Dreams of the Oracle

Chapter 10

The old sign creaked softly. The words, "The White Pig" were written in faded paint under the chipped image of a pig's head. Cass pushed the worn maple door open and stepped inside.

Warm light flooded a large room from windows thrown wide to invite the sunlight. Around a scattered assortment of tables men and women sat laughing and drinking. One table with a larger crowd would erupt in cheers and curses ever so often marking it as a gambling table.

She walked into the room slipping between the larger men and women coming and going to the tables or up the stairs to the rooms. She finally made it to one side of the inn where a large man stood behind the bar cleaning pewter mugs with a gray rag. Two women stood on either side of him pouring ale for the army of guests. Cass stayed off to one side watching the trio work. She wondered if she should just walk up to the bar, or wait until things were quieter.

"Who brought in the brat?" asked a voice

She looked up to an angry looking dark haired man. He leaned down putting his scrubby, unshaven face and bloodshot eyes into her face,

"Girl! Who let you in here?"

Cassandra's mind raced furiously, "They're uh, over there!" she said pointing to the gambling table. Another exclamation of cheers and curses rose from it as man glanced over. She tried to slip around him, but he grabbed her, pulling her close.

Feeling the overwhelming desperation of being so close to her goal and having one annoying man ruin everything, she sank her teeth into his hand. He yelped and let go, andshe raced to the other side of the room slipping between guests here and there and crouching behind tables.

Rough hands suddenly grabbed her and heaved her kicking body into the air. The whole inn erupted in laughter as she was carried upside down across the floor. Bloody hell.

She flailed about frantically. Turning her head, she spotted the large man still cleaning the mugs and watching her with idle amusement. Cursing, she slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out the strange coin. She twisting herself towards the man at the bar and threw it at him. She had just enough time to see his eyes widen in surprise at the shiny object flying at his head before she was tossed out the door and into the muddy street.

For a moment Cass just lay there hitting the ground in frustration. Angry tears rimmed her eyes. She had done exactly what the stupid note had said! Well, not exactly, but what kind of an inn would just throw someone out like that? She punched the ground.

Ashur was probably in prison, or worse. How was she supposed to help him now? She sniffed and rubbed her back; it had not been a soft landing. Well, she would never know how to help him if she didn't find out exactly where he was. She would just kind of wander around looking for the prison or the stocks, hopefully unnoticed by the scary people that seemed to be lurking in every shadow here in Amniston. At the same time she would just quietly avoid all the city guards since they had probably heard that her convict brother had had a girl with him.

She stood up and staggered over to one side of the street glancing up at The White Pig. Shouldn't be too hard to find a prison in this town. Suddenly a strong hand reached from behind her covering her mouth and a large arm reached around her middle lifting her easily off the ground. She tried to scream but no sound made it past the enormous hand.

Her abductor carried her down the alley that ran alongside The White Pig. He stopped at a wooden door in the side of the wall, pulled it open and walked through. It led to a dark stairway. He walked with certainty as though he had made this trip a thousand times.

With a thousand other stolen girls? thought Cass suddenly. She tried to bite big hand, at the same time, she tried to wriggle against her captor's grip. His grip was too tight. She couldn't open her mouth, she could barely move. Fear gripped her insides. Her heart pounded in her ears.