Sapphic Voices Fantasy

Transforming Vengeance

She played in the garden, making a game of pulling the weeds. Giselle always made her work into a game. Of course the old lady would yell at her if she had too much fun, so she had to temper her games with enough work to make it seem like she wasn’t really having fun.

She didn’t notice the strange riders, she was too busy pulling a milkweed plant from near the tomatoes. The sticky sap filled weed resisted her efforts to come to grips with it and pull it out by the roots.

The shout and cry was what got her attention, as Jess went down his head a bloody mess from where the axe had split it. Giselle moved to run out the back way of the garden, but a strange rider was waiting for her, and herded her to the other women who were standing around, fright on their faces.

Giselle looked up in consternation at the leer on the face of the horsemen who had herded the women together. More riders came over and looked over the assembled women, making comments in a tongue she didn’t understand.

Finally one rider got down and came over and grabbed Giselle by the arm, while another rider grabbed her from the other side. They started marching her to the barn. She was scared but resolute in not showing fright.

What they did to her in the barn was awful. She finally screamed and yelled and fought with all her strength but they were just too strong, too many, and too determined to have their way with her.

After the group of men finished she gathered up her tattered rags of a dress and bided her time. When they started squabbling over the split of spoils she took the time to run into the woods and lose herself in the underbrush. She lay hidden deep in the wood all night long and only the next morning made her way back to her father’s homestead.

The first thing she saw was the bodies of the men folk. All had been cut down, even Jomy the little one of eight. The women were huddled together mourning their dead husbands and brothers and sons. The house smoldered, the roof had half caught fire but the dew of the morning kept it from spreading.

Giselle organized the women into a bucket brigade to put out the flames. It kept her busy and not thinking about what had happened to her and the other women. Finally the fire was out, and Giselle organized the women into burial details. She kept a tight rein on what she allowed herself to think, what memories she allowed herself to remember for the past forty eight hours.

They got the men buried and took stock of what the raiders had driven off. They had taken the milk cow, three horses, and the herd of pigs. Not a grand haul by bandit standards, but worth the raid.

Finally around sunset, it all caught up to her, and she fell crying to the ground. Crying for the hurt, the pain and the loss of innocence. Crying for being forced over a line she would not have chosen. Her thighs ached and she felt filthy. She sat near the well and cried.

The old granny found her and wrapped a shawl around her shoulders and sat with her as she sobbed.

“You did good today dear.” Mattie said as she rubbed her shoulders. “You organized us and took charge, something we needed someone to do desperately. I know it hurts so bad now, but you are strong, take the pain and use it to strengthen your resolve to not let this ruin your life.”

“But they took from me the one thing that I had all my own. They stole my innocence.” Giselle sobbed.

“Yes, but they couldn’t take your spirit, they couldn’t touch your soul. They violated your body, but that is all they could do to you. They couldn’t break you. You are the strongest of us, the women are looking for you to lead us out of this trying time, as you led us this afternoon.” Giselle sniffled, but regained her composure.

“You are right, I have a responsibility to you. Just as I have another responsibility, to see that the raiders pay for killing Jess and Clyde and poor little Jomy.”

“Come let us get supper and we can plan for what we will do tomorrow.”

#

Giselle cleaned herself up and went and got another dress, for the one she was in was in tatters. She joined the other women at a common meal of barley soup and bread.

As they were cleaning up afterward Giselle went to the mantel and took down her father’s sword. The raiders had overlooked it in their hurry to plunder the homestead.

“What are you going to do with that.” Mattie asked Giselle as she swung it to and fro in the manner her father had taught her.

“I am going to slice out the heart of the raiders one by one. I shall kill them as they killed Jess and Jomy.

“But they will kill you if you attack them with a sword.”

“Then I will die, but I will try and take as many of them with me as possible.” Giselle vowed.

“But we need you here, to guide us through the next months for they will be hard with our men folk dead.”

“Someone needs to go and tell what happened in the settlement. They have to know these raider are around.”

“But why you?”

“Because I must, don’t ask me how I know, but I know I must.”

With tears in her eyes Mattie came up and took Giselle in an embrace.

“Then go with the Lady, I will tell the others, we have two horses left, which will you ride?

“The hammer headed roan, he has plenty of bottom and will go all day on a handful of oats.”

“Please be careful, and take no chances.” Mattie squeezed her arm in good-bye.

#

The settlement rambled along Waller creek, dodging in and out among the trees. As Giselle rode into the town she checked in the stable to see if the stolen horses were there. She didn’t see them out in the yard.

Giselle carried the sword on a baldric across her shoulders. She stopped at the stable yard and tied up the hammerhead roan. She made her way over to the local tavern to see if she could gather information, see if maybe the raiders had of come through the settlement after the raid.

The place was dim and noisy, and smelled of cheap beer and unwashed bodies. She wrinkled her nose at the stench. There were several customers at the tables and along the bar. One patron stood out, dressed as she was in a mail shirt and carrying a short sword in a belt sheath. There was something familiar about her, though they had never met.

Giselle strolled up to the bar and ordered a beer. As she sipped the vile brew, she got her bearings and figured out what she had to do. First off she had to listen, for the patrons talked plenty loud and on all manner of subject, she knew travelers would make prime gossip so she kept her ears open.

The pinch she felt on her butt shocked her into jumping. The man who had pinched her laughed.

“Say sweet cheeks what brings you out of your hole.” The drunken man said.

“I am looking for information”

“Well you are in luck, I have information, and it will cost you but a kiss.”

“I am not going to kiss you.” Giselle said in shock.

“Ah so you want to get right down to it, well lets go someplace private and we can share information and other things.”

Giselle knew of nothing else to do, so she hit him, a nice straight punch which smashed the man’s nose and knocked him back into one of his friends. The man nearly fell down, and two things happened: he roared and started to reach for his blade, and the woman in chain reached over and clubbed him behind the ear, dropping him like he was pole axed.

“You might want to be gone when he comes to.” The woman said to Giselle.

“But what about the information I came in here to get?” Giselle asked.

“Well unless you want to beat it out of him I think the chances are slim or none that you get anything useful.”

Giselle started for the door, followed by the woman who was watching the crowd for any who might want to join in on the fun. They made it to the door and out with no altercation.

“My name is Goldie, what type of information are you looking for?”

Quickly Giselle outlined the raid on her homestead and her coming looking for the raiders. She told her how she wanted to find out if the raiders had come this way.

Goldie looked at Giselle with some admiration. “You are going after those raiders on your own, you must be a whiz with that sword if you think you can catch up and fight them.”

“My father showed me some tricks, I just want to find where they took our herd of pigs and horses.”

“Well I have been in town a couple of days, and no one has come in selling horses or pigs that I know of. There was a couple of rough looking fellows who rode in, checked out the tavern, then rode out. That is about the extent of the comings and goings of folk.” Goldie told her.

“How long ago was that?” Giselle asked.

“That was earlier today, they headed out of town to the west.”

“Then that is where I have to get going, I must catch up and stop them before they can sell our stock.”

Goldie cursed long hard and low.

“What is the matter?” Giselle asked.

“I can’t let you go off alone after those guys.”

“As much as I would appreciate the company, you have no connection to this.”

“Sure I do, I like your pluck and would hate to see it ended. I guess we better head out there together.”

“Are you sure, I mean to have bloody vengeance on the men who raped me and mine and killed my father and brothers.”

“Then what are we waiting for.” Goldie grinned a feral grin.

#

They came upon the raider encampment about five kilometers outside of the settlement to the west. The raiders were camped along little Scoggin creek and looked to have made themselves at home. Makeshift shelters crowded the clearing and a hastily put together brush pen kept the herd of pigs from wandering off. Giselle saw the three horses in the raiders string of horses and smelled the cow cooking slowly over the fire.

Daisy had been a damn fine milk cow, Giselle thought. It was one more thing the raiders would have to pay for.

After their first observation of the camp they sat back in the woods and planned. Giselle just wanted to walk into camp and start swinging. Goldie told her the plan was simple and direct, and an easy way to the afterlife.

Goldie came up with an alternate plan, to release the animals and start a confusion in the camp, then sneak in and deal with the raiders while they were scattered. Giselle didn’t like it, but she saw the wisdom of creating a distraction. There were eight raiders in the group, which was a bit much to take on in one fell swoop.

Goldie started it by untying the horses and shooing them away, that got four of the raiders out of the camp cursing and complaining about fidgety horses.

The pigs didn’t want to leave the corral, though Giselle tore a big hole at the back of the pen. She cut the throat of the raider who was standing guard over the pigs, and went to the main camp, looking for trouble.

The raiders saw her and laughed as if at a joke.

The bandit chief was a little more ticked off and said.

“Well girl you caused me and mine a bit of work, work we will take out on you. Cletus grab that sword from her and tie her up.”

Cletus, a sour smelling man with a face like a rodent moved to do as his boss said, but found himself with a cut on his arm from the flashing blade. He drew his own sword and growled.

“Don’t kill her, she is too pretty a strumpet to waste killing.” The raider chief yelled.

Cletus stepped in threatening with his sword then grabbed at her again. He barely got his hand back.

“Bitch is playing for keeps.” He yelled.

“What you can’t take one little girl.” The chief almost laughed at the absurdity of it all.

Cletus tried again, only this time he got three inches of steel in his gut. He made a gasping sound and sat down hard. The rest of the bandits moved towards Giselle intent clear in their eyes. With a shout Goldie was among them hewing left and right, cutting down a raider with each strike.

The surprise of her attack bought the two of them precious seconds which they put to use in the most efficient and effective way. Soon all but the Raider chief was down.

“Who the hell are you?” He shouted.

“I am a victim that won’t stay that way. You attacked my homestead and killed my family. Now you die for it.”

With a quick flourish she got beyond the bandit chiefs guard and struck him down.

She immediately went to one knee and vomited. Goldie stood over her, one arm on her shoulder.

“There there little one, you have done what you needed to do. Take the time to let it soak in.”

“I just feel sick, not elated how I thought I would feel.”

“Yeah that is how it is the first time you kill. It is an unnatural act for most people. It is something you have to deal with on your own terms.”

“Does it get any easier?”

“Do you want it to?”

“I guess not.”

#

They hired a kid from the settlement to help them to herd the pigs back to the homestead. As they rode up Mattie could see the changes that had happened within Giselle, and knew she would never be the playful child she had been before.

“Light and set, we don’t have much but what we have is yours.” Mattie said by way of introduction.

“Thank you old mother, we have a few things that belong to you and yours.” With that Goldie swung down a satchel that contained stolen odds and ends that had been looted by the raiders.

Giselle led the horses to the pen, these included the raiders mounts and equipment. They would take the best of the horses with them when they left, but right now she let them into the corral and closed the gate. She walked over to Mattie as Goldie was just finishing the explanations of how they had gotten the stuff back and what the division of spoils would be.

“That seems fair, you two took the risks and did the work, you should have your choice of the horses. We are just happy to get what we can.” Mattie told her.

“Something else Mattie, I am not staying.” Giselle told her, expecting an argument.

“I suppose that is to be expected, after what you have been through. I would try and talk you out of it, but I can see by the set of your jaw that would do no good, you always was a stubborn girl.”

“She is not a girl anymore, not after what she has done.” Goldie said, Giselle blushed slightly.

Mattie raised her eyebrow but didn’t say anything.

“Don’t let one time fool you into thinking it is all like that.”

“That is not it, You know I never fooled around with the boys, except in playing their games. I have never been interested in boys in that way.”

“Yes, much to your mother’s suffering heart. She had hoped you would settle down as you got older and would start to show an interest. I suppose that is a false hope.”

“It is just that, well Mattie, she makes me feel alive, more alive than I have ever felt. Even after we, after the raiders we talked and I could see my life open up for the first time.” Giselle said haltingly.

“Child you do not have to explain it to me, the heart wants what the heart wants. You have already grown so far past the little girl who would play with pulling the weeds in the garden. For what it is worth, you have my blessing.” Mattie said to Giselle.

“Let’s go in and tell the others, might as well get it over with over supper.”Giselle said.

The three women walked into the homestead and was greeted by the rich smells of supper. They sat and partook of a simple feast, talking desultorily about the business of the homestead.

Giselle’s mother broached the subject towards the end of the meal.

“There will be so much extra work around here, now that, well since the men folk are gone.” Giselle looked over at Goldie and Goldie cleared her throat.

“Mother, I am going with Goldie, there is nothing here for me anymore.” Giselle said softly.

There was a quiet stir around the table, with some of the girls looking daggers at Goldie, others with a knowing half smile.

“But dear there is so much we need done, and the way you took charge after the raid, how can you leave?” Her mother asked.

“It is just different, everything is now, I am not the same, and will never be the same as the girl I was. I have killed. You don’t know what that does to your heart and soul.”

“Oh dear, I am sorry, but we can try and make things better.”

“But I will never fit in around here again, a piece of me died. The piece that could stay here and do the work of the homestead, be a part of this family. There is just bitter ash where that girl used to be.” Giselle said near tears.

“I can’t hope to understand what you have gone through, but please consider your family, they need you.”

“I have thought about it, and they do not need me as much as I need to get away. This place will stifle me, I could never be happy here.” Her mother started to cry, and her sisters looked daggers at her.

She was resolute though, and her mother and aunts couldn’t convince her. Mattie didn’t try she just held her counsel until the end, then she spoke up.

“The girl we knew has died, she is forever gone from us, and to try and keep her shade here would just lead to grief for all. She has done things which have scarred her, and to stay here would only deepen the scars and make her pain worse. With this one she at least has someone to go into the world with and have a chance at finding some kind of peace for her soul. The homestead has plenty of hands, and we will get more men folk, Molly and Trisha are of marrying age, and that is what we need. Families to plant their seed and grow here. That is something Giselle would never have done. The young woman who is now my granddaughter goes with my blessing.”

There was nothing more to be said after that. They said their good-byes that night, and Giselle packed and made ready to leave with Goldie the next morning.

She went to put her father’s sword back over the mantel, and was stopped by her mother.

“No you keep it, as a memory of your father. He would have wanted you to have it. No one else around here can use it, and you seem to have a talent with it. May it serve you as well as it served your father in the wars.” Giselle hugged her mother tight.

“Oh my little girl, I am so sad to see you go, but I see now there is nothing to keep you here. Your path lies beyond these walls and this land, go with the Lady’s blessing.” Her mother said hugging her tightly.

In the morning they were gone.

If you have enjoyed Elle Goff's "Transforming Vengeance", then please be certain to  Contact The Writer  and thank her for posting this Story.

Click here for a list of all of Elle Goff's Stories at  Sapphic Voices Authoresses.

Copyright © 1997-2011 Sapphic Voices.  All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, all site content is entirely owned and is solely maintained by  Sapphic Voices.
Absolutely no portion of this page may be reproduced either electronically or otherwise without the express
and written permission of the copyright holder, except as occurs in normal browser caching and page indexing.