The night was crisp and cool as the young soldier
rode with all his might through the woods, holding a small bundle to his chest.
The castle was behind him at this point and he was nearing his destination. A
certain stillness seemed to have settled on the air and was hanging heavily
over his head, just like the dread that was welling up in his heart. He knew
that his mission was of the utmost importance and it seemed like the whole
kingdom was depending on him. He also knew that it was only a matter of time
until the guards caught up with him. Bane glanced down at the little bundle in
his arms. The baby girl had just fallen asleep, her cries no longer piercing
the stillness of the night. As he watched her sleep, so innocent and so unaware
of what was going on, he felt a new strength and determination surge within him
and he urged his horse on.
At last
after another mile or so, Bane saw the little clearing up ahead. He could see
the little thatched roof house silhouetted against the night sky. When he
reached the house, he dismounted and tied his horse up outside. He noticed a
figure moved away from the small, lone window and sighed before going up and
knocking on the door. A tall young man who looked to be a few years older then
Bane’s twenty-one years opened the door just enough to allow himself to look
out. “You’ve got a lot of nerve showing up here,” the man said gruffly.
“Please,
Greg, let me in..,” Bane responded wearily. “It’s of great importance and
urgency.”
Greg
stepped back, allowing Bane to enter the two roomed house. “What do you want?”
he asked. “Money….food…?”
Bane turned around and pulled back
his cloak, revealing the small bundle he was carrying. “How?” Greg asked. “Is
it…”
“No, it’s NOT mine,” Bane
interrupted peevishly, making sure the door was secure. “I need your help,
brother.”
Greg’s face hardened. “Help you?” he
snorted. “You who went off and joined the Tyrantists, the enemy; you, my own
little brother, who betrayed us all.”
Bane
lowered his head and quietly replied, “There are things in my life that I
regret, that being one of them.”
Greg cast a look at the baby that was asleep
in his brother’s arms. “So, if she’s not yours, then whose is she?” he asked,
leaning back against the door frame.
“His,” Bane
replied.
“HIS?!”
Greg repeated.
Bane
nodded.
Greg asked,
“Does she…”
Bane nodded
again, his eyes flicking nervously towards the door.
Greg
shuddered and asked, “Then why…”
“Because
the fate and the entire hope of the entire kingdom rest with her,” Bane
explained. “Greg, I know you are in league with those who are against the
Tyrant.”
“Oh of
course you would know,” Greg retorted.
“Please
just let me talk!” Bane shot back.
His brother fell silent.
“Take her
in and raise her as your own alongside your son. Protect her at all costs, even
if it means your own death. This is no small matter,” Bane said.
“Are you
mad?” Greg asked, jumping to his feet.
“Greg! I am
going to end up dying for this baby and the cause that we all stand for,” Bane
retorted. “When I return to the castle, they will catch me and I will hang.”
Greg sat
there in silence for a moment, staring at his brother. Bane was no longer the
immature teen boy he had been only just a few years back. Not only was he more
mature, he was taller and more muscular in build. He also had a bit of a beard
coming in. “Please,” Bane asked again. “My time is running out. You know how
the enemy works.”
At last
Greg nodded and said, “Alright, fine.”
Bane felt
relief wash over him. “Thank you, Greg. Thank you,” he said. “Her name is
Raelen by the way.”
He handed
the sleeping baby to his older brother and ran a hand through his long brown
hair before turning towards the door.
“Wait,”
Greg said. “Aren’t you afraid to die?”
Bane turned
back towards his brother and it was then that Greg noticed how weary his
brother looked. Bane was silent for a moment and rested a hand on the hilt of
his sword. “No, Greg,” he finally replied. “I don’t think so.”
The two
brothers just stood there for a moment before Bane broke the silence, saying,
“I need to go. You are in enough danger as it is.”
“There
isn’t a way…”
“No, not
for me.”
Bane looked
one last time at the baby girl he was risking so much for and said to his
brother, “Take good care of her. Don’t let my sacrifice be in vain.”
Greg
hesitated and then held out his hand to his brother he had been so hardened
against. Bane shook it and said, “Don’t worry, Greg. I’ll be alright.”
And with
that, he walked out of the house, mounted his horse and disappeared into the
shadows. The baby stirred in Greg’s arms as he stood there, unable to move or
speak. He was four years older than Bane, and yet tonight, he had made him feel
very young. “Greg?” a voice called. “Greg?”
A young
blond haired woman walked up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Was
that your brother’s voice I heard?” she asked.
Greg
nodded, keeping his back towards her.
“You didn’t
tell me he was here. How is he?” Marianna asked. “Greg?”
It was then
that Greg turned with tears in his eyes and managed to reply, “He’s alright,
Marianna. He’s going to be alright.”
*
* *
Bane
rode back towards the castle with a heavy heart, keeping to the shadows as best
he could. So much was at stake and so much was at risk and he asked himself if
it would really be worth it all in the end. Would it be worth the sacrifice?
He
was about a half a mile from the castle when the dark figures emerged from where
they’d been hiding on either side of the road. “Well, well, well,” their
leader, whose name was Kendrick, said. “Looks like the traitors returned. Where
have you been, Bane? You’re not at your post.”
The
other Tyrantists snickered.
Bane
calmly replied, “I was out on a mission.”
Kendrick
hit him in hard in the stomach and Bane fell from his horse. He grabbed him by
the hair, jerking his head back so he could look him in the eye. “You fool!”
Kendrick spat. “I know where you’ve been and what you were doing. Everyone
knows. He knows.”
Bane
had expected this and made struggle as his hands were bound behind his back. He
was forced to a standing position and Kendrick dragged him towards the castle.
When they reached it, he shoved Bane through the gate and to the middle of the
courtyard where the gallows stood. He stopped Bane and before he forced him up
the stairs, he had his men remove his armor so that all he was left with was
his pants, boot and white shirt. Bane made no reaction and just stared into space.
Kendrick looked him in the eye and asked, “Ready to die, traitor?”
Bane
lowered his head, making no reply. “Answer me!” Kendrick replied, hitting him
across the face.
The
other Tyrantists joined in and Bane fell to the ground beneath their blows. As
much as he wanted to yell, he didn’t. I
will not give them that satisfaction, he thought as he bit back another
scream.
“Cease!”
a voice that sounded as cold as ice said. “Stand him up.”
Kendrick
dragged Bane to his feet and made him face in the direction the voice had come
from. A figured cloaked in black stood there and everyone drew back in reverent
terror. Bane raised his head slowly, blood dripping from his mouth and nose,
and found himself face to face with the tyrant. He felt a sharp pang of fear as
he looked into the cold, cruel eyes. It felt like he was looking into his very
soul. “Carry on!” the Tyrant ordered. “Let an example be made of him.”
The
Tyrant looked at Cedric and said, “I will win in the end. There is nothing you
and your little group of rebels can do to stop me. Therefore, die without any
hope of victory.”
In
spite of his impending death, Bane smiled and as the Tyrant turned and began to
walk away, he said, “You’re quite wrong about that.”
The
Tyrant stopped in his tracks and turned back toward his helpless victim.” I
have more hope now then I ever did before,” Bane continued. “This is not the
end of hope, tonight hope begins.”
Kendrick
hit him hard in the stomach and Bane doubled over, panting hard. “Shut it!” he
said, pushing him roughly towards the stairs of the gallows.
The
Tyrant turned away and disappeared with the flick of his hand, his laughter
echoing long after he was gone.
Bane’s
legs buckled and he fell to the ground. “Keep moving,” Kendrick ordered.
Bane
struggled to his feet and climbed the stairs as he leaned on the railing. At
last he reached the top of the scaffold where the gallows awaited him. Kendrick
stopped him over top one of the trap doors and then pulled the noose over his
head, making sure it was tight before going back down the steps and to the
front where Bane could see him. “Bane Lockslief, you are charged with high
treason and desertion. Therefore, you will hang by the neck until dead.”
Bane
felt an overwhelming sense of calm come over him and he wasn’t afraid. “Any
last words?” Kendrick sneered at him.
Bane
raised his head and gazed at the morning light that was just beginning to peek
over the edge of the horizon. He bowed his head, remaining silent. Kendrick
crossed his arms and nodded to the executioner who reached for the lever.
Bane
closed his eyes and took one last breath as the floor beneath him gave way. 