Leaving For the New Life (open)

[Eleanor de Coinete]

It was a calm night, one that seemed to cast a shadow of slumber on all it's surroundings. The very air itself was still and silent. Only the faint glow of lantern light gave away signs of life. The bearer of that man made star was Eleanor de Coinete. The woman was struggling with her many bundles, trying to disturb the quiet as little as possible. The infant Joel was asleep in a sling atound her neck and Henry in a carrier on her back. She held the sleeping form of Marguerite in one arm and struggled to keep a basket and linen sack aloft in the other. Ahead, Richard and William were in like situations, each ladened down with a sack nearly as big as they were. If Eleanor had had time to think things through she would not have bothered to pack so much but as was evident by the bruised, swelling of her left eye, she had not had her wits about her.

Eleanor had finally had enough with Geoffrey. His earlier Rampage had nearly involved the vhildren, enough so to rekindle the flame of rebellion within his wife. And now she was fleeing. Not just her household, but her planet.

***********

The spaceport was worse than she had thought it would be. Crowded and noisy, nothing like she had ever imagined. And it was so alien from the quaint safety of home. How she would ever figure out how to navigate here was beyond Eleanors ability at the moment. Sleep had been an elusive force the previous night when they had boarded the tiny transport that had brought htem here.

Sighing, she led the children to a small bench where they relieved themselves of their belongings. Joel and Marguerite were soon asleep and the boys were quick to follow. Despite her efforts, Eleanor found her eyelids betraying her, following the tempting call of slumber.

It was little over an hour before she woke, startled by some dream that quickly melted away. Letting out a breath of relief Eleanor shifted the children so she could move her stiff joints. It was then that she discovered Henry was gone. For a moment her heart stopped. The spaceport was a large place, there was a million people that could have taken him. As any mother, Eleanor started to imagine the worst.

"Henry? Henry?"

She shook Richards shoulder, still glancing around the crowds.

"Richard! Richard, where's your brother? Where's Henry?"

"Mmm? I dunno Mum, lemme alone."

Eleanor stood up on her chair, her breath catching in her throat.

"Henry! Henry!"

She grabbed the shoulders of passerbys, frantically searching their faced for any sign of recognition.

"Have you seen my son? He's three, brown hair, very small, he's very small!"

Each one dhook their head, walked away from her without caring. By now the others were awake, Joel was crying. Eleanor scooped him up and tried to shoosh him.

"Shhh... Shhh.... It's all right, it's going to be all right."

But that was something that Eleanor could not gaurentee. Her vision was blurred by salty wetness that just made her desperation seem worse. Her throat was tight, she couldn't even shout anymore. Where was the security? Did they even have them here?

"Henry..."

[Cherice St_Hilare]

The Succubi had gone to the spaceport to search for some "new game". Life at home was beginning to get more than boring, and Cherice wanted some ... excitement.

So, here she was - lost within a bustling crowd, each headed for a different destination that could cause a turning point in their life, or ultimately lead to their demise.

.. But it was a little boy that caught her attention.

He looked about three, with the most angelic, wondrous eyes a person could look into and realize what true innocence looked like. His brown hair was toussled and his cheeks had streaks of dry tears. "Mommy," he cried out, reaching out to any stranger with short arms.

He was swept up by Cherice.

He reminded her so much of Aiden that she couldn't bear to see the child in so much distress, and didn't even think of the mother. What horrible condition was she in right now, knowing that her son was lost in this huge place where anything went.

"Hush, it'll be alright," said the lightly-purple skinned woman as she began to walk through the crowd, scanning the people with blue eyes to see who looked like they had lost a child.

[Eleanor de Coinete]

"William, don't move, stay in your seat!"

There was no need to have raised her voice but Eleanor did not need another of her offspring to dissapear.


"Please, Sir, have you seen my son, he's three, very sma--"

The man shook his head, shrugged her off. Eleanor brought her hand up to her face, wincing as it brushed against the tender skin around her eye. It was getting worse, swollen shut now but that was the least of her concerns. Richard, at least, was being helpful, making sure the other two stayed put, leeping an eye on their things.

"Stay here, I'm going to look over there for just a minute. Don't move!"

But Eleanor didn't have to go anywhere. She heard a familiar cry and turned, spotting Henry in the arms of a woman who appeared to be searching the crowds.

"Henry!"

Passing the whimpering Joel to Richard, she ran to the woman, scooping her son into her arms.

"Don't you ever do that again! You scared me!"

She pressed him to her, afraid that if she didn't hold on tightly he'd escape again. Turning her gaze to the woman she smiled gratefully.

"Thank you. Thank you so much, I didn't know where he was, I didn't mean to fall asleep and then when I woke up he was gone! I was so worried. How can I repay you?"

[Cherice St_Hilare]

"There is no need for a .. reward. Just keep a closer eye on him, for another minute and he could've landed up into the arms of someone not so nice."

It was obvious the mother knew this, for the frantic look and despair in her eyes was just beginning to fade away, leaving traces of worry. But, there was one thing that troubled Cherice. The woman had a black eye, and it didn't match her lovely features at all. Instead, it degraded her, and it was obvious that she was one of a 'noble' stature.

"I know it's none of my business, but it's not often a woman with children goes to a spaceport with a ... swollen eye. Might I inquire what went wrong?"

[Eleanor de Coinete]

Eleanor had hoped it would go unnoticed in the rowdy spaceport. The bruise did not bother her for woman in her town were brought up to believe that the only roles meant for them to play were that of dutiful mothers and obediant wives. Had she not been the bearer of five young ones, Eleanor would have stayed with Geoffrey and ridden it out until the end of her days.

"The transport that brought us here had a rough time of the trip. I stumbled and was unfortunate enought to hit a low cargo compartment. It is nothing but I thank you for asking."

Eleanor busied herself with inspecting Henry for any wounds, hoping the scarlet that stained her cheeks would go unnoticed. When it became evident that her son was fine, Eleanor motioned Richard to bring Joel to her. The infants sobs had dissipated to tiny hiccups and she smiled, fixing his collar that had gone astray.

[Eleanor de Coinete]

*bump*:)