Tattered Spirits

This is the beginning of a sequel to 'Because of the Night'. I hope you enjoy. -cawastedyouth

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First there was darkness, now there was the final indignity of falling into the mud. Jean heard the ride she had been encased in dash away, with hardly a thought as to the passenger who had been just thrown from its safety.

-But all things are relative.- she reminded herself. She opened her eyes, focusing on the blurry lights before her.

"My Lord!" someone was calling another. Inwardly, Jean groaned, she had no desire for the entire world she knew of to know how far she had fallen.

Gravel from the driveway skidded and she heard the boots stop short of her. But what surprised her was the soft silk that knelt beside her and lifted her head.

"Sir Glen, it is Jean." The gentle, startled, sobs could not have been anyone else than Laurie. Gravel shifted once again and she was lifted into strong protective arms.

She heard the growling whisper in the chest of the man who had picked her up. "Jean, if you had wanted to visit us, you had but to ask, not come to us like a beggar." Sir Glen tried to make light of the situation. This close to Sir Glen, she did not have to see that he too was worried as Laurie.

A soothing bath in the companion's hall was drawn and Laurie attended her friend. No questions were asked though Laurie wanted all the answers immediately. Tenderly, Laurie bathed every cut and bruise, biting back tears and anger on her friend's behalf. When the bath water had grown nearly cold, Laurie helped Jean out and wrapped her warmly in a robe. Alone in the companion hall, she turned the covers on a bed and helped Jean slip between the covers. Laurie was about to turn and blow the candle out when Jean's hand caught her silk gown tugging ever so gently.

"Please don't leave me tonight." Laurie pressed her lips to Jean's forehead, blowing out the candle and slipping next to her friend. Laurie hugged Jean as tightly as she dared allowing Jean to cry silently upon her shoulder.

Sir Glen entered the companion hall after seeing to some of his guests. He found them entwined in sleep. He sighed softly, mildly upset that he would not have his Laurie with him tonight, but he could hardly take Laurie from Jean.

They had been inseparable as young companions. While Sir Glen had only heard fragments of stories from Laurie and others who had known both Jean and Laurie, he could only imagine the stir they might have caused. Jean was as beautiful as Laurie, although it might have been hard to discern beneath the flaming purple bruises that distorted her delicate face. Her long dark hair rivaled Laurie's blonde. Both were visions of beauty, long cherished by all who had seen them together. And now tonight, Sir Glen did finally understand the fragmented stories of their fabled combined beauty.

But fables were not what found Jean here in the safety of Sir Glen's manor. He had seen Jean's pale neck, where her chain of binding had been yanked in anger from her throat, leaving a raw mark.

-And a larger wound in her heart no doubt. - he sighed leaning on his cane.

Sir Glen stood watching them sleep for only a moment longer then turned to leave as silently as he had entered. Outside the door waited Sir Marcus.

"How does Jean fair?"

"She and Laurie are sleeping, we shall know more tomorrow." Sir Marcus nodded.

"She belongs," Sir Marcus paused, "Belonged to Sir Dylan." The correction was tinged with sadness. Sir Dylan had been a well-liked member of most social circles. A truly amorous man, never settling down long enough for one companion to truly desire to belong to him and him alone. He was missed by many.

Sir Glen arched an eyebrow. "Sir Dylan stepped down months ago."

Sir Marcus looked at Sir Glen, wondering how the all-knowing Sir Glen had not kept up on the changes in their community. "Yes, he did. Only to be overtaken by Sir Colin as Lord Xavier had arranged."

Meanwhile, Sir Colin was not really paying close attention to the quaking servant as the lunch tray was placed on the table next to him. He was reading over some paperwork that bored him.

A dark character slithered into the shadows. "I rid the manor of the girl as you asked Master." He sounded pleased, hopeful that a reward would come his way; perhaps one of the quaking knaves known as Sir Colin's companions would be his for the night.

Sir Colin looked up from the paper into the shadow by the fireplace. "Good. Maybe she'll learn her place after a few days in the outside."

"Outside Master?" If the figure in the shadow might have paled it was difficult to detect. He certainly knew he had not just left the girl in question 'outside'.

"Yes on the outside. What did you think? I do want her back. She's too pretty to leave alone." Sir Colin shook his head and reached for a cup of tea, mindless of the worry that had just crept into the room.

-I should really do something about that one's denseness.- he reminded himself. "Where'd you leave her? Outside the gate?" Sir Colin asked leisurely dreaming of being a hero and rescuing her from the horrors that was the outside. After all, as cowardly as Jean was, she was a pleasure to look at.

"Master, I left her as you requested, I had her tossed out as we rode." He sounded more nervous that usual.

"How far did you ride?" He asked looking over the top of his paper.

"We rode nearly twenty miles." The shadow's voice got weak.

Sir Colin's tea sputtered from his lips. The china cup went crashing into the fireplace, the prepared tray slid from the place next to him sending the servant to the far end of the room as he went to the shadow and hoisted the shadow off the ground.

"What direction did you come from?" the fistful of slime was shaken and bounced against the wall.

Startled at the ire that burned deep in Sir Colin's eyes, the answer slipped forth in a nervous stammer. "North."

"Did you cross into Sir Glen's Manor?" The shadow servant was once again slammed against the wall.

"I crossed into a manor, but I did not know if it was a Sir Glen's." While truthful, he had a small inkling what direction this conversation was heading.

"You fool. It has to be Sir Glen's. His manor is the only one north of here."

-Now I have to get back my girl from Sir Glen.- He dropped the shadow servant on the floor in a heap.

"You'll pay when I get her back." He turned to the servant that had brought the elegant tray now shattered across the front of the fireplace. "Get me my cloak and cane. I have to visit Sir Glen."