Hey everybody! I'm sorry it's been so long since I put up the last chapter.
I've been kinda stressed out by school, but it's now vacation so I'll have
plenty of time to write. To make up for the wait, this chapter it a little
longer than the others. Read, review and enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the places, though wish as I might, they belong to Tamora Pierce. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daine stood dripping upon the deck of the "Peerless", very happy that she and the girl were both alive for the mean time. Now that the sun had fully risen, the day was proving to be quite warm. Daine turned her head to the sky and basked in the sunlight as a very wise skink god had once told her to do to relax herself. The perfect time for a swim Daine thought wryly.
She looked over to where her new friend was lying a few yards away. The girl was just starting to drift back into consciousness. She coughed, water spouting from her mouth onto the shoes of a very unhappy-looking master. She sat up gasping for breath.
"What were you thinking Loushanka? You stupid, useless fool! Who gave you permission to go over to the rail, huh?" He kicked the poor girl in the side.
"Ralphin," a meek voice belonging to the merchant's wife whispered, "I told her it was alright,"
Master Ralphin, who had been turning redder by the minute, tinged to an ugly shade of purple. Barley able to contain his furry, he turned his attention onto his wife.
"You, blundering female! Go to our rooms, all of you!" he cried turning to his two sons and young daughter. "You're creating a spectacle!"
The now tearful woman and her children rushed away below decks, not needing to be told twice.
Daine could only take so much. What a monster, she thought, Cover or no, I have to stop this. Collecting herself, she strode over to the man Ralphin.
Ralphin's back was to Daine and he was oblivious to her advance. "You girl," he pointed to the quivering figure at his feet. "I'll be back for you in a moment. I'll teach you how to mind your footing, I will!" He kicked her again.
"Sir!" Diane cried.
Startled, the man turned. "Oh, you, the one who saved her. How much do you want?"
Daine blinked, trying to understand what he had meant.
"How much money? You saved my property, so I'll be expecting you want something in return." He fished into his pocket and produced two coins. He grabbed Daine's hand, opened it up, placed the coins in her palm, and strode away before she could say a word.
The crew and others who had been spectators to this display, quietly went back about their business, leaving the girl, Loushanka, alone, huddled in a wet shaking mass upon the deck.
Quietly, Daine walked over to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Beneath her hand, Daine felt the girl tense as if expecting a blow. When no such thing came, she looked up, meeting Daine's gray eyes with her own brown ones. In that brief moment, Daine saw so mush in those two windows to the girl's soul. There was fear, pain, despair, anguish, and so many other terrible emotions, but below all that there was a glimmer of hope.
Quickly the girl lowered her eyes as if suddenly remembering herself.
"How can I ever thank you for saving my life?" she whispered.
"Well for starters," Daine said with a friendly grin as she sat down beside the girl, "You could look at me when you speak."
Loushanka looked up, and seeing Daine's grin, sported one of her own.
Daine put out her hand. "My name's Sara Thatcher." She said using the alias that George had given her. Loushanka stared back and forth between Daine and her hand in great surprise for a moment, before finally gripping the out stretched hand.
"I am called Loushanka Pusarria," she said. Loushanka was a pretty girl of no more that 16. She sported long black curly hair, now wet from her unexpected swim. She was dressed shabbily in an old faded blue dress, and of course, around her neck was the iron ring that kept her enslaved.
"Why are you speaking to me?" she asked suddenly, looking at Daine as if something were wrong with her. "You are a luarin."
Daine had forgotten about the rakas' feelings toward the luarins, or white skinned people. The luarins had come from the north hundreds of years ago and conquered the raka people. They took their lands and titles and enslaved all those who fought them. As a rule, the raka were very bitter about their enslavement and hated all luarin.
Daine though for a moment before answering, "I am not from the Isles. I come form up north, in Galla. There we have no slavery. We don't believe in it."
Loushanka, seeing truth in Daine's eyes nodded. "Then I am honored to be speaking with you, god child. What brings you to the southern lands?"
There it was again, God child. Daine looked anxiously around, making sure that no one had heard the girl call her that. How did she know?
"I am looking for my niece," she looked down, playing the part, "She was captured by pirates three months ago."
Now it was Loushanka's turn to comfort Daine. "She is lucky to have an aunt like you to care enough about her and to search for her. But why don't your parents fetch her. They are gods, are they not?"
The only other people who had ever known from first sight that Daine's parents were gods had been the Banjiku people in Carthak who had possessed wild magic. Does she have wild magic? Daine wondered. She looked as Numair had once taught her to, seeing all the magic around her. The ocean glowed with a brilliant blue fire now, and Daine herself shone copper. She looked at Loushanka. Sure enough, there deep within her was a tiny speck of the same copper fire that filled Daine. Now curious, Daine looked at the other people on deck. Every raka that she could see had that same copper speck.
"What are you looking at?" Loushanka asked, bring Daine out of her deep trance.
"Huh?" she asked stupidly, having missed the question.
"What were you looking at?" Loushanka asked.
Dodging the questions, Daine asked one of her own, "Why do you keep calling me 'God Child'?"
The girl shrugged, "Because you are the child of the gods." She grinned at Daine, seemingly pleased to have answered the question while telling her nothing at all. Suddenly her eyes opened wide. "God child." She said. "God Child? You are the one!" She cried eagerly. "You are the one who can help the Tiger and free us!" Her eyes filled with tears and she began to cry. "You are the one", she said again. "You..." she broke off as a gruff hand pulled her up to her feet.
"Yah, me." It was Ralphin. He had come back to fetch her. "Save your tears, you'll be needing them later. Come on, below decks. I've got a lesson to teach you." He began to drag her away.
"Stop!" Daine shouted.
"What do you want girl? Do you want a lesson too? I've already paid you so go away!" he turned again and headed down the stairs leading to the cabins below deck.
There is no point in talking to him, a voice said. He'll just throw something at you.
An orange cat appeared from behind a barrel. He threw a shoe at me, and I was only trying to help him get rid of the rats in his cabin," she said smugly as she began to wash herself.
You are not like most humans, she continued, you are People too. My name is Ratdeath.
Speaking just in her mind Daine replied, I am Daine. Humans around here aren't very friendly are they? How could he treat anyone like he treats that girl or how he treated you? I just get so mad that I can't do anything about it!
Well, said Ratdeath leaping into Daine's arms, No one can save the world. Pet me, it will calm you down. Oh, behind the ears! The cat squirmed in her arms as she obeyed. She began to walk back to her cabin. Cats are much smarter than humans, she said, playing with her new friends tail.
Of Course, most of the People are. Humans are very stupid. Daine giggled at this last remark, receiving a strange look from a man walking by, and entered her cabin with much still lingering on her mind.
So? Please review! Thanks :)
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the places, though wish as I might, they belong to Tamora Pierce. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daine stood dripping upon the deck of the "Peerless", very happy that she and the girl were both alive for the mean time. Now that the sun had fully risen, the day was proving to be quite warm. Daine turned her head to the sky and basked in the sunlight as a very wise skink god had once told her to do to relax herself. The perfect time for a swim Daine thought wryly.
She looked over to where her new friend was lying a few yards away. The girl was just starting to drift back into consciousness. She coughed, water spouting from her mouth onto the shoes of a very unhappy-looking master. She sat up gasping for breath.
"What were you thinking Loushanka? You stupid, useless fool! Who gave you permission to go over to the rail, huh?" He kicked the poor girl in the side.
"Ralphin," a meek voice belonging to the merchant's wife whispered, "I told her it was alright,"
Master Ralphin, who had been turning redder by the minute, tinged to an ugly shade of purple. Barley able to contain his furry, he turned his attention onto his wife.
"You, blundering female! Go to our rooms, all of you!" he cried turning to his two sons and young daughter. "You're creating a spectacle!"
The now tearful woman and her children rushed away below decks, not needing to be told twice.
Daine could only take so much. What a monster, she thought, Cover or no, I have to stop this. Collecting herself, she strode over to the man Ralphin.
Ralphin's back was to Daine and he was oblivious to her advance. "You girl," he pointed to the quivering figure at his feet. "I'll be back for you in a moment. I'll teach you how to mind your footing, I will!" He kicked her again.
"Sir!" Diane cried.
Startled, the man turned. "Oh, you, the one who saved her. How much do you want?"
Daine blinked, trying to understand what he had meant.
"How much money? You saved my property, so I'll be expecting you want something in return." He fished into his pocket and produced two coins. He grabbed Daine's hand, opened it up, placed the coins in her palm, and strode away before she could say a word.
The crew and others who had been spectators to this display, quietly went back about their business, leaving the girl, Loushanka, alone, huddled in a wet shaking mass upon the deck.
Quietly, Daine walked over to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Beneath her hand, Daine felt the girl tense as if expecting a blow. When no such thing came, she looked up, meeting Daine's gray eyes with her own brown ones. In that brief moment, Daine saw so mush in those two windows to the girl's soul. There was fear, pain, despair, anguish, and so many other terrible emotions, but below all that there was a glimmer of hope.
Quickly the girl lowered her eyes as if suddenly remembering herself.
"How can I ever thank you for saving my life?" she whispered.
"Well for starters," Daine said with a friendly grin as she sat down beside the girl, "You could look at me when you speak."
Loushanka looked up, and seeing Daine's grin, sported one of her own.
Daine put out her hand. "My name's Sara Thatcher." She said using the alias that George had given her. Loushanka stared back and forth between Daine and her hand in great surprise for a moment, before finally gripping the out stretched hand.
"I am called Loushanka Pusarria," she said. Loushanka was a pretty girl of no more that 16. She sported long black curly hair, now wet from her unexpected swim. She was dressed shabbily in an old faded blue dress, and of course, around her neck was the iron ring that kept her enslaved.
"Why are you speaking to me?" she asked suddenly, looking at Daine as if something were wrong with her. "You are a luarin."
Daine had forgotten about the rakas' feelings toward the luarins, or white skinned people. The luarins had come from the north hundreds of years ago and conquered the raka people. They took their lands and titles and enslaved all those who fought them. As a rule, the raka were very bitter about their enslavement and hated all luarin.
Daine though for a moment before answering, "I am not from the Isles. I come form up north, in Galla. There we have no slavery. We don't believe in it."
Loushanka, seeing truth in Daine's eyes nodded. "Then I am honored to be speaking with you, god child. What brings you to the southern lands?"
There it was again, God child. Daine looked anxiously around, making sure that no one had heard the girl call her that. How did she know?
"I am looking for my niece," she looked down, playing the part, "She was captured by pirates three months ago."
Now it was Loushanka's turn to comfort Daine. "She is lucky to have an aunt like you to care enough about her and to search for her. But why don't your parents fetch her. They are gods, are they not?"
The only other people who had ever known from first sight that Daine's parents were gods had been the Banjiku people in Carthak who had possessed wild magic. Does she have wild magic? Daine wondered. She looked as Numair had once taught her to, seeing all the magic around her. The ocean glowed with a brilliant blue fire now, and Daine herself shone copper. She looked at Loushanka. Sure enough, there deep within her was a tiny speck of the same copper fire that filled Daine. Now curious, Daine looked at the other people on deck. Every raka that she could see had that same copper speck.
"What are you looking at?" Loushanka asked, bring Daine out of her deep trance.
"Huh?" she asked stupidly, having missed the question.
"What were you looking at?" Loushanka asked.
Dodging the questions, Daine asked one of her own, "Why do you keep calling me 'God Child'?"
The girl shrugged, "Because you are the child of the gods." She grinned at Daine, seemingly pleased to have answered the question while telling her nothing at all. Suddenly her eyes opened wide. "God child." She said. "God Child? You are the one!" She cried eagerly. "You are the one who can help the Tiger and free us!" Her eyes filled with tears and she began to cry. "You are the one", she said again. "You..." she broke off as a gruff hand pulled her up to her feet.
"Yah, me." It was Ralphin. He had come back to fetch her. "Save your tears, you'll be needing them later. Come on, below decks. I've got a lesson to teach you." He began to drag her away.
"Stop!" Daine shouted.
"What do you want girl? Do you want a lesson too? I've already paid you so go away!" he turned again and headed down the stairs leading to the cabins below deck.
There is no point in talking to him, a voice said. He'll just throw something at you.
An orange cat appeared from behind a barrel. He threw a shoe at me, and I was only trying to help him get rid of the rats in his cabin," she said smugly as she began to wash herself.
You are not like most humans, she continued, you are People too. My name is Ratdeath.
Speaking just in her mind Daine replied, I am Daine. Humans around here aren't very friendly are they? How could he treat anyone like he treats that girl or how he treated you? I just get so mad that I can't do anything about it!
Well, said Ratdeath leaping into Daine's arms, No one can save the world. Pet me, it will calm you down. Oh, behind the ears! The cat squirmed in her arms as she obeyed. She began to walk back to her cabin. Cats are much smarter than humans, she said, playing with her new friends tail.
Of Course, most of the People are. Humans are very stupid. Daine giggled at this last remark, receiving a strange look from a man walking by, and entered her cabin with much still lingering on her mind.
So? Please review! Thanks :)