The next morning, Rastellion rises early, determined that they'll get an early start. The previous afternoon, Bonnie, at the mayor's office, told him that she couldn't delay the auctioning of Immalaine's property; it will happen in two days unless Rastellion can return with an affidavit bearing a third signature. If they can get to the village and acquire that signature today, they can be back tomorrow in time to present it at the mayor's office before the close of business.
Yet, as he packs his saddlebags, Rastellion isn't thinking of the paperwork, but of his conversation with Rossiath the previous day. The nosy old woman may have the right of it. He doesn't yet know if he'll be able to stay in Bree or if he'll have to go back to the downs to take care of his father, and take up farming again... but he can tell Immalaine that he wants to be with her, either way. He shakes his head. Life up on the downs, though ... that's no place for her. He hears the jingle of tack in the front: the guards arriving. He shoulders his gear and heads toward the door. Perhaps he's found the solution, though, with that mill... if he can only convince his stubborn father...
Twenty minutes later, the small party arrives at Zandrianna's house. Again, the guards wait in the lane as Rastellion heads up the path. "And whether Zandrianna's sick or not," he mutters to himself, "doesn't matter. We have to go today... there simply is no more time." He mounts the steps and knocks firmly on the solid wooden door.
The morning rays were barely peeking out against the night sky when Immalaine looks out the window, laying on her bed. Wishing them away, she turns her head to look up at the ceiling. The night had brought her nothing but nightmares, waking her as she tried to find a way to do as the man had told her - to let her home go to auction - but she was no closer to a solution than she'd been the previous evening. Hearing the knock at the door and Zandrianna's footsteps and she went to answer it, Immalaine sighed to herself as she listened to Zandrianna greet him. She rubbed her eyes, still red from crying and turned over in the bed to face the wall.
Pushing her hair back from her eyes, Zandrianna opened the door, "Well met Rastellion," she said to him with a weak smile. "Come inside." She looks past him to the guards waiting outside, then turns to follow him towards the fire. "Come for Immalaine?" she asks, reaching over to hug him.
Smiling cautiously, Rastellion returns the hug carefully. "Yes." He follows her to the hearth and studies her in the light from the fire and the eastern windows. Despite the ruddy glow of the firelight, she still seems pale, lacking her usual vivacious energy. "How are you feeling? I hope you've been getting plenty of rest."
A quick glance up towards the ceiling makes it clear that Zandrianna is already impatient with being treated like an invalid. "I'm fine, you of all people should know I can handle a lot. I just needed a little sleep is all." Her pallor belies her words, dark circles still under her green eyes.
At this moment, Merry comes out of the second room, stretching. "Good morning, Miss Zandrianna, good morning Mister Rastellion." the young redhead chirps cheerfully, before heading to the pantry to start coffee. "You're leaving this morning?" she asks Rastellion.
He nods. "Two days left to go get that third signature before she looses her property, as I'm sure Immalaine's told you both." He looks about. "Is she ready?"
Zandrianna frowns. "I don't think so. I've not heard her awaken yet."
Rastellion's fists clench in frustration as he frowns. "Not awake? But..." He takes a deep breath. "Well, it is earlier than I came by yesterday, but we have to get a move on." He moves over to the door to Immalaine's room and knocks. "Immalaine? Are you up? We're ready to go, here."
Hearing the knock on her door, Immalaine flinches inwardly. But knowing she must answer it, she gets up out of bed and opens it enough to look out. "Rastellion," she says, looking up at him. "Hello." She looks past him at the other women, before looking up at him again. "I ... come in," she says, motioning him into the small room.
Rastellion glances from her - disheveled, and still in her night dress - toward the front door, beyond which the hired guards are waiting. Again. "Immalaine," he says softly, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice, "we need to be on the road soon. Right now, really. How quickly can you get ready? Merry's just started the coffee. Do you need help packing or anything?"
With a shake of her head,she sits down on the side of her bed and looks up at him. "I'm not feelin' so well this morning," she says, trying to put him off. "I ... I'm not sure traveling’s a good idea today." She blinks, her eyes bleary with lack of sleep and worry as she watches his frustrated expression, before reaching up to rub her forehead with her fingers.
"We have to go today.” Rastellion replies, staring at her for a long moment, bewildered. “We're going to be hard pressed to get back in time as it is!" He steps just inside the room and studies her. "You do look tired but there's no other choice. You can bundle up well - wear that new cloak I got for you at Winter-home." He spreads his hands. "And even if you do get sick for a day or two... well, better that than losing your inheritance, surely." He gives her an encouraging smile. "Come on. Maybe all you need is a cup of coffee. I know some mornings I feel half-dead until I have mine!"
Opening her mouth, she looks at the determination on his face and sighs, leaning her head down. Her hair, like a curtain, obscures her face as she thinks. "I know," she says, her voice heavy with lack of sleep. "But ... I really don't feel so good." She pauses for a moment. "But I'll at least get dressed and come out," she concedes, waiting for him to leave the room.
"Immalaine, what's going on?” he said, as he gives her a puzzled stare. “You know how important this is! You don't want them to sell away your home, do you? I know you don't! We talked about this on our last trip to your village. So... what...?" He makes a helpless gesture with his hands, his confusion evident. "I thought you'd be ready and waiting for us this morning, eager to take care of this!"
Her hands clench the bedspread as she looks over at him again. "I .. I am, of course ..." she chokes out, trying to make her voice sound normal. "I jus' been taking care of Zandrianna, and now I don't feel so good either, and ..." She stands up, shooing him from the room. "I can't talk t' you like this," she says, "At least leave so I can get some clothes on!"
Rastellion blinks in surprise. "Leave? But you've never needed me to..." He lets out a long sigh. "Fine, if that'll get you dressed. I'll go fix your coffee." His questioning glance seeks out her eyes, but she doesn't meet his gaze and, shaking his head he turns and heads back to the main room, shutting the door behind him. He looks at the other two women helplessly. "What's gotten into her?" he asks them as he heads back to the fire to see how Merry's coming along with the coffee.
Hearing the question, Zandrianna looks over at Rastellion helpless to tell him what Immalaine had confided in her. Instead, she shakes her head and heads to the bedchamber herself. "I'll go talk to her," she says, slipping into the room. "Immalaine?" she asks the young woman, seeing her pull her dress over her head. "Rastellion's worried about you, and to be honest so am I." She frowns at the younger woman, and heads to help her lace her bodice. "What's wrong? Is it ...?" Zandrianna asks, letting the question hang in the air.
Shaking her head, Immalaine purses her lips. She'd not told her friend about the run in the day before, and afraid that the man would do something to Zandrianna if she did - or worse, that Zandrianna would try to do something about it herself - she quickly replied, "Nothing. I'm jus' worried 'bout you an' I'm not feeling so well myself." she said.
Taking in Immalaine's tired features, Zandrianna nods. "I'll be fine, I assure you. Between Merry and Rossiath coming to look in on me, I'll have plenty of people to take care of me. And you know Rastellion only wants to help you." She takes Immalaine's hand. "Go, get that signature and get what belongs to you back."
Opening her mouth to argue, Immalaine closes it again. How could she argue, when she couldn't say why she was arguing to begin with? She simply nods, and turns to find her traveling bag, while Zandrianna slips back out of the room to look up at Rastellion.
"You'll" take care of her while you're gone, right?" she asks him.
"Of course." He glances back towards the shut bedroom door. "Zandrianna ... is everything okay with her? Ever since they told us at the mayor's office that we needed a different signature she's seemed... I don't know. On edge. I thought she was just worried about getting that signature -- I know I am! -- but now?..." He sighs, shoulders sagging. "I'm probably just jumping at shadows." For a moment he considers telling her about what he saw in Bree, that man talking so intimately with Immalaine... but, no. He's being foolish to let that worry him. And there's no time for that anyway, not this morning. But, still, he looks to Zandrianna, hoping she has some insight to offer.
Shaking her head, Zandrianna quickly turns and takes the mug of coffee that Merry offers her. "No," she says, taking a swallow of the hot liquid. "I just figured the same myself. Worried over the signatures, and I guess I didn't help any by getting sick."
Behind them, the door opens and Immalaine comes out, a hastily packed bag in her hand. Feeling a bit trapped, she looks between Zandrianna and Rastellion, before heading over to grab a mug of coffee for herself. Not bothering with even her usual sugar and cream, she takes a sip of it, crinkling her nose at the taste.
Merry pours another mug, offering it to Rastellion. "Here," she says, "Something to keep you going for the day."
Rastellion smiles at the girl. "Thanks! It's going to be a long, cold ride, and we need to make good time!" He cups the mug briefly in his palms, driving away the last of the morning's chill from them. "All set?" he asks Immalaine, trying to hide his concerns and doubts with a brave smile. He puts one arm about her and pulls her to him, being careful not to jostle either mug of coffee, and kisses the top of her head.
Leaning against Rastellion, Immalaine sighs at the brief kiss, taking a couple of long swallows of her coffee, before handing the mug back to Merry. "Yes," she says, trying to act more optimistic than she feels. "I'm ready t' go when you say." She looks up at him and gives him a brief smile, before turning to Zandrianna. "Are you sure you'll be 'lright while ..."
Her words are cut off by Zandrianna, as she lifts her hands. "Immalaine, I'll be fine," she says to her, nodding. "And I know Rastellion will make sure you're alright as well. So go, and don't worry about a thing." Giving up, Immalaine nods and turns to look up at Rastellion.
Rastellion smiles at her, trying to ignore the sense of reluctance he still sense from her. "Good. We should go then." He drinks down the rest of his coffee, wincing as the hot liquid nearly scalds his throat, and hands the mug back to Merry with a quick words of thanks. "And we'll see you when we get back tomorrow night," he tells them as he guides Immalaine toward the door with gentle pressure to the small of her back.
As the couple heads out, Zandrianna waves to them and calls out "Safe travels," while Merry nods and heads to the back with the mugs to rinse them out.
As Immalaine follows Rastellion out the door, she hands him her bag, so he can add it to his own on the horse, as they make ready to depart, nodding at the guards with a small smile of greeting.
Haldrik tugs his forelock as Immalaine walks up. "Miss," he greets her. His companion, who has a mouth full of trail rations, says something unintelligible that involves a lot of crumbs. Rastellion makes short works of strapping Immalaine's back in place, then offers her a hand up to mount the horse he's provided for her. "Look sharp, men," he tells the two guards. "We need to make good time."
Quickly settling herself on the back of her horse, she watches as the men mount up. Looking up at the morning sky, she frowns. "I'm sure we'll get there in plenty o' time," she says, though she doesn't sound too convinced - or perhaps not enthusiastic - about the thought. In the back of her mind, Zandrianna's words about talking to Rastellion sit heavily on her mind, and she slowly chews her lip as she debates their wisdom.
Rastellion nudges his horse, turning its head toward the south-bound road that leads to Immalaine's old village "Well, let's do our best. Hopefully the roads won't be too bad." He smiles at Immalaine, sensing her distraction. "Your old friends will be happy to see you again so soon," he suggests, "even if for such a brief visit!" He nudges his horse into a faster pace, and the guards fall in beside them.
Immalaine nods distractedly, looking carefully around the road. With the man's threats at the front of her mind, she fears he might be watching her - or watching for her - and she scans ahead and behind, hoping not to be noticed as she does so. "I reckon they will," she said, belatedly.
Studying the sky to the west, he shakes his head at the ominously heavy clouds that seem to be massing there. "Well then, let's not keep them waiting." And he urges the little group onward toward Immalaine's old home.
(Credits and love go to Rastellion, who provided the voice of the male characters in this story. *Blows kisses to Rastellion and grins widely*)
