Chapter 5 ENCOUNTER

ENCOUNTER

"Marie, Marie", I tapped Marie who was still asleep when the day broke.

"Hmmm', she shifted in her sleep.

How did she find it comfortable sleeping on the bare ground against a tree when I couldn't sleep all night? The truth was, it wasn't about the comfortableness, I was woken up by the same dream I always had and I couldn't get myself to sleep so I stayed guard all night in case they were closing in on us.

"Marie, it's dawn", I said quietly as I wore my cloak.

Her eyes shot open, "it's daybreak?" she asked, blinking severally.

"Yes", I replied.

She yawned and as she stood up, she lost her balance. I held her so she wouldn't fall.

"Thank you my lady", she said, dusting her cloak before putting it on. Then she yawned again and stretched, "so, where to?", she asked, rubbing her buttocks.

"I don't know, not yet but let's get out of here first and find something to eat or drink and maybe have some rest and change of clothes.", I replied and she nodded and then we set off.

The woods were shrouded in mist that made it difficult to see far ahead while the early blew gently, disturbing plants and trees and carrying their soothing scent into my nostrils while blowing my hair across my face and with a swipe of a finger, I would remove it from my face now and then. Leaves dropped from branches as if tired of staying up all night and one fell on my face and I felt the moisture of the few that had formed on it overnight. Looking around as we walked, I saw that we weren't the only early risers. Birds hopped on branches and flew between trees, chirping and singing melodiously. Rats scurried back to their holes as soon as they heard footsteps and squirrels peeped from their homes in the trees to see who had come to disturb their peaceful and quiet morning with the incessant sound of footsteps which I also found quite disturbing.

After we trekked for a while, we sighted a small house with a thatched roof on farmland just outside the woods. I walked closer with Marie to have a clearer view to see if anyone was there but found no one around it. Marie went to the house and knocked on the front door with me trailing behind, no one answered.

"We should check inside, no one is probably here", I suggested.

"No, that's improper, we can't go into a house without the owner's permission or knowledge my lady", Marie opposed looking around searching the farmland with her eyes.

Just as she finished talking, a sound came from the back of the farmhouse. Marie gave me a short glance and went around the house to check where the sound came from and I followed. We were met halfway by an old man who carried in each hand a bucket of seeds. He walked towards us while facing down and only noticed us when he almost walked into us. He halted and looked up, squinting his eyes like he didn't see clearly.

"Good day Sir", Marie approached him but he stared like he didn't hear or see anyone.

"What are you ladies doing in the woods and what are you doing on my farm?", he asked with a harsh tone.

"Uh, we got lost in the woods while traveling, we would be grateful if you could give us directions to the nearest town or village", Marie lied.

"You shouldn't travel alone, especially if you're not acquainted with the roads", he said, adopting a softer tone as he walked past between us to the front of the house and we followed him. He put both buckets down and motioned for us to sit.

"Come sit here", he pointed to the wooden chairs in front of the farmhouse and we both sat. "Where are you two going by the way", the old man suddenly asked, a question we hadn't expected. Marie glanced at me and we both shifted nervously.

Having been quiet the whole time like I was never there, I finally said, "We were on our way to Malipish".

"Why exactly are you in Malipish?", the old man inquired. I never had to lie that much so I found it difficult to answer his question. I turned to Marie for some help.

"To trade Sir", she smiled at him.

"Trade? Trade what?"

Now the questions were getting too much and I could see that Marie almost rolled her eyes and I wouldn't blame her, the old man was just too inquisitive and annoying, if he wasn't going to give us directions he should just say.

"Some valuable items", Marie replied to the man politely trying to mask the irritation in her voice.

The man's gaze shifted between us and he seemed to notice the jewelry I had on.

"The nearest village is about sixteen furlongs south of here", he eventually stopped asking questions.

"Sixteen furlongs?"Marie whispered, surprised and disappointed. I understood why she reacted that way, the village distance was far because it was the nearest village, and by the time we got there, it would be midday already, and that is if we weren't caught.

"I'm going there too, I will take you", he added and staggered into the house.

Marie and I looked at each other and breathed out in relief.

"That was close", I breathed as soon as he left.

"Shhh...", Marie put a finger in her lips telling me to be quiet.

Shortly after I heard the gallops of a horse that appeared from the corner of the house pulling a cart of crops, the old man stopped right in front of us, "hop on", he said. Marie climbed into the cart and helped me up, immediately we sat, the horse galloped away.

After riding in silence for quite some time, I caught a glimpse of a village far ahead. When we got there, the old man rode us to the market which contrasted the serenity of the village. The market was so noisy and crowded, not that I expected less of a market but one wouldn't think such a small village would hold a market so large. There were singers, drummers, magicians and tricksters that grabbed my attention, clothes and ornaments stalls, food stalls, snake charmers, slave traders, weapons sellers and other unimaginable things.

"Welcome to Dramath", the old man said as he stopped the horse in front of a stall.

"Bless you, Sir. Is there anywhere we can pass the night here?", Marie inquired as she alighted the cart after me.

"Yes. About fifty paces after the first left corner ahead, there are inns and taverns."

"Thank you for your help Sir", Marie thanked him with a smile.

Without waiting for Marie to finish thanking the man, I turned sideways and walked towards the corner the man pointed. Turning around the corner, she walked face down, paranoid of being recognised. Suddenly, she bumped into a hard surface and she lost her balance, she tripped back still facing the ground. She laid her eyes on a pair of black leather boots that encased a pair of strong legs. She looked up to apologize to whoever it was only to look into a pair of mesmerizing icy blue eyes that looked like molten blue fire. She opened her mouth to speak, instead, she dropped her jaw and gawked with fascination unaware of anything else around her at the moment except for his bewildering scent of cinnamon and mint. It was as if she was dumb or lost her ability to speak. Even when she heard Marie call from behind, her voice sounded distant because she was already lost and drowning in those enchanting eyes.