The Warriors Choice

by Ruth Machan

"Tis time that I fare from you. Father Almighty

In grace and mercy guard you well,

Safe in your seekings. Seaward I go,

'gainst hostile warriors hold my watch." Beowulf

He swung his axe doughtily and felt her bones break under the pressure. The adrenaline rushing through his body he turned around to see a closed door. He was ordered to leave no one alive. Bodvar knew someone was behind the door. He broke it down revealing a woman cowering fecklessly. She screamed and put her hands up. "Please! Let me live!" she pleaded. "I know you have no reason to but please. I-I can give you something!" Bodvar paused unsure of what to do with himself. "I'll marry you" she whispered quietly. It was an odd response he thought and asked why he would need that, but in the back of his mind he started to like this woman for having the courage to stand up to him. He looked at his chest where the emblem of the king sat gleaming gold and purple. Pushing his ideals away he decided to take her as his wife knowing that bragging to all his fellow warriors about the beautiful woman, he captured would gain him respect.

He carried her back to his ship and then took her to his tavern. It was a late night, and he would boast about his new wife in the future. As he set her down in his bed, he saw the august features she had, and he wanted to get to know her more.

The next day he realized she was out of his bed, and he heard the fire roaring in his fire-room. He could not believe her froward antics but decided to see what she was doing. Half-dressed Bodvar walked into the room seeing the woman cooking something over the fire. She turned around and smiled at his presents. "I hope you do not mind... I made breakfast" she said shyly. He smiled and sat down to eat without a word.

After a while of eating in the quiet room Bodvar mumbled out a few almost unintelligible sentences. "So, what is your name?" his deep voice echoing through the room. "Leofgifu" she said quietly still staring at her food.... 

Kidnapped

She was shoved into a walk-in closet. Her mouth gaged and arms tied with hand cuffs. Lord knows where he had gotten them from. She fell into the dark room and he knelt down to untie her. He took the ties and locked the door behind him leaving her in the dark room all alone.

Amethyst was 15. She curled up against the wall and cried silently. Why they would do it? She would never know. She felt the trickle of blood come from somewhere on her forearm but she couldn't see. She could only feel the pain throbbing through her and the wetness of the blood. They told her that she was another "crop" of power of which she would never understand. As if she were an animal. If only they knew. The salty tears ran down her cheeks mixed with blood and running over bruises.

She didn't know how long she had been in there but she was crying the whole time. She let out a sob and immediately grabbed her mouth hoping no one heard. She was supposed to stay quiet. Very quiet. She heard footsteps outside the door. All the sudden the door was opened aggressively and bright light stung her eyes. She was grabbed by the hair and pulled out of the closet. It was too bright and she couldn't see anything but they were tying her arms together again. She blinked tears out of her eyes and slowly saw the people standing around her.

"This is what you brought huh?" The man who had grabbed her was tall and had dark hair. His green eyes pierced hers and his smile was daunting. Amethyst was sitting on the ground at his feet.

"Yes dad I sure did." One of the boys who looked about her age said with excitement and pride. "I did all my research with the help of these guys" he pointed around the room to three other boys differing in age

"I wouldn't let him mess his first kidnapping up." Another boy scoffed. He had platinum blond hair and a pointed nose. The Dad smiled even more terribly then before. She recognized the other two boys as the ones who grabbed her from school. She guessed they had all been there.

"What is her power then?" The dad asked.

"Well..." the first boy stepped forward. He brought a knife to his hand and slit it. Blood trickled down. He then touched her shoulder with the hand. "She has the unique ability to heal." He took the hand off after a few moments of silence. He showed it to his comrades. It was completely healed. All that was left was the blood. He wiped it away. The boys all looked at her. "Don't you?" He asked her. She looked at him horrified. The healing took the little energy she had left and all she could do is stare. The clothes she were wearing were torn and bloody. Her memory was coming back and she realized that he was the one who had made all the cuts and bruises. He was the reason she was bloody. She felt more tears well up but stopped them. She would not be weak.

Not getting an answer fast enough the boy kicked her hard in the chest, knocking her over. She scrambled back up. "Don't you?" He said again but in a louder, harsher voice. None of the others moved. She nodded. Looking around noticing that she was in a bedroom. On the wall there was a power plant painting. With the dad in it. She looked at it for a long time and realized where she was. She was sitting at the feet of an entrepreneur who sells his electricity at a cheap price because of how much he makes. His power plant was the biggest one on this side of Canada. His name was Steven Hansen Hill. She looked closer and realized that two of the boys were his sons. The first boy who had the dark hair and the other boy who looked almost the same. They were twins. Hansel and Theodore Hill. Theodore hadn't said a word. She didn't recognize the other two boys.

"How does it work?" The boy next to Theodore said incredulously. They all looked at her again. She could feel the blood still trickling down her head. Where Hansel had touched her there was yet another bloody spot on her shirt. At least this time it wasn't her blood. She was frozen in fright but didn't want to show weakness. After a moment of silence he asked again but this time a bit harsher. "How does it fricking work!?" He stood up to his full hight and walked over to her. Amethyst prepared for a hit that never came. Instead he just leaned down to her level and looked her in the eyes. He was still a arms reach but it didn't make him any less scary. He had a evil smile.

"It just does" She said quietly. Just then there was a click as the door opened again. In came a girl about her age with long platinum blond hair. Even in this situation Amethyst couldn't help but blush when she looked her in the eyes. She walked in and sat down on the bed silently. No one took notice.

"Gonna need more details then that." It was back to the scary boy. Theodore stood up.

"We never introduced our guest." He said in a low masculine voice.

"Ah yes!" Hansel said enthusiastically. Then pointed around the room. "The girl who was late" he scowled at her. "Her name is Sapphire. Then we have my dad; his name is Steven as you probably already know. We have..." he pointed to the blond next to him. "Marshall, Ray..." he pointed to the other boy. "Then me, Hansel and my brother Theodore." Before anyone could say anything Sapphire intruded.

"And what is your name?" She said kindly. A lot kinder then all the other people around her.

"We don't ask the kidnapped their names. It makes them more human and as far as they are, they are not human." Marshall said.

"Yes she is. She has all the human characteristics the only thing different is her power and I think that makes her a better human." Sapphire argued.

"She is no more human than our dog! We are going to train her power then take it from her that what you do with a pet!" The argument was getting heated. Everyone started yelling and soon enough the only one who wasn't talking was Amethyst.

"Enough!" Mr. Hill said. It got quiet very fast. "Enough about names! You call me Mr. Hill and that is it! Giving it a name gives it power and we are not going to let that happen understand? Now everyone leave! I need a word with her." Quietly and slowly they all filed out. Mr. Hill sat on a chair in front of her. "You know what is going to happen now tell me more about your power or else I have ways of making you talk." Amethyst glared at him.

"What do you want to know?" She said smartly.

"Everything. Start from the beginning."

....

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Great stories are for everyone even when only written for just one person. If you try to write with a wide, general audience in mind, your story will sound fake and lack emotion. No one will be interested. Write for one person. If it’s genuine for the one, it’s genuine for the rest.