"Luan, what a surprise! We were just talking about you!" said Kilyn with a false smile plastered on her face. Llewel just sighed and walked over to where Tom and Carla had sat down at a table and dropped his rope with a loud thump.
"You were?" asked the elven girl with a wide grin of pleasure.
Gia was frozen in place looking at her. The girl's skin was completely white, like it had been painted such, and her hair was pitch black, but the most impressive part of her face, were her eyes. One was a deep purple and the other was a deep blue. They didn't even have any white to them. Gia couldn't decide if she was beautiful or odd. Though, judging from the way the twins were acting towards her, she was wanting to think beauty won out. Gia was seriously not liking the twins, despite the fact one of them just saved her life.
"Let's get you sat down," said Vonn softly, moving her towards the table and a waiting chair.
"This human fell off the walking branch and Llewel had to jump to save her. The tree wasn't very happy about it," said Kilyn with a sad shake to her head.
"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Luan, covering her mouth with both hands, hiding the pink tattooed lines on her cheeks. "I bet the branch moved quite a bit!"
"Almost six whole feet," said Kilyn. "Do you think there's anything you can do about it?"
"Six feet! Llewel didn't use his picks on it, did he? The last time he did that, the branch bucked anytime someone walked on it, until I got it calmed down. The marks are still there, if you look."
"No, nothing like that," said Kilyn, shaking her head.
"Well, okay. I need to go check on it right away! Poor thing!" said Luan rushing away, focused entirely on the branch.
"You didn't mention that you used your vines on it," said Llewel with a chuckle as Kilyn joined them.
"And make it my fault? No thank you! This way she'll think it will all be your fault," said Kilyn, giving him a smirk.
"She'll see your vines, dummy," he said, rolling his eyes.
Gia tried to ignore the bickering as she sat down carefully into the chair. Every movement hurt her side, and she was afraid to move her left arm at all. At least she could breath, even if it was a shallow breath each time.
"Let me help you with your bag," said Vonn, moving to help her take it off without her having to move her left arm too much.
"Thanks," she said, not raising her eyes from the table.
"That was a rotten thing, pushing me like that!" growled Carla.
"I was just trying to get you off the branch," said Vonn softly, sitting next to Gia and taking her right hand in his. "I had no idea Gia would be hurt!"
Gia looked up at him and smiled. She knew it was a complete accident, and gave him a smile to let him know it.
"We're all okay, and I'm sure Gia will be fine after she heals up some," said Tom, patting Carla's hand, that was holding onto his arm. "Why don't you focus some of that anger at getting supper ready?"
Carla shot him a nasty look but stood up and moved over to where the deer meat had been set down. A fire was burning in the fireplace, lighting the area and giving off a warmth that was appreciated.
"If that's bothering you too much, I can take you to see someone about getting it healed?" suggested Llewel, nodding to Gia's side.
"No," she began but Kilyn jumped in.
"That sounds like a great idea! The two of you can be back before the food's ready."
"I should go, too," said Vonn, starting to rise out of his chair.
"Oh, but I was going to talk to you about plant magic while they were gone! I think you have a talent for it," said Kilyn, looking excited as she held out a hand and a green glow started to form in her palm.
"Plant magic?" asked Mikey, coming over from the fire where he had been standing, to see.
"Come on, Gia," said Llewel. "It won't take long to find someone. If the local alchemist's aren't in their lab, the mayor can do it."
Gia stood shakily, not sure she liked the idea of leaving with Llewel so soon.
"Maybe I can talk to you about plant magic later," said Vonn, starting to stand to go with her again, but Mikey pouted.
"You just don't want me to learn anything about the magic."
"That's not true," said Vonn, turning to Mikey with a look of disbelief.
"Well, here," said Kilyn. "I'll show both of you."
Gia bit her lower lip as Vonn sat back down and gave her a guilty look of uncertainty.
"Come on, Gia," said Llewel, already at the doorway.
"Hurry back," said Tom, "or your mother might hurt herself."
"Oh, you!" exclaimed Carla, rolling her eyes as she positioned the meat near the fire to start warming it.
Gia followed Llewel back outside, and followed him as he turned away from the branch. They hadn't gone very far before he fell back, to walk beside her.
"I've never met a human before. Are all the girls as cute as you?" he asked, giving her a smile.
"I have no idea how to answer that," she said, shocked that he was so forward, especially knowing she was with Vonn.
"Well," he said, pausing.
She paused as well, looking at him confused as he stepped closer to her. Confused, she stepped back, and suddenly realized she had backed into a small depression in the stoneworking. There was no way to step around him as he backed her further into the corner.
"What are you doing?" she asked, panic fluttering in her chest.
"Don't play games. I've seen how you've glanced at me ever since we first met," he purred, smiling a slow devilish smile.
She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. The stone was cold against her back as she watched him reach for his belt.
"Don't worry, you can be as loud as you want here. No one can hear you," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her.
She reacted, pushing him with both arms, as hard as she could. Pain flared in her side, but adrenaline flowed through her when she saw the look of disbelief and anger flash over his face. Stepping forward she grabbed his shoulders and kneed him in the crotch as hard as she could.
He gasped in pain, grunting as he leaned over clutching himself between the legs. Gia didn't stop there. She stepped back and then kicked him in the face as hard as she could. The pain in her side took her breath away, and she held her left arm to her side, falling to her knees as waves of black threatened to steal her away.
Llewel jerked backwards after she kicked him in the face, stumbling a couple more steps back, and then was gone.
Gia stared at the edge of the walkway, uncomprehending what she was looking at. Drops of rain started to splash all around her, and she could feel it hitting her hair and back. Licking her lips, she struggled to stand, having to crawl back to use the wall to help her. Glancing back at the spot where he had been standing, she watched it for several minutes, expecting him to pop his head back over the edge and come after her.
Movement across the nothingness drew her attention. The mayor was standing there, petting her fox and watching her. It was too far to tell what expression was on her face, but panic started to climb in Gia again as she realized what she had just done. And the mayor saw her do it! Had she seen him trying to force himself on her? How long had she been watching them?
Panting, she turned to go back to find Vonn, and saw him rush out of the building with Kilyn on his heels. Feeling her knees starting to buckle, Gia managed to rush at him, tears falling down her face as she barreled into him and wrapped her right arm around him and burying her face into his warmth.
"What's happened?" he asked as she fought to stop sobbing and get a breath.
"Where's Llewel?" asked Kilyn, stepping past them to look around.
Gia tried to say something, but her head was spinning and she started gasping to get enough air.
"Calm down! Slow, deep breaths!" coaxed Vonn, lowering her to the hard, cold stone and making her meet his eyes.
"Where's my brother?!" asked Kilyn again, louder, turning and glaring at them.
"Kilyn," said the mayor, having joined them from the other side of the walkway.
Gia jerked to look at her in panic. Was she going to tell them what she had done? Was she going to demand she be imprisoned? Her hard-won gain in breathing was gone in an instant and she fought to catch a breath again, scrambling at Vonn with weak hands.
"What?" snarled Kilyn, turning to look at the mayor in fury.
"Your brothers over there," said the mayor, motioning towards the empty space beside them.
"What?" asked the elf, turning quickly to see him.
The moment her back was turned, the mayor kicked her in the butt, sending her over the edge, too.