Begin Again

Chapter 14

(TORIN)

Torin lifted the blade and glared at Rollo through squinted eyes.

"What are you trying to do? Intimidate me?" Rollo asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"Is it working?"

"No, you fight like a child!" Rollo taunted.

"Not like a girl? I thought you would have said fought like a girl."

"No, I knew you would have taken it as a complement, girls are scary. Have you fought my wife?" Rollo asked glancing at Anna as she stood at the edge of the clearing leaning against a tree. She smiled back at her husband.

"I trained her," Torin grinned and winked at Anna then Rollo lunged. Torin stepped to the side and Rollo's blade came crashing down in a powerful arc. Torin deflected and the sword dropped harmlessly at his side. "Was that supposed to work?" Torin asked.

Rollo yelled and dove at his friend. The fight continued back and forth with loud crashes of metal on metal. The men weren't aware of the events that were unfolding around them until it was too late. A loud bell broke through their concentration and both of them spun around to face the source of the noise. It was the town bell that was used to signal an attack.

"I'll get the baby!" Anna yelled as she took off sprinting towards home.

"Anna! Wait!" Rollo yelled at her but she didn't give any indication that she heard him as she ran to her child.

"Go after her," Torin said as he grabbed their supplies and hurried towards where they were stored. "I'll take care of this and meet you in town."

Rollo nodded his thanks and ran after his wife with his sword in his hand.

Torin hid the training weapons and hurried into town into the chaos that had erupted. People were in a panic as they tried to find all of the members of their families and make sure everyone was safe. The families that had everyone together were kissing their fathers, sons, and brothers as the women turned to hurry home with the children. The men waved at their families as they ran from the village. Torin nodded at the men that had gathered in the center of the town with their weapons in their hands ready for a fight.

"Does anyone know what is happening?" Torin asked as he joined his men.

"Enemy ships were sighted coming into the bay" One of the men replied.

"Have they been identified?"

"They are flying Grey's colors?"

"Grey!?" Torin asked in surprise. "We have no quarrel with them."

"Not when her father was alive. He has been killed and his son became their new chief. He wants revenge for the death of his sister."

"Does Rollo know?"

"Not yet," The man replied.

"Anna can't find out."

The men nodded in agreement and Torin gave the signal for them to spread out. All of the men headed to the shore and disappeared into the trees to wait for the attack. Torin blended into the trees along side his men. The ships were close enough to see the men on board. The metal of their weapons shined brightly in the sun. As Torin waited for their attack one face filled his mind.

"Ryah," he whispered.

<<<><><>>>

(RYAH)

I swung the mallet down for the last time and dropped down off of the roof onto to hardwood floor. I took a few steps back out of the house into the meadow and took a look at my home. All that was left was to put the walls up. I wasn't sure how to put the planks on but I knew that I would figure it out. I would have to figure it out. I heard the sound of the bells from the village ringing out and I froze. There was an attack coming. I thought of running home or hiding in the forest. I also thought of Torin and him fighting the attackers. I shook my head because I didn't want to think of him fighting. I didn't want to think about him at all.