Taken by Darkness
Prologue
Woken from a sound sleep in the middle of the night by a loud bang! and equally loud cry from his mother, five-year-old Ashley Purdy bolted upright in the cot he slept in. He hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since his father was killed in battle a fortnight ago, so it was no surprise he’d been sleeping lightly. Scared by the loud, foreign sounds and the angry sobbing of his mother, he crawled silently from his cot and hid in his wardrobe.
“You cannot take my babe from me!” his mother screamed. “His pledge of knighthood already allowed His Majesty to take my husband; you cannot take my babe, too!”
“Silence, you filthy sow!” A loud smack! and his mother’s cry of pain followed the sharp words. “His Majesty has ordered the boy be brought to the palace. Leave no stone unturned and do not end your search until you find him!”
Murmurs of assent followed the gruff order, and Ashley couldn’t stop himself from shaking. He clutched a stuffed kitty his mother’d made him, wide chocolate eyes trained on the doors of his wardrobe. He knew it was only a matter of time before he was found, and that he had no choice but to go with the intruders; he just didn’t think he’d be found within minutes.
“I found ’im!” a man yelled, the bright light of his lantern blinding the little boy.
“Bring him here!” the first responded.
Ashley didn’t even bother struggling, knowing it’d do him no good.
“Ashley!” his mother sobbed, trying to run to him.
“At least let me say goodbye to Mommy,” he said, his voice soft. “It may be the last time I ever see her before she joins Daddy in Heaven.”
Knowing that was true, the knight in charge let his mother go with a sigh.
“Ashley, my sweet baby boy,” she sobbed, hugging him tightly.
“Do not worry about me, Mommy,” he said, hugging her just as tightly. “I am sure they will treat me well at the palace.”
His mother was silent, save for her muffled sobs.
“Mayhap if I behave, His Majesty will let me come back to visit you,” Ashley told her.
“I certainly hope so,” she sniffled. “I love you so much, my sweet baby boy…more than words can say… Don’t you ever forget that, okay?”
“Okay. I love you just as much, Mommy.”
After another quick, but tight hug, the little boy grabbed his stuffed kitty and the hand of the man who’d found him, allowing himself to be led away.
Notes
Here's a new story I've been working on for the last couple months. It's obviously more medieval than most, if any, of my others. Why? Because I was playing The Sims: Medieval quite a bit when I started writing it, so that inspired me to take a trip down the halls of history, so to speak. But then again, I seem to like writing stories that involve a cross-dressing Ashley, so...Anywhore, I hope y'all enjoy. The first three chapters after this will be mass-published, and it'll prolly go quiet for a while. Those are the only ones I've got done, so we'll see how long it takes to finish anymore.
~Cyn
Anywhore, I hope y'all enjoy. The first three chapters after this will be mass-published, and it'll prolly go quiet for a while. Those are the only ones I've got done, so we'll see how long it takes to finish anymore.
~Cyn
@blackveilzo
We'll have to see what happens in the near future. I've been fighting my muses on this story and another one I recently started, but Writer's Block keeps trying to knock me down and kick my ass. Rest assured that that doesn't mean I'm gonna stop fighting to write... Damned if I've stopped in the last 10-15 years, so I'm not giving up that easily now. It'll prolly just be a while before I have anything else for you and anyone else who's enjoyed it thus far.
Anywhore, I'm gonna get offline and go recharge my batteries, so to speak. If I don't, I'll just end up rambling (if I haven't already), and damn sure won't be able to write anything anytime soon.
~Cyn
1/20/16