As I walked home from the hunt with Christophe, my thoughts seemed to be stuck on him. Christophe with his strongly built body, broad shoulders, amazing brown eyes, and blonde hair.Oh, Christophe, I wish he were mine. I don't have a memory where he is not present. I don't think he would ever find my long black hair, and green eyes attractive. I noticed that I had arrived home.
I could sense something is off. I opened the door to my house and the smell of rot surrounds me. I looked around and found mother lying in a pool of her own blood along with father. I was gone for two days to come home to the death of my family. Once the reality of what I had found in my house hits me, I dropped the game I had caught. I ran not caring where I went just as long as it is away from my house.
I found myself at the front door of Christophe's house. I walked around to the back where I knew he would be gutting his game. When I spotted him the first of my tears start falling.
"Selene what's wrong?" Christophe asked as he put the knife he was using to skin a rabbit down.
"They are dead." I replied sadly.
"What do you mean they are dead? Who's dead?" He asked me confused with a hint of worry in his voice.
"My family, they have been murdered." I told him. I got a sudden thought. Maybe my family isn't the only ones killed what Christophe's family was murdered also. "How is your family?"
"My family is fine." Christophe told me. Well of coarse they are my mind isn't clear enough to think he would not be out here skinning the rabbit if his family was not okay. "We should tell the other founding families."
I nodded in agreement. I could think of nothing else. My family is one of the five founding families. I wiped my face off and steeled myself. I do not want to look weak in front of the head families. Christophe wiped his hands on a cloth and we walked to the leaders house.
The door was open already, I froze. The images of my dead parents rushing back to me. I'm not sure why since the door to my house was not open when I arrived. Christophe knew when I froze that I needed him to step in ahead of me to make sure no one is dead. He always seemed to just know when I needed him and what for without me saying. He stepped through the door way and looked in.
"It's fine. Anik is sitting by the fire with the other three head family members." He told me as he walked in farther. I could no longer see him but I heard them greet him. I followed in a few seconds later. After I was sure I was ready to go in.
"Hello, Anik. I have something to tell you." I said in the steadiest voice I could muster. "I have found my family murdered in our house."
"When did you found them?" Anik asked me, now serious. Though his question seems stupid. Would it not be obvious that I found them not long ago. It's not like I would spend a few days with their dead bodies before telling them.
"I found them when I got home from the hunt with Christophe. They are all lying in a pool of their own blood. Their throats slit." I replied to Anik's question with more details then what asked of me. I hope Anik will have an idea of who killed them but I already had a guess.
"I believe it may have been the 'other' colony who have committed the murder. They have been trying to get us to leave this area for some time now but they have gone too far this time. I believe it is time to declare war." Anik told the room. He stood and walked over to me. "Which I will now give in to. Will you bring me to their bodies? Then I will quickly prepare for war."
"Yes, Anik." I said. I really wish I did not have to return to my house, but I was asked to and I cannot say no to the leader. I turned and walked out the door with Christophe and Anik behind me. It didn't take long to get to my house. Since we live close to the leaders house. All of the founding families lived close together. I couldn't go back into my house yet, so I stayed out front. Christophe stayed out with me sensing that is what I needed a friend to lean on.
"I have lost everything that I had once loved." I stated out loud without thinking. I looked into his lovely brown eye. I could get lost in them.
"You haven't lost me, Selene. I love you, I always will." Christophe proclaimed as he stepped closer to me. He had never said this to me before. Well not in this way. I never thought he would say it to me.
"I love you, too." I said as I closed the gap between us. I finally had the guts to tell him but only after he told me first. Christophe wrapped me in his arms. He lowered his face to kiss me; I melted into his kiss forgetting about everything around me. This is what I had always wanted; too bad I didn't get it until my family was killed. Anik walked out of my house. Christophe and I separated.
"I will send someone to come clean up. I believe you will be able to find someplace to stay on your own." Anik said before he walked off. My face was beat red. I wonder what he did in my house, but i guess it doesn't really matter. There is no need for me to ask I already knew Christophe's family will welcome me to stay.
***
The black smiths have been up all night making or repairing swords for the army. The women have been up putting things together for the men to eat while at war. Well for the first few days of the war at least. We don't know how long it will last. The dead bodies of my family members have been taken from my house and buried. My house was completely cleaned up. There is almost no trace of there being murders committed there. I will be seeing Christophe off once he returns from collecting his gear. I could not convince Anik or Christophe to allow me to accompany the army. No matter how much I wanted to avenge my families death I could not convince them. All of the men 16 and older are leaving for war, leaving us women here with the children care for ourselves. We could do that perfectly well. In our colony most women train with weapons even though the men will not allow us to fight in a war. Christophe returns back to me after he collected a sword and shield.
"I will miss you, Selene," he told me as he pulled me close. I allowed him to. I still could not believe he was mine. I'm glad he chose then to tell me. I thought about all the time we spent together and it was clear to me now that he liked me. I was to busy worrying that he didn't like me in that way to notice he did like me that way.
"Me too. Will you promise me to return?" I asked him knowing he doesn't control that fate. I know he won't answer because he doesn't want to promise something he can't keep.
Christophe didn't reply as I knew he would. We started to walk to where the soldiers were gathering. "I love you"
"I love you." I told him before he started to walk away toward the group of soldiers getting organized. Everyone was ready now. All the soldiers are lined up and the women standing to the side waiting to watch them leave. Something caught the corner my eye in the forest not that far from us. I turned my head to catch a better look, but it's to late. Soldiers from the other colony came running out of the forrest. It all happened so fast. Our army was not ready fir the ambush. I called out to Christophe to warn him, but he didn't hear me. I was to far to do anything in time. All I could do is watch as a soldier came up behind him and stabbed him through the lower back. The sword goes all the way through Christopher's abdomen a wound we could not heal in time. We are not in a great area to treat him and I am in hysterics. I ran to Christophe not believing my eyes. He cannot be injured he was one if the best fighter I know. He was lying on the ground bleeding out; everyone was in chaos around us. I pulled him onto my lap.
"Don't die. Please don't die. You are all I have left." I sobbed. "I need you. I love you." I tried to put pressure on the wound but it was hard since the wound went all the way through.
"Don't cry. You will always have me in your heart. I will always love you" Christophe's last words as I held him. I held him as he took his last breath and until someone wrenched me away from his body.
