A Mission to Finish

---Katherine---

"Leaving? So soon?" Matthew was surprised when we told him. "It's only been what? Two months?"

"Are you well enough for travel? I don't want you two to reopen your wounds if they're not completely healed yet." Martha said worriedly.

"They've all healed," I said, mustering a smile. "We have to get to the Northern Mountains before the mountain passes are filled with snow."

"Thank you so much for your hospitality," Aaron added. "And thank you so much, again, for saving our lives. We really cannot thank you enough."

"Well, we couldn't just leave you two to die, could we?" Matthew replied. "Besides, it is our honor to house two of the Rosewood Seven. But…do you really have to leave right now?"

"Who's leaving, Grandpa?" Charles burst into the room, followed by Christina. His eyes landed on Aaron and me. "Are you leaving, Kath? Aaron too?"

"Well…yeah. We're leaving." I had to tell him the truth.

"Aw…" Charles's face filled with sadness. "Why do you have to go? I thought you were living with us now. Why are you leaving?"

We hadn't told the children the truth about ourselves. They only knew that bad people had came after us, and we got very injured in a battle. They didn't need to worry about Lord Victor and the Evils.

Aaron patted Charles affectionately. "Sorry Charles, we don't want to leave either, but Kath and I have some very important things to do. We also have to go back to our own homes eventually."

"Can you stay longer? Please?" Christina grabbed my hand.

"Yes, it'll take you a good half a day to walk out of the ravine, and who knows if there is any safe place for lodging within a ten-mile radius. Why don't you stay for a couple more days so you can prepare for your departure?" Martha suggested. Aaron and I looked at each other, then at Christina and Charles's hopeful gazes.

"Well…I suppose staying just a bit longer wouldn't hurt." I said slowly. The children's sorrowful expressions turned into brilliant smiles.

We decided to set our departure date to three days later. According to Matthew, the weather was supposed to be good on that day, with just the right amount of sunshine and clouds. "Not too hot, and not too cold," he declared. "Perfect for traveling." He even brought home more game to make jerky for us.

Meanwhile, Martha was busy sewing some clothes for us. "It's going to be cold up in the Northern Mountains," she said. "I don't want you two to freeze." Even though we told her it was okay and to not worry about us, she insisted on making two sets of winter clothes for us. Both Aaron and I spent a lot of our time with Charles and Christina, teaching them as much as we could. I had grown attached to the children, and the thought of possibly never seeing them again tore at my heartstrings. If I must leave, then I have to make sure they learn all that they can from me. I wanted them to be safe.

The day before our departure, Matthew returned back to the cottage earlier than usual. When Charles ran up to him for a hug, he pulled away quickly and told us to all get inside. I ushered the children into the cottage, seeing out of the corner of my eye how Matthew's face held worry and a hint of fear. He quickly disappeared into the kitchen to talk to Martha. Aaron and I exchanged a look, and an uneasy feeling rose up from the pit of my stomach.

"Aaron, Katherine, come in here for a minute." Matthew poked his head out of the kitchen and beckoned towards us. The uneasy feeling in my stomach got stronger.

"What's wrong?" I asked when we were out of earshot of the children. I have never seen Matthew with such a serious expression.

"I saw movement in the forests upstream when I was hunting," Matthew said gravely. "It was definitely humans. Not to alarm you or anything, but…" His voiced trailed off, but we all knew what he was going to say.

"Lord Victor knows we're here?" Aaron couldn't help but ask. Before Matthew could answer, I shook my head.

"It can't be. If he did, we wouldn't still be here. It might just be scouts, or lost soldiers. Anyhow, we have to leave as soon as possible so as to not involve you guys." I looked directly at Matthew and Martha.

"It's much too dangerous. If you make a move now, they'll find you for sure. You two should stay here for now, maybe extend your stay for a bit longer, until we're sure it's safe to leave." Martha left no room for argument. "Don't venture out, but be prepared to run and hide if someone comes looking for you."

"We can't get you and your family involved. You already did so much for us. We don't want to see anything happen to you four." I argued.

"Yeah, Lord Victor is after Kath and me. There's no reason for you all to be tangled up in our mess." Aaron agreed with me. "So many people have died for us already. We can't bear the guilt of more lives."

"Now, now, who said we were going to die? Even if they do find us, what can they do? We're just a family living a quiet, peaceful life. As long as they don't find you two in our house, we're fine." Matthew reassured me. "But please, stay here until it's safe for you two to depart."

We stayed, against my better judgment. I had Aaron pack his bag, stuffing the provisions that Martha gave us in there too. My heart was up in my throat all day long. I felt that Lord Victor's soldiers would burst in any moment. I was nervous and afraid to the point that I felt sick. Christina noticed my anxiety and tried to take my mind off things by having me help her with some embroidery. But nothing could make me shake off the feeling that something bad was going to happen.