Ch. 2 | Those Beautiful Eyes

The young lovers' problem becomes a catastrophe.

That night, Seth could not sleep. His mind was full of doubts. He hadn’t seen anyone when he was walking back to the village, he was sure Raven was wrong. But was he really? Nothing in his mind was making sense. He was just contradicting himself and going in circles. There was no way he would be able to sleep with all that. But eventually, after much tossing and turning, he managed to doze off into a restless sleep.

His rest did not last long. The sun was barely even over the horizon when he heard a banging on his bedroom door that jolted him from his sleep, nearly making him fall out of bed. Not a moment later and his room was full of armed guards, followed by his father who stormed up to him, grabbing the front of his nightshirt.

“You. Are not. My son,” the Chief snarled, his face so close to Seth’s that he could feel his hot breath and the spray of spit as he spoke.

The young man was still hardly awake, trying to process what was going on. His father was angry. That was never good. Seth could feel his heart pounding in his chest so hard it felt like it would burst out through his sternum. His eyes were wide and his body shook with fear, unable to form any sort of response.

He was not given a chance to respond even if he could as his father yanked him up, tossing him to the floor where he landed hard on his right shoulder with a sickening crack that sent a wave of pain down his arm and up the side of his neck. Seth could not even scream, paralyzed with fear as he was. He received a kick to the ribs before a pair of guards grabbed his arms, dragging him roughly to his feet despite his small cry of pain as a feeling like a hundred knives stabbed into his shoulder.

The young man was forcefully taken down the stairs, maids and servants watching in horror as tears of pain and fear streaked down his freckled cheeks. When he was finally dropped again, it was in the throne room of the manor. Through his blurry vision as the pain subsided slightly, Seth saw another young man on the ground beside him. His heart lurched at seeing the black hair, the blue eyes behind the purple bruises and smears of blood on his face. Raven was hardly awake, staring right through Seth, his cheek pressed against the cold stone floor. That was the moment he realized. Raven had been right. They had been seen.

Pushing himself up on his good arm, Seth looked up to see his father standing at the top of the set of steps that led to the platform on which his throne sat. Beside him was a young boy, no older than twelve, grinning smugly down at him. No doubt the snitch. Feeling mighty proud of himself. “Father… what are you doing?” he asked, choking back his tears. As if he did not already know.

“Bringing you back to Kita. Renounce that man,” the Chief growled, drawing his sword and pointing it at Raven. “Turn from your evil ways. And I will spare your life. I am making an exception only because your mother pleaded with me to be merciful. Otherwise, you would be dead already.”

Seth let out a strangled sob, turning to look at Raven. The young man’s gentle gaze had locked onto him. He knew he was going to die. Seth wanted so badly to live, but how could he, in Raven’s last moments in that world, renounce him? Sure, he had never been as in love with him, but that did not mean he did not care. Raven was his only friend. “I… I can’t,” he managed, reaching over to gently stroke his lover’s hair, just as he had done so often. Setting his jaw, Seth turned back to his father, a sudden push of defiance fueling him. “I won’t!” 

The Chief’s frown deepened and he nodded, stepping down from the platform, approaching the two young men. “Then I will make you watch him die first.” The tall man grabbed Raven by his hair, a guard holding Seth back and forcing his eyes open. 

Raven’s eyes had not left Seth for a moment. He forced a small smile onto his lips. “See you on the other side,” he whispered, barely able to get out the words. Not a moment later, the Chief’s blade was on his throat. 

The dark-haired man’s blood stained the blade as Seth screamed in fury and grief. Before Raven’s lifeless body could even hit the floor, the light fading from his blue eyes, those beautiful eyes, Seth felt a rush of strength as he wrenched free of the guard and bolted for the door. He was light and fast, slipping through the hands of the guards as they tried to catch him, the Chief roaring behind them. There was no saving Raven. He was gone. The only thought left in Seth’s mind was to escape. He had to get away. Making it to the courtyard, he paused, the workers of the manor stopping in their tracks to stare in shock and horror at the bloody and bruised son of the chief. Skydancer. If anything would get him out of there fast, it was his steed.

Before the guards could catch him, Seth dashed to the stables and practically threw himself onto the mare’s back. Guards tried to crowd the entrance to Skydancer’s stall. But with a kick and a loud “Hya!” the horse and rider burst through the door, scattering the men and bolting from the stables. There was no time for the guards to react. The gate could not close in time. “Go, Sky, go!” shouted Seth as they sped out of the manner, into the streets of the town. Skydancer’s hooves pounded against the dirt road, scaring the few peasants who had begun emerging from their homes to begin the day’s work. 

There were shouts of soldiers and guards from behind them, trying to mount up to catch Seth. But they were too late. The edge of the forest was in view, and soon Seth and his steed were surrounded by the trees, the sound beneath the mare’s hooves changing to crunching leaves and snapping twigs.

It was some time before his pace finally slowed, the adrenaline wearing thin. And finally, it set in. Raven was dead. Seth had lost his best and only friend, lover, and home all in one day. He could never go back. Surely he would be killed if he did. But where could he go now? He knew no one. And he was the son of the Thimira Chief. The clan who worshipped their god so fervently they were willing to threaten and harm others in order to convert them. Who in their right mind would trust him? 

Leaning forward on Skydancer’s neck, Seth buried his face in her mane and just screamed, letting out his frustration and grief and fear, his tears soaking into the coarse hairs. It felt like a part of him had just been torn out. Raven hadn’t deserved that. He was good, kind, more loving than any Seth had ever encountered. He had been Seth’s first kiss. Held him when he cried. Listened when he ranted. Maybe he had loved him and just had not known what love felt like. Was that it? He certainly had not learned from his father. Nor his own mother, for that matter. How was he to know if he truly loved Raven or not? That thought alone would likely haunt him for the rest of his days, he was sure of it. However many days he had left.

That day dragged on at a snail’s pace. Slower, even. Seth and Skydancer wandered aimlessly through the trees, the young man eventually getting sore from being on horseback and walking alongside the horse. She had no halter, no lead, he just had to trust that she would stay by his side. Which she did, thankfully. They were both equally lost, it was not as if she had anywhere to go.

Seth had never gone that long without food before. It had been a full day, as the sun was once more sliding down below the horizon. The young man’s dislocated shoulder ached and throbbed, his arm hanging limply by his side. His stomach rumbled almost painfully. His legs felt like they were about to give out from underneath him. The bottoms of his feet were raw and scratched from going without shoes.

With a sigh, Seth finally allowed himself to sink to the ground, sprawling out across the grass. He was weary both mentally and physically. Most of the time they walked, there had been continuous tears leaking from his eyes. By that point, however, they had dried up. There were no tears left and it felt like there was no moisture left in his body. His nose felt puffy and congested and his lips were dry and tasted salty where his tears had rolled across them. Not that he cared anyway. He felt empty. Hollow. He hardly even cared how much pain he was in.

He was not sure how long he lay there. Skydancer grazed peacefully beside him, the last rays of the sun making her dark bay coat shine a deep red. But soon, the light was gone. Seth could have fallen asleep there. He was so tired… he just wanted to lay there forever. 

But it was not to be. Not long after the light of the sun had been replaced with the dim glow of the moon, Seth heard a spine-chilling howl. Wolves. His whole body tensed as he painfully pushed himself into a sitting position, hazel eyes darting around and straining to see through the dark. Skydancer stomped restlessly and tossed her head around, pawing at the ground with her large hooves, not making the situation any less tense.

Then there they were. Yellow eyes in the trees. The pair of glowing orbs flicked back and forth between the horse and the young man, growling threateningly. More pairs of eyes joined in, surrounding Seth and Sky. Scrambling to his feet, Seth grabbed a large stick off the ground and brandished it in his good hand, backing up to stand closer to his horse. “Stay back!” he shouted. His voice came out more feeble and scared than he’d hoped, but it made the animals pause if only for a second. The pack of animals surrounded the two, noses high and sniffing, picking up the scent of blood from small cuts on Seth’s body. “Back, I said!”

That time, although it was louder, his shout did nothing. Instead, the wolves lunged. Skydancer reared up, neighing loudly and kicking out with her front hooves, knocking a couple of the wolves out of her way before bolting off into the trees and leaving Seth alone. The young man swung his stick wildly, making contact with a few of the animals. 

Sudden sharp pain in Seth’s leg made him drop his bludgeon, and the wolf who had sunk its teeth in gave him a hard yank, pulling him to the ground. Warm, thick blood oozed out around the animal’s sharp fangs. Seth let out a scream, trying to struggle free. Then from behind him, just as he thought the wolf would tear his leg off, he heard a solid whack followed by a whimper, and, to his surprise, the wolf released him. Seth’s vision was fuzzy and red around the edges as his arm and leg throbbed painfully, but he managed to make out the dark silhouette of a tall man standing over him, shouting at the wolves and beating them back with an even larger stick than the one Seth was able to wield. 

Much shouting and hitting ensued, the wolves jumping on the new figure. Whoever he was, he did not even seem phased by the scratches he acquired on his legs and arms, and he fought like no one he had seen before. Forceful and ferocious. Unrelenting. It was not long before, with a final roar from the man, the pack retreated into the trees, leaving the two in silence other than their heavy breathing. 

Only after the wolves were completely out of sight did the figure turn and kneel beside Seth, offering a hand to him. “Can you stand?” Seth was surprised at hearing the man’s voice. Just moments before he had seemed as wild and untamed as a lion, roaring louder than any man he had heard before. But when he spoke to Seth, his voice was soft and kind. His smile alone seemed to warm Seth from head to toe. His green eyes sparkled in the starlight. Such beautiful eyes...

Seth opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn’t catch his breath enough to form any words. His head swam, everything hurt. The only sound he managed was a weak groan before he finally gave in and fell unconscious at the feet of the stranger.