Freedom of Flight Ch. 05

The Santaur was forced forward and his chains were given to Alanna.

"The key." She asked expectantly while holding out her hand.

The Gephalim frowned but was handing her the key anyway. The Santaur tried to rear, to lash out at them both but the hobble only allowed him to partially get up so he tried to slam his antlers down on Alanna but he struck a shield. Several men went to grab him.

"STOP WHERE YOU ARE." Dominic's voice boomed suddenly.

Alanna smiled and released her shield. "I'm not going to hurt you; I want to release you so stand still."

The woman slid before Alanna and the man she loved, pressing her hands to his chest. She unsteadily tiptoed to soothe him, speaking softly, telling him that she wasn't going to leave him and that he needed to trust Alanna and to trust Dominic. She stepped back and nodded to Alanna when she felt that he was calm.

Alanna stepped forward, reached up with the key now that the Santaur seemed calmer, and used it on the lock that connected a crude metal collar around his neck. She tossed it on the ground and undid the shackles at his wrists and finally with Michelle's help, she managed to get the hobbling harness from around his legs, flank, back, and withers off.

He held his arms open and his lady ran into his arm and pressed her face to his body.

Alanna smiled at the scene before her, "You are free to return to your herd." Alanna told him as he watched her, surprised.

"He has no herd." Dominic answered for him.

Alanna turned to him and he nodded. "Lord Dominic is correct. I was kicked out of my herd for falling in love with a human and choosing her to be my mate." He answered with a little bow, a sign of gratitude to Alanna for freeing him and the love of his life.

Dominic frowned. "I'll talk to Mather about letting you pass through his land. I might even be able to get you running rights in his lands."

"Pardon?" He asked with widened eyes.

"Since your lady is now a part of my house, I assume you wish to be with her." Dominic answered, as he indicated at her sash around her waist.

"I don't…" He started to say as he didn't understand.

Dominic sighed. "Love isn't something I mess with. Make your home at my keep, I'll talk to Mather."

Michelle smiled. "You are such a softy."

Dominic glared playfully at the woman who had given birth to him and who had become one of his closest friends. "No, I'm not. Bianca just opened my eyes a little and Alanna and Sage forcing them wider." He turned to the Santaur who was hugging his mate. "Gather whatever you own…"

"I have nothing, my lord." The woman answered, for even if she had owned anything she wouldn't have gone to get it. That was her old life and she was looking forward to her new life with the man she loved.

"Okay…" Dominic grabbed some money out of his pouch and gave it to her. "Buy what you need from the markets for your new life." Dominic went to leave but turned back. "Forgive me, I haven't even asked for your names."

"I am Byson." The Santaur said with a bow.

"I am Xen." The woman said gently.

"Byson, Xen, be at my merchants by the sixth toll. Enjoy the markets." He told them.

They nodded and left holding hands and smiling at each other. The woman paused and turned back to Alanna and Dominic, she bowed deeply to her new lord, thanking both of them silently for her new life. Michelle handed Alanna her sword and her purse. "You're a curious woman." She commented.

"Curious good or curious bad?" Alanna enquired.

"Just curious." Michelle shrugged.

Dominic smiled. "I still have some serious shopping to do. Still can't figure out what to get for Sage, any luck Alanna?"

Alanna nodded, "I got her a locket."

Dominic frowned, "Why?" He question. A locket was a girly item and Sage, even when her mother was alive, couldn't stand girly things.

Alanna glanced around to ensure her sister was nowhere near and before pulling the locket out. She showed it to him and opened it. He instantly saw what she had when she had brought it: enough for both sets of parents to be in. For his daughter it would still be girly but it was a sentimental kind of girly that she would value greatly.

"Even if it is girly, she'll wear it." Dominic declared. "Okay, I'm off again. Remember the eatery at the fourth bell." He reminded before dashing off, not even stopping to chat to Michelle.

Alanna rolled her eyes at his back. Michelle chuckled. Alanna quickly returned the gift to a pocket. She made sure her sword was sitting right then frowned. "What toll is it?"

"Middle second. Why?"

"Great, just what am I meant to do for next hour and a half?" Alanna complained with her forehead creasing.

Michelle chuckled. "Come; let me guide you around the markets." Michelle offered.

"Okay, but I am only allowing myself five khunts to spend. When is the next market day?" She asked as they started to walk again.

"Markets are held every two weeks on rest day. The markets are going to be next at Phoenix keep." Michelle answered while looking around.

"So… three days after the birthday feast..." Alanna said to herself, trying to learn how time worked here.

"Yes."

*

Alanna and Michelle made it to the eatery just as the bell tolled. Sage ran up and smiled. "Had to run all the way from the pit." She explained to Alanna. "Hi Michelle, what are you doing here? You rarely leave Altal."

Michelle smiled. "My daughter Breeha needed some fabric to re-do her chamber, she only just got her wandering rights and I thought it best to come to keep an eye on her but she bumped into an older friend who is showing her around. I ended up bumping into your sister and showed her the ropes of our world."

Sage smiled and stepped aside to let another group pass.

Tarval walked up to them and smiled when he noticed Michelle. "Hello, Michelle." He greeted.

"Tarval." Michelle leant forward and they rubbed cheeks. Alanna felt a surge of anger at the greeting; she blinked and tried to figure out why she was reacting angrily to a friendly greeting.

"How have you been?" Tarval asked when they came apart.

"Good, Breeha came of age a few weeks ago and you know what that means. Fern is going to get me to dump my pregnancy charm again." Michelle turned to Alanna to explain with a little smile. "I'm married five hundred years now. Fern is an Elemental and we have three children." She turned to Tarval and continued. "You worry me, Tarval. When are you going to settle down and think of starting your own family?" She asked kindly.

"When I find the right person." He answered. He wasn't ready to admit to anyone that he had found the woman he wanted to spend eternity with and she was standing right next to him. He just had to convince her they were perfect for each other first. The rest will fall in line thereafter.

Michelle studied him for a moment, sensing that he was trying to hide something from all of them. Although they had been forced together to create the Nephalim, Tarval had been animate with the gods, he would not be forced to create life if he could not first get along with Michelle, and she had agreed. It had taken almost five hundred years trapped in a tower that existed outside of time before they decided they could be friends and got along well. Even after four thousand more years of living together and twelve boys had been born, they had remained good friends when they were finally released. Their familiarity meant they couldn't keep secrets from each other.

"Look, da! Come on." Sage grabbed Alanna and dragged her off when she spotted her father in the crowd.

Michelle held Tarval back, waiting until the two girls and Dominic were in the thick of the bustle and unlikely to hear them. "What's going on, Tarval?"

"Nothing." He quickly answered… a bit too quickly.

She arched an elegant eyebrow, she didn't believe him. "I've known you far too intimately to believe that Tarval, so why don't you drop the pretences and just tell me."

He glanced around and spotted a privacy booth. He grabbed her and pulled her into it. The door shut and sealed them within. Although people could see them, they couldn't hear them. "Just drop it, Michelle," he told her, knowing that she will not.

She crossed her arms and asked pointedly. "Why drag me into a privacy booth if you want the matter dropped?"

"Because I know you Michelle and you are… to use a phrase Sage likes, a dog with a bone. Once you have something, you won't let it go."

She smiled softly in confusion, "what's a dog?"

He snorted. "No idea but Sage always throws the taunt at Alanna and she always growls and drops what she's doing so I assume it's some kind of non-were lesser wolf species."

"Okay, since you know I'm not going to drop this… spill!"

He bowed his head and sighed.

"Fine then, I'll guess… Alanna, she's the one."

He nodded, not surprised at her guess. She had probably seen his discrete glances at Alanna and how he positioned himself to keep her within his sights.

She smiled pleased that he had finally found the one he was searching for. "Well, that's great!" She firmly believed that he needed a woman in his life, needed someone to laugh and play with.

He rolled his eyes. Of course, she had to find this great; she had been hounding him about settling down ever since she herself had found that special someone.

"Why haven't you told her?" She demanded to know. If Alanna had been aware of his feelings, she would have shown it by either returning those feeling or distancing herself from him.

"Because I know her. What do you know about her?" He threw back defensively for this was a sensitive issue for him. He wanted to tell her that he liked her, that he liked her more than a friend should but he didn't want to scare her away from him. Better to have unrequited love than not have her in his life at all.

She shrugged and backed off. "Only rumour and what I've seen."

"Then nothing," he surmised. "I know her. That's why I haven't told her… because I know her. I know her past Michelle." he rubbed his face. "I can't tell you what she's been through, she trusts me and that is far more important than anything in the world." He went to the door. "Now drop it." He told her firmly before he opened the door and stepped out into the bustle.

*

Alanna frowned when she saw Tarval and Michelle in the booth.

"Privacy booth; it allows for private conversations. He's probably telling her to mind her own love life. That's what he did the last time she pried." Sage explained when she saw what had Alanna's attention.

"They seem like really good friends." Alanna said, fishing.

"They are. They bicker like wolves and cats but they love to bicker much like ma and da."

Alanna snorted at that. Their parents didn't like to bicker: they loved to bicker, they even liked to argue about not arguing. Sage smiled, knowing her sister was thinking the same thing she was about their parents.

"Come on, let's go get da. He can keep them both under control." Sage tugged her towards her father who was talking to another Santaur. Alanna was all for interrupting the cosy two-some and she refused to analyse why just yet. "Hello, Mather." Sage said with a bow when she joined them.

"Sage," the handsome Santaur said before turning to Alanna. "And you must be Alanna." He added with a bow.

Alanna smiled weakly and bowed her head. She didn't know why she felt uneasy around Mather, he was handsome with an impressive rack. She finally realised what had her on edge; there was something about his eyes, the expectant look in them, as if he was waiting for something, for her to do something. Mather frowned as he noticed her body language, don't bother, was easily read as well as, don't touch.

Mather turned to Dominic and bowed. "I will let you get back to your plans." He excused himself and left, he didn't take offence at Alanna's body language as he knew far more about her than even she did. He was a prophet and had seen her coming here for years, had started seeing her when she was still a child and he had seen everything that had been done to her. The most important of his visions however took place after she came here and after she and Tarval get together. The change she helps to instigate was going to open up a whole knew era in this world, an era he wanted.

Dominic turned to the girls. "Where's Tarval?"

"Bickering with Michelle." Alanna answered, somewhat irritated.

Dominic rolled his eyes and went to find them, with Sage and Alanna following close behind. Michelle and Tarval were found coming out of the privacy booth when they reached them. A woman who appeared no older than Sage was waiting for them.

"Hi, Tarval." The new woman greeted.

"Breeha." He said and gave her a hug. He then stepped aside and caught Alanna in a headlock. "Have you met Alanna yet?" he asked playfully as she tried to struggle free.

"No." She said with a smile. Like everyone, she had heard of Alanna but she had never dreamt of meeting the brave woman.

"Let me go or the next time I give you a swimming lesson, I'll dump you." Alanna threatened, using her hands to try to unseat his firm lock.

Michelle gave Tarval a startled look. She had offered to teach Tarval to swim several times but he had always declined, it was only later that she learnt he had an irrational fear of deep water. Letting Alanna teach him when he was at his most vulnerable showed just how much he trusted her. Although, perhaps she shouldn't be so surprised since Alanna owned his heart, how could he not trust her?

Tarval released her in a flash and gave her a dirty look.

Alanna hit him in the arm. "You believed that! I would never do that!" She hit him again and just for good measure, she hit him one last time. Tarval winced and rubbed his abused arm. He had to concede that he knew she would never have done that so he deserved the beating for over-reacting.

Dominic cracked up laughing while Sage smirked, "Come on, Tarval, she would have just taken it out on you in the morning during your spar."

Tarval blushed and ducked his head, trying to hide his embarrassment. Breeha stepped in and held her hand out to Alanna as a distraction. "Hi, I'm Breeha."

"Hi." Alanna took her hand and gave it a firm shake. "And I still will. Like I would really betray that kind of trust."

"How about we all go and get some food?" Dominic said before Alanna and Tarval started to fight.

Michelle agreed and stepped between Tarval and Alanna to keep them from continuing their argument. "Sounds great, where do you want to eat?"

"We have choices," Dominic explained to Alanna. "There is an open pit grill, roast and grilled meats as well as vegetables."

"Then there's my favourite, the Stock Pot. It does stews and soups." Michelle added.

"Don't forget the Bard's, we can listen to music and get food from any of the other stalls." Tarval added.

"Yeah, but you've got to know exactly what you want to eat." Sage butted in.

Alanna held up her hands, she knew they wanted her to make a choice as to where they would be going to eat, as this was her first market day. "Let's do the Bard thing. I'll make my choice off of what you get."

They smiled and tugged Alanna along the alleyway and turned sharply to get to the Bard's where they quickly grabbed a table close to the stage and dance floor.

A young girl raced over, she glanced around the table and her eyes went wide when she saw Alanna. Dominic smirked but waited for the girl to remember her manners. She blinked and quickly grabbed a note pad. "I'll have the special on offer at Stock Pot." Michelle got in first.

The girl smiled, "Today's Stock Pot specials are a mince stew with cheese bread and chicken and vegetable soup with sour dough bread." Michelle frowned, she like both choices on offer. "There is also a goat stew on offer and a pork mince pie."

"I'll have… the mince stew special." She decided.

"I'll have the goat stew," Breeha added.

"Do you know what's on offer at the Grill Pit?" Dominic asked.

The girl nodded as she quickly wrote Michelle and Breeha's order down. "The specials are roasted suckling pig with assorted roast vegetables, ground oven beef or game birds both with assorted vegetables. They also have prime ribs in both, beef and pork as well as some coal baked fish." She listed.

"I'll have the suckling pig special," Tarval said, licking his lips, "Extra gravy." He added.

"The same for me." Dominic slid in.

"Do you know what game birds they have?" Sage asked, if they had grouse hen she would be all over that.

"Pheasant and Grouse." She answered.

"I'll have the Grouse and a suckling pig." Sage quickly decided.

That left Alanna to decide what she wanted and it all sounded delicious to her. "I'll have the beef and the pork prime ribs."

The girl glanced at Alanna. Alanna smirked, "Oh, I can eat all of that, I'm Were."

She nodded and tallied up the costs and added the charges for buying through them. "Six Khunts."

Dominic dug out seven and gave them to the girl, "We want you to serve us for our stay." He told her, as he knew Alanna had been getting more and more uncomfortable with all the attention being directed her way. He hoped that since their server had already gawked at her that she wouldn't gawk again while serving them.

She nodded and left, she walked pass her boss to give him the extra coin and their cut along with Dominic's request. He nodded and she left to get their order filled.

"So how did we go today?" Dominic asked.

Sage smiled, "Awesome. I kicked arse in the pits."

Dominic rolled his eyes, "I was talking about shopping."

Sage smirked, "I did that too. Our merchants should have it." She turned to Alanna, "How did you do?"

Alanna smiled at her sister, "Michelle's merchant should be getting it right about now."

Sage pulled a face, "Spoil sport."

Michelle chuckled. "How did you do?" She asked Dominic.

"Well, I accomplished everything I wanted to today." He smiled. He had been lucky because only moments after leaving Alanna, he found Sage's gift and twenty minutes after that he found Alanna's gift.

Everyone turned to Tarval, he smiled, "I got what I needed." Sage's gift had been simple, as he had organised a matching belt for the dagger Michelle had gotten her. Alanna had been trickier. Everything either had been not appropriate or crap. He had however; finally found a gift he could be proud to say he found for her. It was a gold necklace torque with wolf heads. He hoped she would like it.

Breeha smiled, "I found the perfect cloth to redo my chamber."

Michelle smiled at her daughter but she had a feeling that neither Sage nor Alanna would be interested in interior design. They were both more comfortable with swords, and war than with the girlie things. "So, know what you're wearing to your birthdays?" Michelle asked.

"Yes, but we like to keep what we're wearing a surprise." Sage jumped in before Alanna could spill the beans. Michelle nodded and smiled.