Hello all! I'm starting a new story, but I just want to see how well it is
received. It will NOT be updated for a while. Oh, and another thing: I'm
not planning this story, just sitting down, typing, and seeing what comes
out of it.
This fanfiction is dedicated to a reviewer from "Mage's Mistake," Kurai Catt, and my good friend Isabelle.
I do dislike putting disclaimers on my fanfics, but in the glorious tradition of Chipmunkagainsttheleprechauns, I'll say this: I don't own anything. (Ever considered shortening your name? My spellchecker is going haywire.)
With that done... On with the show!
Everything a Fairy Tale Shouldn't Be... By DrowAngel
Thunder cracked and boomed outside, causing even the large manor house to shake on its foundations. Kaoru, as usual, was the last one awake, sweeping the kitchen and preparing for the morning bustle. She shuddered again, listening to the wind howling through the trees outside. A flash came through the tightly shuttered windows. Slowly, Kaoru counted the seconds.
One...
Two...
Three...
BOOM!
Kaoru shivered again. Anxiously, she swept harder, wanting to finish the job so she could rest. However, she did not hear the sound that came from the door, which was lost in the onslaught of thunder. The sound came again, softer, but noticeable in the momentary lull in the gale. Kaoru stopped, and listened. The sound came once more, even fainter.
/That's strange...Who would be out at this time of night, in a storm like this, of all things.../
She leaned her broom against the wall, and opened the door.
The wind from the gale blasted against her, soaking her to the skin immediately. Through the wall of blasting wind and rain she could see a figure. She reached to touch the person's sleeve, when a sudden gust of wind blew her off balance. She careened back, tripped over the doorsill, and fell on the floor, the strange person flopping ungraciously to the floor next to her.
"Are you all right?" she gasped, reaching out to tug his—or her—sleeve. She couldn't tell by the hood that covered the person's head.
"Milord? Milady?"
The person didn't answer. She shifted the sodden cloak, trying to see the figure's face; and bit her lip to keep from crying out. The rainwater that had pooled around them both was streaked with red. Quickly, she turned the person over. If she wasn't so distraught at the sight of blood, she would have puzzled over the weight-or lack of it-of the body. Kaoru rocked back on her knees, stunned. The hood had fallen back, revealing the figure's face. His face was handsome to the point of being pretty, only marred by a long cross-shaped scar. His hair, even more surprising, was a shocking shade of red. Kaoru, in her dazed state, absently took in the other details, including the gashes that welled blood all over his body, how young his face looked, and his sword. Her mind abruptly slapped itself awake. All her life, she had been told again and again. Swords were trouble. They were only used to kill. Kaoru, however, took one look at the young man's face, contorted with pain, and gave a vicious sailor's curse. She stiffened, however, when she heard slow, measured footfalls, ones she recognized as her stepmothers'. She seemed to be coming down the stairs. Kaoru knew that she had no time. If Karenna found a bleeding man on the floor of her kitchen, all hell would break loose, to say the least. She quickly stood up, draped one of his arms over her shoulder, and lifted him onto her back. She opened the door and stepped out into the storm. The gale battered her back and forth, so she was barely able to keep her balance. She saw a faint light that marked her destination. Unexpectedly, her burden began to slip, and she had to stop to reposition the body so that he wouldn't be dragged in the mud. A few minutes later, she knocked into something solid. A few moments of inspection revealed a barn door. Grateful, she tugged it open, slipped inside, and let go of the barn door, to have the wind slam it shut again.
The barn smelled like horses and hay, and was filled with a faint light from a lantern hanging on a hook. Kaoru gently lowered her burden onto a bale of hay, and, with frequent glances, Kaoru marched over to a small door cunningly hidden in the wall of the barn. She took a deep breath, and began to hammer on the door.
"Yahiko! Open the door, now!" she shouted above the banging. "Yahiko!"
"What?" growled a sleepy voice. The door was flung open to reveal a small boy dressed in homespun brown linen. The child squinted at the girl, and rubbed his eyes.
"Well, if it isn't the hag. What is it this—" He paused and looked at her carefully. His expression changed into something like worry.
"What happened to you? Did she beat you again?" There was an undertone of anger in his voice. Kaoru smiled wryly and looked down at herself. Her clothes were wet and muddy, and blood smeared her clothes.
"I am a mess, aren't I? But seriously, Yahiko, I need your help."
She quickly filled him in on the events that had happened while she was in the kitchen. Yahiko listened attentively, his eyes a bit wild. When she was done with her story, Yahiko began to question her.
"So, you're saying he's in the barn?"
"Yes."
"And you didn't tell me before?"
"You were too busy commenting on my clothes to let me talk. He might be dead by now."
But Yahiko was already in the main room of the barn, so she shook her head and followed. The young man's condition had worsened. His lips were blue and he shivered convulsively. Yahiko looked up, his face was grim.
"This is bad. He's been this way for awhile. Listen, ugly, you go back to the house before you get in trouble. I'll go get the healer."
"But..."
"Just go, all right! I know what I'm doing! Besides," he added, "Remember last time she found you gone? You still have the scars."
Kaoru looked helplessly at him, and then sighed.
"I suppose you're right," she conceded reluctantly
"Good. Now leave!"
Yahiko hurried her to the door and pushed her outside. She stood for a moment in the rain, then started walking toward the house, thinking grimly on how she would beat Yahiko into a pulp the next time she saw him. When she reached the door, she hesitated, then rushed inside, and in the process of slamming and bolting the door, heard a sound behind her. She whirled around, and found, to her shock, none other than her stepmother was there, staring hard at her. She was suddenly very conscious of her appearance and the pool of muddy, bloodstained water that pooled around her feet.
"Ah.....," she stammered, thinking desperately of a ploy to get herself out of inevitable trouble.
"I suppose you can explain this?" her stepmother said icily, pointing to the puddle of water. Kaoru only stammered incoherently.
"Well?"
"I....cut my hand on a knife, and it bled quite a bit. And the water...I left the door to the firewood shed open, and..."
Her eyes were on the ground, so she did not see the blow coming. She slumped against the door, her hand on the red print on her face.
"I do not want to hear your feeble excuses," Karenna said haughtily. "Clean up this mess, and I'll hear no more from you."
Kaoru grumbled as she watched her stepmother sweep regally up the stairs, then picked up her broom and finished her job.
But little did she know, that at the moment she heard the noise at her door, her life had been changed forever, and in more ways than one.
This fanfiction is dedicated to a reviewer from "Mage's Mistake," Kurai Catt, and my good friend Isabelle.
I do dislike putting disclaimers on my fanfics, but in the glorious tradition of Chipmunkagainsttheleprechauns, I'll say this: I don't own anything. (Ever considered shortening your name? My spellchecker is going haywire.)
With that done... On with the show!
Everything a Fairy Tale Shouldn't Be... By DrowAngel
Thunder cracked and boomed outside, causing even the large manor house to shake on its foundations. Kaoru, as usual, was the last one awake, sweeping the kitchen and preparing for the morning bustle. She shuddered again, listening to the wind howling through the trees outside. A flash came through the tightly shuttered windows. Slowly, Kaoru counted the seconds.
One...
Two...
Three...
BOOM!
Kaoru shivered again. Anxiously, she swept harder, wanting to finish the job so she could rest. However, she did not hear the sound that came from the door, which was lost in the onslaught of thunder. The sound came again, softer, but noticeable in the momentary lull in the gale. Kaoru stopped, and listened. The sound came once more, even fainter.
/That's strange...Who would be out at this time of night, in a storm like this, of all things.../
She leaned her broom against the wall, and opened the door.
The wind from the gale blasted against her, soaking her to the skin immediately. Through the wall of blasting wind and rain she could see a figure. She reached to touch the person's sleeve, when a sudden gust of wind blew her off balance. She careened back, tripped over the doorsill, and fell on the floor, the strange person flopping ungraciously to the floor next to her.
"Are you all right?" she gasped, reaching out to tug his—or her—sleeve. She couldn't tell by the hood that covered the person's head.
"Milord? Milady?"
The person didn't answer. She shifted the sodden cloak, trying to see the figure's face; and bit her lip to keep from crying out. The rainwater that had pooled around them both was streaked with red. Quickly, she turned the person over. If she wasn't so distraught at the sight of blood, she would have puzzled over the weight-or lack of it-of the body. Kaoru rocked back on her knees, stunned. The hood had fallen back, revealing the figure's face. His face was handsome to the point of being pretty, only marred by a long cross-shaped scar. His hair, even more surprising, was a shocking shade of red. Kaoru, in her dazed state, absently took in the other details, including the gashes that welled blood all over his body, how young his face looked, and his sword. Her mind abruptly slapped itself awake. All her life, she had been told again and again. Swords were trouble. They were only used to kill. Kaoru, however, took one look at the young man's face, contorted with pain, and gave a vicious sailor's curse. She stiffened, however, when she heard slow, measured footfalls, ones she recognized as her stepmothers'. She seemed to be coming down the stairs. Kaoru knew that she had no time. If Karenna found a bleeding man on the floor of her kitchen, all hell would break loose, to say the least. She quickly stood up, draped one of his arms over her shoulder, and lifted him onto her back. She opened the door and stepped out into the storm. The gale battered her back and forth, so she was barely able to keep her balance. She saw a faint light that marked her destination. Unexpectedly, her burden began to slip, and she had to stop to reposition the body so that he wouldn't be dragged in the mud. A few minutes later, she knocked into something solid. A few moments of inspection revealed a barn door. Grateful, she tugged it open, slipped inside, and let go of the barn door, to have the wind slam it shut again.
The barn smelled like horses and hay, and was filled with a faint light from a lantern hanging on a hook. Kaoru gently lowered her burden onto a bale of hay, and, with frequent glances, Kaoru marched over to a small door cunningly hidden in the wall of the barn. She took a deep breath, and began to hammer on the door.
"Yahiko! Open the door, now!" she shouted above the banging. "Yahiko!"
"What?" growled a sleepy voice. The door was flung open to reveal a small boy dressed in homespun brown linen. The child squinted at the girl, and rubbed his eyes.
"Well, if it isn't the hag. What is it this—" He paused and looked at her carefully. His expression changed into something like worry.
"What happened to you? Did she beat you again?" There was an undertone of anger in his voice. Kaoru smiled wryly and looked down at herself. Her clothes were wet and muddy, and blood smeared her clothes.
"I am a mess, aren't I? But seriously, Yahiko, I need your help."
She quickly filled him in on the events that had happened while she was in the kitchen. Yahiko listened attentively, his eyes a bit wild. When she was done with her story, Yahiko began to question her.
"So, you're saying he's in the barn?"
"Yes."
"And you didn't tell me before?"
"You were too busy commenting on my clothes to let me talk. He might be dead by now."
But Yahiko was already in the main room of the barn, so she shook her head and followed. The young man's condition had worsened. His lips were blue and he shivered convulsively. Yahiko looked up, his face was grim.
"This is bad. He's been this way for awhile. Listen, ugly, you go back to the house before you get in trouble. I'll go get the healer."
"But..."
"Just go, all right! I know what I'm doing! Besides," he added, "Remember last time she found you gone? You still have the scars."
Kaoru looked helplessly at him, and then sighed.
"I suppose you're right," she conceded reluctantly
"Good. Now leave!"
Yahiko hurried her to the door and pushed her outside. She stood for a moment in the rain, then started walking toward the house, thinking grimly on how she would beat Yahiko into a pulp the next time she saw him. When she reached the door, she hesitated, then rushed inside, and in the process of slamming and bolting the door, heard a sound behind her. She whirled around, and found, to her shock, none other than her stepmother was there, staring hard at her. She was suddenly very conscious of her appearance and the pool of muddy, bloodstained water that pooled around her feet.
"Ah.....," she stammered, thinking desperately of a ploy to get herself out of inevitable trouble.
"I suppose you can explain this?" her stepmother said icily, pointing to the puddle of water. Kaoru only stammered incoherently.
"Well?"
"I....cut my hand on a knife, and it bled quite a bit. And the water...I left the door to the firewood shed open, and..."
Her eyes were on the ground, so she did not see the blow coming. She slumped against the door, her hand on the red print on her face.
"I do not want to hear your feeble excuses," Karenna said haughtily. "Clean up this mess, and I'll hear no more from you."
Kaoru grumbled as she watched her stepmother sweep regally up the stairs, then picked up her broom and finished her job.
But little did she know, that at the moment she heard the noise at her door, her life had been changed forever, and in more ways than one.