Disclaimer: I don't think I need this, but I couldn't resist, sings Second verse, same as the first.
Notes: Thanks for the reviews. And yeah, sorry for the cliffhanger. I didn't want to make it be like, ten pages long, or something, and I wanted the reaction to be in the same chapter of the result, so, yeah, sorry ;
The birthing chamber was shaded from the Tyran sun with dark curtains that billowed with a gentle breeze, causing light from the sun to flicker. Sitting by the window was Anne, cradling an active infant, trading words with a veiled woman clothed in all green. Lightly, the strange woman picked up the infant to calm it, Anne wiping tears from her cheeks. Situated not to far from the two woman was Giovanni, his tall frame leaning over in a fetal position, his hands supporting his bald head. He hardly moved, as if he was watching the floor for something to happen. On the bed was a figure still with death, the white sheets stained in blood around her torso and legs. Someone had taken the liberty to arrange her limbs into a respectful manner, and close her eyes. Leon was drawn to the figure on the bed, knowing well who it was, and in shock to know what to do.
Phoebe had scrambled up to join Leon once she saw him enter, her reaction quite different when she surveyed the scene. A sharp intake of breath had taken place, as she clapped her hands over her mouth. At her entrance, Anne stood, surprised to find Leon already beside the bed, and Be not to far behind. In the silence, the brunette healer moved cautiously over to the children, her mind reeling; this shouldn't be how they find out, not with all the blood and seeing.
Gently, Anne placed both hands on the children's shoulders, "I'm so sorry…Rosie and the Green Lady and I… We tried so hard to keep her with us… It happened so quick-"
Anne cut herself off as Leon shrugged the hand off, and climbed lightly onto the bed. Finding his way to the pillow he sat down there, folding his knees up. He knew what happened, he just didn't want to believe it. Lightly, his fingers moved over to brush along his mother's cheeks and along her brown curls. Be moved to sit on the bed, her own hand slipping into her mother's cold one. Anne let out a shaky breath as she went to go forward.
"Anne…" The Green Lady interjected, "Let them be." The brunette healer froze in her spot, as she looked on at the children with a longing in her eyes to comfort and hold them. "Here, take Augustus," The lesser goddess stated, offering the child, "I must leave…" Anne took the offered child, and gently began to rock him, watching him with sadness in her eyes.
The veiled Lady then turned to Leon and Phoebe whom were still on the bed. Gently, she moved closer to the still form of Francesca. "Goddess bless, Leo and Be and Gus, your hearts and paths." The Green Lady whispered, and before the children could look up, she was gone in a gentle glow of silver that dissipated into the air.
Three days have passed since the mother of Leon and Phoebe passed away, and the funeral having already taken place, things were not going great. Numair and Daine with their children had stayed for a short time, before heading back to Tortall where they were needed. Both children were dressed in black for mourning, and even put a little mark on their brother, Augustus. As for the father of the children, not much has been seen of him, for he lurked upstairs in his room, and the food in the house was slowly disappearing and not being replaced. Cinder, the family horse, was having the same problem.
Phoebe and Leon sat outside near the paddock, Augustus in the older girls arms. The Tyran draft horse was lying in the sun nearby the children. Phoebe looked across at her brother, whom was watching the breathing of the horse. Her brown eyes then turned up to the room where her father stayed; there was no movement within. Her clever eyes then looked out to the west, were Tortall was.
"Leon…" She whispered quietly in their native tongue, drawing his gaze up to her. "We have to do something, soon; someone needs to take the initiative before we starve. Pa's not even eaten a thing." The boy just nodded his head, as Be chewed on her lip, "I'm going to go down to the tavern tomorrow and see if I can get a job for some coins for food."
Leon looked at his leg, which swung as spoke, "Maybe Pa is just lonely, and misses Ma."
"We both miss Ma, but that is no reason to neglect us and starve yourself. Especially little Gus…"
Leo shook his head and sighed. "Maybe he just wants someone to talk to him, to let him know everything is all right. That Ma wouldn't want him to be like this."
Be chewed on her bottom lip as she looked across at her brother. "All right… We can try it your way." She said quietly, doubt in her voice that they would not get anywhere, but she found no harm in trying. Nor did Phoebe see any reason to deny the idea. Turning around, she slid off the fence.
"We're going now?" Leon asked, tilting his head with a disbelieving look on his face.
"Its now, or later. I prefer now, it's sooner."
The boy sighed, and jumped off the fence, following the girl and infant inside. As Be placed the child down into the confines of a crib, she nodded for Leon to follow. Making their way to the upstairs hallway, they stopped into the closed door that stood as a barrier between them and their father. Cautiously, and with determination, the girl knocked once on the door. No answer, except silence; not even the shuffling of feet, or the rocking of a chair. Before Be knew what she was doing, she turned the door handle, and allowed the door to swing lightly ajar. Silence, still.
"Pa?" Be called, bringing herself further into the dimly lit room. She could make out the position of the bed, table, dresser, and the chairs. In the darkest corner of the room, sat a slowly waking Giovanni. Hesitantly, his eyes turned up to the two children in the doorway. The way the light his gaunt, and pale face made Leon shrink back a bit, stomach sinking. The fear only seemed to make the girl bolder as she walked a step in.
"Phoebe… Leoninus…" He whispered, his voice hoarse and scratchy. "Come in, my children. Where have you been?" Leon, only with the thought of being close to Phoebe, did he walk in to stand in arm's length away of their father. Suddenly, the boy wished that he hadn't of suggested this at all. A weak smile crossed Giovanni's face, having muscles that have been long unused, as his hand went out lay gently on Be's arm.
"We've been at home all the time. We've tried to call you… For dinner, but you haven't been coming down. We're running out of food…. Augustus is only an infant, and Cinder only a horse." The child exclaimed, not making a response to the man's minor physical contact with her. "We miss Ma too…"
"So…" He replied, looking between his orange-eyed son and his tomboy daughter. "You want me to do something about it, is that right?" He started, voice emotionless, as both children nodded their heads. Without a warning, Phoebe yelped as the grip on her arm suddenly tightened. "You look so much like your mother, you know." Normally, Be would take this as a compliment, but the tone in his voice gave her the chills. Unwillingly, she felt herself be dragged closer to the man.
Leon cautiously took a step forward, voice shaking as he noticed the pain on his sister's face. "Pa… Sir. Your hurting Be…"
Gio did not pay any attention to the boy, as he continued to seemingly reel the girl closer to him, despite her struggling. When she was close, he moved in, as she arched her back to try to stay away. A dry finger came up to move some brown hair out of Phoebe's mouth, "A shame you lack her etiquette, voice, and poise." The finger that was on the girl's face, trailed down from that area to her neck, and with the finger nail bare, he slide it across her neck, with enough pressure to indent the skin. Phoebe's boldness was waning, as a tear she was trying to hold back was let loose.
Leon snapped as he watched the scene unfold, and he rushed over to try and push away the hand. Only, he got knocked to the floor with a rough jerk of that arm. Scrambling up onto his feet, he frowned, and closed his eyes. A little burn won't hurt, will it? He needed to let go of Be. As he did three days prior, he searched for the pool of fire, and when he did come across it, the threads already began to climb to his presence, as if it felt his anger and will to do something. Although boy was unsure whether or not that this would work, he lunged forward again and grabbed hold of his father's arms.
A triumphant smile crossed Leon's face, as he heard a scream emit from his father, and he let go. Two small handprints were blistering on the man's arm, and a crash to the floor indicated that he had let go of Phoebe. A trail of curses ran out as Giovanni's gaunt face twisted from its lust to fear, which then turned into anger. With the agility that children seem to be equipped with, the girl and boy fled the room to the hallway, shutting the door behind them.
Phoebe's chest heaved in breathes, her brother starring curiously at his hands for in his sight he could see trails of thread still wrapping and moving about his hands, before fading. The curses soon wailed off, and as the two exchanged glances, they raced out of the house, barely hearing the wails of how first his wife, then children, have forsaken him to the Black God. As the two ran back to the pasture, Phoebe leaned against the fence. A crash sounded from inside the house, startling Cinder to jump up from her nap. Very slowly, they both heard the rising whimpers of the infant Augustus turn into crying. Phoebe, who was still panting, her pupils thin yet from fear, and, with one look at her younger brother, he was off back to the house to fetch the youngest sibling.
Leon slowed down as he entered the first room of the house; he heard the creaking of a door opening. Fear seized his heart for a moment, and with quick acting, he made a mad dash to the upset infant as Gio fumbled down the stairs, cursing with every step. Leaning into the crib, feet suspended in the air as he did so, he gathered the squirming, red-faced Augustus. Landing on the floor, he smiled at the child, whose noises slowly began to fade.
"Step away from him, mage-child." Giovanni growled, a sneer of insanity on his face. "He killed my wife, and he is mine, and I shall return the favor." Leon did not reply as he kept the infant close to him, and went to run. His father's tall, stronger form lunged forward and landed on the floor, his hand out to grab onto the child's pant leg, only for it slide out to a lack of a good grip. The boy, however, had lost balance, and he only regained it once his head collided with the wall.
Stumbling, stars in his eyes, Leon kept running, staying away from the walls, the sounds of his father drowning out. His eyesight cleared as he ran, and made it too Phoebe, hardly aware that there was some blood trickling down the back of his head. Augustus was anything but calm, and as Leon made it over to his sister, she took the infant and began rocking him into quietness, as she examined her younger brother.
"What took you so long?" She questioned, as Leon rubbed his eyes.
"Father came down…" He whispered, running a hand through his disheveled hair, pausing when he felt the blood, eyes bugging a bit. Yet, he went on. "Said Gus killed mother… That it was in his position to kill Gus." Bringing his hand down, he took one look at the blood, and then promptly fainted.
Phoebe froze when she saw the blood on his fingers, and watching him faint, she shook her head. The girl decided everything from there on what to do. She let Cinder run free, specifically to the Wildmage where the horse could be properly fed. Out of what was left in the hay, she made a crib for Augustus, protected from the poking of the hay with saddle pads. She laid the unconscious Leon upon the horse blanket, unbuttoning his shirt and tying it around his for good measure. She stayed that way all afternoon; Leon awoke in the night to learn that there was no way Phoebe was letting any of them back into the house until she knew all was quiet, and Gio was not around. For extra precaution, she barricaded the three of them in the stable, locking it on the inside. The night was far from peaceful, for their hunger kept them up, as was the infant's cry for food.