warrior's heart

War (3)

For some reason, the chapter was not posted yesterday even though I updated and posted it, wattpad and it's issues! Pardon me everyone,  the chapter has not been edited yet. Enjoy!!

"Marwan, akhi, are you hiding something from me? What is it that is weighing so heavily on your mind?" Asked Nawfal, as he struck his sword left,  while his left foot went back.

Marwan, in defence, blocked Nawfal's sword with his sword, answering yes. He then threw his sword up in the air and caught it immediately, asking, "Does it have anything to do with the war?" And Marwan, who was distracted by the move, stumbled a bit. His stumbling indicated that it indeed was the war that bothered him.

Nawfal began to deliver blow after blow, from every direction, barely giving Marwan any chance to defend himself before he struck again. All the while, he kept asking, "An enemy has taken something of yours that is forcing you to betray me, not so?" The strength and pace of the blows thus indicating betrayal as the issue.

His inability to barely strike back but only defend himself gave Nawfal the only answer he needed. Yes. Marwan was forced to betray him because someone had taken something, or worse, someone very dear to him. 

Could it be Nisreen? No, no one could he so heartless to take a child. Could it be his parents? No, his father was a king and his mother a queen, no one would dare take any of them.

As  realisation hit him, he faltered a bit, giving Marwan a chance to attack, barely missing as Nawfal quickly blocked the blow with his own sword.

Safwanah.

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She ran as fast as she could in the forest,barely seeing what she stepped on or what scratched at her. All she knew was that she had to get to Marwan and get to him fast.  

Safwanah had stealthily snuck out of her tent through the back, when the guard assigned to make sure she did not escape had gone to ease himself. She had taken a dagger with her to defend herself in need be.

What she did not know was that the guard had seen her leave and with a wicked smile, had gone to tell Mahmoud Pasha.

She continued to run as fast as possible, until she heard the sound of hooves, indicating that someone was travelling through the forest as well. She ran with renewed vigour, intent on making sure she got help from the rider. Nothing better than a horse to help her ride home and do so fast.

As she got to the rider however, her body turned stone cold when she discovered who it was, rather, were. 

Lo and behold was Mahmoud Pasha, an amused smile on his face, with the very same guard, a sinister one on his.

"Oh darling, darling,wherever do you think you are going? Were you searching for me perhaps?" Asked Pasha, mockingly.

"Yes milord, it is obvious she is missing her husband, she therefore longed for your compa. ....." before he finished his vile statement however, Safwanah, having recovered from shock, lunged and slit his throat in a swift move. The guard had been on foot, on like his master who was on horse back. 

Immediately, she took to her heels leaving Pasha in shock and somewhat awe of what the woman had done. The fact that she had just killed a man before him, without fear,  made the hunger he had for her increase. He needed to have her and have her immediately, he simply could not wait for the war so that she would be among the spoils. She would be his before then.

He got off his horse and ran the same path she had followed, not wanting to alert her on horse back. Unfortunately for her, she does not know these parts as much as I do, he thought cynically.

She continued to run, eager to leave the dangerous area with the dense bushes and find safety. She needed to get to her husband and family. As she ran, she began to see the path clearing. With renewed hope she ran even faster, despite her protesting legs and lungs that begged for air.

"Just where do you think you are going darling?" Said Pasha, as he pulled her back before she could run out of the forest, tearing the sleeve of her dress in the process. She tried to pull away to no avail, the man was quite strong and twice her size. She was also tired from running for so long.

He pushed her to the floor and hovered over her, looking at her lust filled eyes. She could feel the heat of his breath on her face and all she wanted to do was vomit.

She fought hard to get him off her, as he pinned her to the floor and tied both of her hands with the sleeve that had been torn off, intent on taking what was not his to take.

"Safwanah, you do not know for how long I have nurtured the thought of this moment. How I have longed for it, longed for you, for your touch. No one can save you now, no one."

She became paralysed with fear, having heard his intentions loud and clear. He wanted to rape her.

He was going to rape her.

She was completely numb with fear, even as she heard the sound of her dress being torn further, exposing her to him. She felt her life leave her,as his eyes roamed her body hungrily. She was dead, it was that simple.

Just as he leaned in, a tear escaped her eye and she let it drop, for she had no energy to blink. She waited for the inevitable worst to happen but nothing did. All she felt was his weight on her and soon something warm flowing from him and dripping on her face. She finally mustered courage to look up, for she had been looking elsewhere other than him and as she did, she saw his eyes roll back in his head, his body going limp.

Immediately, with renewed vigour, she pushed and pushed until she scrambled from beneath him and moved away from his body, as if he was the fire that threatened to burn her.

"Safwanah".

She turned to the source of her voice and saw a man whose back was to her,his hand extending a hooded robe to her. She knew that back anywhere, it was a back that gave her piggyback rides when she was very young. It was the back of a man who thigh not related by blood, was her brother in every sense of the word.

Murad.

She took the robe from him and covered herself completely, before asking him to turn around. What she saw when he turned around broke her heart. 

He was crying.

"Murad, akhi....."

"Say no more, let us go home."

He led her to his horse and she climbed atop, before they left the cursed place. They travelled in silence, each remembering the ugly incident in their own way.

As soon as she saw the gates of Heman's palace, she could no longer control herself. Her strength gave way and she began to cry. She cried for what had happened and for what she had almost lost.  She cried.

Upon sighting them, a guard rushed in to inform members of the family, while another rushed to them to steady the horse and let the princess down.

"Safwanah!" Marwan said, as he ran out of the house. He pulled her into his arms, crying and hugging her tightly. 

The last thing she saw, as her body gave way and unconsciousness slipped in, was the look of horror on her husband's face, and that of their family as they came running.

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Assalamualaikim warahmatullah good people! I know I have not been updating frequently and I apologise for that. Now I completely understand what it means when everyone says work is stressful. I have been focusing on that, hence the delay.  I hope this chapter makes up for the long wait.  Until next time, keep the amazing comments and votes coming! Ma'asalam.