Broken Aro (The Broken Ones) (13 page)

"Aro? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She shook her head quickly. "I'm
just tired. And hungry."

He watched her for a moment before he nodded and
stood, gathering up his bowls and cloth. "Let us head back to the fire and
have something to eat."

Her head shot up at that. He had food? Her stomach
cramped at the idea of food. How many days had it been since she had more than
a few pieces of that horrible bread? She followed him eagerly, and then watched
impatiently as he puttered about the fire, cooking a few small fish on sticks.
What looked like clams or muscles he placed by the fire until they opened.

She stuffed her face, and licked her fingers. "Oh,
that was so good!"

He smiled over at her as he continued eating, in a much
neater and proper fashion.

"So you can cook, too?"

He nodded. "I travel often. There are not always
inns and such to stay in."

She yawned and curled up by the fire, watching the
flames flicker. "Well, you are very good at it. At least with seafood."

He laughed quietly. "Thank you." He finished
eating and tidied up. She watched him leave for a moment, and when he returned
and handed her a small piece of wet cloth, she smiled. She sat up, laughing at
his manners and wiped her mouth and hands.

He watched her, as if making sure she did a good
enough job, and then settled down to sit beside her.

"Is there a reason you're being so nice?"
She struggled not to yawn. "I wouldn't think you'd care about someone like
me."

He paused before answering, as if surprised at her
comment. "I am actually quite fond of you."

"Mmm," she managed, not really believing
him. She lied back down again. A full stomach made her so tired.

He chuckled suddenly. "I have always had a soft
spot for children."

His words caused anger to shoot through her.
He
thought her a child?
She frowned slightly as she wiggled against the cold
stone, trying to get comfortable. Finally she closed her eyes. "So you're
that kind of man are you?"

She cracked an eye open to see how he'd taken her
comment and couldn't hold in a chuckle. His cheeks were absolutely flaming, his
eyes wide and horrified. They narrowed quickly however, at her laugh. "Got
you," she murmured.

"You are such a troublesome child," he said
sternly.

"I'm not a child," she muttered.

His fingers brushed hair from her face. "Ah, but
you are," he said so very softly. "Don't rush growing up. Being a
child is so much better. Hold on to your innocence."

"So I should stay a boy? I don't think the others
would do that."

He grew quiet for a moment, as if trying to figure out
what she meant. "Ah, yes," he said finally. "That was not…quite
what I was speaking of. So you are…yes of course you are."

She smiled slightly at his floundering words. "I've
never even kissed a boy," she admitted quietly as sleep pulled at her more
strongly.

As she drifted off she felt his hand on her shoulder. "You
have lots of time, Aro. Lots of time."

Chapter 10

A Good Day

The next morning she couldn't see Prince anywhere. She
frowned, looking around. She was certain it had been his leaving that had woken
her. She could vaguely remember him brushing hair from her face, and the
feeling of his cool fingers against her forehead.

Had she dreamed it?

No, if she'd dreamed of him, it wouldn't be something
like that. He simply still worried about her being sick, or maybe getting sick
again. That was beyond strange itself. She hadn't thought he liked her, but
from what he'd said the night before, he did.

Maybe they had started to become friends after all.

Such thoughts quickly sobered her. What had happened
to Kei? Had he died? Or had he somehow made it out of the ship? Even if he had,
she had no idea how badly he had been hurt. He might not have made it to shore.
Panic bubbled up inside of her, twisting her stomach. Had she lost him?

She sniffled and rubbed away tears that suddenly
started sliding down her cheeks. He had been all she had left. She didn't want
to think about him anymore. It hurt too much. She didn't want to think of
everything she'd lost. Everyone.

She looked at the fire and moved to toss another small
piece of wood on it. Prince had left her breakfast; a fish cooked and left on a
large green leaf. The sight made her smile a little, proof he continued to
think of her, to take care of her.

She tended the fire and ate slowly, one never ate fish
quickly. It was a sure way to choke to death on a bone. After cleaning up she
headed out toward the beach, wondering where Prince had gone off to.

She looked down its length, all the way to the next
outcrop of stone, and didn't see him. He must have gone back into the woods.
She also noticed the absence of bodies. Had he moved them? She didn't know, and
decided she wasn't going to ask either.

Picking her way down the beach, she collected odds and
ends that might be helpful. They were stuck here after all, wherever here was,
and they had nothing.

She found a few pieces of rope, some netting that
needed only minor repair, and another large bowl shaped shell. Holding them to
her chest, she carried them along with her. When she kicked over a board she
discovered her greatest find. A long, thin nail stuck out of it.

"Oh!" She grinned. It would do nicely.

* * *

When Prince finally returned to the fire a while later
she struggled to contain her excitement. "Hello, my prince," she
sang, bouncing up and down.

He stopped to stare at her strangely before setting
down a number of items.

When his hands became free she shouted, "Catch!"

He did so with ease, and stared in shock at what lay
in his hands.

She held up her hands and wiggled her fingers and
laughed. Her now free hands.

"How..?"

She laughed again and ran up to him, holding out the
nails she had found. "I found some nails, and freed them from their
boards, and shaped them with rocks, see?" She waved them in front of his
nose. "And then I picked the locks."

His eyebrows rose at that and she laughed again.

"So, my prince, how much should I charge you?"
She grinned up at him sweetly. The look on his face made her laugh harder. "Just
teasing. I'll take yours off, too. Come and sit."

He did so, and with only some minor cursing she was
able to remove his chains as well. She watched him rub at his wrists, his head
bent, dark hair falling over his face but not quite hiding his smile.

"See," she said softly. "I can be useful."

He shook his head and looked over at her, still
rubbing his wrists. "I never said you couldn't be, Aro."

She shrugged and looked away. He'd spoken so very
seriously her face grew warm.

They each shared the few things they had found, what
she had gotten from the beach, and some food he had found in the forest. They
washed up and prepared a small afternoon meal. Afterward he checked on her cuts
and she checked his back, applying more medicine to a few places. They both
added some to a few places on their bruised and chaffed wrists. He traded his
torn shirt for one from his pile. It was too short in arm and length, but fit
well enough otherwise.

They went back to the beach afterward, checking the
shallows by the rocks for clams and mussels and fish stranded in little pools.

After a while she found herself staring out at the
sea, her eyes searching for Kei even though she knew she wouldn't see him. Part
of her didn't want to believe he was gone. Couldn't believe it, because it hurt
too much. "He lied."

Prince stepped up beside her. He rested a hand on her
shoulder but didn't say anything.

"He promised he'd never leave me. That we'd be
friends forever."

"He was foolish to promise you such things."

She nodded, because really she knew he was right. No
one knew what the future would bring. But, "He said he'd protect me. He
lied."

Prince looked down at her. "He did not lie, Aro.
He did protect you, from being crushed by the beam. He made sure you got off
the ship."

True.
Everything Prince said was true. It didn't make it easier. "But he died,"
she murmured, speaking more to herself than her companion.

Prince let out a deep sigh. "Aro, you must
understand things always have a price. Did you think those who protect you will
come to no harm? If you are in need of protection, it is always possible they
will be hurt, or die, for your sake. Kei accepted this when he made his
promises to you and in the end he died so you could live."

The words stung, hurt. More tears came and fell. Then
she thought of his back, the wounds he had taken while he protected her, got
her to shore. He was right. He was always right. It was getting annoying.

She looked up at him. "I didn't think you liked
Kei."

He grimaced. "I do not. However, I respect the
sacrifice he made for you. He did a very honorable act. It is not like the Fey
to do such things. They are wild, uncaring creatures. Perhaps," he paused.
"Perhaps he was different."

She wiped away tears and looked out to sea again. "Do
you...do you think he might have gotten out?" She looked back up at him. "The
Fey are strong right? He might have?"

Prince shook his head slightly. "I don't know. He
had been very badly injured." He sighed, as the tears continued to trail
down her face. "He might have, I truly don't know."

She sniffled again and managed to nod as she moved her
gaze to her feet in the shallow waters, letting her hair fall to hide her face
and her tears.

His arms suddenly slid around her, and she didn't
fight him as he embraced her very gently, stroking her hair like she was a
little child. Resting her cheek on his chest she let herself truly cry, just a
little. Though she had been trying so hard to be strong, he was being nice, and
she didn't want to make him angry. She didn't want him to be mad at her again,
she couldn't stand it when he was. She didn't want him to go, too. That would
be worse, so much worse.

"I'm sorry, Aro," he said quietly.

She didn't know what he was sorry for. Perhaps that
she had lost Kei, or her brothers, or her home. He could have been sorry for
her for any number of things. She'd lost everything. But it helped a little,
knowing he did care, and it allowed her to calm down the tears.

He tensed suddenly and she looked up quickly as his
arms tightened around her. "What–"

"Shhh," he muttered quietly and slowly turned.
Keeping one arm around her, he guided her back into the rocks. She knelt when
he motioned her to do so, watching as he did the same and peered around a large
rock. Though he had relaxed his hold on her, his eyes darted back and forth
quickly as he watched something in the direction of the other side of the long
rock outcrop they called home.

She resisted the urge to look herself, or to ask what
he had seen or heard. Her brothers had taught her enough about scouting, so she
knew when to be still and quiet. Besides, it wasn't like they were in friendly
territory. She had no idea where they had ended up, for all she knew the next
beach over could be Janur Port, or another slaver city or village.

He frowned suddenly, but relaxed. She clenched her
teeth to keep from asking what was going on, and her silence paid off as he
finally looked down at her with a faint smile. "I believe it is Bo and
Cain, making their way around the outcrop."

She grinned and clapped her hands silently at his
words. Someone else had survived! She had tried not to think about it, the
possibility she and Prince might have been the only ones to make it to the
beach. She tried not to think about a lot of things. It helped, somewhat.

Her smile broadened as she heard them suddenly,
cursing as they moved around and across the wet rocks. Yes, she could
definitely identify Bo and the occasional quieter curse from Cain as well.

She leaned forward slightly and whispered, "Should
we go meet them? Or at least let them see us? Is it safe?"

Prince frowned slightly but nodded, turning toward her
again and ruffling her hair so it fell over her face.

"Thanks."

She peeked around the rock and waited a moment, when
she saw the others come further into view she stood and waved. She tried not to
hide her disappointment to see it was only Bo and Cain. Kei, Kendric, and Avery
weren't with them. Of course, they were the three she knew the best. She had to
be the unluckiest girl in the world.

"Hey." She walked out and greeted them as
they drew closer.

Bo's grin grew. "Hey there yourself, pup. Glad to
see you made it."

She smiled back. "You, too." She turned
slightly, and saw that though Prince had stood and shown himself, he hadn't
moved. She sighed.