|
LEGAL DISCLAIMER:
All the characters you recognize belong to other people.
The ones you don’t belong to me.
Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely unintentional.
The copyright for songs used in this fiction belongs to the original artists.
1. Spring Fever
Anyone visiting the Tortallan court would by now be familiar with Akelahini Gabilan Eleftheri Won-Tolla Manitou, usually called Akela because her full name was such a mouthful, and also known as the Songmage.
She was notorious for her fierce temper and bad manners, as well as her extremely powerful magic which made any attempts to take her to task more of a suicide attempt.
However, she was also well-known for her looks, and many young men of the Court spent sweaty, sleepless nights over the temperamental foreign mage, and tried very hard to get her to give them even one appraising look. Their wiles, however, often failed.
She was also the subject of much Court gossip; some people linked her name with that of Raschid Weiryn Rikash Salmalin, the son of Numair Salmalin and the Wildmage Veralidaine, while others put it about that she might have connections with Immortals and others sniggered that maybe she preferred other women.
Akela, however, simply did not care. She still felt an outsider in the Court of Tortall, even though she was handsomely paid to remain and to give her allegiance to the King, and even though she was usually made much of in deference to her achievements and power. This made her surly and uncooperative with everyone except the few people she had come to know, and who would often try their best to make her more socially acceptable .
This was extended to attempts to get her to attend balls; this was always a risky exercise, as it depended on Akela’s mood that day, and on the other guests in the ball.
One night, she had been persuaded to attend a ball to welcome the new Tyran ambassador; she believed that, like all the others, he would be old, fat and ugly with a roving eye and a chip on his shoulder.
She stood at a counter and looked at the available talent; many of the young men she was familiar with, and she had long since known that the Brains x Looks x Ethics x Availability constant was always zero.
She was dressed up for the occasion, under pain of murder by her female friends, but she did it her way: tight black leather breeches and a loose white silk shirt open at the neck and the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, with knee high black leather boots on her feet, a black leather belt and her magic rings on her right hand.
She took a swig of brandy from her tankard, and leaned against the counter, totally ignoring the lascivious looks she was attracting.
Then, she saw a new face: he was tall, slender, with a swarthy, handsome face and a charming smile, with straight black hair cut short and large dark eyes.
She whistled in appreciation under her breath and continued to watch him, not noticing the unhappy look on Raschid’s face.
She then saw Alanna walk up to the stranger, and lead him up to her, aiming to introduce them. She continued sipping her drink and affecting nonchalance.
“Akela, there you are!” Alanna said, ignoring the Helloman’s glare. “Let me introduce you to Augusto de Souza, the new Tyran ambassador…”
The two looked in each other’s eyes, and the tall Tyran’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the pretty brunette.
“Hello”…
2. Hot in Here!
Three days afterwards, there was another ball at the palace of Corus; there were many being planned at this time of year, since so many foreign dignitaries were sent to Tortall from their home countries and the King and Queen were keen to make an impression and to make their guests feel welcome.
Akela had been asked nicely about whether she was going to be attending this ball, and to the surprise of all her female friends she assented; they were quick to realise, from the look on her face and from the scowl on Raschid’s that maybe the handsome Augusto de Souza had something or other to do with it.
They did not mention this to Akela, however, fearing a temper tantrum, and instead decided to wait and see.
For the first part of the day, Akela’s face was a mask of nonchalance which would have made Kel proud; in the afternoon, however, she locked herself in her suite, refusing to see or admit anyone.
This was not unusual, so her friends left her alone.
In the evening, she entered the ballroom.
She was wearing a VERY risqué dress, bright red to contrast with and emphasize her very dark eyes, black hair and white skin, cut low over the breasts and high over the thighs, tight over her torso and full over her hips so that it swayed suggestively with her every movement. The entire room exploded in talk, as she moved to her usual position near the counter and grabbed a drink. Almost immediately, a gaggle of males collected around her, but she swiftly sent them packing.
The only ones who remained were some mages, who had heard of her abilities and wanted to meet her for themselves.
Eventually, one of them asked:
“Would you happen to be willing to demonstrate your abilities? Not that I doubt you are very powerful, but I would be honoured to see for myself…”
A very drunk Akela gave him an extremely sweet smile which would have made anyone else either melt, or run for cover: then she let out a piercing whistle.
The lit candles in the room flared all the shades of silvery-blue, as she was controlling them with her magic.
Her magic may be dangerous, but hey, who cares! IT’S PARTY TIME!!!!
“JUST TURN IT UP!” she roared to her right, and the flames from the candles leapt upwards to the ceiling, causing most of those present to exclaim in wonder while the rest were wondering what had gotten into her.
“JUST TURN IT UP” she roared to her left, and the flames on that side made a thick wall that reached up to the ceiling, eliciting the same reaction.
“NOW SCREAM!” she called again, as the flames from both sides leaped up and joined on the ceiling and rolled over it with a threatening whoosh. The guests did as she called, but more out of fear and surprise than hearing what she had said.
Then, she put her magic on the walls and the musical instruments, as well as on the flames: it began to play a hot and lively Tyran tune, as some of her magic pooled underneath her and lifted her up in the air.
She went upwards at speed, before spinning around, making the short red skirt flare. She had somehow managed to keep two bottles of rum in her hands, and she sprayed them all over the crowd as she was spun on a pedestal of her magic.
Screams came from the ladies, who immediately thought of their expensive dresses: Akela, however, caught the droplets of rum with her magic, making them burn up in small flames.
The guests oohed and aahed at Akela’s pyrotechnic display; Augusto was watching her with an impressed glean in his dark eyes as the music pulsated through the entire palace. She formed her blue flames into stairs, and walked slowly down them, not paying attention to the way everyone was looking at her thighs and trying to look up her skirt. Augusto leaped on the table and grabbed her hands, and they began to dance to the lively Tyran tune, their bodies scandalously close together and her skirt flaring with the strong twists.
There was definitely some other kind of magic in it, as all the other guests and nobles got up and began to dance as well. She thought she would probably catch it from the King later, but she didn’t really care.
Up close, Augusto looked even better; in contrast to the soft, well-fed nobles, he had bulging muscles that were visible even under his shirt, a white shirt and black breeches, as well as black boots with long silver rowels, brought out his naturally swarthy and suntanned face and short, shiny black hair and, looking into his dark eyes, she could see bright flames of passion and spirit. They spun around together on the table, his hand on the small of her back, before her magic carried them up in the air and then deposited them on the floor of the ballroom in a spectacle that made everyone exclaim in wonder.
She did not notice the murderous look on Raschid’s face as he looked at them, which changed to one of unutterable sadness before he turned to a stunning blonde noble girl, who had been trying to get his attention all evening and who now looked like her every dream had come true, and asked her to dance.
While he danced with her, though, his eyes were on the Songmage and the Tyran ambassador, both of whom were considered prime meat , and who were now dancing together like there was no tomorrow.
Their friends, however, noticed Raschid’s mood and determined to be extra pleasant to him on the morrow. Especially Alanna, who had herself known the pangs of loving a certain tall, red-haired, green-eyed Dragon who looked like he would never notice her…
3. Moonlight Singing
Akela paid for her show-off streak; she slept for what seemed like forever, eventually waking up to find that it was a morning. Which morning, she didn’t know or particularly care as she went to get some coffee to kickstart her brain.
She remembered her antics of the previous, or was it two days’ ago, night, and grinned: Augusto was really an incredible dancer, with speed and stamina to match her own, and did not use it as an opportunity to grope every part of her body he could reach. Which she was grateful for, in a way, as she would have HATED to blast him into outer space.
With coffee and food in hand, she went to the Royal gardens, where she found Master Numair and Raschid sitting together talking. They both smiled to see her, and she swiftly joined in the conversation.
Akela was having great fun, as she always did when those two were involved; then she heard a soft cough, and turned her head to see Augusto standing beside her, looking at all of them uncertainly.
“Err…hello. May I join you?” Although the remark was addressed to all of them, he was looking at Akela, at whom he aimed a smile poised to kill.
Akela grinned right back and moved over to make space for him to sit down; as he did so, he caught hold of her hand and kissed it formally, making her begin to laugh her head off. He replied with a lop-sided grin which would melt any female heart.
The only one who noticed the bitter look on Raschid’s face was his father.
Augusto immediately made an impression on Numair; he was intelligent, well educated and curious about magic. He himself was a powerful war-mage, and on hearing this Akela challenged him to show her what he could do. He laughed, and they began to toss flames, silvery-blue for her and green for him.
Then Akela left to find Raksha and Achilles, closely followed by Augusto: she introduced them all, and the Tyran immediately leaned down to make friends with Raksha, asking questions about him. Then, he turned his attention to Achilles, who spread his wings and flapped them, covering them in a shower of feathers. His curiosity over the Immortal was greater than that for Raksha, and only second to that for Akela herself.
She was very strange: tough, uncompromising, but also sensitive and not above some fun from time to time, and he loved spending time with this puzzling woman who was so strikingly different from the shallow, vacuous flirts he had spent most his adult life with.
They spent some time together, talking about this, that and the other; then, they both went their separate ways, and continued on their daily jobs.
That night there was another ball organized, which they both attended. It was uneventful, except for the fact that Akela had a too close encounter with a clerk called Perin. MUCH too close, in fact: he actually reached out and grasped her behind, feeling something like a rock under tough leather before her fist met his face and threw him onto the large dining table.
The rest of the ball passed by without further incident, and Akela went back to her room.
Then, she heard the sound of somebody strumming a beautiful strain on a Tyran guitar.
Like many other young women in the palace, she went to her balcony to listen more clearly.
The strumming continued, and a deep but soft masculine voice began singing.
To really love a woman
To understand her - you gotta know her deep inside
Hear every thought - see every dream
N' give her wings - when she wants to fly
Then when you find yourself lyin' helpless in her arms
Ya know ya really love a woman
When you love a woman you tell her
that she's really wanted
When you love a woman you tell her that she's the one
Cuz she needs somebody to tell her
that it's gonna last forever
So tell me have you ever really
- really really ever loved a woman?
To really love a woman
Let her hold you -
til ya know how she needs to be touched
You've gotta breathe her - really taste her
Til you can feel her in your blood
N' when you can see your unborn children in her eyes
Ya know ya really love a woman
When you love a woman
you tell her that she's really wanted
When you love a woman you tell her that she's the one
Cuz she needs somebody to tell her
that you'll always be together
So tell me have you ever really -
really really ever loved a woman?
You got to give her some faith - hold her tight
A little tenderness - gotta treat her right
She will be there for you, takin' good care of you
Ya really gotta love your woman...
Dozens of female hearts melted that night over Augusto, Akela’s among them.
Raschid was lying in bed with Melinda of Kilowen, the blonde who had accosted him the night of THAT dance. She had been extremely willing to go to bed with him on the first night. He looked at her in his arms, and mentally compared her and Akela: the stroppy, demanding, vapid blonde, and the little fighter with the candid stare and the soft black hair.
Melinda was listening to the song, and turned her face up to him.
“Why don’t YOU sing to ME like that?” she demanded with a pout.
Raschid sighed deeply, and tried to get out of it and get some sleep: she would not let him rest, however, until he did so.
Eventually, he gave in.
Come into these arms again
And lay your body down
The rhythm of this trembling heart
Is beating like a drum
It beats for you, it bleeds for you
It knows not how it sounds
For it is the drum of drums, It is the song of songs
Once I had the rarest rose
That ever deigned to bloom
Cruel winter chilled the blood
And stole my flower too soon
All loneliness, all hopelessness
To search the end of time
For there is in all the world
No greater love than mine
No other love, no other love, no other love
Not other love, no other love, still falls the rain
(Still for the rain) no other love, no other love
No other love, no other love, no other love
Still falls the night, no other love, no other love
No other love, no other love, no other love
Be mine forever (be mine forever) no other love
No other love, no other love, no other love
No other love
Let me be the only one
To keep you from the cold
Now the floor of heaven is laid
With stars of brightest gold
They shine for all to see
Come into this arms again
And set this spirit free
He was singing this softly for Melinda to fall asleep to, but he hoped that a dark-haired and dark-eyed someone else would also hear.
Maybe.
Just maybe.
4. Surprises Galore
From that day on, Akela and Augusto became the best of friends; they were always to be seen together, a state of affairs which really got under Raschid’s skin.
At one particular ball, he simply could not take it any more. He found an opportunity, and took Augusto aside.
"I’ve noticed, your Honour, that you are spending a lot of time with Akela, is that correct?" said Raschid, his eyes greenish and angry.
"That I am", the Tyran replied, intentionally misunderstanding the question. "She is really a very interesting person to know…"
Raschid was unfazed, and gave him a sarcastic, mock-soppy grin.
"I know", he purred, while his eyes glittered dangerously.
"And that is exactly why I’m telling you to stay AWAY from her, Your Eminence."
Augusto did not miss the hostility in these words, but he just HAD to ask.
"Are you threatening me?" he said in a low voice, his dark eyes fixed upwards on Raschid's yellow ones.
"What do you think?" the tall mage growled, as his eyes flashed, not green, but RED.
This could not pass. Augusto removed his gauntlet, and thrust it at Raschid, who leaned down and picked it up with a contemptuous gesture.
"If you think so much of her, FIGHT for her!" the tall, yellow-eyed Tortallan replied.
The Tyran nodded his head, and the two went to get their weapons.
They met up in the Royal courtyard, some hours after dark, when everyone had gone to sleep.
Squaring up, the differences between them were really apparent: if Raschid lost his temper, he could kill the (slightly) shorter and thinner man, and they both knew it. Even through his fury, Raschid acknowledged the noble's courage.
The two of them stood a few paces apart, and then threw their swords together with a mighty clash.
They fought for a few hours, each blocking the other's thrusts and avoiding their lunges, before a third sword, with multiple blades, crashed on their two swords, knocking them to the ground.
They both turned to see Akela, who was NOT looking pleased with the events.
"Could you stop that?" she hissed. "We're trying to sleep here!"
The two handsome rivals looked suitably shamefaced, as the small Helloman glared at them. They bowed, as was the custom, before returning to their rooms.
The next morning they were summoned by the King, who had an extremely displeased look on his face. Their little tiff had caused numerous complaints, and they got an earful about it from Jonathan.
Then, he summoned Akela to his presence, saying he had news for her.
A delegation from the Helloman Empire was coming to visit, and she was wanted to help with the preparations and the welcome.
When she heard them, Akela’s shriek of disbelief could probably have been heard all the way to Carthak.
“WHAAAAAAAAATTTTT???!!!????”
She then proceeded to explain, that as a killer, bandit, revolutionary, inciter, regicide, etc, etc, etc, she WAS NOT the best choice for a welcome party.
In the end, it was decided that she would simply drill the residents of the palace in Helloman customs, but would not be introduced herself, and she thought it would be left at that.
The Helloman delegation was due to arrive in three weeks time. During that period, she had to teach the Tortallans the rudiments of Helloman custom, do various…unofficial errands for the King’s Spymaster, help Master Numair with his spells, and work in the Army.
Oh yes, and also prevent Augusto and Raschid from killing each other.
What fun.
5. The Arrivants
Akela was terribly, terribly busy during the frantic days before the arrival of the Helloman delegation. She ran around like an insane March rabbit, giving the Tortallans the most essential advice about Helloman customs and behaviour, what was polite and what would cause a war and explaining various customs and habits common in Hellome. She also taught some Helloman words and phrases (polite ones, of course), which would make the entire affair easier to manage.
Having to put herself through this whole charade made her sick; at least, though, she did not have to come out and actually meet the delegation from her home country. She had repeatedly asked about this, and had always received assurances that it would be as she wished.
*-*
The day finally arrived when the Helloman delegation would arrive in Tortall.
The entire Tortallan Court was arraigned and waiting on the main port after a small herald entered the palace to say that a flotilla of ships had been spotted off the coast.
The ships were majestic, tall and imposing with beautiful carved decorations in the fronts and varied colours and designs on the sails, which blew outwards with the sea breeze. They floated on the Emerald Ocean like so many beautiful swans, and the crowd gathered for the welcome let out exclamations of wonder.
Akela was asked what kind of ships these were: she replied they were war galleys, known for their speed and manoeuverability in battle. The King, who had asked the question, looked slightly alarmed, before she told him that they were the best ships in the Helloman navy, and always used in state occasions. He then relaxed, and waited for the ships to pull in.
The ships stopped a little way from the shore, as it would be unsafe to go in any further. The Tortallans were amazed by the way they lined up next to each other, and also by the large amount of magic at the rears of the ships.
On being asked, Akela said that it was a spell made so that the huge galleys would not need to be rowed by slaves. Numair’s eyes immediately lit up, and he fervently hoped that some mages were in the delegation as well so he could pester them-that is, ask them nicely- for further information.
Ropes and ladders were seen falling from the sides of the ships, and then a large number of men and women started climbing down them. They were all wearing Helloman battle armour, consisting of brass cuirasses, white kilted skits and bright helms, with the short swords called "gladii" at their sides and large, round shields, decorated, as the ships were, with different motifs and decorations on them. The Tortallns were impressed by how an army that seemed so uniform could still allow space for such individuality.
The first consignment of Hellomans jumped into the freezing water without turning a hair, and waded to the beach, where they all stood in line without uttering a word. Then, some other soldiers (Akela said in a whisper that they were called "legionnaries") lowered some small boats from the sides of the ships, before helping some older men and women dressed in long black-and-white togas into them and rowing them ashore.
Akela’s jaw dropped. Senators? What in the name of the Great Spirit and all its minions were THEY doing here?
Then she decided that it was probably to discuss state matters, and could have kicked herself for being so silly.
The Hellomans all stood in formation, before saluting the Tortallans in the military style many of them were already familiar with because of Akela. Then, the entire party went back to Corus for the welcoming festivities.
The Tortallans were once again impressed by the Hellomans; they politely but firmly refused the Tortallan offers of carts for the foot-soldiers, and even managed to surpass the Tortallans, many of them arriving in Corus before their hosts did.
Akela had stayed out of sight through this whole incident, which was easy considering the fact that she was 5’5" and many of the Tortallans were tall. She then went to her room and rested a little, before going out to feed Achilles and Raksha.
The King, at very short notice, arranged a ball to welcome the strangers. Akela, with some arm-twisting and many promises of being left alone, was made to come to this one as well.
It did not go badly: while some of the Hellomans were again in full battle regalia, some others were wearing simple tunics, dyed in bright colours and with ornate fringes. They were welcomed warmly by the Tortallan nobles, and all were polite and well-bred.
Then, suddenly, King Jonathan made an announcement that made Akela want to kill him. Slowly, in great pain.
"My esteemed guests, I would like to welcome you to our country. Some of you have already mentioned to me how we seemed to be familiar with your customs. I would now like to introduce you to the person who taught them to us: Akela Manitou."
The Hellomans exploded in excited talk, some in Tortallan and some in their own, peculiar, musical language. To Jonathan, however, it signalled more a huge, unexpected and pleasant surprise, as if meeting a long-lost hero, than disapproval.
Akela was pushed forward, before she knew what was happening, and suddenly found herself facing her countrymen and women.
They all looked shocked, and then stood up in deference and saluted her in the military manner. They then stood silently, as she acknowledged the salute.
One of them, a tall man with curly black hair and dark eyes, moved forward and salted.
"General, it is surely a gift from the Great Spirit that we find you here."
Akela looked at him, and smiled.
"Rufio, my old friend. It has been a long time since we fought together in the Arena, hasn’t it?"
the Helloman then turned to his hosts, who were dumbstruck.
Raschid spoke up.
"General’? What’s going on, Akela?"
"I was about to ask the same question myself" Jonathan replied.
Akela looked down. The man named Rufio proceeded to explain that from the ages of thirteen to seventeen she had been in the Felix Legions, the Helloman Army’s elite corps, and had been made a General due to her uncanny abilities in planning, leading and conducting battles. In fact, some of the Hellomans said that this skill was given to her by the Great War-Lord Ares himself, and she was a living legend in Hellome. Rufio himself had been her second in command.
Akela sighed, and began to walk among the Hellomans, calling them by name and showing some knowledge of their lives, while the Tortallans were looking at their friend with absolute shock.
She eventually arrived at a soldier who had slowly and almost unnoticed made his way to the back of the room. He was dressed in full battle regalia, which meant a cuirass, sword and shield and a helm that covered his face.
On seeing him, she stood still for a moment, before saluting him.
"Caesar" she intonated, while the Tortallans who knew what the word meant gasped.
The Emperor of Hellome had come to Tortall incognito, only to be recognised by Akela.
He removed his helm and threw it down, showing a youthful face with a closely-clipped beard, trimmed to frame a strong jaw, full mouth, and aquiline nose topped by green eyes and cropped blond hair. He was wearing a purple tunic under his cuirass, the symbol of the Emperor in Hellome, and looked straight at Jonathan before saluting him in the military style.
The room buzzed with talk again, as he turned to Akela and glared. She responded with a honey-sweet smile, and he smiled back, making Raschid and Augusto, who were by now quite close to the two, realise that this was not just an Emperor and his most valued general…
6. Rescue Me
The young, handsome and rich Emperor of Hellome, Caesar Demetrius Aurelius, was an immediate success in the Tortallan court: perhaps it was his good looks, or possibly his excellent manners, or much more probably his status, position, rank and the wealth that came with it.
This meant that a large proportion of the eligible young ladies of the court of Tortall immediately "set their caps at him", as the phrase went, and tried their best to make themselves as agreeable as possible in hopes of becoming the next Empress of the vast and powerful Helloman empire.
It soon became apparent, however, that the young man had his sights set on another quarry altogether: a she-wolf. One with black hair, blazing dark eyes, a short, sturdy figure and a military knowledge and instinct to rival the great War Lord Ares himself.
In this pursuit, he was chiefly joined by two other young, eligible bachelors of the Tortallan court:
Augusto de Souza, Ambassador of Tyra to the Court of Tortall, and Raschid Salmalin, son of the two greatest mages in the land.
These two had been fighting over pretty Akela for what now seemed to the rest of the court like forever: this has generally been prevented by keeping them as far apart as possible, but tonight, at this ball, there had been an accident.
The four of them, Akela, Demetrius, Raschid and Augusto took their meal at the same table due to a mistake in the seating arrangements. The three men are silent as they simply do not want to acknowledge each other's existence, and Akela is silent because she is hungry and too busy eating to talk to anyone.
Eventually, Akela got tired of the ball, and decided to leave for her quarters.
She walked along the corridors, twisting and turning with the innate sense of direction which had tried its best to keep her out of trouble in times past.
However, a series of sounds caught her ears, pricking her curiosity and making her set out in search of it. She quickened her pace to a jog-trot and went along the nobles' and mages' quarters.
She then heard a roar of fury, and ran faster: on getting to her destination, she saw a large noble gripping a tiny girl, who could not have been more than three, by the scruff of the neck. She was whimpering in pain and terror, and Akela was not fast enough to prevent the man from picking up the tiny creature and flinging her against a wall.
Akela felt a red cloud cover her vision, and threw herself at the man: her 150- lb frame was a formidable missile, and allowed her to tackle him and wrestle him into the ground.
He stood up again, swearing, and tried to lunge at her, but before he could lay a hand on his assailant she had given him a punch which stunned him momentarily: however, this was still long enough for her to manage to fasten her teeth on his throat.
As she was struggling, she felt herself being grabbed by lots of powerful hands: she struggled against them and the noble got up and tried to run before being accosted by a Helloman legionary.
Akela herself at the time was in the undignified position of her limbs being gripped by four of her friends: her old lieutenant Rufio, a woman legionary who was named Vulpa for her cunning, Master Numair, Sir Raoul of Goldenlake and with Raschid in front of her. He went to grab her head, but Rufio managed to cry out a warning: “Beware of her teeth!”.
Fortunately, Raschid listened, and managed to pull his hand away from her head just before she attempted to rip a big chunk out of it.
Eventually, Akela cooled down, and was released: Rufio went over to the noble, who was standing sullenly near a wall, and stood next to him. The fact that he said nothing only served to add to the Helloman’s menace.
Akela herself, meanwhile, went to the little girl, who was still lying collapsed in a bag-of-clothes position on the floor and was making low whimpering noises. She was dressed in just one filthy rag, and her tangled hair was matted, unkempt and of an uncertain colour. Suddenly, Akela realised what she herself must have looked like at that age, small and vulnerable: her face filled with pity, and she leaned down and picked the tiny creature up in her arms.
She opened her eyes, which were a brilliant green, and looked at the fighter, trembling; Akela passed in front of the noble, who sneered.
“Look how the slaves take to each other…” he snarled.
Rufio gave him a heavy cuff across the ear before slamming him into the wall.
“Watch how you speak to a General of the Felix Legions, plebeian!” he snarled, his gleaming white teeth only inches from the noble’s face.
Meanwhile, Akela took the little girl to her quarters, and performed some fast healing: she was a mess, covered in blood, bruises, cuts and with a few badly healed broken bones.
He probably avoided sending her to the healers… Akela thought. She put the little girl into her bath, and brought out some towels, some water and soap. The child looked curiously at the…equipment and Akela realised that she had probably never had a bath in her entire life.
Bathing her was a job and a half, but eventually Akela got the worst of the grime off her. Then, she dressed her in one of her own old shirts and spelled her to sleep.
The little girl had long hair, which after being cleaned turned out to be dark red. Her skin was white, except from the parts where black and blue bruises discoloured it, but Akela would soon fix that.
She covered the little creature with a blanket, and went outside to clear her head.
|
Printer-friendly copy 
Email this topic to a friend
Fan Words 
