A/N Okay, in this chapter, she gets a little crazy, but bare with me. She's still under the influence of the Chamber and she'll be back to normal in a few chapters. I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing.
imperfectionist-angel185-Burdock. You'll find in this chapter and future ones that Novellee doesn't much like Cameron.
Living People- thanks
Areena- there is a good explination for why they are all so quick to accept her. So if you can be patient, it'll be explained soon.
Yamani- I know, he was being very mean, but that's life.
Cutwing- you can count on it.
Great Merciful Goddess- Just a little. LOL.
Chapter eleven: Dreams
She was crazy, Novellee admitted to herself. Utterly crazy. There was no way these things that had happened to her in the chamber were real. Yet, she kept thinking they were. Not all of the events she thought were real. It just seemed the last part was real. Just the part where her brother gave her a mission.
But that was the least believable part. Her brother was dead and buried and nothing would change that. Nothing. So why did she hope something could?
Novellee dragged her hands through her soggy hair in frustration. She had come outside to escape the dream that had been chasing her since the night of the chamber ordeal.
She had hoped that coming to her country estate would help her, and it had a little. Her dream still came every night, but only once a night. But it hadn't been enough. So, two nights ago she had decided that she didn't need sleep. She could live without it.
When she had found herself dosing off in the library over her book, she had grabbed her cloak and crawled outside, hoping the rain could do what her book could not.
Now, she was soaked, freezing, and on the verge of sleep. Again.
She caught her head starting to fall forward and jerked it back, succeeding only in banging her head against the trunk. She cursed heavily. Then rested her head against the trunk.
This was going to be a long night.
Maybe part of the problem was that chamber. It had brought back her memories of her brother two fold. So, it was only logical that she was dreaming of him again, wasn't it?
Yes, it was, she confirmed.
But these dreams made no since. It began with her waking up from sleep and seeing her brother standing over her. He would look into her eyes then turn and flee. She would pursue him and the chase would lead her into the woods. That's when they showed up.
The knights that had killed her brother and left her for dead came up from behind chasing her as she chased her brother. They would gain on her and slice at her feet, and only quick movements would save her.
She ran for miles and miles with only glimpses of her brother to tell her that she was on the right path. She climbed a hill, and when she got to the top, she saw her brother.
He stood, all alone on the edge of the cliff, staring out to sea. When he noticed her, he turned to face her, and he became someone else, some one she had seen before but couldn't remember.
He'd smile at her and say, "It's up to you now, Novellee."
Then he jumped of the side of the cliff into the water, his smiling face looking back at her.
Even thinking about it gave her the creeps. She shuddered as her face paled. She did not wish to have that dream again. She didn't even want to think about it.
She tipped her head back and closed her eyes against the images that swam through her mind. Taking deep breaths, she calmed her racing heart.
A twig snapped behind her, making her gasp. She reached automatically for her dagger before she remembered that she had left it in her bedchamber. Her only weapon was her fist, but she didn't really feel like a fight. So she silenced her breathing and remained as still as a statue.
"Novellee?" she heard someone call. She nearly groaned. It was Cameron. He had showed up at her estate a few days ago, saying that he knew what had happened and he wasn't going to leave her side until she felt safe again.
She sure wished she knew what he knew, because nothing had happened to make her feel unsafe. At least, nothing that she knew about.
Since then, he hadn't left her side, except when he needed to relieve himself, then she took the opportunity to escape. He had even tried to sleep in her bed the first night, but a solid punch to his gut had changed his mind. Now he slept across the hall from her and when she went traveling after dark, she used the windows.
He was the last person Novellee wanted to see right now. She was glad she was wearing black. But her hair and face were plainly visible and were like a beckon of light in the darkness.
If only she could get her hood up, she'd be saved. She reached up with her chilled hands and grabbed her hood, before slowly drawing it up over her hair. But she was caught in the act.
"Novellee!" Cameron exclaimed as he saw her sitting at the base of an oak tree, soaking wet. "You're going to freeze to death out here!"
Cameron dropped to his knees before her, his hands coming out to caress her face. She managed not to flinch away, which was her first gut reaction. She settled instead on slapping his hands away from her face.
"What are you doing, Cameron?" she demanded in her gravely voice.
"Let's get you inside," he said, ignoring her question. He put on arm under her knees and the other around her shoulders and lifted her up. "You need to get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. We're going on an all day ride to the city, remember?"
"I don't want to go inside," she protested, trying to struggle from his embrace, but he simply pulled her closer to his chest. Bile rose in her throat as his hands caressed her legs and arms. Memories from the chamber began clouding her mind and she began to panic. She knew they weren't real, but they seemed so lifelike.
Her struggles ceased simply because she couldn't breath. She was hyperventilating with her panic. She didn't want him to touch her, but she couldn't get away. He was too strong for her. She was at a disadvantage in this position.
"Put me down," she said in a deadly calm voice. They were at the front door by now, and she was feeling weak with air lose. "Put me down!" she said more loudly.
"Just a second, we're almost to your room," he talked with a placating tone that drove her crazy. She jammed her elbow into his gut.
"Now!"
He dropped her and she landed on her feet. With out a warning, she took off like a rocket, heading for Bennie's room. She didn't want to go to Polly's room. Polly would just let Cameron in.
Bennie would keep Cameron out for her. And she could find someone to confide in with Bennie.
"Get back here!" Cameron called as he followed her down the halls. Her breath began to hitch as she raced away, Cameron hot on her heels. She turned a corner and skidded on her wet shoes until she slammed into the wall. She yelped as her shoulder hit, the stone of the wall digging into her flesh, but she didn't stop.
She continued down the hall and gave a small smile of satisfaction when she heard Cameron hit the wall also.
She slide to a stop in front of Bennie's door and used her fist to pound on it. He must have heard her coming because he opened it immediately. She rushed in, slammed the door and locked it.
Bennie gave her a look and she ran into his arms, knowing he would hold her. His arms wrapped around her as she shuddered. When Cameron began pounding on the door she jumped and gave a cry.
"Shhh," Bennie soothed, rubbing at her hair, stroking it in calming motions. Cameron began shouting that they let him in and Novellee began to shake harder. The pounding became fiercer and she was afraid that he would break down the door.
Using her Gift, she sealed off the room so he wouldn't be able to get in even if he did break down the door.
She sighed with relief when the magic sealed them in and him out. Her body relaxed against Bennie's and she gave him a big hug.
"Thanks, Bennie," she whispered as she began to drift off.
"Mind telling me what that was about?" he asked as he held her companionably. He was just glad that Ellie had left a few minutes ago. It would have been really embarrassing if Novellee had seen him asking the gardener's daughter to marry him.
"I freaked out when he found me outside. He wanted to get me inside so that I wouldn't freeze to death. When he grabbed me and started to carry me inside, I panicked," her voice was quiet as she was almost asleep.
Sleep sounded so good right now. She hadn't slept in two days. Her eyes closed on her own and she leaned more heavily into Bennie. Bennie scooped her into his arms and laid her down on the bed.
He was just glad that she insisted he take a guest room and not a servant's room. The bed was big enough for the two of them to sleep in. He piled all the blankets over her because she was so wet. He removed her cloak and slippers before getting into bed on the other side with only one blanket on so they wouldn't touch during the night.
He just hoped he woke up before Ellie so she wouldn't see them in such a compromising position. He sighed with pleasure. He and Ellie were going to be married. With a contnet sigh, he slept.
$$
Novellee woke with a jolt, springing up in bed with a gasp. The dream again. She hated the dream. She blinked her eyes to adjust to the darkness, and that's when she saw him.
He was standing over the bed, her brother's face was as it had been in the dreams. He looked into her eyes, then turned and fled. This was the dream again, except she was awake. If she was awake, that meant he was real.
With out a thought, she got to her feet and ran after him.
$$
Bennie looked up when he felt Novellee stir. He had left the candle burning on accident. It was a good thing he was only out for a few minutes. He blew out the candle, before going back to sleep.
$$
Novellee ran down the corridors, her brother's shadow going around the corner her only clue as to where he was. When she came to the stairs leading to the entrance hall, she jumped onto the rail and slide down.
She slammed out off the doors in time to see her brother disappear into the forest. She took after him, unaware that she wore no shoes.
The woods swallowed her as she ran, and she took no notice when the branches of bushes and trees scratched at her face and clothes, or when twigs and rocks cut at her bare feet. She had to catch up with her brother. Had to, before it was to late and he jumped.
Something caught her attention as she ran, a noise that sounded like armor chinking. Novellee looked behind her quickly and saw the knights of her past following close on her heels. This was too real, she thought.
But then a knight was swinging his sword at her and she screamed before running faster. She ran as fast as she could, her feet digging into the soil and propelling her forward.
When she came to a downward slope, she didn't slow and the momentum had her falling forward. She tripped over her feet and skidded down the hill, shredding her clothes as she passed through sticker bushes.
She fell to the bottom landing on a rock. She heard a loud crack and knew that she had broken some ribs, but she saw her brother ahead of her, traveling through the ravine and she followed at a breakneck pace, dodging past trees.
Her breath sobbed through her lungs and with each breath pain coursed through her. She didn't stop. Couldn't stop even though her leg muscles were on fire and she could hardly breath.
A tree jumped out of nowhere to grab her and she slammed her shoulder into it. She gave a scream of pain as she felt her should dislocate from the force. But she didn't stop.
Her brother turned at a steep hill, climbing it with ease. She went after him, digging into the ground with her fingers to lever herself up faster. Her foot caught in a rabbit's hole and she twisted her ankle, but she didn't slow down.
She kept going, faster and faster until she was sure she was flying. But she couldn't catch up with her brother.
The tree's parted and before her stood a man, her brother. Her breath sobbed out as she ran to him and he turned to her. The face changed as it had in the dream.
She ran into him and grabbed him, her arms around his neck, holding him to her. She was quivering with exhaustion and pain, but she didn't let him go.
"Don't jump," she cried as she melted against him, near to passing out. "Don't jump," then she fainted, the stranger's arms coming around her to keep her from falling.
A/N I could stop right there, but I won't.
Burdock grabbed the girl as she fainted in his arms. She was pathetically light and easy to hold up. But the important thing was who the hell was she? He scooped his arms under her legs and brought her to his chest so she was lying in his arms. He turned her face into the moonlight.
It was the assassin! He almost dropped her from the shock. He had been searching for her for almost three weeks now and had been preparing to ride the ten miles to her estate and she had dropped into his arms out of nowhere.
Burdock looked at her face and saw all the scratches that covered her . He noticed they were also on her arms and legs. Her clothes were torn and her feet were bloody.
"What the hell happened to you?" he demanded, but of course she didn't answer. He was just glad that the house where he was staying with Alanna and George wasn't but two minutes of a walk away.
Hoisting her into a more comfortable position, he carried her down the short path in the woods and to the fief.
A call went up when they saw him coming and Alanna was waiting for him when he got to his rooms. As were George, Numair and Daine. He laid the girl on the bed and Alanna rushed to her.
"Dear God's," she whispered as she began her healing. She called out absently what had been hurt as it was mended. "Three broken ribs. Dislocated shoulder. Twisted ankle. Two broken toes and a snapped finger bone. Not to mention countless scratches and many bruises. This one on the shoulder is curious. She had this one almost two hours more then the other bruises. Hmmm."
Novellee finally stopped glowing purple, and Burdock sighed with relief. He had been afraid that she was badly hurt. Now he just wondered how she had gotten there. And why was she afraid that he was going to jump?
He had simply been thinking about what he would say to her when he found her later the next day. The thought of jumping hadn't even crossed his mind.
"Where did you get her Doc?" Numair asked, using his nickname. "It's almost ten miles from here to her estate. Long way for a casual walk."
"She came out of the woods and rammed into me. She asked me not to jump before she fainted. I guess she came from the woods, but I didn't see exactly where. And like you said, it's a long walk."
Novellee moaned in her sleep and began to shiver. She was soaked and in wet clothes still. Alanna placed a hand on her forehead. "She's freezing. Let's get her out of these wet clothes and warm her up. We'll talk to her when she wakes up."
With that, they stripped her, covered her with blankets and left her to her dream.
A/N Wild and crazy, I know. But again, it was necessary for the story.
