Twin Curse(3)

The troll grunted, his body spasming as he twisted around, his hands  trying to reach the three arrows that had sprouted from the centre of  his back. Brianna didn't pause, sidestepping his flailing arms, and  thrusting her sword into his belly.

Almost before his bulk had hit the ground, she'd turned back to the pillaging troll. But he was gone.

Brianna looked around frantically. Several dark shapes ran back towards the pass, sacks over their shoulders.

With a cry of rage, Brianna raced after them, but she had no hope of  catching them. She stopped, half way across the field, breathing  heavily, as they disappeared into the shadowy crack in the looming  ridge.

She dared not follow them any further.

Instead, she turned back to the village.

Destruction lay everywhere she looked. Benches had been overturned in  villager's haste to escape the trolls and the once green square had been  churned up by heavy troll boots. But the worst was the dark shadows  that slumped with alarming regularity on the ground.         

     



 

Her mother was already out, counting the bodies, assisting with the  wounded. She should go help her. But instead, she walked towards  Ethean's body, slumped near the wall and bent over him.

She felt for a pulse in his neck, even though she knew it was hopeless.  The pallid look on his face and the stillness of his chest told her  everything she needed to know.

Why?

He was a scholar, not a fighter. He was a gentle man who had never harmed a fly. He hadn't deserved to die.

Her eyes filled with tears.

She looked around at the other villagers, already moving on, picking up the pieces as if this was a regular occurrence.

Which it was. The trolls raided the village twice a year, on average,  always exacting a heavy toll in bodies. It was a wonder there was anyone  left to fight.

Mianna bent over a body in the light of a torch. Brianna watched as she  placed a hand on the man's chest, then directed Terion to carry him to  the village square, where the wounded were being laid out.

She saw the look they exchanged, the tiredness in both their eyes.

It was all so wrong. Life could be extinguished in an instant, as Ethean's had. As Kylis's had.

And yet, that was part of Eryvale's strength. The people here lived with  passion and strength. It was as if knowing that all they could be sure  of was this moment, caused them to grasp each moment with both hands,  and hang on to it tightly. For happiness was fleeting this close to the  ridge.

That was exactly why Mianna and Terion needed to be together. They  needed to have their chance, before one of them was killed. There were  no guarantees of tomorrow, only today.

But how was she going to manage it?

Many possible plans chased each other around her head as she helped  carry the wounded and dead to separate sides of the square. She quickly  rejected the idea that she should agree to marry Terion so that her  sister could, searching for other possibilities. She deserved her own  chance at happiness, just as much as Mianna did. But how could both of  them have what they wanted?

The twin law was written into the trade treaty that the different  villages had agreed to centuries ago when they decided to remain  independent after the last king had fallen. Changing it would involve  gathering together the rulers of over fifty small villages and larger  towns. It was impossible.

And even though twins were rare, the idea of getting two wives at once would sway many rulers to vote to keep the law.

Convincing her mother to override the law for their village was just as  fruitless. Eryvale could only produce so much of the food and materials  they needed, especially when the trolls raided with such regularity,  they were dependent on trade to provide what they couldn't produce.

She grasped the legs of the body in front of her as Corlin grasped his  shoulders. It was the visitor, the one who had intended to go on a  suicide mission over the ridge. Well, it looked like he got his wish,  he'd died a hero.

"Anyone who's not tending to the wounded, go home and get some sleep."  Her mother's voice floated across the square. "There's no need to guard  the pass tonight, the trolls won't be back so soon."

And that was when the idea came to her, so perfect, she wondered why she  hadn't thought of it earlier. A smile spread across her face as she  filled in the minor details of the plan. Yes, Mianna could marry Terion,  and she would take the chance to do what she had always dreamt of  doing.

In the early hours of the morning, when they'd done all they could to  help the wounded, she and Mianna crawled into bed, exhausted.

Her twin was silent for a while, then her voice said in the darkness. "Bri? About Terion … " Mianna asked.

"You're right, Mia, he's very sweet," Brianna interrupted.

"I don't want to rush you, but … " Mianna's voice trailed off.

It only hardened Brianna's resolve. "You're right. We can't sit around waiting forever."

"Are you sure?" Mianna asked doubtfully.

"We need to live, not sit around waiting to die in the next troll  attack," Brianna said, her voice harsher than she had intended. "You  deserve to marry the man you love."

"So do you." Mianna's voice was quiet.

"He's dead. I won't wait until Terion is too."





The sun was high in the sky by the time Mianna woke the next morning.  She wanted to turn and bury her head under the pillow to hide the images  of last night that haunted her. So much pain.

But hiding from it had never helped anyone in Eryvale. Hiding was too  close to giving up, and if you gave up, you were dead. So Mianna made  herself sit up in bed.

The bed next to hers was empty. Not an unusual occurrence, for Brianna  often woke before her to ride or practice with her sword. This morning,  she was probably helping dig graves. Well, Mianna could at least do  something to help her twin, she thought, as she looked at the bed,  sheets flung back. Bri hated housework with a passion, but usually put  up with her twin's insistence on keeping their room neat. She was  excused this morning.         

     



 

Rising, Mianna made her own bed before crossing the room to make  Brianna's. Unease settled over her when she found a note on the pillow  in her sister's neat, no nonsense print. She skimmed the words and the  unease blossomed into panic.

Dearest Mia,

I wish you much happiness with Terion. He's a good man, and I hope he  will give you the life you want. In fact, I'm sure he will.

But that life isn't for me. I still cannot forget Kylis and even if I  could, I just don't feel the same way about Terion that you do. But it's  not fair that you should have to give up your dreams for me. Life is  too short.

Don't grieve for me sister, for I am also doing what I want. I have long  wanted to do something to avenge Kylis, and though I can stand no hope  of prevailing, at least the weight that has been on my chest since his  death will be gone.

I love you. Be happy enough for both of us.

Bri.

"NO!" Mianna's scream echoed around the room, bringing her mother running.

Unable to speak, Mianna thrust the note at her, and her mother skimmed  it with the same rapidity that Mianna had. Then she read it again more  carefully.

"When did she leave?" she asked.

"I have no idea." How could she have been so deeply asleep that she  didn't hear Brianna leave? Had it been early this morning? The events of  the previous night, and Brianna's suspicious change of heart began to  feel heavy in her chest. Had Brianna planned this, even then? How could  she not have noticed?

Turning on her heels, her mother left the room. Mianna pulled on her  dressing gown as she raced after her mother, running to keep up with her  long strides. Down the stairs, out the back door, to stare across the  open, blood stained fields, to the ridge.

There was no sign of Brianna.

"Surely the guards at the pass will have stopped her?" Mianna's voice was high and panicked.

"I told them to take the night off. We'd lost so many men, and we've  never had two attacks in quick succession." Her mother's voice was  haunted.

Mianna collapsed onto the grass, unable to believe that her sister was gone.

No one ever came back once they crossed the ridge.

Every man, woman and child in the village trained to fight the trolls  from the day they could hold a sword, but none were stupid enough to  cross the ridge. They trained for the times when the trolls would make  forays into the village, for who knew what reason. They managed to hold  them back, just, but they always paid the price in the lives of those  they cared about.

Only those who wanted to die actually willingly crossed the ridge. And now Brianna had joined them.

In an instant, Mianna understood why Brianna hadn't cried when Kylis had  died. The whole world faded around her. Numbness invaded her body,  seeping from her heart into every part of her. Something like this just  couldn't happen without any warning. It couldn't be true.

But it was. Brianna was gone. A fact that only became more apparent as  the day wore on. It seemed so strange, that life continued when she felt  so much pain. People gathered around her mother's home, offering  sympathy and food, but all Mianna wanted was to be alone.