The Broken Ones

Chapter 3:2 -Dreams

Most of the day passed from the saddle. Soi enjoyed the fact that Nibbles also was a persistent lunch eater and wouldn’t move one meter before he at least had spent thirty minutes of eating and resting. It irritated Ana but there was nothing she could do about it except starting to walk. Ten minuets into the break she disappeared among the trees cursing and Soi and Nibbles were left to themselves.
-So, any clue to why the swift departure?
Nibbles scratched his short stubble and observed Soi with indifference from the corner of his right eye.
-It may sound silly, but I think it was because of a dream.
-A dream, Nibbles nodded thoughtful.
-My dream, to be exact. There was a man trying to choke me.
-I take it he didn’t succeed. Did he happen to have one or two fingers too few?
-Actually, yes. It was one of the reasons he couldn’t choke me.
Nibbles smiled.
-Lucky you.
Soi frowned his forehead.
-Can you explain one thing to me?
-Sure.
-What did you mean with the broken ones?
-I can explain that part, but first answer my question. Nibbles looked serious.-Are you stupid?
-No.
-How long have you been around here?
-Two years.
-And you haven’t heard of the broken ones? Nibbles nodded to himself. –I suppose that’s possible. Well, are you acquainted with the term magic?
-I know of its existence, yes.
-Do you see my eye patch? He pointed to the obvious covered left eye.
Soi nodded in response.
-My eye was damaged by accident, it’s a permanent damage but it don’t give me much bother or ache. This injury provides me with an extent of magic. Enough to make my life easier to get through without my damaged eye. So people with injuries possess magic as a compensation for their injuries.
-A kind of magicians? Soi asked and thought about the sleeping spell Ana had casted on him.
-You may call us magician but that is just a branch. Our collective name is the Broken Ones, as we are all broken to some extent. That extent is what separates how powerful we are as “magicians”. My injury doesn’t hinder me much and was also caused when I was older so I ain’t that powerful. In comparison to Ana.
-She said she never had been able to walk properly, Soi remembered.
-And her leg still bothers her. She’s practically immortal by our length met.
The word sent a lot of wheels spinning in Soi’s mind. Immortal. Was that why she didn’t know her exact- she had lived so long? But then again, she had the body of a young girl. Nothing seemed to add up.
And right at that moment Ana returned from her walk, as if being the answer to all questions. She had a grumpy face and when Soi opened his mouth she shot him an annoyed glance telling him that he better not ask any questions. She sat down beside their small fire and stirred it with her staff.
-We’re being followed, she said with a low voice.
Nibbles didn’t seem surprised by her words. He just nodded, rose from his position and went to check on the horses.
-The monsters?
-No, they’re not monsters. At least not during sunlight.
Soi was confused, did she mean that the ones following them weren’t monsters or that the monsters weren’t monsters during daytime? But Ana said no more and he didn’t dare ask. Not after Nibbles and his talk about magic.
Ana spoke up:
-So, are you done with your lunch break? Can we get moving?
-If you like.
-Well let’s go then. Breaks are such a waste of daylight.
They put out the fire and packed up. Soi mounted his mare and pulled Ana up behind him.
-What direction? Soi asked.
-North. Always north, Ana said and Soi steered his mare forward.
-Oh, I thought we were going to Beroal, Nibbles said in surprise.
-I’m going to the Academy.
-Oh, Nibbles nodded. –I suppose I can follow you there.
-It’s not like you’re chained to us, Ana raised one eyebrow.
-If Soi is going, I think I’ll follow you. I must see how long he’ll survive, he smiled broadly.
-Thank you, Soi said sourly.
Nibbles tipped his hat. They pushed their horses to fall into a steady canter.
-What’s the Academy? Soi glanced over his shoulder to Ana who held onto him.
-None of your concern.
-It’s a safe haven for our kind, Nibbles answered instead.
Ana glared at him.
-What? He asked innocently and raised both eyebrows.
-The less he knows the better. He’s just a guard.
-But he survived, Nibbles countered and got another glare. –Alright then, my lips are sealed, as your highness wish. He is your guard after all.
He took a bow from the saddle and cantered away. When he was out of sight Ana leaned forward to Soi.
-Don’t listen to everything he says, she breathed into his ear.
-Because I shouldn’t know it.
-Because he doesn’t always tell the truth.
She leaned back and didn’t say another word. They caught up with Nibbles and together they continued their journey which now had a destination- the Academy.

As the sun begun to set Soi felt the need to sleep increase. They had had an early start in the day and the nightmares had not provided the goodnight’s sleep he had needed. He was worried about the dreams, they had been too real for him to forget about and he was worried that as he closed his eyes those crazy green eyes would be waiting for him. Soi tried to stay awake but his eyes flickered and his chin fell to his breast, his body relaxed and he started to slide off his mare, taking Ana with him. The next second he was on the ground and looked up into Ana’s angry grey eyes. His mare looked confused down on both of them. Nibbles was laughing his heart out.
-What happened?
-We fell! She answered irritated.
-Why?
-Because you fell asleep! How could you fall asleep?
-I… I don’t know. It was an early start today, I guess I was just tired.
-Don’t you have the ring I gave you?
-Oh, yes, he took forth the ring. –Here you go.
-You idiot, it’s for you.
-For me?
Nibbles burst out in laughter again.
-You gave him your ring? Sam’s ring? He laughed.
-I thought it would work.
Ana actually blushed but if it was because she was angry or embarrassed was hard to tell.
-Obvious not, Nibbles pointed out.
-Work against what? Soi said puzzled.
-Against dreams.
-Dreams?
-Sam was real good with dreams, he could possess people’s dreams and change them. Once you fall asleep you’re in his hands and at his mercy, Nibbles explained further.
-And what does Ana’s ring got to do with it.
-Sam gave it to her and it can prevent other people from intruding her dreams.
-And your dream this morning may be the work of a dream magician, Ana intervened.-A real powerful dreamer, as we call them, can even make you fall asleep and kill you in your sleep. You were lucky to get away. I thought that Sam’s ring could prevent you from falling asleep. But it didn’t work.
-But I didn’t dream.
-What did you say? Ana looked at Soi with large eyes. –You didn’t dream?
-It all went so fast, but I didn’t dream anything.
-So the ring didn’t stop you from falling asleep but it prevented any dreams.
-It seems like it.
-Very well then, it’s time to stop. If it can’t prevent you from sleeping it’s better to settle for tonight, Nibbles said and dismounted his stallion.
He began to unpack. Ana quickly rose from her kneeling position by Soi.
-But we haven’t gotten anywhere, we have barely moved all this day!
-Dear Ana, we have covered more ground these few hours of efficient riding than you would cover walking for five days. And the horses need a break as well.
-Pathetic creatures, Ana snorted and disappeared into the surrounding forest.
Half an hour later she returned with her arms full of dry firewood and the camp was settled. In contrast to Ana and Soi’s starlit sleeping settlement, Nibbles had put up a tent large enough to contain one person. When Ana saw it she snorted. Nibbles, positioned by the homemade fireplace waiting for Ana to bring him some wood to make the fire, directed his eyes to Ana and followed her despicable look to his one man tent.
-You can borrow it if you like.
-It’s a waste of time, she said and brought him the wood.
-My time, to be correct.
-But as you are accompanying me it is my time you are wasting.
-Dear girl, you are obsessed with time. You don’t have to wait for me in the morning while I’m packing down my tent, if you prefer. But I will not sleep under the stars like a ranger.
That ended their discussion and soon they were all seated around the growing fire.
-So, Soi, tell a little about yourself, Nibbles said.
-Me?
-Yes, you’re obvious not from around as you haven’t heard of the broken, and, quite honestly, you don’t look like the rest of the world. I’ve been around a lot these couple years but I haven’t seen anyone like you before. I’m sure you haven’t either Ana, am I correct?
Soi looked nervously at Ana who returned it with a slightly irritated stare.
-I suggest you travel a few more years, Nebelius, before you make any presumptions that Soi would be one of the kind, she answered him neutrally. –There must be thousands of black haired people on this land alone. And as you remember, I stand out quite a bit on this side of the mountains with my fair headed looks.
-Stand out is indeed the word I seek. His slanted eyes are standing out in his character. Now, will you honestly tell me that you have never come across such eyes?
-His eyes are slanted? Where? Ana played surprised.
-Oh, please, his eyes are lines cut out from the tip of his nose to the end of his eyebrows, Nibbles was caught up in her act, irritated by her ignorance.
Ana leaned in towards the fire to study Soi over the red and orange flames. She narrowed her eyes and stretched her lips to a thin line. Quietly she shook her head.
-I think the dark and the fire is playing tricks with your mind, Nebelius. Or perhaps it is that your one eye can’t keep up with the real images of the world and creates a fantasy world for you to believe in.
-Are you saying that his eyes aren’t slanted? Nibbles one eye narrowed and stared at Ana, but it was as if she didn’t notice him.
-Shall we eat then? The fire is strong enough to be used.
They ate and settled for the night.

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