Saban is Evil. Damn him to hell.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------
The Copper Island troops landed at unloaded, arms bared and weapons clanking within seconds. Lera ran towards them, brandishing her sword. She meant to spill their blood and the sand.
Lera thrust and stabbed her sword reflexively, engaged in an inaudible dance of life and death. Blades clanged all around her, and a few screams or cried of pain gave out. There were precious few of the Tortallans to fight the Copper Island troops, but they held out. Not one copper island made it past their thin line of Tortallans. Her blade glistened with the blood of her foe as she blocked and parried and lunged. Sand filled her boots and eyes and teeth. She scuffled her feet through the coarse rocks and rubbed her face viciously. She could barely see.
She felt the blade nip through the taunt, flexed muscle of her left forearm as she tried to repair her vision. She staggered a little, recovering herself and slicing her sword through her opponent neck. In the distance she saw the last of the Copper Island troops hop back onto the boat and cast off. This wasn't a battle. It was a massacre.
And they had been out numbered five to one.
The battle was brief, but they had cut the regiment of Copper Island just past half. Lera rubbed her teeth, trying to get the grit from between them with a dull nail. She rummaged through the bodies, waves of nausea hitting her from the stench. She was searching for the wounded.
None had survived.
Covering her nose and mouth, Lera ran from the battle field as fast as she could, the dust from the sand blocking her throat. She leaned against a tree, vomiting in the underbrush. She felt sick. She had killed before. But mostly Haserpes.
Lera wandered back to the encampment, her eyes wide by the bonfire than had been struck in record time. All her dead enemies bodies had been thrown into a pile. Her own troops stood on this side of it, their backs to her. The smoke rose more than a thousand feet in the air. The stench of burning flesh made Lera gag. Again.
Stu turned, his face solemn. Slowly everyone turned and strode past Lera, their face all blank and emotionless. Carlyn walked by, meeting her eyes. He looked sick.
In three quarters of an hour, Lera and Sean were side by side under a small tarp fixing wounds, small and big. No one had been lots. Everyone fought as if the gods them selves were fighting next to them.
Sean hadn't mastered healing fully, but he helped Lera's split muscle, and she managed to bandage it tightly herself, enough to help the others. Without speaking a word to her the whole time, Sean stitched closed Logan's shoulder wound, done by an axe, and absolutely wore his self out abolishing the sand from the wound with his magic. He was sent to rest in Numair's tent.
Lera stitched a few cut's here and there. Stu had a huge bruise on his cheek bone from the hilt of a sword, and she rubbed some balm on it. As the rain began beating down on her tarp in rhythmic patterns, Joel limped into the tent.
Lera turned to him. "How's your brother?" She asked, thinking her brother had healed him but it still hurt.
Without saying anything, his face pinched in pain, Joel hopped up onto her makeshift wooden inspection table and ripped his pants down to his knees.
"Dear god." Lera said, bringing her hand to her mouth. Her eyes wide. "Why weren't you here earlier?!" She asked, incredulously.
He winced a little as she probed the gaping wound. All the muscle, skin, fat and blood vessels in his thigh had bee severed. Blood was flowing freely, though Lera could tell not from a major artery. She could see to bones of his femur. She shuddered a little.
" I needed to help my brother. He always gets..wound up..when he uses his gift." Joel said, purposely non-chalant.
Lera glared at him a moment, then set to work. Joel didn't spare her his pain for one second. His screams echoed through the trees on the whole island as she poured some alcohol into his four inch gash. Whatever sand that was in the wound, flowed out with the blood and alcohol. The pressed fresh cotton into the wound, trying to damped the blood flow. It didn't work, the cloth became soaked and just added to Joel's pain. Lera handed him a bottle of whiskey. "
"You'll need it before I'm done stitching." She said sternly. Joel needed no further persuasion.
Lera set to work, ignoring Joel's drunken protests. A few people popped their heads in to see what the commotion was about. Lera sent them away, needing space.
She sewed the largest veins shut together with dissolving thread, composed of mostly sugar and iron particles. She then proceeded in fitting the torn muscle back together so she could sew to wound shut. By the time she was done that and ready to sew the wound, Joel was crying and screaming from pain. He was sweating. Lera was sweating. The whole camp held their breath. No one knew if he would survive. His face was pale with blood loss.
She began the sutures. Joel passed out after she had stabbed into his flesh with her needle three times over. Pulling the split flesh back together slowly. Sean would need to help heal this in the morning.
The work was nerve wracking and laborious. She finished stitching the ten inch long gash after an hour of delicate work. Her back ached and she was sweating with stress. All of her muscles were tense. She felt feverish from touching Joel. She knew it was childish to think of things such as that at times such as these, but every time her fingers brushed against his muscled thigh, she shivered with immature delight. When she was through and sipping at a glass of water David had brought her earlier, Lera stood back to admire her work. The wound was surrounded by a ring of pink, which Lera hoped was not infection.
Sighing deeply, Lera moved to scuttled around Joel, tidying her working space, and cleaning implements. Joel's hand snaked out and grabbed her by the forearm as he sat partially up on his elbows.
"You survived." He said, his voice cracking.
Lera started and turned to him. He was in pain. She could see it in his eyes. Lera knelt by his table-thing.
"Just as you commanded." She said sarcastically. A grin split on Joel face despite his pain. He couldn't resist humour.
Lera rolled her eyes and stood again, turning to go once more. Joel held fast to her arm. She face him again her eyebrows raised curiously.
"Thank you." He said, hesitantly motioning to his leg, sweat prickling on his upper lip from the exertion of sitting. Lera nodded. She moved to his side and peered at his wound.
"It's a big one." She said, tracing her finger along his stitches.
He grunted, and pursed his lips, a faint smile flickering there. "I know. Bigger than most. It might hurt though eh? If you really are a virgin."
Lera gasped and whipped around, glare on her face. Joel chuckled at his joke and scrunched his nose at her.
"Don't get fresh with me lad, she said, leaning over his to grab her scalpel. "I'm armed." She warned him, glancing at him, he heart fluttering and her face smiling.
Joel blinked at her, and for a moment it seemed as if time had stopped. His amber eyes glistened with mixed feelings. Lera could read the pain and the flirting easily, but something else was hidden there. She couldn't tell what. Seemed to be fear. fear of what? She wondered.
Impulsively Lera ducked her head and pressed her lips against his. Joel seemed surprised and jumped a little, pulling back.
"Sorry." Lera mumbled. "I shouldn't have." She trailed, off, scuttling away, blush on her face, feeling like an idiot.
"Damnit." Joel cursed to himself. Wrapping an arm around her waist as she scuttled past. He pulled her against him. Lera's face brightened as he kissed her. Her stomach fluttered madly and her veins seemed to fill with fizzing.
Joel gasped as Lera bumped his leg. Pulling back grinning ear to ear, Lera traced a finger down his stitches absentmindedly. The wound was jagged and Lera didn't know if Joel would ever be able to walk again. But then, she didn't know he was training to heal mammals with Numair.
That evening, Lera sat between Carlyn and Joel around a small, flickering fire in the kitchen. The legal documents had been forged and signed giving Tortall dibbs on the island. Copper Island king and queen had signed the papers as well being witnesses to their own forfeit.
Two days and Lera would be returning to the palace. She couldn't wait to be home again. Rising to her feet, Lera brushed herself off as Carlyn and Joel rose. She grinned a them both as they walked her to her tent, shooting each other dirty looks, masked in friendly smiles. Lera shook her head.
She hugged Carlyn goodnight and practically had to pry him off of her. She giggles, he blushed and went to bed.
Joel glanced around and pulled her inside her tent. She toppled over onto Stu's bedroll, pinned to the ground by Joel's solid weight. He pressed his lips against hers. Lera kissed him back, fiery tingles spreading through her body from their locked lips. Joel's hands wandered over her body, but as he began to un button her tunic, she stopped him, shaking her head.
"G'd night." She whispered, inviting him to leave. He took the hint and backed away. His eyes glistened with desire. Lera's stomach flip flopped. Her heart was already fluttering. She felt to bubbly. Joel stepped around Stu as he left, Lera couldn't see Joel's face. But she could see Stu's.
"What was that?" He asked as Joel limped away, to Numair's tent.
Lera shook her head and nestled into her sleeping bag, stripping off her tunic and hose. Stu shuffled about, getting ready for bed.
"Lera? Are you awake?" She head Stu ask after he'd been lying still for a few minutes. From the tone of his voice, Lera wasn't sure if she wanted to answer. She remained silent as Stu continued, despite her impression of sleep. "That night." He trailed off. Lera could tell he was blushing from the sound of his voice. "Did you mean anything by it?"
Lera had considered the matter before he brought it up. Some parts of her did long for Stu, but others told her she was trying to hurt Carlyn, or something equally as unreasonable. She was confused. She was comfortable around Stu, but the thought of his kisses and the way he touched her that night. The looks he gave her, only her. She wasn't sure. Even a mere smile from Joel mad her heart melt. But Stu.They had a past together. She had only known Joel for a week give or take. It felt like eternity.
Stu's breathing rhythmed out and he began the deep breathes of REM sleep.
"Yes, Stu. I think I did." She whispered to the night and so sleeping Stu. Lera fell asleep within moments and didn't catch Stu whisper, "I'd hoped so."
Lera awoke the next morning to the sound of yells from the beach below. Scrambling to get dressed, she ran to the beach. It was early and the sun hadn't peeked from behind the horizon yet. Lera's rubbed her eyes and was un pleasantly greeted by the entire troop naked in the water, save Herself, Keladry and Daine.
"Ah!" Lera cried out and turned on her heel, furious at herself as she heard them yelling and wrestling some more. Why hadn't she listened a bit more?
"Hey! Lera!" Joel's un mistakable flirting voice called. "Why not strip down and join us?"
Lera refused to turn around and stormed back to her tent were she lay fuming from embarrassment and anger about Joel's public flirting.
By the time Lera had collected herself enough to return, which was after everyone was out and dressed, a boat had docked on the beach. Everyone was emptying the sand bags on the beach and brining the empty bags on the boat. They were packing to leave.
One small skirmish is all it took to claim this desolate island. A thought his Lera. She wondered who would be made noble of the small island, still remaining to be named.
They had been on the island several weeks and returning to the un reliable weather of Tortall seemed to cast Lera into a depression.
On the boat, she shared a bunk bed with Stu, she was on the bottom. Unfortunately for her, Saban decided to take the bunk next to hers. She never slept well at night, the whole trip home.
On their last day on the boat, Lera was assigned to clean the bathroom. Moaning and Groaning like anyone would, Lera was kneeling on the floor, scrubbing behind the privy seat when a shadow fell over her and the door closed.
Without turning around Lera knew who it was. "What do you want StoneMountain?" She said, sparing all needed formalities.
"To put you in your place, whore." Saban taunted. Lera spun around and stood up in one motion.
"If you mean to rape me, go away. The boat is crowded. You'll never get away with it." Lera quipped.
Saban's eyes glistened as he stepped towards her, she shivered. Something wasn't right in his eyes.
"Ah there you are wrong Lera. The boat is rapidly approaching shore. People are on the bow, spotting for their docking. No one is below deck save you. And me." He grinned, cruelly. His hooked nose casting evil shadows on his face. He would have been gorgeous, save for his mother ugly nose.
Lera's eyes widened. She had no insult to match that one. Cold swept over her. Saban stepped forwards again.
Lera opened her mouth to scream, but Saban's powerful arms snaked up and covered her mouth. His lean, heavy body pressed Lera against the wall, and she couldn't move. His hand covered her mouth, she couldn't scream. She couldn't fight. She remembered the last time. She had been vulnerable to him. She hated him. Stu?! Her mind called. No one approached.
Saban panted with lust in her ear as he savagely tore at her clothes with his one free hand. Lera whimpered pathetically, she wanted to die for being weak. She knew now women shouldn't be knights. They were weak. Easily overpowered. For all Lera was strong as she could be without testosterone, Saban was huge.
Lera's shirt flapped uselessly on her sides, revealing her pale stomach. Her muscled contracted as she fought to free herself from him. Her ripped her breast band down, showing her body from neck to waist. Saban seemed to pause for a minute.
Lera was flailing and punching, trying to hurt him, or stop him.
"Hush now Dearie. Someone may hear." Saban whispered, his voice like death itself, equally as cold.
He grabbed her wrists with his free hand and tucked both of her arms behind her back. He pressed his hips against her, pinning her arms there with her own body.
She could do nothing. Saban had her breeches and hose around her ankles and before Lera knew it, he had his own pants undone. She struggled frantically. She could feel bruises forming on her cheeks where his hand was pressing hard to keep her quiet. Her arms hurt behind her back. Saban ignored her whimpering and panicky eyes. He meant to have his way with her.
And he did.
Lera didn't remember much of it, only terror, and pain jolting through her body. She felt one arm break as Saban crunched his hips against hers. White hot pain coming from the place between her legs where he was violating her. She was weak. Pathetic.
Lera sat on the floor of the bathroom, bawling quietly to herself. Tears rolled off her cheeks and onto the floor. He clothes sat in a crumpled pile at her feet. She felt dirty. Her shoulders heaved with agonised sobs. She cradled her broken arm against the cold flesh of her belly. She rocked back and forth. ' Weak and Pathetic.' She whispered religiously to herself between cries. She should have been able to stop him. If she was strong.
"Lera?" She heard Stu call from outside the bathroom door. Thank the Gods it was locked. She couldn't stand him to see her in such a state. The hand of her good arm clasped around the small gold pendant at her neck. She whispered a thanks to Alanna.
Stu called again, knocking on the door. He could hear her muffled sobs. "Are you okay in there?" Lera rubbed her eyes and shook her head, knowing he couldn't see. She sniffed, her cheeks damp with tears, and her body aching with weakness.
Stu knocked Harder. "Lera?" He called, worried, "Let me in." He ordered. Lera didn't moved. She curled up into a tighter ball on the floor, shoving her discarded clothing away from her. He touched them. She wouldn't.
He touched her skin, her body. Everywhere. She needed to burn her flesh. She rid herself of his touch.
"Lera, I'm coming in." Stu said firmly, Lera closed her eyes tight as the door rattled on it's hinges. Suddenly it popped, and Stu stood, red faced in the hallway outside, standing on the fallen door.
Lera didn't look up.
"Lera.what happened?" Stu crouched beside her, resting a hand on her back.
Lera scooted away from his touch, feeling cold where his hand had been on her naked back. Stu moved closer to her.
"Lera?" She asked, leaning forwards. He could tell she was un clothed. He could see her arm hanging at an odd angle. He didn't know what to make of it. "Come on Lera. We'll fix that arm of yours eh? We've docked." He reached for her upper arm, to help her up what she jumped backwards, colliding with the wall.
"Don't touch me!" She shrieked, curling up into a ball. "Don't touch me Don't touch me Don't touch me Don't touch me" She screamed over and over again, pressing her quivering body against the rotting wall of the bathroom.
Stu leaped back and looked at her, trying to quiet her. It was then he noticed blood. There was blood dripping down her legs. The crimson blood contrasted with her pale, muscled legs. Nice legs. Stu stood up and charged from the room, yelling "I'm going to kill that bastard." At the top of his lungs.
Lera curled up, tucking her chin against her chest, rocking back and forth. "Don't touch me don't touch me don't touch me" She whispered quietly to herself.
"Don't touch me."
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The Copper Island troops landed at unloaded, arms bared and weapons clanking within seconds. Lera ran towards them, brandishing her sword. She meant to spill their blood and the sand.
Lera thrust and stabbed her sword reflexively, engaged in an inaudible dance of life and death. Blades clanged all around her, and a few screams or cried of pain gave out. There were precious few of the Tortallans to fight the Copper Island troops, but they held out. Not one copper island made it past their thin line of Tortallans. Her blade glistened with the blood of her foe as she blocked and parried and lunged. Sand filled her boots and eyes and teeth. She scuffled her feet through the coarse rocks and rubbed her face viciously. She could barely see.
She felt the blade nip through the taunt, flexed muscle of her left forearm as she tried to repair her vision. She staggered a little, recovering herself and slicing her sword through her opponent neck. In the distance she saw the last of the Copper Island troops hop back onto the boat and cast off. This wasn't a battle. It was a massacre.
And they had been out numbered five to one.
The battle was brief, but they had cut the regiment of Copper Island just past half. Lera rubbed her teeth, trying to get the grit from between them with a dull nail. She rummaged through the bodies, waves of nausea hitting her from the stench. She was searching for the wounded.
None had survived.
Covering her nose and mouth, Lera ran from the battle field as fast as she could, the dust from the sand blocking her throat. She leaned against a tree, vomiting in the underbrush. She felt sick. She had killed before. But mostly Haserpes.
Lera wandered back to the encampment, her eyes wide by the bonfire than had been struck in record time. All her dead enemies bodies had been thrown into a pile. Her own troops stood on this side of it, their backs to her. The smoke rose more than a thousand feet in the air. The stench of burning flesh made Lera gag. Again.
Stu turned, his face solemn. Slowly everyone turned and strode past Lera, their face all blank and emotionless. Carlyn walked by, meeting her eyes. He looked sick.
In three quarters of an hour, Lera and Sean were side by side under a small tarp fixing wounds, small and big. No one had been lots. Everyone fought as if the gods them selves were fighting next to them.
Sean hadn't mastered healing fully, but he helped Lera's split muscle, and she managed to bandage it tightly herself, enough to help the others. Without speaking a word to her the whole time, Sean stitched closed Logan's shoulder wound, done by an axe, and absolutely wore his self out abolishing the sand from the wound with his magic. He was sent to rest in Numair's tent.
Lera stitched a few cut's here and there. Stu had a huge bruise on his cheek bone from the hilt of a sword, and she rubbed some balm on it. As the rain began beating down on her tarp in rhythmic patterns, Joel limped into the tent.
Lera turned to him. "How's your brother?" She asked, thinking her brother had healed him but it still hurt.
Without saying anything, his face pinched in pain, Joel hopped up onto her makeshift wooden inspection table and ripped his pants down to his knees.
"Dear god." Lera said, bringing her hand to her mouth. Her eyes wide. "Why weren't you here earlier?!" She asked, incredulously.
He winced a little as she probed the gaping wound. All the muscle, skin, fat and blood vessels in his thigh had bee severed. Blood was flowing freely, though Lera could tell not from a major artery. She could see to bones of his femur. She shuddered a little.
" I needed to help my brother. He always gets..wound up..when he uses his gift." Joel said, purposely non-chalant.
Lera glared at him a moment, then set to work. Joel didn't spare her his pain for one second. His screams echoed through the trees on the whole island as she poured some alcohol into his four inch gash. Whatever sand that was in the wound, flowed out with the blood and alcohol. The pressed fresh cotton into the wound, trying to damped the blood flow. It didn't work, the cloth became soaked and just added to Joel's pain. Lera handed him a bottle of whiskey. "
"You'll need it before I'm done stitching." She said sternly. Joel needed no further persuasion.
Lera set to work, ignoring Joel's drunken protests. A few people popped their heads in to see what the commotion was about. Lera sent them away, needing space.
She sewed the largest veins shut together with dissolving thread, composed of mostly sugar and iron particles. She then proceeded in fitting the torn muscle back together so she could sew to wound shut. By the time she was done that and ready to sew the wound, Joel was crying and screaming from pain. He was sweating. Lera was sweating. The whole camp held their breath. No one knew if he would survive. His face was pale with blood loss.
She began the sutures. Joel passed out after she had stabbed into his flesh with her needle three times over. Pulling the split flesh back together slowly. Sean would need to help heal this in the morning.
The work was nerve wracking and laborious. She finished stitching the ten inch long gash after an hour of delicate work. Her back ached and she was sweating with stress. All of her muscles were tense. She felt feverish from touching Joel. She knew it was childish to think of things such as that at times such as these, but every time her fingers brushed against his muscled thigh, she shivered with immature delight. When she was through and sipping at a glass of water David had brought her earlier, Lera stood back to admire her work. The wound was surrounded by a ring of pink, which Lera hoped was not infection.
Sighing deeply, Lera moved to scuttled around Joel, tidying her working space, and cleaning implements. Joel's hand snaked out and grabbed her by the forearm as he sat partially up on his elbows.
"You survived." He said, his voice cracking.
Lera started and turned to him. He was in pain. She could see it in his eyes. Lera knelt by his table-thing.
"Just as you commanded." She said sarcastically. A grin split on Joel face despite his pain. He couldn't resist humour.
Lera rolled her eyes and stood again, turning to go once more. Joel held fast to her arm. She face him again her eyebrows raised curiously.
"Thank you." He said, hesitantly motioning to his leg, sweat prickling on his upper lip from the exertion of sitting. Lera nodded. She moved to his side and peered at his wound.
"It's a big one." She said, tracing her finger along his stitches.
He grunted, and pursed his lips, a faint smile flickering there. "I know. Bigger than most. It might hurt though eh? If you really are a virgin."
Lera gasped and whipped around, glare on her face. Joel chuckled at his joke and scrunched his nose at her.
"Don't get fresh with me lad, she said, leaning over his to grab her scalpel. "I'm armed." She warned him, glancing at him, he heart fluttering and her face smiling.
Joel blinked at her, and for a moment it seemed as if time had stopped. His amber eyes glistened with mixed feelings. Lera could read the pain and the flirting easily, but something else was hidden there. She couldn't tell what. Seemed to be fear. fear of what? She wondered.
Impulsively Lera ducked her head and pressed her lips against his. Joel seemed surprised and jumped a little, pulling back.
"Sorry." Lera mumbled. "I shouldn't have." She trailed, off, scuttling away, blush on her face, feeling like an idiot.
"Damnit." Joel cursed to himself. Wrapping an arm around her waist as she scuttled past. He pulled her against him. Lera's face brightened as he kissed her. Her stomach fluttered madly and her veins seemed to fill with fizzing.
Joel gasped as Lera bumped his leg. Pulling back grinning ear to ear, Lera traced a finger down his stitches absentmindedly. The wound was jagged and Lera didn't know if Joel would ever be able to walk again. But then, she didn't know he was training to heal mammals with Numair.
That evening, Lera sat between Carlyn and Joel around a small, flickering fire in the kitchen. The legal documents had been forged and signed giving Tortall dibbs on the island. Copper Island king and queen had signed the papers as well being witnesses to their own forfeit.
Two days and Lera would be returning to the palace. She couldn't wait to be home again. Rising to her feet, Lera brushed herself off as Carlyn and Joel rose. She grinned a them both as they walked her to her tent, shooting each other dirty looks, masked in friendly smiles. Lera shook her head.
She hugged Carlyn goodnight and practically had to pry him off of her. She giggles, he blushed and went to bed.
Joel glanced around and pulled her inside her tent. She toppled over onto Stu's bedroll, pinned to the ground by Joel's solid weight. He pressed his lips against hers. Lera kissed him back, fiery tingles spreading through her body from their locked lips. Joel's hands wandered over her body, but as he began to un button her tunic, she stopped him, shaking her head.
"G'd night." She whispered, inviting him to leave. He took the hint and backed away. His eyes glistened with desire. Lera's stomach flip flopped. Her heart was already fluttering. She felt to bubbly. Joel stepped around Stu as he left, Lera couldn't see Joel's face. But she could see Stu's.
"What was that?" He asked as Joel limped away, to Numair's tent.
Lera shook her head and nestled into her sleeping bag, stripping off her tunic and hose. Stu shuffled about, getting ready for bed.
"Lera? Are you awake?" She head Stu ask after he'd been lying still for a few minutes. From the tone of his voice, Lera wasn't sure if she wanted to answer. She remained silent as Stu continued, despite her impression of sleep. "That night." He trailed off. Lera could tell he was blushing from the sound of his voice. "Did you mean anything by it?"
Lera had considered the matter before he brought it up. Some parts of her did long for Stu, but others told her she was trying to hurt Carlyn, or something equally as unreasonable. She was confused. She was comfortable around Stu, but the thought of his kisses and the way he touched her that night. The looks he gave her, only her. She wasn't sure. Even a mere smile from Joel mad her heart melt. But Stu.They had a past together. She had only known Joel for a week give or take. It felt like eternity.
Stu's breathing rhythmed out and he began the deep breathes of REM sleep.
"Yes, Stu. I think I did." She whispered to the night and so sleeping Stu. Lera fell asleep within moments and didn't catch Stu whisper, "I'd hoped so."
Lera awoke the next morning to the sound of yells from the beach below. Scrambling to get dressed, she ran to the beach. It was early and the sun hadn't peeked from behind the horizon yet. Lera's rubbed her eyes and was un pleasantly greeted by the entire troop naked in the water, save Herself, Keladry and Daine.
"Ah!" Lera cried out and turned on her heel, furious at herself as she heard them yelling and wrestling some more. Why hadn't she listened a bit more?
"Hey! Lera!" Joel's un mistakable flirting voice called. "Why not strip down and join us?"
Lera refused to turn around and stormed back to her tent were she lay fuming from embarrassment and anger about Joel's public flirting.
By the time Lera had collected herself enough to return, which was after everyone was out and dressed, a boat had docked on the beach. Everyone was emptying the sand bags on the beach and brining the empty bags on the boat. They were packing to leave.
One small skirmish is all it took to claim this desolate island. A thought his Lera. She wondered who would be made noble of the small island, still remaining to be named.
They had been on the island several weeks and returning to the un reliable weather of Tortall seemed to cast Lera into a depression.
On the boat, she shared a bunk bed with Stu, she was on the bottom. Unfortunately for her, Saban decided to take the bunk next to hers. She never slept well at night, the whole trip home.
On their last day on the boat, Lera was assigned to clean the bathroom. Moaning and Groaning like anyone would, Lera was kneeling on the floor, scrubbing behind the privy seat when a shadow fell over her and the door closed.
Without turning around Lera knew who it was. "What do you want StoneMountain?" She said, sparing all needed formalities.
"To put you in your place, whore." Saban taunted. Lera spun around and stood up in one motion.
"If you mean to rape me, go away. The boat is crowded. You'll never get away with it." Lera quipped.
Saban's eyes glistened as he stepped towards her, she shivered. Something wasn't right in his eyes.
"Ah there you are wrong Lera. The boat is rapidly approaching shore. People are on the bow, spotting for their docking. No one is below deck save you. And me." He grinned, cruelly. His hooked nose casting evil shadows on his face. He would have been gorgeous, save for his mother ugly nose.
Lera's eyes widened. She had no insult to match that one. Cold swept over her. Saban stepped forwards again.
Lera opened her mouth to scream, but Saban's powerful arms snaked up and covered her mouth. His lean, heavy body pressed Lera against the wall, and she couldn't move. His hand covered her mouth, she couldn't scream. She couldn't fight. She remembered the last time. She had been vulnerable to him. She hated him. Stu?! Her mind called. No one approached.
Saban panted with lust in her ear as he savagely tore at her clothes with his one free hand. Lera whimpered pathetically, she wanted to die for being weak. She knew now women shouldn't be knights. They were weak. Easily overpowered. For all Lera was strong as she could be without testosterone, Saban was huge.
Lera's shirt flapped uselessly on her sides, revealing her pale stomach. Her muscled contracted as she fought to free herself from him. Her ripped her breast band down, showing her body from neck to waist. Saban seemed to pause for a minute.
Lera was flailing and punching, trying to hurt him, or stop him.
"Hush now Dearie. Someone may hear." Saban whispered, his voice like death itself, equally as cold.
He grabbed her wrists with his free hand and tucked both of her arms behind her back. He pressed his hips against her, pinning her arms there with her own body.
She could do nothing. Saban had her breeches and hose around her ankles and before Lera knew it, he had his own pants undone. She struggled frantically. She could feel bruises forming on her cheeks where his hand was pressing hard to keep her quiet. Her arms hurt behind her back. Saban ignored her whimpering and panicky eyes. He meant to have his way with her.
And he did.
Lera didn't remember much of it, only terror, and pain jolting through her body. She felt one arm break as Saban crunched his hips against hers. White hot pain coming from the place between her legs where he was violating her. She was weak. Pathetic.
Lera sat on the floor of the bathroom, bawling quietly to herself. Tears rolled off her cheeks and onto the floor. He clothes sat in a crumpled pile at her feet. She felt dirty. Her shoulders heaved with agonised sobs. She cradled her broken arm against the cold flesh of her belly. She rocked back and forth. ' Weak and Pathetic.' She whispered religiously to herself between cries. She should have been able to stop him. If she was strong.
"Lera?" She heard Stu call from outside the bathroom door. Thank the Gods it was locked. She couldn't stand him to see her in such a state. The hand of her good arm clasped around the small gold pendant at her neck. She whispered a thanks to Alanna.
Stu called again, knocking on the door. He could hear her muffled sobs. "Are you okay in there?" Lera rubbed her eyes and shook her head, knowing he couldn't see. She sniffed, her cheeks damp with tears, and her body aching with weakness.
Stu knocked Harder. "Lera?" He called, worried, "Let me in." He ordered. Lera didn't moved. She curled up into a tighter ball on the floor, shoving her discarded clothing away from her. He touched them. She wouldn't.
He touched her skin, her body. Everywhere. She needed to burn her flesh. She rid herself of his touch.
"Lera, I'm coming in." Stu said firmly, Lera closed her eyes tight as the door rattled on it's hinges. Suddenly it popped, and Stu stood, red faced in the hallway outside, standing on the fallen door.
Lera didn't look up.
"Lera.what happened?" Stu crouched beside her, resting a hand on her back.
Lera scooted away from his touch, feeling cold where his hand had been on her naked back. Stu moved closer to her.
"Lera?" She asked, leaning forwards. He could tell she was un clothed. He could see her arm hanging at an odd angle. He didn't know what to make of it. "Come on Lera. We'll fix that arm of yours eh? We've docked." He reached for her upper arm, to help her up what she jumped backwards, colliding with the wall.
"Don't touch me!" She shrieked, curling up into a ball. "Don't touch me Don't touch me Don't touch me Don't touch me" She screamed over and over again, pressing her quivering body against the rotting wall of the bathroom.
Stu leaped back and looked at her, trying to quiet her. It was then he noticed blood. There was blood dripping down her legs. The crimson blood contrasted with her pale, muscled legs. Nice legs. Stu stood up and charged from the room, yelling "I'm going to kill that bastard." At the top of his lungs.
Lera curled up, tucking her chin against her chest, rocking back and forth. "Don't touch me don't touch me don't touch me" She whispered quietly to herself.
"Don't touch me."
