Raevin : The Beginnings

[Raevin]

((I've been thinking about writing Raevin's history for a long time, and finally put pen to paper today.  It's turning out to be much more detailed and in depth than I thought, so I decided to post what I have so far to get some feedback.  I've only finished the first part, which is about Raevin's mother.  Let me know what you think!  I had posted this originally in the Lucan D'Lere forum, but I think it fits better here.))

 

A warning before you read!  This does contain some very violent and adult themed scenes.  Read at your own risk!

 

Raevin: Half-Elf Fury

 

Part I - Robynn

 

 

The woman squinted her eyes against the glare of the sun on the water. Looking far out toward the horizon she thought she could make out a ship.

"Hmm... Perhaps the men are returning early from their hunt.", she thought to herself.

Slowly, she continued making her way along the path that ran near the rocky cliff edge, her body aching from a sleepless night attending the birth of Lorial's third child. As she walked, enjoying the rare warm sun of the early spring day, she allowed her thoughts to roam. She was relieved that the birth had gone so easily; though in truth, she had not been too concerned, Lorial's other births had been uncomplicated as well. Still, there was always some risk of problems when the father was Barbarian and the mother Human - it tended to mean rather large babies.

She rounded a bend and the village came into view. Eagerly looking forward to her small cottage and her bed, she hastened her step. "Robynn!" The call of her neighbor, Ingrydd, caused her to veer off the main path toward the garden area beside her friend's cottage. Although the last bits of dirty snow were still melting, Ingrydd had her brood of children out preparing the plot for plowing, pulling out the withered stalks of last year's crop and spreading manure for fertilizer. The baby, Maeri, was tied tightly to Ingrydd's back, allowing her to work while the infant slept. Her shock of bright red hair peeked about the fabric of the sling, causing Robynn to smile as she always did when seeing the child.

"So? How did it go for Lorial? Was it a difficult labor? How big was the baby? Did she push long? I remember she had back labor with her last. Oh, I went through that hell with Egan, but of course you know that! I would never wish that on any woman. She didn't have it again, did she? Oh! I almost forgot! Was it a boy or another girl?"

Robynn chuckled as her gregarious Barbarian friend's barrage of questions finally came to an end. "I'll start with the last question. Lorial has a fine, fat son, about 11 pounds, I would guess. The labor was fairly easy, but she pushed longer than with her girls. I left her and the baby sleeping soundly and I plan to go do the same now." She stifled a ywan and smiled at her friend.

"Oh, you poor thing, you must be exhausted! A boy! How pleased Ulfgar will be when he returns from the hunt to have a son. Barbarians want nothing more than fine strong boys to carry on their names and train up as warriors. After two girls, he will be thrilled. I could just kill my cousin though, to leave on the hunt when Lorial was so close to her time, how thoughtless! It's a good thing that Lorial's mother lives with them so she can care for the girls while Lorial recovers. Myrial is a little old to be trying to keep up with those two little wildcats and tending Lorial and the baby. Maybe I will make up a pot of stew and bring it out to them. If only their cottage wasn't so far from the village! Oh, Dughall, don't put that in your mouth! It's nasty, baby!" Bending down to fish the suspicious item out of her 3 year old's ever-curious mouth, she continued, "But you go sleep, dear, you're nearly asleep on your feet now! You can fill me in on all the details later."

Robynn blinked hard, she had nearly fallen asleep on her feet while Ingrydd was rattling on. She smiled and turned to go, waving at the children as she went. Finally reaching her small cottage, Robynn pushed open the door and entered the dim interior. Realizing that her fire was long dead, she gave a sigh of dismay and shook her head. She'd just have to do it later, right now she needed to sleep. She fell into the softness of her feather bed gratefully, sinking quickly into the welcome oblivion of sleep.

 

 

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Captain K'Vyr watched impassively as the sun approached the horizon, his yellow eyes nearly glowing against the darkness of his skin. A few more minutes and he would give the order to approach the island, the ship would arrive under cover of darkness. K'Vyr was patient, but the lawless crew he had aboard were restless, verging on mutiny. It was always a risk with a crew comprised mostly of Tier'Dal; he had hired most of them from the pubs in Freeport, promising an adventure of pillaging and profit, but this raiding expedition had not been as lucrative as he had hoped.

The village on the island was small; they were not likely to find anything of value. The scouts he had sent ashore however, had informed him that all the men were gone on a hunting trip, the women were unprotected. The crew could amuse themselves without fear of attack or reprisal. Perhaps he could even capture a few children to sell as slaves in the markets of Freeport, the profit would be welcome after the dismal earnings of this trip.

The prospect of his men [Removed for Content] the innocent women of this remote village gave him not even a moment's pause. K'Vyr was simply relieved that this detour would satisfy his crew long enough for him to get back to Freeport without a knife in his back. Spotting his 2nd mate, K'Vyr called him over. "Dhurg! Get over here!" The hulking Ogre grunted an assent and approached the Captain. K'Vyr's eyes narrowed, he despised the Ogre's stupidity but kept him on because Dhurg was unfailingly loyal and obedient. "Tell the men to raise the sails, their entertainment awaits them."

The dark elf leaned against the rail of the deck. A cheer went up from the crew as the order to sail was given, K'Vyr allowed a tight smile to cross his cruel lips. Captain Xandrius K'Vyr would survive another voyage.

 

 

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The village was quiet, the occasional cry of a baby or dog barking the only sounds. The shattered moon had not yet risen. In the blackness, a ship slid silently into the cove. The Tier'Dal had arrived...

 

 

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Robynn stirred restlessly in her sleep, disturbed by a nightmare of fire, smoke, and the screams of women and children. Suddenly yanked out of sleep by a rough hand pulling her from her bed, Robynn's eyes opened wide in shock and a scream escaped her throat. Outlined in the flickering red light of flames coming through the open doorway of the cottage was a Dark Elf! He dragged her upright with a fistful of her thick auburn hair and put a dagger to her throat, bringing a drop of blood to the surface as the wickedly sharp blade pricked her skin. "Scream again Human," He spit contemptuously, "And I will slit your throat."

Paralyzed with fear, she struggled to nod without driving the tip of his blade deeper. Pulling hair cruelly, he tilted her head back and leaned close, his yellow eyes narrowing as he sneered, "I will have my way with you, Human scum. You should feel lucky that Captain Xandrius K'Vyr is honoring you with his attention."

As the realization of what he planned dawned on her, panic flooded Robynn. She struggled desperately to free herself from his grip, scratching the dark skin of his face with her nails and lunging toward the door. He whipped her around and backhanded her savagely, the studded leather of his glove laying open the skin across her cheekbone. The force of the blow propelled her to the floor, nearly unconcious. K'Vyr dragged her to the bed by her hair, threw her down and punched her; the blood from her now broken nose ran down her face, staining the spotless white quilt. He bent over her and snarled, "Be grateful that I don't just kill you now [Removed for Content], but I like my women with some fight in them. Perhaps I will enjoy this more than I anticipated."

Robynn moaned weakly as he tore off her skirt and pushed her legs apart. She knew he would kill her if she fought him again and tried to resign herself, but she instinctively struggled to get away as he forced his way inside her. Growling, he slapped her again and continued his brutal violation.

Robynn longed to lose herself to the blackness swimming in and out of her vision, but the pain kept her aware. She felt somehow separate from her body, like she was floating above the scene, watching it all happen to someone else. She could smell the smoke of the burning cottages, hear the unintelligible shouts of the invaders, the crying of children, the screams of the women. Robynn knew this night was forever seared into her memory.

She didn't know how much time had passed, it had felt like hours, but had probably only been a few minutes. Finally, the Dark Elf groaned, gave a final thrust and pushed himself off her. She slowly turned onto her side, curling her battered body into a ball. K'Vyr stood beside her bed, refastening his breeches.

"That was surprisingly satisfying, Human." He reached out and touched a lock of her hair almost tenderly. "What is your name woman?" She did not respond. Retrieving his dagger from the floor, he placed the deadly point under her chin. "I asked your name, wench." His sinister voice whispered in her ear.

"Robynn." She croaked.

"Turn and look at me, Robynn.", K'Vyr ordered, his voice condescending. "You will never forget me. Take a close look."

Robynn turned slowly, the tip of the dagger still at her throat. She focused on his face with the one eye that wasn't swollen completely shut. The face she saw was exotic, completely alien to her, it was evil personified. His skin was the color of twilight; his cheekbones high and sharp; his nose was thin-bridged with a slight curve, the nostrils flaring; the lips were thin, with a cruel downward turn. But the eyes - his eyes would haunt her. Set below high, arching brows, his eyes were the strangest she had ever seen; they were pale amber in color, burning with hatred and anger. Robynn would see those eyes in her nightmares.

"I'll leave you with your life. Don't forget me, Robynn." He chuckled as he stalked to the door of her cottage, the sound sent chills down her spine.

Message Edited by sunrisenative on 03-03-200602:29 AM

Message Edited by sunrisenative on 03-20-200609:11 PM

[VampTou]

Great story, sunrise!It is very detailed, making it surprisingly easy to picture scenes, moods and even scent in my mind.Furthermore, all the small details make the story feel real and accurate.Awesome read, waiting for Part II :smileyhappy:Edit: Forgot to mention I especially like Captain Xandrius K'Vyr's character, it looks genuine.

Message Edited by VampTouch on 03-03-200608:22 AM

[dano]

really good story, more please

[Ekuthh]

Chilling.

[Raevin]

Thanks guys, I'm working on more now.  If I'm really productive, I'll post another section tonight.

[Raevin]

((A bit more, I had to work today, so didn't get a ton written.))

 

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In the week that had passed since that awful night, Robynn had put aside her own pain to care for the other villagers. The women were still wearing the bruises their attackers had left them, but she knew their internal wounds would take much longer to heal.

The men had returned from their hunting trip two days later, finding the still smoldering ruins of many of the cottages, their wives, mothers and children huddling together in makeshift shelters. Most had been [Removed for Content] - two of the younger girls, Raina and Bree, had been killed. Eleven children were gone forever, kidnapped.

Robynn wanted nothing more than to hide in her cottage, she wanted to stay in the darkness and never have to face another day of remembering those eyes shining at her. She was the only healer in the village though, and the women needed her, her friend Ingrydd especially. Her two oldest children had been taken, 10 year old Egan and 7 year old Rhiann. When Robynn had found Ingrydd the morning after the attck, she had been nearly comatose; it had been difficult to set all the broken bones in Ingrydd's face, trying to retain vestiges of her Halasian beauty. The baby Maeri's arm had been broken when she was ripped out of Ingrydd's arms by the attackers, but it was a clean break and Robynn knew her baby bones would heal quickly after being set straight by the splint.

Robynn was worried about Ingrydd though, she had not spoken a single word. Robynn tried to talk to her, to remind her that she still had three children who needed a mother. Brychan, Dughall and Maeri were still here and needed her more than ever. Robynn was relieved that she was at least responding enough to nurse Maeri, even if she still wouldn't speak.

At that moment, Robynn was sitting in front of her cottage, one of the few still standing. She had brought Ingrydd, her husband James, and children in until James and the other men could rebuild. It was terribly crowded in the one room, but at least she could keep a close eye on Ingrydd. She was grinding and combining herbs to make into a salve for the women's still healing cuts and abrasions. She checked her herb bag, a sudden thought occuring to her. She looked to see how much ergot she had. A sneaking suspicion told her that she would be making more than a few infusions of the medicine for the women of the village in the next few weeks. Relieved to find a large supply, her mind wandered a bit as she continued to work on the salve. Ergot was such a strange thing; it was nothing more than diseased grains of wheat - when accidently eaten it could cause frightening convulsions, sickness and even death - but when a skilled healer such as herself prepared it correctly, it could safely end an unwanted pregnancy. She'd never had to use it much, only a few times for women who had found themselves pregnant again too soon after a new baby. But unfortunately, she was sure she'd be making up a lot of the ergot infusion soon. The stuff tastes horrible, she mused, Perhaps I should add some fresh ginger root to disguise the taste. Ginger had an added benefit, it could also help bring on a woman's moon time if it was late. She decided to go dig up some ginger the next morning so she would have some on hand.

"Idiots!" Robynn's thoughts were abrubtly interrupted. "Robynn! You must talk some sense into them! The blood-thirsty, moronic, insensitive, begotten-of-trolls LOT of them!" Ashilde stormed up, still cursing.

"Slow down, what is going on? Who needs some sense talked into them?" Robynn asked. Ashilde heaved a huge sigh and sat on a rock nearby.

"The men... They want to go to Freeport. They want to chase down those Tier'Dal and get revenge." She said the last word bitterly. The Barbarian woman's eyes brimmed with angry tears. "I tried to reason with Eryk, but he would not listen to me. It is for my honor that he will fight, he said." Eryk, Ashilde's husband, was the village's head man, a bear of a man, even by Barbarian standards. Robynn felt her heart drop. The men would follow Eryk anywhere, even to the certain doom of this vengeful mission. She knew she had to find a way to stop them from doing this foolish thing.

"Oh no..." Robynn's thoughts raced, but no words would come.

"Exactly." Ashilde said. "Eryk is calling a meeting tonight at Donall's pub. You must come and speak up. Perhaps you can make them see reason, Robynn."

Message Edited by sunrisenative on 03-03-200608:33 PM

[VampTou]

Another great entry, sunrise. Well done! I am enjoying this more and more :smileyhappy:The names you have selected for your characters are extremely good and add yet another flavour to your story.And it just hit me in that hollow head of mine... Helanic Frost? On Lucan D'Lere? If so, please say hi to Thorren from me and congratulate him on taking the leadership... that tin can of a ma.. err... half elf :smileyhappy:

[Raevin]

Heehee... Thanks Vamp, and yes, it's that Helanic Frost.  Thorren is not only my guild leader, and my best friend in the game, but he and Raevin have been spending quite a lot of time together lately.  :smileywink:  We'll just see how that progresses...  I'll tell him you said hello.

[Raevin]

((Sorry this entry took me so long, but here it is!))

 

The tiny tavern was filled to capacity. Every bench and chair in the village had been brought in, it seemed; the tables had been pushed to the sides of the room to make more space. Still there was not room for everyone, men were standing packed together at the back of the room, having given the seats to their women, and a few latecomers had to stand outside the open door, listening as best they could.

Robynn had arrived early to be sure of getting a seat close to the front. She briefly spoke to a few of the women, asking how they were feeling and if they needed anything from her, before taking a place on one of the benches. When the crowd was assembled, Eryk moved to the front of the room and raised his arms above his head, waiting for their attention.

"Hear me!", his voice boomed. The room immediately quieted, all eyes on the big head man. "One week ago, our village was attacked. Our homes were destroyed, our women victimized," here his voice lowered for a moment, "Our children stolen from us." Sobs were heard from a few of the women. He continued, his voice rising once again, "We were not here to protect our families! These disgusting Freeport cowards attacked unprotected, innocent women and children!" Angry comments were mumbled by men throughout the room. Eryk continued, his voice rising now to the level of a battle cry, "We must hunt these animals down! We must avenge the honor of our village!" The room erupted into a roar, all the anger of the men released into shouts of "Revenge!", "For the women and children!", "We will kill them all!"

Robynn stood slowly, knowing her time to speak had come. As the initial uproar began to quiet, she stood silently, waiting to be noticed, as she gathered her thoughts. Dread knotted her stomach and a sudden wave of nausea momentarily threatened to overcome her. She steeled her resolve, knowing that what she said next could determine the fate of the village. Finally, Eryk's eyes came to rest upon her, he motioned for the room to quiet.

"Robynn," he acknowledged her with a curt nod, "Do you wish to speak?" All eyes fell upon her, the women's held a plea, the men's curiousity.

"Aye." She said. "I do." She stepped to the front of the room. As their healer, she commanded a deep respect; after all, she had treated the hurts and ills of nearly all of them, she brought their babies into the world, and eased those who passed beyond it.

She waited before speaking, meeting the eyes of every man in the room. She wanted them to get a good look at the destruction of her once-beautiful face. The cut across her cheek was not healing well, she hadn't been able to stitch it herself, she would always carry the scar. Her lower lip was split and swollen. Her nose was now crooked, both eyes still deeply bruised, the purple beginning now to fade to a sickly green and yellow. She knew how she looked, she wanted all of them to see it well.

When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet but powerful. "You see my face. You see what one Dark Elf did to me. What you cannot see are the injuries to my heart, to my spirit. Look around you. Look at your women, your daughters. My face is not the worst. I am the one who treated them, I have cared for them. I am the one who listened to the stories of the horrors inflicted on them. I am the one who held them as they sobbed and raged. I know better than anyone in this room just how badly they have been scarred."

She paused and scanned the room, blinking back tears. "You men are angry and rightfully so. It is true that you were not here to protect us. Do you think for a moment that we are any less angry? No! If anything we are more angry!" Her voice quieted to a soothing tone. "But we do not blame you, and you must not blame yourselves." She saw more than a few men look down at the floor and knew that she had been right in guessing this. Her tone determined, she continued, "Now we must look to the future. We must work to rebuild our village, rebuild our lives. We must take the time to mourn those we have lost, and mourn our own lost innocence." She paused for a moment. "There are some among you who may think that I don't understand because I don't have my own family. It is true that I have never married, or had children of my own. At my age, I probably never will. But every baby I deliver I love as my own, every child in this village is a part of me. You are all my family, and I feel the same anguish. We cannot let this tragedy destroy our lives, our village or our way of life. We were happy before this, we can be happy again. I know that you have grand vision of hunting down these raiders, of finding them and making them pay for their crimes. It is a noble sentiment. The reality is that you are needed here, desperately. Your homes must be rebuilt, your fields must be plowed, but more than anything, your wives and children must be cared for, comforted and protected. If you do this thing, if you go to Freeport," she looked directly at Eryk, appealing to his sense of duty to the village, "This village will die."

The room was silent. The men were subdued, looking to Eryk for a decision. Ery slowly considered Robynn's words, then spoke, his tone serious. "Robynn has spoken for the women of the village. I would know who agrees with her." One by one, the women in the room stood. Ashilde was the first, looking her husband in the eye, she said, "I agree." Eryk nodded solemnly. The other women stood, echoing her. "I agree.", "And I.", "As do I.", "I agree." It continued until every woman inthe room was standing, challenging the head man with their eyes.

Eryk lowered his head, his thick arms crossed in front of him, and stood silently for a moment. When he finally spoke, he was solemn. "Thank you, Robynn. You are right. My decision is made, we will not go."

Robynn knew that it had not been easy for the proud Barbarian to say those words. She walked to his side, and, placing a hand on his arm, spoke to him softly. "You are a good and wise man Eryk. It takes a very big man to admit when he is wrong."

He looked down at her, she came only to just above his elbow, and chuckled grimly. "Well, I am nothing if not a big man."

Robynn smiled at his joke and patted his arm, "Thank you Eryk. We all thank you."

The room was slowly emptying, the people returning to their homes and shelters. Tomorrow the work of rebuilding would begin in earnest. It would take time, but now, she knew, the village would survive.

[MysidiaDrakkenbane]

Wow... just...wow. Your story is so engrossing. Rich characterization, vivid descriptions. ~* Claps *~ Good job. Please, give us more.

[Ekuthh]

Very nicely done.  

As I am currently writing from the other side of the Tier'Dal coin, I like the portrayal of the devestation wrought by their callousness and cruelty.  Everything has two points of view....

Looking forward to more.

[Zah]

Interesting story, hope to see a new post soon.

[VampTou]

Sunrisenative, I am starting to wonder how to compliment you on the story without repeating myself.... and the more I wonder, the more I realise it is simply impossible.So.. once again, great story! Hmm... or should I say remarkable.. breathtaking, yeah that is a new one, breathtaking story!Holding my breath for the next entry. Until it comes, I will go look up some synonyms so that I am ready to post after reading it. :smileyhappy:Edit: Misspelled "I".. yeah.. takes skill, I know.

Message Edited by VampTouch on 03-10-200602:37 AM

[Laitaine]

I love this. And what I love just as much as your amazing writing is the way you treat us like 'grown-ups' and don't feel the need to censor or water-down your writing.

Now... write faster! 

Message Edited by Laitaine on 03-10-200611:19 AM

[VampTou]

Although I must say that after 3-4 days of not-reading-a-post-by-sunrisenative I am starting to feel a bit twitchy, don't push her to write fast :smileyhappy: It is quality we want, not quantity... ermm.. right?Take your time, Sunrise, we are not going anywhere. Most of us have already anckored ourselves to this thread.

[Laitaine]

---

VampTouch wrote:Although I must say that after 3-4 days of not-reading-a-post-by-sunrisenative I am starting to feel a bit twitchy, don't push her to write fast :smileyhappy: It is quality we want, not quantity... ermm.. right?Take your time, Sunrise, we are not going anywhere. Most of us have already anckored ourselves to this thread.

---

 

Tut! I wasn't being serious. Well, not entirely...

I loved this so much that I made my other half sit down and read it too (and he loved it just as much).

As for quality vs quantity – well naturally. Though in an ideal world we'd get both

[Sapphirius]

[Raevin]

---

VampTouch wrote:Although I must say that after 3-4 days of not-reading-a-post-by-sunrisenative I am starting to feel a bit twitchy, don't push her to write fast :smileyhappy: It is quality we want, not quantity... ermm.. right?Take your time, Sunrise, we are not going anywhere. Most of us have already anckored ourselves to this thread.

---

Almost there guys... Patience.  :smileywink:  Hopefully I'll be posting the new chapter tonight... And it's a nice big one, so that should keep you satisfied for a while.  I'm also glad to see that my uncensored very-adult content is appreciated.  I was a little worried about that to be honest, but the story couldn't be told right if I made it kid-friendly, y'know?  This next part deals with some pretty big issues too.

[VampTou]

---

Laitaine wrote:

Tut! I wasn't being serious. Well, not entirely...

I loved this so much that I made my other half sit down and read it too (and he loved it just as much).

As for quality vs quantity – well naturally. Though in an ideal world we'd get both

---

Hehe, I agree with what you said Laitaine. I was not serious either, just felt like making a shameless bump *blushes*By the way "Tut" is a new one, I will definitely add it to my special collection alongside "[Removed for Content]", "Git" and other.. ermm.. such things that people have been calling me... I seem to attract comments like that *shrug* who knows why. :smileywink:And by the way *looks around and whispers closely to Laitaine's year* This is another one of them bumps   :smileywink:

[Ekuthh]

Hey! Quit bumping her thread and get your butt over and read mine! LOL

:smileywink: Just joking, sunrisenative.  Although when I saw you had posted again, I was hoping I had some story to read... hint hint!

[Raevin]

((And here it is - the long awaited next chapter!  Heehee...  Enjoy!))

 

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The first to come to her had been Siobhan, her eyes filled with terror. "You must help me, Robynn. I know you have ways." Robynn simply nodded and began to prepare the medicine. When it was done, she poured it into a bone cup and handed it to the young woman.

"Drink it now, then go home and to bed. It will make you very ill, but it is early yet, so the cramps should not be too bad. I will come to check on you in the morning." Siobhan looked at the cup in her hand, nodded slowly and then gulped down the contents, grimacing at the bitter taste. Robynn quickly filled another cup with fresh water from the pitcher and handed it to her to wash the taste out of her mouth.

"That's it then?", Siobhan asked. "And Keenan, he doesn't need to know, does he?" Robynn knew the girl was worried about how her husband would react, they had only been married a few months. Robynn put her arms around the young woman for a moment, "No, he doesn't NEED to know. You might want to consider telling him though, Siobhan. The strongest marriages are the ones based on honesty."

Siobhan nodded. "I will think about it. Thank you Robynn."

"Good. No, to bed with you!" Robynn hugged the girl again and sent her on her way.

The next morning, soon after returning from checking on Siobhan, Robynn heard a knock on the door of her cottage. Hurrying to open it, she was surprised to see Ingrydd standing before her. The family had moved back into their rebuilt cottage the week before and Robynn knew that Ingrydd had not left her home even once in that time.

"Ingrydd? Dear? Is everything alright? Come inside, have a seat. I'll make us some tea and we can talk." Robynn hoped that her friend's reason for being there was that she was finally ready to break her nearly month-long silence.

As Robynn busied herself making the herbal tea, she remained silent. She wanted Ingrydd to be able to speak in her own time. She was putting the full kettle on the fire to boil, her back to her friend, when she finally heard the sound of her friend's voice, barely audible.

"It was an ogre." Robynn whirled around, shock and horror on her face. Rushing to her side, Robynn wrapped her arms around her friend.

"Oh Ingrydd... How horrible!" Robynn held her friend close and thought to herself, By Marr, that explains a lot! Her injuries were so much worse than everyone else's and she's such a big woman she would have been able to fight off a Dark Elf - but an Ogre!

"That is not the worst of it." Ingrydd's voice was quiet, rusty from weeks of silence. Robynn pulled away for a moment to study Ingrydd's face, praying silently that what she said next wouldn't be what she feared.

Ingrydd nodded, seeing the question in Robynn's eyes. "I carry a monster inside me. I know the signs, there is no doubt."

Robynn felt tears spill over her cheeks. How she wished she could spare her dearest friend this pain! Right now though, she knew the best comfort was action. Quickly dashing away her tears, she spoke resolutely. "We will take care of it Ingrydd. This is easily remedied." Fetching her bag, she dug out the pouch of ergot and measured the grains into her hand. Using the now boiling water that was to have been for tea, Robynn set the infusion to steep.

She took a seat next to Ingrydd, and reaching out, took the woman's two hands in her own. "Everything will be fine."

"NO!" The sudden volume of Ingrydd's exclamation startled her. "No, everything will NOT be fine! My children, my babies, my Egan and Rhiann are gone. They're gone forever, Robynn! I wake every night screaming. My little boys are terrified of their own shadows, I am afraid they will never be the same after what they saw. And my tiny one, my Maeri, yes her arm will heal, but how do I raise a girl to send out into this world, knowing the horrors that await her?" Ingrydd paused for breath, her rage filled the room. "So yes, this little problem will be taken care of, but nothing will be fine. My life will never be fine again."

Robynn nodded. She could not take her friend's outburst personally. If anything, she was glad to have been the target of Ingrydd's rage, at least she was talking again, releasing her pent up anger.

She checked the medicine, and seeing it was ready, handed the cup to Ingrydd. "Go home and nurse Maeri before you take it, then have James bring the children to me. I will watch them here for the afternoon. I'll bring them home after dinner and check on you then."

Ingrydd let out a long sigh. "I am sorry for my words, Robynn. I know you meant only to comfort me." She rose to go, the cup of medicinal brew in her hands. At the door, she paused and looked back. "I know it has caused you much grief in the past, but this once you should be glad that you are barren, Robynn."

Alone again, Robynn thought on her friend's words. She had never married, being too independent, but she had taken lovers. Although she would have dearly loved a child of her own, there had never been even the slightest sign of pregnancy, and she had long ago concluded that she was barren - a bitter irony for a midwife. The longing had faded over time, and now, after living 36 winters, she knew she would never have a baby; most women her age already had grandchildren. Yes, this once she was glad that she couldn't get pregnant.

 

 

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The next two weeks were a blur. Several more women had come to her, and she had called on a few more to see if they needed her help as well. She had been kept so busy making the ergot medicine and checking on the women that she had barely had time to rest. Robynn was exhausted, she felt completely run down, and now, to top it off, she was feeling ill. She had woken up nauseous that morning and had not been able to keep anything down until afternoon. "Just what I need." She thought. "A stomach sickness. I wonder where I caught it though? No one else in the village seems to be ill." She busied herself making a stomach-soothing tea of dried mint, hoping it would settle her insides a bit.

When her tea was ready, Robynn took her cup outside to sit in the sun while she drank it. As she sat on the bench in front of her cottage sipping her tea, she quietly observed the villagers going about their day and willed herself to feel better. Life seemed almost to be back to normal. The men were finishing the last work on the final cottage being rebuilt; the women's wounds were healed; the only thing missing were the voices and energy of the missing children. She could only hope that they were safe and might one day be able to return to their families. Robynn allowed herself a small smile. They would recover after all.

Dozing in the warmth of the sun, Robynn was startled awake by a hand placed lightly on her shoulder. She looked up to see Ingrydd standing beside her, a concerned expression on her face.

"Robynn? Are you feeling alright? I came over to see if you could get this stubborn splinter out of Brychan's foot. He's been whining about it all day and I just haven't had any luck getting it out. But then I saw you sleeping and I got worried. It's just not like you to fall asleep inthe middle of the day like this!"

Robynn grinned sleepily. It was so good to have her talkative friend back. "I am feeling better now than I was earlier today. Just very tired, I have been working so hard."

"What was wrong earlier?" Ingrydd asked.

Robynn waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, it was nothing really. I'm so run down that I think I picked up a bit of a stomach bug. I threw up a few times this morning, but I'm feeling better now."

Ingrydd's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "A stomach bug? Are you certain?"

"Of course. What else could it be?" Robynn answered.

"Robynn... Think about it. It's been six weeks now since the raiders came. You were throwing up this morning, you're exhausted. Are your breasts tender?"

"I... I don't know..." Just the possibility of what Ingrydd was suggesting had left her stunned. Absentmindedly, she pressed the left breast with the heel of her hand and instantly winced. "But surely... It's just that my moon time is near, they are sore sometimes then..."

"But not THAT sore. And speaking of your moon time... Has it come since that night? It hasn't, has it? Robynn -"

"It cannot be!" Robynn interrupted her. "No. Ingrydd, I am not pregnant! I can't be." It was impossible, she thought to herself, but in the back of her mind, she knew Ingrydd was right.

"No more of this talk now." Robynn gave Ingrydd a hard look that told her in no uncertain terms that she wouldn't discuss it further. "Now, let me go inside and get a needle and some salve and we shall get that splinter out, eh Brychan?" The little boy nodded at her with big eyes and Robynn got up to go inside.

"I know you do not want to talk about it, Robynn, but if it is true, you know better than anyone what must be done." Robynn hushed her and went about the task of digging the splinter out of Brychan's foot.

 

 

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That night she lay awake in her bed. She had given up trying to sleep hours ago. After thinking about her conversation with Ingrydd all evening, she had finally had to face the reality - the impossible had happened. Her emotions raged within her, conflicting thoughts and feelings battling. Robynn knew she had to make a decision.

"Pregnant... A baby... My own baby..." She thought, the smallest glimmer of joy sparking within her. Then the memory of the Dark Elf's face flashed before her, the strange yellow eyes shining. "But how can I think of keeping a child conceived in such violence?" She sighed and shook her head. Ingrydd was right, she knew what she had to do. She had just enough ergot left.

She climbed out of her bed and went to stoke the fire. She wasn't going to sleep tonight anyway, she might as well get it over with. Robynn put the kettle on to boil, then went to her herb bag and dug out the nearly empty pouch of ergot. Automatically, she began preparing the infusion, trying not to think about what she was doing.

As the medicine steeped, her thoughts intruded once again. "I thought for so long that I couldn't get pregnant... And now, it had to happen like this..." She tried to imagine what this baby would look like and pictured a newborn with skin slightly darker than her own, tiny ears with a hint of a point, rosebud lips, and eyes - eyes of amber... She pushed the fantasy away. This baby would never come to birth, it was pointless to think about it. Such musings would only make this harder.

Robynn stirred herself; finding the medicine ready, she emptied it into a cup and added a generous dollop of honey to make it slightly more palatable. She stood before the fire, the cup in her hand. Briefly placing her other hand on her stomach, she sent a silent farewell and apology to the still-unfelt life within.

Robynn lifted the cup to her lips. She hesitated for a moment... "NO!" The word burst forth. She suddenly flung the cup into the fire, smashing it against the stones of the hearth. "I cannot do it! This MY baby! I may never have another chance..."

She burst into tears and collapsed to the floor sobbing. "I promise you, little one, I will love you enough to make up for your beginnings..."

[Ekuthh]

Whew! Nice bit of tension build up.  Well done.

An Ogre?  Ewwwwwwwwwww.... the mind runs rampant.

Looking forward to the next installment!

[Iyemana]

Good reading....whens the rest coming out? ;P

[MysidiaDrakkenbane]

That poor woman! My heart went out to her. *Claps* Awesomely written chapter.

[VampTou]

As always, a very high quality read, sunrise. Superb! Drooling over the screen till the next part... I forget to breathe sometimes so give me a nudge from time to time, ok?I have just one criticism for both you and Ekuth though.... so many entries and not a single ratonga in one of them. Shame on you! Altho.. yeah.. I do realise that implementing a ratonga in a barbarian village or a dark elf's house can be kind of tricky.*Sigh* Everybody ignores us... Hey is that a shiny over there?! *lunges forward*

Message Edited by VampTouch on 03-14-200601:24 AM

[Tyrion]

It's ok..........I guess. >.>

 

I mean, there is a disturbing lack of attractive, red-headed half-elf men, but I "suppose" that's acceptable.

 

*looks at his watch* IF I have time, I'll have to stop by and see if you've written more.....

 

*skulks off grumbling something about it being written entirely too well!*

 

 

 

 

Ahahaha, anyways, on a serious note, absolutely wonderful work Rae. :smileyvery-happy:

[Raevin]

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Tyrion wrote:

It's ok..........I guess. >.>

 

I mean, there is a disturbing lack of attractive, red-headed half-elf men, but I "suppose" that's acceptable.

 

---

Be patient darling...  In about 18 years, you'll start to see much more of a certain very attractive, red-headed half-elf man.  :smileywink:

 

[VampTou]

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Tyrion wrote:

It's ok..........I guess. >.>

 

I mean, there is a disturbing lack of attractive, red-headed half-elf men, but I "suppose" that's acceptable.

 

---

P-lease! The only red-headed half-elf man I've ever seen was ugly as a.... Oh my... Hey there... long time no see *hides behind the hellhound Desdemona* Stay back! It has no teeth but it can suck to death!

[Ekuthh]

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I have just one criticism for both you and Ekuth though.... so many entries and not a single ratonga in one of them. Shame on you!

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Awww... okay Vamp, just for you, I'll work a Ratonga into the story at some point.

*holds out some cheddar*

Have some cheese?

[VampTou]

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Ekuth wrote:

*holds out some cheddar*

Have some cheese?

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Take cheddar from a Teir'Dal?! What do I look like, eh? A mind-deficient Kerra?I will have that Roquefort over there... throw in a bottle of Sauternes from before The Shattering as well.What ya lookin' at? I ain't got a whole day to wait for ya, you know?! C'mon now, chop-chop, hurry up.:smileywink:

Message Edited by VampTouch on 03-16-200609:03 AM