Rachel ran. She couldn't see the woods around her, the shadows cast from the full moon, the way the branches moved in the wind, but she kept moving. She felt the blood trickle down her back, and her eye hurt from being hit. She couldn't use the little healing magic she had because she had been drained earlier that day.
Rachel was a hedge-witch. She was good with bruises, cuts, and ointments, but not much else. Her father thought she was a disappointment, so she got the receiving end of his temper. And right now, he was drunk and angier then she'd ever seen before.
"Ahh!" she tripped and fell. She moved her leg and shearing pain shot through it. She'd broken her leg and right now she was near helpless. Rachel pushed herself into some brush. She held her breath as she listened to her father come up the path.
"Just keep away little girl! If I ever find you, I'll kill you." He left and Rachel let out a small sigh of relief. There goes one problem. Now about her leg…
Rachel stood; leaning against the tree she had pressed herself against and gingerly tested her leg. She gasped as pain shot threw it. Goddess it hurt!
"Impressive." Rachel's head snapped up. The man standing a few feet away raised his hands to show they were empty. "I'm surprised that a half starved girl with a broken leg could get anyone so upset."
How could he tell her leg was broken? There was hardly any light… then she noticed his eyes. They looked like a cats. She pressed herself back against the tree, her eyes wide with fear. The man shook his head and took a step towards her. Rachel tried to step back, miss-stepped, and had to take all her weight on her broken leg. The pain was too much and she fainted.
Rikash Salmalin sighed as he caught the girl. Maybe she had noticed his eyes. He lifted her and walked through the trees to the tower that he lived in with his family. Mother can set her leg, so we don't have to wake up the Lioness at midnight, he decided. Alanna and her husband George were staying at the tower tonight for some reason he hadn't caught.
As he walked, Rikash took in more detail of the girl. She was just a few years younger then his 18, maybe 15. She felt too light, and was too thin. She needed to eat more. And some sleep probably wouldn't have hurt. Her hair was a light brown and her skin was pale under the faint tan. Rikash frowned. He knew enough mages to guess that she was one and had drained herself.
Rikash was pleased to learn as he entered his parents' house that Alanna and George were both still awake. As Alanna healed the girl's leg, Rikash recounted the short adventure.
"Yep, she is a mage," confirmed George. "But she isn't very strong."
"Why were you out at midnight?" asked Daine.
"I just felt like going for a walk. Alanna, what's wrong?"
The Lioness was looking very mad as she came down from the room they had put the girl in.
"Lass?" asked George. Alanna shook her head.
"This isn't the first time she's been beat. She has scars, some fading welts, and is too thin." She looked at Daine and Numair. "You two had best make sure she eats. I'll be back over tomorrow, her leg is in a splint now, so I'll finish the healing then," the retired King's Champion said.
The Baron and Baroness of Pirates Swoop left and the Salmalin family went to bed.
"She's cute, don't you think?" teased Sarra.
"You have no right. Maybe when you aren't batting your eye lashes at someone-." Rikash dodged the blow and slipped up to his bed room. He hoped that girl was alright. He'd been called heartless, but that wasn't true.
Sarra quickly checked on their sleeping visitor before going to bed. Her brother could be cool and distant because he had always been missing his parents growing up. Sarra knew he wasn't as cold as he seemed, but he still needed some one to get him to laugh more often.