Into the woods...

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Suddenly the brush line splintered as a man stumbled through and fell on his face, unable to catch himself with his hands. The man was very haggard looking, with floppy, loose dread locks strewn with twigs and dirt. His clothes were tattered and filthy from wherever he’d been held prisoner, and blood spattered from wounds he incurred by his escape… (at least that was Khali estimate of the man’s story). He looked to be young 30s or old 20s, bearded and unkempt as he struggled off his face and up from the forest floor, weak and tired. He must have been running hard and long to have escape the hunting of the fire foxes and their masters.

Khali quickly scanned the person for a weapon of any kind and saw that he was unarmed with not even a boot knife on his person. Satisfied that he wasn’t dangerous, but suspicious of a trap, she moved to help the man to his feet.

“Are you badly hurt, friend?” As soon as Khali spoke the man turned his head to stare at her face. Something in his eyes looked vaguely familiar. Khali thought perhaps the man had never heard an accent such as hers and that was the reason for his stare, but he didn’t break it even as she helped him over to the side of a log and set him down, fetching some water from Duto’s store, (she had drank all of hers). The man said nothing, just stared, a gnawing memory in the back of his mind. Did he know her?

Impossible. Khali thought. No one knew her outside of the Imperials and the five… well, the four children. It hadn’t been the same since that night Hercule was taken. Shortly after the guardians of the children decided to split them up and travel in separate directions so that any pursuit would be decided between them. As far as Khali knew, the others were all in hiding as she was, on the run from imperials.

She fetched the man water and came over beside him to offer him the flask. The haggard man accepted the water gratefully, but still seemed to eye Khali as if trying to place her. He couldn’t. Taking several long gulps of the refreshing liquid, he seemed to revive a bit. Khali didn’t want to bombard him with questions when he had just hardly recovered from whatever chase his captors had led him on, but there were a few pressing concerns she needed to voice.

“Were you being followed here? Are we in danger?” There was a sense of urgency in her voice, but mingled with calm and not panic. Khali always seemed to have an aura of stillness about her that soothed even the most worrisome of circumstances. The man shook his head and nodded so that Khali couldn’t tell whether he was saying that he had or had not been pursued. She pointed to the fire fox which lay a few yards away and the man noticed it for the first time, he recoiled as if the beast might pounce.
“Don’t fret, its out of commission for the moment.” Khali said noticing his fear, “but was it after you?” This question caused the man to pause and then open his mouth to speak. Finally, Khali would get some answers.

“That bloody mongrel has been at my heels for two days and three nights.” The man said in exasperation. “And lovie, he is not a one to be trifled with. How did you manage to bring him down?” There was a gleam coming back to the man’s eye and a glow to his face.

Khali wanted to boast of her great beast slaying powers, but realized the time was short. If this creature had been hot on the man’s trail, Agva’s minions wouldn’t be far behind.

“How many were there?” Khali asked, in reference to the men pursuing the fugitive.

“Fire foxes? Just the one.” The man didn’t catch her drift as to the context of her question. Khali slapped herself in the forehead like an idiot. She was continually scolding herself for forgetting that people couldn’t read her thoughts. Often she’d have entire conversation about something completely foreign to what was being spoken simply because all of the context was in her head and she took it for granted that other’s could tell what she was thinking.

“Yes, fine. But its masters. Where did you come from and how many men were with the fire fox?” Khali was growing increasingly frustrated with herself and the man’s evident lack of urgency as he seemed to take his own time on just about everything.

The fugitive looked around as if the trees themselves had ears and would overhear what he would say next. Then motioned for Khali to come near and whispered in her ear in a low voice.

“I’m not being followed. They’re already here.” The seriousness of his tone betrayed no insanity, it was an act. Whoever or whatever was out there was simply waiting for the perfect chance to strike. So why didn’t they? The man whispered even lower, while Khali’s head was still near his, “they can’t hear what we’re saying right now, but they sent me here as a plant to capture you and get you to volunteer information they need.” Khali was hooked on every word the man said. “I was sent to play the part of another, someone you would remember from your past, but it’s obvious you don’t… they’ll know something is up if we don’t act normal, so I’m going to try something and you’ll have to play along.” The man’s voice was serious and grave, but there was a playful undertone in his speech. Khali wasn’t sure what to expect.

“Why are you telling me this?” Khali whispered back.

“Because I don’t believe you are a witch, and I want to help you to help me. I’m not just a plant, I am also an actual prisoner of these people. But let’s not make them suspicious. Sit back and follow my lead.” The man instructed, then handed Khali back the flask and stood up.

If there were eyes in the forest they would’ve all been fixed upon the strange haggard man as he paced nervously, his demeanor instantly transforming.

“I wasn’t the one who walked away.” He said, hurt in his voice. “I-, I was committed. I was all in.” The man turned to Khali and pointed a finger in her face with an accusation on his lips. “You’re the one who left. Left me empty… left me-, with nothing!” He screamed, a tear forming in his eye. This man was good. He paused and Khali realized it was her turn to keep the charade alive. Drooping her head she mustered a sorrowful frown and lifted her head slowly, sniffling back a sob.

“I couldn’t live a lie anymore.” She seemed to bite back words she wanted to say and replaced them with others less honest and vulnerable. “We were fooling ourselves and after I discovered you’d betrayed me, how could I ever trust you again?” Khali had begun just faking it, but as she spoke, she remembered something. Past emotions and feelings. It was then she realized this wasn’t an act. She knew this man… she’d lived this story. Could the man before her, haggard, bearded, unkempt, dirty and in tattered rags… could it be him?

It had been years since she’d thought of him, of that time, of the man she used to know… or thought she knew. She looked upon him as if for the first time, trying to make out the features of a long lost lover… He smiled knowingly as the revelation dawned on her face. It was him.

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Thanks for reading Episode 17!

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For More Episodes:

Episode 1-…it all began when…
Episode 2-…an East wind…
Episode 3-…ghosts in the night…
Episode 4-…where am I?…
Episode 5-…a forgotten past…
Episode 6-…an old friend…
Episode 7-…the dragon’s mouth…
Episode 8-…born of shadows…
Episode 9-…into the after…
Episode 10-…midnight witch hunt…
Episode 11-…dead man walking…
Episode 12-…finding the sky…
Episode 13-…the lady brilliant…
Episode 14-…in the wind…
Episode 15-…just hanging around…
Episode 16-…one with nature…