(-a/n- What can I say apart from "sorry" for the late update? Exams and a swimming teacher's training course have meant that I haven't had a free moment yet in January. Anyway thanks for the overwhelming numbers of reviews, last chapter broke another record!
This chapter is dedicated to my wonderful best friend Jess, and my little baby hamster Remmy who passed away on Wednesday night. For those of you who don't know me, I get very upset when pets die and I loved my little hammy to pieces, so thanks to Jess for putting up with my miserable-ness on Thursday and for generally cheering me up :D )
Erythamountainelementsemerald ladypinnapleonpizzaLady Knight KeladryilovekelSOPROL.yashamewepobbpPepper LemonUncertian DestinyObSeSsEd WiTh ROXASLady Mageelfie-mayprincessofcrown101Lil' Miss All datHeyKPie of DoomehCovered CloudsOn top of cloud 9Evil Bunny of Deathstardust718Magickless Sorceressseekerchick06Forget Me Not BlueBlackWidow12TheBrassPotatoSkyline RomanceDom-Basher CHAMPION, Hunchbook, EclipsaYabberliK.D. Rai, writers wanted, littletrickstergirlHasamakiSarahE7191CheeseycrazinessTransfiguration, clurr, inhuman gracekgwoozlestoictimerfairydust000VenuspixieSaoirseWaveglowSandrilene LaterneLady SapphireaCedeSeriliabookworm.ammSunkissed GuacamoleDrunken Little Monkey, Lisy111, JaBoyYaFaia SakuraMint Tea RoseKrae Z. RokkeNotAfraidToLivex17SkmBdrchiczxxDie Grosse Heldin von Lyoko, catloverkid, MinathiatheknightofkonahasoupcanuntamedspiralInkblotTheDarking, futrdirector, Jaden Scorpio, Orohippus, lady kight jacky cullenDragon HuntressSabbyRinaBanina, Bertie Botts, Me, jesi ki kageMystic Moon Empress, Google it!, mirannda, killing u with umbrellasseven3eightCelticGoddess09The Sherberty Lemon, alexlilyros, DaughterofDeathoirishgoddessLove.Always.Alice.and.Jasper, ErynfaerbrezzybrezNew lord of darkness, TheDarknessAroundme, Grace of Masbolle, Nicola, Irish Ninja ChickfiercedragonLady Zarobiti, Gem, Night-Playeryoudontwant2noFeed The FoxesMarsOutcast, mylovelyminion, elf warrior princess, Nari-Lomiel, truffletruffle01berndiZashera, hail flying spaghetti monster, Incendia Lupus, yaoi kitsune, gems, milky way bar, wAstxd1sYmPhOny, tomboy, Abikinz, forbidden stars, MoonGoddessBookworm & Maggie.
13.shimer.13 Yes!! I love Twilight; I got it for Christmas and finished reading it the same day! Then on Boxing day I ran out and bought New Moon and Eclipse, which I finished on Boxing day! Hehe!
Dee Thanks for the lovely long review!
Right or Ryn Okay! That review was huge! Totally, wonderfully, huge:D
Aly My friend bought me a time turner on Wednesday as a joke! Lol. It's one of the collectible Harry Potter ones! Hehe
Wowee! That took a looong time to write all of your names down! But thanks to each and every one of you who are decent enough to leave me reviews :D
My inspiration for this chaper is 'Fields of Gold' by Eva Cassidy. I'm sure you've all heard it, but if not listen to it on youtube :P
You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Among the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in fields of gold
So she took her love for to gaze awhile
Among the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down
Among the fields of gold
Will you stay with me will you be my love
Among the fields of barley
And you can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in fields of gold
I never made promises lightly
And there have been some that I've broken
But I swear in the days still left
We will walk in fields of gold
We'll walk in fields of gold
I never made promises lightly
And there have been some that I've broken
But I swear in the days still left
We will walk in fields of gold
We'll walk in fields of gold
Many years have passed since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
As you lie in fields of gold
You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Among the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in fields of gold
Confusedknight xxx
The next day three more people had fallen ill and another person had died, this time a young child. Kel tried to encourage others to share their food with the sick slaves, but few paid her much attention. Kel herself, despite her rumbling stomach, collected her own breakfast ration and fed it's entirety to a sick mother in the bed opposite her own.
Hungry and worried about how far the sickness was going to spread, Kel followed Idan out into the fields. Today they were lead to some new fields where knee-high thorny bushes grew in rows. Their daily work had been changed from watering the fields to picking the small juicy berries grew upon the prickly bushes.
'No eating the fruit,' instructed one of the guardsmen as he handed out small baskets. 'These berries stain, so we'll be able to tell who's been eating them. Anyone caught damaging or eating berries will be beaten until they can no longer walk.'
Resigned, Kel started to pick the small dark purple fruits from the bush. Within seconds she had snared her hand on a thorn, creating a shallow cut in her tanned skin. Biting back a curse, she wiped her hand on her shirt and began to pick again.
By the time that they stopped for their brief lunch break, Kel had come to a conclusion that it was impossible to avoid the bushes' spiny claws. Her hands were covered in small scratches that stung and her fingers were stained purple with berry-juice.
'Having fun?' asked Idan with his grin firmly in place despite his hands being just as scratched as Kel's.
'Well it beats hauling water,' said Kel with a shrug, gulping at her drink.
Idan nodded in agreement. 'Although working with water kept you cooler,' he pointed out, wiping a juice-stained hand across his forehead to soak up the sweat that had beaded there.
Kel however, wasn't listening. She was watching one of the men that regularly worked in their group throwing up his meagre lunch into the hedge.
'Are you alright?' Kel called as she walked over to help him.
'My head is spinning,' he groaned, as he knelt on all fours.
'Maybe it's the heat?' suggested Idan from behind Kel.
'Try and drink some more water,' coaxed Kel. But it was no good; no sooner had the man drunk, he was retching and heaving once again.
'How long have you felt like this?' asked Idan.
'Since last night,' admitted the man.
The guards signalled that their lunch break was over and Idan pulled the man to his feet. All three of them set off with their baskets to pick the fruit.
Perspiration rolled down Kel's dirty face in a desperate attempt to cool her down. The intensity of the sun's rays was overpowering and the scene around Kel shimmered in a heat haze. Screwing up her eyes against the blinding light Kel continued to do battle with the prickly bushes, sustaining yet more injuries until her hands bled freely.
Kel sunk so deep into her thoughts that when the guards finally called the end of the working day, Kel did not hear. It was only after Idan's bleeding hand took her own, that she staggered to her feet and made her way back to the stream behind the barracks.
Kel stumbled into the cool water and lay back, fully clothed, her eyes closed. She felt Idan do the same and reached out for his hand underwater. The coolness numbed everything and they lay for a while, absorbing the calm of the stream.
Idan reached for Kel and pulled her close to him, holding her tight as though he never wanted to let her go.
'What's the matter?' murmured Kel.
'Nothing,' Idan said, and he turned Kel's face towards his own so that he could place a kiss upon her sunburnt lips.
They broke apart and Idan helped Kel up the bank. After eating their evening meal quickly and silently, they headed back inside the barracks, still damp from the stream.
When they entered the long room, an overwhelming smell of vomit and human faeces hit Kel. It was unusually quiet, the silence punctuated only by the moans and groans of the sick.
On one of the beds that Kel walked past a woman was tossing and turning fretfully in sleep, her face plastered with sweat, whilst in the bed next to her a man lay shivering visibly, clutching the blanket around him.
Kel stared around, fully and horribly aware that this wasn't an evil that she could fight. If only Neal were here or someone with a slight healing talent, or at least someone who could advise people on how to fight the sickness. But there was no one, and Kel lay down for a nap, feeling utterly helpless.
Despite her turbulent thoughts Kel drifted off to sleep and when she next woke up it was to the soft, diminished sound of the slave's singing. Kel joined in, and the music echoed with the desperation and anxiety that had overcome many of the slaves. They sang because it was the only thing they had left, the only thing that hadn't been stripped away from them. As they sang, the music seemed to quieten some of the delirious slaves who had been shaking and crying out for hours.
Soon after the last song finished, Kel buried her face into the straw mattress and willed herself into the oblivion of deep sleep.
The next morning dawned and a sombre mood hung over the barracks. Slaves helped the guards to remove the bodies of those who had died during the night, whilst others looked on, expressions grim.
Kel looked around for Idan, wondering when he had disappeared. She helped herself to breakfast, still wondering where he had gone; it wasn't like him to leave her side unless she asked to be left alone.
Just as she was heading out onto the fields, Idan appeared at her elbow, looking strangely pale.
'Are you okay?' Kel asked worriedly.
'Yeah, fine,' Idan said grimly. 'More people were found dead in the other barracks too. It seems to have spread.'
Kel rubbed at her slave collar absentmindedly, her fingers soothing her chaffed skin as she looked around. The work force was visibly reduced, but the guards didn't seem to care as they worked the remaining labourers harder than ever.
The sun beat down mercilessly and Kel worked until her head swam and her vision blurred. At lunchtime she was too busy gulping water and resting her head on her knees to notice Idan vomiting his meal into the bushes.
Kel's torn fingers continued to work automatically, and she barely noticed the scratching claws of the berry bushes anymore. She turned her face into the sun, screwing her eyes up further than she thought was possible and squinted further up the row to where Idan was working.
Her heart missed a beat. Idan was on his hands and knees retching onto the earthy ground. Fear washed over her in an icy wave. If something happened to Idan…she didn't know if she'd be able to struggle through the long days at the plantation without him.
Kel abandoned her basket and rushed to his side.
'I'm fine,' croaked Idan.
Kel said nothing, and lifted his face up to hers. His skin was pale, sweaty and clammy. Iron bands squeezed at her chest; it was the same pallor that she had seen upon all of the sick in the first stages of their illness.
'Come on, you need to get into the shade,' Kel muttered.
She flung one of his arms around her shoulder and supported him as they struggled up the row of bushes.
Someone grabbed her arm and Kel turned.
'You ain't going anywhere,' the guard said nastily, brandishing his whip. 'He can make 'is way back on 'is own, but you can still work. We've got this field to finish.'
Anger flooded through Kel's veins, but Idan lay a calming hand upon her arm.
'I can go by myself,' he croaked.
If it wasn't for the fact that Kel needed to work to get them both food for the evening, she would've attempted to disobey the guard, but she gave in and fell back to her work; determined to finish as quickly as possible.
Even with Kel working twice as hard it still took the group of slaves longer than normal to finish, purely due to their reduced numbers. When she did, Kel flew up the slope towards the barracks, her bare and dirty feet pounding on the hard earth.
She searched down by the river, but Idan was nowhere to be found, so she hurried back to the barracks and discovered him sprawled face down, his hands over his head on their bed.
'How're you feeling?' asked Kel, feeling inadequate and awkward.
'Like the whole world is spinning madly,' groaned Idan.
'How long have you been feeling like this?'
'Since last night,' admitted Idan, 'but I didn't want to worry you.'
'You idiot,' said Kel. 'You should've spent today resting.'
Idan didn't reply. 'Is there anything I can get you?' asked Kel.
'Water,' he croaked.
Kel scurried off to fetch some water. When supper time came she gave Idan all of her meal, only for him to promptly throw it up. When they went to bed several hours later, Kel held on to Idan's feverish body, as though if she held on tight enough she would never lose him.
The next few days were torture for Kel as Idan steadily worsened in the way that many slaves had before him. Kel was one of only a few slaves that were still out working. She only did so to feed Idan. Many slaves who might've recovered from the illness died because they had no one to bring them food when they couldn't work.
By the end of the third day, Kel had a massive headache, which she accredited to having stayed in the sun for too long. However when the vomiting started a day later, Kel knew that she too had fallen prey to the sickness.
One morning the pounding on Kel's head increased to such an intensity that she could no longer work. Laying down on the bed in defeat she prayed that Idan would survive without her bringing him regularly food.
Kel's condition deteriorated rapidly. Her throat ached with thirst but her stomach couldn't hold any water down. Her lips became cracked and blood trickled into her mouth leaving a metallic taste behind. Her stomach swelled, and Kel's whole body began to ache just as badly has her head did.
Kel tried to get up to fetch some water but the ground swam and swirled beneath her feet and she managed to stagger back into bed, giving in to the darkness, allowing it to swallow her whole.
Alex rode into the main house at the Forkskang Plantation in Gentlund. He tingled with excitement at seeing Kel again for the first time in just under four months, but also with nerves. This Clan was about to fall to Maggur. Perhaps the takeover was only days away, Alex didn't know, but he wanted to collect Kel and get as far away from the Clan as possible.
'Excuse me,' he said politely to an official looking man. 'I'm looking to track a slave. Where are the records for the plantation?'
The man pointed to a small, brick red building on the right-hand side of the courtyard. Alex nodded his thanks and dismounted, tethering Prince to a post.
'I'm making enquiries about a female slave, purchases about four months ago.' Alex explained as he approached the desk inside the building.
'Number?' asked the clerk curtly.
'L-zero-two-five-eight.'
'Hmm,' murmured the clerk, flicking through a large log book. 'Yes we own that particular slave.'
'I wish to purchase the slave,' Alex stated simply.
The clerk ogled at him; evidently it was strange for a man to wish to purchase a specific slave.
'Very well then,' replied the portly man, 'fifteen silver nobles.'
'Eight,' Alex shot back. He would've paid fifty nobles to get Kel back, but he didn't want to appear too strange.'
'Twelve,' the man replied.
'Ten.'
'Eleven.'
'Deal,' said Alex impatiently, knowing full well that it was twice what Kel would've been bought for originally.
The clerk handed Alex a bill of sale. 'Show that to the guards on duty and they'll release the binding magic the slave's collar. You'll find the slave on the fourth sector.'
Alex nodded his head in a bow, and strode out, swinging himself back atop Prince.
'You there,' he hailed a small, dishevelled boy. 'Which way to the fourth sector?'
The boy pointed, startled at being addressed by the handsome man on the horse.
'Thanks,' Alex galloped off, leaving the boy even more surprised at being thanked.
Alex followed the beaten earth track in the direction that the boy had pointed. Prince's hooves thundered down, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake.
Eventually they came to a farm where a sign that read 'Sector Four' in dark, black letters was hammered into the ground. Alex walked up to the office and presented his bill of sale.
The guard examined it carefully. 'If you can find her, then bring her here and we'll remove the collar.'
'Where is she?'
The guard shrugged his muscular shoulders. 'How should I know? They're free to roam all over this sector.'
'Then where shall I look?' asked Alex angrily.
'There are seven lots of barracks; most of the slaves will be back from the fields by now.'
'I'll search them all then,' said Alex resolutely.
The man shrugged. 'Don't be surprised if you don't find who you came looking for.'
'What do you mean?' asked Alex sharply.
'There's been a sickness among the slaves…'
Alex didn't wait to hear anymore.
He searched the first barracks, calling out Kel's name and asking anyone who'd listen for a girl of her description. All around him he saw people dying and others still struggling to survive, and he hoped against hope that any moment Kel might appear, smiling, pleased to see him, but she never did.
He searched the second, the third and the fourth barracks to no avail. He'd seen a hundred different slaves of all ages, sizes and colours. People had reached out to him, begging him to help them. Alex hadn't thought that he was particularly well dressed, but compared to the people living in the same rags day after day, he looked like a King, well-groomed and healthy.
When he braved the stench of the fifth barracks, he noticed the number of empty beds and realised with horror that not long ago people had occupied the spaces. A woman clutched fruitlessly at the lifeless body of a young boy, refusing to let him go, screaming her grief. Alex turned away, unable to bear the spectacle any longer.
About halfway up the room, Alex glanced to his left and saw a girl hanging onto a young man with messy black hair. He almost turned away but then realised with a thrill of horror that it was Kel's face beneath the tan and dirt. She was mumbling incoherently and as he tried to pry her away from the boy she cried out and scrabbled madly.
'Kel it's me,' Alex soothed as he picked her up, finding it all too easy. He could feel her ribcage beneath the filthy shirt that was covered in blood, mud and vomit.
'Oh Kel,' he whispered horrified. 'What happened to you?'
He checked the body of the man whom she had been curled up against and sighed. He turned away and hurried out into the sunlight, Kel tucked safely in his arms. Alex hauled them both up onto Prince and returned to the head office.
He set Kel down upon the guard's desk. 'The mage,' he growled.
The guard wrinkled his nose in distaste, but called for the mage nonetheless. 'She won't make it you know,' he said looking at Kel who was muttering to herself, her eyes bloodshot and wild. 'Them that go delirious don't live.'
'This one will,' replied Alex steadily, unable to comprehend the alternative.
The mage removed magic from the slave collar and Alex was out of the door with Kel in a flash, before the guard could say anything else.
He rode with Kel lolling in front of him, like he had never ridden before. Prince rose to the challenge and together they flew across the countryside to the main town of Gentlund and the rooms that he owned.
The healer came as quickly as she could and tried to burn the sickness out of Kel.
'I've done the best that I can,' she said, ashen-faced and trembling at such a lengthy expenditure of her Gift. 'The rest will be up to the Goddess. The next few days will be crucial; if she survives the next forty-eight hours then she'll make a full recovery.'
When the healer left, Alex removed the slave collar along with the rest of Kel's soiled clothes and bathed her, removing vomit, faeces, blood and mud. Then he tucked Kel into bed and attempted to dribble some water through her lips. Most of it spilled down her chin and onto her front but she did manage to swallow some.
For the rest of the evening Kel tossed fretfully, speaking rapidly in a jumble of Yamani, Scanran and Common. She cried repeatedly, calling out for a 'Neal' and 'Lucie'.
'I won't,' she shouted out in common, 'I won't give up.' And then she would scream, curling up into a small ball. Alex tried to comfort her, but Kel was trapped deep in her mind and no amount of soothing would calm her.
As Kel cried out for the world to hear, Alex realised that he was getting a deep and private glimpse into Kel's inner emotions.
'I'm so scared,' she whimpered in Scanran, before switching to Yamani gibberish that Alex didn't understand.
He stayed with her all night, until Kel's ramblings subsided. In the morning he prepared a mixture of water, salt and sugar, which the healer had left and trickled it down Kel's throat.
He also rubbed soothing balm upon Kel's chaffed neck and dry lips. Physically Kel was a mess. Stick thin, with only a little muscle to cover her bones, some of her hair had fallen out and her eyes were red-rimmed and constantly teary. Her nose ran and her lips bled. Her hands had been damaged; layers of thick callous torn in little half-healed gashes.
Alex patched her up the best he could but it made his blood boil to think that Kel had been treated in this way. Even worse in a way was the fact that Kel could've gotten a message to him, but as always she was determined to complete her task, putting the good of others before herself. If she died he would never forgive himself.
Two days later when the hallucinations resided to deep sleep, Alex decided it was time to move on from Gentlund. He had to decide what to do with Kel; she needed time to rest and return to full fitness, but on the other hand he couldn't stay with her all of that time; he had things that needing doing, pressing issues that needed attending to.
One idea that struck him was a family that he knew in Dundine. Yes, he thought, that would be perfect.
So he collected Kel's sword and other possessions from under the floorboards of the small room and rode off into the sunrise, Kel still slumped in front of him in the saddle.
'Jacqui?' he called out tentatively. It was late evening and he didn't want to wake the family if he could help it.
The door to the small house opened and a thin, short woman was revealed. She had eyes of the lightest grey and hair as blonde as fresh corn.
'Alexei!' she exclaimed. 'What a pleasant surprise!'
As Alex stepped into the light of the small flag-stone hallway, Jacqui caught sight of the bundle in his arms.
'What in the name of Mithros?'
'I need to ask you a favour…' And so Alex narrated a slightly edited version of who Kel was and how she came to be in this condition.
'Well of course she can stay here,' said Jacqui without hesistation.
'When she's feeling stronger she would be some help for you and your children,' said Alex gently.
'Yes well,' the woman shifted uncomfortably. 'Until then she is a guest in our household.'
The woman set up a small pallet in the corner of the sitting room and helped Alex tuck Kel in.
'She's going to need a lot of support to-'
'Yes Alex,' interrupted the shorter woman. 'I know how to care for children.'
Alex was about to reply that Kel was hardly a child, but he realised once again to his shock that Kel should still be enjoying her childhood, something that had been cruelly ripped away from her. Something of his thoughts must've shown in his face because Jacqui laid a comforting hand on his arm.
'Life's not fair sometimes, and I think that you understand that more than most Alex. We'll just give her the time and space to come to this on her own terms, just like you did.'
Alex turned his face away. 'I'll be back in a few days to check on her progress before I leave for the North.'
'Alex-'
'Thank you once again,' said Alex overriding the woman and leaving the small cosy house without another word.
Jacqui sighed and turned back to her new charge.
'Shhh! You'll wake her,' hissed the voice of a young child.
'Be quiet yourself,' whispered another.
Kel opened her eyes and blinked.
'Ma!! She's awake,' called one voice very loudly from just next to Kel.
Kel winced and experimentally tried moving a limb. It hurt, which convinced her that this wasn't just another dream. Gently she propped herself up, as her vision returned slowly to her. Three pairs of blue eyes stared down at her apprehensively, their young faces surrounded by blonde curls.
A stringy woman with kind grey eyes appeared at the doorway and suddenly everything flooded back to Kel in one over-powering rush. The plantation, the slaves, the sickness, Idan… She gasped and the three children leapt backwards in shock.
And suddenly the woman was there, supporting her and rubbing Kel's back in comforting circles while she gasped and shook.
'Where am I?' croaked Kel.
'Alex bought you here; Redroc, a small village to the east of Dundine. He should be back sometime later today. You've been asleep for a long time.'
Kel tried to absorb the information. She had been rescued from the Plantation and taken to a completely different clan. Her immediate thought was Idan. What had happened to him? She had been going to ask for Alex to free Idan too…
Whilst she stewed over these thoughts, the woman pushed her gently back down onto the bed. 'You rest for a while lass,' she told Kel.
Kel consented to remain in bed for the whole morning, but by lunchtime she was restless and pulled herself to her feet, using a nearby chair for support. Gradually she straightened up and took some wobbly steps, like a baby learning to walk for the first time. Kel managed to make her way over to the kitchen table, where she collapsed on a chair.
Kel's hand went to her neck and found it incredibly strange to not feel the rough collar of iron and leather bound there. She glanced down at her hands and saw that the cuts and scratches that she had sustained from the thorn bushes had faded into small pink scars.
She slowly stretched out her legs, getting herself used to the feelings of conscious movement. Determinedly Kel stood up and stumbled her way around the table again, before sitting down.
The woman entered the kitchen carrying an armful of sheets. She didn't look surprised to see Kel awake and sitting at the table.
'Let's find you something to eat,' she said, placing the sheets on the table. 'Then you can go and get dressed before Alex arrives.'
Kel accepted some of the hot soup that the woman offered her and sipped gently, relishing the taste of something that wasn't stew or stale bread.
The woman sat down at the table opposite Kel.
'I don't want to be rude-' said Kel carefully, 'But who are you?'
'Jacqui,' replied the woman kindly. 'Alex has requested that you stay with us until you've returned to your full strength. The three young ones that you saw earlier are my three children; Isra, Hal and Meah, the littlest one. I also have a husband around here somewhere,' joked Jacqui, 'but he'll return later after he's finished his work with the goats.'
When Kel had eaten all of the soup that she could manage, Jacqui led her into a privy which was down the corridor from the sitting room.
'Here's some clothes,' Jacqui handed her an armful of garments. 'I'm afraid they may be a little big for you, but Alex has promised to bring you some clothes later on.' Jacqui shut the door, leaving Kel to get changed.
Kel pulled off the nightshirt and dressed herself in a baggy shift and dress. She then stepped in front of an ancient-looking mirror. For a moment she stared, open-mouthed at the stranger who was looking back at her.
Kel hadn't looked upon her reflection for a long time, and if it hadn't been for the familiar hazel eyes staring back at her, she wouldn't have recognised herself. Her skin was tanned dark brown and the freckles that dusted her nose stood out prominently. Her face had lost the little fat that it had previously, so that her face was more defined and her nose had a slight bump in it where it had been broken. She touched a finger to the hair that hung past her shoulders; it was thin and sun-bleached almost to a light blonde colour.
Turning away, unable to examine herself any longer, Kel made her way back into the kitchen.
'Do you mind if I take a walk outside?' she asked Jacqui.
The older woman shook her head. 'Just don't stray too far, you'll still be feeling very weak.'
It was true; walking was a great effort, so Kel only wandered to the end of the garden where she sat down on a grassy hillock that overlooked the farmland.
She lay back on the grass, turning her face towards the sun and screwed her eyes up tight against it's glare. She let the sun's warmth flow into her, trying to think about nothing in particular, fighting to block out the memories of her messy life.
The person she had been before she'd left the palace was but a mere memory, someone whom Kel couldn't relate to any longer. It was hard to believe that once she had lived such a cushy existence.
Kel scratched an itch on her chest, able to feel individual ribs beneath the thin cotton shift. She heard footsteps and sat up, turning to face the newcomer. Blinking to clear her vision, Kel gazed up at Alex, feeling completely dazed.
Alex covered the few paces towards her, dropped to his knees and pulled Kel into a firm hug. After a moment Kel responded, hugging him back, finally feeling an intense rush of relief and joy at being reunited with Alex.
They clung to each other for over a minute, before loosening their grip on each other.
'Gods above Kel,' murmured Alex. 'You gave me a scare and a half.' He let out a shaky breath.
Kel said nothing, not sure of what she could say.
'Why didn't you send a message?' Alex asked desperately. 'I could've removed you from there weeks ago.'
Kel shrugged, 'I was still trying to find information.'
'You could've died,' said Alex, his throat constricting painfully.
Kel shifted awkwardly, what was done was done. She searched around for another topic of conversation.
'So how long am I staying here for?'
'Until you've completely recovered.'
'I can be ready to ride in a few days,' said Kel.
'No,' Alex overrode her, 'I mean completely recovered. I want you to put some fat on that body of yours. I want your strength and fitness up to it's highest levels, before I take you back into the field.'
'But-'
'No,' he said firmly. 'There's no argument about it. If you had a fight in the near future, skill or no skill you wouldn't see it through. You've been undernourished for months and are only just recovering from a life-threatening illness. You've got to take it easy, build yourself up slowly,' he paused for breath. 'I've given Jacqui a substantial sum of money so that you can eat some decent food for the next few months.'
Kel nodded in defeat and they sat in silence for a few minutes.
'Alex…when I was at the plantation, I met someone. Someone who looked after me…'
Alex closed his eyes; he knew what was coming.
'I want you to buy him, set him free,' said Kel in a rush.
'I can't,' said Alex gently.
'Why not?' demanded Kel. 'You seem to have enough money and I'm sure he would work hard-'
'I'm sorry Kel but it's just not possible-'
'But Alex, you don't understand what it was like. He kept me alive; I don't know if I'd have survived without him.'
'Then I owe him my thanks,' said Alex, looking down at the girl whom he regarded as a sister.
'Then repay him,' Kel urged, 'set him free.'
'Kel, I've already said I can't-'
'WHY NOT?' exploded Kel, her pent up emotions bursting free.
'BECAUSE HE'S DEAD.'
Kel froze, wide-eyed staring at Alex. 'It's not true…tell me it's not true…' she pleaded, shaking her head.
'Black hair, bright blue eyes, a scratch down one cheek…' said Alex heavily.
Tears slipped unnoticed out of the corners of Kel's eyes. 'He scratched himself during the delirium,' she whispered, eyes staring straight ahead, loss filling every inch of her.
'Kel…' said Alex laying a hand on her upper arm.
Kel flinched and staggered to her feet. Tears now cascading down her cheeks she stumbled blindly down the hill and out of Alex's sight. She dropped to her knees in the long grass and let her grief overwhelm her. She shook with sobs and rocked back and forth, wanting to scream the injustice to the heavens.
Kel felt like she had a hole inside her, as though some integral part of her had been torn away. She remained stooped in the long grass for what seemed like hours. She wanted Idan back, wanted to see his smile and hear his laugh. How could he be dead when she needed him so much?
And once again that awful question rebounded inside her aching head. Why did he have to die? She asked to no one in particular. Why did he have to go to the Black God's realms, when scum like Maggur are still alive? Why, why, why?
Memories of Idan tormented her. Him laughing, smiling, joking. Both of them, lying together in a field, laughing and kissing. Splashing each other in the stream, happy, in love...Kel couldn't bear it; she howled with pain, the pain of losing him.
She was still rocking backwards and forwards, hiccoughing slightly when Jacqui found her an hour later. The woman helped the distraught girl up, and led her back into the house.
(-a/n- A nice long chapter for you all, one which has taken several days for me to write. As always I hope you enjoyed it –I'd love it if you left me a review :D Pretty please? You might get an update faster…In the meantime if you're looking for something to read I uploaded a one-shot a couple of weeks ago called 'Understanding', or you can read 'Eldorne's atonement' which is written by 'Group Askew' -a group of authors that I belong to…
Just one last thing…400 people have this story on 'Story Alert', so every time I update 400 emails are being sent to various corners of the globe…It would be nice if 400 people reviewed –sighs- because if they aren't reading this fic then I have caused an awful lot of junk email…lol :P )
Muchos love to everyone,
Confusedknight xxx