The Bride of Chase Young Chapter 9
Marie awoke with a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. She didn't know what it was, but something was very wrong. She called out into the darkness.
"Ashanti? Ashanti, where are you?" With a small poof, the tigress appeared next to the bed.
"I am here milady. What is wrong?" She said softly. Marie sat up quickly.
"Find my clothes, fast. Where is Chase?" She threw her clothes on as Ashanti retrieved them.
"He left hours ago for the wastelands. He does this often, no need to worry." said Ashanti soothingly, opening the curtains.
"There is this time!"
"What do you mean mistress?"
"I had the most horrible dream. Chase was fighting something and this big ball of blue hit him. He didn't get back up again."
"But it was just a dream."
"My dreams always happen for a reason Ashanti! Chase is out there in the wastelands badly hurt, possibly dying and I'm going to bring him home! Now, are you coming or not?" Ashanti looked ashamed for a moment, then lifted her head.
"Give me a moment or two to rally the others." she said, and took off.
Within minutes, Marie, Ashanti and at least 50 other jungle cats were sprinting through the desert with Marie riding on the back of a large Lion. Her steed suddenly roared.
"Ashanti!" Marie called to the tigress. "What is he saying?"
"He says he can smell Master Chase up ahead. And blood, lots of blood. Looks like you were right, Master Chase is hurt. Hold on tight, we're going to run like the wind!" Marie clenched her hands tightly into the Lions mane and held on for dear life. When her steed began to slow, she opened her eyes and nearly screamed.
Chase had shifted into human form when Feng had knocked him out, his chest now sported a massive burn, his forehead was coated with dried blood and he was barely breathing. Leaping off the Lion, Marie hit the ground running and knelt at Chases side.
"Chase! Oh, Chase! Speak to me!" The only reply she received was a pain filled groan. Ashanti gently nudged her mistress away.
"Come mistress. Let the other servants get him home safely." Marie watched anxiously as Chase was gently lifted onto the back of a tiger and secured using a harness Ashanti had brought.
"You've done this before, haven't you?" asked Marie. Ashanti nodded.
"Once in a while, the Master will push himself too hard and we have to go get him." she replied. The Lion Marie had ridden nudged her hand and growled.
"Gebhuza says Master Chase is secure and ready to go." Translated Ashanti. "Get on and we'll take him home." Marie mounted her steed and gave the order to return to the citadel.
Within twenty minutes, Chase was lying in bed with a Lynx spreading a salve on his burn. Marie sat next the bed anxiously, holding Chase's limp hand. Gebhuza snarled angrily.
"I know." said Ashanti. "Lord Feng has gone too far this time."
"What? What did he say?" asked Marie.
"He basically cursed Lord Feng to the seven hells for harming the Master like this. This is the worst he's ever done." Replied Ashanti.
"Chase will be okay though, won't he?" Gebhuza growled. Ashanti nodded.
"Gebhuza says Master Chase has been down this road many times before. It's never been this bad, but the dragon soup he consumes helps him heal faster. He also says that you should rest. The Master will feel better if he thinks you have not worried yourself." Marie smiled at Gebhuza and stroked his mane.
"Thank you, but I'll be okay. You're the one who needs the rest my friend, carting my heavy butt around." Gebhuza then made a very peculiar sound, something akin to a roar and a cough. Marie realized her steed was laughing! She looked to Ashanti for a translation.
"He says you must be kidding." she said. "He barely noticed you were there at all. He had to keep looking back over his shoulder to make sure he hadn't dropped you without noticing." A groan from Chase caught her attention.
"Would have...skinned him...for that." Chase groaned, having finally regained consciousness. Marie sighed in relief.
"Oh thank goodness! How's your burn? Does it hurt badly?"
"I'll be fine. I'll be back to normal tomorrow." He hissed as he tried to sit up. "Damn, that hurt more than I thought." He said, sinking back into the pillows. Marie laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Lie still." she said softly. "You're on strict bed rest until that burn is healed."
"Says who?" Marie leaned down to whisper in his ear.
"Says the only girl in this place who can rub you the right way." She leaned back and smirked smugly. Chase glared at her.
"When I get my hands on you woman, you are going to suffer."
"Yeah, well, until then I'm safe. Now go back to sleep so you can get well faster." And with that, she took off with the cats, leaving Chase to curse alone. After a few minutes of furious cursing, Chase began to think. Marie seemed perfectly fine so Feng couldn't have gotten to her. Chase cringed at the idea of that monster with his Marie. Maybe his fathers words were just an empty threat...No, Feng never made idle threats. But in his current condition, Chase would be unable to defend Marie if his father attacked. As much as he hated the idea, heed his pride and got comfortable in bed. It was going to be a long night.
Hours later, Marie entered the room again to find Chase still awake.
"I thought I told you to get some sleep." she scolded.
"And I thought I told you that if I ever got my hands on you, you were going to suffer." Chase replied.
"Well, it's after midnight and I need my beauty sleep. And I am not spending the night in the library again." Said Marie with a shrug. She climbed into bed next to Chase and snuggled close to him. "How's your burn? Does it still hurt?"
"Only when I breath." He said. Marie sighed, running her hand along his abs.
"I'm sorry Chase. This is my fault." she said softly.
"How do you figure that?" asked Chase.
"Crow was flying overhead when you fought with Feng. He told Ashanti, and she told me everything. If Feng hadn't threatened me, you wouldn't have lost your cool and he wouldn't have blasted you." said Marie, beginning to tremble. "You got hurt because of me. Oh!" She gasped as Chase pulled her close and snarled.
"Get this through your head woman. I fought because I hate that man. I hate what he did to me and I hate what he did to my mother. Threatening you only gave me another reason to hate him, understand? Answer me!" He grabbed her wrist and squeezed hard.
"I-I understand!" stammered Marie. "Please, l-let go! You're hurting me!" Chase released her wrist and rolled over.
"Good, now go to sleep." he said sharply. Marie laid down and scooted to the far side of the bed, clutching her aching wrist.
"What was that?" she wondered. "Chase has never been short with me before. What did I do?" She waited and listened for Chase's breath to even out in sleep before slipping out of bed. She left the room and headed down to the Cat Room. Ashanti looked up confusedly.
"Lady Marie? What are you doing down here this late?" she asked. Marie walked over to her and sat down.
"Can I use you as a pillow?" she asked. "I don't want to go back." Gebhuza padded over and laid down on Marie's other side. He let out a soft growl to Ashanti, who nodded.
"You're right, it is too cold down here for just one of us to warm her. Good thinking Gebhuza. Here Lady Marie, lay down." Marie settled her head on Ashanti's ribcage while Gebhuza curled around her other side, forming a living feline nest. The Lynx who had been healing Chase woke up. Seeing his mistress still shivering, he grabbed the blanket he had been sleeping on. It was clean and dry and still warm from his body. Quickly hopping over the other cats, he dragged the blanket to Marie and covered her with it, making sure she was totally covered. He then laid his light weight across her to further insure warmth. The other cats in the room looked up at Marie's mumbled thanks. Even with three cats and a blanket, they realized, it would still be too cold for the Lady they were coming to respect. The cats began to gather around the other three, forming one huge purring, warm mass. Within two minutes, Marie was lulled to sleep by Ashanti's heartbeat and the purring of Gebhuza. Ashanti looked down at Marie fondly.
"She looks like my daughter would have if she had survived." she thought. She nuzzled Marie in a loving maternal way. "I don't care if you are human and my mistress, from now on, I'll protect you like your true mother never did. This is my solemn vow." she whispered. Marie merely slept on and murmured something. Ashanti smiled and lay down to sleep. And so they did, lions, panthers and tigers all working together as one to warm their lady.
Ashanti awoke the next morning a few hours after dawn and looked down at her unknowingly adopted daughter.
"Marie." she whispered, nuzzling her awake. "It's time to get up. It's morning." Marie groaned. Blinking sleepily, she tried to sit up, but the lynx over top of her hindered her movements. She poked the lynx roughly.
"Hey. Hey you. I'd like to get up now if that's okay." the lynx looked up and yawned widely. He groggily moved off of Marie and crawled off to sleep in another corner, one less inhabited by poking teenage girls. Marie sat up and stretched with a yawn. She looked around sleepily and tried to remember why she was down here. Before she could even think about it, Ashanti grabbed her with one mighty paw and began licking her hair into order.
"Hey! Ashanti, what on earth are you doing?!" Marie giggled. Ashanti paused.
"There is straw in your hair and I am ridding you of it. Now hold still." she continued her ministrations. Marie sighed and did as told.
"You're like a mom brushing her five year olds hair. Kinda funny really, my mom never did that for me." she said with another giggle. Ashanti stopped again and decided to tell her.
"I was a mother once Marie. Before I was transformed by Master Chase, I was an Indian princess with incredible fighting skills. I had a small daughter named Seri, but she was killed in an attack of the palace. She looked just like a smaller, darker version of you. Marie, if you will allow it, I'd like to be your mother. I know that your real mother never showed any signs of maternal love towards you, and I know I cannot take her place, but I'd like to show you what having a real mother is like." her bright blue eyes bored into Marie's green ones. "I've already made a vow to protect you as your mother. Will you let me be your mother Marie?" Marie was stunned by the confession and felt her eyes well up with tears. She had always wondered why her friends mothers didn't shout or force them to take ten different lessons. Could it be that real mothers didn't do that? Marie had always wanted that. Love and affection instead of anger and shouting. A warm embrace instead of beatings. She hugged Ashanti around the neck and sobbed into her white fur.
"I would like that very much...Mama..." She said through her tears. Ashanti pulled her close again and hugged her back.
"There there now little one." she crooned. "It's alright, mama's here. Mama's always going to be here." she allowed Marie to cry herself out before pulling back and lifting her head with a paw.
"Now then, let's get rid of those tears." she said gently, wiping them off with her paw. Once Marie's face was dry Ashanti stood. "Come, let's pick out your outfit for today." The new mother and daughter pair left together to start the day.
After a wardrobe change and a quick breakfast, Marie went to read in the library while Ashanti left for another part of the citadel saying she had "business to attend to." Said business was to find Chase and inform him that if he tried anything like last night again, he would find himself neck deep in an ant hill, master or not. She found him out on the entrance ledge of the mountain staring out into space.
"What is it?" he said, sensing her approach. Ashanti took a deep breath.
"Master, did you have any idea where Marie was when you awoke this morning?" she said, not even bothering to watch her tone.
"No, I did not. I assume you do?"
"She was down with us in the Cat Room, scared half to death. It took every single one of us to keep her warm through the night. Now answer me this: why was she down there in the first place?"
"I don't think I like your tone Ashanti. Is that how you talk to your master?" shot Chase
"Is that any way to speak to your future mother-in-law?" Ashanti shot back. Chase whirled around.
"What was that?"
"I adopted Marie this morning. You of all people should know that I was a mother once, considering you were the one who killed Seri." Chase was silent. He had almost forgotten about that attack in India.
"Is there a point to this?" he snapped.
"My point is that Lady Marie never knew a mothers affection, and I still have plenty to give. She has already agreed to the adoption, and has accepted me as her mother. My point is that you are no longer my master, but my son-in-law. Now why did Marie leave your room to sleep downstairs?" There was an embarrassed silence before Chase replied.
"I got angry with her last night by accident. I got a little too rough and frightened her." he said. Ashanti glared at him angrily.
"I'm warning you now Chase: DON'T do that again. I don't want to have to hurt the man my daughter loves, but I will if this happens again. Good day." And with that, she turned and went back inside, leaving behind a very confused Chase.
Dear god, I hate my writing skills right now! I always thought this should be in the plot, but I didn't think it would turn out so Lame and Short. I will gladly accept Flames and Bricks now.