Fire and Blood

When Ivory found the town she ran to the house that the kind woman had described. It was late at night but Ivory had to get help, she screamed and pounded on the door. A woman came to the door, looking scared and confused. "Are you Anna? A girl in the woods told me to find Anna! I need your help!" Ivory cried. As Ivory spoke, the women came out of their homes and the men in the tavern stumbled out.

Leading the tavern dwellers was Colin who had only had a few drinks because of his concern about his new bride alone in bed. Colin saw the girl in front of his mother-in-law's home and knew something was up. "Anna what is wrong? Who is this?"

"I am Ivory! A woman saved me in the woods and she told me to come to your home! She is in danger! Three men are there and they are violent!" Ivory spoke quickly and pointed to the woods, "Her name is Jeannie! Please help her!"

Colin paled, his greatest fear just came true, his lovely wife alone in the woods with three men after her. He ran to his home, grabbed his musket, and ran into the woods ahead of the search party with Ivory in Anna's arms by his side. Ivory told them where to go.

When they reached the camp site Anna covered Ivory's eyes. The first thing they saw is three men lying on the ground a large branch covered in ice laying across their chests. Some of the men stumble over to the men on the ground and determined that the branch just knocked them unconscious.

The next thing they see sends Anna and Colin to their knees. Jeannie lying in a fire pit, drenched in her own blood, and covered in a thin layer of ice. Colin crawled to Jeannie and saw that the fire had cauterised her wounds which were on her arm, stomach, and chest. The ice then put out the fire before the smoke and burns could kill her. Jeannie was still alive but barely.

Colin stroked Jeannie's now short hair and kissed her forehead. He picked her up and carried her home, the doctor was woken up but things didn't look good. Jeannie had lost a considerable amount of blood.

Jeannie was laid on her bed where Anna removed her daughter's torn dress, took a cloth and cleaned off Jeannie's blood soaked skin. She then put a soft cotton nighty on her to keep her covered when the doctor returned to examine the cleaned wounds. Then Anna left to give Jeannie some quiet.

Jeannie's breathing was slowed by the cold air and ice, this reduced the blood flow out of her wounds which was keeping her pain at a minimum but as she warmed in the comfort of her bed she started to feel the pain. Jeannie cried out, her voice was cracking and weak but it was still loud enough that Colin came running when he heard it.

"Jeannie? Please do not pass to the other world so soon. My young bride, I do not wish to lose you!" Colin laid his head on the bed next to her arm. Even grown men cry at pain like this. He was watching the only thing he ever wanted pass from his world after he had only had her for a few minutes. She was so sensitive and serious; he had hoped he could bring her joy by making her his bride. He looked at her ankle and saw it was exposed. When he reached to cover it he saw his brand, a mark he had caused by making her his wife. What kind of selfish monster was he?

Anna stepped in the room, her heart stopped when she saw Jeannie lift her hand and place it on Colin's arm. Colin did not move he just looked at his hands like they were melting away like candle wax. Anna walked over to her frail looking daughter and touched her hand. Jeannie's eyes fluttered but did not open. Anna let the tears roll down her cheeks.

Ivory came into the room, ran to Anna's arms, and hugged her tightly burrowing her face in Anna's shoulder like Jeannie had when she had lost Jack. "Ivory?" Anna looked at the small child in her lap, "I will protect you with my life and no one will ever hurt you. I promise. Jeannie knew we would need each other and that is why she sent me you. You are now my daughter and Colin here is your brother. Jeannie will be alright wherever she ends up. I hope she returns to my arms like you have but if she goes to our maker's arms then she will be safe there too," Anna cried as she ran her hands over Ivory's hair. Ivory felt safe and thankful for Jeannie and Anna.

Colin looked at Jeannie and saw the peace in her face. She was happy where she was. Held her hand in his and knew she would be alright and that it wasn't his fault. It was Jeannie's good nature that had sent her into the woods after this child. She was a hero like her brother had been so many years ago and her father a few years before him. All heroic deaths and all strong people who did what they thought was best.

Jeannie's eyes fluttered one last time and her hand went limp as the rest of her spirit left her cold. Anna cried and hugged Ivory tighter. Colin kissed Jeannie's cheek; he had only ever kissed her lips once, after they said they would be together until one of them died. One kiss, she died as pure as the day she was born. Colin called the doctor and it was announced that she had passed but the room had known when it happened they had felt that peaceful feeling that comes with a person losing their pain and entering the better world.

Pitch stepped out of the shadows and helped Jeannie off of the bed. "Well that was a fun way to go! You look lovely! I, personally, like the short hair better than the long. Do you not agree?"

"I guess, I feel lighter that is for certain. Will they be alright?" Jeannie asked looking at her family holding the hand of a terrible looking body. "Is that what I look like?" Jeannie said looking concerned about her appearance.

"No, you are actually quite beautiful. You can see yourself in a mirror, go look," Pitch told her pointing to the mirror next to the wall.

Jeannie looked and didn't recognize herself. She had short brown hair with black tips. It was longer in front and just off of her scalp in the back. Her eyes were glazed with red mixed in her brown. Her chest and stomach was speckled with red spots that looked blood splatter. She wore a black and red dress that fell from her shoulders and just caressed her thighs. She had the important parts covered but she was more exposed than she had ever been. Her feet where bare and her nails were black as a shadow. Her skin even had a golden glow like fire itself.

"I told you fire and blood would be the way for you to go and you turned out even better than I could have ever dreamed!" Pitch put his arm around Jeannie's waist, "Are you ready to go find an adventure?"

Jeannie just nodded, taking one last look at the three people she cared about then vanishing into a blood splatter. Jack had given her a chance to be with those she loved again and he had helped rid the world of the three horrible men who had killed her. She had seen Jack and that was all she ever wanted.