The Founder's Troubles
JudgeDP

Author's Note: I know, I know I haven't updated forever and I'm sorry about that. Life has been hectic. I warn you I don't think I'll be writing steadily for a while, or at least not well. I get two shocking phone calls this morning. The first was that my cousin once removed and his wife are having a baby, the second was that one of my oldest friends in the world was in a car crash last night and is in a coma. I ask you all to pray for her and to understand that my ability to write well goes down somewhat when I'm shaken.



"Come now my dear boy," said Grandmother, beconing Thomas forward with one knarled finger. "I can send you directly to the underground chamber where Rowena keeps her sword, then all you have to do is grab it and order her here where I shall make her yours forever."

"There is no need to make her mine," Thomas said as Grandmother rolled her eyes at this old topic, "she loves me, I know it. But those monsters have done something to her."

"All right, I will undo whatever they have done to her, does that suit your wishes?"

"Yes."

"Wonderful, now be gone!" And in a bright blast of smoke Thomas disappeared.

The once-village-girl-now-siren made a series of noises.

"No my dear, he will not be coming back, at least not the way he thinks. Now come to Grandmother," the cage around the siren disappeared, "let her brush your pretty, pretty hair." And at that moment the fish part of the girl won over and she flopped over to let the woman comb her hair, as obedient as a pup.


"What did he do?" asked Salazar as calmly as he could.

"He-" Rowena began but bit her tongue back in defeat. "He wanted me to return with him."

"I knew it!" The two basilisks looked up sharply. "Sorry. It's just-"

"No need," Rowena held up a hand. "I should have listened to you instead of telling you to-" Rowena fell to the ground. Salazar caught her, holding her in his arms as he sunk to the ground.

"What's wrong?"

"The sword," was all the young Ravenclaw could say before passing out. Salazar quickly lifted her up, placed her gently on the bed and ran out of the room, Slink and Slither on his tail.

"What does she mean?" asked Slither.

"She means," said Salazar as he ran, "the sword that she would only give to the one she loved."

"Oh," said both serpents, looks of horror on their faces.


Thomas stood in the Ravenclaw chamber looking around. He could see very little in the dim light that seemed to come from no where and everywhere at once, but when he finally saw a sword standing upright with no support whatsoever he knew he had found his prize.

"What is this?!" cried Thomas as he came to ten feet from the sword. A wall of blue and bronze light had come up, blocking his way.

"Rowena," came Salazar's voice, clear as a bell in the deserted chamber. Lights flared up along all the walls, letting the theif see the boy and his two serpents at the other end of the chamber.

"What do you mean 'Rowena?'"

"I mean that she is the one making that wall, she wants no one handling her sword just yet." Salazar started forward, hand hovering over sword hilt.

"You think to defeat me boy?" Thomas asked in an amused voice. "Very well, I am in need of a good laugh."

The two swords were out and the rivals rushing at eachother before Thomas had time even to draw another breath. Salazar's sword flew like a bat out of Hades, but Thomas had grown accustomed to fighting in his arrands for Grandmother and was pretty talented himself. As the two became engroased in their battle neither noticed that the wall of blue and bronze had disappeared. Slink pointed this out to Slither and while neither was watching their father sent his opponents sword flying, right between them.

"You have lost," Salazar hiss-growled, "you were allowed out of this castle once, but not again."

And as the sword made its way for Thomas' throat many things happened. First Rowena finally made it to the chamber, noticed by no one since Thomas was about to die. Second Thomas somehow managed to roll away from the oncoming blade and made a leap for the sword. This caused Rowena to cry out and send a blast of power around the sword, knocking Thomas back. Slink and Slither finally noticed their mother when she cried out and were smart enough to realize Thomas had made her do so, this infuriated them and in their violent rage they both dashed for Thomas bit him. In seconds Thomas was dead from the poison. Slink and Slither, not caring about their resent kill went back to comfort their mother, who was kneeling on the floor, holding her head in her hands.


Salazar looked at the picture before him, so much like the one he had viewed less than an hour before and yet so different. He dropped his sword and walked toward the three, he kneeled down before Rowena and said, "Are you all right?"

Rowena looked up in surprise but after a moment her face softened. She looked from Salazar's warm eyes to Thomas' carcass on the ground, from their to the sword Salazar had dropped and finally back to Salazar. Her face hardened in resolve she got up and went to her own sword. She gingerly picked it up and tested its weight, looking down its shining blade. She then turned and made her way back towards the others. When she came before Salazar she kneeled, holding the sword before her.

"It is yours."

Salazar looked down at the brown head of hair with shock and surprise. He saw her then as he had first seen the back of her head, a girl who did not care what rank he was only that he was human and that was why he liked her, that and the fact that it didn't matter how much charm he used on her, it never worked.

"Why?"

Rowena looked up. "You defended it, not because you expected any reward, but because you cared."

"Oh," Salazar looked up, since looking down would mean meeting her eyes.

"That and... and I love you."

Salazar looked down in shock, Rowena's eyes were hidden from him once more, but he didn't care. He pulled her up and kissed her. He kissed her once and only once, since even that was not proper. Then their eyes met and their hands found eachother and Salazar took the sword, causing a shiver to run through the girl.

"I will protect it always."

"I know."