Painful Sanctuary

Author's note: Sorry it took so long life got in the way. I would say hope you enjoy, but this is a rough chapter. All mistakes are mine, i don't have a beta and grammer is not something i am all good at. Just call me queen of the run on sentences.


Warning: Child abuse. Death. Please read this warning. This is a rough chapter. Read at your own risk.

Rating. R

Tayla stared up into the night sky. Her eyes searching for the star patterns her mother use to point out to her when she was still a little girl. Her eyes found Tam the Hunter. She smiled as she remembered the stories of Tam her mother use to tell her. Tam was the village hunter. No other man could out hunt him. He could track any animal and kill enough to feed the whole village. The great bear, that walked across the sky in the spring and summer, but slept all winter and fall.

Luke her brother whimpered and moved closer to her. She looked down at him. The light from the campfire the elves made for them casting shadows on his pale face. Tayla turned her head slightly and looked over at the elves sitting a ways off. There where six of them now. The others had just appeared out of the trees and spoke to the one that had been so mean. Tayla felt her face burn at the memory of her crying in front of strangers. She vowed quietly that she would not do that again.
Despite the mean one, Haldir his name was, they had been kind to her. They built a fire and bandaged Luke’s feet. They had even caught a rabbit for them to eat. They looked like they were talking, but Tayla could not hear them. She like they way they talked though. Their language sounded like music to her. She wished she talked like that, where everything she said sounded beautiful.
“No papa, please. I did not mean it.” Luke whispered. “I’ll be good please don’t hurt me anymore.” Tayla looked down and saw her brother was still asleep. She wrapped her arms tightly around her brother and prepared to ride out the nightmare. “Please don’t let the elves hear.” Tayla prayed.
“No papa don’t” Luke moaned into Tayla’s hair. “Mama.” He was reliving the last night they had at home, just like he had done ever sense had had run away. Tayla closed her eyes and relived it with him.
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“Tayla” her mother laughed. “I said chop the potatoes , not turn them in to mush. How do you expect to get a good husband unless you learn to cook properly.”
“Maybe I don’t want a husband.” Tayla grinned at her mother.”Maybe I’ll live at the edge of the village and become a witch.”
Her mother laughed and turned back to the stew. “I would not be surprise My heart. I would not be surprised at all. Luke set the table, your father with be home any miniate”
Luke rose from his palate in the back of the little cottage to obey his mother. “You think Mister Terrykin will let papa work in his fields this season?”, he asked his mother.
“I don’t know. I hope so.” , their mother sighed, reaching for the meal bread bg ing in the fire. All three jumped when the door flew open. Tayla and Luke froze. Their father was home, and he was angry.
“Woman why isn’t the supper on the table.” He had not even entered the house and he was already yelling. “I work all day, and I want my food damn it.” The smell of mead and ale was rolling off the large bully of a man. Tayla could smell it from the other side of cottage.
Her mother visibly paled. “I am sorry Leigh, we just have to add the vegetable. There is bread and cheese on the table.”
Leigh slammed the door behind him and threw himself down at the table. “Boy, bring me something to drink.” Luke set the dinner dishes down and hurried to obey his father. He reached for the jug of ale they kept on a shelf next to the fireplace. Luke having just reached his eleventh season and being all arms and legs misjudged the distance and tripped over his own feet. His arms reaching to catch himself knocked the jug off the self sending in crashing to the hard packed dirt floor. It shattered showering him in cheep ale. For a moment no one moved. Talya , Luke and their mother stared at the shattered jug with horror on their faces. Leigh’s eyes narrowed and his face started to turn an ugly shade of purple.
“You did that on purpose you stupid boy!” Leigh roared and lunged at his son. He grabbed Luke around the collar and started slapping the boy across the face. Each slap rocking the boys head back on his neck. Luke’s screams and cries filling the small cottage. Leigh threw the boy down on the ground and sat on top of him punching the boy in the face. “You are useless.”, he screamed. His fist connecting with the poor boy’s nose. Blood spattering bother father and son. “Can’t even do a simple thing.” Luke was to weak and in too much pain to do any thing but curl up underneath his father and scream.
“Leigh stop.” their mother yelled trying to pull her ged husbhusband off Luke. “He did not mean it. We will get more. Tayla...go get some ale from the tavern. Use the money in the jar.” Talya was too frozen with shock. “Talya Please!” her mother shouted. She had her arm wrapped around her husband’s arm trying to hold the man back.
“Get off me woman!” Leigh roared. He had one hand strangling Luke and with the other he pushed their mother back. Not expecting that move from him, their mother fell back with a cry. With a resounding crack, she hit her head on the stone fireplace. Once again everyone in the cottage froze. Talya and Luke stared and the growing puddle of blood surrounding their mothers beautiful head. Leigh staggered to his feet. “Look what you made me do.”, he hissed. “If you weren’t such a stupid boy, I wouldn’t have had to punish you.” He nudged his wife with his boot. “Get up woman.” She lay still and unmoving..
Luke stayed where he was, his eyes riveted on his mother. Tears mixing with the blood on his face. “Mama?”
Leigh sat down at the table, his back to everyone. “Go get that ale girl. Do what your mother told you.”
Tayla stared at the blood, her hands closing around the handle of the iron pot the potatoes where in. Her whole body shaking with grief and hate. “Yes papa.” she said flatly. She picked up the pot and started to walk towards her father. Her eyes were blurred by tears. Luke lay on the floor howling with pain. Talya raised the pot over her head and brought it down on the back of her father’s head. The man fell forward with a grunt. Talya hit him again and again, screaming and crying with every hit. “I hate you. I hate you.” She felt a hand on her arm and looked into the ruined face of her little brother. He took the pot out of her hand and tossed it away.
“We have to leave.”Tayla gasped between sobs. She grabbed her brother and ran out into the night.
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“I’m sorry Tayla.” Luke whispered, bring her out of her awaking nightmare. “It’s all my fault.” Talya held her brother closer.
“Don’t every say that.” Tayla whispered fearcly. “It is all papa’s fault. He kill mama. “I killed him. I won’t let anything or anyone hurt us again.”
Luke reached up to his sister’s cheek. “Your crying again Talya.” Talya buried her head in her brothers hair and they both cried quietly.
Tayla felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into the face of the mean one, though he did not look mean. Despite her own misery she look in amazement at the tears running down his face. Not use to being comforted by anyone but her mother, she got angry. “Go away.” she hissed embarrassed to once again be caught crying. “We did not mean to bother you.”
Haldir’s heart broke. These poor children. He knew a little of her pain. His parents being taken from him and his brothers. But to have your own father kill your mother and them kill your own father. He could not imagine the pain they must been in He looked in to her hurt and angry eyes and did the only thing he could do. He reached down and pulled her into his arms.
Tayla stiffened in shock. What was this elf doing? She pushed against his chest. “Let me go.” She yelled. “Quit it” Haldir just held on tighter and started to whisper to her in elvish. Somehow it broke through her pain and her body sank into him. She wrapped her arms around him and howled. For once Haldir did not mind the nosie. He rocked her back and forth and looked over to see the boy in the arms of his brother Orophin.
*“How could someone do that to their own children?” Orophin whispered in elvish through his own tears.*
Haldir just shook his head and held the girl tighter.
Two elves held and comforted two humans in their arms, while four others sang quitley until the sun came up..