by Marcy Lynn
Elanor didn’t feel it’s presence at the moment but that might be because she was so wrapped up emotionally. It could be nearby, it could be watching her through the window right now. A jolt of fright pulsed her heart to pick up in beat.
Who knew what lurked in those shadows. She made her way around the room lighting the lamps then. When the two cast iron wall lamps were the last to be lit, she decided to finish the job by lighting the ones in the kitchen too.
The thunk of the ball hitting the floor gave her a nice lift in spirit. The task in the kitchen not long since there were just two lamps there. They were larger then the sitting room’s though. Lighting just one had cast enough light to see easily around the kitchen. The second added to the brilliance, giving an almost daylight feel to the room now. She admired the oak cupboards openly. Their glow in the lamp light pretty.
Crossing the room, she pondered a moment of dragging the chain and ball to bump the leg of the oak table. She couldn’t ruin it’s leg, the craftsmanship so lovely. The kitchen furniture exactly what she’d always wanted. Had he done that on purpose? Did he actually remember how much she loved oak?
The thought brought a familiar sadness to her chest.
A soft scratching at the door caught her attention. A faint sound of sniffing and then more scratching. Elanor’s heart lurched in a sudden thundering beat against her chest. It could be what she felt earlier. The dark presence had been powerful enough to make her feel it physically. Just as the dragon had, but this energy ebbed a type of energy she didn’t want to know what beheld it. After a moment, another sound of wood scraping against the wood of the door.
Then nothing.
Elanor stared at the door a long time before the handle started turning. Fear like electric currents tickled her stomach as she backed up out of instinct. The ball and chain tripped her up a little but she gained composure when her back found the wall behind her. She didn’t know what to expect to come through the door and feared whatever it was she wouldn‘t be able to defend herself from. Stark and vivid terror seized her body. She know it to be a beast of some sort but what kind?
“No, I don’t want to play you silly mutt. How’d you get that free anyways?” Derek said to the ground as he pushed the door open, revealing himself in the lamps light. She let the air out of her lungs. A dog. It had been a dog. Elanor allowed her muscles to relax some before she saw what followed Derek. Dog! He called that a dog!
“What is that!” She pressed back against the wall.
“It’s alright, he’s not going to hurt you. This is King,” Her expression must have made it clear to him she wasn’t calmed by his assurances so he added, “my dog.”
The animal stood clear up to his hip!
“That’s no dog. That’s a pony!” Her alarmed words made the dog whine. She watched it’s tail move between it’s hind legs, before the massive body nudged Derek to squeeze behind him and the now closed door. “Ela, you’re scaring him.”
The dog, clearly too massive to hide behind Derek, tried awkwardly. The block head on the animal had to hold many sharp teeth under those floppy lips. As big as it were, one bite and it could bite her hand clear off if it wanted. Could it possess the tense energy she’d felt on the path? Was it blocking it now to fool her? She toyed with the moonstone; smoothing her fingers over it nervously.
“He’s young, just turned seven months.” Derek said taking a slow step away from the dog and nearer to her. She held to the wall.
“You mean he’s not done growing yet?” Her excited tone made the animal whine again. Now that Derek had moved, it paced in front of the door. Derek lifted his hand to gesture to her.
“Yes,” He said in an even voice. “Caspin and I were visiting a Dane friend. His boarhound bitch just had a litter. I picked out King and Caspin, Apollo.”
“There’s two of them?” Panic rioted inside her. Two of these monsters? One seemed bad enough. If they both possessed the power she had felt…
Derek chuckled. “Yes, but Apollo isn’t black like King. He’s white with black spots. Nice looking dogs, good tempers.” He held his hand out to her, fingers gesturing for her to come to him.
“Come here and I’ll introduce you two properly.”
She shook her head, not budging.
“Trust me, he’s not going to bite you or hurt you in anyway.” She still didn’t move, firmly planted where she stood. He sighed, turning to the animal and used the same hand to slap his side a few times. “King come, let’s show her there’s nothing to be afraid of.” The animal wanted no part of it either. He whined, beginning his pacing again in front of the door to the outside. Derek smacked his side one last time before grunting.
“Fine, I’m going to the sitting room. You two work it out.”
“Derek!” She called in a loud whisper. The animal protested with his own whines when Derek stepped up into the other room without looking back.
Fresh panic overwhelmed her, visions of the giant animal attack her and eating her face before Derek could come back to help play in her mind. She watched it with wide alert eyes, barely daring to breath. It moved back and forth in the same pacing path. Its black coat shimmered in the lamp light and if she weren’t so scared she’d compliment it for its beauty. In nature, the most beautiful things could be the most dangerous.
She edged very slowly towards the right side of the kitchen, the ball making its scraping noise. This time she didn’t get the same satisfaction from it as before, the sound having alerted the animal to her movement. Stopping, it stared at her, sharp triangle ears perked in attention. When she gave it a wide berth of a path to move, she spoke. “If you want to join him, there’s room to go, I won‘t get in your way.” She pointed to the door Derek had disappeared through. The animal’s block head tilted to the side. It didn’t move though.
For the first time she wished she knew an animal charm spell. Some casters used a spell to charm animals to do as they wanted. Any animal could be tamed by it. She’d always felt insulted by the idea of having to cast a spell to make an animal like her though.
She wanted to charm them herself. But now, face to face with what could be mistaken for a pony, she wished she’d learned it. She’d never felt so lacking in her magic abilities. It seemed a day of humility for her. Time seemed to pass at a crawl. They each kept to their side of the kitchen. Neither moving.
The dog had given up his pace, sitting, legs shifted out to the side unable to hold them beneath him they were so large. His massive tongue now hung half out, panting. He didn’t look so intimidating like that. In fact, the more she allowed herself to look at the dog, and see it as a dog, he did seem young. His large bones were covered with a skin that didn’t seem to fit him right. It wrinkled down his sides and not from being skinny. She imagined he ate fine by the broadness of his chest.
“I just hope it’s not people you’re eating.” She stole courage to edge back to where she’d been standing before, speaking out calmly to the dog. Maybe it wasn’t acting. Maybe it really was just a dog. He stood again, his tongue no longer out, regarding her with curious eyes; watching every inch of her progress until she stopped.
“Please don’t bite my arm off, please don’t bite my arm off.” She lowered slowly to kneel on the kitchen floor. Her heart hammering loud and too fast in her chest. The blood flow rushing in her ears, making them roar. Slowly, she lifted her right hand, fingers flexed so her palm exposed. Elanor extended her arm out fully, to let him smell her if he wanted to.
The dog paced, though not as harassed as he’d been before. Slowly, with his tail wagging too quickly between his hind legs, he edged closer. She didn’t move, not even to breath.
It had become clearer to her with each careful movement the dog indeed was young and scared. And most importantly, a dog.
She bit the inside of her cheek when the dog’s black cold nose touched her skin, the sniffs heard even over the roaring in her ears. The dog traveled with his nose along her arm, then to her side. His hulking head m
oved down the side of her hip to the leather cuff latched to her ankle, there he gave a sneezing guff.
“That’s what I said.” She teased feeling a little more comfortable.
“Good, I figured you’d stubbornly sleep in the kitchen in that corner all night.” Derek said from the door. “I told you he was friendly.” The dog ceased his smelling to turn surprisingly quick for his size to lumber towards his Master in the door frame. His tail whipped her in the side.
“Ouch!” She rubbed the afflicted place. “Watch where you’re going you big brute.” After re-greeting Derek with a nuzzle to his hand, the dog turned back to her. His tongue, at least three inches wide, licked up the side of her face. “You’re forgiven!” She managed to say while trying to fend him off. Derek stepped down from the door frame, kneeling next to her. King, thinking this a wonderful treat for him, assaulted with his tongue. “Are you hungry?” Derek asked while releasing the ball from her ankle.
“No, I’m tired.” Her body was all but drained of energy. Fear, anger, panic and other fast burning emotions had taken the last of her energy away. Depleted, she just wanted to sleep. She didn’t even have enough energy to argue about the chain ball. It surprised her how much the act had hurt her emotionally. He knew better than anyone what kind of acts casters had gone through. Why she hated slavery and such tools so much. But he’d put it on her ankle anyway.
She watched him push the dog away so he could stand up and gesture toward the stairs.
“Me too, it was a long day.” She couldn’t miss the soft almost regretful tone he used. Elanor hoped that meant he had acted out of anger and would give up this new means to force her to stay here. Following him, she only nodded her head in agreement. It was a quiet understanding that neither wanted to talk.
A silent truce for the night.
“King, bed.” Derek pointed to the sitting room. The big black dog hesitated, giving her hand another nudge with his block head before trotting to the step and easily taking it into the next room. Elanor lifted from the floor herself, following Derek to the stairs that lead up to the second floor.
Half way up the steps a thundering of a noise followed them. They both turned to see the dog making a flurry of motions to get up the steps.
“Well that’s something.” They got to the top before the dog knocked them down.
Elanor waited until they were safely there before asking. “What?”
“He’s never come up the stairs. I tried to get him to do it when I first brought him here but he just sat at the bottom of the steps whining.” He pat the top of the dog’s head not having to reach far since when lifted it came to his chest. “I guess he figured if you could brave the stairs, he could too.”
She gave a tired smile, patting the massive rump.
“Well done, King.” The tail whipped faster, smacking her in the hip painfully. She grunted.
“He is a bit of a clod.” Derek chuckled. He lead her into a large room. The bed big, King size one would say if they measured it, four of the dog could fit on there. She’d caught the side glances from Derek, she could tell he was considering breaking the silent truce to speak. She shed the dress, leaving the chemise on without looking at him.
“I’m really tired. If it makes you feel better just tie a rope to my ankle and the bed, I simply could careless, Derek. I just want to sleep.”
“You do look worn out.“ He reached out to slide his knuckles over the side of her face, she turned her head away from him. She heard his sigh, felt his frustration with her own. When he didn’t make any movements to tie her leg to the bed, she moved to one side to turn the blankets back.
She slid into the cool sheets, almost closing her eyes immediately. The bed shifted when Derek finished getting ready for bed as well. She turned to her side, putting her back to him. Elanor might not have the energy to fight with him, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to give him the idea everything was fine between them.
He didn’t say anything or pull Elanor to him. Which if he had, she’d have spent the last of her energy slapping him for daring to touch her. King had sat down on the floor at the end of the bed. Even while sitting, the dog could be seen easily. He looked unsure of what he should do now. Elanor made a wiggle with her fingers, trying to get his attention so he’d come around to her side so she could pet him. It shocked her when he took it as an invitation to get into bed with them.
Like a graceful deer he leaped up onto the bed from his sitting position, trotting up between with less grace like a herd of cows. When he laid down it was no dainty settle, his body slammed down causing Elanor to moan again.
“Watch it you clod.” Derek grunted too.
Elanor grinned. She didn’t mind the hulking dog being a living barrier. Reaching behind her, she petted his silky short coat. Liking that, he turned onto his back, long legs jutting in the air. She silently laughed, rubbing his belly, scratching a portion of it. His leg thumped happily against the bed, another grunt heard from Derek. She fell asleep soon after, dozing comfortably with her new friend laying against her back, between her and Derek.
Chapter sixteen
Elanor sat on the front low step; her right leg extended for Derek to shackle.
The morning had been greeted by the silent truce until that point. They’d had breakfast in a mutual silence before cleaning up, then he’d said they were going to the village today. She hadn’t even protested him putting the ball and chain on though anger shown as heat on her skin.
“You don’t have to wear it.” He said voicing his thoughts clearly on his face. “If you just gave your word.”
“I will not.” She said simply.
He nodded curtly, kneeling to strap the leather and clasp the lock. Standing again, he offered a hand to help her up, she refused it, standing on her own.
He muttered under his breath about stubborn women.
She waited for him to head towards the path, saying nothing in return. After a long moment, as though baffled, he shook his head. Elanor followed him up the short path. King shot off, running ahead of them in a happy dog gallop.
She realized right away the practice inside with the ball and chain did nothing to help her outside. The dirt ground a different texture then the hard wood. The ball dragged heavier in it. With slow progress they moved deeper into the small village.
It felt awkward and all the more embarrassing then it did when alone in the house. She had to take to a limp like walk, dragging the ball behind her.
Derek walked patiently beside her, strolling as though they were taking a pleasant walk through Hyde park. She could feel the anger starting to well up again.
By the time they’d reached the village, her temper had reached proportions that she’d never felt before. Seething, she limped behind him, watching the ground unable to look at the men and women greeting Derek as they past. It wasn’t until they were well into the small village that she did look up, instantly stunned by the number of people. Her eyes darted from man, woman and even children working near huts.
She saw some of the crew of Derek’s ship standing about as well. Elanor nearly slammed into Derek’s back, not paying attention when he’d stop.
“You’re in the slave trade!” She hissed low. “How could you do something like this?”
He looked stunned, Caspin came to stand by them looking equally shocked.
“I’m not in the slave trade.”
“Then what are all these slaves doing here?” She demanded.
“They live here.” He answered. “Freely. This is their home too.”
“It’s disgusting to get something for nothing. Stealing, enslaving people for your own gain!” She yelled at him. “I can’t believe you’ve become a pirate. You know what they do to pirates when arrested, Derek? Is that why you’re hiding on this island?”
He stared hard at her. She stare right back.
Derek turned to Caspin.
“Do you see what I’ve been telling you? Proper, well behaved Inglish women do not ye
ll and carry on like this.” Her eyes drew wide at his sudden gentleman speech. “Country living gave too many freedoms, she‘s outspoken and rude. And now you see why I need to take her in hand. Show the error of her way. Pirate! She’s accusing me of being a pirate!” Her right hand itched to slap his face. He talked as though she were a child. Only he wasn’t speaking to her.
Of course she’d always been encouraged to speak her mind. When they were growing up, it had been one of the things that he often enjoyed about her personality. Or so he said. He made her feel like she was being obnoxious now. Speaking against piracy and slavery?
“Don’t pull me into this, Mate.” Caspin said. “You’re on your own. Angry women scare me.” His attempt on humor fell on deaf ears. Elanor and Derek were squared off now.
“You have morels of a barbarian and you dare to insult me for speaking sense when sense is needed?” She shot at him.
“I dare and I intend to correct the problem. You better start acting like a proper respectable lady who doesn’t shout and make false accusations in public!” Derek returned.
“Public! We’re standing in the middle of an island!” She fumed. “You won‘t stand there lecturing me about properness when you‘re a pirate and enslaving people!”
“I am not a pirate, nor am I in the slave trade!”
“You stole my father’s ship!”
“She’s got you there, mate.” Caspin chipped in, clearly enjoying himself.
“I didn’t steal the ship. And I didn’t take anything that wasn’t mine to begin with!” He raised his voice to speak over her when she started to talk again. “Real pirates took your father’s ship. I was just at the right place, at the right time. You don’t have to stay shackled, that is your choice.”
She’d glanced around expecting people to be watching. Oddly no one but Caspin seemed interested in their shouting match. The rest of the village carried on as though nothing were out of the ordinary. If this had been anywhere else, there would have been a small crowd gathered.