115 Tragedy, Once More

---Katherine---

Aaron and I slept in the master bedroom that night since it was in the interior of the cottage, while Martha and Matthew slept in the side room. Late that night, Martha woke us up, her face tight with fear. With one look at her expression, we sprung out of bed, awake and alert. "What happened?" I asked.

"There are torches heading down the stream. I think it's a troop of soldiers. They're heading our way and it doesn't look good. You and Aaron need to go now."

Martha pushed us out the room and towards the back of the house. I could hear yelling in the distance. Charles and Christina poked their heads out from their room, curious but afraid. Seeing their frightened faces as the soldiers marched closer to the cottage made me pause. 'We can't just leave like this.'

"Martha, let us stay." I implored her. "If it is indeed Lord Victor's soldiers, Aaron and I will fight them off. We will make sure no harm comes to you."

Aaron nodded. "We've dealt with them before. We can take them down. They will have to walk over our dead bodies before they can hurt you."

Martha shook her head. "I appreciate the gesture, but there is no way I can put you two in harm's way, especially since you're the last of the chosen ones. You must go—"

The shouting increased in volume. I looked past the window in the living room and saw a line of torches bobbing closer. Martha followed my gaze, and then she looked at Charles and Christina. She appeared to be wrestling with a decision.

"Katherine, Aaron, if I may, I want to ask something of you two." She looked at both of us in the eye before speaking. "I don't think this night will end very well. Life as we know it will end. Please take Christina and Charles with you and protect them. They're the only children of our family line and orphaned at a young age. I don't want anything to happen to them."

"Take them on our quest?" Aaron asked, frowning. "We would gladly take them with us, but the quest is very dangerous, and we'll have to face Lord Victor—"

"All you have to do is escort them out of this valley and get them to my sister's house. Their aunt—their mother's sister—is living there, and she will take care of them. She lives in the village of Ravenstone, which will be on your way to the Northern Mountains." Martha explained hurriedly. "Please, Katherine, Aaron, I can't let my grandchildren suffer the same fate their parents did."

I trembled slightly. What happened to Charles and Christina's parents? It sounded like it had something to do with Lord Victor, but there was no time to ask now. "Of course. We will protect Charles and Christina with our lives."

In a few minutes, both children were dressed in dark clothing and ready to go. Aaron stuffed their two bags of belongings into his magical satchel. Martha looked around the room. "Here, Charles, you take your grandpa's hunting bow. It was passed down to him by his father, and his father before that. Christina, take this necklace." Martha unfastened a delicate gold chain from her neck and pressed it into Christina's palm. "The pendant holds two portraits of your parents. They will protect you on your journey."

"Grandma!" The two children flew into their grandmother's arms, teary. Although they didn't quite understand what was going on, I suspected they knew that maybe they would never see their grandparents again.

The shouting got louder. I could see the torches flickering in the yard now. Matthew was outside, buying us time. Martha hurried to the back door and pushed us out. "You see that forest, right in front? Go in and head forward until you get to a clearing with a large willow tree. You will find a small path to the right, which you can follow to go up the cliff side. After that, you will be able to look down on the valley and very easily find a way out. Go, before it's too late!"

Aaron began to lead the children forward. I stayed behind. "I'm so sorry you and Matthew still got involved," I said, a lump forming in my throat. "It was never our intention to—"

"You can't do this! This is illegal!" Matthew's angry shout came from the front. "You're going to have to get through me first if you want to do anything to my family!"

Martha grasped my hands tightly. "Don't be sorry. It was Matt's and my pleasure having you and Aaron in our cottage. Please take care of our grandchildren."

"We will. Aaron and I will make sure they get to their aunt's house safely." I promised. "I swear on our lives." It was the least we could do.

In the front of the house, the yelling reached a climax. I heard the clash of metal on metal. "Now, go, go! Don't look back, no matter what happens!" Martha pushed me forward. "Don't turn back!"

With one last look, I turned my back on the cottage and sprinted for the woods. Aaron was waiting for me at the edge, with the children looking longingly at their house.

"Let's go." He began to jog forward. Holding Charles by his hand, I followed Aaron, with Christina in between us. We had went barely a few meters into the forest when I distinctly heard something being smashed, the sound of ceramic or porcelain shattering against the ground. Then, Matthew's angry shout was cut short.

"Matt!" I heard Martha's desperate wail. "How could you?! We have done nothing wrong, nothing to incur this fate! You bastards! You—!"

Christina stopped and looked back, her eyes filling with tears. Charles turned back as well. "Grandma?"

I closed my eyes and drew a shaky breath. 'Don't turn back.' "Keep running. Don't look back." I ordered quietly. "We need to get out of here."

As we sprinted for the willow tree and then down the small, well-hidden trail, I heard shouts behind us. The soldiers were looking for us around the cottage. The next place they would look will be the surrounding forests.

The four of us ran like we have never before, following the trail as it sloped upwards. We made it to the top in one breath, only pausing at the summit because I couldn't help but look back. My heart shattered at the scene.

The cottage was engulfed in flames, the fire leaping up towards the starry heavens. Torches were moving around and about, no doubt looking for Aaron and me. The dark and tranquil night was punctured by the roaring inferno, consuming everything that Matthew and Martha had worked to build. I seemed to see Matthew and Martha's bodies in the cottage, collapsed beside each other, with blood seeping from their fatal wounds. I would never taste Martha's blackberry pies again, nor would I learn another hunting tip from Matthew. They saved Aaron and my lives, and we destroyed theirs.

'I'm sorry. In the end, you were harmed because of us. You gave up your lives for us. We can never repay this debt. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.'

Charles clutched at my jacket. "Where's Grandpa and Grandma? Are they coming? Are they trying to put out the fire?"

I looked down at his hopeful eyes and patted him softly. "I'm sorry Charles. Your grandparents…will not be coming with us." The lump in my throat got bigger, and I couldn't look at Charles anymore. My voice cracked as I tried to not let him see me cry. "They're with your mom and dad now."

"Why? I want Grandpa. I want Grandma. Why do they have to leave?" Charles buried his face into the bottom of my jacket, his small shoulders trembling as he cried in fear and in grief. "Make them come back, Kath. I want my grandma and grandpa!"

I didn't know how to answer. I picked Charles up and let him sob into my shoulder, holding onto him as much as he was holding on to me. Christina hugged Aaron's waist tightly, clutching him like a drowning person would clutch a piece of driftwood in the storm. I could see the tears shining in her eyes, reflecting the orange glow of the fire below.

"I'm so sorry," I said quietly. I knew it wouldn't help, but I needed to apologize. It was entirely Aaron and my fault. We did this to them. "I'm so sorry, Christina and Charles."

Beside me, Aaron wrapped his arm around my shoulders, squeezing it lightly as a comforting gesture. His other arm hugged Christina protectively to him. I turned towards Aaron and leaned my head against his shoulder, seeking the comfort of his presence. My own tears finally fell.

We stood there on the summit for a few moments and watched the fire burn in the valley below, a bright smear of orange against the dark shadowed landscape. Then, without ample time to grieve, we had to run once more.