Fan Fiction ❯ Vailla ❯ Chapter 7

Vailla and Jads rode on in front. Jads had had his own beautiful stallion and she was a wonderful honey colour with huge brown eyes. They had been travelling together for about two weeks now and were gradually reaching the Judia Mountains. The two friends had formed a strong bond over the last two weeks and she started to see Jads almost as a father figure. They talked about adventures they had had while in the local taverns and each of their scars had a story to tell. "I think we should take shelter soon, snow is coming." Jads said after staring at the sky. It had been getting colder and each one of dressed in warm animal fur coats that they had bought from a pair of travelling merchants.

"Really?" Vailla asked excitedly. She had heard of snow from her mother and the guys at the taverns but in Wrendore it never snowed. Trigger came ridding up to them, his face anxious.

"It's going to be more than a little snow, we're talking a full on blizzard." He turned his gaze to Vailla. "I think we should find shelter, we won't be able to travel for a least a week." He told her gravely. Vailla's eyes were wide open in horror, they were already a month behind and they couldn't afford any more time.

"Surely you can't be certain? How can you tell by just looking at the sky?" Vailla demanded.

"I know my weather. At first I thought the blizzard might blow off in a day or so but Laurie said that it would be longer. I've came to trust Laurie when she tells me things like that, I'm sure that we're going to be snowed in for at least a week." Vailla shook her head; unable to accept the news Trigger had brought her.

"No! We don't have a week to spare, we only got seven weeks!" Vailla objected. She looked wildly at her companions, knowing that each one of them thought that shelter was the best option.

"Then you will lead us to death!" Trigger screamed. Vailla shrank back for a moment, realizing that Trigger had never shouted at her before. She looked into his eyes, what had used to be youthful, carefree eyes were now old and wise. The horrors that he had seen had changed him, it had changed all of them and she blamed herself.

"I lead you no where! I cannot afford to lose time, a day late and my case will be dismissed! Find shelter, all of you but I am going to Laces." She reared her horse and was about to gallop away but Trigger stopped her.

"Vailla please don't go. We can catch up on a week I promise, we'll get there in time. But if we ride into this storm we will die from the cold, you've lived in Wrendore all your life so you don't know how bad the snow gets out here. Please, don't go." Vailla could see un-fallen tears in his eyes and she felt for him. Trigger had always been so kind and understanding towards her in the past, and she wanted to repay him. One day and I go, she thought to herself, with or without the others.

They rode until they came up to an inn called The Lion's Den. It was a cosy inn and the service was friendly, the fire was freshly lit and punters gathered round to tell tales and drink sociably. Vailla shared a room with Galdine and Laurie while Trigger shared his room with Jads. The snow had already started to fall, lightly at first looking like sprinkled sugar but soon after the snow had become like a white mist swallowing everything including the sunlight. "Aren't you glad you're not in that?" Galdine asked Vailla while they got ready for bed. She was sat on the bed brushing Laurie's hair, and Laurie was brushing Hayley's hair.

"I'll regret this when I'm firewood." Vailla replied dryly. She saw and horror on Galdine's face and just laughed.

"I knew you were joking." Galdine snapped after Vailla had laughed.

"Actually I`m not, if my case is dismissed and I come into Laces I'll be breaking my exile. The penalty will be death by fire."

"But surly they would understand if you're late, what with the blizzard and all?"

"They might understand if I was some noble or some other important person but I'm a peasant and so was my mother." She looked out the window and sighed. "Either way I'm in trouble. If I travel in this weather I might get lost and freeze to death, but if I stay here I may burn to death because I'll be late. Burn or freeze, nice choices aren't they?" Laurie climbed off Galdine's lap and walked over to Vailla. Vailla sighed, she knew Laurie was going to do or say something strange because she had that same grave expression of her face.

"Peace be with the traveller who travels towards doom without friends. There is a small path you must walk alone but you will still travel with friends." Laurie told her gravely. She looked up at Vailla with big sad eyes and handed her the teddy that Laurie had been holding when Vailla found her. "Take this, we are your friends and we will help you." She smiled and then ran over to Galdine and started to cry. Galdine looked at Vailla, she had not understood the words spoken by Laurie since she spoke in the ancient language of magic but Vailla understood. She needed to get to Laces in time, but she will heed Laurie's warning.

"Laurie, what's the matter?" Galdine asked the weeping girl, but she did not answer, just bury her face into Galdine lap.

"It will be alright Laurie, we're all going to be together after this adventure you wait and see." Vailla said softly, but her own mind was filled with doubt and even she did not find comfort in her own words.

They had all slept very little that night, the wind howled viciously and kept most of them awake. Vailla knocked the wall beside the entrance to Trigger's room. There was no door, instead a thick piece of material hung in the doorway. Vailla had not slept at all and she finally decided to stay on for one more day so that she could say goodbye to all of her friends. She knocked again. "Come in." Came a muffled groan from the other side, Trigger obviously didn't sleep well either. She walked in to see Trigger sat sleepily at the end of his bed. His hair was muffled and knotty and big heavy bags hung under his eyes that seemed to have a hard job to stay open. He wore his trousers but this top part of his body was bear.

"Where's Jads?" Vailla asked, noticing that her boisterous friend was nowhere to be seen.

"Drinking no doubt, I'm surprised you're not with him." Trigger replied, he yawned and then smiled. "That blizzard sure is a noisy fellow isn't he?"

"I know, I couldn't get a wink of sleep last night." It was true Vailla could not sleep but it wasn't the storm that kept her up. "Galdine and Laurie didn't have any problems though, they're fast asleep as we speak. I wish I could be like that."

"Me too." Trigger agreed. Vailla looked at him without saying anything for a while and Trigger started to feel uneasy. When he finally decided to say something Vailla spoke instead.

"I wanted to say sorry. I've been a right bitch sometimes and for no real reason." She sat down beside him and put his hand over his. "Remember after my father attacked our camp? You said how I felt about you and I said that I didn't feel the same way?" Trigger nodded solemnly, not trusting himself to speak. "Well I lied to you that day, I only said that because I didn't want to see you get hurt. I do love you, and I don't regret meeting you those four months ago even though sometimes it might seem that way." Tears started to well up in her eyes, and she squeezed his hand tighter.

"Oh Vailla." Trigger sighed as he put his arm around her to comfort Vailla. She hugged him back and they stayed in each other's arms without saying another word what could have been hours but seemed like seconds. Vailla wished she could stay like this forever but she knew she couldn't.

Laurie ran in and out of rooms, up and down the stairs and in and out of the bar. She was looking for Hayley who she hadn't seen since the morning, it was time for lunch and Laurie wanted to feed her. Finally she rubbed the tears from her face and went into Trigger's room to tell him of her missing companion. She never bothered knocking but instead just walked in. "Trigger…" She sobbed. The little girl looked up to see Trigger embracing Vailla, both looking very happy. "Trigger Hayley is missing." Trigger was about to answer but instead Vailla smiled at her.

"If you got any clothes on the floor check under them. Hayley likes to find a warm spot like that sleep in when it's cold." Vailla suggested. Laurie's eye's brightened and she shot out of the room and went straight to the pile of clothes that was by Galdine's bed. Vailla giggled to herself and remembered the countless times she had searched for Hayley.

"Laurie likes it here even with the danger and unpleasant things she has seen. Ever since I left Madlien's I've had to find new families for Laurie and I don't think I've found one she has really been happy with until now." Trigger sighed contentedly.

"If something happens to me, promise me you'll take Laurie and get as far away from Laces as you possibly can? If my father ever found out about Laurie's powers he'll be after her next." Vailla looked directly Trigger with warm passionate eyes and he felt he needed to get away from her gaze so he turned his head. "Promise me!" She begged.

"Nothing is going to happen to you Vailla, I won't let it!" He vowed, still not meeting her gaze.

"I might get ran over by a herd of cattle tomorrow, and you won't be able to stop it because you're off somewhere hunting something. Or Hayley gets really hungry one day and eats me." She laughed but then turned deadly serious. "I just want to know you'll be a safe distance away from my father if something like that do happen."

"I promise." He sighed. Vailla gave him a small kiss of the cheek, then on the lips. Trigger blushed and Vailla couldn't help but laugh.

"We're going to have a nice dinner tonight, and it's on me." She smiled. "I want you to clean up and come in my room in about two hours, I'll have the food brought up and we all can eat it in there." Vailla then stood up and left the room. One down three to go…

Vailla found Galdine in their room; she was knitting something on the bed. Vailla frowned, knitting is so annoying but she quickly banished that thought and remembered what she had came to do. "Alright?" Vailla asked while sitting on her bed. Galdine looked up and smiled then put her knitting to one side.

"I'm fine thank you. The storm is laying on quite thick isn't it? I do hope it clears up soon." Galdine replied.

"Me too." Vailla mumbled. "I want to give you something…" She unfastened his pendant and chain from around her hand and carefully handed it to Galdine.

"No I can't." Galdine gasped. "It was your mother's, I can't accept it."

"Take it please, it will give you something to remember me by after we go our separate ways. I want you to have it." Vailla dropped it into her hands and smiled. Galdine clutched the pendant and chain in her hand and embraced Vailla warmly.

"Thank you." Galdine whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

"Right I've done what I came to do. Oh and by the way, we're going to have a special meal today in about two hours so dress up nice and I'll see you later." She was about to leave when she thought of something. "Galdine, have you anything I can borrow? Clothes I mean, it's just that I don't have nice clothes." She asked in a sheepish voice.

"Of course, I have the perfect dress for you. I'll go and get it now and…"

"No, its ok. Can I come back and see it in an hour? There are some things I have to do first."

"Sure you can. I'll see you then." Vailla walked out of the room. She could hear Galdine humming to herself on the other side. She smiled to herself; she would even miss Galdine when she left tomorrow morning.

Laurie and Jads were downstairs in the bar. Laurie had gone to him after she had found Hayley so Jads offered to feed them both. Laurie was sat cross-legged on the floor by Jads' feet; she was feeding Hayley some salted meat. She was giggling gleefully as she tried to get Hayley to perform tricks for her food. Jads was sat on a stool, keeping a watchful eye over Laurie and slowly drinking a pint of warm ale. Vailla walked up to them and sat on the stool next to Jads. "Hello Vailla, I was beginning to think you were letting me drink alone." He said joyfully Vailla laughed and then ordered a pint.

"That will never happen my friend." She looked down at Laurie and Hayley. "Hello down there! How are you two today?" Hayley meowed happily and Laurie giggled.

"So, any news?" Jads asked after the bartender had delivered Vailla's drink.

"The snow doesn't look like it will stop any time soon so I'm having a party tonight in our bedroom. Dress up and enjoy, it's going to be a night to remember."

"A party eh? Sounds fun, sure I'll be there. What time?"

"In two hours, I got to order the food in a minute though. I just wanted to say thank you for being here, you're so much like a brother to me." Vailla gave the big man a hug.

"You'll get me crying if you carry on like this. I'm grateful to you too, I get lonely travelling from town to town." He held back a sob. "So we're having a nice dinner tonight, are we?" He changed the subject before he was forced to shed tears. Vailla smiled, Jads was such a big strong looking man but was also very sensitive.

"I'm going to wear one of Galdine's dresses, so I warning you in advance. You laugh, you die." Jads broke out in an enormous amount of laughter.

"Sorry about that, I was just getting it out of my system in advance." He wiped a tear from his eye and Vailla gave him an evil glare. "I was only kidding lass, don't take it personal."

"I know." She smiled fondly at him and then jumped off her stool. "I'm going to order the meal, so I'll see you later." She looked down at Laurie and held out her hand. "I'll look after Laurie for a while, I need to talk to her anyway." Laurie took her hand, her face almost sad.

"That's fine by me, I'll see you later then shall I?" Jads asked, already knowing the answer to his stupid question.

"Yeah sure, bye for now." Vailla smiled and hand in hand she and Laurie walked upstairs.

They sat on the landing, the seemingly only place the two could talk in private. Laurie still held Hayley in her hand, which snuggled warmly into her arms. "You like Hayley don't you Laurie?"

"I sure do. She is so cute and warm and…" Laurie trailed off into a wide vocabulary of how to describe the word `cute'. Vailla smiled, she had once been like that with Hayley but now a days she didn't seem to have any time for her poor little pet and she took comfort in knowing Hayley's new home will be with a loving owner.

"You know where I'm going tomorrow don't you Laurie?" Vailla asked as she stroked Hayley's ear.

"Into the cold and darkness without friends to light your way." Laurie replied strangely. Her voice was not that of a child even though it came from a child's lips.

"Please don't say anything to the others? Let them realise I am gone; otherwise they might follow me if they think I'm not far ahead. Promise me Laurie."

"I won't tell. The lady told me that you must do it and that I mustn't inter…inter…"

"Interfere?" Vailla suggested. Laurie nodded. "I want you to take care of Hayley, I won't be able to take her with me so I want you to have her." Vailla smiled as Laurie's eyes brightened and she flung her arm arms round her. Vailla patted the girl on the head before softly pushing her away. "We're going to have a nice party tonight Laurie and I want you to get all dressed up. Would you do that for me?" Vailla asked gently.

"I'll dress up like a big girl, you wait and see. I'll look all pretty for your bye-bye party!" Laurie burst with excitement; Vailla knew that this girl loved to dress up.

"Ok, you do that for me but remember don't tell no one it I a bye-bye part. Now go and ask Galdine to help you dress up while I go order the food." Laurie scooped Hayley off the ground and ran into the girl's bedroom where Galdine was. Vailla sighed; she wondered what would become of Laurie after this was all over and what that child may achieve.

Vailla had had only a little trouble ordering the food but after she waved a few silver pieces in front of the fat landlord's face she easily got what she want. Stew, bread, butter and cheese, it wasn't really fancy food nor was there a lot of it but it would seem like a feast after the rations they had been set during the journey. Vailla was starting to get excited, this would be her final goodbye and she had made it as special as possible and she even looked forward to trying on some of Galdine's clothes. She had never liked the nobility but had always admired their clothes, as did most peasants, to be able to dress like a princess was every little girl's once in their life. She walked into her room, hoping that Galdine had found something for her to wear and sure enough there it lay on the bed. It was a beautiful blue silk dress with gold trimmings and long wait gloves, some hairpins and a brush also lay on the bed waiting. "There you are Vailla, I found something that I think would look lovely on you." Galdine exclaimed when she saw Vailla come into the room.

"It is very beautiful, thank you." Vailla felt a catch in her voice but quickly told her self to take control; it was only a dress.

"I always pack a few nice dresses when I travel just in case the occasion calls." Galdine smiled warmly and then picked up the dress and held it up to Vailla. "I think this is the right size too." She commented.

"The boys will be here soon, I told them to dress up too." Her gaze fell upon Laurie who was sat on the bed wearing her same clothes but decorated with ribbons and flowers, her hair was pinned back with a flower-shaped clip.

"Well go on, try it on." Galdine urged. Vailla smiled warmly, in truth she couldn't wait to try the dress on but she didn't want to seem to eager.

"Okay, I will." She replied coolly, hiding her anticipation.