The one who wasn't to be.....

a short story i tried to write.

Another flash of lighting, closer to them this time struck the ground. The horses gave a terrified scream but the coachman whipped them steady once more. Riya could hear the voices of the horses, the ones of her carriage closer and the ones steady on her trail, farther but getting closer by the minute.

Tired. She felt bone weary. Gallop, gallop, gallop. Shout, shout, shout. She all but lost herself in the rhythm of the terrible voices of the night.Snap! With a loud crunch, the roof of the carriage was pierced by an overhanging branch from a nearby tree. We must be quite deep in the forest by now, she mused.Just then the baby gave a kick and her stomach contracted worse than ever before. She gritted her teeth against the terrible pain and clasped her hands tightly on her stomach. She laid her head back on the head rest, beads of sweat bursting out on her skin despite the chill in the air caused by the rain. She reached up with some difficulty and untied the scarf around her neck.The roof of the carriage was leaking and the drops falling on her swollen feet felt like bullets of ice piercing the surface of her semi-conscious mind.

‘AH,’ she jerked awake as a woman’s moans fell into her ears. She whipped her head around wildly; looking for a sign of the other but there was, of course, no one in the carriage besides her. She choked back a sob as a wave of nausea and pain washed over her combined with something else, something like loneliness.

The carriage gave a sickening lurch throwing Riya off the seat and unbalancing her momentarily. She bit back a moan and righted herself once again. Suddenly, the roof of the carriage flew off, the thin material no match for the overhanging branches of century old trees. The rain slowed down somewhat as the carriage moved swiftly deeper into the forest. The overhead canopy of trees kept the worst of it from falling down but Riya knew that that would not be the case for long.She had seen rain like this once before when she was very young. She remembered the terrible floods back when she was just a little girl. Peoples’ homes had been completely destroyed with whole families’ drowned. Hardly anyone’s livestock had survived as well yet Riya and her family had been safe in the castle.

Riya shielded her stomach with her hands as best as she could but she could feel the beginnings of another contraction. It had been so ever since the first bump in the carriage. She knew it was yet too soon for them to arrive yet she feared that the rough ride and heavy jolts had hastened their arrival. She gritted her teeth and bit on the inside of her cheeks trying not to scream out loud. She felt blood in her mouth, red, hot, metallic with a hint of salt as her stomach rolled and she dry heaved on the seat.

‘RIYA!’ A scream pierced the night air. ‘RIYA, wait!’

Riya closed her eyes in pain whether from the painful contractions or because she recognized the voice, even she wasn’t sure.

Moments later, the carriage started slowing down. ‘What are you doing?’ Riya screamed at the driver. ‘Go forward! I command you!’ even in her pitiful state; Riya was still the majestic queen she had always been. ‘Start the carriage, I say!’

‘My Queen,’ the gruff voice of the driver was low and urgent. ‘We can go no farther. We’ve reached Wolfsbane cliff.’

‘Then turn sideways, do something!’ Riya couldn’t keep the panic from seeping into her voice. ‘GO!’ she screamed but the man didn’t reply.

‘Very well,’ Riya said after a moment, throwing the door of the carriage open, Riya heaved herself out of the carriage with much difficulty.

She cried out in pain as soon as she put her weight on her swollen feet. The rain was seeping through the dense canopy of leaves. Riya looked around herself and found that the horses had barely stopped at the edge of the cliff. Having never been allowed this far in the forest in her youth, Riya couldn’t decide which way to go. Thunder clouds rumbled overhead but louder than them were the sounds of hooves. Riya stumbled to her right and started walking haphazardly, the only thought in her mind on how to keep the baby safe.

‘Riya!’

‘Queen Riya!’

Riya could hear the voices getting louder and louder. She felt a tug on her clothes and stumbled backwards. Digging her fingers into a nearby tree, Riya fell backwards onto the hard, muddy ground. She clenched her teeth at the pain emanating from her fingers whose nails she had torn whilst grabbing the tree to break her fall but the pain in her spine was the worst of all.

She laid her head back on to the ground, moaning. ‘All is lost,’ she thought as her stomach gave another contraction and she screamed her husband’s name in anguish.Bracing her palms on the slippery ground, Riya tried to heaver herself off the ground but she fell back sobbing. Her spine hurt and she was seeing black spots in front of her eyes. ‘Kaahf,’ she whimpered.

 Her contractions were coming fast and more painfully than ever before. Riya knew that she would not live to see her child. ‘But that doesn’t matter,’ she thought. All that mattered was that the baby be delivered safely. Riya had not come all this way to be defeated. She started to force herself to be calm. She had to survive. At least until her child was safe.

‘QUEEN RIYA!’ Her thoughts were pierced by the soldiers voice.

‘Kaahf!’ she shrieked. ‘Kaahf, I’m here. I’m here!’Even the thunder couldn’t hide her sobs.

‘Riya?!’ The king’s second in command, Marlon’s voice was drawing closer.

‘Kaa-AH!’ Riya pulled her legs up to her swollen stomach as another contraction ripped into her body. Her clothes were drenched in a mixture of her own sweat, blood and the rain. ‘Kaahf,’ she sobbed and beat her fist into the ground. ‘Please. Please, God.’

Just then Riya heard footsteps coming from the direction she had come from. ‘Riya! Queen Riya, are you okay?!’ Marlon skidded to a halt besides her head, the muddy rainwater immediately soaking his breaches.

‘Marlon!’ Riya panted. ‘Where’s Kaahf?

’A shadow passed over Marlon’s face, covering the concern that had been there just a moment ago. ‘Queen Riya, you must come with us at once. It is the king’s orders to bring you back, dead or alive.’

‘How dare you!’ Riya growled.

Just then, two dozen soldiers entered the clearing through a pathway in the trees. ‘My queen, I suggest you come with us quietly. Men,’ he addressed the soldiers. ‘Take our Queen back to the carria-

'His words were drowned out by Riya’s screams as another wave of pain went through her body. The cold, hard ground was doing nothing to comfort the delicate woman and she curled herself up in a fetal position as best as she could and started sobbing while clutching the ground and her stomach with one hand.

‘It’s coming,’ realization dawned on Marlon’s face. ‘We have to take her back quickly.’

‘Marlon, you have your orders,’ a soldier warned.

‘Yes. Yes, the king’s orders.’ Marlon’s face was ashen.

Marlon put one hand under his jacket and drew out a dagger.

‘Marlon!’ Riya shrieked, half in pain and half in anger. ‘I order you to stop!’

‘My Queen, forgive me but it is the King’s orders. He ordered us to bring you back in order to kill the child before it arrived but it is too late. Forgive me, my queen.’

Marlon raised his hand, about to bring the dagger down on Riya.

The soldiers were watching silently.Riya threw her arms up, trying to protect her face. Suddenly, the still of the night was pierced by screams and Riya opened her eyes. A pack of wolves was making its way through the dense wall of ivy. Riya could see the opening of the cave behind the overhanging trails of ivy. The soldiers nearest to the cave had been caught off guard and were trying to fight the wolves. The rest of the small group was raising their axes and swords, preparing to charge at the ferocious creatures. Marlon’s eyes widened as his hand, the one that held the dagger, fell to his side, his mission to kill Riya momentarily forgotten.

‘Marlon!’ A soldier shouted. ‘Marlon! Finish her! Remember what the king said, Marlon!’ An old soldier shouted, hacking away at a bear-sized wolf with a shiny brown coat. The wolf, however, in fact all the wolves were doing something very strange. Even though they had at first attacked the soldiers, now they seemed to be playing with the soldiers. Snapping at their heels or by simply growling at the unfortunate men, the wolves were gathering and circling around the men.

Like a dog playing with its food, Marlon thought horrified.

‘Marlon!’ The soldier shouted again. The man’s voice acted like a bucket of cold water for Marlon as he swung around again and raised his dagger prepared to plunge it into the young queen’s heart only to find her… Dead.

His heart sinking faster than a paper boat in the river, Marlon heard the night air pierced by an awful ripping sound. He whipped around once more towards the group of soldiers to see them fighting once more but even the two dozen soldiers were no match for the five wolves that were circling them and picking them off one by one. No matter how hard a soldier struck or how quickly he moved, he wasn’t a match for the vicious beasts. Very soon all the soldiers were laying on the ground in pieces. Marlon felt rooted to his spot. Suddenly, feeling an overwhelming sense of grief, the wretched leader launched himself at the wolves, swinging his dagger at the beasts. One of the wolves came forward and snapped at his heels.

'Like a cat playing with it's food,' thought Marlon horrified. He began fighting in earnest, moving this way and that, sprinting from side to side, panting yet still looking for an escape.

'The queen is dead,' he thought. 'My work is done. I fulfilled my promise to the king.'Panting, his sweat mingling with the now heavy rain and his lungs feeling as if they were full of fire rather than air, Marlon gave his dagger a final almighty swing and with a roar, brought it down on the beast's back  More surprised than hurt, the wolf staggered back. Seeing this, Marlon started running back the way he had come from. Running harder and faster than he ever had, he had almost reached the entrance to the forrest when a searing pain shot through his legs and a sickening, ripping noise pierced the night air. Turning around quickly, Marlon saw the injured wolf with what could only be called a grin on it's mouth, looking at Marlon intently. The creature's nose and muzzle were covered with blood and strips of Marlon's skin and it was licking at them lazily. The wolves every movement suggested a languid sense of ease. All but it's eyes which were shining through the smoky drizzle, bright and golden, piercing into Marlon's brain through the haze of pain.

The world seemed to stand still as Marlon took a last shuddering breath and started reaching for the dagger in his belt. The wolf's eyes stood transfixed on Marlon's face but Marlon could feel it noticing his every move. Inch by slow, careful inch, Marlon moved his fingers closer to the dagger, trying not to startle the creature. His heart sinking, Marlon closed his fist around the dagger's hilt.

Time seemed to stand still for Marlon as his eyes fixed on the beast's mouth. The pink gums with red veins flowering on the surface. Marlon could well see the red foam at the things mouth. Froth from the b*****d's greed and hunger mixed with the blood of Marlon's brethren. Who's blood was it? Young Matthew's, who had just been engaged last month? Matthew whose wife to be would never see him come home again? Or was it Lawrence? Lawrence who had fought with Marlon as long as he could remember. Lawrence who was closer to Marlon than any other man in the world. His eyes filling with blood and his heart filling with a mixture of rage and grief such as he had never experienced before,  Marlon charged at the cruel animal, unsheathing his dagger as he aimed for its throat.

But alas! The rage and grief of the world could not be enough for the menace as it met Marlon's attack with its own, more vicious one. Fighting in earnest rather than for the perverted pleasure and thrill it had shown last time, the wolf threw his all in the battle and very soon tore the wretched soldier to pieces.

The clouds rumbled overhead as if the gods were expressing their displeasure over the soldiers death. Ignoring the sound, the wolf started to turn back. It reached the dead Queens body cautiously as if afraid it would wake her from eternal slumber.

Its blood flowing in steady scarlet streams from between it's shoulders, the wolf placed itself near the queen's stomach and raised one paw, steadily, as if saluting the heavens. Bringing it down quickly, the beast tore a gash in the unfortunate queen's belly as a terrible hush fell over the night air.

A young mothers love and a foolish queen's act of abnegation had cost the world dearly. Silences amplified yet pierced with a sense of pain and grief so powerful that though felt by all in the kingdom, none could put a finger on them. The night air was overcome by an overwhelming sense of melancholy that made the peaceful pitch black of the night seem like a thick blanket of helplessness none could escape from. Lying perfectly still in the young queen's ruined womb, was the child that had caused so much bloodshed even before it had breathed his first in the night air.

Still but for it's dark inquisitive eyes, eyes darker than the black of night, eyes that reminded one of the black holes of the universe where no being dare venture, the child lay quietly in it's cradle of death. Skin colder than his cadevar mother's and a demeanor darker than the reaper's, the darkest of humans had descended. All hope was lost. The one who wasn't to be.....  Was.

Reviews

[Mila]

Wow! This is a huge improvement, and I enjoyed it very much! I have a friend named Riya so when I was reading it I kept imagining her for some reason...very good job!

I didn't catch much, but I would definitely say to watch out for run on sentences. Tossing in commas or breaks in between will help fix that. I didn't catch too many. Also make sure you're using the right punctuations. The sentence "‘How dare you!’ Riya growled." should be "How dare you?" and if you want to add emphasis, you can do "How dare you?!" or if you just want to leave it as a question but still keep the emphasis, try italicizing the word 'dare' and keep the question mark. Little tinkers here and there go far in adding depth to your words.

Over all, I enjoyed it. Very well done!

[Duaa]

:) oh tnku u r so helpful..n everything u said means alott to me realyy