Chapter 28 I'm sorry
Sarah's POV
After rounding the corner I was ushered up a ladder into a low ceilinged Hayloft, had been Average height I would have hit my head standing up. The three of us began to make ourselves as comfortable as possible in the itchy stro which allowed me to finally get a good look at my rescuers. Savanna was a green eyed redhead like me, though that's where our similarities ended. I had a few freckles, she had a lot more, I was petite, she was brod and buff. My heir was shoulder length and hers was in a curly pixie cut. Which I thought looked a bit strange but no judgement, it probably kept her cooler in the summer and would definitely be easier to maintain. However I could imagine she would get tested for it. Brice on the other hand looked more like a K-pop star. He was a little taller than me and had the body of a dancer, lean but muscled. His round face and almond shaped eyes made him look younger than he probably was. His glossy brown hair was permeated with blonde highlights. We sat in a simmy circle of awkward silence for a minute or two, until I couldn't take it any longer. So I broke the silence,
"Thank you, by the way."
Savanna smiled,
"Don't mention it."
She said casually, leaning back, Brice nodded in agreement with his friend though he seemed distracted. I shook my head,
"No really, what you guys did back there was really brave."
She waved her hand dismissively,
"Like I said, don't mention it."
I didn't understand how they could be so casual about the whole thing, they probably just saved my life and now Savanna was chewing on a piece of stro while Brice just started at the ceiling.
"Why did you guys try to help me?"
Savanna shrugged,
"We herded a commotion and checked it out."
Brice glanced at her for a moment then at me and sead,
"Cuz it was the right thing to do."
"But weren't you at least a little scared? I mean a horse that size can kill a grown man."
Brice didn't answer but Savanna shook her head saying,
"No, I wasn't scared,"
The voice in my head sead "lie" I frowned slightly as she continued.
"I've done way more scary stuff than that before."
Brice seamd to contemplate her for a moment before he looked back up again, and this time Savanna and I followed his gaze. What I saw made me smile, carved on the selling was a heart with the initials SBCB. Pointing at it I asked,
"Is that you guys?"
She snapped,
"NO, not us."
Brice in a calm but sad tone said,
"Those were our siblings' initials, Selena Beauregard and Charles Beckendorf."
I had asked in a kind testing way, so the answers I got took me aback. Despite my better judgment I asked,
"Wer?"
Brice started to say something but Savanna elbowed him, saying.
"Look, it's not us so it doesn't matter ("lie".) just forget about it."
Brice shoved back, razing his voice.
"Savanna what are you saying? It does matter and we should honor their memory not try to forget it!
"I'm not trying to forget Brice! Even if I wanted to, it's not like I could, but that doesn't mean we have to talk about it!"
"Savanna we need to talk about it, share their story so that their legacy isn't lost! That's what our ancestors did!"
"Well newsflash Brice, times have changed and I'm not our ancestors! So if you want to tell her, go ahead! just remember that she wasn't there, she's an outsider and won't have any frame of reference for what happened in the war!"
"I still think that..!"
"Well I think that as long as Percy and Annabeth don't talk about it we don't have to either!"
They stared at each other until I cleared my throat uncomfortably. They looked at me, faces flushed with anger and something else. Their eyes were tinged red and wet with tears that weren't allowed to fall.
"You don't have to tell me."
I said as gently as I could. I was beginning to form an idea of what could have happened. Brice took a shake breath then said in a soft voice,
"No, no, I think they would want us to share their story."
Savanna turned her back to us as Brice took another deep breath and began.
"Selena and Beckendorf were great Head Counselors. Selena Beauregard was amazing with the pegasi, while her boyfriend Beckendorf could build or repair just about anything. However two years ago during the climaxes of the Titan war, Percy and Beckendorf went on a mission to blow the Princess Andromeda, an enemy ship, out of the water. None of the Counselors ever shared the details of what went wrong, but we were told that Beckendorf had sacrificed his life to blow up the ship and give Percy a chance to get away. The bad news hit the whole camp hard but it tore Selena apart. Apparently she had agreed to become a spy for the Titans to keep Beckendorf safe. A few days later in the Battle of Manhattan she redeemed herself by tricking the Aries cabin into coming to our aid. And despite not being a good fighter she took on the biggest and nastiest monster in the entire battle, losing her life in the process. But for her sacrifice she was claimed as a hero, and her name was rightfully added to that year's beed."
I sat in silence as a storm of thoughts swirled inside my head. I wanted to say something but the only thing I could think of was I'm sorry, yet I knew that it would just sound hollow. I mean they had lost both a sibling and a friend. Without knowing what to do I acted on impulse, leaning over and rapping the boy in a huge I squeezed him once and released him. Brice smiled in what I hoped was thanks and not something else, and we sat in silence till I worked up the courage to ask my next question.
"So what did everyone who was too young to fight do when the umm soldiers left for battle?"
Brice fidgeted uncomfortably with a piece of stro glancing at
Savanna who had faced us again. There was a funny look in her eyes as she spoke in a solemn tone.
"None of us were considered too young to fight."