Stay

A/n: Hey everyone sorry if this chapter is shorter than usual but my exams only finish on Tuesday. I thought it was today, so I'm still very busy. I hope you like this chapter though I rushed through it a little. It might seem weird, I don't know. Please tell me what you think. Thank you for all your support for this story, I'm so touched by all your faves and follows and reviews.

Sorry if you cry a lot in this story, it's just how I feel now everyday and the only way I can let it out is through here.

Chapter 17

I woke up the next morning feeling like I'd been knocked around in a hard wooden box all night. My limbs were sore and I didn't bother getting out of bed until Peggotty came bustling in with breakfast on a wooden tray 'Feeling a bit tender, dear? It's normal, you've had a long journey. Your father's went to see the factory. You can stay in bed today, unless you want to help unpack things.' She set the tray onto my lap and fluffed my pillows again while I stuffed my mouth with corn bread and milk. 'I'll get out in a couple hours, Peggotty. Then we can unpack together.' She nodded her greying head and trotted out the door, closing it behind her.

I dined on eggs and gulped down the rest of the fresh milk before setting the tray on the side table. Throwing myself back onto the pillows (wincing slightly in pain after) I let out a sigh of strange contentment. Here I was in a new town, which I knew nothing about except it was named Burgess and had many, many houses and a river. Yet for the first time since I moved to somewhere new, I felt at peace with everyone and everything here. It was like I had a good feeling about this place.

And there was the boy.

I slapped myself on the forehead. Why did my brain have to bring him up when all I wanted to do was forget about him? Last night's images floated to my mind, his brown hair, the battered cloak, the little girl prancing along beside him…it took a while for me to notice that I had been staring at the ceiling with my mouth open. Frowning so hard my eyebrows risked staying like that forever, I threw back the covers and swung my legs over the bed, not caring a bit about the pain which shot through them. I made my bed carelessly, changed into a green everyday dress then took my tray and stomped out of the room.

Peggotty raised her eyebrows when I walked into the kitchen. 'I thought you said you wouldn't be up in a couple of hours?' she said while taking my tray. I walked to the basin and splashed freezing water onto my face. 'Changed my mind. Which box today?' I asked. She smiled wryly and led me out of the room to where the unpacked boxes were kept. We spent the next few hours emptying them and putting little ornaments and paintings in their places around the house. Cloths and sewing kits were stashed in Peggotty's room while preserved meats and other food were whisked into the kitchen's many cabinets and stores.

It was about three in the afternoon when Peggotty called it a day and said we'd continue the remaining boxes tomorrow. I flexed my sore arms, looking out the window as a light snow started to fall. 'Would you like to go to the market, dear? We could do with a little sightseeing.' I nodded and went to pull on a light blue long dress. Wrapping my fur coat around me and pulling on leather hide boots, I followed Peggotty out the door and set off with her down the lane.

We made a couple turns along the way, passing by many cottages and children playing before a grand sight met my eyes. The town square lay before us, huge and filled with villagers and traders. I could glimpse the shining river between two shophouses as we descended into the crowd. People were bustling about, some stopping to chat with each other while others bargained loudly with stall holders on food and animals. The noises from horses and cows and chickens all added to the din. A few people who saw us walking by stopped to whisper something in their neighbour's ear. I tried to smile politely as I passed by, pretending not to notice their pressing stares. Peggotty stopped to look at some smoked ham, and I caught sight of a flash out the corner of my eye. It was the setting sun glinting on the river, and it looked so inviting I found myself drifting away from Peggotty's side towards it. I wormed through the crowd, trying to discover somewhere that I could get a better look. A cool winter breeze ruffled my hair, some of it slipping out of its braid. I got out of the market and walked past little shops, keeping an eye on the silver waters in the distance, walking further away from where we'd come. Finally, I came across a little path which seemed to lead to where I could admire the river with more ease.

I jogged along it, my boots splashing in the melted slush on the muddy ground. The path led to a large sloping hill. The grass was dry and crunched under my feet as I ascended the hill. Birds twittered about above me and the hustle and bustle of the village square was far and distant. After ten minutes tedious work, I reached the top and the river lay far below. It looked magnificent, with the red and orange sun shining its last rays of the day onto its clear waters. The vast blue expanse was exhilarating. Countless little boats and ships bobbed about on the port, and tiny people were loading and unloading goods and baskets from wagons drawn by toy-like horses and cows. Larger ships and junks were parked further away and people were rowing in boats towards here. This must be a riverboat terminal, I thought to myself. Multicoloured flags on masts waved proudly in the breeze, while the sun continued to set into the faraway mountains. I stepped forward and, feeling nothing, lost my footing.

The scream formed on my lips when someone grabbed my left arm and pulled me away from the edge. My breathing was fast and shallow as I watched a few pebbles I dislodged fall into the river below.

'You'll want to be more careful here,' a voice spoke beside me. I turned to look at my saviour and found myself face to face with the boy who passed my window yesterday. He had on a light-blue knitted shirt this time, the same old cloak draped around him. His long pants were battered and he had on peeling boots made from a hide I couldn't recognize. Two bright brown eyes were looking at me. He was smiling, or rather smirking.

I suddenly felt defensive despite my still rapidly thumping heart. Drawing myself to my fullest height (my eyes were level with his chin), I made myself look right back at him. 'Thank you for your advice. I shall remember that in the future.' Making to move around him so my blush would fade, I was blocked by a shepherd's staff he held in his other hand. 'Hey, not so fast.' He stood back in front of me, still holding out the staff. 'I just saved your life, and you thank me for my advice?' His eyebrow raised, and a small smile showed two rows of pearly white teeth. I pursed my lips and pushed my hair out of my face. 'Thank you, then, for saving the damsel in not so much distress,' I said. He let out a laugh and shook his head. 'You could have died there. That river's not so much the beautiful thing you think it is.' His smile faded for just a fraction of a second before he was grinning again. I stood there, a little paralysed. Then a question formed in my mind. 'How did you know I was here? I didn't see anyone when I climbed up.' The boy looked a little surprised, and I swear I saw a little pink cross his cheeks before he replied. 'Well, I live around here, and I was on this part of the hill when I saw you leaning too close to the edge. So naturally, due to my chivalry and excellent running speed, I rushed here just in time to save the pretty maiden from her otherwise fearful fate.'

It was my turn to laugh. He really knew how to talk. 'So what does the maiden owe this good knight?' I asked. The boy ran his free hand through a head of messy brown hair, making it even more mussed up than it was before. 'She owes me…her name,' he smirked as he held out a large hand. 'By the way, I'm Jackson Frost, but you can call me Jack,' he said, smirking further. I raised an eyebrow, gazed at the hand for a moment before reaching mine out to shake his. 'Okay, Jack. I'm (f/n).' I felt his warm palm on mine and immediately thought of warm fires and fresh hot apple pies. 'I've never heard of that name before,' he said as we shook hands. 'Yeah, people've been telling me that. I think it sounds kind of weird.' Jack pulled away his hand and looked at me, amused apparently. 'I think it sounds special,' he grinned before turning to look at the sun. The golden rays reflecting on his slightly tanned face brought out his handsome features. My face felt steadily warmer, more because of a handsome shepherd boy who just complimented my name than the evening sun on my skin.

'Night's coming,' he murmured before looking back at me. 'I could walk you home, I-'

He stopped short. A very awkward moment passed before I said, 'You know where I live…right?' I knew we were both thinking of last night. Jack pursed his lips. 'My sister and I saw your wagon. It's been the talk of the town that the landlord of the place where the Mill was built would be coming here to live. So we saw you coming and followed you to where you'd be staying.' I was bewildered. 'The Mill?' I asked. Jack looked wary. 'It's what we call that cloth factory. Is the owner your father?' he asked, his brow frowning in a sort of scowl, attractive nonetheless. 'I guess. We moved here because he wanted to supervise his largest factory yet.' I said, a little proudly. Jack was staring at me ludicrously, his grip on the staff slack. After a while, he shook his head and sighed. 'Well, it's getting dark. Where'd you come from just now?' he asked. I sensed that he didn't like something that I said just now, but I shook it off.

'I…left Peggotty in the market. She's my maid.' I suddenly realized how stupid I had been to run off by myself in a town I barely knew. Jack looked bemused. 'That's quite a distance. How'd you get yourself here?' he asked. I smiled, abashed, and told him I'd just followed the glinting river up here. He leaned against his staff and looked mildly amused again. I was getting impatient. 'Well, do you know how to get me out of here, then?' I demanded. Jack shifted his weight back onto his feet. 'You seem to know the way back, then, do you? Well I won't be keeping you any longer.' He swung his staff over his shoulder. 'Goodbye, (f/n). Hope you get home safely,' he smiled before turning back and walking away down the hill. I watched him leave, already regretting being so bitchy and having not the faintest idea how to get back from here. His back was almost out of sight down the hill when I ran after him. 'Jack, wait!' I called. He stopped abruptly then turned around, an overly done concerned look on his face. 'Miss Map does know the way, I suppose?' he smirked again. I clenched my fist to keep from slapping him. The sun had gone and the sky was darkening rapidly.

'I'm sorry, okay? I can't remember which way I took and I need you to help me.' I looked at him pleadingly. Jack raised his eyebrow and cocked his head to one side before grinning. 'Okay then! Apology accepted. We'd better get going now.' He started walking down opposite the general direction I came. Puzzled, I caught up to him. 'Uh Jack, I think it should be the other way?' I pointed behind me. He didn't answer, just kept on walking until a little shed came into view. The light was so dim I only saw the door when I was a metre from it. Jack leaned his staff against it, took out a key from somewhere around him and turned the lock. A tiny space came into view, filled with spades and buckets and an old lamp on a top shelf. Jack took it down, extracted a match from the box beside it and lighted the candle inside. Then he grabbed a thick old scarf off a hook on the wall. He closed the shed door and locked it. Turning to me, he handed me the scarf. 'Wear it. It'll get really cold.' I took it and felt the soft comfortable fabric. 'But what about you?' I asked. He took up his staff. 'Don't mind me. Hurry up or we'll be in real trouble.'

I wondered what he meant by that as I stepped along behind him, winding the scarf around my neck. It was really cosy. As we crossed over the dead field, the sky grew steadily darker. Finally I recognized in the distance the end of the little path I had took to get here. But before we had got ten feet from it, Jack stopped and looked at me. '(f/n), I have to tell you something. There are a couple men who block the middle of this path at night time, and they're not very kind. But we have to pass them to get you back. I would take you through the shortcut in the woods, but there are dangerous creatures in there. I know these guys, so just keep beside me and look sharp. But don't make eye contact with them. You understand?' I nodded as I stared at him. His face was tense as his hands reached up to adjust my scarf. 'I'll have to cover you up; don't want them to know you.' I felt tingles in my body when his cold fingers brushed against my face. He pulled up the scarf so that it covered everything except my eyes. 'That should do it. Follow me, and don't look at them.' He offered me his arm that was holding the staff and I took it. Together we marched onto the pathway.

Once we walked ten steps in, I was acutely aware of the silence around us. It was that deafening quiet where you could shout all you wanted and no one would be able to hear you. Or help you. The dried mud slopes on both sides seemed to be looming down upon us. I was very frightened. Glancing up at Jack, I noticed his jaw was set and his eyes looked straight ahead. I couldn't help thinking how his jawline was brought out perfectly in the dim lamp light as it swung gently before us while we walked silently. After about five minutes, we saw a fire ahead, and a few moments later three men appeared before us. I glanced at them before looking onto the path ahead. One was burly and bushy, another was tall and gangly and the last was small and looked the most cunning. I could sense all three pairs of eyes on me. Keeping my eyes straight ahead, I heard a wheezy voice speak, probably the tall one, 'Aye, its little Jackie, mates. Care for a cuppa, boy?' Someone laughed a loud guffaw. 'Who's this pretty girl, Frosty? I'd like to borrow her sometime if you don't mind,' the booming voice spoke. 'Quiet, Mulciber. You've got this month's share of food already.' I felt Jack's arm tense and I trudged along a little faster. Suddenly someone blocked my path. I caught a glimpse of straggly black hair before it all went wrong.

Too late. My eyes met with the pale orbs of the small wiry man in front of me. I couldn't keep my eyes off him even though I wanted to, it was like he was looking into my soul and sucking out my happiness. A commotion was happening behind me and my hand had slipped off Jack's arm. I was stepping further off the path into a cave-like hole dug out in the slope beside the path, the man leading me in while keeping his eyes on me. Suddenly someone wrenched my arm and pulled me out of the hole. I yelled and felt like my eyes had just opened from sleep, like I was emerging from a dream. Jack dragged me away from the gaping hole as two skinny legs ran out. 'Close your eyes,' Jack ordered me, and I did. I heard two thuds and a larger thump like a body hitting the ground. Crouching down, I kept my hands over my eyes until someone placed a hand on my shoulder. 'Get up,' Jack whispered, and I stood up, still keeping my eyes closed. Jack took my hands and pulled them away from my face. 'You can open them, it's alright now.' I opened my eyes to see the burly man and the tall guy lying slumped on the ground, while the creepy small one was facedown on the floor, his head bleeding profusely. Their fire was dying down. I looked up into Jack's terrified face as he stared down at me.

'We have to get you out of here. Now.' He took my hand while holding the lamp and his staff in the other before literally dragging me along behind him. I ran with him and we were out of the path in less than a minute. As we came out into the open I could see the square in the distance, lights twinkling in upstairs bedrooms. I hoped bizarrely for Peggotty to come rushing up to me, but everything was silent. There were a few people walking in the square, but other than that no sign of life was visible. I was starting to panic as I couldn't really remember where my house was, and it was so dark except for the light Jack held in his trembling hand. But he seemed to know. Still gripping my hand, Jack led me towards the square then onto a straight road leading off from it. We were walking at a more comfortable pace now. I pulled the scarf down. Jack glanced down at me then chuckled. 'We're safe here, (f/n). Don't look so frightened.' I looked up at his brown eyes and a wave of warmth washed through me. A small smile formed on my stiff face. 'I didn't think that could happen here,' I whispered. Jack's face grew stern. 'It's not always like that. Those men are one of the very few troublemakers here. Travellers would vanish in that place if they didn't know how to get through properly. The small man knows a type of hypnotising magic that lures people into that cave of theirs. Then they rob them or do really…disgusting things. Then the victim would appear a few days later not knowing what happened to them. My family's safe from their attacking us only because we know their secret. Well, only I do, at least.' He pursed his lips. 'We pacify them by giving them the food we grow so they don't harm us. But I think it's high time I told someone about them. This can't keep happening, now that I've seen it in person.' Jack glanced regretfully at me. We turned a corner.

'Why didn't you do it earlier, then? Not that I'm blaming you for—' I stopped short, too horrified to go on. Jack's eyebrows knitted together in the lamplight. 'People may think I'm crazy. I told my mother about it once, and she was so terrified she convinced herself they were only bandits who liked the path as a home and that we should start giving them food. I also told the milkman, but then he spread the story and almost the whole town kept calling me…' he stopped then scowled at the lamp. I raised an eyebrow. 'Called you what?' Jack looked into my eyes. 'Don't tell anyone. I got called Jumpy Jack for almost a whole two months.' A small giggle escaped me and I covered my mouth. 'I'm sorry,' I muttered. Jack surprisingly smiled. 'Nah, I should get over it.' We made another turn and I could see lights in the windows of a huge house which must be mine. Before we reached the gate, I had a brainwave. 'Jack,' I said, turning to him. 'I could tell Dad! He knows the big people here; maybe he could convince them to capture the men.' We reached the gate and I stopped, looking at Jack. He hesitated, and I could see doubt written on his face. I tried again. 'Come on, Peggotty must tell him sometime, and he would want to know who brought me home.' I squeezed Jack's and with both of mine. 'Please? Then you wouldn't have to give away your food, and Burgess could be a safer place.' Jack bit his lip, his brows frowning as he considered. Finally he sighed. 'All right, fine. But put more emphasis on the bad guys and don't bother too much about me.' He pulled me to the door and stopped just short of the first stone step. 'It was nice meeting you today, (f/n). I'm sorry about what happened.' He looked serious. 'Oh Jack, but it wasn't your fault! Wait here, I'll get Peggotty and introduce her to you.' I let go of Jack's hand and bounded up the steps. I knocked on the door firmly. Turning to Jack, I saw him shake his head when the door opened and Peggotty's arms crushed me. 'Sweet berries and milk, (f/n) dear! I'm so sorry, I met an old friend and got carried away—'

'No Peggotty it's alright! There's someone I'd like you to meet.' I turned to where Jack was standing before I realized there was no one there. My heart sank. I suddenly missed him, and I worried about how he would get home safe. Peggotty muttered something like, 'Get inside dear, then tell me about it,' before pulling me into the house. I looked out into the dark street and prayed earnestly that Jack would be safe. Peggotty sat me down and fed me warm milk and sandwiches since I hadn't had dinner. She told me Daddy was out late then tugged at something on my neck and asked what that was. I reached up to feel Jack's scarf still hanging on my neck. 'You wanted to tell me something, dear?' she said. I shook my head slowly and gulped down the rest of the milk. 'Not now,' I muttered before getting up to go to my room. Wishing Peggotty good night, I slumped up the stairs and lazily changed out of my dress into warm pyjamas. After washing my face, I took the old scarf and buried myself into the bed covers, tying the long fabric around my neck and breathing in the smell of Jack. I liked him a lot, and he was so good to me and I didn't say thank you. I didn't even know when I would see him again. The scarf was warm and soft against my blushing skin, and I clung onto it as the first teardrop slid down my cheek.