Chapter 2: Fading Health
6 Years from Birth
"How are you feeling to day Mother?" Thrain who stood at his mother's bedside asked his mother who seemed to look paler and paler each day, his sister who not being able to stand watching her mother like that hid behind her brother.
"Hela, why don't come up here and tell your mother how your day was" watching how her own daughter was too scared to look at her Serge forced herself to sit-up, and encourage her daughter to climb up onto the bed with her.
Due to her mother's instance she joined her on the bed, but she made sure to not touch her body as to not make her worse, taking hold of Hela and forcing her to sit on her legs she asked "hey say do you want to hear the story of how I met your father?" feeling the soft pats she was receiving from her mother Hela was in her own world so she could not be counted on to respond, so the honor fell onto Thrain, nodding to her he took a sit on a chair at the bed side.
"Oh where to begin" with a finger to her lip she wondered out loud then as if having remembered information of the greatest importance she struck a fist onto her open palm.
"When I was born, my parents gave me up to the Church, and since then I lived my life being taught that my life was brought into this life to be spent in service to the gods"
"When I turned 15, that's 10 years ago from now, I was sold off to Patriarch of the Snake clan by those I thought of as family" hearing that their mother had been sold off to an enemy clan who had waged war on their clan since before they were born.
"I see that you have question, but don't rush me it's a long story"
"I met your father a few months before I was sold off, and to this day he refuses to tell me what he saw in me." From that point on she spoke as if she was lost her memories.
"He came to the church once to accompany a friend, and since that day he always made sure to drop by and send time with me. He told me stories his adventures and of the outside world, He took my bleak outlook on life and gave me something to hope for."
"I fell for him, I mean back then I didn't even what I felt was love all I knew was that I wanted to have adventures of my own with him at least ones that my body allowed"
"But then I was sold off to Laufi the Patriarch of the Snake clan, I believed everything to be over until he came along, he who was just a wondering mercenary at the time snuck into Ormborg the capital of the snake clan and kidnapped me from the grasp of a clan Patriarch, to this day Laufi is known as Ormlaus (Meaning Serpent Without)"
"From there he a man who valued freedom was forced to return to his homeland to take up the responsibility of Patriarch so he could have an army to off the snake clan" as she was about to continue she began to cough out blood.
Cough, cough, cough
The children who while not understanding some of the things their mother spoke of just enjoyed watching their mother smile as she reminisced, were pulled back to reality by their mother's coughing.
"Here you are mother, please have some water." Thrain who had been sitting by his mother's bedside offered her a glass of water in hopes that she could get better, but it was to no avail.
The maids who had chosen to give the family some room came rushing through the doors when they heard the drop in their matriarch's health.
"Can someone please go get father" the head maid gave the order for one the maids while the rest worked to bring comfort to Serge.
Serge forced the maids to give her some room so as to talk to her children who looked at the commotion in horror. "Thrain, Hela I promise to finish the story tomorrow so why don't you cough go and cough cough have cough cough cough fun"
While walking away from the room they heard the pleas of the maids.
"Please mistress lie down, if you keep this up you won't be able to last through the night" they did not hear the final part of the sentence otherwise they would have refused to leave their mother's side.
It now night time in Bilskirnir and Thrain could be seen in his room agitatedly twisting about the bed as he tried to fall asleep, but all he saw when he closed his eyes was his mother's dying body.
Knock knock
"Who is it?" hearing a knock on his door he called out to know who it was because he rarely had visitors at this time of day.
"Brother can I please come in?"
"Oh! Hela, do come in" when she finally entered he saw the look on his sister's face and that was all he needed to know he was not the only one having trouble sleeping. Patting the open space besides him he called out to Hela.
"Brother, is mother going to be safe?"
"I don't know, but she gave us her word finish her tale so I'm sure you can ask her that yourself tomorrow" seeing the reassuring smile on her brother's smile Hela's worry completely evaporated.
With one another in arms reach they were finally able to fall asleep, that was until they were woken up by the shouts of a guard from outside the door.
"My Prince! My Prince! Please wake it's the Matriarch!"