Cottoncrow's Cry - Prologue
Why had he let it come this far?
This wasn’t as it should happen. This shouldn’t be happening at all!
Gimli struggled against the three men holding him down, mindless of the sword inches from his neck.
“Stop this foolishness!” He bellowed at the group that had the crowd’s attention. “This will solve nothing!”
But the group he was shouting at ignored the dwarf’s pleas.
Chapter one
Why had he let it come this far?
This wasn’t as it should happen. This shouldn’t be happening at all!
Gimli struggled against the three men holding him down, mindless of the sword inches from his neck.
“Stop this foolishness!” He bellowed at the group that had the crowd’s attention. “This will solve nothing!”
But the group he was shouting at ignored the dwarf’s pleas.
Two men, guards, stood like towers beside a third, the executioner. He had an axe in his hands, knuckles white from the strength of his hold. He could feel the wooden shaft slip from the sweat in his palms and the weight of the wide blade. He clasped it tighter.
This was the first time he had ever done such a thing, and as strong a man as he was, his legs were trembling. He wondered if more than one strike would be needed, or if the head would fall with the first. He tried to guess how much blood there would be, or if the cut would be clean. He mostly wondered if he would be able to keep his hands steady when the time came, but thoughts like these, running through his mind, only added to his mounting nervousness. The cold sweat ran down his back like mud. His body felt clammy and unwashed and his mouth had dried of all saliva.
His face was covered to hide his identity from those watching, but in such a small village, where everyone knew everybody, that was a pointless measure.
Tom, the butcher, because all knew it was he, was not a cruel man. He took no pleasure in ending a life. Any life, even if that was part of his trade.
He figured that, in all likelihood , that had been why he was chosen. The others might have thought that it would be easier for him. Only it wasn’t.
But he understood that this had to be done in order to assure their survival, so he bowed to their choice.
He looked through the small slits in his hood at the back of the head that he was about to take. The last sunrays kissed the short-cropped hair, making the locks that weren’t covered in dirt and blood, shine like gold. Two pointed tip ears stood out like signatures on each side of the creature’s head.
The wrists looked red and raw, tied behind his back, but the hands were calm and relaxed, without nervous twitching or tremors. Even on his knees, this strange being still held his composure and grace.
The villagers had gathered in front of the scene, silent. In fact, all had grown silent. The birds, the dogs, the insects. The trees seemed to lean forward, anxious over what was to come, and even the wind had slowed its pace to watch.
The only noise breaking such ominous lack of sound was the deep voice of a dwarf, begging them to make heed of their conscience and spare his companion.
Some of the women, knowing that they wouldn’t be able to watch what was to follow, turned their backs and left. Those with children called them home, away from such a sad show.
The ones that remained had heavy expressions on their faces. They, like Tom, knew the reason why they could not falter. Still, it troubled their hearts.
Samuel had foreseen that the right time was when the setting sun touched the highest peak of the western hills. That time had come.
The prisoner willingly laid his head over the raised square stone in front of him. His eyes gazed at the shouting dwarf.
Gimli stopped struggling against his guards and returned Legolas’ gaze. The calm, blue eyes were asking him to stop.
The fading sunrays leaned towards the distant peaks. Tom took a step forward, positioning himself beside the elf, where he couldn’t see his face, but where the long neck was in plain access. He raised the axe high, taking care of the sharp blade’s position, determined to end this quickly and mercifully. He took a deep breath.
And let the axe fall.
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