by Ron Vitale
He laughed and let go of my hands. “There, we are now so sworn. I will see you tomorrow in the square.”
“But won’t the others make fun of you for talking to me?”
He tightened his belt and fixed his leather jerkin. “You are my sworn sister now. I have given my word.” He turned away and then ran up the embankment, and I heard him whistling as he went away.
I gathered the rest of my clothes and put my dress back on. When I left the forest, the day’s heat had nearly dried me. I walked the rest of the way to the village, delivered my message, and was given a letter as a reply. But before making the return journey, the kitchen staff gave me some food and water. I ate out back in the shade, but even there, the sun’s heat beat down heavy. Still, it was cooler than in the kitchen by the fire. Work for the night’s dinner kept the servants busy, and I was left much to my own. I finished my meal, thanked the cook, and then headed back on my way.
If I walked hard and fast, I could be home by late afternoon. I followed the trail through the fields and walked far out past the village and its fields. Up ahead I saw the forest and fond memories of Stephen came to mind. The sun beat down on me and the path turned away from the forest. I headed off the trail and went into the forest, and although still humid, the sun did not shine there. I began to sing and headed on my way when I heard footsteps behind me. I laughed and spun around. “Stephen, you are such a giddy fool!”
“My name is not Stephen, but I can pretend, if you’d like.” A man dirty and worn from travel popped out from behind a bush.
I could see from the way that he looked at me that I would be in trouble. “I am so sorry, sir. I will just be on my way.”
He rested his hand on his sword. “No, you do not need to run so quickly from me. Come over here and give me a little kiss on my chin.”
His scraggly chin did not pose itself to be worth kissing. “I carry a message for my house lord and must go.”
I turned to run and felt rough hands grab me from behind. Startled, I cried out but could not break away from a second man behind me. “We will take a long drink of you first before you head off on your way.”
I went to scream, but the man who held me turned me roughly around and punched me in the stomach. The air flew out of me and I doubled over in pain. “Gristle, don’t you hurt her.”
Gristle pulled a dagger from his belt. “Don’t you call me that!” He kicked me in the stomach, and I rolled over in the dirt.
“I saw her first, and you’ll go second.” The first man with the scraggly chin rushed over and threw himself on top of me. He pinned my one arm to the ground and put his other over my mouth. “See, she won’t struggle now. Right?”
I fought back tears and nodded.
“He’ll gut you if you scream.” He took his hand away from my mouth but held it close just in case. “We’re going to dip our wicks into you to cool ourselves from the day’s heat, and then we’ll be on our way. No one need know, and you’ll never see us again.”
Gristle dropped to his knees and flashed his dagger at my eye. “But if you don’t let us cool off a bit, we’ll have our bit of fun and then drown you in the creek.” He put his two hands together in prayer. “What a shame it would be that a servant girl took her own life by drowning herself in the creek.”
The scraggly-chinned man breathed heavy on me, and I could smell the stink and wine on his breath. “That is good. I like that.” He fiddled with his belt and turned to Gristle. “Now look away while I have my way with her.”
Gristle turned around but kept the dagger in his hand at the ready.
I lay there on the ground and my heart pounded fast. I tried to relax but was afraid. The scraggly-chinned man pulled his breeches down, and I could feel his manhood on my leg. I struggled and kicked and he slapped me across the face. “No problems or we’ll do this the hard way.” He lifted himself off of me and pulled up my dress and then ripped away my underclothes.
He spit into his hand and then rubbed his spittle on his cock.
I could see the crazed look in his eye, the drool pooling at the side of his mouth that dripped onto my chest, and his foul breath wafted over me. With my right arm pinned and his weight on me, I tried to be quiet and to not fight him. I tried. But could not.
I cried out in anguish and fear. “Stephen!” My voice echoed in the empty forest.
Gristle spun around, ready with his dagger, but the scraggly-chinned man came up on his knees and then punched me hard in the stomach. I cried out and then he forced me back down to the ground and threw his whole weight on me. He took his cock in his hand and lined it up against me and thrust himself hard. But he missed and slid up onto my belly. Spitting again into his hand, he wet his cock, and I could see Gristle watching in enjoyment.
I took a deep breath and could smell the sky before a thunderstorm. Gristle had one hand down his pants and he leaned forward with his dagger pointed at me. The scraggly-chinned man lined himself up again and spit onto my face. “You’re going to like this, you little bitch.” He thrust himself at me, and with my left hand in front of my face, desperately I tried to block out his face.
The sound of thunder crashed all around us, and I closed my eyes tight as the noise deafened me. The ground pulsed with energy, and I held my breath and could smell burning skin. In fear, I opened my eyes and saw my left hand glowing still. Flickers of lightning coursed down my fingers, around my wrist, and disappeared beneath my skin.
Gristle fell to the side, burned beyond recognition, and the scraggly-chinned man’s hair smoked and sizzled. A hole had been blown through his body, searing the flesh. His eyes held mine for a moment of recognition and his dying word streamed out of his mouth in both a curse and an accusation. “Witch!”
He collapsed on me, and I cried. No one heard. I rolled the scraggly-chinned man off of me and crawled to my knees. Another bolt of lightning, this one in the sky, signaled the start of the thunderstorm. Where only moments before the sky had been clear, now a freak afternoon storm appeared out of nowhere, and heavy drops of rain began to fall. I pulled myself up and turned away from the burned and dead bodies. I did the only thing I knew to do. I ran.
Chapter 2
The rain came down in fat drops at first. I could see the raindrops hit the dust on the trail and walked on, holding my stomach. With each step, the pain shot through me, and I fought the urge to drop onto my knees. I had to get back to the city. I would not be safe out here on my own. If there were two men willing to attack me, there could be more. I walked on, and behind me the dark clouds filled in and the skies opened up. The rain came down in sheets and washed me clean. I picked my head up and felt the rain hit my face, and I screamed in anger when the next bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. The sound of my voice was drowned out by the thunder, but I screamed louder and let out my hate, fear, and shame.
For nearly an hour I trudged on through the storm, and when I saw the city before me, I started to run. By then the rain had slowed and the sun had come out again, making a beautiful rainbow off to the west. I passed through the city gates and a few people did look at me strangely, but I expected that the mud on my legs and boots, along with my drenched dress, made me appear disheveled. The pain in my belly had subsided somewhat, and it only hurt now when I touched my side. I expected tomorrow I would be bruised and sore. But a thought crossed my mind, and it came unhindered. The scraggly-chinned man had not penetrated me. Somehow the gods had bestowed upon me a boon to protect me when I needed it most. In my need, the two men were struck down by lightning from the sky. As for my hand, glowing and the lightning I saw in it, I explained it all away. The shock and fear from such an event disrupts the mind. There were many things swirling through my head when I came back into the city, but most of what I thought was buried deep down under the realization that I had barely survived.
I hurried through the streets and made for my house to give the master servant the response I had been asked to bring back from the village. But as luck woul
d have it, I came across Stephen and Charles. They walked together, carrying their gear back in from the fields outside the city gates. Stephen saw me first and called out to me. “Greetings, fair maiden!”
He ran up to me and went to give me a hug, but I shied away from him. He then noticed my state, saw the mud on my legs and how wet I was and made way for me as I walked passed him. I bit my tongue and fought back tears. I wanted nothing more than to fall into his arms, but I needed to be strong now. Many people watched us. A knight in training speaking to a servant girl brought unwanted attention to both of us.
Stephen slowed down and walked beside me. He went to say more, but changed his mind and ran off to be with Charles. The two of them laughed over some joke between them, and Stephen led them in the opposite direction. I was never more grateful for his discretion in leaving me alone. I returned to my house and gave the letter to the master servant and was scolded for ruining my dress by being caught out in the thunderstorm. I finished my chores for the day and went straight away to bed, claiming that I had a stomachache, which was truthful. I curled up in my bed and drifted off to sleep. In my little room, I would be left alone until morning. Then I would face the day and would have more of a challenge with hiding my condition.
Hours later I awoke to a knock on the door to my room. I lay there in pain and in a half-awake state and did not move. After some time the door opened slowly, and I saw a hunched over old lady come into my room. She closed the door behind her and came over to me, carrying a bag. She pulled off her hood and I recognized the face.
“Stephen!” I became fully alert and sat up in my bed, holding my side.
“Are you all right?” He pointed at my side and went to touch me, but I pulled away.
I shook my head but did not reply.
He backed off and sat on the chair by my bed. Opening the bag he had brought with him, he took out some cheese, bread, and a jug of warm milk. “I brought this for you.”
I accepted the bread and cheese. “Thank you.” I did not know how hungry I was until I began to eat.
Stephen reached back into his bag and brought out a stick of cured meat. He cut me a few pieces and offered them to me. I accepted and ate quickly but did not say much.
“Would you like for me to leave?” He put the bag on my bed. “I’ll leave you the food and drink. Just eat your fill and then get some sleep. I was worried about you. I could see that you were upset when I saw you this afternoon. I just wanted to make certain that you were okay.”
“Please stay.” I finished eating, and he put his feet up on the bed and turned away from me to give me some privacy.
His company comforted me and, after a few minutes, he hummed a tune that kept him busy. I sat there listening to him and drifted off to sleep. Sometime later I awoke, and he still kept watch over me. He had taken the leftovers and packed them back up into his pack but left the jug of milk by my bed. I yawned and stretched, feeling full and more at ease.
Watching over me still, he began to sing a melody that was whimsical and reminded me of a song that my mother used to sing to me when I was little. Stephen finished the song, and I drifted back off to sleep. I awoke hours later. The sun had started to rise, but Stephen still sat in the chair watching over me.
I started to speak, but he held up his hand. “There’s no need to explain if you don’t want to. Do you want me to go after him and bring him to justice?”
His question caught me off guard. I did not know how to reply.
“I can see the marks on your legs and bruises on your arms and face. I will find him and chop his cock off.” He leaned forward and his stoic expression proved to me that he did not joke.
“I don’t need you to do that.”
“Look, no one needs to know. I will not speak of this to anyone. Just tell me who he is, and I’ll take care of it for you.” Stephen leaned closer and waited for me to give him the word.
“I don’t need your help because they’re dead.” I sat up fully in bed and could see that he wanted me to explain more. “Two men did attack me, but a miracle happened.” I raised my left hand and showed it to him.
“How did they die?” Stephen took my hand and looked at my palm, trying to find the source of what I had done to them.
“Lightning passed through me and killed them both.” I pulled my hand from him and hid it. “I don’t know how it happened, and I didn’t mean it, but they both died.”
A smile broke out on his face. “You’re a witch and your magic protected you. Do you know what this means?”
I was ready now to accept the truth. “Yes, I’m an outcast and will need to hide my magic or be killed.”
He reached over and held my hand. “No, that is not true. There are places you can go and will be trained and protected. This is a wonderful gift for you. With magic, you will be able to leave all this behind you.”
“All the witches I ever heard of were stoned or drowned.” I frowned and glanced out the window at the rising sun.
Out in the hall we could hear the clanging of pails being brought through the hallway. Servants were at work, finishing up breakfast and the morning work.
Stephen put back on his disguise. “We will talk about this later. For now, rest up and take it easy today.” He gave me a gentle hug and went to the window. “Did you get out of your work today?”
I nodded. “I have never missed a day, so I told them I was sick. I’ve been told to rest in this morning, but I’ll get to work this afternoon. Don’t worry about me.”
“Please, rest up. If there is anything I can do for you, let me know.” He came back to me and squeezed my hand one last time and then went to the window.
“Thank you.”
He climbed out the window and that was the last time I would see him for a long, long time.
***
Alessia leaned forward in her chair, looking confused. “That can’t be the end of your story. What happened to Stephen and Charles?”
I took a long suck on my pipe, held the smoke, and then blew it out the side of my mouth. The white smoke curled in wisps, swirling around the window nearest us. “The war happened.” I watched Alessia’s expression, but she hid her feelings well. “You are too young to remember that time. All men of fighting age went off to defend the land. Both Stephen and Charles left the city for more than a year.”
“But you did eventually meet up with Stephen again, right? And Charles, did you find love with him? Was he your first love?” Alessia put her hands together and touched my knee. “Please, continue your story. I want to know what happened.”
I moved her hands away. “You think all was beauty and light, don’t you? That was not how it was when the men were away. We all worked hard, making supplies and rations that were shipped off to the soldiers. We also were worried about the blockade to the south that had stopped trade coming into the city. The winter that year was hard.” I took the pipe out of my mouth and regarded Alessia with a questioning eye. “Do you want to hear the truth or the fairy tale that you’re expecting?”
To her credit, Alessia did not answer right away. She thought for a moment or two and replied, “No, please finish the story.”
I leaned back in my chair and even after all this time the thoughts that came to mind were jagged and raw. A clap of thunder rumbled close by and the flash of light came in through the window. I waited for the thunder to die off and then said, “Then I will tell you what happened, and maybe it will be a lesson to you.”
***
That first winter with Stephen and Charles away, I turned eighteen and had little chance to celebrate. The master servant worked us hard rationing the food and had us cooking all through the day and late into the night. We made supplies for the soldiers and shipped off most to go to the front while we ate poorly.
In the months since the summer, my bruises healed quick enough, but I stayed away from men and kept mostly to myself. But the house lord’s son, Cameron, kept his eye on me. He hobbled around the house, looking co
nstantly after the pretty girls. But we worked hard and had no time for nonsense or play. Still, a few girls gave in to him and earned a little silver on the side. I was not one of those girls.
My friend Denise came to me one morning with a smile on her face.
“What are you smiling at?” We carried supplies back into the storeroom and had a few moments to forget the cold and the snow outside.
“I have a secret that I want to share, but cannot.” She had a skip to her walk and appeared to be in the throes of happiness.
“If you had a secret you wanted to keep, you wouldn’t have brought it up with me.” I poked her with my elbow and she nearly dropped the large bag she carried.
“Hey, stop that!” She caught herself and steadied her footing. We walked along down the long hallway and she stopped and dropped her bag to the ground. Putting her hands on her hips, she whistled and stretched her back. “That’s heavy!”
“Do you want me to take the heavy bag for a bit and we’ll switch?” I stopped and put my lighter bag down.
Denise shook her head and came close to me. “Nah, I’ll be fine.” She glanced down the hallway in both directions and saw no one. “But I do want to tell you about my secret.”
“Maybe I don’t want to hear it.” I went to walk away, but she grabbed my arm.
“Please, stay. We’ve been working for months day and night. Can I not share with you a little juicy story?” She smiled at me and beneath the dirt and grime her beauty did shine through.
I stopped and said, “Okay, tell me your story.”
She came closer and lowered her voice. “It’s a dirty one.”
I flopped myself down on the bag I had been carrying. “I figured as much.”
A smile broke out on her face. “Cameron called me to his room last night.”
