Rieka: Run Away

It began on a sunny afternoon.

Rieka curled against Liam’s side. Stealing a moment, away from the knowing smiles, and dropped hints. “We should run away,” she said idly.

“Run away to where?” Liam asked, gently carding his fingers through her hair.

“I dunno. Away. Have an adventure. That sounds like fun.”

Liam chuckled, shifting just enough that he could give her a kiss. Sweet and warm, it sent a tingle down her spine. “You know, I think running away together should really count as an engagement, don’t you liebling?” he asked

Rieka pretended to think for a moment. Tried to pretend that Liam’s question hadn’t just set her heart into a giddy flutter. “I think you’re right,” she agreed, breaking into a wide smile.

—————————————————————————————————————————————

It began with a flash of steel and a scream.

The bandit clutched his stomach, where his insides were falling out. Rieka watched in horror as he fell.

“Rieka! Rieka are you okay?” Liam. Concerned, gentle hands running over her arms, her face, looking for wounds.

“I’m okay,” she said, tearing her eyes from the carnage. “I’m— okay.” She cupped Liam’s face, spattered with blood, none of it his own.

He took her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. Then turned to face their rescuer. “Thank you, for saving us.”

The woman Rieka had just seen dispatching bandits as if they were nothing smiled. “Hey no problem,” she said. “You’re lucky I was around y’know. Can’t turn over a rock without tripping over some criminal. What are a couple of farm kids doing wandering around this area anyway?”

“We’re looking for an adventure,” Rieka said. Soft, and distant. She’d never seen such brutality before.

“Well honey, you sure found it. Say— my company’s always looking for fresh faces. Why don’t you come along with me? We’ll train you up, make sure you can defend yourselves next time something like this happens.” She nudged at the limb of one of corpses scattered around.

Liam looked to Rieka. Silently asking what she wanted to do. Slowly, Rieka nodded. “Thank you. We accept.”

————————————————————————————————————————————————

It began with a smile, and an invitation.

Later, Rieka could never really remember what happened there. Just that he was charming, kind, and oh-so-convincing.

———————————————————————————————————————————————

It began at a farm.

Rieka slowly circled the room, brushing her hand along the wall. “You know I grew up on a place like this,” she said. “It was nice. Quiet, peaceful. A bit too much so for my taste.”

“Please,” the dragonborn woman whimpered, clutching her husband. “We’ve given you everything we can. Please. Let me take him to the healers.”

“I can’t do that,” Rieka said. “You know what you’ve done. You can’t be permitted to live, after that.” *(But what has she done! A small part of Rieka screamed.)* Rieka shook her head to clear it.

Liam came in from the back room, dragging a small child with him. There was a scream of anger, a spat of acid. And then there was silence, and a dead family.

“This— can’t be right,” Liam said, staring at the bodies. His mace dripped blood on the floor. “Can it?”

Rieka reached for his hand, squeezing it tightly. “It is, Liam. He told us so.”

———————————————————————————————————————————

It began with a smile, and a compliment.

He was pleased with their work. They’d passed the initiation. They were part of his army now.

*(No no no no no no!)*

——————————————————————————————————————————

It ended with a knife, and blood on her hands.

*“Don’t you see what he’s doing to us? To you?”* Liam had said.

*“He’s controlling us! Making us do things! We’re not murderers Rieka, he’s making us that!”*

*“I’m not a traitor— I love you. Please, liebling—”*

Now Rieka sat, by a cooling body, Liam’s lifeless eyes staring up at the sky. Her head felt clearer than it had in a long time.

So she ran away.