From: boatman@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu (Todd Boatman)
Subject: Cy and Rheandra - Chapter 3 [CASTLE]
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 21:00:31 GMT
Keywords: Castle


Cy and Rheandra - Chapter 3
---------------------------

>Her wounds healed slowly.  Nightfall would come and go and Cy began to
>wonder if she would ever awaken.  It was almost dusk, nearly a week
>after he had found her, when she began to stir.....

. . . Rheandra opened her eyes as awarness crept over her.  Confusion, 
exhaustion, and dull pain swirled through her body.  Looking around she saw 
she was lying on the ground near a campfire.  Through the smoke she could 
see a man sitting on the other side of the fire.  He smiled at her, "Glad to 
see you are finally awake."  Rheandra didn't answer.  What was she doing here 
and who was he?  Alarm flitted through her mind but she quickly rejected it - 
to much energy involved in fear.

Still smiling the man stood and walked around the fire to kneel at her side.  
Apparently her silence did not disturb him.  She could see him more clearly 
now, he was quite handsome.  This man was very tall, with dark brown hair and
broad shoulders.  He wore a black and grey colored cloak, that seemed to fade
into the night.  Slowly memories came floating back to Rheandra.  They      
seemed more like a nightmare now, dulled by remotness and sleep.  They were 
real though, moving her arm even slightly proved that beyond a doubt.

The man seemed to be waiting for her to say something.  Obviously, he had 
been the one she had met on the road this morning.  Thanks seemed to be in 
order but Rheandra suddenly felt unsure of what to say to him.

"Sir, I, umm, I would like to extend my gratitude for saving my life. A 
stranger in need is the easiest to pass by.  Thank you.", Rheandra offered
akwardly.  Somehow the words didn't seem right but she was unsure of what to 
say to this man.  She tried to sit up to face him properly but he gently 
pushed her back down to the ground.  It didn't matter though, she wouldn't 
have made it anyhow.

As Rheandra lay back down she caught the moon rising over the horizon - it 
was nearly full!  Apparently she had been with this man longer than she had 
thought.  The night of the attack the moon had been nearly gone.  That meant 
that she had been unconsious for more than a week!  As that sunk in she could 
feel the power inside of her.  Yes, it was there and very strong, even when 
she felt so weak.  This man deserved more than just a simple thanks.  He must 
have been taking care of her for a long time.

"My name is Cy, my Lady, of the House Karaell from the Tinarian Mountains" 
said the man with a bow, "and no thanks are nessesary.  How do you feel?"  
"Tired, but not to tired to talk for a while if you like.  I'm sure you have 
been wondering who I am.  I know I would be curious about a wounded stranger I
picked up along the side of the road." Rheandra answered with a weak grin.

"Actually I picked you off of a horse, not the side of the road." he replied 
with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.  Immediatly Rheandra felt more at ease."
Now that you mention it I am rather curious - it's not every day a woman falls 
into my arms."

With that Rheandra begins to tell the story of her attack.  Not entirely sure 
of his reaction, she leaves out any mention of her magical defeat of the 
beasts.

Cy sits back and listens to her story.  Several things seem out of place.  
First, she doesn't say any more than her first name, and offers no 
explaination of what she was doing out alone in the first place.  Secondly,
with a dagger as her only defense how could she have escaped with only a 
shoulder wound and a few scratches?  Granted her wound was serious but she 
should be dead, not just wounded.  There was more to this than what she was
offering.  Cy determined to find out more.

When Rheandra was finished she looked at Cy.  He was studying her but said 
nothing.  From the look on his face she knew he was skeptical of her story 
but she was unsure of how much she should reveal.  If she told him who her 
family was and what she really was he would probably not believe her.  Besides 
that, how far could she trust him.  He had saved her life, and spent 
considerable time caring for her, but what else did she no about him?  
Nothing.  She would say no more until she was more sure of his intentions.
She knew she had the power to defend herself, that she could feel, so for 
now she would wait and see what happens next.  Just this moment she felt like
she wanted to think of nothing more serious than eating and going back to 
sleep.  

Appearing to sense her mood Cy offered her some dinner, which was very good.  Already she knew he
was a far superior cook that she.  That thought made her smile softly and she 
again, felt more at ease.  The ability to cook is a wonderful quality in a
man.  He couldn't be all bad. . .


Brandy / Rheandra
Todd / Cy

-- 
Todd                              |  "The Wheel of Time weaves the Pattern
boatman@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu       |   of the Ages, and uses men's lives
The Official Detective of the RFA |   as thread" - Robert Jordon          
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