Chapter 11
Rovin stood quickly and placed her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. Noah appeared from behind a clump of trees a minute later. Daniel stood as well and wiped the grass from his pants. The two guys faced each other like savage dogs waiting for their masters order to attack.
"Hey Rovin," Noah said speaking to her and staring at Daniel "You alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Rovin replied in a whisper crossing her arms over her chest and shivering in the cold. Looking at the clouds she saw that soon it would start raining again. Rovin looked at Noah who stood where he was glaring at Daniel. He had his hands on his sleeves and Rovin guessed that dagger were hidden in there. "What are you doing here?" she asked before either of the guys could attack.
Noah turned away from Daniel and looked Rovin in the eyes. "I think I should talk to you alone." Rovin looked back at him before she had to look away, not quite sure why.
"I'm not so sure that's a good idea!" Daniel said speaking for the first time since Noah appeared. Noah shot an angered glance at Daniel.
"and when did you become her keeper?" he asked Daniel
"when did you?" Daniel replied
"I'm not her keeper, I'm her friend! That's more than I can say about you!"
"how do you know were not friends, or even more than friends?"
"I know her to well!"
"obviously not well enough"
Noah turned from Daniel and took a hold of Rovin's hand. He started leading her away from Daniel and back to the trees where he had appeared. "I came to talk to Rovin not you."
"Go ahead," Daniel said not stopping them. "I'll wait over here."
Rovin was unsure of what to do but she let Noah lead her to the trees. When they were out of Daniel view, Noah hesitated before dropping her hand and speaking.
"Rovin are you alright? Did he hurt you at all? Where have you been for the past couple days?"
"Noah settle down" Rovin said rubbing her arms to try and stay warm. Noah saw this and took off his coat giving it to her to wrap around her shoulders. Rovin did so and thanked him.
"I'm fine Noah I Haven't been harmed or anything like that, but what are you doing here?" she asked annoyed, angered, and flattered by his presence.
"Everyone in the rogue is worried sick! That's what I'm doing here! NO one knows where you are!"
"Then how did you find me here?"
"One of the thieves mentioned the feast tonight and the fact that your friends had a stranger arrive the same time you went missing. So my father sent me to see if it was you and fetch you back."
"No he didn't!"
"Excuse me?"
"I know Heith like the back of my hand. He didn't send you at all. You came because you wanted to and probability disobeyed someone along the way!"
"Why are you mad? I'm here to rescue you!"
"Look around Noah! I don't need rescuing! I'm fine! Last night I slept in a feather bed with sheets! Not the cheap type back at the inn, but real sheets! I had more food tonight than the entire inn has in a week! Look at what I'm wearing! I have expensive jewelry and nice clothes! I'm happy here! No one is keeping me here, although Daniel thinks he is! I choose to stay! I don't need or want your help! I don't need you to be a night in shining armor!"
"That's nice and all but what about Heith and your father? What about m-the Rogue! You were born into it! It's where you belong! Not here in the palace pretending to be someone your not!"
"Noah, just leave!"
"I can't. Not without you!"
"Why! So you can impress everyone and prove your not a screw up!"
"Don't--"
"No! I know your only here because everyone blames you for my disappearance. Same thing happened four years ago."
"Rovin don't do this now!"
"I know you remember Noah! You just don't want to end up like Bobby do you!"
"Don't bring up Bobby! I swear to Mithros Rovin!"
Rovin stood where she was. Tears started to flow down her face. Noah was just as angry. He turned away from her and hid his face in his hands.
"Noah it's not use. Go home."
"Your wrong."
"About what?"
"that's not why I came here."
"then why are you here?"
"Because I care about you. You're like a sister to me. I just don't want to loose you the same way."
The tears flowed down Rovin's face so fast. She turned away from Noah as the rain started falling softly. "Go home Noah!" she called taking a step out from underneath he tree. Noah didn't reply as she walked away, and if he did it was washed out in the rain. She walked toward Daniel who stood waiting for her in the same spot as before.
"Are you alright?" he asked
"I think I need to go lie down. I'm not feeling very good."
Daniel led her inside. He left her outside of Emily's room and went back down to the feast to collect Emily. Rovin opened the door slowly and entered the room leaving the door open. Instead of changing she collapsed on the bed and cried herself to sleep.
*~*~*~*~*
Noah slammed his window shut and turned around to see his father sitting at the table waiting. Noah groaned and crossed his arms, shivering without his coat.
"Go ahead say it." Noah muttered
"Say what son?" Heith replied
"Whatever your going to say about how I shouldn't of left and I just made things worse and now she'll never come home because I've screwed everything up."
"I wouldn't of said it like that but yes."
"I'm sorry. You were right"
"You should listen to me every once in a while."
"So I guess you already know what happened"
"Brick reported to me if that's what your indicating."
"You had Brick follow me!"
"Along with Ladd and Scuttle."
"Oh man!" Noah muttered slamming his head against the wall repeatedly.
"Fortunately for you I have them going to fetch Rovin tonight along with Dodson."
"Dodson! He never does things like this!"
"Rovin is his only daughter. You think I wouldn't make him go!"
"So she'll be back tonight!"
"Of course, and she'll probably be guarded for a while. Until we know what this noble wants from her."
"It's not hard to figure that out." Noah muttered angrily.
Heith stood and walked to the door "Sometimes in life, we have to do things that we don't like doing, but we suck it up and get it over with."
"What are you saying."
"I'm saying that I'm not going to repeat what you told Rovin on the street that day, but you need to admit to yourself that she probably won't forgive you easily. Don't bother her about it and try to forget you said it." Heith left Noah to think about what he said, but all Noah could think about was how big of an idiot he was that day. The first thing he was going to do when Rovin returns was apologize, if she returns.
*~*~*~*~*
Rovin woke in the middle of the night feeling someone shake her. Looking around she made out the outlines of people standing by the bed. She was about to scream when one of them spoke.
"Rovin, sweet heart wake up!"
"Father?" she asked the man
"It's me!" her father replied. Rovin jumped off the bed and wrapped her father in a warm hug. "Come one lets get out of here"
Rovin froze in her place and stared at the three man. "I can't"
"You can't what?" Scuttle asked
"I can't go back"
"of course you can" her father replied grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the balcony. She saw Ladd grab Noah's coat from the bed as Brick walked into the room from the larger living quarters.
"Got it," she heard him whisper to her father. Dodson shot Rovin a nervous glance knowing he had heard.
"Lets go." her father said leading the way down the balcony using a rope they had brought. Rovin followed promising herself she would return.
Rovin stood quickly and placed her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. Noah appeared from behind a clump of trees a minute later. Daniel stood as well and wiped the grass from his pants. The two guys faced each other like savage dogs waiting for their masters order to attack.
"Hey Rovin," Noah said speaking to her and staring at Daniel "You alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Rovin replied in a whisper crossing her arms over her chest and shivering in the cold. Looking at the clouds she saw that soon it would start raining again. Rovin looked at Noah who stood where he was glaring at Daniel. He had his hands on his sleeves and Rovin guessed that dagger were hidden in there. "What are you doing here?" she asked before either of the guys could attack.
Noah turned away from Daniel and looked Rovin in the eyes. "I think I should talk to you alone." Rovin looked back at him before she had to look away, not quite sure why.
"I'm not so sure that's a good idea!" Daniel said speaking for the first time since Noah appeared. Noah shot an angered glance at Daniel.
"and when did you become her keeper?" he asked Daniel
"when did you?" Daniel replied
"I'm not her keeper, I'm her friend! That's more than I can say about you!"
"how do you know were not friends, or even more than friends?"
"I know her to well!"
"obviously not well enough"
Noah turned from Daniel and took a hold of Rovin's hand. He started leading her away from Daniel and back to the trees where he had appeared. "I came to talk to Rovin not you."
"Go ahead," Daniel said not stopping them. "I'll wait over here."
Rovin was unsure of what to do but she let Noah lead her to the trees. When they were out of Daniel view, Noah hesitated before dropping her hand and speaking.
"Rovin are you alright? Did he hurt you at all? Where have you been for the past couple days?"
"Noah settle down" Rovin said rubbing her arms to try and stay warm. Noah saw this and took off his coat giving it to her to wrap around her shoulders. Rovin did so and thanked him.
"I'm fine Noah I Haven't been harmed or anything like that, but what are you doing here?" she asked annoyed, angered, and flattered by his presence.
"Everyone in the rogue is worried sick! That's what I'm doing here! NO one knows where you are!"
"Then how did you find me here?"
"One of the thieves mentioned the feast tonight and the fact that your friends had a stranger arrive the same time you went missing. So my father sent me to see if it was you and fetch you back."
"No he didn't!"
"Excuse me?"
"I know Heith like the back of my hand. He didn't send you at all. You came because you wanted to and probability disobeyed someone along the way!"
"Why are you mad? I'm here to rescue you!"
"Look around Noah! I don't need rescuing! I'm fine! Last night I slept in a feather bed with sheets! Not the cheap type back at the inn, but real sheets! I had more food tonight than the entire inn has in a week! Look at what I'm wearing! I have expensive jewelry and nice clothes! I'm happy here! No one is keeping me here, although Daniel thinks he is! I choose to stay! I don't need or want your help! I don't need you to be a night in shining armor!"
"That's nice and all but what about Heith and your father? What about m-the Rogue! You were born into it! It's where you belong! Not here in the palace pretending to be someone your not!"
"Noah, just leave!"
"I can't. Not without you!"
"Why! So you can impress everyone and prove your not a screw up!"
"Don't--"
"No! I know your only here because everyone blames you for my disappearance. Same thing happened four years ago."
"Rovin don't do this now!"
"I know you remember Noah! You just don't want to end up like Bobby do you!"
"Don't bring up Bobby! I swear to Mithros Rovin!"
Rovin stood where she was. Tears started to flow down her face. Noah was just as angry. He turned away from her and hid his face in his hands.
"Noah it's not use. Go home."
"Your wrong."
"About what?"
"that's not why I came here."
"then why are you here?"
"Because I care about you. You're like a sister to me. I just don't want to loose you the same way."
The tears flowed down Rovin's face so fast. She turned away from Noah as the rain started falling softly. "Go home Noah!" she called taking a step out from underneath he tree. Noah didn't reply as she walked away, and if he did it was washed out in the rain. She walked toward Daniel who stood waiting for her in the same spot as before.
"Are you alright?" he asked
"I think I need to go lie down. I'm not feeling very good."
Daniel led her inside. He left her outside of Emily's room and went back down to the feast to collect Emily. Rovin opened the door slowly and entered the room leaving the door open. Instead of changing she collapsed on the bed and cried herself to sleep.
*~*~*~*~*
Noah slammed his window shut and turned around to see his father sitting at the table waiting. Noah groaned and crossed his arms, shivering without his coat.
"Go ahead say it." Noah muttered
"Say what son?" Heith replied
"Whatever your going to say about how I shouldn't of left and I just made things worse and now she'll never come home because I've screwed everything up."
"I wouldn't of said it like that but yes."
"I'm sorry. You were right"
"You should listen to me every once in a while."
"So I guess you already know what happened"
"Brick reported to me if that's what your indicating."
"You had Brick follow me!"
"Along with Ladd and Scuttle."
"Oh man!" Noah muttered slamming his head against the wall repeatedly.
"Fortunately for you I have them going to fetch Rovin tonight along with Dodson."
"Dodson! He never does things like this!"
"Rovin is his only daughter. You think I wouldn't make him go!"
"So she'll be back tonight!"
"Of course, and she'll probably be guarded for a while. Until we know what this noble wants from her."
"It's not hard to figure that out." Noah muttered angrily.
Heith stood and walked to the door "Sometimes in life, we have to do things that we don't like doing, but we suck it up and get it over with."
"What are you saying."
"I'm saying that I'm not going to repeat what you told Rovin on the street that day, but you need to admit to yourself that she probably won't forgive you easily. Don't bother her about it and try to forget you said it." Heith left Noah to think about what he said, but all Noah could think about was how big of an idiot he was that day. The first thing he was going to do when Rovin returns was apologize, if she returns.
*~*~*~*~*
Rovin woke in the middle of the night feeling someone shake her. Looking around she made out the outlines of people standing by the bed. She was about to scream when one of them spoke.
"Rovin, sweet heart wake up!"
"Father?" she asked the man
"It's me!" her father replied. Rovin jumped off the bed and wrapped her father in a warm hug. "Come one lets get out of here"
Rovin froze in her place and stared at the three man. "I can't"
"You can't what?" Scuttle asked
"I can't go back"
"of course you can" her father replied grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the balcony. She saw Ladd grab Noah's coat from the bed as Brick walked into the room from the larger living quarters.
"Got it," she heard him whisper to her father. Dodson shot Rovin a nervous glance knowing he had heard.
"Lets go." her father said leading the way down the balcony using a rope they had brought. Rovin followed promising herself she would return.