Recollections Of A Lone Tarragon

~Section 3~ Sardines

October 24

"Phew. I'm all tired out now." Eliwood sighed out while falling onto the grass.

Lincet giggled while sitting up. "I mean, you did run all over the village just for one toy."

Eliwood sighed at Lincet. "It was a precious toy!"

Lincet giggled a little. "Sure it was."

Three months had passed since the incident with the stalker. Lincet's father had told the both of them to go nowhere near the forest. In the hot days where the sun blinded everyone with its rays and heat, the pair would stay near the central well where the shade was. In days nearing the harvest, they would help out in harvesting, unlike the other kids.

Lincet improved in writing and reading when others refused to do such things. Lincet was a lot more advanced than her father in these things, so she would teach herself. Eliwood would drag Lincet outside to play on the days to get Lincet to stop her obsession with writing. On rainy days, they would play with toys inside and used their creative minds to imagine any kind of scenario.

Today, Lincet decided to actually take a break and play with Eliwood.

And this is the result: Eliwood running just to get his favorite toy back from the kids bullying him.

"But it was thanks to you that I got it back!" Eliwood sat up while saying such.

Lincet shook her head. "No, it isn't! I simply told them to give it back."

"Exactly! They gave to me after that!" At that moment, Eliwood's stomach growled.

Lincet laughed. "Guess we should eat now."

Eliwood stood up. "I agree." He offered his hand to Lincet. "Let's go."

Lincet took his hand and nodded. "Let's go."

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Just as they left the central well, the two noticed a shadow following them.

"Hey, Eliwood?" Lincet asked.

"What is- WAH!" Eliwood screamed.

The man who formed that man had decided to pick up Eliwood and is running with him. Or simply, the man is kidnapping Eliwood.

Lincet ran along with the wind towards the direction of the stalker. She easily caught up with the stalker, even though she was one of the slowest runners in of her age, and kicked his knees. Time slowly moved as though everything was stopping around Lincet. As he dropped Eliwood, Lincet grabbed onto Eliwood's wrist and ran towards her house.

She'd felt the stalker tried to grab ahold of her several times, but each time he did, his hand suddenly withdrew. Lincet wondered why, but she also was worried about Eliwood.

When they came to her house, her father was outside, panicking over Lincet sudden speed. He took his sword out and pierced the man who had been following Lincet and Eliwood.

The man screamed and retreated as Lincet's father took them inside.

"Father, Eliwood!" Her father took Eliwood and led him into a separate room with his parents. Once he'd done that, he went back to Lincet with such a serious expression.

"Lincet. You must hide here with half of the village's children. There have been reports of men trying to and succeeding at kidnapping the children. Do you understand?"

Lincet nodded. "Yes, Father."

He hugged her. "I'll make sure you don't get hurt. Now go to your room, others will be joining."

Lincet slowly collapsed while she was in her father's arms.

Her father checked on her complexion and health. "She drained her energy? But running at that distance with that speed wouldn't drain her like this. What's going on?" With a worried expression, he carried her upstairs.

Hours later, Lincet flew open her eyes. She suddenly sat up and looking quickly around the room. Children were being crowded in this one room- her room- and more are pouring in. She looked at what she had been lying down on; it was her bed. She couldn't recall going back to bed; she only remembered how sleepy she started to feel when she took Eliwood into her house.

"Are you alright?" Her father said while putting his hand on her forehead.

Lincet just stared. "I don't recall walking here."

"You fainted on the way here."

Lincet took another look around the room. "Where's Eliwood?"

Her father took a long pause before stating, "His parents took him. They felt safer with him by their side." Her father took the back of his hand onto her cheeks. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better than before. I felt dizzy after you said to go to my room."

Her father pushed her to the bed. "Listen, I have to protect the parents and the children here. Just rest here, okay?"

"Alright, Father."

Her father left her room and left her with all these children and parents in the room.

Gradually, more children and parents were pouring in. The room became more crowded and it became more obvious that lots of people were in the room. Lincet laid down as she watched children pour into the room. Soon, she had drifted into darkness.

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Lincet awoke to more people in the room than before. She twisted her body slightly to see people hugging and crying together.

However, all of that ended with a single sphere with sleep smoke.

The people lay unconscious and spread throughout the room; only Lincet lay on her bed, conscious of what was happening. Unfortunately, there was no place to hide, so she pretended to lay there unconscious.

After a few minutes, bandits came. Bandits in all black except for the leader who had a red handkerchief tied onto his arm.

"Let's get the kids and get out of here like the client said." The leader said.

One by one, the children were being kidnapped for no apparent reason except for "the client paid for this".

One of them grabbed a hold of Lincet and carried her to the parlor. That's when she fought back.

Lincet struggled in whoever was holding her.

"Are you kidding?" The man sounded pissed. "Sleep already!"

The man put pressure onto Lincet's pressure point on the neck. She remained paralyzed.

The last thing she remembered before being put in the wagon the bandits rode in was her father shouting to get away from her.