Disclaimer:I only own the plot and the new characters.

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Special thanks to: The Blazing Blade, alsdssg, Remember The Darkness, Invadern, Adi Sagestar, My-Lover-Gren-Gren, walkure13Brynhild and Mystique Archer Horse for your reviews.

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Chapter 6 - Disappointment

Murtagh watched as Lord Art walked away with a prideful strut, feeling utterly confused and irritated about his enigmatic words. Murtagh had disliked deeply the implied threat in his voice.

Frustration won him over, and the young man punched the desk hard, ignoring the small cuts that its action caused on his knuckles. "Arrogant bastard", Murtagh muttered, laughing bitterly.

If there was one thing he hated was being played fool, and that was exactly what Lord Art had done. Sitting on the chair by the desk, Murtagh closed his eyes wearily, deciding for the time being to ignore the other man's words. He would deal with that later.

Before he knew it, he was deeply asleep, and once again, his sleep was filled with disturbing nightmares…

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Kaila sighed for the hundredth time, crossing her arms as she stared outside, contemplating the sun set with a thoughtful look.

The day was slowly turning into night, but the young woman was still waiting… maybe it was foolish of her to think he actually cared, but hadn't he left everything behind to try and find her?

And why was she giving such importance to his absence? After all, she was nothing more than a slave girl, and he was the dragon rider, the second most important person on that castle. He had better and bigger things to worry about; Kaila had no doubt whatsoever.

Perhaps she had been naïve to think that they could have been friends; how could they? Their worlds were inescapably different.

The door creaking open made her turn her head hopefully, but the sight that met her eyes made the young woman freeze on the spot. She clutched her covers, sitting stiffly against the pillows.

With just a few steps, her visitor stopped beside the bed, but only after closing the door soundly behind his back. "Kaila." That single whispered word sent chills down the young woman's spine.

The last time she had seen him he had been anything but courteous, and being alone with him in the room was frightening. Her hands trembled slightly, and a lump formed on her throat.

"There, there, lovely girl, no need to shake", Lord Art said, trying to get hold of her hands, but Kaila withdrew them abruptly, glaring at him. He smiled mischievously. "I understand your grudge against me, and I'm here to apologize for my past actions towards you."

Kaila experienced a sour feeling at the pit of her stomach as her green eyes avoided the man's cold, black ones. Her repugnance stopped her from replying, but if he dared moving one finger closer she would scream with all the might her lungs allowed her to.

Art seemed to have noticed her discomfort, for he gave a few steps back, but his gaze never left Kaila. "This may not seem much to you, but I deeply regret any distress I may have caused you before." Kaila remained silent. "Well, that was all. I will be on my way now."

The brown-haired young woman sighed in relief as the man slowly made his way towards the door. As he was almost reaching for the doorknob, he turned around and said: "I hope one day you are capable of forgiving me…"

Dismayed words escaped Kaila's lips before she could control herself: "Never, for as long as I live, I will forgive you… my Lord" Art seemed to be taken aback by her words, especially by the last two ones, which were spoke with an enormous contempt.

His face returned to the usual expressionless mask he would wear often, but his insides boiled in anger. "Take care, young lady. One never knows when danger may seek us…"

Kaila muffled a despair cry, sinking into the pillows tiredly. For the first time in a long time, tears streamed down her face as distant memories flooded her troubled mind.

'Never let your head down, regardless of how desperate you may feel… be a fighter! Not one that makes justice with a sword, but one that always finds the strengths to stand up against what is wrong… And be proud, my love, for pride is the only thing we slaves have left; no one can take that from us…'

"Grandma", Kaila whispered, whipping the tears that stubbornly slid through her face.

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"Disappeared? Surely someone must know where he is…" Morcant said, eyeing the servant with apprehension.

"I'm sorry, sir, but Tristan vanished; no one has any idea of his whereabouts since last night. I heard that Lord Art was possessed with fury when he learned of this news", the servant replied, bowing respectfully before walking away.

Morcant crossed his arms against his chest, taking in the implications of those words. Tristan's sudden disappearance only confirmed what he had feared; Tristan had been the one who had abducted Kaila.

"What remains to be answered is if he did it under Lord Art's biding", Morcant muttered in a sombre voice. He stared around hopelessly, trying to make a decision. He could be bold and walk up to Lord Art in order to question him, but that would be unwise. He was a mere steward; he could not risk offending such a powerful person… No, he would be patient and ask around a little more.

With that decision taken, Morcant left the servants' accommodations, his mind working furiously to try and understand what wicked plan was being forged against him.

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At the same time, in a clear not too far from the castle, a short bald man was busy preparing a stew inside a little hut. Tristan had been alert throughout the entire day, drawing out his sword every time a peculiar sound reached his ears.

So far, he remained safe, but he knew it was only a matter of time until someone found him. However, Tristan had no where else to go; he was trapped inside that hut, for the good or for the bad.

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Murtagh jumped from the bed as soon as he heard knocking on the door; he had been awake since dawn, waiting for that very moment. A smile spread across his lips as he opened the door, revealing Kaila with his breakfast tray.

The young woman was gazing at the floor, her long brown hair concealing her features. "Good morning, sir", she greeted, in a barely audible voice.

Murtagh felt slightly taken aback by her formal manners, but greeted her back, motioning for her to walk inside. As usual, Kaila walked over to the desk and placed the tray over it, stepping aside afterwards. "How are you feeling this morning?" the dragon rider inquired, sitting by the desk.

"Much better, thank you. And I owe it to you, my Lord", Kaila replied, bowing gratefully.

Murtagh nodded, smiling. "How many times do I have to tell you to call me Murtagh?"

At this point, the young woman raised her eyes, but looked away when she noticed Murtagh was staring straight at her. "Forgive me, but I do not think it is appropriate. I am merely a servant; servants are supposed to address properly to whom they are serving."

Her reply was highly disconcerting; Murtagh thought they were close to being friends. For a while nothing was said, and the young man finished his meal quietly. "Kaila, have I done or said anything that offended you?"

The honesty and apprehension on the rider's voice was almost too much to bear, and Kaila felt childish and immature for acting so coldly with him. "No, my Lord, you have not."

Murtagh rose from the chair and approached her, until he was an arm length away. Kaila couldn't help but stare at those deep blue eyes, the eyes of someone who had been utterly mistreated by the world. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Kaila wished nothing more than share with him the thoughts running through her mind, but her heart told her not to. Murtagh was polite and showed respect for her, but they were not friends. It was preposterous of her to expect anything else from him. "I am."

The dragon rider nodded hesitantly, before stepping away, and it was only then that Kaila noticed how close they were. She proceeded to pick up the tray, and made her way towards the door.

Just as she pulled it open, Murtagh declared: "Tomorrow we shall start with your lessons: I intend to keep my promise of teaching you how to read." His tone left no space for replies, and Kaila couldn't help but smile as she walked away.

To be continued…