"All right everyone! Lunch break is here!" Children and nuns alike collectively let out a sigh of relief, eager for a break. The young ones rushed in for the first pick while the sisters and the older children took their time.
"Iva, you're not coming?" One of the sisters noticed as Iva shook her head.
"Need to finish this first. You go ahead first, sister." Iva replies as she continues to sweep the fallen leaves away.
"All right, but don't stay out for too long, ok?" Iva simply nodded back in reply as her hands moved. It was late fall when the leaves were really beginning to shed. The air was growing colder by the day as well as Iva gathered the leaves into a pile. It was not much, but it did help Iva to think. Away from the pain and the loss… away from her.
So long as she keeps her hands moving, she would find a way to escape from it... somehow... hopefully. The little girl was at a loss. Hunger was just a memory from the past. A dream she once prays for every night.
She can eat whenever she wants to. Sleep without being cold or sleeping with one eye open. She can even play all around the house if she wants to, a life of luxury that would make her younger self green with envy, and yet... and yet she never felt so empty.
Life was not kind to her, but it was never this cruel. She had never been so… alone. Before the crippling loneliness returned, Iva walked to the outskirts of the backyard to begin anew. Sweeping and piling the leaves until it was all cleared. That was the plan when a rustle suddenly caught her attention.
That Ifin again? Iva thought in annoyance as she slowly walked in that direction. Though they were harmless during spring and summer, the little guys were a nuisance during fall. Scavenging for winter, even homes were not safe as they hunted relentlessly for food.
They were like squirrels, but as small as a mouse with small whiskers. Their skin changed from oaken brown to silver white, depending on the season, to better adapt to their surroundings. Nimble on their feet, they bolted in the first signs of trouble, courtesy of being scavengers.
A little stomp there, a loud shout here, was all that it would take to scare the fellas away. Yet when Iva does these things, they made no signs of leaving. Frustrated at their newfound courage, the little girl stalked towards their way.
Broom in hand, Iva was preparing to scare them away when she heard a soft whimper. Confused, Iva went closer to investigate as she climbed past the small stone fence. As she brushed past the dying shrubs, Iva paused in her tracks when she recognized the voice.
For a moment, Iva hesitated to move forward. She could pretend to not notice after all. No one was around. No one would scold her for being cold to her father's murderer. Though that voice... it was clearly in pain. Memories slowly trickled in when she first saw her miserable face.
The young lady’s eyes were begging for forgiveness. At the time, odium blinded her eyes. Hell-bent on getting even, Iva only realizes now how badly despondent those eyes really were. …Please don’t be troublesome. With a sigh, Iva moved past the clearing.
When she saw her, she could not help but stand still. Before her was Lucy, hunched down against a tree as both hands covered the young sister's ears as she let out a soft muffled cry. What made her cry this time? Iva was about to help her when she noticed blood all across her body.
A moment later, fear strangles her body as the scent of iron and death waft across the air. The cold breeze carries with it a whisper of an omen as Lucy continues to cry, still clutching her ears as if to block the noise.
Instincts screamed for Iva to run. She could feel her throat tightening up as if she was being choked once again. As if she was dying again. Iva would have taken the chance when she finally heard what Lucy was whimpering about.
"Why were you there? You could have worked anywhere else; just why did you have to be there??" Her voice cracked as she began to squirm. As if an invisible pain wracked across her body, Lucy writhed in agony as her cries were beginning to grow desperate by the second.
"I didn't want any of this! I did not want to kill you. No! I really did not! Y-you force me! I didn't have a choice! I-I- damn it DAMN IT!" Soaked in blood and tears, Iva watched it all happen as she began to break down. All the fear seemed to be meaningless at that moment, as all Iva wanted to do at that moment was to help.
Iva carefully let go of her broom before approaching her carefully. Slow and easy steps, making her presence known without being too loud as anything sudden could lead to violence. Iva had seen her lash out; she did not want to be choked again.
Lucy soon caught her presence, despite the sharp pain digging through her chest. Sapphire eyes watering and widening in shock as Lucy struggled to understand why Iva was there. Completely unarmed, as she raised her hands cautiously.
"I-Iva?? I-I- w-why are you- no! Stay back!" Lucy panicked as she quickly bolted upright, arms raising in defense as she tried to retreat only for the tree to block her path. It would be a lie to tell Iva did not panic as well, but the little girl was awfully determined to move closer, much to Lucy's dismay.
"S-stand back! I said s-stand back!" Lucy was beginning to scream in a panic as Iva continued to move closer, hands raised in a defenseless posture as Lucy squirmed. "I-I told you to stand back! W-why are you..." Lucy slowly stops to a halt when she finally noticed.
Though Iva could not feel it due to the mounting pressure at hand, Lucy's hardened eyes could see the slight tremble in her body. Iva was clearly afraid to approach her, and yet she still did. What forced her to continue was beyond Lucy's understanding as Iva inched closer.
What was it that sir Seth always says? Come on Iva think!... ah. "C-calm down. I-it's a-all right. E-everything i-is going to b-be all r-right." Did I say it right? Iva thought to herself as she stole a glance at Lucy. The look of dumbfounded was evident in her eyes. Iva was not sure if it was a good thing or not, but she pressed on, nonetheless.
When she was 15 paces closer, Lucy tried to run again, but Iva was now blocking her path as she desperately tried to avoid her. Iva stopped dead front and center before Lucy as she gently held her arm. The two were terrified for reasons not too different.
"...Let's c-clean you up first." Iva meekly whispered as she pulled Lucy with her. For a moment, Iva was sure she would resist, but surprisingly, Lucy followed without resistance. The entire journey was silent as they made their way towards the river.
Iva could feel the dry yet sticky blood clinging to her skin. Her small feet carried her as fast as they could as the urge to clean up immediately constantly pounded her head. Thankfully, she did not have to wait for long as the river soon appeared within sight.
Ice was beginning to form further north, though it was still too brittle to freeze the entire river completely. Iva hurriedly tested the waters, eager to wash off the blood before frowning instantly. "...It's cold." Iva grumbled as Lucy said nothing.
"We could make a fire and warm up some before we use it. We could also use it now if you really need to. What do you... think…" Iva trailed off as she turned back to find Lucy eyeing desperately at the river.
Her hands were a coiling mess as they writhed and strained against one another. Sapphire's eyes bulging in stress as Iva could see the desperate containment Lucy was trying to suppress. "...I guess it's settled." Iva said as she begins to rinse off the blood from her and Lucy.
"...S-so cold." Iva manages to whisper as her teeth chatter from the cold. The urge to pull back almost won, but the little girl pushed on as she helped Lucy rinse the blood off from her body and clothes. The clothes were particularly hard as they clung on stubbornly.
A calm silence soon gifted the two, as the flowing river and the continuous scrubbing were all that could be heard. For a moment, the world seemed peaceful, as if all the problems in the world were gone. Sadly, it did not last as Iva finally mustered the courage to speak.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
"...Did you do it?" The silence was all Iva needed as Lucy recoiled back as if she had been stabbed. "H-hey don't bite your lips! Seth would never let you hear the end of it if you-"
"I had no choice." Lucy whispered ever so softly as Iva fell dead silent. "...T-they were looking for me. L-looking to bri-.... t-to... t-t-to..." She could not finish the words as terror controlled her mouth. Luckily, the little girl was able to piece it together.
"...To bring you back?" Iva finished her words as Lucy violently snapped back, meeting her eyes for the first time. Guilt-ridden and terrified eyes stared back as Lucy whimpered. A weak nod was all that she could give. “…so you killed them?”
Lucy violently turned as she stared at Iva, pleading sapphire eyes against cautious oak. "I-I didn't want to kill them!” Full of desperation, begging to be understood, Lucy easily confessed what she had done as her eyes trembled.
“I-I tried to talk them out of it! I even offered to pay them back!" Lucy began to trail off as the taste of iron invaded her mouth. “A-all I wanted from them was their silence. I-I swear that is all I wanted from them!” Sharp and panicked breaths, Lucy began to descend.
Iva was saying something, but Lucy could not hear her. Only the cold howling of the five. "...B-but... b-but... but they won't take it. I even begged for them to take it, but they won't! They just won't take it! Why won't they take it?!" It hurts to breathe.
Even the act of swallowing hurts as if nails were forcefully shoving down her throat. Her heart screamed as it struggled to keep up. "All they had to do was take it! They could have just lived off on a farm with all the gold I promised! They could have had lunch with their families right now!" I've ruined another family. Lucy thought in despair, the lives that could have been saved.
"They wouldn't even need to do those dirty works anymore. They could be living off happily right now, but they didn't! They just didn't! Why didn't they take it??" Lucy gasped in pain. She had given them a chance she could only dream of back then. Back in those filthy and war-torn days. Where silence was a luxury beyond measure, a luxury she had offered on a silver platter.
An offer they had thrown away. "Damn it all if they had just taken it! Just why-" Lucy was cut off from her torment as Iva fearfully, but carefully wiped her lips. The little girl was shaking from Lucy's ever-growing raving madness that left her mouth, but Iva continued on nonetheless.
Lucy did not realize it then, but her mouth was bleeding. Her teeth bit down so hard that blood came out of her lips. Iva gently wiped the blood away as Lucy watched in stunned silence. "...I told you not to bite your lips. Now sir Seth will never let you off."
Lucy stared back for a moment longer before her hands slowly reached towards the little girl. Iva flinched for a moment but continued on as if nothing was wrong. Taking it as a sign of trust, Lucy finally spoke out of what she was desperately trying to say.
"I didn't want to kill them, Iva." Silence fell across the world as Lucy's grip tightened. "I know I had no right to ask you of this. I-I know what I've done to you. W-what I've stolen f-from you. I know you won't ever forgive me... but you have to believe me; I didn't want to kill them." Her voice breaking in soft agony as she continues.
"T-they were dead set on bringing me back. I had no choice. I really had no choice. T-they s-sa- no, I don't want to go back. I don't want to, I don't want to, I don't want to! I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK! I... I-I… I just don't want to go back to hell." Lucy whimpered, praying for Iva to understand her.
"I just want to live. I want to stay here with you, with sister Emma, even with... even with Seth. I just want to live with everyone... I don't want to go back. Please believe me... I never wanted to kill… please believe me Iva…" the crushing darkness invades as she brought Iva's small hands to her eyes. Hoping desperately to be understood and be blind to her hate.
"...I-I don't think I could ever f-forgive you for killing my dad." Lucy whimpered as her head bowed down deeper into despair. "...B-but I don't w-want to hate you forever as well." Lucy flinched as she slowly glanced up. Half terrified of the hateful gaze Iva would give, but also half hopeful that it was something else. Something more.
"I-I don't know what to think of you. I really d-don't know what to make of you. Y-you gave me a life I can only dream of, but you took... t-took my... m-my... my dad with it." Iva whimpered as Lucy struggled to breathe. "Y-you s-save us from the m-monster, yet you t-tried to kill me once..." Guilt… soul crushing guilt…
"B-but it hurts. I-it hurts so so much to keep hating you. I-it's like my heart is being squeezed by a b-bad man... I-I don't know what to make of you. I-I... just don't know." Iva was on the verge of breaking down as well, but she held it in for a moment longer as she gave what Lucy desperately wanted to hear.
"...B-but I believe you. E-even what y-you did was wrong, I-I know you were forced to do it." As if Iva handed her a glass of water, Lucy's chest felt light. It was still painful, but she was no longer suffocating. Lucy could breathe again.
"T-thank you.... t-thank you I-Iva.... t-thank you so so much." Lucy whimpered as she embraced Iva. Even if she was fearful of being pushed back, Lucy was far more terrified than being left alone. Blessedly, the little girl hugged back instead.
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"...Kalva be damn, that pig had lied to us." A silent curse wafts through the air as Aiel and several other men and women grimaced at the end of the 5. Three died fighting while the remaining 2 died trying to get away. Though he never personally knew their lives, Aiel still regretted their deaths.
"...Where are you going, Frax?" Aiel said as Frax barked out a harsh reply.
"Where else? I'm gutting that fat bastard." Frax said as Aiel shook his head in disagreement.
"I don't recommend that old friend." Frax frowned, turning back to face a calm Aiel.
"We lost 5 good people today." Frax said.
"I know." Aiel replied.
"Five good people who could have been spared if that bastard had given us the right information."
“I know." Aiel replied once again.
"Then why are you so calm?!" Frax snapped as Aiel simply stared down in silence.
"This was supposed to be an extraction, damn it! Not an assassination! Look at them, Aiel! Five burners had died! They all died from a 10-year-old girl!"
"15 actually."
"I don't care a rat’s ass if she's 10 or 15! The fact of the matter is, they all died! That is not how it's supposed to work! Whomever this wench is, she is clearly a champion!"
Aiel frowned as he replied. "That is a far stretch-"
"Stretch?? The only thing I should be stretching right now is that bastard! He kept dodging who the target really was! This is no normal noble cap! This a kalva be damned champion!” Frax cursed as he pointed where Jhavik was.
“That bastard lied to us, and you know it!" Frax shouted relentlessly as Aiel's stern gaze slowly hardened.
"Even still, we can't kill him Frax." Frax's eyes widened in disbelief as he replied.
"You can't be serious Aiel." Aiel grimaced as he studied the corpses once again.
Their terrified eyes were still plastered on their faces as he whispered lowly. "...I'm so close Frax. Even if I wanted to tear that oily face off, I still need him." Frax's eyes widen in surprise before asking carefully.
"...Does he know?" Aiel's nod was all he needed to calm down.
"That pig might know what happened to Filist, Frax. Just give me time to wring out the information from that pig, and then you can skin him alive to your heart's content." Aiel said as he closed the eyes of the fallen.
"All right... all right fine. Let's just drag her out tonight. Can't be that hard."
"It actually is." Frax turned towards the figure who spoke.
"Even if she's a champion, there are 23 of us." Frax said as the figure shook its head. "I'm not talking about that. I mean, the ruckus we will make. Did you guys perhaps forget that the young lord of Larum is stationed right here? If rumors leak out, we will be dead by sunrise. Not to mention the massive stone manor."
Frax grimaced as he replied. "All right then, got any ideas?" The figure seemed to grin as it replied.
"Easy, just take the kids." Frax frowned instantly.
"I thought the point of this was to avoid attention?"
"It is. If we threatened the children at knifepoint, they wouldn’t dare to make a sound." Frax pondered for a moment before nodding.
"All right, I guess you make a point. But we are not going to harm one ok?" The figure sighed.
"For a sellsword, you sure are soft Frax." Frax snorted in annoyance as the figure chuckled. "All right fine fine. I won't lay a finger on the little ones." The figure said as Frax nodded back.
"...But what about them? Are we not going to bury them? Don't tell me that-" Frax pointed at the five when the sound of distant footsteps emerged. It did not take long for the group to realize who they were.
"Well, you just got your answers, Frax." Aiel said as he turned to leave.
"We're just going to leave them alone here??" Frax asked incredulously as Aiel nodded.
"If we're found out here, it will be a lot more problematic than it is. Besides, Larum's knights are no false blades. They will bury the dead, I promise you. I’ve seen them do that before." Aiel said as he turned to run. Several men and women also soon followed suit. Frax stared at their lifeless corpses for a moment longer, giving a slight nod of regret before following suit.