A few days later, Sierra was walking around easily as though she'd never been hurt. She helped Maddie with the chores and they talked often. Sierra never said anything that might prove she was lying about anything. Maddie found herself liking the mysterious girl more and more every day. Will did not. The horses loved her.
Gilan came by with Jenny later that day. He and Will went inside to talk, but Jenny stayed with the girls outside.
"Hi, I'm Jenny. Who are you?" She asked Sierra.
Sierra glanced up from the wood she was stacking. "I'm Sierra. Pleasure to meet you." She smiled.
Maddie sat back and watched them. Will had told her earlier what they were doing. They were planning to have Sierra work at the Heaped Platter where the Rangers could keep an eye on her without seeming obvious. Jenny didn't know the whole story, only that Sierra had been attacked, lost her memory and might be in more danger from the attackers, so the Rangers wanted her to stay close.
Jenny had immediately offered to let Sierra work and stay with her. Will had agreed, but Gilan was less enthusiastic. He'd made Jenny agree to meet the girl before committing. At the moment, the two seemed to be getting along fine, discussing cooking.
As Maddie listened, she realized Sierra knew quite a bit about cooking, outdoors. The procedures she was comparing with Jenny's cooking techniques were similar to the ones Will had taught Maddie for in the field. She made a mental note to mention that to Gilan and Will.
Eventually, the older Rangers came out. Gilan headed to the stables and Will walked over to the girls.
"So we were hoping to go down the the Heaped Platter to eat. Do you have any objections, Jenny?" He asked meaningfully.
Jenny glanced over at Sierra. "None at all. You all are great company."
Sierra laughed. "You too. And I am hungry. Are we leaving now?"
Will nodded. Behind him, Gilan was bringing the horses out. There were two extra for Sierra and Jenny. Maddie jumped up and went to get Bumper. She stopped next to Gilan and muttered, "They seem to get along fine. Also, Sierra knows a lot about cooking outdoors."
Gilan considered that for a moment. He nodded. "Ok, thanks."
Behind them, Will had already saddled one of the extras and was showing Sierra how to mount. Eventually, they set off. After the first few minutes, Sierra looked a lot more comfortable in the saddle, but was still figuring out the reins.
They arrived at the restaurant and went in. There were some seats open in the back corner and Jenny led them there. Soon, they were eating a perfectly roasted chicken. The first few minutes were occupied with eating.
After his first piece, Gilan reached for a second and grinned at Sierra. "Help yourself. Otherwise Will'll take it all."
Will would have objected, but his mouth was full. He shrugged and glared good naturedly at Gilan as he swallowed. He started to reply, but Jenny jumped in.
"You know, if you don't have any other plans, Sierra, I could use more help around here. Would you like to stay with me and work here?" She invited.
"Um, sure. That'd be great." She looked at Will. "If that's ok?"
Will nodded. "That's fine. You've healed enough. If you remember anything, let us know. It might help us find your family."
"Oh, right. My family." She frowned and looked at her plate. "Ranger, I had a nightmare last night. I think, well, I think it was about my family. It was terrible." She shuddered and looked at him. "I don't think you'll find them."
Maddie stared at her. She was fighting back tears from the memory. "Sierra, what happened?"
Sierra turned to her. "There were cages holding people and I was trapped in one. These men were loading another one onto a ship and there were a man and woman on it. They looked familiar and were yelling something to me. Then, I can't remember much after that, but I was running from the men and they had whips and swords." She bit her lip. "I woke up then. I think, I think that…" She stopped talking and stared at her plate again. Her shoulders shook gently.
Maddie put her arm around the distraught girl. "It's all right. It was just a dream. It probably wasn't real." She looked at Will and Gilan. They were looking at each other silently. Maddie could tell they were thinking otherwise.
Sierra spoke again. "That wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was the one in the cloak. He always had his hood up so you couldn't see his face. He was wearing all black except for his belt and his sword hilts. They were red." She took a shaky breath. "He was terrifying. They all called him Assassin. He was chasing me too."
Will frowned. "It's alright. You'll be safe with Jenny. We'll keep an eye out for anyone unusual, but like Maddie said, it was just a nightmare." He glanced at Gilan. "Jenny, can you show her where she'll be staying?"
Jenny nodded and helped the girl up. They walked off together. The Rangers remained at the table.
"Well, that was interesting." Gilan commented drily. "What do you two make of it?"
"She is always a bit disoriented and jumpy when she wakes up." Maddie observed. "I didn't think much of it before, but she may have been having nightmares."
Will nodded. "She seems to trust us more now, though. We'll keep an eye on her. This assassin character warrants some concern. I don't think it was just a nightmare. You saw her injuries. Gilan, I think you should inform the other Rangers what's going on."
"Yes and I want one of you near her at all times." Gilan agreed. "Maybe Halt can come down and help you keep watch on her. I still want you to bring her to the Gathering."
Maddie frowned. "I don't understand. What are we so worried about? It sounds like she escaped from a slave gang and she's healed now. Shouldn't we be worried about finding the assassin?"
"Yes, but assassins tend to not want anyone knowing about their presence. Sierra does." Will answered. "Our friend may try to clean up that loose end."
Thank you to all my readers and reviewers!
I will hopefully have the next chapter Tuesday. I need other Rangers (and which fief they're from) to add in. Suggestions?