Free Arranged by Jessica Spears Page A

his spine snapping upon impact. His eyelids fluttered closed as his life left him.
    Morinell's lips tugged down in a frown. The girl pulled herself out of the ravine, her ankle dragging limply. She skipped forward slightly. The other warriors found the body and howled with grief. She stumbled through the trees, grabbing a branch. The warrior found her easily and spit plahass on her face. The girl passed out.
    Morinell took a deep breath before pulling her mind out of the girls. Alison sucked in a shuddering breath as her eyes came back into focus. She couldn't explain what had just happened to her, it was as if she had watched someone intrude on her mind and was powerless to stop it. She found the old woman staring at her in pity before she lightly brushing Alison's brow.
    A comforting feeling swept through Alison from the woman's hand. Before she knew what was happening, her eyes closed and she slumped slightly against the wall. Morinell gently guided the girl to lie on her side, covering her with the blanket.
    The seer braced herself as she stood shakily, Qwinn hurried forward to help steady her. He didn't want to rush her, but the need to hear Alison's sentence was almost unbearable. Mar stepped forward; it was obvious that he too was curious.
    Morinell straightened her many flowing layers that hung almost as netting around her. She turned her yellow eyes to the men. "An accident. Nothing more," she spoke softly.
    Relief flooded Qwinn so quickly that his knees nearly buckled. Bartus nodded solemnly. Mar, however, frowned. "How can that be?" he demanded.
    The old woman turned her knowing eyes on him. "The warriors were teasing her; scaring her instead of capturing her. Lavtis chased her, then slipped, falling into the ravine."
    Mar growled. "Are you sure she did not push him in?"
    Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "It was an accident."
    Qwinn barely heard the next few comments. Anger seethed in him so violently that he curled his hands into fists. He could not believe his men would play with Alison in such a way when they had direct orders from him to capture her and return to the castle. He had half a mind to charge to the barracks and have them all beaten.
    Suddenly the other elders began to file out of the cell, Morinell leading the way. Qwinn touched Bartus' arm. "What will happen to her now?" he asked. He despised the way he sounded so vulnerable, he wasn't a child anymore.
    In a way, it scared him that he already felt so deeply for Alison when he hardly knew her. Also, the fact that she was human was distressing. Humans were so fragile and prone to sickness. He could easily lose her.
    However, no matter how hard he tried to distance himself from her, he was failing. He hadn't realized the extent of his feelings for her until the possibility that she could be executed arose. His father had told Qwinn that he would know when he found the right one to become queen and sit side by side with him to help rule his people. If she would have been executed, he wouldn't have known what to do.
    Bartus' yellow eyes scanned the girl's cell. "I will announce her innocence to the council at midnight. You cannot move her to a more suitable room until then. However, you may make her more comfortable."
    Qwinn nodded. Midnight was still hours off. Bartus followed the others. Mar was still trying to convince Morinell that she had seen wrong. The woman didn't even look his way.
    Qwinn hurried down the hall, gathering things as he went. He ordered food to be brought to her cell. He finally returned with a pillow and a new tunic for her. He set the items beside her, tucking the pillow under her head. The food came and he had it placed within reach also.
    Alone again with Alison, he watched her curiously as she curled on her side. Her face scrunched into a grimace of pain. Carefully, so as not to wake her, he lifted the blanket over her calf to expose her foot. He had noticed how she moved carefully. His eyes roamed over her swollen shackled