Back to Rachel. She just watched Magnus fall to the ground...

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Rachel

"Magnus!" The cry wretched from Alice's lips was one of heartbreaking terror and disbelief as their Master made contact with the earth. The sibla man did not move. Rachel watched as Alice ran to him, falling to the ground on her knees beside his body.

"Magnus wake up. Please, please wake up!" Alice's cries were desperate. Rachel watched as the woman ran her hands along his body checking him for injury. But did it matter? Rachel wondered as she started in shock. His eyes were decidedly closed and seemed they would not open to her pleas.

"Is he...dead?" Rachel asked coming up behind her.

"Of course not!" Alice snapped. "But he needs help." Rising from the ground she scanned the fields. Magnus's farm hands had all stopped their work at the sound of her scream and were now coming to stand around their unconscious employer looking on uncertainly.

"You," Alice said addressing one of them directly. "Help me find a plank. We have to get him inside but I fear he may have injured his neck in the fall so we must be careful moving him."

The sibla man stared back at her blankly.

"And you," she said to another, ignoring the man's inaction, "find at least four strong workers to help carry him."

Not a one of the sibla moved. Would they listen to her at all? Rachel wondered. What might they do to a human woman who spoke to them so. Without Magnus's protection, she and Alice had no rights. How many times had Alice made that abundantly clear? Her heart beat unevenly in her chest as she watched the eyes of the sibla men staring at her. But Alice seemed entirely unfazed, meeting each of the men's gaze without fear. Rachel could practically feel the power she radiated tangibly bearing down them.

"Magnus Kendrick has been your employer for years," she said evenly. "Now he needs your help. If you have even a modicum of gratitude for the kindness I know he has shown each and every one of you, you will listen to my command and do as I say."

Rachel was in awe of Alice's strength. She didn't care that they were sibla and was she a mere human. She didn't care that she had no right to speak to them with anything less than absolute submission. Her determination to help Magnus was all that mattered. Even more amazing was the fact that now each of the men looked decidedly uncomfortable. They finally began to move their feet, her rebuke motivating them to obey her command.

"Go back to the house," Alice ordered turning her attention back to Rachel once again. "Tell everyone to head back to our quarters. Kathryn will be able to take command until I return and make it clear that she has my authorization to do so."

Rachel nodded, though she knew none would question Kathryn's authority. She was one of the youngest among them, but everyone knew that Kathryn was Alice's favorite and had her trust. Moreover, Kathryn was a born leader. Rachel was grateful she would take over the situation and eager to report the news so she did not have to carry the burden of it.

"But, Rachel," Alice continued. "Tell none of what has happened do you understand. You may tell Kathryn and Kathryn alone. I don't want to incite panic and think the news is best broken from my own lips."

"Yes, Ma'am," Rachel answered, wondering how she could possibly keep such horrible information to herself.

The old woman eyed her carefully. "It is very important that you do not speak of what you do not fully understand," she said, no doubt questioning Rachel's ability to hold her tongue. "When I return I will be ale to give a true report. Keep even the details you tell Kathryn to a minimum. Your Master is ill, he has had a fall and I have had to attend to him and will need to summon a doctor. Tell her no more than that. Will you promise, Rachel?"

Rachel nodded. "I promise," she managed to squeak out, hoping she could follow through.

Alice gave her a skeptical nod.

By now the men had returned with a long plank and were attempting to slide the body of their unmoving employer upon it.

"Stop that at once!" Alice commanded, turning her attention again to the men. "I will instruct you. Any sudden movements to his neck or spine might paralyze him."

Rachel felt a shiver travel through her at Alice's words. Magnus was the man who had bought her freedom. He was the monster who might one day murder her in cold blood. But he had been kind to her as well. Moreover, she wondered what would happen to them if Magus could no longer run his estate. She thought of Alice's stories of her previous owner, of Kathryn's descriptions of the large slave markets and auctions, of her own time spent stuffed in a small cage waiting for someone to come and buy her flesh.

"Stop day dreaming and get going," Alice shouted angrily as she looked up from where she had bent to hep the sibla men and saw Rachel standing there still.

"I want all of the girls back in the slave quarters as soon as possible. I don't care what they are doing, they can not remain in the main house. I will come to all of you when I can."

Rachel nodded and set off at a run. She had no desire to be with Magnus's unmoving body any longer. She wanted Kathryn, she wanted someone to tell her that everything would be all right. But deep inside she knew it was not so. Magnus was hurt badly. There was no denying it. And if he were to die, all of their lives might soon end.

——

Kathryn was sitting at the table with a cup of tea when Rachel arrived out of breath, having taken three steps at a time on her descent to the kitchen. The older girl immediately set a look of confusion and concern on her face seeing Rachel's clear exhaustion.

"What's wrong Rachel?" she asked, rising from her seat and coming to meet her. "Where's Alice?"

"An accident," Rachel managed to pant. "There's been an accident."

Kathryn paled. "Alice," she said, her voice heavy with fear. "Is she alright? What happened?"

Rachel shook her head, still trying to catch her breath "Not Alice," she said. "Magnus."

Kathryn's eyes opened wide as did her mouth as she released a small gasp of shock which she quickly covered with her hand.

"How bad is it?" she asked.

Rachel thought of Alice's warning. She wasn't meant to exaggerate or cause concern. But she wanted to tell Kathryn what had happened so badly.

"I don't now," she finally answered. It was the truth after all. "But it seemed pretty bad," she added. "Magnus fell. He wasn't moving and..." she stopped realizing she was definitely revealing more information than Alice might have wanted.

"Alice told me not to exaggerate," she admitted. "She was helping the other men bring Magnus back to the main house. She said to tell you to get all of the others back to the slave quarters as quickly as possible and that you are in charge until she returns and she will tell us more when she is able."

Rachel noticed Kathryn seem to become even paler at the later half of her statement.

"Me?" she asked. Rachel was surprised to see that Kathryn appeared caught off guard by the news. Didn't she realize that she was only second to Alice among the others?

"Well, if that is what Alice said then we must get going mustn't we, Rachel," Kathryn said after a moment as she acquired her resolve. Her voice was sure and authoritative and Rachel was grateful for it. She needed Kathryn to be strong when she was so scared. But she could tell Kathryn was frightened too underneath the strength she had managed to muster. Nonetheless, Rachel nodded just as resolutely.

"Come," Kathryn commanded. We must find Olivia and Jenna. They were both dusting in our Master's quarters I believe, but we must get them away before Alice returns with Magnus."

"But why?" Rachel asked. She hadn't quite understood why Alice would want all of them away from the main house in the first place.

"Alice will have to call for help," Kathryn answered. Rachel could hear the slight discomfort in her tone. "A sibla doctor and, most likely, Magnus's brother. He is our Master's only family after all and if it is as bad as you said..." she trailed off. "The others should not be in the house with sibla men we do not know well," she said. "Without Magnus's protection there is no telling what might happen, and Torvald Kendrick is very different that his brother from what I have heard of him."

Rachel nodded. She thought back to Alice's comments the very first day she'd spent on Magnus's estate. How the old woman had told her that Torvald was more "traditional" in his treatment of slaves. She felt a cold sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

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So again, none of this seems good. One more trip back into the past on Firday. It's relevant to what is happening now. Alice wasn't in great shape when Magnus brought her back to the estate. Wonder what happened next... Hope you enjoyed your bonus chapter for the week. You will get three chapters next week as well! Woohoo!!!! :-)