The End is Here Pt 2

Writers: Heather
Date Posted: 17th November 2014

Characters: Rethisa, Verlow
Description: Rethisa's dreams come to an abrupt end.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 9, day 26 of Turn 7
Notes: Pt 2 of 2

The sounds of yelling and cursing woke her, and she found herself
being hauled up by her arms. Rethisa cried out at the iron clad grip
around her biceps. Her head snapped back as she was given a violent
shake.

"Thought you would run away, did you?" Verlow's breath was hot and
putrid. The gleam in his eyes was murderous as he drug her over the
ground. Rethisa felt dazed from her sleep. What was happening? How was
Verlow there? Where was Pevran? She kicked out against her captor, but
her strength was as nothing compared to Verlow's rage.

"I bet you spread your legs for that stablehand and gave him a real
nice ride before curling up to sleep together." Verlow grabbed
something from his saddle, but in the early light of dawn Rethisa
couldn't make out what it was until he bound her handles together with
a piece of rope.

"How did you..."

Verlow tossed her over the horn of his saddle, causing her to cry out
in pain as the horn jabbed sharply between her ribs. "How did I catch
you?" He barked out a laugh as he swung up into the saddle of his
mount. "Everlow got caught up in a stampede, blasted animals dern near
trampled his legs off. Turned around and brought him home as fast as I
could only to find that my wife and _TWO_ of my best runners were
gone."

Verlow spurred his runner into a gallop, leaving Rethisa to stay on
the animal as best she could as the ground raced past beneath her in a
blur. She could feel one of Verlow's hands fisted into the back of her
coat, making sure she stayed on for the ride. As they rode back toward
the cothold Rethisa's mind whirled. Where was Pevran? What would
Verlow do to them when they got back? Fear clawed up her throat,
threatening to choke her.

When they arrived back in the yard of the cothold Verlow's runner was
covered in a dark sweat, the whites of his eyes showing as he tossed
his head and chomped on his bit in agitation at having been run so
hard. The noonday sun beat down upon them, but did nothing to warm the
brittle, winter air that howled around them.

Verlow unceremoniously dumped Rethisa in the yard before dismounting
from his runner. Lying in a heap on the ground, Rethisa groaned and
tried to roll onto her knees to push herself up but her limbs were
numb from dangling over Verlow's saddle.

"EVERYONE OUTSIDE... NOW!" Verlow roared. The door to the cothold
opened and a startled Befuela led the way out, her face ashen as she
caught sight of Rethisa. The workers of the cothold slowly began
pouring out of the main house, and coming in from the barn and nearby
fields. All of them were lined up in the yard, their faces quizzical.

"I brought you all here today to be witnesses." Verlow began, and
Rethisa gasped as she finally caught sight of Pevran. He was being
drug, by two men, his hands also bound with rope. There was a bruise
forming around his left eye that made Rethisa wince. "Pevran here
decided he would take some things that belong to me..." Verlow turned
and advanced on Pevran. "First my runner," he punched Pevran in the
gut, causing him to sag against his two captors, "and then my wife."
This time Verlow nailed Pevran between the eyes with his fist.

Rethisa was unable to stop the shriek that escaped her lips as she
brought her hands over her eyes to shield the horrible sight of what
was taking place.

"Oh no, wife, you will watch!" Verlow gave a sharp nod and another man
stepped out to haul Rethisa to her feet and wrench her arms behind her
back so that she was forced to stand and watch Verlow assault Pevran.
Verlow released the brunt of his rage on Pevran, dealing kicks and
punches while the helpless man was held up by a man on either side.

When his face was almost completely disfigured a winded Verlow finally
paused, "Tie him up in a stall. He'll go to Jade Harbor to be punished
by the Lord."

Rethisa could barely swallow past the lump in her throat as Verlow
turned to face her, "And you, my dear wife, who so unfaithfully, and
wantonly, gave yourself to another man..." He took menacing steps
toward her as the inhabitants of the cothold watched.

"Bring me Shadow in the Wind." Verlow ordered.

Fear lanced through her and Rethisa broke free from the arms that held
her. She threw herself at Verlow's feet, "Verlow please, please!
Punish me! Don't punish Shadow! She didn't do anything wrong! Please!"

Verlow looked down his nose at Rethisa on her knees, "In time, my
dear, you shall receive your punishment as well." He patted her on the
head before she was hauled back up to her feet. The cotholder turned
as the mare was brought before him, still with Rethisa's things tied
to her saddle.

"As punishment for taking from me, I will take from you the thing you
love most." Verlow drew out the long hunting knife from his boot and
plunged it into the mare's neck. The beast shrieked before her legs
buckled and she collapsed to the ground.

Rethisa clenched her eyes shut as tears cascaded down her face. Shadow
in the Wind had been innocent, only doing as Rethisa had asked, and
now because of it, she was dead. **This is all my fault.** How had her
life become this? Just last night she had felt the most loved and
cherished she had ever felt her entire life. And now she had just
watched the only two things she cared about in this world punished...
because of her.

"Now for you." Verlow struck her across the face, causing stars to
explode behind her eyes. "For stealing from your husband, and for
breaking the vows you promised me, I banish you from this place. No
one here," he cast his eyes over those assembled, "is to help you. You
will leave and not return, whore."

"But... but... how..." She sobbed.

"You will walk." Verlow sneered.

Walk? Through the winter cold, through the snow? She would never make
it. She would die. Her eyes locked with Verlow. That's exactly why he
had chosen this punishment. He couldn't kill her outright, her father
was the Lord of Jade Harbor, after all. But he was within his rights
to banish her for her unfaithfulness.

Verlow snatched up her satchel from where it lay on the ground, fallen
from Shadow in the Wind's limp form. With a snarl he hurled it at her,
and she winced at the impact as she clutched the bag to her chest. She
glanced for a moment at the people gathered and found nothing but
contempt in their eyes. After all, _she_ was the adultress here. The
only kind face came from Befuela, whose old eyes were misted over with
emotion.

Scrambling to her feet Rethisa squared her shoulders, lifted her chin,
and strode out of the yard. Dying in the wilderness would be better
than staying with Verlow. This was a blessing in disguise and she
refused to think of it as anything else. Blocking the images of Pevran
and Shadow in the Wind from her mind, Rethisa struck off down the same
path that she and the stablehand had traveled the day before. She
_would_ make it to Amber Hills if she had to drag herself there by her
fingernails.

Last updated on the November 20th 2014

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The End is Here Pt 2