Emmiral's Couldon

A Story by A.G.Adair

Prologue

"Push, push" a women pleads, her voice barely audible over the rage and despair that filled the room. "That's it, that's it you can do it.
You will not harm my child" A man bellows, flickers of rage and panic echoing every word. Men stood either side of the him wearing chainmail and leathers, swords at their sides, hands resting on the hilt ready to draw. The man wearing deep blue leather leggings ripped at the knees and a loose white silk shirt that had seen better days stood between them. Maniacal hung from his hands the skin bellow raw and blooded. Black hair tied back in what once would have been clean and fashionable but now an unruly mess. "Silence you filthy half ear" another man said, pure hatred scething with every word. He stood in the centre if the room, wearing cream leathers and and a silken shirt the colour of the morning sky. He bore an emblem upon his chest, an elk, antlers tall and elegant. His face tork and twisted with rage and disgust a stark comparison to the finery he wore, silver hair tied back behind elongated ears. "Your lucky I'm letting to live long enough to see the spawn this abomination. I'll not allow my kingdoms laws to be shirked for anyone. Someone will pay the price, that abomination" pointing at the bulging belly of a woman under stained white sheet, laying atop a bed, "will pay the price." Another scream as the woman pushed. Another, much older woma stood next to her gently wiping beads of sweat from her forehead. "Your doing great dear, come on keep pushing, it'll be over soon." Her clothes lacked the elegance of the others in the room. Her straw like hair, tied back in an intricate braid. "You will do no such thing," the chained man said defiantly, charging the man in the centre of the room. A wall of air, powerfully and unrelenting struck him lifting him of his feet and unceremoniously tossing him against the bear granite wall. Slumped where he fell, he lay unmoving. One of the guards rushed over looking for signs of life, placing a hand over his mouth and looking for the rise and fall of the mans chest. He quickly nodded to the Elf in the centre of the room. He grinned wickedly in return. "Jacob" the pregnant woman screamed horror and disbelief hung heavy on her voice.
"He'll be ok" the older woman comforted. "One more push, Dear."
The Elf now stood at the end of the bed seething with malice. "You... you should have known better. Sullieing yourself with" pointing at the still motionless man. "That filth. Your of good breeding and could have had any man, yet you choose that filth." Spittle escaping his mouth. He took a long steadying breath, "For you brother, I will not sent you to the mines. You'll be banished, then you can live with the lesser races you love so much." Sound of crying filled the room, high pitch but from something so small. The older woman wrapped the child in a clean cloth. "It's a boy my Lord." He looked down at the child, urge to strangle it there and then was almost overwelming. "Remove it from my sight," he replied as he looked at the women on the bed. "Send someone to remove that filth," he continued as the elderly woman walked passed the bedside. That's when the woman laying there reached out. "Please, please let me hold him. The distraught look in her eyes, heart wrenching soul braking look. Her long blond her laid on the bed like a river of gold, damp and notted through misery and sweat. Her elegant ears long and pointed seemed deminshed somehow. The elderly woman had to look away to protect her own soul from the woman's sorrow. "Alaron, Alaron" she called as the child was removed. Tears streaming from her eye like waves from an endless sea. "That thing will take your place in the mines the moment it can walk" The elf continued.

Two men stand in the shadows, all features hidden by the night "Is it done" the first man asks. "Yes" the other replied. "They'll think the child died, killed on the road by Goblins, as we planned."