No One There

Writers: Bree, Jane
Date Posted: 27th November 2006

Characters: Shalai, Delen
Description: Delen continues to try to puzzle out the source of Shalai's outbursts.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 1, day 4 of Turn 4

Having her hair brushed was the only pleasure Shalai had in her day sometimes. The young assistant, Trinalie, had moved a chair over to the window for her, so she could sit in the sun and look outside. Trinalie's hands were gentle as she smoothed the comb carefully through Shalai's hair, working out the inevitable knots that came from leaving it loose.
Shalai loved having her hair brushed. Yanthi had done it in the evenings sometimes, running his fingers through the thick mass of hair and smiling when she sighed in delight.

=93Oh, yes. Your step-son knew just how to touch you to make you sigh.=94 Her eyes half closed, Shalai ignored the voice. Thian wasn't here. He was never here. Just the memory of him, and the terrible things he had done to her.

=93And you deserved every last one of them,=94 Thian purred, his voice suddenly right next to her ear. She jumped in spite of herself, pulling her hair from Trinalie's hands.

=93Shalai? Did I pull your hair?=94 Trinalie asked in a worried voice.

=93No.=94 The words were for Trinalie, but Shalai's eyes had opened and fixed themselves upon Thian.

A smile formed on Thian's grizzled old face. =93No? You don't think you deserved to be punished? You slept with your step-son, you disgusting woman.=94 Shalai bit her lower lip to keep from replying. Not even the soothing stroke of the brush as Trinalie slowly began working her hair back from her face could relax the tight set of her shoulders, though. Not with Thian smirking at her.

Thian laughed. =93Oh, she's braiding your hair. Are you doing that for me, darling wife?=94 His hand reached out as if to touch her, causing her to flinch back. His voice turned low and amused. =93Do you remember how much fun I had wrapping that braid around your throat once I found out you were dallying with my son? It's a pity he didn't let me strangle you with it.=94 Her hands curled into claws and she'd launched herself from the chair before she had time to think. She'd claw his eyes out, strangle the life from _him_...

But of course, he wasn't there. There was no one there, and she fell to the floor roughly, her palms scraping against the cool stone. She heard Trinalie's frantic voice behind her, but she didn't care. Her shaking, bruised hands scrambled for her hair, ripping at the half-finished braid until the strands of her hair hung in her face again, shielding her from the rest of the world.

She couldn't see Trinalie lifting her skirts and running for the room in search of Delen. She couldn't see the other patients staring and whispering. She couldn't see anything through the haze of tears and the tangled mess of her hair.

~*~

Delen was late getting to his room. His shift had run on and then he had had to all but beg at the kitchens for a meal - which annoyed him. Did the staff really think life at the Mindhealer Hall was so easily regulated that people late for meals should be punished? Journeymen healers? It wasn't as if he was a tardy apprentice. He had been late because there was a patient in need. Perhaps if the kitchen staff had a little more empathy things would run a little more smoothly in the Hall.

Frustrated he opened his journal with the intention of entering a litany of complaints about the kitchen staff, and then paused. Was that what he wanted to remember about this day in 10 Turns time? That he'd had to make a fuss to get a late meal?

He took a deep breath and counted as he slowly expelled it. There. He would write about Shalai. It had been an interesting day. Perhaps significant. That was what he wanted to record.

--Month One, Fourth Day--

"Her hair. Is that the trigger to these crises? Long, dark hair with curls most women would envy. She allows people to touch it but seems to hate to have it tied back. Certainly the assistants would prefer it =96 probably the healers too. She would look far less wild with it braided but today it was obvious that braiding or any form of confinement wouldn't be tolerated. Immorality and punishment were again thematic in what she said =96 and poison. Poison? Sometimes I wonder what she's responding to =96 her past or some imagined threat. Does she think we're going to punish or poison her? On the whole I don't think she does. She doesn't even seem to see us most of the time; mostly she seems to be busy with something else."

Last updated on the December 1st 2006

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No One There