Summoning Ch. 2 Pt. 2

Chapter 2 (Pt. 2)

“Jason, wake up,” a voice said from somewhere through a painful fog. The voice was familiar. “Jason!”

Something hard struck the side of his face with a cold sting. He jolted upright, and his hand flew to the dagger at his side. Spinning around, his dagger was out of it’s sheath and pointed toward the blurry form that knelt beside him in a second.

“Jason, snap out of it,” the voice commanded sternly from the unclear figure. “It’s just me. Talas.”

Talas? A hand pried his fingers from the dagger gently, and another rested on his shoulder. He closed his eyes and shook his head to clear the fog that shrouded his mind. His breathe came out in gasps from the adrenaline rushing through his veins. The dream, as he realized now, had been so real, so frightening, so painful.

Opening his eyes again, Jason glanced around him. Where was he? Dim, golden light from somewhere above. Yellow hay under him. Fence like walls towering above him on three sides. The strong scent of horses and manure. A stable. The events of the night before rolled through his mind, and he let out a heavy sigh. He turned his attention to the dark-skinned person to his right and found his friend staring intently at him with pure concern sketched across every inch of his face.

“What happened?” Jason sighed, glancing down at the dagger that lay between Talas’s hand and the bed of hay.

“You... I heard...” Talas mumbled, averting his gaze. Jason studied his friend. The way that Talas rubbed the back of his neck anxiously and stared blankly at the ground told him enough of what had happened. He grimaced and hung his head, so that his dark, shoulder-length hair hid his face. A knot of dread that churned in his gut.

“How bad was it?” The question came out in an unbidden whisper and pounded panic through Jason’s chest. He closed his eyes to brace himself, trying to force himself not to assume the worst. Besides he didn’t even know for sure what had happened yet. Right? There could be any number of things that could cause his friend to act so. In the back of his mind, though, an inner voice told him that those thoughts were nonsense. He knew exactly what had happened.

“I heard you rolling over and gasping for breath while you were sleeping, but I didn’t want to wake you. I mean, it wasn’t really all that bad... at first....” Talas said quietly. It was obvious that he was skirting around the truth. Jason looked up and caught a glimpse of conflict dance in his friend’s eyes.

“And?” Jason asked, barely managing to keep the edge out of his voice. Impatience was beginning to rise inside him, but he tried his best to hide it from his attentive friend. The more emotion that Talas saw, the less likely he would be to tell the facts as they were. Talas stared intently at him for a long moment, as if trying to asses something in him.

Finally, he averted his gaze again and cleared his throat to answer. His tone was distant and quiet.

“I woke up to you mumbling. I thought that you would get over it soon, but... You didn't...” Talas stopped. Jason waited a moment, but when his friend didn’t continue, the intense dread in his gut forced the caution of impatience aside.

“For goodness sakes! Tell me the truth, Talas!” he snapped. Talas shot his head up, and hurt flickered across his face. Guilt filled Jason’s conscience, but he forced it away. He needed to know. Talas took in a deep breath and let it out in a loud sigh.

“I got up to come check on you when you didn’t stop. Then, you broke out into yelling. You said something about not wanting to be hurt anymore and kept saying ‘no’ over and over again. I... I didn’t know what to do. So, I tried to wake you, but you wouldn’t wake up. I couldn’t think of anything else to do, so... Well, I had to slap you. You didn’t respond the first time. The second time I tried, you pulled the blade on me. You know the rest.”

Silence settled between them just as heavily as the painful remorse and memories settled on Jason’s heart. He let his head fall into his palms, so that his hair again hid his face. Why in the name of Elyon did it have to be this way? Why now? The horrifying images of his dreams replayed in his mind. His hands curled into fists, and tears sprung unbidden to his eyes. He barely managed to recognize Talas’s voice speak up again.

“I... I didn’t know what to do, Jason.” Jason kept his head down, but he could hear the desperation and terror in his friends voice that he would surely see in his eyes if he did look up. He stayed silent, hated emotion clotting in his throat. Yet, even if he physically could speak, he wouldn’t be able to bring himself speak. The strong sense of escape and withdrawal weighed too heavily.

“It has been so long since...” Talas began. His voice trailed off distantly. Jason shuddered. He didn’t want to remember. It was too painful... too overwhelming. But his friend’s words left him no choice. It had been so long since his past had haunted him like this. He had convinced himself that he was over it. He had buried that part of his life. It was supposed to be dead, gone, and forgotten, but, deep down, he had always known that he could never truly kill it. It was part of him- the deepest, darkest, most prominent part of him. He couldn’t run from it. Couldn’t escape. It was who he was. He cringed inwardly and slammed his fist into the floor at his side.

“What is going on in there?” A deep voice asked from outside the open stall door. Jason wiped a hand across his face and looked up into the beardless face of a tall, broad man of middle age. By the simple attire of dark blue pants, white shirt, and leather jerkin that the man wore, Jason assumed him to be a local of the town. Jason averted his gaze as the man made eye contact with him. He had no answer for the man’s question.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jason noticed Talas jump to his feet. Normally, he would have been the one to jump up and talk them out of a situation like this, but the overwhelming feelings that tossed turbulently inside him kept him down. The last thing that he wanted to do right now was speak to a stranger.

“I am so sorry, sir. My friend and I shall leave as soon as possible,” Talas said quickly and confidently. Amongst the many other feelings, he felt a little swell of pride in his friend’s tactful and decisive manner.

“That is fine if you should like to leave immediately, but you should feel no rush,” the man answered slowly. Jason momentarily pushed his emotions and memories to the side in shock. He lifted his gaze to the man’s face and studied his expression. There was no hint of anger, frustration, or even suspicion in his eyes. If anything, there was only concern and calm puzzlement.

“Thank you, sir,” Talas replied. Shockingly, Jason saw a smile appear on his friend’s face. It had always been so incredible to Jason, how Talas could get over things and show kindness even in the midst of dark situations. The man lifted his hand and continued.

“However, as the stable master, I do have one request of you and your friend before you set off again on your travels,” the man said. Jason barely prevented a sigh from escaping him. Here it came. The man was going to question them just like everyone else. Yet, honestly, how could anyone be blamed for questioning them? After all, they were a very odd companionship, even without their mangy appearance and the fact that they were sleeping in a stable. It was nearly unheard of for a Caelestian and a Munítan to interact, let alone be on friendly terms. The stable master made eye contact with Jason, and realization mixed with the concern in his eyes.

“Don’t you worry, son. I have no intention of causing you trouble. I would simply ask that you would join my family for breakfast this morning. It is nothing fancy, mind you... but, by the looks of the both of you, I don’t think that that matters much,” the man chuckled. He stepped further into the stall and outstretched his hand toward Jason. He stared at the hand for a moment with skepticism twisting inside him, but, glancing back up, he didn’t catch any signs of hostility or ill-will in the stable master’s eyes. Besides, he wasn’t sure that he had enough spirit left to resist the offer anyway right now. He grabbed the hand and rode it’s pull to his feet.

A heavy nausea swept over him for a moment, and he clenching his eyes shut. His whole body felt weary, as if it lacked rest, and perhaps it did. He never seemed to truly rest when his sleep was haunted like it had been this night. As the remembrance of his dreams rushed over him, he felt lightheaded and nearly collapsed. Something caught his shoulder firmly to steady him, and he opened his eyes to meet those of the stable master which were filled with a deep compassion and sympathy. Jason averted his gaze and jerked his shoulder from the man’s grasp. He hated knowing that someone felt sorry for him. It made him feel helpless and vulnerable. It reminded him too much of when he was just that- an innocent, defenseless child that couldn’t escape the things that brought him the greatest pain in his life. Things were different now. At least, they were supposed to be. However, those pains of the past seemed determined to return, as he could see plainly from the experience this morning.

Taking in a deep breath, Jason reached down and swung the leather pack onto his shoulder. He could feel the stable master’s gaze still resting on him, but he refused to meet those dark, deep eyes again.

“Will you stay then?” the man asked with a slight yearning in his tone. Jason straightened and opened his mouth quickly to decline the man’s offer, but Talas, whom he had nearly forgotten was present, stepped up in front of him and spoke first.

“Of course, we will. After all, we have no fixed engagements to force us out into that storm again. Nor, any desire to go out into,” Talas stated quickly. Jason turned his gaze toward his friend, who he found looking at him with a pointed look. A sort of panicking resistance rose inside of Jason.

“I...” Jason began, but the man cut him off.

“That’s great,” the man said with a bright smile. For some odd reason, at the sight of the man’s joyful expression, Jason felt that he could no longer refuse. He sighed as the man turned and walked out of the stall with Talas following close behind. To be around people that he didn’t know, nor trust, in an unknown environment was the last thing that he wanted to suffer now, but he didn’t have enough strength to put up a fight against two able men, especially one who was his best friend. There was no choice but to just go along with it. Besides, fresh, hot food did sound good to take his mind off his dream.

“You can follow me to the house. It’s just behind this stable,” the man said as he lead them toward the back of the large building. “By the way, my name is Sam. Samin Hevar.”

“Glad to meet you, sir,” Talas said, following right at the man’s heels with his usual, cheerful disposition. Jason hung back and followed slowly and cautiously behind, watching and listening to the exchange with little interest in his weary mind. He had never possessed, nor desired to posses, his friends gift with people, but, despite the fact that it got them into trouble often enough, Jason couldn’t help but be thankful for it at times like this.

“I’m Talas Kythelinishar, and my friend is Jason Thalmar,” Talas continued.

“A pleasure to meet you both,” Samin replied, grabbing the handle of a broad, oak door on the back wall. “Here we are. Now mind you, I’ve warned you that it’s not much.”

Jason gave him a quizzical look. The man, though sincere as he words sounded, failed to show any signs of sadness or shame in the fact of his lacking. Why should he bring it up so many times, if he didn’t even seem concerned with it? Did he know? No. There was no way that this small town stable master could possibly know where Jason and Talas had come from. Their appearance made sure to conceal all of that. Yet, curiosity at the man’s words drove him to a quicker pace toward the door.

Samin opened the door for them, and Talas stepped inside without so much as glancing back. As Jason stepped up to the door, he caught the man’s gaze and found that same comforting, sincere concern as he had seen earlier. He averted his eyes and ducked his head as he entered, trying his best to shake off the many feelings that tried to bombard him. It was important that he keep up a good and unsuspicious front for both his and Talas’s safety, and he wouldn’t be able to do that unless he cleared his mind.

As soon as he stepped through the door, he stopped dead in his tracks and took in the surprising sight before him. A large, brightly lit room opened up before him, bustling with activity. The left half of the room was set in a kitchen and dining area setting with a flaming hearth and long, wooden table. A woman worked busily before the fire, flipping large pieces of bacon that made Jason’s stomach growl at the scent and sight of them, and the boy that had taken their horses in the stable the night before was busy setting the table. On the other side of the room, there were several mismatched chairs and a large brown rug, where two more young children, a boy and girl, sat playing with three carved, wooden horses.

Jason stood paralyzed for a prolonged moment. All previous emotions and thoughts fleeted and the innocence of the scene before him consumed everything else. He hadn’t been part of such a pure and innocent scene since he was younger than any child in this room.

“Rachelle,” Samin said, interrupting Jason’s thoughts and striding over to the woman at the fire place, “I have brought two visitors to join us for breakfast. I found them in the stable just now. Their names are Jason Thalmar and Talas... um...”

“Kythelinishar. Talas Kythelinishar, ma’am,” Talas said with a broad smile.

The woman stood to look at them for a moment with a warm, welcoming smile that, despite her mid-aged physical features, made her look all together youthful. Her clothes were dull and looked as though they had seen a good many years. She looked both him and Talas over with a look that Jason had not seen since his early childhood. She looked at them with a motherly concern and kindness. A deep pang of longing and pain shot through his chest from a deep, buried crevice of his heart, and he had to look away to hide the emotion that he was sure would be evident on his face.

“You are both very welcome,” the woman said to them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her turn back to her work, and he let himself looked back up. Working diligently on the bacon again, she continued, “Kadin, set two more places for these young men, and Tomy, you show them where they can get washed up.”

The boy, Kadin, who had been setting the table, sighed and shot them a brief scowl for causing him more work as he turned to the cabinet’s along one wall. As Jason watched the boy with a longing and a repressed smile, his mind began to wonder. What would it have been like to grow up in such a home with your biggest problem and setback being a few extra chores? It almost made him sick thinking that this is what his life could have been like if his mother hadn’t died when he was so young. That was the day that everything changed. He shook his head. The past was the past. The only thing that he could do was be thankful that none of these children would have to suffer such a fate.

Something tugged on the bottom hem of his shirt, and Jason looked down into the bight grey eyes of the little boy who had been playing on the rug. He must have been too caught up in his own thoughts to notice the boy come over to him.

“I show you water,” the boy, whom he now understood was Tomy, said in his small voice. Jason nodded to him, but the little boy just stared up with excitement and fascination sparkling in his eyes. Jason had never had anybody look at him like this, and a smile broke onto his face, despite himself.

“Hurry, Tomy,” his mother scolded softly, placing a plate of bacon onto the table. “We will need to start eating as soon as Ellaine comes back from fetching the water so that your father can get to work.”

“Yes, Mum,” Tomy replied, motioning to both Jason and Talas. He scampered off toward one of the four simple doors, counting the one to the stable, that lead into the main room. Jason started after him with Talas at his heels.

When the little boy reached up for the handle on his tiptoes, he missed and nearly lost his balance. Jason couldn’t help smile at the boy’s innocent lack of height. He reached out over the boy’s head and turned the unusually high handle to open the door. The boy, biting his lip bashfully, looked up toward Jason with his eyes beaming.

“Thank you,” Tomy mumbled, before skipping into the room. Jason smiled after him.

Jason stood in the doorway for a moment. What was he doing? Even after a few moments with this boy, he had managed to find a way into Jason’s calloused heart. He shouldn’t be getting so attached to anyone. He knew better. Distance from people had become his life long ago, and there was no reason that that should change here. He needed to get out of here as soon as possible. He couldn’t risk this family’s safety on account of his own misleading feelings. Yet, despite all this, that deep longing that he hadn’t felt in such a very long time stayed kindled in his heart.

“You alright, Jason?” Talas asked. Jason felt a hand land on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off quickly.

“Fine,” he replied, fully conscious that his voice fully contradicted his words. Now wasn’t the time or place to be honest, though, even with his friend.

“Here is,” Tomy said from across the small room. He made an exaggerated gestured to a large basin filled with water, which stood between two simple beds. Jason dragged his feet to it, purposefully trying to avoid eye contact with the curious little boy, and dipped his hands in the water. It was cool and refreshing on his skin.

As he began to scrub his right palm, though, it smarted. He grimaced and looked down into the water, which was now tinted a light pinkish color. With a sigh of aggravation, he glanced over to Tomy, hoping that he hadn’t spotted it, but the expression on his face said that he already had.

“What’d you do to it?” Tomy exclaimed with his eyes nearly as wide as his gaping mouth.

“It’s nothing. Just a little cut,” Jason said nonchalantly with a shrug, hoping to dismiss the boy’s concern. Tomy raised his eyebrow toward him doubtfully. Jason heard Talas chuckle from behind him.

“I don’t think he believes you,” Talas laughed over his shoulder. Jason couldn’t help smile, despite himself.

He quickly splashed some water over his face and watched with surprise as the water turned from light pink to dark brown. He knew that he had been dirty from their journey, but he had no idea he was that dirty. He grabbed the towel to dry his hands, making sure not to get the blood that dripped from his hand onto it, and stepped back to let Talas through.

As he waited, he wiped his palm on his pants, as he had the day before. Talas took up a conversation with Tomy about his Caelestian heritage, which the boy seemed completely intrigued with. Jason listened at first, but quickly tuned out to plot out a reasonable excuse for their need to leave immediately. By the time that Talas was finished washing, he already had a decent list of reasons played out in his mind. An aching, longing feeling sunk into his gut, but he forced his attention from it. They had to leave. It was the best thing to do for everyone’s sake.