Words? I heard sword

"I don't understand what you're talking about." Rox replies calmly. He doesn't shift his ears while eyes are on him.

"Your ears are pointed now. This means you're some shape shifter, not human!" Father shouts and leaps onto the table. 

Rox jumps to his feet toppling his chair back. A few guards rush the room to block the exits. Mother grabs my arm and pulls me back from the table. Chris pushes his chair back just far enough not to get dirty.

"They have always been a little pointed. Maybe your first glance wasn't good enough?" Rox tries to make my father question his judgement.

"Nice try you disgusting creature. For making a laughing stock of this household I'm going to kill you personally." Father yells then lunges for Rox.

Rox rolls out of the way and pulls his daggers from his boots. He parries father's attacks far better than he did with his grandfather. 

"Show your true face you beast!" Father bellows.

"Ha! Says the man that acts like a cornered wild animal!" Rox yells back. Rox goes on the offense pushing father back. "Unlike you, I love Sophia!"

My tears cloud my vision so I can't see the fighting clearly. My mother grabs my shoulders and holds me back. I hear metal hitting metal as they fight. 

"Rox run!" I scream at Rox. My tears cloud my vision. We need to get out of here but mother is holding onto me tightly. Father's going to kill him. I-i can't, I can't loose him! My chest is tight. I can't breathe. 

I hear Chris yell for father to get back. I can barely make out Chris fighting with Rox. They get their weapons locked together for a few seconds. Chris falters backwards as Rox pushes him back. Rox dodges the guards as he flees from the room.

"After him!" Father yells. The guards chase after Rox.

"You!" Father barks at Chris. "You're going to go get that beast and bring him to me alive. If not you will bring dishonor to your family."

Chris nods then takes off out a different door.

"And you!" Father now has his sword pointed to me. "You brought a beast into this house and nearly married it. For all we know that thing ruined you! You ungrateful..!"

Father begins walking toward me then raises his sword high. Mother jumps infront of me. Father stops mid swing.

"Do not kill her! That goes against the church. Strip her of her title and make her a laundry room maid if anything." Mother says standing infront of me with her arms stretched out protecting me.

He ponders that for a moment. "Thank you dear for clearing my head." Father says sheathing his sword. "Sophia, from this day on you will no longer be of the noble family Stone. You are banished to the laundry room as a maid and will stay there for the rest of your days."

Father removes his belt. "But before that. You will be properly disciplined for disobedience of the church. Guards, hold her."

My mother begins to weep knowing she can't stop what's to come. I'm grabbing by both of my arms and my dress pulled up to expose part of my legs. Then my father begins whiping my calves. I do my best to not flinch from the pain because if I do the beating will last longer. Then I'm dragged off to the laundry room.

I'm thrown onto the cold stone floor and locked inside the tall circular room. It was a silo before the house was built and turned into the laundry room. There are windows up above but the only one I can reach on the lower level is barred. They all let in a pale blue light from the moon. Under the brick stairs is a large basin built of stone and mortar to wash clothes and linens in. Clothes lines spiral up with the stair case that leads to the second floor from underneath it almost looks like a cobweb. Heaps of laundry both clean and dirty are in baskets and carts along the walls.

I begin to pray that Rox is alive. The stinging of my wounds is nothing compared to the aching in my heart. Why did we come here? We should have ran! I was so stupid! I bolt for the window shoving it open and cling to the bars. The cold air wraps me in it's embrace. Come winter it's embrace will be deadly. If Rox doesn't escape maybe...

"Sophie?" Rox's hushed whisper brings me out of my dark thoughts.

"R-rox?" My voice cracks as I look around hoping it wasn't just my imagination.

He pops his small self up onto the window sil. He is missing his coat and his eyes are filled with worry. We hear guards shouting close by. 

"Step back." He says. 

Before I knew it he was in the room with me. Wrapping me in his strong arms, he pulls me into the shadows as the guards run by. We stay like this for awhile. I open my mouth to speak but he beats me to it. 

"Why are you bleeding?" He asks quietly.

How? I look up at his concerned almost glowing yellow eyes. That's right his sense of smell is better then mine.

"I was beaten and stripped of my title." I say quietly.

He holds me painfully tight.

"Rox." I choke out while tapping my hand on his arm. He instantly let's go enough for me to breath again.

"I'm sorry." He says gritting his teeth. "Your brother told me the best way out and said he would send you out to the garden shortly. If I had known you would be beaten and locked in here I would have fought everyone there to get you out."

"If you had fought them all... you might have parished. Then I wouldn't have anything to live for." I say holding onto him.

"Please never talk like that. Please live on even if I don't. I know it will be painful but my family loves you so much. It would shatter their hearts if we were both gone." Rox says quietly stroking my hair.

"Then you promise the same. Stay alive especially for your sisters." I lean my head into his hand.

"Better yet stay alive for each other." He says kissing me. 

I kiss back. To get closer I shift my weight to the balls of my feet. Pain shoots up from my calves and my legs give out. Rox holds onto me.

"Are your wounds treated?" He asked.

I avoid his eye contact.

"Sophie?"

I pierce my lips closed knowing he won't be happy the moment I say no.

"You're acting like a child Sophia Jane S..." He whispers firmly then gently. "Evergreen."

My heart skips a beat. I look at him a little shocked but give him a small happy smile.

"May I look at your wounds?" He asks gently and I nod slowly.

He guides me to the ground. Laying on my side I lift the dress hem up over my knees. Rox is lightly shaking while looking my legs over.

"Are you alright?" I ask.

"I'm angry." He says quietly. 

He gets up quickly and grabs some cloth from a clean cart. Then he draws some water from the pump into a small bowl and soaks a cloth in it. He sits infront of me and starts dabbing at my cuts and bruises. After I wince he shifts into his original sized self so he wouldn't press as hard. He works quietly and quickly. Every so often we hear guards and he hides in the shadows. 

"I'm going to go rally the tribe and raid this place to get you out of here." Rox whispers.

"You can't take me through the window with you?" I ask.

"It's not safe to take you into the betweens." Rox says.

"Oh."

"I'm sure most of the village will follow me to get you back." He explains.

"No." I firmly say.

"What?" He looks at me shocked.

"We aren't risking their lives."

"I need to get you out of here." Rox pleads.

I shake my head. "We aren't sacrificing anyone. These guys aren't organized but the other families in this town have stronger men and will send them."

I continue. "My brother got you out of the house but since he was forced to leave he couldn't get me out. He was gone before I was punished. Chris has no idea I'm here and it will probably stay that way. Father told him if he doesn't bring you back alive... it won't be pretty."

"Then how are we getting you out?" Rox searches my eyes for answers.

"We play the long game. Once Chris finds me he should send you letters on how I'm doing. I'm sure he will help get me out again." 

"How long?" He asks, the sadness in his eyes makes my heart tighten.

He is going to hate my answer.

"How long Sophie?" His voice more stern this time.

"A month? Maybe a few?" I whisper.

"A mon-?!" Rox bites his tongue. "I can't wait that long."

"I'm asking you to." I hug his neck. "I don't want the others hurt. Promise me that you will wait."

"But what hardships will you endure?"

"None that I haven't been through before. Rox I will survive. I will find you but you have to get out and get to safety!" 

"I do not like this but because you asked me to I will heed to your wish." Rox steals a kiss before slipping into the night.