Chapter 8
Cut blinked hot tears as he ran with Lucy. He stopped for nothing. No food, no sleep. He only stopped to steal a horse from a terrified farmer. Without rest, he rode the horse to the ground till he came to the river. Holding Lucy out of the freezing water, he waded across it and through a burned meadow. "We're almost there. Hold on." There it was. A dark castle rising out of what once was prosperous and rich lands. Cut squeezed her tight. Her heart was fainter than a sleeping birds. The castle was surrounded by a small moat, a remnant from an ancient bygone era, but the moat was frozen over. Testing his weight carefully, Cut started to cross the ice with his precious burden.
"SILENCE! APE! Let me in!"
No Answer.
"Claw! He's no where near me. I need help."
No answer, but a slight shadow moved in one of the upper rooms.
"I know you're there, let me in."
Cut looked down at Lucy.
"She's dying!"
"I don't care!" came the sharp reply. "You are no longer welcome here."
"Claw. Please!"
Cut waited as the wind whistled through the bare trees. The cold was beginning to bite. He held Lucy even tighter.
"Silence! Please!" Cut dropped to his knees and buried his head in Lucy's hair.
Just then a lower window, from the base of the castle, just over the moat, squeaked open.
"Hurry," came a raspy voice. Cut slide across the ice and directly into the window. Looking around him, Cut saw a man with abnormally shaped arms boarding the window back up. A quiet woman stood next to him handing him nails.
"Thank you ape."
"I did it for Silence. We'd all be dead if not for her."
The quiet woman with the dark hair nodded to Cut. Her angry red scars crisscrossing her neck stood out against her pale skin and white frock.
"She has a bullet trapped in her," rushed Cut. "Where's Claw?"
"Why should I help?" said a woman just coming down the stairs into the damp basement. Her fingers had long nails, but they were as tough as iron. She stood at the base of the stairs, in the cell-like doorway. The basement was full of cells. It's where they had all "lived" back when the Lords ruled the castle. She gestured to two empty cells on the side. "You got Stump killed over the stupid old woman. Wolf's gone now too."
"Claw, you don't have anything better to do," stated a man leaning against the single fire place across from the door.
Claw shook her head. "You're not one of us anymore Cut."
"She is," cried Cut desperately, showing Lucy's twisted leg.
Claw just looked off into the distance. Silence crossed quietly over to Lucy, feeling her pulse. She motioned for Ape and Cut to lay her on one of the many operating tables in the room. The man by the fire place crossed over and placed a rag with ether over Lucy's face to make sure she wouldn't wake up, while Silence quietly collected a scaple and tweezers from a tray by the fire. As she leaned over Lucy, she looked up at Claw. Claw shifted uncomfortably but didn't move out of the doorway. Silence lowered her head back to Lucy and cut away the fabric to see the wound better. She poured wine over it, and made two small cuts on either side to widen the wound. Cut squeezed his hands while Ape and the other man stood by to hold Lucy down. As Silence raised the tweezers, a clawed hand reached out and stopped her. Silence turned to see Claw nodding quietly and pushing her gently aside. Dipping her nails in water and then drying them, she gently dug through Lucy with the back of her nails till she found the bullet, lifting it out smoothly and quickly. The man with the ether smiled at Claw, revealing rows of sharp teeth and bloody gums. Claw gave him a half smile and patted Silence on the shoulder as she dressed the wound. "So what's her name" asked Ape?
"Lucy" replied Cut, breathing again.
"You'll just have to wait and see now," said the man with the ether.
"No Bite," said Cut as he moved towards Lucy's leg. "Now I need to do something I should've done a long time ago.
"Hello up there!" came a shout from outside the castle. Everyone stopped what they were doing, except for Silence who quietly finished bandaging Lucy and then started cleaning around the table. Claw and Cut raced to the window.
"Hello up there! My name is Father Pierce. I'm here to see Lucy and Cut. I know they're here. I followed Cut's trail.
"I thought you said no one was here," hissed Bite as he stood by Claw.
Ape peered over Cut's shoulder. "He looks like Stump. Just with legs and arms."
"Look behind the tree," pointed Claw.
"Lord Bryan. Just waiting for us to let the other man in," said Bite.
"Don't let him in," said Cut. "You were right Claw. I am sorry."
"Is he with the Lord?"
"No, he actually helped us, but it's too risky."
"Cut! I know you're up there. I only want to help. I have medicine and food."
Just then Lord Bryan darted out from behind the tree, knocking Father Pierce over the head. Cocking his pistol he aimed the barrel at the senseless form of the priest. "All right!" he shouted. "Come out or I shoot!"
"The priest doesn't matter to us!" called back Cut.
"Oh, what would that charming young lady say? Well girl?!" Lord Bryan waited, but heard no reply.
"No, well let's see what happens when you hear his screams."
Cut felt a sharp pain in his shoulders. It was Silence. She was pinching his and Ape's arms in a death like grip, her eyes wide. She looked sharply at Cut and pleadingly at Ape.
"Bryan, Stop!" Thomas came running up from behind his brother and grabbed his pistol. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"Get off me Thomas! I won't stop now! He's with them." Thomas held on tight as Father Pierce slowly started to stir and rise back up.
"Father-" began Thomas.
"I don't want to hear it! I've come to expect this from you," he said looking at Bryan, "But Thomas, Thomas I am disappointed."
Bryan broke free from Thomas and charged the priest, only to be met with a hard right hook that knocked him out cold. The priest turned to Thomas. "Take your partner in persecution and leave!" he said as he straightened his robes. "I need to take care of a member of my flock. Father Pierce crossed the ice and sat by the window. Thomas picked up Bryan and limped away. His head hanging and his eyes darting about as if searching for an answer.