Chapter Eight
“Just a little further, guys. Come on!” The slim frame of her friend calls back to her, her friend, Darcie was racing ahead of her and her two brothers on this huge hill.
“C’mon Sane, Kenai!! Try to keep up!” She lightly smiles as they finally reach the top, Sane to her left, Kenai to her right. The scenery was beautiful. The hill led steeply downwards, a worn path of dirt leading down to a dirt path that cut though some grass that she could swear would be at least shoulder length for her. The dirt path extends across the long grass to a stream of water, a huge puddle filled with water in the middle of the path. What lies on the other side of the water would be an amount of trees, giving the appearance of a storybook forest. The area was perfect and left them all in silence.
“Isn’t it just like what I told you, Mari? Eh, Sane, Kenai? Absolutely wonderful!” Darcie says with a smile.
“It’s… Beautiful Darcie.” She says gently, a sense of peace running against her frame.
“Yeah..” Both of her younger brothers agree with her.
“I knew you would like it, Mari.” Darcie smiles, almost laughing.
She stirs to the sounds of Zack and Fie’s voices. “What if we say she got free, Zack?” She hears Fie ask, sounding serious, for a first.
“You know what will happen Fie, he’ll kill Rosaline and he won’t give you the photos that show your obsessions.” Zack says, with a sigh.
“But I don’t think its right!” She can hear Fie strike something, kicking a beam or something, “I don’t like doing this to Sylvan! I haven’t seen him truly smile before he had her, and now he finds happiness and we have to take it from him!” Fie was truly upset about this…
“Fie! To think before you wanted her for your games, now you’re actually concerned? There’s nothing we can do, I’m not acting until I get Rosaline back.” Zack spoke to him strongly, “ I wont let anything happen until I get Rosaline.”
“But Zack, I’d expect you above anyone to understand the situation; you at least know where Rosaline is. Sylvan doesn’t. He’s probably suffering, probably looking for her now. I can’t believe how heartless you’ve become.. And I was joking about the games…” Fie trails off, yet truly feels the guilt from having her there, and expresses as much.
“Just be quiet Fie, she’s waken up, wouldn’t want her to know you give a damn.” Zack says with a sigh, looking to her. “We’ve loosened your bindings and shifted your position a little, your legs were cold, so we thought it may be a good idea to let you feel them again.” Zack says lightly.
“Zack!” Was all Fie could think of saying, not knowing how to counter what Zack had said, not exactly the kind to just up and say he actually cared, then he softly mutters, “This isn’t right…”
She looks to the both of them, her eyes adjusting to the darkness well, “How badly do you think Sylvan is?...” She asks, clearly worried now.
“You can answer her, Fie. Since you are the one who has made her worried now.” Zack says, his back against the wall within her sight, while Fie stands a little off from him, looking to her.
“Well, Mari… I bet Sylvan’s just fine… Yeah, just fine, so you shouldn’t worry, he’s a big boy.” Fie says, clearly lying to her.
“Fie..” She wanted the truth, but she knew it already, closing her electric blue eyes as she cant help but have a few tears escape… Her loss to Sylvan was probably so great..
“Look what you did Fie, good job, you made her cry. You better fix things, you know.” Zack says, not wanting a part in the conversation between Mari and Fie.
Fie comes closer to her and crouches in front of her, taking her jawline into his hold and lifting her head, her eyes drawing open. “Alright, he’s probably in the most pain he’s been in since his dad went suicidal, but don’t you think he’d want you to be strong right now? For him, can you be strong?” Fie asks her, probably the first good thing he has said yet, other than fighting for her with Zack. She merely nods in reply to him.
“You actually fixed the problem, Fie! Without making it worse! And I thought you were just a pervert who had no heart and brains. I guess you’re just a sentimental pervert.” Zack smiles, intentionally lightening the mood as Fie shortly responds, loudly.
“I’M NOT A PERVERT! HOW MANY TIME DO I HAVE TO TLL YOU?!”
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Tonight was another night he woke up early, gently sighing as he remembers Mari’s absence. He slowly rises from the bed, his eyes falling immediately on Chives’s form.
“Master Sylvan, are you well enough to be up right now? You truly have suffered a lot.. Maybe you should rest?” Chives’ cool tone can be heard as he offers the suggestion to Sylvan.
“Chives. Where are my things? I am not going to waste any time in finding Mari and finding out why… She left…” His tone broke off as he said the last words. He still didn’t understand, why did she leave him like that? She had told him she didn’t mind, that she understood and wasn’t afraid…
“Master, really…” Chives presses.
“Now! Or else I’ll get someone else to do it.” He spoke strongly to Chives.
“Alright, Master Sylvan, Alright…” Chives bows before leaving Sylvan to think. He hadn’t seen traces of Mari having left in a hurry, not in the soil, all he saw was the area in the violet roses where they were astray, like she grabbed at them? But why would she do that when she could easily pluck one… He just realized something, if she aimlessly grabbed at them; perhaps her blood was left behind if the thorns from the roses cut her. He straightens and immediately starts out of his room, towards the garden one more.
Once he reaches the garden he moves forward swiftly, and crouches before the roses, they were as if nothing had happened to them, they smelt as if they were frequently watered, and very recently at that. He couldn’t place it he always had them watered by one of the maids in the mornings, not the afternoons. Only now was he realizing, something was amiss.
