Chapter Thirteen; Reunion.
I know I've been horrible about updating on this story. But here is the next chapter, thanks to Silvestria who reminded me I still had more stories left to tell.
Barney finished tying the bandage around Jane's wound, helped by Simon supporting her shoulders. The thermos stood beside her on the seat after her brothers had helped her to swallow some. Her stomach had furiously objected to the food and she had been forced to stop after only a few mouthfuls. But even that little amount had been enough to moisten her mouth and throat.
John drove like a madman down the narrow road back to the farm, as if all the riders of the Dark were following them.
They reached the shepard's cottage and John leant into the back and plucked Jane from the boys' grasp as easily as if she had been a newborn lamb in Spring. She did not stir from her sleep. but lay still and limp in the farm hand's arms. He walked steadily inot the small house, the rest trailing behind him.
"You stay down here." He instructed. "I'll finish dressing the wound."
Simon tried to object but he was silenced by a sharp look from the older man.
John came down from the stares fifteen minutes later to find the four boys spread across his living room. All of them wore the same anxious expressions, which only darkened when they saw his own worried face.
"She hasn't worken up yet. We'll have to get her to a hospital, and the nearest is a good two hours away. We must leave now."
Each sat in the car, silent and often glancing over at Jane's pale face as the landrover passed along the narrow roads and through small villages and hamlets. Each replayed the horrible scene that had taken place under an hour before over and over in their mind, while John, who had been left outside, could only imagine what had passed in that barn to leave Jane in this state and the rest so shaken.
Simon glanced over the back of the front seat to look at the still, white face of his younger sister. He had always thought her weak and slightly silly before their first quest for the grail, and, he realised, those thoughts still clouded his vision now. She had changed over the years, from a girl who looked up to him as a wise older brother and had shadowed him everywhere, into another girl who was strong in her own right. He looked over her carefully, noticing for the first time the bruises covering her bare forearms. His nails dug into his palms as he saw fingermarks clearly standing out on her too translucent skin.
The only colour around her was the darkness of her hair. Her skin was so white it seemed to leech the colour from her surroundings as well.
Barney sat on the seat beside her, half watching Jane and half looking out of the window. He felt a stange wariness creeping over him, as if he was waiting for the climax to a film. The Dark wasn't finished with his sister yet, he was sure.
Will and Bran huddled in the back, casting worried glances at all the Drews, but especially Jane.
"They didn't get enough." Will said, certainty ringing in his voice.
"Where do they have the signs though?" Bran asked, looking worriedly at his friend.
Will's round, usually pleasant face was drawn. The shields he had raised at the ritual in the barn had pulled his strength right out of him. Bran lowered his voice so Barney, sitting inf ront of him, could not hear his words.
"Are you going to last?"
Grim faced, Will replied
"I'm going to have to. They took a lot of blood from her. Not enough for their purpose, but enough for some rather nasty spells, not quite enough to fully bind her to them though, but enough to suggest certain things to her mind. But we will be watching Jane carefully now, and guarding her too." He spoke in the same hushed tone as the welsh boy. "How far is it to the hosptal now?"
Bran looked out of the misted up window, they had just passed another small town.
"Ten minutes I'd say. Not long."
"Good." Will's face was set, deep in thought and shadow.