Emerald's Rogue (Part 8)

Rogue came up to get her, wondering why she had not come down yet and it was almost ten in the morning.

"Are not well my love?" He asked with concern as he sat next to her and took her hand.

"I am with child again." She smiled softly, her eyes shadowed with fatigue. He kissed her hand, a smile covering his face making him look a fool. "You are horrid to me. I finally get my figure back and start to look pretty again and you get me with child to make me fat again." She pouted with a teasing glint in her eye.

"You were never fat, nor shall you ever be. And you are not just pretty, you are breathtaking." He kissed her sweetly then stood. "I’ll have Molly bring you some soothing tea and biscuits. And Reba can bring the twins in later today when you are up to it."

"It’s a good thing we weaned them from the tit last month or the poor woman would be dried up." She smirked. He smiled back at her and left. Emerald fell back asleep quickly.

When she woke again it was to an unwelcome sight. Grumdel was hovering over her. She opened her mouth to scream and he shoved a scarf in her mouth.

"My lord Darkonious wants you." He whispered. Emerald noted how dark it was outside and wondered why no one had waked her all day. He grabbed her hands and tied them even as she tried to claw him.

As he went to pick her up she kicked him in the groin and ran for the door. He grabbed her and backhanded her knocking her out. When he picked her up and turned he knocked over her paints and stupidly stepped in it then left by the balcony, the way he had come in.

Rogue came up to get Emerald for dinner, figuring that since she had been left to sleep the day away she would have the energy and the appetite to join him and the others downstairs.

When he opened the door and saw the empty bed the torn sheets, the spilled paints the large footprints that lead to the balcony he knew that Darkonious had his wife.

He ran into the next room and saw his children where safe. Then he ran down the stairs raising the alarm. He put double guards on his children and threaten the men with the worst possible torture if aught befell his children then he sent word to Alex that Emerald was gone.

He took a hundred of his best, most skilled fighters and the two best trackers he had and set out to find his wife, who was with child. He informed everyone of this and it heightened the need to find Lady Hawkington even more.

It took them two days but they finally found the trail that Grumdel left. Though he was a large man he was sneaky. He had backtracked twice and crisscrossed a river three times in hopes of loosing Rogue. But he didn’t count on Rogue’s deep love for Emerald or his determination to destroy Grumdel and Darkonious.

It was a very cold night in late February when Rogue and his men came to a hilltop and saw Darkonious’ castle. It was nothing more than ruins but what made them stop was the one black dragon and the fifty harpies outside the castle. They where equivalent to an army of a thousand, at least.

Rogue told his men to pull back quietly and set camp a few miles back. He need time to think how best to attack. He just hoped it wouldn’t be too late for Emerald and their unborn child in her womb.

"Please Veakoth and Bo-vina let her live and let us destroy this evil.