The Talons of a Dark Heart Ch. 03

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Weakness sweetens revenge.
3.2k words
4.51
23.9k
4

Part 3 of the 11 part series

Updated 09/22/2022
Created 06/02/2009
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He was a young boy when he had ran away from the castle. Men of thirteen years old were already fighting in battles but he knew nothing of yielding a sword. He didn't know where he was going. Just away from the taunts and the constant torments of an unrequited love and a truly unsympathetic life. He was allowed to learn side by side his persecutor, and he was smarter than her. He learned how to debate, use tactics in war decisions, and make just treaties with hypothetic allies. Everything she knew he was more knowledgeable, perhaps she was jealous of him because of this. He wasn't allowed to learn combat, the one thing that meant he wasn't a slave in this strange land.

He was eight years old when he watched his mother and father die by the sword of King Aronich. His father's last pleading words were to save his life. Aronich pledged that he would save the boy but he would live within the castle no higher than a generational servant. Aronich wanted to master the boy, use him to be his spy that was unarmed and untrained for battle. King Aronich wanted the boy to be defenseless, preventing him from leading an uprising for his lost land when he became of age. Without any male companions as the other servant boys in the castle had, the boy was left to the King's precocious daughter.

He lived under the guise of a playmate to the princess until he was too old for his precious daughter. He loved her no matter how much she goaded and teased him. She made him do humiliating and ridiculous things. She was the cause for many of his beatings when he was caught doing her mischievous wills. He endured them all, because he was smitten with her smile and her simple giggle. He would always remember her running through the castle gardens, her curly black hair waving at him, her little girl gowns of bows and lace swimming in the wake of her joyful play.

A raw howl broke his reminisce; he turned around and saw that Talyis had fallen again and dirtied her shift again. He cursed at her as he stopped his horse to allow her scrambled to her feet. Gareth rode up and dismounted from his horse to help her up.

Curse him too with is insufferable sympathetic temperament, Novak commented under his breath.

"Novak, we should put her on the horse. We won't have to stop so much and we are approaching the Navapa territory," Gareth suggested helping Talyis to balance on her good foot.

"Fine," Novak spat, "she rides with me." Gareth scooped Talyis up and placed her in front of Novak on his horse. She winced as her back touched Novak's cold armored body and then whimpered as he took the reigns by reaching around her. Novak rolled his eyes and scowled at Talyis, "What do you want the horse to stir himself. Relax or you will walk."

Talyis bit her lip. She could smell him so close to her, he smelt sweet and so of delectable spicy she had never imagined that would tantalize her. She wished the circumstances were different that a man this beautiful and smelt this wonderful wouldn't loathe her very existence, take pleasure in her pain or steal from her what she only knew not to give away, not even to herself.

She didn't know why but she blurted out, "If you despise me so much why don't you kill me and make us both happy."

Novak let go of his reigns set aback by her comment, she wanted him to kill her. His Talyis wanted to die. More acid leaked from his stone heart, it pained him to hear her speak like that. He took a deep breath and allowed the bitterest chuckle he could muster from within and took the reigns and kicked his beloved horse to a gallop.

***

Thankfully, the band approached the edge of the Navapa, Novak did not know if he could maintain himself with the sweet smell of Talyis right under his nose any longer. Gareth shot a look at him and he pulled his sword out and wrapped it around in front himself and Talyis. She shirked back suddenly scared.

"Be still," he breathed into her ear and cut her bounds from her wrists, "You are not to say a word to anyone do you understand."

She nodded and let tears from her eyes. She was too far away from home, she had never heard of this territory, but from her captor's behavior perplexed her. They were on edge, overtly cautious; might these Navapa people help her?

They rode on until the reached a sentry on his way to the village.

"What is your business here, travelers?" the sentry inquired blocking the road with his horse.

"We are on our way to our homes after a journey to trade," Gareth spoke.

The sentry arched an eyebrow and starred at the band, "With weapons?"

"We have many enemies who wish to eradicate our people on our trading route. It is mere protection, sir."

"What about the girl, she has tears in her eyes. We do not allow any slaves in this region."

"She is my..." Novak swallowed hard, "wife, she fell into the mud and ruined her favorite gown. Her tears are mere feminine trivialities, sir, I assure you."

The sentry examined Taylis from afar. She wished, she prayed he would not believe the lie. Her jaw quivered but she did not look at the sentry.

"It is near sunset, do you plan to continue your journey beyond the mountain pass today," the sentry asked making small talk but never taking his eyes off of Taylis. Novak hugged her to him noticing the sentry's disbelief and then whispered tenderly into Taylis's ear to not cry- a display for the sentry.

"No, we will setup our camp in the forest and set out in the morning," Gareth answered.

"You could buy the girl a new dress in the village. There must be a shop that is still open beyond dusk," the sentry said and then turned his horse back onto the path and galloped away towards the village.

The band turned off the road towards the forest in a full gallop. Novak was determined to get the night over with and onto his home as soon as possible. The last thing he wanted was a diversion of his plans caused by these meddling people. As soon as they reached the forest's edge, they slowed down and he could hear Talyis's the loud sobs penetrating the air in front of him.

He flexed his jaw, "Enough with the insufferable crying!"

"What kind of disgraceful monster bore a man like you," she spat her anger boiling over.

"Be careful, Vile," he gripped his reigns to restrain his hands.

"He didn't believe your lie," she goaded, trying to believe her taunts herself, "Who would believe I would be your wife. A lowly peasant wouldn't give away a mule to you," she laughed trying to sound strong. "The sentry is going to send officials to scourer the forests and arrest all of you, lascivious Aricin scum."

"Say one more word!" he warned.

She did not hesitate, "There was a reason why you, Aricin, should have been destroyed. I curse my father's neglect to not completely hunt..."

With that, a feral growl erupted from Novak. He threw her off of his horse and she fell to the ground with a loud thud. Instead of tears, the detested mocking cackle of his boyhood sliced the air. Talyis laughed like a little girl her legs kicking about her. Strength was on her side once again, her eyes ridiculed him.

Novak was stunned like a child bullied, he nervously looked at his band, and relieved they only focused on the girl and did not notice his humiliation.

He simply said to his band in the ancient Aricin language he knew she had not learned, "Tonight," the band concurred and followed Novak leaving Talyis behind on the ground.

Talyis's chortles were renewed again as she saw Novak ride away from her. She was oblivious to the now united retribution she had just caused. Gareth sighed seeing the eyes of his band grow dark with the memories of their lost loved ones plague their faces. He rode up to Talyis and offered his hand to her. She composed herself, flipping her hair out of her face and climb onto Gareth's horse.

Gareth was quiet, he didn't want to have conversation with Talyis either nor did he want to let his horse catch up to the rest. He knew his friend and his temper too well. It was best to let them all calm down. It was nice to ride at twilight, the sunset brought a clean breeze and the skies pinks and purples calmed him. When they had reached the camp the fire was already started and the tents were up. Seeing that the cattle prod was already in the fire, Gareth knew Novak's rage was far from restrained.

Novak stormed up to Gareth and yanked Taylis off the horse. She was disappointed; she hoped that he would have taken his horse to the forest so she would have a moment's peace to herself. He grabbed the helm of her shift and pulled it to her naked hips displaying her to Gareth's eyes. She caught her breath, her face flushed in embarrassment as she looked at Gareth, the only one to show her some value. Her stomach knotted instantly as Gareth looked at her indifferent.

"I told you to remove the hair!" Novak stormed, he twined his fingers through her hair knotting it as he twisted her head hard to him and dragged her across the camp to grab the shears. He snapped her head away from him and shoved the shears into her hands. "Go!"

"Novak, must you be so rough with the girl," Gareth voiced, "She is already broken. That display at the forest's edge was a girl loosing everything she has left."

Novak studied his friend in betrayed disbelief, he huffed, "Go follow her, make sure she doesn't kill herself with those shears."

Gareth sighed and turned his back to roll his eyes in secret defiance to his friend and prince. He followed the path Talyis walked into the forest for privacy to do Novak's embarrassing bidding.

Gareth found Talyis sitting in a meadow on a fallen log, her in head in her lap sobbing to herself. The shears were stabbed into the dead tree behind her. Gareth didn't want to startle her but branches from the lightening killed tree broke under his steps. She sprang to attention and inspected his every step towards her. He motioned to her with hands of surrender to relax and as delicate as possible joined her on the log. They took a collective sigh and looked at the sunset painted sky.

"Taylis, when you provoke Novak, you will only make life more troubling for yourself," Gareth's voice cracked when he finally found the words to say.

"What did I do to him? He looks at me... like I...," Talyis stopped and shook her head. "I don't know what he wants from me? This is not right. You don't capture royalty and not make demands. You don't capture royalty and not kill them."

Gareth sighed deeply and then shook his head not looking at Talyis but staring at his boots.

"Just do as he says and you will be fine," Gareth advised. "Have you finished what he commanded you to do."

"No. I am not going to do that!" Taylis fumed and Gareth smiled seeing the same temper his friend had in her eyes.

He smiled and chuckled, pointing a finger at her, "See that is exactly what I mean. Do notdefy Novak andyou will be fine." He glanced at the tree behind him and imagined Talyis entering the forest her little feminine frame seething wishing the tree were Novak.

"Do you need help," he chuckled, standing up.

Taylis protested boldly, "No, I am not incompetent; I know how to groom myself."

She marched over to the tree, plucked the shears from it and plopped back down onto the log. She grabbed the helm of her shift but hesitated. Gareth grabbed the shears from her and she scowled at him. He smiled to himself and whipped the grit from the tree off with his tunic and handed the shears back to her. She puckered her lips in concentration in the cutest fashion, it was no wonder his friend had suffered so long after this girl. She squeezed the helm of her shift again and tried to lift it but could not be force to expose herself to herself.

"Don't cut yourself," he teased.

"I know that," she hissed and gnawed on her lips in nervousness.

"I should turn my back," Gareth giggled silently, and then turned his back to her. He sat still shaking his head knowing she was frozen in the same spot, her obstinacy was amazing, "Just let me know, when you are done, don't want to be out here still shaving in the dark.... You are likely to cut yourself."

Taylis yelled in aggravation and gave up. Gareth turned to her and instead of prideful façade saw a bewildered girl.

"I never, I... I never," she stammered.

"You never looked at yourself," he finished and she closed her eyes tightly nodding, "Hmpf."

He prided her desperate fingers from the shears and gently tapped the other hand still clenching the bottom of her shift. He knelt in front of her and pulled her shift to her waist. She clutched her hands to the log at her sides and looked at the sky above her. She held her breath and tried to think of anything than the hands working on her mound, the eyes of a 'friend' seeing her folds. The pull of the blade woke her entire body, made something inside her clench, deep inside. She felt wet, but she had not wet herself. She wanted to spread her legs to let the wet loose.

"Taylis.... Taylis," Gareth repeated her name and she looked at him. Her face flushed when she saw him looking at her with an arched eyebrow judging her. He had stopped his work. "You should look at yourself."

Taylis shook her head, the strange feeling was gone. She took a deep breath and again looked at the sky. Gareth continued his work.

"You know what is going to happen tonight, Taylis?" Gareth asked coldly. She glanced down and finally watching him shave her pussy mound. "You are going to lose this," he inserted a finger into her and she took a sharp breath in and tried to move away from him but he placed a hand on her thigh holding her firm.

"Please," She begged in a husky voice, "Please don't."

"I am sorry," Gareth said plainly and continued his work, "You will be marked as Novak's and most of the band will take you. And..." He stopped; he saw the horror in her eyes searching his for help. "And by your remarks this afternoon they will not be kind." Gareth diverted his eyes back to his work, careful as he pulled her lips aside not wanting to cause any more discomfort to her as he dragged the blade to cut the fine hair. He hated seeing tears in women's eyes. "I am sorry Talyis."

He finished making sure no stray hairs were left and then rolled her shift back down over her thighs. He sat down next to her and watched the sun's last rays sparkle behind the hills.

"Its best that after tonight you learn your body and how to do this yourself, Talyis," Gareth remarked.

She didn't comment. Her stomach felt like bile was churning inside it, pushing into her throat bitter taste. She rocked back and forth. Gareth turned to her and saw her wits slipping. He hugged her to him and combed her hair from her face.

"Hey, come on, you should think of something else while, when it happens," Gareth consoled, "You've had to have had a love," Taylis shook her head, "Not one?" she shook her head again. Gareth slumped a bit trying to think of another solution to help her.

"There was one," she choked quietly and sob, "I am tired of tears." She sighed heavily and regained herself. She pulled away from Gareth and held herself, looking again into the trees. "The was a boy in the castle, when I was a little girl," she smiled to herself letting her hair fall back to play in the breeze as she remembered him, "We used to play together, we had our studies together. He was the sweetest boy I've ever known. I'd fancied him," she giggled, "I was so pathetic. You know when you like someone and you do the opposite to them, to pretend, to hide your real feelings. Oh I teased him awful. He knew truth. I know he did."

She stopped and then looked at the ground. "One day, I decided to tell him that I loved him. Oh, it was awful. We got into a fight. He was always very stubborn." She stopped and Gareth just stared at her in unbelief, "He was, emm, he disappeared when he turned thirteen. I don't know why he left. I thought it was because of me because I wasn't honest with my real feelings." Her voice trailed off and she patted her thighs as to announce the conclusion of her story, "I think I will always love my dark haired green-eyed boy."

Gareth sat astonished; he blinked his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. He looked at Talyis still staring at the sky thinking of her green-eyed boy.

"Tell me Gareth," she smiled her eyes brightly, "Do you love someone?"

"You don't want to hear about a raider's love life, especially an Aricin's," he teased and she bowed her head apologetically. "I have one love, Delia, she is a bar keep. A wench by your standards, but a princess by mine. She's plain delightful. Non-the-less as Novak's second, I cannot take her as my wife until he finds his own."

"Why?"

Gareth shifted uncomfortably and stood up, "It's getting dark and you remember what I told you about behaving for Novak." He held his hand out for Talyis to help her to her feet.

"Gareth, please don't take me tonight," she confided, he smiled apologetically and kissed her hand.

"Think of your green-eyed boy, Talyis," he encouraged.

Gareth could feel sexual tension and awaiting retaliation crackling in the air as soon as they reached the camp. His comrades sat around fire eating and talking. He knew Novak was still glowering as he played with the prod making the fire pop into the air. He walked over the kettle and served a bowl for himself and one for Talyis. She took it, inspected it and looked back in disappointment with eyes of a pleading babe- she didn't like their cuisine. The entire band stopped talking. Novak was glared at him and postured himself, enraged that as Talyis stood behind him. Novak's Talyis was so near to him.

Gareth thought to himself,If you only knew, friend. Retribution is a sour way to serve love.

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7 Comments
AnonymousAnonymousabout 9 years ago
love the last line

good way to end the chapter and what we're anticipating ahead

AnonymousAnonymousover 12 years ago

Normally I'm not into this type of story, but i have to say that i LOVE this story. I adore your expolsive characters and think that you brought they're past to life excellenctly. i can not wait to find out what happens next :) wonderfully written. 5 Stars

AnonymousAnonymousover 13 years ago
Ughhhh!!!

No words are enough to describe how disgusted I feel for the incoming gang rape. If he really loved her at one point he wouldn't do that to her now. Yeah she teased him a bit but that doesn't call for rape. She didnt kill his family and she qasnt resonsible for what happened to him in life she was very young. Very disapponted in Gareth for not doing anything about the rape situation considering he has someone he's in love with you would think it would make him compassionate. Especially after what she told him about loving the boy who was obviously Novak. Leaves me coompletely baffled. Great writing though I'm just never fond of dark things and thoughts lol. Anxious to find out what is going to happen on to the next one.

TricialenTricialenalmost 15 years ago
Very Good

Very well written....I want to know what happens next...and I'm hoping that Novack doesn't end up being mean enough to give Taylis to his men...I won't like him very much if he does...I like Gareth...a lot...so maybe if Novack turns out to be a bastard...Gareth will save her...

AnonymousAnonymousalmost 15 years ago
anxiously awaiting in NYC

Wow you did it once again I am hoping that Novak has a change of heart and doesn't allow the others to rape her..this is a very touching story if only I could purchase online to add to my book collection..I am anxiously awaiting the next chapter..please keep up the good work..your writing could rival my favorite writer

Sherrilyn Kenyon !!

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