07-19-2010, 03:14 AM
7. Heaven (cont of preservative)
Much like a deer when it senses danger in the wood, she froze at those words. Panic echoed into her bones and with it a pain swelled in her belly, glueing her to the spot. She placed a hand there and felt the unborn child stirring inside, "Not now," she whispered as she peered over her shoulder at the great wooden gates. She could already hear the sounds of horses and men's shouts from the other side, "Why now?"
Chaos sprang up around her as the men panicked. She wondered if they had ever been attacked in this place before, they didn't seem to know what they were doing."All men to your stations at once!," His voice rose above the overall clamor as he came onto the balcony to stare down into the gardens.
Many of the men heeded his call, and found order in his voice but there were others who did not. The older gentlemen had followed him onto the balcony, "Do not forget this man is a traitor!" The one who had been speaking early shouted down to them, not taking his eyes of their leader, "Or have you forgotten his foreign wife that is down there with you, carrying the child that he would break tradition for."
A deep resonating sound came from the gate, the attackers were attempting to break it down from the other side. "Now is not the time for this," their leader said fiercely. His eyes were ablaze with a sense of pride and the will to protect his home. "When we survive this I will do all the discussing you want but now is a time of action, not words." He turned to the men below, "Do you hear me? Whatever I may be to you, it can be settled after we rid our home of this menace! Shoot them full of arrows!"
It did not take long for them to realize they would fail. While the Shieto could easily cut down a clan of peaceful Elreen without any trouble, they were not men of combat. They fought with an eye for advantage and when that failed them there was little else they could turn to. The gate was beginning to burst as he reached her in the garden.
"Morigaan," He cradled her in his arms, tucking her head into the crook of his neck. She was sobbing fitfully. Her contractions were worsening quickly.
"Roku," She muttered, "What will be the point of this?" She clutched at his arm as she stared up into his eyes, "Will he be born just to die?"
"It will be a son?" he asked. There was a softness in his eyes that calmed her. She almost laughed.
"Our world is crashing down around us and you want to know about your unborn child," She winced as another pain shot through her, "It is a son, if he can make it long enough to be born,"
"Don't speak so," He said softly as he stroked her hair. "It's bound to bring bad luck,"
They remained together as the gate was breached. They heard the groans of men dying. There was barely the clatter of metal in defense. They were being slaughtered.
Roku rose then and drew the short sword from his belt, "Morigaan, I no they'll not kill you, but us, my people. Even you could agree that we probably deserve it. Just promise me this," His eyes met hers, shining with a love she had never expected from the man who had attacked her people so many years ago. "Never cry a tear for them,"
Tears rose in her eyes at the very words, and with them too came the rain from the heavens. "I'll not shed a drop for them," she sobbed. As he turned away to face his death she closed her eyes, she couldn't even bear to watch.
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