*Okay, this is a slightly longer chapter. Hope it'll tide things over till
next week. Apologize once again to those who feel that I'm not updating as
frequently as you'd like. Will try to wrap things up in 2 - 4 more
chapters. Can't be sure though.*
Dawn was just starting to creep over the horizon. Marguerite leaned back against the log, her mind not quite concentrating on the sunrise. They were going take Malone back to the treehouse today.
"Lovely sunrise," Veronica commented from beside her.
"A good omen?"
"Yesterday's wasn't."
Marguerite watched the younger woman closely. Though he tone was light, her face showed all too clearly the tension that was building up inside.
"Managed to sleep?" They turned around and saw Roxton emerge from the tent. Veronica shook her head in reply; her blonde curls falling about in disarray.
"How is he?" she asked, more concerned about Malone than her temporary insomnia.
"Much better. I think that whatever they gave him has worn off."
"I'll go see him," Veronica said and scrambled up.
Marguerite smiled in faint amusement as Veronica had left.
"Looks like things might change today," she commented to herself.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing Roxton," she said, giving him the knowing look that always annoyed him. "It's just one of those. . hocus omen things. You won't understand."
"Right," he muttered. "Hocus omen things my eye.."
Marguerite turned back to face the sunrise, hand over her mouth in an attempt to hide her widening grin.
Veronica entered the tent as softly as she could. Malone lay on the bed soundly asleep. She watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, noted that a peaceful look had come over his features. She stood there, rooted by the wave of guilt that came every time she saw him like this: covered in bandages, knowing perfectly well what lay beneath them.
Malone stirred, as if sensing her presence in her room.
"Ned?" her voice came out more shakily than she would have liked it to.
He opened his eyes with considerable effort.
"Ned," she was by his side in an instant.
Malone felt the bed sink to one side as she sat down next to him. Still confused, he tried to sit up, only to feel the pain of his torn skin lance down his back. He exhaled sharply, the sting jolting him to full consciousness. He felt a pair of hands push him gently back down onto the bed.
"Veronica?" He had to swallow several times before his voice would work.
"Right on the first guess."
"Where. . didn't you escape? I thought... saw Roxton, I don't-"
Veronica masked her anguish at seeing him so lost with a small laugh.
"We're at the Zanga village Ned."
"Oh."
She watched silently as he struggled to digest this new information. An awkward silence stretched for several minutes.
Malone reached up and touched his left eye, wincing when his fingers brushed the still tender flesh. "It wasn't a dream then?"
"No. . I'm sorry." Veronica dared not meet his gaze. "We're heading back for the treehouse today. We'd probably be leaving in a few hours."
"Sure," he nodded and made a move to sit up.
The room suddenly swam before him and he doubled over, breathing harshly through clenched teeth.
"Ned, what wrong?"
"The walls are. . moving.." He gasped out.
Veronica quickly rested his forehead on her shoulder, holding his trembling form close to her. She waited for the spell to pass before releasing him.
"Stay here, I'll go get Challenger."
Dawn was just starting to creep over the horizon. Marguerite leaned back against the log, her mind not quite concentrating on the sunrise. They were going take Malone back to the treehouse today.
"Lovely sunrise," Veronica commented from beside her.
"A good omen?"
"Yesterday's wasn't."
Marguerite watched the younger woman closely. Though he tone was light, her face showed all too clearly the tension that was building up inside.
"Managed to sleep?" They turned around and saw Roxton emerge from the tent. Veronica shook her head in reply; her blonde curls falling about in disarray.
"How is he?" she asked, more concerned about Malone than her temporary insomnia.
"Much better. I think that whatever they gave him has worn off."
"I'll go see him," Veronica said and scrambled up.
Marguerite smiled in faint amusement as Veronica had left.
"Looks like things might change today," she commented to herself.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing Roxton," she said, giving him the knowing look that always annoyed him. "It's just one of those. . hocus omen things. You won't understand."
"Right," he muttered. "Hocus omen things my eye.."
Marguerite turned back to face the sunrise, hand over her mouth in an attempt to hide her widening grin.
Veronica entered the tent as softly as she could. Malone lay on the bed soundly asleep. She watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, noted that a peaceful look had come over his features. She stood there, rooted by the wave of guilt that came every time she saw him like this: covered in bandages, knowing perfectly well what lay beneath them.
Malone stirred, as if sensing her presence in her room.
"Ned?" her voice came out more shakily than she would have liked it to.
He opened his eyes with considerable effort.
"Ned," she was by his side in an instant.
Malone felt the bed sink to one side as she sat down next to him. Still confused, he tried to sit up, only to feel the pain of his torn skin lance down his back. He exhaled sharply, the sting jolting him to full consciousness. He felt a pair of hands push him gently back down onto the bed.
"Veronica?" He had to swallow several times before his voice would work.
"Right on the first guess."
"Where. . didn't you escape? I thought... saw Roxton, I don't-"
Veronica masked her anguish at seeing him so lost with a small laugh.
"We're at the Zanga village Ned."
"Oh."
She watched silently as he struggled to digest this new information. An awkward silence stretched for several minutes.
Malone reached up and touched his left eye, wincing when his fingers brushed the still tender flesh. "It wasn't a dream then?"
"No. . I'm sorry." Veronica dared not meet his gaze. "We're heading back for the treehouse today. We'd probably be leaving in a few hours."
"Sure," he nodded and made a move to sit up.
The room suddenly swam before him and he doubled over, breathing harshly through clenched teeth.
"Ned, what wrong?"
"The walls are. . moving.." He gasped out.
Veronica quickly rested his forehead on her shoulder, holding his trembling form close to her. She waited for the spell to pass before releasing him.
"Stay here, I'll go get Challenger."