Assassination

Chapter 1

Brynleigh snapped her fingers before saying, “Ay, no yelling. You don’t want to wake up Badger. He’s too young for all of this.”

Bruce nodded along solemnly, knowing that he agreed with her on at least that front of the conversation. He had always been particularly protective of their younger brother, even more than her.

Badger was a small fifteen year old boy who looked like their father with his curly dark brown hair and long nose. He couldn’t hold himself up much in a fight, part of why she had to worry about him so much, but since he was quick, he could usually just run away from the situation. He was four years younger than Brynleigh and six years younger than Bruce. A result of one night when their father had come back when they were younger, but spent the night at the pub instead of at home.

Without parents around the house when they were younger, except for the couple days every year that their father would come home from his job at sea, the two older siblings grew up quickly. Bruce learned to take care of Brynleigh his whole life, being barely even a brother to her with all the parenting he did. Then Brynleigh learned how to help him out when Badger was born, and they all but raised him, to the best of their abilities, at least. Which wasn’t the best, considering they were four and six when he was born.

They had grown close over the years, understanding each other better than anyone else in the world. But the one line they never crossed was even thinking about putting Badger in danger. Brynleigh was tiptoeing far too close to that line for any of their comfort those days, souring the mood of the house immensely.

As she gazed into her older brother’s eyes, she knew that she might’ve been selfish, but she didn’t really care. In her mind, what endangered her family that day would save them another day.

Working with a group of individuals that openly spoke out against the unjust state of the kingdom and the royalty was a risky move, but a move that she felt she had a moral obligation to take. How many other children would suffer like she did in her childhood before the laws were fixed? She didn’t even want to think about that.

And her brother too. She had fought tooth and nail to make his life as good as she possibly could, but it still wasn’t enough for her. He was fifteen and still in school, something that most couldn’t afford. She had gone until she was thirteen before transitioning to fully working; Bruce only went until he was ten.

She had truly only been able to send him for so long because he still worked part-time and because she had made a few minor scuffs on their tax sheet. Another major risk that she had still taken for her brother’s education.

“Please Brynleigh…” Her other brother’s words pulled her back to her present moment. “I just want you to be safe, I need you to be safe. Mom’s gone, dad’s never here, we both know that no one in this damn neighborhood likes me, you and Badger are all that I have left.” She realized suddenly that he was crying. Long streaks of water pouring down his cheeks, staining his eyes a deeper blue than before.

She held her brother as she put her hand up to his shoulder, knowing full well that he wouldn’t want an actual hug from her, and squeezed. She held back her own tears as he also noticed the tears spilling down his face and dripping onto the floor. He pushed a hand up to his cheek as fast as he possibly could to wipe away the only sign that he had been feeling emotions at all.

He shook his hand vigorously to get rid of the evidence of such, as if it was a dirty crime or habit that he didn’t want anyone to know about. He looked at the water droplets on the floor, disgusted at himself; she could see it. Then he rubbed his hand on his shirt to get rid of the last bits of the pathetic moisture.

“Bryn, what are you guys doing awake so late?” Badger stood at the doorway in his nightclothes and rumpled hair from tossing and turning in his sleep. He yawned loudly before once again, setting his tired eyes on her.

She gave him a soft smile, the kind of smile that only he had ever seen, and said to him, “Nothing baby, why don’t you get back to sleep. You still have school in the morning.” She looked at him sternly.

Badger groaned before saying, “Yeah yeah, I know.” Brynleigh was glad he didn’t know how lucky he was to still have the opportunities he did. She would never wish her young life on him.

“Good night, I love you.” She spoke as he walked back to the room that he shared with Bruce.

“Love you too, night.” He responded before promptly pulling his door shut, only for it to swing back open because it was broken and they hadn’t gotten around to fixing it.

Brynleigh turned once more to see Bruce looking at her with a still disappointed expression. He said to her pointedly, “Never talk to those people ever again.”

(Whoo! I'm mostly just doing some relationship building with the characters right now.

Cyrus's POV next!

Hope you enjoyed! Bye!)