Red Gold - 6. Chapter 6 - My Hero; my friend; my love

Gabrielle opened her eyes with a jolt, having not realised that she had fallen asleep. Cai was still watching her, smiling.

“Did you wake me?”

“Yes. It is getting late and Leelany will be home soon.”

“Good, I am looking forward to meeting her.”

He frowned. “Sou Shan, I think…… I think that perhaps I should speak to Leelany before you meet her. There are…. things that she has told me that I don’t understand and I don’t know why she has said them. Before she knows….. knows that we have… become friends, I should speak with her.”

“Friends? Are we friends now then?”

“I think so. I have never had a friend but….” he frowned. “I have known of you for a long time, but never known you. In my heart I have always considered you to be my friend but now, there is something changed, something is different in my heart, in the place where you are. I don’t have the words to explain but….” his eyes were intense. “….before I would have given my life for you because it was my duty and now I would do it because….. because I could not bear to think of a world without you.”

Gabrielle smiled and kissed him gently, with none of the heat they had shared earlier. “I have known you all my life. Dreamed of you, painted you, imagined conversations with you but this….. I have never imagined anything like this. You are……” she laughed. “There really are no words for what you are. But you are so, so…. unique, wonderful, amazing. I wouldn’t want to live in a world without you either.”

“Then it is a good thing that this world has both of us in it. Come on, I will walk with you to your home. Now that I have found this….. this…. Now, I have to take more care than ever that you are safe.”

It was a surprise to find that, outside the sun was still high in the sky and people were still going about their normal business as though nothing had happened. It had seemed to both of them, and to Cai in particular that they had been together in the dimness for hours and that the world had so changed that there must have been some external evidence of it.

They walked in companionable silence, hand in hand in the bright sunshine and everyone who saw them was struck by the aura of lightness that surrounded them, how they kept looking at each other and how their faces lit up when they did.

When they were almost back at Gabrielle’s house something terrible happened. Walking just in front of them was a young mother pushing a baby in a buggy. Running ahead was a toddler of about four or five carrying a ball that was almost as large as he was. Suddenly the ball slipped from his grip and rolled into the road. Without a moment’s pause the child followed it straight into the path of a car which, fortunately had been slowing down to approach a junction.

Whilst everyone else froze in horror at the terrible scream of brakes from the car and of anguish from the mother, Cai was already moving. Anticipating exactly what was about to happen he caught the mother before she reached her child who was lying, still and silent beneath the car. Pinning her arms to her side he whispered briefly into her ear and called out to others who were approaching the child.

“Don’t touch him. You could do harm by moving him.” He handed the woman over to a young man who was standing close by unconnected by anything other than shock. Wrenching open the driver’s door Cai crouched and spoke a few words to the shocked young woman behind the wheel, then he lay full length on the floor next to the child’s head and peered under the car.

“The car isn’t touching him anywhere so move back, very slowly and very straight.”

The driver was too shocked and too scared to move but another passer by kindly helped her out and took her place inching the car backwards until the child was lying in clear road. Very gently and very carefully Cai ran his hands over the child, straightening his twisted limbs. As he did so the little boy opened his eyes and looked up at him beginning a thin wailing cry.

Cai looked up at the boy’s mother whilst at the same time gently reassuring him and restraining him from wriggling. The woman came hesitantly forward and Cai motioned her to kneel. He spoke to her in low tones and she embraced him quickly and took his place, stroking and soothing her child.

Quickly Cai strode to Gabrielle and taking her hand they slipped away as unobtrusively as possible given that every eye in the street was on him in awed admiration.

“That was amazing. How did you know what to do?”

“It is not so different with people than with animals. We have had pets and Leelany has taught me of shock and how to set broken bones.”

“But how did you know to go straight to that woman? Most people would have run first to the child.”

“It is a natural reaction for a mother to protect her young and the natural way to protect is to hold close. Of course her first reaction was going to be to go to him and try to pull him to her. It was obvious what was going to happen and what needed to be done. I am just surprised that I am the only one who did it.”

“I’m not. In this world the natural reaction is not to get involved.”

“But why?”

“It’s a long story, my love and I don’t want to spoil today by having to explain it to you.”

“You said ‘my love’. Do you love me Gabrielle?”

They stopped and she looked up at him. She thought about all the years she had known and thought of him, the feelings of longing and wondering, the glimpses in the wood, the frustration and annoyance. She thought of their lovemaking and the sincerity and innocence with which he had touched her… and not just with his body. She thought of the power he had shown in the fight with the demons in the wood, the beauty of the music he had played, the gentleness with which he had soothed the child and the confidence with which he had taken control of the situation.

“Yes, Cai, I think I love you.”

“Ssh. Don’t speak my name Gabrielle, not here.”

“I have to call you something. You can call me Gabrielle so it is only fair that I have something to call you.”

He laughed. “Then choose something. It doesn’t matter what. What is your favourite name?”

“I don’t know, I have never thought. Um… how about Daniel? That’s a nice name.”

He shrugged. “If you wish.”

“Yes, Daniel, I think that suits you well. I love you Daniel. With all my heart I love you. Do you love me?”

He frowned. “I don’t know. I don’t know what it means, not really. I believe that I love Leelany, and the way I feel about you is not the same, not the same at all. But….. I cannot imagine a world without you and a world where you do not smile at me, do not touch me, do not…. love me, would be so cold I would not want to live in it. So….. I believe that I do. I believe that I love you.”

“Do you always have to be so precise, so controlled, so…. careful? Can’t you be impulsive for once; take a chance in the moment and to hell with what comes after?”

“I’m not sure I know what you mean but if, what you want is for me to do this….” he took her into his arms and kissed her, pulling back at last to look down into her starstruck eyes with such tenderness it made her shiver…”and to say, Gabrielle, I love you with all my heart and soul, with my body, my life…. then I suppose the answer is ‘Yes’”

“Good answer.”

The moment was disturbed by the scream of sirens as an Ambulance tore around the corner, back towards the scene of the accident. Cai tightened his grip on her protectively his eyes glowing with alarm.

“I have heard that before, from far distant. I did not realise it was so loud close by. What is it?”

“It is an ambulance. The siren is so that other cars hear it and get out of the way and it can travel more quickly. It will be going to the accident, to take the little boy to hospital.”

“What is hospital?”

“You don’t know? Really?”

“No, I don’t know.”

“It is where they take people who are hurt or sick. Where they can be taken care of by doctors and nurses who are trained to look after them.”

“Healers?”

“Yes, I suppose. The ambulance takes injured people to the hospital. There are….. I suppose.. um .. partially trained healers inside and some medical equipment that can treat the injured person at the scene of the accident and then they take them to the hospital where they can be treated properly.”

Cai shuddered. “I cannot imagine anything worse. To be taken away in a box on wheels to a building full of strangers, away from your family and those who love and care for you.”

“That’s what nurses are for…. to care for the sick.”

“Still, it is a prison, a prison of glass and metal, it sounds cold and hard. I would hate it. I would die there.”

“Anywhere is cold and hard in a city when you are used to the freedom and freshness of the deep woods.”

“It is true. I….. I have been….. struggling. Until now I have felt that I would never belong here, that I would shrivel up and die in this place of stone and iron. I miss my home.”

“Which one?”

He looked at her with a strange look on his face and then he smiled. “From now on the only home I have is wherever you are.”

Gabrielle shivered at the sincerity and intensity of his words and his look and she melted into his arms as they kissed again, reluctant to part, even only for one night.

“I will come to you in the morning and, if I can I will bring Leelany. We can talk together. I want her to come to know you as I have.”

“Not exactly as you have.”

He smiled coyly and kissed her again, one final time before turning and disappearing almost in an instant into the gathering shadows.

That evening Gabrielle was coerced into going out with her house mates. The student union was buzzing with news of the accident and of Cai’s part in it. The rumours had spread like wildfire and he had been elevated to godlike proportions. Fortunately no one who had witnessed the accident had recognised Gabrielle and she was able to sit back and listening to the story becoming more and more embellished and more and more wild as the night progressed and the drink flowed.

Smiling to herself she simply nodded and shook her head as the stories demanded it, sipping her drink with a smug look on her face. She was wise enough to realise the value in keeping her part in the story very quiet indeed.

Late in the evening Gabrielle was sitting on the ground opposite the student union with her best friend, Sadie and others who were wishing to take advantage of the pleasantly warm weather or to smoke. Gabrielle was lying back in the grass feeling slightly drunk and very mellow when a shadow fell across her. It was a girl that she knew slightly from some of the classes she took. Gabrielle’s mood immediately soured as she did not like this girl who was sly and a gossip.

“Who was that incredibly sexy boy I saw you with this morning?”

“What boy?”

“The one you were drinking with in the union bar. I would have come over but you seemed to be busy.”

“Just a friend.”

“Really, you looked like more than friends when you kissed him.”

Sadie, her friend sat up at this and stared at her accusingly as though to say…. ‘You… kissing an extremely sexy boy and I have to find out from HER?’

“Besides, he isn’t that sexy.”

“Oh no? So why have you been keeping him all to yourself then? He doesn’t go here does he? I am sure that I would have noticed him before now if he did. That amazing hair…..”

Gabrielle muttered something but now it was Sadie who pressed. “So who is he? Where did you meet him? When? Come on Gabrielle, tell all.”

“He’s someone I knew from home, someone I have always known. I didn’t realise he was living around here until we bumped into each other today.”

“Ah…. an old flame.”

“Not exactly.”

“Well you certainly looked like VERY good friends to me.”

“We were…. we are.”

“And where were you this afternoon, because you didn’t come to class?”

Again Sadie threw her a look which said….. ‘And why am I hearing this first from her?’ Gabrielle shrugged.

“Were you with Him?”

“Yes, actually I was.”

“All afternoon?”

“All day.”

“And what were you doing?”

“None of your business.” She coloured and turned away.

“Ooh Gabrielle, you dark horse. So tell me. Who is he? What does he look like? Is he a good lover?”

“Sadie!”

“Dark horse, indeed. You should have seen him Sadie, he caused quite a stir I can tell you. He’s gorgeous. Tall and mysterious with the most glorious long red hair. You will have to introduce us.”

“Yeah right.”

Finishing her cigarette the girl got to her feet, laughing and swanned off to her next victim.

“So…. tall dark handsome strangers turning up out of your dim and distant past and you don’t bring him home to meet me. I am mortified.”

“Sorry Sadie. It’s just…. well, I don’t know. It has all happened so fast. He is the last person I expected to meet here and then….. well he kind of swept me off my feet and I…. I suppose I wanted to keep him all to myself for a while.”

“Hmmmm.” Sadie narrowed her eyes suddenly. “Hang on a minute. Tall and mysterious with long red hair….. doesn’t that sound rather like that guy who saved the little boy today….and wasn’t that just around the corner from our house…. actually just before you got in this afternoon?”

“He didn’t exactly save the little boy. He just kind of….. took charge and calmed everyone down.”

“Gabrielle! You bitch! You have sat there all night listening to what everyone has been saying about it and you never said you were there, let alone that you were involved.”

“Well I wasn’t exactly involved. I just watched. It was all Cai.”

“What’s his name?”

“Cai.” At that moment a group of rowdy students had tumbled out of the union making a lot of noise and drowning out her response

“What?”

“Cai.”

“I can’t hear you.”

“Cai… Ca’el” With unfortunate caprice the rowdy crowd fell silent in the instant she spoke with the result that she shouted the name into dead silence. Shivering with a sudden chill Gabrielle, catching a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye spun her head in time to see a shadow disappear and something fall to the ground, and she thought she heard laughter echo from the direction of the wood.

“Did you hear that?”

“Hear what.”

“Laughter, from up there.”

“I didn’t hear anything, now come on, tell me all about this boy, what was his name did you say?”

Suddenly gripped with something close to panic she realised what she had done. But no one had heard, no one except Sadie and she hadn’t caught the name properly. No one else was listening, paying attention to her.

“Daniel. His name’s Daniel.”

“Didn’t sound like that the first time.”

“You must be going deaf. His name’s Daniel.”

“Nice name. Are you coming back inside?”

“No. I am going to go home. I’m tired. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Alright. You can tell me all then.”

“He’s coming round for me so you can meet him.”

“Cool.”

“Sadie, don’t say anything. Not tonight at least. About the accident and Daniel.”

“Alright, my lips are sealed but it’s only a matter of time… you know that.”

Gabrielle sighed. “Yes, I know.”

She watched Sadie move slightly unsteadily back to the union building and disappear inside. When she was gone, instead of heading for home Gabrielle climbed the slope towards the road, her eyes searching the grass for some sign of what it was that had caught her eye. The road above was lit as was the university square below leaving only a narrow band of darkness between the two. She was nearing the edge of this band when her foot kicked against something lying in the grass. Bending down to pick it up her fingers touched feathers and she recoiled. Kicking the object into the light her heart gave a sickening lurch within her to see that it was very large and very headless crow.

Panic gripped her and suddenly she was running. Not even entirely sure where he lived all she could think of was what she had done and that she had to tell Cai as soon as possible. As she ran she repeated over and over “What have I done, what have I done, what have I done?”