Hey! So, as promised, here is a chapter that introduces three of my favorite characters from Glee. Sam, Quinn and Brittney are some other favorites. Finn isn't, which is why he's kind of awkward hahah. Well, in this chapter, I think you may be surprised by the song that a certain diva decides to belt out with the help of her new found friends, but I promise it'll make sense as I dig deeper into her story line, which WILL come out...eventually. I also realized that I forgot to give you the song For Good in the last chapter, so, sorry! I still don't own Glee, and read and review!
watch?v=0NKUpo_xKyQ
Glee Blacksmith Chapter 3-Violetedge
Violetedge
"Welcome to Violetedge." Sam read the sign. "Village of shimmering hope."
"Well we could definitely use some of that." Bruce mumbled, stomping past his pupil and through the open gates of the village.
They'd been walking for almost a week straight, stopping just long enough to rest before taking off again. Their journey was made infinitely harder because of Bruce's constant paranoia. He had forced them to follow rivers and tree-lines, making them stick to the shadows in case of another close call.
Quinn and Sam understood his reasoning, but that didn't stop them from complaining at the lack of efficiency. They were tired, and dirty, and sore all over, and they were not happy about it.
Bruce's constant training had not stopped either, and while they had both managed to build up some skill, it wasn't much. His heart was in the right place, but Bruce was too brash to really teach them. He was a firm believer in acting through reflexes, and just got more and more frustrated each time he knocked them to the ground.
When Quinn had gotten frustrated and pointed out that they might learn better if he told them what they were doing wrong, he spat that true warriors had it in their blood.
Sam had a lot of respect for Bruce, but time on the road, away from his family, his life, and his business, had made the man irritable, and Sam found it harder and harder to keep a level head. He hoped that some rest and relaxation in the limits of a new city might lead to some peace for all of them.
"I need a wash." Quinn moaned, stomping past Sam after Bruce.
They all did, truly, but Bruce didn't like to let them out of his sight after Sam was almost caught back in Ostvale, and for Quinn, that was a problem when she wanted to bathe. She'd washed up as much as she could in any rivers, fully clothed of course, but she really wanted some privacy, and a tub full of warm water.
Sam paused just outside of the gates, looking from side to side. There were two large pillars of purple crystal sticking out of the ground. They were magnificent, with a twinkling light in the very middle of each. He smiled and found that, though small, the light made him content.
"Hurry up!" Bruce bellowed back and Sam jogged through, back into civilization.
Violetedge was a bustling city, far busier than Ostvale. There were carriages parading every which way down larger, more defined, cobblestone streets. Along the sides of the streets were vendors, just like back home, but these shopkeepers were much more competitive, and had wares that Quinn and Sam had only heard rumours of.
There were specialty shops of all sorts; off to their right a robust woman in a helmet with braids loudly pitched specialty shields, and on their other side, a meek old man gestured calmly to several pendants laid out on a cloth in front of him.
"Is there anything you can't buy in this place?" Quinn gawked, looking around at an average looking teen selling coils of rope. She looked to the other side where a man with an eye patch was waving a cage with a pigeon inside around in the air.
"Violetedge is one of the biggest towns in the Kingdom." Bruce said. He turned and made eye contact with her. "Which means we should be good to hide here for a while."
"It's so cool!" Sam said, looking around at a dark skinned girl selling fruit and vegetables, and a grizzled man with a bandaged hand selling slabs of meat. "Do we have any money?" He asked.
Bruce grinned and reached into his pocket, pulling out a sack full of coins. He opened it to show them; there were plenty of copper ones, a good number of silver and even a few gold pieces here and there.
"Half of my savings right here. Blacksmithing may not be a popular employment in Ostvale, but when you're the only one, you can stand to make a hefty sum." He laughed heartily and Sam gawked.
Bruce shoved the money back in his pocket and pointed.
"There, Violetedge Inn, that's where we're heading." He said.
The kids followed him as he stepped through the swinging oak doors that led into the Inn. Sam couldn't help but compare it to his home back in Ostvale.
The layout was fairly similar, with a staircase to the left leading to upper levels, and a check in desk to the right, but it appeared that there was a large mess hall down a corridor directly ahead, with several other rooms alongside it. The decor was far ritzier than his home; where they could barely afford a nice painting or two, this place had tapestries galore, and gleaming medals and weapons proclaiming the victories of townspeople lining the wall behind the desk.
"Good afternoon, how may I help you?" A smiling red haired woman popped out from behind the desk, adjusting some dusty glasses on her nose.
"We were looking for a room, if you've got one!" Bruce smiled, approaching her.
"Sure thing! How many and for how long?"
"Two rooms, I think, and we probably won't be staying any longer than a week." He said. Quinn and Sam exchanged a disappointed look that didn't go unnoticed by the cheery attendant behind the desk.
"Just visiting eh?" She said sympathetically. "I know it seems like a great town, but I'll tell you one thing, it's lost a lot of its splendor since the King came into power. You'll get sick of it before too long." She laughed.
Sam and Quinn laughed back good naturedly, but neither really felt it. It didn't matter how dull the town was, it still meant food, rest, and washing on a regular basis. That was a life they both missed.
"If I could just have your names than!" She smiled.
"Our names?" Sam asked. His mother never recorded their visitors' names, she had lived by the mantra that if the customer wanted her to know their names, they would tell her on their own, and if not, she didn't care enough to ask.
"Yes..." The woman said, raising her eyebrow. "Its common procedure...is it not the same where you come from?" She asked.
"Nope!" He shrugged. "Oh well, must just be because this is a bigger town."
"Right." She nodded. "Where did you say you came from again?"
"We didn't." Bruce interjected swiftly. "We're actually just passing through, my name is...Jo. Jo Black." He said, glancing back at the others.
"Alright..." The woman looked skeptically at him but jotted it down with a quill and some ink. She turned to Sam and Quinn. "And you two?"
"Judy." Quinn said. "Judy Fabr...ic." She smiled as convincingly as she could.
"Judy Fabric?"
Quinn nodded, gulping nervously.
"And you?" She asked Sam.
"Umm...uhh...Brittney!" He looked frantically around the room, desperately searching for a last name. His eyes locked on the wall of trophy weapons. "Arrow." He finished lamely. The woman paused and then turned around to look at the bow and quiver hung up behind her head.
"Your name is Brittney Arrow?" She asked. "Brittney Arrow...Judy Fabric, and Jo Black." She summarized.
They all nodded lamely, perfectly aware of how bad their lies were.
"Alright!" She threw her hands up, palms outward. "Whatever, you'll be in rooms twenty four and twenty five upstairs, there's a mess hall down this hallway here, and if you want to wash up just let me know, I'll heat up a washtub." She smiled at them.
"Yes!" Quinn yelled, slamming her hands down on the desk. They all paused and stared at her. "Dibs. I...I just need to wash, like now. I am so gross and sticky and sweaty and dirty and...ugh, I need to wash." She shook her head frantically.
The red haired woman blinked and looked at Quinn over her spectacles.
"You certainly are an interesting bunch aren't you...?" She said. "I'll go heat up the water, follow me!" She turned and bounced away. Quinn rolled her eyes back blissfully before running after her.
Bruce glanced at his apprentice.
"Let's go get settled, then you two can go and get some supplies while I hit the pub. I definitely need a drink..."
"There you are Judy." The woman smiled at Quinn, indicating a long metal basin that sat, elevated, above hot coals. "There are cleaning herbs and pastes on the far wall; I'll leave you to it!" She nodded and ducked out.
"Thank you." Quinn called and then slowly closed the door, breathing in the steam around her. She could practically feel the dirt fleeing her body, and she hadn't even gotten in yet.
She crossed to the far wall and began examining the shelf. They had everything! Pastes and mixtures made of tree sap and berry juice and crushed leaves and goats milk, bars of soap made of vegetable oils and others of animal fats, wash clothes of all sorts of textures and fabrics.
Quinn stood there for quite some time just inhaling the delicious mixture of scents before grabbing as many hygiene products as she could get her hands on and practically leaping out of her clothing and into the tub.
"Aah..." She sighed contentedly, sinking into the warm water. She held up a bar of vegetable oil soup and looked at it dreamily. She wrapped it in a wash cloth, creating a sort of squeegee, and then worked it into a lather. She watched in awe as the caked on dirt fell away from her arm. "Who knew? I'm white!" She laughed.
When she was finished she examined her arms, absolutely enthralled, revelling in how clean she was.
"Thank you vegetable oil soap!" She sighed, pressing it to her lips and kissing it dramatically. She paused and immediately began to sputter. "Oh gah!" She tossed the soap onto the edge and leaned forwards, clawing at her tongue with her hands.
Unfortunately, her hands were even soapier, and that only escalated the bad taste. She gagged and tried to dip her tongue into the water, but her foot slipped and she ended up falling headfirst with a huge splash. She flipped around in the water, accidentally dislodging the soap on the edge and sending it tumbling into the water with her.
When she finally managed to right herself again, it had somehow ended up on top of her head. She glared at it mutinously as it slid down her hair and into the water with a plop.
"Thank you vegetable oil soup..." She scowled.
She reached over to a jar of berry-mint paste and gathered a copious amount in her hands, working it into a lather. Thanks to her impressive poise and grace, she'd already soaked her hair completely, so it wasn't long before she was lathering it up as well.
She paused as her hand got stuck.
"Oh no..." She mumbled, yanking on it. She gave it some slack and then pulled harder, accidentally dunking herself underwater again. There was sap in her hair. All. Through. Her hair. She reached up with her other hand and tried to dislodge herself, only to get her second hand stuck as well. "Umm..." She paused. "Mrs?" She called softly.
She got no response so she tried dunking her head and pulling her hands through her hair again that way, but did not succeed. She spotted a horse-hair comb across the room and carefully stepped out of the tub, tip toeing across the room towards it.
It was then that she realized that her hands were both stuck in her hair, and she needed at least one to grab the comb.
Determined, Quinn bit her tongue and turned around, flailing with her open fingers that poked out through the nest of hair atop her head. She felt the bristles against her fingers and let out a noise of success, grabbing it and pulling.
The nail it was attached to pulled her back into the wall and she stumbled, slipping and falling against it.
The entire shelf of wash clothes fell down on top of her, leaving only a foot, a few fingers and her face sticking out.
It was then that the woman returned to see how she was doing.
"Hello..." Quinn waved pitifully.
"And until you learn how to bathe properly, don't ask for another!" The woman scowled and slammed the door. Quinn turned to face Bruce and Sam who sat on the bed of room twenty four.
"I...I got stuck..." She explained pitifully.
They burst out into hysterical laughter.
"I hate you both..." She scowled.
"Well your hair looks really nice now at least!" Sam supplied helpfully, beaming. It felt good to laugh genuinely; he was startled to realize that he'd almost forgotten the feeling.
"Thanks!" She smiled. "Doesn't it though? Its berry and mint leaves, very nice. It smells so good! Here, smell it!" She tilted her head towards him and he inhaled.
"That actually does smell delicious." He agreed. "I might use that when I wash up."
"My water's still warm I think, you could probably use it. It's filthy though..." She said.
"Well it's about to get filthier!" He smiled and then ran from the room, leaving a trail of mud-caked clothing in his wake.
Once they were all clean, dry and content, they sat on the bed of room twenty four looking around. They'd decided that Quinn and Sam would share the room, and Bruce would get his own. He felt he deserved it after saving their lives and such. It seemed likely that he wasn't ever going to let them live that down.
"We're going to need more supplies." Bruce said, rubbing a cloth behind his ears. "We've literally run out, and we may not be able to live off the land if we head to harsher climates."
"Harsher climates?" Sam asked incredulously.
"No..." Quinn moaned.
"Yes harsher climates, they're less likely to follow us there." Bruce said plainly.
"They've got the entire Imperial Army at their command; they're going to follow us anywhere." Quinn said, annoyed.
"Look, we came here because you said it was a good idea, we'll leave because it's an even better one. Violetedge is one of the most populated villages in the Kingdom; they'll expect us to come here."
"Why can't we enjoy ourselves while we're here though?" Sam asked.
"It's not up for discussion, here." He tossed them the bag of gold coins. "I left enough in there for some non-perishables like smoked meats, none of those fruit scams, we can pick our own apples. There should be enough for some new clothing if you budget it right." He looked at their meager threads. "The clothing you've got isn't all that suited for warfare..." He laughed.
"Where will you be?" Quinn asked.
"There's an adult-only pub near the gates, I'm going there to cut loose for the night. I'll probably see you in the morning. Buy a pack first so you can carry your supplies."
Sam nodded, pocketing the bag of money and turning for the door.
"Come on Judy." He teased.
"I'm coming Brittney." She grinned and he scowled, ducking his head. Her mother and his female best friend, they really were obviously incredibly original people. She paused when they stepped outside the door. "So we're going to do something fun right?"
"Uh...yeah!" Sam said obviously. If Bruce was going to cut loose, than so were they. They'd worked hard enough that they deserved at least one night of relaxation.
"How much?" Sam asked incredulously.
"Five gold coins." The merchant repeated.
"For dried fruit?" Quinn clarified.
"Yes." She said impatiently. "The best dried fruit in Violetedge."
"Back home its two coppers!"
"You're not back home though, are you?" The merchant sneered.
Sam and Quinn looked at one another shocked.
"Seriously?"
"Yes, seriously, now pay up!" The woman snapped.
"Excuse me!" A sassy voice called out. They both turned to find the dark skinned vendor who had been selling produce earlier in the day.
"Get out of here Mercedes!" The woman snarled.
"You can't overcharge people for your merchandise. Girl please." She said, holding up a hand seriously. She looked at Quinn and Sam. "It's cheaper if you dry your own fruit. She says that the extra charge is for the process, but really all you gotta do is peel and core whatever you're trying to dry, dip them in citrus water, cut 'em, set them out on parchment over a fire, and then store them. It's not as hard as she pretends it is."
Quinn and Sam exchanged another look, turning to look at the newcomer. Mercedes was a dark skinned girl with a long white skirt and a lace up brown vest covering a low cut white blouse. She was carrying a basket of fruit in one hand, and had a jug of water in the other.
"Here, you can have an apple." She said, sidling closer to them, and holding up the basket. "On the house, so you can practice drying." She smiled.
"No, we have money, we can pay you!" Sam insisted.
"Boy please!" She laughed. "Just don't tell my boss." She smiled and looked around as if checking that she wasn't being followed. "That girl is all kinds of crazy."
"Don't be ridiculous, we're not going to take away your profits!" Quinn scoffed.
"Well, you weren't going to buy anything from me anyways, so you're not really taking any away!" She said. "It's an apple! I have to get back to work though, here!" She reached over and bumped an apple off of the top of the pile with the water jug.
Sam caught it before it hit the ground and moved to put it back, but Mercedes was already weaving away through the crowd of people.
"Stupid black girl always foiling my sales..." The crony woman behind the desk snarled.
"Black girl?" Sam paused. He hadn't really noticed her skin color, but it was true, she was black, and it occurred to him that he'd never met a black person before. He wasn't too concerned about it, but he did wonder why that was. Most people in Ostvale were blonde, he'd assumed it was just genetics, but Sam didn't see any other black people in Violetedge either!
"Wait!" Quinn yelled out, moving forwards through the crowd. Sam barely had time to grab her hand before she vanished, pulling him along with her. Mercedes didn't slow, but as she reached her stand she turned to look at them with a mixture of amusement and annoyance.
"Don't people do nice things where you guys come from?" She asked. "It's one apple! It is not going to decide whether or not I eat tonight, though from the looks of you two, it might be the first thing you've eaten in a week!" She half-joked, pulling fruit out of her basket to set on the table in front of her.
"Well...we had fish once in a while..." Sam supplied lamely.
"People do nice things, but usually for people they know." Quinn said seriously.
"Nice to meet you, I am the sassy, superfluous, plus-sized sexy Mercedes! Now you know me!" She smiled at them, and shrugged, taking her seat behind the table.
Sam scowled and took out the bag of money. He began to carefully count out coins.
"Well we appreciate it very much." Quinn said. She paused. "Hey, we're new in town..."
"Oh really?" Mercedes said dryly. It was clear that she'd managed to put that much together for herself.
"How could you tell?" Sam asked.
"Your clothing is covered in mud and grass and you look like you haven't had a real meal in months. I'd say you're travellers, but usually travellers dress better."
"Well we weren't really planning on-" He started but Quinn cut him off.
"Do you think you could show us around town sometime? We won't be staying too long, but it'd be nice to have a friend while we're here." Quinn said, giving Sam a look that didn't go unnoticed by Mercedes.
"Sure!" She said slowly, deciding to ignore the look. "I work until sundown, but I'd be happy to show you around once I get off!"
"Five gold coins!" Sam called out triumphantly, dropping the coins on the table. "See you tonight; we're staying at the inn!" He cackled giddily, grabbed Quinn's hand and pulled her away before Mercedes could protest.
Crystals Of Hope
"You gave her how much money?" Bruce bellowed.
"Five gold coins..." Sam mumbled.
Bruce fumed, running a hand through his hair. He growled and slammed his hand against the wall. He opened his mouth again but turned and stormed out of the room again.
"You did the right thing." Quinn reassured him. He nodded.
"I know... He doesn't have to get so mad..."
Quinn stood up and walked over to the window, glancing outside at the sky.
"The sun's starting to set; we should probably go meet Mercedes." She said. Sam nodded again, standing up. They'd cleaned up as much as they could, and Quinn had placed her Cupid's Rose back in her hair, but their clothing was in total disrepair. They really needed new articles.
He opened the door for her and they stepped out into the hallway, hopping down the stairs and nodding cordially to the receptionist who waved back. They stepped outside just as Mercedes arrived to retrieve them.
"Oh! Hi!" She waved, smiling cheerfully.
"Hi!" Quinn waved back. Mercedes gave Sam a look, clearly still unsure of whether to be annoyed or amused by his money scandal.
He snickered.
"Hello Mercedes!" He said.
"You haven't told me your names yet!" Mercedes said suddenly. Quinn and Sam shared a look.
"Umm...my name...is Brittney Arrow." He said.
"I'm Judy Fabric..." She said. Mercedes looked at them both.
"You really aren't from around here are you?" She laughed.
"No, no we are not." Quinn laughed, nodding. "So what's the plan?"
"I don't know, I was thinking we should go shopping to get you guys some new clothing, you're both kind of...ratty." She teased. "My treat! I got a huge tip today from these two fools, so I can afford it." She glared at them both, almost daring them to oppose her.
"Fine." Quinn grumbled. Mercedes cheered and turned to lead them away from the inn.
An hour later Quinn and Sam were standing outside of the changing screen in the Violetedge Boutique, piled high with clothing that Mercedes wanted them to try on. She clapped her hands excitedly and sat down, gesturing for Quinn to start dressing. Mercedes had already picked out an outfit of her own for that night and had it stacked and tied beside her.
Sam sat down with Mercedes to wait. He turned to her as Quinn disappeared behind the screen.
"So, I've been meaning to ask you something." He said, turning to her. "Those crystals around town, where did they come from?" He asked.
"Oh they've always been there! They were here before Violetedge showed up. There's a legend about them, actually!"
"Really?" He asked.
Quinn stepped out wearing a long pale yellow dress.
"Umm...no." Mercedes shook her head, gesturing for Quinn to try something else on. She turned back to Sam. "And yep!"
"What is it?" He asked.
She sat up straight and looked at him seriously. "Legend states that as long as there is hope in the land, the crystals will shine brighter than the stars!" She grinned, eyes sparkling at the romantic idea. "Of course...they haven't lit up in years..."
Quinn walked out wearing a billowy white skirt and a pale pink blouse. Mercedes shook her head and waved her away again.
"They were lit up when I walked in. Just a dim little light in the very middle, but that's something right!" Sam said offhandedly. Mercedes paused and stared at him.
"Seriously? Don't play with me right now boy." She said.
"I'm not playing!" He laughed. "They were lit up, weren't they Quinn?"
Quinn popped her head out of the side of the screen and nodded.
"Not like, shining, but there was definitely a light in them."
Mercedes fell silent as Quinn stepped back in.
She didn't say anything, but Mercedes wondered if the light in the amethyst had anything to do with the arrival of these two. She'd lived in Violetedge for a long time now, the town was named after those crystals, but she had never seen so much as a glimmer of hope inside of them. If what these two said was true, then maybe...maybe that meant something.
Quinn walked out and Sam's jaw dropped. Mercedes turned and squealed instantly.
"Oh my gosh! Diva, you look hot. I'm not even joking, girl looks fierce." She nodded intensely and Quinn blushed. She was wearing knee-length brown leather boots and black tights under a blue-tunic belted with brown leather with long white sleeves. Her light hair contrasted beautifully with the bright blue and she looked hot.
"Whoa!" Sam laughed. She did look really good; he was comfortable enough with their friendship to admit it. He hopped up and grabbed his clothing, walking over and pushing her out. "You're getting those." He laughed.
"They're kind of expensive..." She admitted, but she couldn't stop smiling. She looked good, and she knew it.
"Girl, I'm buying, don't even worry about it." Mercedes shook her head. Quinn blushed and sat down next to her. "You are going to get eyeballed, I'm just telling you now."
"Me?" Quinn asked. "Please, I only get checked out by weird people."
"Not anymore." Mercedes laughed. "Your boyfriend will have to fight them off."
"Oh, he's not my boyfriend. I'm single." Quinn blushed.
"Girl...Not for long."
Quinn laughed but then sighed.
"I doubt it...I'm pretty, but I'm not sexy. I don't turn heads." She sighed, lowering her voice so that only Mercedes could hear.
"I'm not sexy either." Mercedes said. "I talk a big game, but I'm not. I know what you mean, but trust me; you're more than just pretty. You're beautiful! Any guy would be lucky to have you."
Sam walked out in brown slacks and a black vest. Mercedes cringed and shook her head.
"Well what about you?" Quinn asked eager to change topics. "Do you have anybody?"
Mercedes frowned.
"I...it's a long story, but no."
"What happened?" Quinn asked.
Mercedes paused for a long time. Sam walked out in an orange pirate shirt but she waved him back in again.
"Sometimes, love hurts more than it heals." She said mysteriously. Quinn was about to press the issue when Sam walked out in fitted black pants, a white shirt and a dark blue vest that tied together along his left side, and black leather shoes.
"That looks really good." Quinn nodded.
"Uh...yeah." Mercedes nodded, though her mind was obviously elsewhere. Quinn wondered if she would ever learn where. "I'm going to change now actually, and then we can go out for drinks!"
She skipped behind the screen and came out moments later wearing black buckled ankle boots, tights and a knee-length dark purple dress belted under her chest with a black leather strap. She picked up her bag and Sam grabbed the brown burlap pack that he had acquired and slung it over his shoulder.
"Alright, time to party!" Mercedes cheered.
Twenty copper coins later, they were seated at the bar of a lively pub on the north side of Violetedge. There were plenty of younger people there, like them, and Bruce was nowhere in sight so they assumed he'd gone off to a seedier location to vent his frustrations.
The place was crawling with excitement, and a live band played popular music in a roped off corner. Mercedes, who seemed well known throughout the town, had not only gotten them in, but had gotten them drinks as well.
"This is awesome!" Sam yelled, looking around.
"Kid, this is Violetedge." The bartender growled cheerfully.
Sam smiled and shared a look of excitement with Quinn. Life on the road for two weeks had been rough, but it was certainly paying off. This was way more exciting than Ostvale had ever been.
"Hey Mercedes, I don't mean to be racist, but why are you the only black person I've ever met?" Sam asked. She paused.
"I'm just special, I guess." She smiled tightly and turned away. Sam turned to look at Quinn who was happily sipping from a mug. He felt a jolt suddenly, like something was triggering in his mind, but the pieces had yet to fit.
"Mercedes Jones." The singer of the band yelled out, waving to her. She waved shyly back. "We think it's your turn!" He said.
"I'm entertaining my friends!" She protested.
"Well entertain them with this!" He yelled back and immediately the pianist started jamming out.
Sam and Quinn both turned to face her, surprise on their faces.
"You sing?"
"Girl." Mercedes grinned. "I bring the house down! But I'm not feeling very power ballad today...Hey! How 'bout a softer song. To start at least."
-Musical Cue-
-Ellie Goulding: Lights-
Sam grabbed her and pushed her towards the band.
She turned around as the music picked up and resigned herself to her performance.
"I had a way then...losing it all on my own." She sang. The base drum jumped in and she smiled. "I had a heart then, but the queen has been overthrown." She looked out the window of the bar.
The patrons quieted down to watch her and Sam and Quinn exchanged a look of surprise at the stunning quality of her voice.
"And I'm not sleeping now; the dark is too hard to beat..." She sang, eyes fixed on the moon. "And I'm not keeping now...the strength I need to push me."
She whipped her head forwards and strutted off the stage, stepping on the beat through the crowd.
"You show the lights that stop me turn to stone! You shine It when I'm alone." She sang. She reached her seat again and stepped onto it and then onto the bar. "And so I tell myself that I'll be strong! And dreaming when they're gone cause they're calling, calling, calling me home. Calling, calling, calling home."
She sang, looking down at Sam and Quinn smiling.
"You show the lights that stop me turn to stone; you shine it when I'm alone."She twirled further down the bar and leapt off of it.
"Home!" Quinn and Sam sang in the background. Mercedes gasped and nodded, beckoning them forwards.
"Noises, I play within my head." She sang as they jumped off their chairs and skipped through the crowd towards the roped off corner. "Touch my own skin, and hope that I'm still breathing."
She drew a hand up her arm and then popped her chest as Sam and Quinn stepped into place behind her on either side.
"And I think back to when..." She turned to Sam and then Quinn. "...my brother and my sister slept. In an unlocked place...the only time I feel safe."
She grinned and hopped in place, pumping her fist in the air, Sam and Quinn mimicking her in the background.
"You show the lights that stop me turn to stone! You shine it when I'm alone!" They all sang. They hopped twice and then Quinn twirled into Sam's spot while he skidded along the ground and Mercedes leapt over his head and then turned to Quinn's spot.
"And so I tell myself that I'll be strong!" Sam flexed, nodded and then jumped backwards as Quinn swayed into his spot.
"And dreaming when they're gone." She sang. Sam and Mercedes joined her, swaying and clapping to the beat. "Cause they're calling, calling, calling me home. Calling, calling, calling home!"
Quinn twirled back to her original spot and Mercedes strutted back up the middle.
"You show the lights that stop me, turn to stone! You shine it when I'm alone!" She sang.
"Home!" The others sang. "Lights, lights, lights, lights." Sam and Quinn step-touched back and forth, repeating the phrase four times.
"Home, home..." Mercedes swallowed deeply and looked out at the night sky.
"You show the lights that stop me turn to stone! You shine it when I'm alone!" They all sang. They hopped twice again and then Quinn leapt to the side while Sam spun so that he was back to back with Mercedes. They spun once more and then she broke away and hopped onto the bar.
"And so I tell myself that I'll be strong!" Sam flexed again and then turned leaping onto the bar after Mercedes.
"And dreaming when they're gone." Quinn sang. She joined the others on the bar and Sam and Mercedes joined her. "Cause they're calling, calling, calling me home. Calling, calling, calling home!" They sang as they walked up the bar.
"You show the lights that stop me turn to stone; you shine it when I'm alone!" Mercedes sang.
"Home!" The others sang before launching into another round of repeating 'lights'.
"Home. Home." Mercedes swapped places with Sam so that she stood in the center again and turned to face the audience. "Home. Home."
The audience cheered loudly as the three of them bowed. They jumped off of the bar and Sam and Quinn stood by their seats while Mercedes went to talk to the band.
Quinn grabbed her drink and turned to her best friend. She happily took a sip.
"I think this is it Sam, our new home, we won't have to run anymore!" She said. "We're safe here!"
"I think you're right!" He laughed. "This is great!" He punched a fist in the air. Quinn laughed, nodding, and turned away from him. She stumbled slightly and the mug from which she'd been drinking fell.
Sam watched it fall, as if in slow motion. His blood went cold all of a sudden, his fingers felt like ice. He turned to look at the heavy wooden doors directly across from them and swore.
"Run!" He yelled suddenly. He grabbed Quinn and pushed her into the crowd just as the mug shattered.
The doors burst inwards, sending a cold draft of air into the room. Somebody screamed as Riker stepped forwards backed by a dozen soldiers
Savages
"What do we do?" Quinn whispered, terrified.
Sam crouched down next to her and peeked over the bar. Riker was advancing with his troops, and he was being merciless in his interrogations.
"We're looking for fugitives. We know they're here. Where the hell are they?" He snarled at a balding middle-aged man. The man looked around frantically.
"I...I don't know!" He stammered.
Riker looked away and smiled coldly before whipping out his sword and stabbing the man in the stomach. "I won't ask again." He snarled, pulling the sword out. The man fell to the ground with a thump.
Sam's eyes widened and he slowly crouched down, hand over his mouth, back against the bar. He began to breathe heavily.
Quinn looked past him at the bartender who was looking from them to Riker. She shook her head frantically, begging him with her eyes not to say anything. He looked torn, like he knew they were innocent, but he didn't know if it was worth it.
He looked at her apologetically before turning to the soldiers and opening his mouth.
Mercedes appeared suddenly behind him and pressed her fingers against his temples, knocking him unconscious. She caught him and slowly lowered him to the ground before crawling over to Sam and Quinn.
"Follow me." She whispered, crawling around a shelf of alcohol. Quinn nodded and pulled Sam along after her, crawling blindly.
Mercedes led them through a door that was propped open leading to a large wine cellar. She jumped to her feet and hurried to the far wall just as a commotion broke out in the other room. Sam guessed that the citizens weren't being as cooperative as Riker would've liked.
"This way!" She hissed. Sam and Quinn jumped to their feet as well. "Up there." She pointed. Far above their heads was a window. It was good sized, not large enough that the guards would expect them to flee from it.
"Alright." Sam nodded, looking over his shoulder at the cellar door. He bent down and gestured for Quinn to clamber onto his shoulders. She tentatively obliged and grabbed Mercedes' hands as he stood up. "I've got you." He assured her.
"I know..." She swallowed nervously and let go of Mercedes, turning to the window. "It just swings open." She said, reaching out and popping the latch. She pushed out and the window creaked forwards.
"Alright, crawl out." Sam said.
She nodded and reached through it, grabbing both sides and pulling herself through. She looked around and found herself in the tree-lined area behind the bar. She heard movement and gasped, flattening her back against a barrel of wine that sat just outside of the window.
Two soldiers walked past, talking in low tones to one another. They paused just in front of her and she squeezed her eyes shut and tensed her body.
Inside, Sam and Mercedes were frozen, backs pressed up against the wall, eyes looking up at the opening.
"Hey..." One of the soldiers said suddenly, looking at the open window.
"Yeah I noticed that." The other said, approaching.
He turned and walked towards the window and Quinn, as soundlessly as she could, crawled to the other side of the barrel, praying that the darkness would cover her.
"It's the wine cellar. They must be airing it out so it doesn't mold." He surmised.
"Makes sense." The other nodded. "Let's report back, there's nobody back here."
They walked away and the three of them let out a deep breath that they hadn't even consciously been holding in.
Sam knelt down and grabbed Mercedes's hands. She stepped onto his knee and let go, balancing for a moment before grabbing onto the window. Quinn clambered out from behind the barrel and grabbed her wrists to help pull her through.
When both girls had made it in they turned back to help Sam. He crouched and jumped as high as he could, managing to grab the bottom ledge of the window. He braced his legs against the wall as the girls grabbed his arms, and crawled through after them.
"Okay, what is going on?" Mercedes asked in a hushed whisper.
"We don't have time to explain." Quinn protested.
"Girl, I just saved your lives, you owe me."
"My name is Sam Evans, this is Quinn Fabray. She was chosen as a sacrifice to the king and I saved her, now we're fugitives and they want us dead." Sam said hastily. "We came here because a sorceress told us that it was a good idea."
Mercedes looked worriedly between the two of them before nodding.
"Run. Hide out in the woods." She said. "I'll tell the guards that I saw you leave town."
"People will know you know us, we just performed together, there's not one person in that bar who won't testify to that." Quinn protested again.
"It's the only chance you've got." Mercedes insisted, trying to push them away.
"Come with us!" Sam suggested.
"Yes! You know these woods better than we do, there's safety in numbers." Quinn nodded.
"Not if you're trying to hide." She said. "Now hurry up!"
Quinn and Sam looked torn; they turned from the woods and back to Mercedes again.
"Go!" She said.
"Thank you." Sam hugged her tightly and then broke away. Quinn grabbed her hands and locked eyes with her.
"You saved our lives." She said teary-eyed. "Thank you..."
"Just be careful...people talk about wild savages living in those woods. Don't let your guard down." She said. Quinn nodded and Mercedes hugged her tightly before shoving her away.
Sam and Quinn paused at the edge of the forest and turned back, smiling tightly. Mercedes nodded and blinked back tears, smiling and waving back. They turned and vanished into the forest. Mercedes sighed and lowered her hand, wiping at her eyes.
"Hello Mercedes..." A cold voice said.
Mercedes froze.
"Hello Savannah." Mercedes said, not turning around.
"Come on girl." Savannah mocked, approaching her. "Turn around and face your almost step-sister."
Mercedes set her jaw and turned, glaring at the blonde woman.
"I don't want to see you, or Coal, ever again." Mercedes snapped.
"But I thought it was love!" Savannah cackled.
"I did too..." Mercedes blinked back tears.
"Aww...did I hit a nerve?" Savannah asked. "Don't you just love it when I do that?"
"What do you want Savannah?" Mercedes snapped.
"Look, we're here for the fugitives. It's just convenient that we found you too."
"What are you talking about; I told Coal I was done being his plaything." Mercedes said coldly, staring down the crazy blonde woman.
"That's the problem Mercedes, nobody says no to my brother. He gets, what he wants, and when he's done with you, then you deal with it and crawl back into the little hole where he found you until he wants you again." Savannah snapped.
"I'm not that scared little girl anymore Savannah." Mercedes said with a shaky breath. She took a few steps backwards until she stood behind the wine barrel that Quinn had been hiding behind. "And you can tell Coal that himself."
"Look, we don't make a habit of visiting people like you, and we're tired of trying to hunt you down. I think it's time for you to go back where you came from." Savannah snarled and lunged at her.
Mercedes planted a foot on the barrel and kicked it, smashing it into Savannah's shins. The blonde woman hit the ground hard and Mercedes turned to run, but Savannah grabbed her ankle and pulled her to the ground.
Mercedes turned around and kicked her attacker in the face, freeing her again and leaping to her feet to run as Savannah began screaming bloody murder.
Ignoring her, Mercedes sprinted around the corner of the bar, tearing away towards the street. She had just passed the front of the bar when Riker appeared, grabbing her from behind and lifting her easily off the ground.
"No!" She howled, flailing her legs as her arms were pinned against her own body. She tried to kick against him, but it didn't do anything.
"Well, you're not quite the fugitive I was looking for, but you'll do! Hello again Mercedes. I haven't seen you since you fled Starryville. You know that's a crime right, for a foreign person to leave Starryville..." He leaned in close to her ear. "Punishable by death, actually."
Mercedes turned her head away, blinking back tears that glistened in the moonlight. She'd been running for so long...it had been a mistake to settle down in Violetedge, but the comforts of civilization were too attractive...
She'd made the mistake of thinking that she was safe, and in the end, it was her undoing.
"But I'm not going to kill you..." Riker hissed in her ear. He began to move, dragging her along the ground towards the road. Mercedes looked up at him in confusion. "No, I think that Coal himself should have that pleasure."
"I don't want to see him!" She said desperately. She looked up to find a cage-caravan attached to a black carriage hauled by equally coal-colored horses.
"I don't care." He laughed. "This cage was for the other fugitives, but you can share." He snapped, shoving her inside. She landed roughly on her knees and turned to glare at him. "Be careful, wouldn't want to rip your pretty little dress." Riker laughed.
Savannah approached them; wiping blood from her nose and giggling like a fool.
"When will you get it Mercedes? You can't get away from us." She laughed. Mercedes grabbed the bars and shook them, blinking back tears. She didn't think she could take it if Coal were the one to kill her. It would hurt her too much emotionally.
She supposed it wouldn't matter for too long anyways.
"Where are the fugitives?" Savannah asked. "You've got nothing left to live for girl. Why not be a good little prisoner and save us all some time. We'll find them eventually anyways, and when we do, we'll stab them each one extra time for you." She smiled crazily.
"You're sick Savannah." Mercedes said. "Sick."
Savannah's grin dropped.
"You are." Mercedes continued. "All of you. And you know what, I may not have anything left to live for, but those two do so no, I'm not going to tell you where they're going. You'll never find them anyways, they left town as soon as you walked in." She glared at Riker.
His eye twitched furiously and his face gradually began to redden, contrasting unattractively with his dark red hair. Mercedes turned and caught Savannah's eye, glaring at her until the blonde woman screamed in outrage and turned away.
Several soldiers approached then.
"We can't find them." They said.
Riker looked from Mercedes to the soldiers.
"Burn it to the ground." He said.
"What?" Mercedes shrieked.
"You heard me!" Riker snarled. "I want nothing left of this stupid village but ash!"
The soldiers nodded and jogged away. Savannah's smile was back on her face as she turned to address Mercedes once again.
"Coal's checking the inn. I think it's time you two were reunited." She turned away. "Care to join me Riker?" She asked.
"I'd like nothing more." He laughed, and together they walked away.
"Run, Quinn, hurry!" Sam pushed his friend along, both of them bruised and wounded, scratched and sore all over.
They'd been stumbling along in the darkness, lost, afraid, and alone. The fight or flight instinct had kicked in, and flight had won. Their senses were on high alert, and adrenaline pumped through their veins, causing them to jump and start at every crack of a twig or bird in the night.
Sam turned to look over his shoulder and his foot caught a root. He yelled out as his ankle twisted and he crumpled to the ground. Quinn stopped and turned back to him, rushing to his side.
"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.
She crawled down to his feet and tried to daintily untangle the roots. He hissed in pain.
"I'm sorry!" She whispered.
"It's fine." He said. "You should go hide, I'll follow you in a minute." He bit back tears.
"We'd never find each other again." Quinn shook her head. "I already left Brittney; I'm not leaving you too."
"Well that's sweet." They both froze and looked up as the footsteps approached. A soldier walked towards them; helmet tucked under one arm, sword in his opposite hand. "Where's this Brittney girl?"
"Nowhere." Sam said, swallowing nervously.
"Ah...So she helped you, did she?" The soldier laughed. "Just like that black girl from the village, and you left them both in the dust."
"She's just an old friend." Sam said.
"What happened to Mercedes?" Quinn asked.
"She's caught, awaiting death. Kind of like you two." The soldier crouched down in front of them. "Like mice in a trap. You're caught, no place left to run, all it takes is one yell from me and all of the other soldiers in the area will converge here." He smirked.
"Please..." Quinn whispered.
"Oh you don't have to beg, I'm a fair man. I think I could be persuaded to just...walk away. I'd be happy to keep my mouth shut." He said.
"What?" Sam asked. "Seriously?"
"Anything!" Quinn nodded.
"Anything?" The soldier asked with a lecherous gleam in his eye.
The look did not go unnoticed by Quinn who slowly began to back away.
"Well...within reason."
"Oh no, you're the ones who need this deal. You don't get to set parameters." The soldier said, advancing upon her. Sam crawled in between them, but the soldier kicked him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
"Sam!"
"Stop!" He wheezed.
"This is between me and the girl." The soldier said, approaching her. She felt tears sting her eyes as her back hit a tree. "So what do you say?" He asked.
"No." Quinn shook her head, looking at Sam apologetically. He nodded to say that it was okay, that he wouldn't have wanted her to answer any other way.
"Why not?" The man snapped.
"Because you're an awful person. No decent human being would even suggest a trade like that." She snapped.
He growled and slapped her hard before turning around and opening his mouth.
"I found-!" His yell cut off suddenly, and his body crumpled to the ground, an arrow protruding from his neck.
Mercedes sat in the corner of her cage, crying bitterly, sad, cold and alone. She could only hope that Judy and Brittney...no...Quinn and Sam, she reminded herself, had made it out alive.
She heard footsteps approaching and sighed, standing up and turning to the door. If she was going to die, she was going to face death honorably. At least she'd done something right.
Quinn and Sam looked up, awestruck, to find a boy standing in the middle of the forest, bow in hand, covered in dirt, leaves, twigs and scratches, and illuminated by the moon.
"Savages..." Quinn whispered.
Mercedes watched the lock click open and the door swing out.
She paused.
"Who are you?"
"Your hero."
The boy lowered his bow and approached them, stepping with the sure-footedness of a person accustomed to life in the woods. He had unkempt brown hair and skin slightly tanned from a life in the wilderness. His face was hard, and guarded, but there was kindness in his eyes too.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"What do you mean?" Sam asked.
"Nobody from the village comes this far into the forest. They're too afraid of us." He laughed bitterly. "Us savages..."
"The king's soldiers are hunting us; we had nowhere else to go." Quinn said.
The boy was silent for a long time but then nodded and turned away.
"Follow me." He said.
Quinn and Sam looked at one another and then back at the savage. The boy stopped and turned around, smiling, amused.
"Well you don't have anywhere better to be, do you?" He asked.
"That's true..." Sam nodded and then clambered to his feet, keeping one foot elevated and hopping along.
Quinn wrapped her arm around his side and allowed him to use her as a crutch.
"Thanks." He smiled and she nodded back.
The boy turned around and started walking again, but upon noticing Sam's injury, started picking through easier routes.
They followed him in silence for quite some time before Sam decided to break the awkwardness.
"What's your name?" He asked.
The boy turned around and Quinn got a look at what he was wearing for the first time.
He was dressed in brown leather pants and had a matching leather vest over a green button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He was also wearing green suede boots, a green triangular hat with a feather, and had a brown messenger bag.
All in all, he sort of looked like Robin Hood.
"Blaine." He said. "Blaine Anderson." He smiled at them, nodding cordially. "You?"
They looked at one another, debating whether or not it was safe to tell the truth or not. He already knew that they were fugitives, Sam supposed, it wouldn't hurt to tell him the truth.
"Sam Evans." He said.
"Quinn Fabray." Quinn responded.
"Nice to meet you." Blaine nodded. "My sister should be able to fix up your leg." He pointed, bow still in hand.
"Thanks." Sam said, relieved.
Blaine froze suddenly and half-turned. He inched closer and closer to Sam and Quinn, not making a noise. He pressed a hand against their backs, lowering them all back to the ground. He gestured for them to curl up against a large bush and then stood again, backing away and vanishing around a tree.
"What was that about?" Quinn whispered to Sam. She hadn't heard anything, neither had he. None the less, they trusted the hunting instincts of this stranger, and neither moved. Minutes later, two more soldiers paused in front of the bush.
"Dead? You're sure?" One of the soldiers asked.
"Positive..." The other sighed. "An arrow to the throat."
"An arrow? These fugitives are townspeople, where would they have learned archery. Did he struggle?"
"It was a clean wound; the arrow hit the jugular dead on." The first soldier said. "I swear; when I find those kids, I'll kill them myself, screw the dragons."
Quinn gasped.
"Did you hear that?" The second soldier said. They both paused and Sam clamped a hand over Quinn's mouth. "Come out!"
"We know you're there!" The first said. Neither Quinn, nor Sam moved. "It must be those kids. I'll kill them myself." He began to approach the bush and Sam and Quinn tensed up, squeezing their eyes shut.
When they opened them again, a deer stood in front of them. It had wandered out from behind a nearby rock face.
"Wait." The second soldier said. "It was just a deer..."
"Damn..." The other turned away. "Alright, let's report back...We'll need more troops searching these woods if we're going to find them."
"Alright."
Sam and Quinn stared up at the deer as it ate foliage from the bush just above their heads. The soldiers' footsteps faded away to silence.
After a while, Blaine reappeared in front of them, patting the deer. He dug into his satchel and pulled out an apple. He held it out and the deer eagerly dug in.
"You did good! Thank you." Blaine told the animal before patting it on its rump and sending it on its way.
Quinn blinked as she stood.
"You talk to deer?"
"Who else do I have to talk to?" Blaine joked.
Together they helped Sam to his feet again.
"Come on, my home is just around the bend here." He led them forwards.
As he advanced, they examined him. He moved like a hunter, with the instincts of the hunted. It was interesting at the very least, and Sam couldn't help but wonder what had brought him into the woods in the first place.
Eventually, he crawled through a bush so dense that even he made noise as he passed through. Quinn and Sam looked at one another and nodded before crawling through after him.
On the other side was a small clearing, completely surrounded by dense foliage. In the middle, stood a large burrow, with an entrance that lay almost hidden amongst a clump of berry bushes.
"We used to share with a family of bears, but they moved out when we started building furniture." Blaine shrugged and stepped down into the small cave. "They found a nicer cave on the other side of the river."
"Blaine, who are you talking to?" A female voice sounded and Quinn and Sam paused at the top of a set of stairs carved into the earth.
"I...uh...I brought home some guests!" Blaine said nervously.
"What? Blaine! What were you thinking? We can't have guests here and you know exactly why! Not to mention, the cave is a mess and is hardly in appropriate shape for a gathering."
"One of them is hurt." Both voices lowered to intense whispers. "They're fugitives Rachel, I couldn't leave them out there in the woods. His leg would've given out if he had to run on that, it needs to be wrapped at the very least."
"Why couldn't you bring them into the town or something? Why did you have to reveal yourself at all?"
"The woods are crawling with soldiers; I can only assume there are even more in town. There was a soldier on them when I found them, his intentions were...less than good, I guess you could say."
The girl sighed.
"Alright. Fine. Come on down, welcome to the Anderson-Berry abode!" She yelled up.
Hesitantly, Sam and Quinn descended the steps and entered into a surprisingly charming little hovel. The walls had been carved out and there was a fire going in a small alcove that continued up and out into the night sky. There was some wooden furniture about that had clearly been hand-made. All in all, it looked like the pair had all of the essentials needed to survive, and absolutely nothing else.
"Hello." The girl said. Though she seemed stressed out, she smiled friendlily and nodded. It wasn't that she didn't want company, it was that she was unused to it, Quinn guessed. Though she supposed that the presence of two fugitives in one's home would make anybody upset.
"Hi, sorry for intruding." Sam said, waving politely.
"Oh it's okay, you're not intruding we've just...well we've never had company before." She said. "I'm Rachel Berry."
Rachel was a very pretty teenager around Sam's age, with sleek brown hair that fell past her shoulders. She was wearing tan riding pants, knee-length brown boots and a tapered dark red shirt with the sleeves pushed up. Unlike her brother, she had a belt strapped around her waist with a holster that held a small cooking knife. A spear leaned against one wall of the cave, and Sam could only assume that it too, was hers.
"Wait, Rachel Berry?" Sam asked. "And you're Blaine Anderson?" He continued. "But you're siblings. How does that work?"
They looked at one another, shrugging.
"We picked our last names." He said. Rachel nodded, smiling.
"Why?" Quinn asked, laughing.
"Why not?" He supplied ambiguously. Quinn opened her mouth to continue, but Rachel interrupted her.
"It's sort of a long story."
"Okay..." Quinn said, clearly still confused, but not wanting to push it. She was a guest, after all, and if this girl thought she was too nosy to keep in their home, than Quinn was screwed.
"So why are you fugitives?" Rachel asked, leaning against the wall. Quinn and Sam took the two seats at the table and Blaine leaned against the wall opposite the entrance.
"Well..." Quinn paused. "The soldiers came to our town...Ostvale...and they said that they were looking for a sacrifice. They picked me. Sam saved me, and we've been on the run ever since."
"Where is Ostvale?" Blaine asked.
"It's in the south-western region. We've been travelling for two weeks now; we just got to Violetedge this morning." Sam explained.
"We didn't even get to sleep in a real bed..." Quinn frowned.
"Well, unfortunately we won't really be able to help you there." Rachel laughed. "Sorry!"
"Oh that's okay!" Quinn shook her head. "I wasn't trying to, like; suggest you let us take yours or something."
"Well, we don't have beds either." Blaine laughed.
"We sleep on moss, but it is far more comfortable than you might imagine, you're free to sleep there if you want." Rachel offered. "You must be tired, being chased by the King's soldiers and all."
"You have no idea." Sam sighed, laying his head on the table and sprawling his arms out.
"You'd be surprised." Blaine laughed, looking at his sister.
"What do you mean?" Quinn asked.
"You're...not the first kids that the soldiers have tried to feed to the dragons." Blaine said.
"No, that would be us." Rachel sighed.
"Wait, what?" Sam looked up. Quinn caught his eye and they both turned to look at the 'savages' with blatant confusion.
"Oh good, story time." Blaine teased. Rachel laughed and looked at him.
"Well...once upon a time...ten years ago actually, Blaine and I were living rather comfortably..."
Story time! Story time! And Blaine and Rachel have entered! Who was it that saved Mercedes and what is her history with Coal? Will the soldiers discover the Anderson-Berry abode? The next chapter will focus entirely on Sam, Blaine, Rachel and Quinn, so enjoy! There may be some touches of my straight version of Blaine coming up, don't hate me for it! If I liked Kurt more or if Sam were gay, I would've kept Blaine gay. Unfortunately I've got some sick romantic plans for Sam already. I'm sorry! Review!