Shadowwalker - Under Review For Now

18. Estranged

Amber rubbed her elbow, having hit it against the tree when she was dropped.

Her eyes, still shiny and red-rimmed from crying, glared at him, coldly. "As if I'd tell you," she hissed at him. She stood up, and ran into the dark woods. The lights of the moons were barely able to reach her through the thick canopy of leaves, and Amber could barely see a few feet ahead of her. She had no idea whether or not Venarius was following her, but care she did not.

She just had to get away, escape from the recent horror that had occurred right in front of her eyes. She had to clear the whirling storm inside her mind as her thoughts raced, as Raven still crashed. She had to flee from the mental anguish, the torment that she was suddenly experiencing as flashes of other girls, other enforcers sprung up in mind's eye.

She ran faster than she had in ages, adrenaline pumping through her veins, endorphins slowly starting to lift her spirits. Her heart pounded in her throat, and her breath came out in ragged gasps.

Suddenly, a bat flew at her, causing her to trip over something ; probably some sort of root, or possibly a fallen branch. Her arms and face stung from where her mad dash failed to keep branches and twigs from scratching her and she screamed.

Her shriek of surprise was cut short as she hit the forest floor, hard. "Oof," Amber gasped. She groaned, knowing that her knees were bruised if not worse, her ankle was probably sprained and that her palms were now scraped.

Out of nowhere, a wave of exhaustion hit her, overtook her. Before she knew it, Amber passed out, completely alone in unfamiliar territory.

She shot up, jumping to her feet in the half light. The floor, walls, and ceiling all were various shades of grey, the higher up the wall the lighter the shade.
A stray thought crossed her mind; 'unsettling...'

She saw a bloody chain with handcuffs on the floor, which was not there the first time she looked around. Or... was it? She could no longer remember. A gust of wind came out of nowhere. She rubbed her arms, which had goose bumps all over them.

She felt someone's lukewarm breath behind her, making the hairs on her neck stand up and send chills down her spine. She was not sure if that was a good thing, or bad.

"It's only me," a male voice told her.

She closed her eyes, trying to place it.
Her eyes flew open as she remembered where she knew it from. She hadn't seen hide nor hair of its owner in years- for good reason.

"Jack?" she asked. "That's me," he told her. "No, don't turn around- I'm watching your back." he paused. "Don't you trust me anymore, Spark?"
"I trust you as much as I trust any scorpion," she stated plainly, her voice slow as she considered his question. "I trust you to listen to your nature and follow your insticts. You may try to do right, but won't hesitate to do harm. You might even be unaware of the damage you cause, that's simply how you are. Always have been, always will be."

Jack snorted and grinned like a chershire cat, a strange sight to behold in the half light. However, since he was not standing before her, she did not see it.
"Good girl, nothing has changed in that department. Do you know why I am here?"

Amber considered her old mentor's question for a moment, and hesitated several seconds before she was able to formulate a response.
"I presume it is to either warn me, tell me off, or both," she said in hushed tones.

She sensed him nodding. "Thats partially correct, but you must also know that I have no idea why we are in the same dream. Have you had any other strange dreams lately?" He questioned.

Amber hesitated, then realised there was no harm in being honest to him. She told him all about this dream being a continuation of the previous nights, and of the events that occured during them.

Jack drew a sharp breath. "Has anyone discovered who you are, Raven?  Or why,  how how you are?" He demanded, his hands firmly holding onto her shoulders. His grip was tight, too tight, and she squirmed. Quickly, she managed to recite most if not all the oddities surrounding the strange assassin.

He stilled during her explanation, and when she was finally done, he silently hugged her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and resting his head on her shoulder. Surprised, she held tightly onto his arms. He was only a few summers older than her, but most o the time it felt more like centuries. But at this moment, as she awkwardly studied the blond from that angle, they seemed to almost evaporate. His closeness filled her with longing for summers long passed, of the familiar sounds of regular thuds as they sparred, laughed together, and trained. His scent filled her nostrils with the smell of old spices, of earthy woods, and of smoke.
He confused her more than ever at that moment because of his sudden tenderness.

"Don't tell him too much, Raven, and trust him to not care much for you. But, instead, trust him to be a worthy asset, and a good ally. Find his Talent, Spark. Find it, and use it well. And try to see what you can find out about the girl. Use your skills and of those around you."

The world around her started to shake, uncontrollably.

The chains had been removed, gone, simply vanished into thin air, the walls turned psychedelic colours or reds and greens, followed by black, white, black as the light flickered and, lastly, Jack vanished, leaving her alone in the strange room.

"Why are people always SHAKING me awake lately," she mumbled as the world went dark.

Her eyes fluttered, then opened.

Green eyes met gentle brown.

"Lodell? By the moons," she groaned, sitting up onto her elbows, "just what ARE you doing here?"
"Loveday told me to go fetch ye, miss. It's Plonita."
Amber yawned annoyed, and rubbed her eyes, struggling to shake off the seductive tendrils of sleep that tried to pull her back into her slumber, before she even begun to comprehend what he just said. Then a mental candle was lit.

"Say, you found your Talent, didn't you?"

Lodell grinned, and nodded. "Aye, miss, Me's a Tracker!" he anounced proudly.

"Thats brilliant, but doesn't quite give you an excuse to talk like that. Or wake me in such a manner in the middle of the woods."
Amber frowned, thinking.

"Say, what's wrong with Plonita?" she wondered. He hesitated before answering.

"Well, she be dead, miss."