“It's okay, it hurts and it's perfectly fine if you need to stop and process what all you have been through today. The pain should be embraced even if you still have joy for helping bring a baby into a world you don't approve of.” He grips my hands tightly as I feel a tear stream down my cheek.
“I just don't understand, Chaos has no mother… she will have to grow up with that pain, and I lost my parents; I know how much that hurts, and I can't imagine how she will bare that feeling of losing her mother. Her mother will never get to see her grow up…. Get to see that beautiful … face in the twilight like me, like you, like her father.” I barely get it out as I just absolutely fall apart as Kallem embraces and I lay my head onto his chest.
“She will have her father, you and me. This village will be her home, her family. You know the old saying; it takes an entire village to raise a child, that will be all of us. Working hard each day to make sure that Bella has all the love and support she needs. That's why I say it's so important to be part of this, I know you don't agree, but because you were here…you are here, you got to see both worlds. Death is ugly, and birth makes it beautiful again. You can help her, be strong with her, we all have to be.” Kallem's embrace tightens.
I continue to cry as he comforts me, and I know he is right, in that moment life didn't seem fair but her mother lost her life to give birth to a new one and I understood why… love has no boundaries and she knew the risk. I want to be a part of that sacrifice; I will do anything to help her daughter find comfort and forget that pain in life since her mother can't be with her.
Eventually I find my tears drying Kallem gives me one of his shirts to change into and invites me to lay in the bed with him. Neither of us felt like being alone after everything we had been through today, finding ourselves quickly falling asleep in each other's embrace from the stress of such a traumatic day.
CHAPTER 8
OUTSIDE THESE GATES
M
orning comes around and for once I'm awake before Kallem even budges. Still covered in unspeakable things and feeling mentally drained, I'm really looking forward to a brief shower and to scrub off. While Kallem lays still passed out in the bed I sneak up and into the bathroom to wash off. I also take advantage of the water time since Kallem was sleeping so hard, I felt so dirty that I needed to scrub down to my soul somehow. I get out and dry off with a cloth to wonder what I am going to do about something to wear now. Hmmm… guess it's time to wake up Kallem. I wrap the cloth around me and go shake Kallem awake and explain about the clothing as he is trying to wake up enough to respond.
“Kallem, wake up, I need something to wear since my dress was ruined and the shirt that you gave me is dirty.” I announce shaking him until he sets up.
“Yeah you can't put that shirt back on. I am going to jump in the shower too, I need some clean clothes myself after. In the meanwhile, you can put your old clothes back on and stay inside until I run over to the market when it opens to find something for you.” He walks over and removes my clothes from under his bed and tosses them to me.
“Yes!” I shout with excitement, catching the clothes and almost dropping the cloth wrapped around me.
“Don't get too excited. They are clean, and you can wear them only inside until I find something else… Like I said. Then they are going to be put right back up.” Kallem says sternly as he leaves to go take a shower, shutting the bathroom door behind him.
I drop the cloth and quickly put on my jeans and shirt that reminds me of my old life. After I am dressed, I stop to feel the cloth against my skin and just look at myself and take deep breath of relaxation. Oh, comfort, I have missed this. Hmmm now all I need is shoes and I am almost dressed like my old self again.
Kallem exits the bathroom to find me sitting eating a piece of bread in the floor. Already dressed he grabs some bread for himself.
“I am glad to see you smile, to eat, and to be yourself again. How about we put that smile and ‘can do’ attitude to work, will you clean my tools for me. Meanwhile, I will run out and get us some fresh meat and something for you to wear outside. Then we can go check on Bella and John, how does that sound?” Sliding his jacket on since it has been getting much colder as start of winter has arrived it seems.
“Sounds good to me. Please pick me something up that doesn't squeeze me into a diamond this time, or a doesn't look like a grass stain. Oh, I can't wait to see Bella.” I throw Kallum's bags of supplies onto the counter and get water ready.
“Soon you will. I'm going to head out, but I will be back very shortly.” Kallem heads out the door and I go shut it as I nod goodbye.
Time passes as I finish cleaning his tools, then I go set down by the fire and listen to the crackling of the wood as I toss a new piece of wood on. Suddenly I hear a gun shot off in the distance, and I quickly jump up. Kallem should be back soon, I hope. Then I hear commotion, but I can't leave the house with these clothes on. I peer out the windows to see people running everywhere. Then I see Coven outside through the window; I run out the door and to try to find out what is going on.
“Coven! What's going on, is something wrong?” I try to yell over the commotion.
“Get inside now, the village is being attacked.” Coven pushes me back into the doorway and tries to shut it, but I stop it with my foot wedge between the door and its frame.
“No, what do you mean attacked by who?!?!? Where is Kallem…? Have you seen him??” I push the door back open again.
“I haven't I must go help at the gates. If they get in people may get hurt. I need you to get inside…” but before he could finish, I remember about the baby and I shove him out of the way and take off running through the village to check on her. Her father is strong and has guns, but he will need to help protecting Chaos.
“Stop Raelia, it's not safe.” I hear Coven in the distance as I have one thing on my mind, and nothing is going to stop me from making sure she is safe. I run as fast as my feet can guide me to find her father outside of the home talking to the others with his rifle at his side.
“Raelia, please help, watch Bella I must go to the gates and help protect the village.” He urges me as he rushes off to join others towards the gates.
I run inside and grab her up, she is crying from the screaming. I wonder how I am going to protect her if they break in. I remember seeing an axe on the side of the home yesterday when I was here. I lay her down and quickly run outside and I am so relieved to find it still leaned against the house; I grab it and return inside to Chaos. Laying it down beside us I pick her back and rock her in attempt to calm her.
Eventually the door flies open and its Kallem standing there with the wrinkles on his face tightly contracted in a clearly frantic state.
“There you are, I was worried that you tried to leave, but you're here and safe.” Kallem runs into the room and embraces us both. “Coven said, he tried to make you stay in the house but that you ran off. I thought if you stayed, this would be where I would find you… thank you for not running away during all of this.”
In the distance we hear screaming, muffled at first …
“They got in, prepare yourselves…. To the northern walls…”
Kallem reaches to remove the gun from the back of his pants. “You both stay here and don't leave no matter…” He is interrupted midsentence by the door flying open as the neighbor's teen daughter that had let me use her dress comes running in. Kallem bracing his gun in his hand.
“I lost my mother and I just ran into here for safety because I didn't know where to hide. They are coming down from the tree on the north side since they were unable to break down the front gates, so they are slowly coming in. There was a few inside before we noticed since they distracted everyone by attempting to break down the front gates.” The girl rants as her voice shakes nervously.
“Steph stay in here with Raelia and Bella. I am going out to help, no one leave this house.” Kallem heads towards the door…
“No Kallem, let me help too. Don't go
out alone.” Grabbing his arm tightly as I attempt to keep him from leaving.
“Help me? No, it's too dangerous first off. Secondly what are you going to do… scare them away with a panic attack?” He says with a serious laugh.
“Seriously Kallem, you pick now to crack your first bad joke? Really?!” Giving him a look of agitation.
“Right…sorry, I said no, end of story.” With a firm voice before leaving out the door as I stare at the girls. I give the baby to Steph for her to hold and I swiftly grab the axe.
“Steph, will you please stay close to her no matter what, if anything happens then I want you to get her to safety.”
“You heard Kallem, please don't leave us.” Steph begs with panic in her eyes.
“I will never leave either of you… but if something were to…”
Loud noises come from outside the door, and I hear gun shots for the first time that close to the house.
“Down on the floor with the baby, in the corner now.” Commanding them to safety and to avoid any stray bullets as I hear Kallem's voice.
I charge out the door, slamming it behind me and putting my back up against it. I find Kallem outside and a Will'er is still advancing at him even though he is covered in blood and clearly injured. They are so dangerous; they don't even register the pain sometimes… or at least I don't think they don't appear too when in certain mental states.
“Get back inside now!” Kallem looks at me shouting.
I ignore his command and take off running towards him as he looks at me with shock in his eyes; axe in hand as I swing it back and before Kallem can respond I almost take off the Willer's head with one swift movement. I watch his body fall to the ground as I turn back to look at Kallem staring at me with both a paleness and panic about him.
“So… who's having a panic attack now? You look like you just saw a ghost, snap out of it.” I say laughingly with a tilted grin while still in a cautious stance and keeping my eyesight within range of danger.
“Funny, I want to ask but right now isn't the time…”
“Well if you insist on using the gun then you better aim for the head because they don't always respond to injury; otherwise they are going to keep coming at you. Right now, I really miss my crossbow. Please, be careful.” Instructing Kallem as he still stands there looking at me with the color slowly coming back into his face.
Others approach as we quickly manage to find a way to work together. Kallem shots to slow them, since he is a lousy aim, making it easier for me to attack with the axe to make sure they are dead. Staying as close to the house to keep the girls safe as we can. We manage to take out five before Coven approaches to check on us.
“All the Willer's that got inside the village are dead already and the leaders of the group have retreated into the woods. Unfortunately, they may return with more of their Will'er minions in time, but they have moved on to regroup for now.” Coven continues to inform us that they are also going to do rounds collecting the dead Will'ers to burn the bodies and that there are some injuries among the villagers and that the Kallem needs to prepare his stuff and come help the injured and dead.
“I am going back to check on the girls and I will stay with them until you return from the injured. So, you know where to find me when you return.” I tell Kallem as I drop my axe down and softly pat Kallem on the back.
“Sounds like a good plan.” Kallem nods in agreement.
“Good luck, come find me if I'm needed.”
“I will, just keep the girls calm. I'll return soon I hope.” Kallem sighs as he leaves.
I come back into the house to see Steph still down on the floor where they took shelter; Steph holding on the Bella in an almost fetal position.
“It's over, we won, and they are all gone now. You're safe; I am sorry I left, I was worried for Kallem, but I am back now and were going to stay here together until Kallem returns as he has to care for the injured.”
Going over to lean down and hug them both as Steph face is filled with relief and she relaxes her body finally. Taking Bella from her arms and swaddling her closely to my chest. We all sit in the floor together talking and enjoying each other's company for what felt like hours before Kallem and Coven both returned. You could smell the ash of burning bodies as they open the door to come in. It's not a smell that is easily forgotten; I know that they will do the same with Dailah's body too, since they have already started, and none of us will get to mourn for her tonight at a proper gathering because of this. Eventually as time goes on, Kallem returns.
“Is Bella okay? I brought her some milk.” Kallem asks as he sits down beside us, handing me the milk. Clearly tired and his clothes covered in blood again, which happens too often recently.
“Bella will be fine; she is lucky to be unaware of the dangers that face her yet or those of us who fight the battles to keep her safe. I hope that as she grows old enough to have memories of the world, these things… the fighting, slavery, and Will'ers will just seem like a bad dream.” I say to Kallem while getting her milk ready and feeding her in my lap.
“Raelia, that's a big dream you have. Honestly by the time she is a teen… I doubt we will make progress very much; I do think that by the time she is your age then the Will'ers will be gone. However, we have no idea what the world is like outside of our home right now. We are blind to the world and its future.”
“Then I will do as my parents taught me… I will teach her to survive on her own. How to hunt, forage, and fight. Maybe this is what the future needs, knowledge that once was forgotten. Once our families were able to live a life of farming and were self-sustainable because they didn't have technology. Maybe it's time to use our technology to be self-sustainable and teach the young to do as both our parents and our ancestors. I will teach her everything and I will learn everything I can to train her. Maybe we can teach Steph and others here that are young.”
“That sounds like a reasonable dream to acquire a better future for our village and our next generation. I will do my best to support you and I can help teach you more about medicines so that if anything were ever to happen to me, we could have others that have some basic knowledge. That's really a great idea Raelia, because there is no schools or training of any kind here yet. We have been leaving it to the parents to teach the kids in their own trade only since the collapse. This will be an advantage for them to know more than that, and we just need to reach out and get the idea supported for votes and make it happen. In the meanwhile, we will help Bella, and if Steph is on board then she can start learning with us.” Kallem peers at Steph with an inquisitive face.
“Sure, I don't like feeling like I did today; I didn't know what to do, how to protect myself or where to go to get help. Plus, it would be nice to be able to learn how to grow herbs and food, I wanted to, but my parents didn't know that trade. You can count me in!” Steph says excitingly.
“That settles it then. We will bring it to a vote with the villagers.” Kallem puts his arm around Raelia with pride.
We eventually make food for all of us together, spending well into dark hours talking, eating by the fire; sharing stories about our families, friends and our lives before and after the war. It was some much needed bonding time for all of us, giving light on who we were; who we've all became over the last few years and allowing us to for the first time build connections that we may have neglected or forgotten to make while trying to just make it through one day to the next. I finally got to tell Kallem more about my parents, and my friends from the past and learn more about his life prior to living in Oaken Woods.
After a long night, much needed conversation, and food everything didn't seem as bad. I felt like I was finally gaining ground. I don't know what towards, but something bigger than myself. If that makes any sense? I felt like I wasn't alone anymore.
Eventually Kallem and I left Chaos with Holter after he arrived back home for some much-needed rest, and we walked Steph home before we returned home ourselves. Completely warn out, but satisfied,
we delayed cleaning ourselves up and just decided to lay down and relax our sore muscles.
As the days went by after this attack, we started to make plans to start training others to fight, medical skill and gain other skills in a class each week. Kallem started working with me, training me in his spare time about herbal remedies and what medications he has still available on supply in emergencies. I started to work with Steph on some of the basic skills that my father taught me and about self-sustaining and combat. The days were going by quickly as we all became dependent on each other for many different things. That being said, I felt like Kallem kept me at bay because we were always together but never ‘together’ in the sense that I thought he wanted. However, it felt like I had a family again, but I couldn't forget my real family that is out there somewhere waiting for me.
CHAPTER 9
POLITICS EQUALS PROBLEMS
T
he village pulled together over the last couple of weeks to clean up and prepare for another possible attack. Time has gone by with a fast pace as everyone continues to get ready for winters worst weeks that are soon to come. Whilst that was going on, I have been spending more time getting to know Steph and we have become closer friends. She helped me care for Chaos while her dad was also away with Holter and the other men to go on group hunts since leaving the village alone since the attacks is not allowed.
As it became calm, Kallem and I decided it was time to address the council about my ideas for both combat training, schooling, and other trades such as herbs and gardening being taught to the youth. As a servant I am not allowed to speak to them about such issues; Kallem will go forward to the council with my ideas and his only reservation is the fact that I am not a villager myself, being just a servant doesn't sit well when it comes to the politics of the village itself. However, servants are often used for educating children in the home with things such as cooking, but many parents are taking advantage that servants will always be there and that their children do not need to know any trade but the family trade that is expected of them. Which doesn't seem like a great idea because we need more than specialized trades in case someone leaves or passes away. Also, in this new world that we are currently living in, it's not fair to say that anything won't change. Everything in our lives is in constant chaos. The more you know the better off you are when it comes to survival. Knowing a trade is great, don't get me wrong, but not every child wants to follow in their parent's foot prints either. We should give them the opportunity to choose and learn as much as they want, and to prepare for what is to come, whatever that may be. So much is unknown about our future, the only way to prepare is to never stop learning and adapting. Preparation for the possibilities, because one trade won't keep you alive. With Will'ers still around it is mandatory that everyone know at least basic fighting and weaponry. The more we teach the youth, the better our chances are for keeping them alive and well. Then they can pass on their knowledge, like our ancestors did with us.
Revelation of Raelia: Book One Page 12
