Mother Bear
Running towards the screaming and cheering crowd, Adella finds soldiers dragging a female bear from her tent. Standing upright clutching what remained of her bloodied ripped clothes. She looked completely terrified, shaking in fear. Her eyes were exhausted and drained looking like she just gave birth. Draped in chains and forced through the crowd, the soldier’s spears at the ready. Adella and the crowd followed this intense scene watching as the she-bear was forced to kneel before the Captain. Heartbreaking cries came from her, as she saw her newborn cubs handed to the Captain. Two already dead and the third crying for its mother. With a sadistic chuckle the Captain looked at his new prisoner before he spoke “What is this? The forest king’s wife and babe? Y’all must have been left behind when we invaded your camp huh?” The captain was handed the lifeless cubs. “You picked a terrible time to give birth my dear. It is no wonder your clan, your husband and king, left you behind. It even looks like my guards already took care of two of the pests for me.” He lifted up the dead cubs inspecting them with a cruel smirk. The mother bear is screaming and crying at this point. Feeling helpless at the sight of her dead children. The captain groans in annoyance, taking his dagger, he stabs her shoulder with it. Making her cry out even louder in response. “Shut up with all that crying! Do you really think it will make a difference? Your life is mine now.” he yells at her. With teary eyes she looks up to the captain speaking in a hushed broken tone. “I beg you sir, please let us go, or at least grant my son passage to his father. He has done no wrong in this world. He has just only begun his life. ” The captain chuckled “No wrong? You’re right he hasn’t done anything yet and never will. Just like his siblings, his life means nothing. But I will not kill him. I can promise you that. Instead we’re going to take your son and raise him like the animal he is. The animal you should be. He will be raised to be speechless. Taught too dance for our entertainment until we get hungry, that is. When he is nice and grown we will skin him once his use is gone. He will only live for my approval and to be used.” he takes the newborn from the soldier. Looking at it as he has this child’s whole world in his hand. Looking at the crowd he calls for Adella. The young nurse walks up past the mother bear to the captain, her eyes looking low to the ground. “You called your grace?” she speaks in a soft whisper. The captain handed her the cub. “Take this animal to the grand hall, put it in a cage where it belongs.” Watching in horror as her child is being carried away, the mother cries out one last time for son. “Please give him a chance! He is an innocent soul!”. Her cries fall onto deaf ears as the captain turns to her. “And you miss mother bear, the beloved queen of the forest. You will make a beautiful rug. Don’t you worry though we send you back to your loving king. Maybe next time he won’t leave you behind.” The captain laughs in his own amusement as he walks away. The crowd disperses after the bear is taken away, still pleading for her child. Leaving the young nurse and the hours-old cub standing there. With no other choice she brings it to the grand-hall. With every step her heart is heavy with dread “Why can’t we just share the land? ″ she whispers to the sleeping cub. She hands it over to the soldier as it is put in its cage. Leaving the hall with a knot in her heart, to set up her tent for the night. That evening Adella tended to the wounded soldiers. The soldiers were in rough shape. Even though it was considered an easy take over. There was still a lot of work to be done. Adella worked quietly like always. Her head is always low to the ground, listening to the lively chatter around her. The soldiers were laughing about their newest conquest. This campsite that they overtook, gave the kingdom a lot of new territory in the war. This war has been going on for centuries. Long ago, in ancient times however, there was once harmony. That was until the humans got greedy. Starting as small territory disputes. Over time anger and resentment grew between man and beast. Humanity developed the morality that they were above the common animal, that animals were only around for the various uses of humanity. The ancient king was consumed with the idea that he and his subjects deserved the world and all that inhabited it. Preaching to all that they were entitled to the lands in the animal kingdom. The animals should instead work as slaves for the uses of humanity. Throughout the centuries, there were various wars. Humans fighting for what they believed they were entitled to, While the animals were fighting for their freedom in entirety. This mentality of thinking is what Adella, and every other human was raised to believe. Yet, when Adella saw the spectacle from the mother bear that morning, her heart ached, and she wanted to help this poor creature. In that moment all she saw was a terrified mother, not some dumb animal like she was taught to believe.The confliction twisting in her mind, she was completely engulfed within her thoughts. So much so that Adella did not notice the group of obviously drunk soldiers staggering towards her. Calling out for the young maiden, the men whistle and chant to her.“Hey pretty lady, why not show us how grateful you are for your heroes? We just risked our lives for you. The least you can do is show us a good time.” Adella looked up in a terrified surprise as the biggest soldier reached out grabbing her arm. Pulling herself away scoffing at these drunken idiots, Adella scoffed in disgust. “Heroes? You all are not my heroes, nor do I owe you anything. I am just here to do my job. I do not get paid for entertaining the likes of you. If you are not wounded, get out of my tent.” In a furious rage the same soldier grabbed her arm once again. Lifting her up, he pulled Adella close to his face. She could smell the mead rancid on his breath as he spoke. “Listen bitch, you owe us your life. Without us who would protect you from those worthless animals? A small little thing like you would be eaten alive if it was not for us. We soldiers deserve some nice compensation.” At that moment the soldier shoved his mouth on hers roughly. Adella bit his tongue making it bleed, making him drop her to the ground. Taking the moment when he was screaming in horror, Adella ran away in search of her superior. In a small tent across the field, Mother Grace was sewing a soldier’s gash on his shoulder together. With each stitch she would tell the young man how proud she was of his bravery. Walking up to Mother Grace, Adella reached her hand out touching her back. Mother Grace turned around with her soft, kind smile before speaking. “Hello my dear child, how may I help you.” Adella looked to the ground and spoke in her soft nervous tone. “Mother, the soldiers tried to kiss me again. I know you said we, as their caregivers, need to help them anyway we can. However, I do not understand why you insist on their pursuits of me? I am not some doll. I do not want to just be around for their use and amusement. What makes us better than common animals at that point.?” Mother Grace smiled, placing her hands to Adella’s face brushing her hair behind her ears so their eyes could meet. “My dear dear beautiful child. I wish I could make you understand. You see, the soldiers are our protectors. They protect us from those horrendous beasts. We owe them our lives. As you know, the king long ago proclaimed that we, as the caregivers , take care of all their needs. Then in return they will take care of us, by keeping us safe. When I took you from the orphanage when you were young, you swore an oath to do whatever I needed of you. Was that a lie my dear?” Adella sighed in defeat at her mothers words, moving herself away from her grasp. “I understand what I agreed to all those years ago. However, now I’m sixteen, all these changes you want from me, I cannot handle it. Ever since my birthday you’ve been pushing these new expectations of me. Claiming that I owe all these things on top of my normal duties. I just want to go back to the way things were. I want to save lives, not owe the soldier’s my own.” In anger Mother Grace slapped Adella across the face knocking her to the ground while yelling. “I paid for you, I raised you, I fed you, I clothed you, I taught you everything I knew. You are mine to decide what you do. You speak of normal duties? This is your new normal. I will not be having this discussion again with you. Now do your job child.” Without another word Mother Grace left to once again tend to the wounded. Adella held her stinging face into her hands, staring at the ground beneath her. At that moment, Adella realized she was no better than any animal. The creatures she was raised to believe she was better then. In reality, her life was for the use of others. With no say or any availability to object. Her heart snapped in the realization. Thinking to herself, “why would any animal or human have to be forced to live a life they did not want.” She always felt the war was stupid. All the fighting, and death through the centuries, it was for nothing. Why should one creature’s life be worth more than others? Picking herself off the ground, Adella went back to her tent. She decided she was going to find a way to help end this war once and for all, if it was the last thing she did. As night came and the campsite slowed into a still in cold silence. The only thing that could be heard was the flicker of the flames against the burning wood, along with the far distant chatter of the night-watch. With a dark cloak draped hiding her face, Adella moved through the silent shadows. It was one of the many skills she learned, growing up in the slums as a child. The only way to survive back then, was to take what you needed. Now, she will take her future and life for herself once and for all. Swiftly moving into the grand hall, Adella took a small breath eyeing her target. With skilled hushed movements, she snuck up to the sleeping cub’s cage. It was golden, adorned with metal thorns and vines all around it. Entrapping the sleeping newborn within. With some skilled tricks she hasn’t used in a decade, Adella was able to pick the lock. Taking the cub out, she wrapped it in a small blanket. She held it against her chest in a frantic attempt to sooth its cries, worried that the soldiers would be alerted. With nothing left to do, she ran towards the hill to reach the river. In the distance she could hear people shouting frantically about the now missing cub. Fear bubbling up inside her, Adella couldn’t focus on the path ahead. She tripped down the hill. Rolling onto the damp forest ground, hurting her leg in the process. She knew there was not any time to spare. Picking up the crying baby she wrapped it once again, and went towards the river. Limping as fast as she can, Adella looked up the hill for any sign of the soldiers. To her dismay she caught the eye of a young foot soldier. Frantically she hobbled to hide behind the tree. She heard footsteps coming closer, closing her eyes almost as a last effort to hide. Feeling a presence standing before her, Adella hesitantly opened her eyes. Not to her surprise, she saw the young foot soldier from on top of the hill. He had her trapped with no escape. When he did not automatically call for his superiors however, she felt a small beam of hope grow inside her. Looking at the young man she pleaded. “Sir, I beg of you to let me go. I just want to do my part to make things better.” He stood silent staring at her, almost as if he was contemplating his next move. Before she could say another word, he blew his whistle to alert for backup. As he shouted for backup, Adella reached out grabbing his arm, with tears flowing down her face pleading for his mercy. “Please! I beg of you to let me go! What do I and this child have for you to gain?” While Adella was crying to the young soldier for her freedom, she didn’t notice the soldiers coming from behind the young man in front of her. The men came forward, ripping the cub from her grasp. They grabbed her arms placing them to her sides, thus to keep her from escaping. Adella looked in horror through her running tears, as she watched the Captain walk forward through the crowd. With his notorious sadistic smirk he looked at the terrified girl, now kneeling before him. The captain tilts her chin up to look into her eyes. He leaned forward whispering in the ear of the young girl, in an amusing cold tone. “Now what do we have going on here?” Adella looked up meeting his gaze, hatred pouring out of her tears, as she stared back in silence. Waiting for the girl’s response, the Captain’s grin turns into a deadly scowl while his eyes turn dark. He moved his hand, roughly gripping her face. Speaking in a low deadly whisper “I asked you a question little girl, and I am not one to be ignored.” Moving her head away from his grasp Adella spoke. “ I was just trying to make things right for once. I meant no trouble.” Ignoring her words, the captain gripped the girl’s hair in his hands. Her face twisted in pain, as he pulled her head towards his. Inhaling her scent as he smelled her hair while letting out a low chuckle. “Be such a shame to waste such a beauty, but you have performed reason to the highest degree. Breaking in, aiding a criminal of war in an escape attempt, going against your duties and sworn oaths. What pray tell should I do with you? I have the power to let you walk free, or more importantly I have the power to slit that pretty little neck.” As he said this the captain moved his lips to graze Adella’s neck softly. Instinctively she moved herself away as best she could, only to be held back in pace by the guards. Adella spit at him screaming out in response, “ Leave me alone you pretentious ogre! In your idiocy, you intentionally ignored that this criminal you speak of is only a baby! Kill me or not I have no regrets, but I shall never bow and grovel to the likes of you! Either let me go or kill me already, I refuse to be toyed with!” she spat at him once again, hatred coating each word that she screamed. Taken back by these words, The captain wiped the spit from his cheek as he smiled. Looking around towards his men they all began laughing in sadistic unison. In an instant the Captain pulled out his sword and aimed it at the middle of the girl’s neck. “ My dear, my dear, death would be just too easy. A naughty little girl like you deserves a lesson. Here is what I am going to do for you baby doll. I will let you live, I’ll even let you leave with most of your honor intact. But tonight you will be branded on this soft and delicate neck of yours. Just a simple letter T for the traitor you are. Living in disgrace for the rest of your days will be the least of your worries. If anyone is to find this mark on you, they can turn you into the local authorities for a cash reward that even the king himself would blush at. Once turned in, your life is in their hands. For you to be executed, tortured, anything is up to the Captain your turned into.” Without another word the captain turned, putting his sword back in its sheath. He walked away followed by the young soldier who turned her in. The young man nestled the tiny cub into his shoulder. Adella and him locked eyes before he turned back to the Captain. The last thing Adella saw before the flaming iron scorched her neck was his eyes. Looking at her with pity and sadness. She screamed a heartbreaking cry, before she lost consciousness due to the pain. The rest of the soldiers left her laying there near the stream. Unconscious, branded, and broken.
