The Lord of Roses: Three

Things come out of the woods and offer Brigid's family an ultimatum.

          In the early morning in Turith, nary a soul was stirring in the streets, save for the odd mouse or stray dog. The air was misty, turning the world murky like the bottom of a lake. Even the guard posts were empty, the spare moments between when soldiers dragged themselves between shifts to ensure the village remained protected. There was little light save for the torches and braziers which still burned. All was still. All was quiet.

            Then in the distance, a distinct pulsing vibration which could be felt in the air and in the ground. It held a steady rhythm: One-two, one-two, one-two. First strong, second soft, like a heartbeat. The birds heard it and promptly flew away from the village in a heartbeat. The cats ran away and hid in dark places. The dogs heard it and ran as well, with others choosing to whine and bark nervously in fear. The wind seemed to move with the rhythm, the torches and spare candles still lit within houses wafting in time. Soon the candles went out as the pulsing grew louder and fiercer. The rhythm became more aggressive and layered as more notes added to the strange melody. The two guards meant to be on duty at the village wall scrambled to their posts quickly enough to see what appeared to be a small army marching to the gates of Turith. Their forms were strange and numerous, with a massive thing towering over them all which the guards could not quite see through the gloom. But all they both knew that it would not listen to any human edicts.

            The warning bell pealed violently through the house, hurling Brigid from dreamless sleep. She whirled around, hurriedly blinking away sleep as Judith’s terrified face and Gwyn’s stern expression hardened into view. We’re under attack, was Brigid’s only thought. It’s happening, finally. Immediately she turned to her sister. Judith was crouched in the corner of her bed, curled into a ball, and covering her ears. She was shaking violently. Brigid instinctively wrapped her arms around her sister and held her close. “Shh,” She whispered to Judith. “We’ll be alright. It’s okay.”

            “No we won’t,” Judith rasped over and over. “No we won’t, no we won’t.”

            “Get dressed and meet me outside,” Gwyn grunted, jumping out of bed. She threw on her fighting gear. “Remember the evacuation procedure.”

            Pack everything essential and head to the back door at the farm storehouse while everyone was running away. Brigid knew it well. She used that door all the time when hunting. She never thought she’d see the day when it would be properly used. She desperately wanted that bell to stop. She wanted to go back to sleep and forget this day had come. No. I must be strong, she thought as she looked at her sister. “Judith, look at me,” She said, turning Judith’s face to hers. “We have to leave now. I’ll be right beside you, okay?”

            “We’re going to die. Just like in my dreams, we’re all going to die,” Judith continued mumbling to herself. Tears streamed down her face.

            “No we’re not. We’re going to stick together, remember? That’s what we do.” She touched her forehead to her little sister. “I will take care of you. But I need you to be strong.”

            Judith shut her eyes. Her lower lip quivered. She clasped her hands together and began muttering to herself. It was the Geordian Prayer of Supplication:

“Within thee I place mine being, With all my life I submit to thee, I give my body, my blood, my soul to thee, I supplicate myself and make myself bare before thy feet.”

Judith repeated this phrase over and over, each finished phrase faster than the next.

Brigid knew full well what was going through her sister’s mind. Judith’s condition was such that undue stress caused her to come apart almost instantly. Judith was not made for a life outside of the banal and the generic. She was never normally like this. Only after coming here did her bad dreams begin, and in turn her condition. It was only through the various remedies Judith tried to calm herself that she found momentary solace. The most recent one was her adoption of the Geordian faith. This one, besides the ringweed, seemed to work. Brigid was skeptical, yet she hoped it would stick.

            Finally Judith stopped praying. She uncoupled her sweaty hands. She was still shaking, but it was less than before. She looked to Brigid with watery eyes. “Let’s go.”

            Soon they were dressed in travelling gear. Judith had her rosaries and pendant and the little charm Brigid gave her. Brigid had her bow and pack and cloak. They left the bedroom to see Gwyn securing her axe to her back via the leather holder. “Took you long enough,” she said tersely. Her voice was harsh and clipped, but Brigid could see in her eyes Gwyn was afraid. “Stay together, no matter what happens.” She held out her hand. Brigid grabbed it as Judith followed soon after. They placed their hands together and squeezed them before releasing and leaving the house.

            The streets were thick with fog. It was nearly impenetrable save for the light from lanterns and a few torches. Slowly, Brigid saw other people emerging into the confusion: Farmers, mercenaries, large families huddled together. Everyone searched around for an answer for why the bell was ringing.

            But just as quickly as the bell began to ring, it stopped. Now there was only silence except for Brigid and her family’s harried breathing.

            Then she realized she could feel something like a heartbeat in the air. She concentrated her hearing, realizing it was coming from everywhere at once. It rumbled in her chest and rattled her teeth.

            “What is that?” Judith asked, holding close to Brigid’s side.

            “I don’t know.” Brigid said under her breath. She grabbed Judith’s hand and squeezed it tight. Gwyn unsheathed her axe, ready to kill whatever came out of the mist.

            They waited for what seemed like ages as the pulsing grew louder and louder. More pounding and sounds like fluting instruments built on top of one another until forms began emerging into view. Soon it became clear that the pulsing was the product of many drums being beat by long-fingered hands belonging to creatures wearing wooden masks and long trailing fabrics. They beat their instruments with terrible abandon, some dancing and galivanting to the beat as the procession marched unconcerned into the village. As the procession continued, there were stranger creatures within this group: wolves the size of horses, clouds of little things with six eyes and six arms, a long-limbed thing with skin which resembled tree bark. The creatures marched in orderly fashion like trained soldiers, clear ranks denoted from the more animal-like to the humanoid. The masks of the human-like ones were a particular note, being just two black holes and a single hole for what resembled a mouth-hole with elaborate carvings all around the polished surface. Faeire Folk, Brigid thought as she tensed, pulling Judith closer.

            Soon the procession stopped. They all had formed a semi-circle around the O’Keirs’ house. Brigid couldn’t see beyond the seeming battalion which now stood in front of them. Gwyn gripped her axe harder, body coiled like a spring.

            Soon a short creature emerged with what appeared to be a giant upright horn with a dragon’s head in clawed knobby hands. It stood at the center of the semi-circle between the O’Keirs and the creatures. Up close, Brigid could see the creature had strange hoof-like feet like a deer. Its legs were bright white with odd swirling patterns swimming with faint light. The patterns were especially strange, resembling the markings on the masks but were a part of the creature’s skin. The creature raised its mask slightly and raised the mouthpiece to its lips. What blew out of the horn sounded like a cross between a wolf’s howl and the screech of a hawk. All three covered their ears at the noise. When it had finished, the creature lowered the horn, then bowed deeply. “His Royal Eminence, the Ard of Eostere,” the creature said in a cracked ancient voice. It shuffled away into the crowd as a group of large golden-furred wolves parted in unison. Brigid’s breath caught in her throat as a massive creature padded into view. It resembled a lion with giant spiraling horns and a large braided golden mane. Its paws were a strange cross between human hands and a lion’s paws, almost resembling a very hairy man walking on all fours. The creature’s face was similarly mismatched, being a cross between the scowling face of a man and the bestial face of a big cat. The tip of its jewel-adorned tail swished back and forth. It looked over the family with burning green eyes, glaring at Gwyn closest of all. It wrinkled its flat nose in what Brigid could’ve sworn was annoyance.

            “Speak, Beast!” Gwyn roared. “Leave this place or you shall die.”

            “I doubt that will happen.” The beast rumbled, expression unchanging.

            “Then what do you want with us?! If you have no quarry, then return to your side of the Fissure!” She brandished her axe. “This is pure iron and silver, monster! I will cut you down if I have to!”

            “No need.” The beast said.

He nodded at no one in particular. Suddenly Gwyn slapped her neck with a shout. “Ah! Something bit me!” She exclaimed. She looked at her hand, which held a small mote of blood. “Wait. What did you�"” Gwyn’s speech then slurred as her eyes rolled back into her head. Her axe fell forward as she fell back. Judith tried catching her, but Gwyn was too heavy as she crashed to the dirt.

“Gwyn!” Judith cried out. She began slapping her cousin’s face repeatedly. Gwyn was out cold. “What did you do?”

“Nixie venom and a spriggan. Very useful in the right situation.”

“You poisoned her!” Brigid shouted. “You son of a b***h!”

“Just a pinprick. She and your whole village will be just fine. Now if we can get to business.” The beast turned up his massive head. “I come demanding tithe.”

“Tithe? What tithe? What are you talking about?!” Brigid demanded.

“For what was taken from me. It was one of you who took something of mine, and I must be repaid in equal. Or have Men forgotten that as well?” The beast remarked, burning eyes trained on Brigid.

“But we didn’t take anything from you!” Judith sputtered. “W---We don’t even know you!”

“Then my scout was mistaken? Did he not see the golden charm in your place of residence? And is that not a rose that I smell in your pocket?” The beast fired back, large white teeth bared.

Oh no, Brigid thought, face blanching in horror. “Judith�"”

“What, this?” Judith relinquished the small golden charm. “This is what you want?” Judith chucked it at the beast’s nose. It bounced off and landed in the dirt. “Take it! Take it and leave us alone.”

“That will not be enough. You took it from a dear comrade of mine. His life was more precious than that charm. That is what must be replaced.” The beast lowered himself to the sisters’ eye-level. “One of you killed him.”

I should have listened to Jared, Brigid thought as Judith slid to the ground. I should have pitched that stupid thing into the woods and never looked back. But I didn’t. She looked down at her sister, who was beginning to cry again.

“Brigid, please! Please don’t let them take me! Please---” Judith begged, hugging her sister tightly.

            Brigid’s expression was blank. She simply hugged her sobbing little sister’s head, running a hand through her dirty golden hair. It seemed that no matter how hard she tried, she was destined to let her loved ones down. She finally got her wish after all. She would leave to face her horrible fate in the clutches of these monstrous things. She promised to protect Judith no matter the cost. It seemed her life was the price. “I killed your friend.” She said under her breath.

            “No,” Judith croaked, furiously shaking her head. “No, no, no!” She clung to her sister’s leg harder. “Please no�"”

            “I have to go,” Brigid barely managed. Tears began welling in her eyes. “I killed it. So I have to pay for it.” Brigid knew she didn’t kill anyone. But that didn’t matter to this creature. Human laws didn’t matter to monsters.

            “You didn’t kill anyone! That’s a lie!”

            Brigid bent down to meet her sister’s red tear-stained face. “Judith,” Brigid croaked, running a hand through her sister’s hair. “I love you.” She managed to whisper.

            Judith was about to say something when a little shape flew away from her neck. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she collapsed into the dirt. Tears began streaming down Brigid’s cheeks as her sister slipped from her hands. She fell to her knees and began to sob. A life for a life. How old fashioned. How appropriate, Brigid thought bitterly.

            She expected the beast to eat her, to end her suffering right there. But instead, from high above her as she wept into the ground, he merely asked, “Do you wish to sleep?”

            “Yes,” Brigid choked out between sobs.

            “Then it is done.” Was the beast’s reply.

            A tiny pinprick to her neck. And in another second, nothing.

Author's Note

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