Kenny's parents sent the children off to stay with Grandpa the morning after harvest meal. The oldest Ackerman child remembered his mother crying when she kissed their faces. Pa told Kenny to look after his siblings and remember what he taught him. Grandpa told them that they did such a good job on the family farm that he needed them to finish up his garden. Kenny knew that it didn't sound right but what could he do?
Grandpa's farm was nothing like acres of land their parents tended. The old man only had enough land to feed a small family if that, but still, Kenny played along when Grandpa had them redo work day after day. It was worth it because at night the old man taught them how to fight. Something about having a blade in his hand felt right to the young Ackerman. He'd redo the whole garden every day for the rest of his life if it meant he got to use a knife.
The fact that Grandpa only showed them late at night by moonlight was just what went with it. Once Kutchel complained about sparring in the dark. She was also the cautious one. Playing with knife in the dark was dangerous, they had the cuts on their hands to prove it but Kenny didn't care. He felt powerful like this.
"You gotta learn no matter what's going on," Grandpa told them. "If you gotta fight you don't get to choose a perfect time. If they come for you, you have to be ready."
If the kids brought their knives out at all during the day they got a good spanking. Poor Kyle's bottom ended up red on more than one occasion. And the old man liked to play dirty. He would sneak up on the kids quieter than a field cat and take their weapon, then give them a spanking for their trouble. Kenny picked up on the tricks first. The little boy tuned his ears to listen for telltale sounds: the crunch of dried grass, the absence of birds. It wasn't long before he picked up other tricks: Grandpa's scent in the wind or the ebb and flow of the old man's breathing at a distance.
The oldest Ackerman felt confident in his abilities. He mimicked Grandpa's steps to sneak up on his siblings. At night his put his ears to use searching for Grandpa when they played hide and seek. The day he actually caught the old man he finally felt like a man. It wasn't long after this that, while they were packing food away for winter, Kenny had an idea. It was the end of harvest.
"I'm going to go see Ma and Pa," he told his siblings.
"Grandpa said we gotta stay here," said Kyle. His brother was so shy and naïve back then. The little boy thought that Grandpa actually needed their help. Kenny wouldn't take that away from his little brother.
"I'm just going to there and come back," he said. He wasn't nearly as naïve and wanted to find out just how long their parents meant to keep them away. It was already first frost.
"I'm going too," said Kutchel. She put the jar of preserves on the shelf before looking at her brothers.
"You're gonna stay here," Kenny barked.
"You don't tell me what to do," Kutchel snapped back. Kenny would be damned if he let his little sister go traipsing through the woods in the middle of the night.
"I told you to stay over at Grandpa's?" young Kenny huffed at his little sister. Despite his best efforts, Kenny couldn't stop Kutchel from tagging along. She even wore their little brother's pants and shirt for this little excursion.
"You're not the only one who misses them," Kutchel's dark eyes challenged his in the dark. On a good day Kutchel could be just as stubborn as their mother and twice as angry. They were already outside and Kenny couldn't risk a fight. Grandpa would tan their hides for sure if he caught them outside this late.
"Just don't slow me down," Kenny huffed. The siblings walked on in silence back down the path to their family home. It was close to sunrise by the time they got there; all of the cocky energy from earlier used up in their walk. The hazy morning air felt heavier than usual. Winter chilled the air in a frosty blanket that subdued everything it touched. The little Ackermans weren't any different. Every step to their old home felt like a solemn march of exhaustion and frozen limbs. Kutchel was the first to reach the top of the hill that overlooked their land.
"Kenny, you see that?" she asked.
"See what?" Kenny asked. He blew on his numb fingers.
"That…" Kutchel pointed to the snake of smoke making its way to the clouds. The children sprinted to the only home they knew, running through the cleared out fields dried grass. They only stopped when they saw a man sitting atop a horse.
The man's blonde hair shined even in the twilight. He was wrapped in a dusty cloak that didn't suit his regal bearings. Kenny could tell he sure wasn't no farmer. Beside the fancy man two more men, in plain clothes watched the Ackerman house burn.
"Bastard!" Kutchel yelled. She took out her knife and running toward the men.
"Shit!' Kenny chased after his sister also readying his knife. The men met the childish rage with smug smirks. When Kutchel slashed at the first one he sidestepped her blade and grabbed her by the hair.
"Let go of my sister!" Kenny yelled. The other man stepped forward to kick Kenny in his small chest. The boy's head bounced on the cold ground. A heavy boot pressed into his chest before he could catch his breath.
"You live here boy?" asked the man.
"Fuck you!" spat Kenny. The man laughed down at him.
"Well, you're homeless now, brat!" Kenny hit the imposing boot with his fist. If the man was annoyed, he didn't show it. Instead he addressed the blond man onto of the horse.
"Lord Reiss," said one of the shadow called. The one who pinned Kenny pressed his boot down on Kenny's chest. "We found two more."
"I see," said the blonde man. He brought his handkerchief to his slips as if he couldn't stomach what was going on around him. "Take care of it how you will. I don't want to know," said the man. He tugged on his horse's reins to leave the distasteful scene. Kenny didn't like the way the man smiled at him.
"Get ready for pain brat."
Young Kenny woke up and bloody. Every breath felt like he was breathing through frozen pine needles. Ever the older brother he needed to find Kutchel She was probably pretty bad off too. If I could just get my head to stop spinning, young Kenny thought. When he opened his eyes the world spun so fast he wanted to throw up. The son of a bitch who beat meant what he said. The boy was sure if he could lift up his shirt there would be a boot print imbedded in his chest.
Darkness was a welcome gift as it sent away Kenny's pain if only for a little while. The pain was waiting for him the moment he opened his eyes. The old man waved back and forth in front of him. The old man's eye were full of red lines.
"Grandpa?" young Kenny mumbled. The old man tenderly stroked the boy's head. He wiped his face with his sleeve touching Kenny like he was made of glass. "Kutchel…"
"Hush boy," Grandpa said. Hot shots of pain stole the words from Kenny's mouth when Grandpa picked him up off the frozen ground. "I told y'all not to come back here. I told ya." He gently set his grandson in the back of his wagon. Kyle was waiting with blankets.
"I know you didn't want me to tell him, but I had to Kenny. I had to..y'all didn't come back!"
"Where's Kutchel?" Kenny asked. She wasn't in the wagon. His little brother bit his lip. "Kyle!"
"She gone," Kyle whispered. Kenny flinched sending lighting shocks of pain through his body.
"What about Ma and Pa?"
"They gone too," Kyle sniffled. "Grandpa buried them while we were looking for you."
The first winter without Kutchel was filled with silence. It took young Kenny two months to fully recover from the beating given to him by the rich man's guards. By then the chill thickened with snow, coating the world in white. Kyle was in charge taking care of his big brother. When Grandpa did come to check on Kenny, he was quiet. It was okay, Kenny didn't feel much like talking. There were too many questions Kenny didn't know how to ask.
Kyle was the only one brave enough to break the sacred silence. At night, he would curl up in bed beside his older brother crying himself to sleep. As Kenny saw it, Kyle cried for the both of them. Even those tears were dry by the time Kenny was back on his feet.
"I want to see where you buried Ma, Pa, and Kutchel," Kenny limped into the common room of the little house to ask Grandpa.
"I didn't bury Kutchel," said Grandpa. The old man was focused on polishing his knives.
"What?" Kenny stormed over as fast as he stiff legs would move him.
"She wasn't there!" yelled Kyle. "She wasn't there…" the boy said softer. His shell was still too soft. Kenny felt bad when he saw the shiny glaze over his younger brother's eyes.
"They probably took her," said Grandpa. He set his knife on his lap before looking at the boys.
"What do you mean?" Kenny looked between Kyle and Grandpa. Young Kenny made peace with his family being gone, but this?
"It wouldn't be the first time," Grandpa ran his thumb along the flat side of his blade. "They kill our men and take our women off somewhere in the walls."
"We have to go get her!" yelled Kenny. He took hold of Grandpa's shirt in an attempt to shake some life into him. Grandpa looked up at him with tired eyes. The old man placed a gentle hand on his grandson's head.
"That's not how it works," said Grandpa. "They been hunting us as long as I've been alive."
"What the fuck for?" asked Kenny. He dropped his hands in defeat.
"You watch your mouth boy," said Grandpa. The old man set his knife to the side. He pulled Kenny into his lap. Kyle ran over to his only remaining family.
"That's just how it's always been." Grandpa said with a sigh. "Ever since the titans came and the walls went up the Reiss family hunts us." The old man held his boys tight. Young Kenny grit his teeth. He couldn't accept that. He would find his sister and make the Reiss family pay no matter what.
The old assassin took his time opening his eyes for a second time. This time sun burned high above him, cooking through the layers of clothing. Even through his finely tailored jacket his skin sizzled under the noonday sun. It did nothing to the chill in his chest. Frost from that night never left Kenny's heart. He should have made Kutchel stay behind that night. Shit, maybe if he wasn't such a cocky little bastard back then he would have stayed home. An unfamiliar wetness slid down his temple into his hair. Of course this fucking place would take him back. The former king of the underground pulled his flask from his coat and took a long drink. It looks like he is finally going to fulfill his other life goal. He would make the Reiss family pay for what they've done. There was a debt that needed to be paid and he intended to collect.
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