Thanks everyone for all ur reviews they help heaps! Umm just a note: in this chapter and in some of the others the word 'ken' means 'know". Just to make it clear lol cos yea it's a bit confusing :P I figured out when I was reading the books that when matthew and anyone else with a highlander accent says ken it means know. Hehe thanks hope u enjoy! xo
My dearest Elspeth,
Lud I hope this letter has reached ye safely. I ken the risk of Rosalind escaping to Obernewtyn, but she insisted and there was nothing I could do to convince her otherwise. I near died when she told me she was Rushton's sister. In all the ages of this world I would never of guessed her to be a misfit. Well, apparently she's good at hiding herself. I only knew of Rosalind as a slave girl, but once she befriended Gilaine and Bila, I sensed her watching me constantly. I must have clumsily let my shield slip one day, so anyone with talent could of read my thoughts, but I wasn't worried, because really, who was going to read my thoughts here? Except for Gilaine of course and she lets me have my privacy. I had been daydreaming of Obernewtyn, again stupidly strategising some heroic plan to escape, when I felt someone prodding at my mind. I didn't take much notice, thinking I was dreaming, as I'd often desperately dream of a misfit coming to take me home and after I moment I thought nothing of it. So I thought of you and Dameon and of Cameo…and in one of those memories Rushton was there making a speech to Obernewtyn and I heard a gasp beside me that shook me harshly, back to reality. Rosalind had been viewing my memories, though I didn't know at time. She must of seen Rushton and before I knew what was happening all the colour drained from her face, making her ghostly pale and she fell to the ground right beside me. I was surprised that no one noticed, later realising that she had coerced the guards to forget about us, and it took me all my strength to calm her down to get three words out of her.
She told me that when they were children, Rushton and her were parted, but she didn't tell me details. He was only young then and I'm guessing he blocked her out of his mind, or otherwise believed her to be dead. I couldn't know anymore though, she just wouldn't say. Her mind was so well guarded that I didn't press her. She had accidently let her guard slip once and all that I saw were distorted images of fire, a stake and herders. I told her of Obernewtyn… I know what your thinking, how could I trust her? You think I believe I'm in some fairytale adventure, where I'm the valiant hero and I'm trying to reunite her with Rushton for my purposes. I ken, I can be naïve, well I could be, but so much has changed Elspeth. I ken, that being here, in this place, has changed me. Seeing what these people go through, being tortured and nearly going mad from being so confined. I near lost all hope of ever seeing Obernewtyn again until I met the others. I am going to get out of here, I'm taking Gilaine back to Daffd, and I'm leaving before I get thrown into the pit like all the others, dying without a purpose. I ken there is something I must do. I ken it now. You won't believe who I saw here Elspeth. Not only did I put two and two together about Dragon, (she must come back, she is the only one who can save these people, they have no strength without her) but I saw something that made me realise my purpose.
I saw Ariel.
After what he did to Cameo… I swore on her life…I…
There were no more words.
The parchment was torn half way through.
I almost dropped the letter.
The writing had stopped so abruptly.
"What… this can't be it? Where's the rest?"
I was frantic now, turning the page over and over but finding nothing. How could it end now? Dameon let go of my hand. I felt him shaking beside me, but I was hardly taking notice. I turned to Dameon. He was always the rational, calm one. He always knew the right thing to say.
"Maybe… maybe the other half got lost… or maybe Rosalind has it." I was making excuses now… anxiously searching for a reason where the other half was.
"Elspeth…" Dameon whispered incredulously. He couldn't finish the sentence, but I caught his thought, a vision of Matthew dying and Ariel laughing his cruel, spineless laugh.
I shivered. If Dameon couldn't find hope, then hope was lost.
I'd never seen Dameon this upset before. He knew better than I that Matthew had not changed, despite what it said in the letter. The last lines haunted me. They repeated over again in my mind. Ariel's beautiful, terrible face floated before my eyes.
"but I saw something that made me realise my purpose. I saw Ariel."