Erondale

Chapter 17

There is blood everywhere. My heart stops as I see Erin kneeling beside someone. I rush over to her, dropping on my knees when I reach her. She is trying to stop the bleeding that’s leaking out of her date’s chest. I rip the bottom of my dress, roll it up, and press it against the open wound.

“What happened?” I whisper shout.

“I don’t know. I don’t know.” She mutters.

“Did you see who it was?”

I give her a quick glance. She is pale and her eyes are wide.

“Erin?”

She shakes her head slowly. Where is everyone? I glance around and notice several people on the ground. My stomach sinks. I grab a hold of Erin’s hand and put it over the wound.

“Do not let go! You hear me?” When she doesn’t respond, I ask a little louder. “Erin, do you hear me?”

“Yes.” She whispers.

“Good.”

I rush over to the next person and rip up a little more of my dress. I wad it up and place it over their wound. I place their loved ones hand on top of the cloth and repeat what I told Erin. I do this with every person lying on the ground. There is blood soaking through the remnants of my dress. So many injured people. No one saw who did it. It seemed to have happened almost all at once.

“Rae. Get inside! NOW!” Talon yells.

I don’t have time to think about my bossy brother. These people need me.

“I have to help!” I yelled back.

“It’s not safe!”

I look at him closely, I can see the fear in his eyes.

“Since we don’t know who, or what, attacked we don’t know where it is safe! Talon, please! I need to help!” I beg.

He hesitates. “Come. You need to take a break. The King’s men have arrived.”

I shake my head. “I can’t. I’m helping.”

Before he can say anything else, I rush to the next person.

“Hold on, little one.” I say to a little girl about five years old. “Hold on, help is coming.”

“Is Mama coming?” She says in a meek voice.

I look around and see her mom lying in a pool of her own blood. She isn’t moving, or breathing, and tears start streaming.

“No, sweetie. Mama isn’t coming. It’s okay, though. I’m here. I’m right here.”

“It’s okay. I’m okay.” She says in barely a whisper.

She starts to shut her eyes. “No, sweetie, don’t shut them. Look at me. Do you want to sing with me?”

She slowly opens her eyes and nods her head. “I do. I don’t know any songs though. Can you sing?” she asks.

“I can’t sing if it saved my life but for her I will try. “A little. What do you want me to sing?”

“Can you hum?”

I smile. “Yes. I can. Would you prefer that?”

“Yes. My Mama hums to me when I’m sad.”

“Okay, I’ll hum but I need you to keep your eyes open okay.”

“Okay.” She whispers.

I hum, knowing that she is going to lose the battle. I hear her start to hum with me and tears stream down harder. It causes me to choke up. Her hums start breaking up and I can hear her breathing become labored. Who can do this to little children. I stop humming as I feel her arm go slack in my hand.

I look at her one more time before I cover her up with her dress.

I take a deep breath, stand up, and bump into someone. I jump as they go to catch me. It’s Toby. He holds me tighter and whispers to me.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I just came to check on you.”

Feeling my heart flutter, I squeeze him in assurance.“I’m fine.”

He nods and walks with me as I reach another person. I bend down and breathe a sigh of relief when I notice that they are breathing and just unconscious. There is another little girl lying underneath. Toby and I gently pick the mother off of her daughter. She is unharmed completely. She may be only about a year old. I hand her over to Toby and he takes off over to the wagons that are quickly filling up with the injured.

I hear my Mama sigh in relief. “Rae.”

“Yes, Mama?”

I’m scared to look at her. I’m afraid to see blood, or something worse, on her. My mind isn’t remembering that she was in the room with me at the time it started.

“Come here, baby.” She begs.

I turn around and run into her arms. I grab a hold of her as tight as I can. She grips me tight as well and I hear her gasp when she notices the state of my dress. She grips my arms, holding me away from me.

“Is any of this from you?” She asks panicked.

I frown, unable to control my tears, and grab her hand. “No, Mama. I’m not hurt.”

I start to drag her along with me. We reach another person and my mom gasps. This person did not get so lucky. She is completely shredded. What happened?

“Mama?” I ask, barely managing to get the word out.

“Yes, baby?”

“Does Clay know what is going on?”

“No, honey.” She looks away, with grief written on her face. “He isn’t doing so well, either. The guards have taken him around the scene. It’s weakened him a little more.”

She looks contemplative before she asks me her next question. “Has anyone said anything about who did this?”

“No, Mama. It’s like when Daddy was attacked. No one saw anything or anyone. Also, it looks like it was done quickly. Who can do that?”

“I’m not so sure it’s a who? It could be a what.” Mama suggests.

My eyes widen. “What could do that?”

“I don’t know, baby. I don’t know.” She wipes her hands on her dress. “Come, let’s take these bodies over to the wagon.”

I look at the field of losses. My stomach turns sour and I have a hard time controlling it. I take a deep breath and nod my head. It takes a while to get all of the bodies onto a wagon. We lost about seventy men, women, and children. Seventeen people are still injured. Some people, that were injured, healed pretty quick.

In total, there is around a hundred people that are involved. Everyone that was outside. I find out later that Toby was one of the ones injured but he healed without any problems. The thought that he could have been one of the dead almost stops my heart. Imagining life with out him causes my heart rate to spike and beat almost out of my heart. Alrich finally finds me. When his eyes set on me he, he rushes over and pulls me into a tight hug.

“Oh, my God, Rae. I was so scared that I was going to find you lying out here somewhere. Where have you been?” He practically screams.

“I’ve been helping the injured.” I mumble.

He’s squeezing me so hard that I can barely breathe. I’m touched by his concern but, even though it’s the most inappropriate time to think this, I wish it is Toby instead.

“Thank God. I’m sorry I couldn’t get here sooner. I was helping the King and his men.”

“How is the King?” I ask, worried.

“He’s not doing so well. The palace guards have taken him back home.” He looks at me closer and I see his face pale. “Is this yours?”

I look down and realize that he means the blood all over me. I sigh. “No. I helped the injured, remember?”

He stares a little longer before he nods. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

I let him lead me to his horse. I hear my Mama telling me to be safe just as I climb on behind him. The ride home is silent. When we reach my home, Alrich walks me inside. I turn towards him when I notice his hesitance.

“Are you alright, Alrich?”

He smiles slightly. “Yes. I’m fine. It’s just that…” He looks away a moment. Just as I’m about to ask he continues. “I don’t want to leave you alone here but I need to get back.” He admits.

“Oh.” It was all I could think of. I didn’t want him to go. “I’m scared.” I admit meekly.

He closes the distance. “I know you are. I won’t leave, if you don’t want me to.”

I can tell that he is conflicted. He is in charge of some of the men at the m******e. I know that he needs to go. I take a deep breath as I try to put on a brave face.

“Go, Alrich. I’ll be fine.” I whisper so he won’t hear the lie.

He stares at me for a few moments but I don’t change my face. After a few moments, he nods.

“Thank you.” He says, grabbing my hand to give a tiny kiss to the back of it. “I’ll send your brother back as soon as I get there. Lock all the doors.” He instructs.

I nod. I see that he wants to say something else, with some emotion in his eyes, but he doesn’t say it. I stand waiting for him to say it, confused and curious at the same time.

He just turns and walks out the door whispering. “Don’t forget to lock the door.”