Disclaimer: I want to be a famous author and all that, but I'm would never, ever, ever steal someone else's ideas! Never! (Besides, original fiction tends to be more fun, though it takes a little more time). Anyways, please don't sue me =)
Another review! And it was another nice review! I'm happy! I changed my title; it's much better. You might not understand it just yet, but you will, I swear. And I'm trying not to be too negative about this fanfic, but I'm always sort of critical of my own stuff. But I do like this story a lot, and I really love the characters! You haven't seen them yet (I already finished chapter 7) but they are cool! Anyways, here's chapter 4—
~Chapter 4~ Listening Up
Lenora carefully knelt placing Rag's head on the hard street. What am I going to do, she thought, panicking. I can't take her to my house. Mother will kill me. She frowned. "Mother…forget mother!" She scowled. "I'm so stupid. You obviously need help," she murmured to the unconscious girl. "But how do I carry you over?" She bit her lip and rubbed her eyes. "This is never going to work…but what's wrong anyway." She nudged Rags. "Oh…please, please wake-up. I can't carry you…" she moaned. She was choking back tears, and her throat felt dry and scratchy. She couldn't carry Rags.
But I could try. I should at least try, she thought in self-disgust.
She stood, and delicately leaned over to pull Rags up. She nearly dropped the rogue in surprise. She was light! Less than Lenora even! People shouldn't have to live like her, she thought absentmindedly as she slung Rag's arm over her shoulder. Taking a tentative step, she winced. She wasn't nearly tall enough to hold up Rag's tall figure. The poor girl's feet were dragging along. But there was no help for it.
Slowly and tediously she pulled the girl towards her house. It seemed farther away than when they'd started. Even as she walked, the house ran in the opposite direction. But she didn't stop. Whatever it was that had made Rags race so fast, Lenora felt she ought not to slow down more then she had to. But what had made Rags so scared?
Lenora was stunned when she abruptly found herself at the store. It had taken so long! She glanced through the door window. Good. Her father was there. She kicked the door loudly. Both Rags and her father jumped.
"What…" Rags squirmed a little, and Lenora relaxed her hold on the thief.
"Get in here now!" her father said in a quiet voice, just dying to break into a shout. He pulled Rags in and motioned for Lenora to follow. "Is she all right? Rags?" He laid the emaciated girl on the floor.
"How do you know her name?" Lenora looked bewildered. I'm certain Rags has never been here before. But then how would father know her name?
"I'm fine, Holdden." Rags mumbled. She sat up suddenly. "But everything's gone so wrong!" She glanced towards Lenora quickly. "Uh…"
"Lenora," her father said sharply, "go help your mother." Lenora opened her mouth to complain, but something told her that there wasn't time for that. Besides, both she and her father knew that she could hear very well from her room. She stood and left the room, racing up to her room. Once there she sat down and put her ear to the ground. Snips of the conversation below floated up to her.
"—was it?" That was her father finishing a question.
"Riyan, Snatch, the whole crew mostly." Rags answered. Riyan. He had been Lenora's first flirt. And he'd given Lenora her first kiss. What had happened?
"How did…" Lenora ground her teeth in frustration. Talk louder, please talk louder…
"They just did." Rags was louder than Holdden. "They came, and they took everyone." She sounded frantic. Lenora guesses that the thief was sobbing.
"Calm down." Holdden was thinking, Lenora could practically see him biting his lip and squinting. "We can't do anything 'bout it, you know. It would ruin everything."
"Blast everything." Rags said bitterly. "It's already good and ruined anyway."
"No…not really…send someone…into the workroom." She listened to her father and Rags walk away. She sat up. It didn't make any sense. Her father knew Rags, which wasn't possible. They'd been planning something certainly. And something bad had happened. Something bad happened to my friends. And Rags made me run away! She radiated with anger. How could Rags have just left?
"What's going on?" Lenora cried in despair as she rocked back and forth on her knees. I hate this. I hate everything. Oh, I hope everyone's all right…
Lenora's being a little soppy and sorry for herself. I'm sorry if that makes you sick but I think I should be true to the character. Lenora is not a very brave "I can do anything" type person. And she'll get better (sort of). At least, if she doesn't get better, the things she has to deal with will get funnier. =)
Anyways, I was going to put Kel in this chapter too, but now I'm confused about something. I really have to reread the whole Protector of the Small series… ~Kat~