Across Lantadias: The Rescuings

Chapter 3

I woke up to an ear piercing shriek.
The night still wasn't over as me and Ayana rushed into the living room to see what happened.
we entered the room to find that our mom was sitting on a chair, crying, our dad had sweat pouring from his head as one hand was holding his back and the other with a letter with fear frozen on his face.
    "What happened?!" Ayana exclaimed, tears in her eyes from all that was suddenly happening right in front of her.
Neither of them couldn't say anything. Dad set the letter on the table and, physically AND mentally, painfully walked over to the other side of the room, lost in deep, deep thought.

I hastily went over and picked up the letter, I tried to make out the words the best I could with all the shaking my hand was doing again.

  Dear, Duncan Albehart

I am ever so sorry to tell you, that on their journey, Carter,
Norman, and your son Jedrick,
has been reported to be
in quite a sticky situation. The last trace we received was a letter
from an emergency pidgeon.
It said they were approaching
Where the dragon could be, which was east near a village in the kingdom of Rackasay and their ruins.
But they said they were lost,
Chased by monsters and how they lost Jedrick in the process, and
Was requesting major backup. I'm so very sorry about your misfortune,
But I must say the parents of the two young knights are
Joining the search party for identification reasons,
So I strongly advise you to come despite, your problems.

Yours truly, Orberton Navington

I knew that guy was a messenger for bad omens.

     Ayana was tightly gripping my side and apparently saw the expression on my face, "What happened?! WHAT'S HAPPENING?!?!"
I slowly looked down at her, How do you give out a terrible message to a little girl like that? Despite how annoying she is and all. I couldn't find a good way to deliver the message anyway, I was too shocked in fear, "J-Jedrick... h-he's lost... They're all endangered... "

A long silence followed with nothing but the sniffles from mother and the creaks from our old house.
    I knew that he was asking dad to join the search party for Jedrick and the others, but he had a bad back. It was a lot worse than yesterday, it just seems to be getting worse! What were we going to do?

    A silence washed through us all as it seemed as if everybody was thinking the same thing.
Dad was the one who broke the silence by quietly saying,"I have to go."
"NOO!" Mom scolded. "I HAVE TO GO!" Dad shouted back. Ayana buried her face in me
    "YOU SAW THE LETTER! IT WILL BE BETTER IF I GO!!" Dad yelled.
"DUNCAN, THE BEST PLACE FOR YOU TO GO IS THE HOSPITAL, AND I'M SERIOUS!" Mom yelled right back.
"WELL WHAT DO YOU EXPECT US TO DO? OUR SON IS IN MORE JEOPARDY THAN POSSIBLE!"
"CAN'T WE JUST FOR ONCE THINK THIS THROUGH?!"
"OH REALLY, SO WHAT DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD DO?!"
"I DON'T KNOW!!" Mom yelled in tears and sat right back down crying again.
Dad was engulfed in rage and anxiety.
Mom and dad did argue a lot, but never this kind of fighting! I understood though, we all were worried.
Another silence followed, dad calmed down a bit during it and so did mom.
"You can't go." Mom said quietly, "For all we know he could be-he could be..." She sobbed. I knew what she was going to say, he could be dead.
Then it hit me, this was my moment. My moment to show my parents I'm brave and willing to be a hero.
My moment to shine, and bring home my brother. The biggest challenge I need to overcome right now was the courage to even say it.
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Come on, Brendon stop being a scaredy cat! Your brother needs you, your whole family. But I could die too, it's too risky! It doesn't matter! Just SAY IT!!
"I'll do it." I forced it out of my mouth, it was done, I said it. All eyes on me, even Ayana was looking up at me.
Mom was the first to speak up, "Brendon, no, you're too young! You'll be endangered t-" "Wait" Dad told her, "What did you say?"

Oh great, I had to say it again. But now I had nothing to lose, well, you know, besides my actual life.
I opened my mouth again and something actually did come out. "I will join the search party. I will go and fetch my brother and I promise I will tell you what happens every step of the way."

Mom and dad looked at each other. Mom shook her head, "Too risky..."
"But wait, I taught Brendon all about battling, creatures, and bow-and-arrow useage, just to prepare him for something like..." He looked at me with a hopeful glance, "like this." Silence... "I guess the time has come."
"Are you sure?" mom asked.
"He'd be with other people, it'll be a lot safer than what Jedrick was doing. He's age won't be a problem I'm sure." Dad assured her. Mom considered it for what seemed like an eternity, and walked up to me.
I knew she was just going to turn the idea down again, but she didn't.

"Listen here, Brendon, be as safe as possible because if I lose two sons." She sighed and looked up, shaking her head. "My heart will just stop working as soon as I hear the news."
Dad walked up behind her, "I'm going to get you a carriage tomorrow, and when you get there you tell them that you are Brendon Citrine Albehart, son of Duncan Albehart, and you're there to join the search party for the three lost knights."
I risked it, and they surprisingly agreed. This was it. I was going to, once again put my life in jeopardy and safe my brother or die trying...... And yes, my middle name is Citrine.

I woke up early the next morning, even though I was still very tired from what happened last night. I had to get up and got ready, anyway.
My mom packed me about half of the things in the house in one backpack in which I was lucky enough to be able to carry without collapsing.
Along with a small bag that I had around my shoulder, I didn't like the idea of how it looked like a purse, but my mom insisted.
My little sister was playing with that stuffed unicorn, AGAIN, as I was getting ready. "So, Ayana... Looks like you have TWO big, brave, brothers!" I said, hoping if I made myself sound more confident, I'd feel that way too. "Eh," She said, still paying more attention to her unicorn, "Just make sure Jedrick comes back safe." She told me.

    So much for her approval.

    The coachman was going to be here any second.
    Mom came up behind him and gave me a few more things to put in my backpack, so I unzipped it and stuffed it in there along with everything else.
"Do you have your bow?"
"Yes"
"Arrows?"
"Uh-huh"
"Food?"
"Yes, mom..."
"Do you have everything? Maybe we should check again?" Dad put his hand on her shoulder and nodded a nod that said, He's a big boy now, He'll be okay!!

    The clops and clanks of horseshoes and the creaking of carriage wheels was suddenly coming up into the distance. All of the sudden a huge pit formed deep in my stomach. I wanted to run and hide. What the heck did I get myself into?! I'm going to die now! Me and my 'bravery' I'm not going to last an hour! Thanks to me, I'm going to be far away from home with a bunch of strangers!
    Dad must have, yet again, saw the expression on my face, "Don't worry." He whispered in my ear. "This isn't going to be as dangerous as you think, just stay with the search party and remember what I taught you. If you do all that, you'll be fine. All you have to do is find the boys, and keep a close eye out for Jedrick."
    He's words made me feel a bit more settled, but not that much.
The carriage was now in sight. Mom gripped me like I was her last, precious, jewel that someone was trying to steal from her. Dad seemed ready, but still worried. Ayana was playing with her unicorn like nothing serious was going on at all.
    The coachman pulled over, the horses stomped their feet and neighed in protest of the coachmans tug.
"Go on," Dad whispered again as I got on, "we're counting on you."
His last words rang in my ears. He's counting on me! On ME! But I'm so young! Stop it! Be cool! Just go with it, act natural!
Mom gave me one last hug goodbye, (Which was kind of embarrassing, But to be honest, I think I might miss it sometime.) I took a deep breath and stepped on the carriage casually and the coachman rode me away.
"Be careful!!" Mom yelled after me as I pulled away.
"Tell me if you see a unicorn!!" Ayana yelled after me also.

Really? I thought, REALLY?? If I, seriously, saw an actual, real life, unicorn, I would probably just throw up right on the spot!

I watched as my home, farm and parents got farther, and farther, and farther.
The life I knew, going away so fast. I barely saw this coming.
Don't be so dramatic. I told myself It's not like I'm going away forever. But what if I am? What if it's not as safe as dad says it is?
Then I looked ahead of me at the big world I was approaching.
It's all me now. I thought,
My dad isn't here, just me. I'm on my own now. I make sure everything falls in place for myself.
Is this how Jedrick felt? No, he wouldn't feel as terrified and regretful as me. Or would he?
It doesn't matter, this is it.
My very first adventure begins now.