Disclaimer: I did not write fairy tales. I did write this.
~~
I woke up and I forgot where I was. I thrashed about blindly in the near-darkness until I remembered. Then I felt properly foolish because at that moment Sienna chose to poke her head in and ask if I was alright. I nodded cheerily. Then I curled up and went back to sleep.
When I woke up again, there was shouting out side. I crept to the door to listen and watch. I saw the red and blue uniforms of Lamar.
"Have you seen a Runner come through here? She's about yay high, with short, brown hair, and she's wearing a grey tunic that is ripped and worn." I looked down at my clothes. Yup, he was describing me alright.
Then I heard Sienna, "Lemme go see if Old Ilea has seen anyone. Hold on, just a moment please."
Why was she acting like this? I thought. Why didn't she just happily give me away? I hadn't told them anything to indicate that I was running from Lamarans, had I? I worried until Sienna crept into the barn.
"Why are you hiding me?" I asked her promptly.
"Because we don't like them. If you hadn't realized, you are very close to the border here. They like to take things from us…like young women. In addition, if you also haven't noticed, you're the right age for them to take. They'll probably take me with them. C'mon, this way." I crawled after her.
I heard Ilea's creaking voice: "We don't got no Runners here. You just leave! Now! Get out! Ye scoundrels!"
I heard the sounds of cursing and what also sounded suspiciously like a rock hitting a body.
Then I heard the order. "Search the buildings. Any girl who is over the age of fifteen will come with us. Go. Be back as soon as possible."
"Damn. Hurry!" Sienna cursed some more under her breath and kept crawling toward the back of the barn.
"C'mon, who'll help me look in the barn?" I scurried faster along the floor as the door opened.
"We will." There was much laughter. Five forms stood in the doorway.
"Don't move." Sienna pulled me into a shadowed between two stalls. "Here," she whispered as she pressed the hilt of a knife into my palm. I sighed as the men drew nearer. Death felt almost imminent.
Then, I sneezed.
"What was that?"
"Over there!"
"Oh no…" Sienna sobbed softly as the men drew nearer. "Ready?"
"Ready. Sorry." I grimaced. She gave me a weak smile.
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here. Two wenches ripe for the picking." A rough hand grasped my arm and hauled me upward. I clutched the knife Sienna had given me within the fold of my shirt. Another man in Lamaran colors grabbed Sienna.
"Uh," I gasped as the man slung me over his shoulder. I loosened my hand until I could throw the knife. Deftly, I threw the blade. It buried itself neatly into the man's neck who was carrying Sienna. With a gurgle, he fell to the ground.
Sienna stood up, clutching two daggers. One, still dripping the blood of its victim, the other shining with a deadly light. The other men looked at her amazed.
"Put her down." She said calmly to the man who was carrying me. He laughed at her. Smiling sweetly, she threw my knife so that it was buried in his stomach.
"Wha…?" said the man stupidly as he died. Nervously, I twisted out from underneath him as he sank to the ground. I wrenched my knife out of him, making sure to give it a cruel twist.
Heartlessly, I threw my knife at the man who approached his companion. The blade cut his arm deeply, but did not kill him; it had been a careless throw. He glared at me a cursed.
"That's vulgar." I stated, as if I had been talking about the weather. I felt sick. I had just seen two men die, one of them at my own hands. I hated myself for that, even if it had been a Lamaran Outrider.
"What did you say?" he stared at me incredulously.
"I said, 'That's vulgar.'" I shut my eyes. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to be sick." And I was: all over his boots and hose. Then, for the finishing touch, I wiped my mouth on his overcoat.
I looked back to see Sienna lying on the ground, her knife, clean, on the ground beside her. Another knife, smaller than ours, was buried in her throat, her blood spilling onto the ground around her.
"Oh, no. Not her, not Sienna, oh no…" I trailed off, my mind lost in the horrors of what had happened. With out a protest, I allowed an Outrider to scoop me up and carry me away from the barn.
He carried me in his arms like I had seen my brother do when he married his love. He carried me as if I were a small child who had been injured and need care. He also carried me as far as his arms could stretch, in case I should be sick again.
When I was, I made sure to tilt my head toward him.
The tears slipped down my face as I watched Old Ilea watch me being carried away. 'Sienna' I mouthed. She just nodded as if she already knew. She was crying too.
I saw Aretha and Leone being held on horses by their captors. They looked frightened. The next person I saw sitting on a horse with a Lamaran Outrider shocked me. It was Chase. It was then I knew. I knew I had to help them somehow. At least get little Chase away.
I was stuck with one problem: how.
When my captor set me on his horse before he got up, I almost smiled. I knew what I was going to do.
I dug my heels into the horse's sides and galloped toward Chase. I swept him out of the startled soldier's arms. I was happy that that rescue had been easy. I was afraid that the others would not be.
Chase giggled at the sensation of flying as I snatched him. I turned the horse so quickly that I nearly fell off. I righted myself as we thundered toward Old Ilea. She held out her arms and caught Chase instantly, and with surprising strength. Chase squealed in delight.
Then all hell broke loose.
The Outriders came at me with their swords drawn. Their leader shouted instructions to his men, apparently forgetting that I could hear him too. I smiled at the men surrounding me and kicked the horse forward.
"Don't hurt my horse!" I at least had some protection then. The men who I was charging jumped out of the horse's path before they impaled it. Unfortunately, they did not have orders not to hurt me.
As we galloped past, somebody grabbed my left leg and pulled. I flew off the horse and into the waiting arms of the Outriders. The inertia that I gained while airborne propelled the Outrider and me backwards a few feet. Even still, the Outrider retained his grip on me.
I looked up at him. My mind was still clouded with all the confusing things that had happened…Sienna dead by an Outrider knife…Chase being rescued…Aretha and Leone still on their horses…my fall from the horse…killing a man…Sienna throwing the knife… My face was streaked with tears, I think. I was so angry at the unfairness of what had happened that all my fear was suddenly gone, replaced by pure, driving anger. I had to do something.
I bit the man who held me.
"Little minx! Shit! She bit me!" his fellows sniggered at his predicament. I had bitten the arm that was closest to my head. I believe that I had actually drawn blood. In any case, the man dropped me promptly.
At first I lay there, so startled at me new situation that I didn't fully comprehend what had happened. Then I realized: I was free! I rolled over and stood up.
I ran.
"Aretha, Leone, c'mon!" Then I noticed the knifepoint that was digging into my back.
"I don't think so, little lady."
"Damn." The man dug the knife a little deeper into my back, and he laughed as I yelped and cursed.
"Get me some rope." The Outrider grasped both my small ones in his own and tightly wrapped the rope around them.
"Ow!" I complained. He laughed derisively again.
"It's not supposed to be pleasant, twit." He tied the knot tightly.
"I take offense to that!" of course I couldn't do anything about it, and he knew it too.
"What would you rather have me call you? Lady? Princess? Queen?" He snorted with laughter. "Or I could even call you Runner, you seem to be as lithe as they are." He laughed again.
"It would be the truth…"I muttered to myself.
"What was that?" Oops, he had heard me.
"Nothing. I didn't say anything. I sang something." I remembered the song that I had been singing when Sienna found me. Oh, Sky, Sienna. I felt a hot tear trickle down my face. I sniffed angrily, wishing I could brush it away.
"Sing it for me." I still hadn't seen my captor. I wondered why.
"I can't sing while I'm crying." I sniffed again, as another tear ran down my cheek.
"Well stop crying!" he sounded angry.
"Ahem." I cleared my throat. A silence fell over the assembled people. The townsfolk and the Outriders alike waited to see what would happen. I didn't see why it was so big of a deal, but then again, maybe I did. It might be a life and death situation for me.
"Hurry up and sing, wench! I won't wait all day."
I sniffed one more time and began.
"Skies of blue
So pretty and bold
Spread before me
As my future unfolds
I'm free as the wind
And as happy as the song
If I run where I want
I'll arrive before long!"
"Very good. You have a lovely singing voice." He turned away from me, I know because his next words were muffled. "Outriders to the ready!" I saw the men in front of me mount their horses. My captor picked me up and set me on his horse as if I weighed nothing. Then he climbed up behind me. "Outriders, move out!"
I noticed we were riding the same horse that I had tried to make an escape on. It had to be the commander of the squad that I was riding with. My situation was ever getting better.
My hands were tied behind my back and whenever the canter threw me back into my captor, my hands would rub up against him. I was fairly certain that he was getting some sort of perverted pleasure out of it. The next time I was thrown back, I helped inertia along and slammed against him.
"Damn you!" He moaned in pain. "Halt!" He called out loudly. When his men looked at him with questions in their eyes, he said, "I have to go tame this wild mare." His men guffawed loudly, and the two who were carrying Leone and Aretha before them pulled the girls closer to them.
"Stay here. Make camp. We're in Lamar now anyway." He pulled me down and I got a look at his face. He was handsome- and surprisingly young. He had unruly black hair and cold black eyes. He didn't have a beard, as most of the older men did.
"We're in Lamar?" I wasn't happy about that prospect.
"Yes, now don't struggle. You could hurt yourself. Oh- please don't bite me." He laughed at this. I didn't find it funny.
"Why are you looking for a Runner?" I was curious as to why this band of Outriders were looking for me, instead of the ones that I'd escaped.
"Because the Ninth Riding is looking for her. It seems that she knows something about the war." War? What war? His hands had a good grip on my right arm and leg as he carried me through the forest.
I asked him. "What war?"
"The war with Syrlan of course. The Runner apparently has knowledge of how to win the war." I did? Oh. That was news to me.
"But…but…" I was really confused now. I didn't have any knowledge of how to win the war! I didn't even know that there was a war!
"But what?" He started to look impatient.
"But, I don't know your name!" I quickly improvised.
"Why should I tell you?" Now he looked suspicious and impatient, which seemed to spell trouble for me.
"Because I can't keep calling you 'You', can I?" I closed my eyes, praying he would answer me.
"I'm uh…Dominick. Uh…just call me Dom." I wasn't sure if that was his real name or not, but it got us away from our previous topic of discussion. "And what's your name? I could keep calling you twit if you prefer of course," he added when I started to protest. "Tell me your real name," he said, almost crushing me.
"I'm Liana." I said sullenly. He smiled.
"Well, Liana, don't run away, now!" He smiled cheerfully as he spread his cloak out on the ground. As if I could run away. I couldn't even get up!
Smiling like a cat who swallowed the canary, Dom tied my hands to two different trees. Then he did the same thing to my feet. This was scaring me a lot. Suddenly I had a perfect understanding of how he was going to 'tame' me.
My fear must have showed on my face because he smiled tenderly down at me.
"Liana, my dove, don't be frightened. I'll be gentle. This is your first time, isn't it?" I nodded slightly. He leaned forward and brushed a strand of short brown hair off my left cheek and kissed me gently. I closed my eyes and sank into the warmth of his mouth on mine, his body lying next to my (thankfully, still clothed) body.
He must have opened his eyes at some point during the kiss because he cried out and violently pushed himself away from me, his hand touching the spot where I knew the mark was.
"You're a Runner? I don't believe this… Oh, Sky! I almost bedded a Runner!" He stared at me as if I was a demon. If I could have, I would have dug a hole for myself to crawl into.
He looked at my hair, my clothes, and my small build. "You're the Runner that The Ninth Riding is looking for. OhdearSky!" I nodded slowly again, uncomprehending as to why he could not bed a Runner. Not that I wanted him to, but it was another question that I had.
So I asked it. His response was in a flat voice.
"I, or any other man serving in the ranks of the Outriders of Lamar, am not allowed to hold any fond feelings for the Runners, or to approach them in a more than business-like way." He sat down. "Its part of the treaty that Lamar has with Syrlan. And it's in the contract…I just…can't." He whispered, his eyes roaming freely over my body.
"That's fine with me." I said softly, which caused him to look at me and laugh weakly.
"Now, to tame you." his eyes took on a glint which truly inspired fear. He took a knife out of his pocket and cut a branch off the nearest tree. It was green wood and still flexible. I winced; I had been punished with a whipping before, when I broke Mother's best set of glassware by throwing it at Jake's head. Then Dom started to speak. Each word was punctuated by a bite from his switch.
"You-are-the-one-we-have-been-looking-for. You-will-pay-for-eluding-the-Ninth-Riding. You-will-tell-us-what-you-know-about-everything." I remained silent through out all of his beating, finally sinking into unconsciousness from the pain.
I created a world for myself where there was only me. I ran through the wheat fields, cavorting and singing without a care in the world. Nymphs and fairies, sprites and pixies joined me in my world, creating a harmonious counterpoint to my lilting tune.
I ponderously noticed another human running beside me. Happily, I noted it was Sienna.
"Go back! Syrlan needs you. Forget about Aretha and Leone. Forget about me! Go to Mirkyn. The King needs to know the information you carry!" Her face was worried, and I stopped my happy singing.
"But what do I know?" I wondered out loud.
"You are the key to opening the Kirin Gardens."
"What're the Kirin Gardens?" I was fairly sure that I had never heard of them before. Sienna looked frightened.
"The Kirin Gardens are the place where Matthias prayed to Sky to define the process of choosing the Runners. Now, whenever there is need, a Runner of Sky's choosing goes there to find what is needed to save Syrlan. The King knows what Syrlan needs."
"But… but…" I protested weakly. "How can I be of Sky's choosing? I mean I'm a captive and I'm being beaten by a man who wanted to bed me before he knew who…what I was…am!" As I mentioned this, I felt myself being pulled back towards where I was lying on the earthly plane. "How do I know?"
"Because I chose you." The last thing I saw before I was drawn back into my body was Sienna's body changing into the image that I had seen Sky's Chosen carrying with them. Then all I knew was blackness…
~~
A/N: Hey, thanks for reviewing all! Love those reviews...:) I think Liana needs a friend...one that won't die right away. Hmm? I don't know, what do you think? Tell me.
Black Jaguar- i like that idea, and i think i'll use it. thank you! now all i have to do is decide what to take from what. hmm....any suggestions are nice, because i have no clue. (shows what kind of writer i am...heh heh) :^)
Tallemera- thanks for reviewing... any favorite parts of stories would be helpful. like your fave. part from cinderella...sleeping beauty...ect...you get the point :)
cheler- thank you! i'm going to ask you for your fave part from the fairy tales...whatever you like. :oP
RaspberryGirl- this is fiction. i don't think its supposed to be too realistic, at least not in my mind. i'm not all that good with suspense, because i just want to get to the good part. if you have any more suggestions, please tell me! and the reason they slept, maybe i didn't illustrate this well enough, is that they were well hidden, the Outriders were getting drunk, and they hadn't slept in a LONG time. they needed rest. Also, they can run fairly quickly, so they were a pretty good distance away. More is explained in the following chapters....i think. (i hope) :D
To All: i need your fave parts from fairy tales! tell me!!!!!!!!!
(no flames, please...)
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I woke up and I forgot where I was. I thrashed about blindly in the near-darkness until I remembered. Then I felt properly foolish because at that moment Sienna chose to poke her head in and ask if I was alright. I nodded cheerily. Then I curled up and went back to sleep.
When I woke up again, there was shouting out side. I crept to the door to listen and watch. I saw the red and blue uniforms of Lamar.
"Have you seen a Runner come through here? She's about yay high, with short, brown hair, and she's wearing a grey tunic that is ripped and worn." I looked down at my clothes. Yup, he was describing me alright.
Then I heard Sienna, "Lemme go see if Old Ilea has seen anyone. Hold on, just a moment please."
Why was she acting like this? I thought. Why didn't she just happily give me away? I hadn't told them anything to indicate that I was running from Lamarans, had I? I worried until Sienna crept into the barn.
"Why are you hiding me?" I asked her promptly.
"Because we don't like them. If you hadn't realized, you are very close to the border here. They like to take things from us…like young women. In addition, if you also haven't noticed, you're the right age for them to take. They'll probably take me with them. C'mon, this way." I crawled after her.
I heard Ilea's creaking voice: "We don't got no Runners here. You just leave! Now! Get out! Ye scoundrels!"
I heard the sounds of cursing and what also sounded suspiciously like a rock hitting a body.
Then I heard the order. "Search the buildings. Any girl who is over the age of fifteen will come with us. Go. Be back as soon as possible."
"Damn. Hurry!" Sienna cursed some more under her breath and kept crawling toward the back of the barn.
"C'mon, who'll help me look in the barn?" I scurried faster along the floor as the door opened.
"We will." There was much laughter. Five forms stood in the doorway.
"Don't move." Sienna pulled me into a shadowed between two stalls. "Here," she whispered as she pressed the hilt of a knife into my palm. I sighed as the men drew nearer. Death felt almost imminent.
Then, I sneezed.
"What was that?"
"Over there!"
"Oh no…" Sienna sobbed softly as the men drew nearer. "Ready?"
"Ready. Sorry." I grimaced. She gave me a weak smile.
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here. Two wenches ripe for the picking." A rough hand grasped my arm and hauled me upward. I clutched the knife Sienna had given me within the fold of my shirt. Another man in Lamaran colors grabbed Sienna.
"Uh," I gasped as the man slung me over his shoulder. I loosened my hand until I could throw the knife. Deftly, I threw the blade. It buried itself neatly into the man's neck who was carrying Sienna. With a gurgle, he fell to the ground.
Sienna stood up, clutching two daggers. One, still dripping the blood of its victim, the other shining with a deadly light. The other men looked at her amazed.
"Put her down." She said calmly to the man who was carrying me. He laughed at her. Smiling sweetly, she threw my knife so that it was buried in his stomach.
"Wha…?" said the man stupidly as he died. Nervously, I twisted out from underneath him as he sank to the ground. I wrenched my knife out of him, making sure to give it a cruel twist.
Heartlessly, I threw my knife at the man who approached his companion. The blade cut his arm deeply, but did not kill him; it had been a careless throw. He glared at me a cursed.
"That's vulgar." I stated, as if I had been talking about the weather. I felt sick. I had just seen two men die, one of them at my own hands. I hated myself for that, even if it had been a Lamaran Outrider.
"What did you say?" he stared at me incredulously.
"I said, 'That's vulgar.'" I shut my eyes. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to be sick." And I was: all over his boots and hose. Then, for the finishing touch, I wiped my mouth on his overcoat.
I looked back to see Sienna lying on the ground, her knife, clean, on the ground beside her. Another knife, smaller than ours, was buried in her throat, her blood spilling onto the ground around her.
"Oh, no. Not her, not Sienna, oh no…" I trailed off, my mind lost in the horrors of what had happened. With out a protest, I allowed an Outrider to scoop me up and carry me away from the barn.
He carried me in his arms like I had seen my brother do when he married his love. He carried me as if I were a small child who had been injured and need care. He also carried me as far as his arms could stretch, in case I should be sick again.
When I was, I made sure to tilt my head toward him.
The tears slipped down my face as I watched Old Ilea watch me being carried away. 'Sienna' I mouthed. She just nodded as if she already knew. She was crying too.
I saw Aretha and Leone being held on horses by their captors. They looked frightened. The next person I saw sitting on a horse with a Lamaran Outrider shocked me. It was Chase. It was then I knew. I knew I had to help them somehow. At least get little Chase away.
I was stuck with one problem: how.
When my captor set me on his horse before he got up, I almost smiled. I knew what I was going to do.
I dug my heels into the horse's sides and galloped toward Chase. I swept him out of the startled soldier's arms. I was happy that that rescue had been easy. I was afraid that the others would not be.
Chase giggled at the sensation of flying as I snatched him. I turned the horse so quickly that I nearly fell off. I righted myself as we thundered toward Old Ilea. She held out her arms and caught Chase instantly, and with surprising strength. Chase squealed in delight.
Then all hell broke loose.
The Outriders came at me with their swords drawn. Their leader shouted instructions to his men, apparently forgetting that I could hear him too. I smiled at the men surrounding me and kicked the horse forward.
"Don't hurt my horse!" I at least had some protection then. The men who I was charging jumped out of the horse's path before they impaled it. Unfortunately, they did not have orders not to hurt me.
As we galloped past, somebody grabbed my left leg and pulled. I flew off the horse and into the waiting arms of the Outriders. The inertia that I gained while airborne propelled the Outrider and me backwards a few feet. Even still, the Outrider retained his grip on me.
I looked up at him. My mind was still clouded with all the confusing things that had happened…Sienna dead by an Outrider knife…Chase being rescued…Aretha and Leone still on their horses…my fall from the horse…killing a man…Sienna throwing the knife… My face was streaked with tears, I think. I was so angry at the unfairness of what had happened that all my fear was suddenly gone, replaced by pure, driving anger. I had to do something.
I bit the man who held me.
"Little minx! Shit! She bit me!" his fellows sniggered at his predicament. I had bitten the arm that was closest to my head. I believe that I had actually drawn blood. In any case, the man dropped me promptly.
At first I lay there, so startled at me new situation that I didn't fully comprehend what had happened. Then I realized: I was free! I rolled over and stood up.
I ran.
"Aretha, Leone, c'mon!" Then I noticed the knifepoint that was digging into my back.
"I don't think so, little lady."
"Damn." The man dug the knife a little deeper into my back, and he laughed as I yelped and cursed.
"Get me some rope." The Outrider grasped both my small ones in his own and tightly wrapped the rope around them.
"Ow!" I complained. He laughed derisively again.
"It's not supposed to be pleasant, twit." He tied the knot tightly.
"I take offense to that!" of course I couldn't do anything about it, and he knew it too.
"What would you rather have me call you? Lady? Princess? Queen?" He snorted with laughter. "Or I could even call you Runner, you seem to be as lithe as they are." He laughed again.
"It would be the truth…"I muttered to myself.
"What was that?" Oops, he had heard me.
"Nothing. I didn't say anything. I sang something." I remembered the song that I had been singing when Sienna found me. Oh, Sky, Sienna. I felt a hot tear trickle down my face. I sniffed angrily, wishing I could brush it away.
"Sing it for me." I still hadn't seen my captor. I wondered why.
"I can't sing while I'm crying." I sniffed again, as another tear ran down my cheek.
"Well stop crying!" he sounded angry.
"Ahem." I cleared my throat. A silence fell over the assembled people. The townsfolk and the Outriders alike waited to see what would happen. I didn't see why it was so big of a deal, but then again, maybe I did. It might be a life and death situation for me.
"Hurry up and sing, wench! I won't wait all day."
I sniffed one more time and began.
"Skies of blue
So pretty and bold
Spread before me
As my future unfolds
I'm free as the wind
And as happy as the song
If I run where I want
I'll arrive before long!"
"Very good. You have a lovely singing voice." He turned away from me, I know because his next words were muffled. "Outriders to the ready!" I saw the men in front of me mount their horses. My captor picked me up and set me on his horse as if I weighed nothing. Then he climbed up behind me. "Outriders, move out!"
I noticed we were riding the same horse that I had tried to make an escape on. It had to be the commander of the squad that I was riding with. My situation was ever getting better.
My hands were tied behind my back and whenever the canter threw me back into my captor, my hands would rub up against him. I was fairly certain that he was getting some sort of perverted pleasure out of it. The next time I was thrown back, I helped inertia along and slammed against him.
"Damn you!" He moaned in pain. "Halt!" He called out loudly. When his men looked at him with questions in their eyes, he said, "I have to go tame this wild mare." His men guffawed loudly, and the two who were carrying Leone and Aretha before them pulled the girls closer to them.
"Stay here. Make camp. We're in Lamar now anyway." He pulled me down and I got a look at his face. He was handsome- and surprisingly young. He had unruly black hair and cold black eyes. He didn't have a beard, as most of the older men did.
"We're in Lamar?" I wasn't happy about that prospect.
"Yes, now don't struggle. You could hurt yourself. Oh- please don't bite me." He laughed at this. I didn't find it funny.
"Why are you looking for a Runner?" I was curious as to why this band of Outriders were looking for me, instead of the ones that I'd escaped.
"Because the Ninth Riding is looking for her. It seems that she knows something about the war." War? What war? His hands had a good grip on my right arm and leg as he carried me through the forest.
I asked him. "What war?"
"The war with Syrlan of course. The Runner apparently has knowledge of how to win the war." I did? Oh. That was news to me.
"But…but…" I was really confused now. I didn't have any knowledge of how to win the war! I didn't even know that there was a war!
"But what?" He started to look impatient.
"But, I don't know your name!" I quickly improvised.
"Why should I tell you?" Now he looked suspicious and impatient, which seemed to spell trouble for me.
"Because I can't keep calling you 'You', can I?" I closed my eyes, praying he would answer me.
"I'm uh…Dominick. Uh…just call me Dom." I wasn't sure if that was his real name or not, but it got us away from our previous topic of discussion. "And what's your name? I could keep calling you twit if you prefer of course," he added when I started to protest. "Tell me your real name," he said, almost crushing me.
"I'm Liana." I said sullenly. He smiled.
"Well, Liana, don't run away, now!" He smiled cheerfully as he spread his cloak out on the ground. As if I could run away. I couldn't even get up!
Smiling like a cat who swallowed the canary, Dom tied my hands to two different trees. Then he did the same thing to my feet. This was scaring me a lot. Suddenly I had a perfect understanding of how he was going to 'tame' me.
My fear must have showed on my face because he smiled tenderly down at me.
"Liana, my dove, don't be frightened. I'll be gentle. This is your first time, isn't it?" I nodded slightly. He leaned forward and brushed a strand of short brown hair off my left cheek and kissed me gently. I closed my eyes and sank into the warmth of his mouth on mine, his body lying next to my (thankfully, still clothed) body.
He must have opened his eyes at some point during the kiss because he cried out and violently pushed himself away from me, his hand touching the spot where I knew the mark was.
"You're a Runner? I don't believe this… Oh, Sky! I almost bedded a Runner!" He stared at me as if I was a demon. If I could have, I would have dug a hole for myself to crawl into.
He looked at my hair, my clothes, and my small build. "You're the Runner that The Ninth Riding is looking for. OhdearSky!" I nodded slowly again, uncomprehending as to why he could not bed a Runner. Not that I wanted him to, but it was another question that I had.
So I asked it. His response was in a flat voice.
"I, or any other man serving in the ranks of the Outriders of Lamar, am not allowed to hold any fond feelings for the Runners, or to approach them in a more than business-like way." He sat down. "Its part of the treaty that Lamar has with Syrlan. And it's in the contract…I just…can't." He whispered, his eyes roaming freely over my body.
"That's fine with me." I said softly, which caused him to look at me and laugh weakly.
"Now, to tame you." his eyes took on a glint which truly inspired fear. He took a knife out of his pocket and cut a branch off the nearest tree. It was green wood and still flexible. I winced; I had been punished with a whipping before, when I broke Mother's best set of glassware by throwing it at Jake's head. Then Dom started to speak. Each word was punctuated by a bite from his switch.
"You-are-the-one-we-have-been-looking-for. You-will-pay-for-eluding-the-Ninth-Riding. You-will-tell-us-what-you-know-about-everything." I remained silent through out all of his beating, finally sinking into unconsciousness from the pain.
I created a world for myself where there was only me. I ran through the wheat fields, cavorting and singing without a care in the world. Nymphs and fairies, sprites and pixies joined me in my world, creating a harmonious counterpoint to my lilting tune.
I ponderously noticed another human running beside me. Happily, I noted it was Sienna.
"Go back! Syrlan needs you. Forget about Aretha and Leone. Forget about me! Go to Mirkyn. The King needs to know the information you carry!" Her face was worried, and I stopped my happy singing.
"But what do I know?" I wondered out loud.
"You are the key to opening the Kirin Gardens."
"What're the Kirin Gardens?" I was fairly sure that I had never heard of them before. Sienna looked frightened.
"The Kirin Gardens are the place where Matthias prayed to Sky to define the process of choosing the Runners. Now, whenever there is need, a Runner of Sky's choosing goes there to find what is needed to save Syrlan. The King knows what Syrlan needs."
"But… but…" I protested weakly. "How can I be of Sky's choosing? I mean I'm a captive and I'm being beaten by a man who wanted to bed me before he knew who…what I was…am!" As I mentioned this, I felt myself being pulled back towards where I was lying on the earthly plane. "How do I know?"
"Because I chose you." The last thing I saw before I was drawn back into my body was Sienna's body changing into the image that I had seen Sky's Chosen carrying with them. Then all I knew was blackness…
~~
A/N: Hey, thanks for reviewing all! Love those reviews...:) I think Liana needs a friend...one that won't die right away. Hmm? I don't know, what do you think? Tell me.
Black Jaguar- i like that idea, and i think i'll use it. thank you! now all i have to do is decide what to take from what. hmm....any suggestions are nice, because i have no clue. (shows what kind of writer i am...heh heh) :^)
Tallemera- thanks for reviewing... any favorite parts of stories would be helpful. like your fave. part from cinderella...sleeping beauty...ect...you get the point :)
cheler- thank you! i'm going to ask you for your fave part from the fairy tales...whatever you like. :oP
RaspberryGirl- this is fiction. i don't think its supposed to be too realistic, at least not in my mind. i'm not all that good with suspense, because i just want to get to the good part. if you have any more suggestions, please tell me! and the reason they slept, maybe i didn't illustrate this well enough, is that they were well hidden, the Outriders were getting drunk, and they hadn't slept in a LONG time. they needed rest. Also, they can run fairly quickly, so they were a pretty good distance away. More is explained in the following chapters....i think. (i hope) :D
To All: i need your fave parts from fairy tales! tell me!!!!!!!!!
(no flames, please...)