For the Love of Family

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

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A few more moments of silence passed before the oldest girl turned to face them once more, her straw colored hair moved gently with the wind. "My name is Elba, this is my sister Ira," she said, motioning to the youngest girl, "and these are our cousins Luca and Emma. We would like to thank you for all that you have done today. If there is anything you need, we will try to help you in any way." She may have been young, her clothes ragged and her shoulders bent from the work, but her words spoke of a maturity beyond her years.  

"You have no need to thank us," Gerard replied softly, still watching Luca sniffling in the arms of Emma. Pity seized his heart because these were probably the only ones left. His guards would have informed him if they had found anyone else. Still, he had to know for sure. "Are you the only people of Kolblim left?" 

"Of course n-" Ira stopped abruptly when her sister jabbed her in the arm. "Ow!" She glared at Elba as she rubbed the spot. "What was that for?" 

"Be quiet," Elba hissed before turning to them. "No, we are not." 

"Can you take us to them?" 

Elba eyed them all up and down suspiciously, weighing her options. Levi understood her hesitation. "We are not here to hurt you. We seek only information of all that has transpired here." 

"Why should we trust you?" Emma asked, her brother now standing at her side. 

Gerard eased a gold ring off of his right hand and held it out to the children in front of him. All four of them leaned in, but it was Elba who reached out and took the ring with deft fingers, turning it over so she could see the embossing on the top. "I know you cannot read, but that image should be familiar to you."  

"I know that picture!" Luca exclaimed. "It's on those papers they put outside the judge's house." 

"What papers?" Elba asked. 

"Papa said they were for the military. Stuff about joining," Emma explained.  

Elba looked back at the men. "Is this a military ring?" 

"Yes," Gerard responded, thankful they recognized it. "We are all soldiers, and we are here to find out what is happening with the sickness." 

Ira and Luca were now examining them with open fascination, but Elba and Emma still looked unsure. "We don't even know your names," Emma finally said. 

Levi gave a half smile while Gerard chuckled self-consciously. "My apologies, how rude of us. May I introduce Micah, Darren, Jordan, Bront, Derek and Jonah, all guards in the King's army, and their Vice Commander Levi." Each of the men raised his right fist, thumb in the bend of the index finger, and touched it above his right brow in a sign of respect while Levi clasped his hands behind his back and nodded once. Gerard adopted the same pose as Levi. "I am Anthony, their Commander," he finished, also nodding his head once. He had never told his guards that he would be introducing himself by any other name, but they were well trained and no one showed any signs of surprise or confusion.  

Elba studied the ring one more time in her hand before holding it back out to Gerard. "We will show you to the others."  

"Thank you," he said before turning to Jonah. "The horses, if you please." Jonah nodded and motioned Micah and Derek to follow him to where the horses were grazing.  

Emma walked to the pile of shovels they'd made before the service and awkwardly tried to scoop them all into her small arms. Just when the pile looked on the verge of tumbling to the ground, Bront reached out quickly to steady them, and Emma gasped, unaware he'd walked so close. "Easy," he murmured when he recognized the fear that flashed through her eyes. "Allow me, miss," he continued in his heavily accented voice, reaching for the shovels she was still struggling to hold. She hesitated a few seconds more before she allowed him to take all of the tools. Gerard met Levi's eyes, and they mirrored his concern. These children carried far more fear and suspicion than any person should suffer.