They were too late. North knew it the moment he stumbled out of the woods and they saw the woman lying at their feet. She was clearly dead; they all knew it even as Sandy rushed to check her, slashed through the heart. North hardly paid her any mind; couldn't has he numbly made his way to what remained of the village. They were too late. They had walked through the night, finishing a three day journey by sun rise. But still, the village was reduced to ashes, the people were gone and they were too late. In his guilty and horrified musings, he somehow wandered to his smoldered home, and after a moment of staring at it in dazed terror he charged into the smoking pile.
"Jack! My boy, answer me!" he begged. "Kat! Emma, please!"
He tore throw burnt wood as he yelled. He didn't care that his voice was hysterical and that his family couldn't be among the wreckage. They had to be there they had to be there, where were they?! Where was his family? They couldn't have been too late for them. Please, let them not be too late for his family!
"North," Aster called, taking in the sad sight of North calling for his family as he threw bits of charred wood about. "North, we found survivors. They're holed up in house on the edge; it's relatively untouched, they seem fine."
"My boy? Emma, Kat?" North asked, grasping Aster's forearms as he begged for answers.
"Ah don't know, mate. The others are with them, Ah went ta get ya."
North raced forward, pulling Aster along and demanding the younger man to give directions. Please, please be there. He needed his family to be alright. They came to the cottage Aster spoke of in seconds, charred but still standing. North hardly took the time to look it over before he busted right in. There was only a handful of people huddled inside, no more than thirty not counting the men in the hunting party.
"Jack, Katherine! My family, is my family here, please?" He asked, shaking the first person he came across. The man wouldn't meet his gaze. No one would. "Please."
"Nicholas."
"Manny. My family?" He asked, letting the poor by stander go as he turned the stout man.
Manfred Lunanoff was the eldest man in the village, and by extension its unspoken leader. He was in his late fifties, and showed no signs of leaving them any time soon. Despite his short stature, barely reaching North's mid-chest, the man was strong. A thin crop of white hair sat on his rounded head; his face was equally round, kind and trustworthy. North respected him greatly.
"I'm sorry, Nicholas," Manny said in answer.
North deflated. He should have known. There was no sign of his family anywhere in the house, and they would have been impossible to miss among such a small crowd. But still, he'd hoped.
"Your son put up an impressive fight, but still he was taken. Along with your wife and daughter, and most of the village."
North had to smile proudly despite the disheartening news. Of course Jack would go down fighting, trying to protect his loved ones. That was his boy.
"And I'm afraid we have worse news yet," Manny continued.
"What could be worse?" Aster objected.
"That without the people taken – many of them our farmers, tradesmen—we will not be able to function." He let that sink in, meeting Aster's and then North's gazes.
"Without them, we will not make it through winter."
Oh. Yeah, that was about as bad as thing could possibly get. North ran a hand over his tired face. God, he felt so exhausted; he couldn't deal with this right now. But it had to be dealt with. And now was the only time.
"Then we will get them back," he demand, putting as much strength as he could behind it.
Even if he had to do it alone, he would get them back.
-Line Break – Line Break – Line Break-
They'd been going for hours, through the day and into the following night. An entire day since they'd been taken and they still hadn't stopped. Jack was lightheaded and woozy the entire time, and the bouncing of the horse he rode wasn't helping his nausea. His chest and shoulder throbbed horribly and his head was worse. When were they going to stop?! He slumped forward, bending over the arm that held him and rested his forehead against the ebony neck of the horse. It was then that they finally stopped, just as the moon was rising.
"Let's make camp here!" The captain announced, pulling the march to a halt.
He dismounted, pulling Jack off once he was on the ground and scooped the boy into his arms bridal style. Jack wasn't entirely happy with the position, but he was too lightheaded and tired to put up a fight. He could barely keep his eyes open, but he could still see the tied villagers being separated into small groups and tethered to various posts, either trees or poles staked into the ground, as tents were set up for their abductors. He blinked lazily up at the man carrying him, and could only think of dark as a description. Black hair, dark eyes, even his skin – which was actually very, very pale— looked dark in the shadow of the hood he still wore. Jack couldn't really tell why, but all the dark made him very uneasy, even in his haze of blood loss.
"Alright then, let's get that looked at, yeah?" He suggested cheerfully as he placed Jack on the ground.
The captain slowly and carefully peeled the bloody shirt away, pulling it over Jack's head and down to his still bound hands, where it bunched at his forearms. And again, Jack did not take too kindly to the action. Only this time he didn't put up with the man, and weakly kicked out at his leg.
"Now, now, none of that," the captain chided.
He slapped a heavy hand to Jack's injured shoulder and slowly kneaded his finger painfully into the flesh of his shoulder positioning his hand so the palm put painful pressure on the slash. Jack winced and cried out the grip increased and his shoulder felt as if it was set on fire.
"I don't have to be so nice, little boy," the man growled in Jack's ear, digging the heel of his hand into the cut, making the teenager scream.
"If you don't want to bleed to death, or die of infection, you best be on your best behavior. Understand?"
Jack nodded eagerly, blinking back tears of pain. He sighed in relief when the pressure receded. The captain nodded in approval, then went to gather rapping gauze and a bottle of alcohol.
"Drink this, you'll need liquids," he ordered, pushing a cup of water to his lips.
Jack hesitated but drank, not wanting to anger the man into hurting him further. He gave a pained hiss as the man touched at his wound.
"Ow, that's a nasty one." The captain winced in sympathy, like he hadn't been the one to cause it. "We better clean it up."
Jack really didn't like the obvious joy the man took in his pain, or the delighted expression he wore whenever he looked at the gash. Jack swore he actually sniffed it a few times as he was cleaning it out. But he kept his mouth shut, letting only a few pained hisses out as he rubbed the alcohol into the gash, cleaning any potential infection out. Then he wrapped the wound and pulled the bloody shirt back over his head.
"I want to see my family," Jack demanded softly after a time.
"I don't see why not." The man cut the bonds on Jack's hands and repositioned them in front of him and retied them. "No more horsey rides for you," he teased, ruffling Jack's hair.
Jack gave a wine and shoved the hand away, but didn't fight as he was dragged away by his bound wrists, eyes on the ground. It was only a day, and already Jack didn't know how much more of this he could take. At a worried and relieved call from his mother he looked up. Katherine and Emma were tied to the base of a tree in front of him, terrified but unharmed. Jack's hands were bound to the tree as well and he was forced to his knee beside his family.
"Now, get some sleep." He ordered, messing Jack's hair again. "All of you. We move at first light.
With that he stalked off, leaving the three only. Jack sighed and slumped against the tree, closing his aching eyes. He forced one heavy eye open when he felt a slight weight settle against him. Emma curled up to his best she could, nuzzling him for comfort as she often would when she was frightened. He smiled down at her—or, well, tried to; his face didn't quite want to go through with it –and met his mother's worried gaze as she looked him over.
"Are you alright?" Katherine asked, eying his bloodied shoulder.
"I'm fine. They treated it," he assured.
"Why are they doing this?" Emma's voiced was small and frightened next to him and he scrambled for a response.
"Because they're bad men, baby," Katherine said, meeting her daughter's eyes and sending her a warm and comforting look.
"And bad men do terrible things just because they can," she explained.
Emma's little face screw up as she tried to process her mother's explanation. It was adorable, the way her nose scrunched up. It made Jack smile warmly, for real this time.
"But….. Papa will find us and he'll stop them. Because he's a good man, right?"
Now Katherine was at a loss as she looked at her daughter's hopeful face. How could she assure her child of she something knew, logically, was wrong, impossible? And at the same time, how could she crush that hopeful little face and the undying faith Emma held in her father? But this time it was Jack who came up with the answer.
"Of course he will, Em. That's what he does."
And it was something Jack had no problem confirming. Because he believed it. His father could do anything, move mountains, control the heavens, anything! And he could do it because he was Jack's dad. It was that simple.
He looked to his mom, trying to encourage the same confidence he and Emma had. All he got was a sad look and a suggestion to go to sleep. He did so with no problem – it was an exhausting day, after all – sorely confused. Dad would find them, wouldn't he? He would move heaven and earth to get to them. How could he do anything else?
Jack jerked awake late in the night, shaken and confused to what woke him. Then he heard it again; a high pitched, frightened shriek from in the darkness to their right. He huddled closer to his mother, who shifted her weight to press more steadily against his. She was staring in the direction of the screams, which had already faded away, obviously woken the same way he was.
"What was that?" He asked in a frightened whisper.
She looked to him and tried to smile comfortingly. It came out as more of a frightened grimace, so Jack huddled closer, both for her comfort and for his.
"I don't know, Jack. But it going to be alright," she promised.
She settled back against the tree and closed her eyes. Jack tried to do the same, but couldn't stop staring into the darkness. He wasn't so sure anything was going to be okay.
The next morning they were yanked away from trees and out of slumber at the beginning of dawn. Jack blinked awake, glaring sleepily at the captain as the man pulled him up. They weren't kidding about moving at first light, he though with a groan.
He stumbled as he was yanked forward, tethered to his mother, and Emma tethered to him. They were all bound, wrists to waist, all the way up the line.
"Told you, no more horse-back ride," the captain joked.
Jack snarled and spit in the man's face as he moved to ruffled Jack's hair again. He really hated that. The captain scowled and swiped the saliva away. Then the back of his hand met Jack's cheek with a loud smack, sending Jack reeling and making him taste blood.
"I also said I don't have to be so nice. Don't test me," he warned, growling in Jack's face.
The captain cupped the boy's smaller face, running a thumb over Jack's bottom lip. He smeared the small dab of blood from where Jack had bitten his lip with the pad of his thumb, mixing it with saliva until it covered his thumb. Jack shuddered and glared. Why did the man insist on touching him?
"We're moving out!" he shouted, spurring the line forward.
"Behave, now. Otherwise, I'll have to kill you before you can perform your higher purpose," he added, speaking only to Jack, wiping the blood and spit on his thumb on Jack's cheek.
Jack wrenched away with an annoyed groan. He glared at the man's back as he walked away laughing, rubbing his cheek against his shoulder until the wetness on his cheek vanished. He pondered the man's words. 'Higher purpose'. What did that mean?
"Jack, don't aggravate these people," Katherine warned, glancing at him over her shoulder, her voice snapping him back to reality.
"I know, mom," Jack sighed. He glanced up and down the line, brow furrowed in concern.
"Mom, did you see the Johnsons at all?" he asked after a moment.
Mr. and Mrs. Johnson weren't exactly close Jack's parents, but they knew each other. Then again, that wasn't overly spectacular; everyone in the village knew each other. But their son was around Jack's age, so two spent time together, even if they didn't particularly like each other. And their families also hung around each other by default, so they were easily recognizable, even among the crowd. They were defiantly captured as well; Jack had seen them near his mom and Emma. But he hadn't seen any sign of them this morning.
"I haven't seen most of the people here, honey," Katherine countered, but Jack could hear the uneasy in her voice. She knew something was wrong, too.
Before he could question her further, they were jerked forward, and the march continued. The motioned aggravated Jack's wound and he winced. When was this going to stop?
I wanted to go home, he thought, tears clogging his throat. Oh did he want to go home. He wanted his dad.
-Line Break – Line Break – Line Break-
The remaining villagers were in a panic, terrified at the idea of death at winter's hands. Many of them were too old to attempt any rescue. The rest were wounded, or too young. And they were not going to take the men from the hunting party; not after this. And so that left North. At least he was already packed. All that was left now was to grab a few more supplies and his weapons.
"Figured ya'd try this."
North jumped from where he crouched jamming the last of the food he could afford to take at Aster's voice. He turned to face the younger man, who stood in the door way. He leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, an annoyed scowl on his face. North tried not to cringe in guilt at the look; he had nothing to feel guilty for.
"Do not try to stop me," North warned with a glare. "I am going to save my family."
"Course ya are. And Ah can' just let ya go off half-cocked alone, now can Ah," he said, shouldering his own pack.
North felt his glare melt away, his heart warmed and touched. He pushed the feeling down with a sigh. This was his mission; a dangerous one that he couldn't risk anyone else on.
"Aster, I cannot ask you to do this."
"Good thing yer not askin'"
"The village needs you, we cannot leave it so unguarded a second time.
"Every other man here will guard them with their lives. The village will be fine."
"Aster, I will not have you risk yourself for my family."
"Don't give me that, North!" Aster snapped.
He gave them man a dark glare for even thinking to say such a thing. North stumbled back, both at the tone and the look that followed. Aster took a calming breath and looked toward North a sympathetic look.
"North, Ah love them. Ah love them as much you do.
"You and Kat took me in when ya had no reason ta," he continued despite North's flabbergasted expression. "Took care of me in a strange new place when Ah had no one else; gave me someone ta count on. Ah've known yer ankle-bitter since before they could crawl. Ah watched Em take her first steps, say her first word. Ah practically grew up with Jackie!
"Ah love you all—you, Kat, Jackie, Em. More than anything. They're my family too, North."
Aster turned away, blinking back the sting of tears, and North wiped away his own while the younger man wasn't looking. Aster wasn't usually one for emotional spiels. But wow, he could sell his point. North had never thought of it that way, which now that he thought about it was rather thick of him. He smiled, placing a hand on Aster shoulder.
"Then we will get them back, yes?"
Aster's head snapped around as he stared at the man, startled. Then he smiled, a he clapped the big man on the opposite shoulder.
"Yea, let's go. Besides, let's face it; ya'd wind up on the other side of the world without me." He laughed when North scowled at him. The man couldn't track anything to save his life.
The two set out of the house, almost tripping over Sandy as they laughed. The little man stood before them with his own pack, face determined and arms crossed stubbornly. North let out a breath that was half laugh and half sigh. Why did he think he would have to, or even could go off on his own for this?
"Is there any reason to try and talk you out of coming?" North asked smiling as the tiny man shook his head.
"Best of luck to all of you."
The three turned to face the voice, where Manny stood with a proud smile.
"We will bring them back, Manny," North assured.
The older man nodded, but his smile dropped as he watched them go. He was the one to train them to protect their home from the things that stalked it in the night, and they were good, formidable. But he had the sinking feeling that they were up against something he hadn't prepared them to face.