Sable

Sable attempted to brush out the massive mane that was her hair. Training had gone well, considering. She smiled and ran her fingers through her hair along with her brush.

She definitely was attracted to Conor, even if he was the brother of the man who was holding her captive. And even if his attitude was similar to hers and hard for her to deal with. She wondered if that was how Lucca felt about her attitude. What did that matter though? She wondered if his absence that day and for the rest of the week was due to the question she had asked.

Either way, it would have to go to the back of her mind for the time being. She sighed and set her brush down. She wore one of the light night gowns she had found in a drawer; she felt that it would be more fitting if she was to meet Inara in her dreams that night.

The exhaustion hit her and overwhelmed her as soon as her head hit the pillow. A slow sigh left her and her eyes fell closed. Sleep came at her like a rocket, knocking her over.

A black abyss surrounded her. Would Inara be there? How would she communicate with her?

"Inara?" Sable called out into the darkness. "Are you there? I really... need your help with this sort of problem that I have."

There was no response. Sable sighed and sat down. Of course Inara wouldn't be there; she had already given her powers to Sable and moved on. Still she wanted to try and reach out to her. Inara was within her, wasn't she? They shared the same soul... or something to that effect.

"Please? I'm lost," Sable begged. "I'm no good by myself if I can't figure this out."

Inara slowly appeared, as if she was walking through fog. Sable's breath caught for a moment. It was still a shock, watching someone who looked exactly like her move before her.

"You're here," Sable whispered.

"I am always here," Inara told her. "I am you now. We share the same soul, but different thoughts."

"Oh," Sable said. "Do you mean the same body?"

"The same soul, the same body, separate minds," Inara explained.

"That's cool- or, well, weird. But-"

"You needed my help," Inara interrupted. "I do not have much time; I am tired, so I would prefer if you utilized the time we have now. I may have the answers to your questions."

"Okay, right. Sorry," Sable said. She stood up and dusted herself off. "I'm having serious trouble with this magic thing being a serious drain on my energy. It appears to be eating away at- at my muscle, and fat... Eating away at my body, pretty much. I have to eat quite a lot.

"You probably know of my want to break free of here and be able to cope on my own," Sable suggested. Inara nodded. "My problem is that I can't bring a whole lot of food with me, out into the forest beyond. Finding my way back home has to be simple. And I know you were an actual goddess and didn't need to eat... How did you replenish your energy?"

"The plants and I had a system," Inara said. "I took care of them, and they gave me energy in return. If you ask, maybe they will let you borrow their energy as well."

"That sounds like a plan," Sable grinned. "So, I have a few more questions-"

There was a loud pop and suddenly an intense pressure on Sable's body. Inara and the abyss disappeared, replaced by a dream.

Sable was in a forest. She looked around, panic rising within her. Why was she frightened? There were footsteps through the grass and leaves behind her. Sable turned to see the dark haired man from before, with his piercing green eyes.

"Who are you?" she whispered as he caught up to her. He looked so familiar.

"Why did you stop?" he asked, breathless. "Keep going; they're still after us."

The man grabbed her arm roughly and dragged her along as they ran. She stared and went along helplessly. The cloth on his shirt sleeve was torn, and blood was seeping through.

"You're hurt," Sable said.

"I've suffered worse for you, Inara," the man replied. "For you to suddenly take an interest is odd. You know I heal quickly and cannot die."

"Oh," she said.

They continued to run through the trees, twisting through them. At one point he turned left and led her along that way. He thought she was Inara...

There was a rocky area, and the man took her behind a boulder. There he sat her down and began patting her and looking her over.

"What are you doing?" Sable asked him.

"I'm making sure you're alright," he replied. "That was quite a fight back there... You appear unscathed. Odd. I remember pulling an arrow out of your arm."

"What's your name?" Sable asked. Their gazes met. The concern in his eyes made her stomach do odd flips.

"Did you hit your head?" he frowned. His brow furrowed, and he felt around her scalp. "You feel fine... Inara, what's wrong with you today? It's almost like you're a completely different person, the way you've been acting."

Sable smiled. She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a loud crash. Before the trees came crashing down, she bolted upright in her bed, gasping and panting.

"Wow," she said. She placed her hand over her pounding heart.

Whether that was a strange, altered memory or just a weird dream, she didn't know. She hoped that, whoever he was, he was a real person. He seemed like a better bodyguard than anyone else, and she felt like she knew him. There was an even greater connection between the two of them compared with what she felt toward Lucca.

Who was he to you, Inara? she wondered. She wished she had had the time to ask Inara about him. Would she be able to the next night?

She got out of bed and pulled out clean clothes to change into. Morning was already there.

Excitement coursed through Sable; a buzzing, anxious feeling. She couldn't wait to try borrowing energy from the life around her. If she could do it, was it possible that she could try to escape again and be successful that time...? But she didn't know if she was quite strong enough to. She wanted to practise for at least one more day.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror. She pursed her lips and fussed with her messy hair. She stopped when the light from the sun hit her at just the right angle. In that moment she didn't hate her hair; it was rather pretty.

She shook her head of the strange thought and got dressed. No time to start feeling narcissistic.

There was a knock at her door. She half hoped that it would be Lucca there when she opened the door, but it was only Conor. He stood with his hands shoved into his pockets, thumbs hanging out over the sides.

"Yeah, just me," Conor said. Sable glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "What? Relax. I didn't read your thoughts; I saw the look on your face is all."

"Okay, good," Sable said. She dropped her arms back to her sides.

"Do you like my brother, then?" Conor half grinned.

"Not at all," Sable frowned. "So, how come you're not dressed like the others?"

"I lived in that time period once," Conor replied. "Once was more than enough. It feels silly now to dress like that. Besides, I don't see you wearing one of those gowns, miss band tee and skinny jeans."

Sable flushed and walked past him. "Let's just get on with the training," she muttered. "You're really starting to bug me."

"Aw, sorry sweetheart," Conor chuckled. "Let's just get on with training then, as you said."

Piano music met with Sable's ears and she stopped walking. It felt so calming, and she ended up following where it was coming from. Conor walked after her.

"Wait, where are you going?" he asked. "The training grounds are the other way."

"Oh," Sable said. She stopped walking and turned back to look at him. "Sorry, I don't know what came over me."

He walked over to her and placed his hand on her arm. "Come one, let's go- in the correct direction this time."

"Right," Sable nodded. He guided her along, and she glanced back once to where the music was coming from. It had to be Lucca.