6
See part one for explanation and disclaimers. I don't own 'Dinotopia', James Gurney does. Hallmark still owns the characters and I'm still not profiting from this. Hope you're enjoying this. Still recommended for teens and up for action/violence and mild language, plus this chapter still has very mild sexual content.
Le Sage stood, crossing her arms. Her anger was directed at her pack members rather than the new arrivals. "Just to clarify---again---the purpose of having guards is to keep unwanted guests out of the castle, not to escort them into my bedroom!"
"Trust me, it's no thrill for us either," Karl said.
The younger woman still gaped at Le Sage and David. "You---I don't believe you would--"
"Oh don't give me that. You had your chance," Le Sage countered.
Karl raised an eyebrow at Marion. "You what?"
Marion snapped out of her stupor when she saw the glint of the blue crystal on the bedcovers. Clearly, the outsiders had been trying to use the Tohma Faiere before she and Karl interrupted. She made a noise of exasperation and, fixated on the ancient pendant, marched across the room to retrieve it. "Of all the irresponsible…I'm taking the faith stone back to the sanctuary---"
She stopped short of grabbing the faith stone only when she became aware of two things simultaneously: One, the faith stone lay on the disheveled sheets, and, two, at the moment said bed sheets were wrapped---none too securely---around Barrett's hips. Marion froze, mid-reach, and glanced up to see him watching her with amusement.
"Don't let me stop you," he told her.
Marion willed herself not to blush again. Judging by Barrett's smirk, she wasn't succeeding. David stood, nearly dislodging the precariously wrapped sheets with the sudden movement, the grasping the pendant's cord. He stared right into her eyes, his face inches from hers, and held out the faith stone for her to take if she wanted. He could have cared less if she took the damn meteorite, but her awkward embarrassment was entertaining. He saw a momentary flash of panic in her eyes, but Marion didn't back down. "You have no idea how much damage you've caused using the Toh---"
David shut her up: With one swift move, he leaned in and kissed her quite thoroughly. There was a muffled yelp of surprise from the future matriarch---and, behind her, a growl of extreme irritation from Scott.
"Am I still in the room?" Le Sage complained.
David pulled away from Marion and raised an eyebrow at the pack leader. "Oh, please."
Le Sage shrugged. "Yeah, you're right. Faking the whole 'jealous girlfriend' routine just gives me indigestion…"
Karl advanced on Barrett and grabbed him by the arm to pull him back. As he did so, the skybax rider's hand brushed the Tohma Faiere. He felt the light from the faith stone inside his head. It drowned out all his senses. The world around him went blue and new images filled his mind, playing out like a movie…no, he was living these visions…
It was definitely a romantic setting. He was sitting on a riverbank, not far from the base of the largest of the falls in Waterfall City. Moonlight sparkled off the water; the combination of its glow and the light from the distant sunstone tower bathed the forest around him. The night sounds from the less-dangerous nocturnal creatures was almost musical. The mist from the falls hung in the air like a light bank of fog, adding to the feeling of seclusion. The city was no farther away than the top of the falls, but it felt distant, almost like another world. There were no 'topians, no outsiders, and (thank God) no brothers to horn in here. Karl's world was only here and now, this little spot by the river.
The night---by contrast to the days on the island---was crisp and cool, and Karl could feel the breeze through the thin shirt he wore...
…which was not his skybax rider's uniform, Karl noticed. It was the loose-fitting style of garment preferred by the 'topian civilians. He stared at the tan sleeves covering his arm in fascination…and discovered a graceful, feminine, and familiar hand was clasping his own. He would have known her hand blind or in a blackout by touch alone.
Sure enough, Marion sat beside him on the shore, her hand warm in his own. The moonlight made her light skin luminous and her already radiant smile even more luminous.
'Sheesh, I'm turning into a sap,' Karl thought.
He wanted to play it cool. Karl had rehearsed this conversation in his mind for days, but, staring at Marion now, the words went right out of his head. In fact, he felt like his brain had abandoned him altogether. He didn't want to talk, he wanted to be kissing her. Instead, he sat silently for a long while in fear that any attempt to speak might reveal him for the blithering idiot he felt like at the moment. Something in her smile made him think she knew how tongue-tied he was.
'Come on, Karl, be cool here…oh, crap, she's saying something and I'm being a space case…'
"---lovely. How did you find it?" Marion was asking him.
'Lovely…lovely place. This place.' Karl forced his brain back into action. "It reminded me of Tehema Falls back home…well, not exactly at home, it was at Camp Tehema. Dad used to send us there every summer. It was a great place up in the mountains. Tehema Falls was---" Karl managed to catch himself before finishing with 'the make-out spot'. Some things about his past didn't need to be shared with his present girlfriend. "---er, everyone snuck up there when the counselors weren't around. 'Course it was a lot easier to sneak away when I became a counselor myself…"
"Every summer? You must have liked it very much. But why did you need a counselor?" Marion asked innocently.
"Oh, no, not that kind of counselor. They were supervisors, teachers I guess. It was a recreational camp. You go there to---well, mostly to swim and play tug-of-war and make wallets and lanyards and dress in politically incorrect Indian and pirate costumes. Jeez, that sounds lame even to me. You'll have to take my word for it that it's more fun than it sounds." This conversation wasn't going as well as he'd hoped. You just couldn't build a romantic mood talking about summer camp…
"I would have liked to have seen it---especially the pirate outfit. I'll bet it was very sexy," she grinned.
…or maybe you could, Karl changed his mind. He took his cue to kiss her, and there went all the coherent thoughts from his mind again. "If you want, I'll make a pirate outfit and wear it right now," he offered when they finally parted.
She laughed at that. "So, what was the 'big question' you wanted to ask me?"
That was Marion---always to the point. He wasn't nervous. He was sure that he already knew what her answer would be, but he'd had a whole speech prepared to sweep her off her feet. Since she had him on the spot, however, he'd just have to skip to the speech and go for broke.
"Well…" She was waiting, looking only curious. If she knew what he was going to ask, she didn't show it. Why was he at a loss for words again? 'You are not nervous, here, Karl,' he reminded himself. "…it's just, the Dawn Festival is coming up. I wondered---would you like to go with me?"
Marion's smile was instantly gone, replaced with a stunned expression. She stared into his eyes with a look on her face that he couldn't interpret to save his life. Shock? Surprise? If so, he hoped it was good shock. Was this awkward silence instead of good silence? The longer she stared, the more nervous he got.
"Well?" he prompted. A moment of doubt dampened his spirits. Had she already said 'yes' to---
Marion snapped out of her trance. "It's nothing. I just…I wasn't expecting to be asked. Not now, anyway."
He didn't know what to make of that answer. Really, she should know by know that if there was a dance on the island, Karl would ask her to go with him. Shouldn't she? He tried to keep the mood light to hide his nervousness. "Well, should I ask after the festival? I mean, that's kind of crossing over from 'fashionably late' to 'absent' , isn't it?" he joked. "Why? You didn't think I'd want to be at the party with the prettiest girl on the island?"
"'The party'?" Marion parroted softly.
Karl shrugged. "You don't say 'party'? How about 'dance'? 'Hoopla'? 'Shindig'? What word do you prefer?" His good mood was fading fast. He knew the look she was giving him now. She used it on her students when they answered questions wrong even after she'd explained a concept over and over. It was…disappointment. He panicked a bit, wondering what he'd done wrong.
"Karl, do you have any idea what the Dawn Festival is?" Marion asked with sudden, frosty calm.
Yep, he definitely felt like his was back in her classroom now. "I figure it's like our Harvest Dances back home. Lots of food, lots of music, lots of dancing. You don't know this about me, but I was the best dancer at---"
"Back home," Marion repeated.
Okay, he really wished she'd stop giving him that look. "---what? That's wrong?"
Marion stood up…that couldn't be good.
"I won't go to the Dawn Festival with you, Karl. I'm sorry." She said no more. She only turned and walked away, leaving him sitting dumbly on the riverbank
Stunned, heartbroke, seconds passed before he belatedly realized he should follow. He jumped to his feet and chased after her. "Wait! Marion!"
"Karl! Are you all right?"
The images ceased abruptly. Marion stood before him again, clasping something in her hand. Pendant. Tohman Faiere. It took a long time to remember that he was in Le Sage's chamber. Marion was watching him in concern. Standing beside her and Karl, David Barrett had a knowing look on his face.
"That---what the---" Karl stammered, staring at the now-dormant stone in Marion's hand.
Barrett nodded, sympathetic to Karl's disorientation "Yeah, I know the feeling."
Marion glanced from Karl to the faith stone. "Karl…the Tohma Faiere glowed for you," she told him.
"Oh, and by the way, I've changed my mind. You can keep the space rock," David offered. "Thing gives me the creeps."
The pack leader was fed up with the intrusion. Le Sage stamped a foot at her guards. "You wanna think about showing these two the door? And I don't mean my bedroom door."
At her bark, Le Sage's guards finally snapped into action. They lunged for Karl and Marion. Marion had the presence of mind to shove the faith stone into her vest pocket. When Bertram the guard lifted his hand to retrieve it, she socked him in the jaw. "Don't even think about it."
In the skirmish, another guard circled behind her and caught her roughly by the shoulders.
"Hey!" Karl tried to help, but more guards arrived, drawn by the shouts, and intercepted him. They were, unfortunately, as strong as the stink pouring off them. He couldn't break free.
"You don't understand!" Marion pleaded with David even as the guards dragged her and Karl into the hallway. It was taking three of the guards to make her move, as she had dug her heels into the ground to slow them down. "The faith stone created a different----get your hands off me!" Marion stomped on the foot of the nearest of her captors. He howled and hopped backwards a few steps on his good foot. Karl was still struggling against the men who half-carried him back towards the courtyard.
Marion was still appealing to Barrett. "David, we need your help to----"
David saw only sincerity, even concern, in her eyes. Without being aware of the action, he started to take a step after her as she and Karl were pushed out the bedroom door.
Le Sage got to the door first. Having heard enough, she slammed the door shut and locked it. The muffled sounds of the struggle and arguing from the other side eventually faded.
"They drop in often?" David asked her.
"You have no idea…" Le Sage rolled her eyes just mentally counting the times. She seated herself on the edge of the bed once more. "You do know that the dino-scout is going to be camped on our door step watching for you to fly out of here on that scalie of yours."
David grinned. "Know it? I'm counting on it."