Post by salty on Jun 7, 2005 14:36:10 GMT -5
He pushed the beam off his body and struggled to his feet. He had been very lucky, the full weight of the beam had fallen upon a heavy, sturdy table and had merely knocked Salty down. He went to pick up what remained of his straw hat and realized it was mostly burned up. He was beginning to feel where blades had found his flesh, his arms were aching from constantly wielding of his scimitars and his tunic was uncomfortably wet where his blood was seeping through the leather.
The house was strangely quiet now, only the crackilng of flames and snapping of wood could be heard. Suddenly a thought went through his mind....Tara.....he must find her. He stumbled across bodies, furniture, pieces of the roof and groped through thick smoke and found the door to the kitchen. It was closed and he drove a shoulder against the wood and it flew open with a crash. As he stumbled into the kitchen, he heard someone crying hysterically. He peered around the large iron stove and alomst yelled in joy....there was his kajira, huddled in a corner, her exit to the back door blocked by a fallen beam, still smoldering.
"To me Tara, come" he snapped, his harsh voice breaking through her crying. Her head came up and she shrieked for joy, her face exploding in a smaile as she flew into his arms. They hugged and kissed each other for several Ehn. Then his warrior instincts, training and experiences took hold of Salty. He found it hard to believe the girl had his pack & blanket slung over her shoulders...the Kings were with him. He covered Tara with his robes and with a running start, hurtled through a large window.
He landed heavily in the grass at the back of the house, but again luck was with him....the heavy rains had turned the ground to a bog which softened his fall and neither suffered injury. Quickly he rose to his feet and pulled Tara to hers. Salty took his pack and blanket from the girl and slung them acrosss his back.
"Now listen to me well kajira, we have to leave this place as fast as we can run. I have to keep my blades in my hands so you must hold on to the sash on my robes so you do not get lost or left behind. Run for your life girl. If I have to carry you, when we are safe I will whip the flesh from your body and drop you in the river."
Salty began to jog around the house, staying as much as possible in shadows, behind bushes heading towards the road which would lead him towards the shipyard. If he was lucky he would be able to reach the captain's vessel. If his luck was bad, well, he and Tara would have a long, hard trek trying to catch up.
Salty had earned his pay this night and he was not about to let the paymaster keep Salty's coin.::
The house was strangely quiet now, only the crackilng of flames and snapping of wood could be heard. Suddenly a thought went through his mind....Tara.....he must find her. He stumbled across bodies, furniture, pieces of the roof and groped through thick smoke and found the door to the kitchen. It was closed and he drove a shoulder against the wood and it flew open with a crash. As he stumbled into the kitchen, he heard someone crying hysterically. He peered around the large iron stove and alomst yelled in joy....there was his kajira, huddled in a corner, her exit to the back door blocked by a fallen beam, still smoldering.
"To me Tara, come" he snapped, his harsh voice breaking through her crying. Her head came up and she shrieked for joy, her face exploding in a smaile as she flew into his arms. They hugged and kissed each other for several Ehn. Then his warrior instincts, training and experiences took hold of Salty. He found it hard to believe the girl had his pack & blanket slung over her shoulders...the Kings were with him. He covered Tara with his robes and with a running start, hurtled through a large window.
He landed heavily in the grass at the back of the house, but again luck was with him....the heavy rains had turned the ground to a bog which softened his fall and neither suffered injury. Quickly he rose to his feet and pulled Tara to hers. Salty took his pack and blanket from the girl and slung them acrosss his back.
"Now listen to me well kajira, we have to leave this place as fast as we can run. I have to keep my blades in my hands so you must hold on to the sash on my robes so you do not get lost or left behind. Run for your life girl. If I have to carry you, when we are safe I will whip the flesh from your body and drop you in the river."
Salty began to jog around the house, staying as much as possible in shadows, behind bushes heading towards the road which would lead him towards the shipyard. If he was lucky he would be able to reach the captain's vessel. If his luck was bad, well, he and Tara would have a long, hard trek trying to catch up.
Salty had earned his pay this night and he was not about to let the paymaster keep Salty's coin.::