Disclaimer: Not only am I penniless (all my money goes to gas and occasionally candy, which makes me happy because gas prices were down this weekend yay!!!!) but I don't own anything from Tortal, that concept is owned by the illustrious Tamora Pierce.
A/N since the wonderful and newly beloved (am I freaking you out yet?) INPUT NAME HERE reviewed I have decided to continue writing this. So here's the new chapper.
"You tol' me three days ago that I could go!" Gil yelled at Ms. Cooper.
"I told you that when things calmed down George would likely let you do anything you wanted."
"Well?"
"They haven't calmed down. Not only that but George is leaving the Court of the Rogue and he needs to find a successor before one finds him. Retirement will suit him."
"That's fine and dandy, 'cept it leaves me r'lying on yer charity, an I trust that 'bout as much as spit!"
"I've done well by you, and at least you are safe here."
"Lak …" a look at the woman's face changed Gill's wording a there, "Lak tar ya 'ave. I ken take care uv mahself!" Gill set her jaw stubbornly.
"I seriously doubt that. You can't defend yourself, you won't even handle a kitchen knife, let alone defend against a sharp one in combat."
"Ah don' need to."
"You think the people out there will leave you alone because you are a kid?"
Gill laughed, "course not, that'll jus' make me more uv a target."
"Then how in the blazes do you propose to be safe?"
"N'ver said I wanted ta be safe now did ah?"
Eleni threw up her hands at that. The child was more mule headed than a mule. She would not listen to reason and her every waking moment was spent complaining about how she was unjustly being held captive. She complained but she never so much as tried the unlocked front door in an escape attempt. At this point Eleni wasn't sure she would try to stop Gill if she did leave.
"Why wouldn't you want to be safe?"
Gill just shrugged, "life's been bad before, Ah figure if Ah've been 's low as possible then it won' get eny worse an iff'n it can Ah'd jus' as soon know it an' stop feelin' sorry fer mahself."
Eleni looked at her skeptically for a moment processing the bad grammar, "I think you will find grammar lessons to be much worse than any torture imaginable, Gilly-Girl, and since you already see your stay with me as a prison sentence prepare yourself for them."
"You wanna lern me som'thin'?" Gil challenged.
"Sure," Eleni offered.
"Try it!" Gil scoffed.
"I'll go fetch some pens and paper," Eleni went to gather material for the first grammar lesson she had given since George was a boy and let Gill wonder what new horrors her jailer had in mind.
Gill watched Eleni go half wistfully. Much as she hated her captivity the constricted caught feeling that had once been so familiar she couldn't fault her captor. Torment really wasn't a good description for soft sheets, a warm place to sleep and good food. And grammar lessons wouldn't be the most painful price to pay for it all. Except that it wasn't paying. Lessons were another gift, or rather another debt owed.
Owing debts, that's what got us in trouble in the first place. Gill closed her eyes shut tight against tears of rage and against the memories that boiled within her. Anyway those debts were paid and then some.
Gill's reflections were interrupted by the sound of Eleni returning. Gill swiped a stray tear from her eyes and glowered sullenly at the door, but it wasn't Ms. Cooper that entered. Instead George swept into the study and glanced around.
"Where's Mother?" he asked distractedly.
"She went ta get somethin'."
"What for?"
"She said somethin' 'bout a lesson."
"Oh, well I wish her luck, your grammar is atrocious!"
Gill stuck out her tongue at him, "What 're you doin' 'ere?"
"This is my mother's house remember? I needed to talk to her … about keeping you and all."
"What 'bout it?"
"You my dear girl, are a mystery, an ill-timed mystery I need to know why you are here and where you are from."
Gill glowered, "I ain't tellin' you nothin'. An' it's jus' lak you ta try an' make me!"
"You are not leaving this place until you do!" George retorted.
"I ain't doin' nothin' fer no magic man!"
Eleni listened to her son and Gill arguing from outside the study door. The girl seemed to have that effect on people. Always looking to pick a fight, angry at the world.
"I've found George's old schoolbooks," she said as she entered the room. This effectively ended the confrontation that had been taking place, "Oh, hello George!" Eleni feigned noticing George's presence for the first time.
"Hi, you're teaching the kid?"
"Well, she can't remain uneducated in the home of a healer."
"Yer a healer?" Gill yelped, "Lak wit' magic?"
Eleni looked at the girl. She seemed on the point of some sort of breakdown, "Yes."
Gill seemed to shrink in on herself. All the fire went out of her and she curled up on her chair, her legs tucked in under her and her arms wrapped around them, she hid her face behind her knees so not even her eyes were visible and completely ignored them.
George and Eleni exchanged glances. This was odd. Normal people didn't have reactions like that, especially not to something as commonplace as the gift. Both mother and son stood silently wishing the other would know what to do. As they stood muffled sounds of crying reached their ears. Both turned and stared at the crumpled ball of a child from which the noises emanated.
As they watched she tumbled from the chair and still curled up she mumbled something to them.
"What?" George asked softly.
"Wha' do ya wan'?" the barely audible whisper came again.
"Answers," George answered without thinking.
Gill had felt her last hopes disintegrate with the knowledge that she was under the power of not one but two magic users. She couldn't fight them and she didn't really want to. Fighting the first time had gotten her into this mess. Taking a deep breath she tried to stem her tears. They wouldn't help now, and neither would fear.
Slowly she sat up and wiped her tears on her sleeve.
"Whad'd'ya wanna know?"
"I want to know the same things I've wanted to know all along," George answered kindly.
He sounds nice, but don't they all, Gill though to herself before nodding and answering.
A/N okay so yer probably wondering why Gill is such a weirdo spastic person? You'll find out most of the reason why in the next chapter. You'll also find out the answer to the 60 billion double dollar question…. Does this story have a plot?
As always this is the part where I review grub if you care about either of the above mentioned mysteries or if you like the story (yay J) or if you hate it (please tell me because here in my own little world we care about you… and I'm sure not too many people like flames almost as much as any other form of review…. I just like interacting with my fellow fanfic site users so any review will do) free cookies to the first two reviews on the chap! (see I'm nice! Really…) I love anime……… need to stop the random comments now.