Another Story
Chapter 2
Cassy's mind felt faint. She didn't know if she was dead, or if she was delirious. The last thing she could remember was being lifted from the ground, then suddenly... feeling limp then blackness. She didn't know how much time past, she could hear voices; voices that she didn't know. Occasionally she heard, David's voice... calling out to her like a rushing wind.
Nenniver was the first to wake up; he was still feeling faint as Cassandra was, but he was more conscious. He looked around faintly; he and Cassy were laid on a cot on the side of the room. The room looked like it was part of a basement, but he had a pretty clear idea of where they were. One glance at the circular window nearby already told him. They were at a sea, sailing somewhere he didn't know off.
Nenniver had usually been a quiet fellow, but he felt scared inside, and he knew it was also Cassandra's, she was still in a faint shock and she was half a sleep, murmuring David's name.
A knock came on the door, a moment after. The door squeaked forward, and David's head peeked into the room. His face was filled with worry for his friend, though he usually never did frown or show it. Nenniver knew he was sad somehow...
"Hey Cass..." David said slowly and softly, entering the room silently, and closing the door in the same way.
Fylorie trotted in beside David as an injured puppy, lifting her one paw in the air and limped inside the room.
David sat down beside Cassy, gently nudging her, "Cassy?"
Nenniver looked up at him sleepily. Nenniver was still in his wildcat form. He yawned and slowly got up, "Let her rest a bit longer..." Nenniver didn't mind talking to David; he felt it wasn't any different from talking to Fyl strangely enough. He hoped off the cot changing into a small dog and gently licking Fyl's ear, "You alright Fyl?"
"I'm okay Nenny..." Fylorie sighed and lay down on the floor, "David still feels like he's responsible for that fight... that he couldn't get us out of that situation."
Nenniver nodded gravely and turned into a bit of a bigger dog and wrapped around Fylorie protectively, "Cass is really out of it... I think she may be in shock for awhile, when I ventured a little too far away..."
The two daemons's heard a yawn from above obviously Cassy's, but Fyl and Nenniver still talked.
"Why did you go that far anyway? You know happens... well I guess it doesn't matter. Me and David looked around this boat... there are several other children here including one of the Parslows, that Roger kid..."
Nenniver tilted his head; half listening and half listening to David and Cassy chattering about just above them, "Is there? And I went that far thinking I could get help, but... sadly no avail," he sighed, gently touching Fyl's paw she held close to her. Then he nuzzled her in a comforting, "I don't like this, not at all."
"Me neither," Fylorie said softly, "They won't even let us outside. David tried and the captain almost broke his arm... how I got this," Fyl wiggled her injured paw a little.
Nenniver growled softly, lowering his head to the floor, crossing his paws in front of him, "Coursed men, why do they want us anyways I wonder...hey Fyl, how long has it been since that brawl?"
"Two... maybe three days, I'm not sure..."
"That long..." Nenniver gasped.
"Yeah, you two we're out like a light for a long time."
--
"Heh, what do you think they're talking about down there?" David said slowly, watching the two daemons's chattering about a little ways away.
Cassy shrugged, looking at the two, "Dunno, but they certainly care for each other," she looked to David and smiled fondly at her friend.
David nodded and smiled back to Cassy, "And I know I care for you... I'm sorry I couldn't get us out of that fight."
Cassy shook her head, sitting up to embrace her friend, "It's not your fault David, and there was nothing either of us could do."
David sighed and held her close, "Yeah... I guess." It was a weird feeling; David had never had in a long time... he felt strongly for Cassy, like he never did before. He never really understood love, and he wondered... if this is what it's like.
Then the door opened and someone else, popped his head in. It was Billy Costa, one of the David's friends back in Oxford.
"Hey, Dave, that mean captain wants you again" said Billy, "Hey Cass, glad to see you're alright."
"Hey Billy" Cassandra smiled at him. She looked at David and hugged him again, "Be careful."
David smiled reassuringly and nodded, "I'll be fine." He scooped up Fylorie, gently. He waved back to Cassy before he exited the room with Billy.
"So... what's the deal now?" said David with a soft sigh as they walked down the corridor of the ship. No one was around, none were allowed.
"I think he wants you to scrub floors as punishment," Billy yawned.
"Punish me? For what? Asking to go outside, and actually breathe instead of inside this can of mucus?" David scoffed.
"Well I'd suggest not getting into a fight with him; he seems content on trying to throw you overboard the ship without warning."
David shuddered inside; He hated the sea; he never wanted to hear about it again. And for a good reason...
"David?" Billy poked at him, "Something wrong?"
"Huh? Oh no" David shook his head as they finally got to the bridge of the ship. The mean captain stood there, driving the big vessel and occasionally looking out to see with his binoculars.
"Good luck..." Billy patted David's shoulder before he walked back the other way.
David stood there blinking; the captain's face was turned to his duty. But the captain finally said something absently with that grumpy voice that made David shiver inside.
"Get on the floor and start scrubbin' boy," the captain growled.
David shook his head faintly and picked up a brush and a bucket of soap and started at the corner of the room, avoiding the captain. He scrubbed and scrubbed at the hard, rough, uneven and grimy floor that probably hadn't been washed in centuries...
"Better not say anything..." David murmured. Fylorie was in his shirt pocket again as a hamster, sneezing occasionally at the fumes of the soap.
David looked up slightly and saw the captain's daemon, or at least first time noticed it, never really caring before. It was a armadillo with a dangerous look in its eye, showing the very defensive nature of the captain, and an angry mood of him as well. David looked down again to his work, the floor had barely changed color, the grime caked on was probably already changing the wood's color already and David would never get out here.
"Hey kid! You en't doing a very good job, sunny! Scrub harder you little punk!" the captain had turned his grumpy old face at David, his eyes showing the redness of sleep disorder and probably why the captain was grumpy every waking moment.
David frowned faintly. He couldn't hold it back, he disliked the captain for more than just because he was rough. David hated anyone to do with the sea... anything that ever came close to it; David said it with a loud disgust, "Why don't you do it yourself!"
The captain took a slow breath and turned his full body at the twelve- year old boy, "What did you just say, boy?" his voice was stern and with contempt.
David wasn't going to cower, he wasn't afraid and he said it again loud and hard, "I said, why don't you do it yourself!"
"Because, I'm older and don't have to, and I'm more disciplined rather than a sea rat like you." the captain said with a strange calmness, cracking his neck, as if getting ready for a fight.
"Look I'm not one who kidnaps children and sells, them, yeah, that's right, that's probably what you are, your paid for kidnapping children! You sorry butt man with a toque!" David scowled.
The captain lost his temper again; his face was practically a red hot chili pepper in color, and the captain batted David across his forehead without warning.
David fell back, smacking his on the wall behind him. David gasped and slid down the wall to the floor, holding his head. David's anger grew deeper; the captain wasn't the only one loosing his temper. Fylorie had pretty much almost fainted in David's shirt pocket.
"Aggg.....see... you....even... abuse children... ass turd..." David spoke with closed-wincing eyes; the words came out with difficulty; every word shook his mind, as he said it, like a small earthquake in his very head.
David suddenly felt arms pulling him up, and a voice rocked softly in his head... it was the Parslow kid. Roger.
"Come on Dave!" Roger gasped as he pulled David up to his feet and held him up.
David just felt faint at his head and rolled his shoulders softly before opening his eyes again at the blurry image of the captain talking to woman with a rot wilier daemon. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but he had a good idea. The woman turned to him and Roger and shouted at them sternly as the captain, "Go back to your rooms!" Roger pulled David out of the room swiftly. David shook his head several times before he broke away from Roger and steadied himself on the side walls just outside the bridge, "I had him, Roger." "No you didn't, I swear he was about to kill you, why would you do something like that?" "Don't ask Roger... please" David rubbed his head with both his hands. He needed to get back... back to Cassy. "I'll help you back to Cassy, David... just take it easy..." Before David knew it, he was at Cassy's door holding an ice pack to his head. It helped a lot to have an ice pack, but it still gave him a headache. David slowly turned the knob and pushed open the door softly.
Cassandra was sitting on the edge of her cot, thinking about something until David came in mumbling to himself. She looked up at him worriedly as he came into the room.
"Stupid... ass turd..." David muttered as he closed the door behind him.
Cassy quickly waved for him to sit down, her concern growing wider. Nenniver hopped off the bed as a cat meowing for Fylorie.
David sat down with closed eyes, holding the ice pack he had firmly in place. Fyl climbed out of his shirt pocket still as a hamster and she crawled over to the floor weak and dazed.
Nenniver gently picked Fyl up on his back and jumped onto the bed swiftly, having regained most of his energy from a good long rest. He laid Fyl down away from David and Cassy and they began to chatter about.
"What happened?!" Cassy hugged David tightly.
David hugged her back with his free arm, still wincing from the ice and the pain, though he preferred the ice, "He called me down to clean floors... after he started complaining, we started a fight and he eventually... well hit me. But don't worry, I'm fine... just a little sore with a minor...'headache'"
Curiously, Cassandra pulled on the ice pack and tugged it away. Gently she poked at the soft part of his head, were it was red just under his hair. Then she planted a kiss on the spot and hugged him again.
--
"So... do you think they're gobblers? Those people we heard of back at Oxford?" Fylorie said almost mumbling from the pain in her head.
"Wow, Fyl, you got right down on it." Nenniver pawed at her, playfully, obviously a little restless, "Maybe they are ... maybe they aren't, I have no idea."
Fyl stuck out her tongue, and giggled faintly, "Well... they're pretty darn rough, I en't liking the captain's relationship with David. I swear the guy would kill David when he had the chance."
Nenniver tugged gently on Fyl's fur, then began to lick it clean, "Well I'm sure you could prevent that, right? Life would be a little dull without a friend like you, Fyl."
"You're so sweet," Fyl giggled feeling a bit better. She pounced on Nenniver playfully, "you know I liked you for that."
Nenniver rolled over with Fyl on his stomach, batting at her gently, "No I didn't" Nenniver said with a small wink.
--
Cassy giggled at the two daemons, yawning and curling into David's side, watching the daemon's, amused.
David hugged her close, "Fyl says we're going north, but that's all... I guess we shouldn't have followed Lyra to the retirement room..."
Cassy nodded lightly, "I guess we shouldn't have..." she smiled faintly, "Today has gone by so fast."
"Well you slept for a long time, Fyl told me you were in shock for quite awhile."
Cassy blinked, "Was I? I felt like I was awake..."
"Yeah... I thought you were dead, or something... anyway, I'm not even supposed to be here. They separate the girls and guys on this boat, and I suspect they'll do the same when we get where we're going. Billy keeps watch just outside the door, so if you need me, I'll be pretty much just in the room across the hall." David explained sighing.
Cassy squeezed him tightly, and then she turned and moved up on the cot. Fylorie crawled over to David and leaped into shirt pocket again.
David smiled rubbing his daemon on the head before waving goodbye then exiting the room for the night.
Chapter 2
Cassy's mind felt faint. She didn't know if she was dead, or if she was delirious. The last thing she could remember was being lifted from the ground, then suddenly... feeling limp then blackness. She didn't know how much time past, she could hear voices; voices that she didn't know. Occasionally she heard, David's voice... calling out to her like a rushing wind.
Nenniver was the first to wake up; he was still feeling faint as Cassandra was, but he was more conscious. He looked around faintly; he and Cassy were laid on a cot on the side of the room. The room looked like it was part of a basement, but he had a pretty clear idea of where they were. One glance at the circular window nearby already told him. They were at a sea, sailing somewhere he didn't know off.
Nenniver had usually been a quiet fellow, but he felt scared inside, and he knew it was also Cassandra's, she was still in a faint shock and she was half a sleep, murmuring David's name.
A knock came on the door, a moment after. The door squeaked forward, and David's head peeked into the room. His face was filled with worry for his friend, though he usually never did frown or show it. Nenniver knew he was sad somehow...
"Hey Cass..." David said slowly and softly, entering the room silently, and closing the door in the same way.
Fylorie trotted in beside David as an injured puppy, lifting her one paw in the air and limped inside the room.
David sat down beside Cassy, gently nudging her, "Cassy?"
Nenniver looked up at him sleepily. Nenniver was still in his wildcat form. He yawned and slowly got up, "Let her rest a bit longer..." Nenniver didn't mind talking to David; he felt it wasn't any different from talking to Fyl strangely enough. He hoped off the cot changing into a small dog and gently licking Fyl's ear, "You alright Fyl?"
"I'm okay Nenny..." Fylorie sighed and lay down on the floor, "David still feels like he's responsible for that fight... that he couldn't get us out of that situation."
Nenniver nodded gravely and turned into a bit of a bigger dog and wrapped around Fylorie protectively, "Cass is really out of it... I think she may be in shock for awhile, when I ventured a little too far away..."
The two daemons's heard a yawn from above obviously Cassy's, but Fyl and Nenniver still talked.
"Why did you go that far anyway? You know happens... well I guess it doesn't matter. Me and David looked around this boat... there are several other children here including one of the Parslows, that Roger kid..."
Nenniver tilted his head; half listening and half listening to David and Cassy chattering about just above them, "Is there? And I went that far thinking I could get help, but... sadly no avail," he sighed, gently touching Fyl's paw she held close to her. Then he nuzzled her in a comforting, "I don't like this, not at all."
"Me neither," Fylorie said softly, "They won't even let us outside. David tried and the captain almost broke his arm... how I got this," Fyl wiggled her injured paw a little.
Nenniver growled softly, lowering his head to the floor, crossing his paws in front of him, "Coursed men, why do they want us anyways I wonder...hey Fyl, how long has it been since that brawl?"
"Two... maybe three days, I'm not sure..."
"That long..." Nenniver gasped.
"Yeah, you two we're out like a light for a long time."
--
"Heh, what do you think they're talking about down there?" David said slowly, watching the two daemons's chattering about a little ways away.
Cassy shrugged, looking at the two, "Dunno, but they certainly care for each other," she looked to David and smiled fondly at her friend.
David nodded and smiled back to Cassy, "And I know I care for you... I'm sorry I couldn't get us out of that fight."
Cassy shook her head, sitting up to embrace her friend, "It's not your fault David, and there was nothing either of us could do."
David sighed and held her close, "Yeah... I guess." It was a weird feeling; David had never had in a long time... he felt strongly for Cassy, like he never did before. He never really understood love, and he wondered... if this is what it's like.
Then the door opened and someone else, popped his head in. It was Billy Costa, one of the David's friends back in Oxford.
"Hey, Dave, that mean captain wants you again" said Billy, "Hey Cass, glad to see you're alright."
"Hey Billy" Cassandra smiled at him. She looked at David and hugged him again, "Be careful."
David smiled reassuringly and nodded, "I'll be fine." He scooped up Fylorie, gently. He waved back to Cassy before he exited the room with Billy.
"So... what's the deal now?" said David with a soft sigh as they walked down the corridor of the ship. No one was around, none were allowed.
"I think he wants you to scrub floors as punishment," Billy yawned.
"Punish me? For what? Asking to go outside, and actually breathe instead of inside this can of mucus?" David scoffed.
"Well I'd suggest not getting into a fight with him; he seems content on trying to throw you overboard the ship without warning."
David shuddered inside; He hated the sea; he never wanted to hear about it again. And for a good reason...
"David?" Billy poked at him, "Something wrong?"
"Huh? Oh no" David shook his head as they finally got to the bridge of the ship. The mean captain stood there, driving the big vessel and occasionally looking out to see with his binoculars.
"Good luck..." Billy patted David's shoulder before he walked back the other way.
David stood there blinking; the captain's face was turned to his duty. But the captain finally said something absently with that grumpy voice that made David shiver inside.
"Get on the floor and start scrubbin' boy," the captain growled.
David shook his head faintly and picked up a brush and a bucket of soap and started at the corner of the room, avoiding the captain. He scrubbed and scrubbed at the hard, rough, uneven and grimy floor that probably hadn't been washed in centuries...
"Better not say anything..." David murmured. Fylorie was in his shirt pocket again as a hamster, sneezing occasionally at the fumes of the soap.
David looked up slightly and saw the captain's daemon, or at least first time noticed it, never really caring before. It was a armadillo with a dangerous look in its eye, showing the very defensive nature of the captain, and an angry mood of him as well. David looked down again to his work, the floor had barely changed color, the grime caked on was probably already changing the wood's color already and David would never get out here.
"Hey kid! You en't doing a very good job, sunny! Scrub harder you little punk!" the captain had turned his grumpy old face at David, his eyes showing the redness of sleep disorder and probably why the captain was grumpy every waking moment.
David frowned faintly. He couldn't hold it back, he disliked the captain for more than just because he was rough. David hated anyone to do with the sea... anything that ever came close to it; David said it with a loud disgust, "Why don't you do it yourself!"
The captain took a slow breath and turned his full body at the twelve- year old boy, "What did you just say, boy?" his voice was stern and with contempt.
David wasn't going to cower, he wasn't afraid and he said it again loud and hard, "I said, why don't you do it yourself!"
"Because, I'm older and don't have to, and I'm more disciplined rather than a sea rat like you." the captain said with a strange calmness, cracking his neck, as if getting ready for a fight.
"Look I'm not one who kidnaps children and sells, them, yeah, that's right, that's probably what you are, your paid for kidnapping children! You sorry butt man with a toque!" David scowled.
The captain lost his temper again; his face was practically a red hot chili pepper in color, and the captain batted David across his forehead without warning.
David fell back, smacking his on the wall behind him. David gasped and slid down the wall to the floor, holding his head. David's anger grew deeper; the captain wasn't the only one loosing his temper. Fylorie had pretty much almost fainted in David's shirt pocket.
"Aggg.....see... you....even... abuse children... ass turd..." David spoke with closed-wincing eyes; the words came out with difficulty; every word shook his mind, as he said it, like a small earthquake in his very head.
David suddenly felt arms pulling him up, and a voice rocked softly in his head... it was the Parslow kid. Roger.
"Come on Dave!" Roger gasped as he pulled David up to his feet and held him up.
David just felt faint at his head and rolled his shoulders softly before opening his eyes again at the blurry image of the captain talking to woman with a rot wilier daemon. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but he had a good idea. The woman turned to him and Roger and shouted at them sternly as the captain, "Go back to your rooms!" Roger pulled David out of the room swiftly. David shook his head several times before he broke away from Roger and steadied himself on the side walls just outside the bridge, "I had him, Roger." "No you didn't, I swear he was about to kill you, why would you do something like that?" "Don't ask Roger... please" David rubbed his head with both his hands. He needed to get back... back to Cassy. "I'll help you back to Cassy, David... just take it easy..." Before David knew it, he was at Cassy's door holding an ice pack to his head. It helped a lot to have an ice pack, but it still gave him a headache. David slowly turned the knob and pushed open the door softly.
Cassandra was sitting on the edge of her cot, thinking about something until David came in mumbling to himself. She looked up at him worriedly as he came into the room.
"Stupid... ass turd..." David muttered as he closed the door behind him.
Cassy quickly waved for him to sit down, her concern growing wider. Nenniver hopped off the bed as a cat meowing for Fylorie.
David sat down with closed eyes, holding the ice pack he had firmly in place. Fyl climbed out of his shirt pocket still as a hamster and she crawled over to the floor weak and dazed.
Nenniver gently picked Fyl up on his back and jumped onto the bed swiftly, having regained most of his energy from a good long rest. He laid Fyl down away from David and Cassy and they began to chatter about.
"What happened?!" Cassy hugged David tightly.
David hugged her back with his free arm, still wincing from the ice and the pain, though he preferred the ice, "He called me down to clean floors... after he started complaining, we started a fight and he eventually... well hit me. But don't worry, I'm fine... just a little sore with a minor...'headache'"
Curiously, Cassandra pulled on the ice pack and tugged it away. Gently she poked at the soft part of his head, were it was red just under his hair. Then she planted a kiss on the spot and hugged him again.
--
"So... do you think they're gobblers? Those people we heard of back at Oxford?" Fylorie said almost mumbling from the pain in her head.
"Wow, Fyl, you got right down on it." Nenniver pawed at her, playfully, obviously a little restless, "Maybe they are ... maybe they aren't, I have no idea."
Fyl stuck out her tongue, and giggled faintly, "Well... they're pretty darn rough, I en't liking the captain's relationship with David. I swear the guy would kill David when he had the chance."
Nenniver tugged gently on Fyl's fur, then began to lick it clean, "Well I'm sure you could prevent that, right? Life would be a little dull without a friend like you, Fyl."
"You're so sweet," Fyl giggled feeling a bit better. She pounced on Nenniver playfully, "you know I liked you for that."
Nenniver rolled over with Fyl on his stomach, batting at her gently, "No I didn't" Nenniver said with a small wink.
--
Cassy giggled at the two daemons, yawning and curling into David's side, watching the daemon's, amused.
David hugged her close, "Fyl says we're going north, but that's all... I guess we shouldn't have followed Lyra to the retirement room..."
Cassy nodded lightly, "I guess we shouldn't have..." she smiled faintly, "Today has gone by so fast."
"Well you slept for a long time, Fyl told me you were in shock for quite awhile."
Cassy blinked, "Was I? I felt like I was awake..."
"Yeah... I thought you were dead, or something... anyway, I'm not even supposed to be here. They separate the girls and guys on this boat, and I suspect they'll do the same when we get where we're going. Billy keeps watch just outside the door, so if you need me, I'll be pretty much just in the room across the hall." David explained sighing.
Cassy squeezed him tightly, and then she turned and moved up on the cot. Fylorie crawled over to David and leaped into shirt pocket again.
David smiled rubbing his daemon on the head before waving goodbye then exiting the room for the night.
