Stolen 09

He was begginning to think it had been a mistake to take Lenneth from her home, Lezard sighing as he stood outside the door to his treasure room. He could hear her inside, her sobs not quite muffled by the pillow she clung to, the girl letting her grief consume her. Lenneth hadn’t wanted him to know she was that upset, but there had been little chance of her hiding it from him, not with his acute hearing.

Each broken sound made his chest tighten, his heart feeling crushed as he listened to her try to keep from vocalizing her pain. A pain he was the cause of, Lezard recalling how the incident in the kitchen was just the latest of perceived offenses to the girl. He couldn’t even explain to her that it wasn’t anything she had done that had set him on edge, Lezard panicking when he saw her reaching to open the window’s curtain.

Visions had popped into his mind, Lezard knowing his overly concerned sister was lurking outside the premises. He wouldn’t put it past his luck to have her face appear in that exact window, the Goddess locking eyes with Lenneth, the realization dawning on her face at just how enormous his crime truly was. He didn’t even know what Mystina would do in response to Lenneth’s presence in his home! Would she turn him to the other Gods? Or would she try to fix the situation somehow?

A situation he feared was unfixable, the damage done. Lenneth couldn’t go back to Coriander, not so long as her parents were so intent on selling her. Lezard didn’t know how to sway them from that intent, the humans greedy and lusting for an easy way to gain a better life for themselves. Those parents of hers were against earning that better life, preferring to lay back and be lazy, while working their daughter to the point of collapse.

A louder sob, Lenneth not quite able to muffle that sound, made him flinch. He had been by to visit her just minutes earlier, trying to entice her with the meal they had prepared together. It was the third such attempt, and each time Lenneth had insisted she had no appetite. He didn’t quite understand what refusing to eat would accomplish, though it left him frustrated all the same.

He had a feeling it was some gap between divine and mortal that kept him from truly understanding the situation, Lenneth’s thoughts and actions as alien to him, as his was to her. Lezard wondered if what he as doing would ultimately be the wrong path for her, the man full of doubts on the heel of Lenneth’s upset. Was there something else he could have done? Or should he have sat back and allowed her to be enslaved? His heart throbbed in protest at that last questioning thought, Lezard abruptly moving away from the door.

As he walked down the stairs, he mulled over the options that were available to him, to them both. Lenneth could continue to remain here in the heavens, a prisoner in his home. Or she could be returned to the mortals’ realm, put back into the untrustworthy care of her parents. Immediately protests flared in his mind, Lezard not wanting to do that, even if there was no danger of the man and woman trying to sell Lenneth to the highest bidder.

It was then that he realized he wanted to KEEP Lenneth. Not just to save her, but purely for the selfish reason that he liked her. Liked her enough to not want to share her with anyone else, Lezard realizing that even if there was no danger of her ending up in a brothel or as a slave, he still would have been dissatisfied with the way her life was turning out.

He had always felt she had deserved better than to toil away on that farm of hers, to have no future promised to her save for the chance that she might fall in love one day. His chest seemed to hurt in response to the thought of Lenneth falling in love, Lezard knowing he wouldn’t have been able to bear it if she had allowed some man to court her, or worse yet to marry her.

He still didn’t understand these emotions and sensations coursing through him, Lezard frowning as he continued down to his work shop. But he knew it was dangerous to be developing feelings of any kind for a mortal, even as he realized he had already risked so much in just bringing her to this realm. Just that act of stealing Lenneth from her own home proved he wasn’t being rational, Lezard lacking a long term plan when he had acted to save her.

With no plans, and no allies, Lezard wasn’t sure what the eventual outcome of this situation would be. He hadn’t been thinking clearly when he took Lenneth, but he had hoped to have more time with her than what he had been given. And it was all because of his sister’s suspicion, Mystina curious and rightfully so about his latest acquisition. She had spent most of the day outside his home, working tirelessly against the barrier he had erected.

She had retired when night fell, but Lezard was positive she would be back come the morning. He didn’t know for how much longer he could maintain the barrier, it already bore cracks in it from the constant abuse it had suffered at Mystina’s hands. His time was running out, and Lezard didn’t dare make the one move that could save him from discovery.

He suddenly snorted, know it wasn’t a matter of cowardice, but the fact that he refused to send Lenneth back. He still wasn’t sure what would happen if—once the other Gods learned of her presence here in the heavens. What sort of punishment would await him? He simply did not know, but he wasn’t scared for himself but for Lenneth. Who would champion for her future if he was gone? Would they send her back to Midgard, and force her to follow the path her parents had laid out for her?

He didn’t really care what happened to him, but Lezard wanted the reassurance that should he die, Lenneth would be taken care of. He wondered if he could get Mystina’s promise to look after Lenneth in his stead, even if it was forbidden for the Gods to directly interfere with a mortal’s life. He had never understood that law, and had always skirted around it at best. But never until he had taken Lenneth, had he so foolishly defied Odin on this matter.

Perhaps some of the thefts he had done would have been overlooked, but with the taking of a person, a sentient being, he had probably damned himself. His crime was only lessened by the fact he hadn’t killed anyone, although he had certainly been tempted to. Especially when he had first learned what fate Lenneth’s parents had in store for their daughter. He could still remember how good it had felt to destroy that man and woman in their dreams, leaving them scarred from the nightmarish experience. The sad thing was they hadn’t learned anything from their encounter with him in their dreams, the man and woman still intent on profiting off of Lenneth.

Most people had a conscience, some internal monologue that kept them from being totally evil. He had sensed none of that in those two, no guilt or doubt over what they were about to do to their daughter. Some humans were like that, some twist of their nature that made them manipulative and uncaring of others. Lezard was surprised the family had held together for as long as it had, that the man and woman hadn’t turned on each other, just as easily as they had turned on their daughter.

His eyes sought out the mirror as he entered the work shop, the glass seeming to react to his thoughts. Immediately it shimmered, revealing a room that was all too familiar to him, Lezard having spent countless months watching Lenneth sit in it’s corner by the fireplace, knitting in hand. The room lacked Lenneth’s presence, and seemed to suffer without her, the room dark and foreboding.

There was only one log burning in the fireplace, as though no one had had the time to split more wood for the night. The flames eagerly ate at the wood’s hide, and soon it would dwindle down to nothing, leaving the fire to die out. The room wouldn’t go completely dark, there was several candles lit on the mantle, their wax stubs melted down to almost nothing.

It took only a few seconds to notice these details, Lezard stepping closer to the glass. Figures were moving about the room, Lezard recognizing Lenneth’s parents arguing with several strangers. Save for Lenneth’s mother, it was all men in the room, four of which were well muscled brutes, in ill fitting clothes. They were tall, and their bodies were wide, arms rippling with muscles that the tight sleeves of their clothing did nothing to hide.

There was an air of menace to these men, a malicious light in their eyes. They were smiling, but it was cruel, and one of them was going so far as to clench and unclench his hands into fists. Two others prowled about the room, while the fourth had his arms crossed over his massive chest, his body blocking the only exit in the room. Aside from Lenneth’s father, there was another man, and he remained seated, a pleasant smile on his face that was an odd contrast to the tension in the room.

This pleasant faced man was well dressed, his clothing looking finely made and of expensive fabrics. He looked out of place on the tattered remains of the couch, it’s blanket unable to hide the poor state of it’s well worn fabric. Before him, on a three legged table, sat an ignored cup of tea, it;s steam rising off the liquid’s surface to hint at how freshly brewed it was.

Across his knees was a walking stick, it’s top end bearing a ruby red gem. The well dressed man was looking at Lenneth’s father, acting as though he wasn’t aware of how badly shaken both her parents were. Lenneth’s mother had her hands in her apron, constantly wringing out the dirty white fabric in an unconscious show of nerves.

“Can I get you anything else?” The woman was babbling, and Lezard had the sneaking suspicion it was not a desire to be a good host that had her make that offer. Not when her eyes kept flitting to the guarded door, the woman clearing desiring to make a break from the room. “We have some left overs from dinner tonight…and there’s pie…”

“I am quite well fed Madame.” Answered the seated gentleman. “And there is only one thing I require.” He was still smiling but suddenly his eyes lost all their friendly warmth. “Where is your daughter?”

“Our….our daughter?” Foolishly stammered Lenneth’s mother.

“Don’t you think if we knew, we’d have brought her to you already?!” blurted out Lenneth’s father.

“Come now. You expect me to believe that girl managed an escape all on her own? That you would not know where or to whom she would run to?!”

“We don’t.” Insisted Lenneth’s father. “We don’t even know how she knew what was going to happen! We exerted the utmost care in keeping it from her, and yet she still fled.”

“Perhaps you should look to your wife then.” Suggested the well dressed man. “Could not her motherly concern have moved her heart to warn her daughter of the fate that was in store for her?” Lezard almost laughed then, knowing the woman had never shown an ounce of true concern, motherly or otherwise towards Lenneth.

Indeed she was paling as all eyes turned to her, the woman shaking her head so that her graying curls bounced. “I wouldn’t have!” She insisted. “I know what is at stake! There is no way I would have put my husband and myself in jeopardy to spare Lenneth from your hands!” They continued to stare at her, the woman’s upset growing. “I speak the truth!”

“Madame, you haven’t had an honest moment in your life, no doubt.” The seated man said, to the laughter of the brutes.

“My wife is many things…” defended the woman’s husband. “But she would not seek to betray you on this!”

“But she…or perhaps YOU, have betrayed me.” The man retorted. “One of you had to be the one that snitched to your daughter about my plans for her. A moment of guilt is all it takes to whisper well meaning advice.”

“She didn’t even take any of her clothes.” Lenneth’s mother pointed out. “No money, no possessions. She won’t be able to get far like that. Instead of wasting time harassing us, you should be searching the nearest villages for her!”

“Trust me when I say I am.” answered the man. “I have associates keeping an eye out for Lenneth. A girl as beautiful as she, is bound to make others take notice, especially if she’s traveling alone. But the fact of the matter is, I shouldn’t have to be going through this effort to find her.” His own eyes narrowed, his fingers tightening on the walking stick. “I want compensation for my troubles.”

“Co…compensation?!” Both Lenneth’s parents stared at the man, mouths agape.

“What do you mean by that?!” demanded her father. “What do you intend to do?!”

“Well, for starters I want my gold back.” The shocked looks turned to horror, both parents shaking their heads no.

“You can’t.” Whispered the woman, and the man echoed her refusal.

“There’s nothing to give back…..we’ve already spent most of it.”

“Then you’d best work on getting my gold back.” It was not a suggestion but an order, the man staring steely eyed at Lenneth’s parents.

“It’s impossible!” exclaimed the woman. “We’ve put a down payment on a house, we’re to start over far from Coriander. It’s to be our second chance you see…”

“Madame, you’ll learn that in this life there are no such things as second chances.” The well dressed gentleman sneered at her. “And it leaves us in quite a quandary, this unresolved matter of the girl and the gold. I’ll be taking both of course…”

“But how?! We don’t have Lenneth, and we don’t have the gold…” protested the woman feebly.

“Oh I’ll get the girl.” The man assured her, and Lezard found his hands clenching into fists in response to that promise. “And I’ll get my compensation too.” His face had lost all trace of his earlier smile, the man suddenly cold and angry. “Do it.”

“Do what?” The woman wanted to know, and then screamed when one of the brutes punched her husband in the stomach. Lenneth’s father cried out in pain, red flecked salvia being coughed up in the process. Lenneth’s mother let go of her apron, moving as though she would try to help her husband, when she was grabbed from behind. One arm was secured over her chest, the other grabbing her wrists to twist her arms behind her back. She screamed and struggled like a mad woman, trying to break free as two of the three remaining muscled men took hold of her husband’s arms.

“Leave him alone!” She screamed, face losing all it’s color as she watched the third man begin to pummel her husband over and over again in the chest and stomach areas. It was concentrated blows, guaranteed to bruise him and break a few ribs. The smile was back on the gentleman’s face, the man rising from his seat to watch the beating take place.

The beating seemed to last forever, Lenneth’s father no longer able to stand, sagging in place as he was held up by his arms. He barely seemed conscious, and had long since stopped his pained moans. The woman was whimpering, a hand having been placed over her face to muffle her screams.

“Now all of this could have been avoided if you hadn’t spent my gold before Lenneth was secured in my keep.” The well dressed man said. He glanced down at the table, seeing the tea set with it’s chipped porcelain and mismatched cups. And then he was lashing out, foot knocking over the table, the tea set crashing into the floor. The porcelain smashed into a dozen pieces, and the woman seemed to scream even louder.

But he wasn’t done with his torment, the man prowling about the room. Lezard could see he was examining the objects, trying to see what worth could be found in their surroundings. There wasn’t much, Lenneth’s family having sold off much of their valuables long ago.

“Search the house.” The gentleman said at last, the men dropping Lenneth’s father onto the floor. “Take anything of value, anything at all!” The woman screamed again, and the man covering her mouth cried out in pain.

“OW! Damn bitch bit me!” He was already slapping her across the face, the blow knocking her down in an unconscious heap at his feet. The other men laughed, teasing him about being more careful next time. The one who had been bit glowered at them all, before leaving the room to do as his master commanded him. The others soon followed, leaving the well dressed man to hover over Lenneth’s father.

“Now Byram…” He used his ruby tipped walking stick to prod one of the man’s broken ribs, eliciting a moan in response. “I want you to reflect on your sins against me. I want you to realize that things can and will be worse if Lenneth and the gold are not brought to me and soon. Return that new begginning you hoped to have, sell the farm if you can, but you will be paying me back. And if you can’t, you’ll find there are worse things I can have done to you, than to break your ribs.”

There was no sinister laughter to follow those threatening words, the man moving away from Lenneth’s father. Lezard raised a hand, waving it over the mirror’s glass to cancel out the scene playing out on it’s surface. He had seen enough, and it was bleak reminder of just why he had had to take Lenneth away from the realm of mortals. That well dressed man was no doubt the one her parents had sold Lenneth to, his clothing and hired hands bought with the money he made off of other broken girls. Lezard knew he couldn’t allow that unscrupulous man to get his hands on Lenneth, nor could he risk returning her to Midgard. Not with that ruthless man now actively searching for Lenneth!

Lezard had no doubts the brothel owner would be tireless in his efforts to retrieve Lenneth, especially now that her parents had spent most if not all the gold he had given them. He held a grudge now, a desire to pay back her parents for an offense they had had nothing to do with. An offense Lezard had inadvertently caused when he stole Lenneth out from under them all. But he didn’t regret his actions, Lezard now knowing what he had done was the right thing, the only thing he could have done short of killing everyone who sought to do Lenneth wrong.

And yet he was shaken, unsettled down to his soul, Lezard angry over how foul the mortals involved in this debacle had proven to be. It was just one more reminder of the ugly nature of the humans, and how rare it was for a soul to remain untainted when surrounded by such monsters. In this moment, he could even understand why it was against divine law to bring a human into the heavens, the Gods not wanting to be contaminated with the uglier aspects of the mortal’s nature.

“But Lenneth is different.” Lezard insisted to himself, and nodded at his reflection. The mirror shimmered again, as though anticipating his next command. “Show me the girl.”

He barely got the words out, and already the mirror was complying, the treasure room revealed, his collection paling in comparison to the girl laying asleep in the corner bed. Lenneth still clutched a pillow against her chest, her tears dried on her cheeks. She had cried herself to sleep, and the knowledge made Lezard sad. Especially knowing their time together was limited, both their futures uncertain, his sister Mystina holding the key to disrupting it all into chaos.

“I really am a selfish man.” Lezard said to her reflection, already casting the spell that would soften the glass for his entrance into the dreamscape. He found he couldn’t stay away from her long, and reasoned to himself if he couldn’t make her happy in reality, than at least he would steal a few moments of peace for them while she slept. With that thought in mind, he stepped through the mirror, content to lose himself to Lenneth’s dreams.