Keira's Fire

Chapter 5

"Alright now, you just have to visualize the arrow hitting the center of the target." I wish that I knew a better way to teach archery than just by trial and error and tricks that worked for me, but I guess it was better than nothing. Still, after only a few hours, Michael was improving. At least he finally got the arrow further than a few feet in front of him.

Michael nodded and positioned another arrow, looking determined.

"Raise your arms a little," I instructed. "It's always going to hit lower than you aim by the time it gets there."

He did as I said but before he could release his arrow, Jeremy's angry voice made us both jump.

"What are you doing?" He stomped over and ripped the weapon from Michael's hands, throwing it to the ground.

"Are you trying to get him killed?" Jeremy crossed his arms and glowered down at me.

"I'm trying to teach him how to defend himself." I put my hands on my hips and stared him down. "He should have learned years ago."

"Mother would have your head for-"

"Mother can't protect him any better than she could protect us! Would you have him be completely defenseless when those monsters come for him?"

"No one's coming for him," Jeremy scoffed. "There's no reason to. Besides, Mile's influence-"

"Is enough to keep him fed and clothed until the soldiers decide he's more of a liability than anything else."

"He's too young for this." Our other brother decided to weigh in.

"Don't get all high and mighty, Aaron." I rolled my eyes. "If you recall, you were a year younger than he is now."

"And there were no laws against it then," Jeremy argued. "He's a child, Keira. Let him be a child a little longer."

"We were children, Jeremy. Have you forgotten? They have no respect for innocence." I couldn't forget the sight of all those boys the soldiers killed. Some weren't much older than Michael was now.

"And there were laws," I corrected. "Or do you think they would have smiled and looked the other way as we trained to be able to fight back simply because there wasn't a specific edict against it yet?"

Jeremy and Aaron didn't seem convinced. At least Stephen didn't seem completely opposed to the idea. He stood off to the side with a dozen others, watching us go back and forth.

"There's no need for this right now," Jeremy said a little softer. "There's no immediate danger."

I looked away. A few weeks ago I wouldn't have thought so either, but hearing about my new found fame, I couldn't deny the blatant danger I'd put my family in.

"What?" He sounded confused.

I glanced at Michael who looked nervous.

"Keira, what do you know?" Jeremy demanded. I hadn't told the others, not wanting to have to admit this.

"That's not exactly true." When I looked up again, Jeremy, Stephen, and Aaron were all wearing the same wary expression. It was almost comical how similar they looked.

"There have been rumors," I said. "About me."

"What kind of rumors?" Stephen finally spoke up. It was the hardest to own up to this with him. Stephen was the one I had always been closest to. He was the one who reminded me the most of Papa.

"Something about a red-headed she-devil leading the raids." It was hard to keep the smile from my voice at the description, but the resulting association was anything but funny.