A/N: Thanks sooooo much for all the reviews! Please keep sending them
because it makes me so happy to read them. Thanks to those who have.
Emily
Disclaimer: all this belongs to Tamora Pierce.
A soft sob woke Kala up from her slumber. She slowly lifted her head and looked to see the source of the sound. She was very surprised to relies it was Annie. Annie sensed that Kala had wakened and lifted her head up. Her face was red and blotchy from crying and her eyes were bloodshot. Annie felt a hand cover hers and managed to give Kala a weak smile. She sniffed and wiped her teary eyes.
"What happened?" Kala's voice was concerned.
"Nothing, sorry, just, seeing you here brings back memories." Relising what she had said, Annie covered her mouth. She didn't really want people to know about her parents. She didn't want people to get involved and give her false hope. She hadn't given Kel the whole story and didn't intend to ever tell anyone. Still, she wanted so bad to tell this girl the truth. Something told Annie that Kala would understand. She decided to trust this instinct.
"What do you mean 'bad memories?'" Kala was confused. There was no way this girl could have gone through something bad like she had been through. Annie sighed and wiped her sleeve on her forehead. Annie had worn sleeveless blouses when she first arrived in Tortall. But then her bruises from her last beating had set in and Annie had switched to her customary v-necked long sleeved blouses. Now, Kala got a glimpse of a bruise under the sleeve. She grabbed the younger girls arm and pulled up Annie's sleeve to reveal a colorfully patterned arm. She gasped and looked Annie strait in the eyes.
"It started when I was little. Like, 2 or 3. I can't remember. At first he only drank a little bit, that when he would hurt me. He would just smack me sometimes, nothing bad. But as I grew older, it got worse. And he would drink more and hurt me worse. By the time I was 8, it was really horrible. When I was around nine, it almost killed me. I had done something to piss him off, I cant remember what. Probably something really small, it didn't take much to make him mad. So, he started hitting me and kicking me hard. He had me backed into a corner and was just screaming and kicking and hitting. Then he started smacking me with a kitchen chair. My mom saw the whole thing, but she didn't do a damn thing. She never did. So, anyway, when it was done, I went to my room. And it had been so bad, I actually started crying. When I was little, I learned crying was bad, it made him mad. So I learned never to cry. Well, he got even madder and came storming up the stairs. He had put on his steel-toed boots. He smashed me up pretty good, and then kicked me down the full flight of steps. I was able to reach the hospital." Noticing the confused look on Kala's face when she said hospital, Annie explained. "Its like a healers place. Anyways, an investigation was conducted, but my parents lied. The police, who are people who are supposed to make sure people obey the law, well, they closed it. Lazy ass holes just didn't wanna spend the time. After that, the abuse still never stopped. Until I decided to run away and got transported here."
Kala was shocked. Annie's story was as disturbing as hers. She knew she had to tell. "Hey, at least he never, you know, touched."
"Raped me you mean."
"Erm, yeah. When I was younger, my father died. We were poor commoners and just, are life wasn't very nice. So one day, this man comes and claims he will take me up as a student Mage. He said I had 'the Gift'. Well, he took me, and he didn't end up teaching me. He made me a slave. It was horrible. And when I turned 13, he, he, he. "She broke off into sobs. Annie put an arm around the girl. She knew what happened next. Kala didn't have to explain. The two girls just sat comforting each other in the quiet room. Out side the room Daine and Numair watched the girls. The palace walls were not soundproof and they had heard everything said.
"She does have a pretty powerful gift, the older girl." Numair broke the silence.
Daine turned to him. "Two innocent girls just admitted that they were abused by people they trust, and that's all you can say?!" Daine's voice was filled with disbelief. She smacked him on the arm.
"Ouch! Just trying to break the silence." Numair rubbed his arm. Just then, Annie came out of the room. She glared at the couple.
"You heard, didn't you?" she accused. They nodded guiltily. Annie shrugged. "I guess I should have told you sooner. Its just, I don't want to get false hope. Its hard." Her tears were threatening to fall again. She sniffed. "I'm going to the barn." She brushed past Daine and Numair. Daine started to follow her but a large hand clamped on her arm, keeping her back.
"Let her be for a while." His voice was soft. He gently pulled Daine close to him as she started to cry.
A/N: hey! Hope you guys liked. Please tell me what you think. Don't worry, soon it will get a bit happier. And hopefully I will have some action and stuff soon. Please tell me what you think by pressing the review button. I love to hear from y'all!
Emily
Emily
Disclaimer: all this belongs to Tamora Pierce.
A soft sob woke Kala up from her slumber. She slowly lifted her head and looked to see the source of the sound. She was very surprised to relies it was Annie. Annie sensed that Kala had wakened and lifted her head up. Her face was red and blotchy from crying and her eyes were bloodshot. Annie felt a hand cover hers and managed to give Kala a weak smile. She sniffed and wiped her teary eyes.
"What happened?" Kala's voice was concerned.
"Nothing, sorry, just, seeing you here brings back memories." Relising what she had said, Annie covered her mouth. She didn't really want people to know about her parents. She didn't want people to get involved and give her false hope. She hadn't given Kel the whole story and didn't intend to ever tell anyone. Still, she wanted so bad to tell this girl the truth. Something told Annie that Kala would understand. She decided to trust this instinct.
"What do you mean 'bad memories?'" Kala was confused. There was no way this girl could have gone through something bad like she had been through. Annie sighed and wiped her sleeve on her forehead. Annie had worn sleeveless blouses when she first arrived in Tortall. But then her bruises from her last beating had set in and Annie had switched to her customary v-necked long sleeved blouses. Now, Kala got a glimpse of a bruise under the sleeve. She grabbed the younger girls arm and pulled up Annie's sleeve to reveal a colorfully patterned arm. She gasped and looked Annie strait in the eyes.
"It started when I was little. Like, 2 or 3. I can't remember. At first he only drank a little bit, that when he would hurt me. He would just smack me sometimes, nothing bad. But as I grew older, it got worse. And he would drink more and hurt me worse. By the time I was 8, it was really horrible. When I was around nine, it almost killed me. I had done something to piss him off, I cant remember what. Probably something really small, it didn't take much to make him mad. So, he started hitting me and kicking me hard. He had me backed into a corner and was just screaming and kicking and hitting. Then he started smacking me with a kitchen chair. My mom saw the whole thing, but she didn't do a damn thing. She never did. So, anyway, when it was done, I went to my room. And it had been so bad, I actually started crying. When I was little, I learned crying was bad, it made him mad. So I learned never to cry. Well, he got even madder and came storming up the stairs. He had put on his steel-toed boots. He smashed me up pretty good, and then kicked me down the full flight of steps. I was able to reach the hospital." Noticing the confused look on Kala's face when she said hospital, Annie explained. "Its like a healers place. Anyways, an investigation was conducted, but my parents lied. The police, who are people who are supposed to make sure people obey the law, well, they closed it. Lazy ass holes just didn't wanna spend the time. After that, the abuse still never stopped. Until I decided to run away and got transported here."
Kala was shocked. Annie's story was as disturbing as hers. She knew she had to tell. "Hey, at least he never, you know, touched."
"Raped me you mean."
"Erm, yeah. When I was younger, my father died. We were poor commoners and just, are life wasn't very nice. So one day, this man comes and claims he will take me up as a student Mage. He said I had 'the Gift'. Well, he took me, and he didn't end up teaching me. He made me a slave. It was horrible. And when I turned 13, he, he, he. "She broke off into sobs. Annie put an arm around the girl. She knew what happened next. Kala didn't have to explain. The two girls just sat comforting each other in the quiet room. Out side the room Daine and Numair watched the girls. The palace walls were not soundproof and they had heard everything said.
"She does have a pretty powerful gift, the older girl." Numair broke the silence.
Daine turned to him. "Two innocent girls just admitted that they were abused by people they trust, and that's all you can say?!" Daine's voice was filled with disbelief. She smacked him on the arm.
"Ouch! Just trying to break the silence." Numair rubbed his arm. Just then, Annie came out of the room. She glared at the couple.
"You heard, didn't you?" she accused. They nodded guiltily. Annie shrugged. "I guess I should have told you sooner. Its just, I don't want to get false hope. Its hard." Her tears were threatening to fall again. She sniffed. "I'm going to the barn." She brushed past Daine and Numair. Daine started to follow her but a large hand clamped on her arm, keeping her back.
"Let her be for a while." His voice was soft. He gently pulled Daine close to him as she started to cry.
A/N: hey! Hope you guys liked. Please tell me what you think. Don't worry, soon it will get a bit happier. And hopefully I will have some action and stuff soon. Please tell me what you think by pressing the review button. I love to hear from y'all!
Emily