The carriage approached them with the wheels rolling slowly on the road. Emmy and Erak waited for it to reach them to meet her mother. They met the carriage just outside of Hallasholm, so no one could see the lingering smoke. The driver hopped down off of his seat and opened the door for Emmy's mother. She stepped out and kissed Erak and Emmy both on the cheeks.

"Oh, Marin, you are the only person I know of in Skandia that travels by that aweful box." Erak said. His niece laughed at his comment.

"Oh Uncle, you're the only family memeber I know that would long to be on that floating death trap you call a ship." She said smiling sweetly. She turned to Emmy.

"Come Emilia, Darling. We're going home. You had fun with your great uncle while it lasted, but you must return to your studies." Marin said. Emmy stepped away from her mother and hid slightly behind her great uncle.

"I'm not leaving Hallasholm, Mother. It is my home." she said. Marins face wad unreadable as she stared at her daughter.

"Emilia, Hallasholm is not your home. It's a smelly village for pirates. Nothing more." She snapped. Erak glared at his niece, but Emmy beat him to the comeback.

"I belong among these smelly sea wolves, Mother." Emmy sneered. "And it's Emmy. Not Emilia." Her mothers mouth slowly drifted open in the shock of being addressed in that matter by her own daughter. Erak let out a bark of laughter and hugged Emmy tightly.

"Marin, I think you should listen to her." The Oberjarl said. Marin growled under her breath.

"You just wait. I'll get the government involved. You belong with me Emilia, and they can force you." Marin said. Erak grinned at his nieces statement.

"Marin, I do believe you have forgotten who you're currently speaking to. I am the government." He said. Marin clentched her teeth tightly.

"She is my Daughter, uncle." Marin said.

"And I also can decide for myself, Mother." Emmy said firmly. Marin stood up straighter, saying nothing. She let out a deep breath and climbed back into her carriage, slamming the door. Erak took Emmy's wrist and pulled her back to the demolished Hallasholm.

***

"Just put more of your weight on your good leg." Willy told Lynn. She was still mad at him, but she had decided that it wasn't going to bring MJ back if she was refusing to talk to Willy. He was currently helping her stand and walk around the room with the aide of a cane he had fashioned for her. Lynn struggled to keep up right and Willy was close by just encase she fell, he'd be there to catch her. She stumbled over to a chair and sat down, giving her leg a rest and letting her cane rest on her knee.

"How many Arridans did Lydia say there were out there?" She asked him.

"To many for you to take on." He said dully as he leaned up against the bed. She glared at him.

"I'm not stupid, Willy!" She snapped.

"I don't know. She said hundreds were in the camp." Willy answered reluctantly.

"So the refugees are isolated up here?" She asked. Willy nodded.

"The Oberjarl had declared it a siege. Our hunters have reported that the game is getting scares as well, and our allies can only send us so much supplies." He said. He laid back on the bed just as a small gray kitten hopped up on his chest and licked his chin. He picked her up and stroked her softly.

"Who's this?" Lynn asked.

"Ash. Emmy and I found her the day you were injured. She tends to stay in the cabin though. I've noticed that the amount of mice we've seen running around has decreased since she joined our sad party of refugees." Lynn smiled a bit and took the kitten into her own arms.

"Well, one way of brightening the mood, eh?" She teased. He nodded a bit smiling.

"Alright. Back to bed. Uncle Edvin will have a fit if he sees you out of bed longer then you should be." He said. He held out his hand and helped her stand. She limped over to the bed and slipped under the covers, leaning her cane up against the wall next to the bed. Willy was half way out the door when she stopped him.

"Willy? If any news of MJ comes, please tell me first. I don't want anything held back from me. I want to know the fate of my master. Good or bad." She said. Willy nodded.

"I promise." He said. He then shut the door behind him.

***

The feeling of blood trickling down his skin was becoming sickeningly familiar. Pain rushed across his whole backside as the whip lashed across his skin. He bit his tongue to keep from screaming out and giving Jackson the satisfaction he wanted. After the fifteenth lash, Jackson had his man halt, and he knelt down beside MJ, where the ranger knelt, slouched up against the stake.

"Have you learned your lesson yet, Ranger?" Jackson spat. "No one talks back to me! No one questions what I do with my own servants." MJ said nothing. He stared at the grains in the wooden post he was tied too. Jackson held up his hand to his man to tell him MJ was done and that he could put the whip away. "Next punishment will be much more severe." Jackson whispered. He then stood and left, allowing MJ to finally let his tears fall freely. His shirt was torn from the whip, and Jackson confiscated his jerkin and his cloak, so he shivered as night fell. Cold air rushed across his skin, stinging his new wounds across his back. Why Jackson kept MJ alive at this point was beyond him. He would much rather be put out of his misery. There was no point in attempting to escape, and he'd be too weak at any point to even think of escape. Thoughts rushed through his mind of the ones he loved. How Will and Halt would be disappointed in him for giving up so easily. How Maddie would probably not care since she was the big sister he didn't care for. How Lynn... He stopped and thought of his apprentice. How she was wounded, and last he saw her she was unconscious. The thought of her made his feelings of sorrow turn into guilt. How could he give up so easily? He scolded himself for even thinking that it was the end.

   A noise came from a few tents down, breaking MJ out of his thoughts. A small figure ghosted towards him and he finally was able to make out Aarah's features. Her cheeks were stained with tears and she had several cuts and bruises on her cheeks. She knelt down next to him to examine his back.

"I am forbidden to help you any longer." Her voice quivered as she spoke.

"What has Jackson done to you?" He whispered, leaning his forehead against the stake. She dropped down to the ground by his knees, letting out a pent up silent sob, so no one could hear. "What has he done?" MJ asked a second time with more firmness. She looked up at him, completely broken inside and out.

"He...He beat me. Oh MJ!" She whispered a cry. "My baby hasn't moved since he kicked me!" MJ's eyes widened with alarm.

"You were pregnant?!?" He asked, suddenly forgetting all the pain he felt to focus on the poor girl at his knees. She nodded slowly.

"With his baby. He didn't know." She pulled herself up into a seated position and whipped her nose on her sleeve. "Tell no one, The baby is dead anyway. He killed my baby." She said bitterly. MJ cletched his teeth together and gave Aarah a fierce look.

"We're going to get out of here, Aarah. Soon. Both of us." He said. She sniffed again and stood, leaning down and kissing him on his forehead.

"Thank you. For everything." She whispered. A noise sounded from inside the command tent and a look of fear came across her.

"Go get some rest." He whispered to her. She nodded and dashed away, disappearing from his sight.

***

Ah! Poor Aarah! And Poor MJ! I think Jackson's guts can be hated, don't you think? Hope you liked it! Love you all! Please comment and vote.

~Avis