PUREBLOODS #1 [+16]

Chapter 3

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The sounds of birds and the intense sunlight woke Tim from his slumber. Sitting upwards he groggily opened his eyes only to squint them together tightly from the brightness that attacked him. Bringing his right hand towards his face to shield the glare of the sun from his eyes, he used his other hands to move the thin sheet away from his body and swung his legs over the bed and onto the wooden floor of his room. Finally adjusting his eyes to his surroundings he took in his small room and stretched lazily before inhaling deeply. The scent of fresh bread wafted to his nose and he sighed in satisfaction. Not long after he got up to shower and headed into the kitchen only to see his family already seated at the dinner table eating their breakfast.

"Good morning everyone", he yawned once more and took his vacant seat at the table and dug into his meal.

"Are you alright, son?", Rose, his mother asked.

"Yes of course mama, just a little tired but I'm ok", he smiled at her and resumed his meal.

*****************************************

After their breakfast the family was now doing their day to day chores. Rose and Hanna were inside cleaning the house while both Tim and his father were feeding the cows and chickens. They had already harvested their fruits and vegetables and sent them to the women to wash and separate, splitting what they would market and what they would use to cook.

While Tim was feeding the chickens, one disgusting rooster jumped over their fence that they used to seal them inside and ran around the yard.

"Come on son, go get that rooster", Patrick chuckled watching Tim get up from his knees and run after the rooster.

Tim frustratingly jumped in hopes of catching the stubborn rooster but instead of heading straight the rooster took a dramatic run and Tim fell into the haystack. Rolling onto his side he groaned from both pain and embarrassment. He heard his father laughing hysterically and him and when he looked up, he saw him crunched over with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath from all the laughter.

Tim joined him and laughed at his own expense when suddenly they heard the 'bah-Gawking' sound of the rooster and Patrick yelled for Tim.

"Tim!!!!"

Tim instead looked to his side to see the rooster pierced into the haystack beside him, blood spurting from it's hackle where the arrow had pierced through. The more the rooster fought the get it out and away the more blood escaped its body. Tim stared at the rooster with wide eyes and when he raised his head to the direction of where the arrow came from he saw broad soldiers on horses and amongst them were both the commander and his soldiers, more than there was last time. Coming back to reality, he heard the shouts of his father and scurried away quickly to his side. From inside both Hanna and Rose heard the commotion and ran out to see what was happening.

"Patrick! What's happening?!" Rose asked, shouting.

"Oh my dear, Father is that the commander?! What did we do?", Hanna ran to her father's side.

"Everybody calm down!", Patrick said in frustration. The soldiers and their commander all came closer. They were only a few feet away from Patrick's family.

"We have nothing here for you", Patrick said to them in a calm tone to the commander. He had lost all respect for the commander. "I'm sorry but we weren't aware of your attendance. If we were we would've prepa--", Patrick was abruptly cut off by the commander's strong tone.

"We have not come here for a tea party!! You are under arrest for assaulting myself, the commander, and our soldiers!"

Rose and Hanna gasped in shock and Patrick Stared at the commander appalled.

"What?!", Rose screeched. "This cannot be, my husband won't do such a thing. You must have the wrong man, my commander please...", Rose tried to convince them, utterly oblivious to the event that happened yesterday between the soldiers and her husband.

"Ma'am, please be respectful. In no way should you ever lie to your commander! We are only here to protect you all but your husband here attacked us yesterday when we saw him and that boy right there", he pointed to Tim, " existing the gates! We had only asked where they were to. We didn't know they lived here with you all", the commander lies through his teeth. Though his facial expression held one of confusion and anger.

"Patrick, is this true....?", Rose looked up at her husband in disbelief.

"He's lying!!! We were only coming home from work! They searched us and they took our daily earnings! They didn't want to return it to us Rose, I was so respectful but they threatened me so i defended myself and my son! Why'd you believe him...?", Patrick asked after explaining himself. He felt betrayed, the fact that his own wife would believe them and think of him in such a way.

"Patrick I--"

"Seize him!!", the commander shouted and two soldiers came forward to grab him but he resisted, pushing the two men away.

"Patrick, sweetheart please don't fight", Rose begged.

Hanna whimpered, "Please, leave my father alone! He's a good man," her voice trembled.

Tim stepped up to the soldiers and angrily shouted, "LEAVE HIM ALONE!! YOU KNOW HE'S INNOCENT!"

"TIM, STEP BACK"

"NO FATHER, I'M TIRED OF THEM TREATING US LIKE THIS", Tim swung his fist and it collided into a soldier's jaw and a satisfying crack sounded through the peaceful air. More soldiers rushed to attack Tim but Patrick elbowed the other soldier who had a hold on him and when he dropped to the floor, Patrick ran to his son.

Tim copied his father's movements and together they fought off the soldiers, not doing serious injuries but just warning them to step back. Tim stared wide eyed at the commander who withdrew his pocket sword and rushed towards Hanna. He grabbed onto Hanna's neck pulling her back against his chest and positioned the knife on her throat erupting a voluntary scream.

"Father!"

Patrick swung around, his heart sank from the sight of his daughter with the commander holding a weapon against her. His blood boiled.

"Let her go!", Patrick yelled.

"Deja Vu, isn't it boy", the commander mocked and pressed the blade harder against her neck. "Kneel or she dies!", he bellowed to Patrick.

Feeling dejected, Patrick gave in and fell to his knees without hesitation, he was not going to put his family in danger. Two untouched soldiers ran up to him and bound his hands behind his back with rope and made him move unto his feet again. The commander released Hanna and she ran to her mother's side along with Tim.

"Move!" The soldier pushed Patrick to walk. The other soldiers and the commander mounted onto their horse, while being pushed by the soldier into the direction of what could only be the kingdom.

They looked on watching their father and husband being pushed away, with sorrow in their hearts and sadness in their eyes. There was Nothing that they could do now.

As Patrick left his family behind, all he could do was shamefully look onto the ground and be pushed around.

"I am sorry, my family....", he whispered to himself knowing that he would never see them again.

*****************************************

Word Count: 1249