I'M A SURVIVOR Chapt. 4

Just a short authors note.
Thanks to all the people who voted on the poll and especially people who commented (Pebbles, ChaoticDamned, and the rest :)) I really appreciate it, especially tips for writing and plot suggestions. So of this story i so far have about 50 pages typed up (actually one of my shorter stories) but my imagination can run away with me sometimes so let me know when it gets a little far fetched. Here's chapter 4.

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Dedicate Sito drags me out of the cottage and down the spiralling path.
"I'm coming already! You don't have to drag me!" He lets go of my wrist but continues at a brisk pace. I follow a few strides behind, he strides straight into the blacksmith and I follow at a trot, his face was a deep shade of red.
"What is the meaning of this?!" He asks, waving the medallion in front of Snowpolish's face.
"Calm yourself Dedicate!" Snowpolish says in a clear, ringing voice. I cower near the door. He takes the medallion and reads the inscription.
"'Audra of Bermington?' You’re the survivor of Bermington?" He asks, looking at me. I nod numbly, not taking my eyes off of Sito. He turns back to Sito.
"I can not remember creating this, you will have to take it to the higher powers. Where did you get this, girl?"
"My names Audra." I say in a clear voice, they just stare at me furiously.
"I-I found it, in my room." I say in a small voice, cowering. Sit turns back to Snowpolish and begins seething under his breath.
"Can I go?" I ask, struggling to make myself heard.
"Yes!"
"No!" They shout at the same time. Taking Snowpolish's advice I leave. Not wanting to go back to the cottage I head over to the garden area, where many people were working in separate patches. I soon spot Viola and start to head over to her. Someone wearing a green robe steps in front of me to stop me.
"You are not permitted to be here." He says in a strong voice.
"I-I just wanted to see Viola."
"It's alright Nike, she's with me." Voila waves me over and I side step the man and rush to her, kneeling down beside the garden.
"What does a gold medallion mean?" I ask quickly. She frowns.
"A gold medallion? There are silver, bronze and gold and they represent how strong your powers are and to show the people wherever you travel that you have trained at a temple. Every temple had their own design. Gold medallions are ever so rare, I don't know anyone alive with one today." I start mumbling angrily to myself.
"Whoa, slow down Audra. Why are you asking all this?" She asks, laying dirt streaked hands on my shoulders. I hesitate.
"I kinda...found a gold medallion in my room with my name on the back." I say in a rush. "But then when I showed Sito to asks what it was he got all angry and dragged me to Snowpolish and they got in an argument. I just left there." Viola sits back, stunned.
"You found a gold medallion? Are you sure it was your name? Not some other Audra?"
"It was me."
"And Sito and Snowpolish are talking about it now?" She asks me. I nod.
"Go back to the cottage, quickly. I'll come with you." She stands up, brushing dirt off her hands and leading me away.

In the cottage she quickly makes me a cup of tea before leading me up to the empty lounge room. Sitting on the arm chair and pulling my legs up to my chest I sip the tea gingerly.
"So you found a gold medallion?" She asks me, pacing. The door was open still.
"Yeah, in my room. On the first day I got here. I got really freaked out about it and put it in my draw...after that I sort of forgot about it until this morning." I frown.
"What symbol did it have on it?" She asks suddenly, stopping.
"It was a pentagon with an element on each point. Fire, earth, wind, water and metal." She continues pacing and says nothing. I take another sip of tea.
"And Sito took you to Snowpolish?" I nod, rubbing my still red wrist.
"He was really upset."
"But what did Snowpolish say?" I frown trying to remember.
"He said...he said that he didn't make it and that Sito should take it to greater powers or something."

Viola was still pacing, and making me nervous. I was halfway through another sip of tea when I saw her in the corner of my eye come to a stand still. I swallow the hot tea and following her line of vision spot Sito and Snowpolish walking in the door. Letting my legs slide down to the floor and crossing my ankles like a lady I smooth out my skirt and cup the tea in both hands, hard, to stop them shaking.
"Audra, would you excuse us please?" Sito says, not meeting my eye. Without a word I leave the room, closing the door behind me.

Down in the kitchen the house was quiet and I realised that Oliver, Leo and Joseph would be at their lessons. I wash out the remaining tea and look out the window with a sigh.
"Hey." I jump.
"Don't do that!" I hiss at Leo, who was grinning wolfishly.
"What's going on?" He asks.
"I have no idea, they won't let me in." I say, nodding upstairs.
"Like that stops us." He turns to the stairs.
"You really want to be caught eavesdropping by Viola, Sito and Snowpolish?" I ask him. His foot hesitates on the first step before he lowers it.
"Good point." I laugh quietly. I take a seat at the dining room table. Leo hesitates before taking a seat next to me.
"Nice dress." I blush at the compliment and mumble a thanks.
"Who are you mourning?" He asks quietly. Everyone, I think to myself.
"My parents." My hands were on the table, folded into one another and slowly, inch my inch, Leo reaches out to lay his hand on top of mine in a comforting way. I cock my head as the warmth spreads through me.
"I'm sorry." He says quietly. My heart bet faster. Just then there were footsteps upstairs and people start to come down, one by one. Leo and I jump and his hand springs off mine, I quickly flatten my skirt nervously. Snowpolish was the first to enter.
"Come, M'boy." Leo follows him noiselessly. Sito follows them and Viola goes to follow him.
"Viola!" She stops and turns. "What’s going on?" I ask.
"There's just been a mistake, the medallion is not yours."
"So I'm not in trouble?" She shakes her head.
"No...are you really the survivor of the Bermington massacre?" She asks in a small voice I nod and she leaves before I could say anything else.

Late that night I awoke with a start, someone was knocking on my door. Clumsily I stumble over to it and open it a crack, still in my night gear.
"What is it?" I say sleepily, it was Sito.
"We are going to the midnight service. Get dressed." He walks off and knocks on the next door. Closing the door with a sigh I pull on a freshly washed tunic and leggings and leave my hair out, only washing my face. I pull on my oiled cloak and open my door again. Still angry at Sito for loosing his temper with me on more than once occasion I follow grumpily. The ceremony was not large, but there were ten or so other students there. As indicated by his handsome looks, Leo had was on the receiving end of many admiring looks from girls. He returned them eagerly. I smile, amused. Joseph was quiet, as per usual and Oliver was loud and annoying, as per usual.

I tried not to fall asleep as I mediated but the voice of the man chanting up front in an unknown language was making me droopy. I did not fall asleep but I sit odd while I meditated just...odd. I shiver when I open my eyes and stand to leave. Four tired students stumbled home with Sito and went to their bedrooms without a word.

The afternoons were slow when everyone were at lessons and I was left by myself in the cottage. I potter around, reading, doing nothing in particular. I started gardening and was still out there when Leo, Joseph and Oliver came home. They lounged around on the step of the house while I got dirt over my black tunic and breeches. Sito came back and started weeding on the other end of the patch. Joseph and Oliver were arguing over something and a boy looking maybe two or three years older than me, came through the small gate with a letter and a package.
"Are you Lady Audra of Bermington?" He asks in a voice that was almost sneering, I stood up straight, brushing my hands off.
"Yes." I say politely.
"These are for you." He holds out a letter sealed with wax and a small packag, the same size as the envelope. Turning it over I stare at the envelop in shock.
"What is it Audra?" Sito's voice sounded far away.
"It's from my uncle." I excuse myself and turn to go inside. Oliver, Leo and Joseph stood at the door, blocking my path. Leo and Oliver were blocking the door, arms crossed. Joseph was off to one side and I saw him mouthing the word 'Bermington' with a frown on his face.
"You didn't tell us you were a noblewoman." Oliver sneers. I go between them sideway, not looking to see their expressions I turn the letter over and open the flap as I climb the stairs to my room. He told me that he was leaving for his travels in another span. He wished me a happy birthday, and admitted he did not know when this letter would reach me. He told me to reply to his house in seaweed square and he would pick up the letter next time he was passing through. I would reply after dinner.

Sitting down at the table Oliver scowled at me and took the seat furthers away from me. Leo was last to reach the table and ended up with the seat next to me. The dishes of food disappear around me and instead there was someone walking along. It was in the temple...out the back of the metal smith, where no one ever went. There were a group of three boys hitting someone...I couldn't see who. After a blow to the head the victim fell until they start kicking him. I couldn't hear what they were shouting above the wind and as I tried harder to focus on the victims face the image slipped away until there was nothing but plates of vegetables and meat in front of me.
"Audra. Audra! Audra?" The voice sounded closer with each word and more concerned. I realise it was Leo, trying to get my attention, he had a hand on my shoulder and was trying to turn me to him so he could see my face. I had to help the young one but instead I focused on Leo's blue eyes as they searched mine.
"Hmm, what?" I ask, confused as I look around the table. Leo could obviously not find anything in my confused eyes for a moment later he goes back to his original question.
"Do you want some peas?" He was offering me a bowl.
"Oh. Yeah, sure." I take the bowl and start spooning them onto my plate. His hand slides off my shoulder. By the time I had finished serving myself I had pushed the image to the back of my mind with a promise to examine it later. Dinner was silent as the boys shovelled food into their mouth and it was until nearly the end when Oliver spoke up.
"So you're a noblewoman?" I look up to see him watching me. I nod. He scowls.
"Why didn't you tell us?"
"You didn't ask." I point out.
"Your from Bermington?" Oliver’s soft voice came from the other side of me where he sat at the end of the table, opposite Sito. I nod seriously, and by the look in his eyes he had heard of the massacre. I look down at my empty plate and the take a sip of juice from my glass.

Since it was my night without chores I retire to the lounge early after baths and pull out a quill and parchment. The other boys had written a couple of letter each in the past span. I bring the letter back into the lounge, finishing the part I could not before dinner (it was a long letter) but it contained nothing important, merely trivial drama compared to mine. I open the box that came with it to find a thing silver chain and diamonds leading down to a diamond tear drop with a blue gem in the middle. I sigh, over expensive fool. Closing the case I lay it aside and start to draft a letter back to him. But what could I write? I couldn't tell him I was seeing things. I couldn't tell him I lived in a house of men, he would definitely disapprove. I tell him of trivial things, of Viola and the clock tower and metal smith, about the view from my bedroom window.

Leo wandered in soon later and came to sit on the arm of my chair.
"What's this?" He asks, taking the case out of my lap and opening it.
"Necklace." I mutter distractedly.
"Very nice. Gold is finely poured and almost pure, engraving is well done, by an expert. Expensive." He let's out a low whistle, settling it back in its case. Oliver walks in during this.
"Did you say gold? Isn't it silver?" I ask, turning back to him. He shakes his head.
"It's gold, I'm sure of it." But he was frowning.
"It's white gold." Announces Sito as he strides in. Leo picks up my uncles letter.
"Boring letter though." He announces reading only a few sentences of my uncles letter before I take it from him with a frown.
"My uncle's a Duke, He wouldn't know interesting if it slapped him in the behind." Leo laughs.
"How come your writing to your uncle and not your parents?" Oliver calls form the other side of the room, he had noticed I hadn't written any letters yet.
"Because my parents are dead." I say distracted, still trying to make my writing neat and elegant.
"Turn around." Leo whispers in my ear, holding up the necklace. I spin the other way and brush my hair off my shoulder. He clasps it around my neck and gets off the chair to sink into a low bow in front of me.
"Me lady." He says. I shoot him a filthy look and go back to my letter, hair still hanging over one shoulder. Oliver laughs.

I have the same nightmare that night, women screaming and people being killed as I cowardly hid in the bushes. I wake with tears streaming down my face and wipe them away furiously. It took me hours to get back to sleep and when I finally do I have another nightmare. I dreamt that the man in the green robe, Nike, needed to be healed so I leant over and patched him up, but it left me weak. When I stood up and turned around my uncle was standing there watching me, horror in his eyes. He wouldn't listen to my plea's and with a few shoves he pushes me through a glass window. That was when I realise we were in the clock tower, and then I was falling. I wake as I hit the ground, literally feeling pain in my muscles. I wouldn't go back to sleep so I hastily make my bed and wait for the sun to rise. When the sky slowly turns grey I pull on my black corset dress with the long, wide sleeves.

At Morning meal I roll my shoulders and neck, they felt sore.
"Sleep well, Audra?" Sito asks. Feeling the colour drain from my face I look at my meal, no longer hungry.
"What about you Leo? Sleep well?" His smirk grew wide and a deep blush stained Leo's cheeks. He threw Sito the dirtiest look I have ever seen and filled his mouth with porridge. I swallow deeply, looking at the food, my stomach felt queasy and when I breathed in through my nose I thought I smelt burning flesh. I cough loudly. The conversation continues and I try to take deep breaths.
"Audra, are you ok? You've barely touched your food."
"I don't feel so good." I say quickly, I shove my chair back and rush upstairs, lying on my bed. 'Get a grip!' I tell myself furiously. There was a knock on the door.
"Go away!" I groan. I sit up on my bed with one knee up and my forehead resting on that knee, my arms were rapped around my shins and my breathing was shallow. Bead's of sweat appear on my forehead. The door open a crack anyway. Joseph steps inside.
"Are you ok, Audra?" He asks softly. I look up him, screw up my face and look down again. He leaves silently. Turning my head sideways so I was facing the wall and leaning my temple on my knee I hear the screams. I remember running, then falling into the bushes. One of those screams could have been my mothers, I shiver.

Breathe in, hold, breathe out. Breathe in, hold, breathe out. I tell myself, picturing the stars above my head. Little by little I begin t relax.
"Audra?" I jump, I hadn't head Sito enter. He comes to sit in front of me.
"I'm sorry, that was thoughtless of me."
"I miss them. I wish...I could have helped...didn't hide." He lays a hand on my knee.
"You did the right thing."
"But what if I was meant to die? What if I wasn't meant to run away that night and I would have been killed with everyone else. What if I'm cursed?" He sighs deeply. I bite my lip after a moment of silence and get up.
"It's my turn to dust." I leave him in my room.

After that my thoughts were preoccupied by the person who was going to be attacked, I had a feeling it was going to be today and I had a plan. If I went and hid somewhere around there I could wait until he was attacked and then stop them or call for help. It was a plan. So after lunch when everyone was at their lessons, Sito was teaching, I head off in the general direction of the metal smith’s. Circling around the back, day dreaming, I search for a good place to watch from. That was when sets of hands grabbed me behind and I realized I had made a huge mistake.

I was the victim.

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You know what I'm gonna say but I'm gonna say it anyway.
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