It took us two more days but we finally reached a decent place to live temporarily. It was a small, deserted Elven village that Silva was familiar with. Being cautious, we stayed in a house on the outskirts of the village. It was insignificant in size but had all of the necessities—a combined living and kitchen space, a bathroom, and two bedrooms. It reminded me of my family home back in Rotherhithe in which me and my sisters had all shared one bedroom, although my home might've been slightly bigger, not to mention the architecture here was different from the kind of styles most human villages have.
By the time we got settled it was dark out and since there was only two bedrooms—one of which had a double bed and the other two child-sized beds, Silva took it upon herself to claim the room with the larger bed. I left Menas and Blasius to discuss who would sleep on the couch for the night and made my way into what I assumed was formerly the children's bedroom. The mattress was flimsy and the blankets were more sheet-like than anything, but I was just glad to finally have a nice place to sleep. At this point, anything would be better than sleeping on the grass, so this would do just fine. Plopping down onto the bed gave me a feeling of nostalgia--it made me miss sleeping in my own bed. I wondered if I'd ever get to do that again.
Probably not.
when I finally began to lay down, Blasius peeked his head into the open door. "Menas decided to sleep on the couch. I hope you don't mind sharing a room with me."
I shook my head and invited him in the room. He came in and immediately got settled in the bed on the other side of the room. It took everything in me not to laugh at Blasius's large body trying to fit into the bed clearly made for someone no taller than 5'9". Although the couch didn't look any better from what I saw, so perhaps he got the long end of the stick in the deal between Menas and him.
Neither of us wasted any time on smalltalk. Perhaps the exhaustion finally caught up with us from the days of walking and minimal nutrition, so we slept near instantly.
❦❦❦
When I woke up there was something bothering me. I had dreamt of Blasius's mother in the field, as I had been the nights since the vision. It made me curious about the circumstances of his parent's death. Why had they been killed? Why had the guard wanted to 'wipe them all out,' as he had said? So that morning over breakfast, I decided to ask him about it. At first Blasius looked taken off guard and I wondered if I shouldn't have said anything at all, but in the end he answered.
"It was after the current king took reign and he was trying to kill all non-human races, as I'm sure you know. After two years, he moved onto werewolves. He had armies of soldiers sent to Everton to kill as many werewolves as they could and members of my pack just happened to be out hunting."
I wanted to reach out and hug him--I couldn't imagine being so young and having to be told ire than half of your family was killed, all because of something they couldn't control. They had been born as werewolves even though they hadn't asked to be, how could they be punished for something like that? What was so superior about humans anyway? There was races who could blind people with their beauty, lift things of unimaginable weights, shift forms, among other things ... yet humans had the audacity to think they were better than everyone else?
Before my dejection had time to transform into irritation, there was a knock at the front entrance. Any thought of trying to console Blasius was replaced by the need to find somewhere to hide. Now.
Seeing as there was only one door to the house, there was no option to sneak out the back door. We would have to find beds to crawl under and closets to crouch inside of. We all hide near to each other in one of the upstairs bedrooms. After the knock, there is silence. The door doesn't creak open like expected, there is no more knocking, they may have very well left. But then that brought the question of why were they knocking in the first place? Or even better, who was knocking? Did someone know we were here or was it an extraneous issue to our current problem? My thoughts were running wild around my head, trying to think up an explanation for what was going on.
But the fact that there was a single knock gave me some sort of comfort. Surely, if it was a guard or someone that didn't want us here, they wouldn't have knocked at all. They would barge in, grab us by the arms and handcuff us. That is, if they decided not to just shoot us instantly. With all the trouble we've caused so far, the latter seemed much more likely. A shiver ran through me just thinking about it.
❦❦❦
That night, just before heading up the stairs to bed, something caught my eye through the door window. I creeped over and unlocked it, stepping just outside. I turned around to face the front of the door to look closer at the object attached to it: an envelope was taped to the glass.
Amicia, it read.
Bad things happen to people who do bad deeds. Unfortunately for you and those of whom you love, you have chosen to commit an act of treason and since you are not here to pay for your crime, your family will be taking your place.
However, it isn't too late for them, or you. You may surrender to King Dorian Taelman if you value the lives of your parents and sisters and take their place if you wish. On the other hand, if you choose to ignore this message, there will be no choice but to punish them for your own behaviour.
Seeing as the crime you chose to commit is considered an extreme offence by law, you should know that no mercy will be granted to any member of your family. That includes dear 9 year old Sibilia.
You are a smart young lady so choose wisely.
~Unknown.