Chapter 10: Déjà Vous With a Dash of Red Hair
Searching Lael's eyes, she wondered if his was some magic that soothed people. If not, she had no other reason for answering "Yes," to his tentative offer for company when she'd have rather run full speed to her room instead.
"–never lost it before, why'd you go n' lose it now?!" Ari shouted from beneath a scrubby bush. Danny had come to her over half an hour before, distraught at having lost his pocket knife. Ari had offered her help in finding it immediately. She didn't know it would be so difficult, though.
"I didn' choose t' loose the fool thing!" hollered Danny from beneath a different shrub.
Both rose, brushing off dirt. Ari had missed a streak on her chin. Seeing so, Danny came over, took his sleeve and rubbed at the spot until it was clean again.
The gangly youth scratched his head.
"On'y place we haven' looked'd be the schoolroom," he said, sighing.
"Which?" she asked gratefully. Anything to not have to crawl around on hands and knees on unforgiving soil.
"Mayhap Logic."
Ari almost towed Danny in her excitement to be inside. Another reason for wanting the privacy of indoors was the irrational fear she held of friends shouting "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" at her as she wandered outside. She never cared much for her birthing day; Danny had been the only one to ever really fuss over it, and Ari was pretty sure her ma had remembered two of her daughter's five birthdays they'd spent together.
The room wasn't far from the entrance. Danny, with his long legs, was ahead of Ari by a good few paces. He opened the door without waiting for her, disappearing into the darkened room.
"D'ya mind op'nin' the blinds?" she asked as she stepped in the door. The moment she did, the blinds shot open.
"SURPRISE!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ARI!!!!"
Ari was stunned speechless as all of her friends cheered and clapped. No less than eight Companions stood outside the window, 'Nori most prominently. Ari's eyes moved about the room, and she noticed the bright banner draped from the middle of the room's ceiling, reading, "Happy Birth Day Ari!" Beneath the banner sat the largest cake she'd ever seen. It was even tiered.
Eyes wide, she could only look at her friends as they bombarded her with hugs and laughter. She couldn't help it; she laughed, and it felt good.
:Surprised, dear one?: Nienori asked her laughingly.
:Out of my britches!: she told her Companion.
"Damn crazies, all of ya!" Ari laughed out. "An' you, Danveer, you made me search for nothin'!"
He threw an arm around her. "They needed s'more time t' put it all up. Took me ages t' fig're out what'd distract ye."
"Hey, Ari, watch the cake!" Aldora said over the din.
Without preamble, the dozen or so candles that were on the top two levels burst into flame. Ari clapped heartily with everyone else.
"Now blow out the candles!" Abhi said, jumping up and down in her excitement. Ari stepped close to the white-frosted figure before her, moving through the small crowd. Standing before it, she saw that it was sitting on a table that went up to about her hip, making the cake perhaps two-and-a-half feet tall. Ari whistled. She wasn't sure who chuckled behind her, but she had ideas. She'd never had a cake for her birthday before. A small pastry with a cheap and tiny candle from her mother one year, but that had been all. This monstrosity and so many colored candles…
"I can't even reach all of 'em!" she said. Danny came forward, snatched her up, and held her so that she could get a good breath and extinguish every flame.
:Remember, tradition dictates you make a wish!: Nienori reminded Ari.
:What could I ever wish for that'd top this?:
Taking a deep breath, everyone but Danny rooted, a fist in the air. She almost lost hold on her lungs from wanting to chuckle. Focusing, she kept the air until the optimum moment. Every candle went out. She didn't care if the wish she'd made came true or not. She knew nothing she could wish for would ever be better than times like this.
Danny set his cousin down, slapping her on the back with pride.
"Birthday girl gets to cut the cake!" Tanbal proclaimed, holding a large knife hilt-first to her. Taking it, she moved her hand to four different places before looking about her.
"Now how the hell'm I s'posed to carve this?"
Jynn held out her hand for the knife. Ari, knowing that Jynn knew more about food than Ari knew about animals (which was a great deal), handed the shorter girl the blade. Even at her height, Jynn managed to slice the first, second, and third layers equally, placing them on plates held (and passed) out by Eithyna.
Ari, being the girl of the hour, was given her piece first. But instead of shoveling it down, she went to the window where 'Nori stood, cut her piece in half with her fork, and held out the larger half to her best friend.
:Oh!: was all Nienori could say to that. The Companion delicately lifted the cake from Ari's palm, chewing it in a very ladylike fashion. Ari followed suit.
:Delicious!: Nienori declared. Ari was very inclined to agree, and would after swallowing the mouthful.
Ari was unaware 'Nori had spoken to the whole room until Jynn replied to the praise.
"Thank you, ma'am!"
Ari thought it a very strange occurrence for her Companion to speak to anyone besides her. Stranger still was the thought that Jynn had created it, no matter how much the girl knew about food stuffs.
"Jynn, you made this?" Ari asked after her second bite.
"Yep! Wasn't any trouble. I just had to do the tiers one or two at a time, frost them, put them together, then place the candles at the top. By the end, I had to sit on Kaelzy's back so I could get to the top."
Everyone congratulated the baker as more pieces were dished out. Those whose Companions stood with Ari's were feed the same as 'Nori. Except for one.
:Who's that?: Ari asked.
Nienori looked to the Companion flirting with Mairwey's Laris.
:That's Valyant.:
:The prankster? Wasn't she the one who–:
:–single-handedly caused the Chair Crisis? That's her,: 'Nori said with no little amount of respect.
Ari was impressed that Valyant had come to wish her a happy birthday. Then again, seeing her work her stuff for Laris was probably a better incentive.
:Think she'd like a slice?:
:I wouldn't interrupt, Chosen,: said Nienori dryly.
After everyone had had as much cake as they could stomach, Devissa announced, "Time for presents, everyone. Grab yours and make a circle around her!"
Presents? Ari looked around. Every person in the room pulled out boxes with ribbons and bows, every one of them an individual package. Ari could count the number of presents she'd ever received on one hand, even after have a few fingers chopped off.
She felt her eyes go a little moist.
Damn tears. Can't even be happy and not cry.
'Nori nudged the girl with her nose.
:Oh, I'll behave m'self. Just …s'prised an' all.:
Looking her dead in the eyes, Nienori put her head inside the window as far as she could, reaching for Ari. The trainee raised her hand to her Companion's nose…
…and was drenched by a giant raspberry.
"'Nori!" Ari laughed as she shrieked. The others joined in with the laugh as Garreth handed Ari his handkerchief.
Ever impatient, Aldora shook her box in Ari's direction. Someone had set a chair next to the window when she wasn't looking, so Ari took the seat as her friends took the floor.
She spent every moment of the "ceremony" relishing each of her gifts. She hated having to put them in a pile next to her, but did try to keep it all neat.
Just as she reached her last one, from Sal, the Herald handed her two gifts. Before she could protest, he said, "The blue one is from me. The one in silver is from Lael."
Whispers sounded around the room. Who was Lael? Ari paid no attention. She felt almost embarrassed to have gotten a present from him; they'd only met three days ago, even if she had seen and spoken to him just yesterday.
Ari opened Sal's gift first, balancing the other box on her lap. Ari lifted out the glass figure she'd pointed out at the festival.
"I wasn't sure what to get you, so I had you pick it out. In a roundabout way, of course."
Moved, she lifted the ornament for closer inspection, running fingers over its transparent nose.
"It's perfect!" she told him. "She'll guard my bookcase from intruders."
"What else are Companions there for?" he joked. A great wave of whinnying and whickering came from the windows. "Kidding, I'm kidding!"
Ari smiled, putting the glass Companion back in her box to keep her safe. She took up Lael's gift.
It was rectangular rather than square, and flat more so than broad. Gently untying the ribbon so that it hung over her legs, she lifted the lid.
Wrapped ribbons running around the edges, layers of tiny beads of magenta and smoky gray around the eyes and ribbons, and two-toned paint…
…A mask.
Ari grinned, lifting the present cautiously from its wrappings to hold it to her face.
This sits with the little Companion.
How much longer?
Sal felt like a little boy again, anxious for his father to come home from the border.
Suvrina chuckled as Sal restrained himself from pacing.
:Relax, Sal. Otherwise your father will come in to see you've ripped your sleeves from wringing them so.:
Sal glanced at his sleeves. Sure enough, they were deeply wrinkled from his twisting.
He sighed.
:I haven't seen him in so long. He barely comes anymore, to the point where I'm starting to question if he's secretly started a new family up there.:
:Secret family or no, at least he's promised to stay until the new year.:
:That's something at least.:
A chime of hooves came from around the corner. It wasn't the entrance where his father would come through, so Sal knew it was another Herald.
Or Herald-trainee.
Ari and Nienori walked toward the gate, Sal assumed, to go into the city.
"Heyla," Sal called out. Ari waved to the man, and made a beeline for him.
"'Mornin', Sal. What're you so antsy for?"
:See, I'm not the only one who can see you're tittering.:
Sal ignored her.
"Just anxious to see my father home."
"Ah," said Ari awkwardly. He ran a hand through his hair. He wondered if she even knew who her father was. Skerry Bartul had been her uncle, but where was her father? Sal had never asked her outright, though she had spoken briefly of her mother after Danny had run away.
Changing the subject, Sal said, "Have you talked to Lael since your birthday?"
Ari smiled.
"That I have. Told him I loved his gift – an' yours, too, of course –"
"–Of course," Sal grinned.
"An' then I told him about how gran' the cake was, an' how funny it was to see so many Companions stickin' their heads in the windows."
"Did you mention that most of them had frosting all over their noses?"
Ari snickered. "That I did."
Nienori touched her lips to Ari's hair and then pulled back.
"Sal?" asked Ari.
"Hm?"
"How was Lael…hurt?"
Sal looked at her. She wasn't interested for the sake of curiosity, he could tell. But he didn't know if it was his story to tell, and he told her so.
Ari nodded. "I know. I just…I mentioned somethin' the other day, an' he flinched."
Sal frowned. "What did you mention?"
"That when Danny'd run away, he'd tried gettin' work at a horse farm an' a sugar mill."
Sal winced.
"There, see! You did it, too!"
Sal licked his lips. He didn't want to tell the story in its entirety, and so kept it short.
"The night Embry and I found you, the night you were Chosen, he and I were in a tavern. Our friend Jayck had just died on circuit. Lael was interning with him."
Ari absently began drumming her fingers on Nienori's neck, waiting for the rest of his reply.
"They were chasing after a man who – never mind. They ended up in a sugar mill. The man killed Jayck, incapacitated Lael. He set the mill on fire with Lael inside."
Ari cringed. Sal reached out, patting her shoulder. There was nothing he could think to say after that, so he stayed silent.
Ari began to say something, but before she could, another set of hooves chimed, this time from the entrance. All three watched as an older Herald and his Companion came riding through.
The man came to a stop in front of Sal. Beaming, he dismounted, went to Sal, and wrapped him in a bear hug. Ari and Nienori stepped back politely. Noticing, Sal turned his father towards the two.
"Father, this is Ari and her Companion, Nienori."
"Nice to meet you," he said, sticking his hand out. He shook her hand enthusiastically. Ari smiled brightly.
"An' you!"
Looking between them, Ari said to Nienori, "We best let these two reunion without us, 'Nori. G'bye, Sal, Herald…"
"Pellam."
Nodding, Ari and Nienori skittered off, not out towards the city like Sal had thought, but around the front and to the other side. Sal turned to his old man.
"I'm not going to go to your rooms later to find you've disappeared again, am I?"
"You know me, son. I only do that the day after I've come back."
They chuckled, heading toward the Companions' stables.
Ari wandered around the grounds of the Collegium, bored almost to tears. Most everyone she knew had gone home for the holidays already; those who hadn't were elsewhere for the day. Danny, since he was staying, was retaking a less than acceptable Logics test; Devissa had gone into the depths of the city to buy presents (something Ari debated with herself about doing); and Caedance and Hyndin were holed up in the kitchens having a cook-off. She thought about trying to find Alberich for the extra practices they'd been doing since after that day ("Dirty tactics you will use, now Cloak yourself!"), but she couldn't muster up much fight.
And Lael…
Can' believe he wasn' there!
They spoke every day now, in the same spot in the trees. That he wasn't there was just plain disheartening. She didn't know if he was healed enough to go home for the holidays, wherever his home might be.
Despite the overall gloom of the situation, Ari was at least happy to be outside, in warm clothing, watching a light sprinkling of snow begin to cover the ground. Finding herself within reach of a stone bench, she sat down to watch. Her thoughts took her all sorts of places. But as her mind began to go off, she had to restrain herself from letting down her mental guards.
Don' wanna end up readin' someone's mind by mistake.
Sighing, she settled back, pretending she was a pot of soup over a fire, blowing out smoke.
"Having fun?"
Ari turned quickly to see Sal and his father strolling towards her.
"Not much. Everyone's busy, I don' feel like readin', and I can' think of much else t' do."
"Well," said Herald Pellam, "I was just lamenting at only the two of us for a game of Ship and Shore. Would you like to join?"
Ari frowned. "Ship an' Shore?"
Sal nodded. "It's a board game where you're given so many countries, and you try to make war or peace with others."
"Soun's like a class of War Tactics," she told him skeptically. "And I'm not s'posed to take that 'til next year."
Herald Pellam laughed. "It'll be excellent practice, though, I assure you."
Ari looked between them, trying to gauge if she would be intruding on their family time. He'd only come home last week, and she wasn't sure if that was enough time to catch up or not. But seeing as how they were almost towing her to play the unknown game, she relented to go with them.
"Damn!" Sal shouted. "Did you have to crush my eastern front? You led me to believe you'd never played before!"
Ari grinned wickedly. "Oh, I haven't."
"Donkey droppings!"
Ari leaned over her chair, gasping for breath.
"Let the girl finish her move before you choke her up, son." Pellam told Sal. "And I think it's just beginner's luck. You'll be winning next time. Either that or she's a prodigy, like your old man over here."
"If you're such a prodigy, why is she beating you too?"
Ari gave a burst of laughter that sounded like a cackle, and doubled over once more.
"She's turning as red as a tomato. Maybe we ought to try for seriousness before she forgets how to breathe entirely."
The girl in question waved her hand about as her laughter siphoned off.
"'M okay!" She giggled a little more, wiping tears from her face.
"Now look what you've done, Sal, you've made her cry!"
"I did no such thing!"
And that did it for Ari. She let her head fall to the table, slapping her palm on the board so that most (if not all the pieces) fell over.
"There goes the game!" Sal lamented.
Pellam clapped his son on the back. "Not as if you were close to winning anyway, eh, son?"
Ari pulled herself up suddenly, still laughing, but lightly. She rolled her eyes. From the look in her eyes, she was mindspeaking with someone. After another few minutes, she looked to the men.
"That was Danny. M' cousin," she told the older Herald. "He was panickin' from not findin' me right away."
"Ah," said Herald Pellam, picking up the pieces on the board and replacing them in their box. "Would you and your cousin like to stay for dinner?"
"Oh," said Ari. "I wouldn' wanna impose or nothin'."
"You wouldn't be," insisted Sal. "Give him directions and tell him we have food. I'm sure he'll be here soon after that."
Ari grinned.
"Well…alright."
o\o/o\o/o\o/o\o/o\o/o\o/o
"Great meetin' ye, Herald Pellam," said Danny. "That was s'me mighty fine cookin'!"
Pellam laughed jovially. "Why, thank you, Danny. Come by anytime you feel like flattering an old goose."
Sal snorted. Ari smiled, motioning to Sal that she had something to tell him. He bent down to place his ear next her mouth.
"Y' have no idea how lucky you are t' have such a father, Sal. All the birthday wishes in th' world couldn' give me what you got."
He regarded her with surprise. Again, he was at a loss for words as to what to say to her.
"And just what are you two chatting about over there?" asked Pellam, an arm around Danny, something Danny didn't seem to mind in the least.
"Sal, days like today make me wish I could've given you some siblings."
"Poor Sal'd never win another game again!" Ari commented. Pellam slapped his thigh.
"Right you are, my dear. We'll have to have you two around again, and next time Sal can get whipped by this one over here."
Sal sighed good-naturedly.
"Yes, Father, even a toddler has more progress than I do."
"Well I wouldn't say that! I guess you two'll want to be going now, though. Too much time with old people gives you gas."
Ari cackled again, startling Danny a great deal.
"Ain't never heard her do that afore."
Sal watched as Ari, once again, had to catch her breath.
"Must be us," said Pellam. "Together, Sal and I make a wonderful troupe of baboons."
Ari actually snorted. After a moment, Danny grinned, seeming to have decided that he liked his cousin in this state. He looked at Sal, nodding. Sal could only speculate that it was a nod of some appreciation. Sal nodded back.
Slapping each other on the back, Sal and Danny parted ways.
"C'mon, holler bird. Ye oughtta to try f'r sleep now."
Ari nodded, still unable to speak, and held onto Danny's shoulder for support.
Today she felt confident. Maybe it had been the time with Sal and Pellam, but she felt sure enough to go out into the city to find Midwinter gifts for her friends.
Good thing I've been savin', she thought to herself. Reluctant as she was with money, she didn't mind spending some of it on her friends.
She was nervous for the first hour, on alert. But after a few purchases and no ambushes, she began to feel alright. Several stray dogs found her in the crowd of the market, tails wagging. They were brutish-looking animals, but she couldn't see a lick of true fight in them. Having gotten everything for everyone she could possibly think of, she still had money left over. Congratulating herself on being miserly to get to this point, she went in to the butcher's shop nearest her and bought two meaty bones for her new friends.
Taking a seat, she gave the two time to get through their treat, going through everything she'd bought. Pulling out a small pencil and bit of paper, she wrote out everyone's name, then checked them off as she went through the gifts again.
"Damn, missed Tanbal."
Looking at the two dogs, she decided to leave them to their leisure. Standing, she looked around, trying to decide what Tanbal might best like. All she could really think of was horses and weapons.
Feeling more at ease, she decided to meander, taking her time looking for her last gift.
She had two fairly large bags in each hand. Something tickled her in the back of her mind as she came up near an alley. She stopped, checking to see the stands beyond it. Up there was as stand with all sorts of differently painted lucky horseshoes. And in a corner to the side, a fight was breaking out. It seemed a safe enough distance away that she could get the gift and get out.
She took a step. There was that tickle again. It had been awhile since she'd felt it. Switching the bags in her left hand to her right, she discreetly pulled out her dagger and opened her mind to Nienori. The only reason 'Nori wasn't here now was because Ari hadn't wanted to forever be asking the Companion to go with her; how would Ari ever fend for herself if she did?
:Ari?:
:Somethin' feels wrong, 'Nori.:
:I'll be there soon. Wait for me?:
Ari didn't respond as she "saw" Nienori leave a cluster of equally equine friends. She wasn't sure if she was just overreacting.
She almost jumped when she felt something press into her leg. Looking down, the two dogs from earlier seemed to have finished their morsels, and had come to join her once more. She felt a little better. As much as someone might want to fight her, she doubted they could take one look at these hounds and still have dry unders.
The moment she stepped fully into view of the alleyway, three boys grabbed her. She immediately released the bags and brought up her dagger. Sensing the danger, the dogs leaped at her attackers. One of the boys kicked a dog in the side, making the dog yelp. Ari's chest turned fiery. No one hurt animals, no one.
She pulled Shadows to her, and the boy who'd had the best hold on her was so surprised he let go, even though she was still solid. She hit him in the throat with the butt of her dagger and ducked as another grabbed for where she seemed to be. Him she kneed in the happy-sack.
The last boy looked at his fallen comrades, one struggling to breathe, the other crying out from on the ground and holding himself. He turned to flee.
Ari didn't care that he was making a decision to run away. He'd hurt an animal that had only been trying to protect her. Her limbs filled with rage, and she let it fly. Every scrap of wood, rock, and trash in the alleyway flew at him. She so badly wanted to beat him to death, but at just that moment, both dogs barked. She turned around.
A familiar-looking red-headed girl had a long piece of metal in her small hands. Realizing too late she'd let her Shadows go as soon as she'd Fetched, she twisted out of the way as the crazy girl swung haphazardly at Ari. Both dogs threw themselves at the girl, barely escaping as she swung for them, too.
"You fucking bitch, call off your stupid mutts, or I'll kill 'em!"
:Back!: she commanded them. She couldn't forgive herself if they got hurt again for her sake. They reluctantly pulled themselves back. Teeth still bared and hackles still up, they flanked Ari.
"I'll make you pay for what you did to my family!"
Ari had no idea what she was talking about as the girl rushed her once more. Ari knew the dagger would be little help against a pipe. Quickly reminding the dogs to stay back, she Cloaked herself again.
"Remember," Alberich had told her. "Clean, fighting is not. Dirty you must be when an opponent facing. Now hide yourself and attack!"
She did something risky as the red-head flailed around herself, dancing, trying to hit Ari wherever she might be. Ari rushed the girl, hitting her at stomach level. Both fell. But where Ari lost her dagger, the girl still had her pipe, and she didn't take the time to get up to begin swinging again.
Lael felt horrible for not being able to see Ari yesterday. But as soon as he'd gone outside, the cold had him gasping. Surely it hadn't been that bad the day before? So he'd decided to stay in, thinking that if it was terrible for him, it would be for Ari, too, and reminded himself to find thicker clothing. He hadn't known she'd gone looking for him until Sal had come to see him today and mentioned it.
"You two seem to be getting very close," Sal said in an accusatory tone.
"She's one of the few people I don't feel like strangling."
Sal grinned at him. Suddenly, the man went rigid. His eyes danced. Having spoken with him for this long, Lael knew that someone was mindspeaking to him.
Sal jumped up.
"What is it?" Lael asked.
"Danny. He says Ari's in trouble, but he doesn't know why or where."
:Kaleb, where's Nienori headed?:
His Companion was silent for a few moments.
:She's on her way to the market. Someone's jumped Ari.:
Lael relayed this news to Sal. Sal made for the door. Lael, ignoring the pain of his still-healing body as he jumped up, followed.
"Lael, you're in no condition–"
"Do you want to waste time in a pissing match, or do you want to get there?"
Sal grumbled, but quickened his pace. Lael followed as best he could, hoping none of the Healers would see him.
None did. Kaleb and Suvrina were waiting for the Chosen just outside, neither saddled.
:You're lucky we had time to have someone bridle us,: Kaleb told him.
Lael had to have help up from Sal. As soon as he was seated, he realized why Airmid and Miranjela had expressly told him no ridding.
Ari, Ari, Ari, have to get there.
He ignored the pain as they galloped into the city of Haven, meeting Danny along the way.
The two boys Ari had taken care of earlier had had enough time to recover (the third boy was still unconscious – or dead – beneath heaps of debris). So Ari now had to avoid the girl with the pipe, the boy with a short sword he'd probably never used a day in his life, and the boy with a large chunk of wood with nails at the end. She couldn't try to Fetch anything from their hands with the time it would take to concentrate enough to do so. She was tiring too quickly.
Gods damnit!
Even Cloaked, it was difficult to avoid them. She had no way to reach her dagger, and she expressly forbade the dogs from helping any further. But she'd said nothing to the rats and birds.
Pigeons dived at her attackers, and rats grabbed at their flesh through their fancy clothing. Using the opportunity, Ari prayed that no more animals would get hurt as she made a dive for her dagger. Coming up, she saw that the girl had escaped the critters, heard Ari's noisy fumblings and was raising the pipe for another round of swinging.
Ari focused as best she could, flinging a large piece of wood in front of her like a shield. As soon as the girl struck it, her shield flew to pieces, and Ari had to cover her face.
"There you are, you useless whore!"
Now Ari knew why the girl seemed so familiar. This had to be Daigh's kin, most likely a cousin or a sister.
Ari's heart thudded in her ears. She raised her dagger, as though she could use it like a sword. The girl took the time to giggle breathlessly.
"I'll finish what he should have."
Ari could feel Nienori, still minutes away. Who would save her?
Her mind flashed to that moment on the overpass that seemed like years ago. She'd been hopeless, about to let go of the rail. She'd thought of Danny then, how he would feel if she were so selfish as to kill herself. This time, right now, was different. She was still giving up, but there were so many more people who cared for her, she needed fingers and toes to count them all, and even then that might not be enough. Her memory showed her the moment she walked into that classroom weeks ago to find her friends waiting for her with a banner and cake and presents…
She pooled every ounce of whatever it was that made her heart constrict with happiness in that moment. It gave her the boost she needed to tumble to the side.
Slicing through air, the girl screamed at the boys to hold Ari, so that the red-head could have her fun.
The Herald-trainee's blood ran cold when the girl said that, and she was almost caught. Luckily the boys were still hopping around with rats in their pants and birds in their hair.
:Now!: she told the dogs. :Try t' grab their arms!:
The dogs succeeded, both boys crying out and dropping their weapons. Ari's breath was coming in pants, her adrenaline fading. Metal whistled through the air. The girl had caught Ari in the side, and Ari fell on her back. Just like last time, Ari's breath was knocked out, and she panicked for air.
The girl held the pipe at an angle that would turn Ari's head to pulp.
"On your back, what do you do?" Alberich circled her as she lay on the ground.
Look weak an' surprise 'em.
Still struggling for a little bit of breath, Ari didn't have to strain herself to look helpless. Just as the girl raised the pipe a little higher, Ari kicked her scrawny knee and heard a crack. Screaming, the red-head dropped to the ground, her pipe falling halfway on the ground and halfway in Ari's lap. The girl was too busy nursing her knee to grab for her weapon again. Dropping her dagger, Ari took up the pipe, gasping some. She was past the point where she might have been merciful.
Ari swung hard, at just the point Alberich had shown would incapacitate or (if hit with enough force) kill. The girl fell over. Ari wasn't sure if she'd hit hard enough to kill her, but she secretly hoped she had.
She huffed, replaced the pipe for her own weapon, and shakily stood up. Men from the area had grabbed the two boys, hauling the third off. The dogs paced near Ari, still growling, but only faintly.
Ari looked into the eyes of the men who watched her. She knew it wasn't very ethical, but she dropped her shields enough to hear what they were thinking.
:–thought the sounds were from the other fight–:
: –though they was gonna kill that girl–:
: –wearin' grays, attacked a Herald-trainee!–:
Ari sighed. She'd thought there might be a mob. She never wanted to see an angry mob ever again, especially one that was after her. These people all seemed to be on her side.
She snorted in black amusement as she heard the jingle of hooves.
Nienori came rushing through, nostrils flaring, teeth showing.
:Ya missed th' show, 'Nori,: said Ari as she leaned against the side of a building.
By the time she heard more jingling, Ari had managed to get herself sitting stiffly atop her Companion. The red-haired girl had been taken away, presumably to a Healer.
She's alive then.
:Unfortunately,: Nienori said, ears pulled back. :I wish I'd been here in time to trample the bitch.:
:I thought Companions were s'posed to be kind an' such.:
'Nori swiveled her head to look at Ari.
:Not when the people we love are in danger.:
Ari smiled, and then winced. She hadn't noticed, but thinking back on it, an elbow had caught her mouth at some point, and now the split lip was re-split open.
"Ari!"
Turning, she saw Danny, Sal and…
Lael?
She waved half-heartedly to them, and if she hadn't been so damn drained, she might've laughed. At what, she wasn't sure.
:Let's get you to the Healers' Collegium, beloved.:
:T' check m' head?:
:Among other things.:
Ari held onto Nienori's mane for lack of a bridle. Her bags sat untouched around the corner. Ari was about to slide off to get them when Nienori grabbed two them gently with her teeth, the dogs taking those remaining, one apiece. She promised the dogs gigantic steaks when they got back and after she was able to clean them up.
As soon as Ari was past the initial crowd, the boys, who'd been waiting behind those standing, rode up next to her.
"What happened?"
"Are you alright?"
"Who did this?"
Ari held a hand up halfway before it began to shake.
"Th' Kebby family is off their fuckin' rockers," was all she said as they made their way back home.
AN: And you thought this chapter was going to be fluffy! Sorry for that, but I wanted this done. I wanted Ari to be able to realize she could save herself in a fight (with a little help from some critters), and kick some serious ass. No one's going to mess with her again. For a little while at least.
*evil grin*
Anyway, in case anyone was having trouble picturing the dogs, in my mind they were stocky pitbulls, one black with white down his nose and on his toes and tail, and the other red (orange-red) with white on his nose, belly, and front feet. These two had crinkly ears that neither stood up nor laid flat, and had one or two scars over their noses from being hit with sticks from the city children. I don't know if anyone is looking at this and thinking I'm crazy, but pitbulls are sweet dogs when they aren't made to be vicious. So…yeah! These two will be staying with Ari for some time to come. I won't mention it in another chapter (unless I forget and put it in there), but Ari asks permission to keep them. Under the circumstances, who wouldn't let her? So they'll have collars when Garry gets back from his vacation (as much as he loves dogs, he can make collars for them), and they normally sleep in her room, unless they decide to stay outside.
As to Lael's injuries, I don't know how I'm doing with that. There's constant pain, but I don't want to be putting that in every sentence of his POV. I've also had few burns in my life, all were very small, and only one somewhat serious. So I can't speak to that, but this is the point where I hope you guys will use your imaginations and just bear with me.
Oh, and I suppose I'll be putting these up for every chapter now. I'll try to not repeat any songs. And, like with comments on everything else, suggestions for the playlist for any chapter is welcome, or songs you just think are awesome and want to share.
Playlist for Chapter 10:
"Young Folks" ~Peter Bjorn and John (birthday scene)
"Awake and Alive" ~Skillet (big dramatic fight scene)