The Stone Eyed Sister

Wobik

Alice had not heard from her brother, or from her husband in Quebec in months now.
She had sent letters to them both, only receiving one from her brother a few months before and none afterwards.

Tragedy had struck poor Alice. Her son with Randell Cross, died of fever one month ago and was buried the day after.
She sat at her desk, dressed in a black mourning gown, writing in her journal. She wrote in it that she had sent a letter to Randall with the tragic news of their son. She never truly loved him, she hated when he was home.
She quite enjoyed the time he was away, however she pretended to love him only for their son. Alice wrote that she tried to write a letter to her brother, Hamish, but she couldn't bear to write to him about his nephew, for she knew it would break him.

She and Hamish had grown up together, and were always quite close to one another. Even when she was married off, she wrote to Hamish often. He would visit often and it was her husband, Randall, who got him employment with the Hudson Bay Company in Quebec.
After a week of no return letters, she decided that she must go to them. She arranged passage to Quebec the next day. She had a small clue as to where Hamish would be, but not the slightest as to where Randell was, hence why Hamish was away. Randell had suddenly gone away, and nothing was heard from him. No reports for the company, no letters, nothing, and so Hamish decided to search for him. He claimed it was only for the company, but in reality it was for Alice.

A few days before Alice left London, she sent one more letter to Hamish, stating that she would be joining him soon, not telling him about the horrid events. She packed a small amount of clothing, just a few gowns for her journey.

She arrived at the docks of London, boarding the ship straight to Quebec. It was a difficult journey. The waters were rough but she pulled through. The journey took a few weeks.
She arrived at Quebec, it was damp and cold. She had been there once before, but a long time ago. She knew some of the city and she managed to find her way to the Hudson Bay Company Headquarters.
Alice was seen to by Captain Wale. He told her that he had received all of her letters for her Brother and Husband, but none had been collected or opened.
"He came here some time ago regarding a massacre down near Wobik. My guess is that you'll find your husband and your brother there" he told Alice.

She arranged passage to Wobik by the small boats that come and go.
This journey was a small one. Taking at least a day. She sat at the front of the boat, wearing a hooded cloak.
They slowly pulled into the docks.
The place seemed a little strange.
The dock was near empty, and there wasn't many people around.
No other boats, no cargo, not even someone to check on new arrivals.
It seemed that the boatmen felt the same way about the place. Alice could see it in there faces that they thought it odd. A crew member helped her up to the dock, handing to her a small bag which contained her clothing.
She began to walk towards the village pathway when one of the passengers from her boat stopped her.
"Madam, let me escort you. Something doesn't seem right. It could be dangerous" he spoke in a think French accent.
"You are too kind, thank you" she replied sweetly.
The man held a knife close to himself, which made Alice feel a little strange, but also safe.
As they proceeded up the village pathway, their surroundings were still. The trees in the forest next to them were dead still, silent as the grave one would say.
However, the closer they got to the village, the more on edge they felt. Not one civilian passed them, not one, and yet both knew Wobik to be a busy village.
Alice held her bag tight as she grew more anxious. Soon enough they approached the gate of Wobik, but it was not what they were expecting. Not at all.
The gate was almost non-existent, almost burned to a cinder. The fences were similar, though less damaged. A dozen Guards stood at the remains of the gate.
They approached the guards, all armoured, and one held his arm out with a hand to hault.

"I must enter, my brother and husband are here" Alice pleaded.
"Enter" the guard spoke.
Before she went though, she took the hand of the man who walked her to the gate and thanked him for his protection, to which he smiled as she walked through.

The village looked like it had been ambushed. The hall was burned down, the church was damaged by fire, though still standing, and many of the houses were raided.
Alice looked where the market should have been, instead it was a horrid sight. Bodies under sheets, bloodied sheets. It looked like it was half the population of the village. Alice looked around in shock as she watched some civilians placed sheets over more bodies and one was writing in a book, probably identifying each one.

She saw a civilian with red hair and a beard. He wore a fancy hat and standing with what seemed to be the leader of the guards. Believing him to be of importance to the village, she approached him.
"Excuse me sir" she politely asked him.
"Yes Madam, what can I do for you?" He replied with a French accent.
"What happened here?" She asked in concern.
"Bloody Iroquois, that's what. Attacked us a few days ago. We managed to kill many of them, the rest retreated, but many of our people were killed" he said to her, with a tone of seriousness.
Alice, shocked at what she had heard, she then remembered what she had to ask.
"I'm need to find my brother, perhaps you may know of him" Alice said softly.
"English is he?" He said in a tone of irritation, obviously recognising her own English accent.
"Y..yes, he is from the huds...."
"Hudson Bay Company" the man cut Alice off in her sentence, "I know him, staying in the inn, asking all these questions. The damn English fool got himself shot, he's in there" he said, pointing towards the Inn.
"Good God! Shot?!" Alice sparked up in shock and worry.
"Yes, he's alive." He replied, sounding as if it were a nuisance to him that he was alive.
"Thank you" Alice said as she rushed over to the Inn.

As she opened the door, she received strange looks by the few people inside.
"I need to see who's in charge" Alice said in worry.
"That would be I" a middle-aged woman with a French accent responded as she walked out of a room in the back.
"Is a man from the Hudson Bay Company here?" Alice asked.
"Indeed there are, two in fact, a Mr Fitzpatrick and a Mr Goames" the lady replied.
"Yes I must see Him, Hamish. He's.....he's my brother" she told the Lady.
Almost in shock of hearing she was his brother, she moved next to her and escorted her to the room in the back where she was prior.
"Of course, you must" She said, "you can leave your things with me, I shall prepare a room for you." She said as she let her enter the room, taking Alice's bag.

Alice entered the room, and cried at the sight.
Hamish, bandaged up on his chest, laying on the bed in a weakened state, breathing softly. His coat, hat and boots were on a chair by the window, a bucket of water, some clean and some dirty and bloodied rags.
Alice dropped to her knees beside Hamish, grabbing his hand and bringing it to her face.
"Hamish. Hamish." she whispered to him, in tears as she moved closer to him.
Hamish opened his eyes weak and slow.
"A.....Alice?" He spoke, lightly and weak.
"Yes, it's me Hamish." She said as she kissed his forehead.
Looking around at first but then setting his eyes on Alice, he seemed to be in disbelief.
"Are.....you really....here...?"
"Yes, yes I am. "
He gripped her hand tight as he winced in pain. She looked at the bandages and held his hand.