"I do not see why you have to go..." Her voice was soft, and her eyes pleaded with the man before her. "It is so dangerous. What if something happens?" Just the thought of her love being harmed, or even killed was enough to make her eyes well slowly with tears.
The young man pressed his right palm to her cheek lightly, the thumb moved from side to side slowly. He looked into her eyes, those lovely green eyes. "I am sorry my love...but I must. I have been called, and I must answer. I will be back before the sun's light shows over the dawn, I promise." He couldn't bear to see her like this, in such pain, and especially over someone like him. The village was right, she deserved better. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers softly. The kiss lingered for a moment, then the couple embraced.
She couldn't take it anymore, and broke down in tears. He was such a brave man. He could be so strong, and yet was so gentle with her. "If anything happens to you, I do not know what I will do...you are all that I have. Oh my love, please, do not go..." She held him in her arms with all of her might, a small naive hope of holding him so tight she could keep him from leaving.
He sighed heavily, on the brink of tears himself. How she could care for someone like him was beyond his comprehension. He held her close to him for a moment longer, then reluctantly pulled away to look into her eyes again. "I am sorry...Please, take care. The village speaks of bandits about, and I do not wish any harm to come to you while I am gone." He looks around, and sees that the sun has set. "Look, night falls, I must go. Take care my love, I promise I will return before the dawn breaks." He gazed into her eyes once more, mounted his horse, and rode off into the forest via the merchant's road.
She was too worried, too hurt to reply. She just watched her love sail off galiantly into the night. Her lip quivered as the tears continued to trickle in salty streams down her cheeks. "Why did they constantly have to call upon my love to help them with their investigative tasks? Going behind the enemy lines is always so dangerous!" She bit her lower lip in a strain to control herself, turned, and went back to the Inn where her father worked.
She opened the door, bypassed her father, ignored his worried looks, went to her room and closed the door. She rushed to her bed, and cried softly into her pillow.
The moon rose lazily into the sky, the young maiden having cried herself to sleep. She awoke suddenly to a loud commotion coming from downstairs. It sounded as though there were many men, and her father was trying to explain to them that they were closed for the night. She slowly opened the door and crept down the stairs, her soft shoes kept her from making any noise in the act.
Upon reaching far enough so that she could see, she was able to make out four men behind a larger one. They had pushed past her father, and were inside the Inn.
"Look, don't lie to us old man. I've been told that the man we're looking for lives in this village, and that he's in love with your daughter. This is the last time I'm going to ask, have you seen 'im?"
The owner of the Inn shook his head, and was about to speak, but was cut off by the large hand around his throat. The old man clawed at the hand in earnest, trying to free his breathe way, but to no avail. The leader of the group tossed him to one of his companions, and spoke in some language the old man, and his listening daughter recognized; the language of their enemies. The addressed man nodded and began tying up the old man.
The young woman gasped, and was so taken by surprise that her foot slipped from the stair, causing it to creak loudly. All five of the men's head snapped in her direction. The leader barked out some orders, and three of the other men ran up the stairs. Before she could even react, she was grabbed tightly by her wrists and ankles.
The leader narrowed his eyes in thought, then barked a few more orders. The men nodded. The two men began to carry the young maiden upstairs, and the other two took the old man and began to follow the daughter.
Upon reaching the top, they went into a room. The men sat the tied old man in the corner, and tied the daughter to the bed. One of the men placed his sword tip at her chest, "If you move wench, I'll run ya through." She was too frightened to speak. Oh why did her love have to leave on this night when she needed him the most?
The leader strolled about the room confidently, his thumbs hooked in his belt. "Do not worry, we will merely sit, and wait for our prey to show his cowardly face." He gave a small smirk and glanced out of the window. "I am hungry. You do not mind if we help ourselves to your food and ale, do you?" He grinned widely, "Of course you do not." He and 2 other men went down the stairs. After a moment, the sound of barrels and jars breaking could be heard echoing throughout the Inn.
Time seemed to change. The seconds lasted what seemed like hours. Her heart was constantly beating in her chest. She was in a state of indecision. She wanted her love with her, to help protect her, and so that she could protect him. On the other hand, if he came, then these men would kill him, and that was the last thing she wanted...her confusion only amplified her bad feelings.
Time continued to pass on, the moon casting its borrowed light down on the small village. She kept her eyes closed, wishing that this was a dream. As she lay there, she could hear something outisde of her window. It was a very faint scratching sound slowly making its way up the wall. She opened her eyes and looked to the two men in the room, and discovered that they hadn't noticed. She was the only one who had noticed. She turned her gaze to the window as casually as possible, and saw the window opening very slowly, and very silently.
Once the window was opened fully, she saw the infiltrater, who was her love's friend. He snuck into the room, dagger in hand. He slowly crept up behind the man standing over the maiden. The tension was so thick, she could have sworn her heart had actually stopped. The man, in one swift and almost expert motion, clasped his hand around the thug's mouth at the same moment he slit his throat. The man held the body and carefully laid along the side of the bed, making no sound. By now, the father had still noticed, but the second enemy had his back turned, playing cards by himself. The friend snuck up behind the second thug, and killed him in the same manner, carefully laying the body on the ground.
The friend crept over to the young woman, and cut her binds off. She hugged him gratefully, and the man got to undoing her father. Just then, the door opened and in came the other three thugs. They immidiately attacked the stealthy friend, and being armed with only his knife, he fell to their weapons in only a few strokes. The father went to grab his daughter, and was met with the bladed side of a sword to his throat, his body falling to the ground. The young maiden screamed in terror and shock, her body following her instinct to run.
As she made her way out the door, she felt a peircing pain emerge from her stomach, and upon looking down, found the tip of a sword sticking out of her middle. She was in too great a shock to do anything other then continuing to run. She hit the wall, and coughed up some blood. She spat it to the side, and made her way out the door, not knowing where the other men where, nor caring. As she exited the door, she could hear the soft clumping of hooves approaching her village.
Her heart lept as she saw her love coming back. She tried to make her way towards him, but found the earth quaking beneath her. She couldn't see, she couldn't speak, attempted to call out to him, but nothing more then a whisper escaped her lips.
The young man smiled as he saw his love out to meet him. The smile slowly faded as he realized that something was wrong. He dismounted in a hurry and took her into his arms. She coughed again, spouting more blood, not having enough energy to cry, and in too great of a shock to do anything more. She looked up at him, unable to understand what he was saying to her. The moon began to slowly fade in its brightness, and she had to raise a hand to his cheek to make sure he was still there. She was very tired...so very tired...her eyelids slowly began to close, finally safe in her love's arms...so safe...so warm...so tired. Her hand covered in her own blood slowly slid off of the man's face as her body gave out, the life energy leaving her body in a mist.
"NO! Don't leave me!" His mind raced with questions seeking answers. Who had done this? Why? Where are they? He was going to kill them, and kill them slowly. He gave his love one last kiss and laid her down in the road gently. His vision changed. Everything seemed red. He went to his horse and rapidly drew his sword. As he turned around, he saw the three men exiting the Inn carrying his love's dead father. His breathing quickened, and he could feel the hate grow so heavy in his chest he had to yell at the top of his lungs. With a great war cry that woke the village, he charged the men.
The two carrying the father dropped the cold corpse and drew their weapons. The young man charged the leader. The fight lasted what seemed like decades, when in reality were mere moments. He fought in a mad rage, slashing and stabbing, killing this one, and attacking that. They killed her, the only woman he had ever loved. She fit him so perfectly. She would just meld into his arms like a clay, and he loved to hold her. Her stories, her eyes, her voice...who she was, and she was gone. Gone! At the most intense moment of the battle, his concentration slipped as he thought of her again...and that was all that was needed. The leader's sword peirced his broken heart, and the other behind him ran his blade through the young man's neck, the tip emerging from his throat.
In unison, the two monsters drew their weapons from the young man, his limp body falling to the ground. He was still angery, though he couldn't breath. He didn't have the energy to panic. His ears could hear his wounded heart struggling to perform its duty. He tried to swallow, but couldn't. He had failed her. He had left when she told him not to go, if only he had listened. He tried to avenge her death, but was too weak...too weak...his body wouldn't respond to his orders to move. His eyes closed, the images of her accompanying his failure. In the last rythum of his heart, a single thought past over his lips in a breath.
Thump...thump....
thump.....thump........
thump..........thump.............
"...I'm sorry..."
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