talk to you," he said quickly, as if forcing out
the words before he decided against saying them.
"Oh?"
"Mmmhmm. Since Kendric announced who you were."
"Why?"
He paused again for moment, before continuing in a
rush, "I knew your father. He was a very…kind man."
"Oh," she said quietly. She furrowed her
brow, she hadn't gotten the impression he was that old. "How did you know
him?"
He became silent again for a while. "Can I tell
you a story?"
"Will it answer my question?"
He chuckled. It was a very pleasant sound. "Yes."
"Go ahead then."
"First though. I've a question for you." Before
she could speak, he began talking again. "In the city, did you happen to
hear the gossip about the Fey who joined the army?"
She blinked. Where had the sudden change in topic come
from? "Of course. About two years ago. That's all anyone talked about for
long time. What's that have to do with anything?"
"I want you to look at me," he said gently.
She turned her head in his direction. "I can't
see–" Shock paralyzed her voice, and fear, too. Two golden eyes stared
back at her. They weren't really glowing, but more lit with an inner light. "Gah..."
The eyes went out.
She stared into the darkness, her own eyes wide. Her
breath froze in her chest while she tried to comprehend what had just happened…trying
to calm her suddenly frantic heart. When she could speak her voice went up an
octave, or three, too high. "Do you like to scare me?"
"I didn't mean to." His voice sounded so
very quiet and tinged with such sadness, she reached out a hand to him. Well
two hands, since they were attached by a foot of chain. She found his, limp in
his lap.
"You could have warned me." She laughed
suddenly, putting her hands back in her lap. "I nearly pissed myself."
He let out a deep sigh.
"So," she continued when he didn't speak
again. "I'm guessing you were showing me you are the Fey everyone was
talking about."
He made a sound of agreement. "Are you frightened
of me?" His words came out so quietly she barely heard him.
She took a moment to think about it. "No,"
she said finally. What did she know of the Fey? Nothing but children's stories
really, and how much truth was in them? "Should I be?"
He laughed bitterly. "Not really," he
admitted. His words came out in a rush again, "Though, I am much stronger
than you. If I wasn't careful I could hurt you by accident without even meaning
to. But I've been practicing a lot, being around people."
"That's good to know," she said wanly. "So
is it true you can move really fast?"
"Yes."
"Huh." Her eyes narrowed. "So how did
you get caught by slavers?"
"I got hit over the head," he admitted wryly.
She chuckled. "Me, too."
"That's right," he said. "You were
unconscious a long time." She started as she felt his hand by her face.
She froze as it moved around her hair and paused as it found the matted dried
blood.
"Who cut your hair?" His voice rose in mock
horror.
She choked on the memories of her and squeezed her
lips together tightly to gain control. "My brothers," she finally
managed to answer.
"Huh," he replied. "Have you seen it?
That's about all I've seen of you, and truly, it's very bad. I could fix it for
you, if you like. When we get out of here."
She blinked rapidly, trying to follow him. He talked
so fast, so earnestly. Did people never listen to him? "No. I haven't seen
it. If we do get out of here you can shave it off for all I care."
"Why have you been hiding?" His voice grew
very quiet again. "We never see your face."
She didn't answer and they sat in silence for a few
moments. "I thought you were going to tell me a story," she said
finally. "You said you knew my father?"
"So I am. The story of my life. Are you ready?"
She nodded before realizing he couldn't see her. "Yes.
But! You need to slow down, you talk way too fast."
"I do?" His voice sounded so innocent it
made her smile.
"You do," she said firmly.
"I didn't mean to." He sounded like he
actually meant it. "I don't…talk
the words before he decided against saying them.
"Oh?"
"Mmmhmm. Since Kendric announced who you were."
"Why?"
He paused again for moment, before continuing in a
rush, "I knew your father. He was a very…kind man."
"Oh," she said quietly. She furrowed her
brow, she hadn't gotten the impression he was that old. "How did you know
him?"
He became silent again for a while. "Can I tell
you a story?"
"Will it answer my question?"
He chuckled. It was a very pleasant sound. "Yes."
"Go ahead then."
"First though. I've a question for you." Before
she could speak, he began talking again. "In the city, did you happen to
hear the gossip about the Fey who joined the army?"
She blinked. Where had the sudden change in topic come
from? "Of course. About two years ago. That's all anyone talked about for
long time. What's that have to do with anything?"
"I want you to look at me," he said gently.
She turned her head in his direction. "I can't
see–" Shock paralyzed her voice, and fear, too. Two golden eyes stared
back at her. They weren't really glowing, but more lit with an inner light. "Gah..."
The eyes went out.
She stared into the darkness, her own eyes wide. Her
breath froze in her chest while she tried to comprehend what had just happened…trying
to calm her suddenly frantic heart. When she could speak her voice went up an
octave, or three, too high. "Do you like to scare me?"
"I didn't mean to." His voice sounded so
very quiet and tinged with such sadness, she reached out a hand to him. Well
two hands, since they were attached by a foot of chain. She found his, limp in
his lap.
"You could have warned me." She laughed
suddenly, putting her hands back in her lap. "I nearly pissed myself."
He let out a deep sigh.
"So," she continued when he didn't speak
again. "I'm guessing you were showing me you are the Fey everyone was
talking about."
He made a sound of agreement. "Are you frightened
of me?" His words came out so quietly she barely heard him.
She took a moment to think about it. "No,"
she said finally. What did she know of the Fey? Nothing but children's stories
really, and how much truth was in them? "Should I be?"
He laughed bitterly. "Not really," he
admitted. His words came out in a rush again, "Though, I am much stronger
than you. If I wasn't careful I could hurt you by accident without even meaning
to. But I've been practicing a lot, being around people."
"That's good to know," she said wanly. "So
is it true you can move really fast?"
"Yes."
"Huh." Her eyes narrowed. "So how did
you get caught by slavers?"
"I got hit over the head," he admitted wryly.
She chuckled. "Me, too."
"That's right," he said. "You were
unconscious a long time." She started as she felt his hand by her face.
She froze as it moved around her hair and paused as it found the matted dried
blood.
"Who cut your hair?" His voice rose in mock
horror.
She choked on the memories of her and squeezed her
lips together tightly to gain control. "My brothers," she finally
managed to answer.
"Huh," he replied. "Have you seen it?
That's about all I've seen of you, and truly, it's very bad. I could fix it for
you, if you like. When we get out of here."
She blinked rapidly, trying to follow him. He talked
so fast, so earnestly. Did people never listen to him? "No. I haven't seen
it. If we do get out of here you can shave it off for all I care."
"Why have you been hiding?" His voice grew
very quiet again. "We never see your face."
She didn't answer and they sat in silence for a few
moments. "I thought you were going to tell me a story," she said
finally. "You said you knew my father?"
"So I am. The story of my life. Are you ready?"
She nodded before realizing he couldn't see her. "Yes.
But! You need to slow down, you talk way too fast."
"I do?" His voice sounded so innocent it
made her smile.
"You do," she said firmly.
"I didn't mean to." He sounded like he
actually meant it. "I don't…talk
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