Here's the next chapter, sorry it took a while. I'm getting excited though, I just saw the trailer for Inkheart the movie. But, the only thing that has disappointed me about it, is Capricorns character...lets just say he isnt what I imagined. Dustfingers character looks great though! But I dont know what the other black jackets look like...oh well.
Over the next few days, things in the black jacket infested village were calm.
Capricorn didn't have any plans going on so far, except that he was still waiting for the call from Basta. He had expected the man to call the very night he sent him out, but no word from Basta had come. Capricorn was becoming frustrated. It was not supposed to take this long to find the damned fire-eater! Finding Silvertounge alone was bringing the man on the edge. But as the days went by, he needed to find Dustfinger to gain his leverage on the other fire-eater, the girl. Ann was still as stubborn as ever.
She refused to cooperate with the black jackets all together.
"Damn girl…damn fire-eaters…damn Basta!" Capricorn yelled. He was sitting in a separate room, cut off from all other company of his 'loyal' men.
Capricorn rubbed his temples in a soothing manner. A knock at his door led his eyes to meet one of the maids.
"M-my Lord," the girl stammered. "One of the men wanted to come and find you. I-it…it…"
"SPIT IT OUT YOU FOOLISH MAID!" Capricorn was out of his seat and grasping the girl's hair in his grasp.
"The girl Ann has tried to burn one of the men! It was Cockerell! Apparently he was trying to t-touch Ann in a manner that she didn't like. She's trying to claim that she warned him but…with the men you can never tell sir."
The man let go of the maid's hair, rage filling his eyes.
"Return to the maid's quarters and go back to work. It seems as if I need to settle some things."
Outside was total chaos. Cockerell was being held back by several of his comrades while Ann herself was being held back by Flatnose. Some of the other men were laughing at the girls threats that poured out of her mouth, hate and anger in her eyes. A circle played around the two, like a playground rustle. Shouts and cheers coming from the men.
"Let me at him! I swear I'm gonna kill him! I'll burn the stupid crow the ground and watch as he yells at the sky in pain!" She struggle against the man holding her, but couldn't move an inch with her small frame in his hold.
"Stupid wench! I ought' a kill your stupid fire-eater fingers off for what you did to me! If it weren't for Capricorn you would be dead and I wouldn't look like this!" Cockerell shouted his face a bright red from the burns she gave him. His hair as well was slightly burned off as well, leaving a him a bit of a spot on his head where his scalp showed.
"Serves you right for wh-."
Boots clicked on the rock lain road. A pale face and a red suit was coming down through the many houses around them. Capricorn and several men followed suit as they trailed behind him, crows following a peacock.
All the movement stopped dead as the other black jackets looked at their leaders. Most bowed their heads in respect while some others looked as if they felt the need to turn and run.
"Why is all the fun stopping? Now that I've shown up I would like to enjoy myself as well." Capricorns cruel smile appeared on his face, hands behind his back. He turned to one of the younger recruits and asked, "What is all the fuss about boy?"
The poor dark boy gulped, "Well…you see my Lord, Cockerell and some of the men were just having some fun, ya know shoot'n cats and all. The girl," he pointed at Ann, "made a comment to one of them after some said something about her. Cockerell suddenly grabbed the girl by her hair and well…"
The boy looked as if he could say no more, so Capricorn turned to Flatnose.
"What exactly was said Flatnose?"
"My lord, Cockerell merely said how Ann would make much less of a nuisance around here if she would just cooperate and become one of us. When the girl-."
"When I said that I would much rather die than become one of you damned crows and that I hoped that you all would rot in hell!" Ann yelled, still trying to pry herself from Flatnose. "Then the stupid idiot grabbed me by my hair and made me look at his ugly face, trying to tell me that you were some 'great' leader that didn't deserve to have to deal with me." She started laughing, "Then he sorta got his face burned when he put it too close, along with some hair."
Capricorn turned to Cockerell, "Is this true Cockerell?"
The man freed himself from his fellow black jackets and bowed at his leader's feet, "Yes sir."
All the frustration that had been building up in Capricorns head for hours was now at its passing point.
Capricorn turned to Ann once more and pulled Ann's face up to meet his, "Why do you refuse to cooperate you damned girl!? We have treated you kindly, not harmed you at all and yet you insist on testing my patience! Your nothing monsters who treat others like dogs!"
Ann suddenly found herself on the ground, the left side of her face in pain. She looked up to meet Capricorns glare, and suddenly felt fearful of the man towering over her. All of a sudden, the man laughed. It was loud and deep, making goose-bumps appear on the girls' skin. His men also laughed, showing their leader that they too did as he did.
Capricorn bent down and grabbed the girls' hair, Ann yelled out from the pain, it bringing tears to her eyes.
"I didn't want this to happen Ann, I truly didn't. I try and try to contain patience with you, but you have pushed me to my limits. You think that you are beyond rules here, and you are wrong. I have been too lenient on you. But since you insist that we treat others as dogs, then I will treat you as a dog. And it's about time you were trained."
He turned to one of the men, "Find me a car, we're going to show her what happens when she misbehaves for now on." The man nodded and ran off.
"W-what are you going to do?" Ann asked, almost too afraid to ask.
"You'll see." Was all Capricorn replied.
Inside the car, Ann was shaking. They were driving away from the village and were going down the road 100+ miles and hour.
Capricorn had her sitting in his lap, his hold on her hair never loosening. Flatnose was in the front seat of the truck they were driving in while another man was driving. Ann remembered Dustfinger called them 'Dodges'.
"I truly didn't want this to happened Ann." Capricorn whispered in her ear. "This was the last thing I wanted you to ever witness, but you have left me no choice."
They reached a home. It was white, one story, and looked a little run down, but it had the feeling of a small cozy place. But when they parked, Ann noticed that the other black jackets were around the small home, all holding torches.
Capricorn forced Ann to get out of the car, still holding her hair, and ushered her to the middle of the yard.
"No please! You can't do this; this is all we have left! If we lose our home then we will have nothing, absolutely nothing." A woman's voice yelled, while children were clinging to her, all toddlers. One of the men pushed the woman aside while he started walking towards the house, torch in hand.
"Richard no!"
One of the black jackets grabbed the man who was standing next to the woman, shoved him inside the home and blocked the door, and then set it alight. The man banged on the door, yelling to be let out while the flames grew bigger and bigger.
"Stop please! No more!" Ann yelled, trying to do something to aid the man, but Capricorn yanked her back and held her. Tears of anger and guilt poured down her face.
"Stop…no more." She pleaded.
"Do you know who taught us to use fire Ann?" Capricorn asked.
Ann shook her head, no.
"It was Dustfinger. We tricked him to teach us how to use fire, to make it available for our uses. And now look what his teachings have brought."
He raised his hand towards the burning home.
Capricorns grip on Ann's hair was relieved, but she couldn't hold herself up, and sunk to the ground. Her tears were orange as they reflected the fires colors. The black jackets cheered and danced around the fire as if it were nothing but a huge party. Some of them even used the drinks they stole from the house and drank to their hearts content. Draining themselves in a drunken stupor.
Capricorn bent down and picked up the crying girl in his arms.
"I hope this has taught you a lesson. From now on, if you disobey me again, another home, another family will suffer because of it. Do you understand?"
Ann numbly nodded, burying her head in his chest as if that would block out the cries and cheers of the men around her. The man, feeling somehow a bit of guilt, stroked the girls dark hair, trying to calm her down.
One of the men and Capricorn with Ann in his arms, got in a car and returned to the village. Once they returned Ann was sent to her room next to Capricorns.
That night Ann could only dream of the screams and the picture of the family and house that all suffered because of her.
R&R please! I will take any advice on the story, I dont care if you flame. I love constructive critsism (sp? lol)
Next chapter: Dustfingers at Mo's home and they are getting ready to go and find Ann, now that Mo has agreed to help.