A Court of Lightning and Shadows

Two

TW: abuse

——

Briar ran out of the house, hoping they hadn't smelled anything.

She ran straight towards the familiar little tent, owned by Alita. She still felt like she might.

She opened the tent, revealing the older lady sitting on a chair with a book in her hand. Alita's head turned. She looked at her with confusion.

Briar ran towards a bucket, emptying her stomach in it.

She coughed. Her brother's words and her bleeding caused it.

Alita walked towards her, holding her hair back.

Briar was really thankful she wasn't asking questions. The woman knew about her family and what they did to her, but Alita wouldn't start that conversation herself.

Briar pulled back, sitting down.

Alita already grabbed the potion, putting it in Briar's mouth.

She swallowed it fast, before it would come out again.

"Are you okay?" Alita grabbed a glass of water and gave it to her, so she could wash away the nasty taste of vomit.

Briar nodded. "Something got triggered.." her head hung low. Alita waited for her to continue.

"I started my bleeding in the middle of the room. I panicked." she felt dumb for running out of the house. She hoped her father and brother would think it was because she needed to vomit, that they had been successful in hurting her.

"Come to me every morning, for the next week." she already knew what to do. Briar had been doing it for over a 100 years.

Briar stood, walking out of the tent.

"Briar." Alita stood behind her. "Would you like to help me in the kitchens today? I can use some help with cleaning."

Briar nodded.

She didn't really know how to cook or bake anything. She only knew how to make breakfast, even though she tried to make something most of the nights. She was lucky that her brother and father didn't eat at home for most of the time.

Bruar walked back to her house. The second she walked in, she was shoved against the wall. She tried not to scream. Her head throbbed from the impact.

"Why did you run?" her father screamed in her face. It looked like he was sniffing. Briar's heart went wild.

"Why did your smell change?" he asked with a too nicely tone.

"I went to see Alita. I couldn't get the taste of vomit out of my mouth." she hoped he would believe her lie.

He let go of her, giving Briar a chance to run upstairs.

She tried to calm her breathing. She had almost been caught.

——

Before Briar walked to the camp kitchens, she changed her wrappings. She didn't feeling like bleeding through her undergarments. If anyone noticed... They would sell her out. Everyone in this camp would do it for money.

She entered the kitchen and was greeted by Alita. She only smiled back and got to work.

It took them 2 hours to make dinner. Briar cleaned the mess. With the right instructions and help she could make something.

They always made dinner early, since it took them very long. The Illyrian warriors ate like beasts.

Briar walked out of the kitchen, back to her home once more. There wasn't much to do in the camp.

Females were inside their own homes, the warriors were training.

She wouldn't call it boring, but it sure came close to it.

Briar walked inside, her brother off training. Her father.. she didn't know where he went.

She was finally alone.

Briar grabbed a book from the shelve. She liked to read.

She had learned how to read from of her father, saying she would be nothing without learning words.

She was glad he had learned her, otherwise she wouldn't have anything to do except for chores.

It was peaceful in the house, almost too peaceful.

She didn't know when, but she had fallen asleep. Her eyes immediately opened when she heard someone screaming her name, running down the stairs.

She straightened.

Her father walked into the small sitting area. His face red with anger.

Briar wondered what she had done this time.

"You lying bitch." her father grabbed her wrist, pulling her with him.

Outside, her brother came walking towards them. Her father slapped her across the face.

A few Illyrians who walked by stopped. Looking at what happened. Briar winced in pain.

"What did she do?" her brother asked, almost sounding amused. Her father's eyes flickered over her.

"How long?" he tried to sound nicely. Briar's eyes were fixed on the ground.

He knew.

He found out.

Tears formed in her eyes. Her head was yanked up. Her eyes now burned in to her father's.

"How long!" he screamed so hard, that the whole camp might have heard it.

She was trembling. "165 years." it came out like a whisper.

Her brother looked confused while her father ran a hand through his hair. Walking away in frustration.

Her brother gave her a blow in her guts, causing her to double over and fall to the ground. He seemed to have realized it.

It all happened really fast. Her brother held her up by the arms, while her father punched her in the face.

She could feel her nose crack, blood streaming down her face.

The worse part was, when her brother grabbed her left wing. He snapped it.

She screamed. Hard.

Her brother flew away, landing a few meters away. She had shot out her lightning, causing him to be blown away.

Her father had ordered a few guards on her. She was grabbed on all sides. It all became too much, too many hands over her.

She felt dizzy. From all the blows she got, the pain in her wing and the disgusting feeling of people touching her.

She blacked out before she could let a tear slip.