Berserk Fan Fiction ❯ The Hanging Tree ❯ The Branches ( Chapter 4 )

Note: I do not own Berserk, nor the rights to it. That belongs to Miura-Sensei.

A/N: This is where the fan starts to catch on fire.

 

 

The Branches

Chapter 4 of 5

 

The trees swayed in unison to the wind's conduction. Brightly colored leaves danced around while branches creaked lightly as part of nature's orchestra. A young girl with a red cloak walked through the woods as the only audience member to the performance. Her naked feet made its own sound of applause as it crushed some of the dry leaves that had already fallen on the ground. Though music typically has the magic to soothe, the girl could find no solace in the sounds of the forests.

 

Sabina had never stopped moving after last night's events. The smell of alcohol still lingered in her memory. Her cheek had bruised slightly from Tessia's hand, but that paled in comparison to the pain in her heart. She knew that Dagu and Tessia had grown distant towards her when everyone in the village discovered that she was pregnant; the rumors had hurt them much more than Sabina had realized. She didn't want to believe that the two people who were her only family would reject her. But she wasn't blind to their deteriorating relationship. If they silently ignored her, she probably would have been capable of accepting that; however, it was a degrading rejection she experienced and that gnawed at her heart and soul.

 

Streaks of salty tears ran down her face like two rivers. She wiped them occasionally with the sleeve of the nightgown she slept in last night. It and the red cloak were the only two articles of clothing that she took with her when she was forced out of the house and village. Her legs were weary and sleep threatened to take over her consciousness soon. The sun had barely peaked its head over the horizon to warm the earth. She longed for some fresh water to quench her parched throat and food to feed her hungry stomach; after all, she wasn't eating for herself anymore.

 

Gently placing both her hands on her jutting stomach, she looked down at the place where her child was safely resting. She had mixed feelings ever since she found out she was pregnant. She was both scared and confused when she noticed it had been two months since her last bleeding. At one point, she even felt anger towards the man who did this to her, but she knew she couldn't change the past. She now had the responsibility of raising a child, something that she had always wanted.

 

She remembered a memory from two years ago when one of her neighbors was pregnant. Sabina could recall the excitement she shared along with the expectant mother; she even had these similar moments with Tessia before the rumors started to spread. Sabina used to love visiting her neighbor while she still carried the child in her womb. She watched as her neighbor would cradle her stomach as if she were able to hold the child before it was born. She had loved it like it was a part of her body and very existence. Even Tessia shared those feelings. Perhaps it was some unspoken duty that women instinctively took during motherhood. When the child was born, it was a beautiful baby boy; that day Sabina vowed that she would also be a mother who would care for her child as lovingly, if not more so, than her neighbor.

 

It looks like it's just the two of us from now on. She laughed at herself for thinking that her child could read her thoughts. Even if you can't understand me, I really can't blame you or hate you for everything that's happened. You're innocent. A smile crept up her face as she recalled the lectures her mother had given her about children and a mother's role in raising them. I hope that I can be as great a mother to you as all the women I've known, even my own mother, but don't be disappointed if I don't seem to know what I'm doing. Her maternal reveries rejuvenated Sabina, as she pressed on with a new determination.

 

Walking further into the woods, the distant sounds of horses and people talking alerted her senses. She hoped that she could find someone to give her some food and water to help her on her journey or at least direct her to the next village. She wasn't quite sure where she was going to go, as long as she found the safety of shelter, she would be content. Quickening her pace, she held one hand to her stomach while using the other to block the low hanging branches from scratching her face. The sounds got louder as she closed the distance between herself and the people. The images of legs and bodies walking finally came into view. Clearing free of the foliage, she leaned against a tree while panting for breath and watched the procession of people slowly pass her by without taking any notice to the strange girl who had come out of the woods.

 

Elly usually always watched the wagon in front of her whenever they traveled on the road. She never liked having her eyes stray upon the lands around her. It reminded her too much of what she had left long ago or why she left it. Far too often the countryside would be littered with corpses leftover from battles or burnt fields pillaged by deserters. In the instant that they were passing by the edge of a forest, the wind somehow blew her attention to break her usual indifferent stare to look to her left. Her eyes met those of a young girl no older than fifteen who was leaning against a tree panting for breath. Then she noticed the girl's belly and her eyes widened.

 

“Logos! Stop the wagon!” she said in a breath before jumping off of the wagon towards the young girl.

 

Sabina saw the woman make eye contact with her and jump off her wagon. She was relieved that someone had finally noticed her and sighed as she tried to steady her breath so she would be able to speak when the woman finally reached her. Much to her surprise, she noticed that the woman was actually running towards her with look of panic. Long tresses of light brown hair bounced up and down with each step. The older woman finally reached Sabina and she smiled, hoping that would lighten the mood.

 

“Thanks you for stopping, I was--” Sabina managed to stammer, but she was interrupted by the woman who had rushed to her side.

 

“How far apart are the bursts of pain? Has it been long since your water broke? Don't worry, I can help you deliver the baby if necessary,” Elly spat out, hoping that the girl wasn't about to deliver a baby along the side of the road.

 

Sabina stared at the woman confused and perplexed at the questions she was throwing at her. She thought that the woman presumed that she was going into labor, but she wasn't quite sure.

 

“Um, I'm not actually--”

 

“There's no time for that! Just rest here while I get someone to fetch some clean water and a rag,” Elly said while putting her hand on Sabina's wrist to check her pulse and then proceeding to check her temperature with the back of her free hand. “Logos! I need help here!”

 

Sabina watched as a tall burly man with dark stringy hair and a bearded face slowly approach them.

 

“What's wrong woman?” Logos scowled. He looked down at the two women with a piercing gaze and only narrowed them even more as he looked at Sabina.

 

“Can't you see the poor child's in labor? Get me some supplies!” Elly shouted at the man.

 

The man never tore his judgmental stare from Sabina as Elly barked orders at him. There was a mixture of recognition and resentment in his eyes.

 

“Do you know who she looks like?” Logos redirected his glare to Elly.

 

“Yes, but she needs help!”

 

Sabina watched as the two bickered and wasn't sure what to do or say. She finally got to courage to open her mouth once again.

 

“Um, ma'am? I'm not in labor yet. I was just running through the forest and then stumbled upon your caravan. I'm sorry for scaring you,” Sabina said to Elly, who somehow heard her through Logos' shouting.

 

“Oh, you're not?” Elly turned to Sabina with a look of embarrassment and shock. “I'm sorry, I just saw you grabbing your stomach and panting and I assumed--”

 

“It's ok. I was wondering if you could possibly spare some food and water,” Sabina said softly, hoping that they would agree.

 

Rather than answer Sabina's question, Elly looked at the child with worry and concern, “Where are you going child?”

 

Shocked once again, she wasn't quite sure how to answer the woman's question, “I don't know.”

 

Elly softened after hearing Sabina's reply and turned to Logos. She let her eyes do all the talking for her as the man shook his head at her.

 

“Don't give me that look woman! I know what you're thinking,” Logos said as he slowly turned to walk back to the wagon.

 

“Then can we?” Elly asked.

 

Logos paused and turned his head to look at Sabina once more. His gaze was still piercing and bitter. Turning around again he shouted, “Cut her hair, then she can stay.”

 

Elly smiled and quickly turned her attention to the young girl, “You can stay with us. That way you can get all the food and water you need. My name is Elsalene, but everyone calls me Elly. What's your name child?”

 

“Sabina, ma'am,” she said, shocked at what had just transpired.

 

“Sabina, what a pretty name,” Elly said as she led her to the wagon.

 

As they made the short distance to the wagon, Sabina noticed that people were still walking past them following the caravan. She perceived the eyes of many strangers looking at her, but instead of the gaze of curiosity that she got from the villagers the first time they saw her; these people gave her a look of familiarity, as if she was someone they had seen before. One person in particular caught her attention more so than the others, mainly because he smiled at her. He was a young boy, probably around her age, but she wasn't quite sure. His hair was partly blond and partly brown, a light sandy color. She watched as a dark haired boy poked him in the ribs and teased him as they continued to follow the procession.

 

Elly pulled back the curtain to the rear of the wagon and helped lift Sabina into it. Sabina sat down on the hardwood floor of the wagon and looked at her surroundings. Four small heads started crawling towards her like kittens mewing for their mother's milk. As the foursome all approached Sabina at the same time, they all also talked at the same time.

 

“Who's the new girl?”

 

“Wow, she's going to have a baby!”

 

“Hi, I'm Felicia, let's be friends.”

 

“Is it a boy or a girl?”

 

Elly soon joined Sabina's side and saved her from the salvo of curious questions coming out of the girls' mouths. “Girls! Mind your manners!”

 

At once, all four girls backed up, giving Sabina her needed space. She suddenly felt the wagon lurch forward, almost hurtling her backward onto the floor. Elly caught Sabina and then turned to the four curious girls.

 

“Everyone, I'd like you to meet Sabina. She'll be traveling with us from now on,” the older woman smiled and motioned for the girls to come a little closer. “Sabina, let me introduce you to everyone. First is Emiya, the youngest girl all the way to the right. Next are Clothea and her sister D'lynn who are both little chatterboxes. Finally, we come to Felicia who's on the left.”

 

The girls each nodded their heads as their names were being called so Sabina could identify which girl Elly was referring to. Sabina smiled at each of them, hoping that they could all eventually become friends. She had lost all her childhood friends to the attack and hadn't made any new ones while at Tessia and Dagu's village.

 

“Hi, nice to meet you all,” Sabina said as she bowed her head slightly.

Felicia was the first to speak as she came up to Sabina and extended her hand, “Hi, I'm Felicia,” the dark haired girl replied with a huge grin. The girl was the oldest of the group, but she was only thirteen.

 

Sabina accepted the girl's hand and felt at ease as the remaining girls accepted her into their little playgroup. Clothea offered her some water and her sister D'lynn some bread. Sabina accepted both gratefully and let her body relax to their warm reception. She even let Emiya touch her stomach, hoping to feel the baby kick. The girls wanted to talk to Sabina even longer, but Elly told them to leave Sabina alone for the moment and asked for a pair of sheers from the supply box. Felicia, the oldest of the group obediently complied with Elly's orders. Sabina remembered that the man Elly referred to as Logos had told her to cut her hair. She had never had short hair and was confused by his order.

 

Elly carefully brushed Sabina's long brown hair with her hands as she readied the sheers. “Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit.”

 

Sabina nodded, “Why must I cut it?”

 

Elly paused in mid-stroke as she pondered the best way to answer the question, “You look like our daughter.”

 

“Is that man your husband?” Sabina said, thinking about the man with the piercing gaze.

 

Elly laughed at her question, “You could say that. I won't bore you with the details.”

 

Sabina was puzzled by that comment. Her answer didn't make any sense, since she had never come across any women who have had children without having a husband. Touching her belly, her confusion died down and she thought she finally understood what the woman meant.

 

More questions burned in her mind as she asked the first thing that popped up. “What happened to your daughter?” Sabina said as she felt the cold metal of the sheers brush against the back of her neck.

 

Elly paused once again at Sabina's question. “She was almost exactly like you. The same age, the same look, the same problem,” Elly said sadly as she diverted her eyes from Sabina's belly and concentrated on her hair.

 

Sabina felt her head getting lighter as Elly proceeded to cut chunks of the young girl's hair and throw it out the back of the wagon, as if she were offering it to the earth. She realized that she probably shouldn't have quenched her curiosity and remained silent as Elly finished the job.

 

“There you go, all done!” as Elly teased Sabina's hair with her hands.

 

Sabina let her hands wander to her freshly cut hair. It was about shoulder length, the shortest it had ever been. She was afraid that she wouldn't like having short hair, but the change felt refreshing. “Thank you, if feels nice.”

 

“Don't worry dear. Now, Sabina, let me ask you a few questions,” Elly said softly.

 

Sabina turned her body so that she was facing the woman and nodded her head to indicate that she was listening.

 

“Why were you in the woods all by yourself and where is the father of your child?”

 

It was now Sabina's turn to become silent, as she wasn't quite sure where to start or how to answer. But Elly didn't pressure her to hurry as she gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

 

“Did he do this?” Elly gently brushed the bruise on her face.

 

Sabina shook her head. Her voice still failed her as she pursed her lips in thought.

 

“You don't have to answer right now if you don't want. I know you're tired. I can see it in your eyes. Just rest and you can tell me when you wake,” Elly said sympathetically.

 

Sabina was startled that Elly was so perceptive. She felt the weight of sleep gradually taking its toll on her body. “Yes, I am a bit tired,” Sabina said as she rubbed her eyes. Without saying another word, she put her head in Elly's lap and let herself fall into a quiet slumber.

 

The smell of meat and roasted potatoes caused Sabina to stir in her sleep. Her baby also smelled the appetizing aroma and kicked in response. Feeling the slight discomfort in her stomach, she carefully pushed herself up and noticed that the wagon had stopped moving. Looking around her, none of the girls she had met earlier were around. She looked out the rear of the wagon and saw that one of the curtains was lifted up and a pair of hazel eyes started back at her. The eyes belonged to the sandy-haired boy who had smiled at her earlier.

 

“Hi,” she said shyly, uncertain of what to do.

 

“Hi,” he replied as he pulled the curtain up a bit more revealing the haze of the afternoon sky.

 

Before Sabina could ask for his name, Elly's voice burst through like a wild horse.

 

“Nicholas! Get your head out of the wagon and leave the girl alone!”

 

The boy blotted out towards a crowd of men and waved to Sabina as his figure grew smaller and smaller. Elly shook her head at the boy as she climbed into the wagon with a plate of food and bread.

 

“Here, I brought you some supper. Go ahead and enjoy, I'm sure you and the baby need it,” she said as she placed the food right in front of Sabina.

 

“Thank you!” Sabina said politely as she hungrily ate the hearty meal.

 

Elly watched in amusement as Sabina devoured the food. She wanted to ask once again why Sabina was here. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence for young girls to get pregnant and run away. Her daughter, Arissa, had done the same. She closed her eyes as she tried not to think about her lost daughter whom she hadn't seen or heard from in five years: five agonizing years of worry and pain. She opened her eyes and gazed as Sabina. A bit of hope seemed to heal a wound in her shattered heart. She was thankful that she had found her. It was as if Sabina was her second chance; her time to right the wrong that happened with her daughter. All Elly knew was that she had to make sure that Sabina lived.

 

Sabina finished her meal and pat her stomach contently. She felt Elly's eyes watching her and looked up to see pain and loss in her eyes. It looked as if she was mourning for someone she couldn't save: someone who Sabina resembled. Remembering what Elly had said to her earlier, she gathered that she was thinking about her daughter. Wanting to take the woman's mind off her loss, Sabina decided to tell Elly her story.

 

“My village was attacked about six months ago. My mother and father were killed, as well as everyone else. I was . . . I was raped, that night,” Sabina managed to utter, quietly letting the tears shed once more. “I was lucky though, and my brother Dagu and his wife Tessia came and rescued me . . . but I wasn't accepted.” Sabina struggled to find the words.

 

Elly sensed the uneasiness rise in the young girl as she tried to recount her story. Pulling the girl into a hug, she whispered into her ear, “It's ok, you don't have to finish tonight.”

 

Sabina nodded as she sniffled back a few tears. “I still don't understand though.”

 

“What don't you understand child?” Elly said as she rubbed Sabina's arms.

 

“Why was I the only one to survive? Why didn't I die along with everyone else, my friends, my neighbors . . . my parents,” sobbing as she said the last two words.

 

“Maybe you have a greater purpose in life? Perhaps your child may have something to do with it. Destiny is never certain, it only guides us,” Elly said as she mused over what she was to say next. “We all want to try and control our destinies, but it's really out of our control. Though men still try to grab it with their own hands, some men think they are above the laws of destiny, but none of them ever consult in the opinion of a woman.”

 

Sabina was perplexed by Elly's words. She had never really thought of her destiny or purpose in life. She mainly chose to live it without thinking about any ulterior motive. She looked down at her stomach and stroked it. I wonder what your purpose is? I hope it's a good one.

 

Elly watched Sabina stroke her belly and smiled. She was relieved that this girl had no reservations about her pregnancy. She wondered if her daughter had eventually found the same feelings of motherhood that Sabina displayed. Elly knew that she was still young to be a grandmother, but she wondered what it would have been like and whether or not she could ever experience that feeling.

 

The two women talked the night away and as darkness crept up upon the light of the sun's rays, Sabina started to trust the woman in front of her. She eventually confided the whole story about why she was here, including all the events that took place with Dagu and Tessia. She never faltered when she tried to tell her story the second time around; in fact, it relieved her. That night, Sabina was able to leave behind her past and focus on her future with her new home.

 

A month had passed and Sabina's stomach grew slightly larger each day. She had become close friends with the four young girls she had met in the wagon. She noticed that there were few children who traveled with the caravan. She also found it strange that whenever they stopped near a town, Elly would confine Sabina and the rest of the girls to the wagon. She always told them never to leave the wagon while all the adults were away on business.

 

Sabina had asked once what everyone did in the town. Elly only replied that they offered their `services' to the townsfolk while the men searched for expendable valuables. Sabina had gotten used to Elly's enigmatic answers. If Sabina had ever been told about prostitutes and thieves, then she might have been able to understand the double meaning behind her response.

 

The young girl also never knew about the things that happened when everyone was quietly asleep. In fact, few people who traveled with the caravan knew about the dark rituals and seductive gyrations that filled the forests with screams of ecstasy and pain. There were only the rumors of a man with a goat's head who would loom over the creatures of the night like a plague, infecting everyone with lust. Even Elly would never know about some of her companions' nocturnal habits. Neither of them would ever learn that this group was the reason why they were being hunted.

 

During her time traveling with the caravan, Sabina had noticed that on occasion, the procession would quicken their pace and cautiously watch their surroundings as if they were expecting someone to attack them. Even the large and burly Logos eyed his surrounding with a hint of apprehension.

 

She never knew what they were watching for, until one day during part of their journey she heard the yell, which instantly threw the caravan into a state of panic. It was a simple two words, “Chain Knights.” But those words were like a death's calling card. Sabina saw Logos' eyes widen with fear and he quickly whipped the horses, urging them to speed up. She was almost thrown onto the floor of the wagon as the horses quickened their pace. She noticed that all the girls started to huddle together as if they were also frightened by those words.

 

“Elly, what's going on? Who are the Chain Knights?” she said hoping for an explanation for everyone's behavior.

 

“They're actually called the Holy Iron Chain Knights, but we refer to them as the Chain Knights for short. They are the enforcers of the Church of Midland doing everything from spreading their beliefs to persecuting those who oppose them. They are more widely known for how they persecute heretics and are on a mission to rid Midland of every last one of them. Unfortunately, they think we are one of them,” Elly said with a low monotone voice.

 

“We're heretics? But how?” Sabina asked.

 

“They think that we are denouncing the name of God as we travel from town to town. I also don't think they approve of what we do,” she answered.

 

“But, are you?” Sabina asked curiously.

 

“Neither Logos nor I have done anything that would warrant our deaths by their hands, but I can't really speak for the others. It really doesn't matter because the Chain Knights don't care whether you individually are innocent. They've already condemned our whole group. In their eyes, not even children can escape divine retribution. Clothea and D'lynn's parents were burned alive, Logos' brother had been hung, and even that boy Nicholas who was peeping in on your while you slept lost his older sister to the Chain Knights. We have all been affected.”

 

Sabina digested all the information and finally understood everyone's fear for these people. She also understood that she would have to protect her unborn child from the many dangers of this world, one of which was the Chain Knights.

 

The morning sun rose to greet the men and women of the traveling caravan. Sabina and the girls were playing along an embankment trying to race leaves and twigs down the small creek. Elly had asked that Sabina watch the children while everyone else tended to their own duties. She and Felicia would always keep the younger ones in line while the adults went out to do their `work.' The pair sat down close to the children and played with each other's hair. Sabina was working with Felicia's light brown hair that reached past her ears while watching the other girls out of the corner of her eye.

 

Unconsciously, Sabina started to hum a soft tune that her mother had taught her. Felicia turned around to sit face-to-face with Sabina as she continued to hum the enchanting melody.

 

“Wow, Sabina! That's beautiful,” Felicia praised.

 

“Thanks, my mother taught me that song. She always used to hum it while she was cooking,” recalling the various times she heard it escape her mother's lips.

 

“Do you think your baby can hear you?” Felicia mused.

 

“I don't know. I've tried talking to him before, but I'm not sure if he can hear me,” Sabina said as she looked down at her round belly.

 

“So you think it's a boy? You keep on referring to the baby as a `him',” Felicia carefully observed.

 

“I'm actually not sure. But one of the women in the camp said that by looking at my stomach, she could tell that it was going to be a boy,” trying to determine what it was about her stomach that made the child a boy.

 

“Do you want a boy?” Felicia asked.

 

“I wouldn't mind.”

 

“He'd have to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders,” Felicia said trying to sound mature. “At least, that's what Elly told me when I asked her whether a boy was better or a girl.”

 

“What did she say about having a girl?” curious as to Elly's answer.

 

“She said that the girl would have to bear the burdens of the world and be the shoes for men and their ambitions,” Felicia recounted with a confused look on her face. “I hope I'm not trampling over any baby girl's with my boots,” Felicia said as she looked at her tiny boots that were constantly attached to her feet.

 

Sabina also looked at Felicia's boots as the girl took a twig and started to scrape off some mud that had caked onto the sides of the soles. She wished she could ask Elly in person what she meant when she told Felicia those strange things. She wasn't sure if she wanted to have her son shoulder the world's weight like the Titan Atlas; only a great man could accomplish that task without being crushed. The options her daughter would have also didn't sound appealing, as she would have to suffer under the heel of man's ambitions. It would take a woman with great will and strength to accomplish the impossible of rising above man so she could walk along with him, rather than under.

 

Her internal reveries were interrupted by the voice of a boy trying to get her attention. She looked up to lock her eyes with those of a familiar hazel. He was the same boy who had smiled at her when she first met Elly. His sandy-brown hair went a bit past his ears, but it wasn't unkempt or wiry like Logos' hair. He stammered a bit, trying to find the right words and scratched the back of his head while looking over at his dark-haired friend who was nudging the boy's side with his elbow.

 

“Uh, hi! I'm Nicholas!” the boy finally said after finding the right amount of courage.

 

“Hi, my name's Sabina,” Sabina replied as she stared up at the shy boy.

 

Felicia had noticed Nicholas eyeing her friend ever since Elly found her and let a small giggle escape her lips while she watched the two talk to each other.

 

“Yeah, I know,” he said with a smile before he was jabbed in the side again by the boy next to him. “Oh, and this guy over here is Corkus, but he's about to leave now,” Nicholas said as he glared at his friend.

 

Corkus shrugged and walked away with both his hands resting against the back of his head like he hadn't a care in the world. Felicia watched the dark-haired boy leave and decided that she should also let the two have some private time to get to know each other.

 

“Sabina, I'm going to go down to the bank to make sure Emiya, Clothea, and D'lynn aren't getting into any trouble,” she said as she winked before taking off in a carefree sprint down the embankment.

 

Sabina didn't even have time to answer Felicia before she saw her friend dash down the hill. She wanted to have Felicia by her side when she talked with Nicholas. It wasn't because she didn't care for the boy or that he was a threat; he simply made her feel incredibly self-conscious and nervous.

 

“May I sit down with you?” Nicholas asked cautiously, as if he were just as nervous as she was.

 

“Um, yes! Please,” she said as she patted a spot on the grass where he could sit.

 

Nicholas sat down and put his arms around his knees while he tried to think of something to say. He watched Sabina out of the corner of his eye and wondered what it was about this girl that attracted him. He knew that she was pretty, but it was something about her that made him want to know her better. His eyes turned towards her large belly that carried her child and he finally thought of a topic of conversation.

 

“So . . . are you excited about having a baby?” he said uneasily.

 

“Yes, I really am. I've always wanted to be a mother. I just hope I'm ready for it,” Sabina smiled.

 

“I'm sure you are. But is there a father?” Nicholas asked hesitantly, hoping that her answer would be `no.'

 

Sabina paused for a second to think about his question. She knew that her child needed a father, but had never thought about it until now. “No . . . no there isn't,” Sabina said sadly, realizing that she would never know the man who was supposed to be her child's father.

 

“Oh, I'm sorry to hear that,” Nicholas said a little too happily. His mood changed when he noticed how sad Sabina looked. He had heard from Elly that she was raped, which made him even more resolute to make this next decision. “I could be the father!” he said a little too quickly.

 

“Huh?” Sabina said confused and uncertain if the boy next to her really said what she thought he said.

 

“Um, well. Only if you really want me too, I mean don't know anything about how to raise a kid. All I want to do is help,” he said seriously and hesitantly, anticipating the worst.

 

“Why do you want to help me?” she said still shocked at his sudden outburst.

 

“I don't know. I just do. But maybe we should become friends first? I know what I said was a bit sudden. But you don't have to answer my question until you're ready, at least the one about me being your child's father,” he quickly propositioned, hoping to save his hopes of getting closer to her.

 

“I've never had a boy as a friend before,” Sabina said to herself. She gazed once more into his hazel eyes and saw the warmth and hope that they held.

 

She still wasn't sure why she felt so nervous around him, but those eyes told her that she could trust him. She didn't know if she would let him be the father to her child: that was a decision she didn't want to make hastily. But his offer was very honest and she did want to be at least friends.

 

“Ok, let's be friends,” Sabina said as she extended her right hand.

 

Nicholas' eyes glowed after he saw her extend her hand to his. Following suit, he took her hand in his and shook it firmly, “friends!”

 

Over the next month, Sabina and Nicholas would become closer together and they truly became friends. She eventually learned to trust him completely and wanted to extend that trust to her own child. He had never pressed the question about Sabina's decision for letting him be the father to her child, but he somehow knew that she trusted him enough. Sabina wanted to wait until the child was born before she would accept his offer, but he would never get the chance to even see the child that he offered to raise.

 

Sabina was now eight and a-half months into her pregnancy. She felt more and more discomfort each day. It was difficult to sleep and her back ached constantly with a dull pain. Elly was both excited and happy as she watched the young girl patiently. She had thought that Sabina was in labor when she first met her, but now she wished that the girl would have the baby as soon as possible. Elly had gotten closer to Sabina, as if she were the replacement for her lost daughter. She desperately wanted to feel what it was like to be a grandparent, but she had to wait until the baby was ready to come out.

 

It had rained recently making the roads difficult for the large wagon, as it slowly trekked through the mud. Eventually, it got stuck in a large pool of water and the girls felt the wagon stop to an abrupt halt. They heard Logos cursing wildly and calling for some of the men to help them push the wagon out.

 

“Ok girls, we need to get out of the wagon so they can get it out of the mud,” Elly said while clapping her hands in a commanding fashion.

 

Nicholas ran over and helped Sabina get out of the wagon. The other girls snickered as they watched the couple's short interlude. He wanted to stand by her side, but he offered to help push the wagon. Helping Sabina walk over to where the other girls were standing, he gave her a quick wink and ran over to help the other men.

 

The girls stood off to the side and watched as six men, including Logos and Nicholas, pushed the wagon out of the mud. Mud was starting to coat the men in a dark sludge as they tried to get enough force under the wagon to lift it out of the thick sludge. Nicholas' hair was beginning to turn into a dark brown as mud found its way to the boy's head. Logos was the only one who seemed to be spared from most of the grime as the tall man used careful steps and motions that the others seemed to neglect. It took the third try for them to finally push the wagon forward to drier ground. The men cheered in triumph as finally freed the wagon from the muddy earth.

 

“Let me get some water for you all,” Elly said as she hoped into the back of the wagon to grab the sheepskin filled with water.

 

Logos had made his way back to the front of the wagon where he waited until everyone was ready to leave. The men quietly stretched their arms while Sabina and the girls huddled close to keep themselves warm from the winter chill. She tried to wrap her red cloak around her body, but her stomach prevented the fabric from reaching around. Suddenly, one of the men yelled the words that no one was expecting, but everyone feared.

 

“The Chain Knights are coming!”

 

Sabina saw the man point at something behind her and then take off in sprint followed by many of the other men. She looked behind her and saw them. One of them was riding on a horse carrying a lance like a messenger of doom. He was followed by several men who ran on foot carrying elaborate swords and shields that shone like a star in the light.

 

The familiar cracking of a whip alerted her and she turned around to where Logos, Elly, and Nicholas were. Before Sabina could find any of these familiar faces, she saw the wagon start to move as Logos cracked his whip madly. The horses finally took off in a full gallop away from the Chain Knights and away from the girls.

 

Elly heard the scream and before she could react, felt the wagon jerk forward and fell down onto the hard floor. She rushed to the back of the wagon only to see the frightened figure of the girls getting smaller and smaller each second. Sabina watched helplessly as Elly's hand reached out in a vain attempt to grab hold of one of them, any of them. Elly's eyes burned with anger and sadness as she saw Sabina stare back at her. She could tell that the young girl saw Elly's futile attempts to save them, but that's all that they were: futile. She knew that Sabina and the rest of the girls were going to die. There was no possible way for a pregnant woman to run from trained knights, even the other girls would not be able to outrun them. Elly felt the same pain and helplessness as when she saw her daughter run-off into the night. She kept her eyes on the figures of the girls until they faded into tiny specks on the horizon, fading like the hope that she carried. Once again, man had taken destiny into his own hands without asking her opinion.

 

Sabina stared in shock as she watched Elly be carried away from them in the wagon. All the men had already started running at a full sprint following the path Logos was taking. She looked at all the figures and found Nicholas' along with them. She only saw the back of his head as his image grew smaller and smaller the faster and farther he ran. Sabina reached her hand out as if she was trying to catch him, but couldn't. She watched silently as his figure faded along with the horizon and she realized that they were now going to die. A familiar feeling of emptiness and betrayal coursed through her body, making her apathetic to the looming presence of death. One only thing ran through her mind as she heard the sounds of the Chain Knights getting closer: he never looked back.

End of The Branches

 

(continued…)