Chapter 4
Shelaya heard a giggle and a chuckle as the two people entered in, she watched as they emerged into the light with their two horses.
The one closest two Shelaya was a man; he was tall and broad shouldered, with brown hair. His nose was too big for good looks, he had hazel eyes and his grin was catching, and right now that grin was given to his companion.
His companion was a much shorter person, Shelaya thought it was a very small man, but her perceptive eyes caught the femininity of her face. She was built along stocky lines and had coppery red hair that was like a flame underneath her helmet. Her eyes sparkling purple light when she looked Shelaya's way.
She looked to be trained, and right now that woman and the man were unsaddling their horses and brushing them down.
Shelaya pushed herself into the corner of the building roof more, she was not afraid of heights and was very confident of staying absolutely motionless on the hand-width board underneath her that was the only thing between her and the ten meter drop.
"So anyway, I figured if I couldn't see her, then why don't I relax and forget Jon and come and visit Myles, and I just had to bring you along darling, I needed a break from the kids" She explained to the man.
"That's alright lass, ye need the separation from ol'Jon, and I'm glad ye decided to bring me along, I knew ye would be depressed." He finished brushing down his grey mare and walked to the woman's side, he gave her a soft kiss behind her ear.
She giggled and stopped brushing her glorious creamy colored horse; she turned around and gave herself completely to the man's passionate and deep kiss.
The stopped only when they were in fear of suffocating, she turned back to her horse just a bit flurried up.
He grabbed a post and sat himself on the end of the gateway for her horse's stall.
There was silence as her horse harrumphed through his nose and stamped his feet, and a gentle murmuring of "Easy, easy" from the woman.
Another complete silence and the man opened his mouth, at first Shelaya did not understand him for she was too shocked, but it slowly sank in.
"Lass, I'm pretty sure 'tis uncomfortable there for ye up there in the corner of the building, with th'cobwebs and spiders running along yer arms."
Silence.
Shelaya realised he was talking to her.
He looked up and without hesitation made perfect hazel eyed contact with her, and grinned. Her emerald eyes widened.
Shelaya heard the woman murmur "What?" absently.
Oh well, she'll run away later, they can't stop her, they seemed interesting people.
She stood up on the board and took a step of it, and landed crouched on her feet like a cat.
Now you can imagine, if Shelaya was older she would look absolutely breath taking, but for now, Shelaya looked like a pretty and surprisingly eerie child with maroon coloured hair.
She stood up slowly from a cat-like crouch and smiled at the man. Behind him she saw the woman's jaw drop and say, "Where'd you come from?"
The man slowly gave her a toothy smile and jumped off from the stall gate and walked slowly to the eleven year old. "Hello lass, and what's yer name?" He squatted to make better eye contact with her, but he was too low.
So Shelaya squatted down too to make better eye contact with him and heard the woman burst out laughing.
She watched as the man chuckled.
"My name is Shelaya," she gravely told him, her green eyes sparkling. His eyes softened and he sat for moment staring into her eyes
"Well Shelaya, I have to say, you have a very flexible and toned body" the red headed woman strolled to where the man and the child were squatting solemnly.
"So tell me, where are you from Shelaya?" The woman continued.
"I don't know," Shelaya, told her softly, she turned to the man "Would you?"
The man looked puzzled and spoiled the hushed moment with the mysterious child "Why should I?"
"Well you knew I was up there, how?" She said in the brazen way children do.
"Well," He got up from his crouching position "I was trained as a child."
"You were trained as what?" she got up too.
"Ahh…well…a thief"
Shelaya's eyes opened in wonder. The man caught the look.
The woman interrupted "How can you not know where you come form?"
"I forgot my memory, I nearly died and Sir Myles saved my life, he's nice, but I'm going now, because I feel caged, I can't stay, I have to …to go somewhere.
The three quietened and absorbed what she said.
"Oh dear child" The woman crooned "You poor thing"
"Go where?" the man said, "Where's your family, who is your family?"
"I don't know" Shelaya shrugged.
"Well then you can't go anywhere, you must stay until Myles finds your family, I'm pretty sure he's looking for them right now."
"He has been from three months now, my thigh bone broke and it healed and I'm still here, I must go?"
"Why?" the woman said at the same time the man exclaimed "You broke your thigh bone and you were able to land like that?"
Shelaya answered both questions "Because."(to Alanna) "I wouldn't call it perfect," (to George) "I would like to perfect it, but." The 'but' stayed hanging in the air.
He noted that as well.
"I must go, you will never see me again." She turned to go away. Child solemnity at its greatest.
"Wait!" The woman said
The man grabbed her arm as the woman started to lecture Shelaya about responsibility, Shelaya was unaware of what the woman was saying, but was looking at what the man was doing, she watched as he carefully slipped a parchment into her bag, he did so quickly that it was nearly unrecognizable.
She smiled up at him and nodded to show she knew what he was doing.
His eyes widened because he was surprised she had seen something so fast, even the woman didn't see it.
The man stopped the woman in mid sentences. "Alanna, dear, I think she should do this.."
"But George, she could die out there, with all the Spidrens and all"
"Look at her horse, he's mighty fine, and she's equipped with weapons even you can't tell where they are"
"Weapons what weapons, George?"
"See, sweet, she's an incredibly smart child, she could have worked for my court and been one of my best, she has a retractable glaive strapped in her clothes to her back, a golden dagger in her belt hidden under her shirt, a dagger belt on her boots and others I probably don't know about. Dear Alanna, you're here to relax, look, how old is she?"
"Eleven" Shelaya piped up.
"See? Daine was around that age when she decide to come to Corus, she was living by herself without family for a year before that, children these days can take care of themselves."
Alanna sighed, "Where are you off to child?"
"The capital somewhere."
The palace?"
"Maybe. Corus, somewhere, I don't know."
"And what will you do there?"
"Find my family, find a job, find a life" The child shrugged.
"We'll be following you, a days ride behind you, understand? I know you don't want Myles to know, but we'll be watching, I will not a child be hurt for no reason George." She turned to her husband, he nodded
"So it's back to Jonathon, eh, Lioness?" He chuckled "Alright"
"Look" Shelaya intercepted "You don't need to help me, okay. I doubt I'll find my family, but if I do, I still have to go to Corus, I remember I had to go somewhere, and where else but the capital, so I'm fine, I can take care of myself, I'll live. I'll find a trade, no problem"
Alanna wasn't even listening, but George was, when Shelaya had finished, Alanna turned to him and said "Go on" As if Shelaya had not even spoken.
He then proceeded to check the girl if she had provisions for a days trip. He was surprised to find she was sensible with what she packed, light things and weapons.
He helped her get on her horse and led it out side towards the gate of the Barony. Alanna followed with a dazed and slightly angry look in her face.
"Be careful" she said
A creepy feeling of de'javu overtook Shelaya and she shook.
Alanna caught the shiver "Maybe we shouldn't let her go, she's just a child!"
George ignored her, he whispered into the girl's ear "Careful, read the parchment I gave ye, ye might be interested, farewell, be careful and remember to all stay on the balls of yer feet, it'll help ye."
"Thankyou Sir" Shelaya's emerald eyes twinkled as she embedded the picture of this man in her memory for later use.
She looked at Alanna and did the same with her, but not with so much intensity.
"Yaa" she told Blaze and felt George slap him on the rump.
She felt free…
Shelaya heard a giggle and a chuckle as the two people entered in, she watched as they emerged into the light with their two horses.
The one closest two Shelaya was a man; he was tall and broad shouldered, with brown hair. His nose was too big for good looks, he had hazel eyes and his grin was catching, and right now that grin was given to his companion.
His companion was a much shorter person, Shelaya thought it was a very small man, but her perceptive eyes caught the femininity of her face. She was built along stocky lines and had coppery red hair that was like a flame underneath her helmet. Her eyes sparkling purple light when she looked Shelaya's way.
She looked to be trained, and right now that woman and the man were unsaddling their horses and brushing them down.
Shelaya pushed herself into the corner of the building roof more, she was not afraid of heights and was very confident of staying absolutely motionless on the hand-width board underneath her that was the only thing between her and the ten meter drop.
"So anyway, I figured if I couldn't see her, then why don't I relax and forget Jon and come and visit Myles, and I just had to bring you along darling, I needed a break from the kids" She explained to the man.
"That's alright lass, ye need the separation from ol'Jon, and I'm glad ye decided to bring me along, I knew ye would be depressed." He finished brushing down his grey mare and walked to the woman's side, he gave her a soft kiss behind her ear.
She giggled and stopped brushing her glorious creamy colored horse; she turned around and gave herself completely to the man's passionate and deep kiss.
The stopped only when they were in fear of suffocating, she turned back to her horse just a bit flurried up.
He grabbed a post and sat himself on the end of the gateway for her horse's stall.
There was silence as her horse harrumphed through his nose and stamped his feet, and a gentle murmuring of "Easy, easy" from the woman.
Another complete silence and the man opened his mouth, at first Shelaya did not understand him for she was too shocked, but it slowly sank in.
"Lass, I'm pretty sure 'tis uncomfortable there for ye up there in the corner of the building, with th'cobwebs and spiders running along yer arms."
Silence.
Shelaya realised he was talking to her.
He looked up and without hesitation made perfect hazel eyed contact with her, and grinned. Her emerald eyes widened.
Shelaya heard the woman murmur "What?" absently.
Oh well, she'll run away later, they can't stop her, they seemed interesting people.
She stood up on the board and took a step of it, and landed crouched on her feet like a cat.
Now you can imagine, if Shelaya was older she would look absolutely breath taking, but for now, Shelaya looked like a pretty and surprisingly eerie child with maroon coloured hair.
She stood up slowly from a cat-like crouch and smiled at the man. Behind him she saw the woman's jaw drop and say, "Where'd you come from?"
The man slowly gave her a toothy smile and jumped off from the stall gate and walked slowly to the eleven year old. "Hello lass, and what's yer name?" He squatted to make better eye contact with her, but he was too low.
So Shelaya squatted down too to make better eye contact with him and heard the woman burst out laughing.
She watched as the man chuckled.
"My name is Shelaya," she gravely told him, her green eyes sparkling. His eyes softened and he sat for moment staring into her eyes
"Well Shelaya, I have to say, you have a very flexible and toned body" the red headed woman strolled to where the man and the child were squatting solemnly.
"So tell me, where are you from Shelaya?" The woman continued.
"I don't know," Shelaya, told her softly, she turned to the man "Would you?"
The man looked puzzled and spoiled the hushed moment with the mysterious child "Why should I?"
"Well you knew I was up there, how?" She said in the brazen way children do.
"Well," He got up from his crouching position "I was trained as a child."
"You were trained as what?" she got up too.
"Ahh…well…a thief"
Shelaya's eyes opened in wonder. The man caught the look.
The woman interrupted "How can you not know where you come form?"
"I forgot my memory, I nearly died and Sir Myles saved my life, he's nice, but I'm going now, because I feel caged, I can't stay, I have to …to go somewhere.
The three quietened and absorbed what she said.
"Oh dear child" The woman crooned "You poor thing"
"Go where?" the man said, "Where's your family, who is your family?"
"I don't know" Shelaya shrugged.
"Well then you can't go anywhere, you must stay until Myles finds your family, I'm pretty sure he's looking for them right now."
"He has been from three months now, my thigh bone broke and it healed and I'm still here, I must go?"
"Why?" the woman said at the same time the man exclaimed "You broke your thigh bone and you were able to land like that?"
Shelaya answered both questions "Because."(to Alanna) "I wouldn't call it perfect," (to George) "I would like to perfect it, but." The 'but' stayed hanging in the air.
He noted that as well.
"I must go, you will never see me again." She turned to go away. Child solemnity at its greatest.
"Wait!" The woman said
The man grabbed her arm as the woman started to lecture Shelaya about responsibility, Shelaya was unaware of what the woman was saying, but was looking at what the man was doing, she watched as he carefully slipped a parchment into her bag, he did so quickly that it was nearly unrecognizable.
She smiled up at him and nodded to show she knew what he was doing.
His eyes widened because he was surprised she had seen something so fast, even the woman didn't see it.
The man stopped the woman in mid sentences. "Alanna, dear, I think she should do this.."
"But George, she could die out there, with all the Spidrens and all"
"Look at her horse, he's mighty fine, and she's equipped with weapons even you can't tell where they are"
"Weapons what weapons, George?"
"See, sweet, she's an incredibly smart child, she could have worked for my court and been one of my best, she has a retractable glaive strapped in her clothes to her back, a golden dagger in her belt hidden under her shirt, a dagger belt on her boots and others I probably don't know about. Dear Alanna, you're here to relax, look, how old is she?"
"Eleven" Shelaya piped up.
"See? Daine was around that age when she decide to come to Corus, she was living by herself without family for a year before that, children these days can take care of themselves."
Alanna sighed, "Where are you off to child?"
"The capital somewhere."
The palace?"
"Maybe. Corus, somewhere, I don't know."
"And what will you do there?"
"Find my family, find a job, find a life" The child shrugged.
"We'll be following you, a days ride behind you, understand? I know you don't want Myles to know, but we'll be watching, I will not a child be hurt for no reason George." She turned to her husband, he nodded
"So it's back to Jonathon, eh, Lioness?" He chuckled "Alright"
"Look" Shelaya intercepted "You don't need to help me, okay. I doubt I'll find my family, but if I do, I still have to go to Corus, I remember I had to go somewhere, and where else but the capital, so I'm fine, I can take care of myself, I'll live. I'll find a trade, no problem"
Alanna wasn't even listening, but George was, when Shelaya had finished, Alanna turned to him and said "Go on" As if Shelaya had not even spoken.
He then proceeded to check the girl if she had provisions for a days trip. He was surprised to find she was sensible with what she packed, light things and weapons.
He helped her get on her horse and led it out side towards the gate of the Barony. Alanna followed with a dazed and slightly angry look in her face.
"Be careful" she said
A creepy feeling of de'javu overtook Shelaya and she shook.
Alanna caught the shiver "Maybe we shouldn't let her go, she's just a child!"
George ignored her, he whispered into the girl's ear "Careful, read the parchment I gave ye, ye might be interested, farewell, be careful and remember to all stay on the balls of yer feet, it'll help ye."
"Thankyou Sir" Shelaya's emerald eyes twinkled as she embedded the picture of this man in her memory for later use.
She looked at Alanna and did the same with her, but not with so much intensity.
"Yaa" she told Blaze and felt George slap him on the rump.
She felt free…