Chapter 13: A Note of Rowdiness

"Hey," I heard Reya's voice as though it were far away somewhere.

"Huh?" I blinked and looked up at him. I was sitting in the corner of the alley, a little slouched with my legs spread out in front of me.

"You should get some sleep," my brother said. I groaned.

"No, I'm...I'm fine," I muttered, sitting up straight.

"You haven't slept at all, Note," he frowned, "You sleep, I'll keep watch."

"Why would you want to keep watch?" I felt my eyes begin to close, despite the glaring sunlight.

"Sis, it's called the Lands of the Lawless," Reya whispered, "What if someone decides to...take you or something? I mean, you're a woman and stuff."

"I can take care of myself," I felt a bit of anger at what Reya had said, but I just didn't have the energy to act on it.

"Nope," Reya threw what I guessed was my washed shirt over my face, "I'm sitting right here. You need to sleep."

I think he might have gone on for a little while longer than that, but by then, I was no longer a prisoner on Roden. I was back on our farm, in a world that made more sense.

I spent the next few days, the six that I had left before Enzer returned with another name, doing something that I normally wouldn't have done.

"Note, stop it!" Reya yelled from the crowds. That was the first time I had purposely picked a fight with one of the prisoners.

"Shut up!" I almost sounded drunk, and I suppose I was, but drunk on anger and despair rather than alcohol or any other intoxicant. I nearly got my nose broken that day.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Abra had said afterwards as she helped me staunch the bleeding of my nose. I shrugged, not saying anything, partly because I had no words, and partly because a large portion of my face was swollen.

"I'm going to get some water," Reya left me in the alley that night, "Stay out of trouble, okay?"

I nodded. "Sure, sure."

"I mean it."

"Sure, sure!"

Sighing, Reya had left the alley. I staggered to my feet and limped out into the open, where a couple of men set their sights on me.

I nearly lost a few teeth during that scuffle, but the men had lost much, much more. I grinned at Reya when he returned. I was lying outside the alley in a small puddle of blood. Crimson dyed the roots of my hair, and Reya wanted to slap me across the face.

He nearly did, but faltered just a moment before the impact.

"I can't," he said through grit teeth. He ended up carrying me back into the alley.

"You shouldn't have left," he said once we were hidden.

"It was their fault," I spat blood as I spoke.

"No, it's yours," he sighed.

"They wanted to rape me," I scowled, "Should I have let them?"

"Dammit, Note, you're supposed to be the mature one!" He yelled before storming out of the alley.

His words actually hurt me more than nearly getting my nose snapped off or nearly losing a couple of teeth. They were more penetrating than the fear that my insides were drowning in when those men had approached me, and more aggressive than the rage I showed them.

The next day, I woke to find myself tied to a hook that protruded from one of the alley's walls.

"You're not going anywhere today," my brother sounded gruff and unlike himself. I swore under my breath and made him promise me that he wouldn't return with a bloody lip or nose.

"Of course not," his voice was neither playful nor gentle, "I'm not like you."

So I spent the next four to five hours provoking the people that passed by the alley's entrance. My arms were tied to my chest, but I still had my legs, which allowed me to stand up slowly and lean against the wall. I couldn't see much, though. As my bangs were all over my eyes. I had to whip my head occasionally to move them away.

"Hey," I would yell, "Yeah, you. I'm talking to you."

"Hey, shithead," I yelled.

"Get over here, punk," this was another one.

"Hey, lady. Come over here," she was sort of pretty, so I held back my insults.

"Man, you're ugly. Lemme fix up that face of yours, kid," this one actually net me something. I called out to a teenage boy, about my age, with short brown hair. He really wasn't that ugly, but actually rather nice-looking. Not that it mattered, really. I was in the market for something else.

"What was that?" He swaggered into the alley. I stopped leaning and balanced myself on two shaky legs.

"I said your face is ugly," I said, "What the hell was your mom thinking?"

He socked me in the face. I groaned and turned to face the ground, spitting blood from the reopened wounds.

"Sweet," I smirked, looking back at him, "Exactly what I wanted."

"You're a sicko," the boy scowled. I shook my head.

"Nah, I just wanna fight," I said, wiping my face against my shoulder because that was all that I could reach.

"You'll get your fight, crazy chick," he threw another punch in the same direction as the last one. I dodged it that time, ducking down.

"This chick isn't stupid, asshole," I kicked him sideways against one calf, nearly losing my balance but managing to get him down onto the floor.

"You'll get your fight, all right!" I grinned, kicking him in the chest, slamming my foot down hard against his ribs, "Try not to treat me like an idiot next time."

"Note, what the hell are you doing?"

"Shit," I looked up to see Reya. He helped the boy up and pushed him out of the alley.

"Why can't you sit still?" He hesitated, and then pushed me to the ground. I was actually surprised by how easily he had managed to make me fall.

I groaned, my arms feeling tight against my torso, with the thick rope eating into my skin. My legs were splayed put uncomfortably, but I stayed still, watching as Reya sat down beside me.

"I've only got four more days," I huffed under my breath, wiping my face against my shoulder furiously. Reya grabbed my face in his hand and held it tightly. He stared at me for a few seconds, and then put his sleeve against my mouth and wiped my bloody lips.

"We're not going to die, Note," I couldn't believe my ears when he said that.

"What are you saying, Reya?" Our blue eyes crossed paths, and soon we were eyeing each other with a sense of distrust and hate, a feeling that I never thought existed between us.

"Dr. Abra's right," my brother said, "There's so many people. The chances are extremely minimal."

"That's what they want you to think, Reya!" I yelled, flailing my legs at him. He grabbed them and pinned them to the ground. A gentle groan escaped my lips, against my will. It gave him a chance to speak.

"See?" He whispered, "You're only mortal, Note, just like the rest of us. There is nothing that we can do, and really, there is nothing that needs doing."

I bit my words back and stayed silent.

"I spoke to some of the prisoners," Reya continued. I sensed his softer side emerging, a part of the Reya from four days ago, as he stroked my face gently, "Lots of them have been here for over fifteen years. They started families, and now their children are growing up and getting married. It's not as bad as it seems."

"It is," I muttered, still angry with the shit that my brother was spewing. So this is what he had been doing, going around and socializing. Idiot.

Still, I let my head rest on his shoulder. "You're wrong," I whispered, "That asshole Enzer wants you to think that you're all safe. He's got this place looking like a small, secluded village, when we're all just caged chickens for him to play with!"

"Note, stop talking," the Reya that said this was the new one, "Just stop talking."

"I'm not wrong, brother," I scowled. I would've continued if he hadn't pressed his palm against my mouth.

"Stop," he said, "You're straining yourself too much. There's nothing to worry about, sis. We're safe here."

His words didn't stop me. I received the same lecture every day, the harshness of my brother's words increasing every time. He eventually kicked me in the stomach on the fifth day, and then spent the rest of the night apologizing and being morose and extremely moody.

I continued to pick fights every day till the day Enzer returned on his horse, hooves clapping against the earth like castanets carved out of of bloodshed and malice.

I smashed my head against more than a couple of walls as I rewrote this chapter again and again. I just couldn't get the opening right! It turned out mighty fine, though, wouldn't you say? Still a few wrinkles that need to be ironed out, but it's passable.

Vote, comment, share, support. I'm working hard on this story, you know!