Chapter 27
"I do not want to hear your excuses." he sighed, "but today is not the day you die."
The girl sighed in relief, grateful that he had decided to let her live; she wasn't ready to die.
"cut off the tips of her ears." tarian barked, nodding towards the man that held her.
"wait no!" she cried, struggling against the bandit's grasp.
"sir, do you think that wise?" panett asked, taking a step forward.
"yes, i cannot let her outburst go unpunished."
The girl panted for breath as the knife moved from her throat to her left ear, once again regretting what she had done as it pierced her skin. She screamed as it was slowly cut off, the pain something she had never experienced before; her legs quaking. Tears slipped from her eyes as she watched the point fall into the ground, the man moving onto her right ear as she begged for mercy; her pleads going unanswered. Her mother was right, humans were unforgiving creatures that hated anyone who different from them; anyone that threatened their way of life.
"stop!" she wailed, fighting against the man that held her.
"you will learn your place here, even if that means you lose a hand." tarian growled, smiling as he watched her second point fall to the ground; the girl's legs giving way. Astria collapsed into the floor, able to hear the laughing of men as she sobbed, could her life get any worse? Would she be subjected to torment for the rest of her existence? She pushed herself onto her knees, nervously glancing up at the camps leader, fearful that he would do more to harm her. The half-breed did not think she could handle further anguish, her mind and body utterly terrified and weakened.
"can i treat her now?" panett asked his leader, retrieving his bag from the ground.
"yes, though this time, ensure that this time she does not pass out." tarian nodded, turning to leave the tent as he spoke. "i need to go for a ride."
"yes sir." panett replied, sending the other men out of the tent as he kneeled before the girl.
Her entire frame trembled as she watched him pull the same bandages and ointment from his small pack, his eyes never leaving hers. Astria recoiled back when he neared her, blood coating her hair and neck as she cried softly; afraid that it would somehow all happen again.
"i need you to remain still." he said almost commandingly, taking her by the chin.
The girl nodded, realising that he was only trying to help; he wasn’t like the others, he was the only one that didn’t wish to harm her. Something that she was grateful for. She supposed that because he was medically trained that he was like her, in the sense that he didn’t wish to harm anyone if he could help it; nor did he wish to kill unless there was no other choice. He leaned forward, applying the white cream to her ears, the pain of what had happened seeping through the girl's form. She winced, jumping back slightly when he placed the bandages over the open wound of her right ear, her eyes swollen and red.
"i only have one more thing to do, can you bear with the pain?" panett asked, his voice soft and caring.
She nodded, her voice as delicate as a whisper. "yes."
He smiled, wrapping her right ear in bandages as he spoke. "you are brave for a child."
Astria looked up at him for a long moment, her heart racing. “i am not brave, all i want is my mother.”
“that is because you are still only young, and i’m guessing that she concealed you from the world and it’s cruelties.”
“i'm scared.”
“as you should be, my leader is ruthless. If he wants something, he will simply take it. He has always been that way, you would make it easier on yourself if you listened to him.” Panettmscolded her slightly, placing his equipment back into his bag.
Astria shook her head, knowing that she couldn’t do as he asked. “he wants to use me to kill people, i won’t do that. I don’t believe in murdering anyone. I only do it when i must.”
“and you must do it now for tarian, he does not take kindly to those who disobey him.”
“but i cannot, i can’t kill.”
“you can, and trust me, you will.”
Panett stood suddenly, turning to leave, his bag tightly grasped in his hand as the half-breed watched, nervously moving to sit on her knees. Could she really kill for tarian? Do as he asks without hesitation? Or could she cope with the consequences of disobeying? She prayed that her mother and dane would be hasty in their rescue, that they would find her before she had to do anything she would regret.
“try not to get yourself in furthermtrouble.” Panett smiled down at her before taking is place back in the camp, leaving her alone in tarian's tent.
Try not to get yourself into further trouble. That was a strange sentence to the young half-breed, she had never been in so much turmoil before, nor had she ever had to choose between her life, and the life of total strangers. Which would she choose when it came down to the decision? What would her mother say if she killed for a tyrant?
Astria stumbled to her feet, looking around the oversized hut as she wondered what she could do to pass the time, to distract her mind; the part of her ears where the points used to be burning, a searing pain shooting through her. Her legs buckled, sending her crashing back
into the hard ground as she bit back a scream, the agony almost unbearable. She grunted in frustration, crawling into the corner of the hut as she was unable to trust her own body, her mind racing over what she should do. The half-breed couldn’t run from tarian, and even if she did, she wouldn’t know where to begin searching for her mother. She didn’t even know where the camp was, let alone how to get out of it. She was trapped.
Why couldn’t people just leave her alone to live her life? Why was it that everyone she met either wanted to control her or kill her? She had never done anything wrong to anyone, never harmed anyone unless their was no other choice. She didn’t want to kill, to become someone who could do it easily and feel nothing. All astria wanted was to go home to lacus, see her friend again. She had seen enough of the outside
world, and she could honestly say that she hated it with every fibre of her being.
Astria nervously pulled her legs towards her chest, able to hear tarian's voice from outside the tent; barking orders to his men, though she couldn’t tell what he was saying. She recoiled back when his bulky frame appeared in the doorway, his bandaged arms reminding
her of what she had done, of the pain she had caused both the tyrant and
herself. Had he come back to hurt her once more? Punish her further for what she had done to him?
He moved to sit on the bed, staying silent as he simply stared at her, the half-breeds eyes lowered towards the ground; her fear only increasing. What was he planning?
A voice came from somewhere outside the tent, “sir, i have brought what you asked for.”
Tarian smiled suddenly, rising to his feet and walking towards the entrance of his home. He took something from the
man who stood outside, turning back to show the girl a large tray of food; her eyes widening in awe. She couldn’t remember the last time she had eaten, she’s
just knew it was a while ago; her stomach rumbling with the promise of being
filled.
The leader of the rebels brought the tray to where she was curled up in the corner, his eyes seemingly warm as he
knelt down, placing it in front of her.
“take what you need.” He offered, taking a price of meat from the tray and shovelling it into his mouth.
Astria nodded, though remained silent as she hesitantly took a piece of bread from the tray, taking small bites. She smiled as the warm food slipped down into her stomach, soothing her slightly.
It tasted sweet and yet bitter at the same time, though the half-breed didn’t care what it tasted like, only that it filled her stomach quickly; before he had a chance to change his mind. She feared that he would do exactly that as she took a small piece of sliced meet, her entire form screaming at her to move faster.
The leader of the rebels sighed heavily, “you don’t have to be so cautious, i am not going to take it from you. Now eat.”
“thank you.” Was all the girl said as she shoved the meat into her mouth, pleased by the salty taste.