( I'm feeling rather uninspired for my other two fanfictions. So they will be put on hold temporarily, and this one will be written! Anyhow—this shouldn't be difficult to understand, I think. Please leave a review/critique! )

Snap.

Even though they were running for their lives, Lukas had the mental ability to groan in exasperation as his sister demolished literally everything in her path, going out of her way to step on every object that looked breakable (or, at least, that was what he suspected was happening). Didn't she have any sense of self-preservation? They'd already gone and gotten the whole county angry with them! Did she really need to go and tell them where they were, too? Even their younger brother Arthur was able to move more silently than her!

"Deste xeito! Eles están aquí!" Though he hadn't the foggiest of ideas what they were saying, he was certain it had something to due about their whereabouts, or hearing them...something to that effect. Either way, it was enough to tell him that they needed to high-tail it out of Picta.

He glanced over at his younger sister, watching those brilliant blue oculars, cold as ice yet hot as a gas flame, narrowing so they could focus easier on the dense forest shrubs around them. Her jagged, short cropped ginger hair tied up in a tight top knot, she was bleeding from a gash on her forehead and a few small scrapes on her arms and feet, which were barefoot, and she had several other scars on her skin; she wasn't one who would be described as one of the "pretty" girls. She wore a sleeveless brown shirt and baggy tan pants that stopped right above the ankles, billowing out like a pirate's might; there was a small pack tied around her waist containing medical supplies and a dagger, but other than that, she was utterly unprepared for any attack that may be launched on them should the searching party find them. Fit as she was, she was a girl; she couldn't take on full grown men.

Lukas needed a plan and he needed one now.

Pumping her arms, her ragged breathing was cut off only so she could ask, "H-how far 'til we reach the border?" As she gasped this out, she attempted to leap a log, somehow managing to catch her foot on a branch sticking out of it, stumbling and nearly falling in the process. She darted to catch up with him again, now too winded to ask any other questions. Lukas rolled his eyes. Clumsy as always, she was. Hopefully that hadn't cost them any time. After all this had happened, little Arthur giggled, his baby blue eyes arching slightly in mirth as he ran. Blonde hair bounced on his head, complimenting his darker skin and his brown tunic and pants; upon hearing the sound of his laugh, his sister shot him a grin, reaching out to take his hand so she could hurry him up.

"Should be...coming up soon, I think.." He muttered, before his eyes widened a fraction, understanding dawning on him. Lukas managed a rather pitiful smile, but a smile nonetheless. "That's brilliant, Tillie!" His sister frowned, opening her mouth to ask what, precisely, she'd said or done that was so brilliant, when the baying of a hound cut her off. The siblings exhanged terrified glances, but those looks of terror melted into determination. Tillie nodded to him and they picked up the pace, both panting heavily, but not caring about the strain on their bodies. After all these years, they could easily say that they'd both had worse. Most people didn't take well to people of their heritage. They'd had plenty of experience running away, making daring escapes, and putting together last-minute strategies for reckless raids so they would actually survive the entire 'living-on-their-own-in-the-wilderness-until-they-find-a-new-village' treks. Lukas being eighteen and Tillie fifteen, they'd had plenty of time to perfect their skills.

A few more minutes passed, in which they could hear the thundering of hooves and the barking of dogs behind them. Their followers caught up in no time, faces contorted in fury or excitement for the prospect of glory if they completed their mission. Tillie, clever as always, was stupid enough to look over her shoulder, a yelp of fear escaping her once her eyes landed on their stalkers. Her noise would have been comical if Lukas hadn't felt like doing the exact same thing. Reaching out, he snagged her arm, dragging the petite female after him so she would keep running. "Almost there...hold on..." Honestly, Lukas had no idea if they were almost there. But it would encourage her to keep going, and that was his intent.

One of the dogs caught up to them, exhausted but eager all the same, snarling. It lashed out at Tillie's heel, and she jumped to avoid it, barely managing to avoid the fangs. Naturally, because her balance was so wonderful, she jumped right into Lukas. Their legs tangled, tripping them both, sending the two rolling down a small hill and landing in a heap at the bottom. Dazed, Tillie gawked down at her older brother, arranged somewhat innappropriately above him.

With a grunt of exertion, Lukas pushed her off before trying to sit up. His ankle screamed in protest, and he whimpered; he must have sprained it in the fall. As he tried to figure out what to do about all this, Tillie had picked herself up from where he'd shoved her, already on her feet. Her expression was apologetic for the condition they'd ended up in as she held out a hand to help him up. He took it, and she dragged her body back, hoisting him to his feet. The slope was too steep for the horses and their riders, who searched for an alternate route as the dogs dashed down it, not sharing the same qualms as their masters. The hopelessness of the situation settled upon him as he realized that there was no way little Tillie and himself would be able to outrun a pack of dogs. None at all. He closed his eyes and whispered his prayers. Tillie, however, refused to give up, proceeding to drape one of his arms around her shoulders. Slowly, steadily, she began to walk with him, her body tense and braced for the pain of dog bites. There was a yip of triumph one of the canines, lunging at Lukas. His eyes squeezed shut even tighter than they already were. He was aware of his little brother crying, hobbling beside them, and felt Arthur's hand take hold of his sleeve in a death grip. Absently, he wished that there was something he could tell the boy, to ease his fears.

A warning whinney rang out, and the dog froze, turning instinctively to the sound, his attack halting momentarily. A small, shaggy horse appeared from the bushes off to their right, carrying a rider in a camoflauge cloak, just as slight as his steed. It boldly cantered in front of the dogs, warding them away. The rider was holding a bow in his hands, an arrow already nocked, calm in the face of danger. There was an air of complete and utter relaxation about him, ready for anything. Lukas heard Tillie's gasp of admiration and amazement, and had to restrain himself from doing the same. Then the figure spoke, his voice a soft baritone, lightly accented, "Come out, please. I have no wish to fight; however, if you continue to brandish your swords, I am afraid I will need to. I only have a few questions." His voice was friendly yet stern, putting the Picta men back in their place; it was blatantly obvious who was in control here. The horse, Lukas noted in approval, was standing frozen in place now, its shaggy mane and tail no longer moving, alert and prepared for anything; he had never seen a horse stand so still in his lifetime. "So, if you would..."

There was a worrisome moment in which the man didn't lower his weapon, and none of the party came out; Lukas began to believe that a fight would break out after all. Then, after hostile hiatus, a tall man stepped out from the trees to show himself, a vein on his head twitching in annoyance at the situation. Tillie and Lukas released a collective sigh. Professional as this cloaked guy looked, they both doubted he could take on the entire team. But it was apparent that the Pictas thought otherwise.

Glowering balefully at the figure, the Pictas man grumbled, "What do you want?" His gaze held the man's for a moment before slipping past to the two teenagers. Uncomfortable again, his sister began to lug him along once more, hastily trying to get them out of view. This situation did not please her, not at all.

From beneath his cowl, one could see a hint of a smile there, though that was all one could see, the rest hidden in the shadows. "Nothing much, really. I was just wondering why, precisely, you Picta men crossed the line into Araluen, and also as to what these kids did to anger you so much that you would use such inefficient, inhumane tactics to retrieve them." As the man spoke, the Pictas fellow's face reddened, flustered. Though he couldn't deny any of this. The cloaked man was correct—this plan wasn't his best, nor had it been very successful thus far. But he didn't appreciate the guy saying this in front of all his men. He could feel their loyalties to him waver, even though they were located behind him, hidden by the undergrowth.

"That is none of your concern, Ranger."

Lukas blinked. Ranger. That was not a familiar word. Tillie, on the other hand, stopped in her tracks, turning to stare at the man on the pony. "Ranger!" She echoed, reverance in her voice, those unnaturally bright blues lighting up. "Ooh, ooh! I've heard of those, Lukas! They are native to Araluen, and they are magical! Truly," she added, glaring at his look of disbelief. "They use black magic to disappear in the night and travel silently! They're also mighty good with the arrows—we're saved, Lukas!" Arthur nodded his head in agreement, and Lukas felt his grip on his sleeve lessen as the child calmed. Unable to help himself, Lukas smiled at the nine year old, expression affectionate; whether or not this rumor was true or not, as long as it helped Arthur and Tillie, he was fine with it. "And thank the gods for that!"

The so-called Ranger's smile was gone, though it wasn't due to his request being denied; there was far too much control for that to hold true. The Pictas man seemed to feel the same way, because he shifted warily, hesitating. Suddenly this was looking like a very dangerous situation. "Actually, it is my concern. You trespassed, you have no valid reason, and you are chasing children. Here in Araluen, that is not a good thing, and as a Ranger of the King, I am afraid I cannot allow it." Lukas's heart was feeling lighter by the second. "So I must ask you to leave." finished the Ranger with conviction, nodding over the man's head in a gesture toward the land of Picta.

This was a pickle. If he proceeded, the Ranger would certainly kill or maim him and his officers. If he did not, then he would get a beating from the general for failing to complete the only mission he'd gotten in a long while. This was all a matter of priorities. After a minute or so of careful consideration, the man replied, "Fine."

But things were not fine.

The man cried out a word in his foreign tongue, and the dogs leaped into action again, running toward the man and his animal, along with the three children behind them. Simultaneously he spun around and raced in the opposite direction, toward the border, his men behind him. Lukas watched in stupefied horror as the Ranger shot one dog, and then three more in just as many seconds. However, this was a pack, and a few slipped past the duo. Two tackled Aurthur, pinning the boy to the ground easily, and his agonized screams filled the air. One sank his claws into Lukas's thigh, but before he could chomp down, Tillie had taken the dagger from her pouch and lashed out at the creature, catching his flank. The dog yelped, turning on Tillie. But before he could attack, there was a hissing noise, followed by the shaft of the arrow flying through the skull of the dog; the beast fell harmlessly to the side. There were two more thunking sounds, and the mutts that had sprung upon Arthur collapsed too.

With a broken sob, Tillie's dagger slipped from her hand, and she staggered forward with Lukas, dropping to the ground beside their little brother. He was still alive, a crimson rose soaking his clothes, body convulsing. He choked and retched, his torn throat struggling to breathe. Looking at the mess that was his brother, Lukas's stomach flipped; beside him, reaching out to lift the boy up and pillow his head on her lap, Tillie's eyes had filled with tears, shaking like a leaf. "No, Arthur...Arthur..!" Her wretched moans were quiet and breathy, emotion sapping her of the little strength she had left.

The Ranger hopped off his mount and ran over to them, quickly kneeling beside the two. In his hands he held a pack, reaching in it for supplies to provide first aid. But, upon seeing the young child, his arm fell, a sympathetic look crossing his face. "I'm sorry." He murmured, voice sincere; Lukas's gaze snapped over to him, pained, but found he was unable to be angry with the Ranger. He'd done nothing wrong, he realized. There had been nothing any of them could do. "There's nothing that can be done for him. I have something to ease the pain for him though, if you'd like..." Sagging, Lukas nodded grimly, not trusting himself to speak yet. With a brief nod of acknowledgement, the man reached out to apply the herbs, and watched the blonde relax immediately, though his chest still heaved in attempts to suck in air.

"T-T.." Arthur croaked, and Tillie, understanding he meant her, stroked the side of his face lovingly, looking into his blue eyes instead of his mauled throat and chest. "Till...ie." Arthur's eyes fluttered shut, and did not open again. Tillie sniffled, but did not cry, though her body shuddered as if she were. Lukas stared at his brother's corpse, uncomprehendingly. Somehow, through all of that, a surge of envy overtook him; why had Arthur never asked for him? Why only Tillie? But then he berated himself for that; Arthur had been barely alive, and in total dileria. He'd probably wanted to say something, but didn't. That's all.

That's all.

The texture of his hair in her hands was familiar, as familiar as her own was to her, soft and feathery, like the downing feathers of an owlet. To think she'd never feel it again, save for this day...was a painful one. Though her body trembled like an earthquake, and her eyes were shining with tears, they were not shed. Tillie couldn't even remember the last time she'd cried. It had been too long, though, far too long. And now, even though her beloved little brother had just died in her larms, she didn't cry.

And she hated herself because of it. What a heartless jerk she was, not shedding a single tear for her lost brother. What a terrible, horrid person.

Tillie felt a strong, comforting hand on her shoulder, and looked over to see it belonged to the Ranger. He'd tossed back his cowl, exposing a man with a youthful face, the beginnings of a stubble on his face hinting the need for a shave soon. His hair was a fair brown like a chestnut, and he had warm brown eyes, deep and rich. Just looking at it reassured her, and she felt her body return to a normal state, becoming still. "I am sad for your loss, miss," he told her formally. In a normal situation, Tillie would have laughed at how proper he was. But not today. "But you'll be safe here, I promise." For some reason, she believed him. "My name is Will. Do you two have anywhere to go?"

As if she needed to verify the fact, she glanced at her older brother...no. Her only brother. There was no need to define which brother she was speaking of anymore; now she only had one. But as she looked at him with his spiky orange hair and grey eyes like thunderclouds, she realized that there would be getting nothing out of him today. Perhaps not even for a long while. So, downcast, she looked back at Will, who was watching her with concern. Exhausted, she shook her head. He inclined his head to her in acknowledgement before standing. Tillie observed that, if Lukas were standing, he'd be perhaps a whole foot taller than the Ranger. Another fact that might have amused her on any other day but today.

"Well, you two do not need to worry about that. You can stay with my wife and children for tonight—we can offer you shelter, a meal, and new clothes. After that will be determined by you. We'll discuss your options when they come around." Will exclaimed decisively, offering her a gentle smile. Apparently he'd deemed her the more responsive of the two. Tillie didn't know what could have possibly caused him to come to that decision, but she went with it anyway. The girl nodded and shakily stood, not looking back at her brother, knowing if she did, she'd never leave. After a beat, she heard a rustle from beside her; Lukas had stood up two. Reaching out, she took his hand in her's, feeling a squeeze in response. The combination of Will's welcoming personality and the knowledge that Lukas was with her made her feel infinitely better, and she offered a tentative smile to the Ranger. Then the two siblings meandered forward, following Will back to his friend. "This here is Tug," the male introduced with a grin; the small horse butt his head against Will's shoulder, as if he'd understood what the male had said. Which made no sense at all. Then the brunette leaned forward and said something to Tug, who flicked his ears. Then Will gestured to the horse. "Hop on, you two."

Without waiting for another invitation, Tillie stepped forward and hoisted herself on with ease, getting herself sitiated. Then she reached out to stroke the side of the horse's neck, introducing herself as a friend. Tug snorted appreciatively, his dark eyes peering at the ginger haired woman approvingly. I like what you're doing, those eyes seemed to say. Please keep doing it.

Lukas, however, had other ideas. He gave the horse a doubtful look. Tillie noticed him and rolled her eyes. Squeezing the hand she still held, she met his gaze. "C'mon. It's alright. Really!" If Lukas wasn't going to be the strong one, than she would be. She felt Will's eyes on her, but didn't look up; he was probably just waiting patiently for her brother. Nothing important, just mentally willing her to hurry it up. Then her brother nodded and heaved himself on as well, letting go of her hand so he could wrap his arms around her middle. Content, she leaned back into him, breathing his his scent. It was the only thing that had stayed the same, even after all this time. But Tillie straightened up soon after, glancing at Will. "..There's room for you on here too," she offered a little shyly, suddenly discovering that he had no intentions of getting on himself.

A grin answered her words. "Nah, that's fine. I'll walk. It'll be good exercise, anyway!" He laughed, turning and leading the way into the woods. Tug trotted blissfully after his companion, nickering at the male.

Will's never-ending kind ways were beginning to take their toll on Tillie. Her eyes smarted again, though she didn't cry. "..Thank you, Will." Tillie finally spoke, gaze softening for the first time in what felt like ages. "Really, thank you."

His bright smile fell upon her like the sunlight. How long had it been since somebody had smiled at her so genuinely? Tillie made a mental note never to tell her of her bloodline; she didn't want to lose the chance of seeing that smile on her again. "It's not a problem. This is my job, you know." Her baffled gaze made him rub the back of his neck, wishing he was better at explaining things. "I mean...you know, helping people. I'm a Ranger. It's what I'm supposed to do." That cleared things up a lot. She nodded, leaning against Tug, too lazy to hold herself up on her own anymore. Lukas slumped forward with her, and she heard his quiet snore as sleep took him.

That reminded her...she was tired. Drowsiness filled her limbs, which felt like lead. But she didn't want to sleep. Not before she said something. "'Ey, Will.." She mumbled, getting his attention. "..This 'ere is Lukas. 'M Tillie." His lips moved, no doubt forming the names and storing them to memory. But she couldn't hear him any more; the stress of today had taken its toll on her.

"Where did you pick up these two from, Will?" Alyss asked, staring at the girl Will now carried in his arms into the house. He'd already carried in the older boy, whom he had left inside. The tall female looked over the tiny girl appraisingly, not seeing a single thing in the girl that she might see in a normal female. Actually, if not for the particularly curvaceous figure of the teenager, Alyss would have mistaken her for a boy. Without doubt, she was a far cry from Alyss herself, a poised and elegant diplomat with ash blonde hair and striking grey eyes, the epitome of womanliness. "What happened?"

Setting the girl down on the floor by her brother, he stood up to full height, giving his wife a sheepish grin. "Sorry for the short notice, Alyss..."

Alyss raised a single brow. "Stopping by ten minutes before to tell me to make dinner is 'short notice', Will. However, coming over with two homeless people? That's known as 'no notice'," she corrected him wryly, though she smiled slightly at the flush that followed. "Now, please, answer my question."

Will shot Alyss a quick smile, a tender look etching itself onto his face. Every time she opened her mouth, it reminded him why he'd fallen in love with her. "Alright," he responded willingly, stepping forward and planting a quick kiss on her soft lips. He then explained to her how they'd been chased out of Picta, and how he'd come across them. By the end of the story, Alyss had a little frown on her perfect face.

"...You don't think they're dangerous, do you? They were chased out, so they may very well have broken a law. I understand they are children, but...you, for instance, did a lot of amazing things at a very young age. Children are just as capable of evil doings. I don't think that I like the idea of them being in the house with our kids, Will..." She trailed off when she saw he was smiling.

"Oh, don't worry so much. Even if they were bad, they aren't all bad. You didn't see their faces when their brother died, Alyss. And I think they're orphans, too. They could live here, forge new bonds, form friendships, make names for themselves, become something. They could turn their lives around! And I honestly believe thy could." Will took Alyss's hands in his, looking earnestly into her eyes. It was obvious he felt passionately about all this. "They could live with us for the week, and make friends with Emma and Shane. They're always complaining about there being too much work in the house, and I'm sure they'd both like some help with the chores. Plus, Emma could use more female friends, and Tillie would be good for her, and Shane might like another male role model like Lukas in his life, one who can be around more often than myself. And I think Tillie is around their age, anyway...they'd all rub off on each other. And next week, the orphans who are fifteen or turning fifteen will get to choose their future work and master's—we can put Lukas and Tillie in with them. So, if they were bad people, they can change. I believe that."

How was she meant to say no to that? Curse Will, knowing that there was absolutely no way she'd truly be able to crush his dreams, even if he was wrong. And she knew he knew she knew it. Alyss gave him a long look before sighing. "..Well, we'd best set up somewhere for them to sleep. The floor can't be comfortable," the diplomat sighed, triggering a wide grin from her husband, who swooped in to kiss her again before racing off to find blankets and pillows, calling over his shoulder,

"I knew you'd come around!"