Avenging Death

When we returned to the log house there was a bonfire set in front of the house. People played instruments around it as men, women, children dance around the flares.
“Want to go,” Kye asked me.
I shook my head. “I just wanted to relax.”
“I know you want, too,” Kye ask Tronzey.
She nodded her head, enthusiastically.
She took Kye’s hand and rushed to dance in the bonfire. I sat on the porch of the house and watched them. It was strange to see Tronzey smiling and happy after everything that happen to her.
“Hey,” Kye sat next to me breathing heavily. I hadn’t notice him walking up, I had been lost in thought. “she has a lot energy.”
Tronzey was still dancing around the fire with a little girl and boy her age. She was laughing and spinning. I continued to gaze at her. I realized, she was stronger than I thought, maybe even stronger than me. Or was she really holding back pain and masking it with a smile like Kye did.
“How do they hide the pain,” I asked without realizing I had spoken out loud.
Kye looked at me quizzical. “What’s wrong?”
I looked down on the ground. “There are burn marks on her body, that woman caring for her was abusing her. Who knows what else she did to her.”
“She’s not hiding her pain,” Kye said. “she just knows that she is happy now and so she is focusing on that. She been through a lot. Little blissful things like these mean the world to her. Hopefully, the wounds she has will heal when she’s placed in her new home.”
“I hope so,” I said. My wounds turn into hideous scars.
Kye put his hand over mine. “I don’t hide the pain, not all the time. It’s there but I know it will heal. And I have to accept that. I decided to focuse on the good and now, because that is what is most important. Dwelling on pain will only deprive you of happiness. Let it go.”
“I can’t, I don’t know how to,” I said.
“Let me help you. Three years from now, the war should be over, we will be release from our service if we choose. Accept it with me. We can live somewhere where it’s peaceful.”
I slipped my hand out from beneath his. “Is this because I kiss you, you think we can ride off into the sunset together.”
“No, I asked Kashion, too,” he said, despair weave through his voice. “He refused it as well. When this war is over, I can’t bear to see everyone I love dead. Don’t you feel the same?”
I shook my head. “This is the life I chose.”
He frowned. I turned away from him.
We had return to the cabin. We manage our way to our room by following the lit candles set on the tables in the house and throughout the halls. Kye and I hadn’t said much to each other the rest of the night. I didn’t know what to say, to be a soldier had been my life goal after my family was murdered. I had trained hard for my position not just to give it up after five years.
Our cots were place in our room. Tronzey chose the cot between us. I closed my eyes and fell asleep. I was awoken by a thud. I open my eyes to see the moon light shining on a blurry dark figure standing over Tronzey with a sword.
I hastily sat up.
Kye was faster than I was, he rolled over and blocked the attacker but before he could grab his sword, the attacker plunged a sword into his chest. Tronzey abruptly set up and ran to the corner.
“Nnnooo!!!” I screamed and planted my dagger into the attacker’s abdomen.
A woman’s grunt came from the figure. She grasped for her side as she slammed the door open and ran into the table, knocking the candles over. The table cloth caught on fire and the candles rolled over and started the wooden floor on fire.
I rushed toward Kye and pulled the sword out. He was gasping for air, blood was seeping through his shirt. I quickly wrapped his chest with the blanket as fast I could.
“Tronzey come here,” I told her as I put Kye’s arm around my shoulder and drag him through the door. The flames were already starting to consume the hall.
“Fire,” I shouted trying to warn the others staying here who were still sleeping. I kicked the door open and carried Kye as far as I could to safety before lying him on the ground. Tronzey reached for her pouch of vix that she tied to her waist but it wasn’t there. Her eyes fill with tears. We stared at each other in horror and despair. It felt as if someone had just rammed a hatchet into my chest.
I looked down on Kye, he was staring at me, hyperventilating. Blood was pumping out through his chest.
“You’re going to be okay,” I could feel the warmth moist flooding my eyes and spilling down my cheeks. Kye grasped my hand as he began to start hiccupping blood.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “you were right.”
He lifted up his hand and wiped away my tears. His hand dropped and he closed his eyes. I sobbed but realized Tronzey was gone. I caught a glimpse of her disappearing into the burning house.

“No, Tronzey,” I jumped up and sprinted for her. I rushed into the house after her. Everything was in flames. I knew she had went back to the room to retrieve the vix. The stair case was totally engulf in flames. I tried to ascend the stairs but they collapse beneath my feet. I quickly rose on my feet.
“Tronzey,” I called to her. “if you can make it to the balcony of the stair case, I can catch you.”
No answer.
I started coughing violently, the smoke had reached my lungs. A man rushing through the house to exit, tried to pull me with him. “Ma’am we have to go.”
I shrugged him off and then realized he was right. I turned to follow him but heard a sharp cry from behind me.
Tronzey was at the edge of the staircase, she had wrapped herself in a blanket. The flames were licking the bare skin of her face. I ran back.
“Tronzey jumped,” she let go of the blanket as she jumped into my arms. I hug her tight, I rushed through the door with her in my arms.