To show that she does not mind him kissing her hand, which she usually does mind, she hugged him and stepped back.
George hid his surprise by coughing and covering his mouth. The girl never acted like this, never until Jon came along. She must really like him, thought George amusedly, or else she'd have probably bitten off his nose.
Alanna cast a disapproved glance at her prince. "Really Jonathan, you barely know that girl. I still think that…"
George was quick to defend his cousin. "Alanna, for the last time, Faeni is not dangerous. Very easy to anger, yes, but not violent. That is, not violent unless you really upset her, which you are very near in doing. Also, this goes for all three of you," he said, seeing that Gary was back from his little chat with the inn server, "If you try to pick on her, I would not allow it. As tall as she is, she's only twelve. And she can't…" He was stopped once again when Faeni violated him with her foot.
I call you an idiot not for nothing. Are you to leave me defenceless by telling them I cannot fight? Be careful about who you are discussing my private issues to. Especially that copper haired one.
George sighed in exasperation. "Faeni, will you please stop addressing Alanna in that way? She's got a name, use it, for Mithros's sake."
Alanna scowled, her coppery eyebrows coming together with an almost audible click. "Tell your cousin to save her breathe. But seeing that she cannot talk at all, I guess telling her that is useless."
As soon as those words came from her mouth, Alanna knew that she had gone too far. Faeni gave an inaudible gasp stepped away from the group, almost as if Alanna had struck her in the face. Covering her face, she ran along the space between the wooden tables, her bare feet a soft patter against the wooden floor. Jon looked as if he was going to follow after her but thought better of it. Alanna thrust her nose defiantly in the air, while George glared at her. Convinced that none of this was his business, Gary simply stared off into space.
"Now you've done it." Growled George. "What has Faeni ever done to you, Alan? The last time someone said something along the lines of what you just said, it took us one month to find her, all the way in Scanra, disguised as a beggar. She's only a child, for the Mother's sake. Lightfingers!" he barked across the inn, "go and follow Faeni. Do not, under any circumstances, force her to come back with you."
Alanna looked at her friend, amethyst eyes blazing. "All I said was the fact that she refuses to talk to us. It is surely not my fault that she chooses to keep her mouth shut. Or is she performing some special ritual?"
George opened his mouth to argue, than shut it again. "Gary, if you wouldn't mind excusing us for another while?" Gary went "What do you think of my cousin, Jonathan? Is she also annoying you?" he enquired, though he thought that he already knew the answer.
"I do not mind her personally, though I must admit her silence is disturbing me a little." Said Jon coolly. "I probed her with my magic. There is nothing wrong with her speech system. The only reason she is not talking to us is because she chooses not to."
The king of Thieves looked pained. "Alanna, Jon, seeing that you two are my most trustworthy companions, I do not fear to tell and show you what happened to change my little Faeni to the girl she is. Follow me, if you please?"
The black haired and copper haired followed their friend to his room. Sitting down on his bed on his request, they waited expectantly.
George breathed in deeply, as if to give himself courage for what he was about to do. "Now, Alanna and Jon, what you are about to see is Faeni's and mine memory.
A baby Faeni cried in a cheap wooden cot, her tiny arms moving frantically to get the attention of someone, anyone. Behind her, a woman and a man yelled at each other. Faeni cried even louder. George, Alanna and Jon looked at the scene, horrified, as the man came stomping over to where the infant lain. Emitting a great roar, he pulled off his leather belt and began beating the tiny Faeni. As Faeni cried even louder, the man increased the strength of his beatings. The woman looked at the violator and the baby with a maniac's gleeful look on her face, as if happy that someone else was suffering.
"That's Faeni's mother and father." Explained George, startling Jon and Alanna into reality. "They were forced to marry each other. Saerra, my mother's sister, therefore my aunty, did not want to have a baby, yet it was her responsibility to produce an heir for Belwain, the man. They fought all night and day, venting their anger into my poor cousin when they could no longer vent it on each other."
It was the same scene as the three just saw, yet there was something that changed it from a bad place to an even worse one. The whole place stank of death and decay. The only living thing was the thin black haired, brown eyed girl, crouching in the far corner, away from the bloated bodies of her deceased parent. Again, she cried for attention, though this time, along with the anguished cries, words were distinguishable. "Help me! Help me!"
"Faeni was six when her parents decided to murder each other." Said George, straining to keep his voice from trembling. "We found her starved and half-dead. My mother brought her to where we live now. She's lived with us ever since."
"But that doesn't explain why she would not talk to us. Her voice seems fine."
Faeni in a white dress danced around in Eleni's house. An younger Eleni watched her with a faint smile on her face. The door banged open. A seaty George came in. Faeni ran over to her cousin and began asking him all sorts of questions. "Why are you so late? Did you fight the baddies? Did you kill them? Can I come with you to wherever you are going? Can I please, please come? Pretty please? Cousin George? Oh and…" Her flurry of words were cut off with a growl from George. "For someone so little, you sure talk a lot. Why can't you leave me alone and just shut up for once in your whole life?" The small Faeni gave a terrified sob and ran to Eleni. Eleni glared at her son and gently tried to calm the shivering girl.
"See now? It's all my fault. She used to be such a bright girl, talking whenever she had the opportunity to. She stopped making a sound all together the next day, even when she snored and coughed. Its like someone took her voice away."
There were tears on Jon's face. "Were you planning to tell us why you are so protective of her? I think you were going to tell us something else before Faeni stopped you.
George clenched his hands. "I was going to tell you that Faeni cannot fight."
Alanna, Jon and George watched as a bunch of the lower
city boys hit a crying Faeni. In her hand, she was holding a bleeding kitten.
This time, the Faeni showed was eight years of age. A boy twice her size came with his fist that eventually
collided with Faeni's head. Faeni lay still. The group of tormentors took
the kitten and left.
"We didn't know what was wrong with her. She's not a wimp, if that's what you're thinking." Alanna and Jon jumped. What George had just said was exactly what they were thinking of. "She had plenty of courage, going after those ruddy lads, knowing that she cannot protect herself. I tried teaching her how to throw knives, except the knives refuse to leave her hands. Twice, she accused me of giving her a hard time by putting glue on the handles. We still do not know if she is not fighting on purpose, or if there's something else stopping her."
From downstairs came Lightfinger's voice, shouting for George. "Hurry, man. Your cousin's not going to hang on for any longer!"
George's face paled. "Oh gods. She must have got beaten again."
He hurried downstairs, followed by Alanna and Jon.
George gasped. Faeni's previous injuries were nothing compared to the ones she have now. The only part of her that is not streaked by whip lashes was her snow pale face. Holding up trembling hands, Faeni motioned to George.
It's the Provost Guards. They threatened me with poisoned whips, asking me where the King of Thieves is. I wouldn't tell them, so they beat me.
Misreading the worried look on Georges face, she motioned, It's okay. I didn't tell them where you are. Only I'm feeling a bit faint now. I think they really put poison on the whips. Can't breath, can't…
She fell limp in George's hold.
Disclaimer: The name Saerra belongs to my dearest Chrysanthemum. You people probably hate me for making Alanna such a baddie. I can't help it, it's part of the plot. Any way, if everything were mine, I would put it in Fictionpress.net, not fanfiction. So go and serve the world. God be with you.