Aella: Land of Magick

The Sisters

The blonde-haired girl held a crying baby, rocking her back and forth by the lit fireplace. She hummed and stroked the child's cheek, a tender smile upon her pointed face.
She wasn't an ugly girl, but she wasn't attractive. Her skin was spotty and coated with dirt and fair hair greasy and flat against her scalp. Her nose, large and pointed to match her ears and eyes as red as the patches of blood that soaked the tattered and filthy potato-rag dress she wore. The baby, wrapped inside a woollen blanket, yawned and squeaked, little hands gnawing at its tattered edges, green eyes wide and curious.
The room around them was small and cluttered; littered with books and pots and pans and other trinkets. Shadows stretched out upon the wooden beams and discoloured walls, highlighting dust and dirt. The flames inside the fireplace writhed and crackled menacingly, illuminating the two.
"Hush little baby don't say a word, Savannah's gonna buy you a mocking bird and if that mockingbird don't sing, Savannah's gonna buy you a diamond ring and if that diamond ring don't shine..."
"Savannah!"
Two girls, identical to the blonde-haired girl aside for different shaped noses appeared through the door to the cluttered room, both with the same deep-red eyes, tears streaming down gaunt, pale faces. The smallest of the three had curly, mousey coloured ringlets and the third had straight, black hair that seemed to highlight the dark stains beneath her eyes. You could tell they were related, each with square jawlines and sharp features but it was the eyes, the deep, dark, unnatural red that linked them irrevocably.
"Savannah, its papa. He's...he's dead!"
"Papa!" The mousey-haired girl wailed, her small frame clutching the wall for support. "Our papa!"
Savannah made no motion to the comment, just continued to rock the baby back and forth and back and forth. "Don't sniffel, Cheree, it does no good for one's reputation."
"But...who'll look after us now?"
"We will look after ourselves. We are perfectly capable."
"We can't...we have...we have no gold or silver or...."
"We will be fine." Savannah snapped. "We have each other."
Margaret looked to her sister, realisation apparent on her face as she noticed the blood stains on Savannah's clothes and slender hands. "What...what did you do, Sav?"
"I did what was necessary. He can't hurt us now."
"But...how?"
"Papa." Cheree wailed. "He's dead!"
"Yes, Cheree. He's dead." The flames popped and raged, threatening to break free from their restraints. "Papa can't hurt us anymore. He got what he deserved, didn't he sweetie?" She kissed the baby's rosy cheek. "This is our family and papa can't hurt us."
The baby giggled, small hands above her head as she tugged the ends of Savannah's long, matted hair.
"Did you...did you kill papa?" Margaret asked. "You can tell us we...we won't say a word."
"It is of no concern how he died. We mustn't dwell on details. I will look after us." Her determined expression landed on her two sisters. "Now, be a lamb, Cheree and go collect the last of our meat from outside. I shall prepare dinner. Margaret, if you could milk the goat." She gestured to the baby. "We have much to be getting on with."
Margaret nodded and reached for Cheree, balancing her shaking body against hers as the two left without another word.
"It will all be okay, darling. You have me; your big sister. I will never, ever, let anything bad happen to you."