HOME | DD

Description
Chapter 16
The next morning was cold. When John woke up, Helen was right were he left her, hugging his back. Why? Why can’t I get the god damn nerve? Just fucking kiss her you idiot. Just do it…… Huhhh. Maybe later.
“Hmm. Morning John.” John turned around and gave a smile. “Morning Helen.” john heard the rumbling of stomachs and knew: they were hungry. “I guess we haven’t eaten in a while. I’ll see if I can find anything on this mountain. Do you think you can last a few hours?”
“Yeah I think I can last”
“Good, I’ll be back in a while” he turned around and began the hunt.
For the first hour he found nothing. Nothing was living on this mountain. It was a wasteland of rock and snow. Until he finally got his first brake. John quickly dropped to the floor. A snow leopard was traveling through the mountain. John raised his fingers towards the leopard.
He whispered “Manu ezatu” icicles sprung from his fingertips and punctured the leopard. The leopard collapsed into the snow, its breath slowly leaving.
“Oh thank god.“ John walked over to the snow leopard, and swung it over his back.
“Were the hell have you been? I’ve been waiting for you for over an hour.” That’s when she noticed the carcass. “…….well at least you brought something back.”
John got the wood from the horse’s packs and made a fire under the makeshift shelter. When John was done skinning the body he found a sharp stick and ran it through the animal and placed it over the fire to cook. The two just stared at the food with anticipation waiting for it to be finished.
“So what are we gonna do when we get to Southshore?” John stared up into the sky and thought on how best to answer this question.
“I…..have no idea.” He laughed “I’m really just making this up as we go along. But I think the best thing to do would be to find Baxter. See their reaction and go from there.” Helen looked up at him, like he was a madman.
“So we have to find the right bar. Ask them if they know were Baxter is. Hope they don’t kill us. And then go from their?.....your fucking crazy. And how do you suppose we get to Baxter after everything else, hmm.”
“I’m not an idiot Helen so don’t treat me like one. That bar is full of people, Baxter’s boys aren’t gonna kill us in front of all those people. And trust me I alone could storm that bar and come out just fine.” John looked at the roasting meat “It looks like the meat is done.”
As John was cutting the meat Helen looked up at him and asked “would you prefer a breast or a thigh?” he looked up at her and said “I’ll take a big breast.”
Helen blushed and giggled at John’s poor joke.
“Why don’t you tell me about your life John?”
John looked at Helen and shook his head. “I‘d prefer if we didn’t talk about it ya know?”
“Fair enough. To each his own.” She said as she started to chow down her part of the beast.
The two ate the leopard quickly for their starved stomachs and they were eventually satisfied.
When they went to sleep they went through there normal routine. They got out the blankets, laid them on the ground and went to sleep.
Chapter 17
John woke up in the middle of the night. He tried to get back to sleep but it didn’t take. John got out of bed trying not to wake Helen. But it can be quite hard to do when someone is squeezing you for warmth. He slowly picked up Helen’s arm and placed it on the ground. He slowly lifted his own leg to lift Helen’s leg off of his. He finally was able to get free of Helen’s sleepy embrace.
He walked out of the small cave. He looked back at Helen to make sure she was asleep, and he looked up at the stars.
What is a man to do? What is a man to do, to save the one’s he loves and to revenge the ones that were killed? What is a man to do? When everything he has is gone. But if he has nothing what does he have to lose? The most dangerous man is the man with nothing to lose. He slowly brought out his sword. And stared at it. Must every problem be solved with the sword? But some problems cannot be solved by talking. I guess I have no choice. A slight rustle came from the bushes next to their shelter. It was too big for an animal. Out of pure instinct he threw his sword at the bushes. A slight yell came from them and John gave a small grin on the side of his face. When he went over to the bushes to investigate there was a soldier there with his hand stuck to the mountain by John’s sword.
The man was too preoccupied with trying to get the sword out of his hand to notice a large shadow covered him. The man stopped struggling and just stared at John’s massive body, while John was staring down at him with a superior grin on his face. John bent down to talk to him face to face. “Well what do we have here? It seems we have a rat in our midst. Now….” He says as the soldier writhes in agony as the sword sticks in his hand and the warm blood ran down his arm. “What are we gonna do with you? If you tell me what I need to know then I’ll let you go and you can just walk away to your superior. But if you don’t…” and he amassed a stern and grim face. “But if you don’t. Then I will do things to your body, so painful, so agonizing that you will wish that you’re dead.” He lifted his hand and scratched his eyebrows. “So let’s see. Hrmmm. Who sent you here, and why.” The soldier just sat there, refusing to speak.
He started to nod “Very well then. Have it your way.” He slowly raised his hand and began to put energy into the man’s hands. Suddenly a large cracking noise was ringing in the soldiers ears. “Huh. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH” The soldier began to scream uncontrollably. “I have just shattered every bone in your hand. Now I could continue to rip your muscles one by one, but that is just such a bitch to do.” The soldier just sat there not speaking. “Ok. Your choice.” John began the torture. He started with the man’s arm muscles and slowly began to rip them; one by one. He then got to the other hand and broken every bone.
“So are we done yet or do I have to go on?”  After about ten minutes the man began to whimper and soon a flurry of tears were coming from his eyes.
“That’s what I thought. Now I’m going to ask one more time. What are you doing here and who sent you?”
“I…I was sent by Brigadier-General Olimar of the king’s army. He sent me to spy on you and if I get the chance, to kill you. But to mainly tell him your position.” he squeezed the soldier’s impaled hand softly, as a loud yell came from him. Now John started to get angry “Why is he after me? I have committed no crime.” The soldier laughed in John’s face. As the blood started to come out of his mouth through his teeth. “The Brigadier-General doesn’t care if you’re innocent or guilty. He has been given an order from the King himself. To capture you dead or alive.”
“What does the king want with me? I‘ve never even met him” but it was too late. The soldier died from the cold and pain. “Damn it.”
John didn’t sleep for the rest of the night.
“Morning John” she noticed that John was not in his bed, but was standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking the plains. “What are you doing up? Did you sleep at all last night?” John looked around at Helen “We had a visitor last night.” He pointed towards the bushes. Helen got up from her sheets and looked behind the bushes. She covered her mouth and gave a squeal. A cold lifeless body slumped against the mountain wall.
“He was sent by our friend Olimar. He has been given an order from the King to capture us dead or alive.” John looked over the cliff wall and saw a large city a few miles from the bottom.
“If we get down the bottom of the mountain today we can find your uncle and stay with him. At least we can be safe for a little while.” He began packing there stuff, and placing it onto the horse’s back’s.
“What side of Southshore does your uncle live in?” asked John.
“He lives on the north side. He works as an aid to the mayor of Southshore, so his house probably won’t be inspected if they are looking for us.”
“We should go now incase Olimar has the nerve to chase us into the mountain.” Said John destroying their makeshift cave.
They were incredibly relieved when they saw the bottom of the mountain and Southshore not even 5 miles away.
“I guess Olimar decided to take the long way and go around the mountain. He won’t get to Southshore for another 2 or 3 days, so we have some time to relax I guess.”
When they finally got to the plains John decided that it was allot safer in the open plains, so he mounted his horse. They rode towards Southshore on the west side at a leisurely pace to take in the beauty of their surroundings. They saw the mountains, the sea and the plains. They were all beautiful.
The city walls were towering over them, at over 60 feet high.
“Halt….Who are you and what is your business here?” said a soldier lifting his arm to stop them.
Before John could talk Helen busted out before him. “We have just been wed and we are here to tell the rest of our family.” She stood up on her toes and kissed John on the cheek.
The soldier looked at her suspiciously “why weren’t they invited to the wedding?”
She bent in and covered the side of her mouth “My family and his have not really been on good terms. They had an….incident a few years ago.”
The guard nodded with agreement. “Very well then you may pass. Open the gates!” the gates slowly opened and introduced a huge city. Large buildings, street vendors, people walking the streets. Much too many people who were able to see them. But John, he was scouting the area. He watched every man and women. Remembering every face and looking in every window.
He looked over at a street vendor selling head wear. He casually walked over pretending to look for something to buy. As he spun around back to Helen he quickly snatched some bandanas and two hats and put them into his coat. He walked over to Helen and threw one at her. “Put this over your nose and this on your head. Put your hair in it.”  As he walked down the streets he pulled the hat lower to hide his eyes.
“This, if you haven’t guessed, is the trade district. We have to walk a little while before we get to the North side. Be very careful they have guards patrolling the streets.” They walked the streets looking around, for guards. They turned to another very large street, not with vendors but large houses.
“He’s the 5th house on the left. The red one. I remember coming here with my father, a couple times. He would talk to him about his life. All they would do was talk. I didn’t go there many time’s so all I remember was that he lived in a big red house” When they got to the middle of the street there was a gigantic bright red house, with 6 windows and a double oak door.
John sniffed the air “I smell money”
“Shut up” said Helen quickly
Helen walked up to the door and rung a doorbell that could be heard from in the streets.
“Montaine….Montaine!?” a short second passed
“Damn it. I’m coming, I’m coming” came an aggravated voice from inside the house. When the door was answered there was an old man, with black thinning hair, a bright red robe and white furry slippers. When he answered the door he grabbed his glasses from his robe and put them over his eyes.
He looked up and down Helen’s body, with suspicion. When he got to John he lifted his head and his eyes widened with the astonishment of his size.
“Who the hell are you?” he asked glaring at John with amazement and the fear that he was going to blow him down with a sneeze.
“Uncle Cole, it’s me… Helen… don’t you remember me? I haven’t seen you for years” he looked closer at her face and squinted. Then his eyes opened with a realization.
“Oh my dear God. I don’t believe this. Helen is that really you. You have grown up so well. What are you doing here? I haven’t seen you in years. Come in, come in.” He looks up again at John “and who is this? Your boyfriend, your husband?” When she heard this, her cheeks turned a bright crimson.
“Oh no, this is my good friend, Marc Evan.” When John heard this he turned to Helen surprised, then back to Cole smiling. We came looking for a friend of Marc’s. I was hoping we could stay with you for a time, while we look for him. Is that ok?”
“Of course it is.” he said as he placed his arms around Helen and John. “ What kind of an uncle would I be if I said no? There are some rooms upstairs that you can stay in. There is also a room with 2 beds if you prefer that. It’s the 2nd door on the left.”
“Is there a place for our horses?” asked John
“Oh yes of course. Montaine!” a middle aged man come in through the library next to the front door. “Yes sir. How may I serve you sir?”
“Montaine, can you please take our guests horses to the stables?”
Montaine bowed his head “of course sir” Montaine left through the front door and took the horses to the back.
“Please come into the library.” He led them to their left into a lavish library filled with paintings, nooks and reclining chairs. Cole and Helen sat down in the library while John stayed in the entrance way to the library.
“You may sit down Marc, I’m sure my chairs can hold you. You can place your sword down next to the door as well” But John just stood there staring at him
“I prefer to stand” answered John. Cole looked at him with wonder.
“To each his own, I suppose. Would you like anything to drink? Water, wine, be….”
“Whiskey” Cole was taken back for a moment. “A whiskey man are you. Very well then.” He gave a grin as if he gave John more respect. “Montaine. Please get Mark a whiskey and a scotch for me.”
Montaine entered the room and asked John “Any preference sir”
“Macallan on the rocks.”
“How many cubes sir?”
John raised his hand, two fingers stretched in the air
“Fine choice sir” Montaine left to fetch the whiskey and scotch.
“So, how have you been Helen, how did you meet Mark?” he said as he leaned back in his chair lighting his pipe.
“We met in Baggins city. I was in an alley walking home about midnight when I was attacked by some muggers.  They were about to attack when Mark came and saved my life. And we have sticked together ever since.” Cole looked over at John standing there. “I would like to personally thank you for saving my niece. Thank you very much. I would also like to know how you got here.” At that moment Montaine entered carrying John’s whiskey and Cole’s scotch on a silver platter.
“You’re whiskey sir” sad Montaine as he held the platter in front of John
“Thank you.” said John as he picked up his whiskey and took a sip feeling refreshed. Then answering Cole’s question, while Montaine handed Cole his drink.
“It was no problem. We went through the mountain.” Said John as he casually took another sip.
Cole’s eyes opened wide with astonishment, as he coughed from his last sip “You went through the mountain. You didn’t go around it? Are you crazy?! That’s suicide! How did you do it?”
“One step at a time.” answered John swirling his drink around. Cole leaned back in his chair, unsatisfied, taking another drink.
John looked over to Helen “I think its time to go to bed now Helen”
“You’re right. I’m sorry uncle but it is time for us to go to bed.” she said getting out of her chair.
“Oh no, it’s no problem”
John took one last large sip of his drink before he put his down on a table before he started up the stairs with Helen. “Have a good night. Is there a time you would like to be woken up?” asked Cole
“Around 6:30 if that’s alright.” Answered John
“I’ll tell Montaine. I’ll also ask him to go to the market tonight to get both of you some more clothes. Sweet dreams.”
John and Helen thanked him again and continued up the stairs to the hallway of rooms.
“Which room? Wanna sleep together again? I’m good for anything” Asked John
Helen thought on this for a moment “I don’t want to be a burden anymore. I guess different rooms.” John shrugged his shoulders “fine by me”
John went to his left and Helen went to her right. They slept across from each other.
When John got into his room he realized just how lonely he was not sleeping in the same bed as Helen. He put his bag down on the ground. He looked through the room feeling even lonelier. He picked up his bag and went over to Helen’s room and knocked at her door.
“Come in” said an inviting voice. When John opened the door, there was Helen, but not in her usual dress and blouse but a beautiful silk nightgown
“I new you would get lonely. Come on in” she said as she waved John into her bed. John walked over smiling at her. “Thanks again. It does get kinda lonely.” John took off his jeans but kept his shirt on and crawled into bed with Helen. They slept close to each other while the warmth of their bodies lulled them to sleep.