Chained

Part Fourteen

by Kimra

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Sleep was hard to find that night and Daine was searching hard. She'd heard them say it, 'one more night on the road' and she wondered why that was flying through her head on repeat, as if it changed anything. But these humans, she wasn't so sure of them. She didn't understand them enough to know exactly what they meant. A part of her though, was concerned and scared of the prospect they had voiced, scared of what would happen.

So sleep was hard to find, and she was spending her time curled below a blanket with unblinking eyes fixed on the tent wall. The air was cold, the animal's alert and awake and she wanted to be with them. Loyalty kept her still though.

Her eyes jumped to his prone figure, asleep on his makeshift bed. She wondered if he was warmer then the cold air, but kept that thought tucked away. Right now she was too alert to really consider sleep, she was just trying, loyally, to find the sleep she was supposed to have. She'd watched these humans long enough, they had times when it was expected, times when you simply had to follow the routine, and they slept when the moon was high and the sky dark.

That wouldn't bother her so much, she had had no problems before this night. But the idea, the concept of leaving the road was niggling on her thoughts as disturbing. If she could grasp it, grasp the reason she knew things would start to make more sense and she could find her sleep. For now she had to stare and wait, wait for the human part of her to come to the fore, to explain it to her.

A presence interrupted her thoughts, one she knew and recognised and was sitting up to greet in a heart beat. The cool eyes of the Badger met her own, an expression of concern in his features, one she could only read with difficulty.

A little part of her wanted to voice a greeting, to say something, but the words where lost and all she could do was watch the large animal as it made it's way across the room to her.

Claws dug into her folded knees lifting it's broad head up to face her and she was overwhelmed by the reek of the animal. No worse then any other scavenger, but not pleasant all the same.

Your doing well Kit. The Badgers voice intoned in her head, soft and nice and comforting despite it's rough edges. She smiled at that, overwhelming pleasure suffusing through her and without permission she buried her fingers into his fur in a sign of appreciation. He made a rumble, just soft, and she knew he wasn't angry, not with her. Tomorrow your human will ask you to do something.

Her eyes jumped to her human, asleep still, oblivious to the conversation happening at his bedside. She knew, as always, that she would do anything he asked of her.

No, Kit. The Badger refuted her thoughts, drawing her attention to him sharply. She knew he had heard her thoughts, and wondered why she couldn't do as He told her. I know it's hard but you must do as I say. You can not do what they ask, what he may ask of you. You must stay with him. Do you understand? The broad head thrust up against her own, sharp teeth touching harmlessly against her ear and she felt the urgency of his message as much as heard the words.

She felt herself nodding before realising she would agree. There was something too familiar and kind about this Badger, like a friend she had never met, or a guard she had never taken notice of. Logic threatened to overweigh her agreement. She had only met this animal once before, and although he had offered her good advise then there was no telling what his intent was.

Logic was ignored as she nodded with more certainly. He pulled back from her, stepped down from her knee and watched her nodding head with a look of relief.

Good Kit, I'll be watching you, making sure your safe, but I can't do much. Now I have a gift for you, it will make it easier for me to check up on you. Silver light flared before the Badger, a small globe of brilliance that lasted only a second before it was gone and in it's place sat an equally silver claw. She squinted at it from her place and knew at once it was that of a Badgers.

Worried she looked to the Badger before her, noticing for the first time his own silver claws, but also noticing that they where all in place.

Yes it is one of mine. He grumbled a little at that and she frowned, wondering how he could have all his claws if he had just put one before her. Do not worry on it Kit, but keep it close and keep it safe, and remember what I have told you.

And as if he hadn't even been there he vanished in a flash of magic that left spots in her vision. She blinked them back, tried to fight them away and when they where gone all that lay before he was a tent and a silver Badgers claw.

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She hadn't spoken another word. Numair had paid close attention but it wasn't necessary because she hadn't left his side since those two words had escaped her the day before. She was more jittery around the other humans and more comfortable around him now as well.

He hated it despite how much he felt secure in her reliance. Certainly he knew she could survive on her own. He wasn't fool to doubt it, but she wouldn't survive the same way. Around him, he was seeing her slowly take on the characteristics of a human, strange though it was he could see it quite clearly.

He had brought her new clothes and she hadn't made a mark on them, he had half expected her to treat them as she had the others, but she was careful and he found himself feeling pleased by the care she took.

Something else was off about her, though, but he couldn't place it. She had clearly taken care of the dress, she had even, he was glad to note, been able to change from her bed clothes to it with ease. Alanna had started to tire of the task, but it seemed it was no longer necessary. But something was off. They had spent one more night at the camp sight before moving out and now the Cat was acting odd.

He thought it was her movement's at first, jittery in the saddle before him, just a little more fidgety then usual. Then her finger's, because they curled and held longer against his arm when he was helping her mount or dismount. But sitting behind her, watching the back of her neck he found himself staring at a leather tie he hadn't seen there before. Subtle and easy to miss and strangely he suspected this makeshift piece of jewellery to be a part of her changed demeanour.

It wasn't until the group divided that her posture started to change. The main group of military and soldiers turning to the castle to report in. But Alanna and a few of her men where leading the ladies off to the temple of the Goddess, the only place they would get the treatment they needed. Numair kept with the group, habit and loyalty more the controlling factor on his choices then any concern for the well being of these stranger women.

Alanna was forced to enter the grounds for assistance, the men waiting beyond the guarded gates, watching and being watched with caution.

The Cat's fingers started to tighten when Alanna re-emerged with a Priestess a step behind her. Numair knew by the priestess' robes she was the head of this temple, but could see nothing about her that would disturb the Cat before him.

"You okay?" He murmured absently, one of his hands threatening to comfort but her grip refused to allow him movement and he didn't think it would have been wise anyway.

A little growl was building in her throat, one only he could hear, her eyes following with alert fixation both the Priestess and Alanna as they approached the women who had travelled this far with them.

Numair turned his attention to them as well, trying to discern his Cat's anxiety. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to him, and he thought perhaps the Cat didn't want anyone approaching the women whom they had travelled with. That was logical enough, she wasn't to know that the Temple of the Goddess would protect them better then anyone else ever could.

He went to explain, not sure how useful it would be when he felt his skin below her nails breaking. He made a noise of shock, eyes jumping from his arms where her grip tightened with white knuckles to the face of a girl who wasn't even paying attention to him.

"Cat!" He snapped. He didn't want to upset her, but he didn't want those nails going in any further then they already where. He remembered last time she'd caused him damage with those nails of hers and reminded himself to have them cut the second it was plausible.

As distracted as he was trying to get her attention he didn't notice the women approaching them. The polite greeting of the head Priestess was ignored, but Alanna's sharp: "Numair." Caught his attention in an instant.

"I'm sorry-" He grit out as politely as he could, trying to twist his arms out of the Cat's grip. "I'm having troubles here." He went to turn his attention back to freeing his arms when once more the Priestess spoke, this time he heard her.

"This girl was with the others?" It was polite and curious, but an edge made Numair turn his full attention to the moment. He watched Alanna nod her head, and noticed that his friend would not meet his eye.

"She's very unstable." Alanna murmured.

"So they all would be. We have dealt with this sort of thing through history, do not worry, we will look after her well." The Priestess reached out, soft gentle hands moving towards a growling Cat and those horrendous nails dug in sharper, her body coiling back into his in a sharp desperate attempt to recoil from the offer of kindness.

A frown came to the priestess just as Numair rationalised what had been bothering the Cat all day. The more pieces she heard and understood around her, the more dangerous it would be. Until she could understand it all there would be numerous misunderstandings and this was an example of one of them.

He shook his head and smiled despite the blood dripping down his white sleeves. "You misunderstand-" he was trying to be polite so he flicked only a quick glare at Alanna who would still not meet his eyes "-this one's not going into the temple."

His words set off a spike of movement, barely visible, but people like him, who had spent so long in battles knew how to see those things. The guards of the Temple of the Goddess where prepared. They would fight to protect the little Cat if they thought it best.

The Priestess did not show any sign of anger of distress, only offered a caring smile that he knew was real. "I'm sure you mean well, but you must understand, we must act in the best interests of the child." She reached again, as if that was it and Cat made a move, one hand releasing his arm to swing at the priestess with those dangerous nails.

A gasp, weapons raising and the Priestess who had stepped away from the attack motioned the guards of her Temple into order.

"She doesn't want to go." He ground out, he wouldn't have let her go anyway, but her clear resistance was enough ground to stand on for now.

"The child is traumatised, it's clear to anyone. She needs to be looked after by people who can sympathise with her plight, even if she doesn't know it."

She was using logic, and he hated logic, years of university training had made him want to pay attention to it. But that training also had it's own ugly side and that ugly side was warring and winning against this kind priestess's logic. He knew more about magic then these women, he also knew more about this girl then they could, and he was sure he could help, where they couldn't.

"The last thing this girl needs is to be clung to by a man." The Priestess emphasised and he knew that was true, but who else was there. These priestess's wouldn't be able to reach her with their magic, because hers was so different.

"Do you think she's going to let go in a hurry?" He wasn't going to surrender, but manners demanded this conversation be carried out. It would be foolish to insult a high priestess without reason, he had enough dealings with the religious leaders of the city to know how useful they could be at times.

"Damn it Numair, you know if you told her to go she would!" Alanna snapped, those eyes finally meeting his and he knew she wanted the Cat gone and out of their hair. He was hardly surprised, she'd been voicing concern about the Cat's presence since the beginning.

He turned his attention to the girl before him once more. She would do it, if he asked, or told, she was following him too blindly but he knew he couldn't abuse that trust. If she didn't want to be left here, and if he didn't think it was in her interest there was no reason for her to leave him.

Eyes turned to him, storm grey eyes turned up to him with a pleading desperate expression. If he asked, she would go, and she didn't want him to ask. He nearly smiled at the complete surrender in himself.

"I'm sorry, Priestess, Alanna, but she stays where she is." He kicked the horse into motion without a pause, without looking to see their expressions. He would not betray this creature, he couldn't betray her. Spoken or not she wanted to be by his side, he was all she trusted just then and he would not break that trust.

The further the horse took them the looser her grip became, and the more her body began to relax telling him just as he knew, that this was the only right decision for her.

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