flashed
in his mouth, “We see that Joseph has managed to get Anna to
speak,” he said in a hushed tone.
The three men (and Philip, who had
added himself to the group) smiled and nodded; Stephen the only one
with a stony expression. They hung back at the edge of the forest
clearing, enjoying the fire at a distance.
Jacob said, “A good thing, that.”
The Band nodded, with the ratio of
males to females a dismal fifteen to one, any match was celebrated,
births were greeted with a feast.
“I would give much to know of this
clan that she comes from. That they would give up a female…”
Jacob began.
“She was not given up, cousin, she
escaped,” James said.
Bracus pressed hands to his hips,
legs spread apart. “What say you? She has not mentioned any detail,
nary one.”
“Nor to I,” and he leaned
forward and all heads neared his, until there was a circle of six
heads huddled together. “But Lillian has managed to get some story
from her.”
The Band stood silently, James loved
drama but would eventually get to the end of it. A great story
teller, was James.
“She did not say all, but only
that a male had attacked her.”
“I knew it!” Stephen intoned.
Bracus looked at him sharply, too
loud , his look said. This would explain much. Her shyness of the
males, where none had transgressed against her.
He had suspected as much.
Matthew and Philip stood quietly,
thinking it through, as was typical of them.
“Is there anything more?” Jacob
asked.
“Yes. Lillian thinks he was part
of that clan’s Band.”
There was a pregnant silence as the
members deliberated on a female being in the hands of a Band member
that meant them harm.
They would come to harm, of that
there was no doubt.
“How could she escape him?” Matthew asked. Excellent question, if phrased
oddly.
Philip looked at Matthew in
question.
“Come now? You are all thinking
it. How would that female,” he gestured to Anna, still sitting
semi-stiff beside Joseph, her small form looking tiny next to Joseph,
“defend herself against any of us?”
It was disturbing. All the Band felt
similarly about females. Who would know how they would feel if the
situation were not so desperate? But, they seemed uniformly
protective toward females in a way that was above that of other males
of the clan. The few clans that were allied with them had a similar
urgency and protectiveness. To hear that there may be a faction
desiring to abuse was against all
that they stood for . It was expected from the fragment, but not of the clan.
Philip asked the most pressing
question of the night, “Did he beat her? Or…”
“It was the other,” James said
significantly.
“A terrible abuse!” Stephen
whispered fiercely, looking covertly at Anna, still beside the fire.
“He should be flogged,” Philip
said.
“Yes, he should,” Bracus said.
“Or possibly something more
creative,” Jacob finished.
The men straightened up, Philip
inclining his head toward the fire, leaving the subject for the
moment. “Let us discuss the business of the sphere. I wish to be
informed.”
Matthew and Stephen nodded.
The Band walked as one to the
communal fire, commanding and deadly, an ancient force of reckoning,
prepared to make a historic move destined to change their lives
forever. As the heat of the fire washed over Bracus’ body, that
feeling of foreboding stole over him, the chill fighting the warmth
emanating from the blaze. His senses, ever acute, were on full alert.
As if there was something right under his nose he was missing, if he
just sniffed a little harder, he would discover it.
He shook his misgivings away,
heading toward Joseph and Anna, his spirits momentarily lifted at the
sight of them together.
CHAPTER 13
Charles stiffened as soon as he
entered the queen’s chamber. Chamber did not accurately
describe her quarters. The bed was in an entirely different area, a
door between where he now stood and the place where she slept. This
was a parlor
in his mouth, “We see that Joseph has managed to get Anna to
speak,” he said in a hushed tone.
The three men (and Philip, who had
added himself to the group) smiled and nodded; Stephen the only one
with a stony expression. They hung back at the edge of the forest
clearing, enjoying the fire at a distance.
Jacob said, “A good thing, that.”
The Band nodded, with the ratio of
males to females a dismal fifteen to one, any match was celebrated,
births were greeted with a feast.
“I would give much to know of this
clan that she comes from. That they would give up a female…”
Jacob began.
“She was not given up, cousin, she
escaped,” James said.
Bracus pressed hands to his hips,
legs spread apart. “What say you? She has not mentioned any detail,
nary one.”
“Nor to I,” and he leaned
forward and all heads neared his, until there was a circle of six
heads huddled together. “But Lillian has managed to get some story
from her.”
The Band stood silently, James loved
drama but would eventually get to the end of it. A great story
teller, was James.
“She did not say all, but only
that a male had attacked her.”
“I knew it!” Stephen intoned.
Bracus looked at him sharply, too
loud , his look said. This would explain much. Her shyness of the
males, where none had transgressed against her.
He had suspected as much.
Matthew and Philip stood quietly,
thinking it through, as was typical of them.
“Is there anything more?” Jacob
asked.
“Yes. Lillian thinks he was part
of that clan’s Band.”
There was a pregnant silence as the
members deliberated on a female being in the hands of a Band member
that meant them harm.
They would come to harm, of that
there was no doubt.
“How could she escape him?” Matthew asked. Excellent question, if phrased
oddly.
Philip looked at Matthew in
question.
“Come now? You are all thinking
it. How would that female,” he gestured to Anna, still sitting
semi-stiff beside Joseph, her small form looking tiny next to Joseph,
“defend herself against any of us?”
It was disturbing. All the Band felt
similarly about females. Who would know how they would feel if the
situation were not so desperate? But, they seemed uniformly
protective toward females in a way that was above that of other males
of the clan. The few clans that were allied with them had a similar
urgency and protectiveness. To hear that there may be a faction
desiring to abuse was against all
that they stood for . It was expected from the fragment, but not of the clan.
Philip asked the most pressing
question of the night, “Did he beat her? Or…”
“It was the other,” James said
significantly.
“A terrible abuse!” Stephen
whispered fiercely, looking covertly at Anna, still beside the fire.
“He should be flogged,” Philip
said.
“Yes, he should,” Bracus said.
“Or possibly something more
creative,” Jacob finished.
The men straightened up, Philip
inclining his head toward the fire, leaving the subject for the
moment. “Let us discuss the business of the sphere. I wish to be
informed.”
Matthew and Stephen nodded.
The Band walked as one to the
communal fire, commanding and deadly, an ancient force of reckoning,
prepared to make a historic move destined to change their lives
forever. As the heat of the fire washed over Bracus’ body, that
feeling of foreboding stole over him, the chill fighting the warmth
emanating from the blaze. His senses, ever acute, were on full alert.
As if there was something right under his nose he was missing, if he
just sniffed a little harder, he would discover it.
He shook his misgivings away,
heading toward Joseph and Anna, his spirits momentarily lifted at the
sight of them together.
CHAPTER 13
Charles stiffened as soon as he
entered the queen’s chamber. Chamber did not accurately
describe her quarters. The bed was in an entirely different area, a
door between where he now stood and the place where she slept. This
was a parlor
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