You want me?

Losing my Brother

We had been walking north west for about three weeks. My brother went into town telling me to wait in the tree for his return. When he came back he had a few changes of clothes for the both of us as well as some food. He told me to change first giving me some pants and a shirt with a button up jacket. When I came out of the cave he helped me put on my boots before pulling out a dagger. "Sister.. I need to cut your hair. You will look more like a male for a few years so they won't be able to know who you are, and it will be easier to hide your hair."

I nodded turning my back to him feeling the blade cut through the locks before he tossed them into the fire pit. After he went into the cave to change as well, then we put out the fire and left the area. He always held my hand as we navigated the forest, occasionally we stopped so he could teach me how to use a sword and the bow. I hadn't talked much since that night and I think he was getting worried.

"(Y/n) I know you want mom and dad to come for us, but they can't. I know you want to go home to but we can't go back to the castle, or any castle. The nobles will always be after us so it is better for us to stay hidden in the forest. Do you understand?" I looked up to him then back down to the flower I had been studying in the book he had gotten me.

"I understand brother, but... why do the nobles want us?" I asked picking the leaf up and placing it into a bottle for later use. I had been studying the plants in the area since we left hoping to be of some use to my brother if he got hurt. I wanted to be able to protect him as well, but I knew it was going to be hard.

"They want us because of how we look. Having a matching pair would be all the better for them because then they could brag about it. I don't want them to hurt you, just remember you are the first princess of our country and always hold your head high." I nodded and stood back up dusting off my knees. After that we continued off into the forest, another month passed without to many problems. Until tonight. We had been sleeping peacefully in the tree, when we heard the hoof beats along the ground below. I was the first to hear them and sat up quietly shaking my brother awake.

He groaned opening his eyes slowly, I held a finger to my lips pointing down. He nodded and listened hearing the hoof beats as well. He pointed to his back telling me to climb on, I nodded looping my arms around his neck. He slid down the tree and placed me down pulling the hood he gave me down a little. Then we ran in to the side hoping we could get out of their hearing range soon and they wouldn't find us.

We stopped at a riverbank and he looked around the moon light making everything shiny, now I had always been able to pick up on subtle sounds. My brother made sure to be as quiet as possible when we needed to run so that I could hear anything and be able to tell him where to go. So when I heard a whistling sound I pulled his sleeve trying to get him to move down to the ground. When he saw the shine it was to late, the arrow had found its mark in my shoulder.

He growled pulling out his sword and picking me up in his other hand making his way to the water bank. I had tears running down my face but didn't cry out, I didn't want them to know they had hit their mark. When we crossed he ran faster telling me to hold on. I nodded clutching his shirt tight as I could. When he found a large tree he put me on his back and sheathed his sword.

Climbing up as quickly as he could until we reached a decent distance he set me on a branch holding a cloth in his hands and a stick in the other. "Bite down on this while I pull out the arrow. I need to dress it quickly, can you give me some of that medicine you made?" I nodded reaching into my pack for string and a needle, handing them to him. Then a green poultice I made for the top of it as well as some alcohol to clean out the inside.

Taking the stick he gave it to me. I bite down and he tied a second cloth over to muffle any screams I made. Once done I nodded turning my back to him, I trusted him. I always would, he was my big brother after all. His hand placed on my shoulder he pulled back, I gripped my pants and bit down harder trying not to scream. Once the arrow was out he placed it off to the side and poured the alcohol on the cut.