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The Dread Scrolls - Chapter 11

Published at 22nd of May 2023 06:26:08 AM


Chapter 11

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Chapter 11: In search of water

Erin had cuddled up to Lysander, and refused to let go. Lysander had just sighed, and let the blonde use his chest as a pillow. It hadn't rained the night before, for which Lysander was both thankful, and regretful.

If it had rained, he could have possibly collected some water. Then again, if it had rained, then their clothes would have been ruined. 

"Good morning," Erin mumbled, as Lysander tried to get up. "Five more minutes, Ly." 

"We can't waste more time. We must find water. To get clean, to wash our clothes, and fill in the water skin," Lysander listed all the things they had to do with a finality in his voice. 

"But, Ly," Erin whined, and Lysander poked him on the nose. 

"Rise and shine, princeling. We must also find a nice cave-castle for you, today. We can't spend the nights out," Lysander said, and then took a hold of Erin's hand, and tugged him up. 

"There is no such thing as a cave-castle," Erin mumbled. Lysander's smile widened. 

"Any home of a princeling is a castle," Lysander joked, as Erin was trying to blink away the sleep from his eyes. 

"Yeah, sure. And the dust bunnies are the courtiers," Erin mumbled, as he let himself be tugged up.

He eyed the fire pit, which was all but reduced to a smoking pile of twigs. The blonde shivered, at the loss of the warm body, on which he used to lay on. When Lysander kicked some dirt on the fire, to extinguish it, Erin shivered. 

"Put on my cloak as well," Lysander offered, as he untied the cloak from around his shoulders. 

"No, you will end up cold, Ly," Erin said. Yet, when the second cloak was wrapped around his shoulders, he couldn't find it in him, to get it off. 

"I am a wanderer, remember? We can feel warm, even in the cold," Lysander lied. Erin's eyes narrowed at him. 

"You are lying to me! Your nose twitched," Erin pointed at the nose in question, as Lysander sighed. 

"Fine, sorry. But you are more fragile than I. A sworn sword's job is to protect his princeling," Lysander said, and then took a hold of Erin's hand. "Come on, if we are lucky, we might find an apple tree somewhere between here, and the water source." 

That seemed to brighten Erin's face. He loved apples. Of course, the apples he was accustomed to, were sweet, and big. What Lysander had in mind, were filling crab apples. Not that he told the blonde that. 

As they walked, Erin would point at things, and ask Lysander what they were. 

A red and white mushroom was called poisonous, while a small yellow flower was pointed out to be just a flower, and not a herb. Erin rather liked this game, and he kept it up, until Lysander stopped in his tracks. 

"Hush now. Let me hear the sounds," Lysander said, and Erin quieted down. The wanderer's nose twitched. Erin didn't know what he was smelling, as the only thing the blonde could smell, was the smell of the forest. Suddenly, Lysander smiled, and began tugging Erin in the direction of a sound Erin recognized as running water. 

They made it to a clearing, and saw a small stream, feeding into what looked like a stone bath tub. Lysander looked amazed at that. He ran, tugging Erin behind him, towards the tub. With a slight poke in the water, he shuddered. 

"Cold," Lysander said, lamenting the fact that he didn't have a cauldron. 

"Is it now?" Came a melodic voice from the trees. Lysander stiffened next to Erin, who whipped his head around, to see who spoke. 

"Hello, lady! Is the bath yours? Can we use it?" Erin asked. The woman who came from the tree line was beautiful and in his small mind, pretty people were always nice. 

"I don't know? Can you figure out my mystery question?" She asked. Erin was already nodding, as Lysander stood there, rooted to his spot. 

As Erin smiled, Lysander's mind was racing. This was a nymph. Nymphs sometimes ate children. At least, that was what Anna had always told him, to keep him from talking with the nymph, who lived in a birch close to Anna's hut. Anna never lied. Yet, he also knew, that nymphs could teleport. 

Lysander's hand went to his dagger. Even if it meant his death, he was going to stop the nymph from attacking Erin. Yet, once he died, who was going to look after Erin? As he despaired, the nymph hummed, and sat down. 

"Let us see, if you were raised well. I have three questions for you, to test your common sense. Do you agree to play, little human?" The nymph asked. Erin finally looked at the shell-shocked Lysander, and tilted his head to the side. 

"Ly? Do you smell something bad?" Erin placed a hand on Lysander's forehead. The wanderer didn't seem to be burning up with a fever. 

"He is worried that I will do you harm," the nymph said with a sigh. "I am not a cursed beast, children. If you can't answer the questions, then you simply won't be allowed to use my water." 

"But we really need the water," Erin protested. She scrunched up her nose at him. 

"The water is mine. So, if you want to use it, then play the game," the nymph said. Erin blinked, as he saw that her features darkened. Suddenly, he could understand why Lysander was worried.

Yet, Erin knew, that they had to take this chance. For all he knew, the next watering hole was also taken by something. Something far less friendly. 

"I will play," Erin said, feeling brave. "If I lose, you won't do anything to Ly."

"So be it," the nymph said. 

"Wait, Rin, you can't enter in deals with nymphs. Those are dangerous," Lysander protested. 

"You have been protecting me, for the longest time," Erin began, as he gave Lysander's hand a light squeeze. "Now, it is my turn." 





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