Thread: The Diverted Path (DareToDream & Hahvy)

As the heat from the suns early morning rays filtered in through the open window, Caleb Parker stirred, shifting his body under the tangled and sweaty blankets of the bed. Normally, hed have been awake before the sun came up but that morning he was sluggish, his mind not wanting to let go of the dreams that had plagued him night after night, stealing hours of sleep. A breeze wafted through the window as he rolled over, tossing a blanket off his body, and he groaned, the sound carrying through the small cottage. Hearing it, a feeble voice called out to him, barely heard over the sounds of early morning. Calebs body froze momentarily, as if his ears had picked up the words, and then started tossing and turning again. This lasted for a while, the torment of a man plagued by thoughts that he didnt want to have, and it wasnt until the breeze blew through the window hard enough to knock something off a shelf that he woke. The crash of the tin as it clattered to the floor did the trick and with a start, Caleb jerked up in bed instantly, his eyes wide and his heart pounding. Clutching at the covers, he looked around frantically, his eyes seeing but his mind not registering. It wasnt until the voice called out a second time that he blinked and began to slow his breathing, regaining control of his senses little by little. Glancing down, he saw that he was still in bed and grimaced. Not again, he thought. With a grunt, the covers were tossed aside to reveal a hard body that had seen twenty eight plus years but looked closer to twenty two. As his feet hit the floor, Caleb stood and stretched, working the muscles of his back and chest, trying to loosen them up just a little. He could hear the birds outside the window and feel the heat of the sun and knew that another restless night had claimed him. That explained the fatigue he felt through his body, tugging at his limbs like lead weights. There was nothing to be done about it though he knew restless nights would be his bane of existence until he succeeded in his goal and it just made him that much more determined to do just that. Finally loose, he stepped outside of the little cottage and moved to the water well, drawing up a bucket of the icy cold liquid and testing it with his fingers. With another grimace, he stepped back and bent over, dumping the heavy bucket over his head, soaking his brown hair instantly and sending a chill sweeping through his body. Standing erect again, he shook his head and stretched some more, finally feeling his body wake up thanks to the effects of the cold water. Slipping back through the door after dropping the bucket by the well, he padded across the room to an opening in the far wall and peeked in. There was a bed by the far side and in it lay an old woman, her body propped up by pillows. She saw him and lifted a shaky arm, waving him in. Come in, Caleb, come in she said, the words quavering as if she lacked the strength to speak. He nodded and moved to her side, sitting down on the bed. Studying her, his gaze noted her pale skin and struggling breath and he didnt like the way her eyes looked glassy. Reaching out, he brushed her hair off her damp forehead and smiled. Mother, you need to relax and not worry about me. Youre the one that is sick. In fact, she was more than sick, she was dying and there was very little he could do about it. A combination of old age and a nasty poisoned bite from a fire lizard three months ago had left her frail and weak, her body slowly wasting away. Hed tried everything he could think of and had brought healers in but nothing worked. Hope had failed him and he had finally accepted that he was going to lose the only person in his life that truly mattered to him when a chance meeting with a soldier had changed all of that. It was from him that hed learned that the blood of a dragon was supposed to cure all ailments, a fact that caused his heart to leap. Of course, no dragons had been sighted in years, the soldier added, and just as quickly his hope had been dashed. Things changed again two weeks ago when word of a dragon sighting in his area had reached him, and from that day forth he had been out hunting, trying to find and kill it. His mother knew of his quest and tried to talk him out of it but he wouldnt hear it. Standing back up, he smiled down at her. Im going back out again today he said as he headed back towards the other room. Ill bring you some food and drink before I do. With that, he slipped out and quickly prepared her food, returning to her side to leave it on the table near the bed. Hang in there, mother. I will succeed in this and make you well. Before she could say anything else to him, he was gone, grabbing his pack and his hunting bow and slipping out into the light of day to begin the search anew.