Finally stopping at the entrance to a back ally way. �Why are we stopping?� she snaps. �We�re here� I think.� He says not entirely sure of himself. �Are we now?� she says a grin forming on her face again. Jerking the door open she sweeps out of the carriage and into the ally. He waits there sitting on the carriage when he hears some commotion coming from the ally. After a few moments he sees the sorceress coming out with a girl who is struggling in her arms. When she is inside the carriage he can hear the sound of metal clanging together and the struggling of the girl inside. After a moment of stunned silence he hears her voice from inside. �What are you waiting for fool?� she yells at him.
Flicking the reins again, he heads out hopping he can find his way back to the manor. Under different conditions he wouldn�t care if they ever made it back, he probably would have tried to make a break for it. But he couldn�t stand the thought of someone being trapped with the sorceress in that small a space. So for her sake if nothing else he raced his way back.
Upon entering the manor gates he pulls up at the front stoop where the butler is waiting. The butler opens to the carriage door and opens it for the sorceress who walks out grandly. Looking up at him she stares menacingly �I trust any future outings will be driven with less haste.� ��Sorry miss. Had trouble holding im.� He says trying to sound innocent. And apparently succeeding since all she does is smirk and turns her back on him. �Get the girl.� She snaps at the butler before heading into the house. Reaching into the carriage he pulls her out screaming. Holding her easily in his arms the butler carries her into the manor. Unable to stay his curiosity he follows, making it just in time to run into the sorceress coming out of the room. �Open this door and it will be worth more then a simple beating.� She says slapping him on the check before she sweeps off. Looking at the door he�s not willing to risk getting her angry. So walking off he goes to Naree whom he is sure is waiting for him.
* * *
�Where have you been boy?� Naree asks when he comes into the kitchen where she is preparing that nights meal. �With the miss to some ally.� �What�d you go there for?� �She came out with some girl.� �A girl?" she says looking up at him fearfully. �Yeah, she was really dirty.� �Well��she says calming down again, �I reckon the misses will be call'in me soon enough.� �NAREE.� A yell can be heard. �See what I mean?� Naree smirks at him before leaving the kitchen. Not able to resist he follows after. When they get to the door Naree turns and stops him. �You are going to go back to the kitchen, wait for that stew on the stove to finish cooking and bring a good portion to this room.� She points at the door. �And your not to sneak any of it for yourself got it.� �Yes ma�am.� He says nodding at her. �Good, and bring a fruit, something soft, and some milk. Got that too.� �Yes ma�am.� Nodding his head again. �And after that you can go get some of your chores done.� She says haven putted him to work when he was capable. �Yes ma�am.� He says then races down the hall.
It seemed to take forever for the food to finish cooking, but when it did he wasn�t slow about it. Scooping some of the stew in a bowl grabbing a fruit from a basket and some milk from the jug. He races out for the kitchen as fast as his load allows and makes his way back up to the room. Knocking gingerly on the door Naree opens it a few moments later. "Good, I trust you got what I asked for." "Yes, ma'am.� Handing the tray to her and turning suddenly getting a case of cold feet. At that time another servant comes rushing down the hall. "Naree, we have an emergency. Come quick." "Be there in a second." looking back at the boy who is sneaking down the hall. "And where do you think your going." Naree says sharply. "I got me a lot of work to do." "And they day you actually do any of it, I'll die of shock. Stay here and watch her. I shouldn't take long." Pushing him in the room, she hurries down the hall.
The girl, who is standing in the middle of the room, scurries to climb in the bed when she notices him looking at her. Giving a sigh he shakes his head a little, "So what's yer name?" walking forward. Moving back, she looks at the boy fearfully. "What's wrong?" looking at himself to see if anything is out of order, and then looking back at her confused. "Have, have we talked before? I'm not sure." she says spacey like. "No, we haven't. Why would you think we have?" "Because, I remember us talking." "We couldn't have. You just got here." Out of the blue she starts crying. "Hay, hay you don't need to do that, hay, I'm sorry I didn't mean to . . . I mean, aarruugg." plopping down on the bed frustrated. Startled she looks up, and her crying stops. "There that�s better never could stand to see a pretty girl cry.� He says to her smiling what he perceived to be a charming smile. Instead she laughs at him which though not the intentional response worked for him. �See nothing to cry about.� Looking at her closely, he couldn�t say she was pretty, but she wasn�t ugly as far as girls go.
Smiling again they turn, as Naree storms back into the room. �Stupid girl, would loose her head if it wasn�t attached.� She mutters coming in. Seeing the two staring at her �What?� �Nothin.� He says real quickly. Looking at the girl who now has a smile on her face. �What brought this around?� she asks. �Huh?� �The girl's actually smiling.� �All I did was talk to her,� he says shrugging. �Well, you get to talk to her the rest of the day.� She says turning to leave. �Wait, what do you mean?� �Just watch her, show her around, and make sure she�s down stairs for dinner.� She orders. �And make sure you stay out of sight of the misses. You�re probably the last person she wants with this little one.� She warns pointing at the girl. �Then why are you leaving her with me?� �Because you�re the one person she probably needs.� She answers and she leaves them alone.
* * *
Looking at her he�s completely at a loss. �So um.� Not wanting to stay here and not wanting to be seen he tries to think of somewhere. �Let�s go.� He says waving her out. She seems to go spacey for a moment before walking out the door. Taking her hand, he pulls her down the hall after him. Going down a flight of stairs and down a few corridors, he pushes open door and comes out into a beautiful garden. �Here, she shouldn�t find us here.� He says taking a seat in the grass. Looking up at her he corks his eyebrow at her when he sees her standing there looking around dazed. �You look like you�ve never seen a plant before.� He jokes.
Walking forward she takes a leaf in between her fingers. �You have, haven�t you?� he asks getting worried. �I can touch it.� She says sounding amazed at the thought. �Of course you can.� he says starting to get freaked out. �This is all real.� �Yeah.� a smile forms on her face and she breaks out in laughter and starts spinning around in circles. �Hay, what�s going on?� he says shocked out of his misgivings. �It�s all real.� She yells twirling faster. �Hay, stop that. You�re going to make yourself dizzy.� He warns. After spinning a few more times she falls to the ground. �Told ya.� He says. She doesn�t bother to answer. Just lies there on the ground trying to catch her breath. Crawling over to her he looks down at her, �Are you going to stay down there all day?� �Show me more.� She says excitedly. �Uuh okay.� he says confused.
Taking a walk through the garden he laughs at her unexplained excitement at even the most simple of things. �Where have you been all your life? Stuck in that back ally we found you in.� he jokes. She stops for a moment. �Back ally?� she says like she doesn�t know what he�s talking about. �Yeah remember that ally with all the trash and the bad smell.� He says, not believing she doesn�t remember. �Right that place. I don�t remember it very well.� �How could you NOT remember it?� he asks surprised. �I don�t know. There were so many pictures I didn�t see what was around me very much.� �Pictures?� �Yeah.� she starts beginning to sound a little scared. �I would see them all the time. They never went away. Always they would keep flashing in my head.� �What kind of pictures?� �All sorts of things. People dying mostly.� �Why would you see things like that?� �Because she is a seer!� a harsh voice says behind them .
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