| It was dusk, and the small girl snuggled under her quilts. Her nurse was drawing the curtains around the nursery when a deafaning crash shattered the silence. The window burst inward scattering glass accross the floor. In the empty frame, where the window should have been, there stood a massive black stallion unlike any the girl had ever seen . This stallion had great wings huge teeth and razor sharp talons. The nurse shreaked at the sight of the hidious thing, stumbling back. In one powerfull swipe, the nurse was nothing more than a crumpled heap on the floor. The small girl cried out in terror, the horse-thing rounded on her, teeth bared, and red eyes gleaming. It growled softley, moving stealthaly towards her, suddenly it lunged... Ellie sat up with a start, she was trembling like a leaf as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. Then, she kicked herself mentaly for her cowardice. It had been very vivid, but a dream none the less. still, she couldn't really ignore the icy feeling in the pit of her stomach at the sight of the winged horse, the Hurrok. she lit a candle on her nightstand, glancing around her chamber for anything that resembled one. Now she was painfully aware of the racket that drifted throught the floor boards from the common room, how had she slept in the first place? Jumping out of bed, she pulled on a shirt and breeches, half a mind to walk down there and give them ALL a piece of her mind. Instead, she sat back massaging her temples. She had a headache, not a painfull one, more like an itch in the back of her mind. A particular itch that usually signaled that danger was coming. She poked her head out her door, quickly scanning the corridor for signes of trouble. A man jumped out of the shadows, grabbing her around the shoulders and pressing a sharp blade to her throat. She swivelled left, elbowing her attacker hard in the stomach. While he was doubled over, she got a good look at him and almost screamed in exasperation. It was only Blade! That idiot! Blade was a young man around twenty, who was very hansome and very, very stupid. He was 'Fingers son, and jelous of Ellie's position. This was the second time he'd tried to attack her this week! Ellie was furious, she'd thought that she might be in real danger! Blades attacks on her life were so frequent, that they had ceased to be a threat, just more of an annoyance. A very temporary annoyance she planned on dealing with right now! Blade had re-gained his breath, Ellie weaved left as blade flipped his knife. It grazed her cheek, leaving a stinging scratch. She dove at him, driving him to the ground. With one hand, she tore stips away from her under shirt, whilst pinning him with the rest of her body. She used these strips to fasten his arms and legs together. 'Didn't you'r mother teach you not to sneak up on girls?' she growled as she tied the final knot. Thief he may be, fighter he was not. Ellie thought about leaving a mark to make the lesson stick, but decided against it as the humiliation would be enough. She let herself back into her chambers intent on first washing up, then heading down to the common room for some ale of somthing. Normally she avoided the stuff like the Dark God, but right now it actually sounded quite appealing. The cool water she spashed on her face was enormously refreshing, and the cut on her cheek was quite shallow, lucky for blade. She dried her face and made for the door and caught a glympse of herself in the long mirror by her bed. She was a smal girl, short for fifteen, with a little nose, soft lips, and intense green eyes. Her deep brown hair was flecked with red, and curled neatly around her shoulders. Shaking her head, she tried to clear her mind. She mused again about the dream, who was that little girl? Was it her? No. That was imposible, the girl from the dream was a Noble, no commoners could afford things like nannys' and nursuries, and she was definately no Noble. It was true, she didn't remember any of her life from before she was about five, but that wasn't unusuall for people of her generation. A lot of thier parents, and probably hers, had fought and been killed in the Immortals War. She had grown up on the street until she was seven, it was then that Marek, her fatherly figure and friend had 'adopted' her. It wasn't really a true, legal addoption (not that Marek did anything by the letters of the law) but he had taken her under his wing and shown her the way of the Rouge, and she couldn't have been more greatfull to him. She had never been given any more reason than silly dreams to belive she was more than a common street urchin, and it would remain that way. She left her chambers so deep in thought that she almost triped over Blade, who was still tied up on the floor. 'How's the view from down there?' she asked sweetly. He simply glared and muttered curses as she made her way down the srairs towards the common room. As she pulled back on the heavy door, the noises that hit her were almost deafining. As usuall, the common room of the Dancing Dove was bustling. Flower girls and Maids giggled as men joustled one another, throwing dice and betting on who could drink whom under the table. Ale was being passed around as servets told dirty jokes and others divided thier night's haul. A smile curled Ellie's lips, this was the court of the rouge, her court, and these were her people. |
| Lady Rogue |
| *** a fanfic by me (Lady Michaela)*** |