Nadine

40. The Doctor

2 hours later.

"THIS'S IS SO DUMB. I CAN NEVER GET ONE FISH." I hit the water with the pole and start jumping up and down. "DUMB DUMB DUMB."

He is sitting in the grass watching me. He has a smirk on his face and I can tell he's trying not to laugh.

"WHY DO FISH HATE ME?"

He gets up. "Just stop. Everything you are doing is not fishing. But I have to say that I actually liked watching this entire disaster. And I think your way of fishing helps you release stress. So, I will not be teaching you how to fish."

"WHAT?"

He laughs and sits back down. "Continue on with your temper tantrum."

"I WILL STAB YOU!"

"With what a fishing pole?"

"AAAAAAHHHHH! I WILL GO GET DIPAK'S SWORD AND COME BACK AND STAB YOU WITH IT."

"Finally going to get somewhere. Who is Dipak? He your husband?" He lays back in the grass and starts eating some berries.

"No."

"Put the line back in the water. Fish don't fly."

I set the line again. "Dipak is the one who always protects me."

"I bet if he woke up without his sword he would be mad."

I start to laugh. "He would wake up if I tried to steal it and then I'm positive he would never let me leave the house again."

"Does he love you too?"

"No, he hates me."

"Why is that?"

"Why are you talking about him? It doesn't matter now."

"Men don't usually protect someone they hate and you brought him up."

"They do when it's their job."

I turn my back to him and sit down. I see the pole bobbing up and down. I grab it and yank. "I GOT A FISH."

"Well pull in the line. You want me to clean it?"

"I can do it."

"I'm not giving you the knife until you promise not to stab me with it."

I start laughing. "I promise."

"NO. Go the other way. If you don't you will splatter blood all over yourself."

"Oh." I move the knife the other direction.

"Yes that's good now." He stands there watching me. "Good. You did good with it. Whoever taught you must know what they're doing."

"Tre."

"Ah. Is that the husband? Go put the line in the water. I'll cook this one."

"No. I'm not married at all." I put the line into the water. "But he was supposed to be. My daddy signed a contract that he would marry me. Tre only made it 2 weeks before he wanted out."

"But he taught you how to clean fish?"

"I grew up with him. He taught me a lot about the outside. Fishing and fires. Cooking, shooting a bow. I learned a lot about horses with him. He tried hunting but that's worse than fishing. He said he will never do that again."

The man busts out laughing. "I can only imagine..." He shakes his head. "To be the teacher requires a lot of patience. What happened that made him want to break the contract? I mean, I've seen you fish. That man has to be the most patient person in the world."

"He heard a rumor about me and Dipak."

He smiles. "Was it true?"

"I don't even know what it was. Well my mom said she heard that Dipak was trying to steal me." I shake my head. "That's not true at all. I mean where would he take me?"

"Yea probably more to the rumors but no one told you. I will."

"How do you know what they were?"

"They're always the same thing. Basically it would be something like you are having s*x with Dipak behind Tre's back. Sometimes there's even talk of trying to kill the fiancé. So, tell me, are you sleeping with Dipak and plotting the death of Tre?"

I start laughing. "No." It takes me a minute to stop laughing. "We went on a horse ride. Then camped a bit. It was nice but nothing like that happened. I got to feel his warm arms around me, I liked that, I miss it. But then we found a cave and I didn't like it so much. I ran away. My mind messed everything up. I thought Dipak was there to hurt me in the cave. I ran from him."

"Your mind messed it up?"

"Yes, there were chains and shackles. I saw myself in them. Then Dipak was pushing me."

"Why was he pushing you?"

"Trying to get me out of the cave. I figured that out later, but at the time it didn't seem like it."

"Yea, that must have been scary. Have you been hurt by something like that before?"

I watch the water for a long time. "My brother."

"Let's go back before it gets dark."

I go back silently.

"Go in and go to sleep. I have a few things to do first."

I fall asleep the second my head hits the pillow.

My eyes open and they are red.

I go outside. "Advisors, show yourselves."

The 3 men are standing beside me immediately.

Omar walks around the corner and see's us all standing there. Dipak pulls his sword. I put my hand up.

"Took you long enough to show yourselves. This woman is a mess."

Dipak looks at Tre and Gunner. "What is this?"

I look at Dipak. "Advisor Dipak. You are all equally confused. Advisors Tre and Gunner know nothing about this either. It was my decision to bring her here. Also, we know that Omar."

Omar looks at the 3 advisors. "I assume the teacher, the protector, and the... I don't know we haven't got to you yet." He shakes their hands. "I'm Omar. The healer."

I motion for Gunner. "Advisor Gunner. Return to the castle. Tell the Vampire King that his daughter has arrived at the healer. You may then return. I do believe we're going to be here awhile."

Omar makes a weird noise. "Yea you boys might want to get comfortable. Tell Advisor Gunner what you will need for a couple weeks anyway. You can have the top floor of the barn. I'll put some beds up there. You don't all have to be on her all the time. You can take shifts or leave her with me."

"Yea, I don't think so."

"Protectors." Omar rolls his eyes. "She can not know you are here. Ever. It would break her."

"Goodnight gentlemen." I go back to bed.