Allison soon found herself locked away in a tiny shed which had been slowly deteriorating for some time. Within its depths was a soft dirt floor, some shelves lines with a few rusty toolds, and a basket containing two or three of the most handsome kittens, along with their mother, who was the silver tabby that Kitten had been fondling back in the house. It will also be revealed that the now-padlocked door had a small cat-hole through which the felines could easily pass through. The only light came from a small grubby skylight above her head; and Allison noticed a pile of tangled blankets next to the basket, along with a dingy pillow thrown atop them.

There was absolutely nothing else to do, so she picked up one of the kittens and stroked it. They were all about Picasso’s age, she remarked mentally, as she took a piece of string out of her pajama pocket and dragged it across the floor for them to chase They had no collar, no identification tag, yet they were very clean and well-fed…

Allison had no idea what kind of adventure she had been thrown into.

~~~

“And you say the girl has gotten mixed up with the Pride?”

The three men trembled before their mistress like three dogs expecting a whipping. They had not achieved their goal, completed their mission…and yet, this time Mistress didn’t seem so angry. IN fact, she had a sort of amused look on her face as she regarded them.

“Y-yes, that’s r-right,” one stuttered.

A wide smile spread over her face. “Well done, boys,” she praised them; “well done.”

Copyright © 2009 by Lavender Westmarch

Copyright © 2008 by Lavender Westmarch

     Maybe, if you watched very carefully and paid close attention, you would see a girl in the courtyard of the Shinada. Her beauty and magical voice would enchant you at once.

     Her name was Saevyn. Years ago, the nuns of the Shinada found her, cold and wet, shivering on their doorstep. They had taken her in, thinking that someone would soon come looking for her. No one ever did; and that was just as well, because the sisters grew to love little Saevyn very dearly.

     The sisters made sure Saevyn was very plainly dressed, but she looked wonderfully radiant in the simplest of garments. She was beautiful - though she didn’t even know it herself.

     The sisters kept Saevyn carefully hidden from the world, because they knew that any passerby would see her and wonder at her graceful features. They didn’t want Saevyn’s innocence to be ravaged because of human temptation.

     Though occasionally, someone would see her. A feverish patient in the Shinada hospital might open his eyes and see ‘an angel’ smiling down at him. Children at the home called her their ‘Faerie sister’. Indeed, the sisters would whisper among themselves, saying that Saevyn must be of Elvish descent.

     Now our story begins one evening as Saevyn was walking along the halls of the stone convent. All of the sisters were attending mass, and Saevyn was all alone.

     Just as she passed the rustic doors, she heard a banging. “Sanctuary! Sanctuary!” It was a faint cry belonging to a boy.

     Saevyn looked around and was wondering whether she should open to him when she heard the sound of rioting villagers. Someone was attacking the person on the other side.

     Quickly she opened the heavy wooden doors. A young lad, barely half alive, fell through the doorway and into her arms. The torches and weapons of the men who were after the boy flashed before her eyes as their leader marched on the stone steps.

     “The boy is ours!” he said, and his rugged features and angry face seemed to roar at her almost as loudly as his voice had. She did not soon forget that man’s evil face. Eyes wide, she pulled the boy in and closed the door, bolting it securely against the captain’s boiling wrath. She helped her new charge quickly to a bench that ran along one of the walls.

     He opened his eyes faintly. “Are you all right?” Saevyn asked him concernedly. There was no answer. “Stay right here, I’ll go fetch you some water.” She fairly ran along the halls to the cloisters, where she drew a bucketful of water from the well. On the way back, she remembered to collect some clean cloths and bandages from the kitchen.

     The boy still had his eyes shut. Sitting near him, Saevyn supported him with her arm and started to wash away the blood from a gash on his shoulder, which was bleeding profusely.

     He moaned and lifted his eyes to hers. They were a deep brown, and seemed to be those of royalty, cast down from its throne. Saevyn was always doing that - she could almost read a person’s background simply by glancing into his eyes.

     Saevyn offered him the cup of water, and he managed to take it and drink thankfully.

     “What happened to you?” she wanted to know.

     “Those men you saw - they beat me,” he said slowly and with effort. “I went into Donan’s hut and stole a sword.” The lad frowned, anger flashing sharply in his eyes. “It was mine anyway! He should not have had it taken from me, just so he could have it all to himself!”

     You see, it was a public disgrace or a man or boy to have his sword taken from him. The weapon was usually handed down from father to son, and to have it removed was considered a severe punishment. It was delivered only to the worst of crimes, and when it was taken, it was usually given to a public official until further notice.

     Saevyn noticed that the sword now hung at the boy’s side. She took a bandage and started wrapping it tightly around his arm. There was silence between the two for a long time, as he watched her work.

     “What is your name?” he asked quietly.

     She met his gaze for a moment, then she fastened the bandage. “It’s Saevyn,” she told him, smiling a little. “And may I ask of yours?”

     He was silent again. “Call me Jimmy,” he said at length.

     “Jimmy,” she repeated. “That is an honorable name.”

     “Yes, I suppose it is,” he returned, reddening a little.

     Then Saevyn changed the subject. “Are you hungry?”

~

     The next morning dawned like a burst of light. It may not have been more than five o’clock, but the sisters were already hard at work.

     Saevyn was washing hospital bedclothes, contented as a sparrow and singing like a lark. Sister Mackie smiled at her as she walked into the courtyard.

     “Saevyn,” she said. “Mother Nidae wishes to speak with you.”

     Saevyn set her work aside and came to open the door of Nidae’s room a little while later.

     “I wish to speak with you about the boy, Saevyn. Now, why did you let him in?”

     Saevyn folded her hands together in front of her. “He requested sanctuary, Mother Nidae.”

     “Under what conditions? Did you know that there is a band of men outside, who say they are going to wait until the boy comes out? Then they will kill him, they say.”

     Saevyn’s eyes widened. “No.”

     “Now, child, tell me if you think it was wise to let him in, with all the trouble he’s caused?”

     Saevyn hung her head. “No.” Then she brought her head back up quickly. “Surely you won’t hand him over to them, will you?”

     Mother Nidae smiled. “Of course not, child. Men will tire of waiting for an enemy to come out, when he will not. If this Jimmy can stay hidden inside, then I see no reason why he should fall into their hands.:

      Mother motioned Saevyn away with a flick of her hand. After she had exited the room, Mother laughed to herself. “Her little mistake may turn out for the better, after all.”

~

    A few hours later, after Saevyn’s chores were finished, she smiled to herself as she stepped within the boundaries of the library. This was her own personal heaven, this room. Sometimes she’d read, at other times she’d simply dream. But all the same, this was her little quiet room.

     She slipped a book from the shelf and sat down in a window seat. She opened it and began to read.

     She was lost within its pages before she heard the door open and close. Saevyn looked up quickly, expecting to see Sister Adah - who was a renowned bookworm - but it was not. It was Jimmy.

     “There you are,” he smiled. “I’ve been looking for you.”

     “Have you?” Saevyn asked, closing her book reluctantly. “Well, you’ve found me. What is it?”

     Jimmy smiled again. “I suppose you’ve heard what’s going on outside.”

     She nodded.

     He hit his fist into his other hand, then cried out in pain. Saevyn rushed to him. “You’ve got to be careful what you do with that arm,” she admonished. “You hurt it pretty badly last night.”

     “I was going to say,” he said, trying to keep a straight face, “that if I had an army by my side, I’d slay Donan and his whole battalion of misled villagers.”

     Saevyn frowned. “Patience is the key, Mother Nidae says,” she advised. “You wouldn’t do very well with an arm like that.”

    Jimmy was clutching his shoulder with the other hand. “I suppose you’re right,” he admitted.

     Saevyn smiled at him just a little.

~

     Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. Every day, Saevyn and Jimmy’s friendship grew closer together. On a certain occasion, when they were laughing and chasing the escapee chickens, Sister Leia said to Sister Avine:

     “I’ve got to say it, Sister, that those two make the perfect team.”

     Another day they realized it for themselves. Saevyn was working in the vegetable garden, working on a immovable weed. It just wouldn’t come loose, and it refused to be trimmed. Then the pruning shears caught her by surprise, slipping and cutting her finger. Startled by the pain and frustrated with the stubborn plant, she burst into tears.

     At that moment Jimmy was by her side. He’d been watching, from a distance, with amusement at her little battle, then came at her tears.

     “What is it?”

     Saevyn felt like a village idiot. “Oh, that weed!” she just said.

     “Here, let me help,” he offered. Putting his arms around her, he unsnapped a pocket knife and began to cut the weed away.

     Saevyn watched him, a strange feeling spreading inside her when she thought about his arms wrapped round her. When he’d finished, he looked down at her.

     “It’ll come back, you know,” she said distantly, keeping her eyes locked on the defeated weed.

     “Don’t they always?” Jimmy joked. “You just have to keep up with them - never give up. Don’t let yourself be defeated.” Saevyn finally returned his gaze.

     All was silent as they looked into each other’s eyes. Then Sister Gardina broke the stillness.

     “Saevyn! Jimmy-boy! It’s time for dinner!”

     They broke away hastily, Saevyn pausing to pick up the garden tools. For a moment, the two had managed to forget what had just passed between them.

~

     The next day began as all others had. But with one exception. Saevyn could feel it as she passed Jimmy on the wall. He was leaning against the building that house the stairs leading from the dormitory.

     He jerked his head downward. “See anything different?”

     Saevyn looked below. At first, she couldn’t put her finger on it, then she realized; the mob was no longer encamped outside! They must have packed up and left during the night.

     “They finally left,” she acknowledged.

     “And you know what that means?” Jimmy asked her.

     “Yes, you can go home.” Saevyn wanted to snatch the words back and return them to her mouth. Now that they were out, she realized she didn’t want him to go.

    “You’re right,” he said, a strange note in his voice. Deep inside, he added, “But I don’t want to.”

~

     Even though he did leave, Jimmy found all kinds of excuses for coming back. He’d held bring food to the children at the home, then he’d amuse them with little games and stories. He would help clean hospital rooms; or, he would manage to donate something. Anyhow, Jimmy would always find a chance to talk with Saevyn.

     Saevyn couldn’t understand the strange emotions that stirred deep within her heart. But ignorance Is bliss, and she dwelt in bliss; but alas, soon to be revoked.

Copyright © 2008 by Lavender Westmarch