On the roadside
The evening was bright, yet the mood was somber. The sun was falling behind distant cliffs, painting the sky in fierce streaks of red and orange, the air was kind in that place and the craggy ground seemed to shield from the howling gales of wind. Despite its kindness, it was still a horrible place to die, far away from anything, left for wolves and birds with carrion as ones destiny.
Lara was only nine, and she grimaced as she watched a broad white palfrey lay on its side. The beast's wide eyes brimmed with pain, and as they looked to into her own, she felt darkness stir in her own vision, she had to look away as it began to spasm. It was then she saw her brothers; Emron and Beolan, they were twins, and their mother was different to her own. Where Lara had her mothers long curls of gold, her brothers had the dark brown cropped hair of their mother.
The twins were twelve, and she found something of comfort as Emron brought an arm about her in support, her other brother Beolan stared on the dying horse, without so much as a grimace, he was always a darker soul. It was then the three siblings shivered in unison, the dying horse's spasms coming to a sharp end.
Tylan whispered to his old horse, no words in particular, just long calming noises. His shoulders sagged a little once the horse was finally gone, his hand was thick with blood, and he found his hand was hurting due to how tightly he held the small dagger, he dropped it on the grass then, and looked to his three children, they all smiled to him, or tried to, they were old enough to know that the horse had been offered a mercy, and they tried to sooth his sorrow. He snorted some amusement then, he was meant to be their guardian, he considered.
When he stood again, his daughter moved in to hug him, and he shook his head in light despair. "Right, none of that... let's make camp... " He offered them softly, and they all got to just that, as they had hundreds of times before.
