Return to Arrazuole (Part5)

Chapter Thirteen

         Jenna stretched lazily under the covers and began to open sleepy eyes, her brain several steps behind her body.  For a moment her apartment lay before her eyes, until the familiar belongings began to meld and transform into a curious collection of objects.  Slowly, her mind started to whirl into gear, and the events of the previous night came flooding back to her in a cascade of images and sounds-the cramped room, barely large enough for the rickety bed it contained, suddenly registering in her memory again.  She swung her feet onto the cold floor and grimaced as she felt the muscles in her back and shoulders tighten-the aged mattress had not provided a very comfortable sleep.  Forcing herself to stand, she felt the top of her head graze along the rough, uneven ceiling.  Carefully, she made the short trip to the other side of the room, where the only other piece of furniture, a rather dilapidated looking dresser with a cracked full-length mirror, stood. 
Studying her reflection, she hardly recognised the girl staring back at her.  Greasy strands of hair fell around a pale, taught face, while bloodshot eyes encased by dark shadows looked wearily out onto the world.  The skin on her hands was scratched and dirty and her nails were cracked.  The white nightgown she wore was at least two sizes too big and hung clumsily below her knees, it’s torn hem dangling errant strands of thread onto her legs.  Sucking the air into her lungs, she tasted her own foul breath.  She had never felt so uncomfortable….
A rap on the door made her jump. 
“W..Who is it?” Her voice was shaking, though from what emotion she couldn’t tell. 
“Javai.”  The sound of a voice she recognised made her smile, and she tugged the heavy door to the room open, revealing a narrow corridor beyond that was barley high enough for a man to stand up in.
         “I trust you are well this morning?”  His tall, slender frame filled the doorway.
         Jenna ran an embarrassed hand through her hair and averted her face.
         “I guess so….though I’m pretty stiff from that bed.”  Jenna regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth for, judging by his slightly rumpled appearance and the bags forming under his eyes, he had spent all night on that very spot, most likely awake…
         Javai made no sign of noticing the comment.
         “We need to leave soon to meet with The Council-there is a lot to be done today.”
         Jenna nodded tiredly, then spotted her pile of clothes on the floor from the previous day. 
         “Umm….I’m going to need something to wear, and would I be able to get a bath?”  Jenna was becoming increasingly more aware of her dishevelled state.  Again, Javai made no sign that he was aware of this fact.
         “I will have some-suitable-clothes sent down,” he began, eyeing her nightgown curiously, “and I will make arrangements for your washing facilities.” 
         Jenna smiled appreciatively and watched him turn to head down the corridor.  Before she had even registered what she was doing, the question that had been burning in her mind since last night came tumbling out.
         “Not everybody wants me here do they?”
Javai turned to face her again.  For the first time Jenna saw a flicker of emotion in the dark eyes. 
         “The Royal Family didn’t always do the right thing….but they didn’t deserve to die.”  Jenna felt a warm comfort come over her.  Javai began the walk down the corridor, but stopped and glanced back at her.
         “Your mother was a good woman.  You remind me of her.”  And with those parting words he was gone.
         It didn’t take long for a bronze bath to be brought to her room, which was swiftly filled with water heated over the small fire.  Slipping off her nightgown, she sunk herself into the soothing waters and washed away the stress of last night.  When the water started to cool, she shivered into a thick cotton towel, almost as long as she was.  Standing by the fire, she examined the clothes that had been left on her bed.  They were certainly different to what she was used to, but she actually enjoyed the transformation.  This time, she was very satisfied with what she saw in the mirror. 
         The next rap on the door came from a messenger who ushered her into a circular room; filled with some of the faces she had seen the night before.  At the centre stood the elderly gentleman, and to his side Javai.  Upon her entrance all voices stopped and all eyes turned to her.  Surprise registered on the elderly man’s face, while another strange emotion that Jenna couldn’t identify came over Javai’s. 
         “My dear, you look….enchanting.”  He gave her his fatherly smile as he took in her new appearance.  Jenna felt a warm glow come over cheeks.  She had gathered that her new attire was probably fairly restrained, but it was certainly more elaborate than anything she had ever worn before.  The corseted bodice hugged her ribs and emphasised her figure, it’s deep red colour contrasting beautifully with her creamy white skin.  The skirt draped in a soft layer of muslin, pulling in tightly at her waist, while the cut off sleeves exposed her toned arms.  Her clean hair now hung damply on her shoulders in it’s natural waves, held back loosely by a black satin ribbon. A floor length black cloak tied at her neck completed the dramatic picture.
         “I am sorry that we couldn’t give you something more befitting a princess, but we obviously can not be drawing attention to ourselves.”
         Jenna smiled at the old man.
         “Oh no, this is just wonderful, believe me.  Thank you.”  Her eyes travelled cautiously to Javai, whose dark eyes burned with a hidden fire.  She quickly lowered her gaze. 
         “Then we should begin the day’s tasks.  Firstly we must….”  The conversation was interrupted by an almighty bang from somewhere outside, followed by the sound of scurrying feet and frantic voices.   
         

Chapter Fourteen

         
         “Wait here!” 
Before she had even seen them move, her companions had crowded out into the narrow hallway, swords glinting in the dim light.  Jenna soon found herself alone and unsure of what to do next. 
Well….she resolved to herself….I’m certainly not going to stand around like some helpless female. 
Inching out into the hallway, she spied the staircase that she and Javai had descended the previous night.  Moving closer, she was able to make out the faint glow of the dawn creeping down from the top of the staircase.  With it, came the muffled sound of voices-the original anxiety now transforming into something resembling annoyance.  Questioning whether she was doing the right thing the whole way, Jenna began the steep climb up the stairs…
The voices grew louder as she neared the opening in the tree, she could clearly make out Javai’s, along with some others that she didn’t recognise.  They appeared to be involved in a heated argument.
“What did you think you were doing you fool!”
“Hey, calm down…I didn’t mean any harm.  How was I to know there was a whole army stashed away in that tree?”
“I say we get rid of him now…he looks like trouble!”
The voices came to a halt as Jenna emerged from the tree.  She took in the scene in front of her with both surprise and confusion. 
A dozen or so knights, all brandishing swords, surrounded a young man.  He stood very casually as if unperturbed by the whole thing.  Beyond them were the other gentleman, eyes fixed on the inner circle, faces serious.
The elderly gentleman stared at Jenna and whispered fearfully through clenched teeth,
“Return downstairs at once Jenna!”
At the sound of her name, the man in the circle turned round slowly, for his back had been to Jenna until this point.  She almost wished he hadn’t though.  His appearance was certainly disarming, and in stark contrast to those around him.  The eyes that gazed at her were an icy blue, yet they glowed with an inner warmth. His hair was so blonde, it was almost white-standing up straight on his head before being combed ever so slightly backwards.  He was tall, and though his dark trousers and knee length shirt with flared sleeves concealed his build, it was obvious he possessed a hidden strength. 
“Do not move!” Javai’s voice interrupted the silence.  “Why are you here? Who sent you?”
The man slowly removed his eyes from Jenna before transferring them to Javai.
“Relax, I was just out taking a walk and got myself a bit lost so I decided to cast a little path-clearing spell.  Well, it must have clashed with one of the enchantments you have on that tree, and….”  He gestured to a smouldering patch of grass a few feet away, encircling a deep whole in the ground almost two feet across.  “You know you really should be more careful with enchantments.” 
“I don’t believe him. Lets keep him inside until we find out the truth.”
Javai returned his sword to its sheath,
“I agree. Take him downstairs.  Place two guards outside his door at all times.” 
The other knights ushered the young man towards the tree who sauntered along with his hands in his pockets, seemingly unconcerned.  Jenna stepped aside to let them pass, before following Javai and the other gentleman back down the stairs.
“You are not to act so recklessly again,” The voice was quiet but firm in her ear.  “You are very fortunate you ended up in no danger.  Do you understand?” 
Jenna nodded her head slowly and followed Javai into a larger, open room, devoid of any furniture.  The elderly gentleman joined them briefly.
“I am afraid there will be some delay to our plans while this matter is attended to.”  He smiled warmly before disappearing into the hallway, leaving Jenna and Javai alone….
Summoning up her courage, Jenna voiced the question that had been on her mind for some time.
“You…you said I reminded you of my mother. Did you know her?”
Javai turned from her and gazed intently into the empty space in front of him, as if watching his memories playing out him before him.
         “I only saw her once, shortly before she died….she came to our village. No-one from the Royal Family had ever visited our village before.”  His voice held a touch of pride tinged with a deep sadness.  “She was beautiful, everyone had always said she was, but it couldn’t prepare you.  I remember…she wore daisies in her hair,” he gave a short laugh, “some people didn’t approve-they said daisies were not suitable for a Princess.  But daisies were the symbol of our village and she didn’t want to offend us.”
         Jenna didn’t know what to do as she watched Javai continue to relive his past.
         “I was only five at the time.  My mother…” Jenna notice his voice struggle with the word ‘mother’…” she was so excited.  She spent days cleaning the house even though the Princess would never see inside.  When she came, the whole village gathered together, watching the carriage arrive.  We all thought she would just stay for a moment-we…we didn’t warrant anything else.  We had to, as a sign of respect, lay out a feast-but we didn’t think it would actually be needed.  But she stayed….she sat with all of us and ate and drank….it was a fairly humble meal.  Everyone had laid out their best food.  We had some of the finest plum trees in the village, so my mother had made a plum pie.  I can still see her face when the Princess said it was the finest pie she had ever tasted…”
         Javai’s voice trailed off and his eyes fixed themselves on Jenna, as if suddenly realising she was there.  He looked embarrassed by his revelations…
         “Forgive me….I should not have spoken so freely regarding your mother.”  His voice had returned to its usual formal tone.
         “Oh…don’t apologise, really.  I, I enjoyed…”  Before she could get the words out of her mouth, Javai gave a low bow and swiftly exited the room, replaced almost immediately by the elderly gentleman. 
         “Well my dear, you’ll be happy to hear that we are now back on schedule and will be leaving shortly.”
         Jenna smiled,
         ‘That is good to hear. Ummm….Javai was just telling me some stories about my mother.” 
         The elderly gentleman looked pleased.
         “I’m glad you are enjoying learning about your past.”  He turned to leave.
         “He mentioned some things about his own family.”  She added hastily.  She noted the shadow that befell the gentleman’s face.
         “Ah, yes. Tragic business.”
         Jenna pounced on the word.
         “Tragic?”
         The elderly gentleman looked at her patiently.
         ‘It is not my place to say my dear.  Javai is a-complicated- young man.  But you will not find a more loyal or dedicated subject, that you can be sure of.”  As he made his way to the door, he glanced over his shoulder one more time.
         “Take your time my dear. The longest books are often the ones most worth reading.” 

Chapter Fifteen

Mokanishyo studied his newest incarceration with interest….well; it was certainly an improvement on his last place.  The room, carved deep into the rocks underground, was crudely lined with panels of splintered wood and appeared as if it hadn’t been cleaned for some time.  A thick haze of dust hung in the air, while a damp, musty smell came at him from every corner. Yes, definitely an improvement he thought……He threw himself into an ancient looking rocking chair, which creaked angrily against his weight.  Closing his eyes, he drew in some breaths of stale air.
         It had been a long night. He certainly hadn’t had much trouble finding this place; the residuals of incantations in the forest had shone out to him like beacons, guiding him to the obvious headquarters.  However, even his skills had stumbled when it came to actually gaining access-the magic that protected the tree way out of his league.  After several failed attempts, he decided it would probably be a lot easier to get them to come out instead.
         Springing up from the chair, Mokanishyo made his way over to a small jug of water that had been provided for his refreshment.  He had pretty much expected a hostile reception, though this had caused him little concern given that his orders were very clear.  Find the rebels, and then hand them over to Davidor and his cronies. Mokanishyo didn’t much care who these rebels were, what they were fighting for or why Davidor was so concerned about them, he wasn’t very interested in politics…..Up until his newest imprisonment he had had every intention of dispatching his charges swiftly. 
         But that was before he saw her.  Most obviously the girl that Davidor had talked about.  A wry smile crept across his lips as he tried to examine his reflection inside the murky jug.  Urghh, his face was so pale, it was clear his skin hadn’t seen sunlight for a very, very long time.  As he attempted to re-arrange his hairstyle, he watched as his reflection melted away only to be replaced by another face that he was not so keen to look at.
         “I am glad you have time to devote to your appearance.”  Davidor’s voice floated out from the water. “ I take it this means you have completed your mission?’” 
         Mokanishyo met his gaze full on; this was no time to show any weakness.
         “Almost, I managed to track the rebels as they were leaving the forest and now I just need to find where they are hiding. It shouldn’t take long, they wouldn’t risk moving again so soon.” Mokanishyo congratulated himself on being such a good liar.
         Davidor’s eyes narrowed,
         “You have left the forest? Where are you now? 
Mokanishyo knew that Davidor’s view of his present location was severely hindered by the jug.
         “I stopped off at an inn to get some refreshments. I was walking all night. Don’t worry, as soon as I find the rebels, I will contact you at once.”
         Davidor’s gaze never left Mokanishyo’s.
         “You have twenty-four hours,” and with those parting words, Mokanishyo found himself staring at his own reflection once again.
         Returning to the rocking chair, Mokanishyo realised there was probably a lot more going on here than he first though, and it may not pay to decide which side to fight on just yet.

         Tying the velvet cord gently around her throat, Jenna arranged the hood of her cloak so it hid as much of her face as possible. As she did so, she wondered with amazement at how ‘normal’ everything was becoming-the recent altercation outside having hardly fazed her at all-and now here she was, preparing herself for a perilous journey through an enchanted forest, to a town she had never even heard of, with a band of magicians and knights as her escorts.  She smiled to herself, had she really been working at the diner just yesterday?
         “I apologise for the delay.” Javai’s deep voice filled the large room. “We had to make sure our visitor was properly secured before we left.” He showed no signs of acknowledging their previous conversation. 
         “Do you think he’s dangerous?” Jenna hadn’t been particularly concerned when she had seen the cause of all the commotion.
         “I do not know at this point, but we can not take any chances. Now, if you are ready, we must leave.  The rest of The Council is expecting us and we are already delayed. We have sent them a calling-bird informing them of our situation, but we should still hurry.”
         Jenna followed Javai to the stairs once more.  For the first time, she noticed he had changed his clothes. No longer was he wearing the dark trousers and black shirt that had been tied tightly around his waist, emphasising the concealed muscles but adding to his shadow-like appearance. Now, he was dressed in much softer fabrics that flowed effortlessly around his body, creating a much gentler impact on the eye.  Several layers of shirts in creams and beige clung to his well-sculptured torso, riding up occasionally at the sleeve, exposing his strong forearms.  A pair of dark brown trousers, which skimmed along his slender hips, fell to the floor, while his black hair had been combed away from his eyes, opening up his face. 
         As if sensing her surprise, Javai flicked his eyes to hers briefly. 
         “It was decided it would be best if we travelled as artisans, we will be less likely to be stopped.” He appeared uncomfortable with his new image, and Jenna had to suppress a smile. 
         “We? Is anyone else coming?’”
         “We decided two people would arouse less suspicion.  The others shall follow behind in time.”
         Jenna was slightly annoyed that she had not been part of the ‘we’ that seemed to be making all the decisions, but she figured they probably knew much more than she did about this place.
         “What is that?!” Jenna ground to a halt as they came back out into the clearing.
         Javai shot her a look of incredulity.
         “It is a horse.”
         Jenna rolled her eyes and took a tentative step away from the beast.
         “I can see it is a horse. What is it doing here?”
         Javai was already adjusting the straps on the saddle and testing the reins.  He answered her without even bothering to turn around.
         “The forest stretches for miles. How else do you expect us to travel?”
         “But, I’ve never ridden a horse before!”
         This time, the look on Javai’s face was one of genuine shock and disbelief. 
         “You have never ridden a horse before?”
         “No, they’re not really that popular in New York.”  Or with me, thought Jenna, as she gazed up at the tall stallion that must be at least six feet high!
         “Then, how do people travel?” Javai’s shock appeared to be growing.
         “We have….other means.” Jenna decided this was not the time to get into the industrial revolution.
         Javai shrugged his shoulders and began to lead the animal over to Jenna.  She had to admit; he was certainly a beautiful creature, with a soft tan colouring and a silver star on his forehead.  But there was no way she getting on it!
         “I am not riding that horse!” Her voice was betraying her fear. “Besides, how do you expect me to get on it in this thing?” Jenna motioned to the long folds of her dress.
         “Women here generally ride side-saddle in order to overcome such difficulties.” 
Jenna didn’t like where this conversation was going.  She took another step back, feeling her shoulders brush up against the trunk of the tree.  She was now trapped between the tree and Javai….
“Couldn’t I just walk alongside the horse?” Jenna’s voice was desperately pleading.
“I am afraid that is not possible.”
Jenna chose to gamble her luck.
‘Well, I’m not riding it, and you can’t make me!”  Jenna regretted her choice of words as soon as they were out of her mouth, for a dangerous light flashed in Javai’s eyes.  Before she could react, Javai had grasped her waist tightly with his hands, and hoisted her up into the air, before placing her down unceremoniously onto the back saddle of the horse.  Jenna gasped as she found herself gazing down at the forest floor from her new vantage point.  She gripped onto the edge of the saddle as if her life depended on it- her legs dangling uselessly down one side of the horse. 
“What do you think you’re doing? I’m going to fall!”
Jenna watched as Javai mounted the horse with obvious skill and experience.
“That will not happen.” He gathered up the reins and passed two longer ones back to her. She swiftly switched her grip to those. “If it makes you feel any better, you may hold onto me.” 
“That will not be necessary.” Jenna replied bitingly, still smarting from her treatment.
“As you wish.”
With a quick jerk on the reins, the horse began to move off, causing Jenna to wobble in her seat and instinctively grab out for Javai.  Locking her arms around his stomach, she pressed herself into his back and held on as tightly as she could, burying her face in his shirt so she did not have to see what was happening. 
“Are you quite comfortable?”
Jenna’s pride and indignation rankled her
“Is this how you always treat a princess?”
“Oh I do apologise,” Javai’s voice held a touch of amusement, “are you quite comfortable Your Highness?”
Jenna was certain she heard him laugh.

Return to Arrazuole (Part6)  (E) a new york waitress discovers her destiny.... #1455729 by tag2412