New Beginnings

Chapter 20

I scrubbed at clothing in the river. The water rushing over my hands was cool and refreshing. There were slaves to wash the laundry but there was something about the cold water and the work that I enjoyed. It was satisfying to scrub at something that was being difficult and end up winning the battle. The monotonous task of laundry had always been something that I had enjoyed. Even when I had been back at my home I loved doing the laundry and as a healer there was always ample opportunity. It gave me a chance for being alone. Out on my own I could bask in the beauty of this land uninterrupted.

Everything was so green here. Bushes and trees filled my vision every direction that I looked. I loved the dense greens of all shades and the deep and golden browns. Rollo's home was absolutely gorgeous. I smiled thinking that it was now my home as well. It was such a beautiful place compared to my original home.

Back home there were rolling fields everywhere. The occasional tree would dot the horizon offering shelter from the blazing sun. There was the ocean but I lived so far inland it took a while to make it to the shore and it wasn't even visible from my home. Even our town was on a cliff above the water we had to walk to the edge of town to get close to the ocean. My new home was nothing like my old one and I was quite happy with that.

I loved the closeness of the ocean. Being able to be lulled to sleep every night to the sound of the waves coming into shore. I loved the sound of the seagulls as they squawked over fish. The ocean was also gorgeous to look at especially at sunrise and sunset. It seemed that there was beauty in every direction.

I turned my attention back to the article of clothing that I was attempting to cleanse. It was a shirt of Rollo's that was deep blue just like his eyes. I felt a warm sensation flow through me and I had to focus on the task at hand. I could get distracted by just thinking of his eyes. They were the most interesting eyes that I had ever seen. So dark yet so full of light. With eyelashes dark enough to make any vain woman jealous. I tried to think of the cool water instead of the warm sensation that was growing with in me.

After scrubbing the fabric and determining it clean I wrung the water from his shirt and placed it on a rock in the sun to start drying.

Rollo had tried to convince me to not come down to the river. He wanted me to wait for him or let a servant go in my place. I had to remind him that I could protect myself now. I didn't need a body guard to come watch me wash clothes. There wasn't anything dangerous in the river that would attack me except maybe Rollo's socks. I needed the alone time to think without any interruptions.

Never in all my years growing up did I think that my husband would be a warrior and future Earl. I never imagined being the lone survivor of my town's people. I always thought that my mother would see my wedding. So much had changed from what I had thought I wanted. I had changed from the person that I was. Gone was that girl who didn't even know that she was lonely, now she was surrounded by family and the younger siblings she had always craved. Gone was that girl who had always dreamed of going on an adventure now there were possibilities everywhere she looked. I was happy and I felt alright about being happy it was a good thing to be.

Finally all of the clothing was washed and I took a deep breath of the crisp morning air. Standing up I could hear my joints popping. I started to gather up the clothing to hang up to dry when I got back to the house. As I collected my final sock there was a loud crunch behind me. I jumped at the sudden noise that broke the quiet. Probably just Rollo trying to scare me. I felt the smile tug at my lips as I turned around to face him.

Grey stood maybe fifteen paces away from me with a sneer on her face and her knife in her hand. My grip tightened on the basket of clothing in my hands.

"You stole him from me!" she said in a dangerously low whisper. I didn't know what to do. She stood between me and the path. We were away from the house nobody was coming this direction for a few hours. We were alone and Grey knew it. How long had she been watching me and waiting for me to be alone. She could have slit my throat when I was bending over the water but then she wouldn't have been able to see my expression. She wouldn't have been able to enjoy it. She wanted to enjoy it. I was frozen to the spot all of my short training forgotten. All I had was the knife in my boot that Rollo had given me last night. That was hardly protection against this angry warrior that stood before me growling for my blood. I didn't know how to answer her.

"He was to be my husband" she said slightly louder. "And you stole him, you whore" she was walking towards me. Now was my chance. I took a small step forward. I couldn't out fight her but there was the small possibility that I could out run her. All of my time spent with Kinlee and Aella would give me a chance to get away. I wasn't stupid enough to think that I could fight and actually win.

I dropped the basket of damp clothes and took off running. I sprinted faster than I had ever gone before. The trees were a blur of green and brown as I raced past them. I was yanked off of my feet when Grey grabbed a fist full of my hair.

My back slammed onto the hard ground and my breath left with a woosh. I was gasping for air trying to catch my breath. I could hear the wheezing sound that was coming from my lungs. Grey stood over me and smiled. She knew that I knew that we were completely alone. My life was in her hands. Finally I had enough air to cough. Grey kicked me in the ribs and I rolled holding my side feeling the rough forest floor against my cheek. I tried to get up but she punched my face there was a crunch and my head jerked back as she threw me to the ground again.

Pain was exploding from my ribs. I could feel the blood running down my face from my broken nose. I tried to roll away from her attack. She was punching and kicking to her delight. All of her bottled up rage was set free. I tried to get enough air to scream maybe that could save me. Grey leaned over me and smiled. I reached to punch her face or fight back in some way anything that could help me.

With wide eyes she dipped her long fingers in the blood that was gushing from my nose. She peered at her fingers as though she hadn't ever seen blood before. Then with a smile she smeared my blood over my face and pulled out her knife. Then I remembered my own knife in my boot. Painfully I reached for my boot. Grey saw the movement and swung a leg over me to put her foot against my wrist. Painfully she shoved it down into the forest floor. She straddled my chest holding my arms down to my side with her knees. With one hand she brushed my damp hair off of my sweaty cheek the other held the dangerous knife. I couldn't breathe with her sitting on top of me. She spun the knife in her fingers above me smiling the whole time. She was enjoying herself. I used my other hand and reached for the knife in my boot. I grasped at the edge of my boot feeling for the ivory handle.

I felt her cold blade against my forehead. The wicked smile on her lips widened even farther. The razor sharp blade cut through my skin as a shrill scream exploded from me. Grey clapped a hand over my mouth as tears fell from my eyes. She pulled the knife down the left side of my face next to my eye. Blood was pooling in my hair this was the end. She continued down across my cheekbone. I heard a giggle. A girlish giggle. Finally I grasped the handle of my blade in my boot as she continued down towards my jaw. My vision was starting to get fuzzy.

'Are you going to let Rollo find you like this?' My subconscious whispered through the pain.

I summoned up my strength and pulled my arm up with the blade in my hand. I plunged it into Grey's side under her ribs just as a sickening thud threw Grey to the side and off of me. She had released me causing me to cough and gasp for air.

The canopy of trees above me blurred and started to rotate slowly. My head rolled to the side. I could feel the tickle of my own blood rolling down my neck. Everything that I saw was surrounded by a dark shadow. I could see Grey's body lying next to me. Her legs were still over my chest and she was face down in the dirt. My dagger shouldn't have been that effective or acted that fast.

I was confused at what I saw. Something was on Greys back. I realized it was an arrow. She was dead. I could hear heavy footsteps quickly coming towards me. Rollo leaned over me his large hand on my undamaged cheek he looked absolutely terrified at what he saw. I tried to speak to comfort him but it was too painful. He reached under me and pulled me to his chest. The pain in my ribs had dulled. It was nothing to the pain of my face.

"Anna" he whispered as he hurried towards the house.

Slowly the darkness grew and he faded into black.