It was a quiet night, the sun was setting slowly to the west, casting a warm red glow over the grassy moors. The sheep grazed quietly, glancing up every once and a while to sniff the cool breeze. The sound of an animal howl in the distance drew the attention of the flock, but the sound was dismissed as soon as it passed. As the sun dipped below the mountains, the evening fog started to roll in with the night wind.
Adly leaned comfortably against the thick tree trunk and stared out through the thin fog. He knew he could catch a quick nap. Balin would be there diligently watching, but Adly was determined to stay awake. He had fallen asleep the last three nights. There was no point in being out here in the cold air if he was going to sleep. He figured he should probably get up and move around to shake off the drowsy feelings clouding his mind, but he could fight sleep. He knew he could
Or he thought he could anyway. Balin looked over at the man leaning against the tree and whined. He had fallen asleep again. This was the fourth night! Balin yawned and stretched his long legs. He didnt have to worry about the cold, his thick black fur kept him warm, even through snowy nights. He didnt like it when Adly fell asleep though, he was always a pain to wake up if anything happened. He could wake him up now, while he wasnt fully asleep... But he shook that thought away and lifted his large squared head to sniff the air. It was safe for now.
Balin shook out his black fur and trotted a little ways from the tree and flopped down in the soft grass, keeping his head up and alert for trouble.
It wasnt trouble that caught his attention two hours later, but a lone figure standing in the middle of the moor. She had appeared out of no where and carried no scent through the air. Balin stood up and growled. He didnt sense anything outwardly wrong with her, but it was his duty to keep her away from the sheep. He barked out a warning and continued growling.
The woman finally looked over to where he was standing and smiled, bright red hair flying wildly around her head in the wind. The light from the moon seemed to reflect off of her pale face, but thats all that was visible under the deep green cloak she wore. Balin had always thought of himself as intimidating, but perhaps that was only to the sheep that he herded, for this woman didnt look the least bit alarmed.
Balin barked loudly to wake Adly, but it was no use, the man remained fast asleep against the tree. The woman raised a slender finger to her blood red lips and smiled at Balin. She looked out towards the forest, up at the moon, and back to Balin. She winked and moved fluidly over the field towards the trees. It took Balin a moment to realize that she wasnt walking, but floating!
Now he knew something was wrong. He ran over to Adly and pulled on the mans shirtsleeve, pulling him over in the grass. He snorted and sat up straight.
"I wasn't asleep! I swear!" he snapped looking around. "The sheep!" Adly jumped up and started towards the flock.
"You're an idiot!" Balin barked. Adly spun on his heels and looked at the dog in disbelief.
"Did you just say..."
"The girl! Don't you see the girl?" Balin continued barking in the direction the cloaked figure had gone. Adly turned slowly towards the trees, looking out in skepticism.
"I uh... see nothing..." he said looking back at the dog. With a whine Balin took off towards the trees. "Wait! The sheep!" Adly hesitated and shook his head, deciding that if this was a dream, then the sheep should be fine. He chased after the canine, through the thick foliage of the trees. There was no real light, the trees were too thick for the stars to shine through.
In the distance he finally saw light, but not that of the stars or moon, but of fire. Balin had slowed now and was creeping up on the light. Once they were closer they could see what the fire was about. There was a large group of people gathered around the tall flames. A pregnant woman was lying amidst layers of cloaks with a small boy sitting next to her, head bowed. The woman was moaning in pain from her contractions, but no one paid any attention.
Balin lifted his head at the arrival of more people. Adly watched as people with torches cleared a path for a single man. He was tall and wore thick white robes with red along the hemming. He wore a scarlet badge with a white scythe and skull on his left breast. The woman's cries were louder now as her contractions came faster and longer. The people in the clearing were standing now, greeting this new man. That's when Balin saw her again.
The green cloak seemed to sparkle in the fire light as it pooled around her. She was kneeling beside the little boy who was rocking back and forth, sniffling to himself. Her hood was pulled back and she was talking quietly with the boy, but no one else seemed to notice she was there. There was another figure standing there now. Slightly taller, but just as feminine. This one wore a black linen cloak that danced in the light breeze, but nothing could be seen of the face.
"Soon now my people," the man in the robe said soothingly, walking towards the woman. "We will be able to take what is rightfully ours!" Adly hadn't taken his eyes off of the man in the robes. He was trying to remember where he had seen the badge that the man wore. "Bring me the boy..." A couple of people moved and lifted the young boy to his feet, one of those people walking right through the lady who had been kneeling with him. Balin watched in disbelief as the person stopped in place and started mumbling to himself while swaying back and forth in place.
The boy was fighting against the other people, but it was no use. They had a good grip on his arms and shoulders and weren't about to let go. Balin looked back and forth between the boy and the young lady who was now circling the man who had walked through her. She looked over to the other cloaked figure with a curious smile.
"Told me he did not, happen this would," she said quietly. Her voice was soft and inviting, almost cheerful.
"Expected it was. Dispose of it," the other cloaked figure commanded. This was definitely a woman, the voice was deeper though, colder. The red-head almost gently passed a hand through the man's head.
The boy's screams were drowned out by the horrified shouts of the man. Everyone turned to look as he held the sides of his head, screaming. In the distraction, the boy weaseled his way out of the grip and ran. A couple of people started to run after him, but the man in the robe stopped them.
"It is of no consequence," he explained. "Our brother is suffering however. Are you there to relieve our comrade of his pain?" His words were comforting and friendly. She looked over at Dagan and shook her head.
"An Idiot you are..." She waved her own hand through the man's head and he froze, dumb look etched on his face. The men in the clearing looked around in relief.
"What did you do?" the first girl asked reaching out to touch him, but Bryn caught her wrist.
"His mind I destroyed so nothing can he do. He suffers not that way." Bryn said simply.
"Teach me will you?"
"No. To cause suffering our purpose is, on those who oppose us," Bryn told her. The girl nodded sagely and Bryn finally pulled back her hood to reveal blonde hair and deathly pale skin. She looked older than the first girl, and much more aware of what was happening.
"It is time!" the man said kneeling beside the pregnant woman. She was screaming now as her body fought to free the child from her womb. "You have done us a great favor dear lady. We are in your debt." the man told her. He looked around the clearing. "Bryn... you are needed." Bryn floated over to the woman's head and pressed her palm against the lady's forehead. The screams died slowly, as did every other noise she may have uttered. She laid there, motionless, terror remaining in her tired eyes. The man cut open her dress and slowly cut a line down her front.
"Enter before a breath is taken we must. Ready you must be," The taller woman said standing just over his shoulder. The man pulled out the first child, placing his large hand over it's face as another man cut the umbilical cord. The lady reached down and pressed her palm on the child's chest and vanished.
Suddenly the baby started squirming and fighting against the man. He removed his hand and handed the baby up to the man beside him. The child was wrapped in a linen blanket and held closely. He reached back into the woman and pulled out another child the same way. The smaller girl stood there, watching in fascination, but did not touch the baby's chest.
"It can't DIE, can it?" one man asked in alarm. The baby did not try to move, just hung limply in the man's grip.
"It's heart beats. Are you not here demon?" the robed man called looking around the clearing. The girl looked over her shoulder, at Balin.
"The worst I fear my friend. Help us you will. Soon again we will meet," she smiled eerily and placed her small hand on the child's chest, vanishing as well. Adly watched in horror as they wrapped the bleeding woman and the paralyzed man, roughly, in white linen and carried them away. They took special care of the babies, once they were cleaned, they were wrapped in deep scarlet velvet and carried away, back towards the fields. Two men remained to put out the fire, then left once the area was clear.
"What was that all about?" Adly asked, stepping cautiously into the clearing. Balin trotted around the perimeter, trying to sniff out some trace of the two women. He understood that none of the men could see them, but he didn't know why the boy and himself had. He stopped and raised his head, familiar scent brushing past him.
"The boy," Balin yapped and trotted off into the woods.
"Hey, wait!" Adly said, chasing after him. He didn't have to chase far. The boy was hiding in a large tree, trying to conceal himself in the leaves. "Hey there sonny..." Adly said waving. "Wanna come down here?" The boy shook his head, obviously terrified.
"We won't hurt you," Balin barked. The boy looked down at the talking dog, curiosity overtaking some of his fear.
"Did you jes say somethin'?" the boy asked cautiously.
"He did! He's a special dog!" Adly said, dumb grin plastered on his face.
"Come on down. I don't bite. I don't like the taste of humans," Balin whined, sitting on his haunches. The boy slowly started climbing down the tree, keeping an eye on both of them.
"Here we go son," Adly said pulling him from the tree once he was in reach. The boy kicked and fought out of Adly's grip.
"Put him down you fool!" Balin growled, jumping up. Adly did as he was told and placed the boy on the ground. The boy ran a couple of paces, putting distance between them.
"Where's my mamma?" he asked, looking to each for an answer. Adly looked away and Balin whined sharply. The boy sat down on the ground and started rocking back and forth, hugging himself as he did. "I want my mamma..." he cried, tears streaming down his freckled cheeks.
"Easy kiddo. We'll take care of you," Adly said sitting on the ground beside the boy. "What's your name son?"
The boy sniffed and wiped his nose on his shirtsleeve. "Jon," he whispered more to himself than to Adly.
"Well my name is Adly, and this is my dog Balin," he said motioning for Balin to come over. He did and nuzzled Jon's cheek.
"How can you talk?" he asked looking up at Balin. Balin and Adly exchanged looks.
"I don't know," Balin told him.
"He didn't this morning. He just started about an hour ago," Adly told him. The boy looked at Balin.
"I bet Dagan did it for you." Jon said.
"Who's Dagan?" Adly asked.
"Dagan's my friend. She's been coming to me for almost a year, talking with me. She says she's learning the way of the world, that she's new." Jon said.
"The red-head!" Balin exclaimed. Jon nodded and sighed.
"Do you know where she is now?" Jon asked.
"What red-head?" Adly asked, confused.
"I don't know what happened. Her and the other girl vanished after they touched the babies," Balin barked.
"I hope Dagan won't forget about me," Jon said sadly.
"Oh well I'm sure she won't. Friends don't forget about friends!" Adly said placing an arm around the boys shoulders and pulling him close. Balin just looked up to where the moon should have been and whined quietly to himself.
"Me? Why me? I don't know anything about children!" Rupert protested, holding his hands in front of him and backing away from the robed man.
"You taught Bryn what she needed to know. Now Dagan needs to learn."
"I taught Bryn after she was grown. As I said, I know nothing of children!"
"It doesn't matter. We would bring the children up ourselves, but I'm afraid that we will be too busy trying to gather the people of Ishrenia to follow us. They must be raised correctly for them to fulfill their purpose in the after-life," the robed man said.
"And you think I can raise them properly? I know you are joking!" Rupert said rolling his eyes. The robed man clapped his hands together and two other men stepped into the small house, each holding a tiny baby.
"These are Bryn and Dagan. We do not know which is which at the moment," the man said. The two men held out the babies and Rupert hesitantly took one in each arm. Both girls were staring quietly up at him, one with pale blue eyes, the other with warm green.
"This is Bryn, she still has the same eyes," Rupert said looking down at the blue eyed baby.
"Then she should remember you. All you have to do is feed them and clean them and teach them. Nothing more is required for taking care of children. If you feel so unable to perform these simple duties, I would suggest finding a woman to do it for you."
The three men turned and exited the hutch, leaving Rupert alone with the two babies. He looked down at them again and sighed. Little Dagan stared intently up at him and smiled toothlessly. Rupert unconsciously smiled back and hugged the small babies in his arms.
"You're not like normal children though, are you? Perhaps I can do this," he said more to himself than the babies.
"Death! Death is coming... to all of us!" A man shouted from the top of a wine barrel. The people just passed him by. Death was nothing but a fairy tale told to children to scare them into behaving. Everyone knew that Ishren would never allow one of his children to die.
"What is death Adly?" Jon asked as they walked down the busy market street.
"What are you talking about?" Adly asked, raising a bushy eyebrow.
"Death, what that man was just yelling about. What is it?"
"Just a word, something that doesn't really exist," Adly told him.
"But what does it mean?" Jon persisted.
"Don't ask him, he doesn't know!" Balin yipped as he wandered slowly with them.
"I do so! It's just not something that a kid needs to be knowing!" Adly said.
"Then what is it?" Balin returned. There was a moment of silence and Balin barked a laugh. "You see he doesn't know. Death is supposed to be something that happens to your body. You are alive right now, breathing, seeing, thinking, heart beating, moving, Death is the opposite of that. Your heart doesn't beat, you don't breath, you don't think."
"But it's not real?" Jon asked.
"Of course not! Have you ever seen anyone die?" Balin asked.
"No... how would someone die?" Jon asked.
"Oh stop asking questions like that. Ishren isn't pleased by questions like that. Questions like that make people do bad things!" Balin grumbled.
"You're a dog, what do you know of Ishren and what he likes?" Jon asked.
"I know a lot of things. I'm privy to all this important information BECAUSE I'm a canine and not human," he replied smugly.
|
