I Passed my life guarding test! I am now certified to save your life! However for now, here is the TENTH CHAPTER! WOOOO! I'm sorry for such a long wait, right after life guarding school work as picked up since we have EOC's and finals at the end of May. As an apology enjoy this extra-long chapter, ten pages on my word processer. I hope you all enjoy it :) please review it makes me happy.
Chapter Ten – Do you have a Floating Whale?
There he was again always there always watching me, but there was something different this time. His milky bloodshot eyes were now clear and blue, and the noose still hung from his hands, but he did not move any closer to me. He just stood and watched me, and I watched him. His gaze was accusing, but also pleading, like he was asking, begging, me to do something.
"What?" I yelled towards him, he did not flinch, his expression unwavering, "What do you want?" he blinked once, and pointed towards me. "Me? You want me?" he gave no indication whether I was right or wrong. "Why can't you just say something? Is it me that you want or not?"
I woke with a jolt this time I was not in my normal cot looking up at the wooden ceiling. I was hunched over, face pressed against thin rough cloth that smelled of sweat, herbs, and faintly of stables. Whatever the cloth covered was soft, but firm. Another thing I noticed was that everything was burning, it was like sitting inside of one of those saunas my mom would always trying to drag me to. Groaning I sat up a bit to find that the something I had been using as a pillow was actually a someone. Merlin was bent over at the waist his head resting on the edge of the cot, my face had been pressed into his back.
We had been up late watching over the little boy; keeping the fire going, and making sure the herbal teas went down. It appeared that at some point of time we had fallen asleep.
"Merlin!" Someone called pounding on the door, "Merlin! Get your lazy ass up!" Merlin jumped awake and ran to open the door. Arthur leaned against the door looking vaguely annoyed. "You see this Merlin?" he asked gesturing down his body.
"You're clothed?" Merlin asked tentatively.
"Yes Merlin, I'm clothed. And do you want to know how that happened?"
"I don't know; do I sire?" Merlin's lips started to spread in a grin.
"I dressed myself."
"I'm proud of you sire I knew you could do it." Merlin laughed as Arthur grabbed him by the ear muttering something about him being an idiot. I sighed and stretched my back and neck sore from being hunched over all night. Warm sunlight spilled through the window it was probably about midmorning. I reached my hand forward pressing the back against his head, he was still hot, but the fever had lowered drastically. Smiling slightly I stood moving stiffly over to the tea pot to brew some more. Gaius must have come in even later than we fell asleep and woken earlier. No wonder he sleeps so heavily I thought he would be half dead if he didn't, if being out all night is a regular occurrence.
"W-who are you?" I heard a soft but gravelly voice behind me. Turning I grinned, he was awake. The little boy blinked heavily as he looked about the room, "Where am I?"
"I'm Ally," I said kindly hurrying to sit next to him, "You're in Gaius's chambers, the court physician, you've been really sick."
"Am I better?" he asked sitting up, he still appeared to be weak his muscles trembled from the strain of lifting the small boy.
"You're getting there." I smiled, "Your fever's broken, and you're awake so that's a good sign."
"I'm hungry." He stated looking up at me.
"Here why don't you drink some of this, and I'll go try to find us some breakfast." I said pouring him the last of the last pot of tea.
"What is it?"
"Tea." I said standing up, "It's a bit cold, but there will be some fresh hot tea when I have your food. Looking at the brown liquid skeptically he took a sip only to spit it out.
"This is shit." He cried shoving the cup back at me.
"Does your mother let you speak like that?" I asked not taking the tea.
"I'm the man of the house I can do as I want." He said petulantly.
"Don't you have a father?"
"I wouldn't be the man of the house if I did." I tried to keep my emotions from my face; I had a feeling that he wouldn't appreciate my sympathy or pity.
"Well if you want to keep being man of your house you need to get better, so you're going to have to drink this alright?" he scowled at me but drank the tea. "Good," I smiled "Now stay here, and don't get up; you need your rest so you don't get sick again." He nodded begrudgingly as I left the room. Apparently I still need to learn where everything is, because it took me twenty minutes just to find the kitchens.
My ankle pulsed with a dull throb I was better, but long walks obviously weren't the best idea yet. The kitchen bustled with servants and cooks people carrying food out, dishes in, and cooking over hearths and fires. I looked at all the faces hoping to see someone I recognized, i.e. Merlin. He must've been off with Arthur somewhere. Sighing I found some bread and cheese, and left the kitchens to attempt to find the way back to Gaius's chambers.
"Well it took you long enough." The boy said from the cot enough arrogance in his voice to rival Prince Arthur. I didn't dignify it with a response, partially because I would just sound like an idiot, and placed the plate on the table. Sitting down I helped him prop himself up on the pillows and handed the plate to him, he stared at it for a minute not touching it.
"Is something wrong?" I asked.
"This is all?" he asked looking up and raising an eyebrow.
"Well there was some vegetable soup, but it had a lot of onions… I didn't think you would like it."
"At least you got something right." He said an edge in his voice as he picked up a chunk of bread and ripped it with his teeth. "This is the palace isn't it? Where's all the nice food?"
"The nice food is for the nobles, people like you and me don't get it."
"Why not?"
"Because, that's just the way things are here."
He didn't respond just ate his bread and cheese not looking particularly happy about it, but accepting it. Is that how everything works around here I thought, you accept it just because it is, does no one ask questions, try to change anything? Even a little boy has given up… I've given up. Suddenly I started feeling irritated; a slow burning itch that tingled in my spine, and made my stomach roil. It was worse than anger, because in a fit of rage you can scream and cry and throw things, but right now I just simmered I could feel it building but do nothing.
I itched all over with the anger that couldn't come out, at Clarisse for making her maidservant, making me stuck in a class without power without a voice without anything. I was nothing; I was a nobody, just like almost every other person in this country in this world, in this time. I hated that bandit, for letting me catch him, making me feel guilty. I just wanted to get away from everything to run, I wanted to be home. I wanted to be on the couch with a big bowl of ice cream watching some pointless sitcom with Banana.
I didn't notice that tears were forming in my eyes, making my distant stare glassy, until the salt began to sting. I snapped back to myself to find the boy staring at me that could have been concern though more likely was just curiosity. I always wanted to know why people were crying. I blinked rapidly, and turned my gaze downward. At that moment the door swung open, and Gaius walked in setting his medical bag down on the floor. Quickly standing up I walked out of the room muttering something about going for a walk as I tried to hide my slight limp.
I managed to find my way to the stables without too much trouble, and quickly found River. The big gray gelding nickered softly when he saw me; I wrapped my arms around his neck and he bent his head down muzzle touching the small of my back in a sort of horsie hug. Just standing there in the stable, with all the familiar scents of horses and manure, hay and leather; if I just kept my eyes shut, if I didn't look up I could be back at Willow Springs, my fluorescent orange rust bucket waiting for me outside to take me home. Where mom would be making dinner and Banana would run up to me making all sorts of strange noises in her excitement, and my obnoxious brother would be playing video games with the volume all the way up in his room.
I bridled River, still not sure that my ankle would like the bend and pressure of putting it in a stirrup, so I mounted bareback. I trotted out of the city, if there was one thing I could do to lower my stress, just forget that everything happened, it would be to jump. I cantered once I left the city keeping him at the nice rolling gait until I reached the large field where I had gone galloping. I reined him up to near the edge of the woods that bordered the meadow, and dismounted letting him drop his head to graze. I surveyed the edge of the woods, and started dragging long sticks and small logs. My ankle hurt especially each time a stick bumped against it, gritting my teeth I kept pulling rolling rocks as well. I made standard piling logs and rocks in a step like manner so I could adjust the height. Sweat poured down the back of my dress, I should have put on my riding clothes from home, but I hadn't been able to think about it.
I had built a course of fences, I just need to put up the long fallen branches, and thin logs to make the poles so I could actually jump, not just canter between standards. Coming to the last fence I lifted the log, but it was heavier than I expected my ankle gave me a shock of pain, and I dropped the log taking the left standard with it. Frustration, and irritation filled me and I sat down head in my hands. For the first time since everything had really set in, since that first night I cried really cried. I cried for my pug, and for my mom who would be holding me right now, even the sound of my brother yelling victoriously as he gunned down zombies. I would give anything for everything to be normal, to be back the way it was. When Clarisse would have visited me when I was injured, not go gallivanting off with her new noble friends. I cried because I was confused, because I was scared, because I still had no idea what was happening, or why. I cried because everything kept moving when I wanted it to stand still.
"Ally? Ally, are you okay?" A hand touched my shoulder tentatively. I didn't want to look up, because my face was red, and puffy, and I was pretty sure there was snot smeared across my left cheek. "Ally are you hurt? Did you do something to your ankle?" he asked again, the voice I was pretty sure was Merlin's. I shook my head no, "Then what is it?"
"Ally, sweetie what's wrong?" this was Clarisse, and I fought back a fresh wave of tears. She was one of the reasons that I was curled up on the ground sobbing. My only answer was a few choked gasps and hiccups. I could still feel them watching me, Merlin's hand wrapped around my shoulder. Taking a deep breath, and wiping the snot from my face I rose a bit.
"I'm fine… it's nothing." I avoided their gazes as I rose unsteadily, the blood rushing from my head started to blacken out my vision. I stumbled, and they both reached forward catching me.
"Are you sure? You know you can tell me." Clarisse said moving to be directly in my eye sight.
"It really is nothing; it's just been a lot… you know the war and all." I said referring to our cover story, though I hoped she would infer our sudden time travel. Which wouldn't be a complete lie, I just couldn't tell her about that other part. I couldn't let her know how upset I was because of her. They both seemed to accept it. I glanced up to find Arthur on his handsome bay stallion, and Morgana on a pretty light gray mare, both watching me. I blushed and studied a blade of grass on the ground; I was comfortable with Clarisse despite everything that had been happening, and to some degree felt safe around Merlin. However the high and mighty noble's made me nervous. There was an incredibly awkward silence for a minute, the kind where everyone stands there awkwardly trying to figure out what to say. Merlin ended up being the first one to do so.
"You built this? Yourself?"
"Yeah." I said quietly, my voice gravely from crying.
"You shouldn't have, you could have damaged your ankle again."
"I was tired of being in that room, it was hot… and the boy was annoying." I added quietly on the end.
"So obviously if you're hot, you go and build a bunch of fences?" he asked a bit of a playful smirk on his face. I scowled at him.
"I wanted to jump." I muttered.
"Jump? If you can even jump something that high you'd break your ankle again for sure."
"Not on foot, on my horse. I just have to fix this." I stuttered slightly, knowing Arthur stood behind me made me more nervous. Stooping down I started building the stair case shaped standard again, they weren't super high, the largest ones standing at about three feet. Still each one had taken me a good twenty to thirty minutes; it had been mid-morning when I had left the castle, and now looked to be a bit past noon.
"Here let me help you." Merlin said his hands moving nimbly to restack the logs and stones, his movements were almost unnaturally quick. Though I guess you had to have fast fingers to be the servant to a prince, all that armor tying, and what not. Glancing a bit to the right I could see Clarisse smile, at the two of us.
"Merlin." Arthur called impatience clear in his drawling complaint, "I haven't had lunch, and I'm going to need someone to bring it to me." Merlin stood quickly, glancing between me and Arthur.
"Oh let him stay Arthur, we shouldn't leave poor Ally alone out here. We can all dine together, Gwyn will serve us." The Lady Morgana said in a clear voice, that unlike my mental image of her was actually quite kind.
"Fine," Arthur grumbled wheeling his horse, "and Ally there is a banquet tomorrow you seem well enough to serve your lady at it." He said before cantering off Morgana following, Clarisse squeezed my arm and swung up on Byrd following the noble's. I should have expected it, but still it hurt. Sighing I turned around, the standard… was finished.
"How, on earth, did you finish that?" I asked astounded, it had been still mostly collapsed a moment before.
"I stacked things, I don't know about you Ally, but I don't find it that hard." He said cheekily.
"No, that was impossible, how did you even do that, magic?" I laughed; he seemed to stiffen a bit.
"Now that would be absurd, if I had magic why on earth would I be in Camelot, I would have fled this place a long time ago." He laughed quickly picking up the log and setting it across the standards, and then striding over to grab my horse for me. "So what exactly are you doing?" he asked as he handed me the reins and helped me swing up onto River's back.
"Why don't you watch and see?" I laughed urging River into a trot, and then a canter. Even if I was shy, when it came to horses, I'll admit it, I was a show off. Grinning as I moved seamlessly with my big gray gelding I warmed up cantering circles around the makeshift course I had built. Merlin stood at the center turning in circles to watch me ride around and around. After several laps, I cued River to turn in slightly towards a low line, only two feet tall and about six strides apart. I stretched up into two-point as he leaped over, without stirrups I didn't rise up off of his back as much as I could have, but it was enough. Grinning I pulled him back just a bit to fit his stride into the line better before jumping the second fence.
I took him over the line a few more times before pulling up next to Merlin. I smiled at him widely, "That is what I'm doing."
"That was great." He smiled back and I couldn't help but feel rather large amounts of pride.
Despite my urge to say, 'it was, wasn't it.' I replied, "Thanks, but it wasn't much." Looking up I found a course through all of the fences that I wanted to take, and picked up the canter again. It was nice to be jumping again, something I hadn't done since the day I had found myself here. River and I moved easily over each fence, my legs, seat, and hands asking him to turn or to perform a flying lead change through the corners. What I loved about River was that he loved jumping just as much as I did. He got impatient and twitchy in dressage, he disliked the amount of mouth contact, and my own stiffness when he did it didn't help. We both preferred the jumper ring, or even better cross country. Coming off of the last fence I brought River back down to a trot then walk.
"That was amazing; we don't do anything like that around here." Merlin said patting River's shoulder. My horse seemed to appreciate the compliment as much as I did, because he leaned down and nosed Merlin's chest.
"Horse jumping is a sport where I come from; actually we do a lot of sports with our horses. They aren't just transportation."
"Well you come from a fair strange place then don't you?" he laughed, "women have power, and horses are athletes not just a way to get around and fight. What else do you have there talking animals?"
"haha no that would be weird even for America."
"Really you sure, no floating whales?" he grinned
"No, but we do have flying fish." I said laughing.
"Flying fish? Really?"
I nodded, "Well not exactly, they can only go a few feet out of the water, and then go back in." Those are in America right? I asked myself Ah well he obviously doesn't know what they are, or where America is, so he can't prove me wrong. We joked around and laughed, and I took River over the courses a few more times before we rode back to the castle. He had to leave to attend to Arthur right after we arrived; I was left to care for River, which I didn't mind. I sat in his stall for a good hour rubbing him down with straw to dry the sweat and combing out his mane with my fingers. I didn't exactly have access to my nice brushes back home anymore, though perhaps I could try to make some soon.
When I left the stable and found my way back to Gaius's chambers it was nearly time for dinner. Pausing before opening the door I noticed a not so pleasant smell, mostly sweat. Sniffing, I found the source of the odor to be me, I guess that's what I get for trying to build stuff, I sighed to myself. I was going to have to make a bath, and figure out how on earth to clean clothes without a proper washing machine. The boy was sleeping, and Gaius wasn't to be seen; quietly I slipped past the boy, who I now realized I did not even know the name of. Moving to dresser I grabbed my clean dress, and changed into it behind the dressing screen in case the boy woke or Gaius suddenly returned.
In clean clothing I decided to read some more, I didn't exactly have anything better to do. Even as I tried to focus on the neatly written words and detailed pictures, my mind wandered. Tomorrow I would have to begin serving Clarisse, my best friend was now my boss. I didn't even know what I was supposed to do, though she would do what she could herself, we didn't come from a class that had servants waiting on you hand and foot. I supposed I should ask Merlin what I would have to do, at least that way I would know enough to keep it from looking suspicious. I hated my new position, but it was better than being burned at the stake, because for some reason it would obviously be related back to Magic which seemed to be the cause of everything here.
I wonder if they've got any magic to cure nightmares? I thought, and suddenly I was reminded of my dream the night before. His ice blue eyes staring me down, if only I knew what he wanted. Don't be silly Ally, I scolded, they're dreams they don't actually mean anything. Sighing I tried to turn back to the book, when the door burst open. Merlin ran in scanning the room frantically.
"Have you seen Gaius?"
"Not since this morning… why?"
"Nothing, I'll see you later tonight." He slammed the door shut again, and the sounded of his feet slapping stone faded away. Turning, I saw the little boy stirring. Great, he's woken him up. I wasn't sure which prospect was worse, being alone with my increasingly conflicted and angsty thoughts, or being alone with this child. Blinking a few times the little boy propped himself up on his elbows a bit.
"How are you doing?" I asked sitting down next to him.
"Fine I guess, the blankets are kind of scratchy, I would have expected something higher quality of the palace."
"I'm sorry, but I can't control who sleeps in what, this isn't even my place, I'm just living here because I broke my ankle so don't complain to me." I said annoyance blatant in my voice.
"My mama doesn't like it when people talk like that, says it ain't polite."
"Then how come you talk like that? Doesn't you're mama ever scold you for it."
"I can do what I want, because I'm the man of the house." He said defiantly.
"Men are respectful to everyone. I bet your Pa was a good decent man, don't you want to be like him?"
"No!" he suddenly cried out, taking me aback, "My Pa wasn't decent, and that's what got him killed. That's what everybody says, if he weren't a thief then he would still be alive today." He stared me down with an ice blue glare, but tears were forming at their corners and his bottom lip quivered.
"You know you're Pa loved you, I bet he was only trying to make sure you and you're family were safe and fed."
"I'd rather have been hungry, every once in a while. If he hadn't done in got 'imself killed, if he'd been getting a honest living then King wouldn't have done gone and executed him. Now we ain't got nothing, it's only been four days now, and I'm stuck here. I don't even know how much food we got, I don't know if I can feed my baby sister." Tears were running down his cheeks, and his voice was cracking. My heart stopped, four days. He had said four days since his father had been executed, and the little boys eyes, they were so like his. The bandit, I had killed this little boy's father. I tried to breathe; I had not only killed the man, but torn apart his family too. I had never even thought of that, that he might have a family a wife and children that he was just trying to support.
"What was his named?" I asked in an exhale of breath.
"What?" the boy sniffed.
"Your father's name, what was it?"
"James; same as mine." I just managed a nod, and then stood up a bit weakly. I fiddled about with the tea pot until hot water boiled, and soon steeped. I brought the boy his tea which he took, though he grimaced as it went down. It was too bad that we didn't have any real medicine.
"You should get some sleep it's getting late." I said taking the drained cup.
"What about dinner?" he asked his voice still a bit thick.
"Oh… right, I'll go get us some right away." I left the room which was pleasantly warm with its fire, and brazier, in comparison the stone corridor was freezing. I hugged my arms tightly against my body, and walked as quickly as possible towards the kitchen. Most of the torches that lined the walls had gone out, and the guards must have been in another part of the castle. The empty hall felt ghostly, haunted even, and I couldn't quite shake the feeling that I was being watched. I tried to scold myself for being silly there was no such thing as ghosts or monsters, you just traveled over a thousand years back in time and met a flying pig, you really shouldn't be discounting that. I started an awkward half run half walk; glancing back I could have sworn I saw something, a piece of a shadow disconnecting its self from its place next to a pillar and begin moving forward.
So focused on the shadow, I didn't bother to look in front of me. A scream escaped my throat as I hit something. I looked up panicked, and more than ready to start running, to find Merlin's face.
"Are you all right?" he asked gripping my shoulders urgently.
"Y-yeah, I-I'm fine, the dark is just making me see stuff."
"What sort of stuff?" he asked.
"I don't know it was nothing."
"You sure? It didn't have anything to do with shadows? Moving ones."
"Yeah… why?" I asked, a large pit dropping in my stomach.
"Just thought it might be important to the situation." He said his gaze fixed on a point behind me. Slowly I turned, and reaaly wished I hadn't. On the walls, and the floors, and through the air, shadows danced and turned, swooping this way and that. They were moving forward too quickly for comfort. Merlin's hand grasped mine, and we took off running as fast as my skirts would allow. Every time I glanced back at the shadows they were closer, unwavering in their speed. Sprinting past a hallway I heard someone call out to us and slowed, looking back. A guard strode from out of the hall looking in our direction, completely oblivious to the shadows that raced towards him. I opened my mouth to shout a warning, but it was too late. They were upon him stopping their forward motion, and roiling about him swirling through the air in so many circles; a near perfect ball of moving writhing darkness. That wasn't the worst part though it was him, his scream, strangled out impossibly long, catching and breaking as if they dived into his throat stealing his breath from within until the broken wail finally ceased.
Then they were coming again, sightless shadowy gazes trained on us. I couldn't see what was left of the guard, and was glad I couldn't. We started running again; through all the adrenaline I hadn't noticed the strain on my ankle. However the ankle itself did, and gave out. I tumbled forward, my hand yanked from Merlin's, and I threw it out to catch me before I hit the floor. A grimace twisted my face as my hands made contact with the hard cold stone, jarring the bones. I scrambled to my feet only to be brought back to my knees. Panic setting in I looked back, the shadows were getting closer only ten, nine feet away. I tried to stand again to no avail. Swallowing hard, I turned to face the shadows, trying to move back in an awkward crab walk, but now it moved faster than me by far. Five feet, four, the twisting shadows towered up over me, a soft hissing noise that seemed to be almost like excitement emanated from them. Two feet, one, I closed my eyes.
Through my lids color burst forward flickering orange, fire. Merlin held a torch, and stood in front of me waving wildly at the shadows who retreated backwards down the hall. As they disappeared moonlight spilled across the stones, and eventually spilled across a dark lump that could only be the body of the guard. Merlin crouched next to me holding the torch of to the left.
"Are you all right?" he asked, I nodded.
"Can you walk?"
"I think." I said slowly standing, only to stumble a bit.
"Here." He said lifting my arm around his shoulders, and wrapping his own around my waist. We set off at an awkward shuffle down the hall away from where the shadows had receded.
"Where are we going?" I asked as we took a right turn into another darkened hallway.
"Morgana's chambers I think Gaius is there."
"What was that thing?" the whole there's no such thing as monsters that had been repeated to me over and over in my childhood was in danger of shattering. A thousand voices in my head screamed at me, they were real, they weren't, there was a logical explanation, everything was going to hell. We hurried down the halls, looking over our shoulders for the shadows. Eventually we burst into Morgana's chamber, Merlin slamming the door behind us.