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fuxfell — Memory Lane, Chapter 17
Published: 2009-08-05 11:45:29 +0000 UTC; Views: 406; Favourites: 1; Downloads: 5
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Prodigal DaughterLana let herself sink to the cold floor, consisting of flagstones. Her knees were weak, and she let out a shaking breath she did not know she had been holding.
That was close.
If Bishop had ripped the scroll out of her hand before she could finish the spell, or broken her concentration… well, she did not think he would have given her another opportunity to escape. And travelling in his company afterwards would probably have been even less fun than before. If that was possible.
It can always get worse.
All the more reason to be happy to be away. No more Bishop, and even better, no more Jaluth.
Have fun with Bishop, crackpot, but leave me out of it.
At least Bishop deserved what he got. Maybe not coming from Jaluth, but in some karmic way Lana was sure it balanced out with what he had done to others. And now that he was his old evil self again, there was no question of him deserving what he got.
What happened to pity?
Lana snorted at herself, clamping down on the feeling of uneasiness. Pity, for godssake! She must have been severely touched in the head to feel anything like that towards the ranger. Probably just the last remnants of the sympathy his alter ego made her feel. But that man was gone like a puff of smoke, and so would the softer feelings she had for him. Just a question of time.
You promised Karnwyr to try and help him.
Oh, this was getting better and better. Now she was supposed to feel bound to a promise she made to a wolf? Ridiculous. She was home at last, and she...
Oh.
Right. Home. Didn’t think about that.
The home she had left without talking to anyone. The home she had turned her back on, neglecting and ignoring all her duties, her obligations, and the people who relied on her. Also the home that held so many painful memories they had made her run like hell.
And very likely not even her home anymore. Nasher probably had already found someone to replace her. Kana, for instance.
Maybe my friends have all gone...?
That would leave her with Kana to turn to. Not a happy thought. The dutiful sergeant and her had not really been best friends. Lana sometimes had difficulties to refrain from strangling the woman when the decide this’s and sign heres and check thats just wouldn’t stop. And Kana had been very disapproving of Lana’s rather... lax approach at Keep... um, keeping.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the door of the library open, and a nasal voice said: “I thought I heard a noise. Stay right there, knave, or be prepared to be burned to cinder. Don’t even think about touching one of the books with your probably filthy fingers! How ever did someone... oh, my.”
The speaker broke his tirade and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. He turned to Lana just as she picked herself up from the floor. She had never been so happy at the sight of his refined elven features and his long, black hair, held back by a leather thong so it would not fall into his face.
“Well, if it isn’t our errant Knight Captain, returning home at last. And a bit worse for wear, I’d say.”, he said with a wry smile.
“Sand!”, Lana exclaimed. She was so happy to see him, she could not help herself. She just had to walk up to him and hug him tight.
“Oh my”, he said again, patting her awkwardly on the back. Then he sniffed. “Not that I am not happy to see you, dear girl, but I have to tell you that you do smell worse than your uncle. I’d love to hear about the adventures you had, which, judging from your face, must have been very... colourful, but after a bath, perhaps?”
She laughed and stepped back, wiping a stray tear out of her eye. “A bath would be nice”, she said.
“I’d say”, he murmured, under his breath. Then he turned to the door again. “Let me just inform Kana of your return.”
“No!”, Lana said, with more force than she had intended.
Sand turned around again, his finely curved eyebrows drawn up. “No?” he asked. “And, if I may be so bold to inquire, why not?”
Lana shrugged, somewhat embarrassed. “I just can’t face her right now. I imagine she disapproved very much of the way I... left. I’m really not up to one of her lectures right now. All I want is some sleep.” Looking into Sands face she quickly added: “After I had a bath.”
“Well, dear girl, you are Captain of this here Keep. You could just order her to be quiet.”
“Am I still?”, Lana asked under her voice. “Damn.”
Sand’s pointed elven ears twitched slightly. “I am sorry, but I did not quite catch that.”
“Ah, I’m sorry”, Lana said, in her normal voice. “I said, no one can order Kana to be quiet if she is on one of her crusades for duty.”
“I admit there is some truth in what you say. So, if you like that plan better, I’ll just order a bath to my personal rooms and you can get rid of that nose insulting odour there. I promise I won’t watch.”
Lana had to grin. “The only way I could get you to watch would be to cover myself with magical inscriptions.”
“Tempting, dear girl, tempting, but I think I’ll pass. So, if you permit, I will use that Invisibility spell I coincidentally memorised this morning on you, and you will be able to follow me to my rooms with no one the wiser.”
“Coincidentally, huh? What ever would you want to memorise an Invisibility spell for, here in the Keep?”
“Believe me, Captain, there are many interesting uses one can make of such a spell. Since your departure... well, let’s just say you might not be the only one to occasionally feel the need to escape the attention of our dear Kana.”
Lana’s grin broadened. “Point taken. Go ahead, invisibilise me. Just get me to a hot bath without running into her.” She drew a face. “And maybe a night’s rest before I take the lecture.”
“I think we can arrange that, my dear. You look in dire need of some sleep indeed. Just follow me and try not to run into any guard, and everything should be perfect.”
Sand pulled some small object out of one of the innumerable pockets of his robe. “Luckily I already prepared this this morning”, he mused. “Plucking out eyelashes when you need them is very painful, believe me. So I like to plan a bit ahead in case I have to actually cast Invisibility.” He murmured some words under his breath, touched Lana’s shoulder, and the little blob of... something in his fingers vanished.
As did Lana. She looked down her body... but saw only the flagstones of the floor. She laughed. “Sand, you’re a genius, did I ever tell you that?”
“Actually, you did not, but I am overjoyed you finally noticed the fact. Now, if you could follow me without walking into anything, we should encounter no problems on the way.” He smiled into her general direction and recited another incantation in a low voice. He blinked and his eyes focussed on Lana. He smiled again. “Ah, much better that way.”
She grinned. “What, you coincidentally memorised See Invisibility as well?”
He shook his head. “Dear girl, even if I turn invisible, I very much prefer I can see myself. Ever tried touching something without being able to see your hand? Fumbling around to get hold of anything can draw a lot of unwanted attention, believe me. And in this case, it helps if I don’t have to ask if you passed the door so I might close it again. Even the most stupid guard – and we seem to have a lot of those – will wonder at that.”
“So true, dear Sand”, she said, mimicking his nasal tone and grinning at the face he made. “I think I’d like to see myself, too... so if you just hold on a second...?” She reached out to her powers, causing a whispering sound to pervade the air while she wove the pattern that would allow her to See the Unseen. After the sound died, she glanced down again – and there she was, chain shirt and all. She nodded at Sand.
“So, if you are ready to go, please, after you, Knight Captain.” He opened the door and waited for her to pass.
Lana walked past him into the hall. As usual, a couple of guards were hanging around, now drawing themselves up to attention as they heard Sand approaching. Lana threw a glance into the corner Torio usually lurked in, but it was empty. Maybe the harpy had already gone to sleep.
And there was the spot Casavir had preferred, quite a bit away from Torio... empty, as it had been for months...
No, don’t go there.
She waited for Sand to pass her by and followed him as quietly as she could. She was not sneaky girl, that had been Neeshka’s part - and Bishop’s, except that he wasn’t a girl, but the sneaky part applied...
Don’t go there, either!
Bloody hells, what was she supposed to think of? This Keep still brought so many memories. Already she could feel the weight of them crushing back down on her, making it hard to breathe.
With a shock, she realised how much the oppressing weight had been lifted from her mind the last couple of days. Even with the quarrels and the bitching and the still painful memories of Casavir, the days spent in Bishop’s company had been the... well, not happiest, but the least unhappy ones at any rate she had had for months.
Bloody, crying hells.
Somewhat depressed, Lana followed Sand through the familiar hallways until they reached the door to his private rooms. He unlocked the door – he had always been paranoid about leaving his room open – and went inside, slowly closing the door to give her time to slip in after him.
Inside, he turned to her again. “I will go and order a bath in some minutes. What a piece of luck I have not bathed today yet, or else someone would be bound to think me very eccentric indeed. Not that they do not think that anyway. I will not lift the invisibility spell until the bath is prepared and everyone out again. Just stay here and try not to make any noise, will you?”
“I’ll try my very best to be good”, Lana said meekly, throwing him a glance through her lashes.
“Well, the novelty of that experience would certainly be refreshing”, he murmured and went to the door.
Lana snickered and looked around in the room. It was not as big as her old one in the Keep, but roomy enough. Still, there did not seem to be enough room for all the books lying around, covering nearly every surface and building stacks on the floor.
It’s a miracle there are any books left in the library at all, between him and Aldanon...
She sauntered over to the desk to have a look when she caught her face in a mirror at the wall and gasped.
I’d love to hear about the adventures you had, which, judging from your face, must have been very... colourful.
Now she really understood why Sand had said that. She stared at her image in the mirror in disbelief, touching the large purple bruise on her chin gently.
I’m going to kill him. He won’t have to worry about Jaluth, because she will only be able to have fun with his corpse.
She touched her face again and winced.
Bloody, blasted, miserable bastard! I’ll make him pay for this!
The door opened again and she heard Sand’s voice, directing someone where to put the tub.
“And be quick to fill it with hot – hot! – water. And bring me some scented soaps. I’d like to have a long bath in private for a change. Hurry up, will you? Take care not to step on the books. And be careful with the water, you hear? These books are quite valuable!”
Lana turned away from the mirror, anger still churning in her stomach. Sands eyes rested on her for a second, noticing the thunderous expression on her face, and one of his eyebrows went up, an amused twinkle in his slanted blue eyes.
She stood back at the wall while people bustled in and out, filling the tub with steaming water, under the watchful eyes of Sand, who repeatedly threatened the poor servants with the most painful of deaths if they ruined as much as one of the books by being careless.
After the terrified servants had filled the tub and fled the room, Sand closed the bolt on the door and turned to Lana.
“Please, dear Captain, don’t hesitate to climb into this tub as long as the water is still hot. I marvel they did not smell you, standing in that corner.” He sniffed again and added: “I’m going to drop my See Invisibility Spell, so that you won’t have to worry about me watching you.” He slid his hand over his eyes and blinked again. “Done. The tub is yours.”
Lana pulled her chain shirt over her head and let it fall to the floor, followed by her clothes. She looked down at the heap at her feed sadly.
“I guess I could use a change of clothing as well, those are less than clean... but I had to leave all of my stuff behind.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that for now. I will gladly lend you one of my spare robes if that means I will not have to endure the offending fumes that seem to rise from your garments. It might be a bit snug, but you are small for a human, so it will do for tonight. Tomorrow we can try to get some of your clothes from your room, if you still do not feel compelled to meet our dear Kana.”
Lana smiled at that and stepped into the hot water. “Thank you”, she said while she sat down, taking care not to cause any water to splash over the rim of the tub. Sand would probably fry her as well if she damaged one of his beloved books. Then she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the hot water. “Aaaah, this is so good”, she moaned happily. “He can talk about the wonders of the wilds all he wants, but bathing in a cold brook is just not up to par.”
“He...?”, Sand asked, his eyebrows as far up as they would go.
Ooops.
Lana swallowed and threw him a glance, glad he could not see the colour she felt rising in her cheeks. She grabbed the soap and dunked her head under the water, pretending not to have heard.
“Oh, come on, my dear”, the wizard said when she emerged from the water. “I heard you submerge after I asked. And I am burning to hear how that bruise comes to be on your face. And what adventures you encountered on the road while we poor ordinary mortals toiled away at the Keep. I beg of you, don’t keep me in the dark, the suspense is killing me.”
“I don’t want to talk about it”, Lana answered sullenly while she started to lather her hair.
“Now, no need to be shy. I’m really quite curious to find out what put you into such a... state.”
“Which part of I don’t want to talk about it did you not understand?”; Lana snapped. The thought of having to tell Sand about her... encounter with Bishop really did not appeal to her.
He was silent for a heartbeat, then he smiled thinly. “My, I can see that whatever rigours you endured did do nothing to dampen your temper. I find that strangely comforting. I’ll be quiet. For now.”
“Good”, Lana just said.
Sand sniffed and took one of the books from his bedside table, opening it and obviously losing himself in its contents immediately.
Lana leaned back in the tub, closed her eyes and tried to find something to think about that did not involve men in any way.
When the water had cooled down too much to be comfortable, Lana reluctantly got up and started to rub herself dry with a towel. It felt wonderful to be clean again.
“So, how about that robe?”, she asked Sand, who had not taken his nose out of his book since she had snubbed him.
He lifted his head and looked into her general direction, frowning, as if he had forgotten she even was there. Which seemed quite likely, since he usually forgot everything around him as soon as he had a book in front of his face.
Then he got up and went over to the armoire in the corner. “Certainly, my dear.” He opened the armoire and started to rummage through its contents. “Ah, I think you best take that one. It’s always been a bit wide for me, so it might fit you.”
He drew out a simple, gray cotton robe and put it on the chair next to him. “Just help yourself to it. And I might have some spare blankets here...” He went back to going through the contents of the cabinet. “Oh yes, here they are. I will sleep on the floor tonight, so you might take the bed. The sheets are fresh, don’t worry.”
She shook her head, smiling, then remembered he could not see her. “That’s very kind, but not necessary. I slept on the floor in the woods for the last weeks, sleeping on the floor of your room will be an improvement. Keep your bed.”
He got up and went to the door. “Oh, but I insist, dear girl, I insist. So little opportunity here to be a gentleman, I can’t let this one pass. Now, I will call the servants to remove the tub. I hope they will be able to do so without ruining half of the invaluable pieces of wisdom in this room.”
Lana grinned. “They will be so afraid of the dire retributions you are threatening them with that their hands will shake so badly they will spill everything. And it will all be your fault, you know?”
“My dearest Captain, even if it is all my fault, you know that I will never admit to it. So they do right to be afraid. I certainly hope the consequences of any blunder will put them on their guard. Now, if you will excuse me for a moment...”
With that, he went out of the room, shutting the door behind him.
Lana smiled and went to the table, throwing the robe over her head. It was a bit snug, especially around the chest, since the slight wizard just lacked certain... attributes that she had to squeeze into his garments. But it really would do for the night, and everything had to be better than having to wear her own really stinky clothes.
Soon, she could hear steps approaching and Sands voice threatening the poor servants again with fire and lightening if they ruined his books.
Actually, they’re my books still – maybe I should tell him to tone it down.
But she knew nothing would ever convince Sand that an interesting book was not his by default, regardless of the little details of actual ownership. He seemed to think he had something of a birthright to the possession of everything printed between two covers. But fact was, Lana just did not give a damn about books, never liked to be stuck in the musty stink of a library. If he wanted it, Sand was welcome to every book in the library, as far as Lana was concerned.
She stayed in the corner, watching as the trembling servants removed the water from the tub and then the tub itself without accident. Maybe Sand had been right about the blessings of adequate motivation.
As soon as they had left, she said: “You sure about the bed? I don’t mind sleeping on the floor, really.”
“I’m sure, dear girl. You look like you need a good night’s rest much more than me.”
Lana let herself fall down on the bed and snuggled under the covers with a sigh of relief. Her eyelids suddenly felt like they had lead weights pulling them down. Sand started to spread his blankets on the floor in front of the small fireplace in his room.
“So, dearest Captain, will you let your humble wizard know what plans you have for the future? Do you intend to reclaim your role as Knight Captain of this Keep?”
Future? Thinking about the future made Lana’s heart feel as heavy as her eyelids.
Not now. I don’t want to think about it now.
“Sorry, Sand”, she mumbled. “But I am so tired I just want to sleep for a week. Talk tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow then”, he said. “Good night, dear Captain. But don’t forget I still want to hear about the adventures you encountered on the road.”
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Comments: 6
Yeah, me too 
There's more Sandy goodness ahead - hope you'll like
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
ahahhaaha lana forgot she still had friends~
ah, sand~
his nasal tone and manner of speaking is very nostalgic indeed 
looking forward to more sandy moments! >.<
thanks for updating, btw~ u made my day!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Hehe, yes, I had a lot of fun writing Sand, even if I was a bit afraid I would not be able to catch his charakter first.
Don't worry, he'll stay to the end of the story
👍: 0 ⏩: 0