19 Ryus & Kehan the Nameless

_Ryus & Kehan the Nameless_

Ryus slowly woke, groaning at the fiery ache that burdened his side. He opened his eyes slowly, blinking the blurriness away as he sat up with great difficulty, to look down at his side. His sore, callused hands ran fingers over his bandages lightly, inspecting them. There was an intrigue about his wound that had him wanting to look under the bandage, but he did not allow himself to do so.

He looked up now, eyes moving about the room slowly, taking in the dark stone walls of the place, until his eyes landed on the barred doors. He was a prisoner now. The thought made his blood boil. They were supposed to be on the road south of here, yet they had been picked up by guards so soon? All of their hard work- days of suffering- all of it for naught. The ache that tore through every muscle in his body was all for nothing? He clenched his jaw.

Brown eyes scanned the room before him, looking over the floor till it landed on his brother. At least the gods had left him his best friend, together they would be fine. He let out a small sigh of relief and a moment later, Kehan was coming over to his bed side- well it was more of a bench.

"Ryus! You wake," He said with a smile.

"Aye, brother, I do..." He admitted. "How many days was I out?" He asked.

"Nearly a week,"

"A week?!" He said with the surprised raise of his voice.

"I slept for two- it was the exhaustion that had us, brother." Kehan told him.

"I suppose," Ryus said, laying flat on his back again. "How had they found us?"

"A girl," Kehan started.

"A girl? We had been found out because you let a girl see us?" He said now, covering his face with a calloused hand.

Kehan looked a bit conflicted, perhaps unsure how to say the words that were needed to explain. "The girl, she is a witch-"

"A witch? You are joking-"

"I am not! She says she saw us in a vision- that is how she knew to find us- she said she heard the warning bells rining in a vision from days before our arrival- she saw us escape- saw us run from Pentila Ve-"

"She saw us run from the military? And you believe all of this?" Ryus asked him.

Kehan seemed to debate it in his head before he spoke. "Do you recall on the boat when I said that we were blessed by the gods?"

"Of course. I said I did not believe it but I would accept your words."

"I have come to the conclusion, brother, that the gods guided us here for a reason,"

Ryus sighed out loudly. "Kehan," he complained.

"Listen, listen," the man urged, and Ryus motioned for him to continue. "She was told to find the seven,"

"She was told? By who? The gods? There are only two of us!"

"Her visions- visions from the gods, Ryus, you may not believe me but she was there first- she knew where to find us- faster than the guards had! There must be others besides us-"

"Others? There probably aren't others, brother."

"You don't know that," Kehan said with a sigh. "The gods are looking out of us, perhaps they have some greater plan, and this is where we are meant to be,"

"In a cell?" Ryus asked the man.

Kehan shook his head. "With the girl- to find her- she did know we were coming," He pointed out.

"Yes yes, you seem to believe her words." Ryus said now, skeptical of this girl he spoke of.

"I did not either at first- perhaps if you met her. You hadn't seen her. When the guards came, she made sure your wounds were treated- she made sure no harm befell us,"

"A mere girl could tell guards what to do?"

"A lordling,"

Ryus let out a little laugh, a weak one that made his side ache in protest. "A lordling cared that much about some runaways?"

Kehan nodded. "Like I said, she knew we were coming. The gods have guided us to ehr for a reason."

"Alright , if it is as you say it is then why did the gods want us here? What is the purpose of us meeting the lordling girl?"

Kehan faltered, unsure himself it seemed. "I do not know yet- but it is clear to me that this is a sign from the gods,"

Ryus was conflicted at his friend's words, he did not have such strong feelings for the gods like Kehan had. He believed in them, the gods of the sky, sand, the sea, and the prairie, there were others but these were the main ones they faced. The gods were numberless, no one knew just how many there were. That was the west however, here in the Midlind they worshiped different gods, he did not know what gods those were but they were not his.

"Did the lordling girl speak of gods?" He decided to ask now.

"I-... no she did not." Kehan finished.

"Are you sure she is telling you the truth?"

Kehan gave Ryus a long look, seeming to battle with himself over the information. "She seemed to believe it- what other reason would a mere lordling girl try so hard to keep us from harm?"

"She couldn't keep us from a cell," Ryus pointed out.

"She is a child, people will only listen so much,"

Ryus's brows raised at this, and he sat up slowly, facing his friend. "She is a child? That is only more of a reason to not believe her words,"

"You have to meet her! She promised to return once you woke, she wants to speak with you as well,"

"Kehan," Ryus started, giving his friend a stren, yet still conflicted look. His brows were raised and his lips were pulled thin in a straight line, not quite smiling or frowning. "You are my brother, damn what anyone says of blood," He started, reaching out a weak arm to clasp his friend on the shoulder. "I love the gods sure, but I do not believe that this is their will. If the gods had a working will- things would be different."

"You do not know that-"

"Does it matter? What was the point of almost drowning? Bleeding out? Being killed by the military? For what have we been spared for, exactly? You do not know! And yet you think it is god's work? I love the gods, I do, but they do not care for two mere military runaways who abandoned their duties to their country and killed innocents.

"Ryus..." Kehan said with a sorry face. He looked down for a long moment until his dark eyes came to meet Ryus's. "Meet her. Let her speak to you. Then you can decide what it is that you believe."

Ryus looked at his friend for a long moment before he nodded once. "Alright. I can at least do that much for you, brother."

Kehan smiled and nodded back. "Glad to hear it."

_____

The two waited for a couple of hours, making small banter here and there. It seemed as if no one was going to visit them for the longest time. They had both assumed that no one would be when the sky outside the small barred window started to darken. When the first few visible stars were visible, they had both prepared themselves to get some rest, Ryus not pleased about his wait. So much for talking to the lordling girl, right?

It was just when Kehan was getting ready to sleep on his own uncomfortable wooden bench that footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway. Ryus looked at the large guard that appeared before the cell bars, a trey in hand, and at his side, a short little blonde girl. She was a sight for Ryus to behold, having seen very little of the Midlind people in his life- and never one so fair and pale. Her hair was like pale gold and he could not remember what the color was called.

Her blue eyes looked him over with unspoken excitement, but first, she gave the both of them apologetic looks. "I am so very sorry that I have come so late to see you. I could not make it sooner because of... complications. But! I have managed to bring you food- and not prison slop. I was not sure what the both of you would like so I chose some of my favorite's instead." She explained to them, motioning for the guard to slide the trey through a slot at the bottom of the cell door.

The girl seemed miffed at this. "Ser Dane, can't you open the door and hand the food to them- they aren't criminals."

Ser Dane gave her a look. "They are western deserters, they are criminals, my lady. Even if I wanted to, I have been informed that their cell stays locked." The knight told her.

There was a moment of tense silence before the girl sighed. "You are at no fault I suppose. I will badger father about this later. As for now," Her attention was turned back to Ryus and Kehan who were enthralled with the trey of unusual foods before them.

It seemed to dawn on the girl, the culture shock they were going through now. "That there is a lemon cake, it is a desert. There is spiced venison and cheese- as well as manchet bread.with honey on the side. I hope that is enough for both of you- I will see if I can acquire more tomorrow."

"This is more than we deserve... my lady," Kehan tacked on the last bit with hesitation, unsure of the customs here, but the girl did not correct him so he assumed he was clear.

"It is not nearly as much as you deserve," She corrected, her blue eyes came to land on Ryus now, who was looking at her with a blank face, unsure of all of this. "I am afraid I do not yet know your name like I do Key-han's name here."

"Kehan." Ryus corrected her without a beat. "I am called Ryus."

"And your family names?" She asked them.

Ryus and Kehan shared a look before they slowly looked back at the lording girl. "Soldiers of the west do not have... family names." Kehan told her.

"Then what do they call your families?" She asked them, and they looked at each other confused once more.

Ser Dane spoke up now, saving the awkwardness that had suddenly formed. "The West does not have names for soldiers, the boys are taken from a young age to join the military, and their names are stripped from them. They never see their family again. Most families do not have a last name, my lady." He explained to her, and her face seemed to sadden.

"You were taken from your families?"

The military was one of the only things that Ryus and Kehan knew, they did not see how sad it was to be taken from their families- everyone else they knew had been taken- it was not strange in the least to them. The both of them looked back to the girl and nodded slowly.

"What is your name," Ryus said now, trying to speak clear through his accent. He knew the common tongue of the Midlind, but not as well as Kehan. The two of them spoke in their naitive tongue when they talked. They had learned the common language for a few reasons- at times they were under orders of leaders who only spoke it, and there were times that they had to remove the Midlind people from their country- because no one was allowed in for fear of political disruption. It was an ironic thing seeming that there were a few Midlind born leaders in the mix, however soldiers were not to speak of it. Insubordination of the lightest offence was rewarded with punishment.

"Rhoswen," The girl answered with a soft smile. "Lady Rhoswen of house Solone."

"You lead the house? I was under the impression that it was the two heads of a house that were lord and lady?"

Rhoswen shook her head. "I am just a girl. Father and step mother lead. It used to be that they were only Lord and Lady, I do not know why it spread to the children of the house." She explained to them.

Ser Dane saved them again. "The children are important. It was thought that they were not being recognized properly." He said with a gracious nod to the lordling girl.

"Thank you, Ser Dane," She said, nodding back to the man. Ryus nodded as well.

"Forgive me for pressing you, my lady, but if you could tell Ryus about what you have seen, we would greatly appreciate it. I have explained what I could as best as I could, but it would be better coming from you." Kehan spoke now.

"Oh! Yes of course." She looked at Ryus, more serious now, she was quiet for a moment before she opened her mouth to speak- however she soon hesitated and let out a breath. "I always sound a little mad when I talk of it- and from what you heard you may already think me a liar or think me unsound- but it is not so. I promise it." She assured him.

"You knew we were coming," Ryus pointed out.

Rhoswen gave a conflicted tilting nod of her head. "Almost- but not quite." Ryus gave her a harder look and she quickly continued. "I only know what I see and what it is that I see is very limited... Nothing is explained and I must make of it what I will." She elaborated briefly. "What I first saw several days ago, was a flash of many images and sounds. The most memorable ones were the two of you running through the forests of the west, being chased by the military."

"I heard the bells here ringing, the two that sound for danger- and then the day that you arrived, those bells went off- they never go off. The kingdoms have been at peace for some time now." She told them next. "I... I do not know how it was that I knew... but something compelled me to get to the beach. So I snuck out and I came to find you both- only I did not know what it was I was looking for. Then I had another vision and I saw you both- and that is how I found you. You were already unconscious, and Kehan did not seem to believe me when I tried to say all of this." She finished.

Ryus looked from Kehan to Rhoswen now. "He seems to believe what you say is the gods work."

"Perhaps it is," She said thoughtfully.

"What of this speak of Seven?" Kehan spoke up.

Rhoswen's eyes widened. "First it is important for me to say... The things I see normally come to be true- like riddles hinting to the future. I saw my mother get sick and pass- and it happened. No one had believed me and we had not been able to save her." She explained this with a sullen face, the thought of her mother bringing a pain to her chest.

"Some time ago I had a scary vision- one of a monstrous skeleton man- taller than any real man. He took me by the arm and raised me high as if I weighed nothing. And into his eyes I saw seven silhouettes, seven souls." She told them now. "I know of a few of these souls- well I don't really know them - nor their faces but I have hints as to who they are. Besides you two, there are three others I know of so far."

"What about you? Wouldn't you be part of it since you had seen the vision?" Kehan asked her.

Rhoswen's brows raised at the question. "Why yes... I suppose I would be. That makes six then... I have not seen anything of the last." She told him.

"And you do not know the other three- how do we find them- why do we need them?" Kehan pressed.

Rhoswen seemed to pale even more than her skin already was. "The skeleton beast I mentioned before... he is going to suck the life from the land- everything is going to die."

"I do not see how it is that we can help with this," Ryus spoke up, obvious doubt written across his face.

"I do not know, but I suspect I will see more on it in the future.

"The monster you speak of sounds like a Lich," Ryus told her.

"A Lich? Yes... it fits doesn't it,"

"You believe her, don't you brother? The gods sent us here by fate!" Kehan said adamantly.

Ryus's face was grim. "We are not from the Midlind and we did not expect to stay. We were going to head south- either to the Rethian Isles or to the southern tribes and become farmers. I did not wish to sign up for a gods mission and save the Midlind from a fairy tale." He said in a stern tone.

Kehan frowned, and Rhoswen spoke up again. "If this monster comes to be true then it will not stop with the Midlind. It will reach East, West, North and South. It will take life from everywhere."

"IF this monster comes to be true. Do you hear yourself girl? I have never heard such a fairy tale in my life-"

"Ryus!" Kehan scolded.

Rhoswen pursed her lips and looked down, her hands tightening into fists. "I did not believe it either," She whispered. Her eyes came up to meet Ryu's with a serious gaze. "They have never been wrong before. I saw my own mother die. I saw many things I had never wished to see. And i have seen death- I have heard the cries of the innocent and have looked into the face of a monster. I cannot let it come to be true- I cannot!" Tears were threatening to spill from the corners of her eyes now, and it felt as if there was a rock stuck in her throat.

Ryus gave her a long look before he spoke again. "What would you have us do?"

"Have you do?" She repeated.

"Have us do to stop the monster."

"I do not know."

"Then I cannot help you." He finished now.

"Ryus," Kehan started but Rhoswen raised her hand to stop him from speaking.

"All I ask is that you wait with me until I see more. If in say, six months from now I am without an answer, then I will free you from here."

Ser Dane spoke up now. "My lady, please forgive me, but you are in no position to make these claims."

Rhoswen turned to the knight with a withering glare. "I know this! But I will make it so! Father listens to me! And he will listen to this! He has to." She said with a firm and unbreakable determination. She turned back to Ryus now. "Please. I will try my best to get you room and board- comfortable clothes and nice food. For no cost at all! All I want is your time and your promise to help once I know more. And if I do not know more by six months time, then you are free to go- you will be in much better condition to travel south by this time."

Kehan looked expectantly at his friend, and Ryus seemed to turn the thought over in his head. Could it really hurt to stay and be taken care of for a while? He supposed so. "Alright, He said with a nod. "You have a deal."

Rhoswen smiled wide now, a radiant smile that fit her small face perfectly. He found the girl breathtaking. It was as if she was an angel with her light gold hair and shining blue eyes. For a moment, he nearly believed everything she had said to him. The girl approached the bars and held out her hand to him. Ryus gave her an odd look.

"Oh! You shake my hand! It is custom here to shake hands once a deal is agreed upon." She explained to him.

Ryus nodded now, eyebrows raised in understanding before he reached out and connected hands with hers. However, no shaking ever occurred because as soon as their hands connected, the girl's eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed onto the floor, leaving him mortified at the sight.