The Unknown Alchemist

Chapter 5 - The Sapien

Roedin stared at the open doorway using any bit of energy he had left to call to the Ancestors. He squeezed his eyes shut and focused solely on sending that mental plea for help. Then he did something he had never done before in his five hundred years of life: he begged. He begged the Ancestors that they would come and stop the assault that was happening before his eyes.

His body burned anew, not from fever but from shame. For he lay in a comfortable bed begging while a human girl endured unspeakable torture outside. The male beat her and whipped her. And then he used her.

Tears of rage fell from Roedin's eyes. Even as a youngling, humiliated in the prime circles, he never felt this much shame and anger. Because it wasn't him that was suffering, but he was watching it happen to another and doing nothing to stop it. An innocent, someone who was trying to help him and was now hiding him. He was a stranger, a different species, and Avery wouldn't break. For he was far too weak to fight. If the sapien came into the cabin he would be slaughtered in this bed. Roedin could hear the bones crunching in her body and could almost feel the blows of the male's kicks, but Avery wouldn't tell him who was inside.

Light remained long after the beating stopped. The screams of anger and rage had faded outside, or at least he had shut his ears to the torture. He stared at the doorway with nothing but silence outside. The snow melted rapidly and the birds began singing as spring arrived. There was a comfortable warmth in the sun that dried out the ground.

But Avery didn't walk through the door.

He tried to call for her but his throat was raw and dry. He couldn't take his eyes from the door, willing her to come back.

He saw a raven fly by. The messenger of death.

The fox came through the open door and looked at him.

With a clear voice it spoke, "You are useless, you let this happen. She could have left you there to die, and now she's dying because you aren't strong enough to help her."

"No, I didn't...I can't move...I would...I will..." Roedin rambled to the fox. "Please help her."

"That was supposed to be your job," was all the fox said as he turned and trotted away.

**********

A loud clang startled Roedin from his fevered sleep. His eyes flew open but he couldn't see anything in the dark room. Night had fallen, well, Dark had come. The fire was out in the grate, but someone shuffled through the room.

"Avery?" he whispered to the darkness.

There was a pause and for a moment he feared it was the sapien who had come inside to kill its occupant, and he had just given himself away. Finally there was a small sound from the fireplace.

"Yes. It's me. I'm here."

A sharp scratch cut through the darkness and a flame burst to life. Roedin stared at it in disbelief as she put the flame to the kindling and a small fire was born. As the wood caught, light filled the room and Roedin's stomach fell as he took in the sight of her.

Her hair was torn and matted. Blood and mud clotted together and chunks were missing where it had been ripped out. A stream of blood had dried down the side of her face from a gash on her brow. One eye was black and swollen forcing her to turn her head from side to side to look with her good eye. Her lip was split and there was blood at the corners of her mouth, likely from biting her tongue.

Roedin had seen these injuries before, just never on a young woman. A young woman who was still alive.

Avery reached up and gripped the chimney stones, blood and dirt under broken fingernails. She sucked in air as she rose and pain jolted through her. A wave of dizziness passed over her and she swayed on her feet. When it passed she blinked to get her bearings and then turned to Roedin.