Aftermath_The Armorian Chronicles

by Courtney Beals

  “Oh, Lyla, you startled me. Come in please.”

  She stood next to him and looked down at the object he was working on. It was circular, but it was split in two. It had gears on each side, but she still had no idea what it was. Joe saw her staring and lifted the headpiece away from his eyes.

  “This is my latest invention,” he smiled.

  “What is it exactly?” Lyla was very curious at what this odd piece could be.

  “I can’t tell you quite yet,” he said. “Not until it is completely finished.” Lyla looked disappointed. “What are you doing out of bed this late anyway?”

  “I couldn’t sleep, and apparently Lilly couldn’t sleep either. I found her sitting outside. She does that quite often so she says.”

  “Yes, I have seen her out there a time or two when I finish up for the night. I know she wishes she could have her mother back.”

  “She does, but we are both very fortunate to have you and Nana.”

  “You are most fortunate to have each other.”

  They both heard someone coming down the stairs and saw Lilly with her brilliant blue eyes.

  “Ah, Lilly,” Joe said. “I’m glad you’re here. I was just about to tell your sister something very important. Come listen.” Lilly walked over and saw that her sister looked just as confused as she did.

  “When your mother was a little girl she used to be afraid of so many things so I came up with three simple phrases to help her.”

  “And what would that be?” Lilly asked.

  “Be strong. Be confident. Be fearless.”

  “Did it work?” Lyla asked.

  “She said it to herself every single day whenever she was frightened. She even used it when she was about to marry your father.” He laughed. “She also used it when he passed away.” He frowned and looked away. “My point is, I want the two of you to say it to yourselves when you’re frightened or when times get rough.

  “It sure would have helped if you told us that twenty-one years ago,” Lyla laughed. “But I’m glad you mentioned it.”

  “You’re welcome, my sweet Lyla, and my dearest Lilly Pad.” He embraced the both of them for what seemed like ages. “All right, you two, off to bed. I have a lot of work to do.”

  Lyla and Lilly made it back to their rooms, and this time had no trouble falling asleep.

  The next morning, Lyla woke up to find their grandparents outside. They had a wooden carriage her grandfather had built that was being pulled by two of their horses.

  “Leaving so soon?” Lyla asked. The sun had barely peeked over the trees.

  “We thought it best to get an early start,” Joe said. “We will be back by nightfall. As for the two of you”––he nodded toward his granddaughters. Lyla was surprised to see Lilly come up behind her–– “You will get your chores done and then go to the training area and work with weapons for a few hours.”

  Lyla and Lilly both nodded in agreement. After they said goodbye, Lyla and Lilly started on their chores.

  Chapter 3

  Lyla and Lilly had split the chores since they were old enough to complete them. At first, they hated getting up early every day to do them, but now they had done them for so long they had grown accustomed to it.

  “Okay,” said Lyla. “We have to pull the weeds in the garden and trim the hedges. We also have to shovel the stables and feed the horses.”

  “I really do not want to shovel the stables today,” said Lilly.

  “We will flip for it.”

  Neither of them ever wanted to shovel the stables, especially in the summer because the smell was absolutely diabolical in the heat. Lilly grabbed a rock from the landscaping along the house. It was mostly flat, and one side had specks on it.

  “I get the speckled side,” said Lilly in excitement.

  Lyla took the rock in her hand and threw in up in the air letting it plummet to the ground. The speckled side landed up and Lyla groaned.

  “All right,” said Lyla. “What chores would you like to do for the day?” Lyla already knew what she was going to say.

  “I will pull weeds in the garden and trim the hedges if you shovel the stables and feed the horses.”

  “Fine, let’s get it over with.”

  Lyla fed and watered the horses before starting on the stables. When she reached the stables, she opened the barn doors to let air in from the outside so the smell wouldn’t be as bad. An hour had passed since she started her chores and the heat was getting more intense by the hour. She knew Lilly had to be done already, but she was nowhere to be seen. Usually, they would help each other complete their chores once they were done.

  Soon after, Lilly walked into the barn holding a tray with two glasses of lemonade made from freshly squeezed lemons. Lyla was very grateful as she felt the cold refreshing drink begin to cool her body. After they enjoyed their drinks, Lilly helped Lyla finish shoveling the stables even though she did not have much left. She was very grateful to have a sister that would help her out in her times of need.

  Lyla and Lilly changed into clothes that did not reek of manure and headed over to the training area in the woods.

  The training area was nearby and was also protected by the barriers to keep it invisible around the perimeter. It was an open field full of green grass with a shed that stood on the outer edge, closer to the trees that surrounded it. Lilly opened the door that revealed weapons from wall to wall. Knives, bows and arrows, and swords were neatly organized throughout the room. There were even handguns, but they did not use them much because one shot could draw unwanted attention. There were enough weapons to armor up to twenty people.

  Today, Lyla and Lilly were going to train on sword fighting. They each had a favorite weapon, none of them were exactly the same. The swords they used were made of a very strong metal that was very difficult to break, but it was also light weight, which allowed the girls to strike back at a quicker pace. For practicing purposes only, they had mock swords that would allow them to strike at one another without getting hurt.

  They were both very well-trained fighters because they had trained their entire lives. They were self-trained, since their grandparents did not have much fighting skills. Their grandparents encouraged it more and more throughout the years, especially once they were old enough to go out on their own. They had to be able to protect themselves once put in dangerous situations, which happened very often.

  As they reached the center of the field, they stood across from one another and drew their swords. Lilly had a strong stance, with squinting eyes and a stern expression, but a slight smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. Lyla had more of a relaxed stance, with a smile on her face, almost taunting her sister. She was very confident in her fighting skills, and sometimes overly confident, which was her greatest fault.

  “Today’s the day I will beat you,” said Lilly.

  In one quick motion, Lilly took a step forward and struck her sword down toward her sister, but Lyla was just as fast, and pulled her sword up to block the incoming blow. “I don’t think so, sis,” Lyla retorted as the blades pushed against one another. Lyla pushed the weight back toward her sister and went to strike at her left side, but Lilly counteracted the blow and her sword scraped against Lyla’s arm. “Nice one, but even with a real blade not much damage would have been done. We aim to kill, not to wound. Let’s try again.”

  A smile of great accomplishment spread across Lilly’s face. Lilly was a great fighter, but no match for her sister. She had natural skills that were hard to overcome. Lyla had never once rubbed it in her sister’s face. Her main goal was to make her sister just as good, and she had come so far since the beginning. At this point, Lilly was almost unstoppable, but she had one flaw that worried Lyla.

  Almost an hour had passed of fighting with a few breaks in between. Just a few more minutes of training and they would be done, so Lyla went for Lilly’s weak spot. Their swords clashed up in the air and Lyla pulled her sword down and drove it into Lilly’s right side. Lilly wince
d at the bit of pain.

  “You’re dead!” exclaimed Lyla.

  “That kind of hurt you know. You didn’t have to do it so hard.” She stood rubbing her side, trying to make the pain go away.

  “Maybe the harder I do it, the quicker you will learn to defend your right side. It will only leave a bruise anyway. Seriously, Lil, that is going to be a major problem for you if you don’t start practicing on your own time. How do you think I managed to get to the point where I am now? I’m afraid it will be the death of you someday.”

  Lilly looked at her in defeat. They had been practicing this for a while. She excelled in every other defense, every other movement, yet she could still not do this one simple thing her sister had asked of her. She knew it scared her sister more than anything. How would her sister feel if this really was the way she could be defeated and she died because of it? Surely, she would feel it was her fault for not protecting her and doing everything she could to prevent it. No, she would not let that happen. She would take it more seriously and start practicing on her own time outside of training. She would make her sister proud. She would not fail her.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I will work on it. I promise.”

  Lyla smiled. “Good! I will hold you to that. Now let’s get back to the house and wait for Nana and Papa’s return, shall we?

  “We shall,” Lilly responded.

  Once Lyla and Lilly returned to the house they spent several hours on their own, but as nightfall approached, they realized their grandparents were not back yet. The sun was going down and they should have been back by now. The girls figured they were running a little late and would be home anytime. An hour went by, and it was nearly dark. The sun shone in the distance behind the trees, giving off just a little bit of light.

  “We have to go find them,” said Lyla. “Something is wrong. They have never been out this late. We must go out and find them.” An uneasy feeling was growing in the pit of her stomach and she was growing more apprehensive as each second passed.

  “I’ll get the horses ready,” said Lilly. “You grab our bags with our supplies and we will meet in front of the house.” They nodded in agreement. Lilly went for the stables while Lyla ran to each of their rooms and packed their bags. They were still mostly packed from their journey, but Lyla went through and made sure they had everything. Weapons, blankets, medical aid. She had the feeling they would need it in this case, but she hoped, above all things, that they wouldn’t. Her heart was racing and her hands were trembling, knowing that something bad must have happened. Panic started to creep up on her.

  Pull yourself together. Everything will be just fine.

  As much as she wanted to believe that, she didn’t, but she couldn’t let her sister see that in her.

  Once the bags were packed and ready, she ran outside. Her sister had the two horses waiting. Juniper was her horse. She was very beautiful with an all-white coat and mane. She had raised this horse herself and knew from the moment she saw her that she was the one. Juniper reminded her of a horse from a fairy tale and she was her very own. Lilly’s horse was named Eris. She, too, was a beautiful white horse, but she had a light shade of gray at the tip of her snout. They both climbed on their horses and headed out the back way of the property, where there was an opening big enough for the horses to fit through.

  They found the dirt trail that their grandparents would have taken to get to their destination. They sped up the horses and rode full speed, not caring about their surroundings or if anyone was around to see them, even though their carelessness could have put them in a dangerous situation.

  The sunlight was fading fast and they had been riding for almost twenty minutes when the trail came to a curve through the trees. Lyla heard Lilly gasp. As they came to the other side, they saw two horses attached to a broken-down carriage. One of the wheels had been broken off and supplies were thrown all over the ground. They knew the moment they saw it that it was their grandparents’ carriage. They rushed forward, pulled their horses to a stop, and jumped off their horses.

  Many emotions were rushing through the both of them. Fear, panic, worry, sadness. They both had unanswered questions, but they were afraid to know the answers.

  Lyla was the first to get to the carriage. She drew her sword as she approached, only to find her grandmother lying on the floor of the carriage. She put her sword away and leaned down to see if she were unconscious or hurt or worse, but she knew the answer right away. Once she got closer, she realized what her grandmother was lying in. A large pool of blood. She was facing down and Lyla could see a large wound on her back. She let out a slow even breath and her eyes filled with tears. She grabbed her wrist to check her pulse just to be sure, but she felt nothing. Just the emptiness and warmth that still remained in her body. Their worst fears had become a part of reality.

  Lilly had come up behind Lyla not being able to see what was going on. She tried to make her way forward, when Lyla said, “Don’t.” She turned to Lilly and wiped the tear that had fallen from her face. “She’s gone, Lil.” Lilly pushed her way forward and saw her motionless grandma lying there. “No!” she cried. “This can’t be; she can’t be dead. Let me through.” Lyla grabbed her, not letting her get any closer, as she fell to the ground, and held her while she cried. Lyla, trying to be strong, silently cried with her. Moments had passed before either of them said a word.

  “Lilly,” Lyla finally said. “We can’t stay here. Whoever did this might come back. I’m going to search the area to see if grandfather is around. I need you to be strong and fix the carriage wheel so we can get out of here. Can you do that for me?”

  Lilly, so caught up in her grief, had not thought about the whereabouts of their grandfather. So many questions were running through her mind. Where is he? Is he dead too? Who would have taken him? She didn’t say a word, but nodded to her sister.

  Lyla closed the carriage door before leaving, so her sister did not have to see the tragedy that lay before her. It was already dark, so she reached into her bag and pulled out two lights that her grandfather had invented for them. They were round spherical pieces of metal that illuminated a bright light in the dark. They were created to only illuminate in their specific hands. Batteries were hard to come by, otherwise they would just use a simple flashlight. She gave one to her sister and left.

  By the time she got back, the carriage was fixed, and all of the supplies that were thrown around were picked up off the ground. Her sister looked at her with tired, red eyes.

  “I didn’t find him,” Lyla said. She saw the look of disappointment that spread across her sister’s face. “That’s a good thing though.” She was trying to be encouraging, even though she knew, in a situation like this, it was very difficult. Lilly looked at her curiously. “I was thinking while I was searching for him, he’s not around, which means he’s most likely still alive.”

  “You think so?” Lilly asked with wide eyes and the sound of hope in her voice.

  “I know so,” Lyla said with a slight smile that quickly faded. “This wasn’t an ordinary or random attack though. This was an ambush! I found tracks from multiple people in the woods, and I also found this.” She held up a torn piece of tan fabric. “This is from grandfather’s jacket. I found it on the ground by the footprints. He must have torn it from his jacket and left it behind for us so that we would know he’s still alive.”

  “Or he’s dead and it was snagged on a tree branch as they dragged his body away,” said Lilly.

  “Oh, don’t think like that. Have a little faith. Besides, I doubt there’s a tree branch sharp enough to rip a piece off like this, and I highly doubt that the Takers would do it for him.”

  “You think the Takers did this?” said Lilly.

  “Who else would do something like this?”

  “Good point. If that’s the case though, the only place they would have taken him is the city. We’ve never actually gone in the city. How are we supposed to get him out?”

  “I’m not
sure yet, but we have to try,” said Lyla. “It won’t do us any good going through the woods in the dark though. We need to get back to the house. Tie Juniper to Eris and guide them home. I’ll be right behind you in the carriage. When we get home, I’ll start digging a hole for Grandma’s burial.

  When they arrived at the house, Lilly put all four horses away while Lyla started digging. She grabbed a shovel and walked out to the large tree that was behind the house. She had gone there often to visit her mother and father’s gravestones. Now, there would be a new addition, one more person for them to grieve over. She always thought her grandma would die warm in her bed surrounded by peace and happiness not by the hand of someone else. Especially, by the hand of a Taker. She made a vow to herself that she would get vengeance on whoever did this, even if it took the rest of her life. She started to blame herself for what had happened, even though she knew it wasn’t her fault. She should have been there to protect them both. Anger, frustration, and hate began to rise in her, as well as fatigue growing in her arms with every shovel of dirt she threw into the air. Her eyes began to tear up again just thinking about it. She hated to cry, but how could she not? She wiped the tears from her face when she noticed her sister approach.

  She was carrying a wooden coffin lined with a soft fabric. “I made this for Nana,” she said. “I thought lining it with fabric would make it more comfortable for her, so she could rest peacefully.” She stared down at the ground, as did Lyla. It was then that she had just noticed how far she had dug. She had been so lost in thought that she didn’t realize. The ground level was well above her head; it was plenty deep enough. Lilly helped her out of the large, gaping hole.

  Together they walked to the barn where the carriage was for their grandmother’s body. Lilly guided her into the barn where her grandmother lay on a table. She was all clean with no blood staining her clothes or her skin. She was beautiful, as if she had just been sleeping. A tin bucket of water and blood was sitting next to the table, along with the stained clothes that their grandmother had been wearing previously.