A/N: 'stares blankly in the distance'
Chiefhow - You may have just saved my life!! 'hugs Chiefhow so tight her lungs burst' Heehee.. Didn't mean to overreact (A) 'checks her breathing' Uh oh.. Thank you! 'and runs away' =D
Verteri Lunum – Lorna sends her thanx! She had just run out of those. Btw, your latin name rox! =)
Chapter Four: The Dream About A New Beginning
Dagonet shoved Ranneck away so the man hit his head to the stone wall and collapsed. Lorna was panting for breath and was quite shocked. No one had ever slapped her before. Maybe she had been hit in muggings while the Rogues attacked some passers by but never in the face, not like that. She felt two strong arms grab her and carefully help her up from her cowering position. Finlay took her to his arms and led her away from the soldier that now had stood again. She was shivering terribly and thought she was going to cry. He saw her cheek burning as she buried her face in his chest. Lorna felt humiliated and low.
Dagonet's fury had no end. The vile bastard that had hurt Lorna was on his feet again and pulled out a dagger. He lunged at him but was clearly too drunk to pose a threat. The knight pushed the dagger from Ranneck's hand and it fell to the ground. He hit the soldier a couple of times in the face with his fists and smashed him to the wall once again. Two of the soldier's friends came to his aid, one of them pulling out his sword. "Place down your weapons!"
All the people in the courtyard turned to Arthur who had just entered. His face held a look of rage and he made his way to Dagonet's side. The soldier sheathed his weapon and took a step backwards. Clearly the soldiers were afraid of Arthur. All was silent for some seconds. Vanora ushered her children inside the kitchen and came back again to see what will happen. Arthur's gaze ran over the people surrounding him. It paused on Lorna who was looking at him with red eyes and a look of terror in them. She had Finlay's arms protectingly around her, the young Rogue trying to sooth her. She felt even more embarrassed as he looked at her and lowered her eyes.
Ranneck had sobered up a bit after the second hit in the head and grabbed the dagger that was lying on the ground. The raven-haired man lunged at the arrogant fool that had beaten him up moments before, once again. It was the last thing he would do for Dagonet had not let him out of his sight. The knight quickly twisted his arm, took the dagger from it and with one rapid move, slit the soldier's throat. Blood fell to the ground as Ranneck's eyes glassed and Dagonet let him fall in that small puddle of blood.
Lorna had raised her eyes just then. The look in Dagonet's eyes was icy and distant when he killed the soldier. She remembered the day her Rogues had attacked the knights and even then, when she had seen him fight, the look hadn't been that cold. Arthur gave a somewhat annoyed glance at Dagonet who then threw away the dagger that was soaked with Ranneck's blood. He walked over to Lorna and was taken aback a bit. The look in her watery eyes was scared. He had killed the bastard, what was she still afraid of? They glared at each other and he was concerned. Me?
Suddenly shouts were heard from the Wall. Everybody raced up the stairs to the Wall to see what all the commotion was about. Dagonet, Lorna and Finlay stood their ground. Lorna didn't know what was going on and she felt her head ache. Dagonet's gaze had shifted from her to the ground and he started walking to the quarters, Lucan right behind him. He heard voices come from the wall, saying something about the Saxons, that they've arrived. Dagonet knew the Saxons would attack in the morning but he would not be there. He would not protect Lorna. Why was she so determined to fight when that soldier had easily overcome her? The look she had had in her eyes had hurt him.
Finlay stroke her hair delicately. Lorna realized she was being a sissy and released herself from her friend's arms. She gave him a slight smile to assure him she was fine and bid him good night. "Sleep well, Lorna. Tomorrow, all your strength.. all OUR strength is needed," Finlay watched her leave. He noticed Lancelot yelling something to Arthur some distance away but cared not. He already knew the knights will turn back to Sarmatia in the morning, and leave Arthur to protect the Wall with just the Woads and them - the Rogue Scots.
Lorna quickened her pace; she wanted to catch up with Dagonet. She knew where his room was and made her way to it with haste. He looked so.. hurt, the fair-haired girl did not understand. She wanted to thank him for saving her. He had killed a man and for what? For her? She didn't favor bloodshed and had told him so when she, Dagonet and Dilly had ate supper in her cottage. But he had still killed Ranneck, that's what Vanora had called him. Her head was aching even more. Does he care for me? ..I know I care deeply for him. Lorna reached his room but paused before knocking. What shall I say?
Dagonet heard a silent knock on the door. He had just put Lucan to sleep in a small makeshift bed next to his and was annoyed that someone would interrupt the sweet boy's slumber. He opened the door and was surprised to see Lorna coyly stand there. He closed the door behind him and they stood in the hallway, the tension remarkable. She took a slow step towards him, wrapped her arms around his back and with closed eyes, hugged him. Dagonet was stunned again but now in a very pleasant way. Lorna's warm body to his own made him feel at peace. He put his one arm around her as well and ran his other hand thru her hair. Silence. Lorna felt her headache disappear. She loved his touch, his arms around her, how his fingers caressed her hair. She had only let Dominic do that, no one else.
It was five years ago when they had met; she had been merely fourteen but had had the body and the mind of a young woman. Dominic was then one of the most eligible bachelors of their tribe - the Rogues had not left yet. He was constantly in fights and was very skilled with a sword. He had dark, almost black straight hair and gorgeous blue eyes. He had lots of friends A/N: and lots of enemies, most of them being jealous men! =) and therefore enjoyed his life in the fullest. Dominic had a new woman in his bed every two weeks and never had feelings for them. He was young then, having seen just twenty summers but was somewhat a leader to others his age. Lorna knew him as the arrogant guy he was, until that one day.
A young Lorna ran thru the huge Scottish village, tears in her eyes. It was her fourteenth birthday and no one had remembered. Her (step)mother would have surely remembered but she had died a month ago. So had one of her (step)brothers, Keanonn, the brother she had adored the most. Both of them of pneumonia. Until that moment she had loved her life but since her (step)father had burned their bodies, her life had changed - nobody cared for her anymore. Algernon was busy running the household and with his duties as co-leader of the village. Wilt, her other (step)brother was occupied by swords, axes and other weapons and always told her to 'bug off' or 'mind her own girly business'. And Hannagret, her sixteen-year-old (step)sister was her usual self – cocky, pompous and drooling over men, especially that 'stupid' Dominic.
She reached the edge of the village and wiped her wet cheeks with one of her sleeves. She was wearing a white flaxen dress that she had worn a year ago, on her thirteenth birthday. She had grown a lot since then and the dress was very figure hugging now. Lorna hadn't noticed that her body had developed during a one single year and she was catching male eyes on her as she wpuld do her everyday tasks. Now she ran thru the muddy outskirt of the village and stopped for a quick breath under an old oak. She felt another wave of tears flood her cheeks and she leaned her back against the tree trunk. Slowly dropping to the moss that covered the ground, she covered her face with her hands and cried, not caring that the white dress was quite dirty by now. She jumped and let out a gasp when a figure landed on the soil in front of her, coming from the tree.
Her eyes met with Dominic's and she tried to get herself up from the mud but slipped. By now she felt embarrassed – he was solemnly looking at her who was covered in dirt, was clumsy and her eyes and cheeks red from crying. Dominic, to her surprise, smiled warmly and took her muddy hand, pulling her up. "Why were you crying?" Lorna looked at him. 'Why did he want to know?' She shifted in her position and played with the long sleeves of her dress, looking very fidgety. "Where you spying on me or something?" the question seemed accusing but she hadn't meant it like that. She heard him chuckle and looked up to those blue eyes. "This is where I come when I'm.. well, feeling like blocking everybody else out. Not many people pass by here so it's quiet and nice. Nobody wants anything from you," Dominic replied and his gaze went to the ground. "You haven't answered my question yet." 'The guy had worries?' she wondered in her mind. 'Well of course everybody had to worry sometime in their life' but she had always thought that Dominic loved the attention and being needed, he always acted like he had not a care in the world. "Well, it's stupid really," she started and was encouraged when Dominic looked up at her again. "Today's my fourteenth birthday and not one soul remembers but that's not that awful. I was also thinking about how my ma' and brother died, the way my life feels empty.." She felt a stinging in her throat and eyes but tried not to cry again. As if he had read her mind, Dominic placed his arms around her and hugged her tight.
Later, in the afternoon, Lorna was sitting in the front room in her house, trying desperately to wash the white dress but it seemed to have a mind of it's own. The dirty spots were still gray and she let out an angry sigh. A knock was heard on the door and she was annoyed even more. The girl made her way to the door and flung it open, only to see a bit startled Dominic standing there. "Hey," she was embarrassed once again, she didn't mean to startle him. Dominic chuckled as he saw her flush and handed her a nosegay. A/N: the dictionary said that a nosegay was a small bouquet of flowers.. why would you English give such a freaky name for something so sweet?? Beats me.. 'shows tongue and cackles' =D Lorna was pleasantly stunned and took the flowers. "Happy birthday," the dark-haired young man said and smiled. She smiled back.
From that moment on, Dominic and Lorna started to be together more. After three weeks she noticed that she had not seen him flirting with women for some time and when women approached him, he declined. He also opened up to her. They would occasionally sit in the tree that they had so awkwardly met by and chat for hours. Lorna discovered she had feelings for him that she had not yet had for any man. One day, they were up in the tree again and she asked him about his late attitude changes. He had simply replied that he thought he's found someone special but was not quite sure yet. She had felt disappointed for she suddenly wished to be that 'special someone'. And then Dominic had kissed her. A month and a half later they got married and after another month she discovered she was pregnant. The day Disrealy was born, she had never seen him so gleeful before.
Two years had past since Dilly's birth and all was well with Dominic and his family. Then the riots and other peace-breaking events occurred. Algernon took his loyal people and traveled South. Dominic, at first had had doubts about moving but Lorna was determined to follow her (step)father. In their new village, three Rogues had gone to the woods one day to hunt but only two had come back. They announced the terrifying new to their kinsmen that a herd of wolves had attacked them and Dominic, who had saved them, had been killed. Lorna had cried non-stop for four days.
She pulled slightly away from Dagonet's embrace and observed him. Dagonet her as well. He didn't know what to say but caressed her cheek as in to let her know he cared about her. "Walk me to my room," she murmured and took his hand into hers. They walked thru the dark corridor that only had a few torches on the walls and the dim lighting would have spooked her but not now. The couple arrived at her door. Dagonet gave a kiss on her brow, bid her good night and turned away. He knew what he wanted but was not sure Lorna had the same thoughts. But she didn't let go of his hand and as she pulled him back to her, Lorna kissed him. They kissed for a long time and when she paused, just inches away from his face and panting for breath, she noticed his arms around her. It had been three years since she had felt something towards a man like him and she was not going to let him leave, at least not tonight. The girl wrapped her arm around his neck and they kissed again. Slowly opening the door, she guided him in and closed it behind them. A/N: hmmmmm.. I wonder what they're up to? 'wink wink' ;0)
Lorna fluttered her eyes open when a slight breeze pushed a string of her hair to her forehead. Under her wasn't her bed but grass. Next to her wasn't Dagonet but tall pine trees. She slowly pushed herself to her knees and looked around, quite confused. She was in a forest. How the Hell did I get here? A sound of waves was clearly heard from the distance. A beach? Lorna stood and followed the sound of waves crashing into rocks. She saw the edge of the forest and a male figure standing there, his back to her. He was familiar. Lorna ran in front of the man and gulped bitterly. "Dom.. Dominic?" The man who appeared to be Dominic didn't seem to realize someone was blocking his view, he just stared forward and then Lorna heard children's gleeful shouts come from the beach. She turned around and saw it. Disrealy and Lucan were playing and chasing each other on the rocks. Lorna turned to look at Dominic again; he was smiling, his eyes still on the children. She looked at her daughter and Lucan again. They seemed so happy and peaceful, like a they were brother and sister. "What's going on? What's the meaning of this?" she asked, but turning her head she cried, "Dominic!" There was no one there, she stood all alone in the edge of the forest.
A/N: My deepest apologies for the long flashback but I remembered I haven't said a word about Lorna's past(A) If you were bored to death because of that, well.. who gives a rats ass? (except for the rat itself.. poor misguided creatures) =D