Kai awoke, blind in the darkness, his heart racing. He sat up, placing his bare feet on the stony floor, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands. something had wakened him, but he wasn't sure what.
A bang cam at the door, causing Kai to jump. He reached for his shirt draped over the back of the chair just a few feet from his bed. He slipped it quickly over his head, pulling the laces taut at the collar.
He cautiously made his way to the door of the small shack in which he resided, pulling a dagger from beneath the straw mattress.
His heartbeat sped up as the weak banging echoed from the opposite side of the door. Kai reached for the latch, as soon as he released it, the door flung open and a tall, thin, dark body fell against his chest.
Kai instinctively grabbed the shivering, thin frame of the girl. He half-dragged, half-carried her to his bed and lay her gently upon it. She was haggard: thin and frail. Her eyes were a bit sunken in; she looked as though she'd been through quite an ordeal.
It was a few moments before Kai began to panic. He frantically thrust his feet into his shoes and scrambled out the door. He leaped over the hedges separating his little servant's quarters from the main property and ran through the orchards. He scooped up pebbles from the ground, making his way around to the back of the main house. Kai threw the pebbles one by one at the center window of the top story until a young woman appeared behind the glass and pushed the panes open.
As always, the first sight of her caught his breath; her long golden hair was ragged from sleep, her eyes slightly puffed, and her milky complexion glowing in the moonlight. "Kai!" She whispered harshly down to him, "What are you doing?"
"Tann!" Kai replied breathlessly. "Tann, you've got to come! Now!"
"Kai..." She groaned.
"No, really, get a candlestick and a cloak and come down. I need your help!" Kai despaired.
She heaved a great sigh. "Kai, it's still hours before sunrise, you need my help NOW?"
"Tann, PLEASE." He begged. "Tann, there's a girl in my bed and I don't know what to do with her."
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "What?!"
"No, Tann--" Kai stuttered, realizing what he'd just said, stumbling for an explanation
A bang cam at the door, causing Kai to jump. He reached for his shirt draped over the back of the chair just a few feet from his bed. He slipped it quickly over his head, pulling the laces taut at the collar.
He cautiously made his way to the door of the small shack in which he resided, pulling a dagger from beneath the straw mattress.
His heartbeat sped up as the weak banging echoed from the opposite side of the door. Kai reached for the latch, as soon as he released it, the door flung open and a tall, thin, dark body fell against his chest.
Kai instinctively grabbed the shivering, thin frame of the girl. He half-dragged, half-carried her to his bed and lay her gently upon it. She was haggard: thin and frail. Her eyes were a bit sunken in; she looked as though she'd been through quite an ordeal.
It was a few moments before Kai began to panic. He frantically thrust his feet into his shoes and scrambled out the door. He leaped over the hedges separating his little servant's quarters from the main property and ran through the orchards. He scooped up pebbles from the ground, making his way around to the back of the main house. Kai threw the pebbles one by one at the center window of the top story until a young woman appeared behind the glass and pushed the panes open.
As always, the first sight of her caught his breath; her long golden hair was ragged from sleep, her eyes slightly puffed, and her milky complexion glowing in the moonlight. "Kai!" She whispered harshly down to him, "What are you doing?"
"Tann!" Kai replied breathlessly. "Tann, you've got to come! Now!"
"Kai..." She groaned.
"No, really, get a candlestick and a cloak and come down. I need your help!" Kai despaired.
She heaved a great sigh. "Kai, it's still hours before sunrise, you need my help NOW?"
"Tann, PLEASE." He begged. "Tann, there's a girl in my bed and I don't know what to do with her."
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "What?!"
"No, Tann--" Kai stuttered, realizing what he'd just said, stumbling for an explanation
