Her hands were smooth as she ran them over the wood of the nearby tree. The man she had been with sleeping soundly now, he was much more handsome than her husband was. His face was pale, his hair a soft shade of brown as it laid across his face. She kneeled down, smiling softly before she reached over, covering the man’s body with a fur blanket that he owned. She was still in his camp as the sun began to set, with the beautiful man.
Perhaps this time she could finally leave that criminal of a husband and his two misfit children. Though leaving them almost put a black pit in her stomach. As she studied the sleeping features of the man she had become so close to, she absent mindedly ran her finger along the young scar across her cheek. Things were for the worst in her little family, her husband grabbing a bottle more, striking both her son and her. Perhaps she’ll just take her son, she knew no one would touch the little girl. But if she took either of the children, she knew her husband would track her down.
The man that laid before her opened the opportunity for a new life, a different life in Gondor. Far away from the disgusting filth she lived in now. In attempts of dragging her away from her life here, the man had told her that Bree wasn’t a place for such a beautiful gem. Perhaps he was right, she didn’t belong to Bree. But was it right just to leave her children and husband. She tried to find a life initially, however the life she had found was not good enough for her.
Her mind was made as she kneeled down, kissing the sleeping man’s forehead gently. He wasn’t a good man per say, but better than the man she was wed to. The man was beautiful, smart, quick, and actually quite large. Whether this man was the father of her youngest child or the man she was married to, she actually didn’t know. But it was more likely this and she knew it. The girl and him shared the same facial features and dark, curly hair.
But she didn’t want to admit that the man sleeping on the ground was the father of a little girl, if he knew that then he might have caused more problems than a simple slipping away when no one was around. She might tell him someday, but it was a lot simpler if she didn’t. There was no risk of her husband attacking her again, of the watchers capturing her, of the brigands kidnapping her, of her own children turning out like her if she just left without an explanation.
She left the camp while the man slept, leaving him a short note explaining that she would come back soon. With that, she slipped on her clothing and made her way to the one room tiny house on the outskirts of Bree. The boy who was at the most six had his little sister in their shared bed while he was trying to form a meal for himself. He was such a mature little kid, he had to be. His mother had always tried to protect him, but in her last days with him, she just ignored him as he ignored her.
This day was different though, she had to acknowledge him. She didn’t need a lot from the home in truth. The man she was leaving with had clothing of her that they had slowly transferred to his camp. He had food she needed, everything except her own weapon. As her son was cooking, his mother kneeled down beside him, kissing his forehead.
Her son was startled, her own son scared of her. But she took no note of it since it was already too late to fix things between her and her family. She murmured softly into the boy's ear, “Remember Blake, I love you no matter what.”
The little boy looked at his mother in surprise as he said in return, “I love you too mommy.”
With a slight nod of her head she gestured over to the sleeping baby in the bed, saying softly, “Over there is your sister. She will always be your sister, Blake. Never forget that, alright? Hold on to her no matter what she does or your father does.”
Blake just nodded as he watched his mother stand up, taking the short sword by the door, and disappearing into the cool evening air. Although he didn’t know it at the time, that was the last time he saw his mother for the rest of his childhood. And in the morning when his father came and asked him where his mother was, all the little boy could say was, “I ‘unno. Out I think”
All while the baby watched, unable to change her own world as her family began to fall apart.
The Sleeping Man
By magic4walls.com
