The Lead Crown: Ch 2c, Revelations (pt 5)
Tranquil Waters: The Lead Crown Ch 2-5, Revelations
"Nicole?" The young girl ran, the sound of her enraged father far-too-close behind her, "Nicole!!!" he shouted, "Where're ya?!?!" She knew that he had seen her when she darted out the back doors; it was always a risk running when he came home drunk, but she was usually more often than not willing to chance it. Sometimes she succeeded... other times, not so much. "GET BACK HERE, GIRL!" he roared almost as well as she'd heard some of the lion kids' dads do, which wasn't bad for a human. He always seemed to roar best when he was drunk... and he did spent a lot of time drinking.
Their family home was right up against the forest-- the east most manor in Vallara, which was a very good thing for Nicole, who often found herself wandering the woods when her father was at his worst. He hadn't used to drink so much... that had started after his wife died. She was a nice enough woman, from what Nicole could remember of her. Most of the commoner children seemed to think it was strange that the girl barely even knew her mother but, as the woman had once said, "They're commoners, Nicole... they don't know much about anything."
Her father though-- he had always been a big part of her life. He was right there any time she was going to learn a new lesson or start a new activity. Lord Arnswold made it a point to see that his little girl succeeded in everything he set her mind to... and he'd had some very big plans for her ever since she could remember. That was, of course, until his wife died. After that, Nicole's father slowly began to pull further and further away from her, seemingly uncaring that she spent most of her days doing little or nothing, so long as she was there for him to berate when he came home from the taverns.
She was eight, and, as all noble eight year old girls were made aware, it was her responsibility to do as her father told her... and, for the past year, all he told her to do was to stop being such a waste, and to start thinking about who he was going to have her marry. Those were the nice things, of course... usually, when he was very drunk he would start the beatings, and she was expected to be a good little girl and accept them... and not run-- like she was doing. No... between being beaten for nothing and being beaten for trying to escape, Nicole much more preferred a reason behind being in such pain... or worse.
On the occasions when her father was very drunk, but not TOO drunk, the beatings usually became something else. Sometimes, when he was at his worst, he told her it was her duty to stand in for her mother and be there for the needs he had as a man and a husband. Those were the things she hated the most. The young girl had a strong feeling that the last thing was what her father was wanting that night, so, against his wishes, she had slid out the back door and ran as fast as she could into the forest.
"God help me, girl... when I get my hands on you--!" Lord Arnswold would probably have finished the sentence, save for the fact that he slipped on the muddy ground and went sprawling on his face. Nicole didn't need to turn around to know it had happened; she'd heard the sound often enough to tell-- it seemed to her that her father spent more time drunk than sober, and the little girl had his particular gait as good as memorized. Crawling through some undergrowth, she was, nevertheless, unwilling to slow; she was going further into the forest than she had ever dared before.
She'd only have to spend the night in the wilderness and when she came back in the morning he'd forget all about her insubordination... if she was lucky. She pressed through the vegetation that blocked her path; the vines and the shrubs gave way reluctantly. It was slow going and she was making a lot of noise. Somewhere, further back, Lord Arnswold was being even louder as he stumbled, still attempting to catch her. She was, in fact, so focused on her father, that she didn't notice where the ground ended. Pushing through the last of the bushes she stepped out onto nothingness.
With no time do to anything but scream, Nicole felt a moment of weightlessness before she tumbled into the open air. She almost threw up when the ground circled around her in a spin, but the sensation was knocked from her by a strong blow from the side; her fall came to halt and she was suddenly 'falling' sideways. She had just enough time to gaze up at the long, elegant form of a nearly naked, black-furred bat before they hit the ground.
The bat tucked into a ball, wrapping his body around hers. As the world spun round and round they rolled across the earth and she felt for a second time that there was the risk of her throwing up. Just as she was about to, however, they finally came to a stop. The bat slowly stood, bringing her to her feet with him as he turned her around to look her over, "I have never seen a human girl try to fly before." he announced, his words coming out strangely, as if his tongue were weighed down. It was an accent, she realized, as she was used to her father talking about the tribal people 'butchering the common tongue'.
"I fell." she answered simply.
"So you did." the bat smiled, kneeling down so he could look at her face to face. Nicole had never met a tribal before; her father had usually forbid her ever so much as getting close to one, but she had heard the stories from some of the commoner children. The man looking at her had black fur all over his body, save for the scruffy fur atop his head, which was red. There was also red fur on his chin, not unlike her father's beard and a thin line of it running from his belly button down behind the scant amount of clothing he wore around his waist.
"It was an accident." she added when he continued looking at her.
"I see." he acknowledged, calling her attention back up to his face where intent, strangely-caring eyes gazed back at her. "Are you alright?' he asked. His expression reminded Nicole of the way her father used to look at her... back when he cared. The sudden thought of Lord Arnswold returned her immediately to the present.
"My father!" she gaped, turning around to look back the way they had come. Much to her amazement, the two stood near the edge of a cliff and, almost fifty feet away and several feet higher was another cliff with a girl-sized hole in the vegetation. She realized after a few seconds that her father, assuming he had managed to follow her, would likely come into view any moment. She held her breath, realizing that she would be in immeasurable trouble when he realized that she not only ignored his calls and ran away, but she was actually talking to a tribal!
He did appear on the far cliff a few moments later, but the events didn't happen exactly as she had expected them to. Lord Arnswold came crashing through the bushes and, like his daughter, failed to stop. Nicole's rescuer stood aghast as the human fell nearly a hundred feet to his death in the ravine, but the young girl felt an emotion she had not recalled having ever felt before that, and what she would later come to identify as closure.
* * * * * *
"Psst..." the soft call awoke Nicole out of a light sleep. Opening her eyes, she looked up into the smiling black-furred face of Ma'heed. It had been two years since the fateful night when she had been freed of her father... two years since she was then subjected to the orphanage. After her father's death she had been without a parent and no immediate family members were close enough or so inclined to take her, and so she was handed over to the Vallara Orphanage for Girls.
It was a far cry from her family's holdings, but she considered it an improvement. Since arriving, Nicole was only beaten when she had done something wrong... and nobody had once tried to demand of her what her father had otherwise done. Despite the fact that she was orphaned nobility, the other kids treated her just the same, which was equally comforting and insulting. She accepted it in due course since it was the only way she would make friends... at least, that's what the orphanage caretakers said. In truth, Nicole didn't have an easy time making friends, which is why the visits from Ma'heed were so treasured.
"Get your things." the bat whispered in a mellow, hushed tone, "I have a surprise for you today."
"Are we going outside the city?" Nicole questioned, grabbing some clothing and pulling it on over her bed gown. She laced on her shoes and grabbed a coat.
"We just might." the tribal smiled.
It had not been an easy road for Ma'heed in convincing the orphanage to let him borrow her from time to time, but, over several months he had somehow managed to earn their trust. Once they had finally okayed it he was practically allowed to come and go as he pleased... which suited Nicole just fine. In all her life she had never met anyone, city-dweller or tribal with whom she had the connection she shared with the bat. Each of his visits made her life at the orphanage that much more bearable and she counted the days until she would finally be allowed to return to her family's manor home and start her life for herself.
As she had expected, Ma'heed brought her far out into the wilderness, further than they had ever been before. Each time the bat stopped, Nicole expected them to turn around and head back but, each and every time, it was just to rest; after a few minutes they would push on further. When they finally did stop it was already past midday, and the girl's heart burst for joy with the knowledge that they would most likely not make it back to the orphanage until nightfall. For a moment she was concerned that she would miss dinner, but she realized that it would be worth having the extra time with Ma'heed.
"I was waiting for a chance to introduce you to someone very special." the bat declared. Taking a seat on a rock, the tribal patted one beside himself as he let out a sharp, high-pitched whistle. A few moments later, some rustling in the nearby brush heralded the approach of something... or someone. What finally emerged from the undergrowth surprised the young girl: a little, black-furred bat toddler.
Nicole was taken aback, "Is... is this--"
"This is Inigo..." Ma'heed announced, "my son."
"He's so small..." the young girl murmured, "He's all the way out here alone?"
The bat chuckled, "We are very nearly to my village, Nicole... he is barely out in what you would call a 'back field'." and the tribal was quiet for a moment before adding, "His sister is not yet walking, but should be soon."
"Oh..." she gazed around, unable to see any signs of a nearby town, "His... is their mother looking after her?" she asked.
Ma'heed's smile slowly faded and he shook his head, "No, Nicole... their mother is with the spirits."
"With the spirits?" the girl questioned, looking down at the little boy, who was inspecting one of her shoes; she didn't fail to notice that he, like his father, didn't wear them. "What does that mean?"
The older bat sighed, "Your father is with the spirits." he spoke simply, and things suddenly made a little more sense. Despite the joy she felt for the outing, the return trip was just a little bit more somber.
* * * * * *
"Do you know what today is?" it was a little more complex than Ma'heed's usual greetings, but it awoke Nicole just the same. She didn't even have to stop and think about the answer.
"It's my birthday." she felt her cheeks ache with the width of her smile, and quickly sat up in bed; the bat turned around as she did so. It was a ritual he had started with her four or five visits ago, ever since she had mentioned her fifteenth birthday was coming up.
According to him, the tribal people considered girls to be women when they became fourteen, which meant he felt he should show her proper etiquette. When she asked if his people turned their back on women when they got up in the morning he pointed out that it was something HER people did, and that he would respect it while he was in her town. She put up with it without argument, and got dressed, grabbing shoes then her coat.
The headmistress of the orphanage said they were planning on doing something amazing for her birthday because it would be her last there; when she turned sixteen she would be returned to the world, a free woman. Nicole really didn't care-- she was happy spending the time with Ma'heed. She was familiar enough with the trails they took that she could keep up with the bat rather than walk behind him, "I wish I didn't have to go back." she murmured.
"It is the way of your people." Ma'heed answered calmly, "You have been with your caretakers for almost half of your life, but soon you will be free to do as you please... until then, it is best to respect the way things are."
"That's going to be a whole 'nother year." Nicole sighed, "I'd rather stay with you."
The bat glanced at her, then he licked his nose and he immediately looked away, ears lowering faintly, "I cannot take you from your people, Nicole."
Something about Ma'heed's response made her realize that he took her casual comment seriously, and, for a moment, hope flittered alight in her heart, "You wouldn't be taking me... I'd be going by choice."
"What I meant to say, was that you must do what you are told by your caretakers." he stated, taking a seat on the ground beside the path, "What you choose to do AFTER they release you is up to you."
It was a strange thing for the bat to say; it was subtle and yet not dismissive. "Could I..." she paused, not sure how to continue the question. In the end, she decided that being forward would be best, "Come find you?"
The bat slowly turned to look at her, ears rising to face in her direction as well, "I... would like that." he smiled softly.
"Would you visit me at my family's home?" she pressed.
The bat's smile widened a little further, "Only if you would visit me at mine."
"You... you could come live with me." she offered, the words escaping her before she realized that being so forward was as far from ladylike as could be imagined. Invested, however, she pressed further, "Inigo could come too! He could be like my little brother, and you--" but she was unable to finish the thought as the bat leaned forward and pressed his muzzle to her lips.
At first she wanted to pull away, the sensation dragging her back to her childhood when her father had done such things, demanding that she fulfill certain duties... but the revulsion never struck... the fear and horror of it were lost beneath something much more powerful. She realized at that moment why the bat had been so aloof for the past few months-- she had considered him to be the father that she wished she'd had even as he was trying to keep from seeing her as-- as what?
The question hung at her mind until the moment her hand slid against his loin cloth and felt the hardening flesh beneath. He began to loosen her coat and, for another moment, she braced herself for a wave of nausea... but the only thing that struck her was a sense of desire, and she made no move to stop him. She had his loincloth off before he could undress her, but it didn't matter; she helped him until she was just as naked as the bat. At first, she almost thought that the forest would be cold without clothes but, she quickly learned that Ma'heed provided her all the warmth she needed.
* * * * * *
"Nicole. Wake up." It wasn't Ma'heed calling her... it hadn't been for a long time. The Headmistress of the Orphanage dropped a supply bag next to the young woman's cot, "You're sixteen... time for you to go."
It wasn't an exit filled with fanfare, and there was no great celebration... she had simply turned sixteen and, as such, outlived her welcome at the orphanage. The first thought that had entered her mind was that Ma'heed wouldn't know where to find her if she left, but she realized that it was a juvenile thing to consider. In truth, the bat hadn't visited her since that fateful day when he had shown her that being with a man the right way was completely different than what her father had demanded of her.
She had seen that as hope... that they were meant for something. Nicole had started to think of a future with the bat... that they could have a family and that his son would be able to be her son. The young woman, however, had to slowly wean herself off of those childish fantasies. It took several months without visits from Ma'heed and numerous snide remarks from the girls of the orphanage for her to realize what she had tried to ignore: he got what he had wanted... and wasn't coming back.
The sense of abandonment was worse than anything she had felt; the loss of her mother wasn't even an event in her life; the loss of her father was an improvement; finishing at the orphanage was freedom.... but being cast aside by Ma'heed? No... that was... unbearable. Nicole had always thought her first destination after being free from the orphanage would be to visit the solicitor in charge of caring for her family's land... she would get the key and the deed and return to the life she should have lived all along. Strangely, however, that all changed in the blink of an eye, and Nicole found herself heading out into the forest.
It had been a year to the day since Ma'heed had taken her out into the wilds, but she had visited there with him often enough that it could easily have been a week. The trails remained familiar as she sought out something that was more important than her inheritance: answers. Unfortunately, the answers she got weren't exactly what she had desired.
The first time Nicole set eyes upon Ma'heed's village was an event she would endlessly wish could be purged from her mind. Bodies lay in heaps, decomposing. Some of the piles had been partially burned while others were left to rot over the course of months. Simple wood-and-thatch houses were in various stages of disarray, decay, and destruction; like the bodies some had been burned while others were abandoned where they had collapsed.
The pungent stench of death lay heavy in the basin where the village had been, but it had obviously happened long enough before her arrival; there were signs of fire but the scent of smoke was all but a distant memory to the land. Nicole had no idea how long it had been since the Tribals had been attacked, but the realization gave way to an even deeper one: Ma'heed didn't turn his back on her... not by choice. It seemed like a juvenile and hopeless thing, but she ran into the destroyed village with the childish hope that he would be there... alive... waiting for her.
She knew that it wouldn't happen, but she went anyway. Nicole had spent her whole childhood waiting for a happy ending, and that was supposed to start with Ma'heed. She never did find his body, and it took years for her to uncover what had happened... but what she DID find that day in the village would change her outlook on life forever. Or, more accurately, it was what found HER that started the change.
* * * * * *
Alarice winced as the light in the room assaulted her eyes the moment they cracked open. It was candlelight, she suspected, but it was still far too bright. The woman's head was pounding in time with the sensation of the pulse that echoed through her ears; the fact that everything she could see was far too blurry to make out made the sensations all the worse. She tried to sit up, but a searing pain in her abdomen brought back the realization that she was wounded... and more than just a scratch.
"Hey..." a warm, welcoming voice spoke, and the human woman saw a fuzzy black blur fill her vision, "Welcome back." as it drew closer, little blotches of red came into view amidst the blackness, and she could tell it was a face; he was smiling down at her.
"Oh, Ma'heed..." she murmured softly.
"What?" the smile disappeared and the surprise in the single-word question bit through the haze of Alarice's mind. She realized the mistake she'd made.
"I said..." she mumbled quickly, slowly laying back on the cot, "I said, 'Ow my head.', Inny-- it hurts."
"Oh..." the bat responded quietly, "I thought you said--" and he paused, looking away, "...never mind."
It was a response from Inigo with which Alarice found herself comfortable. Her bodyguard knew no more of her past than anyone else, and it was something she realized should-- no... it HAD TO remain that way.