September 27 2013: Just fixing things up. This is a brotherly NorIce story, but the only pairing (in the Nordics) is SuFin so don't worry, no pairing wars.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

I want the one with faded blonde hair,

Dull blue eyes,

The one that smells like a purple heather, aye, that one.

Sibling to silver haired amethyst, if you still don't know.

Goblins, Fairies, and such, is a clue.

Bring that one, or it will be you.

The parchment fell from a wrinkled, sweaty hand. Mouth opening and closing as tired blue eyes aged in seconds, rather than years.

"Papa! What do they want now?" came the worried cry from a younger woman, who was peaking her head into the room from a door on the left wall.

The man gulped and shook his head. The light haired woman tisked and ran into the room, helping her father sit down on the faded and scratched rocking chair. "Papa, it can't be that-" The word died on her tongue as she quickly read the poem, looking up at her equally stunned father, before staring back down at the poem.

"T-They can't do this! Can they?"

He snapped his mouth shut with a 'click', and nodded.

The woman sat down on a chair next to her father, and looked straight ahead. "What's next? They will want Emil to! I can't lose my children, Papa!" The tired old man patted her on the hand kindly and croaked out, "You better get the boys down here. No doubt they're both curious from the racket made. You can explain everything to them, you aren't losing them, remember that, Lyra."

Lyra nodded shakily and called into the small house, "Lukas! Emil! C-Come here!"

There was a small clatter as small boots hit the wooden stairs, before the same door the woman passed through opened again. Two boys entered the room, both sets of eyes blinking at the tear lined face of their mother, and their grandfather.

The older looking one nodded to the blonde haired woman, his younger brother standing next to him. "Yes Mama?"

The woman wiped her red, tear filled eyes on a dark yellow sleeve, before choking out, "They have chosen the next victim."

The younger brother's big amethyst eyes grew large as he understood the look going from his mother, to his older brother. "No! Storebror isn't going to be taken!" He hugged his brother, who was standing as quietly and orderly as he was before the news. "I-I won't allow them!" Lukas patted his younger brother on the head with one hand, turning his already messy silver hair even messier.

"It's okay, lillebror."

Emil sniffed as he tucked his head into the older boy's shirt. "N-no it isn't!" Their mother patted the seat next to her, and Lukas led himself and his brother over to the chair, not even blinking when his younger brother sat directly on top of his lap.

"So they decided to take the village's medical family now?"

Both Lyra and their Grandfather nodded. "And just when you were getting serious about your medical training t-too!" Lukas shrugged and held his crying younger brother with one arm, the other one reaching to comfort his mother. "Emil is much better than me." Emil muttered his disagreement into his brother's shirt, the words coming out muffled and barely audible.

The family of four sat quietly as the hours ticked on, all of them trying to digest the information and reassure themselves that 'everything will be okay'. Emil fell asleep almost immediately after his crying fit, his small silver head resting comfortably on his brother's chest.

At half passed six the family moved again, the woman jolting awake from her uncomfortable trance on the faded blue chair. Fading sunlight made its way through the partially closed curtains, and the mother opened them up to help awaken her family.

"Wake up, Lukas, Emil, Papa, it's time for dinner."

Emil was still sleeping soundly, as was his Grandfather, but Lukas smiled warmly at his mother as she quickly made two plates of fish and bread. "Thank you," he whispered quietly, as he shifted trying to grab the fork without disrupting his little brother.

They finished the food slowly, neither wanted to eat but Lukas knew that he would need as much good food as he could before he was taken away. It made him sound like a criminal. The blond haired ten year old picked up his brother from his lap, never waking him, and softly asked his mother to open the door for him.

The next morning was silent as the family moved around the house like phantoms, pushing around their food and taking half-hearted bites.

"Why brother?"

Two pairs of dark blue eyes and one of red turned to see the youngest of the family looking down at his plate. "Why did they pick him?"

Their mother ran a hand through his hair to sooth the young child. "I don't know sweetheart. But everything will work out, I promise."

The boy sniffled before nodding, and the breakfast continued once again.

A trio left the house directly before noon, the sky a clear forget-me-not blue, not one cloud covering the warm sun's rays. The grass was a pleasant light green, scrunching up around the ankles of the solemn group. Several children chased each other through the trees, laughing and yelling happily as they banged sticks against the aged trunks.

They walked deeper in the forest. Emil held tightly on his brother's hand, his older sibling holding on with the same vigour. "It will be alright Emil." Lukas would try to sooth. "Everything's going to be alright."

All too soon the family arrived at a small lake, not a ripple disrupting the smooth surface. Bright bunches flowers were close to the bank of the water, several large rocks on the other side of the large pond.

"G-Good b-bye Lukas." Lukas hugged his mother tightly, before letting her go and looking at his brother, who was picking grass on the ground. The older boy got down on his knees and said quietly to his younger brother, "Come here."

With a cry, Emil launched himself at his older brother, bubbling out nonsense words. The amaranthine words continued to flow as the young child held his arms around his older sibling's neck.

"W-Why do you have to go?"

Lukas patted him on the back. "Because, its tradition."

Emil frowned and told his brother, "But Grandpa said tradition was sh-"

Their mother cut in at that time, giving a light glare to her youngest son. "I need to talk to your grandfather about what to say to young kids."

Emil shrugged from under his brother's arms, and didn't let go even when Lukas pulled back to look at him. "Watch out for Mama and Grandpa, will you? I'm sure you'll be a wonderful medic, lillebror."

The silver haired boy sniffed and rubbed his eyes with his sleeve. "A-Alright."

Lukas got up and ruffled his younger brother's hair, before turning back to the lake. "I think you better go now." The blue eyed boy didn't turn back to see his family's expressions. "They might try and take Emil to if we all stay around too long."

The boy's mother nodded and took Emil's hand. "I love you, Lukas. Your father would have been proud."

Lukas nodded. "I know. I love you both."

The blonde haired boy watched both of his family members disappear into the forest, and he stared straight ahead at the water. Fish swam underneath the clear liquid, not disrupting the startlingly glass like water on top.

Then he felt something hard hit the back of his head, and the water blurred as he fell towards it.

Splash.