A/N: Yes, yes. The long awaited chapter 20. Here's where things all get started . . .
Disclaimer: I DO own Arra, Damien, Joel, Ghost, Sir Gregor, Zefra, Zedar, and a couple of other randomly scattered facts, details, and people. Everything else belongs to the great Tamora Pierce. I dare not take ownership of THAT.
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Arra yawned with one hand covering the opening of her mouth. "Liam where are we going?" She asked, her voice ragged with sleep. Liam didn't answer only continued to walk in front of her. She wanted to groan but decidedly stayed quiet. Presently, Arra's attire consisted of nothing more than her night shift. Liam had come knocking at her door in the middle of the night without so much as an explanation. Arra cleared her throat and tried a different strategy. "Liam, I'm just about ready to turn around and go back."
"We're almost there," He said shortly, not even bothering to turn his head slightly to face her. I don't think I've ever been down this hall. She crossed her arms over her breasts and continued to follow him just thinking. It had been nearly a month since Arra had had that talk in the courtyard with Lianne and the subject had not been lifted since.
"Couldn't you have at least let me change?"
Liam shook his head. "Then we might've missed it." Missed what! Liam lead on for a while as Arra followed blindly, yawning every now and then. Suddenly, he spun around with a grin, which fell when he saw her, "Are you cold?"
"I'll live." Arra answered. Liam took of his outer coat and draped it around her ans she noticed he was properly clothed. Arra grumbled inwardly then said. "Are we done walking around yet?"
Liam placed his arm across her shoulders ans whispered, "Almost, just a few more steps yet." His hot breath tickled her ear. Liam guided her, taking a turn around a corner then leading her to a set of double doors. They were fairly simple, yet large, wooden doors outlined lightly in gold.
"Is . . . this it?"
"Yes, come on I think we're a bit early." Arra didn't even bother to let the question pass over her mind as to what they were early for let alone voice the words, instead she just followed him silently.
Inside Arra could see very little except for the random silver reflection of light off of a surface and the basic shape of the room. Liam continued to walk with Arra still in his hold. The closeness of his body helping to fight away any cold that threatened her. She didn't notice when he stopped walking but Arra did notice when Liam sat down, pulling her down with him.
"Now," He whispered. "Just wait."
She sighed once again but did as she was told without knowing exactly why she was being so obedient. Maybe its because I'm still half asleep. Thinking of sleep made her tired again and she rested her head against Liam's shoulder.
"Here it comes." Liam whispered again. As soon as he did her head snapped up to bright lights. Arra wasn't sure how fast it happened, if maybe it happened when she blinked, or maybe before she was blind and now she saw what was really there but compared to before the room was completely lit up and bright. Upon closer inspection she saw it was various mirrors placed around the room reflecting the light in many directions. In a criss-cross patter the light made a net above their heads.
"Where are we?"
"The Hall of Heroes." Liam answered, a bit of amusement in his voice. "I've yet to figure out if this is an amazing plan of ingenious build or pure luck. No one ever seems to come in here at this time to see it so I can't imagine why they'd need it."
Before she could control her words, memories came rushing to her and spilling out her mouth. "There's something like this in Karucia."
"Is there?" There was genuine interest in his tone.
Mentally, Arra slapped herself. Well, its too late to not say anything at all. She nodded to his question. "Yes, except, if my memory serves me correctly, the floor is made of colored glass and when light hits it is sends multicolored lights around the room."
Liam nodded. "Sounds very beautiful."
Arra looked around the room seeing various paintings of Heroes and a few Heroines long dead, their favored weapons of old before them in glass cases unless it had been lost to history. Unconsciously she noticed what she was doing, trying to distract herself from continuing on the thought strand of Karucia.
The silence between them should have been peaceful but her thoughts turned on her. She was a princess. He doesn't know that! That was right, he didn't know. What keeps him to my side? The words leap to her lips and fought to be released. What kind of answer could she expect?
"What are we doing here?" The question came as even a surprise to Arra but Liam acted coolly.
"Looking at the display of light." Had he caught on she probably would have insisted he dropped it. But the simplicity in which he flipped it aside made her want his answer more.
"No," She whispered, not entirely sure she wanted to finish the explanation. "What is this? You and me? And for that matter why me?" Arra could feel the words and questions and the need for these answers rise and grow but she held them all back.
Liam shook his head slightly with a faint smile on his lips. He pulled her closer to him and turned her head to face him. "We are, as far as I can tell, living to be content and happy. And what makes me happy, and I hope it makes you happy too, is being with you. And," He brought his face close to Arra's and said softly. "I never understood why women can't understand or realize they are beautiful, or smart, or that men might possibly be attracted to any of the traits they possess."
"I'm happy." Arra said in a barely audible voice but Liam could hear because of his close range. She couldn't explain why it was hard to . . . to say her feelings so outwardly. The only feeling she'd really ever let anyone see was her anger, which in retrospect may have even covered other feelings. Liam forced her to voice these kinds of things. Her thoughts were abruptly cut off, though it was not an unpleasant surprise, when Liam filled the space between the two of them making the connection of their lips. Of course, his kisses took up her full attention.
When they broke apart Arra noticed her shoulder sleeve had fallen and pulled it back up. In doing so she revealed her wrist which caught Liam's attention. He grabbed it and found a scar protruding from the sleeve, creeping out to the back of her hand. Slowly he lifted up her sleeve. "What is this?" He asked and as he did he revealed more and more of the scar.
"It's a scar," Arra said. "I got it a long time ago on a boating accident. I was lucky at how well it healed."
"Lucky?" He asked fully showing the spiral scar that ran from the back of her wrist all the way up to her shoulder.
"Had I been unlucky my arm would have either been torn of completely or I would've lost all use of it."
"What happened?" Liam traced the scar. It started under the muscle curve of her upper arm twisted behind and around to her elbow. From there it wrapped around her forearm once and ended on the back of her wrist, only daring to skim the back of her hand.
"I was on a boat ride with Joel and Damien. We were on our way to the Yamani Isles. A sudden storm hit us by surprise on our way. To make it simpler, one of the ropes caught my arm and almost ripped it off. There had only been a low level mage on board at the time so it didn't heal to well at first and I had to wait until we made it to the Isles before it could be properly taken care of. I don't remember very much, what I do remember is all the pain. And then waking up in a Yamani healer room."
The way he looked at it so intensely made Arra nervous. Why did he stare it so? She didn't mind having scars, but as he looked upon it she couldn't help but want him to look away. Arra pulled away and pulled down her sleeve over it and looked away from him. Liam seemed to understand and said nothing but he wouldn't let there just be silence between them. He reached out and laced his fingers with her.
"This won't last much longer, let's enjoy it." He said referring back to the lights above them. Arra smiled and leaned against him. He's always so warm. As the moon moved across the sky the lights changed ever so slightly making an almost dance. It became almost hypnotizing as the lights reflected off different mirrors each set at a unique angle sometimes it would hit one mirror then another and that would send it in a different direction.
Before she knew it her eyes were drooping with the leaden weight of sleep. Above the moon moved further away and the mirrors finally lost contact with it until they finally dimmed and with them Arra's eyes finally closed completely.
xXx
Still half-asleep, Arra flexed her hand. She met with the crunching sound of paper. She closed and re-opened her hands experimentally and sure enough there was something in her hand. Arra opened her eyes and lifted her hand in front of her face. Languidly, she unfolded the small scrap of paper to find:
You seemed kind of sleepy so I brought you back. Hope you don't mind.
Arra read it over until it got past the sleep-fog in her mind. Finally, Arra nodded and groaned as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. She stretched out with her arms over her head, she continued until she could feel her legs cramp and then relaxed. Outside the world was still dark, one lone horse's hooves pounded the paved floor. Their pace was rushed. Who could that be at this hour? Arra shrugged and continued on her morning routine.
She was half-way through scrubbing her face after she had already changed when there was an insistent knocking at her door. She washed her face off and by the time she reached the door Cobalt was screeching.
"Shush!" Arra opened the door to find a female servant clearly out of breath.
"Lady . . . Arra. I—I was sent to fetch you. Please," She took a deep breath. "Come with me, its . . . urgent."
Arra nodded, took a moment to let Cobalt out, and followed the servant girl. On the way she could only think. What could be so urgent? And why me? Mithros, what is it?
Finally they reached a set of doors Arra noticed to be the King's. The servant knocked and lead her into the room before walking away humbly. Arra turned back to King Jonathan.
"Majesty, is there anything the matter?"
"As a matter of fact," He motioned towards a young man sitting in the chair before him. He looked tired, too tired to still be awake. His clothes looked weather-worn, much like the rest of him. He had dark blond hair and brown eyes. "He came only a small while ago on an overridden horse. He says he has a message for you. We tried to ask him what it was but all he would say was it was an urgent message for you."
Arra nodded and turned to the man. "What is it?"
The man looked up through an exhausted face. "The village of Cragwey asks fer yer help."
Cragwey. They call upon me now."What has happened?"
"Hurrok attacks. They've a'ready destroyed a few of the houses and killed three people. The village is doin' their best t' fend them off but . . . we can on'y do so well. I was sent to get ya." He said.
Arra nodded. Purely for curiosity she asked. "How did you know where I was? That was one thing I was worried about if you ever needed my help."
The man smiled wearily. "Rumors said ya'd be here. Ya'd be amazed how many rumors there are 'bout the Nameless Shang. Figured it would be m' best bet."
Arra's lips stretched into a thin smile. She turned to King Jonathan. "Your Majesty, may I request a short leave?"
"For how long?"
"A . . . a few weeks. I do plan to come back but I . . . ah . . . made a promise a long time ago that can not be overlooked." Arra said.
"Being a Shang I knew I couldn't keep you here forever."
"May I request one more thing?" Jonathan nodded. "Will you keep this lad here? Until he's well? He looks past exhausted." The youth jumped up in defiance but the King answered.
"It will be done. I could send a few people with you if you'd like."
Arra shook her head. "No, I'll be fine."
She bowed and headed back to her rooms. She packed quickly, grabbing essentials, leaving behind the other things knowing she'd be back just as she said. Almost done, there sounded a knock at the door. Arra answered it. She sighed. Good, at least there's time to tell him. He won't have to hear it from someone else. Though there was no way of knowing how he'd take Arra's next words paired with the picture of her with her packs ready.
"Liam, I have to go."
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A/N: I had planned to make this ending a little meaner than I ended up doing it but I figured I'd already made you wait two weeks at least I could be a little kind. I don't usually like to make promises but here's close enough, I WILL TRY MY VERY HARDEST TO GET THE NEXT CHAPTER OUT IN ONE WEEK.
Thank you all for being so understanding of my virus problem, but everything is back on my computer, I'm back to typing and Virus protection has been re-instanlled. Yay!
Alright. If you've been to my bio you know that I MIGHT have a sequel to this but I was thinking and I'd like for you guys to vote. Here are your choices. (If you want me to continue anything related to this story at all, that is.) I've got to be vague on certain things as to keep the storyline for this one safe but I want to know what you guys think:
x-A prequel about Arra. Her in Shang training with Joel and Damien. It's going to be embarrasing at times, that'll be fun.
or.
x-A sequel (this is where it gets . . . vague) I'm thinking something about the power of three . . . swords will be included, there will be romance . . . involved. I've got somethings planned out, but I haven't decided fully.
or.
x-I do both the sequel and prequel. But the prequel will be done first.
(Warning: the prequel and sequel will more than likely be more spin-offs than anything. Like . . . not very connected to the characters of Tamora Pierce but still in her world.)
I know the sequel explanation doesn't sound interesting but . . . I'm sorry. When this SOTNS is finished I'll explain further. But for now vote to the best of your abilities. I'll be taking the votes till . . . hmmm, hadn't really decided till when. Maybe till the end of the story. So, unless I say otherwise feel free to voice your opinions through (drumroll)
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