Sector 21

Chapter Nine

A woman a bit smaller than Xavier entered the room, her eyes lit up when she saw him. Her silver hair flowed behind her as she ran to him and he enveloped her in a hug.

"I've missed you." She sniffled into his neck.

"And I have missed you too, Bella." He said, his voice strained.

So that was her name. She had long white blonde hair that was delicately curled, ice blue eyes that were closed where now on Octavia as she stood there and let the scene unfold in front of her. Unsure of what to do, she just stood in silence.

"Is that her?" Bella asked Xavier when she stood in front of him.

"Yes, Octavia Nicholas Rayne." He said gesturing to her, Bella looked her up and down and then strode back through the door after telling him to see her in her chambers once he was debriefed.

Xavier lead her to what would be her quarters and left her there. She had lost a lot of weight since they had left, she hadn't eaten much and riding was actually more exhausting than she had first thought. Her small room had stone walls and a small window on the far wall, there was a small cot bed in the corner with a small folded blanket at the end. She sat on her bed and wondered what the government were doing about her and Xavier's sudden disappearance. She was glad that Xavier had stopped her from taking her phone and laptop with her as she would have probably been tracked using it. From what she could tell the night was closing in so she changed into a set of clean clothes and led on her small cot bed, it was the most uncomfortable thing she had ever slept on but at least she finally had a blanket to cover herself with. Her head became heavy with sleep and she drifted off into a dreamless sleep despite the cold.

A loud knock on her door awoke her from her deep sleep. Annoyed as when she arrived at Weeping Wood fortress, she got out of bed and opened the door to see Bella stood in the doorway.

"I have some clothes for you." She smiled sweetly and handed Octavia the folded clothes "you have missed breakfast but I have been asked to escort you around the fortress for today."

"Thank you-" Octavia said unsurely, not sure what to call her.

"Aribella," She said just as sweetly as before, she was sure it was an act "I'll be back for you in half an hour."

Before Octavia could answer, she was gone. She must have been a fae to move with that much grace and little effort, her ears were like Xavier's too. The clothes she had been given consisted of clean undergarments, her dirty clothes from the past days travelling and a new shirt. The frigid air was harsh against her bare body as she washed herself with the basin in her room and then quickly dressed, putting on a pair of pants and a shirt as well as a jacket and boots. Just as she began to fold her clothes, Aribella knocked the door and walked in.

"We must get on." She said ushering Octavia out of her room and into the stone corridor.

She followed her escort around the fortress, into the kitchens, dining rooms, quarter corridors and then to the stables where she saw Firefoot and Hasufel in their new stalls happily munching on hay. She did not realize it but she smiled when she saw them, happy they had not been returned to the person who they had taken them from or just turned to the glen way below the fortress.

"What are their names?" Aribella asked

"I don't know their real names but I called the steel gray Firefoot and the bay Hasufel." She said, a bit embarrassed that she had actually named them.

"Then they shall be their names." Aribella said to someone that was next to Hasufel. "Have you been trained in combat?"

"Not really," Octavia mumbled "I know how to near paralyses someone in one hit."

"Anything with weapons?" Aribella asked in despitation

"Nothing." Octavia said, feeling pathetic

"That will have to change, you will work in the stables in the morning and then after lunch you will train with whoever is in the center of the courtyard after lunch," Aribella said "After training you will report back to the stables where you will work until there is no work left. Everyone pulls their weight around here, even you."

With that said Aribella spun on her heel and left the stables. Octavia didn't really know what to do, she had never worked in stables in her life. The stable master introduced himself to her as Maliki, he was an elf, he gave her a list of jobs to do and she set about doing them. The last thing she wanted to do was look like a idiot on her first day working in the fortress.

At that point in time she didn't really have an opinion on Aribella, she seemed like a complete two faced bitch but she had only just met her. Xavier was impossible, despite her freeing him from an almost prison he had remained cold to her and without a single word of thanks from him. Maliki was nice, he was a happy person who obviously cared greatly for the horses- that made him her favorite person.

She worked in the stables, cleaning out the stalls, feeding and watering the horses, carrying bundles of hay and taking horses to and from the courtyard and stables. As lunch came around she was starving, it seemed as if everyone who worked in the stables sat as close as they could to the main doors of the room and as far away from the warriors. They got their food and ate with plenty of conversation bouncing around the table.

"Say," She began, getting Maliki's and Sam's attention "what do you know about Xavier?"

"Well," Maliki began "he is one of the warriors that protect the fortress. He is the most skilled in combat and magic, right before his sister Aribella, they are twins and are as dangerous as they are graceful. They are both fae, where as most of us here are either part fae or elves, we tend not to quarrel with them, its not wise to. Until yesterday we hadn't seen him for coming up four years, he was sent to get you by one of the elders. He keeps his business to himself just like the other warriors."

"I heard he is a right arrogant bastard." Sam added

"That I can second." Octavia added, earning a laugh from Sam.

They continued to talk until their plates were cleared and people started emptying from the hall, only then did the stable workers leave.

"Good luck training today." Makili said with what seemed like worry in his eyes.

Everyone filed out of the hall and Octavia spotted Xavier in the middle of the court yard holding Firefoot and Hasufel, she took a deep intake of breath and headed for Xavier.