| War and History Fiction posted June 19, 2022 | Chapters: |
...19 20 -21- 22... 
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Colton is cared for by someone unexpected
A chapter in the book Rise from the Fall
Amends
by Rinshikai
The author has placed a warning on this post for language.
| Background Colton Arverni is an auxiliary soldier in service to the Empire. When an aspiring new commander jeopardizes the northern frontier, Colton's life is changed forever. |
Colton
The world is a haze; people dance around me like ghosts. Their voices echo in the wind. Am I dead? No, I can't be my shoulder is killing me. I reach for it, but a hand holds me down. I can't see their face, only locks of golden hair.
The crackling of the fire is always in my ears. Every time I open my eyes, the world grows clearer. I'm fed something bitter that helps with the pain. And a voice keeps reassuring me that they won't abandon me, stroking my head, apologizing.
After what feels like an eternity, I'm able to sit up. My head starts spinning, and I'm hit with memories. "Enid." I have to find her. As I try to push myself up, my arm gives out.
"The boy should lay back down," The old woman says, mixing herbs at her table. "He isn't ready to leave."
Through dry lips, I ask, "Where's my sister? I have to make sure she's safe." I try standing, only to fall to my knees, the world spinning around me. A pair of hands steady me, and I'm laid back down. Locks of blonde hair draw my gaze. I look for the source and find Giselle. Why is she here?
"She's safe. Hunter took her back to the estate." Her hair is tied in a braid, and she wears commoners' clothes. "It's time to change your bandages." She reaches for me, and I swat her away.
"I'll do it myself," I say, trying to remove the bandage's with my good arm.
"Colton, must you be so-"
"Stubborn? Yeah, just get it over with," I say. "Tell me how I'm here because of my stupidity." She sighs, and I ready myself, but her barbs never come. The dry air in my lungs forces me into a coughing fit. Wiping my mouth, I spit, my lungs now clear.
"That's not important right now." Her hand rests on my shoulder. "Please, let me help you." She tries to help, but I swat her hand away.
"I'll do it myself." I glare right at her.
I start coughing again, unable to breathe. She rubs my back, trying to soothe my pain. Through gasps, she gently cups my face. "Let me help you." She reaches for my wound, and I again swat her away.
"Don't pretend you give a shit."
"I care, Colton. The thought of you dying tore me up inside." She clenches her chest. "When I heard you had brought your sister here, I had Hunter and that Mercenary Captain lead me to you." Again, she reaches for me, but she stops. "I was ready to kill you for putting your sister in danger. But there you were, on the ground, bloody and dying."
Trying to tie my bandages, I drop them when my hand refuses to work. A sharp pain shoots through my arm as the bandages coil tightly. Out of frustration, I swallow my pride and let her help me. It's weird; she's never been this gentle. "Do my Aunts know what happened?"
"They know," The old woman says. "Little Iona wanted to bring you back. But that would have killed you." She points to her shoulder. "The poison was repeatedly spreading. Had the lady not sucked the venom out, the boy would have joined his parents in death."
The thought of Giselle going to such lengths shocks me. Her attention solely on my wound, I ask, "And they asked you to watch me?"
She finishes her work on my arm, then prepares a bowl of stew from the fire. Offering me a spoonful, I reluctantly accepted. "Iona demanded that she stay with you. But I begged her to leave you with me."
"Why?"
Everything goes still. Only the grinding of herbs and the crackling fire fill the room. Giselle's calmness is off-putting. By now, we would have been at each other's throats. What's going on? Her shoulders slump and a sigh escapes her lips. "'I can't undo the past, Colton, but I can make amends to those left."
"What did you do?"
The world fades around us, my mind running like a madman. Giselle has always been aloof and distant, only around when it affected her position. She's never been soft, and begging to stay with me doesn't make sense.
"You have to understand. People were starving. Your father made himself a target, and sometimes you must sacrifice a finger to save your hand."
It takes everything I have not to snap. It had to be done? The massacre of everyone, down to the last child, had to be done? Reason overcoming grief. "Then why were we spared?"
"It doesn't matter."
"No, you had a reason. What was it?"
"I wanted children!" She jumps to her feet, unable to catch her breath. Our eyes lock, and she shakes her head. "The gods took that away from me, but I thought my prayers had been answered when Hunter brought you to me." She paces, emotions pouring from her. "But when I learned the two of you were Arverni and Taranis' children no less. I had to make tough choices."
"By making us, loyalists?"
The barbs should be flying by now. Yet her composure holds firm. "It was the only way to keep you safe. I thought you and Enid could be an example. To show others that even an Arverni could be saved if you submitted." She kneels, closing the distance. "But all I did was push you away." She hugs me. "I wasn't there for you when you needed me," Those arms wrap tightly around me, fearing to let go. "I'm so sorry. I know I don't deserve forgiveness, but know I've always loved you and that I'm proud of you, my son."
A flurry of emotions hits me. She's never called me that. Without thinking, my arm wraps around her. Nothing will ever undo the past. The scars won't let me forgive her. But through it all, I'm grateful for one thing, "You reunited us with our Aunt; that's something."
"Smartass."
We share a half-hearted laugh, but we're interrupted by the door opening. I put my walls up, but a pair of familiar green eyes knock them right back down. In the blink of an eye, my Aunt drops everything and pulls me into a hug. "Thank the gods you're awake." Turning to Giselle, she pulls her into a hug. "Thank you for keeping him safe."
The tender moment quickly fades. Bowl of stew in hand, my Aunt, sits next to me with a look that could sink a ship. "We have a problem," she says. "The Emperor is taking the largest companies south." She gulps down the stew savoring the taste. "We won't have enough men."
"Then we place our faith in Hunter," Giselle says.
"How can you have such faith in him?" My Aunt asks.
Giselle looks at me. "He's never broken a promise to me. Have faith in him, Iona; he'll pull through for us."
"I hope you're right, or we're as good as dead," Iona says.
The crackling of the fire is always in my ears. Every time I open my eyes, the world grows clearer. I'm fed something bitter that helps with the pain. And a voice keeps reassuring me that they won't abandon me, stroking my head, apologizing.
After what feels like an eternity, I'm able to sit up. My head starts spinning, and I'm hit with memories. "Enid." I have to find her. As I try to push myself up, my arm gives out.
"The boy should lay back down," The old woman says, mixing herbs at her table. "He isn't ready to leave."
Through dry lips, I ask, "Where's my sister? I have to make sure she's safe." I try standing, only to fall to my knees, the world spinning around me. A pair of hands steady me, and I'm laid back down. Locks of blonde hair draw my gaze. I look for the source and find Giselle. Why is she here?
"She's safe. Hunter took her back to the estate." Her hair is tied in a braid, and she wears commoners' clothes. "It's time to change your bandages." She reaches for me, and I swat her away.
"I'll do it myself," I say, trying to remove the bandage's with my good arm.
"Colton, must you be so-"
"Stubborn? Yeah, just get it over with," I say. "Tell me how I'm here because of my stupidity." She sighs, and I ready myself, but her barbs never come. The dry air in my lungs forces me into a coughing fit. Wiping my mouth, I spit, my lungs now clear.
"That's not important right now." Her hand rests on my shoulder. "Please, let me help you." She tries to help, but I swat her hand away.
"I'll do it myself." I glare right at her.
I start coughing again, unable to breathe. She rubs my back, trying to soothe my pain. Through gasps, she gently cups my face. "Let me help you." She reaches for my wound, and I again swat her away.
"Don't pretend you give a shit."
"I care, Colton. The thought of you dying tore me up inside." She clenches her chest. "When I heard you had brought your sister here, I had Hunter and that Mercenary Captain lead me to you." Again, she reaches for me, but she stops. "I was ready to kill you for putting your sister in danger. But there you were, on the ground, bloody and dying."
Trying to tie my bandages, I drop them when my hand refuses to work. A sharp pain shoots through my arm as the bandages coil tightly. Out of frustration, I swallow my pride and let her help me. It's weird; she's never been this gentle. "Do my Aunts know what happened?"
"They know," The old woman says. "Little Iona wanted to bring you back. But that would have killed you." She points to her shoulder. "The poison was repeatedly spreading. Had the lady not sucked the venom out, the boy would have joined his parents in death."
The thought of Giselle going to such lengths shocks me. Her attention solely on my wound, I ask, "And they asked you to watch me?"
She finishes her work on my arm, then prepares a bowl of stew from the fire. Offering me a spoonful, I reluctantly accepted. "Iona demanded that she stay with you. But I begged her to leave you with me."
"Why?"
Everything goes still. Only the grinding of herbs and the crackling fire fill the room. Giselle's calmness is off-putting. By now, we would have been at each other's throats. What's going on? Her shoulders slump and a sigh escapes her lips. "'I can't undo the past, Colton, but I can make amends to those left."
"What did you do?"
The world fades around us, my mind running like a madman. Giselle has always been aloof and distant, only around when it affected her position. She's never been soft, and begging to stay with me doesn't make sense.
"You have to understand. People were starving. Your father made himself a target, and sometimes you must sacrifice a finger to save your hand."
It takes everything I have not to snap. It had to be done? The massacre of everyone, down to the last child, had to be done? Reason overcoming grief. "Then why were we spared?"
"It doesn't matter."
"No, you had a reason. What was it?"
"I wanted children!" She jumps to her feet, unable to catch her breath. Our eyes lock, and she shakes her head. "The gods took that away from me, but I thought my prayers had been answered when Hunter brought you to me." She paces, emotions pouring from her. "But when I learned the two of you were Arverni and Taranis' children no less. I had to make tough choices."
"By making us, loyalists?"
The barbs should be flying by now. Yet her composure holds firm. "It was the only way to keep you safe. I thought you and Enid could be an example. To show others that even an Arverni could be saved if you submitted." She kneels, closing the distance. "But all I did was push you away." She hugs me. "I wasn't there for you when you needed me," Those arms wrap tightly around me, fearing to let go. "I'm so sorry. I know I don't deserve forgiveness, but know I've always loved you and that I'm proud of you, my son."
A flurry of emotions hits me. She's never called me that. Without thinking, my arm wraps around her. Nothing will ever undo the past. The scars won't let me forgive her. But through it all, I'm grateful for one thing, "You reunited us with our Aunt; that's something."
"Smartass."
We share a half-hearted laugh, but we're interrupted by the door opening. I put my walls up, but a pair of familiar green eyes knock them right back down. In the blink of an eye, my Aunt drops everything and pulls me into a hug. "Thank the gods you're awake." Turning to Giselle, she pulls her into a hug. "Thank you for keeping him safe."
The tender moment quickly fades. Bowl of stew in hand, my Aunt, sits next to me with a look that could sink a ship. "We have a problem," she says. "The Emperor is taking the largest companies south." She gulps down the stew savoring the taste. "We won't have enough men."
"Then we place our faith in Hunter," Giselle says.
"How can you have such faith in him?" My Aunt asks.
Giselle looks at me. "He's never broken a promise to me. Have faith in him, Iona; he'll pull through for us."
"I hope you're right, or we're as good as dead," Iona says.
Character List
Colton: Main POV character
Giselle: Colton's adopted Mother
Iona: Colton's Aunt
Blind of Woman: Another survivor of the Purge
This is a rewrite of chapter twenty, divided into two parts. I ask reviewers to provide a minimum of one thing they liked and disliked. If you see errors or something that should be fixed, please don't hesitate to point them out. I can't improve otherwise.
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Colton: Main POV character
Giselle: Colton's adopted Mother
Iona: Colton's Aunt
Blind of Woman: Another survivor of the Purge
This is a rewrite of chapter twenty, divided into two parts. I ask reviewers to provide a minimum of one thing they liked and disliked. If you see errors or something that should be fixed, please don't hesitate to point them out. I can't improve otherwise.
Artwork by cleo85 at FanArtReview.com
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