Inheritance: Threads of Fate

Chapter Fourteen - Roisin

"Do we believe him?" You asked Caspian as you trudged through the sand.
"He has nothing to gain from lying about it." He reasoned. "Plus, if your mother was at his estate when you arrived there wouldn't she have said something to you?"
"Not if she didn't recognize me...I was a little girl when she got taken."
"She's your mother, she would have recognized you." He said certainly, then stopped walking and looked up at the sun.
"Are you sure you remember how to get back?" You questioned him.
"You doubt my excellent navigational skills?" He raised his eyebrow at you.
"I doubt both of us after the night we've had..." You chuckled.
"This way." He said confidently, and kept walking.

It was late afternoon when you reached the village, but it was bustling as if it was morning market time. Those who recognized you and Caspian greeted you warmly as you entered, and you noticed many of the freed slaves talking excitedly with the others, being offered food, or being reunited with friends and family. As you approached Zumi's hut, you saw him and Cale sitting outside. Zumi jumped up when he saw you.
"Why is it when you come to me, you're always dressed in rags?" He laughed and hugged you. "It warms my heart to see you both safe."
He moved onto hug Caspian, and you greeted Cale. "Is everyone alright?"
"Aye. Well enough. Some o' the crew a'ready set back teh the ship." He responded, but seemed distracted.
"How's your daughter?" You asked.
"Sleepin'. Your boy hasn'a left her side all day. He's a good lad." He smiled weakly.
You put your hand on his shoulder and smiled at him, then went inside.
Raxe was sitting on the floor leaning against the wall. His arms wrapped around his knees, and his head resting on his arms. Roisin was asleep next to him on Zumi's makeshift bed. In the sunlight you could make out that she had auburn hair, light skin, and freckles across her nose. You knelt down next to Raxe and whispered his name to not wake Roisin. He started, looking up frantically until he saw you.
"Shit..." He rubbed his face sleepily.
"You look exhausted." You patted his knee.
He yawned. "I'm fine." Then looked over at Roisin.
"How is she?" You asked.
"Weak, and in shock. She couldn't walk so I carried her the whole way here."
"Poor thing." You felt for her.
"I can't imagine what she's been through." He stared at her.
"You've been with her all day. I'll take over for a bit. I need to sit anyway after that hike." You offered.
"It's alright. I just needed to rest my eyes for a bit." He argued.
"Fox, please, let me watch her. Go get something to eat." You begged.
He looked at her again, reluctant to leave her side.
"She'll be here when you come back." You smiled.
"Alright... but if she wakes up..."
"I'll come get you." You promised.
You helped him up, then took his place by her bedside, happy for the excuse to sit. He greeted Caspian as they passed each other at the door, clapping him on the back. Then Caspian took a seat on the floor with you.
"Cale said he carried her the whole way here." He whispered.
"Yea. Those bruises on her ankles looked really bad in the dark, I can't imagine what they look like in the light."
"Did Cale mention anything to you about his daughter having been kidnapped?"
"No. He never even mentioned he had a daughter."
"I wonder if he even knew she was there..."
You sat in silence for a while.
"Who stayed in the village?" You finally asked.
"Only a few crewmen and those who have family here in this village. The crew who found people they knew in the fortress went back to the ship already. Which is smart, it's safer for them to travel in small groups than for us all to head back into the city all together." Caspian explained.
"We have to see what Cale wants to do next. We should help escort everyone back to the docks but after that... I need to find who the person was who bought my father."
"I can start asking around here, see if anyone recognizes the name on the list."
"Where is the list?" You asked.
"I tucked it inside my sheath while we were in the fortress. You know... no pockets and all..." He smiled motioning down to his still almost naked body.
You looked at him, and noticed he had several cuts and scrapes from the fight.
"You're hurt..." You began.
He looked down. "Oh, I'm fine. Just little nicks." He reached out and lifted your chin, running his finger across the scar on your neck. "Nothing like your battle scars." He smiled.
"Rictor said it made me a true pirate..."
Caspian huffed and his eyes went dark. "Yea, I'm sure he's very proud of himself for anointing you."
"You're not still mad at him are you?" You chuckled.
"I'll never forgive him for what he did to you."
You couldn't help a flutter in your stomach at his protectiveness of you.
Roisin stirred and let out a small groan as she rolled over. "Where...am I?" She immediately looked frightened at the change in location.
"Hey, you're ok. We're friends of your father, Cale." You tried to assure her.
"My...father?" She asked, still rather dazed.
"Yes. You're at a friend's house. We broke you out of the fortress last night, do you remember?" Caspian spoke softly.
She tried to sit up, not realizing she was only covered by a blanket.
"Whoa, whoa," You reached up to hold the blanket over her, and she shied away from you.
"It's alright." You stopped and smiled. "I won't hurt you. Here." You held the blanket up to her to take, so she could cover herself. "Caspian, go get Raxe and Cale please?" You looked over to him.
He nodded, stood and went out the door.
"Raxe..." Roisin whispered.
"Yea. Raxe, my friend. He carried you."
She looked away, as if recalling a distant memory. "I hear' his name...his voice..."
"Yea? That's good. That means you were somewhat conscious." You assured her.
Cale and Raxe burst through the door a bit too aggressively and frightened her.
"Roisin, me girl!" Cale ran to her side "Yer alright!"
"Da?" She looked at her dad with her dark green eyes, as if trying to find out if he was really there.
He wrapped his arms around her, "I'm so sorry my girl... if I knew ye were there..."
You stood up and took a few steps back, standing next to Raxe, while Caspian stood in the doorway.
"How?" Roisin asked "How di' you fin' me?"
"Truth be tol', it were purely coincidental... we were t'ere teh free slaves, find t'ose me men had los'..bu' I found ye..." Cale tried to compose himself, holding her at arms length but not letting her go.
She looked past her father around the room, and her eyes fell on Raxe, who had been watching her this whole time. "You..." she spoke with a question in her voice.
Cale looked back at Raxe. "Aye." He answered her. "This be the lad who bared you in his arms t'rough fightin' and blazin' sun... never let ye out o' his sigh'..." He smiled up at Raxe.
Raxe blushed slightly and waved his fingers at her shyly. You bumped his arm and motioned for him to go over to them.
"Hi..." He spoke softly, kneeling down next to Cale.
"Raxe, me lad. This be the pearl o' my eye, me daugh'er Roisin." Cale officially introduced them.
"Hi." Roisin smiled, "Thank you...Raxe."
"It was my pleasure." He responded.
"Your...voice...I hear' you." She half asked, half stated.
"Oh yea..." Raxe looked down, "I guess I was talking to you while you were asleep."
She smiled. "I remember."
"Oh..." he turned redder.
"Hey boys, what's say you give us girls a little privacy so I can get our new guest more modestly dressed huh?" You chuckled.
Roisin looked down at herself and turned redder than Raxe.
"Oh right." He immediately looked away from her. "Sorry."
You gently guided Raxe and Cale away from her bedside, and on your way to the door gave Caspian a knowing look as you glanced between Raxe and Roisin. He smiled and nodded.
"Alright, let's get you cleaned up." You turned back to Roisin as you closed the door behind them.
You found the old wrap and shirt Zumi had let you borrow the first time you visited. She could barely stand, her ankles were so swollen and injured, and the shackles that hung from her still didn't help. You helped her sit in the chair at the table.
"How long were you in that cell?" You asked her, as you dabbed a clean cloth into a fresh bucket of water that had been sitting in the sun.
"I...don' know..." She admitted. "I los' coun' af'er t'ree mon's..." She spoke with an accent like her father, but hers was much softer, as if someone diluted arak with water.
"Three months! Shit... I couldn't even deal with that asshole for one day..." You began to wash her down gently with the warm water.
"Ye were his as well?" She looked down at you while you washed her legs.
"Yea..." You nodded. "Though I volunteered."
"Why the devil would ye do tha?" She looked at you shocked.
"It was a trade." You explained. "Me for Caspian and Raxe."
As you washed her, helped her dress, and brushed her hair you told her your story, you ended up spilling that Caspian was the king, and your feelings for him. It felt like talking to Sis, and you felt at ease around her. It was as if you were holding in all these stories to tell you sister when you got back home, but they all exploded out of you at once.
"I'm sorry..." You realized you bombarded her with information. "You remind me so much of my sister... and there's been a lot I haven't been able to share with anyone else..." You finished as you pinned her hair back.
She laughed, "I's alrigh'. Much be'er than wha' I've been used ta hearin'."
You came around to face her. With her face clean and hair neatly tucked back she really was a beautiful girl.
"There now. Much better." You smiled at her. "Now let's see if Raxe can't figure out how to get those shackles off completely?"
You called out the door for him, and when Raxe came back in he froze, staring at her. You shoved him gently, urging him to say something.
"You...your hair looks nice." He finally stuttered.
"Thank you." Roisin blushed.
"Raxe, we were hoping you had an idea of how to get these shackles off?" You couldn't help but smile at Raxe's obvious thoughts about her.
"Oh yea.. those must be uncomfortable...." He stated obviously, "Uh yea let me see if I can't borrow some smithing tools. I'll be back."
"Do you want to wait outside?" You asked Roisin "The sun is setting, so it should be cooling down."
"I do. Please, I've been inside fer too long..." She almost begged.
You supported her while she took delicate steps out the door. Cale, Caspian, and Zumi were sitting outside talking.
"Oh, here." Zumi stood to give Roisin his seat. "Please sit."
Caspian also stood, "here." He smiled at you, offering his seat.
"Ye look as lovely as a rose my dear." Cale ran his hand gently through his daughter's brushed hair. "So much like yer mum..."
'Thanks, Da." She responded quietly.
"Did we decide what we wanted to do?" You looked between Caspian and Cale.
"Sort of." Caspian began. "I think what we agree on so far is getting back to the ships. Cale wants to make sure you get back home, Roisin, to the Seven Isles, so it seems we will be parting ways there."
"There's no need." Rosin responded quietly.
"Wha' ya mean lass?" Cale questioned.
"There's no one fer me there 'nymore. Mum's dead Da..." She almost whispered.
"Wha?! Wha'ya mean she's dea?!?" Cale exploded out of his chair. "Tha' canna be lass."
Roisin began to cry. "When t'e men from Calormen came...she tried teh stop 'em... she tried teh save me... t'ey struggled... t'rew her agains' t'e rocks...t'ere was so much blood..."
You got up and hugged her tight. "I'm so sorry." You spoke softly to her.
"It canna be..." Cale stood frozen in shock. 
"Cale... I'm sorry..." Caspian put his hand on Cale's shoulder.
"NAH! I left ye t'ere teh protec' ye! Te get ye AWAY fro' danger... how cou'd t'is happ'n?" He yelled and threw his chair, scaring Roisin so much she began to tremble.
"Cale." You spoke firmly, and stood up. "I'm sorry. I know what it's like to lose your family. The people you love. But your daughter is here. She has been through hell. And she needs you."
He turned to look you in the eyes, and for a moment you thought he was going to have another outburst. But then his eyes began to tear up.
"Aye." He responded to you more gently. "Aye lass." Then he knelt down to Roisin.
"Yer safe now. I wonna le' 'nythin' happen te ye. I won' ev'r leave yeh again."
She threw her arms around her father and they cried together. You couldn't help but tear up as you watched them, imagining what it was like for you to watch your parents get torn away from you, hoping to Aslan their fates aren't the same....