13 A Living Thing (1/2)
Isilla sat up, wide awake. I left Ilun, she thought. The bed creaked and a low whine filled the room. ”What?” Isilla said, gasping as Ilun pressed his nose against her hand.
The nightmare beast took up almost the entire bed. He looked around the room sniffing the air with his nose, his features shifting slowly in the early morning light. Shivering he pulled himself closer to her, attempting to make himself as small as possible. She hugged him close rubbing his head and smiling. ”How did you get here?” she asked him.
I pulled him out of the dream, she thought, I've never done that before! The words of the shade came back to her, that she would be able to do amazing things if she met Arren in Veil. Is this because of him? Did we somehow do this together? She looked down at Ilun, putting aside the question of how, she frowned realizing that the animal did not belong in the waking world. Will he be ok? What will he eat? Does he eat?
The early morning sun shone through the window. The maids had left the curtains open as they did every night. In the light of that false sun, the animal's fur shimmered like the strange dark colors of Arren's shadows. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her hands not reaching each other, listening to the sound of him.
The animal's breathing came heavy and steady to her ear. He had a heartbeat that thudded along in his chest and he smelled faintly of spice and fire. He purred in her ear as she felt her body relaxing, falling back into sleep. He's real, he's alive. He's not a shadow, she thought.
”Rise and shine, Princess!” Greta shouted banging the door open to her bedroom, shocking her out of the near sleep. She shot up in bed as did Ilum. Startled he stood, growling, his back arched above her. Standing on the bed, he reached the ceiling.
Greta stopped in her tracks, frozen with fear. Isilla stood up on the bed attempting to settle the beast but his hackles were raised.
The maid dropped the breakfast she was holding and began to scream. Ilun roared jumping off the bed, past Isilla and landing solidly on the floor advancing towards the maid, snapping at the woman and shaking his great head from side to side flashing his teeth.
Isilla moved quickly scrambling off the bed and moving past Ilum to grab the maid's arm and thrust her into silence. She tried to calm the woman but her eyes were on the monster. She scratched at Isilla's bare arm and then finally focusing on her, slapped her across the face.
She released the woman, her ears ringing, her eyes filled with stars.Greta ran out the door. Ilun, confident the threat had passed, padded over to where Isilla stood and sniffed at the dropped breakfast.
Moments passed as Isilla stilled herself. Ilun nudged at and then began to eat her dropped eggs. The hall filled with shouts and the sound of metal against metal. The guards! she thought.
Pushing Ilun away from the door he reluctantly backed away from the spilled eggs and Isilla pushed her door shut locking it. She threw her arm around the animal and searched for somewhere for him go.
The small room offered nowhere for him to hide. She thought she could store him in the bathroom but they would look there. The window didn't open and even if it did, she had no idea where it opened to. There was nowhere to hide the giant nightmare who sensing her urgency had begun to whine and nudge her with his velvety, ever changing nose. She smiled and patted him as the guards slammed into the wood of the door making it creak. Ilun tensed letting out a soft mew but Isilla held him. ”Please,” she urged, ”Stay calm!”
To her surprise, Ilun sat, placing his head in his paws, his long tail wagging.
”Stay down!” she said, ”Please!”
Keeping her arms wrapped around his neck she stared wide eyed for a moment until the wood of the door splintered and gave under the force of a magic blast from one of the guards. She covered her face to keep splinters from her eyes. The guards pounded into the room.
There was a moment of silence as they inspected the creature. Ilun shook his head which at the moment featured the mane of a lion and yawned showing impossible rows of sharp teeth. Isilla held his neck tighter staring wide eyed at the guards. She threw up her hand to signal for them to stop as they drew their swords.
Ilun reacted quickly standing at his full height, pushing himself up on his back legs and dragging Isilla into the air with him. She swung around onto his back gripping his fur, her waking body less practiced in physical movement, she noted how much harder it was than it had been while she was asleep. He was roaring but her hold kept the sound from reaching anyone else.
”Don't!” she shouted, feeling the change in his stance underneath her body. Too late, the threat the guards posed overriding her verbal commands.
He lunged at the guards forcing them back. Isilla peeked over his mane as one of their swords came sweeping through the air to slice at Ilun.
The arc of the sword stopped suddenly as if hitting stone. The soldier tried again but found his weapon frozen in the air. He stepped away from it and it clattered to the ground. The rest of the guards were dragged to the floor by the weight of their drawn weapons.
”It is treason to draw a sword on a member of the royal family,” Arren said softly from behind them. The guards turned startled and dropped into deep bows.
”We meant only to subdue the beast, my Lord. No harm would have come to your lady,” one said.
”She was in no danger,” he said advancing through the parted guards. Before each step the ground swept itself free of debris. Isilla stared wide eyed at him. He walked with his arms behind his back. His robe hung open revealing his bare chest adorned only by a silver locket and his sleeping pants. His feet were bare and his hair still messy from dreams. But the shadows were heavy around him, like tentacles.
”This is a pet that I created for her,” he lied easily, ”You are all fools who have overreacted.”
He held a hand up to Ilun who growled but let him pass. Reaching up he circled her waist with his hands. His hands were huge on her and she blushed, his touch sending shivers through her. The room filled with Ilun's growling and the guards stepped back, afraid.
Settled back on the floor, Arren looked down at her frowning. ”Your face. What happened to your face?” he asked as she lifted her fingers to touch the bruise that was forming. The frown deepened as he saw the marks on her arms. He touched them lightly with one finger. She winced and pulled gently out of his grasp. ”Isilla, what happened here?”
His voice had a hard edge but his eyes were soft on hers. The shadows that spun around the room wrapped themselves around her arm gently, reached to touch her face. She looked down at them, feeling no urge to pull away from them as ran over her skin, before turning her attention back to Arren.
This close she could see the slight stubble on his chin, dark circles under his eyes. She touched his face then rested a hand on his bare chest and smiled shaking her head softly. He covered her hand with his own, surprising her. The brief touch ended as releasing her he turned back to the gathered crowd.
”You!” he growled to the crowd, ”Judgment will be passed on your actions. Out!”
The guards and the rest of the court that had been summoned by the commotion quickly filed out. He turned back to Isilla.
She waved her hands in front of her in hopes he would see that it was all right. Ilun, the trouble passed made his way back the spilled and now trampled breakfast. Arren sighed and then swept his hands over the mess. The door picked itself up from a splinted wreak and went back to the frame, perfect as if nothing at all had happened.
”Tell me,” he said softer, ”You were frightened. Tell me how you were hurt.”
His voice was soft, his gaze focused. Butterflies erupted in her stomach, the memory of his touch in the dream replaying in her mind. Does he remember it, she thought walking to the bed to escape his eyes. She reached for her pen and book. Shouldn't you be asking about him, she wrote.
He looked at Ilun, ”I'll get to him, there's no hurry. I'm more concerned about you right now.”
She frowned. I'm surprised, you haven't come to see me. Did I do something to displease you? I thought we would try to be friends at least, she wrote.
He snickered, ”Is that why you've made this thing?”
No, I don't know how this happened. Please don't hurt him, she wrote.