M” and a near rock, and investigated. Yes, this was the same boulder Jaramiah had been to, not seven ours ago. There were four lines on it, a dash, and an M. It would have looked a little like this: IIII – M. “This must be the elvish ruins for 'fourth of', or 'fourth into'.” she said, to herself, thinking out loud. “And this,” she said, looking at the dash. “ looks like the term for mid-month, mid-year, or another.” she said. Most boring, to quick-to-judge people just called it plain old July. “And M, for Me, Mihanna, or something else. Let's see..” she thought before continuing. “Today, would be the fourth day, of the second month since I've been gone.” she said, after a pause. She then looked under the boulder, and saw this much smeared message:
“Mihanna,
I am seeing a light, on the opposite bank.” Then a few smeared words like “Going” and “Further”. Then she read: “If you get there in...” Then a word she thought would be “Time”. “I will be...” then a few words unmakable. Then “Furthest point of the...” a smear. Then the words: “Fall”, and “I'll”. And lastly: “wait for you there.”
And that was all.
Mihanna immediately knew that Jaramiah had written it. She had hope now. She filled her hands with water, from the river, and splashed it over the message. She grabbed her stick up again, and ran into the forest, in the direction of the drag marks. She ran until dusk, when she saw a fire in front of her, about a mile away. She blew out the touch, dropped it, and crept, more silent than a mouse, over to it. She ducked behind tree to tree. She came up to the fire, and stayed in the shadows. Mihanna dared not get captured again, if it were an enemy's fire. She hid in the shadows, but even after ten minutes, nothing happened. Just when she was ready to come out, a hand fell hard on her shoulder. “What are you doing?” a voice, light, and yet stern, said, from behind her. She didn't move, but was still. The “thing” spun her around, and she tried to see it, but it's face was out of the fire's light. Mihanna stiffened, then panicked, and threw herself backwards, and out of the forest edge. There cam a sinister laugh, from in the shadows. Then out stepped a tall Elf, all in green, with a coat of mail, and brown boots, like her own. He had a bow, and a quiver, on his back. He also had a sword, a dagger, and a small pocket knife. “Mihanna, you scare so easily.” He said still laughing, holding his hand down to her. Mihanna looked dumbfounded, and astonished. “Well, do not look at me, as if you have never seen me before.” he said, helping her up. “Oh.” she said, overjoyed. “I'm just so happy to see you!” she said, as he held her tight in his arms. He stroked her hair, and held her tight. Of course he was not an enemy; but her twin brother, Mihornna, of whom the ring, spoke of. Mihanna hadn't seen him for three years. He was a wonderer, and often left home, for he hated living in a busy palace, all day. He rejected the role of king, which he would have taken seventeen years ago, if he had not refused. The age at which an elf can be King or Queen, is different for both, depending on, if you were female, or male. The Elven Men, could be King, or ruler, at the age of three hundred-seventy. And The Elven Women, at four hundred. This was, because they believed that when an elf had full maturity, he or she, was able to make wise decisions, and this age, was when this usually happened. They also believed that the Men always made wiser decisions than the Ladies, at any time.
(They thought the men matured faster.)
Back to our two elves.
“Oh,” Mihornna said, remembering something. “Do you know this man?” he asked, walking over to a group of boulders. He then, pulled out a man's body. The man, had a sack on his head, his hands were tied, and feet, also. Mihornna took the sack off of his head, and his sister gasped. He looked up at her. “YES!” she cried, running to the body. “Release him at once!” she demanded. “Alright! Alright!” he said, untying him. I suppose you guessed by now, that it was Jaramiah. If so, you are correct! He was knocked out cold, and didn't move.
Mihanna; once she and her brother had dragged him to a log, made a fire, and propped his head up; took off a piece of her dress, that was shredded, and torn. After wetting it, in the river, she bathed the wounds on his head and arm properly with it. Her brother; not to fond of men, after the betrayal of his father, by Ragar; looked at the, “young Captain” as he called him often afterwards, with pity, and hate. About fifteen minuted later, he awoke, and saw her, looking lovingly at him. “Mihanna.” he said, his head swimming. “What happened?” he asked, seeing his shirt lying beside him. Mihanna thought, then said: “You suddenly crossed paths with my brother, I guess. But, you probably know better than I.” she said, glancing at Mihornna.
Jaramiah looked, and saw him sitting on a log, in front of the fire, lost in thought. Then he felt something cold on his arm, and looked down. He saw the torn cloth. Jaramiah smiled, and rested his hand on hers. Such warmth, and tenderness in that touch Mihanna hadn't felt in a very long time. She rested her other hand, on his wounded arm's hand. Jaramiah stroked her face, with that hand. Mihanna closed her eyes, as tears swelled in them. She knew that after they had been through, her brother would make her go back to Maili, and he could not come with her; they would have to part, eventually.
The Captain whipped the tears away from her eyes, then felt like he was being watched. He looked over at Mihornna, and saw he had been watching through the corner of his eyes. Ever since Jaramiah's hand touched his sister's, he had a close eye on them. Jaramiah quickly got the hint from that look, and suddenly took his hands off Mihanna, which startled her. She looked over at her brother, who gave her a sign to come to him. She looked at Jaramiah again. “Rest.” she said, taking the cloth off of his arm, and using a new piece of thiner cloth to bandage the wound. “I'll be back in a moment.” she whispered, tying it in a knot. She walked over to the blue-green eyed elf, and sat beside him, after he outstretched his arm, in the gesture.
“How long have you known him?” Mihornna asked, standing, and taking her hand. They walked down to the river side, and Jaramiah slowly went to sleep. “A month, I should think.” Mihanna replied, after they had sat down on the sand. “Why?” she asked. “I don't trust him.” he brother quickly said. “He knows you far too well.” he continued. “Why does that make you not trust him?” the younger elf asked, not knowing what his point was.
I cannot relate to you, the rest of this conversation, because I heard no more of it. I do know, however, that after five minutes or so, Mihanna went back to Jaramiah, who had fallen asleep.
Mihornna went to the boulders again, and pulled out a heavy pack. “I thought we might need these.” he said, pulling out three blankets. She smiled with delight. She felt Jaramiah's forehead, it was hot, so she didn't put a blanket on him. Mihornna made himself a bed by the fire, and Mihanna, at Jaramiah's side, so if he was cold, he could use the one next to her. “Mihanna.” the older elf said, sitting up. Mihanna was afraid he would tell her not to sleep by him. “Sleep well.” he said, lying back down. Mihanna smiled, and said the same to him. Then she laid her head down, her back facing the captain, threw the blanket over herself, and almost immediately went to sleep.
She woke up, in the middle of the night, and saw Jaramiah had scooted closer to her. She smiled, then, looking at her brother, fast asleep, went closer to him. Then, lying her head on his shoulder, and snuggling close to him, she went to sleep. Jaramiah however, was not asleep, and wanted to see what she would do. He smiled, when he saw her, lying on him. He put his arm, over her shoulder, and went back to sleep. Mihanna slept perfectly, and if she did wake up, she saw him, and went back to sleep, knowing she was safe.
When she awoke, neither boy was in site. She was all alone. The fire had gone out, Jaramiah's shirt was gone, but her brother's pack was still there. “They are probably out in the woods, fighting over me.” she said, and looked up a recent trail, that had been made. There was a sound of heavy foot falls, behind her, so she quickly ducked behind a boulder. She looked over the top of it, to see a man looking at their things, she hadn't even taken care of the blanket she had used. Then a hand went slowly over her mouth, and pulled her back down. She looked and saw Jaramiah, who put his finger to his mouth, telling her to be silent. He peeked back over, the man was now going through Mihornna's pack. He took out something, took her piece of dress, then ran away. Jaramiah sat back down. “They took something from your brother's pack, and your torn dress piece, and left.” he said, getting up. Mihanna sighed. “Where is he?” she asked. “My brother, I mean.” she continued. “I don't know.” the captain replied, standing her up. “I went to go find him, but I never did. He was gone when I got up, about three hours ago.” he went on.
He took her into the forest, and looked around. They stopped dead in their tracks. “Listen!” he whispered, looking up at the hill above them. The could here many, many voices, and foot steps up there. Jaramiah, and Mihanna looked at each other. “Now, I think Hiding would be better than running.” Mihanna said. They hid, on the inside of the cliff, away from sight. Soon the voices faded, and all was quiet. They looked at each other. “I'll see if it's safe.” Jaramiah said. “Be careful.” she whispered back to him, as he let go of her hand. He quickly turned and looked at her. “It's not me their after; it's you.” he said.
No sooner had he left her sight, Mihanna felt a cold, line across her neck. It was; as she guessed from the sharp edges; a sword. It guided her head to the right, she saw Telibraun standing there, leaning on the cliff wall. She looked at him sternly, but could not help staring at his face; at the awful mark Jaramiah had left.
“Two days,” he began, taking his sword away from her neck. “I've been searching for you.” he continued. Mihanna took a step backwards, but hit something hard. She turned, and saw Grendo, who quickly grabbed her arms. He took her, and threw her; with all possible strength he could muster; against the stone wall. Mihanna gave a small outcry. “Now, we have a choice of capturing you, or killing you.” she heard Grendo say, as he tied her arms, at her elbows and wrists. “I think I will choose capturing you, so I can repay you slowly, for all the trouble, pain, and time, you've caused me.” Telibraun said, proceeding to gag her. She started, but at a gentle reminder, from a sharp blade in her back, she stiffened.
She was gagged, and tied; both, very tightly; before they took her away. She fought bitterly, which only made their grip, tighter. They each took an arm, and walked deeper into the forest. She saw several troops come from ahead, and Telibraun spoke with their leader. She thought he was telling them; thought she could not understand the language they were speaking; to take her to wherever, and he would go find, or do something, else, and meet up with them later. Then he stopped, and looked at Mihanna. “No.” he said, finally.
He lead them to a fairly large tree, much like the one Mihanna and Jaramiah had slept under that one night. “Tie her to this.” he said, pointing at the tree. “That way, we can nab the captain as well, without any toil.” he continued. “Shouldn't we go and find him?” Grendo asked. “No.” Telibraun said, still looking at her. “No. This is what I call, a win, win, situation.” he continued. “If he does, then we'll have them both. And if he doesn't...” here Mihanna looked up, and their eyes met. She looked pitifully at him, then could not believe what she heard him say. “then, the trouble will be ended for us.” he finished, knowing that she would eventually die, without food or water, elf though she was.
Mihanna was thrown to her knees, and then shoved against the tree. They didn't untie her hands, or elbows, and thought this would keep her from escaping. Once they had finished, and had their fun, teasing, poking, prodding, and laughing at her, they left. Telibraun turned before leaving, walked back to her, and said: “Don't get up.” sarcastically, kicking her knee, slightly. Then he was gone. This was the very first time, she hoped Jaramiah wouldn't rescue her.
There, in the arms of the forest, she remained. All day, all night. The sun dwindled, and the night grew on.