Chapter Four
Fighting
Two weeks later Aiden passed his Big Tests.
Two weeks after that, he was chosen as a squire and came to tell Yvenne the good news. They hadn't spoken of the night at the Dancing Dove since. Both knew there was no reason to open old wounds.
He walked into her rooms only to find her nursing a black eye once again, "Bray and his gang? Gods Yvenne, why don't you tell someone, or at least let me handle it?" he scolded.
"I can fight my own battles even without my knives," Yvenne was still sore at losing her best weapon. "What are you here for, besides scolding me?"
He frowned at her, but it turned into a grin as he held up a uniform of green and yellow, "I've been chosen as a squire! I never thought he'd take another but-"
"Sir Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak?" now it was Yvenne's turn to frown. He would really be leaving her then.
"What? Aren't you happy?" he questioned as light flew from his eyes.
"Thrilled, it's just, a shock," she forced a smile, and he nodded and smiled back.
Yvenne tried to be excited for him as they spoke of what wars he would be fighting and strategy and when he was leaving, but she couldn't make herself be happy. Sure, she'd smile and laugh and say how glad she was, only…she wasn't. Her heart just wasn't in it. She knew when she befriended Aiden that he'd be leaving, but she never dreamed she'd be losing such a good friend so fast. And really, she had to admit bitterly; he's my only friend.
So when dinner came she was relieved. He ate with the pages, wearing Sir Raoul's colors and found other friends to boast to.
Halfway through dinner, a servant found him and escorted him to Sir Raoul's chambers. She had to wonder if that were possibly the last time that she'd ever see him. The thought made chills run up and down her spine until the point where she almost pulled out the crystal Master Numair had given her. Almost.
*
"Did Master Numair take another young lover?" Bray taunted as she walked past after supper. Yvenne tried to block out their words. Be as calm as a pond, Lady Kel's words informed her inside her head. "He sure was eyeing you pretty closely. But I guess a wench of the thieves only counts as a bit of fun, not a lover. He must really be crazy, I would never touch you."
Her hands clenched as she turned. All thoughts but Bray's soon-to-be-bloodied face fell away, "That's it!" she shouted and lunged. Soon he was on the ground, and she was trying to get to his face while he shielded her with his arms.
Two other boys slashed her across her back, and she felt the newness of the knives as they cut through skin as easily as the cloth of her uniform.
Bray threw her off as she felt another tear across both of her arms; the boys were on her sides. His eyes were hateful as he slapped her, then slashed her right cheek. She was helpless as the two held her fast between them, "I warned you," he whispered and punched her in the stomach. She groaned and slacked in the boys' hold. "Now you'll die like my brother," he made a cut down her chest, exposing bleeding flesh, cutting her uniform to her stomach.
"I warned you," Yvenne saw a strong arm wrap around Bray's neck and the glint of a knife. "I told you never to lay a hand on her again."
"I never will, l-let me go," Bray tried to order, but it sounded more like pleading. The knife slowly bit into the flesh on his throat.
"See that you remember this," the boy, Yvenne saw his face now, whispered and let Bray go with only a knick. She wanted to do so much more, but she couldn't even support her own weight. He had to carry her toward the hospital wing, and Duke Baird's Healing.
"A-are you?" she tried to ask but everything was blurry. She knew she was sweating of blood loss but was too tired to care.
"Of the Rogue, don't worry," he answered softly.
"Good," she sighed and smiled weakly before she lost all consciousness.
*
He realized quickly he couldn't support all her weight much longer, so he knocked on Sir Raoul's door and set her down gingerly in front of it, then went to hide in the shadows where no one would see him.
"Yes Sir, of course," Aiden opened the door, still listening to Raoul's lecture on the importance of supplying a squadron. "Yes?" he asked, never turning toward the door. "Yes?" he questioned and turned. His heart nearly stopped when he saw Yvenne crumpled in the doorway, a bloody heap of torn clothes and flesh. Quickly, he gathered her in his arms and looked back to Raoul who was soon followed by Kel. The amusement from a moment before immediately fell away as she looked at the girl. Instead, she replaced it with a mask of complete Yamani calm.
"Get her to Baird," Raoul barked, and Aiden was quick to jump, probing her with his Gift; she was barely hanging on, flickering in and out of consciousness. He didn't have the Gift for Healing though, so he moved as fast as his feet would take him toward Duke Baird's.
"Mithros, who did it? Bray and his gang?" he questioned.
"I f-fell s-sir," she mumbled in her unconsciousness.
"It's different with knives!" he shouted at her, "Why didn't you use your Gift?"
"No Master Numair! No! I saw th-th-that boy d-die."
"You'll get no sane answers from her like this," Raoul told him gently, and he nodded.
"Come on, here," Kel stopped at a door and knocked with no answer. She persisted two more times.
"What?" Neal thundered as he threw open the door. His shirt wasn't on, exposing his chest and upon examination, Kel saw that Yuki was sitting on his bed. Not even her fan or face paint could hide her red cheeks. On any other day, a smile of amusement would have crossed Kel's face, but not now, with Yvenne in this state.
"She needs a Healer, your father is too far," Kel answered swiftly, and Neal's face paled, and his countenance gentled at sight of Yvenne.
"Yes, yes, of course, bring her in, quickly," he ordered, gaining the calm expression of an experienced Healer. This was Neal's battlefield, and he was a quick-witted general of war.
*
When Neal finished his Healing, it was far into the night, and he was sweating and trembling slightly. Kel knew he had much still in him though, and when he spoke, his voice was calm and without a tremor that she half expected and half knew wouldn't be there. "Aiden, in the morning you'll go to your training master and report this, with names."
Kel and Raoul both opened their mouths to speak, but Neal smiled sourly and interrupted wryly-
"I was a page once too, remember? Neither of you was ever hacked with knives when you were defenseless. No doubt Joren would have tried, he just wasn't clever enough."
Kel and Raoul nodded then. Surely Bray would be thrown from the palace for this, and Yvenne would have no need to worry about being a squealer.
"Now, all of you get out. She'll sleep far into tomorrow, maybe even the next day. In any case, I don't want her waking here," Neal instructed, and Aiden pulled Yvenne in his arms, refusing to let Raoul do it for more reasons than Aiden was his squire.
"I'm sorry love," Neal was telling Yuki as Kel exited and shut the door behind her. This time she couldn't stop the smallest of smiles.
*
"She was attacked?" the Training Master, Padraig HaMinch, frowned slightly. He didn't add the next word, but Aiden saw it plastered on his face, 'understandable.'
"Yes sir, someone brought her to Sir Raoul's door, and we, Lady Keladry, Sir Raoul and myself, took her to Sir Nealan's for Healing. She's asleep in the hospital wing now. I can't tell you the details of her injuries, but she was most definitely cut with knives."
"Knives? Surely you mean fingernails or-"
"They were knives My Lord," he bowed stiffly for his interruption. "I have not been idle during these four years as a page. I know a knife wound when I see one."
"Very well, I'll lead an investigation and look into it."
"I already know who did it," Aiden quickly added, "My Lord."
He raised his brows, "Do you? Well tell me then."
"It was Bray of Stone Mountain My Lord. He is always beat…taunting Yvenne. She has no other enemies," the name was vile in his mouth.
"No other enemies, but you cannot tell me she has other friends among the pages and squires, besides you of course," his emotionless way of saying that made anger rise in Aiden. What was worse was that he was right. After he left, Yvenne would have no other friends her own age in the palace. He thought he must be wrong, but on inspection and remembering the past weeks, he came to realize it was the truth.
"Seeing your expressions, I can hypothesize my assumption is correct. In light of this, I cannot act on the accusation," the Training Master informed him.
Aiden tried not to let his jaw hang. Because Yvenne didn't have many friends Bray wouldn't be punished for nearly killing her? "When she wakes you'll have all the proof you need."
"She is a peasant at best, Master Aiden, a thief at worst, what will a judge say when a thief gives her word against that of a noble? Even with his brother's…discrepancies, Stone Mountain is a highly respected name. What will the outcome be? The only advice I can give you, is to sever all ties with the girl and save your family name while its reputation still lies whole."
Aiden left, fuming, but every word biting into his flesh. He barely even noticed his Knight Master until he was tugging on his shoulder and telling him they had to leave-now.
*
When Yvenne woke, Aiden was gone. It almost made her want to pick up and leave, quit. Her heart was heavy as she swung her feet over the side of the bed. The bruises were only a dull pang compared to the one in her heart, and she could trace the small scar on her right cheek.
"Raoul will take good care of him," Kel was telling her.
She nodded and smiled weakly, "It's just-now that he's gone, I have no one. He was my only friend."
Kel blinked, even when she was a page she'd had friends, though their numbers were few. She had no advice for her but still found herself saying, "You have the Rogue; you have those in the palace that will watch over you even after I'm gone."
Yvenne barely bit back anger and tears. If Kel left she would truly have no one, "Gone, Milady?"
"I'm sorry Yvenne, I'd like to stay with you, I would but…the war is where I belong. Dom, Neal and I will be gone, chasing after Raoul before the day is done. We waited only so I could tell you," Kel was sorry, but the politics of Corus were too much for her.
"I understand, thank you for waiting," Yvenne stood and bowed, a signal for Kel to leave, which she did with only a small good luck and see you soon. Soon meant more than three months and less than three years. Yvenne tried not to sulk, but the attempt was not a good one.