you have been to visit the shops. Please, I have an idea.”
Her mother looked down at her quizzically, perhaps wondering why she was speaking so swiftly, so passionately. She forced herself to make her voice sound calm. “Why don't you let me go to the lad's mother? Wasn't I just telling you that I wanted to practice the healing art more fully?”
She could tell her mother looked skeptical, so she decided to appeal to her vanity. “I have learned from the best healer in Darth. Your talent and skill are unmatched. Surely I am well equipped to deal with whatever ails his mother.”
It felt like long drawn out minutes before her mother finally answered. “Very well.” Gwendolyn felt elation fill her breast. “I will agree to let you go with me. Let's gather our stuff and be on our way.”
Nay, she screamed in her head as she watched her mother turn and flee down the corridor. That wasn't how things were supposed to happen. She briefly turned to Jarin and tried to convey to him with her eyes what she was feeling. She had to talk to him; she had to sort out this mess.
Pretending a calm formality she didn't feel, she turned to Jarin. “Please wait outside in the courtyard, we will be with you as soon as possible,” then she turned and fled as fast as she could.
Escaping out of the castle undetected was not a problem. She had the freedom to come and go as she wished, but she needed to speak to Jarin without anyone noticing. She slid across the outer stone walls of the castle, trying to melt into the walls as she made her way to the courtyard. She was relieved when she spotted Jarin standing by himself, though she didn't want to talk to him out in the open.
“Come here,” she hissed, hoping he would hear, but he stood still, both hands shoved deeply in his pockets.
She reached down and picked up a small pebble and launched it at him to get his attention. She almost felt guilty when the small stone bounced off of his head.
“Ouch,” he muttered as he quickly rubbed the spot where the rock had come in contact. He whipped around to see who had dared throw the stone at him.
“Jarin,” Gwendolyn whispered loudly. His eyes widened in surprise as he caught his first glimpse of her. She beckoned with his hands for him to come to her, which he did swiftly and without question.
As soon as he reached her, she pulled him forcefully around the corner where she could speak to him privately. “I need you to fix what just happened in there.”
He looked at her as if she had sprouted a second head. “But I did exactly what you told me to do.”
“But she was supposed to agree to let me go by myself. She only agreed to let me go with her. There's no way we will be able to escape to the magic festival with my mother glued to my side. And have you forgotten? You have no sick mother to take us to either.”
Placing both hands on her face, she moaned. “Oh, this is such a mess.”
Jarin placed a hand on her shoulder. “I will take care of your mother, I have an idea to deter her. But I have no idea how you'll get away from here by yourself.”
Gwendolyn nibbled on her bottom lip, trying to think of something. Finally she said, “Well, I didn't want to have to do it this way, but I see no other option. I'm just going to have to run away.”
Jarin stiffened. “Gwendolyn, if we get caught...” He didn't finish his thought.
“We won't get caught; that's all there is to it,” she said with a mock confidence she didn't feel. “Leave the details up to me. I want you to meet me in the gardens at midnight.”
“Very well,” he said, resigned to the fact that he'd have to trust her.
She turned to leave, then stopped. “Oh, and I'll be disguised as a young lad.”
Turning, she fled back into the castle.
Chapter 13
Escape
Oh what a coil she had gotten herself into, Gwendolyn thought as she finished packing a small bag. Nearly as soon as she had returned to the castle earlier, her mother had come down carrying
Her mother looked down at her quizzically, perhaps wondering why she was speaking so swiftly, so passionately. She forced herself to make her voice sound calm. “Why don't you let me go to the lad's mother? Wasn't I just telling you that I wanted to practice the healing art more fully?”
She could tell her mother looked skeptical, so she decided to appeal to her vanity. “I have learned from the best healer in Darth. Your talent and skill are unmatched. Surely I am well equipped to deal with whatever ails his mother.”
It felt like long drawn out minutes before her mother finally answered. “Very well.” Gwendolyn felt elation fill her breast. “I will agree to let you go with me. Let's gather our stuff and be on our way.”
Nay, she screamed in her head as she watched her mother turn and flee down the corridor. That wasn't how things were supposed to happen. She briefly turned to Jarin and tried to convey to him with her eyes what she was feeling. She had to talk to him; she had to sort out this mess.
Pretending a calm formality she didn't feel, she turned to Jarin. “Please wait outside in the courtyard, we will be with you as soon as possible,” then she turned and fled as fast as she could.
Escaping out of the castle undetected was not a problem. She had the freedom to come and go as she wished, but she needed to speak to Jarin without anyone noticing. She slid across the outer stone walls of the castle, trying to melt into the walls as she made her way to the courtyard. She was relieved when she spotted Jarin standing by himself, though she didn't want to talk to him out in the open.
“Come here,” she hissed, hoping he would hear, but he stood still, both hands shoved deeply in his pockets.
She reached down and picked up a small pebble and launched it at him to get his attention. She almost felt guilty when the small stone bounced off of his head.
“Ouch,” he muttered as he quickly rubbed the spot where the rock had come in contact. He whipped around to see who had dared throw the stone at him.
“Jarin,” Gwendolyn whispered loudly. His eyes widened in surprise as he caught his first glimpse of her. She beckoned with his hands for him to come to her, which he did swiftly and without question.
As soon as he reached her, she pulled him forcefully around the corner where she could speak to him privately. “I need you to fix what just happened in there.”
He looked at her as if she had sprouted a second head. “But I did exactly what you told me to do.”
“But she was supposed to agree to let me go by myself. She only agreed to let me go with her. There's no way we will be able to escape to the magic festival with my mother glued to my side. And have you forgotten? You have no sick mother to take us to either.”
Placing both hands on her face, she moaned. “Oh, this is such a mess.”
Jarin placed a hand on her shoulder. “I will take care of your mother, I have an idea to deter her. But I have no idea how you'll get away from here by yourself.”
Gwendolyn nibbled on her bottom lip, trying to think of something. Finally she said, “Well, I didn't want to have to do it this way, but I see no other option. I'm just going to have to run away.”
Jarin stiffened. “Gwendolyn, if we get caught...” He didn't finish his thought.
“We won't get caught; that's all there is to it,” she said with a mock confidence she didn't feel. “Leave the details up to me. I want you to meet me in the gardens at midnight.”
“Very well,” he said, resigned to the fact that he'd have to trust her.
She turned to leave, then stopped. “Oh, and I'll be disguised as a young lad.”
Turning, she fled back into the castle.
Chapter 13
Escape
Oh what a coil she had gotten herself into, Gwendolyn thought as she finished packing a small bag. Nearly as soon as she had returned to the castle earlier, her mother had come down carrying
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