The Unseen, Pt. 4

Chapter Nine

She had been so young and tiny when he had first seen her, wandering desperate and hurting in the forest darkness. He still felt a twinge of guilt when he thought of his original plans for her, dinner. But he had quickly dismissed that thought the moment he looked into her eyes and say the depths of her soul, she was like him and the others only she was different. An open book and a mystery, the known and the unknown all rolled into one. And with that look he knew he was lost to her, he would be her protector and friend, and someday maybe more if only she would let him close. But he bided his time and was patient. If a friend was all she needed then a friend he would be. And no better friend could she have made then either. For Robbie's friendship accorded her a protection that few had here, he was one of the old ones here and his mark of protection meant the difference between life and death.

So through the years he had helped her, trained her and nurtured her in the ways of the forest and its lives. And through this all he had come to realize that he loved her deeply. He knew that he could protect her from the council and the others here in the forest but from those out there and the sun dwellers he wasn't too sure and it gave him a moments fear. What had she done, she was really beginning to scare him as he felt the fear and anguish that consumed her. If only she would tell him what had happened so that he could help her. Her heartbeat rapidly in her tiny chest and the sound of it roared in his ears. He knew that it was terrible news that she held, and it made him hold her all the more tighter as the feelings of danger rose from her and into him.

Unable to face her friend with the news that she held, she buried her face deeper into his neck and said, "oh Robbie, I've done something really awful. I killed . . . I killed the rulers' brother. It's all my fault, I'm so sorry." And the tears began to stream out in an uncontrollable flood. Stunned Robbie continued to hold and rock her. She was the one they were looking for, she was the reason that so many of his friends had been killed and so much of the beautiful forest destroyed. The shock melted away slowly and he began to clear his mind of the all the harsh thoughts that had entered it. So what if she was the reason, there must have been a really good reason for her to kill, for he knew the sorrow that she felt whenever she had taken a life. Perhaps that was why he had never made her one of them fully, for he knew to do so would have destroyed all the things he loved so much.

"Well now," said her friend as he patted her head and sat her up so that he could look her in the eye, "I think that you should tell me exactly what happened and why. I know that you must have had a good reason to do this. You are sure that you did this, there's no mistake?"

"I can feel it, I know I did it. I knew the moment that I heard you say the rulers' brother was dead that I had been the one. Oh Robbie, I didn't know what else to do I had to do it," the young girl's shoulders sagged with the burden that she now bore. "I didn't think Robbie, I just acted, I don't know how to explain what I did or why I did it. I only know that I did it and I would do it again if I had too. There was no other way to handle it. And I will go before the council and except their punishment, but not yet I have something that I must do first and then, then I will take responsibility for the crimes I have committed." Looking up and into her friends eyes her sadness was written clearly but there was also a look of determination there as well.

"What things must you do Jezzy? What else haven't you told me?" her friend suddenly had a deep sense of foreboding as he looked at the girl. He knew that this sense was a premonition, things would only get worse before they got better and he feared suddenly that he would lose her in the end. "Jezzy," he whispered, "oh Jezzy what have you done?" the fear was clear in his whisper.

"I brought two dwellers to my home. I had to Robbie they were in danger, and one was dying. I had to do this and I know that I will have to pay for this, I know and accept that I have broken the sacred rules but Robbie," her voice turning to a whisper then, "Robbie, he was one of them, the one I had told you of. He was hurt badly Robbie, I couldn't leave him. His companion was in no condition to save them and . . . " looking down at the ground she continued, "well Robbie the rulers' brother had shot him once and was preparing to shoot him again. I couldn't let him do it. I remember the horror and shock that crossed his face as the arrow pierced him and the anger I felt and then I remember standing over the dead man, my knife in hand and covered with blood. I knew then what I had done as I know now what I have done and I would do it again in a heart beat Robbie. When I reached them Robbie I cold see he was dying and again my only thought was to help him. So I brought them here and I've been nursing them ever since. That is why my provisions are so low and why I must hurry back now. I've been gone to long and they are unprotected there." With that she began to quickly gather the things she needed and put them into the pack.

"You have no need to worry from any of our kind, none would bother your home or you for that matter, they know better. As for the others I doubt that they could reach you anytime soon, you have chosen a safe place as your home, deep within the heart of the forest."

"What do you mean none would bother me? I don't understand." Pausing she looked puzzled toward her friend.

"Don't worry about that now lets finish gathering this and get you back to your dwellers." Together the two gather supplies and began to head back to her cave. "Robbie, I don't want to put you in anymore danger than you already are. Why don't you just leave now and I'll take care of this? Please I don't want anything to happen to you." Smiling down on her he said, "My pretty it's too late for that now, I'm here to help you and that's final. So now lets be quiet and hurry back before anything happens."

Chapter Ten

As they approached the cave, the young girl sighed with relief. She could feel that all was as it had been left and that the two were still asleep. Lifting the tarp back, she moved to allow Robbie to enter. Pointing silently to the back of the cave they moved the supplies into their stores and then Robbie turned to look at the strangers. Turning so that he still held the men in his line of sight but could also see Jezzy he sent his thoughts to her. "So this is what you have risked you life for?" His sarcasm and harshness were not lost to the girl. "Yes," she thought back purposely ignoring his tone. Smiling gently she looked toward the sleeping forms, "they are the ones that I have told you about. The ones from the clearing." A deep look of sadness crossed her face then, "I don't know thought, the one called Marcus, he has yet to awake and the night terrors will not leave him. I have done all that I can for the wounds but I don't know how to make him wake. Can you help Robbie? I have seen you rise many before, can you at least tell what is wrong. What have I done wrong that he will not wake?" He saw the pleading in her eyes and the fear that settled in on her. "You take to much responsibility for those things that are out of your control, Jezzy. Sometimes nature has its own rules and they must be obeyed. Only then when nature has run its course can the out come be seen."

"Yes, yes enough of your prophetizing Robbie. Can you do anything or not?" the annoyance and impatience of the young girl were all too evident in her manner and tone of thought, but he took no offense as he knew how much this meant to her. "I will see what I can do for my dear. But do you really want to waken him? Do you know what all this will mean? He will see you, he will see where you live and he will know what you are? There can be no more pretending, no more playing the shade. He will know all your secrets. Would it not be better to take him and the other away from here and then wake them, so that some of your secrets can be saved?"

Shaking her head no, she looked up to her friend and thought, "the other has already awaken. He knows and so the other will know too. My secrets are shattered and the illusion is over. All that I have now is the reality of this time and place. We have to wake him and he will have to see and know. And then we can return them to their people. I'm so sorry Robbie, I didn't think and now I have placed all of us in grave danger." Tears once again sprang to the girls eyes, silently slipping down her face in a steady stream. Reaching out to her he gently brushed them away and calmly rested his hand on her cheek. "Don't cry, there is still hope and I will never abandon you. So chin up and lets see what we can do, all right."

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