The Broken Ones

Chapter 8:2 -Returning

It wasn’t who Soi expected. Because at the bar stood he who had so suddenly vanished as he now had appeared again. Nebelius Silver leaned against the bar, raised his glass in Soi’s direction. He was in the company of the two white haired men, though Jagger was right in her descritption of the second one, he was around her age and looked more like a boy than a man.
-It’s Nibbles! Jagger exclaimed and darted up from her chair to greet him. Soi tried to stop her but it was too late.
-Darling Jagger, are you here?
Nibbles showered Jagger with kisses and she giggled like a girl. Soi rose unwillingly from his chair to follow Jagger.
-Soi, are you here as well? Nibbles sounded honestly surprised.
He placed a kiss on Soi’s palm and looked him right in the eyes with a cheaky spark hidden in the corner of his one eye.
-Lone time, no see, he smiled broadly. –This is my friends Haz (it was the older one) and Ard (it was the younger one). They are brothers.
At this point Nibbles winked at Jagger confidingly.
-So where is your mistress? Nibbles asked Soi.
-She’s sleeping, Soi kept it short.
-Tomorrow then, Nibbles said to the two men who stood behind him. –You see, this is Ana’s guard you have the honour of meeting, gentlemen. If you want to meet Ana, you go through him. If he doesn’t like you, there’s no way you’ll meet the legendary Ana, the immortal girl.
-You make her sound like a freak, Nibbles, she’s just Ana.
Jagger slapped Nibbles across his chest and pouted playfully. Then she pulled forward Ard.
-So why do you and your brother want to meet my sister.
-Is she really your sister? Ard widened his eyes.
-Not really, Jagger smiled.
-We would just like to meet her, she is a living myth after all, Haz smiled.
Jagger stopped smiling and stepped back.
-I don’t like you, she said with a grim face.
-That’s upfront for such a young lady.
Haz’s ice cold eyes bore into Jagger who defiantly kept the gaze. The tension was dangerous. Ard stepped in-between.
-My brother and I come from a country far away, we’re not used to spirited women.
-You should have stayed there then, Jagger muttered in the corner of her mouth, but Soi heard her and had to hold back a smile.
-And then we came here and here you have the immortal girl and strong-minded women. We are amazed, Ard smoothed out the tension cleverly.
Though Haz looked nothing like amazed.
-Of course you are, Nibbles continued and once again he winked with his eye at Jagger confidingly but this time her face remained stiff and resolute.
Soi admired her for her stubbornness. He himself had placed his hand on the sword sheath without anyone noticing and now he felt safer than before. Ard tried to smile but it seemed out of place.
-Haz, it’s been a long day, isn’t it time for some food? Ard led his brother away from the company.
-We’ll talk tomorrow.
Soi said and excused him and Jagger. When the two was out of sight and hearing, Soi and Jagger relaxed.
-I really don’t like him, Jagger gritted her teeth.
-You don’t like me either, Soi said to light up the mood. To his surprise Jagger’s cheek reddened.
-Well… you have improved after better acquaintance.
Soi laughed heartily. They returned to Ana’s room where she slept soundly.
-Do we tell her? Jagger asked Soi.
-It’ll have to wait until tomorrow. I don’t think she ever has slept this much, it’ll do her good.

In his sleep glowing red and ice blue eyes haunted him and it was a relief to wake up the next morning. Even if it was on a hard, cold floor. Jagger and Ana shared the only bed in the room. None of the girls were awake which gave him time to sit and rework his saddle. He could hardly believe that he had carried on that narrow passage but he was glad he had taken it with him. It was made out of beautiful leather and had been perfectly modeled over the years, it was flexible and smooth. There were carvings of wild flowers and wild vine climbing up the flap. For a long time Soi could do nothing but watch the saddle. There was a funny story behind the saddle. Usually you buy a horse that suits you and then buy a saddle to match the horse’s back. For Soi it was the opposite.
When he first arrived in Sofara he didn’t have any riding experience but the mayor still excepted him because of his supreme fighting skills. Soon Soi understood that he was at disadvantage if he didn’t learn to ride. But he didn’t like horses in particular, the only thing interesting about them was the different kinds of saddles. So against all advice he had been given, he decided to buy a saddle first. When he saw its wild wine climbing across the leather he knew this was his saddle. The wild wine reminded him of his home that every summer was covered with wild wines climbing the walls. As Soi tried to find a horse to fit it, it became clear that the others were right. The saddle he had bought was more for decoration in one’s home than an actual saddle to use. But Soi didn’t give up, each free day he visited the stables close to Sofara’s centre were they bred horses to see if they had any horse that would fit his saddle. At that time his name begun to spread across Sofara as the mayor’s new guard who had quickly risen in rank and soon he was soon recognized in the stables. They all tried to sell him their best stallion, their most beautiful horse and horses with impressive bloodlines. Soi, with his lack of experience, couldn’t care less about bloodlines, if the stallion had many promising offspring or that if obviously mattered if he chose a stallion or a mare. He simply wanted a horse that could carry him and his saddle. Their talk about how well shaped the neckline of this horse or how proudly that horse held its tail soon made Soi dizzy. Finally he had had enough and begun to search anywhere else than the stables with their fancy horses.
In a dark crib in the corner of an old farm located in the edges of Sofara, he found his mare chained by the hooves, hanging deep with her head. She was nothing but bones. When she heard Soi move, she tiredly lifted her head slowly and their eyes met. He knew the saddle would match. He gave the farmer a golden coin for his worn-out farm horse and led the mare back to his home. Over the weeks, with much food, rest and long walks each day, she grew healthier and their bond became stronger. When he tried on the saddle it fitted perfectly. He led her out of the stable and mounted her. Soon he faced the ground again, head down. He had bought a horse that wasn’t a saddle horse, the mare had been used for draught work. But Soi’s mind was set and with another few weeks passing by he soon could stay up for at least five minutes. Now she was gone.
Soi remembered their days together and he was glad he kept the saddle, though he didn’t know what to do with it. A smile spread across his face.
-What are you smiling about? Ana asked, her blonde hair was a mess and her grey eyes cloudy.
-I know what to do with the saddle.
-Oh, let’s hear it then.
-Nothing, he said with a smile.
Ana didn’t get it, she stared at him as he was out of his mind.
-I won’t do anything to it, I’ll keep it as it is, Soi explained further.
-Are you going to carry it with you all the way to the Academy, across the plains?
-Well, no, he scratched the back of his head. –Didn’t think about that.
-Thought so.

To be continued...
By J.L.Frick