THE EAR ARCHER Part 1 (Completed) #wattys2022

GRAVITY BRINGS ALL THINGS DOWN

A/n
I understand there are a lot of grammatical errors. Feel free to point them out.

Gob's eyes flew open once again. The damned bell had once again disturbed his sleep and not only that, had ejected him from a very enjoyable dream.
A rap rolled on his door. Great! Now he wasn't even allowed to finish thinking
He wasn't sure who was knocking. It was likely going to be Rutherford or the new barracks cook.
Dalian's rounds didn't involve him today
The knock came again. It was a mild series of taps. Definitely the cook.
He was right. Quietly, the collected the metal tray from her then settled to eat his crumbs.
He shoved the empty plates away, as usual, the girl will come for it.

He didn't feel like queuing up in the never ending line of the barracks shower to take a bath, so he decided to skip it.
As he dressed, he glanced up at the wall mirror. He hadn't taken a good look at himself in weeks. He was skinny. Obviously because of malnutrition.

He finished dressing, picked his weapon and stomped out of the room.
" Gob waited under the shade of the vine tree, he had rushed to the spot immediately the training was over. He was thankful to the vine tree. It provided shelter and at the same time provided a spot where he could survey the road.
He missed missed cinnamon soup, he missed Yart.
It wasn't long before his quarry showed up, clad in her uniform as usual.
She strolled quietly along the path. Gob stealthily tip toed behind her in a bid to surprise her.

As he raised his hand to touch her, she swiftly turned around and clasped his wrist inserting two fingers to the nerve that supplied blood to his palms. His entire hand went numb,she grabbed his neck before looking up at his face.

He was shocked to the marrow. On realizing it was him, her grip on his neck and wrist eased but she didn't let go completely.
"why were you Stalking me " she asked coldly
" I just wanted to surprise you " was the feeble answer.
She finally let go.
"That was very stupid. I thought you were a....... "
" robber " Gob finished as he rubbed his hand trying to regain feeling.

" I thought I'd scare you with that. I had no idea you meant it when you said you could handle yourself "
Dalian smiled
"am sorry"
"no problem, I've had worse"
"so are you going to escort me again? " Dalian asked, her blue eyes steady
"what do you think I have been waiting half an hour for?"
Gob winced as he realized he had said too much
Dalian smiled "let's go then"

"so where did you learn how to fight?" Gob asked,making sure he reduced the pace to a very slow one. He didn't like the magic of getting there so quickly.
"my father was a high general so he sort of taught it to me"
Gob envied her, she had a father to teach her stuff close and personal. He didn't have that, his father died when he was six even with that, he never saw much of the man as he only ever came back from wars to bed his numerous wives.

He remembered when his father's arrow bearer had returned with the news that the great Gardirl Caridan had fallen in battle. The boy was put to death so he could continue his duties to the great Archer in the after life. Who knows if his father was around to drill him, maybe he wouldn't have been such a failure.

"are you alright? " Dalian asked,with concern in her voice
"you seem miles away from here"
Gob forced a smile
"am alright. So what is the daughter of a high commander doing in the barracks"
"I left him" Dalian replied, her eyes downcast
"why? Gob asked With interest
"he was a bastard" she paused for a moment and added
"I don't want to talk about it"
Well neither did Gob.

He steered the conversation and soon she was laughing again.
He told her about his ex Guardian although he refrained for name mentioning. He narrated everything to her. From the point he saved him to the point he tactfully sent him packing.
Dalian listened to him intently then gave her verdict
" I think you've got the whole thing wrong"
"what do u mean" Gob asked annoyed, "don't you believe me "
"I do. But if all you tell me is true then he never wanted you to leave "
Gob looked at her in disbelief, he remembered Yart's face, his begging eyes, his invitation. How could he have been so stupid.
"are you alright? "
Gob put on a smile this time genuine
"yeah, sure, just that came up. Take care of yourself "
With that Gob raced away in the opposite direction leaving Dalian to her own confused thoughts.

Gob arrived at the barracks panting but not as heavily as he usually did, looks like the training was beginning to pay off. He walked into his room, removed the large bed sheet, retrieved his sword and soon was on his horse galloping back to the rickety structure. The one place he could call home.

Yart was smoking on his toy when he heard hooves. Seldom did he have visitors as he tried to stay away from civilization. The wrenched civilization had cost him two children, three counting Gob. The hooves kept approaching, whoever it was knew exactly where his cottage was located.

He dipped his hands under his wooden recliner and retrieved two daggers. He closed all the windows and positioned himself behind the door.

"Yart....... Yart. " Gob yelled from outside. The sun had already set and all that was left as a mark of its previous existence was just a huge red spot in the sky.
" Yart!!!!!!" this time Yart recognized the bearer, his heart sank.
He threw the door open and saw Gob in his military uniform and a bulged fabric hung from his shoulders, he flung his arms around the boy's neck, patting his back at intervals.
There was no tricks, no resentment, Yart was happy to have his boy back.
"Yart" Gob whispered still holding Yart in a tight embrace
"yes? "
"cinnamon soup "
"what about it?"
"is there any left? "
"I have a whole pot of it"
Immediately, Gob disentangled  himself from Yart and raced to he huge metal pot.

Yart was fully prepared to go to his esteemed iron shop, he one more glance at Gob's bed to make sure he was intact.
The boy was still in full armor and as usual was snoring peacefully with a soup spoon in his hand.
Yart smiled, retrieved his coat from the recliner and exited.

For the first time in what seems to Gob as years, the bell didn't disturb his sleep.  Every one had a hobby Yart's was obviously smoking, he's was a silent, undisturbed, sensual and undiluted sleep and he intended sleeping away to his grave.
His forehead itched and he, still in his sleepy state hurriedly raised his hand to scratch and go on with the business of sleeping..
Then, he felt something hard hit his forehead.

The impact of collision was carried by his skin and then transferred to the nerves which in turn delivered the cargo to the brain where it was deciphered as pain.
Immediately, his eyes flew open, he sprang expecting to see an opponent, a robber most likely. But he saw none of that. All he felt was liquid sliding down his head, he didn't need to see it to know it was blood.
His glance rested on his left hand. He saw the architect of his pain, the soup spoon. Angrily, he flung the soup spoon away.

He took a quick look at the house, Yart had obviously done all the house chores before leaving.
He found some water to wash the blood off his face.
He knew I'd be in trouble for not appearing for the day's training but he didn't care.
He decided to visit the market "Aldegario" again.

Gob walked Past the great stones of Aldegario. As usual, his boots were covered in black clay that was predominant in the market.
After some hours of sight seeing, he was exhausted and sought for shelter under a stall.

"hey, it's you again " an elder voice chirped
Gob quickly turned, he met a familiar face.
"you!!! " Gob exclaimed. It was the old man he has met the first day he came to Xan
"yes me, hahahahahahahahah. You are the boy who was so interested in the reason Xan's economy had deflated so.
Gob smiled " if I ask you another question would u answer? "
"ofcourse, I have almost no buyers which Leaves me with a lot of time on my hands"
"really "
"yes,  so you can ask all you want.  Hahahhahaha"
Gob liked the man, just that his laugh kind of spooked him.

"this robbery, when did it begin? Was it after the Prince left with the Central army? "
"no, we had peace a while after the Prince left although we had to properties like metal and money to finance the war. But there was peace, until the first batch of wounded soldiers were returned "
"wounded soldiers? Why did they have to carry the soldiers all the way back here when they could have been treated back in camp? "
"I have absolutely no idea. But only after the return of the wounded did this menace begin, forcing even the king to lock himself in his palace "
"King?, there is a king in Xan? " Gob asked bewildered.
"ofcourse, what's a kingdom without a king, king Damillerian Carrieran Fadium locked himself up to escape this crisis "
Gob was infuriating
"what kind of King would lock himself up when his people are dying?"
The old meat seller chuckled, "well, Damillerian is such a king"
"well" Gob continued, I best get going, I have a cinnamon garden to attend to"
"cinnamon garden? " the old man asked astonished
"that costs a fortune to procure nowadays"
"so I've been told " Gob replied absentmindedly.
"gotta go"
"of course dear boy, come back anytime and talk to this old man"
Gob smiled bowed and left.