Disclaimer: Give credit where it's due…you know what belongs to me and what doesn't.
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"Come on. We're almost there." The boy reached down to grasp her hand. The road sloped up, and already fatigued beyond her tiny body's capacity, she only moved on by pure exercise of will. Refusing to rely on the boy's outstretched hand, the next step she took drained what was left of her resolve, and she collapsed onto the ground.
The boy squatted down next to her, peering over her face. Then, a smile appeared on his face. "You are very stubborn, aren't you?" He asked, clearly not expecting an answer for he got up, reaching down a hand to her laying form.
"You can trust me." He spoke, his eyes sincere.
Lai regarded his hand with deep contemplation, and her eyes shifted to his face. She searched deep within the deep blue orbs with her silver-gray ones with an intense gaze that would have made anyone uncomfortable. But he did not even flinch.
She looked down at his still confidently outstretched hand, and reached up her own small hand to grasp it. He pulled her up with a firm grasp, and she leaned on him for support as she stood. Tears stung her eyes. She blinked a few times to forbid them from falling, as her trudging footsteps shuffled against the self-assured strides of the boy. They went on, their differing steps some how complimenting each other, one augmenting the rhythm of the other. The woods around them remained quiet, their usual woodland sounds distant as if to give the two a gift of serene calm.
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"Halt! Who goes there?" A clear voice rang out, and Lai opened her eyes. She had closed them during the course of the journey, too tired to keep them open.
"It is I." The boy spoke, and added softly. "Since you woke her up, you wouldn't mind carrying her to the healing room, would you?"
"I apologize, Prince." The guard bowed deeply. "I did not recognize you in those garbs." He whispered quickly to another guard standing next to him, and the other guard took his place as he walked up to Lai. When he leaned down to pick her up, she clung to the boy in protest.
"It's ok." The boy spoke to her. He met her eyes, reassuring her that nothing horrible would happen to her. She reluctantly let go, and let herself be picked up.
"Be careful." The boy spoke firmly to the guard, and held the little girl's hand briefly. "I'll see you in a little while. Don't worry." With that, he squeezed her hand and walked briskly off. She stared at his retreating form, as she felt herself being carried off in the opposite direction. When she could see him no more, she closed her eyes, and fell into troubled sleep.
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"Every last of the injured have left, except for her. No one has come for her. Where have her parents gone?"
"They were killed. I found her asleep near the edge of the woods." Pause. "She has no place to stay."
"She can stay with us."
"Wouldn't Father object?"
"It was his idea." Chuckle. "We have always wanted a daughter."
"I think she's waking. She's shifting in her sleep."
"She's been doing that a lot. I think she must be having nightmares."
"Well, she's awake now. Look, she's opening her eyes."
Lai opened her eyes, sitting up and trembling as she remembered her dream. Her father's blank eyes still stared back at her, accusing her for not coming fast enough, forever imprinted in her mind. She shook violently, and gentle hands held her still. She looked up at the source of the comfort, and found the familiar deep blue eyes, this time on the face of a beautiful woman dressed in fine clothes, watching her kindly. She remembered her mother's gentle hands that held her last and the same deep blue eyes, and felt tears spring to her eyes again. She swallowed and looked down.
"What is your name, dear child?" The woman asked, her voice soft and melodious.
She could not speak, for her voice had left her along with her resolve not to cry. She choked out a sob, and tears that were held back flowed freely down her face in uncontrollable torrents.
"Was it something I said?" The woman mouthed to her son, who had put his arm around the little frame shaking with violent sobs. He shook his head, and signaled for her to come back later. She nodded and left the room.
Lai quit crying eventually, out of pure exhaustion. As she quieted, the boy felt the tiny girl grow heavy as she drifted off to sleep. He lowered her back down onto the bed, and pulled up the covers over her small trembling form. He felt his eyes grow wet as he sat down in the chair next to the bed, looking at her exhausted and troubled face.
"May you find peace in your dreams…Artuntaure (Noble woods)."
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Thanks Maigain for reviewing! You are my first-ever reviewer! Yay! I tried hard to make the dialogue seem as realistic and interesting as possible…it really means a lot to me that you liked it! =D
Silvar- I humbly bow down deeper in return…you are too kind…I hope you liked this chapter!
Lintered- I'm sorry I couldn't update sooner…the server was busy or something, and it wouldn't let me upload any sooner…please accept my deepest apologies. O=)
Teveldin- As always, I am glad to hear from you. I'm going to have to put Lai through some more turmoil…but you never know…things might turn out all right in the end, right? wink Not telling you anything else, though…wait and see! =D
Thanks everyone for reviewing!