Forgotten Monsters

Chapter 11- Allies

The guard took a step back with Aydrus and peered at Resa and Matthew, who had just finished off the sixth guard. Matthew's face drained, and he lunged at the guard.

"Stay back, and drop your weapon, or she dies." The simultaneous sound of their swords clattering against the cobbled street echoed against the walls.

Matthew put out a hand his palm facing the soldier, "There's no need to hurt her, we'll do what you want, just please let her go."

Resa stayed silent, observing the guard, he was struggling with Aydrus's weight, she noticed. Aydrus couldn't weigh much, but the man was weedy, hardly as strong as Matthew, and he could hardly hold her up, let alone survive an attack while holding her. The tricky bit would be stopping him from slitting her throat. Resa wished that Aydrus had more presence of mind, but the poor girl was so fragile, and she expected no help from her.

Matthew's hands clenched into fists, outraged that he had lost his sister so soon after finding her, overcome with helplessness and rage, he wasn't thinking clearly.

"I won't have to hurt her, if you will just come with me." He shifted uncomfortably, his face whitening and lips flattening in anxiety. Resa realized he was older than she had originally thought and as his eyes flicked between her and Matthew she realized with a shock that he was terrified.

The guard was older than she had first thought, his hair beginning to whiten at the temples. She imagined how she and Matthew must look to him. Her, a deranged, skeletal prisoner and him a hulking, vicious, defector.

Resa cocked her head to the side before agreeing, "Ok, we'll come with you."

Matthew glanced her way, surprised, she met his eyes, urging him to trust her and after a moment he nodded, and said, "Lead the way." The guard faltered, he had no clue how to carry this girl all the way back to the castle, wishing he had taken the other girl he took a laborious step forward, lugging Aydrus with him. Afraid of accidentally killing the girl and losing his leverage, he removed the knife from her neck.

Resa jumped into action, she twisted his arm behind his back as Matthew grabbed Aydrus. His sister clung to him, sobbing into his shoulder, as Resa forced the guard to the ground.

"If you play dead I won't have to hurt you," Resa whispered as she applied pressure to his neck. His nostrils flared for a moment as he considered his options, then she felt his body go limp. "Good choice," she commended. Standing up, she grabbed his dagger and picked up her sword, then as an afterthought, she unbuckled his sheath and buckled it around her waist, giving her an arsenal of two swords and one dagger.

Matthew followed her example and unbuckled another guard's sheath, but he left his sword behind, instead giving him an extra arm to hold Aydrus up. She once again placed an arm around his shoulders and he an arm around her waist and the trio, now armed, continued on their way.

"I just realized that I don't know your name," the young man admitted.

Resa surveyed him from the corner of her eye, "It's Resa."

"Pretty name." Not knowing how to respond, she forged the way ahead, focusing on the threat of the soldiers.

After some time walking the back alleys, Resa was still well aware that there were soldiers out looking for them, she spotted a clothing line. She badly in need of a wash and a change of clothes, as was Aydrus, and of course Matthew was hardly inconspicuous in his soldier's uniform. Putting an arm out, stopping her two companions, she grabbed a hold of the gutter and started to climb. Once she reached the line she grabbed a dress for Aydrus and a pair of leggings and a tunic for herself. For Matthew she grabbed a shirt and pants that looked about his size, then as an afterthought she grabbed a coat, the only one hanging up. The chill had gotten worse since she had been sent to prison, and Resa knew she would need to find two more cats before the first snow fell, or escaping would only mean death.

Climbing back down she landed to see Matthew staring at her like she was some foreign creature.

"What?" She asked.

"How did you do that?" after seeing her blank face he gestured at the gutter with his free arm, "How did you climb up that thing?"

She smiled, "Street rat."

He cringed inexplicably and looked on the verge of saying something, but stopped. He pulled out a leather purse and jingled it, coins. "Let's find an inn, it'll be dark soon." Resa led the way to an inn on the outskirts of the city.

A few hours later, Resa had finally remembered what it felt like to be clean. Her skin was paler than she had thought, and her scars were even more obvious without a layer of dust. Self-conscious, she let her hair slip into her face and pulled down her sleeves.

Matthew emerged from the bath, his hair still damp from the bath. Aydrus was already asleep on the bed, her golden curls spread around her, her clean skin glowing like pearls. She was gorgeous, the prettiest girl Resa had ever seen. Resa had never been pretty, but she had never wanted to be either. Pretty girls didn't last long and she'd much rather be free and alive than beautiful.

Matthew collapsed by the fire, his profile caught the light casting shadows into his eyes. From his straight nose to his strong jawline, he was like a creature out of a fairy tale. She supposed it made sense that Aydrus wasn't the only pretty child in the family. She felt a surge of loyalty for the siblings. Something about them seemed good. Then she wondered if it was only their angelic appearances that made them that way to her. She had heard too many stories of people falling under the same spell with their queen. Looks could be deceiving

"I've always loved fire." He said breaking the silence. Resa started, but his eyes never moved from the fireplace, "The flames tell these wonderful stories if you take the time to look for them."

"Do they have a happy ending?" Resa asked quietly, and he turned his head to look at her, his blue eyes meeting her own green ones.

He just stared at her for the longest time, making her forget where they were and what they had done. When he finally responded Resa had almost forgotten her question. "I don't know. I've never watched for long enough."

Aydrus cried out in her sleep and Matthew looked away.

"I should-"

"Go." She said, he stood and found his sister, murmuring comforting words into her ear.

Sinking back down to the ground she watched the flames and the stories that unfolded. They told stories of fearsome battles and breathtaking love stories, of life and death, but try as she might, she was lulled to sleep by their soft glow, and never saw whether the brave king won, or if the lovers lost. But she could always hope for a happy ending.

Matthew brushed away his sister's tears and held her as she drifted off to sleep. As he felt her breath tickling his skin, he glanced over at the fireplace to where Resa was sitting. The girl was staring with rapt concentration at the fire as if it held the secret to life itself. He watched her for a long time.

As the night wore on, his eyes gradually drifted shut, just as Cain's finally opened, only a day too late.