Post by Lorpius Prime on Sept 29, 2007 14:31:40 GMT -5
The walk seemed to take longer than Jay remembered. Of course, his memory was mostly of a carriage ride; a carriage ride the better part of which Jay had spent daydreaming. Walking made the journey long. Walking alone made it excruciatingly so. Jay was alone, and afraid.
He was beginning to think that he’d lost his way entirely. Night was descending and Jay’s breath was drawing short. But then he spotted the inn where he and Jack had spent the night two days ago. He had no currency at all, and the memory of the innkeeper sent ice into his veins. It was better to keep walking.
Still, the road ahead was dark. The treetops curved over the path, creating a black tunnel. The inn…
The inn was well-lit. Yellow light poured out its windows and onto the ground outside. Several horses were outside, tied to posts and drinking from a trough of water. Jay made a face, and stepped towards the building to get a better look.
When he and Jack had stayed at this inn, it had seemed deserted but for its old keeper. The interior had been lit with perhaps two candles at most. From the way the windows glowed, there were significantly more than two candles burning now. And the horses indicated there were at least five guests now. Jay didn’t think the inn had even had five rooms.
Jay’s astonishment nearly killed him. Only a sudden shout brought him out of his stupor, and he leapt aside before he could be trampled to death by the horse which pounded out of the dark path ahead.
He landed on his suitcase, heart racing and breaths coming fast and shallow. He rolled over to see a rider climbing down off the horse. He jogged over to Jay and held out an arm.
Jay froze, and his eyes bulged. The rider wore a military coat and insignia.
“Verzeihung! Sind Sie--” the rider stopped, staring at Jay’s face.
The moment broke, and Jay rolled to the side, attempting to stand up, grab his suitcase, and run away, all at the same time. He did manage to do the first two before he was grabbed from behind. He yelped, and tried to fight off the arms grabbing him.
“Ruhe!” the soldier growled at him, “Sie sind nicht in Sicherheit!” Jay found himself being dragged backwards, away from the edge of the forest and safety. He shouted and tried to kick at the man behind him.
His captor grunted, but maintained his grip. He was strong, much more than Jay, who was already beginning to tire. Fear and panic gripped Jay, they had him, they were going to kill him. He needed to get away but he just wasn’t strong enough.
With a final groan of effort, the soldier lifted Jay off the ground, spun him around, and set him back down. Jay was in the doorway of the inn. The door was open and yellow light shone behind several people looking out at him. Jay blinked.
The soldier who he’d been struggling with shoved Jay forward. He stumbled into the inn as the onlookers parted to let him inside. His suitcase, which he’d dropped in the fight, clattered onto the floor beside him.
For several minutes, Jay could only stare at the people around him, and the people around him could only stare back. The soldier, whom Jay could hear muttering behind him, went outside, presumably to tie up his horse. He came back in and shut the door, still muttering.
Four men were standing in front of Jay, just looking at him. He was taller than all of them, though one only by about an inch. They were all either Jay’s age or older, the oldest seemed perhaps in his forties, with a few gray hairs. They were all frowning at Jay skeptically.
When the soldier came back, they all looked over at him, the oldest of the four raised his bushy black eyebrows.
“Was?” growled the soldier as he stepped into view, wiping his hands on his light blue coat. He had a massive purple bruise on one cheek, and seemed quite angry about it. Jay supposed he was responsible for that.
The tall one growled back in German. The soldier threw up his hands and launched into some kind of tirade, jabbing a finger at Jay several times. Something was bothering Jay about him, but he was still rather bewildered. He stayed silent.
After a moment of back and forth yelling, the older man held out his hands and shushed both the soldier and his taller companion. Then the old innkeeper came out from behind a wall, scowling.
“Was ist los?” he asked in a complaining whine. Then his eyes fixed on Jay.
Jay looked back at him, pleading, but the innkeeper only rolled his eyes. If anything, the old man scowled more. He went back behind the wall.
The rest of the men all looked at each other, then the old one said something to Jay he couldn’t understand and nodded his head to one side.
The four who’d been waiting inside turned to follow the innkeeper further into the run-down little building. The soldier growled at Jay again, in a commanding voice. Taking the hint, Jay grabbed up his suitcase and followed everyone.
A fire burned in the hearth of the inn’s little bar. The gray innkeeper was standing behind stacks of glasses at the bar, arms crossed and still scowling. The four men who’d greeted Jay and the soldier all looked to take seats at the various tiny tables around the fireplace. They joined a fifth, a boy maybe half Jay’s age, who was staring down into a half-emptied stein of beer. Jay remained standing.
When everyone else had sat down, the boy looked up from his drink to Jay and smiled. His eyes seemed slightly off-center. Jay didn’t know what to make of him any more than the rest of the scene. He was still panting a little from his struggle outside.
All the guests looked at the innkeeper, seeming to ask a silent question.
The innkeeper, who seemed highly annoyed, snapped, “Er kommt.”
And with this pronouncement came the sound of the outside door opening again. The wind outside must have picked up, because there was a little burst of chill air, causing the candles and fire to shudder. Everyone in the inn shot to their feet, wooden chairs clattering on the wooden floor. Jay turned around.
Baron Münchhausen was leaning on a wall beyond the entryway, sweating profusely and looking as if he was about to faint.
“Gerd,” the Baron croaked, his voice hardly audible.
The innkeeper jerked out of his slouch and rushed from behind his bar to the windows. He pulled closed shutters and drew dark heavy curtains over every one.
Münchhausen staggered forward, slowly, seeming as if he was going to collapse with every step. Jay almost ran over to assist him out of pity, but something restrained him.
Finally, the Baron reached the leather armchair in one corner of the bar and fell into it with visible relief. Jay frowned, he couldn’t recall seeing that chair in the room earlier. Münchhausen’s chest heaved with every breath, and his hair hung in damp clumps around his face. His usually pale skin had taken on a greenish hue, like he’d been drowned.
The innkeeper, Gerd, finished shutting the windows, and moved to stand by the chair at Münchhausen’s side. He put a hand on the chair’s tall winged back and looked hungrily down at the Baron. Jay found this new behavior unsettling.
Münchhausen took a few more deep breaths before his eyes opened. They scanned the room, then settled on Jay. The Baron licked his lips.
“Well, Herr Blake, you’ve returned.” A pause, “But where is your comrade?”
Book One, Chapter:
-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-
-22-23-24-25-26-27-28-29-30-31-32-33-34-35-36-37-38-39-40-41-42-
-43-44-45-46-47-48-49-50-51-52-53-54-55-56-57-58-59-60-61-62-
Appendix: -A-B-C-
He was beginning to think that he’d lost his way entirely. Night was descending and Jay’s breath was drawing short. But then he spotted the inn where he and Jack had spent the night two days ago. He had no currency at all, and the memory of the innkeeper sent ice into his veins. It was better to keep walking.
Still, the road ahead was dark. The treetops curved over the path, creating a black tunnel. The inn…
The inn was well-lit. Yellow light poured out its windows and onto the ground outside. Several horses were outside, tied to posts and drinking from a trough of water. Jay made a face, and stepped towards the building to get a better look.
When he and Jack had stayed at this inn, it had seemed deserted but for its old keeper. The interior had been lit with perhaps two candles at most. From the way the windows glowed, there were significantly more than two candles burning now. And the horses indicated there were at least five guests now. Jay didn’t think the inn had even had five rooms.
Jay’s astonishment nearly killed him. Only a sudden shout brought him out of his stupor, and he leapt aside before he could be trampled to death by the horse which pounded out of the dark path ahead.
He landed on his suitcase, heart racing and breaths coming fast and shallow. He rolled over to see a rider climbing down off the horse. He jogged over to Jay and held out an arm.
Jay froze, and his eyes bulged. The rider wore a military coat and insignia.
“Verzeihung! Sind Sie--” the rider stopped, staring at Jay’s face.
The moment broke, and Jay rolled to the side, attempting to stand up, grab his suitcase, and run away, all at the same time. He did manage to do the first two before he was grabbed from behind. He yelped, and tried to fight off the arms grabbing him.
“Ruhe!” the soldier growled at him, “Sie sind nicht in Sicherheit!” Jay found himself being dragged backwards, away from the edge of the forest and safety. He shouted and tried to kick at the man behind him.
His captor grunted, but maintained his grip. He was strong, much more than Jay, who was already beginning to tire. Fear and panic gripped Jay, they had him, they were going to kill him. He needed to get away but he just wasn’t strong enough.
With a final groan of effort, the soldier lifted Jay off the ground, spun him around, and set him back down. Jay was in the doorway of the inn. The door was open and yellow light shone behind several people looking out at him. Jay blinked.
The soldier who he’d been struggling with shoved Jay forward. He stumbled into the inn as the onlookers parted to let him inside. His suitcase, which he’d dropped in the fight, clattered onto the floor beside him.
For several minutes, Jay could only stare at the people around him, and the people around him could only stare back. The soldier, whom Jay could hear muttering behind him, went outside, presumably to tie up his horse. He came back in and shut the door, still muttering.
Four men were standing in front of Jay, just looking at him. He was taller than all of them, though one only by about an inch. They were all either Jay’s age or older, the oldest seemed perhaps in his forties, with a few gray hairs. They were all frowning at Jay skeptically.
When the soldier came back, they all looked over at him, the oldest of the four raised his bushy black eyebrows.
“Was?” growled the soldier as he stepped into view, wiping his hands on his light blue coat. He had a massive purple bruise on one cheek, and seemed quite angry about it. Jay supposed he was responsible for that.
The tall one growled back in German. The soldier threw up his hands and launched into some kind of tirade, jabbing a finger at Jay several times. Something was bothering Jay about him, but he was still rather bewildered. He stayed silent.
After a moment of back and forth yelling, the older man held out his hands and shushed both the soldier and his taller companion. Then the old innkeeper came out from behind a wall, scowling.
“Was ist los?” he asked in a complaining whine. Then his eyes fixed on Jay.
Jay looked back at him, pleading, but the innkeeper only rolled his eyes. If anything, the old man scowled more. He went back behind the wall.
The rest of the men all looked at each other, then the old one said something to Jay he couldn’t understand and nodded his head to one side.
The four who’d been waiting inside turned to follow the innkeeper further into the run-down little building. The soldier growled at Jay again, in a commanding voice. Taking the hint, Jay grabbed up his suitcase and followed everyone.
A fire burned in the hearth of the inn’s little bar. The gray innkeeper was standing behind stacks of glasses at the bar, arms crossed and still scowling. The four men who’d greeted Jay and the soldier all looked to take seats at the various tiny tables around the fireplace. They joined a fifth, a boy maybe half Jay’s age, who was staring down into a half-emptied stein of beer. Jay remained standing.
When everyone else had sat down, the boy looked up from his drink to Jay and smiled. His eyes seemed slightly off-center. Jay didn’t know what to make of him any more than the rest of the scene. He was still panting a little from his struggle outside.
All the guests looked at the innkeeper, seeming to ask a silent question.
The innkeeper, who seemed highly annoyed, snapped, “Er kommt.”
And with this pronouncement came the sound of the outside door opening again. The wind outside must have picked up, because there was a little burst of chill air, causing the candles and fire to shudder. Everyone in the inn shot to their feet, wooden chairs clattering on the wooden floor. Jay turned around.
Baron Münchhausen was leaning on a wall beyond the entryway, sweating profusely and looking as if he was about to faint.
“Gerd,” the Baron croaked, his voice hardly audible.
The innkeeper jerked out of his slouch and rushed from behind his bar to the windows. He pulled closed shutters and drew dark heavy curtains over every one.
Münchhausen staggered forward, slowly, seeming as if he was going to collapse with every step. Jay almost ran over to assist him out of pity, but something restrained him.
Finally, the Baron reached the leather armchair in one corner of the bar and fell into it with visible relief. Jay frowned, he couldn’t recall seeing that chair in the room earlier. Münchhausen’s chest heaved with every breath, and his hair hung in damp clumps around his face. His usually pale skin had taken on a greenish hue, like he’d been drowned.
The innkeeper, Gerd, finished shutting the windows, and moved to stand by the chair at Münchhausen’s side. He put a hand on the chair’s tall winged back and looked hungrily down at the Baron. Jay found this new behavior unsettling.
Münchhausen took a few more deep breaths before his eyes opened. They scanned the room, then settled on Jay. The Baron licked his lips.
“Well, Herr Blake, you’ve returned.” A pause, “But where is your comrade?”
Book One, Chapter:
-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-
-22-23-24-25-26-27-28-29-30-31-32-33-34-35-36-37-38-39-40-41-42-
-43-44-45-46-47-48-49-50-51-52-53-54-55-56-57-58-59-60-61-62-
Appendix: -A-B-C-