Zenobia's Tale [Undergoing rewrite]

Part 7

As the day neared when the child would be born Zenobia became more secluded from everyone coaxing the two into bed earlier and earlier. She roamed the town trying to find creative ways to disappear only to fail and start over. One night Ma'Riah had gone into labor as Zenobia roamed outside. Aajay had found her and sat on a log looking at her gently with sad eyes.

"You're going to leave us soon are you not?" He asked pulling her into a hug. She nodded looking away refusing to cry, this wasn't as easy as she thought it would be. "Why must you leave? We love you as our own Zenobia. No matter how different you may be." Zenobia shook her head and hugged him tightly. He wouldn't understand, and once he figured out the truth she knew he would hunt her down.

"I can not stay Aajay." She whispered in his ear "I want to, I just can not. The new baby would-"

"Zenobia, you are as much our child as the baby will be." When she shook her head he simply sighed. "Who will take care of you, child?" He asked softly "Protect you? Love you?" Zenobia looked up at his questions and framed his bearded face with her small pale hands.

"You need not worry for me. I am far older than I look, I can care for myself I have for a long time Aajay. I liked you and Ma'Riah. So I stayed, but now I must leave and allow you to live your life with your family. A baby needs much attention, and you would not be rested enough if I stayed. Let me go Aajay I will tell Ma'Riah I am leaving if you wish." He shook his head and hugged her close once more.

"If you must leave us, I will tell her kin has found you." Hearing the lie, Aajay had come up with she stepped back eyeing him angrily.

"You would lie to her?" She nearly screamed.

"Zenobia, I would tell her a lie if it kept her calm. If she thought you safe she would be more likely to let you leave. If she knew you left as you do, she would insist you stay or I search for you." He explained dropping to his knees. Zenobia nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck once more and kissed his cheek softly.

"I will never forget you Aajay or Ma'Riah." She nodded and stepped away. He smiled and stood looking down at her softly.

"We will never forget you child, you will always be ours." Stepping back he pulled out a small Dirk that a child might use to play with as a toy. It had been made with a real blade. "Here, a gift for you from Ma'Riah and myself." Zenobia took the small blade and smiled. Not like she would need it but it was a gift after all. After she took the blade he smiled sadly hiding the tears that threatened to spill over and turned away walking back down the path to his home where his wife and child would be waiting if all went well. Zenobia bit her lower lip and wiped the hot tears that spilled free from her cheeks before turning and walking away in the other direction. She followed the river until right before the sun rose. By then she had nowhere to hide other than under an old abandoned boat that had been turned over. Climbing under the wooden thing right as the sun's rays spread over the surface caused her to scream in panic as she seen the holes in the bottom of the boat. A moment of relief spread through her as no sunlight had seeped into her hiding place. However, she did need to patch it up before noon so she would not fry as the sun rose. Ripping the sleeves from her dress she slowly inched towards the holes and stuffed the fabric into the space carefully, making sure her fingers remained covered from the sun. By nightfall, Zenobia was exhausted having been to scared to sleep. She climbed out from under the boat and continued on her way following the river slowly. The moment she spotted a barn in the distance she trudged over to it and slipped inside to find a safe place to sleep. She curled up behind a large load of hay and quickly fell asleep.

When she woke up sometime later she realized she was no longer in the same place she had fallen asleep in. Panic took hold once more as her mind raced, what if she had been found and was now being held hostage to feel her punishment. A scream escaped her lips as she bolted up into sitting position looking around with a terrified look. The elder man sitting on a desk in front of her simply chuckled and watched her as she collected herself.

"You still act as a child, yet you are no child, are you?" he spoke in a raspy whisper. Zenobia focused on him and stood slowly moving towards him.

"How do you know I am not a child?" She asked softly her body still trembling from her momentary scare. A scare she wasn't all that sure had completely escaped. She could still be harmed by this man hiding in the shadows. She wasn't sure if his hiding was intentional. The sun was up outside where ever she had been taken. She could feel it on her skin as it prickled and felt as if it was burning when it was not. The man stepped from the shadows and touched her skin.

"You are cold, like death. Most humans would not pay attention to such things. As I am not human but rather an immortal, I know what to look for when it comes to the others that roam my lands. You lass fell asleep in my barn. I do not take kindly to trespassers and as you are not but a child.." He stated with a smirk as if it was a jab at her. "I shall offer you the chance to plead your case before I end your existence." Zenobia paled and stepped back away from the man's cold stare.

"I was only tired. I did not wish to harm anyone. I just wanted to sleep without worry of being caught by the sun I promise. Please, I was only sleeping." She whispered shaking as she spoke. The man started to laugh and slapped his knee.

"Child I know you mean no harm! I just wanted to see how you would react! You do act as a child." He froze as a smile formed on his lips. "This gives me an idea, I am in need of a distraction from my thoughts. How would you like to play as my niece?" When she opened her mouth to protest he stopped her. "Child, I know what you are what you need to survive. Otherwise, I could kill you." She nodded slowly as he spoke.

"A-Alright. I will play along.." She whispered and looked around "You are not from here, are you?" She asked noting the oddly styled home he resided in. When he shook his head and smiled she looked around trying to remember places she had been. Some may have been too long ago to guess correctly as styles seemed to change all the time.

"I am from mother Russia, I have been banished and so I have adapted to the speaking style around me." He explained and asked seeing her clothes. "You must change if we plan on pulling this off." He grabbed her wrist and lead her into an adjoining room. The room was odd, doors everywhere leading nowhere but into rows off oddly colored clothes. She liked her whites and blues. This man who's name she had not yet learned started pulling out dresses made of bright colors and made in the style of a grown woman who was held high in society. Looking at the dressed she made a face. "Do not make such horrid faces child. You will wear what you are told until I see you choosing correctly." He stated and tossed a dress with yellow fabric onto a small child-sized bed. "Change, I will help you lace up the back once you are covered and we shall go into town after you have had your breakfast." He stated. "You will call my Uncle Sven." He said as he slipped from the room.

Zenobia shed the whitish dress she had been wearing and transferred the dirk she was given from the folds of the dress tying it to her thigh so it would be hidden well out of sight of anyone. smoothing the new dress over her she held it up and slipped out of the room finding Uncle Sven. He smiled and nodded his approval before moving behind her to finish lacing up the dress. "You look lovely. Now let's feed you so we may go shopping in peace without worry of an outbreak." Zenobia nodded and followed the man. She wanted to ask him so many questions but every time she opened her mouth he shot her a look that told her to remain silent. They moved down a large flight of broken stone steps that told her this home was not used by many people. He lead her to the grand kitchen and smiled showing her a woman chained to the floor. "Go feed, she is all yours." Zenobia shook her head and backed away making Sven sigh and grab a blade moving to slit the woman's throat and fill up a large bucket with her blood. "It will not keep so drink up as much as you can without messing the dress child." Zenobia smelling the blood moved mindlessly and did as she was told. The blood lust was not bad enough to cause her to black out, but she could not fight the need to feed. The bucket was empty when Zenobia and Sven looked inside of it. Not a drop had landed on her or the dress. The man smiled and held his hand out to her. "Come now. We go to town and shop!" He said excitedly leading her towards a carriage that awaited them outside.