Before I begin my next chapter I have to say that this chapter is dedicated to reviewer KeladryLadyKnight, for your lovely prodding review without which you would have been waiting another two weeks for this chapter.
Chapter 6
They had been riding for hours when they finally reached the capital. Ahead of them stretched the slums of the city. Cold, wet, and muddy. At least, it was filled with brown sludge that looked like mud. People bustled around, completely ignoring them, too caught up in their own problems and the war going on to spare a few travelling peddlers a glance.
Kieta and Kel exchanged looks. They were both wearing thick woollen dresses and cloaks in drab colours, so as not to be noticed. Joren was riding at the rear of the canvas covered wagon they had bought to hold their goods, and Rat was inside, claiming that he was too tired to ride on the back of one of their horses as he normally did, after his watch last night.
Kel sighed, and glanced up at the horizon, which was filled with the outline of the enormous palace. Rat poked his head out of the canvas flap, and gazed around him.
"Onwards!" he called, causing a few people to stare at them, "Onwards to the palace!"
Joren rode up to them, glaring at Rat. "We have to get to the palace by nightfall, so can we please keep going. Unless of course you can't control your horses." He smirked, and raised an eyebrow, gesturing towards Kieta's and Kel's horses which were hitched to the wagon.
Kel kept her face emotionless. "Our horses are perfectly fine." She said, with just a hint of annoyance colouring her voice.
"Well what are we waiting for then?" Rat cried from behind them. "Lets go!"
With a sigh, Kel pushed her horse forwards, and continued to gaze around as their horses began to trudge up to the palace.
*****
It was nearly nightfall by the time they reached the great wall which encompassed the palace. They found a small inn nearby, where the owners were clearly used to strange people, who wanted their business to remain private, turning up and demanding the use of two rooms for a week. Kel felt her spirits fall at the thought of another week, maybe more, spent sleeping in the same bed as Joren. She rattled down the stairs to meet the others for dinner, feeling glum.
Rat glanced at her face and poured her a mug of apple juice, laced with spices. "What's up?" he asked, passing her mug. She accepted it with a grateful smile, and took a small sip, feeling some of the tension in her shoulders and back ease out. She shook her head, indicating that she didn't want to talk about it right then.
Kieta had cleared her throat and was about to talk, when a group of women sitting behind them suddenly began to talk in loud protesting voices. Joren was disentangling himself reluctantly from them, one of whom had been sitting in his lap. He made his way over to the others, noting the slightly pinched look on Kel's face.
"What's wrong Mindelan?" he jeered, "Jealous?"
"You wish!" Kel snapped back, a bit too suddenly. She quickly calmed herself, and bit her tongue whilst Joren smirked and opened his mouth to taunt her again.
"Children," Kieta cut him off with a warning look. "We have to figure out how we're going to spy on these people. That involves you two" she indicated Joren and Kel, "making civil conversation, and pretending to be married. And that means no flirting with other women in public mister." She finished, glaring at Joren.
Joren clenched his jaw and glared back at Kieta. Kel's face remained impassive.
"Right then." Kieta said, leaning back in her chair. "I have an idea about how we should go about this. We need to find out about these two people from a nobles, and a servants point of view. So, you two can act as nobles, and Rat and I will keep the peddlers cart, and try to pick up on whatever gossip we can from the palace servants.
"How come they get to be the nobles?" Rat asked indignantly.
"Because, " Kieta said, with the air of somebody trying to be patient with a very stupid child, "They are nobles in Tortall, so they know how to behave and all that. It is also not considered acceptable for a man and a women who aren't married to travel together if they're noble, so it wouldn't work for us."
"Why not?" Rat grumbled. "We could pretend to be married." He winked at her, and Kieta looked so sickened that Kel had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing.
"I think not." Kieta said firmly. "Now, perhaps we should discuss the details." She stared directly at Kel. "You are going to need dresses. And some dancing lessons."
"I can dance" Kel said, looking disgruntled. There was a silence. Then everyone at the table turned to look at her very slowly.
"You can dance." Joren said, looking amused.
"Yes!" Kel said defensively.
"Okay." Kieta said slowly, "Just the dresses then. I'll go to the dressmaker with you tomorrow. Anything else?"
"Yeah." Joren said, " Since you have so clearly planned this all out to perfection, perhaps you could tell us where and when we are going to meet once this little masquerade begins. It wouldn't really do good for a noble to be seen openly consorting with peddlers."
"I did think of that as it so happens." Kieta replied, shooting a dirty look at Joren. "Kel and I can meet at the women's baths once a week to exchange information. That won't look at all suspicious."
Joren raised his eyebrows. "Very well then, if that is all, I'm off to bed." He rose and walked away, brushing smoothly past the woman who had earlier been sitting in his lap, showing no sign of recognition. She tried to go after him, but another man held her arm, and pulled her into his lap.
Kel sighed. "I'd better be off too. Especially if I'm going to be dragged off to that hall of torture tomorrow."
"What?" Kieta asked, confused.
"The dressmakers." Kel said with a shudder, as if that explained it all. She grinned, and walked away after Joren.
Rat watched her go, then turned back to Kieta, leaning his elbows heavily on the table and nursing his mug of ale.
"You haven't told her yet" he stated.
"Told her what?" Kieta asked, trying to avoid his eyes, and stop the blush that was rising in her cheeks.
Rat looked at her with amusement. "Come on." He said gently, "I've known you for over a year now. Did you think I would never find out?"
"I had hoped." Kieta said. She swilled the dregs of her tea around in her cup, glumly.
Rat grinned and reached a hand across the table to cover hers. She looked up and met his eyes. "Don't worry." He said with conviction, "Everything will be fine. She won't hate you, you know."
Kieta sighed and looked down at her mug again. "I'm not so sure." She replied. "She'll probably think that I'm some disgusting freak and avoid me like the plague."
"Kel's not like that, and you know it." Rat said, reaching his other hand across the table to cover hers. "She'll take it fine, you'll see."
Kieta sighed and smiled weakly. "We'll see."
*****
Joren lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, and trying to ignore the fact that the heat radiating from the young woman sleeping next to him was in fact very comforting. His head was in turmoil, and he didn't intend to go to sleep until he had sorted his feelings out.
He had been brought up as a conservative. His father had taught him to believe that certain people were above others, and that men were above women. It was just what he had been taught, and to question it would have been like asking why fish swam, or birds flew. It was just natural.
He was the eldest son, but had an elder sister called Allison, whom he had never met. Usually, he had forgotten that she even existed, except on those rare occasions when someone mentioned her. After all, her duty had been fulfilled, she had been married to Vinson of Genlith's elder brother, Tyran, when Joren was too small to develop any significant memories of her, and was no longer considered a part of their family.
Joren scowled. Vinson was an idiot. He had no tact. He had wanted to challenge the lump head on. That would never have done.
He smiled softly, the moonlight playing across his face as the angles of his jaw shifted. It had been one of his better ideas to get Mindelan home by kidnapping her maid. Though he had never expected that she would actually go up Balors Needle like that. After all, it was only her servant.
*She cares about servants. Just like Allison* the small voice in his mind piped up.
He turned his head slightly on the pillow so that he could look at Kel without disturbing her. The moonlight made her hair shimmer strangely. She was turned away from him, the blankets huddled up to her chin. He raised himself up on one elbow, so that he could look over her shoulder at her face.
Her eyes were tightly shut, her lips slightly parted. She certainly wasn't what you'd call beautiful, Joren thought humorously. Pretty perhaps, but many people would at the most call her 'cute'. But there was still something about her, something that everyone she was around noticed. Some inner, quiet sparkle that made you want to be around her, that made you want her to like you.
BANG. Joren jumped, and whipped around. The window had blown shut. He sighed and laid back down carefully, smirking slightly as he returned to his reminiscing. He could still remember the day, exactly a year before his ordeal, when his sister had come to give him the news of her husband's death in person, and to demand news about what had been going on.
She had stormed onto the practise courts to find him the moment she had arrived, and after having a very informative chat with him, which revealed to her his views, had informed him that she would be playing a more active roll in his life.
From that day onwards, everything that he knew and believed had been challenged. He couldn't try to get her back home where she belonged as he had with Kel, because technically it was only their father who had authority over her, and he wanted her to stay at court to find another husband. And it would never do to be seen actually trying to get her out of the way, she was family, he couldn't hurt her.
So he had just resisted, and argued. Eventually he had realised that he spent more time arguing with her, than he spent doing anything else. And he realised that he had come to enjoy her company. She had a clear, sharp mind, and knew what she was talking about in the subjects of politics, training and weaponry. She listened, as he poured out his feelings to her whenever he was feeling confused and angry. And she had been the person standing there with his knight master, ready to support him once he left the chamber.
He owed her a lot. Slowly, his opinion of women began to change, but although he now believed that maybe some women could be equal to men, he still believed that their place was at home, nurturing the family. And Mindelan still had no place at the palace. Joren could hold a grudge for a long time, even when he knew that he was wrong. And his pride was strong enough to prevent him from apologising.
Then why did he feel so...strange whenever he was around Mindelan. And why did she suddenly look so different. And why did he keep having these dreams, all similar to the first one he had had. All involving Kel.
He sighed. Things would have been different if it hadn't been for their father. His sister would be here to help him sort through this. To help him make sense of what was happening. His jaw clenched, and his face tightened as his eyes burned, holding back suppressed rage and unhappiness. He had returned to Stone Mountain for a brief visit with his sister, about a year after his ordeal, when he had received leave from the war to attend his aunt's funeral.
His father had been watching them both closely, and grew angry when he saw how close they had become.
~flashback~
Allison and Joren sat by the window, playing chess on an old, hand carved mahogany table, which had the squares painted onto the top. They were talking and laughing. A bubble of life amongst the rest of the family, who were sitting around the room, glancing listlessly out of the window occasionally, wishing that they could be enjoying the sunshine, and wearing light, soft clothes, instead of the black garments that they were forced to don.
Burchad of Stonemountain strode into the room, and glanced at Joren and Allison. They were bent over the board, and Joren was whispering something intently into Allison's ear. Then, suddenly they both leant back and laughed quietly. The room grew tense.
They were breaching one of the most well known branches of protocol: Even if you hated the deceased person to hell, you did not laugh openly on the funeral day. Even if you were talking about all the ways in which they had offended you, and exchanging the odd titter privately over their ugliness and various faults, you did not laugh and have fun openly as they were doing.
Burchad narrowed his eyes and strode over to a large armchair placed near the table at which his son and daughter were sitting. Close enough to talk to them. He settled himself comfortably, as the rest of the family gave them sidelong glances, and murmured amongst themselves.
Burchad leaned back in the chair, and regarded them, as they looked up at him.
"So, Joren" He began, "You're teaching you're sister how to play chess. How kind of you." The smile was plastered on his face, bright and cold. "But, surely, " He continued, "you would much rather be doing something else, practising your swordplay for instance. Then you can have another go at that girl squire when you get back to Corus eh?" He chuckled quietly, his eyes cold.
Joren glanced at Allison. She was looking down, her face expressionless.
"Actually father, " he began awkwardly, "Allison was just giving me some tips, she's a much better player than me. And erm...I'm enjoying her company very much.
Burchad's eyes narrowed. "Is it quite...appropriate, I must wonder however, to be playing chess, instead of contemplating the recent shocking event of your aunts death today?"
Joren shrugged. "No more inappropriate than swordplay." Burchad stood up suddenly, his eyes flashing with anger. There was a collective hush.
He slapped Allison, knocking her off her chair. She sprawled on the floor, and gazed up at their father between the fine strands of blonde hair which fell over her face.
"Father, please." She pleaded quietly. He kicked her and she let out a cry of pain. Joren pushed himself up and thrust himself between his father and his sister. He and his father locked gazes
There was an intense silence. Then Burchad spoke. "My son." He said, sorrowfully, looking intently at Joren. "She has changed you, she has influenced you with her progressive views. With her woman's slyness and evil. She has wronged us all."
Joren paused, then laid his hand on his fathers arm. "No." He said, calmly but urgently, "Not like this. She has done nothing wrong."
There was complete and utter stillness. It was the first time any member of the family could remember anyone challenging Burchad's authority. Nobody moved, and slowly, the tension built. Joren could feel the pressure growing as if it were pressing against his ears, as Allison lay panting on the floor, her face hidden.
Burchad's face twisted, and with a sudden roar of manic rage he lunged past Joren, and picked Allison up roughly. She started to kick and scream and she clung to him, pleading, knowing what was coming next. Joren stepped towards them, but Burchad twisted away so that his back was to Joren, and threw Allison bodily against the stone wall.
She hit it with a sound crack, and her screams stopped as she fell hard to the floor, blood dripping down the wall from the point at which she had hit it. Everyone stood up, and shuffled a bit closer to her, murmuring loudly. Craning over each others shoulders to see exactly what had happened.
Joren pushed past them, and knelt down by his sister, tenderly feeling her neck. His face suddenly drained of colour. His fingers started to move wildly around her throat, digging, searching for any pulse. Desperate to know that she was still there. But she had gone. He had stood up and turned to look at his father. Burchad was standing there, his face tinged with some unidentifiable expression. Joren took a step towards him. His blood was singing with rage. He could feel the adrenaline pushed by the rage that coursed through him. He ached to do to his father what he had done to his sister.
And then, it was as though something inside him snapped, and he turned and ran. Behind him he heard Burchad's loud cry, "And don't ever come back". In his distressed state Joren still managed to think that he had expected Burchad to cackle evilly like the bad guys in the stories he had read as a child.
He ran to his room and threw a few things into a large bag, cast one last look behind his, then ran for the stables. No one questioned him as he galloped away. It was an unspoken rule in Stone Mountain that you never spoke to one of the lords family unless you were spoken to first. And asking the young master anything would mean trouble for sure. He was as cold as ice. Or so they had thought, right now his eyes were blazing, his face twisted with the multitude of emotions building up inside him.
He didn't look back as he fled from his home for the last time.
~end flashback~
*****
Howdy there nice people!!! I love you all my great reviewers!! I send you all great big cyberhugs and kisses!! Muah. Anyway...thank you to everyone who reviewed on the whole Kieta's secret thing. In the end I decided not to reveal it, but there should be a hint at what it is in the next chapter.
I was gonna put the next day in this chapter, but then I got into Joren's musing, and it went on for longer than I thought it would, and I was already into 7 pages, so that'll be in the next chapter. This chapter isn't really as good as some of my other ones, it's just to tell you a bit more about Joren and what happened to him since he didn't die, and be a bit of a filler. And I can't help thinking of that bit in the matrix every time I read over the part where Joren goes "Not like this."
KeladryLadyKnight: Thanks for the compliment!! Big cyberhug for you. And I updated okay? I even dedicated the chapter to you!
Stee Parker: Out of all the nice reviewers, I decided to follow your advice, and only hint at Kieta's secret in the next chapter, so thank you very much for that. And thank you for reviewing, yeah, I've tried not to make it all as if Joren suddenly turns around and says "oh Kel, I was mistaken all these years, I love you really, kiss me" So I'm glad that you think I've succeeded.
Loopy polymer: ELLIE!!!!! YAYNESS!! YOU REVIEWED!!! Now u just have to get Megs to review, she won't read my story damn her. I tried asking her but she said it was too long. And you have to update shipwreckeddammit.... Right now!!!
Insane horse lover: I'm sorry I haven't emailed u for so long!!!! The internet at school crashed, and I can't go on much at home!! Thank u for reviewing me again, and u'r cousin does look like u!
Thank you to every single damn other person who reviewed. I love you all almost as much as I love my books. And that is really saying something. Unfortunately I have just started the dreaded GCSE's, so I may not be able to update as often. I just had a pretty bad first 2 days back at school, so I need lots of nice reviews to cheer me up. And if anyone has any tips on how to survive the GCSE's I would be grateful.
Thanx!!
~Rowana~
Chapter 6
They had been riding for hours when they finally reached the capital. Ahead of them stretched the slums of the city. Cold, wet, and muddy. At least, it was filled with brown sludge that looked like mud. People bustled around, completely ignoring them, too caught up in their own problems and the war going on to spare a few travelling peddlers a glance.
Kieta and Kel exchanged looks. They were both wearing thick woollen dresses and cloaks in drab colours, so as not to be noticed. Joren was riding at the rear of the canvas covered wagon they had bought to hold their goods, and Rat was inside, claiming that he was too tired to ride on the back of one of their horses as he normally did, after his watch last night.
Kel sighed, and glanced up at the horizon, which was filled with the outline of the enormous palace. Rat poked his head out of the canvas flap, and gazed around him.
"Onwards!" he called, causing a few people to stare at them, "Onwards to the palace!"
Joren rode up to them, glaring at Rat. "We have to get to the palace by nightfall, so can we please keep going. Unless of course you can't control your horses." He smirked, and raised an eyebrow, gesturing towards Kieta's and Kel's horses which were hitched to the wagon.
Kel kept her face emotionless. "Our horses are perfectly fine." She said, with just a hint of annoyance colouring her voice.
"Well what are we waiting for then?" Rat cried from behind them. "Lets go!"
With a sigh, Kel pushed her horse forwards, and continued to gaze around as their horses began to trudge up to the palace.
*****
It was nearly nightfall by the time they reached the great wall which encompassed the palace. They found a small inn nearby, where the owners were clearly used to strange people, who wanted their business to remain private, turning up and demanding the use of two rooms for a week. Kel felt her spirits fall at the thought of another week, maybe more, spent sleeping in the same bed as Joren. She rattled down the stairs to meet the others for dinner, feeling glum.
Rat glanced at her face and poured her a mug of apple juice, laced with spices. "What's up?" he asked, passing her mug. She accepted it with a grateful smile, and took a small sip, feeling some of the tension in her shoulders and back ease out. She shook her head, indicating that she didn't want to talk about it right then.
Kieta had cleared her throat and was about to talk, when a group of women sitting behind them suddenly began to talk in loud protesting voices. Joren was disentangling himself reluctantly from them, one of whom had been sitting in his lap. He made his way over to the others, noting the slightly pinched look on Kel's face.
"What's wrong Mindelan?" he jeered, "Jealous?"
"You wish!" Kel snapped back, a bit too suddenly. She quickly calmed herself, and bit her tongue whilst Joren smirked and opened his mouth to taunt her again.
"Children," Kieta cut him off with a warning look. "We have to figure out how we're going to spy on these people. That involves you two" she indicated Joren and Kel, "making civil conversation, and pretending to be married. And that means no flirting with other women in public mister." She finished, glaring at Joren.
Joren clenched his jaw and glared back at Kieta. Kel's face remained impassive.
"Right then." Kieta said, leaning back in her chair. "I have an idea about how we should go about this. We need to find out about these two people from a nobles, and a servants point of view. So, you two can act as nobles, and Rat and I will keep the peddlers cart, and try to pick up on whatever gossip we can from the palace servants.
"How come they get to be the nobles?" Rat asked indignantly.
"Because, " Kieta said, with the air of somebody trying to be patient with a very stupid child, "They are nobles in Tortall, so they know how to behave and all that. It is also not considered acceptable for a man and a women who aren't married to travel together if they're noble, so it wouldn't work for us."
"Why not?" Rat grumbled. "We could pretend to be married." He winked at her, and Kieta looked so sickened that Kel had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing.
"I think not." Kieta said firmly. "Now, perhaps we should discuss the details." She stared directly at Kel. "You are going to need dresses. And some dancing lessons."
"I can dance" Kel said, looking disgruntled. There was a silence. Then everyone at the table turned to look at her very slowly.
"You can dance." Joren said, looking amused.
"Yes!" Kel said defensively.
"Okay." Kieta said slowly, "Just the dresses then. I'll go to the dressmaker with you tomorrow. Anything else?"
"Yeah." Joren said, " Since you have so clearly planned this all out to perfection, perhaps you could tell us where and when we are going to meet once this little masquerade begins. It wouldn't really do good for a noble to be seen openly consorting with peddlers."
"I did think of that as it so happens." Kieta replied, shooting a dirty look at Joren. "Kel and I can meet at the women's baths once a week to exchange information. That won't look at all suspicious."
Joren raised his eyebrows. "Very well then, if that is all, I'm off to bed." He rose and walked away, brushing smoothly past the woman who had earlier been sitting in his lap, showing no sign of recognition. She tried to go after him, but another man held her arm, and pulled her into his lap.
Kel sighed. "I'd better be off too. Especially if I'm going to be dragged off to that hall of torture tomorrow."
"What?" Kieta asked, confused.
"The dressmakers." Kel said with a shudder, as if that explained it all. She grinned, and walked away after Joren.
Rat watched her go, then turned back to Kieta, leaning his elbows heavily on the table and nursing his mug of ale.
"You haven't told her yet" he stated.
"Told her what?" Kieta asked, trying to avoid his eyes, and stop the blush that was rising in her cheeks.
Rat looked at her with amusement. "Come on." He said gently, "I've known you for over a year now. Did you think I would never find out?"
"I had hoped." Kieta said. She swilled the dregs of her tea around in her cup, glumly.
Rat grinned and reached a hand across the table to cover hers. She looked up and met his eyes. "Don't worry." He said with conviction, "Everything will be fine. She won't hate you, you know."
Kieta sighed and looked down at her mug again. "I'm not so sure." She replied. "She'll probably think that I'm some disgusting freak and avoid me like the plague."
"Kel's not like that, and you know it." Rat said, reaching his other hand across the table to cover hers. "She'll take it fine, you'll see."
Kieta sighed and smiled weakly. "We'll see."
*****
Joren lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, and trying to ignore the fact that the heat radiating from the young woman sleeping next to him was in fact very comforting. His head was in turmoil, and he didn't intend to go to sleep until he had sorted his feelings out.
He had been brought up as a conservative. His father had taught him to believe that certain people were above others, and that men were above women. It was just what he had been taught, and to question it would have been like asking why fish swam, or birds flew. It was just natural.
He was the eldest son, but had an elder sister called Allison, whom he had never met. Usually, he had forgotten that she even existed, except on those rare occasions when someone mentioned her. After all, her duty had been fulfilled, she had been married to Vinson of Genlith's elder brother, Tyran, when Joren was too small to develop any significant memories of her, and was no longer considered a part of their family.
Joren scowled. Vinson was an idiot. He had no tact. He had wanted to challenge the lump head on. That would never have done.
He smiled softly, the moonlight playing across his face as the angles of his jaw shifted. It had been one of his better ideas to get Mindelan home by kidnapping her maid. Though he had never expected that she would actually go up Balors Needle like that. After all, it was only her servant.
*She cares about servants. Just like Allison* the small voice in his mind piped up.
He turned his head slightly on the pillow so that he could look at Kel without disturbing her. The moonlight made her hair shimmer strangely. She was turned away from him, the blankets huddled up to her chin. He raised himself up on one elbow, so that he could look over her shoulder at her face.
Her eyes were tightly shut, her lips slightly parted. She certainly wasn't what you'd call beautiful, Joren thought humorously. Pretty perhaps, but many people would at the most call her 'cute'. But there was still something about her, something that everyone she was around noticed. Some inner, quiet sparkle that made you want to be around her, that made you want her to like you.
BANG. Joren jumped, and whipped around. The window had blown shut. He sighed and laid back down carefully, smirking slightly as he returned to his reminiscing. He could still remember the day, exactly a year before his ordeal, when his sister had come to give him the news of her husband's death in person, and to demand news about what had been going on.
She had stormed onto the practise courts to find him the moment she had arrived, and after having a very informative chat with him, which revealed to her his views, had informed him that she would be playing a more active roll in his life.
From that day onwards, everything that he knew and believed had been challenged. He couldn't try to get her back home where she belonged as he had with Kel, because technically it was only their father who had authority over her, and he wanted her to stay at court to find another husband. And it would never do to be seen actually trying to get her out of the way, she was family, he couldn't hurt her.
So he had just resisted, and argued. Eventually he had realised that he spent more time arguing with her, than he spent doing anything else. And he realised that he had come to enjoy her company. She had a clear, sharp mind, and knew what she was talking about in the subjects of politics, training and weaponry. She listened, as he poured out his feelings to her whenever he was feeling confused and angry. And she had been the person standing there with his knight master, ready to support him once he left the chamber.
He owed her a lot. Slowly, his opinion of women began to change, but although he now believed that maybe some women could be equal to men, he still believed that their place was at home, nurturing the family. And Mindelan still had no place at the palace. Joren could hold a grudge for a long time, even when he knew that he was wrong. And his pride was strong enough to prevent him from apologising.
Then why did he feel so...strange whenever he was around Mindelan. And why did she suddenly look so different. And why did he keep having these dreams, all similar to the first one he had had. All involving Kel.
He sighed. Things would have been different if it hadn't been for their father. His sister would be here to help him sort through this. To help him make sense of what was happening. His jaw clenched, and his face tightened as his eyes burned, holding back suppressed rage and unhappiness. He had returned to Stone Mountain for a brief visit with his sister, about a year after his ordeal, when he had received leave from the war to attend his aunt's funeral.
His father had been watching them both closely, and grew angry when he saw how close they had become.
~flashback~
Allison and Joren sat by the window, playing chess on an old, hand carved mahogany table, which had the squares painted onto the top. They were talking and laughing. A bubble of life amongst the rest of the family, who were sitting around the room, glancing listlessly out of the window occasionally, wishing that they could be enjoying the sunshine, and wearing light, soft clothes, instead of the black garments that they were forced to don.
Burchad of Stonemountain strode into the room, and glanced at Joren and Allison. They were bent over the board, and Joren was whispering something intently into Allison's ear. Then, suddenly they both leant back and laughed quietly. The room grew tense.
They were breaching one of the most well known branches of protocol: Even if you hated the deceased person to hell, you did not laugh openly on the funeral day. Even if you were talking about all the ways in which they had offended you, and exchanging the odd titter privately over their ugliness and various faults, you did not laugh and have fun openly as they were doing.
Burchad narrowed his eyes and strode over to a large armchair placed near the table at which his son and daughter were sitting. Close enough to talk to them. He settled himself comfortably, as the rest of the family gave them sidelong glances, and murmured amongst themselves.
Burchad leaned back in the chair, and regarded them, as they looked up at him.
"So, Joren" He began, "You're teaching you're sister how to play chess. How kind of you." The smile was plastered on his face, bright and cold. "But, surely, " He continued, "you would much rather be doing something else, practising your swordplay for instance. Then you can have another go at that girl squire when you get back to Corus eh?" He chuckled quietly, his eyes cold.
Joren glanced at Allison. She was looking down, her face expressionless.
"Actually father, " he began awkwardly, "Allison was just giving me some tips, she's a much better player than me. And erm...I'm enjoying her company very much.
Burchad's eyes narrowed. "Is it quite...appropriate, I must wonder however, to be playing chess, instead of contemplating the recent shocking event of your aunts death today?"
Joren shrugged. "No more inappropriate than swordplay." Burchad stood up suddenly, his eyes flashing with anger. There was a collective hush.
He slapped Allison, knocking her off her chair. She sprawled on the floor, and gazed up at their father between the fine strands of blonde hair which fell over her face.
"Father, please." She pleaded quietly. He kicked her and she let out a cry of pain. Joren pushed himself up and thrust himself between his father and his sister. He and his father locked gazes
There was an intense silence. Then Burchad spoke. "My son." He said, sorrowfully, looking intently at Joren. "She has changed you, she has influenced you with her progressive views. With her woman's slyness and evil. She has wronged us all."
Joren paused, then laid his hand on his fathers arm. "No." He said, calmly but urgently, "Not like this. She has done nothing wrong."
There was complete and utter stillness. It was the first time any member of the family could remember anyone challenging Burchad's authority. Nobody moved, and slowly, the tension built. Joren could feel the pressure growing as if it were pressing against his ears, as Allison lay panting on the floor, her face hidden.
Burchad's face twisted, and with a sudden roar of manic rage he lunged past Joren, and picked Allison up roughly. She started to kick and scream and she clung to him, pleading, knowing what was coming next. Joren stepped towards them, but Burchad twisted away so that his back was to Joren, and threw Allison bodily against the stone wall.
She hit it with a sound crack, and her screams stopped as she fell hard to the floor, blood dripping down the wall from the point at which she had hit it. Everyone stood up, and shuffled a bit closer to her, murmuring loudly. Craning over each others shoulders to see exactly what had happened.
Joren pushed past them, and knelt down by his sister, tenderly feeling her neck. His face suddenly drained of colour. His fingers started to move wildly around her throat, digging, searching for any pulse. Desperate to know that she was still there. But she had gone. He had stood up and turned to look at his father. Burchad was standing there, his face tinged with some unidentifiable expression. Joren took a step towards him. His blood was singing with rage. He could feel the adrenaline pushed by the rage that coursed through him. He ached to do to his father what he had done to his sister.
And then, it was as though something inside him snapped, and he turned and ran. Behind him he heard Burchad's loud cry, "And don't ever come back". In his distressed state Joren still managed to think that he had expected Burchad to cackle evilly like the bad guys in the stories he had read as a child.
He ran to his room and threw a few things into a large bag, cast one last look behind his, then ran for the stables. No one questioned him as he galloped away. It was an unspoken rule in Stone Mountain that you never spoke to one of the lords family unless you were spoken to first. And asking the young master anything would mean trouble for sure. He was as cold as ice. Or so they had thought, right now his eyes were blazing, his face twisted with the multitude of emotions building up inside him.
He didn't look back as he fled from his home for the last time.
~end flashback~
*****
Howdy there nice people!!! I love you all my great reviewers!! I send you all great big cyberhugs and kisses!! Muah. Anyway...thank you to everyone who reviewed on the whole Kieta's secret thing. In the end I decided not to reveal it, but there should be a hint at what it is in the next chapter.
I was gonna put the next day in this chapter, but then I got into Joren's musing, and it went on for longer than I thought it would, and I was already into 7 pages, so that'll be in the next chapter. This chapter isn't really as good as some of my other ones, it's just to tell you a bit more about Joren and what happened to him since he didn't die, and be a bit of a filler. And I can't help thinking of that bit in the matrix every time I read over the part where Joren goes "Not like this."
KeladryLadyKnight: Thanks for the compliment!! Big cyberhug for you. And I updated okay? I even dedicated the chapter to you!
Stee Parker: Out of all the nice reviewers, I decided to follow your advice, and only hint at Kieta's secret in the next chapter, so thank you very much for that. And thank you for reviewing, yeah, I've tried not to make it all as if Joren suddenly turns around and says "oh Kel, I was mistaken all these years, I love you really, kiss me" So I'm glad that you think I've succeeded.
Loopy polymer: ELLIE!!!!! YAYNESS!! YOU REVIEWED!!! Now u just have to get Megs to review, she won't read my story damn her. I tried asking her but she said it was too long. And you have to update shipwreckeddammit.... Right now!!!
Insane horse lover: I'm sorry I haven't emailed u for so long!!!! The internet at school crashed, and I can't go on much at home!! Thank u for reviewing me again, and u'r cousin does look like u!
Thank you to every single damn other person who reviewed. I love you all almost as much as I love my books. And that is really saying something. Unfortunately I have just started the dreaded GCSE's, so I may not be able to update as often. I just had a pretty bad first 2 days back at school, so I need lots of nice reviews to cheer me up. And if anyone has any tips on how to survive the GCSE's I would be grateful.
Thanx!!
~Rowana~