Chapter 8 - Rescue
Submitted November 8, 2003 Updated November 8, 2003 Status Incomplete | I dedicate this story to Eunice Vun, my friend and part-time editor, who inspired and helped me with ideas when I was stuck. Thanks a whole heap Eunice! Oh yes, and also Mr Gavin Marshall, known as Mr M, for pushing me to my greatest extent with word
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Chapter 8 - Rescue
Chapter 8 - Rescue
The sound of his door unlocking was distant to Xavier as he lay where he was, sleeping.
“My lord! My lord, wake up my lord…”
He opened an eye to find an anxious face staring down at him.
“Please my lord, Rayne is in trouble, you must come!” the girl looked close to tears, and very frightened.
“Who are you?” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. “What trouble?”
“I am Sahra, Rayne’s sister. She is in the cells below us, my lord! She told me to come and get you to help her! She gave me these to give to you my lord!”
She thrust the silver hairs into his hands.
The name clicked. Sahra’s name, Rayne’s sister’s name, was carved on the staff!
Xavier stared at them, running this through his head.
What he had overheard Rowan and Tristan saying, after the fight with Rayne, it was about her…
He got up with a start.
“The owls, where are the owls?” he asked the girl.
“They’re in the kitchen, locked in a cage,” Sahra said, leading Xavier out of his room and towards the kitchens.
“How did they get in there? No, don’t try and explain, just get me those owls and take me to Rayne. I’ll wait here!” he called as she hurried off.
She came back with Shadow and Opal flying behind her. She hurried past him, calling him to follow and frantically explaining.
“I was told to bring food to a special prisoner down in the cells, and I hadn’t seen Rayne since I dressed her for the first dinner. I worried, and went down to check before she told me to come to you. She was in a terrible state, bound by that pig of a king’s spells and Tristan’s chants, it was horrible. She told me to come and find you. She said that you would help,” she added as they entered the darkness under the castle.
“Right you are Sahra…” he trailed off as they came to Rayne’s cell.
* * *
“Xavier, is that you?” Rayne’s voice was weak as she called.
Opal hooted sorrowfully.
“Hang on, don’t move. There’s no keyhole so I’m guessing Tristan used magic.”
“Xavier, it was them. They did it. Watch out for the guard, he’ll call Tristan,” she called as she curled up in a corner, shivering.
Yellow bolts of magic hit the door, making it buzz and heat up. Xavier’s hands, coated with silver, started to strain at the hot metal, pulling it into a hole large enough for a person to fit through.
At last Xavier had made a big enough hole for her to escape.
“Don’t try it yet,” he advised, “Or you’ll scorch your skin.”
Rayne looked through the hole, and watched as a figure moved out of the darkness.
“Sahra! Xavier! Look out!” she screamed as a giant hand connected with Xavier’s head, sending him colliding with the stone wall opposite.
Xavier fell to the ground, blood trickling from his head. He did not stir.
Shadow shrieked and dived at Hugh, making him blunder around, hands over his eyes to stop the owl pecking them out with anger.
Ignoring the burns, Rayne scrambled through the hole, her skin scorching where it met the hot metal.
Taking Sahra’s hand they ran out of the cells, lead by Opal and Shadow, away from Hugh, away from Xavier.
* * *
Rayne sat, staring at the wall while Sahra applied the green liquid to her burns and her leg.
“He’s gone, Xavier’s gone,” Rayne whispered, hardly able to believe what had happened. “He won’t come out. We must go back.”
Rayne struggled, her eyes darting frantically.
Sahra said nothing, whether she believed or didn’t believe Rayne could not tell.
Rayne stood suddenly, upsetting the owls next to her.
“Rowan…Tristan…They’re going to pay dearly for what they did. Opal, Shadow, you’re going to go to the stables and find Prince and Moon.”
The owls took off without a complaint.
The anger that she had contained for so long flared like a newly lit fire.
“They will be dead by sunset. I swear it upon my honour; those scoundrels will be dead by sunset.”
Rayne looked at Sahra, for it was she that spoke this oath.
“Yes sister. They will be dead by sunset.”
* * *
“My lord! My lord, wake up my lord…”
He opened an eye to find an anxious face staring down at him.
“Please my lord, Rayne is in trouble, you must come!” the girl looked close to tears, and very frightened.
“Who are you?” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. “What trouble?”
“I am Sahra, Rayne’s sister. She is in the cells below us, my lord! She told me to come and get you to help her! She gave me these to give to you my lord!”
She thrust the silver hairs into his hands.
The name clicked. Sahra’s name, Rayne’s sister’s name, was carved on the staff!
Xavier stared at them, running this through his head.
What he had overheard Rowan and Tristan saying, after the fight with Rayne, it was about her…
He got up with a start.
“The owls, where are the owls?” he asked the girl.
“They’re in the kitchen, locked in a cage,” Sahra said, leading Xavier out of his room and towards the kitchens.
“How did they get in there? No, don’t try and explain, just get me those owls and take me to Rayne. I’ll wait here!” he called as she hurried off.
She came back with Shadow and Opal flying behind her. She hurried past him, calling him to follow and frantically explaining.
“I was told to bring food to a special prisoner down in the cells, and I hadn’t seen Rayne since I dressed her for the first dinner. I worried, and went down to check before she told me to come to you. She was in a terrible state, bound by that pig of a king’s spells and Tristan’s chants, it was horrible. She told me to come and find you. She said that you would help,” she added as they entered the darkness under the castle.
“Right you are Sahra…” he trailed off as they came to Rayne’s cell.
* * *
“Xavier, is that you?” Rayne’s voice was weak as she called.
Opal hooted sorrowfully.
“Hang on, don’t move. There’s no keyhole so I’m guessing Tristan used magic.”
“Xavier, it was them. They did it. Watch out for the guard, he’ll call Tristan,” she called as she curled up in a corner, shivering.
Yellow bolts of magic hit the door, making it buzz and heat up. Xavier’s hands, coated with silver, started to strain at the hot metal, pulling it into a hole large enough for a person to fit through.
At last Xavier had made a big enough hole for her to escape.
“Don’t try it yet,” he advised, “Or you’ll scorch your skin.”
Rayne looked through the hole, and watched as a figure moved out of the darkness.
“Sahra! Xavier! Look out!” she screamed as a giant hand connected with Xavier’s head, sending him colliding with the stone wall opposite.
Xavier fell to the ground, blood trickling from his head. He did not stir.
Shadow shrieked and dived at Hugh, making him blunder around, hands over his eyes to stop the owl pecking them out with anger.
Ignoring the burns, Rayne scrambled through the hole, her skin scorching where it met the hot metal.
Taking Sahra’s hand they ran out of the cells, lead by Opal and Shadow, away from Hugh, away from Xavier.
* * *
Rayne sat, staring at the wall while Sahra applied the green liquid to her burns and her leg.
“He’s gone, Xavier’s gone,” Rayne whispered, hardly able to believe what had happened. “He won’t come out. We must go back.”
Rayne struggled, her eyes darting frantically.
Sahra said nothing, whether she believed or didn’t believe Rayne could not tell.
Rayne stood suddenly, upsetting the owls next to her.
“Rowan…Tristan…They’re going to pay dearly for what they did. Opal, Shadow, you’re going to go to the stables and find Prince and Moon.”
The owls took off without a complaint.
The anger that she had contained for so long flared like a newly lit fire.
“They will be dead by sunset. I swear it upon my honour; those scoundrels will be dead by sunset.”
Rayne looked at Sahra, for it was she that spoke this oath.
“Yes sister. They will be dead by sunset.”
* * *
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