Cursed by Emma Merrell

Author:Emma Merrell [Merrell, Emma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-12-13T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Jude

Jude stretched, and there was one glorious moment of forgetfulness. He forgot where he was and all that had happened, and he was simply back home in his and Luce's home, snug in his bed. It only lasted for a couple of seconds and then reality intruded, harsher than it would have been if he had not had that moment. He opened his hazel eyes and looked up at the rough-hewn ceiling above him. He had been on the verge of collapse when he and Bran had reached the village this morning, and he had been sent straight up to what would be his new room.

He had no clue what time it was. There was no natural light to help him as most of the dwellings were carved out of the mountain rock. It was a rabbit's warren of tunnels and rooms that Jude was certain would get him lost soon. In any case, he felt rested and ready to see what the village was all about. He looked around the room properly for the first time since he had arrived. There were candles burning in wall niches and judging by the wax, they were the same ones that he had forgotten to blow out before falling asleep. There was the pallet he slept on, a clay chamber pot, a ceramic basin and a pitcher of water in the corner for washing, and a roughly made table with a pitcher and a cup. It was simple, but at least this time he did not have a roommate.

Jude stripped down and filled the basin with water, he rung out a scrap of cloth that had been in the bottom and began washing. The water grew filthy quickly and Jude emptied it into the chamber pot, refilling it with fresh water. He longed, with every fiber of his being to be washing in the stream of water that ran by the fields of his homeland. He hadn't felt properly clean since arriving here. There was a small pile of folded clothing at the foot of his bed and he dressed, grateful that they were clean and much softer than his servants’ uniform. It was just a simple black tunic and pants, but they were the clothes of a free person and Jude felt like a new man wearing them.

He quickly became lost upon leaving his room, the whole place was dark and confusing. He ran into an elderly man and asked where he might find Bran. The old man grunted and waved a hand, signaling for him to follow. He led him through a series of passages and down slopes before they emerged into a wide cavern full of people. Jude spotted Bran toward the rear of the space. He was leading the group in what appeared to be battle exercises. Bran spotted him and gestured for him to join the group. It took him a few minutes to learn the patterns of their movement, but then he quickly fell into line.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.