Chapter 7: Sanstring

Onua woke reluctantly to a new day, tried opening her eyes then rapidly shut them, wondering momentarily why such a simple action had hurt so much. A tentative hand reached up and she flinched as the bruised skin met her fingertips. Rolling over to her side away from the harsh light of the morning she was able to open her right eye fully; her left eye was mostly swollen shut but the crack between her lids was enough for her to see Jaret's back rising and falling peacefully, his breathing calm and measured. He was still sleeping then. The arm closest to her twitched and she shuffled backwards as far as the tent walls would allow - sleeping was how she liked Jaret Sanstring best; it would be a shame to wake him. Outside the sounds that signalled the start of the day had already begun, and she could hear Kalem moving about quietly, whispering to the horses briefly before moving on to bring out the water barrels. Her husband moved again and Onua wrapped her bed roll close around her, hugging herself tightly, a single tear worked its way down her cheek before dripping onto her hand, too many mornings she woke with only a hazy memory of the night before, new bruises decorating her dark skin. Jaret grunted and turned over to face her. The stench of stale alcohol still clung to his breath from the night before and a week's stubble coursed over his chin.

Why did I marry him? Onua thought, as she had every morning after their wedding. Each morning the thought was answered with another question: Why don't I just leave him?

But while the first question always remained unanswered the second was not so happily ignored. She knew why she stayed with him: She was afraid to leave.

Careful not to make any hasty movement she felt towards her packs eventually locating a small circular looking glass inside one of the pockets. She lifted it towards her face and winced at what she saw briefly before relaxing her muscles once more; wincing hurt too. The girl in the glass stared back sadly at her, a large purple bruise surrounding one of her eyes and a half healed cut seared across one cheekbone. Onua tried smiling; the mirror girl managed a weak smile too but it didn't quite reach her eyes. It never did.

A rooster crowed.

Quickly she hid the glass back beneath her pack and burrowed back into her bedroll until only her eyes showed, staring across at him. It was better if he didn't see what he had done to her the night before, which would only provoke emotional apologies, assurances he would never do it again and fumbled embraces. Jaret stirred, his lashes fluttered and he grinned at her. "Looks like another beautiful day."

She didn't reply; he didn't expect an answer.

Jaret rose easily - still clad in the creased garments of the previous day - and flung the tent flaps aside, striding outside to greet his friends exuberantly as Onua cowered away from the light. Her husband's head reappeared, "I'm off fishing, love. Will you be alright on your own till lunch?"

He always spoke the same way; as they were the perfect couple who couldn't bear to be apart for more than was necessary, "I'll be fine," she mumbled through her bedding.

She heard him pick up his fishing rod, heard the voices of his companions join his and heard their voices dwindle in the distance before she ventured outside herself.

*

Mari's tent was not far from her own and Onua ducked into it swiftly. The healer was already awake and appeared to be making some kind of foul smelling ointment. The girl had time to hope it wasn't for her before Mari spoke, her voice dripping with barely suppressed irony:

"Onua, what a pleasant surprise."

She was still intent upon her work and so Onua was able to blush beneath her bruises. "Perhaps I have just come to talk to you Mari, my love."

"Perhaps," the older woman acknowledged, "or perhaps that pig of a husband of yours has rearranged your face once more." Her dark eyes flicked up and analysed the damage. "I see."

"I fell off Kara yesterday," Onua explained quickly, "I must have landed on a rock or something. This has nothing to do with Jaret. "Her friend looked up, eyes flashing with anger and Onua cringed involuntarily. "It's not his fault," she finished weakly.

"Of it course it isn't and I'm Princess Thayet."

"Queen Thayet," Onua corrected without thinking and then wished she hadn't as the healer glared at her.

"No horse has thrown you since you were seven, its insulting that you think I'd believe that rubbish."

"I don't really," she murmured. "I just don't want you to go after Jaret."

Mari advanced on her wielding the evil smelling stuff and though her face was still angry the hand rubbing the ointment into the injured skin was gentle. "I just wish I understood why you stay with him."

"She fears being alone."

Onua flushed furiously and tried to pull away from Mari and leave the tent before the new visitor could say or see anything more but the other held her shoulder tightly. "Onua, I'd like you to meet my friend Ja-min. I asked her to come on the…ah, off chance you'd seek me out for a chat this morning."

Ja-min seated herself opposite them and regarded them both closely, steely gaze flickering to Onua more often than it lingered on Mari.

"You arrived yesterday with the Doi," Onua ventured eventually.

The woman nodded. "I am their Woman-Who-Sees." She lapsed into silence again for a while and then pronounced: "You wish to know something of me."

"Why are you here?"

"Mari invited me," she smiled slightly. "That was not the question but then, very few people ask it. They, like you, do not wish to share their private affairs with an ageing foreigner."

"I'll leave you alone." Mari gave her shoulder a quick squeeze and disappeared through the flaps.

Onua didn't offer anything until it became obvious Ja-min would not begin again. "So are you going to tell my fortune or something?" she asked curiously.

"If that's what you want."

She raised her chin defiantly. "All right."

"Hmmm," her lips pursed together. "I usually read faces…" Ja-Min moved closer, weathered fingers ran down Onua's cheek pausing at every bruise. "Mari's done a good job healing these but" she shook her head, "I'm sorry I can't read yours like this."

Onua muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "how convenient" but the seer either hadn't heard or chose to ignore it because she dug into her pockets and fished out a collection of rocks. "I can read your runes instead but it's much less accurate. Here," she thrust the pebbles into Onua's hands and surprised, the girl dropped them again.

Ja-Min bent over the pebbles, her face intent. "Interesting."

"What?" Onua asked despite herself.

"Apparently you'll be going on a trip…"

"… And I'll meet a tall, dark, handsome stranger right?"

Ja-Min grinned. "Perhaps."

Onua shook her head and smiled back. "Well thank you for your time Ja-Min. It was entertaining if not…"

The fortune-teller chuckled slightly. "Don't worry Chamtong, the hawk-man is not for you."

"Sanstring," Onua stated quietly but firmly.

"I beg your pardon."

"My name is Sanstring now. I left Chamtong behind a long time ago."

"It has not left you."

Had she winked?

Ja-Min got up and stood over the girl before Onua rose too. The seer took her hand and Onua was surprised to see a well of sadness behind those dark pupils. "You're destined for good things Onua Chamtong, not great maybe but things better than this." She smiled gently and pressed Onua's hand. "You deserve better than this."

A/N: Time to return to this one after years of absence. I've been avoiding it because I don't know anything about Onua so I had to make up large amounts of stuff which I don't like doing ;-) I'm very unimaginative. Anyway eventually I managed this, next chapter's Tristan [I don't write like Tammy all my chapters are going to be from different view points but we'll return to Numair soon, as I cannot stand to be too long away from him *grins* as if. Damn his fictiousness] Anyway hope you enjoyed and of course review!!! I'm getting into replying to reviews, won't do it this time but next chapter, if you review you get to be up here [exciting no? er… no] and of course I'll will go off and read yours. Thanks for getting this far.