Book 3 - Ravlyr

or over a week Natalie lay in the bed without moving, she opened her eye's several times, but never said a word. She heard what people said but rarely listened, felt them changing her nightdress, bathing her, but she didn't care. They came and went regularly checking on her, she knew almost daily Marti'en sat and read the book, she could hear the pages turning, the book didn't sing for her, it didn't talk to her but it did allow her to read it, Natalie was glad, perhaps Marti'en could learn from it. Rav rarely left her room, he was usually sitting beside her bed, or in the chair in front of the window. Sometimes he would talk to her, other times he would just sit for hours not saying a word. She wondered where Hank was, she hadn't heard his voice at all, or Trink's voice for that matter. Someone had moved her frame and canvas away from the window, it didn't seem to matter any longer, she had finished the canvas several nights before she fell. Mary was sitting with Natalie and almost jumped out of her skin when Natalie asked Mary in a bare whisper for her book. Mary took the book out of the chest and put it by Natalie's hand, she watched Natalie take the book and place it on her chest and wrap both her arms around it, as if hugging it, then closed her eye's again. Mary didn't notice that one by one all of Natalie's belonging's were vanishing. It was a somber, quiet group sitting at the dining table. Collin and Rav had talked for a long time the night of the accident, Collin knew exactly what had happened and how it had happened. They had decided not to tell Brand and Bitsy until after the gathering was done, Mar stopped by each morning, checking on Natalie and talking to Marti'en for a short while, then he would return to his lair. Brand strode in, Bitsy tucked in his shirt, the twins behind him, Keebler hard on their heels. "What the hells going on around here? Trink is in his cottage and won't come out, Hank hasn't been around in over a week, the stallion and the mare have vanished, Susan is concerned because Natalie hasn't been over for her swimming lessons and wants to know if there's a problem." Brand demanded, looking at everyone. Collin watched Brand slam down into a chair, and sighed. Rav looked at Collin and Bitsy, "Trink is angry because Hank left to go adventuring with out him, he isn't angry at Hank, he is angry at me. Hank went off because I was angry and said something I didn't mean. I don't know where the stallion is, let alone a mare I've never heard about, I also didn't know Susan was helping Natalie learn to swim. Natalie is upstairs, slowly dying because of my stupidity and hurt male ego. I also killed my own child that I didn't know even existed. It seems I was blind to a lot of things." Bitsy looked at Kat and Collin in shock, then went upstairs, she heard Brand's chair scrap back as he followed her. Natalie heard the door open and Mary talking to Brand and Bitsy, not caring, she felt Bitsy hovering over her. Natalie wanted to hate her for being one of them, but she couldn't, Bitsy had been a friend. Natalie looked at the fairy fluttering over her, "Thank you for being my friend, I will always remember that time in your green house, you were very kind." she said softy "I need to talk to Trink and tell him to watch over Hank for me," she went on. Brand and Bitsy exchanged looks, Brand growled out, "I'll get Trink for you, even if I have to drag him here by his beard." the strode from the room, the others in the dining room heard the front doors slam shut. Bitsy motioned Mary out of the room, once she was gone, Bitsy sat on the pillow and softly stroked Natalie's forehead, "It will get better, Natalie, sometimes terrible things happen in our lives, we either let it destroy us or we get stronger from it, your a survivor, you have the strength to go on, I know you do." Natalie looked at Bitsy, "I will go on, I always have, but not here, I'm going home, where I belong." then she closed her eye's waiting for Trink, not saying another word. Bitsy thinking Natalie meant the new house didn't say anything more, just sat quietly with Natalie, once the twins came in and Bitsy sent them out. Brand strode into the keep with a muttering, ranting Trink tucked under his arm like a sack of potato's. He strode up the stairs and stopped outside Natalie's door, then he put his face an inch from Trink's and told him, "you will go in there, you will smile, you will talk to Natalie, you will agree with anything she says, do I make myself clear." Muttering foul things at Brand, Trink nodded. Trink bounced into the room in a huff and stopped seeing Natalie on the bed, he quietly walked over "I hear yea wanted to talk with me, girly, ain't it awful late in the morning to still be laying about in your night clothes." Natalie smiled sadly at Trink "I wanted to ask you to take good care of Hank for me, he needs you to watch out for him, to give his life smiles and laughter, I don't know where he is right now but you can tell him I did the very best I could." Trink pulling on his beard "of course the boyo needs me, we all know that, I will always take care of me boyo. Why don't yea know where he is? he told me you would always know where to find him, that yea be a Cairin just like him." Natalie smiled for a moment "your right Trink, thank you." then she closed her eyes and searched for Hank. Mary came back to sit with Natalie as the others left the room. Trink stomped down the stairs still glaring at Brand. Bitsy and Brand went back into the dining room, Trink glared at everyone from the doorway and muttered "if yea be needing me just send for me, no need to come snatch me out of me own home!" Trink turned to leave. Collin quietly said "no need to leave Trink, come join us." Trink shook his head and turned to leave muttering rude things about adulterers and certain dragons not being able to keep their precious parts sheathed.