Ahh.. chapter five. Sorry it took so long, but I tried getting it beta'd. I decided I don't like waiting for it to be beta'd, so you'll just have to deal with the mistakes. Thanks to all who reviewed, I appreciate the ideas. I really enjoy hearing all your opinions. Also, this isn't totally planned out, I'm basically just making it up as I go, so if you have any ideas, please, feel free to share them. I won't take any offense at all! Now, enough of me, it's story time!
"I keep telling you, I do not know."
Gilan sighed. He really was starting to hate this man. "Well, how about you give me an estimate, pay you that?"
"No, no, no. I might end up overpaid or underpaid. You'll just have to wait until he's released from my care." David repeated.
"If you're overpaid, keep the extra. If you're underpaid, you can get the rest from my companion, Halt, or contact the Baron for the rest." Gilan reminded him, yet again. He really wanted to stay until Will was completely healed, but he couldn't abandon his fief for an uncertain amount of time.
"Well, that just won't work. You'll have to wait." sneered David. Gilan nearly punched him. Sighing, he stalked out of the room, and decided to calm down before continuing the infuriating conversation.
He went outside and walked the perimeter of the walls. Deciding he was calm enough not to kill the cocky head of the infirmary, he walked back upstairs.
He opened the door, and ran right into Jenny. "Oh, I'm so sorry si-" Jenny started. When she realized who she ran into, she stopped and stared. Then, SMACK!
Gilan took a step back, shocked by the slap to his face, then muttered, "I probably deserved that."
"How dare you-, why are you-, get out of-," Jenny stuttered, too angry for complete sentences, then smacked Gilan again.
"Would you please stop hitting me!" Gilan exclaimed, grabbing hold of Jenny's arms.
She tried to twist free, but Gilan's iron grip held her there. "Let go!" she yelled. Realizing he was still holding her, Gilan released her. He stepped back out of range, but Jenny still clipped his shoulder, this time with a fist.
"Stop hitting me!" he repeated, this time a little angry.
"What are you doing here!" Jenny demanded.
"Well, if you mean in Redmont, I found Will being attacked last night. If you mean here in the infirmary, I've been trying to pay this pigheaded healer so I can leave!" he replied heatedly.
"Well, then, pay him and get out of here!"
"He won't give me a damn price!" Gilan shouted back.
"Well, I'll make him!" Jenny turned on David, who so far had been standing there, unsure of what to do. "How much does he have to pay!" she demanded.
"I've already told him, I can't say until this young man is released from my care. And I don't know how long that will be!"
"What kind of idiot healer can't even give a price!" Jenny accused.
"You stupid girl!" David yelled. "I'll teach you to talk to a man like that!" He went for Jenny, but before he could even get close, Gilan had him by his collar. Gilan swung the man up against the wall, and held him there. "If you touch her, you're a dead man." Gilan said in a low voice. The tone in his voice was more threatening than any amount of shouting could even come close to. He released the man, and not soon after felt Jenny's fist on him back.
"Stop that!" She exclaimed.
Gilan spun around, grabbing her shoulders. "Will you please stop-" he started, "Jenny, what happened to your face?" he added, noticing hte bruise on her forehead. All the anger in his voice was replaced with concern.
"Well, you should know." said a new voice. It was Will. "You're the one who hit her!" Not surprisingly, all the yelling that went on by his bed had woken him up.
"What are you talking about?" Gilan asked, confused.
"Her forehead!" Will added, still angry with Gilan.
Shaking free of Gilan, Jenny said, "He didn't hit me, Will! What makes you think he did?"
"Well, if he didn't who did?" Will demanded.
"Oh, well, uh," Jenny started, a little embarrased. Will, however misinterpreted the hesitation in her voice, and thought she was covering for Gilan.
"See, he did hit you!" Will accused.
"He did not hit me! I ran into a branch!" Jenny confessed.
"You, you ran into a branch?" Gilan asked, confused. "When?"
"I ran into it- that night. I was running pretty fast, and didn't see it." she said, a more than a little embarrased. "Why does it matter to you?" she added to Gilan defensively.
Before Gilan could reply, Will interrupted. "Oh, I thought he hit you."
"Well, obiously I wouldn't hit her, Will! You should know that!" Gilan said, angry again. He couldn't believe Will would stop talking to him over something so stupid and unrealistic.
"Well, I- I don't know." Will said. Now that he actually listened to himself, he realized how stupid he sounded. He did know Gilan better than that, and wondered why he even thought that in the first place. Before he could say so, however, Gilan was speaking again.
"Whatever, that's not important. Since it's clear he won't ever give me a price," he said, pointing to David, "can you give the healer Jim a message for me, Will?" Not even pausing for Will to reply, he continued. "Tell him to simply mail me a bill; you have my address. Halt should be here within a half hour to check on you. Tell him that I left." With that, he left.
On his way out to the stables, he passed Steven. "Excuse me, sir, have you seen my girlfriend? She has blonde hair, blue eyes; her name's Jenny."
So she already has a boyfriend. Gilan thought, then replyed, "She's up in the infirmary." With that, he stormed off to Blaze. He gave a brief thanks to the stable boy and cantered off, back to Norgate.
He rode through the night, arriving back at his cabin early that morning. He found a small pile of mail inside the door; obviously the delivery boy had slipped it under it. He picked the mound of paper up, piling it on his desk. He'd deal with it all later. Right now, he needed to eat. A half an hour later, he was sitting at the table, eating breakfast and sipping coffee. He thought about the last week, letting his emotions run through him unrestrained. When he thought about the Gathering, he felt disappointment. When he thought about Will, he felt both anger sadness. When it came to Jenny, he couldn't name what he felt. He sighed, love was so complicated. Sometimes he wished it never even existed.
When it came to friends, you say you were angry, or happy, or dissapointed. When it came to family, you say you have the best ever, or wish you weren't related to them all. But love, love was like a big confusing monster, snaking its way through your very core. It made you do stupid, idiotic things. Made you feel like you were flying one moment; drowning the next. It took over your heart, and sometimes your head. When you finally reclaimed some of your sense and did what's right, to try to never hurt the one you love, it made you feel like, like this.
Sighing again, turning to the ever-present mound of paperwork. At least one thing stayed the same, he thought to himself.
Oh, the drama of it all! I've been waiting too long (like two weeks) to write this chapter, and I finally got to! At least Will isn't ignoring Gilan's existence anymore! Again, please review and tell me what you think!
Oh yeah, if you have the time, you really need to read The Scariest Thing That Ever Happened To Halt, It's an awesome story!