Chapter 8

A New Appearance

She lay in a crumpled heap on the ground, teetering on the edge of unconciousness. It had been a long battle to try and keep awake, but she often lost it. But this time, she was determined. She couldn't move, unfortunately. Her body crumpled from when a slab of the wall had come down on her. True, it is what freed her, but it did nothing to aid her phyiscal state. She knew she wasn't indoors, fore she could smell the fresh air, but she also discovered that she still lay on a stone floor, with shackles tightly about her wrists. She had laid a long time, not only because she was motionless, but because she expected somebody to come for her. Unfortunately, that somebody was the last person she wanted near her. Moridin. Even Nathan would be welcomed, compared to her grandfather.

All she was able to see was the half destroyed wall and her curtain of fire red hair, but she relished the point that she knew she'd be free, as soon as she could move. She closed her eyes as fatigue once again fought at her tiny form. But she wouldn't be swept away by it. Not this time. Unfortunately, that's only what she thought.

It wasn't longer before darkness once again took her.

She awoke to the soft pitter patter of foot steps, and shuddered. Her mind racing as to whom it might be. She still couldn't move much, but her body began to shake softly with fear at so many possibilities. She closed her eyes when she felt a hand on her arm pulling her over to her back. It was a man, she had already percieved. The hand was too large and firm for a woman, but rather slender. Her shaking grew worse, and she couldn't stop it.

She gasped when rock dug into her back when she was turning over, and writhed helplessly. Her eyes forcing open, and she stared up into the auburn eyes of a white haired figure, and she gasped at the interesting patternings on his face. There was a crescent on his fore head, and two red stripes on each side of his face. She couldn't place a memory for this picture, so she only waited, gazing up at him, sadly, with the fear a child would posess. She was scared, and she began trembling again, turning her head to the side.

She didn't feel it happen, but when she opened her eyes, her wrists were free of those damned shackles, and she stared back at this figure, maybe in a new light. She was completely unaware to the fact that her glossy hair was all over the place, and her face was smudged with dirt, and slightly pale from the lack of sunlight. She was helped up into a sitting position by this man, and all she could to was stare with her mouth agape at him.

"Tell me, girl." The man began, glancing around for a moment, before turning that unblinking auburn stare on her. "What is your name?" The child blinked, staring at him for a long moment. Unknowing as to what she was supposed to reply. Nobody had really wanted to know her name. Why should they? She was but a mere child. But it had been long since she had the chance to see other people, and this man was the first to show her compassion in a long time.

"Well?" The figure demanded, watching her, studying her, and the child thought she could even see him testing the air. Before she could even think to speak, she threw herself against him and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Tears she had thought she could control found their way up, and she cried uncontrollably onto this figure. Unsure if she should trust him or not, but even that little show of concern brought unspeakable joy to her.

The figure just sat there, blinking blankly, and not even moving to return the embrace. He was aware that she wept, and that is why he didn't pull away, simply waiting for her to finish so he could find out who she was, and why this placed smelled of his brother. Then again, he had no idea if she would know, but it was still worth asking. Why he felt even the slightest bit of sympathy towards the girl, he didn't know. But it was not an area he needed to explore.

The child didn't know how long she wept, but she pulled back hesitantly, staring dumbfoundedly at the figure and cringed as though she expected to be reprimanded. "Sorry." She murmered in a cracked voice and stared at the ground, huddling in on herself with the innocence of a small child, and indeed she was a small child. She imagined she could feel the figures eyes watching her. Observing her worth, so she assumed, and she was surprised to be helped to her feet.

She stood slowly, looking back up to this figure who towered over her. She cringed and seemed to shrink away from him in fear.

"What is your name?" The man asked again. His unwavering gaze piercing the child all the while not trying to impose her.

"H-Heron." She whispered, watching him warily. "Heron Z-Zaida Quosaith." If she could see a mirror image of herself right now, she would never recognize her own features. Purple bruises showed up on her face, and down her arms, and basically all over. Yellow faded ones behind those, and the odd cuts and scratches here and there. She was unkempt, and unclean, and yet, but a mere innocent child. Her emerald eyes huge, but black around the rims, and her cheeks were now dirty from her attempting to scrub freshly shed tears away. Again, she was only watched.

She didn't know why he regarded her so simply, like she was but an animal for market, or a bug, and the superior figure pending on whether he should squish it or not. Nothing but a bug. Such a simple creature. She shivered at this sudden inferior feeling. The figure then turned and strode out of the mass of destruction.

For a long moment, Heron watched him in forlorn, and then ran after him. Not knowing why, but she didn't want to be on her own. As soon as her foot reached the grassy surface, her eyes lit up though, and the figure no longer seemed to matter. She grinned, her emerald eyes glowering with excitement as she gazed at the sky. No more stone walls, she told herself. She was free. Things would've been made so much better if she could've flown and proved her point.

She didn't notice that she had begun laughing. That she had simply dropped to her knees and started laughing! She didn't notice those calm auburn eyes were on her again, along with two other pairs. No, she just didn't care, she was free! And then an awareness his her that silenced her laughter, and realize those eyes on her.

She was alone. Utterly alone, and helpless for that matter. She stared blindly ahead and felt tears in her eyes once more. What was she supposed to do? The only other family she had was Nathan. And that was completely out of the question. Hopelessness shrouded through her system and made her shrink in on herself. She didn't know what was worse. Being kept in that hell hole with Moridin, unable to get a glimpse of outside, or a breath of actual fresh air, or simply, being all alone in this vast area.

It didn't take long to realize the man had approached again, and she watched him warily. His gaze weighed her, studying her. "You can come, if you want." She heard the deep voice of the man, and her eyes widened, a smile splitting her features. She jumped to her feet and again hugged him. She wasn't alone anymore. Not this time. Unexplained trust for this figure overwhelmed her, and she laughed against him. Actual laughter...