Audience of One

Chapter Six

"… I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you," Garnet was saying, as she shrugged on the rucksack Basil and Mathilda had so graciously given to her. It was equipped with a few days of food, plus a thermos of Mathilda's famous mountain tea that Garnet actually found quite refreshing. Basil had removed her sutures that morning. Her forehead and eyebrow now sported a bright, fleshy scar. She'd have it for the rest of her life. Garnet didn't mind, however. In a way, it was an earned scar and every time she touched it, it reminded her of the promise she made to herself when she leapt from the grasps of all her inner ruminations. She promised herself she would never stop running from what she didn't want nor would she ever give up on chasing what she wanted for herself. The swelling of her face had gone down significantly in five days time. Her skin was now only faintly green, purple, and blue. "But I will never forget what you two did for me. An absolute stranger you found washed up on a river bank… you two remind me there's still good people in this world."

"Are you sure you have to go?" Mathilda asked with the biggest doe eyes Garnet had ever seen. "You can't stay for even just a few more days?"

"She's got a long journey in front of her," Basil said, giving her hunched shoulders a pat. "What does a good traveler know best?"

Mathilda sighed. "… When it's time to move on…" She replied, almost reluctantly. "But Dagger, I may never get to see you again!"

"You know, that's funny thing about life," Garnet grinned lightly. "You never know where your path is going to take you. We may very well meet again, Mathilda. When you're a sophisticated woman carving her own path in this world."

"I made something for you," Mathilda said, coming closer to the young woman now. "I know you already have a necklace, but I wanted to give this to you." Her little hands lifted a necklace made of fishing twine. It sported several little colorful rocks that Mathilda had scavenged from the shallow bank of the river. She had delicately carved holes through them. There were six of them, a variety of blues, greens, reds, and yellows. Garnet knelt down, gently taking it into her hand.

"Mathilda, it's beautiful. I'll treasure it always," Garnet said. She reached behind her neck and unclipped her pearl necklace. "I want you to have this."

"What?!" Mathilda gasped sharply. "But Dagger, those are real pearls."

"That's okay," Garnet told her, pushing the necklace into her palms. "You can wear it and be the finest little girl anyone's ever seen. Or you and your father can trade it for something really good. Do whatever with it, as long as it's what you want to do." Garnet then pulled Mathilda's necklace on. The rocks came to rest on her collarbone. "Besides… I think this looks much nicer on me."

"I'll never forget you, Dagger," Mathilda's voice was full of so much shaking sorrow. She clipped the pearls around her neck and ran her fingers along their gleaming, smooth surface. "I hope one day I'll be a modern, independent woman like you."

"Oh, you will be," Garnet nodded. "And so much more than that. Take care, Mathilda. And take care of your father, too." The young girl surged forward, wrapping her arms around Garnet's neck. She nearly knocked her over. Garnet tenderly rubbed her hand against her back and slowly, they parted. Garnet stood up, gripping her backpack straps. "Alright, I'm off now. Mind your father, do you hear me?" Mathilda smiled as tears glinted in her eyes.

"Well, you know what today is," Basil said, touching his daughter's shoulder. "Laundry day. Can you get the bucket ready and start washing your clothes? I'm going to walk Dagger to the main road and get her on her way."

Mathilda was very reluctant to turn away from the girl she had come to admire so much. But dutifully, she grabbed the wash bucket that was beneath the butcher station and she began pulling it down towards the river. She cast one more glance at Garnet before she pushed into the foliage, disappearing from sight. Together, Basil and Garnet walked side by side. Garnet kicked a rock with her leather boot, watching it skip ahead. She had never been completely on her own when traveling. How would she pass the time and ignore the complete loneliness? She had to be willful and strong minded, she told herself. Garnet glanced at the side of Basil's face for a moment before she licked her lips.

"Basil… again, thank you. It's not enough. You saved my life."

"Don't mention it," Basil shook his head and put his hands in his trouser pockets. "I know how to spot a good person in a bad place. I don't know why you're going where you say you are… but I'm rooting for you. I hope you get what you're looking for." They ducked beneath some low hanging tree branches and emerged onto a long dirt path. They were at a crossroad where a crooked and rotting signpost was perched. One arrow pointed for Alexandria. The other, Burmecia. "There are plenty of these road signs along the way. Just stick to the path and you'll make it. Burmecia is maybe only a day or so walk from here, depending on how fast you move."

Garnet turned to Basil. "I'm forever indebted to you. When I find what I'm looking for, I'll think of you, Basil."

He glanced up and down the road for a moment. "You better find it. You threw a lot away to do this, Your Majesty."

Garnet felt her face heat up and all the blood draining from her body. "I… I have no idea why you'd say something like that…"

"You don't have to lie to me," Basil said. "I realized who you were when the swelling started going down. Queen Garnet til Alexandros the Seventeenth. What are the odds I'd find a runaway royal bride washed up beside my campsite?" Garnet was stunned into silence, her dark eyes as wide as saucers. Basil smiled, however. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. If anyone asks, I never saw you. I ask the same courtesy when you're in Burmecia. Mathilda won't know it's you. At least, not for a very long time, anyway."

Garnet slowly looked around, letting out an uneven breath. "I wish I had more reason to give you as to why this is happening. You must see me as selfish, abandoning my throne and kingdom."

"Not at all, actually," Basil crossed his arms over his chest. "What I'm wondering is how an important woman such as yourself could be driven to this state to feel as if your only escape was down a waterfall. We all have to make our own choices of what's best for us, Dagger. You're not excluded from that just because you're a Queen. The only obligation you have is to take care of yourself."

Her nails dug into the leather straps of her rucksack. "Yes, well… we will see in due time the consequences of my actions. I do not know what will happen. I know Alexandria might still have it set in their minds to try and find me. Or, perhaps, my corpse at least. I just hope I didn't set a chain of reactions off that will make this less of an ideal world for Mathilda."

"Ah, don't worry about her," Basil waved his hand. "She'd fight tooth and nail for you if she had all the facts."

"Maybe you two should move on to your next campsite," Garnet said. "I wouldn't recommend staying in this vicinity. It's a matter of time until the Knights of Pluto or Squad Beatrix arrive to pepper you with questions. I don't want you to attempt to lie on my behalf."

"Can you tell me what you're after?" Basil asked, tilting his cap up. "Why are you doing all of this?"

"I am looking for the Hero of Prevailing Peace."

"Zidane Tribal…" Basil said his name as if he were only ancient lore. "I haven't heard anyone talk about him in years."

"Yes," Garnet nodded with a sore heart. "I seek to change that. I can't live another day without him, Basil."

"Good luck, Your Majesty," he told her with a lighthearted smile. "This is an experience Mathilda and I will never forget. I know you can handle yourself out there, but take this, just in case." He reached to his belt and extended a dagger towards her. "It's only fitting it goes with you."

After she attached it to her own belt, she reached forward, wrapping her arms around him. They shared a quiet hug at the crossroads as the afternoon breeze washed over them. "I'll never forget you, Basil. Thank you… for everything… especially the faith…"

…

Liam couldn't stop his pacing. In the weeks time since Garnet's drop from the cliff's edge, he was at his utter breaking point. The search efforts yielded little answers or even clues. How had they not found a body yet? He had demanded they go as far as the South Gate to make sure her body wasn't wasting away in the bay. But Beatrix demanded deep searches, combing every square inch. Liam came to an abrupt halt at a window, staring over the roofs of Alexandria. Seven whole days since he had last seen her face. Her tear stained, pinched face. Still, all he could do was ask why. Why did she jump from the cliff? Did she really despise him that much it was worth ending her own life to be rid of it all? It felt like a continual sucker punch, over and over again. Liam didn't like to think he was that detestable. Or that he was even that dense. He thought that he and Garnet had something special. Something unlike what anyone had ever seen before. In a way, they did. He couldn't think of a single person who watched their fiancee fall backwards off a waterfall.

He sunk down into the recliner nearest to him, his eyes still focused on the horizon beyond the window. Liam knew facts were facts, but he had a hard time in his mind decidedly thinking of Garnet as dead. That word stung him horribly. A world without her? Absolutely unimaginable. He was worried, however, that he already was. Liam placed his knuckles against his chin as he reviewed all that had lead him to the moment of being deflated in a recliner, in a room he rarely ventured to in the castle. What was he to do now? Liam rubbed tensely at his temples and was startled in the next moment when the door opened to reveal Regent Cid and Beatrix, who seemed to be bickering. Under Beatrix's arm, she carried a very large leather bound book that seemed dusty and relatively forgotten.

"… we must go by the rules," Beatrix was saying as Regent Cid followed her into the room. "Alexandria has written decrees. We can't just throw that to the wind because we've never been in this position before."

They both halted when they saw Liam curled up in the recliner. The young man slowly straightened up, digging his elbows into his knees. "What's going on?"

Beatrix pursed her lips before she crossed to the coffee table, slamming the book down with rigid irritation. "Seven days and not a single development. We have to start thinking about Alexandria's future." Liam came to his feet and turned towards Regent Cid.

"What is the future?"

"Well, my suggestions was taking Alexandria under Lindblum's wing of jurisdiction. Then the agreement between the nations can remain."

"That's not what the decree indicates," Beatrix told him, flipping through yellowing, dusty pages. "Right here. Article One-Thirty-Six, section B. Should the throne cease to have heirs, the other nations are to call a convention into order. Power should be equally balanced between the nations, effectively turning Alexandria into a free-state. Nations should each take a public service to Alexandria, namely war action, taxes, and civilian life. Government facilities shall report directly to the other nations and the highest office in Alexandria shall be no more than governor authority. There. That's what has to happen."

"A free-state?!" Regent Cid seemed incredulous in that moment. "Absolutely not. I won't allow it. Alexandria would grow corrupt and seedy. Even more so than Treno and they're not even a free state! Alexandria is a respectable kingdom. We can't let it sink into a den of thieves and vagrants with fences at every alleyway corner!"

Beatrix slammed the book shut, sending dust into the air. "Well, maybe you should chat with the other nations and work together to manage this free-state. We must honor what the decree states."

"This is ludicrous!" Regent Cid threw his arms out at his side and his mustache bristled. "That book was written in the 1400's!"

"And it must be honored!" Beatrix shot back.

"You know if that happens, you will lose your status as General, right?"

Beatrix's hands curled into fists. "And what if I told you, I don't care?" The room was silent for a few beats. "Without the Alexandros bloodline on the throne, who do I have left to serve? I have failed my task as General."

In the next moment, the door opened and everyone turned to see Eiko. She remained in the threshold, her hand tight around the brassy doorknob. "I had another one of those weird dreams."

"What are you talking about?" Regent Cid asked, furrowing his brow. "Dreams typically are weird, sweetheart. Best not to dwell on them."

"No, I know it was not a real dream," Eiko shook her head. "It was a vision. I think I'm seeing through Dagger's eyes."

"Like a psychic connection?" Beatrix came around the couch, her stomach twisting into knots. "I suppose that could make sense. Your origins are intertwined."

"Oh, don't indulge her. It was only a dream. She's stressed out."

Beatrix shot him a glare before she stepped closer to Eiko. Despite having woken up over an hour ago, a thin layer of sweat covered the young girl's skin. "What did you see, Eiko?"

"I was laying on the ground in this dark forest. I remember seeing… coals. A dying fire. I was staring up at all the stars and ran my hand along my face. My cheeks were swollen and I think… I think there were sutures in my forehead. But then everything went black."

"Do you think… you were looking through Her Majesty's eyes?" Beatrix asked hesitantly. Across the room, Liam couldn't but stare with an intense look.

"I think so," Eiko nodded. "I don't know who else it would have been. I think Dagger's still alive. And someone helped her!"

"Where do you think you were?"

"I don't know… but I did hear a river nearby."

Beatrix straightened up now and walked towards the window. She then looked over her shoulder at Liam. The young man could only stare back, absolutely at a loss of what to say. She then rushed from the room, slamming the door behind her.

…

Night time had fallen over Gaia and the lamp posts became far and few in between. Garnet listened to the cicadas brightly chirp before she paused. Her boots scuffed through the gravel path as she looked up and down the road. She hadn't passed a soul at all during her days walk. No merchants, no wagons full of supplies. It was as if people simply ceased to exist. She decided to rest. Traveling at night was unnerving. The air was humid as she stepped off the path. She knew it was a good sign. She was approaching the eternal rains of Burmecia. Just before she slinked into the dense forest, Garnet pulled her knife out and put a notch in a tree trunk. Just in case, she told herself. The last thing she needed was to get lost. She shimmied through the brush, lifting her arms as she squeezed between two bushes. Eventually, she found a spot with enough room for her to lie down. She pressed her back against a tree trunk, hugging her backpack to her chest. The night time creatures around her howled and hooted. She had never been so absolutely alone, encased in darkness. The canopy of trees were so thick, the silver moonlight barely penetrated through the leaves. It fell in splotchy blotches around her. Garnet let out a sigh and reached into her backpack. When she pulled out Mathilda's thermos, she ran her hands along its dented service. She then reached for the necklace, pressing the rigid rocks against her palm.

"I hope one day I'll be a modern, independent woman like you."

Garnet shook her head as she unscrewed the lid. "Too bad that's not me at all. I'm not independent. I'm not modern. I can barely even help myself…" The mountain tea was still warm as she drank it. It brought relief to her tender nerves. As she sat there in the darkness on her own, she became acutely aware of the stress that was brooding within her. In a lot of ways, Garnet felt completely out of her depths. But she knew in her heart that this was what she wanted. She couldn't continue to live in the world that was growing around her. It only felt like she was watching iron bars descend on her. She screwed the cap on her thermos and shoved it in her rucksack, pursing her lips. She thought to Steiner and Beatrix in that moment. And then to the young Addam. She had betrayed them. Garnet had effectively placed more on their plates than either probably knew what to do with. Beatrix and Steiner had been her closest companions for the last four years. She furrowed her brow and settled against the rigid tree trunk, letting out a sigh. Garnet wouldn't blame them if they were angry with her. But she hoped deep down inside they could understand the why. And she deeply wished that they were not feeling any regret or failure. This wasn't their fault. It was anybody's fault but her own. Garnet sat passively for far too long and by the time she had awoken to the nightmares forming around her, it was too late to talk herself out. She had to take drastic measure. Garnet was sure she had scarred them all greatly. An owl hooted overhead and Garnet's eye up. A sliver of moonlight was pooling at the edges of worn and frayed boots. Garnet sighed as she glanced around the dark clearing. She knew she needed to go to sleep. She still had a long day before her. Carefully, Garnet laid down across the dewy grass, using her backpack as a pillow. She focused on her breathing as she laced her fingers over her stomach. Garnet tried to think about something, anything, as the tree canopy obstructed her view of the starry sky.

Garnet forced her eyes shut, feeling the way her chest rose and fell as she tried to relax. It was hard to completely let go, however. She didn't know what roamed that forest, man or animal. Garnet shook her head against her backpack and turned on her side, hugging herself. She tried to focus on the goal of her mission: Zidane. After so long, she only craved to have answers. She just wanted to see him in the flesh again, hear his voice, feel his skin. Her knees curled against her as she felt an ache in the pit of her stomach. Where had life taken him? Was it that much more special and important that it didn't include her in the least? Garnet squeezed her eyes shut even tighter. Were they not meant to be together, after all? With all the signs, their seemingly soulful connection, Garnet had a hard time telling herself that that was the truth. She let out an uneven sigh. She'd find her answers soon enough, she told herself. Eventually, the calming effect of sleep started to wash over her and she felt herself drifting away from the dark forest clearing.

There were those shallow pants again. Garnet's vision was somewhat bleary as she found herself limping through a forest. Her hand reached out, scraping against a tree trunk, as she continued forward. It sounded like it was raining. Rain drops were falling against the trees above, plopping down on the forest floor that was covered in dead, crunchy leaves. Her other hand was pressed to her ribcage, a warm fluid running along her palms. Was she bleeding? Just a moment later, a sneaky tree root caught her foot and she fell forward into the wet leaves. She couldn't help but writhe on the floor as she turned onto her back. The cool rain came over her face and she continued to shallowly pant with a ragged throat. She was resigned to that uncomfortable, damp ground. Garnet couldn't move, she couldn't tell herself to do a thing. Her hands reached up, raking the hair from the frame of her face. It seemed she didn't care if she whisked blood through her locks. She let out a long exhale as she lowered her arms back to her side. Garnet didn't know how long she had been laying there after a while. An immense, fiery pain raged in her side and she felt herself cringing and turning her head as the rain thunked on her face.

Suddenly, there was a sharp gasp along with the sounds of hurried feet, kicking all the leaves up in their path. Garnet's vision was blurry as a figure knelt beside her. Their tender hands came across her damp cheeks, tilting her head, and suddenly, her eyes were filled with someone she recognized: Mikoto. "Can you hear me?" Her soft voice rang out. "What has happened to you?! Who did this?!"

Panting filled Garnet's ears as her hands dug through the mushy leaves beneath her palms. "Shit it hurts…" The ragged voice rang out. She felt her heart accelerating in that moment. "Don't move me, Mikoto…"

"I will get help and aid, stay here!"

"Can't really go anywhere else…" His voice murmured. Mikoto stared at him gravely for a moment before she disappeared, her boots hurrying away. She found herself again in the silence. After a few beats, Garnet felt herself moving once more, moaning as she forced herself onto her side, propping herself up on her elbow. The panting was pained and forced as her eyes glanced around the dark and confusing scenery. Overhead, thunder rumbled. A tree branch crunched in the next moment and suddenly, her eyes were darting everywhere. Her ears pricked and she looked over her shoulder to find the Knight of Pluto emerging from the trees. "Shit…" Her feet paddled uselessly against the ground as she used all the power within her to try and pull herself away. The Knight of Pluto approached like a robot, his movement rigid. He drew his sword again and hands came in front of her face. "Shit!"

"Zidane!" Garnet screamed, shooting up right. She was back in the dark clearing, sweat plaguing her skin. She breathed heavily and shook just as much. Garnet pressed her back against the tree trunk again, with pants as shallow as what they had been in the dream. What did it mean? Was it connected to her dream from just a few days ago? Was it real? Garnet gripped at Mathilda's necklace, her dark eyes darting everywhere. Was Zidane in trouble? What was happening on the Outer Continent? After a few moments, her heart rate began to normalize. Still she ran the river rocks against her palm. Was it just some premonition of what she was heading for? Or… had she really been seeing through the eyes of Zidane? Garnet let out an uneven breath as she resigned to simply sitting there, muddled, confused, and absolutely heart broken.

…

When the first signs of dawn became apparent, Garnet scrambled to her feet and wrangled her backpack over her shoulders, racing from the scenery around her that had brought no comfort in the wake of her nightmare. Garnet spilled out onto the main road, finding herself alone, still. The sky had the beginning lights of pinks and oranges. She watched it for a moment, the heavy clouds moving quickly. She then swallowed roughly and turned the other direction. Only dark ruminating clouds greeted her that way, along with a tall and rigid mountain range. Quickly, she set off, sending pebbles flying as she hurried along the deserted path. She still had half a day of walking ahead of her, but she was anxious to make as much distance as she could. Of course, her body was still tender and sore from her last few days of extreme movement, but that didn't stop her from driving forward with all her willpower. What was that dream? Could she even call it that? Maybe it was more of a vision? But how? In the eighteen months of radio silence from Zidane, never once had she experienced a mental tether to him, no matter how much she wished for it. And at that moment, the aura they shared was unnerving and heart wrenching. What was happening? Was she simply losing her mind in her frenzy-induced actions? A rotten road side appeared and she abruptly halted at it. Burmecia Jurisdiction. Garnet slowly blinked her eyes and looked ahead on the path. She could see the edge of the rain where it had muddied the gravel path. The trees wavered in the wind. Garnet turned back to the direction she had come. She had made it. Garnet could barely believe it.

She continued past the sign, feeling the rain coming down across her onyx hair and dribbling into the collar of her over-sized tunic. Garnet was sure she was quite the sight to see. A young woman, traveling all by her lonesome, wearing hand-me-down Burmecian clothes obviously made for a man. But looks didn't bother her anymore. There was a time in her life she didn't care about those things and she was determined to find that part of herself again. She felt she was making promising steps in the right direction, all the while wronging everything in her wake. The thunder rumbled overhead and Garnet glanced up. Rain drops slid down her cheeks and she quickly looked forward again, foggy scenes of her dream emerging at the forefront of her mind. Was the Outer Continent engaged in a silent war? Why would the Knights of Pluto be there? Since Zidane's willing departure, Garnet made no orders of looking for him. As she recalled the visions, however, she wondered if that was a grand mistake. She pressed her hand against her soggy tunic, feeling the edges of her ribs. In a way, she could almost still feel that pain. Garnet still couldn't decide if it was a gruesome premonition or if she had been looking through Zidane's eyes. Either one felt bleak to her and she didn't know exactly what to think at all.

"Oh, shoot," Garnet mumbled as her boot ran through a hole in the ground. Goopy mud clung to her shoe and she shook it away furiously. A noise caught her attention and she raked her wet hair back to see a wagon coming her way with a large parasol perched over it. She thought she was the only person left on Gaia. She reminded herself to remain quiet and she let her hair fall heavily around the frame of her face again. Garnet trudged on in the direction of Burmecia, giving her trousers a tug so they wouldn't chafe. She felt her necklace beating against her collarbone as the creaky wagon grew louder and the Chocobo's talons slapping against the ground became more noticeable. The young woman passed the wagon without giving it a glance and continued a few more paces. She stopped in place, however, when she heard the wagon come to a stop.

"A traveler? In this part of the year? Burmecia doesn't see people until the autumn months, when the humidity isn't so bad…" the voice was hoarse from years of smoking a pipe.

Garnet's dark eyes stared forward for a moment before she looked over her shoulder. "Just coming to visit friends and pass through the harbor, sir. That's all."

A Burmecian man, clad in a gray tunic with suspenders leapt down from the wagon, splashing water every where. Garnet slowly turned towards him. Based off his attire, Garnet assumed he was a farmer of some sort. His wagon was stocked with a variety of barrels. Remaining on the driver's bench was a Burmecian woman with yellow hair, but she remained staring straight ahead. "Friends, eh? A perfectly normal human being such as yourself, mingling with the butt of the Mist Continent's joke?"

Garnet shook her head. "I'm… I'm not understanding the aggression, sir. I am a traveler. I know people all over."

The man smiled from beneath his wide brim straw hat. "You a trader of some sort? I may have things you're interested in. You know, Burmecia grows some of the most fragrant gyshal greens year 'round."

"Oh, no, I'm nothing of that sort," Garnet said politely. "Just someone chasing their sabbatical, that's all."

"How long have you been on the road?" He asked, seemingly inspecting her head to toe.

"I've lost count."

"Where'd you get those Burmecian clothes? Those are the off-duty garbs of the Dragoon."

Garnet tugged at the collar to look at the elaborate gold silken ribbons that tied the shirt together. "I honestly did not know their origins. I found them at a boutique."

The old man cocked his head to the side and placed his hands at his hips. "You know, little missy, it's been years since the Mist Wars. We've happily rebuilt as best we can. And I don't take kindly to those who still bastardize us in their eyes." Garnet only stared at him as the rain fell over her vaguely bruised face. "Looks like you were in a fight recently. One of ours, I suppose."

Quickly, Garnet came to touch her cheek and she shook her head. "Oh, no, it's not what you think, sir. Me? Against a Dragoon?"

The man stared at her intently before he went to the side of his wagon. He reached over the soaked wood and in the next moment, withdrew a mythril javelin, jabbing it in her direction. Garnet gasped sharply and staggered, immediately raising her hands at her side. "I've worked and labored too damn hard in my life to not be free of doubt of random encounters on this royal highway. Alexandria may place nicely from the outside, but within, they're nothing but diabolical bastards always trying to find a way to starve us out or make life inhumane for our children. Who do you work for? What's your motive? With all this nonsense of Lindblum and Alexandria's new found alliance, I smell backstabbing."

Garnet's heart thudded in her chest as she looked across the sharp pointed edge of his javelin. "I… I have no motive, sir. Just a boat to catch, honest."

"To where?"

"T… Treno," Garnet choked out on a whim. "To play cards, of course."

His hands curled around his javelin tightly. "For a face as sweet as yours, I don't believe any of this bullshit you're trying to give me. Lies make you ugly, didn't your mother teach you that?"

"I wish I had proof for you," Garnet shook her head, a lock of her wet hair getting stuck slanted across her forehead. "I just want to get to Burmecia to get warm and dry again. That's all. I know the atrocities of the Mist Wars, sir. I lost my parents to it. I lost my childhood. I lost myself. That is now why I travel. To find a semblance of humanity, a shred of decency. Honest…!"

"Get in the back of my wagon," he said dryly.

"No," Garnet shook her head, backing up a few paces. However, she ran straight into the woman that, moments before, had been at the front of the wagon. How had she so soundlessly moved without her noticing?

"You may have lost your mommy and daddy," the man continued. "But you'll never understand what we lost." The woman behind her grabbed Garnet's arms and reared her back. Ferociously, Garnet began peddling her feet through the air, sending the mans javelin sideways across the ground.

"I haven't done a thing wrong!" Garnet yelled, fighting with all her might, but the woman was simply stronger than her. "Are people not at free will to travel anymore?!"

"Tie her to the rope tether in the back," the man nodded his head, reaching for javelin.

"No, please!" Garnet screamed as the woman dragged her effortless. To her best force, the woman absorbed it all. "Get off me, you scumbag!" Garnet yelled as her lower back was slammed against the gate of the wagon. She did everything she could to refuse, throwing her hands and legs. "You've got the wrong idea!" Garnet yelled, still fighting against being forced into the bed of the wagon. "This is all a miscommunication! Lady Freya will hear of this!" Garnet shouted as her back was forced against the damp, rigid floor of the wagon bed, the womans hand pressing against her sore cheek bone.

"Wait, wait!" The man came forward and grabbed his companion's arm. Garnet laid against the wagon, her chest rising heavily. She stared at him with intense dark eyes. "Lady Freya? You know her?"

"Like I've said…" Garnet panted. "I've traveled all over and know people."

The man smiled and glanced to his companion. "Good. Let's get her to speak on the matter then."

Garnet gasped sharply as he reared his javelin back and then, all she saw was black.

8