Post by Men of Skye on Mar 26, 2010 18:56:09 GMT -6
The day turned into night as Kamenwati waited upon the Lord General’s answer. He had been offered sanctuary in the Griffin Castle, and in the modest room Kam lay upon the bed, his dark brown eyes tracing the stones in the ceiling, his thoughts upon Briseis, and her well-being. Not long after, his eyelids became heavy and eventually closed.
For once the Amir had not requested her within his room and she thanked the Gods, or what God was listening that she was free if for a night. The rooms of the Amir's slaves were packed, most slept in beds together in twos and threes but because Briseis had been good for a while, she got a bed of her own, small as it was. Since she had birthed the Amir's third wife's child, she had been horribly beaten for touching such a noble woman and had learned not to do it again but she had taken the beating with a raised head. Somewhere there she had found though she was enslaved, she was no longer the slave she once was. She would obey if to live, because life was worth fighting for because of Kamenwati. Tonight the air was warm, the high windows left open to let in the spice scented air. Around her girls slept, some snoring ever so softly and she lay with her hand jammed under her pillow. All this time she still found it hard to go to sleep, so used to her nights staying up till she could not anymore with Kam. No matter how much time had passed, she could not sleep and she stayed silent and wakeful until she could take no more and her eyes, heavy with the want of sleep began to sink downward.
In the distance, an owl hooted loudly for its mate... Kam sat up... finding himself in a field, with purple heather... The owl hooted once more and Kam looked around... With an ear to the wind, he could hear a familiar song... one of his past... and it enticed him...
The hum of the ocean was in her ear and Briseis sat up with a gasp to find herself on the beach. Lifting a hand to run through her hair, she looked left and then right. How did she get here? Was this a dream? The wind whispered and she turned her head to find the source of the humming voice.
On a day of days
I stood and gazed
Over the western sea
I was completely dazed,
Wide-mouthed and amazed
when a mermaid called to me
Rising and walking toward the sound of the song, he soon could hear waves lapping upon the shore. Treading down a path and through some bushes, pushing them aside, he saw the ocean... and on the horizon, a mermaid rose from the surf...
Like a man in a dream,
for an age it seemed
I stood as still as a stone
while the mermaid sang
And her melody rang
like a memory calling me home
Hurriedly, he made his way down the shore, the sand shifting between his toes as he walked... Out over the waves that lapped the shore, the song lured him in...
Then the sea and the wind
and the shores did spin
And though my resistance was strong
all the stars in space
Filled the mermaid's face
as she captured my will with her song
Kam was in the sea up to his knees, and with each crash of the waves, battering his legs, he moved forward, toward her... and yet, the sun shone bright, and the golden hair of Briseis seemed so familiar... “My love, I have not forsaken you... bear strength until we are together... I swear I am coming... coming with a vengeance...” Tears streaked down his cheeks...
The wind commanded again. This time she did not look for the voice as she closed her eyes and felt not sand beneath her now but water. Lowly she began to sing, the song was familiar but she sang without knowing the words. When she opened her eyes again, she turned her head hearing the splashing and saw the form of Kam on the beach, knee deep in water, fallen to his knees. Closing her eyes again, the water disappeared and she felt the beach again. Still she sang and when she opened her eyes, Kam was struggling out of the water towards her. As he neared, she fell to her knees, her hands outstretched to him with a smile on her face.
Somehow I spoke –
the enchantment broke
I rubbed my eyes open wide
like a dream she was gone
All that remained was a song
borne on the ebbing tide
The waves slapped his face, and he could not see. Wiping his eyes from the burn of salt’s infection, he looked around... and she was gone... Despondent, he looked and looked, straining red eyes...
And then he heard the song, but this time from behind him... and the song lured him back toward the shore.
Again, he saw her, this time she sat upon the beach, and it was not a mermaid, but his Briseis... and he ran thru the surf toward his beloved Bri as she waited for him upon the sandy shore.
Falling to the sand beside her, he smiled... “You are with me, whether dream or real...” his hand reaches for her face.
Her face turned into his hand as her own found his sides and drew him close to her. "I know you have not forsaken me and you must not feel regret for what has transpired. It has only made me realize more, that my heart has never been my own..." One hand slid up to touch at the necklace about his neck with the sea glass on it. "This is my heart, and it has always been yours. I am always with you, my heart is always with you. It has and will forever remain yours. No matter what happens."
Curling her arm around his side again, her head lifted from his hand and her eyes seemed to beg for him to kiss her. "I love" She whispered in a singsong hum.
Her touch excited him, his heart-rate causing his chest to thunder... Rising upon an elbow, he leans to kiss her... and as they indulge in a beautiful passionate kiss. But it lasted only seconds as the thunder of hooves in the sand just beyond the curve of the beach toward a cove. He looked up and saw robes fluttering wildly in the wind, the riders guiding their steed right toward them. Looking down, she was gone... yet he stood alone facing the horde of riders bearing down upon him...
Reaching for a sword, which was not present, he looked back to the horde, who now had swords raised for the kill... and in a blinding light, he disappeared... Disappeared only to find himself at the bottom of the sea... struggling for breath... but before him saw a mermaid... and the mermaid was Bri... and she coaxed him not to fight at the distress, but to breathe... to breathe as she did... His reluctance to obey caused her to take him in her arms and putting her mouth over his... and when she pulled away, he could breathe. His new found residence astounded him... but when the mermaid tried to move away, he found it hard to breathe...
He struggled for breathe as the mermaid disappeared behind some seaweed... only to reappear with a scepter and a sword... She smiled and handed him the items... then pulled him by the arms toward the surface... toward a blinding light... At the end of the blinding light, he found himself again standing before the horde as they streaked down upon him... the only difference... in his hands were the sword and scepter...
For once the Amir had not requested her within his room and she thanked the Gods, or what God was listening that she was free if for a night. The rooms of the Amir's slaves were packed, most slept in beds together in twos and threes but because Briseis had been good for a while, she got a bed of her own, small as it was. Since she had birthed the Amir's third wife's child, she had been horribly beaten for touching such a noble woman and had learned not to do it again but she had taken the beating with a raised head. Somewhere there she had found though she was enslaved, she was no longer the slave she once was. She would obey if to live, because life was worth fighting for because of Kamenwati. Tonight the air was warm, the high windows left open to let in the spice scented air. Around her girls slept, some snoring ever so softly and she lay with her hand jammed under her pillow. All this time she still found it hard to go to sleep, so used to her nights staying up till she could not anymore with Kam. No matter how much time had passed, she could not sleep and she stayed silent and wakeful until she could take no more and her eyes, heavy with the want of sleep began to sink downward.
In the distance, an owl hooted loudly for its mate... Kam sat up... finding himself in a field, with purple heather... The owl hooted once more and Kam looked around... With an ear to the wind, he could hear a familiar song... one of his past... and it enticed him...
The hum of the ocean was in her ear and Briseis sat up with a gasp to find herself on the beach. Lifting a hand to run through her hair, she looked left and then right. How did she get here? Was this a dream? The wind whispered and she turned her head to find the source of the humming voice.
On a day of days
I stood and gazed
Over the western sea
I was completely dazed,
Wide-mouthed and amazed
when a mermaid called to me
Rising and walking toward the sound of the song, he soon could hear waves lapping upon the shore. Treading down a path and through some bushes, pushing them aside, he saw the ocean... and on the horizon, a mermaid rose from the surf...
Like a man in a dream,
for an age it seemed
I stood as still as a stone
while the mermaid sang
And her melody rang
like a memory calling me home
Hurriedly, he made his way down the shore, the sand shifting between his toes as he walked... Out over the waves that lapped the shore, the song lured him in...
Then the sea and the wind
and the shores did spin
And though my resistance was strong
all the stars in space
Filled the mermaid's face
as she captured my will with her song
Kam was in the sea up to his knees, and with each crash of the waves, battering his legs, he moved forward, toward her... and yet, the sun shone bright, and the golden hair of Briseis seemed so familiar... “My love, I have not forsaken you... bear strength until we are together... I swear I am coming... coming with a vengeance...” Tears streaked down his cheeks...
The wind commanded again. This time she did not look for the voice as she closed her eyes and felt not sand beneath her now but water. Lowly she began to sing, the song was familiar but she sang without knowing the words. When she opened her eyes again, she turned her head hearing the splashing and saw the form of Kam on the beach, knee deep in water, fallen to his knees. Closing her eyes again, the water disappeared and she felt the beach again. Still she sang and when she opened her eyes, Kam was struggling out of the water towards her. As he neared, she fell to her knees, her hands outstretched to him with a smile on her face.
Somehow I spoke –
the enchantment broke
I rubbed my eyes open wide
like a dream she was gone
All that remained was a song
borne on the ebbing tide
The waves slapped his face, and he could not see. Wiping his eyes from the burn of salt’s infection, he looked around... and she was gone... Despondent, he looked and looked, straining red eyes...
And then he heard the song, but this time from behind him... and the song lured him back toward the shore.
Again, he saw her, this time she sat upon the beach, and it was not a mermaid, but his Briseis... and he ran thru the surf toward his beloved Bri as she waited for him upon the sandy shore.
Falling to the sand beside her, he smiled... “You are with me, whether dream or real...” his hand reaches for her face.
Her face turned into his hand as her own found his sides and drew him close to her. "I know you have not forsaken me and you must not feel regret for what has transpired. It has only made me realize more, that my heart has never been my own..." One hand slid up to touch at the necklace about his neck with the sea glass on it. "This is my heart, and it has always been yours. I am always with you, my heart is always with you. It has and will forever remain yours. No matter what happens."
Curling her arm around his side again, her head lifted from his hand and her eyes seemed to beg for him to kiss her. "I love" She whispered in a singsong hum.
Her touch excited him, his heart-rate causing his chest to thunder... Rising upon an elbow, he leans to kiss her... and as they indulge in a beautiful passionate kiss. But it lasted only seconds as the thunder of hooves in the sand just beyond the curve of the beach toward a cove. He looked up and saw robes fluttering wildly in the wind, the riders guiding their steed right toward them. Looking down, she was gone... yet he stood alone facing the horde of riders bearing down upon him...
Reaching for a sword, which was not present, he looked back to the horde, who now had swords raised for the kill... and in a blinding light, he disappeared... Disappeared only to find himself at the bottom of the sea... struggling for breath... but before him saw a mermaid... and the mermaid was Bri... and she coaxed him not to fight at the distress, but to breathe... to breathe as she did... His reluctance to obey caused her to take him in her arms and putting her mouth over his... and when she pulled away, he could breathe. His new found residence astounded him... but when the mermaid tried to move away, he found it hard to breathe...
He struggled for breathe as the mermaid disappeared behind some seaweed... only to reappear with a scepter and a sword... She smiled and handed him the items... then pulled him by the arms toward the surface... toward a blinding light... At the end of the blinding light, he found himself again standing before the horde as they streaked down upon him... the only difference... in his hands were the sword and scepter...