It was on a dry, sunny, humid day that it finally happened. A thing that would haunt Kathryn phsically and emotionally, never mind mentally for a long time afterwards. It was after that, that the idea she might be mad and wasn't worth saving occured to her. It was after that, her life began to go downhill.
She had been out riding with Portia, who most likely, had been threatened or bribed, or possibly both, to go out with. Ever since the first time, when they had been twelve, Portia had been wary of her, and had constantly believed there had been something wrong with her cousin. Kathryn meanwhile, had never forgotten what Stepahn had told Emily about her having magic.
It was simply ridiculous, the very idea that she had magic! Why should she, of all people possess magic? It was actually quite funny. Magic only came to really important people like Lady Sandrilene or people like that. Not to an orphan girl with no friends.
Portia had done the right thing, and had ignored her for most of the ride, trotting ahead of Kathryn, keeping her head up, and avoiding looking at her cousin, or doing anything that would draw Kathryn's attention to her. Indeed, she had acted like Kathryn didn't exist. Kathryn, on the other hand, didn't mind that she was being treated like she was invisible, and quite preferred it, rather than actually talking to Portia.
She was concentrating on her seat, and didn't notice that suddenly Portia was looking at her. She didn't know anything until Portia actually spoke. "I don't like you."
Kathryn glanced at her sharply. "Well I don't like you either," she replied pleasently. "So now that we're even on that subject, can we stop talking now?"
Portia glared at her. "You were a fool to refuse Garek's marraige proposal. You might have been something, everyone might have forgotten about your ... strangeness if you had been his wife. I might have actually been a proper cousin to you if you had married him!"
Kathryn smiled. Actually smirked and laughed. "Portia, I don't think you're getting it. I've survived nearly four years with you hating me. You being nice to me would have actually been frightening. And I am who I am, being a wife wouldn't have changed it. Those occurances would have probably still happened, even if I was married."
Portia made a sound that could have been frustration. "No, *you're* not getting it. You could have been someone. But I guess not. You'll always be that strange girl, that nobody likes, orphaned and haunted. Who had a mother who was insane and a father no one liked either. Do you think it was by pure chance you came to us? It wasn't you know. No one else would take you, once they relaized who you were. We were the only ones who decided to take you, even though Papa despised you. Your other relations wouldn't." Portia shrugged. "So now you know."
But Kathryn wasn't looking at her. She was looking down at the pommel of her saddle. Her head was spinning crazily inside, and her thoughts were all jumbled up. There was a bad pain inside her forehead and was spreading down her nose and to her temples. She felt like there was so much pressure inside her, waiting to get out, that so wasn't getting air, or there was no blood getting to her head. She felt like she was going to faint. And then.. it all burst out.
Something inside her snapped. Something that hated this earth, hated all these people, hated *herself*. Something that had no regard for rules, or for manners or for politeness. Something that wasn't normal, wasn't human. Was alien and strange. It burst out of her, spreading throughout the countryside, swamping the place with its power. Something she had no control over, didn't know how to stop. She could only hold her head in her hands and moan, as she waited for it to end.
Portia was looking at her, a worried frown on her face. "Kathryn? Are you all right? Kathryn?"
Slowly, Kathryn raised her head and looked at her cousin. And Portia gasped, recoiling, making her horse back away. There was something in Kathryn's eyes that made her scared, that made all her father had said true, everything that had been in Kathryn's mother was in Kathryn now. It was true. She had magic, even if she didn't know it. Portia's heart sank. And Kathryn had no control... and her emotions were so unstable now. Portia regretted saying what she had just said now. And Kathryn opened her mouth and -
And a storm broke over them suddenly. But it was more than a storm, Portia realized, much more. The winds weren't just crazily howling around them, they were gathering together. Into a cyclone. Oh Gods, it was a *cyclone*. She finally saw the amount of power Kathryn had, how much strength she had. And she saw how little control she had over it.
At that moment, Portia knew she was going to die.
"Stop!" Kathryn shrieked, clamping her hands over her ears, which were beginning to bleed. "Stop! Stop! *STOP!*"
But it was too late. The cyclone had overpowered her, she had no control ove rit, even the little she's had was gone now. There was nothing she could do. She could only watch horrified, as the cyclone lunged towards her cousin. "NO!" she screamed. "NO! NO! NO!"
Portia faced the oncoming cyclone with peculiar clamness. She knew she was going to die. No one had ever survived cyclones, and never the type Kathryn had just made. Theree was no way in this earth, anyone, never mind her, cold survive this. She faced it with a calmness she never knew she had possessed.
She didn't flinch as her hair and clotghes were whipped into disarray. She didn't scream as her horse lost it completely, and reared up, dumping her to the ground and to the mercy of this terrifying act of nature. She didn't cry out as pain seared up her body. She didn't look towards her cousin when she cried out her name, her voice high-pitched and frightened. She didn't think to wonder how Kathryn could make herself heard over the raging winds.
And she didn't scream when the cyclone lifted her into the air and spun her crazily around.
And she didn't shriek when it tossed her to the ground, and she felt a pain sear up her neck and a sharp crack. And she didn't speak, as the world turned black...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Portia! Portia!" Kathryn screamed, her hands flying up to he mouth. Letting them fall dumbly to her sides, she screamed, "*Portia!*" Then, to her horror, she could only watch, as she was lifted into the air and spun around, then falling heavily and awkwardly to the ground.
With no clear idea what was going on, she stood up, as the cyclone disappeared immediately, and the world turned back to normal. But it wasn't normal, not anymore. Something terrible had just happened. Something that she regretted completely and wished had never happened, but couldn't take back, and couldn't being back to normal.
With still no clear idea what she was doing, she started to run towards Portia. Her heart was thumping in her chest and blood was still rushing from her ears, although at a much slower rate by now. But Portia wasso still, motionless. She didn't seem to be breathing...
"Portia?" Kathryn cried, turning her cousin over, her hatred of her apparently forgotten - at least momentarily. What she saw didn't make the guilt any easier. Portia had a heavy cut over her left eye and blood was pooling down that side of her face, as well as over her temple and into her hair. Her face was ghastly white, her eyes closed. She seemed dead...
Suddenly Kathryn snapped out of her mindless trance and her brain began to function again. Looking frantically around, she cursed under her breath. Where was Andrew, the stable hand who had come with them? He had said he'd catch up soon enough. For a moment, panic coursed through her, as she relaized exactly what she had done. She had killed her cousin.. hadn't she? Then, to her relief, she spotted the tall figure of Andrew coming towards them. She scrambled to her feet.
"Andrew! Andrew! Come over here, there's been an accident!" She waved at him frantically.
The stable hand nudged his horse into a canter and soon came up. His face turned deathly pale when he saw what had happened...
