by Sharon Gibbs
When Athena had first had her heart broken, the Sorceress My had given her the chain. My had been her instructor, trainer and educator when her father Gerard had sent her to the swamps.
The chain had been fashioned by My’s first lover who was a dark Wizard. He’d used the belt to hold My to his will until she’d killed him and taken it for herself. My had worn the belt and in turn she, too, had used it to lead her lovers around in punishment when they chose to defy her will.
Athena hung the belt on a nail near the door of the vault and explained to the men who were to watch guard over Clarence that the hand which fastened the head of the snake needed to be the same one to remove it. She also placed an amulet by the door. Anyone who wished to enter the vault would have to wear the amulet.
Arnak watched Clarence who was now able to move. Clarence was in his late forties. His hair was long and his beard rested upon his chest. It showed signs of his youthful mousy brown hair, but the majority of it was now grey and gave him the appearance of being much older than he really was.
‘So, Wizard,’ Arnak said as Clarence eased his body from the torture that had been inflicted upon him. ‘Where’s the boy?’
‘What boy? There are many boys here in Canameer.’
‘The One who fled here from the Keep,’ Arnak said.
‘There are no boys here from the Keep.’
‘Well where is he?’ Arnak was tired of Clarence’s answers.
‘I’ve seen no boy in this town from the Keep. How do you know he even came by here?’
Arnak turned to Athena. ‘Search his mind and see if he tells the truth.’
Athena stared at the Wizard. She knew he could use no magic to hold his thoughts at bay so slowly she peeled back the layers to see inside his mind. She was able to see everything up to this point in time. From what had transpired earlier that day to the events over the last few months. If he’d had any contact with the boy they searched for, she couldn’t find it. Athena could sense something amiss, but she couldn’t tell what.
‘I can see no evidence of the boy we seek. Maybe he didn’t come here after all.’
Clarence showed no sign he knew what they spoke about, but inside he felt relief that he wouldn’t be the one to give away the boy’s secret.
‘Let us leave here, my Lord, and keep up the search for the boy,’ Athena said.
‘We’ll wait until the men return with the ones who’ve fled. My men need to rest and enjoy their spoils of victory. Organise for our supplies to be restocked and have word sent to the men who are to be stationed in this town that they may come and take what’s theirs. We move on in two days.’
‘I shall see it’s done, brother,’ she said and as they went to leave the Lord gave instructions that the vault be closed and a guard was to be kept present at all times. Once a month the prisoner was to be taken into the village and paraded around upon the chain that now hung next to the door of the vault. The prisoner was to be fed enough to be kept alive, to remind the town’s people that the new Lord and his Sorceress now held ultimate power over all with magic.
Arnak and Athena climbed the stairs that led back up to the kitchen.
‘Bring food. I’m hungry,’ Arnak said to his men and then he left the confines of the kitchen to look around.
Word reached the soldiers who were camped on the outskirts of the town. They knew the drill. It was their job to enter the town and gather all worthy possessions and round up women to await the Lord’s choice. Any resistance would be met with a cudgel or battle-axe, whichever the soldier should choose. They entered the town from each side and stopped at every house and store along the way to take valuables for their Lord.
The people of the town who hadn’t fled or gone to the manor for protection had locked their doors and hidden their children away. Some had hacked off their daughter’s hair and dressed them as boys. They bound their chests and smeared their faces with dirt to conceal their identities. The soldiers rampaged through the town and took all they could. They stacked any items of value out in the streets to be collected by the wagons that followed. Doors were kicked in and women screamed as they were dragged into the streets. Any boys found were taken for the Sorceress to inspect.
When the soldiers were done they gathered on the grounds of the manor with their trophies of war. Wagons were piled high with gold, silver and any jewels that were to be found. Ornate mirrors and paintings were also stacked in the wagons. Items that took the soldiers’ fancy they took for themselves.
The women and boys they’d gathered were taken to the grounds of the manor and lined up for inspection and as each one stepped forward Athena checked them.
The men who’d been captured in the estate were herded out of the grounds and the soldiers closed the gates and guarded the entrance. Men whose wives and daughters were still inside the grounds tried to fight their way back in and the soldiers beat them back while they waited for their Lord.
None of the boys brought before Athena was the One they searched for. Athena ordered them to be sent from the grounds and locked outside with the men of the town. The men now had a new choice. Did they take the children away or let them remain and watch as the soldiers assaulted the women and young girls?
Arnak came to view his spoils of war. He praised his men and informed the women that they were now his soldiers’ prizes. Arnak took no woman for himself, instead he returned back to the manor to ease his thirst and wait for his meal.
The drill had been the same back in Canistar. Soldiers had ransacked the village and dragged women before the Lord, while others had set fire to the buildings and slaughtered all who opposed them. In the end the people were broken and waited anxiously to see what would happen to them next. There was no escape from this horde. They just had to survive them.
Elle was only three years old. She sat huddled in the confines of the cellar with her mother and her brother Jack, who’d just turned six. Elle could hear the soldiers’ footsteps as they walked around the floor in the room above her. Terrified, she squeezed her eyes closed and tried not to make a sound as her mother’s hand clasped over her mouth. Her father had ushered them down into the dark cellar and had told them to be quiet. Then he’d closed the small door and pulled the old rug and table over the top, to conceal the entrance.
In the darkness of the cellar they’d heard the soldiers drag her father from the house and he’d made just enough fuss to draw their attention away from their search. They heard the soldiers yell at him as they beat him and told him to stay outside. There across the street he waited and worried they’d be found and dragged from the safety of the darkness.
The soldiers took little from his house. Atlas didn’t have any valuables and the soldiers moved on down the street and continued their rampage. Atlas waited until they were far enough away before he returned to his house and removed the table and rug that covered the small door in the floor. He whispered to them to stay quiet and he opened the door a little.
‘You must stay down there until they leave,’ he said. He hurried to gather blankets and passed them down to his wife. He closed the hatch and replaced the rug and table over the top. Down in the darkness they’d have to wait.
After a few days Lord Arnak, Athena and the majority of the army moved on, but they left behind a small force to govern the people of Canameer. The commander given the task of rule in the town was Silas Remon and he used the manor house as his own. Several of his officers also took up residence in the manor while the rest of the soldiers camped within the walls of the estate.
Patrols were sent out to guard the perimeter of the town and others scoured the streets to remind the people of their place beneath the new Lord’s rule.
Eventually the people of the town came out to bury and mourn their dead. They helped each other, some took in friends and neighbours who’d been left on their own and slowly the people regained their strength and ventured forth to rebuild their town.
Elle, her mother and brother Jack finally came out of
the cellar. They were at last safe, although they still stayed inside the house while Elle’s father helped the people of the town.
For the next few months the family would be careful what they did and wouldn’t venture out for too long no matter what.
Gradually life changed and the people of the town began to accept the soldiers. They became part of their lives. They’d little choice in the matter.
Chapter Ten
Christopher woke early. He lay in his bed and thought about what had happened at the quarry last night. It was dangerous to meet as they did and with the new members that had attended, Christopher wasn’t so sure they should congregate again. Sunday he and his friends would meet up at Jimmy’s barn and try to discover what the elder men of the village were up to. But today he and Albert had swords to make. No doubt Kovak Turr would stop by to inspect his merchandise.
Christopher finally left his bed, and after he’d dressed he ventured into the kitchen. He found his aunt busy as she prepared the meal for the day.
‘Good morning, Aunt Rose,’ Christopher said as he helped himself to a cup of tea from the pot on the table.
‘Morning, Christopher. Did you get in late last night?’
‘No, not late.’ Christopher helped himself to the bread and jam. ‘Peter and I caught up with some of the other lads from the village.’
‘Well your uncle’s already outback in the workshop. I’ll make another pot of tea and you can take it out with you when you’re ready.’
Christopher finished his breakfast and poured himself another cup of the hot brew. He liked to spend time in the morning and watch her as she worked in the kitchen. It reminded him of when he’d first arrived here at their house. He was only four back then, but he remembered how his aunt had fussed over him. Rose had always wanted Christopher beside her back then and they’d spent many a morning in the kitchen and in the garden. Together they’d baked and preserved food from the garden for the winter months. Christopher had a love of the outdoors and always helped out where he could. He’d also spent time with his uncle in the workshop, but not until he grew older would he spend most of his time in there. It was dangerous for a small boy to be left to his own devices near the heavy steel and hot forges.
Christopher also remembered the day of the invaders. The family always went into the village on a Saturday morning. It had been market day and he and his aunt had walked in ahead of Albert while Albert went to load up his order of steel. It’d been a cold morning so they’d rugged up to keep warm. After they’d delivered preserves to the local inn, Rose and Christopher had walked around the market stalls and Christopher had played with the other children while they waited for Albert to arrive.
As Christopher had run around the market with the other children, a horn had blared in the distance. The children had been oblivious to its significance and their parents had panicked as they searched for them. The Dale had planned for this event. The people had known eventually the invaders would come their way. They’d chosen not to raise arms and fight as many other towns and villages had. Instead they’d decided to surrender to avoid any bloodshed. Stories had been told by those who’d escaped the horde’s invasion of the slaughter, rape and devastation they’d seen. Their villages had been stripped bare and they’d been told those who’d fought the army were killed. The elders knew the end result would be the same here. The army would take what it wanted no matter what. The people couldn’t fight this enemy and so together they’d decided on another plan of action. Their plans had been set in motion and all in the village had known what they were to do. Previously they’d taken the most important items they wished to keep and had buried them in their gardens, but they left enough to satisfy the army when it arrived. Once the people knew the army was headed towards their village, the women and children were to gather in the local church and leave the men to surrender to the Lord and they hoped they’d be able to make a deal to spare the lives of all who lived there.
The town’s people had rushed around frantic as they’d gathered their children and headed for the church. Christopher had had no understanding of what the commotion was about and he’d lost sight of his aunt. He’d tried to look for her, but the sudden flood of people around him had made it impossible for him to see where she was. He’d been caught up in the rush and Christopher began to cry. A man had grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along in the crowd. Christopher had fought against the man’s grip, but the man was too strong. He’d been jostled around as they moved through the market and the toe of Christopher’s boot had clipped a cobblestone. Christopher had fallen and the sudden movement of his body had caused the man to lose his grip. He’d plummeted forward and landed heavily, but his hands and knees had borne the brunt of the impact.
The crowd had rushed forward and had failed to notice a small boy as he fell to the ground. The man who’d held onto Christopher lost sight of him and continued on to the church with his own family. Christopher had stood up and stumbled his way along in the mass. Frantically he’d searched for his aunt. He’d come to the edge of the crowd near the inn, recognised where he was and headed for the stairs that led to the porch.
Christopher was near the bottom of the stairs when he’d heard the thunder of horses’ hooves as the invaders had ridden into the market. Christopher had looked behind him and seen Arnak as he’d ridden in on his monstrous steed. The Lord had pulled his stallion to a halt in front of the men of the village as they’d gathered at the far end of the market and Christopher had huddled next the bushes to stay out of sight. He’d searched for any sign of his aunt or uncle and then he’d seen them as they stood near the wall of the bakery, across the other side of the market.
Albert had just entered the market after he’d left his horse and wagon at the livery. Panic had risen up within him when he’d heard the horn bellow, but he’d calmed himself and had searched for Rose and Christopher. Albert had passed the crowd as they’d headed for the church, then he’d spotted Rose. When she’d seen him she’d hurried in his direction and Albert had grabbed her.
‘Where’s Christopher?’
‘Albert, I can’t find him,’ Rose had said as tears ran down her face. They’d both stood and frantically looked for any sign of the boy. As the crowd cleared the market they’d seen Christopher over by the inn. At the same time the army had ridden in and blocked their path. Rose had moved forward towards Christopher, but Albert had grabbed her and held her back. They’d been too late—the army now stood between them and the boy.
‘Hush, Rose. Don’t draw attention to Christopher. They haven’t seen him yet.’
The men of the village had gathered before the army.
‘Who speaks for this village?’ Arnak had said as he sat upon his steed.
‘I do!’ Avery Black said as he’d stepped forward. He’d been chosen to speak on behalf of the town.
‘Why aren’t you armed?’
‘My Lord, we don’t wish to fight,’ Avery had said. ‘We are simple people and want peace. We’d heard that life would be just and fair under your rule and thought you would take our surrender without any bloodshed. Whatever we have is yours. We just want our people to be safe.’
Arnak had stared at the men gathered and assessed their worth. ‘Do you all agree to bow down before me and embrace me as your Lord if I spare the people of your village?’
‘We will, so long as no harm comes to those who live here,’ Avery had said.
Arnak shifted in his saddle. ‘I’ve come to find a boy from the Keep. Have you seen a man travel through here with a boy?’
‘No, my Lord. The only boys here are the ones who live with their families.’
‘We’ll see how good your word is. Bring all the boys of the village here to stand before the Sorceress Athena and she’ll tell me the truth of your words.’
As requested the men of the village had gone and collected the boys from the church. Their mothers had pleaded with them not to take their children but the men had convinced them to let
them go. They’d assured them of their safety and told the women to come to the market, to prove that there was nothing to fear.
As they’d entered the market the soldiers took control of the boys. They’d walked them past the inn in order to line them up for the Sorceress to inspect. As they’d neared the stairs, one of the soldiers had seen Christopher huddled near a bush and Christopher had shrunk back when he’d seen the soldier approach. The soldier had grabbed Christopher by the arm and dragged him into line and they’d continued on to stand before the Sorceress.
Christopher had waited in line with the other boys and Athena had walked along and inspected them. Each boy in turn had been forced to look upon her face as she stared into his eyes. As she’d moved along, Athena had stopped and pulled a young boy out of the line who was only five. His face had been smeared with dirt, his hair was filthy and his clothes torn. Tears had run down his face and left muddy streaks on his tender skin. Christopher had stood not far from the boy and he’d watched terrified as Athena pulled the child forward and grabbed his chin. Athena had looked at this boy within her grasp and she’d spat with vengeance. ‘You’re nothing but filthy vermin,’ she’d said as she’d gripped his chin tightly and her fingers had dug into the child’s soft flesh. Terror had risen up within him and his breath had come faster as she’d held his mouth closed and he’d been forced to breathe through his nose.
Tears had streamed down his face and mucus had bubbled from his nostrils as she’d pulled his chin higher and stared in disgust into his eyes. Finally she let go of him and had pushed him back into line before she moved along. When Athena had come to Christopher she’d pulled him forward as she’d done with the others and had held his chin up and stared into his eyes. Christopher had looked back into this tall woman’s piercing blue eyes and saw sadness deep within her soul. It had lessened his fear of her and Athena had seen this reflected back at her and it bit into her like a small spark. Instantly she’d let go of him and continued on with her task.