Brian's Adventures Ch. 02

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Strange welcomes.
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4.5
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Part 2 of the 17 part series

Updated 09/22/2022
Created 03/16/2002
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tempter
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47 Followers

Chapter Two: Strange Welcomes

The next thing I do remember is stone, the feeling of cold stone against my face and straw underneath my weary body. A small trickle of water passed over my lips so I shut them tight to keep the seawater out. A single drop got past my dry lips however, when I realized that this was fresh water my eyes shot open. I saw an angelic face smiling back at me and I thought I had surely died and was at pearly gates, her beauty was so great.

"He's awake! Praise the Lord he's awake!" The young woman said as she sat next to me and held the wet rag in her delicate hand.

"So he is dear. C'mon, lets have a look at him." Came a response from another woman who sounded older than the one I could see.

"It's a miracle isn't it?" The younger woman exclaimed with joy and relief.

"He's awake but he isn't out of the woods yet! Lets just look at him and see just what kind of shape he's in." The older one said as she approached the two of us.

"Yes Herulia." The first one said with a bowed head and a subdued voice.

"How do you feel then?" An older woman asked while leaning over me. She was poking and prodding me here and there, generally making me feel like a prized beast. "Seems healthy enough." She said to the younger one without taking her eyes off me or stopping her examination of me. "Can you speak dear?" The older woman whom I assumed was Herulia asked me as she sat back on her haunches.

"I'd like some water." I croaked out with a sore, dry throat. "Besides that, I feel half-dead and sore all over." I replied with a voice that was still rough. Almost instantly I saw the younger one disappear from sight for a moment and then return.

"Oh he can talk." Herulia added with a hint of mock surprise. "There's hope for you yet." Herulia added with a bit of a chuckle. "It's a miracle you're in as good a shape as you are. Tell me lad, what happened to you?" Herulia, the healer inquired with an inquisitive, yet pleasant smile.

"Here you go. " The younger one said as she handed me a flask that I hoped contained water. I sat up and took a long drink and relished in the sensation as the long missed liquid flowed down my gracious throat. A small prayer of thanks went up as I gave her the flask back and they looked at me expectantly.

"Ah, that hit the spot, thank you." I said with great gratitude to the young one before continuing. "My ship sank, I was the only one that survived, I was adrift for days." I spoke to nobody in particular as I rested my head against the wall. "Where am I?" I asked as I looked back and forth between the two women.

"You're in the main barracks in Teroncia." Herulia said plainly but her words did little to explain my predicament.

"Excuse me?" I asked not understanding what she was saying. For the moment I thought I was back in England, though that did not seem possible. "Some fools didn't recognize you and thought you were an outsider so you were brought here to be safe." Herulia said with a dismissive chuckle and shake of the head. "So what exactly happened to you again, out fishing too far from Sailorsreach eh?" Herulia asked with a comforting manner and understanding tone.

"Sailors-what?" I asked, again confused as to what they were talking about.

I was getting the feeling that I was not in London anymore and began to wonder just where I was. I thanked the Lord that I was alive and on dry land; I seemed to be in friendly and capable hands. I hoped and thought that if I talked politely to these two I might find out just where I was.

"You were found on the north shore, not far from Sailorsreach. That is where you were sailing from isn't it?" Herulia asked with an uneasy tone. "You were fishing a little too far from shore when your ship sunk right?" Herulia asked with a twinge of a dark tone to her voice.

Her manner was almost as if she were suggesting that I go along with her story. At the time I didn't understand what she was talking about, I didn't understand the trouble that the truth would get me in. In retrospect it would have been easier to simply lie and go my way, trying to blend in. At the time I didn't understand the ways of this strange land as I do now. At the time and still to this day, I hate lying and I have no time for liars so I guess I would have told the truth at any rate.

"No, I've never heard of the places you have mentioned. I was part of an expedition to sail to far off lands." I said and paused with a heavy sigh. "We hit a storm and the ship sunk, killing everyone else on board." I finished as the dark pawl fell over me as I remembered the men in knew on that ship.

"You're not from Tania?" The younger one asked curiously with a sense of wonder.

She got a stern look from the older one and the mood turned darker and more ominous. Both ladies stepped back from me and looked at me differently for the moment not saying a word. I felt that I had said something terribly wrong, something that I shouldn't have. I started to regret what I had said, feeling that I had stepped in it.

"No, I'm from England." I said with a nervous, almost regretful look. "Is that where I am? Tania is it? Am I on Tania?" I asked with genuine curiosity. I wanted to know where I was, if I was not in England. I looked at both women wanting to get some hint, some confirmation of what I already suspected to be true.

"You're an Outsider?" The young one asked with a pained look, almost as if I had betrayed her somehow.

"You're in isolation my dear." Herulia said with a cold tone and expression. "Are you hungry?" She said as she stood and turned to leave.

"FAMISHED!" I shouted in reply. "I could use some more water as well." I added politely and she nodded agreeably with an expressionless face and left with the younger one in tow still looking at me with a hurt tone.

I looked around at where I found myself and found that 'isolation' was a polite way to say 'dungeon'. It was a cold, dark stone cell with all the comforts you can imagine I would have. The pile of straw that I was sitting on was my bed and was not bound together in any way; it was simply a pile of straw against the wall. I found that my hands and feet were chained to the wall each with their own chain. I found that my clothes were replaced with a single white robe that looked dangerously like a dress. It hung loosely on me and I guessed that the thin fabric was the only thing I had on.

The only light was the light that streamed in from the high window in one sidewall. The only exit was across from where I lay; a solid looking wooden door with a small opening with bars in it. I had just finished surveying my surroundings when the young looking assistant entered my cell. She carried a tray of food and a flask that I presumed contained more water and approached me cautiously. She stopped a short distance away from me looking me over, trying to make her mind up about me, I guessed.

"Can you feed yourself?" She asked and I looked her over briefly.

She stood there dressed in a conservative, all white, long dress, similar to the one I wore though more decorative and feminine in design. It was a loose fitting garment but I could see that underneath it she was far slimmer and smaller than Greta. Overall I would say that she was petite, small all over, small breasts, small waist and small, tight delightful looking bum. It was no wonder I mistook her for an angel with her white puffy hat and long blonde hair that was pulled back away from her face. Indeed she was a sight for sore eyes and quite possibly the prettiest young thing I had seen in all my days to that point.

"I can feed myself but I would like some company. I have been alone at sea for some time." I asked trying to look helpless and in fact I was. She took a nervous look back at the door and then at me and said nothing for a brief moment and wore a worried look on her face.

"It would be nice to have some company but I don't want to get you in any trouble. I understand if you can't stay." I said looking down and away from her.

"Alright, I really shouldn't but I will stay for a bit." She said quietly with a smile.

She looked back at the door one more time before putting the tray down in front of me. She drew a small stool that I hadn't seen before and sat on the other side of the tray from me. I looked over the tray of food and she looked me over with wonder and curiosity. It was the most glorious looking meal that had been spread before me in quite some time and I tucked into it quick.

"Thank you . . ." I said and paused looking at her with a puzzled smile for a moment. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name miss. I'm Brian" I introduced myself and held out my hand. Once more she looked back at the door and then back at me unsure of what to do.

"I'm Shelea, it's an honor to meet you Brian." She said after a moment and smiled as she shook my hand lightly. "Where did you say you came from Brian?" Shelea asked curiously with an apprehensive smile.

"Why, England of course." I replied puzzled. "Where did you think I came from?" I inquired, perplexed by her question of such an obvious fact.

"I've never heard of England?" Shelea replied with a puzzled look about her.

"Never heard of England!" I replied in shock. "How can you speak English and not heard of England!" I replied with an incredulous look that demanded an explanation.

"Well how can you speak Tanian so well and not heard of Tania?" Shelea replied with equal indignation.

"Tanian?" I replied now puzzled as to what she was talking about.

"Yes, the language you are speaking." Shelea replied with an 'of course silly' look on her face.

"No luv, we are speaking English." I corrected her assuredly.

"Are you sure?" She asked curiously, not quite believing what I was saying.

"Positive." I said with conviction.

"Call it what you will, I've always known it to be Tanian, the language of Tania. That is the island where you are now on, Tania." Shelea answered assuredly. "However if you are indeed from England as you say, than your arrival is indeed stranger than anything I have seen." She said chuckling to herself with a puzzled look of wonder about her.

"Why's that Shelea?" I asked as I took a mouthful of water.

"Nobody has arrived from off the island in over a hundred years!" Shelea said in amazement.

"A hundred years!" I replied equally amazed. "I can see why your people might see it as unusual but why am I in here?" I asked the question that was on my mind for some time raising my arm, indicating my chains.

Shelea got silent and looked more unsettled and worried than ever and clearly saddened. It was quite obviously not a nice subject for her to discuss and I didn't want to upset her. However, I needed to know why a simple castaway was treated like a criminal. What was my crime? What was it that they were afraid of? For the life of me I could not figure it out. I was an ordinary sailor, a son of a peasant farmer, nothing of concern; I was nobody. Clearly I didn't merit such attention and I hoped to rest her mind at ease.

"Please, I need to know." I implored tenderly and I held her gaze for a moment. "It isn't my place to tell you such things." Shelea said in a trembling voice and stood to walk a few steps away, facing away from me.

"I understand Shelea." I said and looked away, looking out the small window.

Even though I only just met her, I could not bear to see Shelea in such pain. It was strange but I suppose it was because she was the kindest person that I had met in a while. She seamed to be my only friend in this desolate place. The silence was deafening and terrible to endure, so I searched my mind for some way to ease the tension. Alas I found none and simply ate my meal in quiet, not bothering her at all.

"There is a legend that foretells of people from the outside that will come and destroy us. Some believe that you are a part of that." Shelea said looking out of the window, unable to look at me at the moment.

"I don't know anything about that." I replied with confused and disbelieving shock.

"Really." She said unconvinced as she looked at me with dispassionate eyes. "You must believe me when I tell you that my ship sank at sea and I was lucky to have drifted to your island." I told her once more with conviction, almost insulted that I had to convince someone of the obvious truth.

"Why should I believe you?" Shelea said with a waver in her voice.

"I'm no destroyer! Up until a moment ago I didn't know that this place existed!" I said as forcefully and sincerely as possible. "If everyone is as nice and lovely as you I would never want to cause this place any harm." I finished and looked down with the sadness I felt for being thought of in so bad a light.

"Really?" She asked with an emerging hope in my goodness.

"Do I look like a Destroyer to you?" I asked with a silly look on my face as I held out my hands.

Slowly she looked back at me and stared at me for a long minute. It was clear that she was trying to make her mind up about me. I sat there and ate my dinner not saying anything more to her. I knew that there was little else I could say to her, for I had already said stranger things than she had heard in her lifetime.

"What about your people from England? Do they not know where you are? Will they not come look for you?" Shelea asked with a furrowed brow, obviously concerned over this good point.

I had to laugh, it hurt to laugh but I had a hearty, gut-splitting laugh. It was so humorous to think of anyone going to any trouble to find me. The most I expected was the passing thought when raising a mug of ale. In retrospect I would have asked the same question were I in Shelea's shoes. When my laughter died down and I was able to explain myself, the furrowed brow of a now aggravated Shelea demanded a satisfactory answer.

"No, nobody knows were I am. I'm sure they think I'm dead. Even if they thought I was alive, I don't think they would waste their time looking for me, I'm nobody." I finished with a lightly despondent chuckle and looked down feeling small and insignificant just then.

"But you're a MAN! Surely they'll want you back?" Shelea said shocked and amazed that I considered myself to be nobody.

While I was a little puzzled at her suggestion that I was valuable for simply being a man, I thought nothing of it. After all I was just a poor stranded sailor who was nobody just like his Father. Why should I be somebody special any other place when I wasn't worth anything much at home. It made so little sense to me at the time, I wrote it off to a simple misunderstanding. I told myself that she was simply enamored by the stranger from across the seas and gave me value when none was warranted.

"Anyone who even knew where we were going will just assume that we died a fool's death at sea on a foolish voyage. Nobody cares, nobody is coming for me." I sighed heavily before continuing. "Nobody gives a toss if I live or die." I said then took the last swig of water in the flask before I laid back to digest the fine meal. "I am no threat to you or your people." I sighed and looked back at Shelea with a drained expression. "Thank you for the fine meal and delightful conversation." I said with the best smile that I could muster at the moment.

"Oh you're most welcome, it was nice to meet you Master Brian." Shelea said with a polite curtsy then grasping the tray she stood to leave.

"Under the circumstances I hardly think you need to call me 'Master' my dear." I chuckled as I indicated my restraints.

"I suppose so." Shelea said with a sheepish grin.

"Will I see you again?" I asked as she stood in the now open door.

"Certainly." Shelea smiled at me from over her shoulder before she left.

The clink of the door as it closed behind her rang off the walls and the whole room seemed darker without her there. As I sat there I pondered my fate that seemed once again to be out of my hands. If they truly saw me as a threat of some kind would they simply kill me or would they hold me for ransom of some kind? Either fate didn't sound too pleasant to me so I resolved to try and make friends where I could. I hoped to swing things in my favor by showing them I was not a bad person. I figured that if they got to know me they might not see the need to do me in. At that moment, I knew that I was no better off than I was on that ship and my heart was heavy. However I was not entirely saddened by my being here, part of me was relieved.

One thing I knew deep in my bones was that whatever God had planned for me, it had something to do with these people of Tania. I took small comfort in that knowledge and trusted him that once again he would deliver me from certain death. I knew in my heart that I was alive only because of God's guidance and deliverance. Whatever happened I would try to live as he would have me live, to be the best man I could be.

The quiet voice that pushed me away from my home an ever onward was finally at peace. Even though strange people, on an island I never knew existed saw me as a threat and held me prisoner, part of me was happy. For the first time in years I felt at peace, somehow I was getting an odd sense of a kind of homecoming. I was relieved to finally be rid of that ever-nagging voice pushing me on to far off and ever stranger places. For better or worse I was at the place that I was being called to and I felt that my journey was over.

Little did I know that my adventures and perils were far from over, in fact they were just getting started. However at the time I was content in being rid of my quiet companion that had been with me low these many years. I was tired from my ordeal and I fell asleep quickly, satisfied and sleepy from the good meal I had been given.

It was some time later when I awoke to hear voices just outside my door. It was now the dead of night and only soft moonlight filled the room. I could also see some torchlight filtering in through the bars in the door. I could hear two guards talking just outside my door and I strained myself to listen to what they were saying.

"Do you know what that is in there?" One female guard said.

"I know, a man. So what?" The other female guard replied unimpressed by the 'revelation'.

"A strange man; from off the island no less. They found him near Sailorsreach, half dead he was." The first guard said with great pride in telling the story.

"Your telling stories again Jealile." The second one said, still unmoved by the other one's story.

"Do you recognize him Yeoline?" Jealile asked with a snort of displeasure.

"Well no, but that doesn't mean he's from off the island." Yeoline replied defiantly.

"I was at the healer's, having my arm looked at. When I was there I heard Herulia talking with her assistant. They were discussing this one; they talked about his discovery, how he washed up and all. I heard others talking as well at dinner." Jealile said and paused for effect, to get Yeoline's attention.

"What did they say?" Yeoline asked after a moment's pause.

"Well, there's even some that say he's the one the legend talks about. They say he's one of those Outsiders the legend says will come and destroy us all. They'll probably kill him just to be safe." Jealile said calmly and my heart sank at the news. "I would." She added assuredly and a touch coldly.

Now I felt like a lamb waiting for the slaughter, but of course the lamb doesn't know what's about to happen to it, does it? I knew I had my work cut out for me if I was to keep breath in my lungs. I knew that they feared me they might kill me to protect their homes and in a way I could understand that. I didn't like it anymore than before, but at least I could understand people protecting their homes. The trick was to make them see that I was what I was, a stranded sailor and not a 'Destroyer'.

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47 Followers