So I'm not the only one who talks/curses at my computer, eh? Good to know I'm not the only in the universe…
Just to cut any confusion in half:
Medallion: will allow Roald to become visible if he holds it.
Ring: …uhm…the ring's purpose hasn't been revealed yet.
Is Ozorne the bad guy?
Nope.
Will there be more fluffyness?
*laughs* sure, why not.
Would Kaprice have been able to wear the ring if Roald hadn't wanted to?
*thinks about it* hmm…probably not. She would have been able to wear it for awhile, but because of future events that I cannot reveal at this time, the ring would have returned back to Roald anyway.
20. Interrupted Declarations
Daine and Numair couldn't figure out why Kaprice's horse was moving so slowly. And according to Daine, the horse couldn't figure it out either.
"You don't look that heavy," Daine said, puzzled.
"Perhaps appearances are deceiving," Kaprice said lightly as Roald laughed from behind her.
Daine, Numair, and the horse didn't know that Roald was riding on the same horse behind her.
Although Roald could reach through inanimate objects, he couldn't do the same with living things. Which was good since if it were otherwise, he would have walked the entire way to Demon's Hill.
"Luckily, we'll still get there before nightfall," Numair said quietly.
"What happens at nightfall?"
Daine and Numair glanced at one another. "At nightfall, the fire specters awaken."
Kaprice felt Roald become tense behind her. "Fire specters?" she prompted.
"Wraith-like men who climb out of the pit of Demon's Hill every night, intent on destroying everything they come across."
"What's life like where you come from, Kaprice?" Daine asked her, changing the subject.
"Well, people live in tribes in the desert--"
"Like the Bazhir?"
"Like the what?" Kaprice said, puzzled.
Daine shook her head. "Nevermind. Please continue."
"Magic is forbidden by the tribes. The shamans' magic is nothing compared to the magic that you have," Kaprice said.
"Why was magic forbidden?"
"People fear what they don't know, and people hate what they fear. Legends say that the Devastation was caused by a mage. Because of that, the tribes have come to fear magic. The Devastation virtually wiped out all those who had the Gift, so there was none left who could defend their magic. Not that they could have anyway. The tribes are too prejudiced against magic."
"But you have magic," Numair pointed out quietly.
"Unfortunately," she agreed. Roald rested his head on her shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze.
"Well, you don't have to worry about prejudice against magic here. If what you tell us is the truth, then we welcome you with open arms," Daine said with a smile.
Numair nodded in agreement. "You will be welcome here," he seconded.
"The others will love you," Roald said into her ear. "Without a doubt."
She smiled her thanks at Daine and Numair, but didn't share Roald's certainty.
These people were kind, but they still didn't know her. And once they did, what would they think?
Kaprice gave a silent sigh. Once a freak, always a freak.
~*~*~*~
"We're here."
Kaprice glanced up when she heard Roald speak. She reined in her horse, remaining at the edge of the forest encampment while Daine and Numair continued forward.
"Daine. Numair. Welcome back," a tired female voice said.
Daine grimaced as she got off her horse. "Thank you, Kel. I only wish I could say that I was happy to be here."
"Don't we all," a new male voice responded.
"Dom," Numair said, nodding in greeting. "Where's Alanna?"
"She and some of the other mages have trudged up Demon's Hill to examine the pit again."
"It's Dom and Kel," she heard Roald say.
She turned her head over her shoulder to glance at him. "Who are they?"
Roald smiled. "They're old friends."
"Where's Roald? Isn't he supposed to be here with you?" Dom asked.
"Yes, I thought he said he wanted to come back with you?" Kel agreed.
Daine shook her head. "He couldn't. Something has happened."
"What?"
"We don't know yet. But he collapsed on the way to his room last night."
"Is he going to be all right?" Kel asked with a concerned frown.
Daine sighed. "Hopefully."
"That's not a very reassuring answer," Dom said dryly.
For a moment, Kaprice sat watching the scene, feeling completely envious.
I wish I had friends like that…
"I love you."
Kaprice jerked in surprise. "What?"
Roald smiled a shy, boyish smile. He leaned forward to press a soft, lingering kiss on her lips. Then he leaned back and abruptly got off the horse.
He turned and smiled knowingly up at her. "Well, are you going to stay up there all day?"
"I'm sorry, Roald. I just thought I heard you say…" she paused. "Forget it. I'm probably just hearing things."
"Oh? What sorts of things?" he said teasingly as he helped her get off the horse.
She flushed, shaking her head. "Foolish things."
He raised an eyebrow. "My loving you is foolish?"
"Wait…then you really did say it?" she said questioningly.
He pretended to think about it. "I don't know, did I?"
He laughed when she punched him lightly in the arm. "All right, all right. I did say it."
"Really?" she said wonderingly.
He sighed. "Woman, how many times do I have to tell you? Yes, I did say. Yes, I really mean it. Yes, I do love you."
She smiled a brilliant smile. "Good."
His eyes narrowed immediately. "Good?"
"Yes."
"That's all you have to say?" he protested.
"Is there anything else I should say?" It was her turn to tease him this time.
He caught her in his arms and gave her a tight squeeze. "Well, I could think of a few things."
"Really? Like what?"
He growled into her ear.
She laughed. "All right, I give. I love--"
A cold shiver ran down her back and the smile on her face disappeared.
Roald noticed the change immediately. "What's the matter?" The teasing tone was gone, replaced completely by a more serious one.
Kaprice shook her head wordlessly, stepping away from Roald and glancing around. Numair had gone somewhere, but Daine still stood talking to Kel and Dom.
Another cold shiver skimmed down her spine.
Kaprice suddenly found herself rushing up to Dom.
"What did you just say?" she demanded urgently.
He glanced at her in surprise, blue eyes wide. "Excuse me?"
Daine frowned. "Kaprice, is something wrong--"
"What did you just say?" Kaprice demanded again.
"I said, 'excuse--"
"Before that!" Kaprice said with frustration.
"He said that Alanna and the other mages are on Demon's Hill, trying to stifle the fire with their magic," Kel answered.
Oh no…
Kaprice glanced around. "Where is it? Where's Demon's Hill?" Even as she asked, she spotted it. A distance away, there was a brown, barren upsloping hill. And on top, Kaprice was able to make out several standing figures.
"We have to stop them!"
Kaprice started to run, rushing through the forest for the barren hill.
Roald immediately followed. "What's happening--"
Roald cut off his words when he noticed that Kaprice suddenly started to glimmer an undeniable silver. He narrowed his eyes and immediately reached out, putting a hand on her elbow. "Not without me you don't!"
Kaprice wasn't quite sure what was happening. One moment, she was still a good distance away from Demon's Hill, just breaking out of the forest. Then in the next moment…she was standing right on top of Demon's Hill.
"Woah!"
She suddenly noticed that Roald was standing beside her; she frowned, puzzled.
"Roald, what happened?" she asked him uncertainly.
Roald looked a bit shaky himself. "You used your powers again."
She wanted to question him further, but instead she turned her focus onto the mages. They were clustered around a large pit in the ground. Immense waves of heat rose from the inside the pit; it was a good thing she was used to heat from living in the desert.
She suddenly realized that she recognized one of the mages: it was the red-haired woman that had been in the mirror.
"Lady Alanna! Please, you have to stop!"
"She can't hear you," Roald realized. "She and the others are too focused on the magic!"
The all mages held their hands in front of them, and from their hands, their individually colored Gifts flowed into the opening pit. Kaprice noticed that interwoven between everyone's individually colored Gift, someone's purple Gift flowed prominently. With further examination, she noticed that the purple Gift came from Alanna's hands.
Her gift is the one that's holding the rest together, Kaprice realized.
Without any more thought, Kaprice threw herself at the small, red-haired woman. They both tumbled, rolling on the ground.
As she had thought, the circle of magic broke. But Kaprice also made one miscalculation: in her urgency, she hadn't taken into account what may happen once Kaprice tackled Lady Alanna.
Kaprice and Alanna, a loose tangle of legs and arms, rolled dangerously close to the edge of the pit.
"Kaprice!" Roald immediately rushed toward her, grabbing her arm and then one of Alanna's.
They stopped rolling just inches away from the edge. The scorching heat that emanated from the opening made Kaprice's eyes water and prickle with painful tears.
"Gods, that was close."
But Roald spoke too soon.
As if the open pit sensed their closeness, it suddenly gurgled and spit out a glob of liquid fire. Kaprice managed to pull herself away, but Lady Alanna, still groggy from using her magic, wasn't able too. And Kaprice couldn't pull her away in time.
Some of the liquid fire splattered onto Alanna's ankle, and she gave a sudden cry of pain.
The fire easily burnt through Alanna's pant leg, settling itself onto the skin which immediately reddened and started to blister.
One of the other mages pulled Alanna away from the edge while she littered the air with curses. Once she was safe, they all turned to look at Kaprice.
And none of them looked too friendly.