to do now. Jed, sore and
angry looked up at Varan and seeing the smile, growled at his
friend.
‘Tain’t funny
Sonal, yer should be seeing ter Gid…’ Jed stopped short and stared
at his friend hard, suddenly moving as fast as his injuries would
allow him to take a protective stance before his son.
‘Yer no be
Sonal,’ he said angry with himself for not recognising a
stranger.
Rhoàld who had
noticed a body lying slightly apart from the main group in a small
gully below the bleeding man and the boy laying on the floor,
turned to stare at Varan, the likeness between the two men before
him was astonishing; he helped the injured man to his feet.
‘It’s all right
Jed…, he is my brother, this, this is Varan,’ said Sonal, as he
gestured toward Varan. Blood had congealed on a head wound Sonal
had suffered but still Rhoàld stared, totally bemused, he helped
the man who looked so like Varan, back up the rise toward the
clearing. The silence was palpable, the twins stared at each other,
their faces unreadable and Jed crouched low over his son ready to
defend him, his knife in hand.
Dotty called
out angrily as she noticed the sudden tension in the air.
‘This young
lady has been …em…, she needs help and you all stand there
blustering!’ She said coldly, her hands on her hips and fury in her
glare as she stared toward the men across the clearing. ‘I’m all
for family reunions, ‘she continued, ‘but can we find a more
suitable place to have it?
Gideon’s voice
broke the tension.
‘She was
raped...,’ he stated and his voice cracked with pain as he fought
against the blackness that tried to engulf him once more. ‘Toby
Hollins will die fer this.’ He added, quietly shaking his head, his
tears falling freely as he looked at his unconscious and helpless
fiancée. His father replaced his knife at his waist and
shamefacedly tried to help him to his feet, failing miserably.
Dotty remained
where she was with her hands on hips sending waves of fury across
the ether at the men before her, she felt insulted that men could
bristle and preen so, when injured people needed help. Using as
much force as she dared she screamed at them silently, feeling
herself aging slightly as the magic balanced. The twins and Rhoàld
looked back at her, shame apparent on their faces.
‘Rhoàld,’ Dotty
called aloud in a voice demanding to be obeyed, ‘you get back on
the wagon, help that one ter get there too,’ she said pointing at
Jed who had blood trailing down his leg. ‘Varan you and your
brother carry the poor girl to the wagon and make her as comfy as
you can and pile the dead in at the front so we can bury the
corpses, Lemba, you have to help young Blondie, get him on to the
wagon and we can get out of here before Gath sends in the troops.
He must have heard this clear down in Devilly.’ She finished, as
she smacked her hands together like small cymbals.
At last, she
looked toward the unconscious Toby still lying where she had left
him.
‘He deserves to
be left to die…,’ she scowled, as she thought of the young girl who
was even now being gently lain in the bottom of her wagon.
‘I’ll take
him,’ offered Varan as he came up beside the small woman,
marvelling at how she had immediately taken charge and he could see
now just how she had managed to avoid Gath and his seekers all
these years. ‘I’ll take him,’ he said again adding, ‘as far as the
road anyhow and I’ll leave him where he can be found.’ Gathering
the man up in his arms, he prepared to walk away. ‘Someone will
find him and help him. I’ll meet you…where?’ He asked, as the wagon
prepared to move.
‘Varan, I will
come with you and show you the way back.’ Sonal said, looking at
his brother in wonder, ‘and if you leave the bodies Mrs, em Madam,
Varan and I will bury them here,’ he said looking to his brother
for confirmation.
The twins,
carrying the unconscious rapist walked in silence back to the
roadside Varan had left
angry looked up at Varan and seeing the smile, growled at his
friend.
‘Tain’t funny
Sonal, yer should be seeing ter Gid…’ Jed stopped short and stared
at his friend hard, suddenly moving as fast as his injuries would
allow him to take a protective stance before his son.
‘Yer no be
Sonal,’ he said angry with himself for not recognising a
stranger.
Rhoàld who had
noticed a body lying slightly apart from the main group in a small
gully below the bleeding man and the boy laying on the floor,
turned to stare at Varan, the likeness between the two men before
him was astonishing; he helped the injured man to his feet.
‘It’s all right
Jed…, he is my brother, this, this is Varan,’ said Sonal, as he
gestured toward Varan. Blood had congealed on a head wound Sonal
had suffered but still Rhoàld stared, totally bemused, he helped
the man who looked so like Varan, back up the rise toward the
clearing. The silence was palpable, the twins stared at each other,
their faces unreadable and Jed crouched low over his son ready to
defend him, his knife in hand.
Dotty called
out angrily as she noticed the sudden tension in the air.
‘This young
lady has been …em…, she needs help and you all stand there
blustering!’ She said coldly, her hands on her hips and fury in her
glare as she stared toward the men across the clearing. ‘I’m all
for family reunions, ‘she continued, ‘but can we find a more
suitable place to have it?
Gideon’s voice
broke the tension.
‘She was
raped...,’ he stated and his voice cracked with pain as he fought
against the blackness that tried to engulf him once more. ‘Toby
Hollins will die fer this.’ He added, quietly shaking his head, his
tears falling freely as he looked at his unconscious and helpless
fiancée. His father replaced his knife at his waist and
shamefacedly tried to help him to his feet, failing miserably.
Dotty remained
where she was with her hands on hips sending waves of fury across
the ether at the men before her, she felt insulted that men could
bristle and preen so, when injured people needed help. Using as
much force as she dared she screamed at them silently, feeling
herself aging slightly as the magic balanced. The twins and Rhoàld
looked back at her, shame apparent on their faces.
‘Rhoàld,’ Dotty
called aloud in a voice demanding to be obeyed, ‘you get back on
the wagon, help that one ter get there too,’ she said pointing at
Jed who had blood trailing down his leg. ‘Varan you and your
brother carry the poor girl to the wagon and make her as comfy as
you can and pile the dead in at the front so we can bury the
corpses, Lemba, you have to help young Blondie, get him on to the
wagon and we can get out of here before Gath sends in the troops.
He must have heard this clear down in Devilly.’ She finished, as
she smacked her hands together like small cymbals.
At last, she
looked toward the unconscious Toby still lying where she had left
him.
‘He deserves to
be left to die…,’ she scowled, as she thought of the young girl who
was even now being gently lain in the bottom of her wagon.
‘I’ll take
him,’ offered Varan as he came up beside the small woman,
marvelling at how she had immediately taken charge and he could see
now just how she had managed to avoid Gath and his seekers all
these years. ‘I’ll take him,’ he said again adding, ‘as far as the
road anyhow and I’ll leave him where he can be found.’ Gathering
the man up in his arms, he prepared to walk away. ‘Someone will
find him and help him. I’ll meet you…where?’ He asked, as the wagon
prepared to move.
‘Varan, I will
come with you and show you the way back.’ Sonal said, looking at
his brother in wonder, ‘and if you leave the bodies Mrs, em Madam,
Varan and I will bury them here,’ he said looking to his brother
for confirmation.
The twins,
carrying the unconscious rapist walked in silence back to the
roadside Varan had left
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