Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize, everything belongs to Tamora Pierce blah blah blah…
Okay, 1st fanfic so please review and speak your minds 'cause I'll enjoy whatever you have to say even if it's "wow this really sucks."
Chapter 1: Slipping away
The whip cracked on a sleek chestnut hide that rippled with muscle and scar. The colt's cries of anguish were ignored by anyone with an ear, though one unseen girl had managed to slip into the rich lord's yard without attracting attention.
The girl's ever-changing eyes, now brown flecked with red, were riveted upon the yearling. She felt every lash of the whip as it was dealt to the young chestnut as if she too, were being beat.
She watched the colt as he wheeled around, trying to bite at his cruel master. The odd thing was that she was in his consciences. They coexisted. Two minds in one body. She felt his thoughts and actions as if they were her own. They lashed out again at the man, rearing to their full height this time, flailing their hooves wildly in the air. It was no use. They were just dealt another blow. Another lash- each one more excruciating than the last. Both horse and girl sensed that their fight would soon be exhausted, and then they would be forced to give into the beatings and starvation that lay ahead.
Two youths came to stand behind the girl. One was four years older than her ten. The other was nearly grown. The older boy placed a large tan hand on the girl's shoulder, sympathy shining bright in his dark eyes. She flinched at the touch, expecting a blow that would never come. "There's naught we can do for him." Jay, the King of Rouge, had to bend down to whisper in his adopted daughter's tiny ear. Seeing that his voice did nothing to break her vision from the horse he took her small face in his much larger hands, turning her so that her pained and enraged eyes were forced to stare into his worried ones.
"Jay?" her voice was barley audible over the noises of the city. The Rouge nodded as the girl threw her tiny arms around his neck, sobbing into his shirt. He got up, clutching the thin body to his chest. Jay looked around and started walking towards home.
"Girls." The Brown haired boy, who had kept quiet till now, scoffed at his young charge. Tyler was one of the few allowed to talk freely around Jay.
The seventeen year old thief laughed, "That ain't fair, you know she's tougher than most of you lads, and it ain't her fault she's got a soft spot for animals."
Tristan grumbled, which made Jay laugh again. They kept walking along the streets of Corus till Jay turned down a dark alley. Tristan kept walking, not aware that his King had turned. Jay, seeing the boy's fault whistled once to get his attention. When the young boy came into the alley Jay laughed again, "No wonder she got away from you. You still have a lot to learn Laddybuck."
"It ain't my fault she growed up to be a connivin' little brat." It was his job today to watch the most important thing in Jay's life. All of the coves, including her usual body guards, were put to cleaning up the city after last night's hailstorm. He was the oldest and most trusted of Jay's court left; so he got stuck with the Brat, as he had christened her. "She had to be just as slippery as you. I turned around for one moment and 'poof'," Tristan snapped for effect, "she's gone."
Jay looked up from his attempts to console Jazelle, it wasn't working; his shirt was already soaked. "I told you she'd be a handful." Jay didn't really blame the boy for losing track of his daughter. She even gave Will and Hagan, her usual body guards, the slip every once and awhile. He was still as frightened as hell though. He hadn't expected to find her. She wasn't in any of her usual places. So he had suspected the worst. He had feared that someone had kidnapped her to get to him. But no, she had wandered into the richest parts of Corus, where the nobles lived. But she was back and she was safe.
He looked down again, "well it's no use, lets just go home." Jay got up again and started back for the road. Tristan followed obediently behind.
Jay and Tristan waited for their eyes to adjust to the dim light before walking any further into the Dancin' Dove, headquarters to the court of the rouge.