Disclaimer: I own nothing except Edeladry and Kiara. Everything else in
the Wonderland that is Valdemar completely and utterly belongs to the
amazing Mercedes Lackey. (Hey, I've heard that flattery often prevents you
from getting sued!!) As I've already mentioned, Edeladry and Kiara are
mine. If, for some strange, obscure reason, you wish to borrow them please
ASK ME FIRST!
So, on with the story...
The Latest Herald of Valdemar
Edeladry shrunk back with fear against a damp, dirty wall. She knew the reputation of the man who had dragged her away from the street, into this small, dark room. He was middle-aged, plump and seemingly harmless, but she knew better. She had heard the stories. This was a bad man, a dark man – the girls that went missing, the girls he took from the streets up to his private rooms came back with vacant eyes, bruised bodies and bruised minds as well. So far, Edeladry had never been one of his victims, but she had been a fool to hope that this could ever last. She tried to struggle, tried to cry out, but he clamped his strong arms around her and stuffed his smelly, disgusting 'kercheif in her mouth, to muffle her screams.
Edeladry knew what he was going to do to her, and she knew there was nothing she could do to stop him. She felt the rage start to build inside of her. How dare he! How dare he!! She had never done anything to him, how could he hurt, simply for the pleasure of doing so? He had already destroyed her best friend, but Edeladry hoped she would escape before he pushed her so far that she would kill herself, like Lynessa had.
He pushed her roughly onto a bed, tied her to the bedpost, and her rage increased. She saw him begin to undo his breeches, and she knew exactly what he would do to her next. As he reached for her, that built-up rage suddenly exploded, and she wanted him hurt, like she knew he'd hurt her. The rage craved release. It wanted somewhere to go. It found it.
The room, and the cheap inn along with it, exploded in flames.
~
With her skin half-burnt and her only coverings some smouldering rags, Edeladry fled that hell-hole as fast as she could. Tears of pain, shock, fear and revulsion streamed down her soot-streaked face, and she knew she was running for her life. If anybody caught her...
It was either slavery or death. She didn't know which would be worse. So she ran.
~
Pure exhaustion was the only reason she slept at all that night. When she woke, in the cold, wet ditch that had been her bed for the night, the full shock of what had happened suddenly hit her. To call flames down on someone... he might have deserved it, but what did that make her? A demon? A changeling? Fire was always described as an evil thing in the tales, so there was no way she could be good. She must be bad. She should take her worthless life now, so that this terrible thing inside of her would hurt no others. The world would be a better place without her...
:NO!:
Edeladry heard the scream, in her mind, in her heart, and in her soul. She looked up, to meet eyes of the most beautiful, sapphire blue she had ever seen...
For one wonderful moment, she lost herself in those eyes. Then, she was whipped back by an amazingly musical voice in her mind, to a reality which was now almost as wonderful.
:I want you. I need you. I love you, and I will never leave you.:
Edeladry wrapped her arms around the snow-white neck, and wept into the silken mane, for no one had ever loved or needed her before.
~
When Edeladry woke for a second time, she didn't want to open her eyes. She'd had the most wonderful dream, and she didn't want to return the bleak reality of her horrible world, where she was unwanted and unloved.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, and rolled over. She gasped. There, in a beam of sunlight, looking like something out of the Havens itself, lay a beautiful snow-white Companion. This wonderful vision slowly stood, and, with great formality, spoke into her mind.
:I am Kiara. I Choose you, and we will be together always.:
END OF CHAPTER ONE
(For now at least! I may add more later!)
What do you think? This is my first ever piece of FanFic, so please Read And Review. Send ideas, comments, even flamers!! – Whatever you want!
Btw, does anyone know how to get italics/bold? Do I have to use HTML for tht?
So, on with the story...
The Latest Herald of Valdemar
Edeladry shrunk back with fear against a damp, dirty wall. She knew the reputation of the man who had dragged her away from the street, into this small, dark room. He was middle-aged, plump and seemingly harmless, but she knew better. She had heard the stories. This was a bad man, a dark man – the girls that went missing, the girls he took from the streets up to his private rooms came back with vacant eyes, bruised bodies and bruised minds as well. So far, Edeladry had never been one of his victims, but she had been a fool to hope that this could ever last. She tried to struggle, tried to cry out, but he clamped his strong arms around her and stuffed his smelly, disgusting 'kercheif in her mouth, to muffle her screams.
Edeladry knew what he was going to do to her, and she knew there was nothing she could do to stop him. She felt the rage start to build inside of her. How dare he! How dare he!! She had never done anything to him, how could he hurt, simply for the pleasure of doing so? He had already destroyed her best friend, but Edeladry hoped she would escape before he pushed her so far that she would kill herself, like Lynessa had.
He pushed her roughly onto a bed, tied her to the bedpost, and her rage increased. She saw him begin to undo his breeches, and she knew exactly what he would do to her next. As he reached for her, that built-up rage suddenly exploded, and she wanted him hurt, like she knew he'd hurt her. The rage craved release. It wanted somewhere to go. It found it.
The room, and the cheap inn along with it, exploded in flames.
~
With her skin half-burnt and her only coverings some smouldering rags, Edeladry fled that hell-hole as fast as she could. Tears of pain, shock, fear and revulsion streamed down her soot-streaked face, and she knew she was running for her life. If anybody caught her...
It was either slavery or death. She didn't know which would be worse. So she ran.
~
Pure exhaustion was the only reason she slept at all that night. When she woke, in the cold, wet ditch that had been her bed for the night, the full shock of what had happened suddenly hit her. To call flames down on someone... he might have deserved it, but what did that make her? A demon? A changeling? Fire was always described as an evil thing in the tales, so there was no way she could be good. She must be bad. She should take her worthless life now, so that this terrible thing inside of her would hurt no others. The world would be a better place without her...
:NO!:
Edeladry heard the scream, in her mind, in her heart, and in her soul. She looked up, to meet eyes of the most beautiful, sapphire blue she had ever seen...
For one wonderful moment, she lost herself in those eyes. Then, she was whipped back by an amazingly musical voice in her mind, to a reality which was now almost as wonderful.
:I want you. I need you. I love you, and I will never leave you.:
Edeladry wrapped her arms around the snow-white neck, and wept into the silken mane, for no one had ever loved or needed her before.
~
When Edeladry woke for a second time, she didn't want to open her eyes. She'd had the most wonderful dream, and she didn't want to return the bleak reality of her horrible world, where she was unwanted and unloved.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, and rolled over. She gasped. There, in a beam of sunlight, looking like something out of the Havens itself, lay a beautiful snow-white Companion. This wonderful vision slowly stood, and, with great formality, spoke into her mind.
:I am Kiara. I Choose you, and we will be together always.:
END OF CHAPTER ONE
(For now at least! I may add more later!)
What do you think? This is my first ever piece of FanFic, so please Read And Review. Send ideas, comments, even flamers!! – Whatever you want!
Btw, does anyone know how to get italics/bold? Do I have to use HTML for tht?