Life and Death Decision

Chapter 3

The four of us set out on the morning of the next day. Rose seemed energetic, even though the sun had barely been up for an hour; well, she was part of a merchant family so I guess it wasn't her first time being awake at this hour. Baz and I were currently at the reins while the girls were sitting in the back. "Here you go!" I could hear Rose yell from behind me.

I turned around, seeing the girls tossing some seeds into the air, feeding a flock of birds that were flying overhead. "Wow! I've never had this many this close before." In a state of shock, all Tyme could do was stare up. They kept tossing seeds, the birds catching them in their beaks or talons. They got through all their seeds within five minutes, some of the birds resting in the back of the cart and allowing the two to pet them.

"She seems better," Baz said to me, eyes still on the road. "I was a bit worried yesterday. I mean, it's not every day that you watch your family get slaughtered." He dipped his gaze slightly, puffing out some smoke from his nostrils. "I just don't know what to do in this situation. Is it okay for her to be sad? Is it okay for her to be happy? Usually, we're the ones killing people, but if this is what happened to those families of the people we killed." He handed me his reins, resting his head in his hands.

"It probably has happened to those families," I spoke bluntly, taking charge of both horses. "But think of all the heartache we prevented by stepping in. The lich, for example, Rennot, Aitog, and the other towns nearby. All of them lost people dear to them, and that suffering would've continued had we not intervened." I placed one hand on his shoulder to reassure him. "It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it."

"When are we going to start our training?" Rose stuck her head between Baz's and mine, eyes excitedly staring at me.

"At lunch. It's a long way to Aitog, so we'll train when we stop naturally. Until then, sit still." I spoke, exhaling deeply through my nose as headed to the cart to take a break. Baz leaned back, carefully making his way to the back to take a nap in the cart. With his spot now vacant, Rose carefully sat beside me, wary of the cart's movement. "Want to stay in front?" She nodded, humming a soft and somber tune.

"Wherever you go, I'll be watching over you..." She muttered under her breath, cupping her hands as olive-green vines wrapped around her arms. "Beyond the seas, over the mountains, whatever you go through..." The vines slowly began to bud in various places. "We'll be together...you with me and I with you..." The buds bloomed into cyan flowers, the same as that aura that constantly surrounded her.

That melody brought a chill to my soul. I couldn't explain why, but it made my arms feel heavier.

"My sister used to sing that all the time."

"It's beautiful."

"Mary..." She intertwined her fingers as the vines withered away. It was painful to watch her slouch over.

"Rose. Look at that." I pointed toward the side of the road, toward a small clearing that led to a small cluster of trees. "Do you want to practice now?" She nodded slowly, looking deep into the forest as if she was looking for something.

I steered the cart toward the clearing, tying the horses to a nearby tree. Baz put out a pot, getting some loose twigs for fuel. Tyme and Rose began talking amongst themselves before our archer ran up a tree. She was so fast, kicking up dirt in her wake as she leaped from branch to branch. Rose just stood there with her mouth agape, looking up at Tyme as the adventurer beckoned her to her side. "How did she do that? Let's see...here goes nothing!" The kid imitated Tyme, leaping and swinging with her arms on the branches until she managed to sit on the branch beside Tyme.

"You did it!" Tyme smiled, shuffling over to get closer. "Wasn't that fun?"

"What happened to you Tyme?" I found myself muttering as I pulled out our sack of food to start cooking. The usually quiet archer was exuberant whenever she was around her new friend. It was a side of her that Baz and I seldom see, so I was grateful to have Rose bring it out more often. Clearing my thoughts, I moved over to man the pot, starting a stew for the lot of us.