|
Part Four
Madric lowered his spyglass. "Taylen's
there. They just took him to the outhouse." Excitement laced
his voice. "There are eight guards in view. As big as the
house is, it ought to be easy to sneak through their lines
tonight. I would lay odds that they are keeping him close
to that entrance. It would be easier to take him back and
forth to the outhouse." A large garden surrounded the house.
Trees, shrubs and bushes lined paths and flowerbeds. It wouldn't
be difficult to find cover.
They were crouched down on a small
hill about 500 yards from the house. Beau and the horses where
hidden behind the hill.
"Any sign of Willie?" she breathed,
urgency singing along her body.
"No. I didn't see him, but I am sure
Taylen knows where they are keeping him. It's a good thing
night will be falling soon. We won't be able to stay here
long. We are too much in the open."
They waited restlessly as night again
won supremacy over the earth. The moon rose, dusting the landscape
in white light. At a signal from Madric, she slithered forward
on her belly, keeping low to the ground. She had told Beau
to stay with the horses. That appeared to agitate him, but
he complied with her command. Hunched over, they made their
way silently through the garden to the house. Slipping quietly
behind a guard, they eased their way under a bush next to
the door. They were trying to avoid killing anyone until on
the way out. After the guard walked past, they approached
the door. Surprisingly, it wasn't locked.
"Trap?" She whispered in Madric's ear.
"Probably. Too late now." He opened
the door to reveal a long wide hallway. Rich paneling graced
the walls on both sides, giving the hallway a soft glow in
the candlelight. A red runner carpet flowed along the floor,
the golden scrollwork sparkling faintly. There were six doors
on each side and not a guard in sight.
"There is no help for it, we have to
try each room." Madric said as he reached for the first knob.
His grim face made her heart sink. If Madric was wrong and
they were keeping Taylen in another part of the house, it
could take them forever to find him. She went to the opposite
side of the hallway and tried the first door. The handle was
slick under her fingers. She pushed it open. No one was in
the room. The fireplace was cold, without a trace of fire
in the last month she'd guess. Well, at his point, she didn't
expect it to be easy. She moved to the next door on her side,
the sound of Madric's soft curses in her ears.
The third door down is where she found
him. He was sitting in a chair before the fireplace. Bent
over, his elbows rested on his knees and his fingers were
laced through his inky hair. He didn't look up when she opened
the door.
She froze in place, unable to move.
The air seemed to congeal into a thick jelly. Her breath was
locked in her chest, tied under all the heartache and sorrow
of the past three months. Oh, Goddess, she wanted his arms
around her so badly.
"Well, are you going to stand there
all night? What do you want of me? More taunting?" he asked.
Silence ticked by.
"I came for you," she finally pushed
the words past her dry lips. He reared up out of the chair,
sending it crashing to the floor.
Standing ridged with his eyes riveted
on her, he murmured, "Kara?"
"Yes, I am here." She forced herself
into the room. Please, Goddess, please, not a dream. Relaxing,
a tiny smile quirked the corner of his mouth.
"By the God, it is you." Deliberately,
he walked to her, his eyes pinning her in place. Reaching
out, he stroked her hand, his calluses a rough contrast to
the hard smoothness of his palms. Tracing his fingers up her
arm, he left a hot trail, guiding his way to her ears, eyebrows
and cheeks. His thumb stroked her bottom lip. Remembrance
and newfound sorrow laced his demeanor. He drew closer, cupping
her chin. The touch of his lips cracked the ice of her loneliness,
driving shafts of heat to her core. Melting into him, she
drank his heat. Together, they banished the heartache wrapped
around their souls.
"Willie?" she murmured against his
lips.
Lifting his head he answered, "Don't
worry, I know where he is."
"You could have least told me you found
him." An irritated voice came from the doorway. "We need to
find Willie and get out of here." Covering his blushes in
briskness, Madric asked Taylen, "Do you know where he is?"
"Yes and it should be easy for the
three of us to get him. No guards are posted in the house
except for one outside and one inside Willie's room." Grimly
he added, "They made sure to let me know if I tried to escape,
Willie would pay with his life. When we kill the guard outside,
it will have to be quietly. I dared not try it on my own for
fear of making too much noise. The guard will kill Willie
if he hears one suspicious sound." He stepped away from her
and smiled. "By the way, it's good to see you too Madric."
Kara gave Taylen two of her four daggers.
They started down the hallway, turned left and continued down
the hallway. The house was huge and she became a little disorientated
as Taylen lead them around several corners. One more left
and a right later, Taylen slowed. "We have to take another
left up there at the juncture." he said softly. "The guard
is standing right off the corner. I will kill him while you
and Madric go through the door. We have to be fast and quiet."
he cautioned.
They spread out, three abreast giving
each other room to maneuver. Her heart was pounding and her
fingers slipped on her hilt. The blood was roaring in her
ears. She could hear her panting breath, like she had run
a race. One wrong move and her son could die. Her fear tired
to overwhelm her but she savagely pushed it down, forcing
herself into calmness.
They approached where the guard was
stationed. Whipping around the corner, Taylen yanked the guard
back as she and Madric ran around them. Kara heard no noise
except a faint gasp and gurgle when her husband shoved his
knife into the guard's neck. At the same instant, Madric flung
the door open. She rushed inside, sword out before her. The
guard jumped to his feet, too startled to draw his sword.
That extra second was all she needed. She ran him through
the heart. Her eyes stayed fixed on the guard as he coughed
and gasped the life out of him.
"Mommy?" She shuddered as Willie's
frightened voice tore through her. Leaving the sword where
it was for the moment, she gathered him into her arms from
the bed where he had been sleeping.
"Mommy, I thought you'd never come."
His earnest green eyes gazed up at her, hair spiking in all
directions. Pulling him close, her joy rose almost to the
breaking point when she smelled that lovely scent that clung
to him, sweet and soft under pungency of earth and sweat.
Madric walked over and placed his hand on Willie's head.
"Are you alright son? Are you hurt?"
"They didn't hit me much. I'm ok."
He hiccuped, trying to keep his tears in.
"Oh, sweetling. I love you so." She
squeezed him tighter, not wanting to let go.
Taylen came into the room, wiping
his blade on his shirt.
"Daddy!" Willie cried as he scrambled
off the bed to run to his father. Her breath hitched and wavered
at the sight of them together and she turned to retrieve her
sword before she lost all control. Taylen scooped him into
his arms, hugging him tight.
"We have to be very quiet now Willie.
We are going to leave this place, but the bad people will
try to stop us so we have to sneak out. Alright?" Willie nodded
his eyes wide with fright. He chewed on his forefinger, a
habit Kara thought he lost. She reached for him and he went
to her willingly.
They decided not to bother hiding the
guards. Someone would soon notice the guard outside Willie's
door had gone missing anyway. Not wanting to waste anymore
time, they hurried down the hall. Madric was urging Taylen
to expect trouble at any time. He explained the unlocked door
and lack of guards. "It could be." Taylen agreed as he trotted
beside Madric. "Then again, it could also just be arrogance.
They were so sure I wouldn't leave without Willie, they never
set a guard on me unless they took me outside or let me visit
him."
They reached the door without incident.
Taylen swung it open, glancing in all directions. Madric followed
him and Kara was the last to step into the night, still holding
Willie.
"Leaving so soon?" a woman's cracked;
aged voice emerged from the darkness. "I thought my hospitality
was so intriguing, you would never want to leave Taylen."
She cackled. "Light a torch." She instructed a guard. A spark
flared and torchlight filled the night, causing everyone to
blink heavily. Twelve guards surrounded them, blocking all
points of escape.
Kara was able to look upon her enemy
for the first time. The woman standing so arrogantly before
her was weathered like an old gumbala tree. Her teeth were
rotted behind withered, drawn lips. Hands that were still
strong wrapped a shawl around hunched shoulders.
"What's this?" she said, her eyes roaming
over Kara and Willie. "Ah, I see, your lovely wife has come
to call. I didn't think you would ever get here, girl. You
stopped following the trail I laid for you." A satisfied smile
creased her face. "I was about the let Taylen know that his
loving wife had given up on finding him." Her eyes latched
onto Willie. "Afraid boy? You should be. I may just cut your
throat myself." Her eyes glittered and sparked in the faint
light.
Willie was whimpering softly in her
arms, his slack face terrified, tears and snot running a river
down his face. An excruciating rush of fury washed over Kara.
It was a hot physical pain, writhing through her arms and
legs. "Never." she hissed. Her mouth opened again when she
abruptly stopped. A subtle movement had caught her eye, a
faint glint of gold tinged green. Kara burst out with a not
quite hysterical laugh. "You think you are so smart old woman,
but you didn't read your history very well, did you?" This
time she threw back her head and roared in delight.
Shocked silence invaded the night.
Everyone goggled at her in amazement. While Taylen and Madric
were looking at her like she had gone mad, the old woman reared
up like a striking snake. "I know enough about history to
understand you butchered my people!" she spat.
"Tell me," Kara snorted, laughter still
buzzing through her nose, "I am just curious you understand,
why all of this?" She motioned with her free hand trying to
gain time. "Why not just kill us outright?"
An evil smile flittered over the old
woman's face, the black stubs of her teeth gleaming wetly.
"To make you suffer. To make the game that much more interesting.
I am Tellmea, Queen of the Petonians, my grandmother crowned
me herself. Above all we were a clever people. When working
toward revenge, we always took the sweetest route." She caught
the startled look on Taylen's face. "Oh, yes. We are your
ancient enemy. Of course, this is all that is left after you
killed the others during our raid. If there are anymore, I
don't know of them."
Kara took a few steps closer. Taylen
touched her arm to halt her while Madric moved up to her other
side. "Why, after making us hunt you down, did you order those
men to kill me? It makes no sense if you wanted me here."
She asked.
"Because you were supposed to die.
I wanted you to desperately search for your husband and son
and then, finally at then end, die knowing you failed once
again. I wanted to see the look on your husband's face when
I told him of your tragic death. I wanted to relish Willie's
cries for his mother." She smirked. "You did manage to foil
that part of my plan, but I think this way is better. Now,
they can both watch you die. Enough of this silly talk," she
threw up her hand, "kill them!"
Dropping the torches, her guards moved
toward them, blades shimmering in the firelight. She could
see the expression on Taylen and Madric's faces, expressions
of death and sorrow. Taylen was at a severe disadvantage with
no sword and so was she with Willie in her arms. Moving to
flank her, they were ready to cut a path for her and Willie
to escape through. They didn't know what she knew and there
was no time to tell them.
The clank and clang of sword fighting
quickly filled the air. She had to duck the swipe of someone's
sword, dropping and rolling to the ground. Clutching a shrieking
Willie, she sat up and screamed as loud as her lungs would
allow, "BEAU!"
And he was there. Rearing up from his
hiding place, the moonlight reflected off his scales, bathing
him in silver. His defiant bellow ripped to shreds any attempt
at courage from Tellmea's men. He flapped his huge wings,
blowing up dust and gravel from the ground. His sinewy neck
twisted from side to side, spewing fire from his mouth. He
set fire to the tops of trees spotting the garden. In a panic,
men threw down their weapons and ran. Tellmea's hands covered
her head as her face contorted into a hideous mask. Hunching
over, she let out a wail of fear and rage. Not bothering to
order her men to retreat, she scurried as fast as her legs
would allow, disappearing into the garden.
As swiftly as it had begun, it was
over. Taylen was holding a sword he had picked up and Madric
was kneeling on the ground, his breath coming in great gasps.
She could hear the small sounds of men screaming in the distance
and a wave of relief washed over her.
She was still sitting on the ground
with Willie, his now quiet sobs wetting her shirt when Beau
landed next to her. He wrapped his tongue around her braid,
his breath hot on her neck. Willie tentatively reached out
his hand to stroke Beau's nose, his cries dying with his wonder.
A small smile broke over his face and her heart lifted with
that smile.
"Where in the God's name did you get
a dragon?" Taylen asked, eyeing Beau in awe. Madric raised
his head with and gave her a significant look.
"Ah, I see," Taylen chuckled, a huge
smile wreathing his face. "I suppose that was a ridiculous
question." Bending over to take Willie from her, he asked,
"Is that what you meant about Tellmea not knowing her history?
That we defeated the Petonians with dragons?" He patted Willie's
back, holding him tight. She stood up and moved closer to
him, Beau heeling her. She wanted to feel the heat from Taylen's
body.
"Yes, although I doubt she knew what
I was speaking of." Taylen shifted Willie to his other arm
and drew her into his embrace. "I was only trying to buy time.
I saw Beau moving around in the bushes and I wanted to give
him time to get closer before the fighting started. I wasn't
sure if we could hold them off long enough to keep Willie
safe."
Madric smiled a smile of extreme satisfaction
at the sight of them together. He was methodically checking
the three men they had killed to make sure they were dead.
Moving into the dense shrubs, he touched the neck of a man
who had fallen there. "He's dead too. I wouldn't worry too
much about the others. They won't bother us with Beau around."
Beau sniffed up and down Taylen's
leg. He huffed in Willie's face drawing a happy squeal.
"I warn you, that animal is worse trouble
than any dog in creation." Madric muttered darkly.
Kara chuckled, "You're just upset
he saved your life." She motioned to the guard. "Here, let
me help you move him so we can get him ready for burial."
She walked over and grabbed a leg ready to help shift the
dead guard around.
A rustle disturbed the bushes and they
both looked up. "I think it's just the wind," she began.
"Kara, MOVE!" Madric yelled, slamming
into her, knocking her off balance. She twisted around to
catch him in her arms when she felt the hurtling knife enter
his chest. His whole body shuddered as they went down in a
heaping tangle.
"Oh, Goddess NO!" she screamed, wrenching
it from her paralyzed throat. She groped for the knife and
felt it's hilt jutting from his flesh, right below his heart.
Taylen moved at the sound of Madric's
shout. Dropping Willie, he reached for the dagger in his belt,
throwing it in the direction of the attack. A wet thunk reached
his ears and a screech of pain that mingled with Kara's cry.
He grabbed a sword and dove into the bushes, ready to finish
off whoever was there. Frantically searching, he found her
propped up against a tree, knife high in her shoulder. She
was gasping and moaning, her pain clearly lined on her face.
Lowering the sword, he squatted next
to her. He was quiet for a moment as he contemplated her.
Wanting nothing more than to kill her outright, he found he
was checked by pity. Pity for a woman who was raised to hate
him and everything that belonged to him. "Tellmea," he began
and then hesitated, " I will let you live and pay bloodprice
for your dead people, if you will swear by your Gods that
you will leave my family alone."
She sat forward, fighting the pain
that was draining her strength. Her lips twisted as her eyes
captured his in a violent pattern of hate and pain, "Life
for life you bastard." she snarled.
His face drew back in a grimace when
he answered. "Fine. Your life for Madric's." With that, he
ran her through, impaling her to the tree.
"NO! Don't pull it out!" Kara's anguished
cry swept over him. He rushed back the way he came.
When he reached them, he saw Beau had
Willie encased protectively under his wings, holding him away
so his mother could do her work.
Kara was cradling Madric's head in
her lap. She had bunched up his shirt, trying to get a better
look. Blood flowed freely between her fingers where her hand
tried to close around wound.
"Taylen, quickly, get me one of the
torches and have Beau light it so I can seal the wound. He
pulled the dagger out before I could stop him and I have to
get it closed now or he will bleed to death." Her frantic
voice fought to stay calm .
He went to do as she bid, but could
see it was hopeless.
"No." Madric said as he battered tiredly
at her hand. "Taylen, you know I love you well." His breath
hitched and gasped. "I say good-bye now and ask for a moment
with your wife before I go."
Taylen met his eyes. Not saying anything,
they simply looked at each other before he turned away. He
took Willie from Beau and moved off, holding his sobbing body
close to his, to give Kara and Madric privacy.
Beau moved up behind her, while she
gazed at Madric with tear blurred eyes. She reached up to
smooth his hair, trailing streaks of blood across his face.
His eyes were dark, endless pools, deep with pain and threatening
to drown her. Laying the other hand on his cheek, she held
his face close to hers.
"Kara," he sighed, "what I said…before,
I meant… no one have I ever… been prouder of…" his breath
heaved. Weakly, he dipped his hand in his blood. Reaching
up, he smeared it on her forehead. "In the name… of the God,...
I claim… you as my ….. daughter. You shall ….never want for
as long ….as I live."
He then closed his eyes, his face a
waxy gray color, as he waited for death. The torches had died
and the fires in the trees burned out, but Taylen knew the
moment he was gone. Kara huddled over Madric, her weeping
jerking them both. Beau nudged Madric's legs, and his plaintive
whimpers sent shivers down Taylen's back. Finally, he spread
his wings and raised up on his toes. Stretching out, he roared
one long, aching howl that echoed over the distant night.
Fire shot into the air, bellowing madly in all directions.
It out shone the moon and stars, dimming their graceful light
with the heat of his mourning. The three of them were clearly
silhouetted, etched forever in time for one last moment.
*****
"You should have seen the expression
on his face when I lead Beau into the clearing. He looked
like he was choking on a peach pit by the color of his face."
Kara laughed, her eyes glistening in the firelight. "He would
never admit how much her came to like Beau. I caught him one
day scratching an itchy spot that Beau couldn't reach and
asked him what he was doing." She sat her cup down and picked
up her fork. "He didn't say a word, just stalked off red as
a beet."
Willie giggled around a mouthful of
dried meat and Taylen laughed outright. Then the laughter
died, buried under the endless quite around them. Taylen pushed
his plate away and even Willie looked at the rest of his food
with apprehension.
They had buried him high on the hill.
There was nothing to mark his grave with, so Taylen rooted
up rose bushes to plant near by. One was red and one was white,
love and courage, the best they could give to him to send
him to the after life.
They kept their vigil, singing and
laughing the shape of Madric's life, so the God and Goddess
would recognize him for a good man. It was bittersweet, the
parting they gave him and tears threatened to drown her every
time she caught a glimpse of him when she closed her eyes.
During the night, she tossed and turned,
restless with the knowledge she couldn't understand his death.
It felt so senseless to her, an empty meaningless thing that
had no part of the vibrant man he was. A person's death should
have a purpose. Some died in battle, some after a long fulfilled
life, passing their wisdom on to their loved ones at their
deathbed. His seemed tainted somehow, bathed as it was in
Tellmea's twisted perversion of justice.
On the day they were to leave, she
mounted her horse and rode over to his grave. Their vigil
was over and the time for sorrows past. The grass twirled
in the lonely wind, creating unending circles that broke and
formed over and over again. She looked at Taylen, Willie and
Beau and she came to understand the gift Madric had given
them. His death had bought her life and what finer thing could
a man or woman hope to do? With the price he paid, he kept
their wholeness complete.
"Thank you my friend." She whispered.
Turning away, they started for home.
©, 1998 Christie Benson
Next
Back
Writings
Home
Writings
Gallery
Personal Opinions & Info
Links
|
