Arizium

Chapter 31

Lynx was ripped from her own malicious dreams when a hand violently shook her awake.

"Whaaaaaaat." She growled and covered her head with a pillow.

"Get up dolt," She heard Raven utter and crack a pillow across the little girl's back.

"Fiiiiine," Lynx grumbled, not willing to risk another attack. Her eyes opened to see Bear sitting in the corner, pulling on boots while Raven left the room to do... Raven-y things.

"How early is it?" Lynx asked and swiped a hand through her hair.

"Just past dawn." Bear said with a grin.

"Dawn???!" Lynx squeaked incredulously "That's way less than half a day of sleep! I need more than that!"

"Yeah, and we need answers," The older girl retorted and stood up, "Come on, I'm going to need your colorful threats."

Lynx grumbled something under her breath, probably one of those colorful threats that were mentioned, before getting up with a dramatic sigh and fixing her hair before following Bear upstairs.

When they reached the top, they found the main room filled with people.

"Doesn't anyone ever appreciate the sanctity of sleep?" Lynx sneered, but Bear ignored it and found her way to the bartender while Lynx stayed behind to listen to people's conversations.

"-swear I saw it with me own two eyes," a big man said "a dragon, the size of a score of cattle waltzing through the sky."

"Back to your old drinking habit again eh, Stephen?" Another man from across the table jibed.

"I saw what I saw. Ain't nothin' can change the truth of these beauties," he boasted and gestured at his eyes.

Lynx lost interest as the conversation flowed away. Once the smell of alcohol hit her nose, she stepped outside and found Cutie sprawled on the porch, dozing in the sunlight.

"Count your blessings,"" Lynx muttered at her disdainfully and stepped away to explore the town. It seemed completely different in the daylight, probably because she could actually see the thatched roofs and shabby pens that kept small herds at bay.

Silverwood was teeming with liveliness as people went about doing their morning chores. Lynx pondered various ways on how she could kill these people, when she was tapped on the shoulder by an old woman not much taller than herself.

"Pardon me," the women said in a small voice "but have we met before?"

Lynx shook her head cautiously and mentally prepared herself to start hurtling rocks.

"No no, we have definitely met before, that hair is unforgettable," the old crone retorted thoughtfully.

"I've never seen this place in my life, much less the likes of you." Lynx responded coldly and went to stalk off, but was held fast by the old woman.

"I remember now!" She exclaimed excitedly "You're Keara Pine! The old butcher's daughter!"

Lynx's eyes widened as she recognized the name somewhere in the back of her mind. "No... no you must have the wrong person." She insisted.

"Oh there's no mistaking that cute little face of yours. I remember when you were just a baby, running around chopping up animals and obsessing over pretty dresses. You never were a people person, but that's just a trait you inherited from your father. If you ask me, I'm glad he finally passed, I never did trust him. He always had that gleam in his eye, like he was always thinking of something. Ah well, look at me, I'm just an old crone who rambles on and on about things of the past." The woman sighed happily "Well, I suppose I should leave you to do whatever little girls like you do at this time of day, stay out of trouble young lady." She said warmly and hobbled off.

Lynx found herself glued to the ground as confusion swirled through her, unable to move, unable to blink. This... no. No it can't be. She held her head as a memory resurfaced behind her eyes.

~

She laying awake in her bed one night, listening to her mother hum a light tune in the other room while she hemmed a dress for Keara's older sister, Kaela.

She heard the front door open and footsteps walk through before it closed shut again.

Daddy. She thought with a smile and contemplated whether or not she should get up to give him a hug.

"You're home later than usual," she heard her mother inquire suspiciously.

"Yes, well... I had more work to do than i thought." Her father's gruff voice responded. She heard the sound of ruffling clothes as he hung his jacket up. Something seemed... wrong....

"All that work could have been done tomorrow," her mother pointed out and went back to hemming.

Her father was silent for a long time after that.

"Marcyn?" Her mother's voice spoke with confusion, "Marcyn what's wrong? Is everything alright?"

Keara listened intently and pulled the covers closer to her, slowing her breathing so she could hear better.

She heard the sound of footsteps as her mother moved towards her father, she imagined her mother's face plastered with concern.

Then Keara heard an unmistakable sound, one that she heard countless times in the butcher shop. The sound of steel sliding over leather as a blade was pulled from it's sheathe. Keara stopped breathing.

"Marcyn wha-"

The next sound made Keara shiver.

She identified it easily as steel sliding through flesh.

Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth to keep from squeaking.

A bloodcurdling scream erupted from the main room and echoed throughout Keara's body. She covered her ears tightly No... no he couldn't... he... he promised... she choked back a sob and felt tears fall.

After an agonizing amount of time, the screaming stopped.

Keara's heartbeat accelerated as she uncovered her ears and listened intently, trying to map out what her father was planning to do next. She pulled the covers over her head and hoped that it was nothing but a dream.

Her breath hitched when she heard rushed footsteps running into the main room.

No... Her heart skipped a beat not her. Please...

"F-father?" She heard Kaela choke out.

Her older sister didn't have time to react, her father was too quick.

Soon another scream filled the house as her father's blade spilled more blood.

Lynx covered her ears again and shut her eyes tight, sobbing quietly.

The house was empty except for her and her father. The realization made her quiver.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

She heard footsteps.

Her breathing quickened.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Why... why why why why WHY.

Thud. Thud.... Creeeeaaaaak.

She heard her door open slowly. Her eyes cracked open instinctively to find a dark figure standing in the door frame. She sobbed harder and shut her eyes tight again, refusing to accept her fate.

He approached her bed and knelt down next to her. "Keara..." he whispered and put a hand on her, making her flinch and squeak. "It's alright Keara, there's no need to cry." He reassured her.

She opened her eyes, confused. In the dimness of the room, she could make out her father's features, his face was crinkled with a smile, and covered in sprays of blood.

"They aren't like us, Keara. They don't understand how quickly life ends." He muttered and wiped her tears. "They had to go before they found out and told on us, told our secret." He chuckled softly and kissed her forehead. Keara trembled under his hand.

 "We're safe now Keara. You and me... we're safe."