What is Left: Six of Crows fanfic

Payback

That night after Da had left, Jordie went to where their father kept the deed to the farm and stole it. They packed their bags and hid everything in the cellar so their father wouldn't get suspicious.

The next morning, up bright and early they would work the crops until an opportunity to leave came.
It was an unbelievably hot day, Kaz was working the plow, not far from him Jordie digging some holes to patch up the fence. Da came stomping through the field towards his boys.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Da yelled, clearly he had found their bags and supplies.
"What are you talking about?" Kaz asked, his father was drunk.
"Don't lie to me boy or you'll be joining your mother."
That's when Jordie noticed the shotgun. His pulse quicken, his father was turned to his little brother, he hadn't seen him yet, he picked up his shovel holding it like a sword. Jordie advanced on his father, he swung the shovel at the gun in his hand. Both gun and shovel fell in the dirt and Jordie's father wasted no time, he swong his fist but Jordie had grown accustom to his fathers punches and ducked out of the hit.
Both father and son flew into a fight scrambling in the dirt, both fighting to gain the upper hand.

Kaz abandoned the plow, as it continued to move forward. He ran for the forgotten shot gun on the ground. But before he reached the firearm his father grabbed the shovel, with a resounding thud, Da had knocked Jordie out cold.

When Jordie finally came to, the sight he saw burned in his memory.

There was Kaz on his knees soaked in blood, that site alone had him struggling to his feet, he looked for his father only to find bits of him, a bloody streak from one length of the field to the other. A large portion of his father still stuck in the plow. He didn't need to ask Kaz what happened, it was obvious that their father was either pushed or had fallen into the still running plow during the fight. His younger brother had saved both their lives but killed their father.

Jordie made Kaz clean up, they couldn't go to town if he was covered in their fathers blood. His younger brother was in shock, Jordie dug a grave near his mother's and set to work burying his father.

They reported Da's death a farming accident and sold the farm to the town bank.
Now they would find Cal, buy him back with the money from the farm and start a new life.

They spent 2 days looking for the debtor who took their brother. When they finally found him then ran into a snag.
Jordie and Kaz visited every saloon in a 15 mile radius. There he was smoking a cigarette outside a bar in the neighboring town, Jordie approached him.

" Mister? I was hoping you could tell us, where you sold our brother?" He asked respectfully, Jordie wanted to kill this man but that would get them no where.

"Huh, go away. Go home." The man said not even looking at Jordie.
" Mister please." At that the man turned.
"Oh did you father send you with my money?" He took a drag of smoke.
"He still owes me, the boy was a down payment" Jordie paled.
"No sir... I just was wanting to... write my brother a letter" he said slowly Jordie had never heard of slaves getting letters. The debtor assessed Jordie's thin frame.
"Well I don't know where the boy is. I sold him to a labor mine about 60 miles east of here but they usually trade their workers with other labor mines, so who knows where he is." Jordie saw red he wanted nothing more than to yell and punch but he just turned and walked away.

He explained to Kaz on the opposite side of the building what the man said. His little brothers face remained calm.
"At least we have a start."
They walked, spending days sleeping under trees and on the meager bed rolls they had. Stopping only to buy food and get water from town wells.
They asked directions only once and with in 4 days they reached the labor mine. Their were guards with guns ever were you looked and the slaves wore pale red clothing, and had chains on their feet.
They asked a guard to speak to someone in charge and were taken to a line of some very drab, squat, brown buildings.

Inside it was bare, save for the desk in the center, at the desk was a grey haired man with tired eyes.

"Excuse me mister." Jordie spoke remembering all of the manners his mother taught him.
"We are looking for our brother." The man didn't speak so Jordie continued.
"He is 9 and" Jordie put his hands on Kaz's shoulders.
"He is a twin. They are identical. Our father just passed away he's all we have left, please sir."Jordie pleaded, real tears forcing their way to his eyes.

The man sighed out a long breath.
"Once this mine was ran and worked by honest men. Families all around relied on the income and stable work. Then someone decided it was cheaper to use slaves. 100 good men lost their job and the slaves came. At first the were thieves and criminals. But soon they became children and parents. It breaks my heart." Jordie was confused.
"The names Paul. I run the accounts. I have for 17 years. Can I get you boys something to drink, something to eat." Paul said.
"No thank you. We just want to know if our brother is here or if he was traded." The man nodded.
"Aye your brothers here. Leave your things." Jordie felt his heart soar, Paul had started out the door. The brothers did as they were told and followed Paul. They walked for some time in silence.
"Because I am just the book keeper I have no say over the slaves. The rules are strict, if a guard disobeys the rules he is forfeiting his life. It's a hard job truly but there is nowhere else to work and those who live in these parts have families to feed." Jordie nodded he knew what it was like to be willing to give everything to put food on the table for his family.

The trio kept walking on to an empty field, it was bare and dry with the exception of evenly spaced markers, as if they were spots to dig.

"Sir?" Asked Jordie
"Your brother, he... he ran." The man choked out.
Jordie's world came to a stop, these weren't dig markers they were grave stones. Jordie's cheeks were already wet, when had he started crying?

"The guards are to shoot those who try to run. I'm sorry boys." The man bowed his head.

"When" Kaz asked quietly Paul looked up sharply.
"Maybe 6 days ago, this ones his." Paul said pointing at the nearest marker, the dirt was freshly disturbed.

"Same day as Da." Said Kaz, Paul shook his head and left them then.

Both boys sat at the grave until the sun had started to dip in sky. As the reached the line of squat brown buildings, Jordie stopped and turned as he heard a yell of pain behind him.
In the waning light Jordie saw a guard with Kaz's pocket knife sticking out of his side groaning in pain it wasn't a fatal wound, Kaz was walking away from the downed guard.
"Kaz?! What the hell?!" Jordie said.
Kaz just showed his empty hand, wait no not empty.
In his hand Kaz held a flat metal necklace in the shape of a diamond, their mothers necklace, it was Cal's necklace.

They went to the town he bought them two tickets to Ketterdam.
"We can't stay here." Said Jordie.
Kaz still hadn't spoke.
"It'll be a fresh start" said Jordie.
But every night Jordie's dreams were of his little brothers playing only for every dream to turn sour, everything happening at once, a gun shot, Cal falling on the hard ground dead. Their father shouting at them and Kaz on his knees covered in blood looking like a resigned victor.

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Okay okay okay

Well that's sad

1398 words