Written for ReillyJade's 'Ready...set...write!' challenge (:
I cast a quick look around at my surroundings, my eye's flickering briefly to the two small boy's who had curled up around one another close to the crackling fire that's flames were dancing majestically around one another.
I swung my leg's around the side of the chair until my feet came into contact with the wooden floorboards that creaked as I placed more wieght upon them.
I stumbled as I rose; my foot was caught in the bundle of blankets that had once been draped across the two boys but has been abandoned as the temperature of the room grew (curtoesy of the fire) but I regained my composure in time to see one of the boy's stirr from their sleep.
I crouched cautiously by his side, my hand falling to his forehead to soothe back the hair that was slicked down by a layer of sweat and I wondered for a few moments whether it would be worth stifling the flames to allow the room to cool back down.
As I made to do so, however, I could feel a hand curl around my ankle that startled me at first, but I soon realised belonged to the boy I had previously been crouched beside.
"Antioch?" He muttered, his eyes still firmly closed but his grip tightening asif afraid that, should he let go, I'd simply dissapear.
"Yes Cadmus?" I replied, kneeling by his once more to see him more clearly.
The boy's jaw opened wide as a yawn escaped him, and I couldn't help the fond smile that lifted up the corners of my mouth as he snuggled back against my leg. "Nothing." His words were muffled somewhat, given his poisition clutched against my leg, but he didn't seem to mind as his light snores were already filling the room once more.
I gently parted my leg from his grip, and began to make my way back across to the fire when something shifting from the corner of my eyes caught my attention.
"Ignotus," I murmered as the youngest of my brothers propped themselves up on their elbows to regard me through sleep-heavy eyes.
"Father?" He replied, and it was then that I realised that my brother was in the midst of a dream and was merely reacting to the dream in real-time (as he was prone to do, I had learnt).
"Shhh," I whispered, reaching out to clasp my hands around his wrist reassuringly.
This was a mistake, I quickly learnt, as the boy immediatly sprung to attention, his own hand snapping to mine in a manner that suggested urgency. "Father, where are you going?" he was muttering to himself, his grip tightening painfully on my arm, "Father..." his words slipped into a lull, and his head rolled backwards on his shoulders as he dipped back down to the ground below.
Fighting away the lump that had formed in my throat, I drew my knees up to my chest and allowed my head to rest on my knees for a few moments.
"Father?" I cried, my feet scrabbling to gain friction on the ground below to allow me to stand.
"Antioch," He replied, his eyes widening in horror as he spotted me cowering not far away from where he stood.
"Father, where's mother?" The way the man's eyes dropped to the ground below was answer enough, and despite my determination not to do so, my eyes began to fill with unushed tears.
"Antioch, I need you to do something for me." He had collapsed to his knees before me, his hands braced on my shoulders as he forced me to look into his eyes "will you do something for me?"
I paused as a curse collided with the wall close to where we stood before nodding "Yes, yes of course."
"Take your brothers and run." The man's voice had broken halfway through his request at the mention of my brothers, (both of which were still sleeping soundly in the room above) "head west, you'll find a lady there who will help you. tell her your surname, tell her our surname and she'll help you."
"Father, come with us." I begged, tugging on the sleeves of his robes as he rose.
"You have to protect your brothers, be strong enough to protect your brothers." his hand came to rest on my cheek as the pad of his thumb wiped away a stray tear that I hadn't even realised had fallen.
"I want to be strong enough to protect you."
He let out a dry chuckle free of any humour "You wonderful, wonderful child."
The next thing I knew I was being ushered back up the stairs towards where my brothers were still sleeping and then, as I turned to beg my father once more, a shot of green erupted through the room momentarily blinding me.
Blinking back the spots that impaired my vision, I turned back to face the room I had just deserted and my eyes fell upon a figure that lay lifeless at the bottom of the stairs.
"Father."
Angrily swiping at the tears that were freely falling from my eyes, I placed one hand on Ignotus' shoulder and whispered "next time, I'll be powerful enough to save all of us."