Chapter-11 Thank you Felix

The celebration turned from one of the happiest day to a nightmare at the end of the night. Rosa stood there all stunned at the scenery in front of her. There was fire burning all around the village. She could only hear screaming voice of pain and misery. The screams were painful for her. Her feet shook and she crouched down again and crawled into the first hidden place she could find and clasped a hand on her mouth for a while. The breathing became heavy for her. It took a while for her to get up to get steady. The smell of burning filled the air along with extra pungent smells which reminded her of the past. It was a bit different this time for it had a burning smell along with it. Her mind went fuzzy for a bit and slowly she felt a small calmness trying to make her used to her surroundings. She slowly got up and crawled slowly to the corner to see what is going on he heard more horse sounds which made her slowly walk closer. She was trying to keep herself out of the main road. She hid her head down due to the sound of some horses. Her eyes went big in shock as she saw the riders, they were wearing the same armors all covered dark. This time her fear came in slow steps. She gripped her body and stopped it from shaking. The horsemen exchanged some words among themselves. She could not hear what they said properly.

When the horsemen finally left she slowly made her way to the main hall. There was a creeping fear slowly invading her heart. What if she gets caught and killed? In other part her instinct wanted her to go to the main hall to find any news of the people. She was holding on to a fake hope of seeing them alive. ‘Please let them be alive even if they are caught let them be alive.’ She prayed silently while her heart beat franticly as she came closer to the main hall. She could not move anymore step and hid behind a barrel on the side of the road. The entrance of the hall was barred by the armored soldiers on foot and horses. She saw some bodies on the ground. The bodies were familiar they were the faces of the group she waved greeting too when she got out of the hall. Two tears fell down from her eyes. ‘How many are killed? Why are they attacking this village? I thought this was a neutral village. What are they doing here?’ Her mind was full of confusing thoughts with no answers.

There was a strong smell of blood and burning flesh in the area it made her almost vomit. Rosa put her hand on her mouth again to stop from throwing up or making any noise. It took a while for her body to get normal. She moved and sat with her knees up looking at the ground. If someone decided to walk closer to the main road she might be exposed and killed. She looked at the ground asking herself ‘What was she thinking or doing? I am not strong enough neither I can save the people in the hall.’ She raised her head to look at the hall. ‘Are they even alive? They must be alive right? Or else why would they guard the door to the entrance?’ She was desperately clinging on that hope. The buildings around her were either half burnt of ruined. The walls splattered in bloods and dark black burnt touches. Rosa hugged herself still starring at the ground. Her could not find the shawl it was lost somewhere behind. She felt bad it was a gift from Emma. ‘Emma, please tell me you are alright. Someone, anyone please tell me you guys are alive.’ She cried within herself.

A sound did come out but the sound made her more broken in fear cause it was not the sound she hoped to hear. It was a scream, several piercing screams, screams of crying and it continued for a long time. She fell back don’t know what to do whether she should move forward or she should stay put. She felt a shiver move through her body. The screaming continued it felt like the people were tortured inside. Rosa feared what horrible things are being done to the people inside the hall. She felt helpless. ‘Why can’t I do anything?’ Tears fell from her eyes she cried silently still feeling hopeless. All the hope that she clutched onto was disappearing one by one. She did not know what should she do? She felt mixed emotions feeling up her heart. Rosa did not know which emotion she should allow to flow through or should she be sitting right now here where she was.

Time passed and screaming stopped creating another fear in her heart. As long as there were screams there was a sign of people being alive. Now she dreaded the thoughts that came into her head. ‘No please don’t get silent. Please say something.’ She felt like screaming but nothing came out of her mouth her voice left the throat. The main door opened to and more armored men came out of the hall. They carry pikes and swords. The blades were drenched in blood. The red liquid slowly dripped from the tip of their weapons to the ground. Their body had splatter of blood on them. None of their faces could be seen for it was covered by the head armor. She could only hear some distance harsh voice. “It is all over inside.” The others nodded to the one who was wearing a green feather with his armor. “Let’s head back to the main house.” They quickly moved to depart. Rosa hid and curled up to hide herself behind the large barrel as much as possible. She was scared that the barrel could not hide her properly if anyone would walk from the opposite side they would easily spot her. She still curled up and went closer to the wall. Her head tucked in her knees. Fortunately she was not seen as they passed her quickly to the main road.

As the steps became more distant, Rosa slowly got up and crawled on the opposite side quickly. She was not seen by anyone. She took silent steps towards the building in front of her. Her mind was screaming at her to run away from this place and hide somewhere, but her body did not listen to her brain, her legs too steps closer and closer to the entrance. The door was still intact one closed and the other open. She thought of pushing the other door but hesitated in fear of creating sound. A strange fear of being spotted if she made any sound was gripping into her. She got in the place and stopped in her steps. The floor that was filled with people dancing to the music is now filled with dead bodies of people lying lifeless. They wore faces of shock or closed eyes on their sides. The wooden floor with the carpet became dark red drenched in the blood from the dead. The decoration which was carefully placed in the morning with direction is ruined. The white cloth has red parts in it. Her eyes looked around the people with closed and opened eyes. She slowly walked inside the hall avoiding any touch.

The known faces made her bit her lips to not scream out in sadness. Her thoughts were getting jumbled one after another. She still did not understand what she is doing here. She just walked in the middle slowly and carefully. Her eyes were searching more faces among the known faces. One by one as more known faces came to light her heart gave a pain. Her eyes kept on searching and searching and finally it stopped in front of Olivia she was there close to the corner pillar right where she left her. It seemed as if it was just a few minutes ago she was cracking jokes and passing information about prospective grooms for the girls and teasing her. She let the tears come down her cheek and raised a hand to close her eyes. She did not know how long she stayed in that position finally she got up and walked closer to the main podium more known faces came in front of her. Her mind was slowly giving up. That headache was slowly coming back little by little. Her feet finally stopped in front of the podium. There they were the bride and groom lying close to each other both had their eyes closed. The groom had his top half tunic red due to the blood from his half cut off neck. There was ring formed around his neck. His eyes closed and one of his hands stretched towards his bride who lay close to him. She clutched Felix in her arm. Her beautiful dress was red due to the blood which came out of the stabbing on her back. Her veil also went red on the side she laid. She must have hurt her head when she fell. The whole scene played in front of her. They both look so pale and cold.

Rosa sat on the ground with a thump close to them. Her tears came out again. She reached out and touched her cheek. She was reminded of the dressing Emma’s words played one by one in her mind. “I am Sorry” she whispered in barely audible voice. She looked at Felix in her hands the child had blood on his head and hair. His eyes closed as if he was sleeping. Her hands reached out and patted the child but she quickly took it back. It was warm. She reached out again his face was warm not cold like the others. She put her fingers in front of his nose. Felix was breathing he was alive. She quickly reached out and took him out of Emma’s arms. She grabbed him and patted his face a little hard trying to wake him up. Felix only moved a bit groaning. It was like a life line for Rosa. She hugged him tight and cried hard. “Thank you, Thank you Felix. I swear I will get you out of here.”

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Rosa finally left the hall with the second exit with Felix in her arms. She was worried where to go from this place. She looked around to check if there is anyone near. What worried her at this moment is who she would meet whether it is going to be safe or not. Who will it be friend or foe? She thought of how to leave the village. ‘Should I go back to the river side? For that I have to wait till morning for the next boat to arrive.’ Something in her head gave her a signal it might not be a good idea to stay in the village till the morning. She thought of leaving from the gates but next discarded the idea what if they are rounding up the people in the village. The houses and shops nearby were in a rundown state. Rosa was thinking how to leave this place. She looked down on Felix in her hand. He needs care now. ‘Where can I get help?’ she hated the fact that she does not know the road outside the village. She slowly walked trying to avoid the main road in fear of getting spotted. She thought of all her options at this moment. A few steps in the front she saw Babak’s workshop its door was half broken. She was scared the armored men might be inside the building. She quickly hid behind the house close to it and turned her back crouching on the ground. She hugged Felix as if he is her life line at this moment. She waited for a while but no one came out.

Rosa slowly got in the building while looking over her shoulders. Fortunately there was no one following she half hoped that the armored men are out of the village already. The room was a mess the tools were either broken or bend. The rotating machine was turned over. She took one look at the fireplace it was cold and broken. There was no way she could light a fire. Rosa saw the stairs had one or two stumps they were broken on the ground. She discarded the idea of going upstairs. Rosa put Felix close to one of the pillars in the ground in a sitting position and went around in front of the small table. She put it straight and quickly came back to lift Felix up and lay him down on the table. She tore up a part of her sleeve and went close to the basin. A small relief came in face as the tap was still working and water came out of it. She quickly soaked the cloth and used it to erase the blood mark and dirt from Felix. She quickly checked him for any more injury there was none except a small bruise on his left elbow. She felt the cloth against her cheek, ‘This might give him a little relief. ’ she quickly tied the cloth around his arm. Her fingers reached up and removed some of the hair from his face.

The problem still remains of how she will leave this village. Rosa sat on the floor and thought for a while, the most strange thing at present is she hardly met any of the armored men around the street. She was grateful for it but she was hoping this was not a sign of something more dangerous to come forward. Felix needed medical care which at the moment she does not know how to give. She needed to find a safe place for him. The closest place from this village is Argenti which still is two days ride away. She does not have any horse with her to complete that journey. Another problem remains that in the morning the state of the village might change. She is worried about the people who will return to the village from the auction house. ‘If I could wait for a while here they might be here to save us.’ It was a bad plan as the villagers who left for the auction house are not supposed to come back before the day after tomorrow. Rosa put her fingers on her forehead. The headache is increasing again. It is getting a bit irritating for her to ignore. For a moment she entertained to hit her head with the small hammer that lay close to her feet to stop the pain. The sky can be seen dark from the window. ‘How long has it been since the party?’ it seemed like hours for her but her mind disagreed with her. The sky was too dark and she left the banquet hall really late at night. She felt exhausted for some reason her shoulders let go of the stress. Rosa leaned back and let her head take the support of the wall close to the table. She wanted to check on Felix one more time but her body decided against it. Her legs went straight on the floor. There were scrapped metals and some wooden dusts around her which moved from their position with a slight push from her body. Her eyelids slowly shut down.