Twenty-Four

"Look. She's coming to…"

"Sshh… quiet! She's not fully awake yet. Give her time to rest. She's been through a tough ordeal."

Leigh tried to open her eyes but her eyelids felt too heavy. She only had enough energy to realize that she was flat on her stomach on something soft before she fell into a deep sleep once again.

Jerric was staring at Leigh's sleeping form on a makeshift mattress beside a huge tree, filled with mixed emotions.

They had been in the Elves' Forest for a day now, since that was the nearest place from the battlefield where they could go to for help. The elves proved to be as skilled in healing as they were in trading, and they soon patched things up in no time. But since most of the wounded were in no condition to lie in hammocks sting the rough material could sting their wounds, the other men had to make crude mattresses out of leaves and garments for them.

Leigh had the most severe injury. While the men had countless of cuts and gashes, they were only skin-deep. As or Leigh, thankfully, no major artery was cut, but if the arrow pierced the flesh just an inch to her right, it might have hit an artery. However, she still lost a lot of blood since the arrow was in quite deep. As expected, she had been resting soundly, only waking up in brief intervals when the women elves would change her bandages or feed her a bit. Because of which, it gave him no chance to talk to her at all.

He heard the leaves on the ground break and felt Orco fall into place beside him. "Don't," he told him silently.

When he didn't reply, Orco continued, "I know how much you want to blame her or ask her some things, but not right now."

"I'm not stupid." Jerric replied with annoyance. As if he needed to be told that. Truth is, he wasn't nearly as angry now as he was before. The rush of battle, the shock of the thought of Leigh dying overpowered his anger. So maybe he was still mad that Leigh lied to him. But it wasn't that big a deal anymore. All he wanted now was some answers and to hear it from Leigh herself.

"Thanks." Orco shuffled his feet and cleared his throat, attempting to make small talk. "I'm thinking of sending the men home for a while. They miss their family and goodness knows they've earned it. And, we probably wouldn't be able to move anyway for a while… So what do you think?"

Jerric shrugged. "It's your call. You're the boss."

He felt a pat on his shoulder, then Orco left him alone.

For two consecutive days, Leigh slipped in and out of consciousness. Her body felt too weak to move. Her right shoulder and upper back was heavily bandaged and she found herself immobile.

The first time she became semi-conscious was when she suddenly felt a sharp horrible pain on her back, as if someone was cutting through her flesh. She didn't know if she cried out because she blacked out almost immediately.

On her first night, she was able to glimpse a motherly elf tending to her upper back. The elf gave her some bittersweet soup to drink before she closed her eyes to rest.

During the third time she woke up, she met Orco's warm brown eyes through her own half-opened eyelids. He was stroking her hair gently.

She tried to explain. "I…"

"There's no need," he interrupted before more words were said. The expression on his face said that it didn't matter. He understood.

She felt a little stronger each time she woke up. On the second night, she was able to push herself upright in a sitting position. It was a hard struggle since her whole body felt like jelly, but she was successful at least. She leaned her left back against the tree, careful not to let her wounded side touch it. She grimaced once she settled herself, then, took a moment to look at her surroundings.

They were in the Elves' Forest. The light from the torches that were kept open shone a beautiful golden glow about the place. Around her, there were elves sleeping soundly on hammocks suspended in gigantic trees. The few who were still awake were too busy tending to the nursery near her to notice that she was awake.

She saw Orco talking with two elder elves around a fire on a clearing to her left. She was puzzled when she realized that there weren't any other humans aside from the two of them. Where were all the men? And where was Jerric?

Shifting around a bit, she suddenly touched something solid. She bit back a scream and found that it was only a hand. Specifically, Jerric's hand. He was leaning on the trunk on the other side of the tree, sleeping.

Leigh was taken aback. So there he was. He must have been keeping watch on her and fell asleep.

That's… sweet. She felt a little touched. When they were out in the battlefield, he looked absolutely furious with her.

She observed that he actually looked adorable sleeping. His dark hair was messed up all over his face and his mouth was half open. He looked like a child. Leigh mused that it would be nice if he could stay that way al the time. The grown-up Jerric was such a confusing paradox. One minute, he could be a perfect gentleman, the next an arrogant snob, and then a moody statue.

A half-opened book was resting on top of his arm. It looked on the brink of falling, so, to return a favor, Leigh painstakingly leaned over to retrieve the book. Curiosity got the better of her so instead of setting it closed on the ground beside him, she placed it on her lap and read it.

The book opened to the story of King Char and Queen Ella, of Lucinda and her curse and how the queen's mother died. It made Leigh think about her own plight. She most certainly isn't under a spell, although she might as well be because of the hapless plight she was in. At least, Queen Ella was loved. She had the memory of her mother's, King Char's friendship and Mandy's affection to carry her through. On the other hand, Leigh never knew her mother, and barely, her father. She didn't know how it felt like to be loved. Sure, there was Eve, but it could also be more of sympathy. And the gnomes—it may be more of obligation. She wanted so badly to see her parents again to feel, that even in the briefest of moments, she was wanted.

Then maybe, all this would not seem so bad.

Shaking her head at herself for being so emotional, she resumed her reading.

She learned about Hattie and Olive and Areida, of Queen Ella's perilous search for Lucinda, the long months of servitude and King Char's letters. She got to the point when the king was explaining about his anger on Princess Cecilia's tutor when it was cut short. She turned the next page, expecting to find a continuation and was disappointed when it showed a different story. It was a fairytale about a lonely mermaid.

Upon turning back the pages again, she was astonished to find Queen Ella's story gone. There was a picture of her gnome family on its place now. In it, the children—zhelaF, maekhA and qyoT—were tucked away in their beds. There was an empty bed beside theirs, which was where Leigh used to sleep before. broogH and fraecH stood at the doorway, looking at their children fondly. Then slowly, their eyes moved to the unoccupied bed and a sad smile flitted on fraecH's features. broogH placed a comforting hand on fraecH's shoulder. It was strange, but they seem to know that she was long gone from finishing school.

Leigh felt a longing so strong that she felt her heart would burst. She wanted to be lying on the comfortable bed with her gnome family once again. She wanted to snuggle with chubby baby qyoT and tickle him to death. She wished she was with zhelaF and maekhA—the closest she could ever have as sisters, and giggle with them over the littlest things. She wanted a lot of things and yet, she already accepted with a certain resignation that things won't ever be the same again.

Sighing sadly, she turned another page, and almost laughed out loud as soon as she saw the familiarity of the cursive.

Dear Diary,

THAT WRETCHED, CURSED, HORRID LITTLE MINX! I know she did it! How dare she? My life is perfectly ruined! I shan't be able to show myself outside again! She ruined my life! My future! Did you know what she did! Well, I supposed you wouldn't. You're just a piece of notebook after all. But I shall tell you nonetheless.

That sneaking wench took my precious teeth and dipped it in ink. And it isn't even in some nice, subtle gold or yellowish color. It was in black! Black! And she had the audacity to place it back, knowing that poor, innocent me would wake up and place it on. She knew I would be too groggy to realize what had happened. I didn't speak much during breakfast so no one noticed in particular. But oh the horror of it! When Singing Mistress asked me to do the honor of repeating the song we learned last week (since I have the bestest, most perfect voice in the whole school), they all started laughing. I didn't know why they did and only after a sang a particularly high note in the end did I realize Reeta subtly pointing at her teeth. Only then was I able to realize the gravity of the situation.

It was her, I tell you! Who else would? I have been saving her from further humiliation by talking her out of going to finishing school. I have borne the burden of sharing a carriage with her lowly self. I haven't done a thing to hurt her. Me! Who can't even hurt an ant!

She was gone in the morning when I woke up. I thought it was good riddance to bad rubbish finally. But I didn't realize that she left a heartless prank to remind us of her vile character. Coward. She couldn't even stand up for what she did. She better not show her face again. Oooh… it boils my blood!

On the sadder side, dear Jerric was gone too. Madame Emma said something about him needing to go on an ogre hunt. Noble Prince Jerric. At least he has a greater reason for his absence, unlike that oaf, who's simply a flea in the society.

Diary, I have also asked permission for my leave. I need to be in the solace of mother and Aunt Hattie. They could only understand me. After all, they have gone through a similar thing before.

So with this, I end my entry. Farewell for now, my dear friend, and pray I do not starve myself in shame.

So Leigh was triumphant after all. She felt a little mean for doing what she did, but then it serves Pansy right anyhow. She closed the book and gazed at it in wonder. What kind of book was this? She has never seen anything like it. It was obviously magical, and how in the world was Jerric able to get hold of it?

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

At Jerric's voice, Leigh's eyes grew wide like a deer caught by an ogre in its track. She slowly turned her head to meet Jerric's, placing the book back, almost like a peace offering on the ground near him.

"Well… I…" She was at lost for words. It was bad enough that he was mad at her for running away already. It definitely wouldn't help if he found out she was minding his things. She gave him an embarrassed, apologetic look.

Jerric looked like he was about to give her a thing or two of his mind, but a moment later, his face closed over. He simply got the book and clutched it in his arms protectively. Then, he sighed. "Go to sleep."

Leigh wanted to tell him that she'd been sleeping for two days in a row, but decided not to. She couldn't risk an argument at a time like this. She pushed herself back to her bed and lay down on her good side, back to Jerric, her lips forming a silly grin.

A/N: To awaiting impatient person and the others who are also wondering about it: there had been a problem with my story, I think, because of the July 7 update I made. As a result, the site shows one chapter more than what I supposedly have. So really, I can assure you, you are reading the latest chapter.