Ascension (23 page)

"Fara, and I'll tell him. " As I
left, I remembered the alfalfa in my pocket, and walked back to
give it to Brussel, asking of he could split it amongst Elana, Sir
Thunder, and Sam.

"I can give it to Elana, but as for
Sir Thunder and Sam, they aren't in the stables anymore. That
palace messenger fellow took them this morning. They looked like
they were ready for a few weeks worth of traveling at
least."

"Really? Well,
thank you for all your help,
”
I said,
wondering where Croxley might have gone at a time like this. I
remembered that he said he had an assignment to do, but was it
really so urgent that he need leave without another word? He knew
that we were right in the middle of planning, and with the Prince
basically out of the picture, I needed his help.

"Don't mention
it,
”
Brussel replied with a wave of his
hand, as if trying to bat my gratitude out of the air.
“
But make sure you stay safe out there on the
streets. The south side ain't any place for a pretty lass like
yourself."

After I left the barn, I looked
around to try and figure out where the south side would be. One
would think that, having spent a few months here, I would know more
about the layout of the city, but I've spent most of my time in the
castle. Other than coming to the stables, I haven't seen very
much.

Based off of where the sun was in
the sky, I figured out more or less the general direction of south,
and made my way down the road. Apart from the occasional cart that
would rumble by, I was on my own, walking through the quiet town.
Everyone must be avoiding the chill winter air. It was enough to
make my nose drip, and I kept having to wipe it away with the back
of my numb hands.

Eventually I came to a fork in the
road. On a whim, I chose the path to left. Six more "whims" later,
however, I had gotten myself lost and stuck at a dead end. By now,
the sun was falling behind the homes, casting long shadows, and I
was exhausted. I wished I had eaten breakfast this morning. I
haven't had a single thing to eat all day. As if to remind me, my
stomach gurgled, and I rubbed it absentmindedly, as if I could
comfort it into silence like one does with a babe. I sighed, rubbed
my hands together to warm them up, and sat in a squat against the
back wall. Looking at my dress, I saw that the bottom had become
tattered and dirt-stained, worse for wear than I was. Mathelda's
gonna kill me, I thought to myself. That is, if I ever find my way
back. I rested my head in my hands as I tried to figure out how to
get myself out of this mess. I made up my mind to ask the next
person I saw how to return to the castle. I would just have to find
out how to get to Heath another day. Maybe if I had more time to
prepare some supplies and get some directions, I would be more
successful.

At the sound of rustling, I popped
my head up, looking around to find the source of the sound. A
nearby cat had been eating some of the garbage left on the side of
the alleyway and suddenly dashed away, spooked off by an unknown
threat. Peering down the alley back up the way I came, I saw a
group of shadows pass across the street. I got up and chased them
down, calling after them, "Excuse me! Excuse me!"

The closest figure turned around
and, seeing me, called for the rest of the group to stop. They
turned out to be a group of 5 young men. One was picking his teeth
with a toothpick, and when he saw me, he threw it down, spitting to
the side. He peered down at me, his mouth forming into a smile that
sent a chill down my spine.

“
Pardon me, Miss, you
appear to be lost," he said, running his eyes down my figure as
though he could see right through the many layers of my
gown.

"Um, actually, never mind. I'm sorry
to bother you." Any concern I had about being lost was replaced by
a sudden desire to be as far away from him as possible. I began
backing away, but he mimicked my steps away with forward steps of
his own.

“
Aw, how sweet.
But you don
’
t
have to worry, you aren't being a bother. May I ask your
name?"

"I...I actually have to get going.
Thank you for your help," I said as I turned to walk away, but the
group of boys began to circle around me, tighter. I tried to get
through the gap, but their bodies formed a wall, leaving me with no
place to go.

"Aw, come on. We just met! I would
love to get to know you," he brushed his fingers down the side of
my face, and my heart leapt into my throat, racing with fear. He
walked up closer, and I could smell his breath, thick with alcohol
and smoke. In fact, they all reeked of alcohol, probably on their
way from one pub to another. They wore very classic garb, not too
flashy but obviously more than rags, appearing to be of the middle
class of Ahrenia. I imagined that their fathers were businessmen,
giving their sons just enough money and free time to get themselves
into trouble. And they sure seemed like they were looking for
trouble, something which I was all to afraid they would expect me
to provide.

"Not in the mood
to talk? Don
’
t
worry, I'll start. My name is Andrew. This is James, Derrick,
Shannon, and George. We were just looking for a fun time, and you
came along." He glanced down my dress and winked, saying "I think
it was fate."

"Fate? I'm not too sure...I'm
actually just trying to get back to the castle. If you could point
me in the right direction-"

"Ah, so you're
one of the castle girls, huh? You must know what
you
’
re doing,
then." Andrew looked at the other guys, and I watched as their
expressions changed from that of entertainment to pure
hunger.

One of them chuckled and said, "I
didn't know they extended their services out here. Hey Shannon,
isn't your sister one of them?"

"Yeah, she is," murmured
Shannon.

Then another
added, "She works pretty hard, too. How
’
d she learn to be so
flexible?
”
They all sniggered, and
Shannon's face grew red.

"What the hell,
George!
”
He exclaimed, pushing close to
George
’
s face.

"Calm down, man. It's not like I'm
the only one whose helped her practice," Andrew said.

"That's my sister!" As they fought,
I tried to seize my chance and escape amidst the distraction, but
the fight ended as fast as it began when one of the men noticed me
leaving. Once again, I was the center of their attention. Andrew's
playfulness faded away and he grabbed me by the arms, shoving me
against the wall.

"Now listen here,
bitch. I'm not playing around any more. I know what you do in that
big castle of yours, and I'm not gonna let you get away without
giving us a taste of the good life. Think of it as a way to expand
your repertoire.
”
I tried to squirm out
of his grip, but he held me tight. He groped my breast, looking
back at the group for encouragement. I whimpered, but didn't say
any more out of fear. The rest of the men watched eagerly, as if
imagining what they would do once they got a hold of me.
Desperately, I looked around for someone to help, but there was no
one on the street, which was now completely dark, as the sun had
set and the sky turned black.

Andrew must have caught my eyes
wandering, because he grabbed my face by the cheeks with his other
hand and made me look him in the eyes. "You're going to let us have
our fun, and if you scream, I'll make sure to have James get you
quiet nice and quick. Understand?" He forced my head up and down in
a nodding motion and then shoved me up against the wall behind us,
practically smashing himself into my body. He dove his face down
into my cleavage, and I responded by kneeing him in the groin. For
a moment, his grip weakened, and I took the chance to scream. I
barely managed to get a sound out before he recovered, slapping me
across the face, sending my head in a whirl that left me sprawled
on the ground, knocking the back of my head against the stones on
the way down. He pinned my arms with one hand and send the other
under my dress. When he leaned over me, I slammed my forehead up to
meet his, which proceeded in stunning both of us, but I continued
to struggle, desperately trying to break out of his grip. Some of
the other men got involved, forcing me down every time I gained a
little leeway, ensuring that they would all have a chance to have
their way with me.

Finally, I curled in a ball, trying
to protect myself as they attempted to pull me apart. They grabbed
my legs and arms, opening me like a flower. A kick in the side
knocked the wind out of me and put an end to my cries for help. As
my vision clouded from the pain, I sent my hand out to find the
rock that I hit my head on. Once I found it, I held on tight and
swung my arm out, hitting the man closest to me and sending him to
the ground. The small victory gave me a chance to dash towards the
nearest building, pounding my fists against the door, begging for
someone to open it, but I was pulled away before anyone answered.
As they dragged me by the hair, I dug my heels into the ground and
reached back to scratch at whoever had me. A mixture of blood and
tears were streaming down my face and blinding my eyes, and my
exhausted body was quickly gave up its last bit of
energy.

Suddenly, I heard
the slam of a door and I was dropped, sending dirt into my eyes and
my mouth. Pushing myself up, I saw a large form grab two men by the
collars and shove them against the wall, growling something at them
that I couldn
’
t
hear. After letting them go, they went running down the road,
looking behind them with fear in their eyes.

“
You bastards better run,”
was the last thing I heard before I succumbed to
the pain and let darkness wash over me.

Chapter
22

The first thing I
noticed when I woke up was my aching side. After a few deep
breaths, I was able to push that to the back of my mind, making
room for the smell of fresh baked bread to register. Suddenly, I
became very aware of the fact that I was starving, which provided
the motivation I needed to open my eyes. Squinting against the
bright light, I looked around, realizing that I had no idea where I
was. Suppressing the waves of inner panic that came as all of last
night
’
s events
rushed back, I took deep breaths and tried to collect myself before
I lost all ability of rational thought. I noticed that I had been
wrapped with a bandage around my waist and was wearing a loose
nightgown, tucked into a bed of soft blankets with obvious care.
So, wherever it is that I am, I must be safe, I reassured myself.
Pulling myself out of bed, I slowly walked out of my room and
followed my nose to find the source of the mouthwatering
scent.

I passed through
a few rooms until I found the bread sitting on the table in the
middle of the kitchen. Looking around, I saw no one else. Well,
after all the care they
’
ve given me, they were probably
intending on giving me some of this too, I justified to myself as I
lunged towards the bread, ripping open the loaf, burning my fingers
but not caring in the slightest as the warmth filled my body and
expanded in my stomach. I was diving into the second half when I
heard someone exclaim,
“
Goodness
gracious! Well, good morning!"

Embarrassed and guilty, I turned
around. With a full mouth, I mumbled back, "Hello," and, after
swallowing, I added sheepishly, "thanks for the bread."

"I see you helped yourself. Oh,
don't worry about it, it isn't a problem. I have more coming out of
the hearth as we speak. I imagine that you're thirsty as well, am I
correct?" She asked with a knowing smile. I nodded, and she brought
me a pitcher of watered-down ale "for the pain."

As I drank, I watched her expertly
kneed the dough on the counter across from me. She looked to be in
her later years, dark skinned and comfortably plump with strong
hands and glossy black hair pulled back under a white bonnet. She
was humming to herself as she worked, and I was reminded of my
mother and her similar joy of cooking.

"Now that you're awake and
nourished, would you mind telling me your name, child?"

"My name is Fara, ma'am."

"Fara? You certainly lived up to
your name last night." My mind flickered back to the tale Croxley
told me about the source of my name, the stubborn maiden who fought
great battles for her people. "My name is Veloria. Most call me
Val. Well, Miss Fara, may I ask why a palace girl like you was
wandering the streets so late at night?"

"I was looking for a friend, you may
know him. His name is Heath." I saw recognition of the name flash
across her face.

"Ah, so you are
Heath's stable-girl, then? He's spoken a lot about you. Well,
you're in luck. His home is just down this street. You were very
close to finding him before those boys, because we both know they
don
’
t deserve
to be called men, caused a ruckus. I'll let him know that you're
here when my husband comes back. In the meantime, I recommend that
you get some more rest. You took quite a beating last
night."