Nearly Headless Nick's Story
Chapter 9
Nick walked back to his room, which was just down the hall from Leila's.
As he walked, he looked into his mens' rooms to see how they were. He noticed quite a few of them were missing from their beds, but he thought nothing of it.
His head was filled with thoughts of Leila and nothing more. She had suffered and yet she pressed on. As he pulled on his nightshirt, he knew she wasn't anywhere near as hardened as he had thought.
He was awakened in the early hours of the morning by riotous noises coming from around the stable. He looked out his window to see about half of his men, staggering and shouting from drunkenness, milling about the courtyard proclaiming about the reckless night they had just experienced.
"-And what was her name?" yelled a man from the far end of the yard, near the barn.
"I've no idea!" loudly answered a man from the other end of the yard.
This was met with a wave of uncontrollable laughter, and it made Nick cringe. Jumping out of bed, he grabbed a dressing gown (A/N this is what I know they called robes in like the 40s in England, I don't know if they do now, or if they did at the time this story takes place, but I do not care) and as he headed for the door, he heard another uproar.
He walked over to the window and looked down to see Leila being accosted by three or four of his men.
"Where're you goin' miss?" slurred one of his men, grabbing her arm.
"I am off to tend for much more civilized beasts than yourselves, now unhand me!" she glared at the men.
"Oh no, you ain't goin' no where lady," said another man grabbing her from behind.
She wrenched away and attempted to run, but was barely made it ten feet, before they had her again.
Nick rushed out of his room and hurried down the stairs. As he burst through the door leading into the courtyard, he slipped.
"Leave her be!" he yelled as he fell. He lay sprawled on the ground. When he had caught his breath he noticed a few pairs of boots around him. He followed the boots up to the faces of his men, standing around him.
He peered around then and saw Leila had been thrown to the ground. He heard her groan softly.
"Leave her you say?" said the one closest to him, "What you want her all to yourself then?"
With that he kicked Nick hard in the ribs.
The men roared with laughter and picked Nick up and began to beat him, laughing drunkenly the whole time.
Leila managed to lift her head enough to see what was going on and saw Nick being punched in the stomach by one of the men who just a moment ago had been pawing her.
She got to her feet slowly, and looked around. Running for help seemed a good idea, but from the beating those men were giving him, she doubted he'd live until she came back.
Throwing caution to the wind she ran across the courtyard and threw herself on the man holding Nick. She dug her long sharp nails into the man's neck. He howled and shook her off. When he began to advance on her, she punched him hard in the chest and he fell to the ground.
Looking up, she noticed the men standing around Nick had dropped him to the ground and were heading toward her.
With a gasp, she began to run toward the inn, but one of the men tripped her and she fell to the ground. Two of the men picked her up and began to carry her away.
Nick slowly raised his head at the sound of a high pitched scream. He looked up just in time to see his men dragging Leila toward the barn, their intent written all over them. They had their backs turned to him. Thinking quickly, Nick struggled to his feet, testing his strength. It would be tough, but he thought he could make it.
He limped and struggled across the courtyard, forcing himself to go faster. After a minute had gone by and he didn't seem to be gaining any ground, he collapsed on the grass. Wanting to give up, he rolled over hoping to pass out, to be out of the pain. The sound of Leila's screams reached his ears as though through ten feet of water, but he heard them.
There was only one thing left that he could do, and he groaned as he pulled himself into a sitting position. He reached into his dressing gown to take his wand, and pointed it carefully.
He gathered the remainder of his strength and muttered something, even he didn't know what. Whatever it was, it worked. The two men carrying Leila fell to the ground and she ran straight at Nick.
"What did you do?" she demanded breathlessly.
Nick racked his beaten mind for some excuse that would sort of make sense.
"Why nothing, they brought it upon themselves, all that beer and brandy you know..." he moaned softly.
"You tried to save my life," continued Leila, looking at him carefully.
"And you," Nick weakly took Leila's hand in his own, "truly saved mine."
As soon as these words had left his lips, he inhaled sharply, and his hand went limp in Leila's.
Leila gasped and dropped her ear to Nick's chest. She let loose a sigh, he was alive, but he was unconscious.
Springing to her feet, Leila looked about trying to figure out what to do. Finally she knew there was only one thing to do.
"MAFILDA!"
Chapter 9
Nick walked back to his room, which was just down the hall from Leila's.
As he walked, he looked into his mens' rooms to see how they were. He noticed quite a few of them were missing from their beds, but he thought nothing of it.
His head was filled with thoughts of Leila and nothing more. She had suffered and yet she pressed on. As he pulled on his nightshirt, he knew she wasn't anywhere near as hardened as he had thought.
He was awakened in the early hours of the morning by riotous noises coming from around the stable. He looked out his window to see about half of his men, staggering and shouting from drunkenness, milling about the courtyard proclaiming about the reckless night they had just experienced.
"-And what was her name?" yelled a man from the far end of the yard, near the barn.
"I've no idea!" loudly answered a man from the other end of the yard.
This was met with a wave of uncontrollable laughter, and it made Nick cringe. Jumping out of bed, he grabbed a dressing gown (A/N this is what I know they called robes in like the 40s in England, I don't know if they do now, or if they did at the time this story takes place, but I do not care) and as he headed for the door, he heard another uproar.
He walked over to the window and looked down to see Leila being accosted by three or four of his men.
"Where're you goin' miss?" slurred one of his men, grabbing her arm.
"I am off to tend for much more civilized beasts than yourselves, now unhand me!" she glared at the men.
"Oh no, you ain't goin' no where lady," said another man grabbing her from behind.
She wrenched away and attempted to run, but was barely made it ten feet, before they had her again.
Nick rushed out of his room and hurried down the stairs. As he burst through the door leading into the courtyard, he slipped.
"Leave her be!" he yelled as he fell. He lay sprawled on the ground. When he had caught his breath he noticed a few pairs of boots around him. He followed the boots up to the faces of his men, standing around him.
He peered around then and saw Leila had been thrown to the ground. He heard her groan softly.
"Leave her you say?" said the one closest to him, "What you want her all to yourself then?"
With that he kicked Nick hard in the ribs.
The men roared with laughter and picked Nick up and began to beat him, laughing drunkenly the whole time.
Leila managed to lift her head enough to see what was going on and saw Nick being punched in the stomach by one of the men who just a moment ago had been pawing her.
She got to her feet slowly, and looked around. Running for help seemed a good idea, but from the beating those men were giving him, she doubted he'd live until she came back.
Throwing caution to the wind she ran across the courtyard and threw herself on the man holding Nick. She dug her long sharp nails into the man's neck. He howled and shook her off. When he began to advance on her, she punched him hard in the chest and he fell to the ground.
Looking up, she noticed the men standing around Nick had dropped him to the ground and were heading toward her.
With a gasp, she began to run toward the inn, but one of the men tripped her and she fell to the ground. Two of the men picked her up and began to carry her away.
Nick slowly raised his head at the sound of a high pitched scream. He looked up just in time to see his men dragging Leila toward the barn, their intent written all over them. They had their backs turned to him. Thinking quickly, Nick struggled to his feet, testing his strength. It would be tough, but he thought he could make it.
He limped and struggled across the courtyard, forcing himself to go faster. After a minute had gone by and he didn't seem to be gaining any ground, he collapsed on the grass. Wanting to give up, he rolled over hoping to pass out, to be out of the pain. The sound of Leila's screams reached his ears as though through ten feet of water, but he heard them.
There was only one thing left that he could do, and he groaned as he pulled himself into a sitting position. He reached into his dressing gown to take his wand, and pointed it carefully.
He gathered the remainder of his strength and muttered something, even he didn't know what. Whatever it was, it worked. The two men carrying Leila fell to the ground and she ran straight at Nick.
"What did you do?" she demanded breathlessly.
Nick racked his beaten mind for some excuse that would sort of make sense.
"Why nothing, they brought it upon themselves, all that beer and brandy you know..." he moaned softly.
"You tried to save my life," continued Leila, looking at him carefully.
"And you," Nick weakly took Leila's hand in his own, "truly saved mine."
As soon as these words had left his lips, he inhaled sharply, and his hand went limp in Leila's.
Leila gasped and dropped her ear to Nick's chest. She let loose a sigh, he was alive, but he was unconscious.
Springing to her feet, Leila looked about trying to figure out what to do. Finally she knew there was only one thing to do.
"MAFILDA!"
