The Fallen - Chapter 2

It was pitch dark when Rachelle awoke.  And wished she hadn’t.  Her clothes were nowhere to be found and the night smelled scorched.  Like those hot dry summer days when the grasses seemed almost ready to burst into flame.  Rachelle tried to sit up and gasped as pain shot throughout her body.  It was excruciating.  Lying back and breathing shallowly, Rachelle tried using the skills learned from Evangeline and her own innate awareness of her body to assess the damage done to her.  Several minutes later she could only say for certain that she had two cracked ribs and more bruises and abrasions than she could count.  The bite upon her breast could use a stitch or two, but nothing was broken that she could sense.  Blessedly there was no indication that Stefan’s foul seed had impregnated her.

Sobbing, Rachelle pushed herself to her feet.  She wasn’t sure if the tears were for the pain or the loss of innocence…

~*~

Staggering to the cottage’s back door, Rachelle whispered a silent prayer of thanks for whatever whim had led Evangeline to locate her cottage outside the village proper.  Carefully easing the door open, she let herself into the small kitchen and breathed a small sigh of relief – no sign of Evangeline.  Rachelle had taken the time to wash herself and her multitude of wounds in the stream not far from the cottage, but her lack of attire would certainly have raised questions that Rachelle didn’t want to answer at the moment.  Carefully letting herself into her room, she pressed her forehead into the door as she gently closed it behind her.  Safe.  She was safe in her own room and no one ever had to know what happened in the field.  She would have to offer some explanation to Evangeline in the morning for the sight of her cuts and bruises, but Evangeline need never know the depth of her beating.

Evangeline’s soft voice came from behind her, “Child.  You must leave here.  They will come looking for you soon.”

Startled, Rachelle softly sobbed, “But why?”

Evangeline rose from the edge of the bed and came to Rachelle.  Touching her hand gently, she led Rachelle to the edge of the bed and pushed her down to sit.  The room smelled of healing balms and ointments and Rachelle idly wondered why she hadn’t noticed that when she first opened her bedroom door.

“Because Stefan went missing this afternoon.  Seth and Deana are frantic with worry.  Now you have come home in the middle of the night, stark naked, beaten within an inch of your life, and I suspect if we look closely enough we will find signs of rape.  I can no longer protect you from them – I believe that Stefan will never come back and no one in this village will believe that you acted out of self defense.”

Rachelle protested, “But I’ve done nothing!  Nothing!!  I did not ask for this!  I wasn’t even able to fight back.  I don’t know where Stefan is…I haven’t seen him since…since…”

Rachelle sobbed brokenly as the pieces of her life quickly and irreparably shattered around her.  Evangeline carefully spread her balms and ointments over all Rachelle’s cuts, scrapes, bites…  A thick cream that smelled strongly of peppermint and herbs was spread upon thick linen cloths that Evangeline tightly wrapped about Rachelle’s cracked ribs.  Using a soft wad of cotton, Evangeline swabbed a numbing antiseptic over Rachelle’s breast in preparation to stitch the ragged wound closed.  Patiently and deftly, Evangeline stitched the rough edges closed, placed another cotton pad over top of it, and wrapped the pad tightly around Rachelle’s shoulder.

Evangeline explained, “There was a flash of light this afternoon - brilliantly white and blinding.  It was accompanied by a hot, sere wind that one would feel in the midst of the driest desert.  And with the light and wind there were a pair of screams – one of unyielding rage and another of mind rending fear.  I know not what happened in that moment but I now feel such a deep, dark well of magic within you that I could probably hazard an educated guess.  I always felt a kernel of something within you – that kernel has now borne fruit.  I suspect that you took care of yourself in a way that only your subconscious could control.  And I suspect we won’t ever find Stefan again…  So you must go.  Now, before they seek to put the blame on you.  Boys will talk you know.  Stefan would have told someone what he was about this afternoon.  When he doesn’t return, it is only a matter of time before someone tells his parents that he went up into the fields to look for you.”

Numb with fear and disbelief Rachelle gaped at Evangeline as she struggled to come to terms with what her guardian was telling her.  Evangeline clearly believed that Rachelle had somehow used magic to completely erase Stefan from the face of the earth.  And deep inside Rachelle didn’t think she disagreed…

Finally, Rachelle nodded her head in acceptance.  “I understand Mistress Evangeline.  I must leave.  To stay here would be to endanger you…  And I owe my life, such as it is, to you.  It would be a poor way to thank you for saving me all those years ago.”

Evangeline shook her head, “No my dear – my own safety is not what this is about.  My years are short anyway as it’s been long since I could claim to be a young woman.  But I won’t see you throw your life away on this miserable village.  It wasn’t always the way it is now…  However, that point is moot – the village is what it is and too late to change it.  I’ve packed several bags for you – clothing, trail rations, fresh water, medicines – everything I could think of that you might need.  And I want you to take Bella.”

Rachelle interrupted, “Bella?  I can’t take Bella – how will you get to and from the markets and festivals without the horse?”

Evangeline laughed, “Ah…  My sweet sweet child – I could not love you more had you been my own.”  Wiping a tear from her cheek, she continued, “As I said – my years are short and I won’t be traveling to many more festivals.  But I have the donkey – Sam will serve in the absence of the horse.  You need Bella far more than I do, my dear.”

Resigned, Rachelle stood and embraced Evangeline.  “Thank you.  I don’t know what else to say.  But thank you.  And Bless you.”

Wordlessly Evangeline handed Rachelle a bundle of clothes – the ones Rachelle always traveled in – and left her to get dressed.

~*~

Alone in the room, Rachelle took a moment to look around the small bedroom and reflect on the home that she had always taken for granted.  Now, being forced to leave, she came to realize how much it truly had meant to her and what it would cost her to leave it.  Here at least she had some idea of whom and what she was – even if it was all defined relative to Evangeline.  But she now realized that perhaps that had not been such a bad thing.  Evangeline had loved her and taken wonderful care of her over the years.  She had loved her without reserve and in this cold hard world that was truly a precious thing.

Smiling sadly, Rachelle quickly dressed.  Carefully bending over, she pulled a small, carved box out from under the bed.  It was the only thing Evangeline had found with her all those years ago up on the mountain.  Rachelle opened the box and stared in at the small silver ring.  The ring itself was an eye-bending swirl of platinum white filigree.  Nestled at seemingly random points in the wire were tiny iridescent jewel chips.  Rachelle plucked the ring out of the box and looked at it in the wan moonlight filtering through the window.  The tiny gems winked and sparkled.  On a whim, Rachelle slipped the ring on her right hand and breathed a sigh of relief.  It felt right to wear the ring.  The ring itself was light, cool, and blessedly calming.

Straightening her tunic, Rachelle cradled the carved box against her right breast and walked into the tiny kitchen of the only home she had ever known.

~*~

Evangeline thought Rachelle looked infinitely calmer and more at peace when she entered the kitchen.  It was startling and almost unsettling to see such a drastic change come over the girl.  Imperceptibly shaking herself, Evangeline forced herself to smile and ask, “Ready, my girl?”

Rachelle smiled soothingly, and grasped Evangeline’s hand, “Don’t worry mother of my heart.  This is right and I am ready.”

Evangeline saw the ring winking on Rachelle’s finger and the box cradled against her chest.  She sighed and murmured, “Ah…I had forgotten about those old things.  But I’m glad you remembered.  You should have them with you as you embark on the life you were meant to have.  I’m only sorry that I am too old to see the end of your tale my dear…”

Impulsively Rachelle hugged Evangeline – Rachelle had never been one for close contact with others – it always reminded her she was different for some reason.  A tear dropped from Rachelle’s cheek onto Evangeline’s and Rachelle whispered, “I too wish you could be there to see the end of my tale.”

Releasing Evangeline before either could say another word, Rachelle stiffly walked out of the kitchen and out to the small barn were Bella was already saddled, packed, and waiting.  Without a trace of regret, she mounted up and rode Bella down to the road and away from the only home she knew.

~*~

Two hours later Rachelle clung to the saddle through sheer will alone.  When she’d mounted Bella back in the barn, fear and endorphins had gone a long way to mask the pains in her body.  Within the first hour both the fear and the endorphins had worn off and even keeping her seat in the face of the abuse her body had suffered had been agony.  However, an agony she was willing to take when she thought about the alternatives…  She knew that she had to put considerable distance between herself and the village before the sun finally rose for the day.  If the villagers took it into their heads to ride out looking for her, she was as good as dead.

Determined, Rachelle gripped Bella’s saddle as if her life depended on it, a wordless mantra of need, fear, and the desire to escape wound through her mind and soul.  A dull fog blanketed her mind as she struggled to keep her grip on both the saddle and consciousness.

It was a battle that she valiantly fought but was ultimately destined to lose.