Nell came back to her body painfully, as she unceremoniously landed on the ground. She let out a short scream as the pain she hadn't felt in a few days came back to her.
Gasping in pain, Nell took stock of what she knew.
She was back in her time.
No one was ever going to believe her if she told anyone about this.
She wanted out of here, painful injuries or not, and rejoin her people. Now.
Nell struggled to her feet, and gave the Gargoyle in front of her a grateful smile. "Thank you," Nell said in her native Gaelic, giving the gargoyle to most formal bow that she could considering the painful lash marks on her back. "Thank you for your aid. I must go now."
"Amazing," The female gargoyle lifted an eyebrow at her. "Even your eyes have changed. Nell, I presume. Welcome back. I will guide you up to the courtyard," She said. "That old man is refusing to leave until he can take you with him."
Nell followed the gargoyle upwards, through winding tunnels, and finally up a staircase. Once above, Nell found Motshan waiting for her.
He hurried forward. He looked like he was going to give her an embrace, but she shied away. He stopped, grimaced, then gently took her elbow. "I am sorry, me girl," He said in that rough, deep voice of his. "I should have tried coming for ye' sooner. I would have stopped it if I could have."
"I know, Motshan," Nell said softly. He would have too, she knew. He was gruff, but he would care for his people. He had taken punishments to spare his people before, and he would have taken hers, had he been able to.
"Here," The female Gargoyle thrust a small pot in her direction. "The healer wanted you to have this."
Nell sniffed the pot cautiously, then recoiled at the smell.
The red haired gargoyle smirked. "It is horrid, I will give you that, but it will keep your wounds numbed as to not pain you while they heal."
"Thank you," Nell said. "For everything."
As Nell and the old man walked away, the Red haired Gargoyle thought to herself, "You had better keep your promise, human," even as she knew that it would probably never happen. She had lost faith in the promises of humans long ago… but there was always the chance that this one time, someone would pay their debt to a gargoyle.
With a sigh, Demona turned back to the castle. As she passed the blacksmith's stall, she paused beside the brightly glowing forge fire.
This was a tremendous spell book, one that had been rotting away on the magus' bookshelves in a far corner. The spells in them were powerful, but all of them involved the time stream in one way or another. After the night that she had a "run in" with her future self, she had been told that interference with time, past or future was dangerous.
She turned back to the spell that had brought the other woman to the past. She was not sure why she felt the need, but she tore that page out and put it into her satchel to study later. The rest of the book she casually threw into the forge and watched it burn until the only thing that remained was ash.
Once it was done, she cast a glance at the sky. She was to meet with the captain shortly, to discuss their plans for the castle, and the Gargoyle's place in it.
-{- -{- -{- -{- -{-
Nell had been sitting in the library. It was the only room where she seemed comfortable, mainly due to the fact that it was the room with the least amount of the modern things that were so frightening to her.
They had left the doors open for her, in case she needed to call out for help.
The clan was sitting in Lexington's "computer" covered "war room" for a "brainstorming session". There was too many things about this time that she couldn't understand.
Nell laid back on the long padded bench...a couch, she corrected herself… and marveled at the softness. It was comfortable for a while, but she was starting to feel as if it would swallow her up if she sank too deep into it.
She would give anything to be back, sleeping on the ground under her wagon. She closed her eyes, and pictured her heather covered fields, the chilly night air, the comfort of the communal cooking fires and the black night skies.
Hudson had been wonderful, trying to help her adjust, and explaining what little they knew about what had happened. It hadn't made a lot of sense, but what she did know worried her.
There was another woman, one who looked much like her, apparently, who was trapped in her time.
Her body.
Nell wondered how she was feeling. Was she having to live with the wounds that had been inflicted the night they had switched places? Nell cringed, remembering all too well the sharp pain and bite of the whip.
Ironic that both women were innocent of any wrongdoing, but both were suffering the consequences of someone's devious actions.
One moment she had been on the couch, and the next she felt as if she were being lifted up with great speed.
When she stopped, she found herself surrounded in a thick mist, facing a woman in a dress from her time.
She gasped in shock. The resemblance was close enough that the woman could only be the missing Elisa.
She lifted a hand, just wanting a connection with her. Their hands clasped, and all she could say was a heartfelt, "Thank you".
Then the connection was broken as she was flung back into her body.
-{- -{- -{- -{- -{-
Once Motshan had collected her, she was led outside the castle walls where a single open wagon was waiting. He helped her into the back, and she was laid on a soft bed of hay for the trip. Gently, he drew up a heavy woolen blanket that covered her from the neck to her toes.
Motshan took her hand. "There are things in this world that are truly magical. Whatever journey you have gone through is your own, and your story to tell." He released her hand. "I know t'was not you in the castle earlier, but I may be the only one who noticed. 'Tis you here now, though. Perhaps, some day, you will tell me about it, but for now… it may be best to keep such stories to yourself. It is much too dangerous to speak of such things openly." Motshan pulled himself into the wagon, and Nell tried not to flinch at the discomfort the rock of the wagon caused.
Good Gods… How had Elisa borne it?
"How long has it been? What happened?" Nell asked. "I do not...remember… much of the last few days."
Motshan nodded. "Tis understandable, after what you have endured." He sighed deeply, "Menowin stole the goblets and hid them in your wagon."
"Winnie?" Nell blurted. "But… but why? She is… was my friend."
"She was jealous, my girl. You had the attention of Patrin, whom she thought she was in love with. You were the better dancer, and I'm ashamed to say that I did not believe that she would do anything like this." Motshan's face went stony. "She stole the cups and hid them in your wagon during your performance. She seduced one of the guards, then told the guard that you had taken them."
Nell was stunned, "But… she was my friend," She said softly, her eyes welling up with tears.
"I know," Motshan said softly. "She was verra' convincing, Menowin was. I'm ashamed that she had not only convinced the guard that you had done such a foul thing, but a few of our own band members believed her as well."
Nell closed her eyes. "Patrin?"
Motshan went silent, and Nell had her answer.
It was a moment before Motshan spoke again. "I promised your parents that I would care for you should something happen to them. I have not done very well, have I?"
Nell smiled, sadly. "You have done well," she said. "I could not have asked for a better guardian. I will choose my friends better in the future." She said, remembering the lengths that the gargoyles and humans had gone to, to save their friend.
Yes. She would choose better in the future, she vowed to herself.
As the feeling of betrayal washed over her at learning of not only Winnie's attempt to have her punished for a crime she didn't commit, but of Patrin's lack of faith in her.
She would have that someday, she vowed to herself. True friends, and a family all her own.