Runaway (November 2982) (Runa) (CW)
Jan 25, 2018 11:35:12 GMT -5
Post by Ceolmund on Jan 25, 2018 11:35:12 GMT -5
The armor clad guard kneeled before Ceolmund, and he tried not to be frightened. Though he had seen Mother speaking with the guards often, he, himself, had never gotten such a good look at their armor, and his eyes were grazing over the leather and metal, the engraved horses and suns.
“There now, lad. Can you tell me where you were last night? Do you know where you slept?”
Ceolmund paused, glancing up toward Elin, her gaze on him forboding, and he pressed his lips together, looking back to the guard.
“You lass? You have a keen eye. Was your brother home last night?”
Sunnifa opened her mouth to speak, but Elin had started in too quickly and she had not a moment. Then the adults all seemed to be speaking at once, and Sunni moved back, grasping at her brother's shoulder.
“My lady Hildred.”
“I understand.”
“You can't arrest Mama! Runi needs to eat!”
The little boy did not know what was happening, yet, he noticed the distress on Runa's face and in her cries. “Wuna, Wuna, don't cwy,” Ceolmund gasped, taking several steps around the guard to go to her before Elin grabbed him by the collar of his tunic to still him. The little boy cringed, but looked back to his baby, watching her closely even while the guards were still speaking.
“It isn't what we wish to do, though perhaps we can sort this out without arrests if we can have but word with your husband, Elin. It is his name on the restraint- then he shall bet he one that needs press. Especially in these circumstances.
“My husband will certainly press charges,” Elin stated smugly, looking toward Hildred. She had Ceorl under her grips. Though Elin had not thought it would actually come to needing to arrest Hildred; they had both considered that the threat of it would be enough; she had a baby afterall… it was quite amusing to Elin that things had come to this. Perhaps Hildred would learn that she finally had the upper hand. “He's out to the forest getting wood for his business. He'll be back in a couple days I'm certain, so you'll have to hold her until--”
She frowned as the neighbor woman came forth, cutting off her instructions.
“Sir! Sir, I saw this woman try and return the boy last evening. Who knows how long the poor thing wias gone- his mother never noticed. Shew as passed out by the time this woman returned with him, and she did not come to the door- nor did the daughter. She must've slipped her something too. She was asleep most of the evening.”
“This witch is a liar!” Elin fumed, glaring at the green eyed woman. She did not even know her name. “She's been out to destroy us every since we moved in here; always watching from her doorstep. I'll have you under a restraining order next,” Elin pointed at her.
“If this is true, this certainly counts as neglect. I shall need bring you in, Elin, for the endangerment of your daughter, and of your son.”
“What! No! You can't arrest me, I have… I have my son to nurse. He needs his milk. You'll be forcing me to neglect him!”
Sunnifa's eyes widened in sudden realization that their Mother was going to be taken away. Where Beorhtric had argued the case against his own Mother leaving, Sunnifa suddenly felt her heart lighten. Maybe Elin could leave! They would be alone until Father got home, but she would be fine. She could take care of Ceol, and the fire was already lit, so she could just keep adding wood to it and even boil water for tea.
As soon as he began to think of taking care of her little brother, another realization struck her, and her face fell again. She was supposed to watch her brother, and had not done so… they might arrest her too. “Ceol wasn't here this morning,” she said quickly, as if the answer to the guard's earlier question had been waiting on her tongue. “Mother wouldn't let me tell her. I tried to tell her.”
“Sunnifa! That's enough,” Elin glared at her.
“I was supposed to watch him… But she made me take the sleeping tonic and… I couldn't stay awake and watch. I don't know where he was… Don't arrest me too,” she started to cry. “I know he went to Hildred's. He kept trying to go. Tell him, Ceol, where you slept,” Sunnifa hissed through tears.
Ceolmund bit his lip, looking worriedly around the adults and the guards, and then his sister.
“Mama's house,” he whispered, looking toward Hildred. “Mama's bed.”
“See? He was at home! He admits it!” Elin spluttered.
“He means Hildred. He calls Hildred 'Mama',” Sunni interjected quickly, dancing around behind one of the guards as Elin grabbed for her and missed. She huffed and stopped in her place; she couldn't very well grab the girl by the braids right in front of the guards.
Elin's face contorted as she looked to Hildred. “You whore…” she spat in her direction. “Sleeping with my son. You can't let her get away with that! I had an order against her! You see now! You see why? She's deplorable!”
“There now, lad. Can you tell me where you were last night? Do you know where you slept?”
Ceolmund paused, glancing up toward Elin, her gaze on him forboding, and he pressed his lips together, looking back to the guard.
“You lass? You have a keen eye. Was your brother home last night?”
Sunnifa opened her mouth to speak, but Elin had started in too quickly and she had not a moment. Then the adults all seemed to be speaking at once, and Sunni moved back, grasping at her brother's shoulder.
“My lady Hildred.”
“I understand.”
“You can't arrest Mama! Runi needs to eat!”
The little boy did not know what was happening, yet, he noticed the distress on Runa's face and in her cries. “Wuna, Wuna, don't cwy,” Ceolmund gasped, taking several steps around the guard to go to her before Elin grabbed him by the collar of his tunic to still him. The little boy cringed, but looked back to his baby, watching her closely even while the guards were still speaking.
“It isn't what we wish to do, though perhaps we can sort this out without arrests if we can have but word with your husband, Elin. It is his name on the restraint- then he shall bet he one that needs press. Especially in these circumstances.
“My husband will certainly press charges,” Elin stated smugly, looking toward Hildred. She had Ceorl under her grips. Though Elin had not thought it would actually come to needing to arrest Hildred; they had both considered that the threat of it would be enough; she had a baby afterall… it was quite amusing to Elin that things had come to this. Perhaps Hildred would learn that she finally had the upper hand. “He's out to the forest getting wood for his business. He'll be back in a couple days I'm certain, so you'll have to hold her until--”
She frowned as the neighbor woman came forth, cutting off her instructions.
“Sir! Sir, I saw this woman try and return the boy last evening. Who knows how long the poor thing wias gone- his mother never noticed. Shew as passed out by the time this woman returned with him, and she did not come to the door- nor did the daughter. She must've slipped her something too. She was asleep most of the evening.”
“This witch is a liar!” Elin fumed, glaring at the green eyed woman. She did not even know her name. “She's been out to destroy us every since we moved in here; always watching from her doorstep. I'll have you under a restraining order next,” Elin pointed at her.
“If this is true, this certainly counts as neglect. I shall need bring you in, Elin, for the endangerment of your daughter, and of your son.”
“What! No! You can't arrest me, I have… I have my son to nurse. He needs his milk. You'll be forcing me to neglect him!”
Sunnifa's eyes widened in sudden realization that their Mother was going to be taken away. Where Beorhtric had argued the case against his own Mother leaving, Sunnifa suddenly felt her heart lighten. Maybe Elin could leave! They would be alone until Father got home, but she would be fine. She could take care of Ceol, and the fire was already lit, so she could just keep adding wood to it and even boil water for tea.
As soon as he began to think of taking care of her little brother, another realization struck her, and her face fell again. She was supposed to watch her brother, and had not done so… they might arrest her too. “Ceol wasn't here this morning,” she said quickly, as if the answer to the guard's earlier question had been waiting on her tongue. “Mother wouldn't let me tell her. I tried to tell her.”
“Sunnifa! That's enough,” Elin glared at her.
“I was supposed to watch him… But she made me take the sleeping tonic and… I couldn't stay awake and watch. I don't know where he was… Don't arrest me too,” she started to cry. “I know he went to Hildred's. He kept trying to go. Tell him, Ceol, where you slept,” Sunnifa hissed through tears.
Ceolmund bit his lip, looking worriedly around the adults and the guards, and then his sister.
“Mama's house,” he whispered, looking toward Hildred. “Mama's bed.”
“See? He was at home! He admits it!” Elin spluttered.
“He means Hildred. He calls Hildred 'Mama',” Sunni interjected quickly, dancing around behind one of the guards as Elin grabbed for her and missed. She huffed and stopped in her place; she couldn't very well grab the girl by the braids right in front of the guards.
Elin's face contorted as she looked to Hildred. “You whore…” she spat in her direction. “Sleeping with my son. You can't let her get away with that! I had an order against her! You see now! You see why? She's deplorable!”