Tattered Spirits

Breakfast was a quiet affair between Jean, Laurie and Sir Glen.

"Thank you Sir Glen for last night. You were kind to let Laurie stay with me." Jean's voice was soft and timid. Laurie reached over and squeezed her hand.

"Think nothing of it Jean. It is our pleasure as long as you stay here with us."

"Where is your Master?" a roar bounced in the empty entry hall.

Jean winced knowing the voice belonged to Sir Colin.

"Laurie, Jean return to the companion hall. I'll see to our guest." Sir Glen put up his napkin and headed directly to the entry hall finding one of his servants choking under one of Sir Colin's leather gloves.

"Put my servant down Sir Colin, I dispense the discipline around here." Sir Glen closed the doors behind him, forcing Jean and Laurie to take the darkened passages back to the companion's hall.

"Where is my girl? I know you have her here." The servant fell to the floor gasping shooting daggers at Sir Colin, only tempered by Sir Glen's presence.

"She was dumped on my driveway last night Sir Colin, I was going to bring her by your place tonight in much better spirits than when she arrived."

"Is that how you justified taking the boy?" he sneered following Sir Glen into the study.

"We don't need to talk about any boy, the companion in question is female." He reached for a ledger and consulted it briefly, waiving the servants that were in the room to leave them alone.

"Well, if you mean to return her, bring her here." Sir Colin leaned on Sir Glen's desk.

"In what state did she leave your manor Sir Colin?" Sir Glen gave him a meaningful look and Sir Colin's hands were instantly removed from the fine gloss of the maple desktop.

"State? She is as fine as any companion under my hand. Now just return her so I might leave." Sir Colin crossed his arms, tapping his elbow nervously.

"I believe her name is Jean, and she had been released from her binding. Her pendant is gone. I can only assume she was cast off." Sir Glen played the 'dumb' card to see how far it would get him.

"She has not been cast off. She is cowardly, not worthy of a binding, but she is still mine to command." Sir Colin was indignant and then a nearly forgotten memory returned to him. "Besides, you said you were never interested in what was mine anymore."

Sir Glen sighed and spoke. "She belongs to no one Sir Colin, no mark of binding, no sign of ownership. I will gladly give her over to you if you can prove she is yours."

"She came when I took over for Sir Dylan. I will have the papers." He hoped silently.

"Fine, then Jean and I will return to your Manor tonight and I'll examine the papers there."

The only consolation to Sir Colin's sudden arrival was that he left in the same hurricane that he had ridden in on. Sir Glen watched him leave from the top steps when Sir Marcus came around from a stroll in the gardens.

"You were right Marcus." Sir Glen leaned on his cane.

"I wish to the devil I weren't." He followed Sir Glen back inside to the sanctuary of his study.

"You seem to know a lot about Jean. Please, tell me." Sir Glen poured two glasses of wine and offered one to Sir Marcus.

Sir Marcus was a little haunted as he began his story. "I could not ignore the invitation from Lord Xavier, so I attended the dungeon night at Sir Colin's new manor. It was there I found Jean."

Bound, gagged, and suspended from three eyehooks in the ceiling, Jean had taken all she could muster. The sign of her defeat had long since fluttered to the floor, but had gone ignored by Sir Colin as he continued to let his lash fall against her.

Sir Marcus stopped at the open doorway and stared at Sir Colin. He bent down and picked up the red scarf that had blown around his ankles and entered the room his eyebrow arched.

"Ah Sir Marcus, so nice of you to join us. Would you care for a round with Jean?" He held the whip out inviting Sir Marcus to join him.

"I believe Jean has had enough."

With a little sneer, Sir Colin spoke. "Hardly, the girl gives in too soon." Sir Colin scoffed. "I grow weary of her begging off so easily. Sir Dylan should have trained his better."

"She belongs to you now Sir Colin. She trusts you to back off in your due time Sir Colin, I believe this is enough to warrant stopping." Sir Marcus stepped forward waving the scarf.

"Well, I've tired of her tonight. I shall find another that will be more enjoyable. This incorrigible girl shrinks from everything. Do with her what you will. If she doesn't obey you, I'll remind her who she serves." Sir Colin left in search of his black soul allowing Sir Marcus a moment to sigh before he cut Jean down. He cradled her on the floor in his arms as she slowly recovered.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly removing her gag.

"Thank you." She sputtered; her throat dry, dry tears in her eyes would not even form.

"I hardly think that Sir Colin would have returned to his habits so quickly. I gave the girl what comfort I could as a guest and then I left." Sir Marcus took a sip of wine.

"We all do what we can Marcus, it's the least we can try." Sir Glen's words were not an absolution, but provided the truth. But neither Marcus nor Glen were guilty of the crimes that Colin imposed on his companions.

Glen laughed shortly. "Well she's here now, I'm quite sure Sir Colin will be interested in her return."

"Glen, you're going to return her to him?" Marcus drew himself up ready to put his foot down and take responsibility for Jean if necessary.

"Marcus, you should know me better than that by now. She's important to Laurie, and I think Jean will need her." The tone was teasing.

"I'm sorry Glen." Marcus sat back down across from Sir Glen looking wistfully into the fire that crackled.

"No worries old man. Jean will be cared for here." A hand clapped Sir Marcus on the shoulder, breaking the worries that had crept into his mind.

"I have no doubt of that Sir Glen." There was a pause as the newest worry came to the forefront of his thoughts. "What are you going to do with Sir Colin? He still has final say about her. We just barely convinced him to give up Taylor for Leif. He's not likely to give up another one so soon, and to either of us."

"I know." Sir Glen was somber. "I've not thought this that far through yet." Sir Glen ran a hand through his hair.