It was a sunrise that most Ravenshore villagers would see as just another day, but for a select few, it would be the beginning of a long and terrible nightmare. Clouds rolled in from the Eastern Sea, heavy and black. The cool air was thick with the smell of rain; perhaps an omen of things to come.
Dest steered the horse drawn wagon into the town center of Ravenshore. There the people of the small fishing town were already crowding around the traveling Black Rabbits. Some of their faces were worn with the experience. Others wore a scowl of distaste. Mothers hugged their children tightly as if this was the last time they’d see their offspring.
“Denizens of Ravenshore, we are representatives of the Black Rabbit clan. The time has come to call upon your town to help serve our deity Alanna and our clan. But it is also your chance to help serve your town, your family, and yourselves,” Dest said.
No one dared to speak out. In the beginning there were hints of protest, but the clan truly did keep the bandits at bay.
Dest, Vemrick, and Legion hopped down and started to grab the young children and line them up. Dest continued to address the people as she worked, “Your cooperation is greatly appreciated, and this won’t take long. Have your children line up quickly and quietly so that we can begin the inspection.”
Standing up straight in a single file line, the children of Ravenshore stood side by side with anxious faces, waiting for the Black Rabbit clan to take their pick of new recruits. Their mothers sobbed, watching as their fearful children flinched while being prodded and inspected for any flaws that would hinder their training.
The recruiters moved down the line, either denying a potential recruit or taking them out of the line and ushering them into their horse drawn cart.
Elucard held Jetta’s hand tightly. He looked into her face and whispered assurances that they wouldn't be picked, not this year. Jetta nodded, too stricken with fear to say anything. Despite his own promises, he still had a nagging doubt in the back of his mind that pestered him like a mosquito. He couldn’t stop thinking that this could be the year he was picked. He shook away these negative thoughts. He needed courage now.
Courage – that's what Elucard had to show Jetta. Courage that they would get through this; and that for another year, they would be free to fish, chase ladybugs, and sleep under the shade. Elucard squeezed her hand tighter as the recruiter stepped closer. Eventually he stepped in front of Jetta. The small girl squeaked as his face loomed closely in front of hers. He pawed her tiny shoulders and picked up her arms and hands. He looked into her wide, innocent eyes and shook his head, “No good, not yet.”
Elucard sighed in relief. Jetta let out a weak smile, still not fully grasping that she was to stay in the village for at least another year. Elucard nodded, smiling back. He turned to look at the gruff recruiter. He was an elf, like him. Stern with weary eyes, the recruiter’s short silver hair waved in the stormy air. He was strong with a cold demeanor and an eerie presence. Several scars criss crossed over his face and his eyes were a deep hue of red. His sword rested, sheathed, strapped to his back. It was a long, heavy two handed blade that looked sharp enough to chop Elucard in two. The man performed the same inspections that he did with the other children. Finally, he looked into Elucard's worried eyes, but Elucard did not flinch or blink. The man smirked, “You’re a bit tame now, but I see potential in you.”
The boy's jaw slouched open, gasping. The man pointed, making a motion for his companions.
“This one!”
Elucard gazed in silence, his short life was moving in slow motion as his mother screamed, clawing for her son. River grunted as he held back his hysterical wife.
“Be strong, son! Don’t let them get the best of you! You’re a Freewind! Never forget where you came from!” River shouted over the cries of Salene.
“You can’t have him! You hear me? He’s mine! He’s not like you! He’s not a Rabbit! He’ll never be one!” Salene shrieked at Legion
“He will, or he’ll die.” Legion sharply replied.
Jetta embraced Elucard tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Elucard, you can’t leave, you promised you’d always be there for me!”
The men wrestled the kids away from each other. Elucard was still stunned in disbelief that he was chosen. He was herded to the cart where three other boys sat silently. He recognized them as his schoolmates. The butcher's son, Geven; Izian, the blacksmith's apprentice; and Myler, who worked at the stable.
“You were chosen too, Elucard?” said Myler, who shivered with uncontrollable fear, “We’re never going to see Ravenshore again!”
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Izian, a very strong kid from working with iron and hammers all his life, placed a worker’s hand on Myler, “We need to stick together, don’t let the Black Rabbits see our sadness. They feed on that. We got to be strong for our families, they can’t watch over us anymore.”
The three other boys nodded.
Vemrick and Dest hopped on the front of the cart, snapping the reins of the horse to move out. The man with the large sword jumped on the back of the cart with the boys. He smirked at the sorrow-filled kids, pointing at their soon to be former home.
“Say your goodbyes now, this is the last you'll see of your village.”
Izian hid away a scowl at the statement.
Elucard moved to the edge of the cart and saw his best friend running beside it. Her eyes were swimming in the tears that rolled down her cheeks. Her voice became hoarse from shouting.
“Elucard, don’t go! Please!”
Elucard's emotions flooded through him as he called back, “Jetta, I’m sorry! I won’t forget you! Please wait for me!” he turned back around, trying hard to fight the knot in his throat as tears quivered in his eyes. Ravenshore was his entire life. Everything he knew was being stripped away from him in a single moment. There had been countless children who were taken by the Black Rabbit clan, and none ever were heard from again. Black Rabbits turned them into thieves and murders. This would be his fate too.
He wouldn’t ever forget about Jetta, but maybe it would be for the best for Jetta to forget about him. Elucard sat down hard and hugged his knees.
Legion watched the boys saying their farewells. He knelt down to Elucard's eye level. Putting a heavy hand on Elucard's head, he spoke in a reassuring tone, as if he had been through something like this before, as if, he too, had once experienced this day.
“If you are to forget everything about your life here, don't forget about her. A shred of humanity could give you an edge against your enemies.”
Elucard eyed the man's grizzly features fiercely.
“And you… Did you hold onto any humanity?”
Elucard searched his eyes; the man was silent briefly before speaking.
“No.”
***
Camping for the night under an outcropping of granite, the four boys sat on the ground, their ankles cuffed and chained together. Dest, who was assigned to watch the boys, stared sleepily at them, while the other two were out hunting for food. Her head bobbed as she tried to keep from dozing off. However, to no avail. The hypnotic drizzling of the raindrops outside the rock was soothing to someone without much sleep.
The boys looked at each other. Careful not to wake their captor, they slowly got up and tiptoed out of the camp. With Geven taking the lead, they awkwardly dashed through the forest. The boys rushed under fallen trees and past boulders. The faint moonlight seemed faded from the heavy clouds. Thoroughly soaked, the tired boys collapsed on the muddy ground. They were out of breath from trying to gain as much distance from the Black Rabbits as possible in a dead sprint. Myler struggled on the chain.
“It's no use, we should have grabbed the key!”
“We couldn’t risk the chance of getting caught. No doubt they will cut off our hands to make a break for it.” Izian said, trying to catch his breath.
Geven glared at the ever calm Izian.
“Cut off our hands? Are you thick? They need us for recruits.”
Izian grabbed the collar of Geven’s tunic, bringing their faces close to each other. Izian’s hands were thick and callused from working with a forge hammer. His grip was strong – too strong for the squirming Geven to break free.
“Call me thick again, I dare you.”
“Thick.” Geven spat, testing Izian’s threats.
Myler shoved himself between the two boys, “Guys, this is what they want! They want us fighting against each other!”
Elucard ignored the bickering of his companions. He was more fixated on a warm glow coming from further up ahead. Glancing back towards the camp, he couldn't tell if they were being chased, but now wasn't the time to risk taking a break. They needed to find safety and shelter.
“Hey, you guys need to listen, Myler is right. Fighting won’t solve anything and we need to get moving. I think there's a camp up ahead. Maybe there will be some people who can help us out and even give us a ride back to our village.”
Izian and Geven glared at each other, but both nodded in agreement. A truce between the two seemed best. They picked up the pace and headed for the light in the forest. Their legs were sore from the weight of their wet trousers and the iron chain shackled to their ankles, but they trudged on.
***
Dest sat up from pretending to be asleep. Her performance was flawless as she scanned the camp for the four elven recruits. The slight jingling sound of chains echoed in the distance, nearly drowned out by the rain. Two figures appeared by her side. She looked over her shoulder before speaking to them, “Vemrick, Legion; It’s good to see you again. The recruits have taken the bait. How long do we give them before we go after them?”
Vemrick, a handsome, olive skinned elf, rubbed his hands by the fire, “I scouted the woods surrounding our position, there’s a camp of some thieves nearby, no doubt they’ll head that way.”
Legion, who recruited the Ravenshore boys, tightened his sword strap. The sound of leather cracked lightly, “Did they bother to take the key?”
Dest swung the iron key from her thin neck, “Funny. Most do, but not this batch.”
Legion moved closer to the edge of the forest and Vemrick called out to him, “Remember, we’re to break their spirits, not their bodies.”
Legion nodded, without turning to look.