Chasing Memory [WORK IN PROGRESS]

A Soldier

It's only been a few days, but already her health has dramatically deteriorated. I remember back to when we found her: her cheeks round and rosy, eyes bright and furious, figure slim but fit, and though her hair was untamed and knotted with twigs and brush, it still emitted a strong, healthy glow. Now, peering at her through the small, barred window, I can't believe this is the same girl that retaliated so ferociously when we first met. I feel as if the tiniest breeze could topple her over.

The fire's still there though, I can tell by the way she glares daggers at me from the dark. She gave me that same look on the first day, a look of pure hatred and disgust and utter horror. I had trembled beneath that stare; never before had anyone or anything given me such a look. But the power behind that stare has long dissipated along with her health. It's nothing more than an empty threat now, a loaded crossbow without a trigger.

I sigh and shake my head, turning away and heading back down the hall into the main chamber. The captain of the Guard is bent over a large scroll rolled out on the table, thoughtfully rubbing the stubble beginning to form on his chin. He looks up at me when I enter, and I recognize the map we used to track her down, still covered with thick arrows and circles.

"Well?" he asks, studying the map once again. "How is she?"

I shrug. "She's okay, I guess. Still not eating." I sit across from him and absent-mindedly stroke my moustache, glancing at the map. "What are you looking for, Captain?"

He doesn't look up when he answers; instead, his brow furrows thoughtfully and he points to a crimson 'X' marked plainly on the map. "I'm trying to figure out how the hell we're going to find that damned beast tthat follows her around everywhere. The one that made it nearly impossible to catch her."

 I stop and give him a critical look. "You mean the lion, sir?" My thoughts momentarily flash back to the capture. We thought we had found her in one of those rare moments when she was alone; little did we know her companion was only just around the corner. I gasped and froze in terror as the gigantic beast leapt at us and took down one of our men with one swipe of his paw. In a single motion, the great lion swung around and knocked the captain to the ground, his muscles trembling with rage and power.

And then, something unexpected happened. He raised his head to stare at the girl and his golden eyes softened with an almost human-like sympathy, his body suddenly relaxing. I turned to look at the girl but she did nothing, only stared back. By the time our archers had the head or the nerve to load their crossbows, the lion had already crashed back into the forest with a deafening roar. The captain immediately barked out orders to search for the beast, but it was already too late. He had disappeared.

"Yes, that damn lion!" The captain slams his fist into the table, and I shake my head, returning to the present.

"But Captain, I don't understand. I thought we were supposed to catch the girl, not the lion. We have her now. What's the point in going back for the beast?" I say. "Just let him alone."

The captain stands quickly, knocking his chair onto the floor and forcing the other soldiers in the room to focus their attention on us. His face has turned a bright crimson and he paces back and forth in the middle of the room. I swallow hard; never before have I seen the captain so ruffled. Even under the most stressful situations or during the toughest battles he always remained calm and poised; he was the one who kept his head when the rest of us were ready to turn and run.

He stops suddenly, his back to me. My fellow soldiers look at me worriedly. What happened? one of them mouths. I shrug in response. Staring at the back of the captain's head, I slowly stand and clear my throat. Nobody moves. Nobody breathes. The room is dead silent.

I clear my throat again, louder this time. A few seconds pass. "Sir?" I manage, nervously stepping forward, though the table stands between us.

I watch his shoulders heave in a great sigh before he slowly straightens and turns around to face me. Though his eyes stay locked on mine, he clearly addresses the entire room. "Men, return to the barracks at once. I must speak privately with your fellow soldier."

Almost immediately the men begin to clear the room. I don't dare look away from the captain's gaze, but I can see out of the corner of my eye some of the guardsmen casting nervous glances in my direction before disappearing down the main hallway. Even after the last of men's foosteps has faded and the slam of the dungeon's heavy iron door has long echoed into silence, the captain remains still as stone.

I can feel my heartbeat pounding in my ears, and as the seconds tick by, a bead of sweat trickles down the back of my neck. Finally, the captain turns away and clasps his hands behind his back. "Sit down, soldier," he orders, and I fall heavily into my chair, as if being suddenly released from a trance.

"How long have been in the Guard, soldier? Ten, maybe fifteen years?"

My brow furrows quizzically. "I suppose." My answer comes slowly, trying to detect the hidden tone in the captain's voice. "Give or take a few years."

"So, would you say that you are completely loyal to your duty, your monarch, your kingdom?" He whips his head around to face me again, raising a slender eyebrow, as if expecting me to admit to treason.

That irritates me immensely. I had sworn loyalty to my kingdom practically since the day I was born. My father was a respected member of the Guard, who died defending his kingdom, as did his father before him. Perhaps the only other soldier who had been in the Guard longer than I was the captian himself. I raise my chin and fold my arms across my chest. "Absolutely."

Slowly his eyebrow falls back into place. "Hmm. And before that, you were a hunter, yes?"

This surprises me, and my eyebrows shoot up in response. "Er, for a little while, yes."

"But a good one."

This time it isn't a question. I run a hand through my hair before leaning forward, hands clasped together on the table. "What is this about, Captain?"

He paces once, back and forth, before picking up his chair and seating himself across from me. He sighs before speaking. "Look, we need your help. Things aren't going according to plan, and we need someone we can trust. I can't explain everything just yet, but I will tell you that it's not going to be easy." 

I suddenly think of my wife at home. She's probably starting on dinner right about now, humming one of her mother's funny little tunes; her long raven hair swings teasingly across her back and every once in awhile she has to brush a strand from her little heart-shaped face; she places a tender hand on her round stomach while the other stirs venison in a broth. Just how much am I willing to risk if I decide to help the captain?

After a long moment of silence, I sigh. "Go on."

The captain parts his lips in a wolfish grin. He stands and claps me on the back, then heads for the hallway. "Hurry, come with me. We must see the king right away."

"The king? But, why?"

The captain waves away the question. "Come on, we have to hurry."

I lean back into my chair and fold my arms across my chest. "You want my help, remember? If this is as dangerous as you make it sound, it's not fair that you keep me in the dark. I want answers first."

The captain throws me an exasperated look, but I don't budge. He sighs and returns to his chair, leans forward, and motions for me to come closer. His eyes dart suspiciously around the room and as he opens his mouth, I can smell the fish still caught on his breath. Eyes round with fear and awe, he whispers:

"Have you ever heard of The Amulet of Ellmira?"