The Broken Ones

Chapter 2:3 -Monsters

It didn’t take him long to catch up with her and they continued their journey in silence, Soi chewing on an apple and Ana limping while quietly cussing her leg. The day went by and as the sky was turning darker and Soi more frequently glanced over his shoulder they arrived to a small village by the river bank. There were only a dozen of houses but more were being built and there were plenty of people. At the scenery of the village and the seething of life Ana stopped and observed every movement before with big eyes.
-I have never been here before, she said as if it was impossible. –No, I’ve been here but the village wasn’t here. How could this happen?
-A lot of things can happen in a few years time, Soi chipped in.
She turned her head to him, there was a small wrinkle between her blonde eyebrows.
-Yes, you’re right, she mumbled, almost as to herself.
-Well, shall we see if there are any inns in the village?
Soi led his horse to the village without waiting for a reply.
There was one inn or rather a pub with a few spare rooms on the second floor. They settled in and found themselves in front of a dinner table. Ana had, as always, ordered twice as much to eat than Soi. He was taller, had far more muscles and was male, he should be the one with a healthy appetite instead of this skinny little girl. Soi watched her in amaze as she was bulking down her dinner and was swallowing it with an abundance of mead. This young girl was a heavy drinker and he didn’t know if it was awful or if he was awestruck. As he saw her mentality change he quickly retrieved the mead from her. From a moment it looked like she would protest as she narrowed her eyes to dangerous slits but she was caught off guard as a stranger sat down beside her. And kissed her on the cheek!
Soi didn’t know how to react as Ana immediately didn’t oppose. He gulped down some mead himself. When he looked up from the bottle the stranger had moved on from kissing Ana’s cheek to licking it, and Soi felt it convenient to interfere when Ana, clearly annoyed and seemingly unaffected by the mead, pushed the stranger away.
-Nibbles, she said and Soi easily recognised the sarcasm hidden in her voice. –Meet Soi. Soi, this is an acquaintance of mine, Nebelius Silver, commonly known as Nibbles.
The stranger acted as if he hadn’t seen Soi before Ana introduced him.
-Oh, Soi, what a pleasure to meet you, he said and reached out to shake Soi’s hand but instead of shaking it he kissed it, much to Soi’s surprise.
-Yes, a pleasure, Soi agreed lamely and retrieved his hand quickly.
-So, you are one of the new broken ones? Nibbles continued.
-Broken?
And there ended Nibbles pleasure of meeting him. He turned back to Ana and ignored Soi and his question.
-So, he’s not then, I take it, he said.
-I never said he was, Ana said, annoyed and innocent at the same time.
-Then who is he?
-I’m her guard, Soi chipped in. –From Sofara.
-Her guard? Nibbles interest flew right back from out of the window. He sweetly put his cheeks between his two hands and tilted his head as if he was a little girl and watched Soi with innocent eyes, or rather eye as his left eye was covered with an eye patch. He looked like a pirate so on the whole it was very bizarre. His next question was directed to Ana.
-So, he survived.
-Yes, but I’m personally going to kill him if he keep asking stupid questions.
-There are no stupid questions, Nibbles said sweetly, his one eye flickering flirtatious to Soi. –It’s the persons asking them who are stupid.
-Well, it’s reason enough for me to kill him. It’s just dumb luck that he survived anyway.
-I’d say it’s a miracle.
Once again he winked his eye to Soi and sent him an airborne kiss over the table. Soi thought himself lucky to be on the other side of the table.
-Could you stop flirting with him!
Ana sounded a bit pissed off and Nibbles directed his eye to her instead.
-Are you jealous, darling? He asked innocently.
Ana stared at him with piercing eyes and Nibbles turned serious.
-Heard about Sam, by the way. Sorry.
Ana rose abruptly froma her chair and marched out of the dining room. Leaving Soi alone with Nibbles.
-So you survived, Nibbled nodded. –How?
-Well, I suppose I was just lucky, as she said. If the monster hadn’t attacked Ana first I wouldn’t had time to pick up my sword and stab him.
Nibbles looked amazed at him.
-You saved Ana’s life? No wonder why she’s pissed. So what was Ana doing at this time if you had to rescue her?
-She was sleeping.
-Oh, dear, she’s got a death wish, Nibbles sounded serious.
Soi couldn’t tell if he was joking or not.
-What do you mean, she seems ok. I think…
-It has to do with Sam.
-The dead guy.
-Uhm, yeah. Got killed by the monsters most likely, which is not like him.
Nibbles reached across the table and took Soi’s hand and leaned forward.
-You see, they were real close, like brother and sister, he whispered confidingly.
Their eyes met and in the way Nibbles smile broadened Soi could tell that there was more to Ana and Sam’s relation than that. Suddenly, as if someone called on Nibbles, he rose and looked at the front door of the pub. Then he turned his head back to Soi, still smiling.
-Well, I have to go, Nibbles said.
He put on his gloves and tipped his hat in a gesture of good bye and turned to go. And turned back again.
-Oh, I almost forgot. Can you deliver a message to your dear mistress?
Soi nodded yes.
-There aren’t any monsters. Or rather they ain’t monsters. Although, I’m sure she already knows.
And so Nebelius Silver left, leaving Soi in a pond of confusion. The monsters that were following them weren’t monsters? Then what were they?

After dark, Soi returned to Ana’s room. He knocked on the door. Nothing but silence answered him so he opened up a crack, just enough to see that all lights were out except for the burning fire. Ana must be sleeping.
-Aren’t you even going to ask if you can come in before you break up the door?
Her voice was as low and sarcastic as ever.
-Well, you don’t like my questions that much…
-Clever boy. I’ll award you the permission to enter.
Soi carefully stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him and found himself absorbed by darkness.
-I suppose Nibbles found it entertaining that you saved my life, other than you simply survived.
-How did you…
-He has a one-track mind when it comes to the pleasure of my faults, and you sure are one of them.
-Well, he has left now.
-Oh, he hasn’t left, he’ll stick around a few days, as long as we are fun. He’s rather hard to get rid of.
-He asked me to convey a message, about the monsters.
-Let’s hear it then.
Ana leaned away from the shadows and the fire spread light onto her serious face.
-He said they ain’t monsters.
Ana leaned back before Soi could read her expression but it looked like she had lost all colour.
-I should have known he would know, she whispered from the shadows.
-He did say you’d probably already knew. What did he mean?
-Nothing for you to bother about. And as a rule, Nibbles say useless things so don’t listen too eagerly to everything that drops out of his mouth.
-He said you have a death wish.
-What did I tell you, useless things.
-But is he right? Do you have a death wish?
-Yes, yours, she leaned forward so he could see her smirk.
-How many times have you been saved by one of the abundance of guards you’ve had over the past few years?
-Including you, one. Do you imply sleeping is equal to having a wish to die? She raised one eyebrow.
-No, but sleeping heavily, especially as you are aware that there are monsters lurking around you. I think that mayor was right in sending me with you. You do need protection. I don’t know what has happened to you and I don’t care, I was sent to protect you and that I will.
-Well aren’t you a good dog barking at the wrong tree. Are you done with your speech so I can continue my sleep?
-Of course. Do you have my key?
-Key? To what?
-My room.
-This is your room.
-You only got one room, he said as a matter of fact.
-Because it’s cheaper than two rooms and I am supposed to provide for you during this trip so…
-And this room only got one bed because?
-It’s cheaper than two.
-Obviously, he gritted his teeth.-So am I suppose to sleep on the floor?
-Oh, so you miss sleeping outside in the forest? Otherwise I would recommend the bed, it’ll be the last one you’ll see for a long time.
-You mean we should share that one bed?
-Yes, she answered and looked at him with a blank face.
He stared back at her and she raised one eyebrow.
-Do you want me to give you other reasons to why sleeping is a good idea?
-No it’s fine, just wondered how old you really are. How old are you?
She blinked her eyes in indifference.
-Oh, I’ve stopped keeping track. Twenty maybe?
-Not possible, Soi protested.
-No? Okey, I don’t know, how about thirteen, fourteen, does that seem appropriate?
Soi watched her doubtingly as she studied herself.
-No, I think I am older, I mean look at my body, doesn’t it look like a teenagers?
Soi was in shock.
-Let’s just sleep, he answered instead.
He undressed but kept his pants on and slipped in between the sheets of the bad.
-Good night, he said but Ana was already snoring.


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