Chapter Two

Pain

"STOP IT!" Cayden screamed as Caliber came at her again, the dagger narrowly missing her heart as it sliced into the tent flap. Knocking over the table she spun foreword, red hair flying everywhere as she went crashing down into the ground. Casting the dagger aside Caliber straddled her, grabbing her wrists, pinning them to the ground.

"You follow my orders! Who were you running off to!" He yelled, he gave her no time to respond as his lips crashed onto hers, bruising as they went trailing down the side of her neck. Putting her wrists in one hand, his freed hand ripped and clawed at the white shirt she wore, her breeches, long off, lay in tatters near the pallet.

Squirming, desperate to get away from him, she brought up her head, smacking his nose with her forehead, earning her enough time to move away from his lips. Feeling the movement, despite the pain the nosebleed had caused, he pressed his hips against her abdomen, pinning her painfully to the floor. The wound she had earned weeks ago in a battle against Saladin, broke open, his hips tearing painfully at the stitches. He knew what he was doing…he knew the pain.

Caliber brought his hand up and smacked her across the face, blood spurting from the edge of her lip as he tore the rest of shirt off. His hand and lips roamed eagerly across her naked body, leaving a trail of broken, bloody wounds across her body. Her heart ached painfully being ripped into shreds as he raped her.

She screamed, her last finally plea to let her go, her heart shattered, this was not how she wanted it, not how she'd planned. Finally, her mind seemed to detach, her screams no longer hers as she floated away, painless…

"CAYDEN! AWAKE NOW!" Hospitalier screamed, struggling to maintain his grip on his squirming, weeping and desperate student. Although he knew she suffered from nightmares, what in God's name could she possibly be dreaming about be so horrible? Alanna looked helplessly at him as she sat on the other side of the pallet nursing a scratched hand Cayden had lashed out at as they tried to calm her. Feeling her body collapse against him, Hospitalier loosened his grip on the trembling commander.

"Hos?" Cayden's weak and raw voice cut through the now deafening silence. "Oh gods…" Hospitalier sighed, relieved for the moment she had awoken. The girl had laid a soft spot in his cold, old, and withered heart, he had to admit. Muttering soothing words in her ear he let Cayden cry on his shoulder until exhaustion took her once more.

"What could've happen Cay? What happened to make you like this?" he muttered.

Alanna sighed, "Battles can do it. How long has this been going on?"

"Since she was small, mayhap twelve or so when she first came to Jerusalem to be trained in knighthood," he shook his head. "I was her guardian, I heard her nightmares. However, it was nothing like this. Something happened. I know that she lied when she said that she was nicked by a throwing-star, the wound is far too deep and the shape isn't right."

"Her hair is an odd color." Alanna suddenly said.

He cracked her a crooked smile. "So we all think. It's a dark shade then yours Alanna."

She nodded in agreement. "Yes, it is. A wine color perhaps."

The stomping of feet suddenly stopped at the tent flap and two heads peeked in, one, Faleron, the boy who helped him get back to camp, and Keladry, Kel, he remembered, who'd tended to the wound.

"We heard screams and shouts…is everything alright?" Kel asked. He and Alanna nodded.

"It's over for now, thank you both. Get some sleep. King Jonathan will want you present when we start asking her things. Having kids her age might convince her to help us." The both nodded and swept off into the night.

"Kids?" Alanna asked, raising an eyebrow.

He shrugged. "When you are my age Alanna, even you seem like a child."

Cayden awoke the next morning with a pounding headache, her shoulder aching and her throat raw. Cursed it, she thought silently, I've been screaming again. I hope the men didn't hear, that's the last thing we need. Her men….bolting upright she hissed in pain as the ache in her shoulder two-folded curse Hospitalier! What was he thinking?

Casting a rather sour look at the tent, she swung her legs over the side of the pallet, grateful to the cool dew on the grass. Always trust nature to relief some headaches. The tent wasn't shabby but neither was it great, her tent back at camp was probably better. A small table, which held a basin of water and a nearby pitcher, accompanied the pallet; someone had put wild flowers beside it.

Grinning in spite of herself she washed her face and hands, grateful to get yesterdays dirt and sweat off of her body, a bath would have to wait until she got back-if she got back. Cayden frowned, she was going to get back if she had to kill someone. Sliding her breeches and boots on she ambled out of the tent, making her way between various soldiers and knights as she wrapped the top part of her hair in the thin band of cloth. The encampment was large and bigger then Caliber predicted-well; he would be the fool. Cayden smiled at the familiar sight of her bay stallion, the big boy could not resist himself where curiosity came about. He was making his own path through the men at a trot, sniffing at everyone's armor and the sweet smells coming from cooking pots. Cayden blew a short whistle. Kieshra whinnied twice in protest before trotting to her, his thick black mane trailing down over his chest. He was dressed, his saddle on, but loose, the bridle on but the reins tucked in so he wouldn't hurt himself on them, the croupiere she used was cloth, allowing Kieshra movement in battle and to let her men know where she was-or, in such cases, where her horse was. A deep blue silk garment, it was embroidered and stitched with silver threads forming an outline of a barred tree with three stars above it, forming her personal crest.

Patting him with her good arm, she rubbed affectionately behind his ears until he lowered his head, a signal of trust. "Good boy…" She muttered into his ear, producing an apple for him.

It was Hospitalier who joined her, his graying hair neatly trimmed and pulled back, freshly shaven and doused in a flowing black surcoat with the white cross blazing on its front, black breeches and boots accompanied. Despite his relaxed atmosphere, he had a quiver full of white fletched arrows, and an unstrung bow, strapped to his back. His mouth was set in a grim line, his clear gray eyes hardening as he saw her. She sighed, when would they finally be able to meet under good conditions?

"I suppose since I am a hostage in an enemy camp, you are to take me to questioning?" Cayden replied meeting his grey-eyed gaze with hers equally.

"Yes, come nicely and give us what we need."

"You know me better then anyone Hos, I'm not going to talk."

Hospitalier's eyes softened somewhat. "I know, Cayden, but you need to think about what you're doing! Caliber is no man worth protecting."

"I don't do it for him." Cayden's tone met the end of argument as he led her away from her horse, passing through variations of Hospitalier's men and other men under a strange banner. He stopped inside a large tent, guiding her with a steady hand to a lone chair seated in the middle of the tent. Once she was seated, he crouched in front of her.

"This is your last chance Cayden. Please Cayden; tell us what Caliber is planning."

Cayden shook her head. "You know I won't."

Hospitalier sighed and hung his head. "Then I'm going to have to hurt you Cayden."

Cayden's own eyes softened as she met his gaze, slender fingers gripping his chin as she gave him once last peck on the cheek before drawing back. Then, quietly but firmly, said. "I know."

A/U: Still no reviews...:( I'm dismayed at Fanfic, but, I shall continue writing, this one story I happen to like. :)