The TwiceBorn

Sons of Thunder And Daughters Of Eve

Disclaimer: This is a long chapter but I never could find the right point to break this up so I've placed it here,in its entirety. This chapter deals with graphic rape and if reading these types of events bothers you or triggers you in any way, please take care of yourself first and foremost and skip reading this chapter. Your own emotional and mental health is far more important then anything I write so please, take care of yourself and if you think this isn't for you, please pass it on by.-Wyld

"They will lay you out in moonlight and invent your name.."-Jewel

"Fire. The whole sky was burning." Aubery whispered in a voice so low, Gre could barely hear him over the crackling of the campfire. And he didn't want to hear him. A small whirlpool of anger rose up inside of him but it was weak and mewling.

Whatever was taking Aubery for a spin hadn't relented and it was wearing Gre out at a point where he was already exhausted to begin with.

His plans to sleep away the day had almost come to fruition. He'd settled in deep, clutching his aleskin tight to his chest, and begun the familiar routine of sipping until his head became fuzzy and he drifted off.

After issuing several threats to Islinn on what would happen if she took off, Aubery had bedded down as well but tossed and turned. That hadn't bothered Gre a bit. It was the sudden lunging to his feet that Aubery had done that brought Gre up off his pallet. The first time, Gre had leapt up too, scrabbling for his sword, his eyes searching the treeline and brush for...what?

Nothing. His thoughts had immediately jumped to The Twiceborn and he wondered, uneasily, how long he was going to be haunted by the thought of her coming back...

Crawling through the woods, clutching earth in her hands to pull herself along... her intestines trailing through the grass behind her as her eyes searched and searched...

"It's nothing, Aubery,what the fuck? Go to sleep!" Gre had growled and it had worked. Until Aubery got to his feet again. And again. And again. Always staring off towards the trees with an odd,woebegone expression on his face.

And now this.

"I shouldn't have left it. I should have gone back." Aubery muttered as he stared into the fire and rocked back and forth. 'I was wrong and now I can't go back."

Gre glanced at Aubery then quickly looked away. Shadows rolled across the small clearing and the slim fingers of darkness became bold as they slipped over each tree and each tangle of brush. The air was cool and, as Gre raised his aleskin to his mouth, he wondered if they could make it back to the settlement before the early mornings became nothing but pale sun and ice.

"Gray!! You understand,right? What a mistake it was? To leave it?"

Gre had no idea what it was the boy spoke of but he did know a lot about mistakes.

"You're right about that, Aubery." He replied. "Nothing but one huge mistake."

Aubery nodded and gazed off into the approaching blackness. Gre glanced at Islinn and saw she was looking off into the underbrush as well with an oddly expectant look on her face. The ale suddenly took on a slimy-slick taste in his mouth and only the greatest of will kept him from spitting it out onto the ground.