Written for the first ever Tin Man Grand Prix Challenge; a 10-week fanfiction writing challenge at tmchallenge on Livejournal. Authors were given secret codes in order to post their stories anonymously. The intent was to level the playing field between popular and less popular authors. Stories were to rated on a scale of 1 to 5. At the end of the 10 weeks, the scores were totaled and your's truly won 3rd Place! (I never expected that in a million years). So in the end, participating in the tmchallenge helps to explain why I haven't worked on my WIP, Let Loose The Dogs Of War.
Title: A Mother's Love
Round/Week: 04
Original Author Code: RU01AC004
Rating: T
Summary: Jeb and Cain travel to Belleville for a memorial service
Warnings: None
Original Challenge Statement: For this round, the prompt line ("Did I Say You Could Move?") must be used in your piece, spoken by one character to another.
Jeb and Cain rode silently side by side. A few of the former Resistance fighters led them and a few followed them from behind. As a light rain began to fall Cain pulled up the collar of his duster. He took a glance over at his son. He was staring straight ahead. He shifted in his saddle to try to find a new comfortable spot and in protest his horse let out a soft whinny. Then he finally broke the silence between them. "It's good of you to do this." He said it to not only alleviate any second thoughts that his son may have been having but to let Jeb know, in his own way, that he was proud of him.
Jeb said nothing at first but then looked over at his father. "It seemed liked the right thing to do." Then he went back to looking straight ahead at the road in front of them.
In the end, Cain knew that his son would not be in much of a talking mood. He carried a heavy burden. He had been one of the Resistance's main leaders. Now that the Sorceress had been defeated, and the initial celebrations were over, it was time to mourn the dead.
Belleville was where the small band of hardened men was headed. It had suffered terribly during the Sorceress' reign. It was the home of many Resistance fighters and once that little tidbit had been discovered, all hell had broken loose. The Sorceress sent her Longcoats to restore "peace" and "order". One did not have to be a genius to understand the real truth behind her statement and the ramifications.
Once the House of Gale had been restored, the residents slowly began to return and rebuild Belleville. Soon thereafter, the Mayor sent an invite to Jeb. They were going to hold a memorial service for the fallen fighters and townsfolk and he wanted Jeb to speak. After all, a lot of the fighters that had joined Jeb's regiment were from Belleville. It seemed only fitting.
Cain remembered back to that day when Jeb opened the invitation. He debated about whether he should go. He was a man of action. That trait had served him well in the war. But now, in this time of peace, what was a former man of action to do? Jeb said that he did not have the gift of words. That gift was for the politicians. It was DG who then threatened to order him to go if he did not willingly accept the invitation. Speak with your heart she told him. The words will come. Cain could not help but smirk to himself even as the rain fell harder. The look on Jeb's face as he slowly realized that he could not win the argument was priceless. He wondered how many times had he had given the princess that same look during their quest for the emerald.
As they neared the town a recently made wooden sign announced to the world, "Welcome to Belleville. " But then Cain's eyes shifted to the line underneath it. It announced "This is a town of peace. No weapons of war are allowed." He glanced over to Jeb, looking for a response. But there was none. If Jeb had read the sign he elected to give no comment. Cain turned his attention back to the road. Their journey would soon be at an end.
She heard a loud knocking on the door. It was time. As she took one last look in the mirror she quickly pushed a piece of gray hair up underneath her pill box hat and then pulled the black lace netting over her face. She ran her hands down the front of her dress to make sure that there were no wrinkles or bits of fuzz. Then she turned away and wearily walked down the staircase. The insistent knocking began again. Out of annoyance she yelled, "I'm coming!"
She opened the door just as the knocking began yet a third time. There on the porch stood Mr. McGravey. At the
sight of her a wave of relief washed over his pale face. He took off his derby out of respect and held it in his hands. "I was beginnin' to get worried Mrs. Callahan."
"I told you that I would go, didn't I?" she said with a bit of irritation. She left both the door open and Mr. McGravey standing on the porch. He stood there waiting for her to motion him inside. The invitation never came and he finally said, "I'm sorry Mrs. Callahan. I thought that you might've changed your mind." He fiddled with his derby some more.
She looked at herself in the living room mirror one last time. Her sigh was clearly audible, even to Mr. McGravey who stood outside, still waiting for permission to enter.
"Are you okay Mrs. Callahan?"
She forced a smile to her lips and replied, "Yes, Mr. McGravey, I am."
The rain fell hard as Mr. McGravey escorted Mrs. Callahan to the tent. He did his best to keep her covered with the umbrella and yet maintain a certain amount of space between them. She could not help but think to herself at how appropriate the weather was. In his announcement, the Mayor called it a memorial service. But in that same announcement he was sure to state that it was not only a time to remember the sacrifices of the past but to also look towards the brightness of the future. She snorted in disgust as Mr. McGravey nearly stumbled while trying to navigate around a puddle and hold the umbrella over her head. Where is your brightness today?
The memorial service started in the same manner that all memorial services start. The dignitaries who stood in front of the podium changed but the words were the same. Mrs. McGravey turned in her seat to see who all was in attendance. She was not surprised to see that nearly the whole town was there. Nor was she surprised to see other widows like herself. She turned back around and tried to concentrate on the speaker. But the words that came out of his mouth fired no emotion within her. It was just blah, blah, blah, followed by polite applause, then more blah, blah, blah.
Mrs. Callahan was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she did not even realize it was Jeb's turn to speak. When she finally did look up from her hand wringing he took her by surprise. She leaned over to Mr. McGravey and very quietly asked, "Is that Jeb Cain?"
Mr. McGravey was taken slightly aback by her question and he took a quick glimpse at her. She was sincere. She had no idea of who was now talking. He whispered back, "Yes…are you feeling okay?" He thought, how could she have not been paying attention? Jeb Cain was one of the reasons why the Mayor organized the service. Mrs. Callahan merely nodded her head and then reached down for her purse.
As Jeb spoke, he eyed the crowd. It was out of a habit learned a long time ago when he first joined the Resistance. "I fought besides your husbands, your sons, and your brothers. They were brave men. They were the best men I have ever known." It was then that he saw an older woman rise from her chair in the front row. She took a few steps forward and outstretched her arm. In her trembling hand was a handgun.
Jeb stopped his speech and stared at the woman slightly beneath him and to his left. It was not the first time that he had had a loaded gun pointed at him. Those in the front row did not comprehend the cause for Jeb's sudden stop in his speed. But then a woman screamed.
Some of the men in the crowd, Cain and the other Resistance fighters leapt to their feet. There were loud outbursts and the rustling of chairs and men. Jeb raised his hand and motioned for them to stop. He slowly walked
around the podium. He knew all too well that he was exposing himself to the woman, but then again, he had seen a shaky gun.
"Don't come any closer!" Her voice shook with feelings that barely could be contained any longer.
Jeb slowly raised his hands. "I won't come any closer, and neither will any of these men." He took a quick look over at his father. Cain's eyes narrowed but he did not move. "I thought that this was a town of peace."
Mr. McGravey rose to his feet and held out his arms. Imploringly he whispered, "Mrs. Callahan? Please…"
Mrs. Callahan abruptly turned around and pointed the gun at her husband's long time friend. She could see the hurt and pain in his eyes. He gripped his derby tightly. "What are you doing? This isn't the Edith that I know… Please Edith, it's not Jeb's fault."
She took a few steps backward away from him. "Stay back Gerald!" Then she and her gun turned their attention back to Jeb.
His voice was almost a whisper but it was loud enough to be heard by those in the front rows. "Mrs. Callahan, what happened?"
She swallowed hard. Her heart beat so hard in her chest that she did not know if would be able to speak over it. However, as the minutes passed she could no longer hold back her torrent of emotions. "YOU ALLOWED MY HUSBAND TO DIE! AND MY SON! MY ONLY SON TOO!" she shrieked.
The crowd murmured but no one dared to move. Jeb stared at Mrs. Callahan. Skirmishes and battles flashed through his mind. And then he found the two memories that he was looking for. He never thought that they were connected until now.
"Your husband's name was Percival wasn't it?" He waited for Mrs. Callahan to nod in acknowledgment. "He died at the battle of Cavenia didn't he?... He saved twenty men that day." Mrs. Callahan nodded again in silent acknowledgment. A few tears began to form a stream down her face but her arm did not yet waiver.
"Callahan's not too common of a name. When another Callahan came in to camp looking to join up, I told him that he was too young. That he should go back home. Your son's name was Tobias wasn't it?" Out of the corner of his eye, behind Mrs. Callahan, he saw the Mayor and some of the townsfolk he guessed were the police appear. They carried their rifles in the open. This town had suffered enough and was struggling to find peace within itself and with the world. He was not religious but he found himself saying a silent prayer that it would not come to that.
Mrs. Callahan interrupted his thoughts. She said softly, "After his father was killed he told me that he was going to take his place. I begged him not to go." Then her demeanor changed and she screamed as she pointed the gun back at Mr. McGravey, "AND YOU ENCOURAGED HIM!"
Mr. McGravey was nearly in tears himself. "Please Edith… I only tried to do the right thing. I tried to guide him like Percival would've." He took a step forward. "Tobias was just like Percival. Once he made up his mind…"
"DID I SAY YOU COULD MOVE?!" she cried out. Her gun wavered. Then her voice softened, "Did I say you could move?" She sniffled in a half-hearted attempt to hold the tears back.
Her anger bubbled to the surface again. She aimed the gun back at Jeb. "And you took him willingly! He was only fifteen annuals old!"
Jeb clenched his teeth together. He remembered the boy. He was tall and lanky with bleach blonde hair. He was a good kid, but he could be a hellion, on and off the battlefield. "I'm sorry Mrs. Callahan. I tried to send him home but he was too headstrong." He spared her from what Tobias had told him. He had told him that his parents were dead and that he had nowhere else to go. Jeb felt sick on his stomach. Hindsight was always twenty-twenty.
As she stood there holding the gun he lied to her. "He told me that his father had been killed and that he was disobeying his mother wishes. But he said that she had good people to watch after her." He pointed at Mr. McGravey. "I guess he was referring to Gerald over there." He swallowed hard as he continued his lie, "He wanted to fight in order to try to make the world a better place for her." It sounded corny but in truth, that was why some men fought.
Mrs. Callahan trembled as she looked in to Jeb's eyes. Through all of this he had never flinched and she thought that he truly was the cold-hearted bastard she envisioned him to be. But as she looked in to his eyes she realized that they contained the pain from hundreds of battles. He had not only seen her husband and son die, but countless others. His burden was her burden a thousand times over. No more hollow words had to be said. He let his eyes speak for him.
From the silent conversation that occurred between them she finally cracked and then buckled. Her knees went weak and it was Mr. McGravey who rushed to her side to hold her up. Jeb walked over and gently took the gun from her trembling hand. She looked at him and through the sobs managed to squeak out a quiet "I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry…" Jeb said nothing for a moment as he struggled to contain himself. "There's no greater love than a mother's love," he whispered. Mrs. Callahan could do nothing more than nod her head as her body heaved from her sobs. Mr. McGravey and a host of other men tenderly led her away.
In a few strides Cain reached his son. "You all right?" he asked as he put a hand on his son's shoulder. He gently forced Jeb to turn his gaze from Mrs. Callahan to him.
Jeb looked at his father and saw a mixture of relief and concern. "Yeah, I will be."
"It didn't exactly happen like that, did it?"
Jeb shook his head. "No, it didn't."
Cain looked at him. He wondered if this was the first of many times a grieving mother or father would attempt to take his son's life as payment for their child's. "She'll be okay. Even if Tobias never said it, she does have good people to look after her."
Jeb nodded in agreement as he looked down at the gun in his hand. It was heavy and black. For a brief moment he wondered how she had been able to hold it outstretched for so long. Then he opened and emptied the chamber in to his hand. The Mayor came up to him and was ready to say something but Jeb stopped him. He passed the gun and the shells to him and then left him there speechless as he walked through the crowd after his father.