Author Note: I have to go to rounders trials soon, so I can't say much... This chapter is full of bizarre coincidences that are very unlikely to all happen at the same time. We find out Ria's fate and a couple of other things... There are a couple of author's notes in there because some things are just too stupid and I'll get comments unless I explain fully... I hope you guys like it... This is for Iluvcatz, the only person who has reviewed all of my chapters for me (thank you!)... But I'm very grateful to all of you! And also to Rollieo 122 who I know will read this... For letting me have her way with my version of her and for having a bizarre ability to read my mind... Got to go now... Have fun
Chapter 8
Nate Mason-Heap was horrified, his sister Ria, the ExtraOrdinary Apprentice, lay most probably dead on the ground amidst the Marram Marshes far from any civilisation. Then one of his cousins, probably Grace, but he was too upset to pay much attention, pointed out that they could take Ria to their Aunt Zelda in the Keeper's Cottage which wasn't far from where they were.
Mackenzie Bridger shook his head at the suggestion. "We shouldn't move her," he said. "She needs to see a Physician…"
"There aren't going to be any Physicians out here!" Nate shouted him down. "We have to save my sister!"
Mack, who was kneeling next to Ria's body turned to look up at him, his expression slightly angered. "You think I don't want to save her?" he growled. "I have been a Wizard much longer than you and I have seen things like this before. We don't move her."
Nate stared back at him, a fire in his emerald eyes. "Why should you care about my sister? You barely even know her."
"I don't want anybody to die, Ria is the only person who has been nice to me in a very long time and whether she is your sister or not has no bearing on whether or not I care about her. Now make yourself useful and see if you can Hear her heartbeat."
Nate was angry, he wanted to blame someone for this, and instead of blaming Kayleigh like everyone else he exacted his blame on Mack Bridger, an innocent bystander as far as this incident was concerned. Mack tried to check if Ria was breathing, which proved harder than he had thought it would be, he found himself still in the dark about the whole affair. Nate listened for Ria's heart rate and Heard a slight murmur beneath that of the other people around him.
"Ria is alive," he snapped. "Can we get her to Aunt Zelda's now?"
"Does anyone have a piece of glass? Something cold-ish to check if she's breathing?" Mack continued, ignoring Nate's last comment.
Each of them shook their head in turn, did he expect them to be prepared for someone to die like that?
"I shall give her CPR." (A.N. I know Septimus Heap is not modern, but I couldn't think what else to call it)
Mack carefully gave Ria 'the kiss of life' and she started to cough gently. Then her eyes opened and she looked around, a film still over her eyes as she gazed around. She managed to pick out the figures of her brothers first before she noticed Mackenzie Bridger still kneeling over her, her memory was slightly clouded of what had happened, but there was a large pain in her chest and her limbs seemed reluctant to move when she tried to make them.
"Ria!" Charlie shouted happily.
His brother Robbie echoed him at almost exactly the same time. Nate looked shocked, had Mackenzie saved his sister! No, Mack couldn't save his sister! Mack was stupid and annoying and no longer magykal! It wasn't fair! (A.N. Someone's jealous :D)
Ria tried to sit up but her control over her body was slightly limited. Mackenzie helped her to sit up helpfully.
The Dockyard children were looking around carefully, their father had told them of all the perils that lived in the Marram Marshes which he had experienced as a boy and were slightly sceptical that this was the safest spot to stay in.
Freya looked around for a different reason, she had never left the Forest before and this change of scenery was strange for her after her nine years of little but trees and wolverines.
Ria looked at each of her brothers in turn and then turned to Mackenzie. "Thank you," she whispered, her mouth was dry. "I take it Kayleigh got away…"
Nate nodded gravely and Ria sighed. "Shame. I don't know how I survived that… Mack, you saved me, right? Thanks a lot. Tell me, how did you know what to do?"
"I lived opposite Marcellus Pye for many years and liked to look through his window, one day he invited me in and showed me some stuff… But I don't know any proper Physik though… Do you feel alright?"
Ria smiled at him lovingly. "You saved me, of course I'm alright… I can never thank you as much as you deserve. You also saved Nate from losing his magyk if I remember rightly… You've done so much for us, we can never repay you. Stay with us."
"I'm not going anywhere," Mack whispered into her ear.
Nate sighed. "Sorry, Mack… I guess I was worried about Ria… Thank you for saving my sister, I guess you don't need magyk to save people."
Then Hunter squawked something about a person coming towards them. They feared the worst, maybe Kayleigh had come back, so Nate tried to take on the responsibility of keeping them all safe, then they noticed two more people with the stranger and relaxed slightly, Kayleigh was hardly in the mood to share the pleasure of finishing them all off.
Before they had time to do anything else they had all three strangers around them, they weren't strangers either, but Trevor, Septimus and Nicko who had set out to find them not long ago.
Trevor looked angry and relieved at the same time. "What were you thinking?" he demanded. "You could have been killed!"
The triplets couldn't help glancing at Ria when he said that, but not, as he thought, because she had suggested they go in search of Kayleigh, merely because she had almost been killed…"
Nicko was giving his three children a stern telling off for following Ria and also for hijacking a boat without permission of the owner, it wasn't proper to do such a thing and if word got out about his children stealing boats then the Boatyard would lose business.
"Freya?!" Septimus said in shock as he noticed the ninth child. "What on Earth are you doing outside the Forest? Does your father know you are here?"
"It's my fault," said Ria nobly. "I told them all to come and they followed me, we thought we could capture Kayleigh but we failed. You shouldn't punish any of them for what I have done. I am very sorry."
"What has gotten into you, Ria?" Trevor snapped. "Ever since Kayleigh saw Simon you've changed."
"I'm very sorry, father, but you can't blame any of these people…"
Trevor was not listening to her. "And why on Earth are you here with all of you cousins and some Wizard who was stupid enough to let himself have his magyk taken."
Ria felt offended. "Do not insult Mack, he just saved my life because Kayleigh just killed me! You should be grateful to him! And besides… I think I love him…"
