Weekly Expressions 2.1 ~ BK

Weekly Expressions 2.1 ~ BK

This first WE ends the story that the last WE started. So maybe read my previous WE to understand this one better. I could have written so much more but time was dwindling. Maybe later on I’ll add what I left out.

Hadrach caught his breath as he finished his morning run. The air was crisp and a cool breeze blew through the trees around him. He never felt more alive than when he breathed in this fresh autumn air. He quickly gathered an armful of logs and branches to bring home. His mother would be up soon if not already and she’d be ready to kindle a fire for breakfast. After collecting the firewood, Hadrach jogged down the path to their quaint cottage nestled into the wooded valley between two mountains. The land of Hahrahm was plentiful and abounded with life. As he neared the cottage he watched as an elder hurriedly leave and move down the road to their neighbors. Curious, Hadrach quickened his pace. He found his mother already awake. She stood at the window, a scowl on her face.

“What is it, mother?” Hadrach asked as he dropped the pile of firewood to the floor and hurried to her side.

She snapped out of whatever dream she was in. “Nothing, son. Just a council meeting tonight. I’ve been asked to join them.” She patted his hand and moved toward the firewood.

“Why have they asked you?”

She arched her brow at him as she placed the logs under the pot in the fireplace.

“Not that you are not as wise as the rest of the elders. I know your opinion carries far in this land. But usually the women are not invited to the meetings. I meant no disrespect.”

Adah smiled. “I know you didn’t. I’ll find out more tonight.”

The two began their chores as Adah prepared breakfast and Hadrach repaired a broken fence. She called him in when the food was ready and Hadrach devoured it.

“Did you taste it?” Adah teased.

“Very funny.” Hadrach got up and kissed his mother’s head. “I’d better be going. Hazael will be waiting.”

“How much more do you have left in your training?” The strain in her voice proved their was more to the meeting tonight than she let on but out of respect he didn’t probe.

“Hazael says I have mastered all he has to teach me.”

“That is no surprise, the use of a blade runs through your blood. You should have seen your father wield a sword…”

One mention of his father lost her in her memories. Adah turned and Hadrach left his mother to cry in private. She was the strongest woman he knew but the deep sadness she bore from losing his father and Hadrach’s older sister was enough to spring the tears.

Hadrach’s day was spent perfecting the tactics he had long been taught. The sword felt natural in his hands as he thrust and blocked.

Hazael was obviously distracted as he limped around the courtyard in silence. There must be something in the air that caused everyone he passed to whisper and be lost in thought. Hadrach wished he could share in the knowledge. He knew his mother bore deep secrets that she had hidden from him all these years. If he only understood what had happened in the past. Would he ever get the answers he so desired? Would he ever know what happened to his father?

Hazael waved and Hadrach came near. “Go to bed early tonight. There is somewhere I would like to take you tomorrow. It will require an early start. I think that is enough for today. Go home and get some rest.”

“Yes, sir.” Hadrach didn’t like being dismissed so quickly. He returned home to find dinner already prepared and his mother already gone. Hadrach threw his things on the floor and fell on his bed in frustration. He wasn’t a child but he sure felt like they were treating him as such. He was 23 years old! Why did they hide so much from him? He should be at that meeting! Hadrach sat up as the idea manifested in his head. What was stopping him from attending the meeting? No one needed to know he was there. He could hide in the rafters as he did as a child with Michael. Hadrach closed his eyes as the memories of that night so long ago replayed in his mind. He hadn’t returned to the meeting place after that night. His best friend was a son of a councilman. Michael was always too curious about his father's work and dragged Hadrach up into the rafters to spy. They were but children and never understood the things they heard. One night they climbed up there after a meeting. They swung around on the rafters until Michael lost his grip and fell to the floor below. Hadrach climbed down as quick as he could but it was no use. Michael had fallen on his neck and died instantly. The council dismissed it as an act of God and that boys would be boys. Michaels father held no ill will for he had known all along that the boys would go up there. For that, Hadrach had always been grateful but still he bore the regret ever since. But he couldn’t sit here while important matters were discussed. He needed to know what was going on.

Adah sat near the back and waiting to be called forward. There could only be one reason why the council had called for her. She always knew this day would come when a decision regarding her son would be made. After all, he was the heir of their people. But he wasn’t old enough to be chief yet. Their law stated a chief must be the age of 25 or older. Hadrach still had a year and a half left. She fought with herself night after night over when to tell him of his destiny. She had enjoyed watching him grow up without a care in the world. But now? Oh how he must wonder!

“Lady Adah, may you please come forward?”

Adah stood and came before the council. “My Lords.”

“Thank you for joining us. There is a difficult matter that we must discuss regarding your son. We are aware he is not of the age of chief but we have heard unsettling rumors from the North. The men at our fort near the pass have made us aware that the northern army is growing in numbers and power. Their full capacity is not yet known to us. But to make sure that history is not repeated we must get ourselves ready now. We believe it is in our people's best interest if we move our village farther south, out of reach of Cosam.”

Adah shuddered at the name of her enemy. It had been years since she heard the name but his face was etched into her memory like a dark plague. But with it came a resolve she could not deny. “No.”

The men looked confused as they exchanged whispers around her. “No, we will not flee any longer. My son may not be the age of chief but he can still fight as should we all. How long have we lived in the shadow of fear of the North? I say no longer! We must stand our ground and fight back. If we do not we will spend the last of our lives running and living in fear. So no, my son and I will not retreat, not again.”

The men looked baffled at her response as they should.

The doors opened behind her and she heard men filing into the room.

“Lady Adah.”

Adah’s eyes grew wide as a shiver went down her spine. She spun around, a venomous anger burned within her. “You! How dare you show your face here!” She stepped forward, arm raised in attack only to have one of his men stop her.

“The years have been good to you, Adah.” Cosam smiled but she could see the treacherous black devil that he was.

“They would have done me better had I had my husband.”

“Ah yes well we all have different opinions of the late chief.”

“He was not only your chief, Cosam. He was your friend!”

“My friend?” Cosam spat. “He was no friend of mine. He knew my true feelings and my intentions towards you.” Cosam looked away. “But that did not stop him from acting on his jealousy and taking whatever he wanted. Your father had already agreed to the marriage price I set before him. But that didn’t stop Hadrach from going behind my back and tripling the price and stealing you away in the middle of the night. But did he receive any backlash? No! The town praised him for such a marvelous and wise choice and there I was, left in the shadow of his arrogance. My broken pride quickly forgotten. But I never forgot.”

Adah had no words to say to the man. She had long since forgotten the events of the past. Arranging marriages was man's work in their village. She remembered giggling with all the other girls at the attention she received from the two best friends. She had not been aware that Cosam had been speaking to her father. All she remembered was how Hadrach made her heart leap and if she had been given any sway in the matter of a husband she would have picked Hadrach a million times over. He had been so good to her in the short time they were married.

Hearing the true motivation that caused Cosam to betray his entire village was unsettling. The man was mad!

Two men hurried and bowed before Cosam. “He wasn’t there.”

“What?” Cosam’s face turned red.

“We searched the home and the surrounding woods, the boy is nowhere to be found.”

“Where is your son, Adah?”

A knot was tying in her stomach. Why did he want her son? And if they did not find him, where was he? Did Hazael take him away? “He is far out of your reach, Cosam.”

Cosam’s hand balled into a fist, shaking in rage before her. “You will tell me where he is.”

“Your threats are useless for I have no idea where he is. As far as I knew, He was home asleep. Your vain vengeance will prove your demise, Cosam you cur. This hatred inside of you will consume you and destroy you. And if you think you will ever get your hands on my son you are a fool!”

“The only fool is you, Adah, to think my powers and means are not capable of finding a worthless welp. I will find him and I will drain the blood from his lifeless body before your very eyes.” Cosam waved her away as he turned to face the council. Two of his men escorted her out of the meeting place. As they led her to the barracks she prayed that Hadrach had been listening from the safety of the hidden rafters above them as she believed he was and would have enough sense to get as far away from this village as soon as he could.

Hadrach slowly let out a deep breath as he hid behind a pillar. It had been hours before he felt safe enough to climb down and flee from the meeting place. He had nowhere to turn except here and he prayed that Hazael was still home. Hadrach took one step away from the pillar only to have a hand cover his mouth and pull him back into the shadows. Hazael faced him, a finger to his mouth. Hazael led Hadrach down a nearby corridor, quietly staying in the shadows. Hazael led him to a bush against a wall. They walked behind the bush to Hadrach’s surprise into a dark corridor. “This leads us straight out of the village.” Hazael picked up a bag from the ground and began feeling his way deeper into the darkness. An hour seemed to pass before they were out in the open, moonlight guiding them out of the darkness. Hazael didn’t stop and Hadrach could wait no more. They had been silent in the tunnel but the fear fled now and Hadrach had questions. He stopped Hazael and turned the old man around. “Hazael, enough! What is the meaning of all of this?”

Hazael lowered his eyes. “There is much you have not been told.”

~

Several months had passed since Hazael finally revealed the truth to Hadrach. He was impressed with how the boy took it and somehow Hadrach had changed. He wasn’t just a boy running around with a sword. He was a man with calculated movements and strategies. Hazael knew the day would come and Hadrach would take his rightful place. Their number had grown too. There were now 46 who had defected from Cosam’s grip on the village. They were safety hidden miles southeast of Cosam’s watchful eye.

Hazael completely trusted in Hadrach’s ability to lead the men but that didn’t make him any less nervous when he was out on a raid.

Someone shouted his name and Hazael looked over to see one of the scouts from the morning mission running toward him. The man was out of breath when he reached Hazael but did not waste any time in spitting out what he needed to say. As if by something more than chance, Hadrach and his men returned with smiles on their faces, most likely triumphant. Hadrach dismounted and walked the horse towards Hazael. Noting the grim expression on his face, Hadrach’s own smile faded. “What is it?”

Hazael knew he had to tell him. The boy faced too many secrets in his life. There were to be no more. But this information could change everything. It could end all the work they did and make it all for nothing. Still, he proceeded. “It’s your mother. She’s scheduled for execution.”

Hadrach caught his breath. “When?”

“There seems to have been some confusion as to when. It is either for today or it happened yesterday.”

Hadrach wasted no time and quickly remounted his horse.

“No, Hadrach! You must not leave! This is most likely a trap set by Cosam himself to draw you back to a heavily fortified village only to capture and kill you!”

“Hazael, is there any chance that he will not kill her? It’s been four months and she hasn’t helped him in the slightest. He will kill her and I cannot let that happen.”

With that, Hadrach was gone and Hazael felt hopeless. What more could he do?

~

Hadrach ran through the forest, his emotions were high. He had to get to the river and find Katarina. He didn’t know where else to go for information on his mother. Katarina was the only one left in the village that he trusted. He had once entertained the idea of marrying her, that was until his whole world changed. Katarina gave him hope that his mother was still alive. He looked into her eyes and saw kindness and compassion. But something more. It was then he knew she had to come with him. He told her to meet him at the river. He prayed she was there waiting. After he left Katarina’s he found his mother. Hadrach stopped to catch his breath as the image of his mother skirted across his memory. He had gotten there just in time to say goodbye. She was malnourished and near death. Anger flooded his cheeks as he pushed on towards the river. If only he could get his hands on that wretch…

The river loomed ahead and in the waning light Hadrach saw her near the water’s edge. Thunder boomed overhead and the smell of rain was in the air.

“Katarina!” Hadrach whispered as he approached her.

She lifted a shaky arm up to him and he knew something wasn’t right. He quickened his pace and caught her just as she was about to fall over the edge. He fell to his knees and cradled her in his arms. A dagger protruded from her stomach and blood soaked her dress. She lifted a blood covered hand and touched his cheek. He could see the light draining from her eyes.

Not again. He already held one he loved in his arms as they died, that very night!

He fingered the dagger wondering if it would do her any good now to take it out. Panic began clouding his mind and he quickly removed the dagger. Katarina didn’t even wince, no doubt death was moments away. He brushed her hair from her face as a tear fell down his cheek.

“I love you, Hadrach.” Her arm fell to her side and her eyes fixed and unmoving were lifeless.  Hadrach pressed his forehead against hers. A moment passed and Hadrach laid her down. He stood and stepped away. All reason fled from him and he thought of nothing else except finding Cosam and wringing his neck.

He heard the arrow just before he felt it lodge itself into his lower back. The second arrow went through his shoulder and the third hit just above. Hadrach fell to his knees and balled his fist into the ground to steady himself.

Hadrach steadied his breathing as it took every ounce of strength to keep from collapsing entirely. He hadn’t expected it to end like this. He knew for sure he’d win this war or die in battle, not with three arrows protruding from his back with not an enemy in sight. Not with those he loved most, dying in his arms.

 It was getting harder to breathe and his vision blurred for a moment until it cleared and revealed a man’s boots before him. The man before him grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled his neck back.

Hadrach stared Cosam in the eye.

Cosam shook his head. “Oh how the so called mighty fall. I’ve heard so much about you only to be disappointed by… this. What an immature display of character. You fool. You lost the war over women. Tsk tsk tsk. Oh, don’t worry. Your dear old Hazael and your stupid band of defectors will be here shortly only to find you dead and their cause lost. But making sure all of them hang for their treason won’t give me such joy as to make sure you die by my hand.” Cosam pulled Hadrach up to his feet, his heart racing and mind fading. He hadn’t much time.

Cosam placed one hand behind Hadrach’s neck and in his other a dagger against Hadrach’s throat.

“And so ends my misery.” Cosam declared with finality as he stared Hadrach in the eye.

Hadrach fingered the dagger he took from Katarina still in his hand and sent it through  Cosam’s heart. “And thus ends mine.”

Cosam fell to the ground, dead instantly.

Hadrach stumbled backwards before he fell. He had avenged his father, his mother, and Katarina. His breathing slowed and he closed his eyes to allow the end to come.