Dreams of the Oracle

Chapter 10

The man pushed a heavy door at the bottom of the stairway open and walked through, holding her against him.

The room was lit with candles and a small fireplace off to one side. Cass glanced around at the small cheery nature of the room. One desk covered with a mountain of papers was against the wall by the fireplace. A precisely made bed was sitting against one wall, blankets folded carefully with straight edges. Everything was so neat and tidy, the floor looked like it had been scrubbed recently, the smell of soap hung in the air.

Sitting in a chair at the desk reading an unrolled scroll was a man dressed in the leathers of a horseman. His back was straight against the back of his chair his dark eyes jumped from his bit of parchment to the two intruders. Cassandra was lowered, to the floor and released.

"My, my," said the man in the chair, "Swaggart, do you mean to tell me that this sweet little girl is the horrible nuisance you said caused an uproar upstairs?"

Cass glanced around cautiously to see the red face of the big man she had seen behind the bar earlier. Cass began edging away from him. She glanced at the doorway, but he was big enough to fill it. She had no way out.

"Stupid urchin needs good sense beaten into her, anyone wants to know," grunted Swaggart. Cassandra pressed up against the wall away from him, her eyes wide.

"Stop that, you're scaring her," scolded the kind faced stranger. Raising himself from his chair with fluid grace he glided across the room soundlessly to the disgruntled innkeeper. Cass noticed that he was barefoot.

"Cretin bit one of my men," grumbled Swaggart, but the stranger gently moved the bartender out the door. Cass watched for an opening, but there wasn't enough space in the tiny doorway. The door closed.

The kind faced stranger slipped back inside. He looked over at Cass and smiled. "Swaggart is a bit excitable but not to worry. He'll come around," he said.

He strode across the room with his easy grace. In two swift motions he produced two chairs, set them across from each other, and sat down.

"Have a seat young lady," he said.

Cass took the seat hesitantly. She wasn't quite sure she trusted this man.

"You look famished," he said, "I took the liberty of asking Swaggart to bring some food down."

Cass's eyes widened.

He smiled, "Not to worry he's not as scary as he seems to be."

Cassandra doubted that.

The stranger leaned back in his chair, "my name is Nuriel, what's yours?"

"Cassandra," replied Cass.

"Cassandra, what a beautiful name," he paused and reached into one of his pockets, "Can you tell me where this came from Cassandra?"

He tossed the copper coin her father had given Ashur into her lap. She picked it up. Candlelight shimmered across it. On one side, a mass of snakes were engraved, coiling across each other; on the other side, was a flaming bird with crossed swords beneath it. Cass had never seen such a coin before. The pictures, particularly the snakes were kind of unsettling. She turned the coin over in her hand, swords side up,

"My father gave it to me," she saw no reason to lie to Nuriel. She had come seeking help and done what her father had said to do in the letter, except, of course, for the getting thrown out of the inn part. This man seemed as likely as any to be the one her father had sent her to.

Nuriel leaned forward his eyes were suddenly intense, "What's your father's name?" he asked.

"Abdiel."

At that Nuriel leaned back in his chair and looked away. His eyes seemed to look far away at something unpleasant.

"What's after you?" he asked.

Cassandra's mouth almost dropped open. It would be a reasonable enough conclusion to make that she was being chased. But usually the question would be "who?" not "what?"

"My father said they were called Rashakas. They have green eyes that glow, and they move in the shadows."

Nuriel nodded. "Rashakas, that makes sense. Who's leading them?" he asked.

Cass paused; this man didn't seem surprised or even concerned.

"A man with red eyes," she said.

That brought him up with such speed it almost frightened her. He was suddenly right in her face his eyes blazing,

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," said Cass edging back into her seat.

"Did he have something red in his hand as well?" his tone was urgent, insistent.

Cass took note that her father had asked the same thing. "Yes," she said.

Nuriel sat up straight in his chair and looked away again thinking furiously,

"You've tossed powder, correct?"

"My father told us to sprinkle this black powder on--"

"Excellent," he stood up, just then, there was a faint knock at the door. Nuriel glided over and opened it, a woman stood there holding two steaming plates of food. Nuriel took them, thanking the woman, and placed them on the desk on top of the papers.

Then he walked over and grabbed a fire poker and began tearing up the floorboards. It was so incredibly similar to what her father had done that for a moment Cass just stared at him. Without looking up, Nuriel murmured,

"You better eat up. We're leaving town as soon as you're done."

That brought Cass to her feet, "No!"

Nuriel stopped pulling out pouches and bags. "What do you mean? We must leave now. Those that hunt you are likely already past the walls."

"My brother, he's being hunted too. We can't go without him."

Nuriel looked at her, "Your brother is with you?"

"Yes."

He sighed as if sensing that he wouldn't like her next response. "Where is he now?" he asked.

Cass looked at her feet, "I don't know. I think he's been arrested."

Nuriel stroked his chin, "That may not be as big a problem as it seems. Tell me, did you have a horse?"

Cass nodded. "They took Champion and Ashur. They wouldn't let us through the gate."

Nuriel walked over to the dresser and removed a uniform. Not the red and black of the Amniston guards but the black and white of the king's army. Taking a weapon's belt from a hook on the wall he started for the door. Then he stopped and turned back to the small girl standing in front of her chair, "I shall retrieve Ashur and the horse. Remain here until I return."

Cass nodded, noting how his kind face had become suddenly hard and somber.

"Be sure to eat," he called as he closed the door behind him.

Cass stared at the door for a few seconds and then practically ran to the still steaming plates resting on the desktop.

Bits of roasted chicken melted in her mouth as she gnawed them off the bones. Rice and seasoned potatoes filled her mouth with pleasant flavors as she shoveled them in. the plate she had chosen was piled high but in her ravenous state she sent it all down into her stomach one tasty bite after another.

When she had finished she leaned back feeling a not unpleasant soreness in her stomach as the food stretched her waistline. If that food was poisoned, it was worth it. She closed her eyes. Concern for her brother made her chest tighten.