When Darkness Falls

Chapter 4: BASHINMA

Chapter 4: BASHINMA
Arya ran blindly through the darkness and rain, slipping and falling with each step she took.  Fear had reached its peak in her mind as every lightning bolt revealed an illusioned enemy to her eyes.  She swung her head from side to side hoping to find a way to escape this nightmare she was in.  She heard the Raoks’ screams of delight while they chased her up the dark mountainside daring her to slow her pace, howling at her to slip and fall in to the dark abyss so close beside her. 
Arya ran and ran flinching with fear at every step and crying out for the power of the elves to save her.  The Raok were getting nearer and nearer.  She could see them getting closer every time the lightening flashed. 

I must make it!  Oh!  Elves, my people!  Send your aid to your messenger!  Help me in my time of need!  Arya could feel her consciousness slipping away as she started getting slower and slower.  No!  Help me!  Please!  You must help me!  Ana hedredom!  Ash nicar!
Arya looked to see a tall flat cliff in front of her. A…dead…end.  Then she saw a soft light slowly growing until it drowned out all else.  The ground was rushing up to meet her.  All was dark.
                   
Rashaka paced around the thrown room as the Sergeant entered in.
“Well”, he spat at the Sergeant.
“They have not arrived my lord”, he replied calmly.  He had seen Rashaka angry on many occasions.
“Well then, where are they?”
“I am not sure.” Rashaka growled but the Sergeant quickly interrupted him.  “But knowing the power of the Raok compared to the she-elf…it won’t be long.”
Still glowering, Rashaka looked out his window at the setting sun.  “I suppose you are right.  But if not…” he changed his voice to a deadly whisper that made the Sergeant step back.  “If not, it will be your head on the line!  Now be gone!”
“But my Lor-“
“Get out!  Now!”  He picked up a vase and threw it at the door where the Sergeant had been standing only moments before.
He walked to the end of the room and sat down on his thrown- smiling.
                   
The Elven King was sitting in the garden on a stone bench staring at the sunset.  A young elven maid slowly walked up to him.
“Pommuria?”
“Hm?  Yes” he said coming out of a trance.  “Speak child, I am listening.”
“Oh Pommuria!  I have the most wonderful news!”  The King quickly sat up straight.  “The messenger!  They have arrived at Bashinma!”  The servants and citizens did not know who the messenger was.
The Kings eyes lit up and he smiled for the first time in many days.  “You are sure young one?  Did the messenger truly arrive?”
“Yes Pommuria” she said with tears streaming down her cheeks for she was so glad to see her King happy once again.  The King jumped up and looked around with a wide smile.
“Tonight we will have Seastax!  Thank you young maiden for telling me this!”  And with that he dashed to the castle with the overjoyed maiden trailing behind him.
                   
With that first step Kyron knew something was wrong.  He felt it in the rocks, the ground and the very air he was breathing.  Evil lurked here and every instinct he possessed urged him to go back but he would not abandon his quest.  The little creature beside him did not seem to notice these things.  How I envy you.  So unaware and yet so innocent.  You are not afraid of anything. 
As they walked on, the light got dimmer and dimmer until they couldn’t see at all and had to stop while Wimble rummaged around in his bag to find two torches, one for each of them, and a tender box.  Once they had a torch burning they looked around to see where they were.  It appeared that this crevice they were in hadn’t always been so dark and quiet.  It was about midday now and there wasn’t a trace of light but dying grass revealed there had been not to long ago.
But the thing that stood out most was the sound.  There was none.  Not a small chirp of a cricket or rustling of the wind.  Total silence.  But then as Kyron took a closer look, he found something that made his heart leap.  Footprints.  He swiftly bent down to examine them and found what he was looking for.  He saw the slight print of an elf and at least two Raok.  Wimble wandered over to look as well.
“Well, so where were they headed?  Its obvious the elf was fleeing from the beasts because I don’t think they would get along to well as partners.”
“It looks as if they were taking the long rout to Bashinma” he said trying to hide the strain in his voice.  He had promised himself many years ago that he would never return to Bashinma and he wasn’t about to now.  He decided that he would make sure Arya had made it there all in one piece and then go back to his business elsewhere. 
“So…?”
“So what?”
“So are you going to follow them or not”, Wimble said excitedly.  He had never had this much fun.  Sure every now and then he’d tease the forest animals and occasionally confuse travelers but that all got boring after a while and Wimble wanted more.  He was a curious creature of no certain species.  Not knowing any parents, Wimble had been raised by the forest animals like an orphan.  He grew up living among the trees and learning the speech of man and animal traveling where he pleased, not fearing beast nor bird.
  Though he had traveled the many trails through the forest, which was plenty big, and knew them by heart, he wanted something new, an adventure, and in finding Kyron he had gotten his wish.  He hoped that this journey would last a while and he was pretty sure it would for he knew more than Kyron gave him credit.
Kyron looked down at the creature beside him and gave a sigh.  “Yes, we will continue.”  Wimble’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he started dutifully down the trail.
Kyron slowly walked after him thinking about how he would find out whether Arya had made it to the elven town without being caught by the elves themselves. 
He no longer needed to look at the footprints for he knew the way.  Why me?  How am I to go to this place where I am so plainly rejected?  How am I to find the elf when my very life is possibly forfeit?  This mission-curse it!  I am not the one to be involved in matters of such great importance and secrecy!  This is mad!  The very place I am banished from is the very place I’m trying to reach!  I could use some guidance now Lord!  A sign, anything! 
Wimble did not realize that he was slowly drifting away from Kyron as he ran forward examining each and every rock with complete curiosity.  He was eager to find something helpful or secretive, something of interest.  So as he went on he soon lost sight of Kyron all together but thinking he was just around the bend.  After a while he took a rest to catch his breath and wait for Kyron to catch up.  He waited a few minutes but when he didn’t see Kyron, he began to get impatient.
“Kyron?” he called.  “Kyron?  Can you hear me?”  He started heading back to go urge him to move a bit faster when he felt something pierce his shoulder.  He cried out in agony and then fell to the ground.
                   
Arya’s eyelids fluttered as she stared up seeing blurry out lines around her and hearing soft whispers close by.
“She’s awake!” she heard a young voice cry.
“Shoo, shoo!  Back to your beds.  All of you.”  The voices slowly faded away as Arya’s vision started to clear and she looked around seeing an old woman shut the door and then walk over to her.
“How are you feeling?”
“Well enough”, Arya said.  “Where am I?”
“Do you not know?  You’re in Bashinma.”
“Bashinma”, Arya whispered.  “Bashinma!  The scroll!”  Arya sat straight up in bed despite the searing pain in her head.  “I need to see Jerle Hanar-“
“Shhh, shhh.  You lie back and rest dear.  Its all been taken care of.”
“But my father!  He told me to-“
“Its all right now.  Calm down.  We’ve informed your father that you are here, safe and sound.  Now, not another word.  Let me get you some soup.”  The old woman walked to the kettle over the fire and started ladling some soup into a bowl.
“Huh.  Dear me, dear me.  The poor child.  Its no wonder she’s worried, what, with what she has been through.”  She walked back over to Arya handing her the bowl of soup and sitting down on the edge of her bed.  “Now, you drink that and then go back to bed.  You need your rest.  I’ll be in to check on you in the morning.  Goodnight dear.”
“Goodnight, uhh?”
“Oh!  My apologies!  My name’s Miss Tuffle, but you can call me Mom, or Ma for short.  Goodness knows everyone does!  Well, goodnight.”  With that she got up and went to the door, blowing out the candle as she went.
“Goodnight…Ma.”  Arya leaned back into her pillows with the bowl of soup in her hand.   Bashinma…I made it.  But-but then, what was the light?  She finished her soup and then sank down comfortably into her pillows drifting into dreamland.
-End of Chapter 4-