Author's Note: So sorry this has taken so long to update- Have included a recap again! Please R and R!
'Previously in The Light'- DG ran away from her life in the palace as it was stifling her. Cain found her and brought her back because of a mystery illness called the 'Turning Malady' which was killing many people in Central City. After returning to the Palace DG and Cain finally have to talk about a kiss they shared before DG ran away. But then Cain sets off after some renegade long coats that seriously injured Jeb. DG, of course, follows. They are on the trail of the long coats and their magician who are causing the Malady.
DG was captured by the two magicians responsible for the Malady. Cain, Glitch, Day and Cook set off chasing them across the O.Z. DG escaped the Magicians despite being caught in magic proof shackles. She headed into the Reed Lands and was found by the Gypsies, who have never been known as friends of the Crown. Whilst Cain discovered that one of the two young soldiers with them is a traitor.
Chapter Twenty One: The Reed Lands
'Get up.' It was a snarl rather than an order and even Glitch felt himself tense because of the tone. There was no sense of compassion in the words. There was not even any anger Wyatt Cain's voice was simply dead... Empty and hollow.
'You heard him.' Hissed the advisor, his voice in contrast, was filled with anger. On the ground between them lay Lyle Day. The bullet had missed his foot by a fraction of an inch and the shock of it had knocked him to the ground. Day's own weapon laid a few metres away where it had skidded to a stop. Cain had fired into the ground and scared the younger man in falling and dropping his gun. Silently Cook took the weapon and stored inside his own jacket. He looked like he may cry at any point.
'Up.' The Tin Man spoke again and this time a tiny flare of anger penetrated his voice. At the sound of the General's rage, Day sprang to his feet as if stung. Cain patted him down with less than gentle hands and when he unearthed another small pistol he passed it to Glitch without a word. Finally he stood back and levelled his weapon at the young man.
'Ca-' The Advisor began but the word stalled in his mouth. He had meant to chide his friend, to warn him to act rationally... But the tone has tasted unpleasant. The idea of defending the traitor in front of them was distasteful. Instead Glitch took a deep breath adjusting his dark military style coat and spoke again. 'Cain.'
The General turned to look at him and they shared a look. It went on for minute or so and made both of the younger men uncomfortable. There was a resigned note in the silent exchange that spoke of wisdom and of depth of emotion that neither young man could quite understand. Day shifted slightly and then drew a sharp shocked breath when Seb Cook drew his gun and aimed it, with a steady hand that Cain, if he had been aware of it, would have been proud of. For a moment Day looked hurt but then a blank mask replaced the emotion.
'Right.' Said Cain breaking the silence. 'Let's get into the water as that's clearly where DG has gone. We will work out what to do you later.' With that Cain took a length of rope from one of the horse's packs and tied Day's arms behind his back. He left the end long and looped it around his arm.
'We will have to leave the horses. They're not going to like it in there.' Glitch told Cook as he removed his jacket and packed into a bag which he slung on his back.
'Sir?' Seb asked watching him.
'It's a silk blend. Water would simply ruin it.' There was an oddly jovial note to the Advisor's voice which eased some of the tension in the young strawberry blonde haired man. Cain's expression did not change though. His icy blue eyes were fixed on in the reeds again.
'What about me?' Lyle Day said suddenly. His voice was shrill with panic. 'I can tell you things.'
'No you can't.' Glitch said witheringly.
'I can help you find the princess!'
'No you can't.' Glitch said again.
'You can't do this to me!' Protested the dark haired traitor desperately... For a moment it looked like Glitch would laugh. Then his face turned serious. Taking hold of the pack from Lyle's horse and following Cain he set off. The three of them dragging Day behind them.
'Yes. We can.'
(###)
Was it possible to have 'dry-bite' or something like it? DG felt like her body was in shock from no longer being immersed in water. She was happy though. So happy to be dry. She had prided herself on never being too conscious of her weight but now it was as if she had shed a hundred pounds.
A few of those were the shackles now in the corner of the ship piled on top of her drenched clothes. The gypsies had taken only a few moments to get them off of her and in the back of her mind DG had made a note to find out how. They had wrapped her in blankets and ushered her into a rudimentary tent of silks to change into dry clothes. Trousers, billowing black silk pants and a white shirt like they themselves wore. But no head scarf. After she had changed she had been handed a cup of what smelt and to the Princess's absolute delight, tasted, like hot chocolate.
Now the four people... Four gypsies were stood around her watching her take sips from the steaming liquid. There were three men the one who had spoken to her whilst she was in the water seemed to be the leader. He was the tallest and the others deferred to him, seeking his permission for their actions with silent glances. Of the other two one was smaller stockier and seemed simply to do his role, he had shown little interest in DG. But the remaining man and the woman both studied her consistently. They could be siblings for they shared the same rangy dark build and tightly curled black hair. As she studied them they returned her interest with an intensity that made her skin tingle.
'My name is DG...' She ventured lamely.
'We know.' this was the man who had spoken when she had still been in the water: their leader. The one who had called her 'storm-child.'
'Who are you then?' DG demanded too exhausted to be polite or worry about democracy. The rangy man smiled, changing his intense expression to something far more pleasant.
'We have many names.' The smiling man told her. 'The Kim-Nari, The Reed People, Gypsy, Crown Traitor, Moon Followers...'
'Which do you prefer?' DG asked and bit back the sarcasm threatening to pour out of her.
'We call ourselves the Ishlar-Nari. It is our ancient name. It means...' the smiling man paused.
'It means Those Who Are Other.' Said the girl. She was beautiful DG realised as she stepped closer. She was maybe the same age as Azkadellia. Suddenly Az and Cain, Glitch, her parents... it all flooded back into her awareness and DG felt a sob rack her chest.
'Do you have a way I could contact my family?' she managed to murmur. The young Islar-Nari woman was on her knees beside DG in a heartbeat. She placed a hand on her shoulder gently.
'Ah Storm-Child. You are safe here but you must respect our customs... you cannot contact the Crown. We cannot allow it.' There was something in the way she spoke that gave DG a little comfort.
'I have friends looking for me.' She did. DG told herself sternly. Nothing would stop Cain. Not even a gunshot in the distance.
'We know.' This was their leader again. 'We're on our way to meet them.'
The girl gave a soft smile. She took DG's hand in her own and met her eyes. 'I am Sisara.'
(###)
'We have to stop.' Glitch said for maybe the eighth or ninth time. And for maybe the eighth or ninth time Cain shook his head. 'Cain one of us is going to fall asleep and drown!'
'Water's too cold.' The Tin Man replied. Glitch paused in mid stride and stood open mouthed for a long moment at the General. Then the lack of movement let the chill of air and the water begin to bite into his wet chest and legs. Dismissing his irritation he forced his sodden legs to move on.
'How far are we going?' Seb Cook asked. He was walking towing the traitor behind him. He was taking a little pleasure in occasionally shoving the struggling Lyle Day on ahead of him. Each time the traitor lagged, he got a shove and risked falling head first into the frigid water.
'As far as we need too.' Glitch said with a little bitter resignation in his voice. They had been trudging for less than an hour but that was enough. The night reigned on above and around them. The moon painted everything silvery. The water was cold and the air was heavy with wetness. The four men made heavy going even single file through the gap in the Reeds they had found. It was not a comfortable journey.
'Not too far now.' Cain's voice sounded brittle. Not something Cook had never heard in it before. The pale haired man had stopped wading too. He was stood looking fixedly ahead. It took both the advisor and the soldier a few moments to think clearly enough to follow his gaze. There, moving silently through the water was a Gypsy Ship.
(###)
'We're on our way to meet them.'
It had been maybe a half hour since Yanel has said those words and since then DG's mind had been reeling. She would get to see Cain again. She could run to meet him. Or swim... images of throwing herself from the ship's side to get to him as quickly as possible floated across her imagination. Or waiting silently on the ship and being pulled roughly into his arms. His hands on her shoulders. His voice whispering her name. Their lips meeting...
'Princess.' Sisara's voice shocked her from the pleasant reveries. The dark girl's hand pointed out across the water. Standing on slightly shaking legs DG made her way to the prow of the ship. There before them, only a few metres away were a party of men. Four men. At their head was a very familiar figure in a fedora. DG had to cling to the ship rail to stop herself collapsing under the relief that poured into her. It filled every single part of her mind and body. It replaced the exhaustion and shivering chill she was feeling. It burnt away the pain and panic. Here was Cain. He was alive.
As the ship drew closer she met his eyes. Their eyes locked on one another and Cain gave a simple nod. He seemed to sag a little too. All thoughts of throwing herself over the side were gone. Even though she knew he would catch her it felt... unnecessary. Redundant. All the emotional acts, dramatic moments, film star acts... they all suddenly felt like too much to DG. Unreal. This was real. He was there. Soon he would be here. That was all. That was everything. She had no room in her head for anything else.