Elurra’s stomach churned as she dropped a potato sack over the body of her aunt’s henchman. She glanced out the door to Ramer’s crumpled form and groaned. She didn’t know what to do. She was too small to move a body or dig a grave, but she couldn’t leave it for Terrin to see. She glanced over at his pathetic form on the floor of the kitchen, under the blanket she had draped over him.

This is all my fault. I never should have stayed here, she thought miserably. There wasn’t time for pity though. It was time to move. Without Ramer’s protection, they were helpless against her aunt’s agents.

Once again, my age is my greatest disadvantage.

With one last glance at her sleeping friend, she got to work. She rooted around until she found two travel packs and started looking for supplies. In one hour, she managed to locate bedding, cooking materials, dried food, a few books she deemed useful, all the money she could locate, an herbal kit, many of the herbs they had spent hours preparing, some valuables she assumed Terrin might want, and clothing. The hardest part was the clothing, as she anticipated they would need adult-sized outfits soon.

For Terrin, she packed some of his father’s belongings, but she had a much harder time acquiring clothing for herself. As she was searching Ramer’s room, she found some old dresses in the bottom of his trunk. She assumed they once belonged to Terrin’s mother. Elurra bit her lip as she considered it might upset Terrin if she wore them, but she didn’t think she had much of a choice and ended up packing them as well.

By the end of her labors, the packs were much too heavy to lift, so she quickly figured out a solution. Ramer didn’t have much in the way of animals, but he did have a few chickens and an old donkey Terrin took care of in the mornings. Although it took her a long time, she managed to drag the packs out to the small donkey thatch and rig them as saddlebags on each side of the docile animal. She flopped down and wiped the sweat from her brow.

Now for the hardest part, she thought as she returned to the kitchen. Terrin was no longer curled up on the floor, but it wasn’t hard to find him. She sat down beside him on the grass in front of the house. Ramer’s lifeless corpse lay next to him. She looked at her companion and silently gauged his state of mind. He was gently rocking back and forth, his empty gaze locked on the forest. His eyes were swollen and red; dried tears stained his cheeks even though he’d stopped sobbing hours ago.

What have I done? she asked herself dejectedly. The boy was stuck in her mess, forced to follow her through whatever dangers she would meet because she’d destroyed his home. She wasn't sure what she was going to do. She didn't have much of a plan.

What can I do?

Her aunt controlled everything, and all she had was a depressed fatherless peasant.

“Terrin?” she asked softly. He didn't even look up.

“What is it, Snow?”

“When my parents left for their trip, I knew they were going to die.”

She hadn't meant to say anything so morbid, but the words slipped out of her mouth before she had a chance to think about them. He glanced up, his look still guarded.

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

“I dreamed about my aunt killing them moments before they departed and begged them not to leave me alone. They ignored my warnings. They passed my dream off as a nightmare, but I knew better. That was the last time I saw them. My governess refused to let me look at the bodies because of how awful they were. I am not sure if they ever found my father's head.” She had to choke back a sob thinking about it. Terrin's gaze softened, but she could still see agony etched in his eyes. Elurra stumbled on, trying to think of anything she could say that would convince him to stay.

“I am trying to say that I understand your pain, and I know you probably have no interest in helping me now, but Nitiri is going to keep hurting people, and…” She trailed off, afraid to admit her own weakness. “Without someone with me, I suspect I will not be strong enough to stop her.”

Terrin offered no response. They were silent for what felt like ages, staring out at the forest.

“I don’t think I ever heard Ramer say he loved me,” Terrin said eventually. “But he always protected me, even though I know he blamed me for Elain’s death. Snow, I won’t be able to protect you. Ramer was right; I’m not good enough.”

He started fiddling with the white metal pendant dangling from his neck. Elurra noticed he always wore it, but she hadn’t paid it much attention until then because it looked like a chunk of metal tied to a chord. It gleamed in the light, and Elurra noticed subtle bumps covering the round surface like the craters on the moons.

“Last night, I should have done something,” he continued. “I watched that man kill Ramer, and I almost lost you, too. Sometimes Ramer would get drunk and tell me I was cursed, and I’d get everyone I loved killed. I’m terrified that he’s right.”

“How was your mother’s death your fault? How are you cursed?”

“Elain died when I was four. He refused to talk about her death, but I've heard rumors, and I have a few memories. They never make much sense. The rumors say that darkness covered the house, blocking it from the outside world. I remember...I think Demons killed her.”

He glanced over at Elurra, but her eyes were distant, as if her thoughts were elsewhere. He hastily added, “That's crazy though, right? Demons don't really exist, especially not here. I mean, people tell stories about them terrorizing the South and plagued the North on occasion, but those are just myths, right?” She looked at him thoughtfully, her mouth in a thin line. Terrin looked down at his hands.

“They came for me," he whispered after a moment of silence. “It tried to attack me. I remember Ramer and Elain were attempted to protect me. Ramer kept mumbling something about how they weren’t supposed to be able to get to me here. I thought we were all going to die, but then..." He trailed off, and Elurra gently touched his shoulder.

“What is it? Do you remember anything else?”

“Elain and Ramer were screaming. Everything was dark and cold, and I was terrified. Then there was this bright light, and the next thing I recall, they were gone, and so was Elain. After that, Ramer made me wear this.” He indicated the pendant in his fidgeting fingers. “He told me it was from my mother, to protect me. I think it hides me from them. From the Demons.”

Elurra stared at him for a long moment, her icy eyes calculating and grim. She had no clue if the pendant protected him, but she did know Demons were real, and if it shielded him from them, he was an asset against Nitiri.

“I do not think you are cursed. If you were, then I would say I am too. But maybe together we can fix that. If we can find Garthu Vore, we might also be able to protect ourselves and make a difference.”

Terrin’s expression hardened, and he nodded.

“You’re right. I’m tired of being helpless, and there’s nothing left for me here.”

“I have everything packed. Unless you want to grab something specific, you do not have to go back there,” Elurra told him as he stared at the front door warily.

“You have my atlas?” he asked.

“Of course.”

Terrin stared at the cottage with sorrow in his gaze. “Let’s go. Someone will come once Ramer starts missing visits. I don’t want to be here when they find the bodies.”

Elurra nodded and gently took his hand as she led him toward the donkey.