DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Oho, I do own this COMPUTER, though. XD Wait, I don't? DARN IT. DX
BETA: STILL ME AND MY SILLY SELF, and Word.
Your thoughts and correction would be greatly appreciated, even in a PM, lovely lads and ladies!
Light the Weary Way
Chapter Three
Perun, Perun – Bolt Fast!
Chire stood quietly, a few steps away from Rebecca's door, letting Daniel release and cleanse his spirit in the privacy of company his own age. She had known, just as with Rebecca's medicine not working properly, that Daniel had a lot of weight on him. What Chire had not known, was how much was put on Daniel on a daily basis.
He had opened up so quickly to Willow. Chire had known he would – Willow was as special as his mother, Lady Sarah.
Chire had thought it would take more than an hour, though, for Daniel to get so close. Maybe a day, perhaps, being the way he was. Then again, Daniel was a very lonely little boy. He had never been allowed outside, it was clear to Chire – children were not reclusive all by themselves. Being impressionable, someone put an idea in Daniel's head - what, Chire did not know. The only person Daniel spent the majority of his time with was the governess, as he held his lessons in the children's study. Hinkin was another, with Daniel wandering in the garden and fond of it, but the elder man would never put something he did not think was right in Daniel's head – he came from a long line of servitude to the Baker Manor and its Lord and Lady - his loyalty and care to the family was as strong as his love for the earth he tended.
She decided that she would keep this close to her heart, this token of knowledge. Once Rebecca was well, then, Chire could see what she could do to pull the reins she never reared for.
Daniel would not suffer anymore, Willow would see to that first.
Chire would see to the rest.
She opened the door, when the sobs turned to hiccups and finally, to soft words.
The two boys looked up, two pairs of reddened eyes, and Chire could see Rebecca between them, and she gasped.
"Rebecca!" Chire rushed to her daughter's side, and carefully kneeled down, studying her in wonder. She caressed Rebecca's green hair and Rebecca looked back, silent.
"She opened her eyes, and stared at Dan, she did," Willow sniffled, wiping his nose twice on his sleeve.
Chire nodded, too busy staring into her daughter's eyes. It had been a long, long time, it felt, since Rebecca had opened her eyes to observe with their myrtle green shade.
"It's been… since she's been only a year and two months, since she last opened her eyes." Chire ran another hand down Rebecca's hair, to cradle her face.
Chire felt Daniel's quiet stare, "I'm sorry, Mother Chire."
"For what, Danny?" Chire asked, forcing herself away from her daughter.
Daniel looked torn, "I didn't tell you… that Becky – Rebecca – was, she had looked before."
There was an odd moment in Chire's heart, where she felt everything slow, like molasses, before it ran like a fast current, "I see." Chire smiled at Daniel, "I'm glad. At least, now I know that her spirit is forever strong." Daniel was soothed, and he turned to Willow with eyes that crinkled wetly around their corners.
"See, Wil? Becky is a strong girl."
"I didn't say I didn't believe ya'!" Willow replied, before ducking into himself, "I don't mean to yell…" He popped his head back up to grin at Daniel, pointing at the chamomile, "Your flowers sure helped. I bet it was them fairies. Or pixies, but they like bush flowers."
Daniel's brow creased, "Fairies and pixies don't exist." Daniel paused for a bit, watching Willow's crushed face. "… But, I suppose they might – if magic exists, they must, too."
Willow's eyes regained their sparkle, then, "Yup, I know they do." Daniel smiled back.
Chire had to watch, amazed, again, how taken Daniel was to Wil. She returned her attention to Rebecca, and was not as disappointed as she thought she would be, to find Rebecca asleep. Smiling, she smoothed Rebecca's furrowed brow with a soft brush of her fingers.
"Willow, Danny," Chire addressed, quietly. She resisted a chuckle when they simultaneously turned to look at her with inquiring expressions – Willow's more barefaced and forthwith, while Daniel's subtler, affecting a light, polite air. "Would you two like to take some tea with me?" Wil's expression went bright like the sun, but Daniel's turned perturbed.
"Sure, I'd love that! Dan told me lots about it."
"… Mother Chire, adults don't usually take tea with the children."
"Did Governess Frenne tell you that, Danny?" Chire asked, watching Daniel's face intently.
"The Governess is weird." Willow put in.
"… Yes." Daniel answered, after a moment's pause. "But, she said that, I think, because I read in the passage that they did, but I never had that. I asked her, and she said that."
Chire nodded her head, slowly. She could see why Governess Frenne would say such things – it would possibly make Daniel not feel so strongly out of depth with himself and his connection to his family, but she had her answer now. Governess Frenne had, maybe incidentally, placed a notion in Daniel's head that it was unsafe for him to venture outside the manor and its compound. Chire remembered Daniel's comment of Willow being dirty and carrying germs to give Rebecca, and wondered if the notion was from that line of thought.
While it was true that others outside and not near water were dirty more often than not, Lady Sarah's characteristic cleanliness had always been apparent in Willow's upbringing. The little boy was always clean, from what she remembered.
Chire smiled, looking at Willow's dirt-streaked face and clumped strands of hair filled with mud and bush-spurs, to his clothes that were all filled with rich plant soil. He smelled more of pine and spruce than sweat and manure.
"Perhaps you'd like to get cleaned up, Willow?"
Willow pouted and firmly said, "Wil…" He shrugged and scratched his nose, "Well, okay! Where's your water holes?"
Daniel looked scandalized, "We don't have water holes, but water basins or baths." His gaze skirted up Willow and down, and he gaped, grabbed Willow's hand and dragged him out, "You're all dirty!"
"Yeah," Willow responded, frank, "I was bein' a squirrel. Squirrels go in trees and run on the ground, and eat nuts…" Willow, Chire saw, shrugged, before the door closed. "Squirrels aren't humans, they don't care about mud getting' in their fur. If anythin'," he added, voice muffled through the wood, "they like it, 'cause it makes them warmer."
"You're really strange, Wil." Daniel commented, not sounding particularly baffled or phased.
"Yeah, I get told that a lot."
Chire chuckled, finally. Sighing contentedly, she resumed stroking Rebecca's hair. "Those boys will grow up quite nicely together. And when you get strong, little moon, you will have two wonderful playmates, too."
She sat at the bedside chair, the rattling inhales and hoarse exhales of Rebecca, keeping her company, even as they clawed at her heart.
~*~
There were a lot of things a man, like Yaoss, could do without, but had to take every now and again.
One, was pain. Yaoss had it delivered to him back in the old days a lot, and he had to say: he was no longer as acquainted to it as he had been. His memory served him well, however.
Two, was feeling the wrath of the significant people or person in his life. Yaoss, having run with a rough, rowdy crowd had never encountered the second, until Sarah. It was, unfortunately, one he was forever feeling the motions of, at least today.
Sarah, in all her fiery glory, had stormed over, blue fire in her eyes. She most likely would have smacked him a few times, if not for his body being reared into by Perun's strong hoofs.
Through the ringing in his ears, he caught Welton's chuckles, but Yaoss carefully ignored it.
He would be sure to direct Wil over in Welton's area – maybe say that he saw a fairy or two – Wil would be sure to look high and low, irritating Welton's wife. Welton's ears would be ringing, too, then.
For all her high hollering, Welton's wife had never shouted at Wil. Something Yaoss was personally grateful for.
It just meant he never had to trouble himself over making a woman cry because she made his boy do the same. Not that he would frighten her to tears over his fists – Yaoss had made a point in life to never lift a wrong hand to women – but he did not deny that his demeanor gave most the shivers.
Sarah never had been the type to do that – which explained why Yaoss was her bonded. The woman could look a troll in the eye and taunt, "Go on, club me," without batting an eye.
"-can't believe you were so stupid! Stealing a horse? What are you, out of your mind?"
Yaoss winced and rubbed a sore ear, Sarah also had a mean pinch – a wicked right hook, too.
"- quit rubbing that ear! Deserved it, you - !"
A few feet away, Perun looked unruffled, and mighty pleased with himself.
" –and just what will Willow think – a trader of fine equines for a father – a thief, thief is what you are! - and a pirate for a – nevermind that, it's you! You, you, you!"
"Listen to what she says, Yaoss," Welton said, chuckling. He puffed out of that pipe he always carried with his person, eyes madly twinkling. "You might just learn somewhat."
"Get yer wife to scream at ya' some more, Welton."
"What was that?!" Welton's wife screamed inside the house an acre away.
"Yaoss!" Sarah screamed.
Welton took his pipe from his mouth, "Meryl, just rest those swelled feet some – quit eavesdroppin' with your nosy self." When Meryl began to curse up a storm, Welton threw a grin Yaoss's way, "There, got me some screamin', Yaoss. Now," he pointed to a still-fuming Sarah, "you listen to her some, and learn."
Sarah huffed and shortly nodded, "That's exactly right. Yaoss, you don't do something when you promised that you wouldn't do it anymore."
"But I didn't, darlin'." Yaoss insisted, again – as he had sworn up and down, until his tongue felt dry and swollen.
"Well, that horse didn't just walk right on out by itself now did it?" She glared seven fiery suns at him, and Yaoss grinned, sweat beading at his brow.
"Perun actually did –"
"You named it? Named it! Oh, for – Elibe's sake, Yaoss – you name something and you get attached. Rule number one of things you don't do!"
"Rather nice touch, Yaoss, that."
Yaoss sucked one cheek in, biting it, "Welton, shut yer trap. Don't need it, right now."
Sarah turned to snarl at Welton, "Welton, go to Meryl and rub her feet or something!" Yaoss wiped his brow quickly, before she turned back to glare at him.
"That man would sooner drink cow's piss than do that, Sarah, and I ain't a liar," Meryl called out to them.
"Yaoss! Welton!" Sarah snapped, looking torn between who she would scream at, before she threw her hands in the air with an emphatic, "Ugh! Do I have to do everything myself? Welton!" She pointed at said man, "Go to your wife and love her up!"
"Thank you, Father Sky."
"Yaoss!" She pointed at him, and faltered, "… Go home and watch the stew!"
Welton burst out laughing, already trudging back to his house, and Yaoss groaned, "Darlin', I'd burn the house down."
"We'll just have to rebuild it then, won't we?" Sarah warned over her shoulder, stomping away.
"Serre, what are you doin'?"
"Fixing your mess! Get over here, you!"
Perun, for whatever reason in his head, trotted after her.
Yaoss stared, watching them move out of sight in the trees, "Well, I'll be. If she wouldn't have made a fine bandit."
"I don't see you moving, Yaoss." Sarah called, distantly, from within the growth.
"Better get those left-feet moving." Welton suggested, laughing.
Yaoss whirled around and was about to snap at him, when Meryl beat him to it, "Welton, shut up."
"Babe, I'm rubbin', not much else to do when I'm doin' this."
"Then, you ain't rubbin' them right, are ya? Otherwise that mouth of yours would be shut and those hands moving."
Yaoss, feeling awkward, left quickly. He hoped the outcome of the house was not being ruined by fire. Sarah had not been joking.
~*~
Sarah ducked under low branches and slapped others away from her, traveling to the Thornber residence. She was no longer as mad at Yaoss as she had been. Taking her anger out on the limbs of trees helped that – pretending each one was one of Yaoss's big arms and that she was smacking them silly.
The horse, Perun – Sarah thought it was ridiculous name, who named an animal after an old sage turned deity of all things? – made the occasional noisy snort but was minding himself just fine. He followed her the entire way to the Thornber stables. More frequently, he nickered, clopping behind her.
When they reached it, Sarah saw an immediate shift between the people and the horses. The groomsman and his fellow stable hands gaped with horrified eyes, and the horses became unruly.
Maybe terrified would better fit the horses – all were fit to be roped and placed in their stalls, eyes rolling in their sockets, breathing heavily. All went up and reared, some lightly, others completely, giving loud screams. Two, beautiful chestnut breeds even bolted away, causing the groomsman to cry out and order two hands to chase after them.
Sarah slowly turned her head to look at Perun.
She was not too surprised to see him looking distinctly satisfied, head bobbing, nickering again.
Sarah clucked her tongue, raising an eyebrow, "You are quite the treat." Perun snorted, tossing his head to the left.
"Ah… Miss?" Sarah turned back. The groomsman eyed Perun, and swallowed, edging closer to her.
"Yes?" Sarah responded.
"I don't mean to sound… ungrateful… but…"
"… But?" Sarah prodded. She had an idea what he wanted to say, and she masked a grin.
"Um… why did you bring the beast back?"
Sarah saw her opening, "This is Thornber's horse, right?" The groomsman nodded, "Right, well. Here he is."
"We don't want him." He said, immediately, "He made the other horses feel inferior, see. He bruised up the males and frightened the females – though, they gave him a few chases away. They didn't want to mate – no fillies were born, at all, in the past two years. He unnerved them that much!"
"You sure your Lord does not think different?" Sarah pressed, and the groomsman looked unsure and tense.
"I…" He paused and murmured, bowing. "… I will return, momentarily." He rushed into the estate, and Sarah waited, Perun chomping away at some grass, content and eyeing all the commotion he was causing.
She waited so long - she was able to watch the two stable hands come back with the two chestnuts. It was amusing to see the chestnut pair nearly bolt again, upon seeing Perun, looking proud with himself, but the two men were experienced, and tiredly pulled them into the stables.
Hearing the double door back entrance slam, she glanced in its direction.
Thornber came out with the groomsman trailing behind. Thornber looked sour, "Yes? I was busy." He took one look at Perun and flushed a prune colour, "My horse!"
"My bonded, found him. Loose and unrestrained." Sarah explained, calmly, "Also, he was pretty bruised up from it. Gave him quite the hoof marks."
Thornber sniffed, "I care nothing for a peasant's wounds – his worth is nothing to Lightning's. Do you know what he is?"
"No," Sarah said, indifferently, "He could be a stunted pegasus for all I care. This horse injured my bonded."
"Stunted? Pegasus? Oh, you have no thought to specifics, do you? That is a specialized horse! He's the finest, most successful –"
Lady Thornber's voice suddenly interrupted from second story, "Lord Thornber – I believe you had gracefully relinquished any and all rights to the beast." Sarah looked up, and noticed that Lady Thornber was talking through a fan, covering most of her face, from what Sarah could see.
It made Sarah's foul mood, which had been going away, to bubble back to life.
Arranged marriages between nobility were hard – especially because one could not break it, once it was finished.
Sarah held her tongue, "Lord Thornber – I think I want the horse."
"Pardon, peasant? You want what you won't be having? Hah! This horse is mine, I paid a good sum for him. He's on my property again, as you can clearly see – unless common tripe are truly blind – and is therefore mine, again."
"So…" Sarah wondered, slowly, watching Perun, "… If he's on your property, he's yours?"
"Hmph. I said that, yes."
"… And if he's not, he's not?"
"An infant can understand this concept, but yes, that is how it is." Thornber did not look to be listening, content to insult her, which suited Sarah just fine.
Sarah nodded, "Oh, alright. Just wanted to make sure." She turned to Perun, and walked to his end, "Alright, Perun – be seeing you!" Sarah raised her hand farewell, no longer trying to hide a grin, as her back was turned.
Thornber snorted, "Blast the thought – you won't be stepping one foot onto this property. Even the dim-witted midget boy."
Without remorse, especially because of the comment about her son, Sarah brought her palm down sharply on Perun's rear. The effect was immediate.
Startled, Perun bolted, back into the woodlands.
Sarah turned back around, blanking her expression, when Thornber began raging.
"Wha! My horse! Woman, you stupid trollop, what did you do?!" Thornber attempted to make Sarah cower, towering over her, but she remained with her feet firmly planted, and shrugged.
"I was just returning the favour, even if only a little, for my husband's injuries. How was I to know he would run off like that?"
Still at the window, Lady Thornber began cawing in laughter.
Her fan was gone now, she was laughing so hard. Although her face was bruised and swollen, her eyes were vindicated.
Sarah tipped her head to her, Thornber's rants coming and going through her ears.
Lady Thornber slammed the windowpane shut in response.
Sarah decided that it was a good thing that Lady Thornber was such a harpy. If she had to deal with this man every day and still retain her spirit through it all, Sarah thought Lady Thornber should be proud of herself.
A.N.: Aaand, yeah. Here's the chapter. I totally did not mean for it to be late, like this. In the beginning, after I was done, well, the things I was done outside of writing – I was reading it through, and wasn't too pleased. SO I KINDA SCRAPPED IT. I hope this one was to all of your liking – and Lupi Loop, hope you like it! Even if it was posted at 1:39am… IT'S TECHNICALLY (if you totally ignore that today is Friday, XD) THURSDAY, cause I haven't been to bed, yet.
Edited: 06/05/2009. I changed the only 'Frenna' into 'Frenne'. It's very clear that I didn't know what to end her name with, XD. Sorry! It's been fixed!