"Planning on stabbing someone to death with that thing?"
I was so startled that I nearly dropped Ashryal. "Who is there? Come out now!" I exclaimed menacingly. "I will see to it that you will die a horrible death if you don't!"
Laughter floated towards me from the lab. Holding Ashryal higher I walked towards the laughter. "Who are you and why are you in my cave?" I asked again.
Upon turning the corner at the entrance to the lab, I was greeted by a smile that could melt the hardest heart. He was just a few inches taller than I was and dark skinned. His hair was jet black and so were his eyes. He was standing over a pit he had dug in the floor where I used to stand as a statue. He had taken pieces of the chipped away stone to line it with and had a nice fire going. Some animal had been run through with a stick and he was turning it over the fire.
He stood up and said, "Hope you don't mind but I was hungry. I took the liberty of using a few of your stones to build this with." he said gesturing with his hand to the pit. "I was careful to keep the fire away from your journals and books. I didn't want the wrath of a mighty dragoness on my hands! Nice sword you have there." he continued.
"Who are you?!?" I asked again, getting frustrated with his ramblings.
"Oh! I forget myself. My name is Korbin and I am here to help you, Mistress Morrighan." and with that he bowed low, swooping one arm under and the other behind his back in one elegant sweep. "I would have been here sooner but saving your familiar kept me busy. How is he by the way?" he asked me, popping up on his toes and looking over my shoulder.
"Well then, hello Korbin. I hope you don't mind if I am not as cordial as you are, especially since you have invaded my cave without an invite. It is not every day that someone just waltzes in here and makes himself at home here. Thank you for your help with Bones. He is fine. Thank you for asking. Now will you please tell me why you are here AND cooking yourself something to eat?" I asked rather perturbed at his nonchalance. "I am curious how you know who I am, where I live and most importantly what happened to Bones!"
He had turned back to the fire and was turning his meat again. "I think this is just about done. Hungry?" he asked me turning back to me with the stick in his hand. "Do you have something I can set this on to carve it?"
"I am hungry, but you haven't answered my questions." I replied grabbing a platter and shoving it at him before he dripped the juices all over my floor.
"I make it a rule to never discuss life or business on an empty stomach, Morrighan. Take a seat and as soon as I am sated I will tell you everything." He stated matter of fact, while helping himself to a seat at my table. He carelessly shoved things aside, almost knocking onto the floor my book of medicines and herbs I had been reading the night before. I rushed to grab it before it hit the floor and gave him a disapproving look.
He never looked up to see it. He had pulled a knife out of his pocket and had started carving out slices of meat and was gobbling them down almost as fast as he could cut them. Finally after eating several pieces of the meat he looked up with a questioning look on his face. "Are you going to want some of this?" he asked me with a mouth still full from his last bite. I was so disgusted from watching him eat that I had lost my appetite.
"You go ahead. I think you are hungrier than I am. I think I will just get some water. Elsewhere, Ashryal." and he vanished again leaving me feeling cold. I got up and went to fetch some water and before I could get ten feet away I heard him ask, "Bring me some since you're up?"
I turned around and replied, "If you can find time to ask me nicely I will, since you are so busy stuffing your mouth."
"Where are my manners? Please will you bring me some water, Morrighan?" he said after swallowing his last mouthful.
"Yes, Korbin, I will bring you some water and thank you for asking nicely." I replied. Upon returning to the table, I sat and drank my water waiting for him to finish his meal. By this time the cats had smelled the meat and had joined us at the table. Bones still looked weak, but with him it was hard to tell since he was already skinny. I poured them some water and asked Korbin to share his meat with the cats. He obliged, but not without a look of yearning at the meat he now had to share.
Bones and Spot had not forgotten their manners and thanked him with meows of gratitude. I wondered if he could understand them or if they were meowing because there was a stranger with us. I had tons of questions to ask and was starting to get perturbed. He was actually eating every bite of meat there was, right down to the bones, like a scavenger. It was this impression that I had gotten right from the beginning. He was like a scavenger with those black eyes. He had yet to look me straight in the eyes as his eyes would dart away to look at something else whenever we made eye contact.
"I don't think I have ever seen anyone as beautiful as you, Morrighan." he finally stated after cleaning up the last bit of meat. "I have been watching you for quite a while now and it was lucky for your cat that I followed him. He got himself into quite the predicament last night." he continued.
"You have been watching me? I haven't seen you around here at all and for that matter why did you follow Bones?" I said in a huff.
"You have seen me, but you weren't aware it was me. I have this talent, you see, and I guess the only way is to show you." and with that he vanished and suddenly there was a raven on the table. I started to call for Ashryal again, but changed my mind. The cats hissed and arched their backs, ready to attack the bird. Just as suddenly the raven was gone and Korbin reappeared.
"Easy there fellows! I mean you no harm. I am here to help you if I can. I am the Keeper of Secrets. I was following Bones last night to gather his secret, but he was attacked on the way. That pack of wild dogs caught him unawares and nearly killed him before I could fly in and scare them off. I know many things Morrighan, and I am here to offer you access to my secrets if it means it will rid the kingdom of Nepharious." and with that he smiled and sat back in his seat.
1 comment:
Good job. Have you been watching me eat?
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