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Tinker to the Rescue: Part 2
Well, I have to say thank you. I do admit I enjoy reading it myself. I have a sequal but I don't think it works as well as the first part. Sorry if it is a disappointment.
Hradani women are revered because there are so few of them. Females hold most leadership roles among their kind. It was one reason why they went to an outsider for help {they usually kill visitors most of the time time (Ezer's reaction to them in the first part. He thought they were there to kill him)}. It also shows how desperate they were. With so few women, they could easily die out.
So anyway.......
Ezer stood looking out over the canyon. It was not very big but the bridge that connected the far side did not look very reliable. Medora stood away with her eyes closed. He took her hand and began across the bridge. She got about halfway across before she opened her eyes. He stepped forward and was hit in the back of the head. He rubbed his head and turned. She raised her hand again.
“Why drag me out here,” she asked. “Is there not another way across?” He shook his head. He pulled her again. She gasped. He looked back at her again to see her looking down. He looked down and he stopped pulling. He could not see the bottom for fog.
“It’s ok. There must be a river down there,” he said. He did not sound very convincing. She looked at him. Her face was white and her hand was shaking. He sighed and began to cross again. She slowly let herself be pulled. He slowly lifted her head from down to his face. He stepped backwards and she took a small step with him. He smiled. “See, just concentrate on my face.” She nodded slowly but her face was still pale. Finally he put his foot on solid earth. She pushed him down and stepped on him to get by. He stood slowly and brushed himself off. He shook his head and looked at her. Color was slowly returning to her face.
“Thank goodness that is over,” she said. She breathed heavily as if she had been holding her breathe. She looked up and frowned. “You had better go around the next bridge if there is one.” Her frown grew and he rolled his eyes.
“Yes ma’am,” he said. He began walking down the trail. She looked at him.
“Are you going to leave me here by myself,” she asked loudly. He stopped and turned around slowly.
“You are the one who has to keep up with me,” he said. Her face turned red and she walked up to him. He backed up. She walked past him and he followed.
******
Ezer sat against the tree log waiting for dawn. It was only an hour away, and he wanted to be moving. Medora said that if he woke her up before dawn she would have his liver and heart for dress ornaments. He believed her. In the last small village she managed to get some money and then bought herself a small half sword. It was straight and sharp. He did not know if she knew how to use it but he was not eager to try her. He sighed and pulled out his clock. He looked up when he heard soft footsteps. He glanced around uneasily. A figure stepped into the firelight. It was a woman but her ears were odd. They were shaped like fish fins but they were delicate. She smiled slightly and moved closer. She opened her mouth and began to sing. He shook his head but got to his feet. She walked backwards leading him. As he passed Medora, he accidentally kicked her. She sat up looking at him.
“I told you not to wake me before dawn,” she shouted and she pulled the short sword out. She saw the woman and then looked at him. Her hair is so beautiful, he thought, like blue water. He followed the woman all the way to a river’s edge. The woman walked into the lake motioning him to follow. He felt something hit him in the back of the head. He fell face forward into the river. He came up sputtering.
“What was that,” he shouted. He looked up into Medora’s face. He got out of the river slowly. He shook his head sending water flying all over Medora. She smacked him again. He put his hand to his cheek. “I am never waking you up before time anymore.”
******
Ezer looked up at the rock. It towered up into the gray sky. He shivered. Something grabbed his arm. He spun around and balled his hand into a fist. Medora yelped in surprise and release his arm. He shook his head and put down his hand. He sighed and looked back up to the fortress. They said it was a fortress. This is a mountain with rooms inside. He shook his head and started toward it. I have to find a way inside. Medora made a sound behind him. He turned slowly and took her hand in both of his.
“You can stay here if you are scared,” he said softly. Her eyes looked at him and once again she reminded him of a falcon whose feathers were ruffled.
“I came this far,” she started then stopped as her eyes moved from his face to the fortress behind him. She shivered visibly. “I am coming with you. But,” A small smile crossed her face, “If you leave me alone I will find you and cut you to ribbons.” She fingered the short sword’s hilt hidden under her shirt. He swallowed and nodded. He did not doubt she would.
******
Ezer stopped outside the only wooden door in the entire place. Of course this fortress was not very big or if is was it did not have that many rooms. Only four. Five counting the one before him. He stepped forward then stopped. Medora slammed into him. He swung his head around and hissed at her. She fussed about him being louder than a raging bull. She was louder than a sea squall. Her face was white as if something had sucked all of the blood from it. He touched her arm lightly and she jumped back reaching for her sword. His smile made her stop. She raised her hand to smack him then stopped and lowered her hand. She shook her head and gave him a look that promised retribution. He stepped to the door and knelt down to the lock. He pulled out his picks and began his work.
******
He tried to ease the door open but it slid out of his hands. It slid all the way open and hit the wall. The sound made him jump and Medora’s hands clamped down on his arm. He swallowed and stepped forward. The room seemed to go up forever. He craned his neck to see the ceiling but Medora nudged him in the side. Six pairs of eyes stared at him from the far side of the room. His mouth fell open. He knew there would be two Hradani women here but not others. Tow humans paced looking at him with small smiles on their faces. Next to them were two Halfling females. Slight horns curved back from their foreheads and seemed to blend in with their short hair. It was short enough to be on some men. They all would have looked normal except the fact that they were in cages. He started for them but Medora grabbed his arm. He looked at her and tried to go to the women. She jerked him around and pointed to the right. He followed her finger and his mouth fell open. A tall woman stood in a rounded corner with sunlight streaming down on her. Her face was creased with wrinkles so heavily that it took him a moment to realize he person looking at was a woman. Gray hair cascaded down her shoulders. She swished at the floor with what appeared to be an overlarge paint brush. The tip was coated with reddish paint. She chanted the same thing over with each swish of the brush. He looked past her and saw a mantle with a hole in its center. A round hole that he had seen before. In the Elfin Citadel. The woman looked up and her gray eyes stared straight at him. He stepped back and pushed Medora behind him. The gray woman smiled and swept her skirts and strode toward him. A cold smile crossed her face.
“I knew there were intruders but not a young man,” she said. Her voice cracked with age.
“Oh, and another young woman to use for my spell.” Her hand shot up and sparks flew at them. Ezer stepped in front of Medora. The sparks hit him in the face. He felt his eyes grow heavy and he stumbled forward. Something fell against his legs. He looked back. Medora lay snoring on his legs. He looked back at the gray woman then laid his head down.
*******
Ezer opened his eyes and looked around. Metal bars came into view as he turned his head. He sat up quickly. A cage by himself. Away from the women. He shook his head and looked around. The gray woman stood outside the bars watching him. His script was still attached to his side. Why did she leave it on me? He stood and walked to the bar.
“Give me the clock,” she said. He narrowed his eyes at her. Why didn’t she take it? Her face softened as she reached her hand in through the bars. “I will let you out if you put the clock in my hand.” He stared at her and a smile formed on his face. She pulled back her arm. He reached in his pack and pulled the clock out.
“This one,” he said waving it about in front of her. Her hand came back through the bars as her eyes followed it. He held out his hand halfway and let it slip through his hands. It hit the ground and the face shattered. Her mouth fell open. He stepped forward and slammed his foot down on it. She stepped back her face growing severe again. He smiled and shrugged. “I am so clumsy.” She swirled around and stalked off toward a door behind the women. He looked down into his script. He pulled out his pry bar. He turned to the back of the cage and started at the floor.
Ezer reached through the bars and tapped Medora on the shoulder. She jumped forward into the two Halfling women. They looked at him then toward his own cage.
“Look,” he said quietly. “I need to get you out of here.” He took out the pry bar and jimmied up the two back bars. “I need you to go out of this when the time is right.” Medora opened her mouth but he shook his head. “You will know when it is time.” He strode toward the paint and looked down. Sure enough the gray woman had left the brush. He picked it up and began to alter the design. Little by little it was something entirely different. I would give my left foot to know what this means, he thought shaking the ink off the brush tip. He smiled and returned to his cage. He looked back at Medora. She held up his script and waved sadly at him. He nodded and turned his back to her to wait for the gray woman.
******
The gray woman did not disappoint. He smiled slightly as she took her place at the center of her painted effigy. She began to chant and moved her arms. He smiled and waved his arm to the women in the cages. The slid out the back of their prisons and slowly crept along the wall toward the door. He pushed open his own cage door and walked to the edge of the paint. The woman looked at him but did not stop chanting. As he knew, she could not stop. A white light shone through the red lines. She looked down at them then back at him. Her mouth never stopped. He smiled and waved goodbye. He backed away slowly and saw her eyes rove to the cages that used to hold the women. Her eyes went wide as she looked back down at the floor. He turned and started running. No reason to be here whenever she was done.
*******
Ezer stepped into the main room and people surrounded him and his group. The human women did not stay with them sadly. He did not even catch their names. The two Hradani girls smiled and fluttered their ears at him one last time before disappearing in the crowd. The old gray Hradani woman stepped up to him. Her face was serious. Medora and the two halflings stepped behind him.
“You found them,” the elder said as if she had doubted him. He rolled his eyes.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t,” he said. She looked at him then slowly shook her head. The severe look broke into a smile. He took her hand and kissed it in one swift bow. Her mouth fell open. “Now, if you please I must get these fine women home.” He gestured behind him and included Medora. If he could he should find her family. Maybe they can take her in. He turned then stopped and looked back to the fox.
“What is it,” the elder asked picking up on something in his face.
“What does it mean when one of your kind flutters their ears at you,” he asked. Those two girls had been doing it to him for most of the journey home. None of the others knew what it meant and the two would not say. The woman’s face went serious.
“It means that they are fond of you,” she said slowly. “It happens involuntarily.” She turned and made her way through the crowd. He shrugged and turned to the three girls and offered them a smile.
“If you please,” he said gesturing to the wooden doors. Medora shook her head but the Halflings walked eagerly toward the door.
*******
Medora sat in front of the fire and sighed. Ezer looked at her and shook his head. Luna and Sola were sound asleep on the other side. He felt responsible for them for some reason. At least they would not bother him much longer. He looked at them closely. They did share the resemblance they claimed but it was different somehow. He shook his head again. Twins or not someone is missing them just the same.
“You know Medora,” he said. “I should find out why elves and then that woman wanted my clock.” She looked at him.
“But you destroyed that clock,” she said.
“Did I now,” he said reaching into his script. She looked at him through lowered brows.
“What are you hiding tinker,” she said. He smiled and pulled out a cube. It was plain brown wood and did not seem to be anything more than a child’s play thing. He handed it to her. She took it in both hands and tried to pry it apart. She twisted it in her hands then stopped. She looked at him. He reached across her and pushed down two corners. The box snapped in half and the top part spun slightly then slid up. The clock’s glowing face stared up at them. She looked at him. He gave her a half smile and took the clock out of the box.
“Thought after it was stolen to put it in a safe place. Made the box just for it.”
“But I saw you throw...” she left the rest unsaid.
“That was a duplicate. It is how I learn to do something. I copy it.” He smiled and placed the clock back in the box. He closed it and the corners slid up. “I still need to know what it is wanted for though.” Someone cleared their throat. He looked across the fire and saw Luna sitting up slightly.
“Our father might know,” she said. Her voice was slight and musical like. He smiled at her and nodded. She smiled back and lay down next to her sister. He looked at Medora. She sighed but nodded.
“You do know that their father is one of the Purple Lords,” she said quietly while she glanced cautiously across the fire. He shook his head. The Purple Lords held a strangler’s grip on the water ways of the world. He looked at the twins again then shrugged.
“If he can tell me what this clock is then,” he said before leaning back against a tree. Medora started to lean back on him then stopped. Then she curled up closer to the fire. He closed his eyes.
Ok, some more input if you please. I thank you again for such glowing reviews of the first part.
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Life is a dream. When we wake up is not
up to us but we should enjoy the dream for
as long as we have it there. ~ Davin
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