Whirlpool's Betrayal, Chapter Seven
Ugh, I'm not happy with this chapter, it's too short, but I guess a couple short ones won't hurt that bad, and at least I'm writing again. And the claw incident is based off the "Tooth and Claw" incident that actually happened to me ^^; Chapter 8 should be pretty long and of better quality.
Chapter Seven
The light from the sun filtered in through the windows and fell upon Dmitri’s closed eyes. He blinked his eyes open, as he pulled himself up and looked around. Aric and Trey were both gone, though their beds had obviously been slept in. Dmitri turned himself over and got out of bed. He debated pulling the cord, but he didn’t want to deal with whoever came up. Taking one last look at the room, he walked over to the door. He pushed the door open and stepped out into the hallway. As the door closed behind him, he realized that he didn’t remember the twists and turns in the castle that led to the dining room. He turned to the door to the girls’ room. Maybe a couple of them hadn’t left yet. He raised his hand and knocked on the solid wood.
“Hang on, I’m almost ready.” It was Viranei’s voice.
“It’s just me, Dmitri.” He responded. “Mind if I come in?”
“Go right ahead.” Viranei called back. Dmitri opened the door and peered inside. Viranei was seated on the middle of a long line of beds. She was just finishing tying her boots. A black tank top and long white pants were laid out on her bed.
“Are those the clothes they provided?” Dmitri remarked casually as he pointed to the clothes on the bed.
“Are you kidding? These are my own bedclothes that I packed. Look at what Mavi provided.” She reached under the bed and pulled out a long white dress. It was covered in ruffles and the sleeves fanned out. Dmitri had to hold back a chuckle as he imagined what Viranei would look like in something so ridiculous. Briefly, he noticed that in hind mind’s eye his picture of Viranei was still wearing her green ribbon. He wondered if she ever took it off. Did she sleep with it? When they camped out in the woods on the way to Mius she never took it off, not even for bed.
“Dmitri, you coming?” Viranei got up off the bed and headed for the door. Dmitri quickly followed her with his long strides. Before they got to the door, it opened and a female guard walked in.
“There you are, and I see your gentleman friend is with you too.” She said with a smile.
“Oh, it’s not like that.” Viranei blushed, “He was just seeing if I was in here, or something.”
“Of course. I will let the others know you are awake.” Still smiling, the guard turned around and went on her way. Viranei sighed.
“Ugh, I hate it when people jump to conclusions like that. Let’s hurry down.”
“Excuse me?” The female guard had heard.
“I said, I hate it when people jump to conclusions like that.” Viranei said matter-of-factly. The guard glared at her, but Viranei didn’t seem to notice or care. Dmitri was starting to see why people shied away from Viranei; she seemed to have no sense of social tact.
The guard left ahead of them as Dmitri and Viranei walked down the corridors on their way to the main chamber. Viranei seemed to know her way back well enough, so Dmitri followed her. Soon enough, they reached the dining room. The rest of their party was seated around the table which held the remnants of breakfast. Dmitri took an apple that was left on the table and sat in a vacant chair.
“Couldn’t wait for us?” He asked, curiously. Jani said nothing to him, but turned to Viranei instead.
“What did you do? This guard just came in saying that ‘the green ribbon-wearing little witch and the man who isn’t her gentleman friend’ were joining us.”
“Well, she started it. She started talking like Dmitri and I were lovers or something.” Viranei said as she crossed her arms. “People shouldn’t draw conclusions about romantic things with so little evidence in front of them.”
“Really Viranei?” Kara raised an eyebrow, “isn’t that a little hypocritical of you? Especially considering the ‘claw’ incident soon after we met.”
“And we really don’t need to talk about that, Kara please. Just thinking about it makes my brain hurt.” Viranei cut her off as she looked down and stared hard at the floor. Jani looked towards Dmitri inquisitively, who shrugged. He made a mental note to ask Trey or Aric about the so called “claw” incident.
“So!” Mavi enthusiastically broke the awkward silence. “When will you be departing?”
“As soon as we can.” Aric answered. “As you know, our business is urgent.”
“He’s right.” Saki added. “If not for our injuries, we would have left already. Viranei, Dmitri, Aric, how are you feeling?”
“Completely better, thanks Kara.” Viranei responded.
“Honestly, how did you survive without me?” Kara asked. “The way you recklessly throw yourself into battles, it’s so stupid.”
“You’re not the first healer I’ve lived with who’s said that.” Viranei smiled Kara, but it was a sad and pathetic little smile. Was she talking about Breeze? No, Dmitri had his own reasons for knowing that Breeze wasn’t a healer. There was another thing he’d have to ask about.
“My injuries are fine, how about you, Dmitri?” Aric asked, pulling Dmitri away from his thoughts.
“Oh, yeah, I’m fine. The sooner we leave the better.” As anxious as he was to deliver his message, he also had some things about his companions he was eager to find out.
“Then it is settled. I will have guards escort you to the city gates, then you can be on your way. Farewell, my saviors.”
Chapter Seven
The light from the sun filtered in through the windows and fell upon Dmitri’s closed eyes. He blinked his eyes open, as he pulled himself up and looked around. Aric and Trey were both gone, though their beds had obviously been slept in. Dmitri turned himself over and got out of bed. He debated pulling the cord, but he didn’t want to deal with whoever came up. Taking one last look at the room, he walked over to the door. He pushed the door open and stepped out into the hallway. As the door closed behind him, he realized that he didn’t remember the twists and turns in the castle that led to the dining room. He turned to the door to the girls’ room. Maybe a couple of them hadn’t left yet. He raised his hand and knocked on the solid wood.
“Hang on, I’m almost ready.” It was Viranei’s voice.
“It’s just me, Dmitri.” He responded. “Mind if I come in?”
“Go right ahead.” Viranei called back. Dmitri opened the door and peered inside. Viranei was seated on the middle of a long line of beds. She was just finishing tying her boots. A black tank top and long white pants were laid out on her bed.
“Are those the clothes they provided?” Dmitri remarked casually as he pointed to the clothes on the bed.
“Are you kidding? These are my own bedclothes that I packed. Look at what Mavi provided.” She reached under the bed and pulled out a long white dress. It was covered in ruffles and the sleeves fanned out. Dmitri had to hold back a chuckle as he imagined what Viranei would look like in something so ridiculous. Briefly, he noticed that in hind mind’s eye his picture of Viranei was still wearing her green ribbon. He wondered if she ever took it off. Did she sleep with it? When they camped out in the woods on the way to Mius she never took it off, not even for bed.
“Dmitri, you coming?” Viranei got up off the bed and headed for the door. Dmitri quickly followed her with his long strides. Before they got to the door, it opened and a female guard walked in.
“There you are, and I see your gentleman friend is with you too.” She said with a smile.
“Oh, it’s not like that.” Viranei blushed, “He was just seeing if I was in here, or something.”
“Of course. I will let the others know you are awake.” Still smiling, the guard turned around and went on her way. Viranei sighed.
“Ugh, I hate it when people jump to conclusions like that. Let’s hurry down.”
“Excuse me?” The female guard had heard.
“I said, I hate it when people jump to conclusions like that.” Viranei said matter-of-factly. The guard glared at her, but Viranei didn’t seem to notice or care. Dmitri was starting to see why people shied away from Viranei; she seemed to have no sense of social tact.
The guard left ahead of them as Dmitri and Viranei walked down the corridors on their way to the main chamber. Viranei seemed to know her way back well enough, so Dmitri followed her. Soon enough, they reached the dining room. The rest of their party was seated around the table which held the remnants of breakfast. Dmitri took an apple that was left on the table and sat in a vacant chair.
“Couldn’t wait for us?” He asked, curiously. Jani said nothing to him, but turned to Viranei instead.
“What did you do? This guard just came in saying that ‘the green ribbon-wearing little witch and the man who isn’t her gentleman friend’ were joining us.”
“Well, she started it. She started talking like Dmitri and I were lovers or something.” Viranei said as she crossed her arms. “People shouldn’t draw conclusions about romantic things with so little evidence in front of them.”
“Really Viranei?” Kara raised an eyebrow, “isn’t that a little hypocritical of you? Especially considering the ‘claw’ incident soon after we met.”
“And we really don’t need to talk about that, Kara please. Just thinking about it makes my brain hurt.” Viranei cut her off as she looked down and stared hard at the floor. Jani looked towards Dmitri inquisitively, who shrugged. He made a mental note to ask Trey or Aric about the so called “claw” incident.
“So!” Mavi enthusiastically broke the awkward silence. “When will you be departing?”
“As soon as we can.” Aric answered. “As you know, our business is urgent.”
“He’s right.” Saki added. “If not for our injuries, we would have left already. Viranei, Dmitri, Aric, how are you feeling?”
“Completely better, thanks Kara.” Viranei responded.
“Honestly, how did you survive without me?” Kara asked. “The way you recklessly throw yourself into battles, it’s so stupid.”
“You’re not the first healer I’ve lived with who’s said that.” Viranei smiled Kara, but it was a sad and pathetic little smile. Was she talking about Breeze? No, Dmitri had his own reasons for knowing that Breeze wasn’t a healer. There was another thing he’d have to ask about.
“My injuries are fine, how about you, Dmitri?” Aric asked, pulling Dmitri away from his thoughts.
“Oh, yeah, I’m fine. The sooner we leave the better.” As anxious as he was to deliver his message, he also had some things about his companions he was eager to find out.
“Then it is settled. I will have guards escort you to the city gates, then you can be on your way. Farewell, my saviors.”