Post by Kira & Lee Norris on Oct 24, 2007 19:42:31 GMT
Nobody was dead.
Nobody had died during the last battle, after all, give or take a few enemies. Why shouldn’t this time be any different? People got hurt, obviously, but that was to be expected. The fast-knitting wound Lee had received was threading his skin back together quickly now; the only sign he’d ever been struck was his red-raw skin, and even that was cooling off now.
The chilled mist of dawn pressed in on him from all sides; his breath coming out in wisps. He stretched his wings cautiously, sailing over the ghost-like battlefield and peering through the mist.
Below him, where a war had raged not an hour and a half before, blood was now spattered like a gruesome pattern. Weapons lay broken and discarded across its barren landscape, and Lee did not like to think of their owner’s fate. The injured were being sought out, the ones who hadn’t made it back to the Carers. And they were doing… a body count.
Twenty-five had been missing. Only sixteen remained to be found. Already five were dead. Lee shook himself fiercely, spreading his wings further as he swooped back and forth across the field.
He had to find her- he just had to…
Half an hour ago…
“Lee!”
Kira flew towards him, pulling him into a rib-cracking hug. He laughed, trying to shrug her off, but she wouldn’t let go. Her face was flushed with excitement- and relief.
“You made it! We made it! We DID it!”
He prised her fingers away from his, laughing shakily. “Haven’t been healed yet.”
“Oh, gee,” she paused, staring at the gaping wound in his shoulder. “Ouch. How’d you get that?”
“Arrow got me,” he grinned, suddenly noting her own cast. “What about you?”
“Some thug shot me in the leg,” she shrugged it off. “Did you see Will? And the fire? What was THAT about?”
“No idea,” he said truthfully, and suddenly, he looked up and caught Jude’s eye. His friend grinned sheepishly at him, though he looked a little pale. Lee didn’t fail to notice that Ailith was by his side.
Kira couldn’t stop grinning. Her enthusiasm was infectious. Lee couldn’t stop grinning either.
“They just retreated! We were too much for them!” she breathed in relief, biting her lip in a wide smile. “We beat them again- again!- but thank god Jude and Ailith went out on that mission. Looks like I chose well, huh?”
“Kira, you’re going to have to calm down a little-”
“Don’t you spoil this!”
“Lemme’ get healed, okay?”
“Okay!” she laughed, then jumped up to kiss him on the cheek. Grinning broadly, she seemed to dance away through the crowds, and his smile melted away with her.
“Next!” called a stout Carer roughly, dragging Lee forward by a wing-tip.
“Couldn’t you be more- ?”
“I’m in a hurry,” the boy said stubbornly, passing his hand quickly over Lee’s wound. There was a sharp spasm of pain, and suddenly, Lee’s skin was kneading itself back together.
The boy tested Lee’s arm gingerly, flexing his elbow and fingers. “Hmm…” he mumbled. “It was deep- but you’ll be fine. May take a bit longer than usual to get all of that damaged tissue repaired- but no more than a couple of hours, tops.”
Lee thanked him, getting up and stretching as he stared around the fields full of celebrating students; Kira’s bouncing blond head prominent amongst them. Jack caught his eye, and Lee expected to see a great, rough smile on his broad features. Jack loved victories.
Maybe that’s why the stony look in Jack’s eye scared him so much.
Was something wrong?
Presently…
Lee dived to the ground, landing with a good hard thunk. His wings folded into themselves, melting into the back of his shoulder blades as he began to run. Much better. The fog pressing in on him on all sides did nothing to deter his search now. Although he couldn’t see much any two metres in front of him, Lee’s bare feet could feel the earth stretch out for miles around him. Lee could feel every creepy crawlie scurrying beneath his feet- but that wasn’t what he was concentrating now.
There were… bodies out here. He had to find them. His feet would guide him. His feet would know exactly where to go…
There!
A figure lying in the dirt was a few metres to the left of him. Lee changed course abruptly, his eyes narrowing in desperation as he squinted wildly through the fog. Finally, with a rush of relief, he spotted them; face down and unmoving. He felt a jolt of fear, and steadied himself.
They were fine. He was just being silly.
She was fine…
‘Cos he didn’t know what he’d do if she wasn’t.
Skidding to a halt beside the figure, one look told him it wasn’t who he was looking for. With a feeling of increasing dread, Lee noted how much blood was spilling from a chest wound. Lee bent down, and flipped the boy over. The lifeless eyes that gazed blankly up at him nearly made him sick.
Fifteen minutes ago…
“Finally!” panted Lee, jogging up to Jack who stopped abruptly, turning to face him. “I thought I’d never catch up!”
Jack frowned at him. “Why are you following me?”
Lee frowned back. “I shouted five times. You’re avoiding me.”
Jack grimaced. “I have to follow Levi. He’s calling the Warriors for a pep talk…” He gestured vaguely through the cool morning mist that was beginning to settle around them, but Lee wasn’t fooled. Something about that battle had left him oddly alert.
“Why isn’t Madeleine doing it?”
Jack stopped, his lips tightening. “Because Levi is.”
“But why not Madeleine?” It seemed a bit weird, really. Lee knew for a fact she wouldn’t be pleased that Levi was being authoritive like that; unless Madeleine had asked him to? But why would she…?
Jack groaned. “Mate, I don’t wanna’ have to-”
“Jack!” The sharpness of his tone surprised him. Was that slightly panicked note his imagination? “Where is Madeleine? What’s happened?”
Jack paled slightly, recoiling despite his bulk. “She’s… not here.”
Lee repressed a sharp stab of fear. “What do you mean she’s not here?”
“She…” Jack seemed to struggle for a few seconds, as though choosing his words carefully. “She’s… still out in the battlefield.”
Lee almost laughed. “What for? Why’d she be out there? What’s she doing?”
“See, that’s the thing, mate. We don’t know where she is.”
It’s funny how it only takes one second for the world to drop from beneath your feet.
“Wh- what?” Lee stammered, swaying slightly as his mind tried to process what the hell sort of stupid joke Jack had just made. “You mean-? Don’t be stupid- it’s Madeleine. She’s Head of the Warriors. You don’t lose her.”
“They’re… sending people out to look for the bodies now,” Jack’s face was a frozen mask, but there was no denying the tremor in his voice. “I… I’m sorry, Lee…”
Lee barely heard him. Suddenly, his wings had ripped forth, and he was walking- running- flying out and out; further and further-
Madeleine wasn’t missing. Madeleine wasn’t… she…
Oh, god.
Now.
Twenty of the twenty-five had been discovered now. Seven more were dead- bringing the number of corpses up to thirteen. So today, thirteen lives had been lost.
But Lee wouldn’t lose her’s. He couldn’t.
Finally, miles out, he saw her. She was so still… he touched down and ran to her the last few metres coming in at a crawl. He couldn’t move fast enough- yet his legs seemed to have given up on him. He arrived breathlessly at her side, and felt his heart freeze.
She was so still- so quiet- you’d have almost thought she was sleeping. Her pale lips were parted slightly, as if in surprise, and her eyelids were shut tight. Her long dark lashes swept her white cheeks so prettily… and she was sprawled; awkwardly. Had she broken some bones? Was that all?
Lee felt his whole body relax in relief. He sighed, reaching out to pick her up- and with a jolt realised how cold her soft skin was. It was like ice to the touch. The mist still pressed in around them; sweltering them in cold silence. Slowly, like stone, Lee reached out and picked Madeleine from the ground…
That’s when he saw the blood.
Matted, congealing and an ugly, ugly red bled into her soft dark curls. Her head was limp, and those eyes…
Why weren’t they opening?
She was just so still.
With a spasm of panic, Lee tightened his grip on Madeleine, shaking wildly as he dragged her limp body into his grasp. She flopped pathetically against his chest, but did not move. No cloud left her lips.
No cloud left her lips…
She wasn’t breathing.
She wasn’t moving.
She was dead.
A howl of pain broke forth from Lee; twisted and bitter. He hugged her even more tightly to him, a feverish desperation gripping him as he jumped to his feet and swept through the air back towards the Carers. Will would know what to do. Her- or Anton! Or that boy who healed Lee- he’d help. He’d fix her.
As Lee arrived back at the Carers camp, a deadly hush swept over the crowds. All eyes were fixed on him; every eye gazed shamefully onwards as they followed his and her progess. He was shaking like mad. Madeleine would tease him about this later. She’d tell him he was just a big wuss; getting all worked up like that. Everyone would tease him. Everyone would laugh.
Yeah. That was it. They’d all laugh.
She wasn’t dead. Stupid Lee. Indescribably, irrevocably, idiotically stupid Lee.
“She’ll be fine, won’t she?” he murmured, as a Carer rushed up to take her from him.
The girl bit her lip. “I… don’t know.”
“You’ll be fine, Madeleine,” Lee said, coughing slightly at the lump in his throat. He leant forward, and kissed her on her snowy cheek. “I promise, you- if you’ll promise me. Just… be fine. Okay?”
Please, Madeleine. Please…
Nobody had died during the last battle, after all, give or take a few enemies. Why shouldn’t this time be any different? People got hurt, obviously, but that was to be expected. The fast-knitting wound Lee had received was threading his skin back together quickly now; the only sign he’d ever been struck was his red-raw skin, and even that was cooling off now.
The chilled mist of dawn pressed in on him from all sides; his breath coming out in wisps. He stretched his wings cautiously, sailing over the ghost-like battlefield and peering through the mist.
Below him, where a war had raged not an hour and a half before, blood was now spattered like a gruesome pattern. Weapons lay broken and discarded across its barren landscape, and Lee did not like to think of their owner’s fate. The injured were being sought out, the ones who hadn’t made it back to the Carers. And they were doing… a body count.
Twenty-five had been missing. Only sixteen remained to be found. Already five were dead. Lee shook himself fiercely, spreading his wings further as he swooped back and forth across the field.
He had to find her- he just had to…
Half an hour ago…
“Lee!”
Kira flew towards him, pulling him into a rib-cracking hug. He laughed, trying to shrug her off, but she wouldn’t let go. Her face was flushed with excitement- and relief.
“You made it! We made it! We DID it!”
He prised her fingers away from his, laughing shakily. “Haven’t been healed yet.”
“Oh, gee,” she paused, staring at the gaping wound in his shoulder. “Ouch. How’d you get that?”
“Arrow got me,” he grinned, suddenly noting her own cast. “What about you?”
“Some thug shot me in the leg,” she shrugged it off. “Did you see Will? And the fire? What was THAT about?”
“No idea,” he said truthfully, and suddenly, he looked up and caught Jude’s eye. His friend grinned sheepishly at him, though he looked a little pale. Lee didn’t fail to notice that Ailith was by his side.
Kira couldn’t stop grinning. Her enthusiasm was infectious. Lee couldn’t stop grinning either.
“They just retreated! We were too much for them!” she breathed in relief, biting her lip in a wide smile. “We beat them again- again!- but thank god Jude and Ailith went out on that mission. Looks like I chose well, huh?”
“Kira, you’re going to have to calm down a little-”
“Don’t you spoil this!”
“Lemme’ get healed, okay?”
“Okay!” she laughed, then jumped up to kiss him on the cheek. Grinning broadly, she seemed to dance away through the crowds, and his smile melted away with her.
“Next!” called a stout Carer roughly, dragging Lee forward by a wing-tip.
“Couldn’t you be more- ?”
“I’m in a hurry,” the boy said stubbornly, passing his hand quickly over Lee’s wound. There was a sharp spasm of pain, and suddenly, Lee’s skin was kneading itself back together.
The boy tested Lee’s arm gingerly, flexing his elbow and fingers. “Hmm…” he mumbled. “It was deep- but you’ll be fine. May take a bit longer than usual to get all of that damaged tissue repaired- but no more than a couple of hours, tops.”
Lee thanked him, getting up and stretching as he stared around the fields full of celebrating students; Kira’s bouncing blond head prominent amongst them. Jack caught his eye, and Lee expected to see a great, rough smile on his broad features. Jack loved victories.
Maybe that’s why the stony look in Jack’s eye scared him so much.
Was something wrong?
Presently…
Lee dived to the ground, landing with a good hard thunk. His wings folded into themselves, melting into the back of his shoulder blades as he began to run. Much better. The fog pressing in on him on all sides did nothing to deter his search now. Although he couldn’t see much any two metres in front of him, Lee’s bare feet could feel the earth stretch out for miles around him. Lee could feel every creepy crawlie scurrying beneath his feet- but that wasn’t what he was concentrating now.
There were… bodies out here. He had to find them. His feet would guide him. His feet would know exactly where to go…
There!
A figure lying in the dirt was a few metres to the left of him. Lee changed course abruptly, his eyes narrowing in desperation as he squinted wildly through the fog. Finally, with a rush of relief, he spotted them; face down and unmoving. He felt a jolt of fear, and steadied himself.
They were fine. He was just being silly.
She was fine…
‘Cos he didn’t know what he’d do if she wasn’t.
Skidding to a halt beside the figure, one look told him it wasn’t who he was looking for. With a feeling of increasing dread, Lee noted how much blood was spilling from a chest wound. Lee bent down, and flipped the boy over. The lifeless eyes that gazed blankly up at him nearly made him sick.
Fifteen minutes ago…
“Finally!” panted Lee, jogging up to Jack who stopped abruptly, turning to face him. “I thought I’d never catch up!”
Jack frowned at him. “Why are you following me?”
Lee frowned back. “I shouted five times. You’re avoiding me.”
Jack grimaced. “I have to follow Levi. He’s calling the Warriors for a pep talk…” He gestured vaguely through the cool morning mist that was beginning to settle around them, but Lee wasn’t fooled. Something about that battle had left him oddly alert.
“Why isn’t Madeleine doing it?”
Jack stopped, his lips tightening. “Because Levi is.”
“But why not Madeleine?” It seemed a bit weird, really. Lee knew for a fact she wouldn’t be pleased that Levi was being authoritive like that; unless Madeleine had asked him to? But why would she…?
Jack groaned. “Mate, I don’t wanna’ have to-”
“Jack!” The sharpness of his tone surprised him. Was that slightly panicked note his imagination? “Where is Madeleine? What’s happened?”
Jack paled slightly, recoiling despite his bulk. “She’s… not here.”
Lee repressed a sharp stab of fear. “What do you mean she’s not here?”
“She…” Jack seemed to struggle for a few seconds, as though choosing his words carefully. “She’s… still out in the battlefield.”
Lee almost laughed. “What for? Why’d she be out there? What’s she doing?”
“See, that’s the thing, mate. We don’t know where she is.”
It’s funny how it only takes one second for the world to drop from beneath your feet.
“Wh- what?” Lee stammered, swaying slightly as his mind tried to process what the hell sort of stupid joke Jack had just made. “You mean-? Don’t be stupid- it’s Madeleine. She’s Head of the Warriors. You don’t lose her.”
“They’re… sending people out to look for the bodies now,” Jack’s face was a frozen mask, but there was no denying the tremor in his voice. “I… I’m sorry, Lee…”
Lee barely heard him. Suddenly, his wings had ripped forth, and he was walking- running- flying out and out; further and further-
Madeleine wasn’t missing. Madeleine wasn’t… she…
Oh, god.
Now.
Twenty of the twenty-five had been discovered now. Seven more were dead- bringing the number of corpses up to thirteen. So today, thirteen lives had been lost.
But Lee wouldn’t lose her’s. He couldn’t.
Finally, miles out, he saw her. She was so still… he touched down and ran to her the last few metres coming in at a crawl. He couldn’t move fast enough- yet his legs seemed to have given up on him. He arrived breathlessly at her side, and felt his heart freeze.
She was so still- so quiet- you’d have almost thought she was sleeping. Her pale lips were parted slightly, as if in surprise, and her eyelids were shut tight. Her long dark lashes swept her white cheeks so prettily… and she was sprawled; awkwardly. Had she broken some bones? Was that all?
Lee felt his whole body relax in relief. He sighed, reaching out to pick her up- and with a jolt realised how cold her soft skin was. It was like ice to the touch. The mist still pressed in around them; sweltering them in cold silence. Slowly, like stone, Lee reached out and picked Madeleine from the ground…
That’s when he saw the blood.
Matted, congealing and an ugly, ugly red bled into her soft dark curls. Her head was limp, and those eyes…
Why weren’t they opening?
She was just so still.
With a spasm of panic, Lee tightened his grip on Madeleine, shaking wildly as he dragged her limp body into his grasp. She flopped pathetically against his chest, but did not move. No cloud left her lips.
No cloud left her lips…
She wasn’t breathing.
She wasn’t moving.
She was dead.
A howl of pain broke forth from Lee; twisted and bitter. He hugged her even more tightly to him, a feverish desperation gripping him as he jumped to his feet and swept through the air back towards the Carers. Will would know what to do. Her- or Anton! Or that boy who healed Lee- he’d help. He’d fix her.
As Lee arrived back at the Carers camp, a deadly hush swept over the crowds. All eyes were fixed on him; every eye gazed shamefully onwards as they followed his and her progess. He was shaking like mad. Madeleine would tease him about this later. She’d tell him he was just a big wuss; getting all worked up like that. Everyone would tease him. Everyone would laugh.
Yeah. That was it. They’d all laugh.
She wasn’t dead. Stupid Lee. Indescribably, irrevocably, idiotically stupid Lee.
“She’ll be fine, won’t she?” he murmured, as a Carer rushed up to take her from him.
The girl bit her lip. “I… don’t know.”
“You’ll be fine, Madeleine,” Lee said, coughing slightly at the lump in his throat. He leant forward, and kissed her on her snowy cheek. “I promise, you- if you’ll promise me. Just… be fine. Okay?”
Please, Madeleine. Please…
