Look up at the stars…
by Cobalt Goddess
Disclaimer: I own nothing, although I plan to, all I need is to win the lottery, then I can buy the rights.
Prologue:
Lorwyn sat crying in her quarters, her bloodstained dress lying open across her back. As Thalian dressed the copious slashes that ran from her sister's neck to the small of her back, her hands trembled at the sight and thought of what their master had done.
"I am to blame, sister", sobbed Lorwyn," I've yet to learn how to control my tongue, as you well know." She laughed softly to herself, the irony in her sigh made Thalian's heart break. She always blamed herself, although, as far as Thalian could see, her sister had always been very proper and from her mouth came only the most polite of speech. Surely no, this was none of her doing.
For years Thalian had born sole witness to every slap and every curse thrown at Lorwyn by their heartless master, but never had he physically lashed out until today. And after all the years of loyal service given by Lorwyn and her family, this dog of Gondor scarred her for life simply for greeting his son, whom neither of them had before met, without first asking permission.
"I despise the ground he walks on," Thalian spit. " Elwan, Malwyn, and Jaryl make errors regularly and are never given more than a reprimand, you speak out of turn and are FLOGGED!" She turned toward the fire, it's flames mirroring the intensity of the ones burning hotly in her chest. "Time, perhaps, for the daughters of Rornen to teach him why it's wrong to strike a woman."
"You mustn't speak ill of Master this way, "Lorwyn begged, standing to face her sister, "If he were to hear…"
"I care not!" Thalian declared," If the Master wishes to flog someone, let him feel the sting as well!" Lorwyn had never seen her sister as terribly irate as she now was. Thalian tore from her sister's mournful gaze and, fire poker in hand, she went forth to find her Master Galmod and his son Grima, who had caused her sister this pain.
Willa, Thalian and Lorwyn's mother, caught her rampaging child by the arm as she stormed past her in an oblivious fury. She had both feared and anticipated that this day would come, the day Thalian had had enough, just as her father had.
"Ease yourself, my child," Willa softly pleaded. "Ease and thank your very being that I came for you when I did, for elsewise you life would be forfeit and your mother's soul would be torn asunder!"
"Ease?" Thalian shrieked. "Ease as my sister lies bleeding! What say you, mother, where was your soul as Lorwyn was torn asunder? !"
"I well know the pain, more so than you," cried Lorwyn from the doorway of the maid quarters. "And I well know the suffering we all would face were you met with the same fate as I! Do not do this foolishness, sister, for if Galmod would flog me for greeting merrily a member of his house, what more would be done to you for striking them?" She had seen enough, and heard enough for a thousand lifetimes, and wished it would all end. But Lorwyn, hopeful as she was that it would, also understood well the implications of her birth and the reasons for her torture, a fact kept from her young sister Thalian for fear of her reaction.
Thalian threw the fire poker across the room, barely missing the washbasin. She sank in a sobbing heap to the cold granite floor, broken of her anger in the knowledge that if she had taken after Master, she would be dead, and her sister bereft of either protection or support. Something had to be done, and she knew that, now that her father had gone, she was the only one who would dare try. But what could be done, if not through mutinous means?
She turned to her mother. "Does my sister wish for retribution? No, for fear of hurting our family, as if she were not important enough to save. She has always protected us while you have done nothing, for what reason I know not. It doesn't matter anymore, I am through letting you decide who and what is worthy of defending. Today my mother stood idle whilst my sister begged for death, today, my mother died." staring deep into Willa's eyes, the realization of her words hitting her like cold fire, Thalian knew there was no going back this time. "You both," Thalian continued, "You both have pleaded of me not to retaliate this day, and this day I shall not, as you wish. But, there shall be retribution, I will not allow my family the pain of degradation hence more. Much of Lorwyn's abuse has been of her mind, and thus shall my revenge be reaped, the men of the house of Galmod will feel my wrath, and I will have their souls!"
Thalian gave her mother a withering smile and left.
"Mother," sobbed Lorwyn pitifully," What should we do for her?"
"Pray," Will answered mournfully," Pray that she succeeds or dies painlessly."
Lorwyn limped back into her room and sat stiffly on her worn mattress. Her father had acted this way many years ago, long before her family were subject to Galmod and his hideous dealings. Rornen was his name and he and Galmod had been friends, or so she'd been told. It seemed so surreal that only 15 years previously they were inseperable, and now as she sat here Galmod sat in his banquet hall with his children feasting to their hearts content. While Rornen lie in his grave not 10 feet under them.
And it was all her fault.