Tortured Compositions

Chapter One

Teagan guffawed and shook his head. She reached down and, grabbing at his hands, pulled him swiftly to his feet. Lazily, he stretched out his bones, reaching one arm above his head and using the other to pull down the hem of his shirt. Kayse smiled as curls of his tameless hair fell into his eyes. She reached over to brush them aside.

Soon, Teagan and Kayse walked, fingers laced, down the slight incline toward the base of a clearing. Down there, the woods parted to envelope the basin of a river that wound deep into the forest. It was their hideout. Their comfort zone. There they spent many hours snatching at time devoid of reality's cruelties. Teagan tugged at Kayse's hand, and they progressed into a loping run. They stumbled upon the river and collapsed in a heap along the soggy, mud-carved banks.

Kayse laughed and leaned into Teagan's side, watching avidly as he skipped a rock across the river's balmy surface. A leaf fluttered down onto her lap and she crunched it between her fingers, content to let the particles rain down on Teagan's knee. She smiled at the loopy grin he gave her.

The warmth of the sun that broke through the clouds seared into her back and neck. It gave enough heat to soothe her aches and pangs, but as she sat there, an odd, uneasy sensation prickled along her skin. There was something else than mild heat in the air, and it crackled against the backs of her hands. Yet, she could not detect what it might be. It was out of her reach.

She considered the sensation for a while, but her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a burning itch that spread through her mind. It reminded her of poison ivy, though this itching crowded through her thoughts in a way pain and discomfort never did. Kayse pulled her weight from Teagan's side and scrubbed her hands against her forehead. She rubbed harder, but she knew the itch would not leave that easily. The thought made her teeth grind.

“Kayse, what is it?” Teagan asked as she pulled away from him completely and stood up. She began to pace, and massaged her fingers against her temples. Kayse knew he wanted an answer, but she ignored him and massaged away the stress lines on her forehead, hardly aware of the impressions her boots made as they sunk an inch into mud.

Wading through the murky depths of her concentration, she pushed away the increasing itch and attempted to find the source. She was vaguely aware that her skin felt clammy, and distantly, her brain burned as it scrubbed raw by an accidental tumble onto something rough. Still, she shoved into the irritation and finally broke through. The itching vanished with a snap that left her whole brain throbbing, and she shook like a dog to get rid of the goosebumps along her arms.

She released a slow breath, then looked at Teagan. “Roxanne wants us home now,” she said softly. “No arguing. I would not push her patience today.” Kayse frowned thoughtfully, trying to make sense of Roxanne's summons, but after a moment she only shrugged to ease the tension in her shoulders.

“Why does she always contact you when she wants us home?” Teagan grumped. The relaxed feeling of earlier was gone as he stood up and went to wipe his boots on the grass. “She taught us both the same stuff.”

Kayse shook her head. “I do not know,” she said, although she did deep down. Roxanne trusted her more than Teagan. Not that he misbehaved or did not deserve her trust. It was merely a matter of skills. Kayse had the potential to go further in her studies. Teagan did not.

Roxanne just had not told him yet.

Teagan rolled his eyes. His eyes roved over her face, and then he licked his thumb and held it up, squinting as if measuring something. His mouth split into a grin. “You have a little dirt on your chin.”

“What? Where?” Kayse reached up to feel her face.

“Ah ah ah. I'll get it.” He swiped at the bottom curve of her jaw with his thumb. “Right there. Just a smudge. It's gone now.” Chuckling, he polished his fingernails off on his shirt, then bowed low to her. “All clean, m'lady.”

Kayse snorted and lightly punched him in the shoulder. “Very funny, sir. Come on. You know what happens when Roxanne is kept waiting.” She looked back at the stream upon detecting a hint of disappointment in the crystallized sunlight of his eyes. “We will come back tomorrow, okay?” There was a heavy, uncertain pause, and then she sighed. “I promise. We will dig for mushrooms and make your favorite stew.”

Teagan frowned slightly. He opened his mouth to say something, then quickly clicked his teeth together and shot away for the incline. His taunting words floated back to where she stood, momentarily confused.

“Race you!”

She tore after him. “Wait until I get my hands on you, you little cheater!” she yelled, but he only laughed and brushed through the tree line. Once he was out of sight, she slowed down. And grinned.

If he could cheat, so could she.