Aela (30 page)

Juno was completely intoxicated with desire so let go of Aela's long blond hair, and bent down still further with both hands, scooping her up into his strong muscled arms, pushing his taut torso against her soft, sweet smelling body and placing her forcefully on the floor. He started to tear at her upper clothes exposing her full ripe breasts, then began to move his hands roughly down her torso feeling the soft curves of her body beneath her gown.

‘I now know why Brude wanted to have you for himself, but I am outmanoeuvring him, the silly old fool. He can have you after I have slaked my desires with you first.'

Juno laughed uncontrollably, his whole body resonating with peels of laughter. Just, at that instant Tua came striding in and took in the scene, she instantly realised what was going on.

‘What in hell do you think you are doing Juno? By ravishing Aela you will spoil the plans we have agreed upon to defeat Brude for ever. You fool of a man! If you rape her now, she will not be worth using as bait to lure Brude to his death.'

Tua stated her case very calmly as she walked towards Juno and Aela. Juno stood transfixed and slowly turned towards Tua. There was a moment of silence as they stared into each other's eyes, whilst Aela remained still on the floor, gasping with unbelievable relief at the sudden change of events.

Brude continued to glare in Tua's direction as he slowly stood up, clenching and unclenching his fists and grunting through his teeth, muttering incoherently then beating his chest with both hands simultaneously. Gradually his breathing became less strenuous and more even in tempo. Without casting a glance at Aela still prone on the floor he strode out of the room.

‘Well, that's that,' stated Tua in a matter-of-fact voice. ‘Get up Aela, You have had a lucky escape. You should be grateful towards me, not that I expect any thanks from you. It would be so much easier for you if you tell us where the Sacred Sword is hidden. But I know you will eventually do that, especially now we do have Rom as a prisoner. If either of you do not let us know the secret location of the Sacred Sword, I will make sure you both die a slow death,' sighed Tua.

She called the guards in. ‘Men, take this woman away at once and guard her well. There are other ways to make you talk. Other very unpleasant things can happen to you, Aela,' Tua said softly and at the same time with a menacing undertone in her voice.

Aela was hustled out of the room and Tua was left standing, shaking her head slowly from side to side.

The physician, Imman stood over Rom who was lying with closed eyes on his back on an ornately carved bed. He was tending to Rom's shoulder wound when Brude walked quickly into the room.

‘Well, how is Rom? He is not going to die, is he? He'd better get well quickly or you will have a lot to answer to me.'

Imman looked up from his work and quietly replied, ‘I am doing my best to treat him. Two good things in his favour are that he is youthful and he is extremely physically fit. The gods will be on his side.'

‘How soon will he wake up? I need to talk to him as quickly as possible. It is extremely urgent that he can speak,' muttered Brude.

Just at that moment Rom opened his eyes and immediately recognised Brude. Rom tried to rise from the bed, but he instantly felt a shooting pain in his injured shoulder and fell back groaning.

Brude thrust his head down close to Rom's face, yelling loudly. ‘Where is the Sacred Sword hidden?' shaking Rom vigorously with his hands on Rom's shoulders.

Rom instantly slipped into unconsciousness again and his body went limp.

‘If you keep roughly handling him you will kill him. The body has to have time to recover itself and allow the wound to heal in time,' Imman calmly stated.

Brude quickly dropped his grip on Rom's shoulders, stepping back at the same time. ‘I suppose you are right, but you must tell me the instant I can talk to him, on pain of death, your death!' hissed Brude.

Then with quick long steps Brude walked out of the room. Imman then turned towards Rom and quietly dressed the shoulder wound with special herbal ointments and clean bandages. He finished his task very quickly and efficiently, and placed fur coverings over Rom to keep him warm. He left Rom lying there, with one small oil lamp burning on a table beside the bed.

Aela could not believe how lucky she was to escape Juno's clutches, as she lay on the floor of the tent that she had been hastily thrown into by the guards. Her mind was in panic mode, she shuddered to think what could have happened to her, if Tua hadn't suddenly appeared.

‘I must escape now, as I won't be so lucky second time around.' She got onto her knees, bowed her head and placed her hand in a prayer position. ‘Thank you Athunor, goddess of mercy and love for protecting me from harm. I bask in your ever loving light. I beseech you to continue to envelop me with your tender concern for my safety and welfare, for evermore. Amen.'

Aela remained in this kneeling position, in absorbed meditation for some time and then she slowly slumped onto the ground, falling into a deep, restful sleep. She dreamed that she was in Rom's arms, with her head resting on his chest, sublimely happy, feeling totally safe from life's problems.

Time passed and all that was heard was her quiet breathing, with the occasional sound outside the tent and a dog barking in the distance, or a guard shifting his position from one leg to the other in an attempt to ensure he stayed awake at his post, as well as relieving the boredom of the job.

Just before dawn Aela suddenly woke up in sheer panic, her heart pounding furiously inside her chest. She listened intently and heard the faint sound of footsteps moving relentlessly ever nearer and nearer to her. There was a whispered exchange of voices outside, then the tent flap was pulled aside, and in came two guards, closely followed by Tua dressed in a swirling multicoloured cloak.

Tua ordered the guards to light a couple of lanterns. She leaned forward, instantly seeing Aela crouching like a trapped tigress on the floor, ready to leap to freedom.

‘Guards leave us immediately, but stand at the ready outside, in case this pathetic woman tries to escape from me. If so, kill her instantly without mercy,' ordered Tua, relishing her power over Aela.

Tua was totally angry and jealous that Juno lusted after Aela, She grudgingly admitted to herself that Aela was the more beautiful of the two women. But she was much wiser and experienced with life in understanding people's thoughts and motives. So she comforted herself with this realisation, as she stared haughtily down at Aela, knowing full well she had the upper hand in this present situation.

‘I am going to let you escape into the woods now and I hope a wild bear or wolf finds you, kills and eats you instantly. I do not like the affect you have on Juno. I am the only person to tell him what to do and I want this power for myself alone and nobody is going to share it with me. Do I make myself clear to you!'

Tua bent her head closer towards Aela's crouching body, hissing between her teeth as she spoke. In the flickering torch light Aela could see the swirls of hatred and jealously darting across Tua's eyes. Aela suddenly glimpsed the madness behind Tua's rage and this terrified her more than anything else. She must stay outwardly calm, even though her thoughts were in turmoil and take a chance for freedom at the earliest opportunity.

Tua strode across the floor, quietly lifted the tent flap, and stuck her head out, looked quickly left and right. ‘Guards, you are now relieved of duties, Go back to your tents and have a well earned rest.'

The men melted away into the glimmering dawn and Tua turned around, looking straight at Aela. ‘Now is your chance to escape into the woods. Go now, before I change my mind.'

Aela leapt up instantly, running past Tua without glancing at her. Tua thrust a small dagger into Aela's hand as she rushed past her towards the door to freedom.

Aela felt her heart madly pumping fast as she plummeted head first into the ink black primal forest, which she knew was full of evil spirits and demons. She continued to run headlong into the dark abyss of the forest, neither looking left or right.

Tua stood transfixed for a moment, then shook her head to one side and then the other. She began to maliciously smile, opening her mouth wide, and throwing her head back, allowing her jet black glistening hair to fall loosely over her back, down to her waist. Her whole lithe body was convulsed in movement, as she leaned backwards and forwards, with her knees slightly bent.

A deep basic roar began to emanate from her solar plexus, up through her chest to her throat, then pushed out through her wide gaping salivating mouth. The scream of pure unadulterated hate and venom was ear splitting to the air around her. Then Tua slowly slumped to the floor, grinding her teeth together and uttering gibberish incoherent sounds and rocking herself backwards and forwards. Every now and again, the odd recognisable word was discernable. ‘He doesn't love me! He doesn't care, I will get my revenge, revenge.'

Finally Tua lay in a crumpled heap on the floor, moaning to herself, ‘I am alone. Nobody cares for me, I hate everybody', then heart-rending cries were heard from within her body.

Slowly the sobs became more and more subdued in volume and sound. Eventually Tua gracefully rested her body on the floor and all that could be heard was a gentle rhythmic breathing, as she drank into her lungs the clear early morning air mixed with misty dew, just as the sun appeared over the horizon.

CHAPTER 13

Freedom

J
uno was not very happy with himself as he strode towards his quarters.

‘Damn all women! Damn! Damn them all! They all should be killed at once. My life would be better without them. They are always interfering in important matters, that they know nothing about,' Juno muttered to himself as he clenched and unclenched his fists, then threw punches into the air, in sheer anger and frustration.

‘That she bitch, Tua! I could strangle her with my bare hands now. I would revel in seeing the life ebb from her eyes as I throttle her.'

Juno's eyes bulged out of their sockets in white furious rage.

‘As for that insipid woman Aela, she tried to get the better of me, with her heaving breasts and wide limpid eyes. As if she could trap me into falling under her sensual spell! Women are so stupid and weak-willed that you can always know what they are thinking and plotting to do to us men. Who did she think she was trying to mess with. Me, the most powerful and cleverest ruler that has ever existed. Next time I see her I will make short work of her and break her neck.'

But deep in Juno's heart he knew that she had some inexplicable power over him, so that he could not control his lust for her. He was at a loss to know how to handle his feelings towards her and vowed he would avoid seeing her until he could come up with a new strategy on how to enslave her to all his implacable commands and slake his sexual desires, without a shred of mercy to her.

With these thoughts implanted firmly in his mind he began to calm down and felt much better within himself. He straightened his shoulders and looked straight ahead as he continued to walk with longer and firmer strides towards his quarters.

‘I have much to think about to plan for the final battle against Brude and his army. Victory is mine already!' Juno shouted at the top of his lungs, as he beat his fists loudly on his chest.

‘Sire, sire! A scout has important news for you. He begs an audience with your imperial holy person,' uttered the servant, as he bowed very low before Juno.

‘Bring him in immediately you fool,' growled Juno.

The scout crouched on the floor before Juno. ‘Oh, Almighty one. Rom is Brude's prisoner.'

‘Yes, yes I know that, what other information have you got for me?' glowered Juno at the scout.

‘A spy has told me that Brude and his army intend to launch a surprise attack on you and your men tonight, when everyone is asleep.'

Juno stood transfixed with this news. ‘How do I know this is the truth and not a trick to place me and my men on false alert?' bellowed Juno.

The scout started to tremble with fear. ‘Don't kill me, sire! It is the truth. I have it from a very reliable source.'

‘What reliable source, man,' spat Juno.

‘The man's name is Croan, milord. He is a decrepit looking man who has been spying in Brude's army.'

‘What him, he is the biggest liar ever. I wouldn't believe anything that man utters from his foul smelling mouth. He is always lying! Every second word he says is distorted and untruthful. He wouldn't know how to speak correctly about anything!'

Juno burst out laughing. ‘Take this man and chain him to a tree until I can think of someway to efficiently dispose of him,' ordered Juno.

The hapless scout was seized and hustled out of sight. Juno was fully aware that he could take no chances with this new information and must be more cunning than ever.

‘I must out manoeuvre him somehow, but how?'