After [A Journey of the Twins Novel]

by Janet Durbin

He came back and reached under the man's arms, grabbing his wrists and pinning them against his chest. Shyanne moved to the feet. As one, they carefully lifted the survivor and carried him to the room. They laid him on one of the cots. Shyanne started peeling away the shredded shirt to inspect his wounds.

  "Drayco, can you bring me the waterskins, then go and see if you can find me some bandages? I need to clean these wounds before they get infected."

  The horses were where they had left them, but Drizzle was gone. Drayco got the waterskins from Jack's saddle. The horse seemed to understand the gravity of the situation and didn't give him a hard time. He returned to the main part of the store where he found the requested items and brought them to Shyanne.

  The bloody shirt was off and lying on the floor. It resembled a pile of shredded documents from a time far into the past. Drayco could see shallow cuts all over the muscular arms and upper body of the unconscious man. A large purple stab wound partway down his left side looked bad.

  He must have used his body as a shield for the older woman, Drayco thought. “I got the water and found these in the shop.” He handed her the waterskin and bandages then watched as his sister plucked out a cloth and wet it down. She began to clean the dried blood from the cuts.

  "Thanks. The cuts aren't bad, but the one on his side will take time to heal. As far as I can tell, no major organs were hit. Most of the blood under him must have come from the elderly woman. He did add enough of his own to it, though."

  The man on the cot tossed his head back and forth with every stroke of the cool cloth on his skin.

  "Do you need my help?"

  "No. I can handle this. You should check the rest of the town for more survivors, just in case.” Shyanne whispered quietly to the injured man as she worked. His face relaxed and his thrashing reduced with the sound of her voice. Drayco stood at the door, watching for a few seconds before he left.

  He went from building to building, bypassing the completely burnt ones. All the people he found were dead. The most heart-wrenching find was when he saw a woman who had covered her child with her own body to protect it from the massacre, to no avail. The little girl was also dead.

  "What would lead someone to do this ... and why? This was a complete slaughter.” A grim feeling had firmly set in the pit of his stomach by the time he finished his search. He had seen death of this magnitude before, although it had been a long while. It affected him deeply, nevertheless.

  Drayco returned to find the survivor bandaged and resting peacefully. The man had sandy colored hair that fell to his shoulders. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties and was as tall as Drayco. His face was strong, and yet, had a gentle look to it, his build muscular from years of hard work. Shyanne sat on a stool next to the cot, her head bowed. She looked up when she heard him enter.

  "I didn't find any other survivors. I did see the tracks of many horses everywhere I went. Whoever did this, they were looking for something.” Drayco nodded his head toward the cot. “How's he doing?"

  "He'll live. We found him in time."

  "We need to gather the dead and give them a proper sending."

  Shyanne looked down at Drizzle. “Watch over him. If he wakes, come get us."

  Drizzle had returned while Drayco was out; he was lying next to Shyanne. The cat repositioned himself so that he could see the man on the cot better. “If I need you, I'll call."

  It took the twins the rest of the day to recover all the bodies and put them inside what was left of the stables. They were sweaty and their clothes were covered with the blood of innocents by the time they finished.

  Stepping outside, Shyanne noticed a bandaged and battered man standing at the entrance to the store. Drizzle was next to him. The fair-haired survivor was looking in her direction, but not at her. His eyes were focused on the building. He swayed badly. The cat and the doorframe were the only things preventing him from falling.

  "Drizzle! What the hell is going on?"

  "He insisted on getting up! If I had left him to get you, he would have fallen down. Then you'd really be happy with me, wouldn't you?"

  She ran over, wrapped an arm around the man's waist, and ducked under his to support him. He leaned heavily on her and continued to look at the building she had just come from.

  "They're all in there ... aren't they?"

  "Yes."

  "No others made it?"

  "No. No others."

  A look of such anguish washed over his face. He bowed his head to hide it. “Did you see a middle-aged woman with graying hair? She was working in the shop with me."

  "She was beside you when we found you.” Shyanne felt his legs give a little. He managed to recover himself before he could fall.

  His voice cracked as he said, “She was my mother."

  "Let's go back inside. You need to get off your feet and rest.” She turned him around gently and guided him back to the room with the cot.

  I can understand what you're going through, mister, Drayco thought as he watched the scene with Shyanne and the injured man play out. He returned his attention to the building with the dead inside. I've been through it myself.

  The wood for the walls was dry from the partial burning it had received earlier in the day. He heaped brush around the base to make sure it would reignite easily when the time came. Matches no longer existed; a piece of flint was needed now. In no time, a small flame ate greedily at the dry brush. It quickly made its way up the side of the building. Drayco put a piece of board into the flames, lit it, and walked around, igniting more areas.

  The dark twin was forced back due of the intensity of the heat radiating from the roaring inferno. He watched as the flames danced into the sky. Glowing cinders floated upward like angels returning home; a thick billowy plume of smoke carried them higher and higher.

  The darkness of night had settled in; it covered the ever-reaching plume with its blanket. He hoped the fire's glow would not draw unwanted attention. It was too late to think of about that now. Drayco watched as the roof collapsed, causing the building to fall in on itself. A mass of shooting embers leaped from the mayhem.

  "Good luck and safe journey to you,” he whispered to the embers as if they were the spirits of the dead.

  Drayco returned to the horses and took them into the building next to theirs, which was also untouched by fire. Jack allowed himself to be led alongside Bravaro. It was as if the horse had called a temporary truce.

  The main room was large enough for both horses after several pieces of furniture were shoved out of the way. He removed their saddles and bridles and put some grain from Shyanne's pack in two wooden bowls he had found. A barrel stood near the edge of what looked like a cooking area. He removed the lid and discovered it was half-full of water. He set the lid aside to allow the horses to drink. When everything was set, he closed the door behind him, thus preventing the animals from roaming into the treacherous night.

  The survivor was back on the cot, a bandaged arm thrown over his pale face, when Drayco returned to the store. A candle burned in the corner, casting light across the room. He noticed Drizzle was absent again. Shyanne had started a fire in the stove.

  "He okay?"

  "As okay as can be expected. He had to watch his friends and family get slaughtered.” She put another piece of wood into the potbelly stove and shut the door.

  "Do you know who he is yet?"

  "He was too distraught when we came back. I let him rest."

  "I'm not an invalid. I can talk,” the injured man said sarcastically. He sat up with a grimace and looked at the twins. “Joseph. My name is Joseph."

  Shyanne moved quickly to his side. “You have to lie down. You need to rest.” She pushed on his shoulders. It didn't take much to force him back.

  Drayco moved to the cot and sat on the stool next to it. “What happened here?"

  "Drayco, he needs to rest."

  "Shyanne, we need to know what transpired here."

  "It's okay, I can handle it,” Joseph insi
sted. He sat up for a second time and cautiously rested his back against the wall. “I was working in my store, like always. My mother liked to help out. She said the shop needed a female's touch, kept telling me I needed to find a good woman and make her my wife. She wanted grandchildren to spoil.” He smiled faintly at the memory. “I heard a commotion outside and went to the window to see what it was. Many men and women on horseback were galloping into town. It was kind of strange to see such a large group of people together, especially here."

  He closed his eyes and leaned his head back. After a deep breath, he opened them and continued. “The townspeople watched with fascination at what was going on until the slaughter started. Men, women, and children were chased down like animals and killed. A few were spared ... mostly women. They were tied up and carried to the bar. I don't know what went on in there, but I heard a lot of screams ... and a lot of laughter.” A haunted look filled his eyes. “Some of the men separated from the main group. They started going through each of the buildings, looking for more people. I hid my mother before they got there. They barged in and came at me before I could make a move for my weapon. They were so fast. The men kicked and punched me. They kept yelling the same thing over and over as their blows fell: ‘Where is she? Where is she? We know she's here somewhere?’”

  His words came out in a rush, his breath ragged and coarse; his face sweaty. Shyanne started to tell Joseph enough; Drayco cut her off with a glare. “I kept trying to tell them that I didn't know who they were yelling about, but they wouldn't listen. They were lost in a blood lust because of all the killing, and they wanted more.

  "One of the men pulled out a knife and started slashing at me. I tried to block the blows with my arms, which drove them even wilder. It caused them to cut me more. They laughed. They were having such a grand time. My mother saw what they were doing. She ran out of her hiding spot to protect me. The men grabbed her and made lewd comments as they started to cut her too. I begged for them to stop, to leave her alone."

  Joseph was crying now, his hands clenched into tight fists. Shyanne had tears running down her face, as well. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He reached up and held on to it as if it was a lifeline, a lifeline to sanity. Drayco sat with his head bowed, as if made of stone, his arms resting on his knees, listening.

  "I was so enraged, I attacked without thinking. I never felt the blade sink into my side. All I know is that it became harder to stay on my feet; I felt so weak. After I went down, the last thing I remember hearing before I passed out was my mother crying. The men must have thought I had died. It's the only explanation I can think of for why I'm still here ... and my mother ... oh God..."

  Joseph lay down. He threw an arm over his eyes, hiding them, crying softly. Shyanne's hand remained in his. After a few minutes, his breath went in and out with the slow, rhythmic pattern of sleep. She eased her hand free when Drayco indicated for them to go to the outer room to talk.

  They retreated to the far corner of the main room so they would not disturb the sleeping man. It had a sitting area for people to use when visiting the store.

  "What do you think?” Shyanne asked once they were seated.

  "His story explained what I saw at the bar. The people looked like they had been tortured before they were killed."

  "Drayco ... we can't leave this man here. We have to take him with us."

  "That's up to him, little sis. We can't force him to come.” Shyanne took in a breath to say something else. Drayco continued before she could speak. “Until that time, we need to get some rest ourselves. We can discuss it with him in the morning."

  "You're right,” she sighed. “I'll bring some of those blankets with us. That floor in there is hard and I want some softness for a change."

  "Maybe we should change first.” He pulled the front of his shirt away from his body. “I'm tired of the stink of blood on me."

  Shyanne looked down at her own filthy clothes and made an ugly face. Drayco smiled at his twin. They found some clothes in their sizes and put them on.

  Just as they finished, she remembered the horses. An ashamed look crossed her face. “I totally forgot about the horses. They need to be taken care of."

  "Already done. They're in the building next door. I made sure everything was shut tight to prevent anything getting at them."

  "Thanks, Drayco."

  "Hey ... what are big brothers for?"

  They gathered all the blankets they saw and took them to the back room. Joseph was rolled over onto his side, snoring. The twins made beds with the layers and eased themselves underneath the uppermost one. A sigh of relief escaped from Shyanne's lips. The candle flickered out with a huff of breath and all were asleep soon thereafter.

  * * * *

  Brother and sister were up early the next day. They crept from the room to keep from waking the still sleeping Joseph. Once they were outside, Drayco led Shyanne into the building next door. The sound of nickering met them before they made it inside. Two horses nearly mowed them over in their joy at seeing them.

  "Come on, you two, lap cats you are not. Time to go outside.” Shyanne held the door open as her brother chased them out. “A house is no place for animals the size of you two behemoths.” Returning her attention to the room, she said, “We need to make better accommodations for them. They can't stay in here.” Shyanne held her nose; the stench of horse was strong.

  "Where else can we put them? The stables burnt to the ground yesterday."

  "We make a temporary stable behind the building we're in. I saw the perfect spot.” Shyanne took Drayco to the proposed area behind the store. “I found this while you were gone yesterday. We'll be able to keep a better eye on them, and the fresh air will do them good instead of being crammed in that small space."

  "I agree,” Drayco said. “I saw a pile of lumber close by. There should be enough to do the job."

  With some rope from the store, they erected a lean-to big enough to shelter two horses. Shyanne covered the ground inside with straw while Drayco tossed a bundle of hay in a corner. As the final touch, a trough dragged around from the front was filled with water from a barrel sitting under a drainpipe. Shyanne led the horses into the newly constructed area. They munched on the hay, ignoring the twins who watched.

  Suddenly, Shyanne disappeared inside and returned with two oval objects in her hands. “They need a good brushing."

  The pair attacked the coats of the animals until they glistened in the sunlight, as did the twins by the time they finished. Shyanne's stomach growled when she stood back to admire their work. Drayco smiled at her startled look. In their haste to leave without waking Joseph, neither had bothered to eat.

  "I don't know about you, big brother, but I'm going inside. I'm starved."

  "Right behind you, little sis.” His stomach growled right on cue, causing both of them to chuckle.

  The smell of food reached their noses as they neared the room. They glanced at each other before peeking inside. A pan with several slices of ham in it sat on the stove. Baked yams were already finished and set to the side. Joseph stood in front of the stove with his back to the door. Drizzle lay on the floor next to him, an expectant look on his face. As they watched, a slice of ham hit the floor in front of the cat. He picked it up and swallowed it in one bite, then returned to his vigilance, waiting for the next accidental drop of food.

  Joseph was flipping one of the slices over when they entered. He glanced over his shoulder, and said, “You two are filthy. Go wash up. There's a small space behind a dingy gray curtain hanging near the sitting area. A bucket of water is tucked in there."

  "What are you doing? You're not strong enough yet.” Shyanne's voice was thick with concern. She glared at Drizzle. “And you. What are you doing encouraging him? You know he needs to rest."

  The big cat wasn't the least bit threatened by his companion's tone. He yawned, ignoring Shyanne completely, and continued to watch Joseph.

  "I'm okay for the moment. But you best hur
ry; the food's almost done, and so am I.” He smiled weakly at the pair and winked at Shyanne. She frowned, but held her tongue. Drayco turned away to prevent his sister from seeing the smile that crept onto his face because of the look on hers.

  "Come on, sis, let's go clean up.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room.

  They found the bucket where Joseph said it was and washed the grit and grime off their bodies. Clean clothes replaced the dirty ones. They reentered the room to find two plates heaped with food waiting for them, mugs filled with warmed cider close.

  Joseph had returned to the cot, sitting with his back resting against the wall. Drizzle lay on the floor; the lower half of his body sprawled under the cot.

  "I think you've made a new friend,” Shyanne said as she picked up the plate left for her.

  Except for the occasional words of praise from the twins, all three consumed their meal in silence. Joseph picked at his. He did not appear to have much of an appetite.

  "How you doing over there?” Drayco asked when he noticed the virtually untouched plate of food.

  "I have to leave. I have to hunt down the people who did this to my town. I want revenge for my mother and friends.” He looked up; determination replaced the distant look in his blue eyes. “I have nothing left for me here. I have to go after them before the trail gets cold."

  "Do you think that's wise in your present condition?"

  "I won't let them get away with what they did."

  "But you're still too weak to travel,” Shyanne said.

  "I'll make it. But I had hoped you two would help me."

  "We have our own quest to complete. A person—this Boss—is after my sister, and we have to find him before he finds her. I understand what you want to do, but Shyanne is more important to me."

  "I understand, Drayco, I really do.” Joseph looked at his plate. “I just hoped..."

  Shyanne felt her insides crack with the desire to help; he sounded so forlorn. Unfortunately, her brother was right. They needed to finish one quest before taking on another.

  Setting his plate aside, Joseph said, “I'll go with you to find this Boss. Besides, the attacker's trail is probably gone by now. It's been too long since they were here."