Sang's Freedom (Original And Rewritten)

Chapter 14: Scraggle Beard

-Chapter 14-

The September air was cool against my cheeks as I marched through the grass towards Scraggle Beard. He had the kitten and was mock dropping it.

The kitten was smaller than a saucer, with orange striped fur. A tabby, I presumed.

Scraggle Beard's friends laughed as the kitten cried, and my face darkened. People who hurt animals were truly evil.

"Hey! Stop that!"

The sound of my voice shocked even me. The boys spun. Scraggle Beard grinned, mock dropping the kitten again, laughing when he cried.

"You mother fuckers!"

Was that me again?

Oh dear god, I was charging forward. No, Sang. No!

I slammed into Scraggle Beard, and the cat flew from his hands as we came crashing down. Thwhap! Smack!

I punched him square in the jaw before he grabbed my wrist. My hand opened up and struck him across the cheek before we rolled.

Scraggle Beard roared, pinning me to the ground. Both his hands were on my throat as I snarled for blood. He grabbed a handful of my hair, bashing my head into the ground once, twice.

"You little bitch!" he hissed, closing his fingers tightly around my throat.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Whose voice was that?

I glared as I choked, and suddenly Scraggle Beard backed off. I coughed and sputtered, trying to catch my breath, trying to figure out my surroundings.

What had made him let go?

I looked up to see Ser Silas. Well, that was enough to make anyone stop.

Where had the kitten gone?

I rubbed at my neck, as I hunkered down to peer under the trees. Scraggle Beard could have really hurt that kitty...

"Princess, is this what you're looking for?"

I turned around to see Victor with an orange little cat snuggled in his arms. He smiled softly at me when I nodded, and it was like my heart had been struck with an arrow.

Victor was so sweet.

I ran up to him to pet the kitty, but stopped an arms length away. Victor was tracing me over with those warm brown eyes. If there was ever a man who could "release the smolder," it was Victor.

I tried to focus back on the kitten purring for its life in Victor's arms. The orange ball of fur rubbed it's tiny face against my fingers as I reached out for it.

"He likes you, Princess. Maybe you should take him home?"

"Mother would never let me," I whispered, rubbing at a kitten ear. "What should we do with him?"

"I'll take care of him," came a confident, reassuring voice. I looked up to see Kota fixing his glasses. "Victor, you and Sang should head to class. You don't want to be late."

Kota tucked the kitten into his jacket before heading back into the school, followed by a wide-eyed Luke. Gabriel flashed me a thumbs up. North, on the other hand, was practically scowling at me, and it took all of Nathan's strength to keep North from charging after me.

And then there was Silas, who had watched Scraggle Beard run off before turning his dark eyes back on me.

I thought he would be angry. Yell at me maybe. Instead he smiled. "I cannot believe you tackled that boy, Aggele Mou."

"He was hurting that kitten," I managed as he took my hand a pressed a kiss to my knuckles.

"You worried me."

"Me, too, Princess. We would have backed you up. Trust us next time?" His voice rose with hope.

For once in my life, the anxiety and fear in my chest dissipated as I threw my arms around my kitten's savior. "I will...and thank you, Victor."

***

We walked in late to Dr. Green's class, and he gave us a disapproving finger wag as we took our seats.

"Καλημέρα!" said the doctor with a broad grin. "That means good morning! Now say it with me: Καλημέρα!"

The class poorly imitated the word.

"Very good! Fantastic, everyone! Now, we are here to learn Greek. We will begin with basic vocabulary and by the end of the year, I intend for our class to be speaking this beautiful language as fluently as our Mr. Korba over there." Dr. Green motioned proudly to Silas. "Mr. Korba was born in Greece and has offered to lend his keen insight and assistance to our class. This is going to be an exciting year everyone."

Dr. Green was right. This was going to be an exciting year. He managed to get everyone excited with promises of Greek food and movies.

And there was also the excitement of how Silas would lean forward in his desk every so often and whisper husky Greek words in my ear.

I bit my lip as he did it again. The feel of Ser Silas so close made my stomach tighten in a way that was surprisingly, not unwanted. "Προφέρω, Aggle. Ή, θα σας διδάξει πώς να κινηθούν τα χείλη σας?"

Victor turned in his seat. "I understood that Silas. If Sang needs to practice, it should be with me. We're both beginners, I'm sure. Isn't that right, Princess?"

It was true, I had not known a single Greek work until today, so I nodded.

"I think Aggele Mou should learn from an expert," Ser Silas rumbled as the bell rang.

As I gathered my things, Dr. Green rested his hands on my desk. "What did you think, Sang? I'm not a bad teacher for a doctor, wouldn't you say?"

I couldn't fight back the giggle, and he smiled, green eyes teasing.

"Anyhow, you should get going, sweetheart. You wouldn't want to keep Mr. Blackbourne waiting."

As if on cue, Ser Silas swiped my notebooks and placed a gentle hand on my back. "I'll walk you to class, Aggle. It's on my way."

I waved to Dr. Green as we disappeared into the hall.

"Your next class is with Mr. Blackbourne, isn't it?" Silas asked, working us through the labyrinth.

I nodded as we reached a closed door at the far end of the school.

"Well, here we are, Aggele Mou." For a long moment, Silas just held me there at arms length before tracing his fingers across my neck. I flinched. I couldn't help it. I thought to look away, but Silas gently put a hand on my cheek, tilting my face to his. "You were brave today, Aggele, but leave the fighting to us next time, won't you?"

His thumb rubbed a circle on the tender bruising flesh beneath my ear as he awaited my quiet yes. When he recieved the answer he was looking for, Silas pulled back and opened the classroom door to reveal--

I smacked a hand over my mouth.