Secrets
By Keara
Part One
Smoke. Dark plumes of thick smoke wafted into the sky,
turning the early morning day into night. Yet, it was not dark. No,
the licking flames of the burning homes illuminated the area, shedding light on
the grounds as the marauders ransacked the small village. Screams echoed,
as did the laughter of those cruel, hateful men as they attacked the poor
unfortunate inhabitants, killing all and sparing none.
Mercy was a foreign thing to these men, a laughable idea that they thought
nothing of. They had been ordered to destroy the village and so they would
destroy it, just as they had done to countless others in the past. They
raped and pillaged, taking whoever and whatever they wanted for their own carnal
pleasures. They burned down the homes, killing the men, women, and
children...stealing what they could and leaving the rest to destruction.
And in the palace, where virtual swarms of men ransacked for treasures, a young
woman crept along unnoticed. She knew to stay hidden, using secret
passages that only a select few knew about. Right now, she felt lucky that
she was one of those few people. Still, she was not foolish enough to
think that her place of hiding would never be discovered. Surely those men
would find it eventually...and then she would be dead along with all those she
had come to think of as family.
Her name was Lily and she was little more than a nursemaid. Having three
children of her own, she had been eagerly welcomed into this household to care
for the youngest child. She cared for that boy as if he were a member of
her own family, as if she had borne him herself. And that was the sole
reason that she roamed these cold passages instead of running away, seeking to
find out the fate of the family that she had become a part of. She just
had to know if the boy was alive, had to know if those heartless bastards had
dared to take the life of a mere babe.
Wiping tears from her eyes...the thought of losing her young charge weighed
heavily upon her heart...she reached the end of her search. Pushing aside
a bit of wood, she peered into what had once been the nursery, stilling a gasp
from leaving her mouth as she surveyed the once beautiful room.
The cradle was overturned, the beds where the boy's sisters had slept were no
more than firewood anymore. And the bodies...oh, there were so many
bodies. The daughters, and there were so many of them. Still, Lily
could not see the one that she was searching for, although something there did
catch her eye.
Carefully and quietly, Lily pushed aside the panel and stepped into the dark
room. Her heart pounded in her chest as she tread cautiously, weaving her
way around the bodies of children, of the daughters of the man that she had
worked for. Her heart broke, knowing that they all had lost their lives
and she wished that she could have done something, anything, for them. But
the attack had come so suddenly, with no warning whatsoever. If those
cowards had not attacked in the middle of the night, perhaps some would have
survived this brutal assault.
A soft sound reached her ears and she rushed to one body in particular.
She rolled the man over onto his back, her eyes widening as she saw that it was
her employer, Ashraf. Her surprise was only heightened as she found what
she was seeking, held securely in the arms of his father. The child was
crying, although quietly, clutching tightly to his father's clothing, apparently
hiding himself from any and all.
Outside, Lily could hear the shouts of those cruel men as they tore apart the
palace for treasure, knew that time was not on her side here. She only
hoped that they would not come in here. She had to see to Ashraf, to take
care of him and the child he held. Those men had come for the boy, she
knew that without a doubt. This day had been dreaded for so long.
For this was no ordinary child...no, the boy bore the marks of his heritage, the
signs that he was one of the spirits.
It was said that his mother had been one of the last of her kind, a rarity in
the world now ...only partially human with feline qualities. And the boy
was just like her, he had claws instead of nails - which remained hidden unless
he felt threatened - and he had a furry white tail with black stripes...and his
ears were pointed, not exactly like a cat's, but more what an elf was supposed
to look like.
Lily cared little what the boy was. He was one of the sweetest children
she had ever come to know, and her own children were so fond of him, as if he
was a brother to them. Even though he had been kept inside the castle all
of his life, the child was still kind and loving, not hating the fact that he
was hidden from the eyes of the villagers. Even as young as he was - only
two years of age - he seemed to understand the need to remain hidden.
Lily broke out of her memories as Ashraf opened his eyes, his breathing
strained. "Lily?" He asked, his voice barely more than a
whisper.
Lily could see the wounds to his body, the blood that stained his garments and
the child that clung to him. She knew that he did not have much longer in
this world. Still, she would do all that she could to see to his comfort
while he remained.
"Yes, Ashraf?" She asked, laying a hand along the side of his
face.
"I...I have always considered you one of our family." He said,
solemnly, his breathing harsh. "Please...take my son. Care for
him...as if he were yours. You will be the mother I always wished he
had." He said, pulling his softly sobbing son away from his chest.
Lily gently took the child into her arms, holding him tenderly even as he turned
and reached for his dying father. "It is okay, Quatre. I will
take care of you." Lily whispered, trying to hush the frightened boy.
"Go with Lily, my son." Ashraf wheezed. "You'll be
safe with her." He grasped Lily's arm, looking at her pleadingly.
"Take him...get him away before it is too late. Tell him of his true
nature when he is old enough to understand."
Lily nodded. "I promise, I will do as you ask." She said,
quickly rising to her feet. She held Quatre against her chest, her arms
wrapped around his tiny body as she rushed back to the secret passage that was
her only escape. She cast one last look at her dying employer, then turned
away, closing the passage behind her as she fled to what was hopefully a safe
exit.