A Right Hand Woman

Lost.

I entered and closed the door behind me. A long hall stretched out in front of me and lining it were men with swords drawn. I walked past them all, none willing to meet my eyes. Some men stood in front of doors but I could tell the room I was to enter was the one at the very end of the way. I reached the door, took a final breath and pushed it open.

The room I entered was large, almost like a ball room. There was beautiful furniture set carefully around the room on a mosaic floor. The tile design was breath taking. Tiles set to display the night sky, looked to be done by a true artist. But I had no time to enjoy it. At the end of the room was a table and seated at it were ten men. I walked towards them to a lone seat on my side of the table. As I reached the chair I asked 'Where are my friends? Release them now and then we can discuss what ever you wish' I looked between the men. Every last one of them was streaming blackness into the room. It was so think I could taste it.

The man directly in front of me turned his face to the right and nodded at an armed man standing beside a door there. The solider turned, opened the door and dragged three people, who had once looked like Matthew, Rose and Susanna from the room. They were all tethered together and looked terrible. Rose was the biggest shock of all. Once a large woman, she had lost a lot of the weight on her frame. Her hair was dull and dirty and her clothes were torn and filthy. Matthew and Susanna were no better. They all looked as though they had been locked up for weeks or months with little to no food.

I could not believe what I saw. My friends were little more then walking corpses, and the smell! They smelt as though they had been residing in their own waste the whole time. I turned on the men sitting calmly in front of me. 'Who the bloody hell do you think you are to treat people this way?' I yelled at them as I started to walk to my friends. As I moved, one of the men let out a loud rap on the table and the door I had entered opened, spilling dozens of armed men into the room, all advancing towards me. I drew my sword but halted where I stood. The men gathered into lines but halted also.

'You are going to lay down your sword Raven, and turn yourself freely over to our men. When you have done this, we will release your friends' The man who had rapped on the table stated. He was an older man, but commanded a lot of authority. I looked at my friends again. I would do anything for them. Bowing my head, I turned from them and walked towards the table. My sword, pointed at the ground, hung loose in my hand. "Raven, do not do it! You have to fight!' Susanna screamed out. The man who had dragged them out backhanded her across the face. I blanched at the sight.

'I have to Suse' I said sadly. I reached the table and set my sword on it for the men to see. Backing up, I sat in the chair they had provided, and waited with my head bowed. 'Wise choice Raven' The man, whom I assumed was the 'Captain' said to me. 'Guards, please release the prisoners at your leisure' I did not like the way he said that. I looked up at him and saw the smile on his face and realised what he meant. Horrified, I rose from my chair and turned to them. Two more guards had joined the first with Matthew, Rose and Susanna. Each of them had unsheathed their swords. I looked into the eyes of my beloved friends. Matthew closed his, readying himself for the end. Rose had a look of relief mixed with sadness. But Susanna had a look of pure hatred, directed at the Captain.

Susanna turned her head ever so slightly and gazed at me. 'I love you Raven' She cast me a smile as in unison, the guards drew back, then swept their heads from their bodies. One, Two, Three. They fell together. Blood flowed, covering the night sky scene on the floor. I was frozen. Never had I expected this. 'They have now been released Raven. I have released them from their pain' his words broke the spell on me. I slowly turned and looked at him. The feeling was slowly spreading through me. A warmth that filled my entire being. I did not focus on the feeling, I just moved. Spinning on the spot, I took up the back of the chair in my hand, and still spinning, flung it across the room at the Captain with as much force as I could muster. It moved at lightning speed and so did I. With the release, I threw myself after it, and as it smashed against the man, I grabbed hold of my sword. The Captain was knocked backwards off his chair by the impact and smashed his head against the floor. No one moved as his blood spread out in a wide circle around his head.

I was surrounded. The nine men left from the table to my right, the three from the execution in front and from a rough count, twenty-six to my left. Of all the men I counted, there were twelve left in the room with darkness. The nine from the table and three guards to my left. There were few options for me. I could try and fight my way out of this or I could fight till I died. If I was to die, I would take as many as I could down with me. Still no one moved. The guards awaited word from the nine men, the nine men awaited my move and I awaited Divine assistance. None came.