Her mind raced as she grasped at straws. Her daughters weren't separated from the rest, as they should have been if the captain knew who they were. It meant that he probably didn't realize they were her daughters. So, as long as she kept it that way, they should be fine.
"Mama!" Esme cried the moment she saw her mother, and in that moment, Avar's heart dropped. 'You foolish child,' she wanted to scold, but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to do it. Esme then tried to run over to Avar but was stopped by Mrs. Tamsy, who firmly held her back.
The captain - Avar recognized him the moment she saw him - glanced at Esme before turning to look at Avar. A smile appeared on his face the moment he saw her. "Avar, so you were truly hiding here? It seems my search has come to an end."
Avar remained silent, her eyes downcast, as the captain glanced in her direction, before he shifted his attention away. Qin forced her onto her knees with the rest of the villagers.
Perrin stepped forward and handed the book to the captain. "We found it hidden in her dress," he reported.
The captain accepted the book and began to peruse it, his face a mask of indifference. After a few moments, he closed the book and turned his gaze toward Qin and Perrin. "Did either of you read the book?"
A quick exchange of glances passed between Qin and Perrin, a subtle interaction not unnoticed by the captain. He then directed his inquiry to Perrin. "Did you read the book, Perrin?"
Perrin responded, "I only took a quick look, sir, just to ensure it was what we sought. We've been searching for it for so long, and I didn't wish to raise false hopes."
The captain sighed, his features reflecting a mix of frustration and disappointment. "Perrin, I explicitly instructed that none of you should read it."
"I apologize, sir. I merely intended to save time for the others."
With another sigh, the captain turned to Qin and began moving closer to him. "What about you, Qin? Did you read the book?"
Qin shook his head firmly. "No, sir, I did not."
Avar felt an overpowering urge to divulge the truth, the moment when Qin had inquired about the book's subject, and Perrin had whispered "the Queen." She contemplated revealing the secrets in front of everyone, provoking the captain's anger, and witnessing the ensuing chaos. Yet, she resisted the temptation. Such actions would not only unleash turmoil but also make these men resent her, and in turn, her family. They would not hesitate to harm them first.
The captain came to a sudden halt in front of Qin, his eyes locking onto his with an unsettling intensity. After a few seconds of silence, he finally spoke. "Good."
In an instant, the situation escalated beyond anyone's expectations. The captain drew a knife as though from thin air, and with an abrupt, fluid motion, he turned to Perrin, who stood beside Qin, and thrust the blade into his neck. A collective gasp swept through the crowd, but the captain did not stop there. He swiftly maneuvered behind Perrin, pinning him to the ground, and watched as life slowly drained from the vice-captain.
Perrin struggled in disbelief, his face reflecting the shocking reality of his impending demise. The captain, his voice heavy with regret, uttered a few words, barely audible over the growing horror. "I'm truly sorry, old friend. If it were within my power, I would forgive you in an instant. But this is beyond my control. May your soul find peace in the red fields."
Minutes passed, marked by the unfeeling gazes of the armed men and the horrified onlookers. Avar, her dress tainted by Perrin's blood, watched the macabre spectacle unfold, unable to look away.
Once Perrin's life had ebbed away entirely, the captain withdrew his knife from the lifeless body, wiped it on his pants, and then turned to face Avar.
"I'm certain you understand what comes next," he stated, and Avar nodded.
"I won't resist it," she replied, her resignation evident. Resisting would only make things worse for her and her daughters. He nodded in acknowledgment.
The captain's voice took on a colder edge as he inquired further, "Didn't you have a son?" Avar's expression shifted to one of dread.
"Please, my children have done nothing wrong. Spare them. I never let them read the book. They shouldn't have to die for their parents' sins," Avar pleaded desperately, her voice quivering.
The captain, seemingly impervious to her pleas, pressed on. "Where is your son?"
Avar met his gaze for a moment, her eyes filled with anguish, before responding in a hushed tone. "He is in Blackrock."
The captain appeared skeptical, his patience wearing thin. He turned to the rest of the villagers who knelt in fear.
"Where is her son?" he demanded. "And if I don't receive a satisfactory answer within twenty breaths, I'll kill you all one by one until I do. One. Two. Three-"
"He's in Hemmings, the capital!" Mrs. Tamsy blurted out.
Avar, overwhelmed by a sudden realization, screamed in anger, her accusations directed at Mrs. Tamsy. "You wicked wretch!"
"Why is he there?" the captain asked, ignoring Avar's outburst.
"He's an apprentice to Master Osric," Mrs. Tamsy replied.
Avar, fueled by a mix of rage and despair, charged toward Mrs. Tamsy, but before she could reach her, a knife lodged in her knees brought her to the ground. She crumpled, curling into herself, tears flowing freely. Her daughters, seeing their mother in such agony, joined her in tears, their cries echoing the heartbreak of the impending tragedy.
"Didn't Master Osric recently take on an exceptionally gifted apprentice about two years ago?" one of the armed men inquired. Their collective disregard for Avar, who lay twitching and muttering, was evident.
"That's correct," Qin interjected. "Captain, Master Osric left the city not long ago. If we act swiftly, we can eliminate the boy before his return."
The captain nodded in agreement. "Alright, kill the family."
Mrs. Tamsy's voice quivered as she clutched her daughters. "Please spare the girls. They haven't done anything wrong."
The captain regarded her coldly. "It appears you want your family to join theirs."
In disbelief, Mrs. Tamsy turned to her husband, who had forcibly separated the children from her embrace. He then pushed them toward their mother. "We want no part in this, sir. They're yours."
Without hesitation, Qin and two others acted swiftly, delivering fatal blows to the girls—stabbing them once in the stomach and once in the heart—before beheading their distraught mother who lay helpless on the floor. The last thought Avar had was a simple one: 'At least I saved my son.'
With their gruesome task complete, the men mounted their horses and rode away, leaving the terrified villagers behind in a haunting silence.
* * * * *
Jarek
Jarek and his friends watched as the armed men rode out of the village. As they did so, Jarek studied them, trying to find out any clues that may enlighten him of their identities, but he found nothing. No insignia, no recognizable colors, nothing.
After they left, Rowena attempted to return to the village but was stopped by Jarek, who afraid of a trap begged his friends to wait a bit longer, to ensure the armed men didn't suddenly return and catch them off guard.
Hours passed in anxious silence, and as evening began to cast long shadows, Rowena's patience waned. She couldn't bear the uncertainty any longer.
"Listen, I'm going back to the village," Rowena declared, determination in her voice. "I need to see if everyone's all right."
Willem, echoing her concern, offered his support. "I'm going with her."
This time, Jarek could only set aside his misgivings and return alongside them. As they walked, Jarek couldn't help but wonder about his family. 'They should be fine,' he comforted himself. 'By the time those men arrived they should have left the house, so everything should be alright.'
However as much as he tried to comfort himself some hidden part of him knew that until he saw his family safe and sound he wouldn't truly be at ease.
As they neared the village, something strange suddenly struck Jarek. The silence. Normally, in the evenings, the village was a hub of activity, and now that a group of armed men had just invaded and left, the place should be buzzing with at least gossip, but there was nothing. Just a dreadful, terrible silence.
Soon they began to see some of the villagers moving around. The kids had eyes that seemed dead, as though they had encountered something incomprehensible tragedy. As for the adults, they just looked sad, and scared, and when they saw him another emotion appeared… guilt. And then they would look away.
If it were just one or two people, Jarek would have ignored them, but he received one too many of those looks and panic immediately set in.