It was twisted, reality turned inside out. When Gabriella woke it was to the belief she'd fallen asleep. It was then she realized in the dream she hadn't truly felt anything. Not the warmth that glowed so tenderly around her, not the touch of those she loved, not the earth beneath her feet, blanketed in lush green that appeared so very soft...
In the dream it was the voices, those lovely voices that were silent now, taking her away from all the horror. The laughter, the singing, her sister shouting over it all. The harsh reality was that they were gone...or she was gone...either way she was alone.
Reality made its presence known in the painful knot of muscles that protested movement, the price to having drifted to sleep sitting, and the cold that knew no mercy. Shivering already Gabriella glanced around the room, so pretty with all its large cushions in silken colors, a welcoming sight despite how useless it really was. Gabriella didn't understand the point of a tent like this, a tent that housed nothing but pillows. In every book or movie she'd seen the tent of a soldier should have chest of armor, a cot for the soldier and another for his manservant.
Gabriella knew she was jumbling era's but right now she couldn't care less. There was little hope of this place resembling anything she knew. Trying to paint Slater as a knight in tarnished armor wouldn't change what he had done. All Gabriella could do now was learn as much as she could about where she was, try not to make her circumstances any more dire and stand ready for any chance to escape.
Not cowardly, but not a fool either, Gabriella wouldn't attempt an escape without a viable plan, without knowing she had somewhere to go that wasn't worse then where she was now. Granted what Slater had done had humiliated her, but it could have been worse. Heading off alone could almost guarantee Gabriella coming upon worse. It wasn't something she was willing to chance.
Needing movement if only to stave off the cold Gabriella stood, pacing around the tent for a moment, taking stock of its contents. It didn't take long. She'd been right the first time. Nothing but pillows.
Forcing herself to be grateful she wasn't being kept in a dank cell, Gabriella decided she'd learn more beyond these four canvas walls then she would pacing within. Hoping her guard would be compassionate and...well nothing like Slater, Gabriella poked her head out of the tent, an adorably shy little grin fixed on her face. Her growling stomach contradicted the cute act, but she wasn't given cause for concern. There was no guard.
Curious Gabriella slipped from the tent. Not that it bothered her not to have a guard, but she was a little surprised. How could they know that she wouldn't try to escape? Did they not care?
Gabriella doubted it was that. Heim had mentioned the king, mentioned him being displeased if Slater...defiled her. Apparently Heim didn't believe it had already been accomplished so that gave her value still...didn't it?
A rumble of sound echoed out to her from the farthest reaches of the camp. The sound grew louder, to shouting, to screaming. Even though her own mind questioned the reason of approaching, sensing the sound led to nothing good, Gabriella couldn't stop her hasty steps to reach it. Better to know the trouble then be caught unaware.
In a large circle of tents, smaller then the grouping of larger ones she'd left, stood two young men, not much older then her, facing off a mass of burly soldiers. Brandishing torches, held before them like fiery shields, the boys snarled unintelligible curses at the men. Three girls of Gabriella's age were behind them, two crouched down, looking horrified, both by the daring of the boys and the threats of the massive bodies that inched forth. The third girl was trying to fight past the larger of the two boys, shouting out to the soldiers, words ringing loud and clear even over all the noise.
"Bring them back damn you! You have no right!"
One of the soldiers laughed. "And what are you going to do if we don't? You're outnumbered, and your brave lads have no chance against even the weakest of us."
The girl whipped her head towards the soldier. "Perhaps, but we've heard the talk. You need us, all of us. We're giving you one last chance. Return the others or you'll be five short."
The girl's valiant words drew laughter from the men. Gabriella held her breath, catching the subtle nod exchanged between the girl and the two boys.
In a move none could have foreseen one of the boys leapt towards the soldiers with the torch. The men stepped back in surprise. It was all the diversion the second boy needed. Tossing his torch to the tent behind him the boy grabbed the hands of the girls who had remained behind him, cowering in fear, urged to their feet by the girl who'd had the nerve to step up to the soldiers. Together they ran out past the tent that built in flame as though it was timber drenched in lighter fluid. Gabriella was certain it must be drenched in something.
The boy who had charged the soldiers turned to run. A big man grabbed him, throwing a beefy fist into his face, knocking the boy out cold before shoving him to a group of men who seemed too appalled to move.
"Tie him up and guard him." he commanded one, then he glared at another. "And find Lord Moloch, he must be told. Four of the unawakened have escaped."
"The unawakened..." the man let out a gasp that to Gabriella sounded rather dramatic. His next words negated the thought. "The king will kill the lot of us..."
The man's fellow shoved him forward. "Not if we find them before he learns of it! Now go!"
With a step back Gabriella found a barrel, set beside a tent far larger then the others and used it to brace herself. Words spun through her head. The unawakened. Lord. King. She could almost imagine someone crying out 'Bring me their heads!' and forced herself not to glance about for a white rabbit. This was no fairy tale and she was no Alice. And if the King was anything like his brother she had worst things to worry about then a warped game of croquet.
Smoke began hovering through the air, setting among the tents like a thick mist. Gabriella backed up, wondering how she could find safety and not come off as trying to escape. A hand grabbed hold of her wrist.
"Please...please help us..." an old woman was tugging at her.
Gabriella nodded without a second thought. "What can I do?"
"The fire spreads too fast. They're so sick...they can't walk..."
Seeing the old woman was having trouble getting to the point Gabriella set her hands on the woman's shoulders. "What do you need?"
"Water...rags and water...quickly."
Without waiting for her to say more Gabriella ran to where a line of men were heaving buckets of water towards the flames, trying to put it out. Snatching a bucket from the hands of a soldier she filled it without a word and ran with it, slopping around the edges, wetting her skirts, back to the large tent. Ducking inside she glanced around for the old woman. Seeing her she hurried to her side with the bucket.
Giving her a shaky smile of thanks the old woman motioned to a ragged pile of cloths. Tripping towards it Gabriella grabbed a handful and went to drop it in the bucket. The old woman lifted one, ringing it out.
"Take her first." the old woman pointed to a tiny girl enveloped in a pile of blankets the color of dirt, laying listless in a pile of pillows. "She won't be able to walk much, the illness has drained them so..."
"Bring her where?" Gabriella pressed before the woman could go on.
The woman gestured vaguely towards the flap of the tent. "To the eastern border of the camp. All are regrouping there."
Gabriella nodded and rushed to the girl's side. The girl opened her eyes, the golden brown of them harsh against the paler of her skin. Helping her up Gabriella took the girl's arm over her shoulder and handed her the rung out rag. "Lean on me and hold this over your face...there's a lot of smoke."
The small girl nodded, bravely trying to hold as much of her own weight as she could. When they left the tent the girl gave a rough inhale and held the cloth over her mouth, coughing through it. The coughs seemed to take her strength and Gabriella was forced to half drag the girl to the gathered crowd a fair span away from the last line of tents.
Dropping to a knee, still holding the girl, Gabriella looked up as a small group of women came towards her. One of the woman eased the girl from Gabriella's grasps, a smile touching her lips as she spoke softly to the girl. Bending over Gabriella coughed out violently, a sensation of thick crud coating, hampering every breath.
"You've done well child." one of the woman said, bending down before her, offering a tin cup filled with water.
Drinking the water down quickly, relieved that it helped some, Gabriella lifted her eyes to the woman. "What of the others?"
The woman pointed to a few men, setting down their lifeless burdens a few yards away. "They've all been saved. They'll need much care, too much smoke filled them before the soldiers found them, but thanks to you the girl will be spared that." the woman's smile was grim. "The illness is almost more then her body can take as it is."
Now that the urgency seemed to have passed Gabriella decided it was time to get some answers. "What is this illness?"
With an offhand shrug the woman took Gabriella's cup, reached over to fill it again and handed it back to her. "Crossing through the veil has various effects. Most commonly it is mere disorientation, but at times it brings a sickness, or death. We know not why, but we do have the skills to heal it."
Gabriella wanted to ask more, had so many questions on the tip of her tongue, ready to spill out. Before she had a chance she was wretched to her feet.
"After all that hard work I think we deserve a treat, don't you boys?"
Blinking to clear her vision, dry and blurred from all the smoke, Gabriella tilted her chin back. All she could make out was a large form. Several blinks made it a little more clear. It was a very large form, flanked by three more.
"What do you say girl? A gold piece, should cover the four of us." The man leered down at her.
