Begoud

Ch 1: Unwanted

Author: Miss Lizz

Rating: R for language, violence, and everything else that happens in life.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.  Nothing except the new characters and possibly some events.

          Her name was Astrid.  She was seventeen summers, the elder daughter of neiromancer Zaehes, the prophesy-holder that stated the most powerful warrior-mage of all time would come of her blood, a skilled warrior and sorceress herself, and she was four months pregnant.  It frightened her.  It enraged, disappointed, and shamed her proud father who believed she should be well married before she had a child.  He felt nothing but foreboding over the prophesy and considered this a bad sign.

          "HOW COULD YOU HAVE DONE THIS?" Zaehes' voice thundered through the small study of the great house, "You knew the prophecy.  You knew if you conceived what this child would become."  This argument had been riding on a crest for nigh upon an hour.

          Astrid stood her ground, never one to back away from anything.  "Yes I knew and at that time I cared not!  I will have this child gladly and my son will grow to be everything the prophecy said he would.  Forsooth, I had expected you to be pleased that it was so quick in being fulfilled…"

          "You should have married first," he interrupted her with a grumble.  "You still will if I have any say in the matter.  The man who did this will own up to it and take some responsibility for his mistake.  Do you know where he journeyed to?"

          "I can raise my son without the need of a husband."

          "That is not what you were asked, daughter.  Where is the man?"  Her father gritted out in a growl.

          A sigh.  She could not defy her father for very long, never could, despite her tendency to do so to everything else.  "The city near the Council of Elders."

          "Excellent.  That's only three day's journey from here by air and the Council of Elders will make that ruffian act maturely."  Then he sighed, "Unfortunately, I cannot accompany you… duty, I'm afraid.  There's no shirking it, even for family… Take Boreas with you, he can protect you from anything."

          He left the study then, obviously finished with his orders, probably going off to attend to that duty that so much more important than his daughter and soon-to-be grandson.  How dare he dismiss her so!  How dare he dismiss the life growing inside of her as a mistake!  She can raise her son on her own as well if not better than if she were married.  There was no reason to make―

          A loud snort from just outside the third story window broke her mutinous train of thought and made her look that way.  One large, green-gold eye whose slit pupil was larger than her head peered in at her in a beseeching manner.  Curse and rot the man but he'd already summoned Boreas.  The dragon in question trumpeted loudly upon sensing her mood.

          Sighing belabouredly, she pushed herself out of the overstuffed chair and stormed to the room she shared with her younger sister and started packing.  There was no telling how long this trip might last, it could take her days to actually find the man if he was even still in the city.  He was a soldier; there was every possibility he could have moved out in a patrol.  When she found him, what was she to say?

          And if he wanted no part of his son's life and upbringing, that was actually fine with her.  She also did not want to go near the Council of Elders.  They made her uneasy and they tended not to really trust her people.  Going to them for a decision was not a thing she wanted to do if she could help it.

          Maybe I should just stay gone.

          No.  Headstrong as she was, Astrid knew she would need all the help she could get to train her son in all he was to know.  She would have to come back home no matter the outcome of her search.  Her son depended on her; she was not about to let him down. 

          She packed a small bag of only the essentials and a small purse of coins, hugged her sister, Rhea, who had no idea what was going on though was promised answers upon Astrid's return, and left the house.

          Boreas warbled her a greeting and pushed his massive head against her in an affectionate nuzzle, which immediately lightened the mood and made her laugh.  For being nearly 500 years old, he could still ac like a hatchling sometimes.  It could be rather comical to watch a fifty-foot tall, 100 foot long dragon prance about in giddy excitement or pout and sulk like a child. 

          He lowered his giant brownish-red body to the ground to allow her access to his back so she could climb on and ride.  She did so with the ease of practice, resting comfortably in a fork between two widely spaced neck ridges and patting his enormous neck lovingly.

          "You ready, Boreas?"  He snorted happily.  "Well then, let's get this over with."

          Then they were off and flying, soaring over the treetops in a straight, majestic path toward the city and, hopefully, the soldier she had met months earlier.

End ch. 1

Here was the first actual chapter of this going to be epic story about the life and history of everyone's favourite evil sorcerer.  I hope you like this.  Please tell me if you do.

Thank you,

Miss Lizz