Chapter VI • Severin

“Right…” I mumble, eyeing my concoction in the glass bottle. “Many failed attempts and burning myself with that last one, however…”

I pull the cork out of the glass cylinder, placing my folded hood upon my nose to prevent myself from inhaling another possible failure of an experiment.

“Vaporo!” I exclaim, remembering to pronounce the spell precisely this time. The liquid in the bottle warms up in my hand and begins releasing haze. I keep my arm outstretched as the air in front of me becomes heavy and unclear, the mist settling around me. As the haze thickens, the liquid decreases— and when the bottle goes empty, the fog stays in the air.

“I did it?” I think out loud, inspecting the empty glass in hand. “By the gods, I did it!”

“What is with all the noise…?” I hear a voice behind me. Swiveling to find a groggy Sapphire by the door frame, I rush to her and cover her nose with my hood.

“Don’t breathe in the fog!”

Wide-eyed and possibly wide awake now, my sister replies with a muffled “Fog?”.

“Inhaling the fog will daze you, Saph, I haven’t perfected this potion ye—”

Sapphire pulls away from me— rather forcefully, actually— and gives me a confused look.

“Fog?! Brother, what fog?”

Befuddled, I turn around to find neither haze nor mist— the surroundings are as clear as I can see; a little brighter, since I woke up before dawn, indicating that the sun is rising.

“What are you talking about, Sev?”

“Ah… I-I must have been seeing things,” I lie and watch Sapphire return to bed. “I-I apologize for frightening you.”

“It's alright,” she replies, climbing onto the wool mattress and getting comfortable. “I was having a rather lovely dream when I heard you shouting. It alarmed me; I thought stepmother had found us…”

I make my way to the bed and ask my sister what she was dreaming about.

“We were in a castle,” she starts, bringing her knees to her chest as she eagerly tells her story. “Thither were horses, and a farm being tended by Father and some other happy farmers. We had so much food on the table because of them! Mother and Sigrid feasted with us, stepmother Beatrice was thither too, but she was a servant— I was a princess dressed in an elegant, green gown, wearing sparkling blue jewelry hanging from my ears, and you were a knight dressed in shiny iron who fought evil men when they tried to attack us!”

I smile at her story, imagining a rich, luxurious life.

“If I were a princess, I would make sure our family is happy and satisfied, and that everyone in Augborough wouldn’t have a hard time feeding their families, as well!”

“You are precious, Saph. You’re very gallant for thinking of everybody else.”

“I know ‘tis a hard life. I wish we were born royal— mayhap things would have been simpler.”

“Well, we may not be royalty, but you certainly are worthy of becoming one, Your Highness.”

Sapphire giggles as I exaggerate a bow, acting prince-like based on my knowledge of regal figures, which is… almost none, honestly. The Davidsons are the closest thing to royalty, as far as I know.

“You should go back to sleep, I’ll be waiting for the sun to rise higher before I get us our meals.”

“Be careful, Sev…” she murmurs sleepily as I tuck her in.

Pressing my lips to her forehead as she falls asleep, I exit the pit house and scan the environment. I pick up the used bottle, and grin upon the realization that the potion worked. I pocket the glass, grab one of the small knives I’ve stolen, and walk over to the stream. Past it is a small clearing, where a wide variety of plants grow.

With Mother’s journal, I can concoct simple potions that should aid me during my raids if I do it right. I began my search the day Sapphire and I decided that the dug-out will be our new home, and discovered this spacious area where tall, leafy flowers, large-leafed greens, and different mushrooms grow whilst exploring. This potion of fog took me over a day to perfect; now that I have, I may finally be able to use it in my raid later today.

I’ve grown rather confident in my thieving skills as well; stealing meat, vegetables and other useful objects, like cloth and glass bottles in two different villages, two days in a row. However, getting caught is still a risk, ‘tis why this potion is important.

Only a few of the plants I find in this clearing are labeled and illustrated in Mother’s journal, thus I must be warier— yesterday, I’d accidentally cut the wrong plant and whatever sap that touched my skin burned me, and it felt worse than that of a fire burn. I find the plant I used in my last test and collect the built-up moisture from atop its bright green leaves, letting the droplets fall into the bottle. I’m sure this is the same plant I found before because of the stripe of white down its center. According to the journal, this plant is called “vittatum”, and boiling the crushed leaves in its own dew at a certain point is said to create the potion. With the assistance of the spell “vaporo”, the concoction will— as I understand it— boil itself inside its container and create a fog that will temporarily daze those who inhale it. Failing to boil the concoction precisely or mispronouncing the spell, as I have already done, will result in pain.

…Lots of it.

By the time I return and begin the extensive method of boiling the leaves, the sun is up. I finish my potion-making by noon.

“I will return with haste,” I whisper to a still-asleep Sapphire as I pocket the successful concoction and grab a cloth sack. With the fire’s dying embers, I leave the pit house, put on my hood, and begin my expedition. Let’s see which village I’ll be stealing from today…

Straying from the main pathways, I find yet another community a long walk away from the dug-out after some time. I tighten the laces of my hood, acting natural as I enter the village through the bushes, but stop short when I see how bustling the place is— merchants, instead of stalls, are selling their goods to passers-by either on foot or by means of a cart, and customers moving to and from sellers to purchase their commodities. Shaking my head to maintain focus, I try to blend into the crowd of buyers walking from place to place, browsing the walking sellers’ products as if I am actually going to buy anything.

A seller near the center catches my eye as he converses with another man selling what seems to be fruits in a bushel basket. His goods are in sizable baskets hanging from a rope attached to a thick wooden rod atop his shoulder, the carriers containing large cabbages and lengthy long beans.

This seems like the perfect moment to use the potion.

I prepare the sack and myself, clutching the potion as I slowly approach the vendors. I quietly pop the cork off the bottle and utter the spell, feeling the liquid become warmer in my hand. I hold my breath as I watch the mist pour out, scurrying to the stunned merchants as some villagers begin questioning the sudden appearance of the ever-thickening fog. I swipe bundles of long beans and shove them into the sack while the merchants are bewildered, accidentally dropping the bottle. As it rolls away on the ground, the haze begins to dissipate, so I nab a cabbage and make a run for it to prevent being caught. Running amidst the frenzied and possibly dazed crowd whilst holding my breath is no easy task, but I gasp for air when I reach the village’s edge, hopping into some branchy shrubs to hide from the dying chaos. When the air becomes clearer, many residents look around in confusion as their visions become unhindered.

Things could have been worse, right? I mean, nobody is dead…

I carefully exit the shrub, getting scratched by its sharp branches with every move I make. Despite the pain, I keep my eyes on the disorderly village as I walk away backwards, ensuring that nobody sees me. When it’s all clear, I lope in the direction of where I came from, glancing behind me every now and then to make sure that I am not being followed. My sister’s life is more important than these cuts or this chemise. I'll have to cut these sleeves off…

Upon my return, Sapphire is awake and gathering brushwood. I lug the sack of vegetables as I pass through the trees to the pit house, tiredly waving at my sister as she sees me from a distance.

“Brother! You’ve returned just in time, I’ve got the fire started and the water boiling,” she excitedly exclaims, making me smile proudly. She runs toward me with open arms, so I begin walking briskly towards her. When she envelops me in a hug, I hiss in pain as her skin comes in contact with all of my open wounds from the bush I hid in earlier. Worried, she pulls out my arms and examines them on all sides.

“Sev, what happened?” she asks, her round, blue eyes pleading for answers.

“I went through a couple of bushes to get today’s meal…”

She pouts, and runs her little fingers down my arm, checking for any more damage. She does the same to my other arm, before deciding to use some of the water she’s boiled to cleanse the cuts. The moment she turns around, the wounds disappear, without a trace. Bewildered, I rush to my sister, who has been wearing her winter tunic since we first arrived at the dug-out, and roll up her sleeves.

All of the areas stepmother Beatrice hit the day we ran away that was supposed to bruise…

…is completely gone. No signs of bruising at all!

“Brother, what are you doing?”

“Saph… Your arms don’t hurt?”

“Hm? Now that you are asking, not at all! How odd.”

“W-would you know what you did to my arms, then?”

“Your arms? Oh,” she gasps in shock, a puzzled expression on her face. “Your wounds disappeared?!”

“Yes…” I absentmindedly agree, my mind going elsewhere as I run my fingers through my hair. Could it be possible that my sister possesses mysterious abilities? First, my back, when Beatrice beat me a day ago, then yesterday's fresh wound on Sapphire's knee, and today, the fresh wounds on my arms. “Healing powers, perchance…? But how could it…?”

As I stroke my chin in deep thought, I realize late that my sibling had already taken out the stolen goods from the sack. She enters the dug-out with the bundles of long beans between her chest and her slim arms, struggling to keep the cabbage in her wee hands. I chuckle at her adorable struggle.

“Come now, my famished little sister, let me,” I say, following her into the pit house and brandishing the knife I’ve been carrying. “There is some leftover salt and buckwheat from yesterday’s meal, grab those and we can boil it together. I’ll cut those up.”

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

“That was delicious,” the blue-eyed brunette utters with her mouth full, sighing in satisfaction as she downs the last bit of pottage in her bowl. “Gramercy, Sev!”

“You’ll choke, Saph. I apologize for being unable to get meat today.”

“Ah, enough with the apologies, Sev! I’m simply happy that you are my brother— and that my belly is filled.”

As I stare at my sister in a moment of stillness, I remember her dream. I wonder if there are commoners who sell jewelry around these parts…

Not that I’ll buy it, though.

“Sapphire, I’ll be heading out again.”

“Huh? But there is enough food for supper—”

"Stay indoors, alright? I will be quick.”

“A-alright! Stay safe!”

I once again leave the pit house with my hood on and decide to go through the forest’s clearing. Whatever path I find thither, I shall take.

After literal hours of trekking through the seemingly endless collection of trees, I find a cobblestone path. Revitalized at the sight of something other than the color green, I rush towards it to discover that it’s a pathway to the Davidson Manor.

How did I end up hither?

I trudge up to the path, narrowly escaping the sight of patrolling Davidson knights by hiding behind the nearest tree. This seems to be the gatehouse— and the gatehouse is not where I should be. Internally groaning, I discreetly move to the farthest side of the lengthy cobblestone walls, thinking I would find another way around and away from this place, only to face a valley from a great height.

Well, this is terrifyingly unsafe.

With my heart in my throat, I stick close to the wall, walking sideways with my back pressed against it, afraid that I might fall off the rocky ledge. I come across a massive, conceivably long-standing oak, where its large, leafy branches extend upward and outward. An idea comes to me, and I take out my knife. I climb the tree to view my surroundings from a higher perspective, grabbing onto branches and stabbing the blade into the trunk as a means of support. When I reach a branch collar, I pull myself up to sit on it. I’m high enough to see the horrifying height between me and the way down below into the valley, and the inside of an extravagant room through the oak’s foliage. I realize I am just a few paces away from an open window.

This isn’t where I should be. This isn’t where I should be. This is NOT—

The sight of a woman embracing another woman in luxurious clothing interrupts my thoughts. My face flushes as I watch one of them caress the other’s cheek, her other arm wandering elsewhere as she leans forward for a kiss. Self-conscious, I’m about to turn away when I catch a glimmer in the corner of my eye. Looking back, I vaguely recognize a pair of earrings, precious stones attached to it, resting atop a pillow on a chest in front of a large looking glass.

Those seem like the jewelry Sapphire had described from her dream!

Awkward yet determined, I inch closer to the window, making sure neither the women nor the guards see me. The branch grows thinner the farther I move, so I reach for the windowsill with an extended hand. The wood bends as I secure my fingers onto the rough ledge, cracking under my weight. When it breaks, I lunge to grab the ledge, then pull myself up to peek into the room. I avert my eyes at the sight of the ladies undressing each other, my ears heating up. Finding the earrings resting on the small silk pillow, I grab them the moment the women are… preoccupied, and grip the stone ledge with all my might. I’m beginning to slip, so I inspect the variety of boughs behind me. My eyes land on a sturdy-looking one, but I’m too far to reach it. I come up with a plan to defy all odds, knowing well that I’d be risking my life. I plant my feet into the side of the manor and I kick off of the wall to leap towards the large bough with an outstretched arm. I am successful with this, but am currently,

literally,

hanging for my life.

“I’m alive…” I mutter to myself, a hint of disbelief in my voice.

Dissatisfied with just this fact, I throw the jewelry into my mouth to utilize both my hands and move towards a safer, more stable part of the tree. When I arrive back at the branch collar, my knife is still stabbed into the bark, so I pull it out. I proceed to climb down, failing to do it quietly, and land safely at the base of the tree. I sneak towards the edges of the woods, and sprint back home to my sister.

When I’m at a reasonable distance, I spit out the earrings and slow down to a leisurely pace. Straining my eyes in the cold, dim forest because the sun had already set, I examine the spit-covered jewelry and the precious stone attached to it.

“Its color is similar to Sapphire’s eyes,” I think out loud, turning it by its hook. “This could sell for a lot of money… But no amount of money could ever replace Saph’s happiness, thus…”

I return to the dug-out with a skip in my step, paying no mind to the noise I’m making.

The moon is bright and full by the time I find Sapphire uneasily pacing around our home. Despite her cries when she sees me, I approach the stream instead of her, loosely gripping the jewelry to wash it when I submerge my hand into the flowing water. I kneel in front of her to show her what is in my palm, receiving an astonished reaction from the blue-eyed brunette when she takes the wet earrings to inspect them. She throws her arms around me and expresses her gratitude with cheek kisses and a rather tight neck-hug, making my hood slip off.

“Brother, these are lovely! Where did you get them?!”

“That doesn’t matter now, Saph, I am glad you like it. Is there still firewood for tonight?”

Distracted, she shakes her head and watches the earrings’ attached stones glimmer under the moonlight. I chuckle, telling her to attach it to her ears while I gather more firewood from the farther side of the dug-out.

“Gramercy, Sev! Now I really feel like a princess!”

Ecstatic, I walk beyond the stream to collect kindling. Seeing her smile makes it all worth it. Mayhap I should build the pit house into a bigger abode… and create a field for crops. We could live like this for a long time, as long as we aren’t caught…

Amidst the collection of brushwood, I pause to steel my resolve.

“No… I will make sure we don’t get caught.”

Gratified with today’s exhausting yet splendid events, I merrily make my way back to our home, only to stop short when I hear a scream, and the faint clanking of metal. Panicked, I drop the collected wood and find— across the stream— two men in armor surrounding what seems to be Sapphire’s body on the ground.

One of their swords is unsheathed.

“Saph?” I call out. Judging by the blue, red, and gold tabard these men are wearing, they’re Davidson knights. “What did you do to my sister?!”

“Not another step,” commands the armed knight when I attempt to rush towards them. “Unless you wish to meet the same fate.”

As he sheathes his sword, the knight orders his comrade to take the jewelry to return to a “Lady Clemence”.

“Though your methods of stealing a noble’s belongings are unknown, we order you to come with us. You were foolish to think you wouldn’t get caught, pest.”

All I see is red when the other knight uses his foot to turn my sister’s body, and my clenched fists shake in rage as he steps on her torso.

“Beshrew thee!” I scream, unable to contain my fury. I surge forward and tackle the other knight, my hands feeling strangely warm as my desire to harm this man burns stronger when I grasp his bevor to pin him to the ground. His comrade kicks me in my side, however, making me roll off in pain. When the man I tackled scuttles towards his partner, I screech at them as the wrath inside me burns fiercer.

And, as if a prayer was answered, my heating hand suddenly spews out fire when I flick my arm towards them.

The frantic men scream as the fire catches onto their tabards. One of them jumps into the stream to extinguish it, but mysteriously, it does nothing. I stagger as I get on my feet, rushing to Sapphire’s side as I watch the men frenziedly look for ways to douse the ever-growing flames. They weaken, and the smell of burned meat fills the air— and when the men lie on the ground, silent and unmoving, the flame dies down. I gaze at the bodies lying before me, the armor red-hot from the heat.

“You murdered my men,” a voice beyond the trees speaks, making me position myself between my sister and the unknown. “You’re a witch… a witch!”

Exasperated, I swing my hand outwards, desperately yelling at the stranger to leave us alone, but a line of fire shoots out of my palm. The fire is so intense that I scorch some patches of grass and illuminate the dark thicket, discovering a helmetless man in armor hidden in the shadows, wearing the same tabard as the knights I burned alive. The fire blazes past him, and he stumbles in pain as the side of his face is seared. Half-blind, he turns and curses at me.

“You will pay for this, devil!”

As he retreats, I slowly turn to my motionless sibling, blood beginning to seep through her winter tunic.

“Saph,” I say, my voice barely a whisper, before gently yet urgently lifting her head with a hand behind her small head.  “Sapphire, pray thee, wake up!”

I’m grateful that her eyes flutter open, but dislike how pale she looks.

“Sev…” she mutters, her breathing shallow. “…Hurts… so much… am I dying?”

“No, you’re not,” I reassure, attempting to stop the blood. I panic upon realizing that she is also bleeding through her back. “Pray thee, Sapphire, stay with me!”

“I wish I could, but it hurts so much, brother…”

My eyes begin to sting with sweat and tears.

“Pray thee! W-we will get through this, we have to—”

“You will, Sev,” she says, weakly placing her hand over mine. “You’ll get through this… without me.”

“I… I can’t, Sapphire…”

“You will get through this… I have faith.”

Her eyes tear up as she squeezes my hand.

“You’re the best brother a lass could ever ask for, Sev…”

With these final words, her hand goes limp, and I begin weeping. My tears land on her face, rolling down her cheeks. I notice the earrings I’ve given to her, her ears bleeding where the hook punctures her skin.

She’s gone... but she's still so beautiful.

I carefully remove the earrings, waiting for her wounds to magically heal like the time my injuries did,

but it never does.

I clutch the earrings and her lifeless body close, feeling numb as I look up to the night sky.

"Sapphire… by my troth, I will get revenge."

gallant – “noble, thoughtful”; brushwood – “twigs and small branches for firewood or kindling”; looking glass – “mirror”; tabard – “short, loose-fitting sleeveless/short-sleeved coat or cape”; thither – “there”; beshrew thee – “screw you”; bevor – “metal neck protector, similar to a gorget”; by my troth – “I promise”.