He nodded his head. “That’s why they wanted us to be married, they thought we would be able to handle this all together and we would make great children.”
I was not at the point of wanting children yet. “I…”
“Did you know that we live longer than humans?” he asked, “We can live almost as long as eternals,” he said.
“Really?” I asked in shock. That definitely meant I could not marry a human.
“So the elves raised you?” he asked, changing the subject slightly.
“Yes. They raised me just as though I were truly their child. I was trained by the Queen to be a proper lady, though it took a lot more training than normal and the King and the males taught me to fight. When I was ten years old the Prince and I went to the Academy and I finished the six years there to become a Mercenary.” I closed my eyes as I remembered the first trip to the Academy with Favian. He had insisted that I ride behind him so that he could protect me better.
“Why didn’t you ever come back?” he asked.
“At first I couldn’t remember the town’s name or anything, but my father, my real one, recently told me about the box that the Elves had taken from my family’s items and when I opened it I found the contract regarding our arranged marriage and this town. Also I don’t want your sympathy or for one of the townspeople to try to force me to stay here and take me from Fav…the elves.”
“Who is Fav?” he asked, a bit of steel in his voice.
“Favian, the Prince of the Elves,” I whispered, suddenly longing to be far from this town and with his overly protective and grouchy presence.
“Is this why you want to break off our arrangement?”
Yes. Mostly. “No. I simply want to be allowed to be a Protector and live my life as I want.” That was mostly true.
He nodded his head, believing me. Thankfully. “We should head back for lunch.”
I nodded my head and placed my hand one last time over my parents’ carving. We dressed and began our walk back. The children had gone while we were in the cave, leaving us alone on our walk. The leaves rustled in the tree to our right. I spun, ready to attack whoever it was, but Alexandre had already caught the person and slammed them against the tree’s trunk.
The teenage boy’s eyes were wide with fear. “I’m sorry.”
“Martin this is not the time for these games,” Alexandre said.
I put my sword away and asked, “Why did he try to attack us?”
“I’ve been training him,” Alexandre said.
“Not very well,” I commented.
“Who are you?” the boy asked angrily as he stepped around Alexandre towards me.
I pulled my sword and held it under his chin in a swift quick motion. “Do not try and intimidate me, boy.”
He swallowed and stepped back slowly. Alexandre smiled wide. “Martin meet Marin the Death Bringer.”
Martin’s eyes widened and then he sneered. “You’re the Death Bringer?” he asked sarcastically.
I sheathed my sword. “Yes I know shocking.” I was not in the mood to deal with this jerk.
I started walking away and heard Martin say, “You are such a liar. She is not the Death Bringer.”
My anger got the better of me and I spun around and punched him in the face and then knocked his feet out from under him. He tried to kick my feet out from under me, but I simply jumped over his leg, pulled my sword while in the air and then dropped down to pin Martin’s shoulder to the ground with my knees with my sword against his throat. “You should learn to keep your mouth shut; otherwise someone might cut it off for you.”
Martin’s eyes were three times their normal size. “Sorry.”
I stood up off of him and walked away. “Sorry won’t save you if you insult a person’s honor who isn’t as understanding as me.”
“I told you,” Alexandre whispered.
“Why in the name of the god and goddess would you want to marry that?!” Martin asked.
I resisted the urge to skewer his stomach with my sword and stepped into the Inn, slamming the door closed behind me so that I didn’t have to hear Alexandre’s reply. And he wondered why I preferred the company of elves over humans?
I ate my lunch in my room to avoid Alexandre and to be alone. I felt somewhat foolish for attacking Martin, but he needed to learn that you couldn’t judge someone on their looks. I had really done him a service and possibly saved his life in the future. I sat on the bed and started cleaning my sword.
“Marin,” Alexandre called softly as he knocked on my door.
“Come in,” I said as I set my swords down on the bed next to me.
He smiled at me. “You can’t hide in here from me. You agreed to two days.”
I stood and sheathed my swords. “I apologize.”
He led me out of the Inn and to the center of town where the town square was empty of its usual vendors. “Have you ever played ball before?”
“I’ve played the elves version of ball although it’s probably different than yours,” I said as a group of kids ranging from ten to fifteen came into the square. Two of the kids poured flour onto the ground in four spots. Another set long sticks on the ground next to one of the spots of flour while another stood in the center holding a ball.
“How about we watch them play for a minute and then after you understand the game we can join in?” Alexandre offered.
The kids dispersed into what seemed to me as random positions around the flour spots. One picked up a stick and faced the kid with the ball in the center. He threw the ball and the other person hit the ball with the stick, sending it flying through the air. One of the kids in the back part ran back and picked the ball up from where it landed on the ground and then threw it to the kid at a flour spot where the hitter was running towards. The running kid touched the flour just before the kid caught the ball.
“Safe!” Alexandre called. He turned to me. “You understand it?”
“So you try to hit the ball and then run to the flour spots?”
He nodded his head. “Yes.”
“Sounds easy enough,” I murmured as I walked and picked up a stick.
The kids all smiled at each other and the ball boy threw the ball. I swung and to my utter shock completely missed the ball.
“Strike!” Alexandre yelled. He walked to me and whispered, “Keep your eye on the ball while you swing.” The kids moved closer to the flour spots and snickered to each other.
I nodded my head and tightened my grip on the stick. The boy threw the ball and I kept my eye on it as I swung the stick. The stick exploded from my swing and the ball flew over the heads of all of the kids and down the main street.
“Run!” Alexandre yelled.
I dropped the stick and ran to the first flour spot, the second, the third and then back to the beginning.
“Holy crap,” one of the kids whispered.
“Did you see that?” another asked.
“Only Alexandre can hit it that far.”
“That was great,” Alexandre said.
“Thanks,” I said with a smile on my face.
The game continued with three kids missing the balls three times. “Now we go out,” Alexandre explained as the kids in the field walked towards the swinging line.
I walked out to the back and waited. Martin stepped forward and sneered at me, which made me decide that I should have hit him harder. The ball was thrown and Martin hit it as hard as he could with the stick. The ball went up into the air and sailed back, starting to go over my head. I refused to let him make it around the bases. I jumped up as high as I could go and caught the ball in my hand, much to everyone’s surprise by the shocked “wow”s I heard.
Martin glared at me as he walked back to stand by the others waiting for their turn to hit the ball. I tossed the ball to the guy throwing and smiled at Alexandre who was smiling at me. “You’re right, this is fun.”
We played until the sun set and the kids started complaining they were hungry. Alexandre and a co
uple of the older kids went to get food for everyone. The rest of us sat around a small fire and I started telling them stories about my journeys and missions. Alexandre came back a little while later and divvied out food to the children. Adults started coming out and joined our circle as I told them about various missions. Everyone listened with rapt attention, but the more stories I told the more I saw people scooting away from me. A few of the teenage boys stayed close to me, as well as Alexandre, but I could see the fear in the others’ eyes.I stopped my tales and one of the eldest gathered began telling myths. I sat down and watched Alexandre playing with a few of the toddlers. It was heartwarming to see a man of his stature playing with children that were not his.
I yawned and said goodnight to the townspeople, heading back towards the Inn. Alexandre jogged to catch me and smiled down at me. “You’ve lived quite a life.”
“Which is why I don’t want to leave it,” I said in irritation as I tried to hide my pain with anger.
“Why are you sad?” he asked, grabbing my arm and gently stopping me.
I didn’t want to look at him so I stared at his chest instead since it was in my direct line of sight. “I told you they would be frightened of me.”
“They are now, but after spending time with you they wouldn’t be.”
“Why aren’t you frightened of me?” I asked as I looked up at him.
He smiled cockily. “Because I can hold my own against you.”
“I highly doubt that,” I said despite recalling him pinning me. In a real fight I had been trained by people much stronger than him.
“I need to go to sleep. Thank you for today. I…had fun,” I admitted with a smile.
He wrapped an arm around my waist and a hand behind my head before I could react and kissed me deeply. I fought at first, more shocked than anything and then relaxed as my head swam with the passionate, yet tender kiss. He pulled back and whispered, “I shall be counting down the hours until I see you again.”
I watched him walk away and then turned and walked into the Inn and collapsed onto my bed in the room. My stomach was fluttering with mixed emotions as my lips still tingled from the kiss. I had enjoyed today and the time playing in the river with the children, but could I do this every day? Could I sit idly by while others protected the realm?
I fell asleep replaying the kiss in my head only to be woken by screaming. I leapt from bed with my sword in my hand and ran out of the Inn towards the sound.
“Ar!” yelled an ogre behind me. I spun around and swung my sword, decapitating the ogre.
“Marin!” yelled the little girl who had played with us in the river. I picked up the ax the ogre had dropped and threw it right between the eyes of the ogre chasing the child who had yelled for me. I ran to the child and picked her up in my arms as I blocked a blade swinging down towards her. She clung to me tightly as I battled with the ogre and then I finally sliced off its head and ran the child to the Inn where the owner was gathering people inside.
I kicked an advancing ogre in the stomach, sending him flying backwards and successfully keeping him away from the townspeople. I jumped forward and buried my blade into his chest, right through his heart. I heard a man yell in pain and ran towards the square where I found Alexandre battling with three ogres. He decapitated one ogre and then one of the others sliced his arm. He knocked its ax away and stabbed it in the chest. I ran forward and blocked the third one’s blade from Alexandre’s back and sliced its throat open.
“There’re at least eight more,” Alexandre panted and then pointed towards the main street.
I flicked ogre blood off my blade and picked an ax up off the ground. “I’ll take care of this,” I said happily, “Go to the Inn.”
He looked like he wanted to argue, but then neither of us got the chance because a second group of five ogres ran at us from the side of the village. Alexandre met the group of five head on, swinging his blade in a brilliant blur as I charged forward to meet the group of eight, slicing appendages off left and right with the sword and ax.
A fist slammed into my jaw, sending me stumbling backwards and really pissing me off. I sliced the ogre’s hand off and then the rest of his arm. He howled in pain and fell backwards. I spun my sword and ax as I tried to keep the ogres from surrounding me, but they stayed back from my blades, moving into position. I watched as they looked at each other and then attacked as one. I leapt upwards like I’d done to catch the ball, much to the ogres’ surprise, and decapitated two as I leapt over them and ran towards Alexandre who was losing his fight. I had just killed one when another stabbed him in the stomach. I screamed as he fell forward, blood foaming on his lips and the killing rage I experienced when around ogres finally kicked in.
My blade whirred through the air, invisible to the human eye as I sliced, diced and decapitated. Ogre blood soaked the ground and me as I took my anger out on those nearest me. An arrow buzzed through the air and imbedded itself into the ogre’s head in front of me. I ignored the man who had apparently come to help fight the ogres and continued my killing rampage. The last ogre fell at the end of my blade, but my fury wasn’t satiated. I screamed my rage and walked to the ogre who had killed Alexandre and proceeded to hack his body into smaller pieces.
“Marin,” whispered a soft voice.
I stopped my destruction and dropped down next to Alexandre. “Alexandre,” I whispered.
He gripped my hand in his. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” I whispered as tear leaked down my face, “I’m the one who is sorry.”
He pulled my hand to his lips and kissed it softly before closing his eyes.
“Don’t die,” I whispered, “Please, don’t die.”
The healer ran out and dropped down beside us. “Someone get me a stretcher!”
“You’re the most beautiful and perfect woman I’ve ever seen,” he whispered, “Especially in battle.”
“Stop talking,” The healer said angrily. Men from the town lifted Alexandre onto a stretcher and carried him away from me.
I let my hand drop to my lap and watched him go. Warm hands grabbed my shoulders and I spun around, ready to fight, but found Favian’s eyes looking down into mine. “Marin,” he whispered.
I collapsed into his arms and cried. He picked me up and carried me to the Inn, whispering reassurances to me in Elvish. I didn’t remember making it to my room or falling asleep, but I woke up the next morning in the bed, under the blankets.
“How are you feeling?” the healer asked from a chair beside my bed.
I didn’t respond, not yet able to fully comprehend everything or form logical thoughts. “Alexandre survived,” she whispered, “And your elf friend is downstairs.”
I stayed staring up at the ceiling. It had almost happened again. I’d almost lost another to the ogres. “It isn’t your fault that they attacked,” the healer whispered.
She was wrong. The only reason they were here was because I was. I shouldn’t have stayed for a stupid desire to be courted. I shouldn’t have endangered all of these people. I should have tossed the bag of diamonds to Alexandre and left.
“He’s been asking for you,” the healer said.
I wasn’t sure if she was talking about Favian or Alexandre, but decided it didn’t matter. I needed to get up and use the restroom anyways. I used the restroom first and then walked to the dining room where I could hear Favian and Alexandre talking. I stepped into the room and both stopped talking to look at me. I couldn’t look at Favian. I didn’t want to see his disappointed face so I walked silently passed him and sat in the chair beside Alexandre.
“Hello,” he said with a smile. I looked at his pale face and bandaged arm. His stomach wasn’t visible because he had a blanket pulled up to his chest, but I looked down at it anyways. “Just a flesh wound. I’ll be fine in the next day or so.” He picked up my hand from where they were clenched on my lap. “Are you alright?”
I nodded my head once and then pulled my hand back, taking the pouch from my po
cket and setting it in his hand. A tear rolled down my cheek and he wiped it away with the tip of his finger in a small caress. “I understand. I knew you couldn’t keep to the arrangement anyways, but I still had to try.”
I wanted to tell him I was sorry. I wanted to tell him that if things had been different I would have been more than happy to be his wife, but I couldn’t speak at all.
“I’ll always remember you, Marin.”
“She doesn’t mean to be rude,” Favian said softly. “She’s just having a bit of a breakdown as I explained to you.”
“Take care of her,” Alexandre said seriously, “Or I promise I’ll find you.”
Favian bowed grandly. “I swear it. And thank you for discussing the other things with me. Once she is able I will tell her everything.”
“Good bye, Marin. I hope to see you again someday,” Alexandre said.
I nodded numbly and walked out of the Inn. Fire and Ice were standing out front waiting for us with the little girl I’d saved yesterday holding their reins. I stopped just in front of her and she dropped the reins to hug my legs. “Thank you.”
I stared down at her in shock and fought the tears which were trying to break free. She pulled back and then walked into the Inn. I started to sway and Favian grabbed me just before I fell. “It’s alright, Marin.”
I clung to him as I tried to keep myself composed in front of the townspeople who were watching from their houses, but knew it was too late. Favian helped me up into my saddle and then climbed on behind me, wrapping his arm around my waist and telling his horse in Elvish to follow us. Favian took the reins and we fled the town of my sorrow. As soon as the town was lost to our sight the barrier I had created broke and I sobbed uncontrollably.
That had been my one chance at a human life and the ogres had come to take it away again. I had saved Alexandre, but scared everyone in the town into hiding from me. I knew then that I could never have a human life. I could never live in a quiet town and play ball with kids. The only place I could live was among eternals or alone where there would be no people to be frightened of me. I cried over the loss of my humanity and what could have been. I cried over the loss of my parents again.
Protector (Little Death Bringer, #2) Page 18
