Chapter 16

Erik's Pov

I paced back and forth in front of the bedroom door. Hazel was crying out in pain on the other side. Is giving birth that painful? I don't think I want to know. She had gone into labor a few hours ago and was still going at it. When I no longer heard my wife crying, I walked towards the door. Hazel's midwife walked out of the room and smiled. "You may go in now." I quickly entered the room and looked at the bed where Hazel was laying. Tears filled my eyes as I saw thebundlein her arms.

"Can you believe it, Erik? We have a little boy!" Hazel said excitedly. "I believe you owe me a new book." I forgot about our bet... I sat down in the chair next to her bed and sighed. Before I could stop her, she handed me my son. I looked at him and smiled.

"What are we going to name him?" I asked holding the little ones hand. Hazel thought for a little while.

"How does Robert sound?" Hazel suggested.

"I think it is a perfect name."

Hazel's Pov

Giving birth had taken so long and made me tired. I was glad I had a little boy. Erik seemed pretty happy as well. After I fed Robert and had Erik put him in his cradle, I tried getting some sleep. Every time I would close my eyes, I felt like somebody was watching me. I knew it wasn't Erik because he was in his music room playing a piano. I looked over at the window and didn't see anything. You are just tired. Nobody is watching you right now... Suddenly, there was a taping at the window. Again I looked over at the window. This time I screamed and fell out of the bed. I saw Maxwell at the window grinning at me. Erik came running in and quickly picked me up. "Hazel, what is the problem?"

"I just saw Maxwell at the window, Erik. He was watching me." I cried. When we heard Robert start crying, Erik left to the baby's room to get him quieted down. While I sat on the bed, the house seemed to get unusually quiet. "Erik?" I called out. Thinking my decision through, I stood and walked towards the door. As I was about to grab the door knob, the door flew open and there stood Maxwell. He was standing there with Robert in his arms. Not my baby! "Maxwell, you are crazy! Please give me my child." I begged.

"You must come with me, Hazel. Only then can you have your baby."Maxwell said grabbing my arm. I had no idea how my tired body would take all this movement. When we got outside, I was helped into a carriage. Maxwell climbed in and sat next to me.

"Where is Erik, Maxwell?" I asked.

"He is back at your house lying unconscious." he answered. I looked out the window and over towards the forest we were approaching. Suddenly, the carriage stopped. Please don't let it be the same men that... they're bandits... The door was flung open and a rough looking man ordered us to get out. Maxwell put the baby in my arms and shoved me out of the carriage. "You may take her." Maxwell said to the man. The bandit grunted in approval and started forcing me to walk forward. I glanced over my shoulder at the carriage and gasped in horror. It had been set aflame and was now burning. I barely heard Maxwell's screams from inside. Tears filled up my vision. I didn't want any of this to happen. Robert was snuggled up against me. I hadn't noticed, but the bandit that was escorting me to their camp had placed his coat on my shoulders, but when I did notice, I thanked him.

Erik's Pov

I opened my eyes and found myself to be lying on the floor of the music room Remembering seeing Maxwell, I jumped up to my feet and ran to the bedroom. When I saw that Hazel wasn't there, I did a thorough check of all the rooms in the house, but when it dawned on me that he had taken her and Robert, it hit like bullet to the chest. I screamed out in agony and ran out to the stables. As fast as I could, I saddled Accipitrem and made my way to town. He wouldn't stay here with her. As I rode out the other side of town, the smallest amount of smoke was on the horizon. The bandits got their carriage...

It was like I was in a dream as I approached the smoldering pile of debris. I fell to my knees and cried. As the sun rose, and the burnt carriage had stopped filling the sky with a wee bit of smoke, I began digging through the ashes. There were only two bodies I found, and both were bigger than Hazel's. She is alive still and when I find her, whoever took her will die a slow, agonizing, and painful death...

A/N: Sorry if this chapter is a little short. Next chapter, I will try to make it longer. Please review!