Dronin’s Travels, Chapter 6—A Little Chat

Written by Dronin Gammerson

I woke up tied to a chair in the back room of a cave. This was clearly where someone had been living for a long time yet there were no walls except for natural cave walls. Looking up I noticed there were Bungle berry leaves hanging on every square inch of the roof. So much so that you could not see the roof. Luckily the ceiling was very high up so you did not bump your head, but you still felt like the ceiling was not tall enough.
I noticed that the room I was in was not the only room to the cave. There was another room leading to the presumed opening. In the other room I could hear someone moving around mumbling. Cast on the walls of the room was the glare of an open fire. The fire cast the shadow of a man. From looking at the shadow he looked ten feet tall and four feet wide, but I knew that was not true and it was just a trick of the eye. I estimated he was about five and a half feet tall and not very well muscled.
I did not have to guess for very long because the man walked into the room I was kept. I quickly slumped forward pretending I was asleep. Although too late.
“I know you's awake” The man said. In response to that I opened my eyes and looked up. “I suppose you's are here to destroy all of the Bungle berry leaves oi've collected?”
“No” I replied, “Why would you think that?”
“Don't play dumb with me” He said, “Oi have sources that told me you would be here and come to destroy my leaves.”
“Let me ask you a question,” I said, “Why did you poison me and Manden?”
“Oi didn't poison nobody” He said, “Oi'm just tryin' to survive”
“Well I am not here to destroy your leaves” I said with some heat, “I am a fellow herbalist and do not delight in destroying perfectly good herbs.”
“Well then why're you here?”
“I'm here because I thought that an assassin was somewhere in the area.”
“Ok buy why're you here in this house. Surely you'd know that oi's live here.”
“No I had no knowledge of you living here,” I said, “Do many people know that you live here?”
“Yes'r oi make many people Bungle berry tea.” You can hardly call it tea, it is very similar to ale or other alcoholic drinks. Though it does not get you drunk, which has a certain amount of appeal to travelers, but the locals know the real problem with it. After about twenty two hours you start to feel very sick and miserable. Although this only happens when you drink to much similar to getting drunk though not as easy.
“Would you like some?” He said, happy to have a possible customer.
“No, I never had a taste for Bungle berry tea” I responded shaking my head
“Hmm, oi've been havin' strange customers recently” He said.
“Strange how” I said interested.
“Well there's you's of course” He said in a tone that implied that was obvious, “And their wuz these other men that wanted uncooked untended tea. Oi told them it would probably kill them but they wanted it anyway. So I gave it to them. Their probably dead by now.”
“No they used that to poison me” I said more confidently than I felt.
“Now why would they's want to kill you's?”
“It's complicated”
“Is it now” He said with a grin I did not like, “Well I have plenty of time, and you don't have a choice.”
“Well if you put it that way...”
“Oi do put it that way”
“I am the King's commander when it comes to the surface, and there is a battle we are planning on joining on the surface. Without me they would not be able to attack because we don't know that much about the surface.”
“Oi don't know much of what you's said but oi think oi get the general oidea” He said with a frown.
“Oh and how long was I out?”
“About 26 hours.”
“Oh” I said, “I guess I didn't sleep much before that.”
“Well oi guess oi'll be working on me stuff now” He said walking off.
“Wait” I called after him, “Aren't you going to set me free?”
“Hmm, no oi don't think oi will” He said and smiled at me, “Which remoinds me” He left and came back with his club. This did not look good. He took three steps toward me and hit me on the head knocking me out.