The gift of Goodbye

[Wilhemia]

The Priest had taken Edward to the surface,the land of sunshine and fresh air, a place of promise. Mena had no doubts that the boy would flourish there. Not long ago, she had as well. The night had passed with painful sobs as she hugged the threadbare blanket tightly to her. The fire had long ago petered out into nothing but glowing coals. It did not offer much light but it was enough to cast the eerie glow across the small room.

It was well into the night, as sleep refused to be found in the dark. The haunt of memories , faces of a life she had fled, mocked her. Their taunts of a perfection, of sunlight and laughter. Such things seemed truly so far from her grasp now. They taunted her , just as the sounds beyond the door now as the Landlord returned from his jaunt with the whores. Drunk as always, the loud steps stopped before her door. Her eyes rimmed red, stared at that frail wood door that barred his intentions. She stifled her tears, smothering them with the edge of the blanket as she waited.

The man had no idea of the loss of the boy, and for some length of time it had been Edward's presence that had kept his lewd thoughts to himself. Mena knew it would simply be a matter of time with the drink surpassed his conscious. Without Edward here now, would the man break the pact he had agreed to, a year ago? She could hear his breathing against the wood, even now her hand slid out from beneath the blankets to take up a leather bound hilt of a small dagger.

The steps slowly moved away , thudding back down the narrow hall. She closed her eyes and released a breath of relief. How things would change with the knowledge of Edward's absence. She curled up tighter within the sad blanket and faced the door. Slowly the call of sleep came to her, if for nothing else but a few hours before the trek out of the labyrinth to make her way to the wells.

She heard not the parting of the door to her room as the man stared, his state of undress bore only britches held within a clenched fist. His eyes swept over the interior.. so the others were right.. the boy was gone. The sneer that crossed his face came as he stepped closer to the sleeping girl. The eyes moved over her hungrily, however it was the scent of his person. Stench and cheap alcohol that assaulted her nose. The green eyes slowly opened as she looked to the man. He had leaned in closer to her, his hand wrapped in the blanket. The growl left him as he jerked the blanket it down away from her.

The scream left her lips, though it wouldn't be any different then any other screams that echoed within this hellish place. Likely it would be ignored, and by some even cheered on. However with the slender form all but revealed except the nightdress she wore. He hovered over her bed, the hand reaching now for that flimsy gown , as he felt the saliva begin to form at the edges of his horrid grinning lips.

The small hand slid beneath her side and drew the knife, as he reached, she shoved herself to the side, the knife's point raking across the outstretched hand. The man roared in pain as it seemed to awaken him from his drunken stupor. He looked to his hand, then to the girl that had pressed herself against the wall. The short cropped blond hair stood in a mess however it was the green eyes that held him in a fierce stare.

" Get out. "She stated coldly as the man started to lunge forward again. This time however his hand reached for the one holding the knife. He caught the wrist and in his anger flung her from the bed onto the cold hard packed dirt floor. Mena cried out again and fell, rolling away from him. But never once releasing the knife in her hand. He stormed over toward her, his eyes basking in the soft pale flesh of legs and arms , even that of the shoulder that had slipped free from the fabric.

Mena scampered to her feet again, knocking over a chair in the process as she faced him. He growled , a tone that vibrated within the bare chest. She had traveled in the company of knights and honorable men, this was not to say she wasn't her father's daughter, nor a student if briefly of the Lady Augusta. The latter being an instructor of relentless obedience. Lars moved in further, the toxins in his blood allowed him to ignore the slice along his hand. The bloodied hand reached out again for her to find itself bitten twice now by the blade in her hand.

" GET OUT " She screamed at his face as he pinned her to the wall by sheer brute force. He pressed himself firmly against her, the soft curves of the body pressed, if disagreeably to his. He leaned in , forcing a kiss to her lips, finding himself bitten by the teeth of the girl. He jerked his head back, finding himself bleeding again. He lifted his hand to deliver a smack, he would beat her into submission if necessary. Yet he had released the wrong hand. As he lifted, the knife came down harshly across his cheek.

He roared in pain and stumbled back as Mena found her feet again. She spat to the side and held the knife with some familiarity. " You will leave, never try this again.. else it will be your throat I cut next. "She hissed at him. As she did so, the slender left hand groped along the wall until finding a wrapped handle ,one she kept for years .. hiding. The blade of her father's. Not his ax, she couldn't lift it, but he carried a roman short blade.. it was that, Mena had no issues in holding. The dagger in one hand, and now the short blade in the other.

It slowly began to sink into Lars polluted mind, this estranged house guest of his was not merely tossing threats. She gave a small nod toward the door. "Edward is not here, nor will he return, so there is not more threats of harming him. I will not willingly bend to you. Get out, and come to this room never again. "She spat at him. Bleeding now heavily from the cut on his cheek and hands, the glare of hatred blazed within his eyes as he stumbled out. Mena followed only to the door and slammed it shut once more. The blade set aside while she reached for the single worn chair and propped it beneath the handle.

While it was the morning sun that graced the lands outside the Labyrinth, it was another trial of darkness that dwelled there. As the tears rolled from her eyes..this would not be the last he would try such. And were he sober? It would not be so easily won. Soon she would leave this place, find another hiding place.