ESKARINA

I always loved the woods outside the farm. When I was younger,I'd run into the woods,believing I'd find magical fairies that would grant my every wish. Nowadays,I usually spent my time in the woods playing hide and seek with my siblings,or simply sitting while I listened to the sound of nature around me.

I searched for Lukas and Bilquise as they hid from me. The sun had already begun to set which meant this would be our last game of tag outside. I was so exhausted,spending all day out,playing with my sibling's,which was a great distraction. Even though it'd already been a few weeks since I was almost raped by that asshole guard,It felt as if it were just yesterday when It had happened. At times It felt as if I could still feel his hands running up my legs,cold steel touching me and making me shiver,his horrid breath against my neck.

Worse still,was that I would see him every time Mother and I would go to the market to purchase groceries,and although he left me alone, I still felt as though I should keep my guard up around him.

Mother also got into the habit of taking a kitchen knife with her whenever we would leave to the market. But it wasn't because of the guards. In the weeks that had passed,countless more bodies have been appearing all over Firekeep,All of them having sign's of Revenant bite marks,gnawed off limbs,the city was on high alert.

I shook my head in an effort to clear it. Now was not the time to be focusing on Revenant attacks,I had to find my sibling's and get us home before sunset. Crouching low to avoid being seen,I scouted my surroundings,keeping low to avoid detection myself.

My sibling's were great at hiding but they most certainly were not the greatest. They had their flaws,like everyone.

Take Lukas for example. As I scanned the area,out of the corner of my eye, A gold flash of light reflected off from the setting sun. I slowly crept my way towards the light,trying my best tocontain my laugh. The golden set of hair was right in front of me,with the only obstacle in my way being a large fallen over log. I took a breather before I lept the over log and screamt at the top of my lungs. Lukas' high pitched scream followed soon after and before I knew it,he burst into tears.

-Oh shit-

I quickly knelt down and pulled Lukas into a tight hug. "I'm sorry kiddo,I didn't mean to scare you"

I heard a rustle of leaves from behind me,shaking it off as nothing. My top priority at the moment was tending to my younger brother and apologising.

However that decision soon became my undoing. I felt a strong weight pressure me from behind as Lukas escaped my grip,leaving me to fall forward. I landed face first on the earth with a thud.

'RAAAAAAAAWR!" bellowed a voice in my ear,loud enough to make my ears ring.

I felt the weight leave my back as I looked up to see my two younger siblings both standing together and smiling at me.

"We got you Eska!" Bilquise said with a smile.

Even Lukas,who was crying mere seconds ago,had a smile stretching from ear to ear.

"Wanna know how we did it?" Bilquise asked as I stood up.

"Sure why not" I replied while dusting myself off.

Lukas reached into his jacket pocket and pullet out a bunch of cut up onions.

My jaw dropped when I realised my siblings had tricked me into winning the game.

"You little shits"

Lukas frowned. "Eska said a bad word!"

"Bad Eskarina! Naughty big sister! Naughty!" Bilquise followed.

"Naughty,Naughty,Naughty Eskarina,said a bad word" The twins chanted.

I quickly clasped my hands over their mouths. "Shhhhh! Or else the monsters will get us" I said,desperate to shut their silly song up. Even though I knew no one was around to hear it,didn't make it any less embarrassing to hear.

Almost immiediately after I induced the fear of monsters in my siblings mind,they were quiet. I didn't like playing the monster card,because it was sort of true,but I'd do anything to not hear that chant.

"Can we at least whisper?" Bilquise asked.

I let out a soft giggle and knelt down as I ran my hand through her hair. "Yes,we can whisper" I replied.

"The monster's can't hear us now can they?" Lukas asked.

"No they can't."

Since I already had one foot in the door, I thought I might as well step right into the room. "But they can still smell you. And monsters love little children who smell like dirt." I said,trying my absolute best not to burst out laughing as Lukas and Bilquise gasped in terror. "And they especially love Children who taste like onion. So let's go home and get you two bathed and clean. Monster's hate eating children who taste like soap and smell fresh!"

And with that my sibling's were running back home,with me following closely behind. Usually my younger sister Bilquise would always,and I mean always,argue with me whenever it was time to bath them. Lukas had his moments but otherwise,he seemed to love bathing very much.

Once we were home the two hopped in the tub almost immiediatley before I could even turn on the water. While the two of them bathed,I sat beside them a few feet away from the tub to avoid getting soaked by the bath water as the two of them played with their wooden toys in the tub. Bilquise had a swordsman and Lukas had a man on horseback.

After half an hour,the two got out as I set to helping them change into their pajamas,Bilquise wearing Mother's pajamas which were far too big for her while Lukas wore dad's.

When dinner came,we ate a bowl of stew and played a quick game of in-house Guard's and Thieves before the two settled into bed.

As alway's,I climbed in the bed with them,as we all slept together,and read them their bed time story,but as always,the two refused to sleep.

"Eska?" Lukas spoke, "Where are Mother and Father?"

"They've gone to the city for their anniversary."

"What's an anniversary?" Bilquise asked.

"It's a very special day that marks the day where Mother and Father got married" I answered.

"I wanna marry daddy when I get older!" Bilquise said.

I laughed as I gently ran my hand through Bilquise' hair. "You'll marry someone someday Bilquise,but it won't be Father."

"Who are you going to Marry Eskarina?" Lukas asked me.

"Whoa! Heh,slow down there kiddo,I don't even have a boyfriend"

"What's a boyfriend?"

"Silly,it's a boy that's a friend!" Lukas said.

"So is that Mikael boy your boyfriend?" Bilquise asked.

A burst of laughter erupted from my throat,tickling my vocal chords. My siblings could be adorable when they wanted to.

"Me and Mikael? Not in a million years Bilquise"

"So what is he then if he isn't your friend?"

"He is my friend"

"But you just said he wasn't"

"Yes,I said he wasn't my boyfriend"

"But doesn't that not make him your friend at all?" Both asked in unison.

I wanted to face palm myself. "He is my friend,but he isn't my boyfriend."

"But he's your friend"

"And he's a boy"

"Yes but,just...ugh!"

"Are you and Mikael gonna have an anniversary too?"

"Ooookay! Well,I'm really tired from playing all day aren't you guy's?"

Both twins shooked their head and replied with a stern "No"

"Well,I am,so Goodnight"

I quickly shut my eye's and tried to forget all about the conversation I just had with my siblings.

Sure Mikael was handsome,but he wasn't my type at all. I'd also known him my whole life,so if I did have some sort of attraction to him,I should've noticed by now.

Either way,as alway's,my sibling's fell asleep much quicker than I did,but soon,I too found myself floating in the land of dreams.