Chapter 7 An Anguished Reunion
Upstairs Weamar could hear a woman crying. Her weeping lasted for a few minutes and tapered off until Weamar could no longer hear. He wondered who she was and then his curiosity got the better of him. So he decided to take a stroll and see how far he could get before the guards sent him back to his room."Stay quiet and keep away from the windows.", one guard on the ground floor warned him as Weamar walked out the door to his room.
"Sure thing.”, Weamar replied. Then he lowered his voice and repeated himself. “Sure thing."
One of the guards came down the stairs and met up with the one outside Weamar’s room.
"How's she doing.", the first guard said.
"Not well.”, the second replied. “The dreams are starting again, and I had to use the last of that sleeping powder."
The first guard just shook his head sadly and returned to his post, peeking out onto the street through a window. As he wandered upstairs Weamar passed by a closed door behind which he surmised would be the crying woman. Weamar looked around and saw that there were no guards in the hall. He was sorely tempted to investigate, but his fears for the woman’s well-being had been allayed somewhat by what he overheard from the guards. Instead he put his ear to the door. The silence inside was broken by the occasional fearful whimper. Weamar listened for a while and then decided to move on. He stopped in at the kitchen for a bite to eat and then went back to his own room.
Hours passed and the day's light faded. Marinae amused herself by conjuring a little ball of light and moving it around the room for Rambis to chase. Lynn and Eliza sat on the bed next to each other. They said nothing, but felt what each other was feeling through their rings. Lynn was battling her awful feelings again and Eliza was fighting against the part of the beast that was still inside of her. They sat in silence, lending each other strength and looking forward to a time when things would be happier. Lynn broke the silent gloom.
"David.", she whispered. “I feel that I know him.”
"From where?", Eliza asked.
"It feels like, long ago.", Lynn whispered, deep in thought. "I knew a man named David, but..."
There was a knock at their door. It was Weamar. David had summoned them to the basement.
Weamar, Marinae, Eliza, and Lynn went down the stairs to the room where they had first entered the building. There they found David and a small group of others gathered around a table studying a map. Nearby there was an elderly gentleman setting up a tray bearing inkpots and other instruments. David looked up from the table and waved them all over.
"This is where Damon is being held.", David said pointing to a building on the map. "The plan so far is to have one group draw the guard's attention, luring them on a chase into the woods. They've been cooped up in there for weeks and I'm sure they'll take the chance to get out. While part of the garrison is out and distracted, another group can then sneak in and..."
Lynn gasped. As David spoke the words "cooped up in there for weeks" it jarred her memory. She remembered him saying it to her years ago after he had been stranded in a small cabin by a sudden snowstorm. Her heart pounded. It was him, the young man that she had fallen in love with years ago, the young man who she thought that she would never see again after she was banished from his town. The love that she had felt for him then was slowly filling her heart once again.
David raised an eyebrow in Lynn's direction. "Is there something wrong?", he asked.
"David.", Lynn whispered. Her voice was full of warmth.
The young man went white as a sheet and then was quickly flushed red. “Lynn?”, he said stepping around the table towards her.
Lynn slowly reached up under her hood and pulled down her blindfold. Then she took her hood back, revealing her wide open eyes. She took a quick look at David's face, gasped again, and then turned her eyes away. Upon seeing her face and, for a moment, her eyes, David took another tentative step. Forgetting the gathering of onlookers he spoke softly.
"Can it really be you?", David said in disbelief. He felt like he had slipped into a dream, one that he thought would never return.
Lynn's heart was a jumble of emotions. She didn't know what to say. She looked back at his face and saw a man so different than the one she had known before.
"What happened?", she said softly, dropping her head and looking at the floor.
Eliza stood mute, watching and wondering what had transpired between the two in the past. David turned the scarred half of his face away from Lynn.
"Some of the town toughs found me after...", David explained. "They left me in woods. It took me two days to get back to town. When I returned, they said you'd killed someone. I didn't believe them. I couldn't. I've spent so many days hoping that I'd find you again."
Lynn's shame returned as she realized that his pain was her fault. Tears came to her eyes and sadness washed over her. David must have suffered so much. She could hardly bear the thought. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't. Seeing her tears shimmer in the torchlight, David closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her. Lynn trembled in his arms, still trying to say something.
"I've missed you so much.", David whispered. Steeling himself, he asked "Why did you leave?"
Lynn managed to find an answer. "They made me leave.", she whispered. She swallowed hard and could barely utter her next words. "They said that I was a whore."
"Damn fools.”, David said firmly. “They don't know anything. Not a damn thing"
Lynn started to break down. Tears flowed down her cheeks. "They, they were going to rape me."
David could feel Lynn growing stiffer. He tensed up as well, holding her tighter. Lynn knew that she wouldn't be able to feel good again until she’d confessed what she had done.
"We'll finish this later.", one of the other men at the table whispered. He nodded to the other members of the resistance and they all quietly headed upstairs. The old man with the art tools touched Weamar on the sleeve.
"It will take a night for the ink to dry completely.”, the artist said. “If you want a believable hawk's mark by morning we'll need to start now."
"OK, let's go.", Weamar replied.
The old man had Weamar sit and began carefully marking the outline of a hawk's profile on his forehead. He sat still and quietly listened as Lynn spoke again.
"They stopped me in the road. They wouldn't let me go.", Lynn said, her voice choked with tears.
David tried to lend what comfort he could, his heart pounded in his chest as he listened.
"I had to fight. I didn't want to. I didn't want to hurt them, but...I...", Lynn shook her head on David's shoulder as she tried to tell the whole story. So much of it she couldn’t bear to remember. She sobbed as she struggled with the final words, "I ki..., I killed them."
All the tension in her body went away as she said the words. She went limp in David's arms. David reached up and gently stroked Lynn's hair. "It's alright. Whatever happened, you were only defending yourself."
Then there was a long silence. The old man filled the void.
"There's a legend around here about these marks.”, the artist said as he worked. “They say that a handful of children are destined from birth to be free of the oppression suffered by the people of this land. Whenever this mark is place on their skin, by whether tattooing or branding or any other method, it will vanish within the space of a day."
"Have there been any such people that you know of?", Marinae asked suspiciously.
"Such children, it is said will be imbued with awesome powers as the years pass and upon reaching adulthood, they will fulfill their destiny by killing Vlad Drakov. I have known none but that could be because the honorable lord has any native child older than five years who does not bear his mark executed.”
"A good way to keep his power, I suppose.", Marinae replied.
"He claims to not believe in the legend but he won't take the risk that it might be real.", the old man said finishing with Weamar. He motioned for Marinae to take a seat. She did so and the artist went to work on her forehead.
David supported Lynn easily. "You did what you had to do.”, he consoled her. “No one can blame you for that."
"What they did to you.", Lynn replied full of shame. "I can never forgive myself."
"I can.”, David answered quickly. “It wasn't your fault. They would have done it for one reason or another eventually. That was just the way things were there. Besides, for the night we had, I would have given up far more than just an eye."
But David's words didn't make Lynn feel any better. The thoughts of his suffering began to fill her mind. The thought of him lying in the wood half blind and left to die made her sick. She regretted what she had done, more now than ever before. The awful feelings inside of her raged.
"You deserve to die you fucking cunt!", the voice inside of Lynn screamed. Deep inside Lynn knew that the voice was right. She wanted to atone for her sins. She wanted to die.
"Lynn. Look at me.", David said as her body went limp. A few stray tears escaped David's eye, sliding down to land on Lynn's neck. He knelt and gently rested Lynn on the floor. Lynn gave no resistance.
Eliza was alarmed by the dark emotions she felt coming through her ring. She rushed to Lynn’s side and knelt next to her. David ran a finger down Lynn's cheek and wiped away some of her tears.
"That night you came to the bar. The next morning I was planning on...”, David began. He looked up at Eliza and Eliza gave him back a worried look. He continued, “I was going to take a length of rope and hang myself. When I heard you sing, when I saw you so full of life, I reconsidered. When you sang to me, I knew I had to go on. I knew I had to keep living if only for the chance of seeing and hearing such beauty again."
David leaned forward and kissed Lynn's hair. Lynn lay there motionless as Eliza took her hand. For a while David watched her and hoped that she would say something, then he stood and went back to leaning heavily on the map table. Meanwhile David's story fought its way through the dark haze of Lynn's mind. It touched her and pulled her out of the abyss. She began to sob softly.
"Everyone I love, I hurt.", Lynn whispered.
Eliza pulled Lynn's head to her chest and rocked gently. Through her foggy state, Lynn could feel that the cold place inside Eliza seemed to have grown a little. Lynn reached her hand out and placed it on Eliza's stomach, over the cold spot. Eliza flinched at Lynn's touch. Lynn opened her eyes and looked up into Eliza's. A number of emotions mixed in her eyes: sympathy, love, fear, and pain.
"It's stronger than I thought but I'll be ok.", Eliza said with a tense smile, but Lynn could feel that Eliza didn’t believe what she was saying.
"She's dying.", Lynn thought to herself. Her mind went crazy for a moment and she felt the awful feelings building within her with a vengeance, but this time something happened and they suddenly went away. A single thought occurred to Lynn, that she had to be strong. She had to be strong for Eliza's sake. Lynn slowly rose to her feet and took Eliza's hands in hers. Eliza looked at her with a sense of wonderment. For as long as Eliza had known her, Lynn had never snapped out of one of her bad moods so quickly. Sometimes it took days. A sense of hope filled Eliza’s heart as she smiled warmly at Lynn. Then she looked over at Weamar and Marinae's marks and the empty chair next to the old man.
"I guess it's our turn.", Eliza said. Still holding Lynn’s hands she took a seat in the chair. With the same care as with the others, the artist painted the hawk's head onto Eliza's skin.
David took a deep breath and looked around the room. Only now did he notice that all his men were gone. He called Weamar and Marinae over to the table. Looking a little embarrassed, David nodded to the map.
"As I was saying...”, David began, gathering his thoughts. “Once a number of the guards are off running in the woods, a second group will infiltrate the tower and rescue any prisoners they find. From what we know Damon is being held on the third floor. There's an open area in the center of the tower with lifts and cages on a rope and pulley system. They use it to transport the prisoners to the various 'operating' rooms."
The artist finished Eliza's mark. Eliza and Lynn switched positions.
"Hopefully, Damon will be in his cell and we can get him out without much fuss.”, Damon continued. “If they've selected him for the experiments, we're going to have a slightly more difficult time. Are you all certain that this is what you want to do? If you get captured there is no guarantee that we'll be able to mount another rescue."
"Yes.”, Weamar said somberly. “Nothing is certain anyway."
"I don't have much of a choice, myself.”, Marinae added. “I have to try."
"We need to do this as soon as possible. We have the men and equipment ready." David looked over at Lynn and then back to Weamar. "If you're ready, we can move tonight."
The artist finished Lynn's mark and began packing up his tools. "Try not to rub or get it wet for a few hours.", he said as he left.
"I think we're pretty much ready.”, Weamar assured David. “As far as we can be."
Lynn decided to test her new found strength. She walked over next to David and said to him softly, "We can't share our love as we did before. I love another. But I promise you that I will sing for you again."
David smiled weakly at Lynn "I'd like that." Then he nodded to Weamar, "I'll let the others know. Meet us in one hour beyond the first hill on the road north of the city. We'll have your horses waiting there."
As David went upstairs Lynn felt strangely good. She didn’t know why. All that she knew was that she had to make sure that Eliza was safe, no matter what.
The streets were beginning to empty just as Marinae, Weamar, Eliza, and Lynn left the safe house. Men carrying long poles were lighting lanterns placed sporadically on either side of the road. As they reached the city gate they were stopped by the guards.
"Hold there.", a guard shouted with authority.
The guard then approached the group and shined his torch on each person’s face in turn. He grinned widely as he looked at each of the women.
“All marked.”, he called back to the others.
"Take off their hoods.", one of the soldiers at the gate called out.
Lynn positioned herself between the guard and Eliza while Marinae tried to act submissive. Lynn pulled her own hood back before the guard could get to her and Eliza did the same. The soldier’s eyes lingered over their fair features and then moved on to Marinae. Dark thoughts were filling Marinae’s mind. She wondered if this was it for her. If it was she regretted not getting the chance to kill Drakov for all that he’d done. She was nervous, but played it cool and acted as if she belonged to Weamar.
The soldier pulled back Marinae's hood. The tips of her pointed ears poked through her hair. The guard put his hand on his sword and the others began to approach the group in the same manner. He looked at Marinae and then to Weamar.
"Where are her manacles?", the guard said gruffly.
Marinae avoided eye contact with the guard and kept her head down. Inside she imagined herself planting her crossbow up the guard's ass and pulling the trigger.
“She knows better than to misbehave. She doesn't need them.”, Weamar said.
Lynn reached into her pouch, broke off a piece of one of her chocolate bars, and handed it to the guard. "The less said the better.", she advised.
The soldier took Lynn's offering and sniffed it. Then he shoved it into his mouth ate it quickly.
"She's a pretty one.”, the guard said licking his fingers. “You must have some pull to rate her."
"Services rendered, rewards gained, you know how it works.", Weamar said nonchalantly.
"Indeed. Indeed. I don't suppose you'd be willing to trade her?”, the guard asked with a lecherous grin. “I'm sure my men and I could pool enough to make you a fair deal."
"Sorry, she's not for sale.”, Weamar replied. “Money isn't as much fun, if you know what I mean."
The guard laughed and walked back to the guard post. "Carry on, then."
Weamar breathed a long sigh of relief. He couldn't believe that they’d gotten away with it. Marinae relaxed just a little but kept her head hung down.
"Let's get going before they think about it.", Weamar advised.
Marinae nodded and soon the guard post was far behind. After a short walk they crested the hill that David had spoken of. David was standing alone on the side of the road waiting for them. A series of bird calls sounded among the trees and another ten men emerged with the group’s horses in tow.
"Nine of my people will launch an attack on the tower.”, David began with an air of leadership and confidence. “Once the guards give chase, they will break off in groups of three. You four and myself will, once the signal is given, make for the side entrance. It's used for disposing of waste. One of mine will remain outside with our horses for when we make our escape."
"Will I need manacles?", Marinae asked. "I want to look the part as much as possible."
"We don't intend to be seen at all.”, David replied. “If they catch you in the area, manacles or no, you'll be thrown into a cell."
"There is that.", Marinae said wondering how she ever got talked into coming to Falkovnia.
The light of the stars was blocked by a blanket of clouds, rendering the ride through the forest a dark and unnerving task. They eventually came to a stop. A series of brief whispered orders sent nine of the riders on. Once they broke from the forest's cover the sounds of hoof beats on grass thudded through the ground. The low rhythm was soon accompanied by shouts, screams, and the faint whistle of arrows in flight.
Weamar loaded his pistols. Marinae prepped her crossbow and made sure her throwing knives were handy just in case. She reached down for her staff and was happy that it had not "grown legs and walked off". David came up along side Eliza and Lynn.
"When they signal, we ride to the wall and dismount.”, David told them. “Merrick will take the horses and wait for here for our signal. Once we get there, just follow me inside."
David then leaned over to Lynn and whispered, "Be careful."
Lynn nodded. Everything seemed so unreal. She thought about Eliza and the cottage and of how far away those wonderful times were. The thunder of more horses came as the soldiers chased the raiders as predicted. A few moments later a shrill whistle was heard. David imitated it perfectly and urged his mount into a gallop. Weamar urged Dry to do the same as did Marinae and Eliza. Leaping forward their horses rushed after David. With light shed only by torches on the walls of the perimeter, they went unnoticed up to the wall of the fortress. There, David reared his horse to a stop and jumped off. He ran low to a small reinforced wooden door. He pulled out a set of lock picks and went to work. The others dismounted and stood around David in the cool night air. Merrick rode up behind, collected the horses, and disappeared hastily into the darkness.
The sound of horses faded and a soft click came from the door. David opened it slowly. After looking around inside a moment, he motioned for everyone to follow him. Inside Weamar could see that all the guards were gathered at the front gate. Then he heard one of the soldiers shout.
"Isn't anyone guarding the side door? Dammit Private get over there.", bellowed one of the guards.
David peeked around the corner at the approaching guard and cursed under his breath. In the shadows they could not be seen, but a young soldier was walking towards them who would soon discover their presence.