After dinner, your family told you of the ruin that Renais had fallen to while Ziv poked at the smoldering coals. Farrah, your little sister, lay asleep upstairs.
"The bandits roam the lands unhindered, taking what they please from the helpless," your mother whispered in hushed tones. "You see what they did to your brother Asher when he tried to stop them?" She gestured at your second brother, whose broken nose tilted awkwardly on his face, like the drooping carrot on a melting snowman. One leg lay limply on a cushion, where an ugly bruise blossomed brightly, shades of purple and blue. "And now we have one less body to help till the fields."
"Not that anybody has been tending to the fields," your father raised his voice angrily. "Not many dare to venture outside, and those who do see that their fruitless efforts are in vain. Thieves and robbers take what they will of the crops that do grow, and some set fire to what's left behind out of pure spite."
You shuddered. You had not realized that the kingdom had fallen so far.
"And what of food? How do manage without the farm? And what of the rest of the town?" You asked.
Asher shrugged. "They fend for themselves however they can. We still have some hens that lay, Ziv and I go to help out the millers', and Farrah occasionally works as a seamstress. But soon we'll be forced to make a move. This sort of uneasy lifestyle won't work out much longer…I've heard tell that the city is safer. More people, city gates, a guard or two to keep the outlaws at bay – that kind of thing. But crazy King Orson's rule can't last much longer – I've got a friend writing to me about a rebel's alliance in Juno."
The room grew quiet and heavy with the weight of unspoken thoughts, and your father gravely bowed his head, staring solemnly at the floor.
The next day was market day, and Farrah dragged you along to help her with some errands. You looked at her closely. The warm chocolate eyes that had been so cheerful just last year seemed weary, as though she had seen sights that had forced her to mature beyond her years.
As you walked, you heard murmurs of uprisings within Renais, of thousands going hungry, of brigands and thieves on the loose, of corrupt lords raising taxes that were sucking the people dry.
The streets were emptier, and the vendors that lined the streets looked grim and sorrowful.
And when you returned home, Asher was waiting for you.
A/N: I realize this chapter is a bit short, sorry about that! Schoolwork is already sapping my life, even though it's only been a week...