Timeless Two

25

"Grey you shouldn't give up your position. Nothing you do to me is worth that." Ari manages to stop the crying long enough to get that out. She'd been just as shocked as Jeshua by his announcement.

Grey sighs heavily and sets down the pen he'd been playing with. He stands up and walks over to that part of the tent. "I had been thinking about it for awhile now. But I was the only reason the Aelven kept from raiding us like before. I couldn't step down. But now, now they are gone and there is no reason for me to continue.

"Like your cousin the prince, I am a bloody man Ari. And now I've become a monster, not only can I picture taking your life I hit you without reason. There is no place in the world for men like me. There is definitely no place for men like me with power. That is a recipe for disaster. I need to step down before I lose all that I am." Grey tries to smile but fails.

"I promise that I won't fail you tomorrow Ari. That will be my final act as general," Grey says. "I've failed you today. I'll stay away from you until the time comes for me to fulfill that promise.

"You were right Ari, I guess I don't love you. If I did how could I do that to you?" Grey says in misery pointing to the bruise taking up nearly half her face.

Ari takes her time to sit up in bed. She pulls her legs up and intentionally lays her bruised cheek on her knees as she watches Grey. She knows what she has to say to him might set him off and she is wary. "Are you about done General?" Her tone is carefully controlled and sarcastic. "The man the Aelven were terrified of is acting like a two year old. If they could just see you now.

"Do you honestly think that I would have let you hit me if I hadn't wanted you to? Did the lesson from earlier not stick in your brain at all? I need you to be the man chosen to execute me. These men get off on things of violence. They already believe that you are raping me, just like the soldier from earlier. They believe it of you because if roles were reversed they would. And they don't understand you.

"They don't understand that you are an honorable man and wouldn't rape a woman, especially not one under your care. They've only heard the rumors and stories blown all out of proportion or taken entirely out of context." Ari holds her hand up forestalling Grey's intended interruption.

"Don't tell me I'm wrong General. I told you, the Aelven know who you are. They have an incredibly extensive and thorough file on you. They knew you general, my cousin knew you and I know you. You are perhaps the only person they have been afraid of ever. You terrified them, and I understand exactly why. My cousin understood when he talked to you just who and what you are. You remember what he said?" Ari waits for him to reply.

Grey can only nod his head words were beyond him right now. He has no doubt that the file contains every one of his dark deeds and yet Ari remains a defender of him. He's more than a little confused. He gets lost in his dark thoughts and memories and Ari gives up on trying to get him to understand.

"I still hit you Ari." Grey finally says after several long minutes pass.

"Get over it Grey. I'm not helpless even with my hands hindered by handcuffs.

"The Aelven were in full blown panic when it was learned you were on your way with your army. They knew that the time had come for their sins to have a reckoning. Everyone I saw passed me with fear, panic or outright terror. All except my cousin. When he passed me he was smiling. I still don't understand that." Ari trails off lost in her own thoughts.

Her thoughts are interrupted by Grey, "He was tired Ari. Tired of all the raids, the hatred, rapes. Perhaps that most of all. This could save you and he was happy about that, but he miscalculated two things: The hate of the world towards the Aelven, and the hate of his mother towards you."

"I'm not so sure about that Grey." Ari replies still half lost in her thoughts. She turns her head so that her forehead is now resting on her knees and ignores Grey completely. She keeps her sobs silent. She learned a long time ago how to do that.

Grey knows that his presence is no longer welcome to her and returns to the desk and the piles of paperwork sitting there.

He sets to work losing himself in the mundane task that he'll never have again Grey smiles.

But when he thinks about what he will be required to do he loses the smile. He'd realized that there hadn't been a lawyer for Ari's defense. This court will convene and end tomorrow. It's just as well after that the magic blocking Ari's pain will be gone and the pain will return.

The anger returns. Hearing Ari's nearly silent sobs just inflames his anger even more. He has to get out of there. He goes to the door and whispers in one of the guards ears. The man salutes and takes off.

It will take time to find Jeshua and even more time to arrange for someone to cover his duties for the night. Grey returns to the work and grimly goes about this mundane task that he is glad he'll never have to do after tonight.

After a while he can no longer fight his anger and he sweeps off the paperwork and the metal pitcher of water he keeps nearby.

Jeshua had unfortunately timed his entrance at just this moment and is barely able to miss being hit by the metal missile that comes at his head.

"I see the guards are correct, you are in a foul mood. What can I do for you general?" Jeshua is more than a little surprised that Grey had sent for him. It is well known around camp what the general had done earlier to Ari and he knows that Grey prefers to be alone after losing control like he had.

"I need you to stay with Ari. I need to go to the castle for a bit and with those damn judges here I can't take Ari with me." Grey knows that Ari is hurting with the loss of her cousin. There is so little that he can do for her, but there is one thing.

Grey sees the question in Jeshua's eyes but chooses to ignore it. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Jeshua salutes and watches as Grey leaves the tent. Once they are alone Jeshua asks, "Do you know what he's up to Ari?"

Ari had stopped sobbing and lay close to sleep answers groggily, "With Grey it could be anything Jeshua. I have no idea what it is this time."

With that Jeshua shrugs and starts cleaning up the mess of papers off the floor. He grimaces at the water damage done to many of them. He shrugs and tries out something and is pleased at the results. The paper looks almost undamaged from the water. And with that Jeshua finishes cleaning up.