Chapter 4-Captured
The explosion of temper that took place at the temple retreat was not unexpected, but everyone except the old priest and Reisha's teacher was shocked at its force. After the initial release of anger and shock, she flopped into the nearest chair gracelessly and demanded, "You want me to go with him? Tomorrow morning? Why?! I'm not being purposely disrespectful, but are you both out of your minds?"
Tiredly, the ancient man rubbed a hand over his wrinkled face. "Rei, please understand. It is necessary that you leave this place. You cannot spend your entire life here without knowing how the world outside really is. If you still wish to return, you may. However...I do not think you will want to."
She glared at him, tears springing to her luminous eyes. "Well, why am I the only one? What about Alec and Licia?" she demanded furiously, naming her two friends.
Her teacher scowled back. "Adalicia may act like she has never realized the harsh truth, but as the daughter of a duke, she has seen enough. Do not think that Alec has escaped reality, either. He came here with the knowledge of what it was like to be poor. He has worked extremely hard to get to where he is now, and I believe he will remain among us for all of his life in the long run."
Reisha bit her lip, hearing the unsaid accusation: she was different. She had always been different. She had thought that after all these years, they would have forgotten that she had turned up when she was eight, never speaking a word about her family or her past. The only thing she had come with was her name and her determination, which she had thought would be enough. It hurt to find out after so long that it was not enough. "Please don't do this to me," she whispered. "This is the only home I want. The only desire I have in life is to become the best I can be. I've trained so hard and so long to get this far. Why are you punishing me now? What is it that I've disappointed you in?" Her voice broke, and the bitter loss of her pride and control washed over her as she bowed her head and willed herself not to cry.
"Rei."
She looked up at the old priest questioningly, surprised at the warm emotion in that one word that meant so much to her. She allowed precious few people to call her by her nickname, and even Alec and Adalicia were slightly hesitant about addressing her by anything shorter than Reisha.
"Despite what you think, we are not doing this to punish you. We are doing this to benefit you, and you must understand."
Her teacher cleared his throat, nodding respectfully at his senior. "You want to be the best you are, Reisha. In truth, there is nothing more that I can teach you. There is nothing else any of the other masters here can drill you in. We can impart no more knowledge upon you. We have done everything we can for you, and we are proud of you. It has already been determined that you are the best of your class. You may even be the best to pass through our ranks for several decades. One day, you could be better than I am. Perhaps you already are. But you will never be your very best until you experience what it is truly like to live.
Here, of course, there are hardships and trials we face, but it is still a bit of a fantasy. This place was created as and aptly named a retreat, where masters could retire once they had proved themselves to the world. The next generations of warriors would come to them as students, and once suitably trained, they would go into the world to make their way. Civilization has not reached far enough into these mountains to intercede in our lifestyle. It is imperative that you do this.
We are sending you with him, because we believe he will be able to slowly ease you into a place in society. This Jalen Eridian is a man of his word, and he has integrity. You will be fine with him. However, he cannot–will not–drag you from here fighting him tooth and claw. Therefore, the choice is up to you. My only request is that you choose wisely, Reisha."
****~**~****
Day after day, from first light until the sun had risen high in the day and again as the sun set until night fell, she waited at the gates to the city. It was an ancient place and still considered sacred. The temples of the gods were located there, and many visitors passed through the gates. None of them, however, seemed to be the person she was waiting for, and it was very clear, judging by the expectant, searching look on her face, that she was seeking someone. The villagers, priests, and priestesses who ventured that far greeted her with respect, familiarity, and warmth. They knew her well, and she knew them all.
Three years ago, Amity Nemosine had shown up at the home of their ailing healer. She was dedicated to her work, and she learned well and quickly. The old woman died soon after her arrival, satisfied that she had left her people in good hands–and she had. Amity gave all of herself, every ounce of strength and caring she had, to those who had become her people. And yet, she never talked about her past, and no one knew where she had originated from. It was accepted that she had come to them in a time of need, and she stayed. She seemed like any normal–human–woman, but those who had brighter eyes and worldly knowledge knew she was not.
Amity had the grace of one who was accustomed to floating rather than walking, and she seemed to glide through the air at times. Her features were small and delicately, and no one had eyes of the same brilliant shade of ocean blue that she possessed. Those eyes were always compassionate; they saw through to the soul...and they always held an infinite depth of sadness. At times, she seemed unreal, as she did now, with one hand resting on one of the intricately-worked bars meant for decoration rather than protection in these times of peace. It was as though Amity was keeping herself back, staying in the village out of will rather than true desire. Her hair was a deep midnight black. Sometimes, especially under the moonlight, it glowed. Blue highlights would appear, as if she had dyed it. but surely it was just fanciful imagination. No humans were possessed of blue hair...no living person in the kingdom had hair of that shade...except the naiads.
Amity waited patiently, her eyes huge in her pale face. Her slender form seemed insubstantial, as if she were a fragile lily that would be crushed if touched too hard, but everyone knew how much work she could do. She made all her medicines, going far into the valleys at the foot of the mountains, where the potent herbs she used grew. And she always went alone. When she came back, laden down with baskets upon baskets of fragrant, aromatic herbs whose scents and uses she knew by heart. She always seemed to fade away a bit more after those trips. By the next week, however, she would be herself again, with her gentle, accepting smile and tender touch.
Her eyes scanned the rattling wagons and the crowds of people who came in on foot. The reason that the village had remained small and rather old-fashioned was because all those who did not belong there departed through those same gates at dusk. Suddenly, her slim fingers, white against the silver-plated meta, tightened. Her pulse raced alarmingly, and her eyes fluttered shut. She tried desperately to maintain her balance but also to clear the foggy picture forming in her inner eye. She was caught between two worlds whenever this happened–the present and the future. The rest of the time, when no visions came to her, she was haunted by the past.
The image she saw was of two people on horseback, with a sizeable amount of baggage. The man turned to address his traveling companion ,and her heart leapt as she identified him instantly–Jalen Eridian, her dearest friend...and the one whom she was waiting for. He had promised her that when the time came, he would come. It was only recently, however, that she had revealed her location to him. Ami had been able to feel when the time was right, but it seemed that he was bringing someone else along. Amity only saw the gleaming dark hair, burning with amethyst lights, braided and put up for convenience rather than fashionable purposes. She rode with a sword and several daggers, but a bow was strapped safely to her saddlebags. She wore the quiver as if it was an intrinsic part of her. As the vision began to leave her, the picture fading, the unknown woman turned at last. Her eyes, of an exotic shade of violent, sparkled angrily. Her full mouth was pursed in an annoyed expression, and her facial features were breathtaking. She seemed to look directly into Ami's eyes...
And then she was left alone, numb fingers clutching the bars she sagged against. Amity pressed them to her face, trying to regain her composure and orientation. She did not want to look at the bars anymore; they were a physical reminder of the restrictions she had placed upon herself. When the dizzy spell had gone, she made her way back to her small house, built of white stone. It was clean, well-lit, and bore traces of her occupation everywhere–and none of her spirit and personality. Ami sank down into the nearest chair, looking around her despairingly. There was no longer a need to wait. Jalen had been delayed, but he was coming. She knew for sure now. But for the moment, she was alone in the cool, echoing dwelling. It seemed like she would always be alone...until a knock sounded at the door. She rose to her feet instantly, collecting herself. She had been wrong: she would always have her duty to humankind to keep her company and to keep her sane.
****~**~****
The next morning, Reisha was packed and ready to go. She refused to acknowledge Jalen beyond a curt, impersonal nod, and he had no choice to say anything but the briefest greeting before the throngs of girls he had become acquainted with (inevitably) descended upon him. She turned away and smiled at her friends, who stood quietly side by side. Last night had been a time for tears–at least for Adalicia–and manful suppressions of strong emotion–from Alec. Now she would say goodbye dry-eyed and wistful, hoping that she would come back. Her heart protested fiercely against the possibility that she might not, but her logical mind overruled it. Hugging her friend tightly, she whispered, "Thank you for everything, Licia. I don't know how I would have made it through all of these years without you. And I'm sure that when the time comes for you to go back to your dukedom, everyone will be proud of you."
"Oh, Rei." It was all the petite brunette could say, her eyes brimming with tears.
Rei tried to come up without something witty to say to Alec, whose sardonic humor was matched by her tart sarcasm, but she could only stand before him, looking straight into his level gray eyes.
He solved the problem by hugging her gingerly, despite the taunts from his peers and speculation upon the females. "Take care of yourself, and don't forget about us. And try not to get yourself killed with that temper."
She tried to glare at him but didn't quite succeed. "The same to you." She would have said more, but a light tap fell upon her shoulder, and she turned to see her teachers standing together.
The warrior spoke first, his expression grave but his eyes alight with pride and confidence in her. "I have a feeling that this is part of your path, Reisha. Don't worry. You'll do well, and you'll become the best."
She nodded and bowed to him. She had already thanked him for the invaluable lessons he had taught her and for taking her on when all the other masters would not. And then it was time to say goodbye to the man who was like a grandfather to her.
The little man smiled up at her, his bald crown shining. "No matter where you go or what you do, you'll always be my Rei to me, Reisha. Never forget who you truly are, in here," he said, and he tapped his chest lightly.
Rei hugged him as well, and when she turned around, she met Jalen's sympathetic glance.
"Ready?" he asked gently.
She swung up into the saddle silently, and he shrugged and mounted his own horse. When they left, she didn't look back until she was sure the temple was out of sight.
****~**~****
The land of the dryads was concealed deep within the vast forest. It spanned half the continent, and the edges of its north side were only a few days from the sea. Its south end was some distance from the capital. Of the magik people–the land nymphs, the naiads, the elves, and the dryads–the latter group was the least communicative with strangers. Although they were very sociable, few strayed beyond the edge of the kingdom. The dryads tended to keep to themselves, and their land was happy and peaceful. Bad news rarely reached them, as few couriers could make their way through the forest without getting lost–unless they were of the dryad race–so wine and nectar flowed freely, dancing music drifted upwards through the crowns of the trees to the heavens each night, and the days were spent in enjoyment of nature.
Lirita was one of the young dryads who was particularly keen on exploration. Whenever she happened to be in the palace, she spent her time caring for the children. She did surprisingly among the other nursery workers, and the children adored her. The majority of her time, however, was spent roaming the woods on her own. When she was among the dryads for celebrations and dances, she was sociable enough, but she preferred to travel the seemingly-endless foliage alone. She had yet to find a companion who was silent enough to suit her, who would understand the way she was. Every so often, she would leave the kingdom for a few days, with food in case of some kind of emergency, although she knew which fruits and roots she could eat, clothes, and other necessities.
It was on one of these lone ventures that chanced to go farther away than she had ever gone before. She laughed gaily in excitement, and it seemed as if the forest creatures exulted with her. Bird calls and trills were joyous and often, and the rustles in the foliage increased. Exuberantly, Lita took down her long ponytail and let her hair flow free as she raced along the tree branches with agility and grace. Suddenly, she heard loud voices ahead of her. Quickly, she moved forward, peering through the leaves, trying to identify their source. At last, she concealed herself in a thick clump of leaves, green eyes intense upon two humans–men–dressed for hiking. Lirita frowned. She had met very few of the human race before, and those that she knew were adapted to the dryad lifestyle and generally accepted. These men looked unshaven, rough, and disreputable.
They seemed to be crouched over something on the ground, and as their conversation ceased for a moment, she heard the squeals and cries of an animal in pain. Her eyes narrowed, and its tortured calls for help continued. Quietly, she slipped off her pack and hung it on a nearby branch that looked sturdy enough to bear its weight. When she judged the moment to be right, Lita swung from the branch and hit both men with enough force to spend them sprawling. While she landed on the ground, one may lay moaning in pain, but the other recovered quickly. Before she could fully regain her balance, she scooped up the kit gently. In those precious few moments, one of the men reached for the hollow wooden pipe at his waist, and she spun around when she heard the whistling noise–but not quickly enough. The tiny dart traveled with deadly accuracy towards her exposed neck, and when it struck, the potion it had been dipped in acted instantly. Despite her best efforts to get up, Lita collapsed on the ground, her eyelids growing too heavy to bear. The last glimpse of the world she had was the menacing, bearded faces of the men, their eyes alight with triumphant glee and satisfaction.
****~**~****
When she awoke next, the bright, warm sunlight had gone, to be replaced by cool, distant moonlight. Her head pounded furiously, and her eyes could not seem to focus. Dimly, Lita wondered where she was. Sweat poured off her body, and the searing heat she felt when she touched her cheeks was a great contrast to the icy numbness of her feet. Her body ached all over, and she did not know when she had felt more terrible. After ten minutes of the agony, she suddenly felt slightly better, and she could take in her surroundings. She was lying on the dirt ground of what appeared to be a small hut with only a thin sheet for cover. Both of her hands were chained to an iron stake that had been pounded deeply into the ground, and her feet were tied together. Because it was night, it was too dark to see anything. A thin thread of the moon's silvery light poured in from the window, but it illuminated only an empty space.
Suddenly, memories and knowledge poured back into her mind, and she closed her eyes. Those men had been hunters...except they weren't hunting for animals but rather, dryads. They had tortured the kit merely in hopes that a dryad would come to rescue it. Lirita thought back to what little she had learned of Queen Serenitatis's persecution of the magik people. So far, none of the dryads that lived in the kingdom had been caught, so they took little notice of what was going on in the other kingdoms. Darts dipped in some kind of stunning formula had been developed by the pet mages the queen kept, and they had served her faithfully: formulas had been created specifically for each race, they had heard, except for the dryads–until now.
Another torturous spell of pain and fever hit her, and she lay on the ground, tears streaming down her face. When it had finally passed, she could remember what the effects of those darts entailed: without the antidote, the one hit would sicken and eventually die an extremely painful death. Once the drug had raced through the bloodstream, the person's powers would become weakened and later completely ineffective. Lita swallowed hard and tried to use her powers to sense anything green outside. She could barely reach–and then the worst spasm of pain hit her.
She stayed awake the entire night, accompanied only by the illness the dart had caused. She knew none of the other dryads were likely to have ventured this far out of the forest, to wherever they had taken her, but she called until her throat was hoarse. She called until she had no voice left. And she lay alone...but she knew where they would be taking her. Most likely, they would go by ship, their eventual destination being the capital. Once there, they would turn her over to the queen, who would either kill her or use her to kill her own people.
****~**~****
AN: Nothing new to say...once again, we've got Rei and Jade, but I've added Ami and Makoto–per demand ^^. Next chapter, we fix up the mystery of what's happened to Kunzite ^.~ and do some traveling. Or maybe that'll be Chapter 6.
Soulmates: Mainpage
