Situated Deep in the rolling hillside, the small wooden cabin of Madam Taslir quietly groaned with the winds. White balls of wool Sheep dotting the surrounding paddocks. Madam Taslir was old, her once slender and able fingers now wrinkled, her adopted grandchild, Ellivanne cautiously tended to her aches and sores. Gently stroking the tears from the young girls eyes, Taslir showed her how to make ointments, the jar trembling in her fingers, as though her bones were threatening to burst from the old worn skin. “Pay attention and stop feeling sorry for me girl. This is important you learn this” Before I depart, she contemplated in her head, she didn't want to further add to the sadness, the heavy burden already weighing the young maiden’s chest.
As she rattled on about bandages, herbs and teas, her door rudely opened, slamming against the cabins wall, shaking the entire house with a loud thud. Jumping with fright, The two women turn to see the overbearing figure of a man standing in the doorway, Seemingly scrutinizing the simple interior.
“I'm a simple traveler, passing through to the Town of Briva. May I stay here the night? I fear my horse has grown weary” The old woman scrunched her wart covered nose. Something reeked of unease from the man. His story and mannerisms were jarring in their disparity. His clothes were silk, his shoes fine leather, No this man is not a simple traveler. More likely a Bandit
“No, Go find an Inn. I am old, and sick, my granddaughter and I don't have much to spare” As soon as she mentioned her granddaughter, she regretted it, The man’s greedy eyes snap to the cowering figure behind her. She saw the flash of lust, the hunger in his eyes and felt her worn body move protectively. Purposefully putting herself between him and the view of her grandchild. It didn't matter, he had made his mind up. “Granddaughter, My what a lovely woman she is.” Taslir scowled, “She is a pretty child,aye.” Taslir put extra sharp emphasis on the word child, but the man was not at all disturbed by it. He wanted her, she knew, and she had no idea how she'd stop him from getting her.
“I'll pay a pretty price for the young woman, Name it and I'll whisk her from your burden” The man stood taller, seemingly proud of the unwanted bargain, as though he was bestowing a form of charity on the older woman. Before she could snap at the insulting offer, A small sweet chimed voice spoke out in an alarmed voice “No! Grandmother is sick and I am needed here!” The man seemed annoyed, then his annoyance turned to malice. “It's a good offer, Id treat you well and I'll even pay for the best nurse. Just come with me quietly”
Bless her Granddaughter, she was trembling and cowering but her voice stood strong, rising above the wailing wind and groaning cabin “No. I am not interested in that, I am staying with my grandmother, She is all I have. I don't know you, You are being a rude cretin” The old woman feared he would charge at them, his eyes were glowering with anger, but instead he turned sharply his angry whispers chilled Taslir to the bone “You will regret those words, I'll make sure of it Young lady.” The door slammed and both women jumped again, clutching each other tighter. “Ellivanne, you shouldn't have insulted the man, Now his pride is hurt” The girl’s big baby blue eyes welled with tears “But Grandma, he'd take me away by force, not caring if i wanted to go”
Days Passed and the Threat of the Pompous gentleman seemed to be just angry words. Bedridden, Ellivanne was tending to her Grandmother's sores, her body becoming thin, her bones protruding from her pale creased skin. Taslir knew she was close to passing, her body was so tired, so weak, her limbs felt so heavy. She happened to look to the window, and that's when she saw it. A mass of torches. No. Wide eyed, she tried to warn her granddaughter, lifting her weak finger towards the door. A rasp escaping her dry cracked lips “Did you want some water grandma? I can go get some” Ellivanne went to the pale, scooping a cup of water from the bucket of water in the cabins corner. As she turned to the bed, the door slammed open once more, shattering the wood. In fright, Ellivanne dropped the cup, water spilling everywhere.
A brown mess of hair poked his head inside the cabin. A smirk of triumph on his lips. “I said Id make you regret crossing me young lady. Now, Grab her and kill the old hag” Several men burst into the small cabin, clawing at the small girl, her panicked angry sobs crying out “No, Please don't murder her!!” Taslir felt a stray tear trickle down her cheek as the searing pain of her throat being cut exhaled all the life from her old body.
Ellivanne was now screaming, tears streaming down her face. “Hold her still.” The man then marched to the fire place, grabbing nearby shearing scissors, he marched towards the girl. “Open her mouth. Wide, I want to see her tongue.” Ellivanne snapped her teeth at the dirty fingers trying to invade her mouth. The man answered the defiance with a hard slap to her face that she was knocked against the table, burning pain throbbed on her forehead. She gagged as dirt covered fingers pried her jaw open holding them painfully ajar. Squirming as she saw the glint of the shears draw closer. She screamed, and screamed, the cries muffled against the fingers. She let out a pained whimper as the pink flesh of her tongue was sliced off. The bloody lump of flesh falling to the ground. The gentleman stomped on it as the man released her jaw, blood filling her mouth. She spat at the ground. Tears streaming down her face as she attempted to keep the fluid from choking her.
The men dragged her by her copper hair. The pain raked down her body as she weakly tried to free herself. Each person tore at her clothes, one of the men, had an eye-patch, his lips pulled into a cruel smile as he smelt the rag of her clothing, then tucked it into his leather belt, as though she was the prize of this hunt. Making a pained sob as each tear of clothing tore at her already aching and pained body. Off in the distance, the sound of nearing horses caused the bandits to pause. “Boss, we need to move, Its probably the guard. If we are caught we will be hung” The man, not wanting to leave the girl just yet dragged her towards one of the remaining supports of the cabin. Then Ellivanne was tied to the wooden post near the burning remains of the cabin. Angry red welts covered her pale flesh. The man smirked as he held her chin. “Now, You won't utter any more forms of disrespect. Now you can't even deny me” Ellivanne spat the black blood in his face. Outranged he punched her square in the face and she lost consciousness.
When she awoke, a few Briva guardsman were trying to cut her down. Their faces were soloum as they gently covered her with a blanket. “What will we do with her, she's an orphan? I had heard rumours of the bandits heading this way, if only we reached here sooner” The head guard frowned “Best take her to town, See what the Boss wants done. It will be the safest place for her till we catch the culprit.” Turning to her, trying to be reassuring “Now Miss, Who attacked you? WHo did this?” Ellivanne tried to speak, but blood filled her mouth and she gagged. Alarmed by the young woman spitting up blood the guard rushed over “Let me see please open your mouth” Ellivanne opened her mouth and the guardsmen swore collectively. “Vermin, who does this to a child?” ‘ I don't know, But they wont stay unknown as I will find them, And bring them to justice.”
To be continued…
