Monday, October 7, 2013

The Sterling Prophecy Book I Chapter Fourteen

Jason Sterling entered the magnificent hall of Baron Hilldeg.  It was exactly what you thought a great hall should look like.  It had shields, swords, spears, and banners hanging all along the wall.  Sixteen pillars lined each side of the hall, lifting the ceiling to a height of sixty feet.  The throne at the end of hall was raised on a dais, and the throne seemed minuscule in richness compared to the magnificence of the Hall itself.  Just carved of simple oak, it had tales of battles and love; last stands and heroic comebacks.  It also told the stories of knights who went to the ends of the earth for the woman they loved, and it spoke of battles with mighty beasts and dragons.  It had it's own richness that the great hall could not equal.

Sir Evans and Commander March started to approach the throne which held the Baron; Jason shook his head and walked swiftly to catch up with them, after picking his jaw off the floor.  Then aged Steward tapped his staff on the marble floor and announced the arrival of their guests to the man on the throne, who Jason assumed was the lord of this grand castle.

"Welcome, my guests, I am Joseph Hilldeg.  Everything I have is yours.  I pray that you shall have a comfortable stay in my house, while you are here.  And please, stay as long as you like."  When he stood to greet his guests, Jason could tell that he was tall, so tall that he swore he would have to look up if he descended from the dais.  As if reading his mind, Joseph strode down the stairs leading from the dais and walked to his guests with an outstretched hand.

He stood only six foot three, but he was broad and muscular.  A trim black, flecked with gray beard covered his chin and cheeks.  His high forehead did nothing to take away from his eyes, his eyes were black.  But this black was nothing but warmth, it didn't swallow warmth, it spewed warmth from the depths of his soul.  This was a happy man.

After greeting the other two, he stopped in front of Jason, "So.  This is the man who is to deliver us?  You tell me he has already fought in a skirmish, Eric?"

"Yes he did.  And he was excellent.  Never seen a man hold his own that well in his first encounter with the enemy."

"Good, good!  Glad to hear our man is a man of arms.  Well, I'm very sure that you're all hungry, I will be pleased if you would attend me to dinner."  Michael Evans scowled at this bit of praise.  (Jason having finally heard the first name when the Steward had introduced them).  With that, the lord led the way out of the hall to a connecting chamber.

                                                        *      *       *        *      *

Frodo scrambled up the steep slope, trying to reach the opposite side of the chasm he had fallen into.  He had been wandering for three full days in the woods, barely able to hunt and hardly able to find water, when he fell into this deep ten foot chasm with a stream rushing through it.  He had landed on his right hip.  The pain had been tremendous.  Barely staying conscious, he had dragged himself to the stream to lap the water.
An entire hour passed, and he had barely made any progress up the steep incline.  Letting out a sigh full of surrender, he settled done in the mud to await his fate.  With a last thought of his master and Abraham, he closed his eyes.

                                                       *        *      *     *      *

Ab stalked his cell, the interview still on replay in his mind.  He had shouted.  He was definitely not known for controlling his anger.  That was Jason.  Oh Jason. The one link he had to home.  The one family he had here, he hadn't seen for six days.  How long had he been in this cell exactly?  Two, three days?  He had lost track.  The days seemed to blend together.

Of course he had tried to escape, but there was only one window, set high up in the wall.  He could barely make up the sunlight seeping through it.  Classic, he thought, too classic.  Switching back to his original train of thought, he had not done well at all.  He had demanded for Lydia's release, instead of getting compliance, he had been thrown in a cell.  Instead of walking out of this den of thieves, he had been forced even deeper in.

In one last desperation shot, he had asked if he could exchange himself for Lydia.  The Emperor had merely laughed.  Like he was going to negotiate with a prisoner.  This wasn't how it was suppose to be, Ab thought, he was suppose to swoop in and rescue the damsel in distress.  Even if she is annoying.  Who am I kidding?  Ab banged his head on the wall, that did nothing to relieve his stress, she obviously looks up to Jason.  But that doesn't make her annoying.

Abraham shook his head to clear the thoughts and moved across the room to try to figure out a way out of this mess.  Then it hit him.  Finally.  After three days (or what he thought was three days) the realization came thundering it.  He was stuck.  And there was nothing he could do.

But there was something he could do.  He had never been much of a praying man.  But, he knelt anyway.  He prayed to the Almighty.  Praying for hope, and crying out for deliverance.




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