Anniya 13
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" Milord, could you give us the reason for our arrest?" John asked, trying to buy time.
" For illegal transporting of dragons, murder, theft, and other numerous things I might name. Tie them up."
" But wait. You can't arrest them without any proof. How do you know these are the men that your looking for?," Anniya asked the tall man. Why was she standing up for West and John? The tall man glanced in her direction. The man was wearing regal clothing, so he was surely high up in the court. He was old enough to be her Father, with a touch of gray in his black hair, matching his cold gray eyes. His moustache looked like a dead rat suspended beneath his nose. He smiled sickly, his eyes lingering on her for what seemed a little too long. Anniya shifted uncomfortably. A bad feeling ran through her.
" We have a little lady with us." He touched one of her white blonde curls. Anniya flinched. The man stared at her, and laughed.
" Little whore is a bit feisty for her work. I haven't all day to listen to a slut's accusations. Tie them up."
Anniya opened her mouth to snap back that she was not a prostitute, and tell him what she thought of him. John spoke for her.
" Anniya? A prostitute, is that what you are calling her?," he snapped.
The man laughed.
" There, there. The girl will have work after you are safely locked up in prison. I will make sure of it."
The man hardly had time to finish the sentence before West punched him. The man toppled back, then regained his balance. A knife spun through the air. But what happened next happened in slow motion. The knife seemed headed for West's heart. He couldn't turn fast enough. John ran and pushed West out of the way. The knife drove into his rib cage, blood gushing out. Anniya stared in horror as the blood soaked through John's tunic.
" Get them!"
West yanked Anniya up, and grabbed John, who was hobbling. Arrows flew past them. Feet were heard behind them. This is it, Anniya thought. I'm going to die. There was no way West could defend himself, Anniya, and John. But Anniya had forgotten about someone very special. Someone that shared the same Forest Green color. With a roar of fire, several men were down. Gleex soared through the air, making battle cries. They ducked into an alley for a minute.
" Anniya, I need you to promise me something," West told her.
Anniya forgot that he was a stupid jerk for a moment. She remembered from enough tales though, that what those words meant.
" What do you want me to do?"
" Take this letter to Robert and Char. You'll be safe with them."
" Safe? Where are you going?"
" I'm turning myself and John in."
Anniya stared at him for a full moment. It took awhile to sink in.
" To that horrible man that looked like he wanted to rape me on the spot? I hate it when you joke like this, West. It's not funny. At all."
" I am damn serious. John risked his life to save me, and we're not going to get anywhere with him bleeding like this. He's unconscious, Anniya!"
" So your leaving me? Oh you horrible, horrible, low down, nasty thing! You're leaving me!"
" It's John's only chance. Damn you, don't be so self centered! Look at John! What do you expect me to do, leave John to rot in this alley? So that I can give you a personal tour of the city?," West said harshly.
" Oh, you're terrible! Do you think that I would want John to die? Is that how low you think I am? Well, if we want to think about low, lets talk about you. First you leave me, then you come back to rob me and give me a concussion. Then you leave me alone, when I don't even speak Kyrrian! When I have no money, when I don't have transportation, when I'm completely lost!"
" By the devil, do you think I want to go? Do you think I'm looking forward to being tortured, having my fingers twisted off, being burnt, being whipped, being in constant pain?"
Anniya raged.
" Are you accusing Prince Char? The sweetest man I have ever met? Or his Father, for if he has spawned such a kind person as Char, I find it hard to believe that he would torture you. Not that you don't deserve it."
" I'm not saying that the Prince or his Father would order such a thing. The King disapproves strongly of torture. But that man I hit back there; do you think he would hesitate to issue torture? What the King doesn't know about won't hurt him, as some traitors will see."
" Then how is being tortured going to help John? Finish him off quicker, so you can get back to your 'work', as you put it so nicely?"
West shook his head.
" I'm going to admit that I was the ringleader. I did the trade, the killings, and John never had any idea what was going on. Even if they don't believe me, they'll have healers to attend to him."
" I still hate you."
" Nice to know that we're going off on our usual terms. I would kiss you if you didn't bite me. Damn, your beautiful."
" I hope they throw you in a cage full of snakes. But no, then you'd be with all your brothers, wouldn't you?"
West didn't reply, for the voices were getting louder. He handed Anniya a stained piece of paper.
" Give this to Robert. He'll watch you."
" I don't need watching. And why would you care? After all, you're the one that's abandoning me."
" Cut the attitude for a minute. There is one thing I don't want you doing. Here's enough KJ's to get you in the best taverns in the city. You know that man? Don't ever go to him. I didn't like the way he was looking at you."
Anniya shivered against her will. Suddenly, she wanted to hug West. She didn't want to lost another person. There was a hanging silence for a minute.
" You know how to take care of yourself. Hold your head high, and give them hell."
" You too."
West turned his golden head to look at the voices. Knowing that she would probably never see him again, Anniya stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. At last moment, he turned his head. The kiss lasted for a long time; it seemed like neither one of them wanted it to end. But eventually, it did end.
" You know, I think I loved you from the first day I saw you in the tavern," West told her softly. Anniya didn't say anything, just rested her head on his chest.
" I have to go now. I'll see you again."
" I know. I just don't know when."
" One day. One day."
With that, West gently eased the petite blonde off him.
" Take my knife. It might come in handy."
Anniya nodded.
" Run now. Now. Whistle and go to the healer to find Diobla. Find Robert."
Anniya nodded again, and ran. As fast as she could. So she wouldn't cry.
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Ah, just as Anniya finally wises up, it's off to the torture chambers for West. I've been working up to this, though. As a preview for the next chapter, Anniya's going to have to start on her quest to find Robert and Char, to give them West's letter and to inform Char that rat-moustache man is up to no good( we find out more about him in the next chapter) Will Anniya get to Robert in time? Can she face her mysterious past? Will rat-moustache man try to hurt her? Will John survive? Can West withstand torture? And worst of all, Will Hattie be able to make her orthodontist appointment? I was listening to that recent matchbox twenty song- the one that goes ' I think your so mean-I think we should try-and I mean when your gone-maybe you need to come home' or something like that. It inspired me to write this chapter. Don't worry, Anniya will be back to insulting people by the next chapter.