Coruld: Chapter 3: Casey's Journey
The cart, now deemed unusable, was left behind. A rope used to keep the now dead mule attached to the cart, now encircled Casey's wrists on one end and was tied to the belt of the guard. With little distance end to end, Casey had to ride on the horse in front of the guard. Even with only the two of them left, the guard did not hasten the pace of the horse. It forced both of them to think of what happened.
The guard had watched Runi escape while he gripped Casey's wrist tightly. He was out of breath and didn't want to run after them. With his sword still in his right hand, he stabbed the unconscious attacker in the heart. Letting the still living mule free, he used a rope on Casey.
That is what brought them to this point, the cart was barely discernable now as Casey looked back at it. She sat back where she was supposed to; eyes low, pretending to focus on the saddle horn. After a couple hours of silence, she stand no more. "How much longer until we arrive?"
After a minute, the guard answered. "Three days."
"Why don't you kill me too?" She heard the leather reins squeak quietly with the guard's grip tightening.
"You don't need to die."
"Why did that one man?" The guard didn't answer and Casey didn't push, not wanting to test his anger. The moon had risen far into the sky before they reached an inn. He paid for a room inside while she sat, tied to the horse, in the stable. A stable boy passed with a confused look on his face but he didn't say anything, or stop to help.
The guard came back for her and took her into one of the rooms downstairs. He checked for onlookers while Casey examined the room. It was small, with one window, and one bed. The hair stood up on her neck as she heard him lock the door behind her. She spun around and backed away as he came closer to her.
"I- I'll scream." She stuttered. Casey tried to stay out of reach but the guard grabbed the rope and pulled her towards him. She started to scream and he covered her mouth with his free hand.
"Now listen, I'm not going to rape you. But scream, and I will hit you, understand?" Casey nodded and the guard removed the rope from her wrists. She rubbed them as he walked over to the bed. Still leery, she kept her distance, watching him as he took one of the blankets off the bed, folded it in half, and put it on the floor along with one of the pillows. "You sleep there."
Casey looked and sat down on it. The floor was hard, but could've been worse. The guard blew out the candle and laid down himself. "Can I know your name?" asked Casey, not really expecting an answer.
The guard sighed before he answered. "Rick. It's Rick."
"Rick," Casey said quietly. Hearing his name brought back the memory of him stabbing the cloaked man. Her hatred began to rise for him. "How do you live with yourself?"
The was a long pause before anything could be heard. "I don't." He said, then rolled over and attempted to sleep.
* * * * *
Sunrise peaked through their window much earlier than Rick wanted it to. He groaned a little then reluctantly got up. He left the room, with Casey still asleep, to go wash up. A quick look in the mirror revealed an unkempt beard and mustache along with stubble around his cheeks. He shrugged and went back to the room where he found Casey beginning to wake.
He packed while Casey sat, watching him. When he was done, she set the blanket back on the bed and waited for him to bind her hands. Rick did so quickly, when he heard a tiny growl come from Casey's stomach. He looked up to see her blushing. With a sigh, he took Casey out near the kitchen and got her a sausage roll. She ate slowly while they walked to the stable.
Seeing Casey had finally finished, Rick lifted her onto the horse then mounted it himself. They rode out slowly yet again, the ambling pace gradually lulling Rick to sleep. His head began to bob as he drifted in and out. "Why is their a dragon scratched into this saddle horn?" The suddenness of Casey's question woke Rick up fully, to which he was thankful.
"To show it belongs to my horse." He said, remembering the day it was given to him.
"What's your horse's name?"
"Dragon." Casey looked curiously at the horse and it's coloring.
"It doesn't look like one."
That made Rick giggle quietly. "It was the name my son gave him." Rick giggled again then began to laugh, almost hysterically, which startled Casey.
"What's so funny?" She tried to sound angry but her fear made her voice tremble slightly.
"I said the same thing to him, and do you know what he said?' Casey shook her head, unable to think of an answer. "He told me that's it's not supposed to, it's a horse." Rick laughed again and Casey smiled. "Then he said that this horse was for finding dragons. And that he would be the brave knight that saved the princess." Rick began daydreaming of his child, as he did often.
Casey looked at the etched-in dragon again. "I like dragons." she said. Rick looked down and watched her hand gently run over the dragon. He smiled again as a tear escaped down his cheek.
* * * * *
With no other sounds to listen to, and no one else to talk to, Rick and Casey shared stories with each other of their lives. Casey spoke of her family, while Rick avoided the subject, which worried her some. He instead talk of his life in the guard before he joined Coruld. When they stopped for lunch, Casey was left with her thoughts. Casey began to remember where she was going, and became angry.
It was hard for her to imagine a person willing to join Coruld to bring children in for torture and death, especially when they have a child of their own. Slowly, Casey stopped talking as her anger rose. Rick didn't force her to speak until they reached the next inn. He wasn't sure what to say at first, so he and Casey brushed Dragon down while he thought. "Casey, Coruld will help you. Don't hate Thoyou just because you hate his followers."
"You can't hate what doesn't exist." Rick looked down at her, startled by her reply. She stared back at him, firm in her belief. "He can't exist, not if the murder of children is his idea of purity." Her eyes seemed to freeze him with an icy knowledge of the truth. "A person who loved their child would feel the same. Or should at least." She looked away then, and finished the brushing before both of them went up to their room. With the same set-up as last night, Casey immediately fell asleep but Rick stayed up, and cried.
* * * * *
A dim glow awoke Rick, who thought it was morning; yet a look towards the window at the darkness proved otherwise. His eyes started to focus, and he realized the faint glow was inside the room, and Casey was staring at him. The glow seemed to come from her yet, she herself wasn't glowing. "When I am reborn, seek the boy." She said. Rick eyes jerked up to Casey's face and pure white eyes.
"W-what, what are you?" Rick was scared. He had no idea what was happening and he didn't understand.
"When I am reborn, seek the boy." Rick felt darkness sweep over him and for the first time in his life, he passed out.
* * * * *
Rick jolted awake to see Casey staring at him. She looked normal, and much calmer than last night. "You're hard to wake up. The sun rose a couple hours ago."
"Oh shi-" His words were cut off by him throwing back the blankets, quickly donning his boots, and dragging Casey down to the stables. Rick quickly put Dragon's blanket and saddle on, then hurled Casey and himself onto him. Forcing Dragon into a gallop, Rick's thoughts raced with. What happened last night? I know I wasn't drunk, and I was awake. Was I hallucinating? Something nagged at the back of his mind, he couldn't shake it off.
With his thoughts distracting him, he was caught off guard when Coruld came in sight. He slowed dragon to a walk and looked up at the sky; noon. "We made good time."
"Yeah, good for you." Casey's anger had returned. Rick sighed and didn't speak until they reached the entrance. The fortress-like building hovered over them, the vines dying over the crumbling stone. Shivers ran down his spine.
A robed priest stood before them, waiting to be properly addressed. Rick dismounted then pulled Casey down in front of him. "One for Coruld."
"Where is the other? Two were expected." This priest was different from the rest, and not just because of his position as High Priest. His stature, for one, was smaller than most men, yet he seemed to tower over anyone. And his voice was more of a hiss escaping his lips than actually speaking.
"We were attacked. Three men played us, trying to take the children. They killed my second in command. One of them died as well. In the process the cart was destroyed, and the other two made off with the boy.
"Bah, excuses." growled the Priest. He leaned close, examining Casey's cheeks carefully. "Yes, I was told of you youngling." She jerked her head away in defiance and glared at the Priest. He smiled at her, with a desire for malevolence that made Rick shudder silently. "Yes, I will observe your training personally, to see your progress into purity."
The Priest pushed her gently towards the door. Casey, trying to keep as much willpower as possible, walked faster into the building. The Priest followed close, indifferent to her actions, and locked the door behind. Rick stood there watching, as the closest thing to a friend he has had in a long time, was led through the door; and perhaps, to her death.