Starbound

Preface

Hell

Cold. Damp. Darkness. Pain. Hunger. Thirst. And always the murmurs of prayers to a god she didn't know. All of these were constant for her. She slept she woke she screamed and she prayed.

'Anwyn take me'.

Odd that torture wasn't the worst part of being prisoner here. It was the starvation and the thirst. The fact that she knew with each passing hour she came that little small step closer to death. She didn't want to die though she prayed for it often. Who wouldn't in this abysmal hell?

She wanted to live!

She ached to feel the sun once more caress her skin. She longed to ride through the fog and the rain. She prayed to breath the fresh air. Instead it was the cold damp darkness that surrounded her with the distinct smell of death that tinged the air. It always lingered here.

Gwen was still here and a boy she knew little of. She often heard the Roman lady whisper to them. As she did to her. Leaving the small amounts of food and water. She hated that time after time she ate the food and drank the water. She was only prolonging her death. Her broken fingers gingerly bring the small morsels of bread to her lips. Tilting the refreshing water into the ravenous cavern of her mouth.

Yes she loved and hated the Roman lady with pity in her dark eyes. She hates her weakness. She hated Gwen for getting captured and allowing herself to arrogantly think she could set her free once captured. She underestimated her enemy. That wouldn't happen again. Ever.

The days leeched into one another never being much different than the next. She existed in much the same way. Day to day. Night to night. From pain to pain. Bouts of pitiless routine broken by the Roman ladies return.

She breathed out a sigh seeing her breath hang in the air highlighted by the dim torches.

"We are going to die here" Gwen whispered in their native tongue.

"Yes" she answered

A stock conversation. The only purpose in it was to simply be sure that both herself and her cousin still lived. To be able to hear one another. To still know that each of them existed. She closed her eyes the task for today was complete. The roman lady wouldn't return for a few days. She couldn't come very often. But she came enough to ensure they lived just that one more day. To prolong their torment just that little bit longer. Killed by her kindness on the inside but living on outwardly.

She remembered not so long ago, another time, another place, when things were better. When she was free and happy to go about her days. She remembered the dark slash of tattoos on high cheek bones. She remembered enigmatic eyes gazing deeply into her own. Always the smell of apples. The swirl of fiery red hair floating about the bustling figure of a woman. The great cry of victory 'Russsssss'. She remembered them. She remembered him most of all.

The one man she found herself longing for. The one man who had captured her heart and tamed her soul. The man she would never see again. Tristan. The sorrowful one. Always so serious. A smile flitted across her lips. Like the flutter of wings upon Decembers cold air. Faint momentary. Almost nonexistent.

A smile she had seen perhaps once or twice flit across his face. Beautiful exotic and always so serious. A face she saw in her waking dreams. A face she longed to see once more. A smile she had learned to delight in. A smile to kill for. So beautiful and faint and so rarely bestowed. A smile worth dying for.

She would have too if only he would have asked it of her. She would have thrown herself onto her own sword. Piercing her heart that was no longer there. But in his keeping.

She closed her eyes and remembered. Taking herself to a better time. A time away from time. A time when all the world was at peace and everything was okay. A time when everything was beautiful and nothing hurt.

Authors note. Anwyn Gaelic god of death.

So this is somewhere near the middle of our story. She will be remembering back to a year prior. This is where our story will begin then we will move through it until we see her as she is now in this preface. There will be times where we see her in the present small moments where she breaks from remembering. If it's confusing just ask me questions I don't mind to answer. :)