5
But Eli always was brave to question everyone. She didn't ask it from her uncle because he would simply skip it but this one did not care to scare the kids so he was the good option for asking questions.
"Charly, what is a cursed crow? And did you see it around us before?"
She asked without thinking once more. Lili's eyes averted to Charly who seemed not to be shocked at all.
"It means death!"
"What?" Lili felt the shiver in her heart. She saw the poor bird was roped by the leg and needles were inside its wings. It could also terrify their uncle.
"What witch can send such a stupid joke around us?" Eli growled.
"A day before your mother came back from this mansion we saw the same crow."
She died afterward.
He didn't care if they were two young girls that might be heartbroken in such a day. The girls in an age just a bit older than them, who lived in the villages of the Greenwood were always forced to marry men.. When they could tolerate this, so these courtiers were needed to grow up faster before being devoured by some wicked people.
Eli scowled and leaned back not asking a single question.
"Charly, why are we passing this road?" Lili asked, narrowing her eyebrows while she was watching the forest that was getting thinner, and farther. She felt bad about this idea.
"The forest road is locked by the burned trees, the villagers suggested us not to use there."
"I don't like this road! We could move through the bypass of Holy village. We lost our mother here. The other road took time but it was safer."
"Lady Elenore is rushing to go back home. Their parents are coming to visit her by tonight."
Eli heaved out a strong sigh. So this wicked witch was tending to torment them with her nagging parents that used to pick loup and were scanning the house for any dirt. Sick! It was all sick! No memorial time at all but just spending their entire night inside their room and remaining locked up.
The cart shook, Lili looked back again, checking over their father in dread. She felt the twist in her guts since they moved from the mansion.
"What was it?"
She asked, almost screaming, while her sister was just as cold as cucumber, planning how to escape from their room.
"The earth slid, my lady!"
"The... what?" She sharpened her eyes. Was he joking? Of course, not!
Riding alongside the mountain and this river downward brought her dizziness.
The cart behind them was shaking, making noises that they could hear visibly.
"What is wrong with my father's cart?"
The butler finally showed some emotion and unpleasantly it was not an adequate one that could calm the girls' heart.
"Do you hear it?" Eli got to her feet.
"Please have your seat, Lady Eli."
Charly forced her to sit back.
"It is the rack-fall!" Lili shouted. She heard of this road causing deaths in winter then they lost their mother and now... It was madness coming from this path with manque wheels.
The horses ran crazy, they also felt the tension so they were trying to outmaneuver the girls' cart.
"Gods above, sit back milady." Charly almost yelled.
Lili could hear her own pulse in her head. The beats were hitting her chest, her breath came to gasps. She was peering back at her parent's cart then she cheered in distress. The road slid and like a greedy mouth swallowed the cart behind them. The horses' moaning choked in the sounds of falling rubbles.
"Lili, what was it?"
Eli cried out while the butler roughly attempted to hold her.
The words froze in her throat.
"Scourge!"
The world left the butler's mouth. The cart reached the other side where the earth was stronger and it halted.
"Please, stay here." He didn't hesitate and rose out of the cart.
Eli was inclining to move out after him but Lili snatched her arm.
The younger sister shot her a glare. Her heart was filled with concern that surmounted her head. She was thinking about one thing and it was their father. Ell snapped her hand away and fluxed out after the butler.
Lili closed her eyes, swallowing the dread, and replaced it with courage.
The girls felt the strong wind that was lashing them from the north, pushing them back. The road was devastated. It was a whole mistake that endangered them. Lili wasn't as bold as Ell to walk further and watch what was arising. Her knees were shivering. The mountain got quiet as if it was thirsty for pouring blood to become calm.
Was it after sacrifice?
"Father?" Eli's voice echoed everywhere.
Charly and Captain Black were striving to reach the cart that was snuggled and big stones already disabled the horses. The poor animals were groaning for this unpleasant grace.
Eli found a smooth path and slid down, ignoring the danger that could snatch her life in any span of time.
She climbed the stones that scrambled the bumpy route. Reaching the cart sooner than those men.
"Father!" Her tears welled down. The cart's door was wide open. Elenore was thrown out of the cart but Lian Noah wasn't that lucky to beat the time and the angel of death.
Eli saw her father's hand. She fell on her knees and embraced the cold bloody hand. The ring of the court was covered by soapy blood.
"Lady Eli, please wait back."
The butler cried out.
"No," she was crying, calling her father but nothing happened. No theurgy, no magic, and no luck. Her father was gone, so quick, did he think about them in last gust?
The guards gripped her arms from the back and dragged her back. She was struggling, attempting to release herself by smashing them by the feet but they were strong men.
"Let go of me! I must save him." She shouted.
Captain Black rushed to Elenore, hugging her, he said, "she is alive."
The woman's face was muddy but blood was dribbling down her hand.
"What about my father? You are betrayals, why don't you aid him?"
Eli bit a guard's gloved hand and only her own gums hurt.
"He is gone!" The butler wickedly informed but sorrow made him kneel, the man began taking off the stone from his master as fast as he could, peeking downward, before the earth fell again and joined the river, he had to bring him out.
Time froze for Eli, she relied her motionless body on the guards' hands.
Lili did nothing but watch, her soul got hard. She hated the destiny, the cursed crow, this mountain that took both their parents.
Charly and another guard man took Lian out and put him on the surface.
"Take the girls back. I will take care of the other matters."