Tangled Fates

[Song Inspo 1 and 2]

The land of Westfall was one of toil and trouble. The Defias were running amok and there was rumors of the dead rising in the north. The land was still recovering from the orcs that had plagued it years prior, and as such, fields were struggling to yield the needed crops to survive. The Emsworth were some of the unfortunate ones located near the Dagger Hills, of which the Defias Brotherhood liked to reside. They had often had run ins, though had always found a way to pay the bandits to leave them alive and alone. This year however, with the starting war and drought, they barely had gathered enough crops for food and money, and unable to pay the bandits they knew would come knocking. Robert Emsworth had taken their wagon and horses into town, to both sell what they could and in hopes of seeking guards aid to help stop the bandits.

At home, Melissa, the young pregnant wife of Robert, had begun to prepare lunch for her small growing family. Jacob and William being already up and busy tending the fields and animals, while the youngest- Adriana- was busy sewing to fix her brother's clothing. None were prepared for what that day would bring.

"Is Papa gonna be back soon?" Adriana asked aloud, glancing up from the table to peer at her mother.

"Yes, I'm sure he will be." Melissa answered without looking to the girl, gazing out the kitchen window.

Soon dust began to kick up on the path leading to their small home. Jacob and William quickly came inside, with Jacob grabbing his young sister and beginning to usher her elsewhere. As she was pushed out of the room, she noted William reaching for the sword on the wall.

"J-.. Jacob what's happening?" Ana asked, the girl's hazel eyes peering up at her older brother as he carefully put her in the tornado bunker.

"Stay here. Don't make a sound. Bandits are here and you need to stay safe." Jacob tried to quiet her, before moving to close the bunker doors.

Ana felt her heart racing and panic setting in. Glancing around, she went to hide behind one of the barrels and stare in terror at the door. Why hadn't their mother been brought down as well? Every small sound she could hear left her on edge. Soon the sound of screaming and sword clashing could be heard faintly. The hairs stood up on the back of her neck and her heart began to sink.

Soon the door began to open, and she started to stand, only to freeze when she saw it wasn't her brothers who had come to get her. Soon the black masked men had grabbed her by her hair, causing her to scream in pain as she tried to struggle out of their grips as they yanked her up the steps and outside.

"Quit yer screamin' before I give ya' reason to scream!" One man growled angrily.

Despite his words, the girl continued to scream as they dragged her by her hair. She felt their grip loosen as she fell to the ground from being thrown. She brought her hand to her head, eyes shut tightly a moment as she reeled from pain. She heard metal clashing which caused her eyes to shoot open in fear.

The two men who had dragged her from her home, were now fighting a boy just a bit older then herself. The boy had blood dripping from his forehead and sides, leaving her questioning how he was standing. He pulled a flintlock from his waist and shot one bandit to the ground while his sword fought with the other. He was wobbling and getting pushed back. Ana's gaze shot around, noticing her home ablaze and blood in the fields before looking to the fallen bandit. She pushed herself up and grabbed the man's sword. She looked to the bandit and boy and saw the boy fall to the ground as his sword was held up to stop a strike. She felt her tears sting her eyes as she lunged and plunged the blade in the bandit.

Flames roared near by and the scent of blood and ash was all that she could register as she dropped the blade and her hands trembled. Her ragged gown now stained from blood and dirt and her mind began shutting down. She looked at the boy and quickly fell to her knees at his side, feeling the surge of panic. She tore her robe and began wrapping it around his wounds to slow the bleeding as he began to sit up, stabbing his sword into the dirt.

Finally a small handful of militia arrived, composed of the men of the near by farms. The thirteen year old and sixteen year old sitting there soaked in mud and blood. The girl was crying and the boy was holding her close and trying to calm her despite his pale complexion.

The men took the two back to Sentinel Hill to be tended while they searched for the girl's family. No survivors found, leaving the poor girl an orphan and without a home. The boy took her by the hand, and then they vanished while the men were gone. No one was sure where they had gone after that day.