Whisper Of The Free

Chapter 16 Too Late

TW: MENTIONS OF CORPSES, GORE

Olivette

The sun casted orange and pinks on the horizon. None of the colors reach my dull worn figure. Ezra did not leave my side. I hadn't slept not one bit. My body felt like a train had ran its course with me. Even so I steadily stood and clutched the mirror, if what I was shown was true, then this mirror would be of some use to me. I mounted Ezra and he stood up ready to run. A simple "Go." made him trot home.

I still held the mirror in my hand as I leaned on Ezra's crest while he ran. He slowed as we approached the house. Everything looked the same beside the door being left adjourned and flapped in the wind. I slid off Ezra with ease and made my way inside. Every step was more heavy than the last. I hoped to smell some bacon and eggs for breakfast but my nose was met with no such scents.

I entered the house. I forced my body to lug myself towards the kitchen where the mirror had shown me she'd be. There she was. Just as the mirror image shown. I wouldn't recognize her if it were for her wearing one of her favorite dresses. My dry eyes filled with tears again as I silently cried. I fell to the ground and wept the scene in front of me. The truths I hoped weren't true were indeed true. The mirror had not lied as I hoped.

I gently picked her up, almost vomiting. I wrapped her in a blanket and brought her outside. I dug for what seemed like hours, until the hole was up to my shoulders. I carried her and gently laid her down. Then I buried her. I found some seeds in her nightstand, and I scattered them where she had been laid to rest. I had no idea what kind of seeds they were but she always loved gardening. It was too bad I never learned.

I stared at her grave without a head stone before mounting Ezra again and heading to town. I hoped there wouldn't be more children half orphaned. My hopes were broken once more when I arrived at town. Few corpses lined the streets, heads also squashed like melons. My stare hardened as Ezra carried me through the town. Children were crying over their parents, shaking them as if they'd wake up. The youngest child looked to be no older than eight. Few adults remained and even then they had looked as though they trudged through hell.

A horn sounded from the East. I looked beyond the buildings to see troops making haste towards our town. They had come. They had come too late. A white Gelding stood out from the hoard of armored men, atop him sat a man wearing golden armor contrasting the usual iron or silver armor that soldiers wore. His helmet was discarded at his side revealing thin white hairs and a lengthy beard. He was the Lord of this providence, Lord Thelonious.

They arrived to the town swiftly and began to help the injured. I helped comfort the orphaned children as soldiers were placing bodies on a wagon. As I was comforting a boy who was 15 a glint of gold hit my eyes. I peered up from the crying boy to see golden armor mounted on a white horse.

"I hear you are a horse tamer." He spoke to me with almost a glare in his eyes. I didn't bother to return the glare, "That is correct." His eyes narrowed in on the boy in my arms. "We plan to use this town as an army base. However, we need more men." He rolled his eyes as another child screamed as their mothers corpse was being thrown onto the wagon.

My grip tightened on the boy. "I would be a better soldier than any of these children." I snarled at the Lord. His eyes showed a spark of interest, "I can not only recruit one measly girl, out of all the whole town of children abandoned." I glared at him as a smug jeer found its way to his face. "No child under 16." I barked, my voice hoarse. He rolled his eyes, "Deal." He extended his hand down to me. I shook it and a wicked and cruel smile formed beneath his beard. "Training begins tomorrow. All children under 16 will be sent to another town or village, as you request."