..||Arcanus- A Love Saga||..Part-4 on Page 15 - Page 7

"Not a word," Avleen was drained with his quietness.

Flame had been running for hours now, "As if I have a watch to check time," Avleen quipped with the thought.

Dawn broke the inky sky and she saw color changing into somewhat lighter. Avleen was holding on to his waist for so long now. His touch was as quiet as him, lagged of any intimation. Avleen leaned on his back and closed her eyes.

"Ferocious!" Aaron found the word to compliment her warmth, "such unmannerly, that was not a word for a lady," he dismissed that earlier war like compliment. A smile floated on his lips. Her clasp around his waist was something mellow yet fierce.  For a jiffy, he did forget about the year she mentioned few hours back.

He was carrying a responsibility on his back and he needed to be focus. When he was gathering his scattered thoughts, a spear came and scratched his forearm. Avleen woke up with that sharp sound of something which just passed by her ear.

Aaron lost the balance due to pain and Flame did get unfocused for few meters. Thorny bushes slapping their faces and unbridled Flame. they were going in a wrong direction.

"Oh my God! Aaron, you are bleeding," said Avleen as soon as she saw his forearm. Aaron collected his senses and held the rope of Flame to take control.

He was in immense pain. He bridled Flame to stop.

"You stay here," said Aaron to Avleen.

He took out his sword and ran towards the direction from where spear came.

Avleen again had no idea of what was happening. She was standing alone shocked and cold. She walked behind Aaron.

From the side by cliff, she saw a bunch of horse riders in mask coming down.

"Aaron, Look behind," she shouted to warn Aaron.

Those horse riders attacked Aaron with spears and swords. Blood and savagery, Avleen was standing numb. A sword cut Aaron's thigh and he got kneeled. A sigh of worry escaped Avleen's throat. Piercing flesh and sound of bones getting crushed, it was a horrible scenario for Avleen. Aaron was taking on them alone. He was one perfect swordsman, truly versed in this art. Benign and caring, that's what Avleen perceived of him when she met him. But he was one cold blooded warrior. She took away her eyes. Avleen certainly was not comfortable with such massacre.

A horseman advanced towards her when she was busy in her thoughts. Aaron threw a knife towards him and it hit his back. Man was down on ground right in front of Avleen. A shriek escaped her throat. He was pining in pain. A sharp sword cut that man's head apart from his torso. Aaron was standing there with that bloody sword.

Avleen's eyes were wide open and heart almost stopped working. Wet eyes and dry throat, Aaron came and dragged her away from that blood pool.

"Leave me," Avleen shouted, "Don't touch me with those hands."

Aaron was clueless about reason behind her behavior.

"You butchered them," she said and pushed Aaron, "You bloody murderer."

"Are you out of your mind lady?" confronted Aaron, "They were going to kill us and was I supposed to let them do it?"

"I don't know," said Avleen, "you were not supposed to slaughter them. You are brutal. I can't even think of standing you anymore."

Aaron held her shoulders in anger and dragged her to the tree. She was pinned to hard crust of tree.

"Brutal! Is there a way to kill someone in a milder way? Umm?" He groaned and pinned her hard to tree bank.

"Ouch!" uttered Avleen, "you are hurting me."

"You don't need to stand me for too long," he added and walked away.

Avleen stood there covered in her own thoughts. She was unable to distinguish between right and wrong. She was not righteous all her life but she never saw people dying then.

Aaron waited for her quietly but his mind was not that quiet at all. It felt bad when she judged him. He gulped the agony.

Avleen was somewhere a little guilty for accusing Aaron like this. She felt this strong prick on her neck. A wooden flake or something else had pierced her skin. She tried removing it but no gain. She sighed in pain.

A warm touch on her back, she turned around in discomfiture. Aaron was standing there, with a little softness in eyes than before.

"I apologize," he said, "May I?"

Avleen had this questioning assent in eyes. She was somewhere guilty too for calling him brutal when he was saving her life. She nodded in yes.

"Ouch," she cried in pain as soon as Aaron pulled that wooden flake out of her skin.

The hands which were blood drenched and meant to cause pain, were relieving too. His touch was something cleansing to her physical as well as mental distress. She couldn't figure out why but she so wanted to turn around and clutch him in arms. Avleen swept the weird notion.

Aaron offered her hand and she took it without any question. He bridled Flame to the mountains.

Few tents! Quiet, enfolding beautiful sleeps. Avleen opened her half closed eyes completely as soon as she saw something other than color green, some bamboo walls and men standing as if those bamboos needed company. Flags! Waving with wind, something was marked on them. She was totally awaked now. She sneaked a peek from behind his muscular build. And rest was something which made her confound.

A burg as long as her vision could go, she was seeing it or dreaming it, she could not draw out. "A fortress," she murmured. She was bedazzled with what she was witnessing. Guards wearing combat helmets holding spears bowed down their heads as soon as Aaron reached the gate. Gates were opened for them. Aaron bridled Flame to stop. He certainly took a minute before proceeding further.

"What is this place Aaron?" asked Avleen.

"You will know," answered Aaron and bridled Flame to move.

Those big outer walls of burg didn't hint a bit what they were confining.

Ascended path and market accompanying the side view, Avleen looked at those eyes which were looking back at her. Amused and feared, some were hopeful and some were ambivalent. Woman holding kids in arms were looking at her with this serrated doubt. Avleen felt this uncertain fear building in her heart.

"Where the hell you are taking me?" asked Avleen, "I wanna go home," she added.

Aaron didn't pay any heed over her saying. He kept moving on.

Airborne! Kids with open arms running across the street, fearless of running horses or any stranger, Avleen saw something familiar after a long time. To gasp strokes of shock and extreme change, it might take few other revelations.

"Ireland? She wasn't even in the same time," she guessed and then immediately felt imbecile with the conclusion which mind made.

Their ride stopped right in front of a palace, a big one. She could see imbecile going away and belief coming in. She wasn't that wrong after all. Aaron instructed guards something and went in. Avleen was standing in the atrium, captivated. 

Aaron did return back early than she thought. He looked nervous. Doors behind him were opening and he walked to a corner. Avleen's eyes were on him only. Aaron prostrated as soon as someone she could see, came out of that door. An old man, quite old with a crown on his head, maybe a king as he walked out and people kneeled. Avleen was only high head in the atrium. Those old venerable eyes were looking right into her eyes. She stole a glance while trying to be normal. That old man was somewhat engaging. She looked at Aaron but he was only finding dust of the floor. Avleen sighed the nervousness.

 "What's your name young lady?" asked old man.

"I am Avleen," she replied, "and I am a guitarist," she added for an impression. Anxiety was doing wonders, more of imprudent.

"Rise Aaron," Old man asked.

Aaron looked at Avleen as first thing. His gaze gave this crucial breath to Avleen's heart. She was certainly considering Aaron as a known in hall full of strangers.

"Yes My lord," Aaron said in ovation.

"Take the lady to guest's chamber and take this opportunity to serve our special guest," Old man suggested.

Aaron looked at Avleen. She certainly looked displeased.

"This way!" said Aaron.

"No way! Not this way or that way! Enough of this taking me here and then there," Avleen blustered, "I am sick of being a puppet."

Everyone in the hall was shocked with her sudden outburst. Aaron's eyes did forget to blink for few seconds. He looked around. Every Lord, minister and knight in the great hall was looking at her with displeasure.

"Shhh! We can talk about it confidentially," murmured Aaron in Avleen's ear.

"Shut up! I am tired of all this," Avleen grumbled.

  Muttering and few strong objections could be heard. Avleen walked to a group of ladies who were grouching the most about how unmannerly Avleen was behaving.

"What's with the bitching session ladies? Tell me in face what makes you malcontent? Huh?" inquired Avleen.

Aaron walked to Avleen. He clutched her forearm tightly and dragged her away from crowd.

"Leave my hand," Avleen out cried.

"You are buying trouble for you Avleen. I know...," said Aaron while looking around, "I know you want answers. A lot is happening around you but believe me, this is not the right place," he added.

"You took me all the way here. I thought I am going to get answers to these weird events. But here again, I am just left to wonder more. Tell me what's this place? How can I return back to my country?" requested Avleen.

Aaron had no answer. He kept quiet.

"Help me Aaron! Please tell me what's going on?" she insisted.

All the eyes in great hall were on both of them. Aaron had this fear in his eyes.

"All right! Don't bother. I am going, "said Avleen and walked away.

Hall got filled with muttering and whispers again. King indicated Aaron something in eyes. Aaron did look helpless.

"Fine! I will tell you," Aaron said.

Avleen stopped.

"You are in different time than you think you are in. This is not 2014. You are not in your time." He said in one breath.

"What?" said Avleen.

Silence prevailed for few moments in great hall.

"I know...It is quite appalling for you But this is truth," he added.

Avleen was in incredulity. She did see this possibility but this could not be true according to her. "Nothing like this happens in real life," she said to herself numerous times.

She was walking towards the chamber and still in state of stupefaction. She was out of questions and reaction. She just followed what had been asked few moments back. Aaron's eyes were veracity of what he said. His eyes were not lying.

Doors got closed as soon as she entered this big room. Alone, she was finally unchaperoned. She tried to gather every loud thought. Everything was so loud and unclear. She covered her face in palms. She exhaled the shock.

"How?  How is it possible?" she thought, "This is crazy. This can't be real."

She looked around in discontent. Regal chamber, Satan bed sheet under her, priceless rug beneath her feet, big window offering beautiful scenery, how it can be unreal? She managed to gulp the wail.

"Why me? Why? Why? Why?" Avleen yelled in resentment.

 In King's cabinet, high ranked lords and ministers of hierarchy were debating over Avleen arrival. Aaron was standing besides King's throne. Cabinet was spilt over the issue.

"This is second time in last two months. They are certainly a threat," one minister suggested.

Aaron looked up listening minister's point. He certainly wasn't agreeing.

"They are crude and innocuous," other minister argued, "We cannot assume things. I am not sure about that boy but this young lady! She is a delicate demoiselle. Don't tell me if my fellow lords are afraid of weaker now. "

Laughter took over the heated argument.

"We do not know if she is innocuous or weak. We cannot take such big risk by assuming things. We shall incarcerate her. This would be wise thing to do," Lord suggested.

King was listening to every opinion. He looked at Aaron whose restlessness was so apparent.

"Aaron! I would love to hear your view too," King asked. Aaron hesitated but then spoke.

"I think they are not threat. They are just taken away from their times," he opined, "We shall not treat them as enemy. We have kept that boy in imprisonment for quite a time now, he is proving to be harmless. And Avleen! She is innocent and distressed. She does not look like a threat. "

 "So a knight is going to talk in cabinet and cabinet is going to hear him? huh?" A minister quipped.

Hall got filled with objections and arguments.

"Silence!" said King.

"Everyone in this hall is entitled to state their opinion. I am here to decide who can speak and who cannot," he added.

Aaron's say in cabinet was never appreciated by royal blood and lords. He was commander of royal army and cabinet was not the place for him. He was expected to fulfill orders and execute decision taken by cabinet. King's trust and inclination towards Aaron was something detested.

King dismissed the assembly after assuring cabinet to come up with a decision tomorrow.

Aaron in his mansion down across the palace was busy in his thoughts where worry was pricking his almost stoned mind. He was irked and tensed. Twilight was costing him peace of mind. He had faith in King's wisdom but this restlessness was making it shake.

He took out his sword and came out of mansion. A big lake right in front of his house was calling out his exhausted soul. He took off his cloths and walked down the water. The wounds on his body started aching as soon as water touched them.

He made his sword dance in water as if piercing it in pieces. Making patterns in water with sword, he vent out all his restlessness in calmness of it. His body and mind were finding the much desired peace. He came up to find some breathe and saw palace glistening in light, holding the decision which will make or break her life. Avleen's thought weren't leaving his side.

 He dug the sword in wet clay and walked across the lake for this long walk. He needed to know reason behind this grown care for Avleen.

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