Responses (if you don't want to read these, just scroll down until you see 'Warning, Warning' for the next chapter):
Big Blue: oh no, you've found me out. You guessed very accurately. Damn, I've become predictable. Must…think…of…new…ideas….*an evil idea comes to mind* heh heh. I hope that at least the last segment of this chapter comes as an unexpected surprise.
Smileypal4eva: ah hah! Someone who doesn't like Ryker! For some odd reason, I find that reassuring. I mean, it's not that I want you to hate him, but there are too many people who are obsessed. *smile* and that might cause several conflicts later on…
Fluffy-bubbles: nope, daine, onua, those with wild magic did not survive the devastation. And nope, the mad mage isn't Numair. And the Devastation did kill some immortals, but some went back to the other realms and there are very few flying around. And I'll try to kill as little as possible. *smile*
Keita: any sort of review is fine with me, thanks. And I might have some questions for you, so don't be surprised if I email/msn you. :)
Cinereath: nope, the last chapter wasn't just an explaining chapter. Hiding somewhere between my responses to people and my strange author's note was chapter seven. Or were you just asking me if chapter seven itself was an explaining chapter?? Or am I just confused??
PenMage: although I do like to make up my own names, I also like to flip through baby names books (not that I'm planning to have any babies any time soon). And because I don't quite remember how I came up with the name 'ryker', I'll stick to the safe side and not take credit for it. And yes. Gods can get in the way of true love. But some feel guilty about it (the Goddess) and although this may be giving something away: the Goddess will make it up to Kaprice later on. And never apologize for long reviews. I like long reviews. Oh, and about your fic: a friend was wandering around ff.net and waiting for my fic when she stumbled upon yours. And now she's hooked (a freakin fish, that's what she is *grin*). She wants you to update soon (well, so do I). I hope finals have gone/will go well for you.
MagixPawn: I agree with your first comment. But whether that will happen or not is still in question. Hahaha, you're right, a battle over Ryker sounds interesting.
Kenta Divina: a happy ending for Kaprice? Well, who knows, maybe your definition of 'happy ending' will change several chapters from now. Keep me updated.
QueenFrosteen: I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you enjoyed the last one. *smile*
Demented-dreamer: don't worry. The chapters after this one will be from Kaprice's view. KILL RYKER? Hehe, why would I do that? *innocent look*
RoseFyre: life does suck for Kaprice and Ryker, doesn't it. But then again, it's hard to have a story with a main character who has a perfect life.
Ibetinomrthnu: hey, I do that too! Doing things other than work on the school computers are fun…
Silver fire: many of friends would have to agree with you: I am evil. Heh…heh…
Wow…I wrote responses to everyone. Insane.
Warning, Warning: yep, you guessed it. I'm changing perspectives again. The first part goes back to Ryker while the second part is from *****'s point of view. (what, you expected me to give it away?)
8. An Ultimatum and a Reluctant Knight
There were no pounding music, no provocative dances, no happy young couples to celebrate the fourth night of Dawne.
Instead of partying, the tribes had decided to take the fourth day of Dawne off to honor the deaths of Cowell and Ghris.
Nobody believed Ryker when he told them that he had been the one to kill the young men. Mindy had not said anything to disprove him, but still the others just shook their heads at him, talking about his being smitten with Kaprice.
It made him want to take them by the shoulders and shake understanding into them. He didn't understand why everyone was so dead-set against Kaprice.
But luckily, the search for her was half-hearted. The supposed tracks that had been seen were gone. And so was the chance of ever finding Kaprice.
Members of the tribe grumbled about that; they thought that she deserved a harsher death than the one the desert would give her.
Dehydration. Starvation. Madness.
And what about the Wanderer?
Ryker started in surprise. Where had that thought come from? He shook his head. The Wanderer was only a child's tale.
He sighed, wondering how Kaprice was now. She was tough: he knew that she would survive the first night alone.
But what about the second? Third? Fourth?
And what about that blood he had seen on her shoulder before she had run off?
He hoped that it was just one of the others' blood that had splattered on her.
And what if she got attacked by some savage beast while she was out there?
He laughed bitterly at that last thought.
Attacked by a savage beast…someone had used that ruse on him several years ago.
And he had been foolish enough to fall for it.
"You have a strange laugh."
A girl had approached him while he had been thinking. She seemed familiar, but he couldn't place a name to her face.
She seemed to realize his dilemma. "I'm Lonna," she said in her quiet voice. "Ghris' younger sister."
Silence.
"I'm sorry. About your brother, I mean," he finally said.
Her eyes were big and luminous. "So am I." She looked at him earnestly. "Did you really kill him?"
That shut him down. "Yes," he said coldly.
She studied him carefully. "You must love her very much."
His eyes grew colder; he knew she was talking about Kaprice. "Not that it is any of your business."
"My apologies. I did not mean to offend you." She paused. "To be honest, I'm glad he's dead."
He blinked in surprise. "Who? Your brother?" Her constant jumping from one topic to another kept him on his toes.
"No, not my brother. Cowell." Her eyes were dark. "He was a mean bastard; he deserved to die."
"Who are you to talk? When you're friends with his sister, who is as spiteful as he is," he said with a pointed look.
She flushed. "Actually, I'm not. Not anymore." She turned to walk away, but turned back. "Beware of her."
"Her? You mean Mindy?" He gave her a look. "Why?"
She shook her head, as if refusing to say more. But then she spoke, "She has plans for you." Then she walked away.
Ryker soon found out what those plans were before the end of the night.
The bodies had finished burning, and their ashes had just been thrown into the wind when Mindy approached him.
"Hi, Ryker," she said, smiling coyly. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"
"No," he said flatly.
She grabbed his hand. "Please, Ryker." She fluttered her eyes at him. "It's really important."
He started to walk away.
"Ryker, I will tell everyone the truth about Cowell and Ghris' deaths."
He stopped, turning to Mindy with a hard glare. "They don't believe that I killed them anyway," he said with a shrug.
"Well, what if I throw in a couple other lies? Maybe she seduced them away from camp with her immodest ways and then killed them out of spite? Or maybe she--"
"No one will believe you."
"Oh? They would take your word, the word of a lovelorn fool, over mine?" she asked him sweetly.
That gave him pause.
"Or I could just add that she bewitched you with her magic powers, making you fall in love with her. That would really fire up the tribal members, wouldn't it?"
'Fire up' was an understatement. If Mindy said something like that about Kaprice… the men would travel to the ends of the earth, with the sole desire of killing Kaprice when they found her.
Magic had caused the Devastation. It had become forbidden afterwards. The tribes feared and hated magic, afraid that another Devastation-like event would fall upon them.
"What do you want?" He asked her flatly.
Mindy's smile widened. "I will tell the others that Kaprice used magic, unless…"
"Unless?"
"Unless you marry me."
His sudden, angry silence almost frightened her into backing away. But then she lifted her chin and stared back at him stubbornly. "Well?" she demanded impatiently.
He wanted to shout his immediate denial. He wanted to push her away and never see her again.
He wanted to protect Kaprice.
He spoke slowly and purposefully, "I'll think about it."
~*~*~*~
A strange, mysterious desert wanderer…
Only when he almost stepped on her did he realize that there was a sleeping girl half-buried in the sand in front of him.
He stared down at her, curious and yet cautious. The robe she wore completely hid her body, and its hood hid most of her face. The part of the face that he was able to see included her lips. Soft, full lips. Lips that definitely belonged to a female. The black stripes on her sleeves and hem identified her as a member of one of the Black Tribes.
It was a good thing he was not a member of the Maroon Tribes. The wars between the Black and the Maroon tribes were notorious.
He almost left her there on the sand to her probable death. Life hadn't been too kind to him these past years; he wasn't the same person he had been decades ago. The sandy winds had worn down his edges so that they were sharper than any knife.
But then his old knight training kicked in and, as a result, so did his desire to help the helpless.
He was just too damn soft, that's what he was.
He bent over and picked up the girl who gave the slightest of groans at being moved, but did not wake.
She was tall for a female, but slender. And she was a lot lighter than she looked, probably because of the bulk that the desert robe added.
Roald sighed and then started to walk, heading for his oasis.
The only thought in his mind was the hope that he wasn't going to end up regretting his generosity later.
A.N. - Don't you just love Mindy? She's always ruining everything. And she's quite predictable, don't you think? All she ever does is think about herself and screw the poor people who get in her way.
So, a TP character decided to drop into my fic…or did he? Maybe he's just a TP character's child who was named Roald? Or maybe he's Jon's father, Roald? Or maybe he's some random guy named Roald. Or maybe I'm putting strange ideas into your head. Take your pick.
Poor Ryker: to marry or not to marry. That is the que…err…the dilemma. Indeed.
~krizsta