Kendall's Story IV- Short Story

Kendall's Story IV

10- October 2004

Based on the writing challenge:
Write 400 words inspired by a W.B. Yeats poem
Poem selected: To a Child Dancing in the Wind

Kendall barely had time to take a bite of the porridge when the sound of a bird carried in on the wind. All movement in the room suddenly stopped, everyone silent. Waiting. The call was repeated followed closely by a different call from the same direction, but further distance. Everyone in the room stood, some reaching for weapons, other grabbing the map and other papers.

Trenton made his way across the room, carefully avoiding those who had started scattering the straw pallets to cover the floor of the storeroom. He knelt down before Kendall who had to lower her head to keep her face in shadow.

"We have to go. Our hideout has been discovered. We have about fifteen minutes to make it look like we were never here."

Kendall set down her bowl. No sooner had she stood up than one of the other men had gathered it up and began kicking her pallet apart. She followed as Trenton headed to the door. He stopped briefly to tell Shaun that he was taking the refugee to safety, and that it was now Shaun's responsibility that everyone got out.

"They say fifteen minutes, but don't count on ten."

Shaun nodded, and turned to some of the group to get them to break down the tables. Trenton gave a grim smile, and proceeded to the door. Richelle still stood watch, listening intently over the sounds of the clean up. She signaled the go ahead, and Trenton headed up the small stair case that let to the alley behind the Eian's shop.

Kendall hesitated. If someone was coming that this group was afraid of, it was probably someone who would not approve of kidnapping a young girl from her rightful place in the temple. Whomever was coming might be able to help her get back to the temple. Trenton was now at the top of the stair, and was waving for her to follow him. Kendall looked up at him.

"Hurry," he said, turning his head as if he had caught a sound. Kendall took a tentative step forward. If she tried to stay, there were about forty people who would remove her from the room by force, shuffling her off to whatever destination they had in mind. If she went with him, it would be easier to break free, and return to the temple.

She took another step forward. Her head cleared the ground level, and she could smell bacon cooking. Kendall faltered and almost fell down the steep steps. Trenton grabbed her arm, and waited until she had regained her balance. "We can still make it," he said in a reassuring whisper. "You don't have to go back, I promise."

She had eaten meat. She had left the temple. They wouldn't take her back. She'd just have to trust Darou had a plan for her. Kendall climbed the rest of the steps and followed Trenton in a winding path through the city streets.

~~~

Kendall blinked down at the bright blue fabric of the dress. It was a twilight blue of a summer's eve.

"Common, it's not that bad." Trenton sat on a barrel on the other side of the barn they had taken refuge in. "It was all I could find."

Kendall shook her head. It wasn't that she didn't like the color; it was beautiful. It wasn't even that servants of the church were only allowed to wear white or gray. She had pretty much determined that she wouldn't be back allowed into a temple of Darou until her god had deemed her ready.

"It's not like it's even that low cut. Even compared to what you are wearing." His tactics to get her to change had fallen into a pattern as she continued to refuse his pleas. It was clear, however, that no matter how tired he was of trying to convince her to change that they weren't leaving the barn until she did so. She held her breath for his next statement.

"You're just too damn easy to recognize as a servant of the temple with that hooded cloak you wear."

That was it, really. Kendall had lived most of her life under a hood. Only the high priestess had seen her without it in the past twelve years. It was the word of Darou, and one she had followed faithfully. She had even been careful to not look too hard when she fetched water, as she knew some of the other servants had done. No one but the priestess even knew what she looked like, not even herself.

"Look, please. We can't stay here too much longer. I don't know what your problem is; it'll look great on you. I promise. Even with your light skin it won't be a problem. Your dark hair will balance it out."

Kendall's heart nearly stopped. How did he know her hair was dark? Yesterday, in the alley. She had forgotten he had pulled her hood down. She had quickly restored it, but apparently not quickly enough. What does it matter now? He's already seen me. Only my god and my god's speakers are supposed to see me.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she took the dress from him, and went into one of the empty stalls to change. The wind moaned as it wrapped around the building, looking for loose boards. It echoed the sound of Kendall's grief.