Tattered Spirits Ch. 06

Jean heard someone calling her name faintly. She still felt sore and stiff but her eyes pried themselves open. Carefully, she pushed herself up and looked into the graying face of her beloved.

"Take me to the window Jean." He asked softly. She nodded and then helped him sit up. The door opened and Sir Glen swept into the room bending down to help Jean lifted Sir Dylan to a chair by the window. Jean knelt by his side, laying her head in his lap.

"Is it going to be a nice day?" he asked Jean resting a shaking hand on her head.

"Yes Sir Dylan." Bravely she bit her lip to keep the tears from tumbling over.

"Perhaps the window will warm me." He smiled at the though. Idly, he ran his hand through Jean's hair.

"Jean, remember the poem I had you memorize when you first came to me?"

Jean wiped away a few wayward tears with the sleeve of her gown. "Always."

"Please I want to hear it." Jean nodded sniffling.

"A Patient Love." She began. "There is a place in the heart, that shall never be touched just upon a lark. Until the rose of passion is met, a wandering lust may never set. To look upon hope with an unbroken spirit: justice fulfilled will not bare it. For love and hope to rise it will take those tatters and lies, salve the wounds through the barrier of time."

As she spoke, the darkened trees on the horizon began to cast grayish greens warming the room in the faint bluish light. "It matters not the number of times you've been forsaken. Ignored shall be the begging for reprieve, regardless of the aching. For what will remain is a key, not to be the martyr's cross, but a reminder for what is seen. Time seeks to guide you; though resistance is the game of a fool."

She continued her litany. "Though never fooled again, one may wonder when the heart does bend. The next shall not be as thoughtless or blind, but shall be grateful for all he finds."

Time had no more meaning here safe in these early morning moments as the yellowed hues of morning sun broke across the room. Jean watched him as he closed his eyes again; he had never heard the last line. She stood and pressed her lips to his forehead. Her tears spilled from her face, falling on his.

Laurie was waiting for her on the other side of the door, she only held Jean. There was nothing either of them needed to say.

Sir Marcus personally slid the bolt to the cage and walked away leaving the room to join Lady Daire and watch his newest charge consider what was to become of her.

"She is a beauty to look at Sir Marcus."

"Is that a wanton smile I see Lady Daire?" teased Sir Marcus. But even he had to admit that Julianne was quite a vision and would be the most excellent addition to his gaggle of beautiful women.

"I cannot wait to see what she will become Sir Marcus. You have such exquisite tastes."

"Ah, the Lady does compliment." He smiled grandly. The door to the vouyer block in Sir Glen's fabled dungeons opened, and Sir Glen joined them.

"Julianne?" he asked Sir Marcus.

"Yes. Is Jean safe?" He asked his mind turning away from Julianne.

"Quite so. I had an unexpected guest arrive just now. She and Laurie are under his care."

"Unexpected, but welcome as always." Lady Daire nodded. "The poor dear. Now what are we going to do?"

Sir Glen began to pace the length of the room, head bent in concentration, his robes, rippling after him.

"That is just the problem, there is nothing to do. Unless she wants to go to someone else."

"And what about Lord Xavier?" asked Sir Marcus quietly. "She cannot simply 'disappear'. Companions are responsible..."

"For all that they share with each other, to provide twice for the gift which they take. I know the doctrine Marcus." Glen was short; the circumstances had begun to wear at him. He was weary from having become the saving grace for every lost companion that had suffered in recent history. His gaze returned to the room on the other side of the one-way window. Inside the room, five men had entered and were approaching the cage.

"Marcus, did you ask for the Order?" Sir Glen didn't wait for the response, but barreled out to the main hall and into the adjoining chamber wondering if his next redesign would incorporate easy access doors in to every dungeon space from the voyeur block.

"Stand where you are." The nearly naked men stopped startled that he was even near the dungeons.

Sir Glen stood between them and a closed door and he looked at each one, his eyes narrowed for a moment.

"Mason, why are you not in the kitchens?" he asked the closest.

Mason gulped, his light brown eyes could never tell a lie to Sir Glen. "I was asked to help with a difficult companion Sir Glen. I had hoped that my initiative would merit more of your attention." He said softly.

"Then you do know that the members of the Order may not touch a companion of another house? Do you know who this companion belongs to Mason?" Sir Glen closed the distance between himself and Mason.

A lock of curly blonde hair fell into Mason's face as he shivered and looked over to the cage. Julianne had scampered to the back of the cage and looked wide-eyed at the seven men who filled the room. "I thought we were to move the cage for another. I did not know someone was inside." Mason glanced nervously back to his associates.

Sir Glen took the tip of his cane and directed Mason's attention back to him, catching the younger man's chin. "If this is some foolish prank Mason, you will never see the inside of the dungeons for as long as you are here. I want you to leave back to the Order Hall. You cannot afford to be careless."

"Yes sir." Mason slipped out without looking back.

"As for the rest of you, since when did I get new members of the Order?" He leaned back and turned the lights up in the room to an undimmed setting. Sir Marcus and Lady Daire both entered the room, eyeing the other members of the party as suspiciously as Sir Glen. Sir Glen leaned forward on his cane, his hands crossed over the silver handle.

One finally spoke. "Lord Xavior sent us to you last week."

"Oh?" Sir Glen masked his surprise. "Then you must be the ones in need of the new discipline program Lord Xavier has requested. Lady Daire, would you mind helping me?" Sir Glen went to the wall and selected a variety of metal cuffs. One made a slight move to the door and Sir Glen caught him by his ankle with his cane. Lady Daire helped him chain the remaining six men to the wall.

"I'll deal with you all shortly. I'm sure you're well aware of what I expect from the members of the Order." Sir Glen stepped back into the hall, finding that Sir Marcus had recovered Julianne and was leading her up the back staircase.

"How long has the insubordination been going on Glen?" Lady Daire shut the door firmly behind her.

"Months." He admitted sheepishly. "I don't doubt some of them were passed here by Lord Xavier, but it's not like him to bring them here himself." He ran a hand through his hair.

"Glen, there's no need for you to take on the Order anymore."

"And have them turned over to Sir Colin's waiting hands?" The prospect, though welcoming was not a viable option. "I am eager to pass them on, it has been past time, but not to Sir Colin. Not after what he's done to Leif and now Jean. No one deserves that."

Lady Daire nodded briefly. It was unmistakable that the men who had been chained to the wall were now arguing. "Do you think they were after Julianne?"

"No, I think they're looking for Jean. I don't doubt that. But I also don't doubt that they are responsible for some of Leif's grief."

"Well, first you get them into line Sir Glen. We'll worry about who is responsible for what crimes later."