The Honor Guard

Fire

The acrid smell of smoke hung in the air as houses and businesses were being set ablaze.

The young girl looked around panicked. It seemed like one minute she and her brother were in town, heading to the bakery, now she was lost among the crowd.

Loud popping noises rang out through the air. She covered her little ears, trying to find her way home.

Running along the Main Street, she tried to stay focused on putting one foot in front on the other. The loud popping noises continuing, mixed with terrified screams.

Riders, clad in black, road through the village on horseback bearing strange devices.

"Find the black smith and anyone who associates with him. Kill anyone who gets in the way."

The terrified girl, finding brief refugee in an ally way, was surprised to hear that the voice belong to a woman. She always thought that all women were kind, like her mother.

"Find all the metal and ore that you can carry!" The frightening voice called out.

The girl looked at the necklace she was wearing. A going away gift from her oldest brother.

She felt the tears coming on, wishing he was here to save her. The sound of horse hoods were coming closer and she knew her mother and father would be looking for her and her brother.

More loud pops set her off running again. People were calling out for loved ones, begging for mercy.

"Just keep running" she thought.

She wasn't sure where she was at when she tripped over what felt like a log. Her skin scrapped across the pavement, sending jolts of burning pain through her arms and knees.

With the tears now flowing, she looked to her hands, torn and bleeding. Then with horror she looked at her dress. A giant blood stained was setting in, but her knees weren't bleeding that bad. Her eyes followed the thick blood trail, landing on a dead body.

It was her brother. Then one she had been laughing with just minutes earlier.

His eyes were glassy and vacant. He has these strange small wounds in his chest, like the corks had been removed from wine bottles.

She felt sick to her stomach, but knew she didn't have time to stick around. She grabbed the small knife he carried, and kept running for home.

"Momma!!!!" "Papa!!!" She screamed desperately hoping to find one of them.

Another thick cloud of smoke rose from the direction of her home.

"No, no, no, no!!!!"

Her throat burned as she rounded the pathway that led to her family's farm. The animals were all over the place, and her home was ablaze. No sign of her parents.

"Momma!! Where are you??"

She ran to the back of the house. She found her mother slumped against the wood pile, her hand gripping a bloodied axe.

"Momma!!" She ran towards her.

She didn't even notice one of the invaders who was lying dead near the back door, his head cracked open.

Her face was ashen, looking down, the young girl could see her mother was bleeding from the same sort of wound her brother had.

"Momma...where's Papa?"

"In...town...listen..."

"Momma we gotta get you to a doctor!"

Her mother shook her head. "Sunny...get your brother...to the woods...Blaus stables"