Chapter 4 Acceptance
SHARON
I was halfway home and had just raised my arms in praise of the goddess for bringing me this far when a voice stopped me in my tracks.
" Halt." A raucous voice growled.
" Where are you off to?" He asked.
" I....I...I'm on my way home." I stuttered.
" And where have you been all night?" He asked.
" And where is your home?" Another voice asked at the same time. This voice wasn't as raucous as the first one, didn't make it any less scary though.
" I've..... I've...been at Viktor Drago's home all night, tonight is his first son's nineteenth birthday." I replied.
" Viktor Drago huh?" The raucous voice asked.
" You surely have friends in high places." He observed.
" Hand over your purse then." He demanded.
" A friend of Drago should have quite a hefty purse." He added.
I heard two pairs of footsteps as they both came to stand behind me, I didn't turn though.
" What?"
" A friend of Drago with no purse?" He asked.
" I'm no friend of Drago," I told them. " I was there with my sister," I added.
" And who pray to tell is your sister?" The raucous voice asked. " Vienna Halfad-Samaf." I replied.
" Dame Fania's daughter. She has no sister......" His voice trailed off and I could almost feel them exchanging glances behind my back before a hand landed on my shoulder and spun me around.
" Pl.... pl.... please," I begged, wrapping my hands around myself and fixing my gaze on the dark floor.
" Don.... don't...hurt...m...m..me." I pleaded.
" Don't you worry." The one without the raucous voice said in a soft voice that sent shivers running down my spine.
Placing his index finger under my chin, he lifted my head to meet his gaze, he was taller than I expected him to be. (for some reason, I had expected him to be a short little thing)
" We're not going to hurt you." He said in the same eerily soft voice. " Ain't that right Niqbal?" He asked.
" Yes, little one." The one with the raucous voice whose name I had just learned was Niqbal said, placing a hand on my neck and forcing me to look at him. He was as tall as I had expected him to be. He had a scar through his left eyebrow and the same blue eyes as his partner.
" Bubba's right." He assured me.
" We're not going to hurt you, just going to have a little fun." He added.
" Please." I pleaded.
Raising my hands and clasping my palms in the universal gesture of supplication. " Please let me go home," I begged.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible, little one," Bubba said, running his hand through my hair.
" We've been looking forward to this day for a while. I'm sure your mother won't mind if we have a little fun with you." He added.
Looking from one set face to another, I knew they wouldn't listen to reason. Sighing in resignation, I tried to plead with them although I knew it was futile.
" Please just let me go," I begged again.
" No can do that," Niqbal informed me, just before he grabbed my shoulders and pushed me down until I was kneeling.
" Take off your clothes." He ordered.
Resigned to my fate, I started to peel off my clothes, after all, it was all I deserved.
REVER
" I fail to see what the fuss is all about," I said.
" I do this every year I leave the same day every year." I continued.
" I know your grace." Lasmay agreed. " But this year it's different." He added.
" How?" I demanded although I was already aware of the answer. " Because it's dangerous." He replied.
" How?" I asked again, although I was also aware of the answer.
" You read the same reports as I read your grace." He informed me.
" You know there have been regular sightings of Dante and Andover in that part of the user and you don't need me to tell you that Dante and Andover are Pier's trusted lieutenants." He added.
" Pier was defeated years ago," I told him.
" I am well aware of that your grace." He informed me in clipped tones, bringing a chuckle I had to suppress. Only Lasmay would dare talk to me with such tones and still lecture me if I dared to smile.
Anyone who didn't know either of us and just managed to walk in on one of our conversations would instantly conclude that he was my older brother.
" I was present at the last battle as you know." He continued.
" But we both know that Pier isn't one to give up easily. He could be planning a counterattack for all we know." He added.
Sighing heavily, I got up from my seat and walked to the window, patting him on the shoulder as I walked past him.
" Lasmay," I said unlatching the window.
" I know that you're worried, and trust me I understand your worries," I added leaning out of the window to look down at the courtyard below
" I know Pier doesn't back down easily, but he lost two limbs and had a third one broken to smithereens in the last battle, I'm sure he's either dead or curled up in a hole somewhere waiting to die." I continued.
Sighing heavily, he came to stand beside me and unlatch the other half of the window. " Nothing I say is going to get you to change your mind is it?" He asked in resignation.
" No, it's not," I replied.
" Please be careful." He said, looking back down at the courtyard.
" And reach out to me as soon as you sense danger, I'll get to you as soon as I can and bring reinforcements with me." He added.
" I will," I assured him.
" I'll leave you to get your rest then since you'll probably want to leave before daybreak." He said.
" I leave at first light," I confirmed.
" Good night, your grace." He said with a bow before leaving me to my own devices.