A Chosen Daughter

Chapter 27*E

"Leah" a throat clears and the voice calls again "Leah ... Leah" Leah blinks slowly "Leah?" Leah turns her head towards Sophie, blinking slowly. Sophie smiles "Leah ... I really think ...."
Leah smiles "Sophie I'm fine" seeing Sophie's unsure expression she rushes to reassure her friend "Really i am! Do I seem tired? Four hours in the gym working out my aggression - was I collapsed against the wall exhausted? did I slow down? ... well did I?"
"No" Sophie reluctantly agrees "In fact I would say the opposite" she adds resentfully
"Huh Huh! Hitting faster and harder as the time passed - biatch" Marie contributes
"What do I tell you? Every training session? Every practice? Every work out? What do I tell you?" Her four friends look at the floor in sulky silence. Leah laughs and questions them again "what do I tell you?"
"To ground ourselves and open ourselves up to our surroundings" Marie answers respectfully
"To connect; to ourselves, our wolves, our surroundings" is Ambers surly input.
"You still don't get what I mean by that do you? Or how it applies to this conversation?! You don't understand how laughable the notion is to be limited on energy when it's needed! I say ground; you plant your feet in a fighting stance! I say open yourself; your open your senses!" Leah shakes her head sadly "If you grounded yourself by connecting with nature, allowing her to anchor and enrich you; you wouldn't run out of steam part way through our sessions Amber!" Amber glares at her and Leah smiles "You miss out on so many wonders by limiting yourself!"

Leah turns to Tammy and the two people who have joined her "do you have what I need?" At Tammy's nod. Leah steps forward taking the four items and stepping away from everyone. She kneels on the ground the items before her. Closing her eyes she takes a minute to ground herself; she can feel her connection to nature strengthen as it's roots anchor her soul.

Picking up each item separately she inhales the scent deeply before moving onto the next one. When she has familiarised herself with all four scents, she positions them in front, but spread out around her so she can continue to breath in the scents. Then she places her hands flat on the ground and murmurs "show me"

Blurs of greens and browns then pink and red, followed by a multitude of colours fills her minds eye. The colours become less vibrant as the blurs come into focus and her vision fills out. Looking to her right she sees the four women. Heads bowed and hands bound. Clothes torn and dirty. Bruises so vividly black and purple they make Leah wince in sympathy. Large patches of skin are this mottled colour. Scratches and cuts of various depths mar the rest of the visible skin. The dried blood on the torn clothes hint at what lays beneath. Folded in upon themselves they tremble with fear as they try to appear smaller. Submitting to the monsters that surround them. Hoping beyond hope they will stop if they will only just realise they are not a threat.

Leah can feel their exhaustion as if it were her own. As well as their dizziness and all the other symptoms, they are suffering due to the lack of food and water. Leah bares her teeth within the garden.

Her fears are confirmed when she witnesses four females crying and screaming. Pleading for a mercy that will not be shown. Dragged by limbs and hair into the centre of the square; the prime viewing spot to torture the four newbies with. Their hands now tied to the four posts stood waiting, the men rip off what clothing the women had left hanging on their abused frames, which are starting to shudder and shake with sobs.

One stands more broken than the others; shown as she stands silent, head bowed to hide her tears as unwelcome hands grab and squeeze. The remaining three beg for them to stop. Complain of the pain the men are causing them. It all falls on deaf ears.

Tears fall down Leah's cheeks.