Touch of Honor

Touch of Honor: A Red Web - Chapter 6

     Lemli was a poor sleeper. Not just due to his elvish heritage, but because he had to be. He'd risk having his throat slit in his cell otherwise. A pause for rest was a pause for perception. Words he would remember from the Arthan pits to Phandal's jail. He rested his hands around his head as he laid on the grass. The night stars littered the sky as they did every other night. His eyes refused to shut. "Damn my elvish blood." He whispered to himself.

     No use looking at the stars. He didn't know any of the constellations. He rolled to his side and sighed. He laid still for a long time, yet sleep would not find him.

     The Arthan fighting pits conditioned his already light sleeping habits more than he'd like. He tried not to think of it further. As long as his mind was as far from that place as possible, he was capable of sleep.

     He rolled back over.

     Spruce was still sprawled out on the grass, his chest rising and falling while he snored.

     Lemli grunted and violently plopped himself on his other side, removing the monk from sight. "Damn. Not that it matters. I couldn't sleep with him like that anyway." He slowly looked back over his shoulder at the monk. How does someone like him sleep at night? After what he's done. How does someone like that go to bed, snore like a hog, and live with himself, while I can't?

     Spruce rolled on to his side, still asleep, a smirk on his face.

     Lemli groaned and once more averted his gaze. How is it that I found sleep easier back then? I could have been killed at any moment. Perhaps that made me want to savor every moment of rest I could get. It's different now. I don't have to worry about that. I should be grateful. I don't need to savor anything anymore. I don't have anything to savor. Why? Why did I have to savor anything from that place? His eyes shut.

***

      Lemli awoke. His eyes struggled to open. He scratched at his throat as his stomach growled. The cold, cracked stone floor made for a poor place to sleep. He got up slowly, struggling to get to his knees.

     Though he was young, his elvish senses had developed enough for him to hear the guards walk while he slept. He woke at the perfect time.

     Through the hall stomped a malice faced man in red and gold armor. He quickly approached Lemli's cell, cracking a whip to his side. "Wake up you sloppy bastards!" He yelled, waking the rest of the prisoners in the cell block. He didn't take his eyes off the half elf child. "First week in the hole suit you pointy?"

     Lemli did not respond with words while on his knees, but instead glared at the man.

     "My my, what an ugly mug for a child. You won't be looking at me that way for long. We'll whip you right into shape around here. No manners for someone so young. It is a wonder why that dwarf man sold us such a boisterous half breed."

     Lemli shot up from his knees at the guard's words. "Gambine would never do that!"

     The guard cracked the whip again and screamed. "Don't you ever talk back to your superiors you half breed welp! That dwarf sold you for ten gold like the worthless half breed you are! I would have sold you for nothing! I would have bought you for nothing! You are worthless!"

     Lemli's eyes narrowed. He grew a hateful leer and rushed the cell bars, kicking, screaming and flailing his child limbs through at the guard.

     The guard instinctively stepped back from the bars.

     Some other prisoners began to taunt the guard. "Scared of a child are you?" "Watch it, he'll bite your ankles!" Laughter broke out across the cell room.