Secret Of The Crest (3 page)

   Gregor had black hair and black eyes; he was well built giving away that he worked out. Gregor was a local; his family lived in the region for generations. Both, his mother and father had passed and he was raised by his grandmother, his father’s mother, who he loved and respected deeply.

   The team started to tease Cassandra because she had been in a trancelike state for a few minutes.

   ‘Hey, has cupid’s arrow poked you, Cass?’ teased Sarah. 

   ‘Yeah love, has he rocked your world with the dark sexy look he gave you?’ Rebecca added.

   ‘Come on girls, leave her alone, play nice.’ Sam suggested.

   ‘No, no, Sam¸ I can handle myself, I do admit, he is extremely handsome and surprisingly mysterious and that alone, always catches my attention but let’s not get carried away, I hardly know the man. Now come on, let’s get going, enough chit chat!’

   They left the inn and started down the trail and into the forest taking pictures the whole way.  It was a deep forest with sounds of every living creature playing tunes in nature. While Cassandra took pictures the other three gathered berries, took pictures of themselves in silly poses and pulled out some snacks they had brought from England. Cassandra took shots of giant trees, river waters rushing down stream and of wild flowers that grew between gargantuan boulders and smaller stones along side the river. Hundreds of pictures, many rolls of film and much patience made her day perfect. They spent their whole day in the forest taking in nature’s best.

   Cassandra stepped back a little to take a better shot of the scenery when she heard some sort of scratching accompanied by heavy breathing like. She turned around as reluctantly as she really didn’t want to know what was behind her. Fully turned now she saw a wild boar which was ready to attack. Cassandra, frightened out of her wits, panicked and started running as fast she could.

   The boar huffed several times and began after her. She ran down the trail as fast as her legs could run without falling and not once thinking to call out for help. Her friend hadn’t noticed what was happening as they were playing around making a racket at the time.

   She heard the boar getting closer and her anxiety rose to its peak. Then Cassandra heard a shot and a great thump sound. The chasing had ended. Cassandra stopped running and turned to see. The boar had fallen on its side and huffed loudly. She had finally caught her breath but didn’t dare go closer to the injured boar. 

   Out of the thick trees came Gregor with a shotgun and a smaller boar hanging off his shoulder.

   ‘Are you alright?’ he asked.

   ‘Yes, I think so. I mean I am’ replied Cassandra.

   ‘I’m sorry you had to experience that but it is quit usual to find wild animals in this lush forest. It’s unusual that you fell upon its trail though because that is the only reason it came after you. Had your paths not crossed, it would probably just pass you by’ Gregor explained. ‘But since you were in it’s way and ran, it attacked on instinct. Besides, it was scared out of its mind since I was hunting it and had felt threatened even before it reached you.’

   ‘Oh, now I feel much better and yes I ran, I ran like I never ran before. You would too if its tusks were right behind you. Thanks for saving me by the way.’ Cassandra’s voice lowered shyly as she spoke.

   ‘It was my pleasure; I had a great hunt today and saved a damsel in distress’ he answered.

   ‘Not bad for a country boy’ she added.

   ‘If you should ever come across a wild boar again just slowly move behind a tree or even climb it if you can. The animal will go away. I must go now, these need to be skinned and cut before they start to smell.’

   Gregor lifted the second boar after slitting its throat open with his hunters knife and pulled it up onto his back with the other baby boar. He walked away leaving a trail of the dripping animal blood the whole way.

   ‘See you later!’ he called out with out turning.

   Then he was out of Cassandra’s sight. She gave out a sigh of relief. As she walked back to the point that her friends were gathered she realized that while Gregor was talking to her a moment ago she stared at him the whole time.

   ‘
What must he think of me?’
she thought.
‘He probably thinks I’m a silly little city girl, a damsel in distress- foughy! What do I care though, what he thinks?
’

   ‘I don’t!’ she said to herself.  ‘I really don’t!’

   She tried to convince herself but was unsuccessful.

   ‘Who are you talking too?’ asked Rebecca.

   ‘Long story, I’ll tell you later. Now back to work you lazy bodies. Can someone pack a new role in this camera so I could grab a snack?’ Cassandra asked politely.

   ‘Sure, I will, take your time’ said Sam. ‘Have some crisps, they’re in my bag.’

   ‘Thanks.’ Cassie replied, as she set herself upon a large boulder by the river and started to munch. After a while went by, Sarah started telling Sam how tired she was and what an awful headache she had. It wasn’t difficult for Cassie to hear her even through the rush of the river water as Sarah was yelling practically at the top of her lungs. Cassandra told them to pack their things and call it a day. Sam and Sarah’s plan worked like a charm. Albeit Cassandra was, really satisfied with the day’s work and would have probably suggested to leave anyway.

   They packed their gear and headed back to the inn. The sun was just setting into the mountain tops as they stepped into the inn. Mrs. Marina was at the reception desk lighting the oil lamps.

   ‘You’re back’ she said. ‘I hope you have enjoyed your day.’

   ‘We did’ replied Becca.

   ‘Yes, it was a lovely day and we got much work done’ added Cassandra. 

   ‘Dinner is served at eight so, after you have washed up and rested come down and try our special of the day, you will love it.’ Marina said.

   Cassandra told the others to go on up without her because she wanted to ask Mrs. Marina about the territory. The rest of them went to their rooms and Cassie went up to the desk where Marina was. 

   ‘Mrs. Marina’ she said.

   ‘Call me Marina, dear.’

   ‘Ok, Marina, I would like to ask you if you have ever been to England.’

   ‘No, child, I have not, I have never set foot away from this land but why do you ask?’

   ‘I feel that I know you from somewhere but I have never been here before, so I thought maybe our paths had crossed somewhere else.’

   ‘No, my dear it must have been some other old lady who perhaps resembled me in some way.’

   ‘I suppose you’re right. Now about the territory, how many miles does your land cover? I wouldn’t want to trespass on other’s property because I can get carried really carried away while exploring with my camera sometimes.’

    ‘I don’t think it is possible for you to trespass since, our land is almost twenty kilometers in length and over seven kilometers wide. Therefore you have nothing to worry about you can roam around freely, my dear.’

   ‘Alright then, I shall see you at dinner!’ Cassie replied.

   ‘Cassandra, wait! I had a granddaughter once, she was about your age, she was taken away from us. I haven’t seen her since. She would be as beautiful as you are I suspect, I believe the same age too.’ Marina drew her eyes away from Cassie’s.

   ‘Thank you for the compliment. You never found out what happened to her?’

   The old woman nodded negatively.

   ‘Perhaps one day she will find us!’ said the woman. Again she turned away forbidding herself to become anymore sentimental. Cassandra turned and walked away slowly.

   When she reached the staircase she turned towards Marina again and asked once more.

   ‘Mrs. Marina, have you any other grandchildren?’

   ‘No, my dear my son and his wife had two children, Gregor and the little girl was taken. Maybe some other time we’ll talk some more, I must get to work now.’

   Cassandra went upstairs to her room and took a shower. The water was freezing against her warm fragile body but she was determined to tough it out before she would ever call an old lady at Mrs. Marina’s age  to boil water and carry it  up  two flights of stairs to  her convenience.  She new the woman was very hospitable but also that she seemed to have been working since her birth.

   Cassandra was very sensitive towards others needs and always put aside her own needs for others. She stood quietly for a while stepping out of the bath.

   ‘Where is Becca?’ she wondered. She knocked on Rebecca’s door but there was no answer. Then she tried calling Sarah on her mobile phone but could not get a signal.

  Cassandra quickly dressed and went across to Sarah’s room. As she knocked on the door she called out to them.

   ‘Sarah! Sam! Are we going to dinner or what? Is Becca in there with you?’ There was no answer. Cassandra went downstairs and into the dining area. Peaking through the doors she saw that no one was there either. Looking back into the reception she noticed that Mrs. Marina was also missing.

   ‘Where is everybody?’ she whispered to herself.

  Cassandra opened the front door as if she wanted to search for them but changed her mind when she saw the dark trees in black solitude. Not that she was afraid but she had not taken her lantern and standing only a few feet from the hostels door she could see nothing but the stars.

   She turned around to go back inside when her eye caught a shadow just a couple of feet in front of her. Her heart was beating very fast and yet she took a few steps forward into the dark of the night. It was gone, whatever she had seen or thought she had seen.

   Cassandra then jumped at the feeling of a heavy cold hand pressing down on her shoulder. Frightened half out of her mind she turned quickly with a defensive look on her  face only to see Gregor tall and pale standing there smiling.

   ‘Oh!’ she said catching her breath. ‘I was so scared, I’m glad it’s you!’

   ‘I am glad it’s you too!’ Gregor replied. 

   His face then became twisted and his eyes turned a bloody red as he reached for her neck with his hands and squeezed her tightly. Cassandra tried to scream but no voice could come out. There was no hope of running as she couldn’t unleash herself from his grip. He was squeezing the breath out of her. She felt as if she was loosing consciousness and all she could see was his animal like face closer to her face. 

   ‘Cassandra love, are you ready?’ Rebecca called out, waking Cassandra.

   ‘
Oh God!
’ she thought to herself, ‘
It was a dream! I don’t even remember lying down.
’

   She was so exhausted that she fell asleep as soon as she laid her body on the bed. With her camera still clenched between her now sore fingers she quickly got up and prepared for dinner.

   She realized that she had dozed off when she was unpacking the rolls of films earlier.

   ‘I’ll get the others and we will wait for you in the lobby’ Rebecca said.

   ‘Sure, I’ll be down soon.’

   ‘Dress up nice, dinner is always formal!’ Becca shouted.

   ‘Go already! I’ll be down in a minute!’ 

   Cassandra’s mind was wandering off back to the dream she had.

  ‘
What a nightmare!
’ She thought once more.   

   While she was brushing her hair, she gave attention to a painting that was hanging on the wall just across from her. It depicted a woman with a newborn standing in the forest and a young boy by her side. The woman had dark eyes and long black hair. Around her neck she wore a locket that had the initial D engraved into it.

   Cassandra noticed it was the same as the one on Gregor’s blazer. Right away she realized that it was probably Gregor’s mother and the little boy was Gregor. She put down the brush and went to the wardrobe to choose a dress. She had only brought two with her. One was her prom dress and one was a gift her mother had told her was a gift from a distant relative sent to her on her birthday.

   Cassandra never made the acquaintance of the relative but now she was quite thankful for the gift as it was perfect for the occasion. Her prom dress was a beautiful fury red chiffon dress but a little to apocalyptic for dinner.  She took the other dress off the hanger and began to dress. It was a lovely blue satin dress bare shoulder but short sleeves. The dress was detailed with a flower at the cleavage. She looked at herself in the mirror. It was perfect.

   ‘Thanks aunt Nina who I’ve never met’ she spoke out to herself. ‘I will make sure to make priority of meeting you and thanking you in person for this dress!’

   She opened the wardrobe door again to see the dress in the full figured mirror that was inside. It looked beautiful on her and it fit like a glove.

   Cassandra was surprised at the fit. She had taken the dress believing it wouldn’t be needed now she thought how wrong she was.  She wore her matching accessories and stuffed her GPS and her mobile phone in her very tiny hand pouch. She gave a quick last glance in the mirror smiled approvingly and went downstairs.

   While going down the stairs Cassandra had the distinct feeling she was being watched. She looked behind her and around but no one was there. Reaching the dining room and finally her friends at the dinner table she noticed they were all staring at her with their jaws dropped.