It felt as if hours had passed, the sobbing had already subsided, she simply didn’t want her brother to find out, she wanted him to keep his innocence and his happiness, but she knew that would be impossible, especially after everything they had heard while in the wardrobe. She knew that her brother was probably starting to worry now, that he would probably start to prepare himself to leave. She didn’t want him to be alone, he is much more sensitive to the sight of blood than Sequoia. Sequoia stood herself back up, using the plank to balance herself and looked back over to her parents. She swore to herself that no matter what, she would come back for them and give them a proper burial. She turned her back on the sorrowful scene, wiping away any signs of tears, making her way back home. 

Once she reached the sliced up harpy, the sound of hooves clopping along the concrete started to echo through the village. The sound brought her a feeling of relief. It meant that there were people there to rescue her and her siblings, it meant that they would be safe and protected, that they could get out of the ruins and be able to have some proper food. She raced towards the sound, going as fast as she could. In her hurried state, she constantly fell over and scraped her arms and legs but none of this stopped her. It wasn’t until she got closer to the noise where doubt started to seep in. What if they end up taking me but leave my brother? What if they find out about me killing that woman and kill me? What if they aren’t soldiers or people here to help but are actually here to steal and get whatever’s left over? What if before I reach them they end up leaving? All these thoughts and more ran through her head. Suddenly she wasn’t so relieved and she wasn’t so willing to meet these people. Sequoia spotted the horses in the distance and her fear started to sink in more. Rather than racing towards them like she had been, she hid behind a rock that was barely big enough for her to fit behind. As the people got closer, their voices became clearer. “ I thought we saw the worst of it but it just keeps getting worse.” A soft, gentle voice, barely audible to Sequoia carried through the air. Another voice, this one gruff and loud, contrasting the first, responded “I don’t think we’re going to find any survivors in this place, let’s just leave.” “We need to look around, just in case, we don’t know if anyone managed to survive.” A third voice stated. Sequoia’s anxiety grew with each click of the horses hooves, quivering in her place, covering her mouth, trying to stay hidden. “Hey, look over there, looks like something’s hiding” The second voice whispered. The young girl, although didn’t hear what the person said, heard the clanking of armour dismounting a horse. That was all she needed to hear to know that she had been found. 

Despite knowing she had been spotted, there was still a slight bit of hope that they noticed something else, something more interesting than her. The person slowly moved forward, edging closer. Sequoia kept her head down, trying to keep hidden. The person, at long last reached Sequoia, shivering behind the large rock. His eyes widened open, instantly noticing the state the girl was in. He knelt down in front of her, keeping a distance between them both. She pulled herself back, not wanting to be too close to the man. He lifted off his helmet, revealing a face aged and covered in scars, a scruffy beard covering his chin. His eyes were deep green that seemed like they could see everything. The man gave a soft smile, contradicting his intimidating appearance. “Hello, my name is Balm and behind me are my friends Bougainvillea and Chestnut. Would you like to come with us and get somewhere safe?” Sequoia looked down at herself and the state she was in. She didn’t want to follow these strange men, after all she didn’t know these people but on the other hand there was nowhere for her to go nor was she in a position to protect her siblings. She looked back up at the man, hesitating before replying “My brothers are hiding back at the house.” The man named Balm nodded and offered a hand to help the girl up “show us the way to your house” Balm helped the girl onto his horse, leading it as Sequoia gave directions to her home. The only sounds that broke the heavy silence were the sounds of the horses hooves and the occasional directions Sequoia gave. 

“There it is.” Sequoia pointed to her blood-soaked house. Balm helped the girl off of the horse, looking upon one of the only fully standing houses. He leant her his arm, helping her to the door. “This way.” She pulled herself away from the stranger and climbed up the stairs. The men held off following anymore, not wanting to intrude anymore without the girls permission. As she reached the top of the stairs she looked back at the men and gave a slight nod, signaling for them to follow. 

At long last all of them reached the wardrobe her siblings were hiding in. The men stayed by the door, keeping a distance between themselves and the children. Sequoia hesitated for a moment, looking down at her foot, terrified of how her brother would react. It took a moment for her to take a breath, her weary and tired voice calling out “Hey, Acanthus, you can come out now.” The door slowly creaked open, a face virtually an exact replica of Sequoia's peeked out. The men who had followed the young girl watched the reunion closely, making sure to give them their space. 

The first thing the boy noticed was his sister drenched in blood, covered in cuts and bruises and most horrifyingly, missing her foot. For a moment it didn't click, he couldn't process the sight of his twin, he simply stared, hoping that it was a dream but it wasn't long before ears streamed down his face. He quickly became overwhelmed by the temptation to run towards his sister and give her a hug but was overshadowed by the weight of the baby he held in his arms. 

Sequoia looked upon the scene of her twin, frozen in place, slightly squeezing the baby in his arms and holding back his sobs. She shook with sadness as tears welled up inside her, like Acanthus she held herself back from making noise but allowed the tears to run down her cheeks freely. All the tension she had felt through her journey melted away at the sight of her brothers, her strength disappearing instantly. Acanthus walked to her, kneeling down carefully and wrapped her into a warm embrace, the baby still asleep in his arms. It wasn’t long until their cries couldn’t be held back, the sounds echoing throughout the house. Their brother started to stir, slowly opening his eyes, only to see the familiar faces of his siblings wailing. In that brief moment he could feel their pain and sorrow, joining in with their symphony. 

The men watched this scene play out, awkwardly standing in their spots. The painful cries of the children made them hesitant to do anything. They knew that they should get Sequoia treatment but they also wanted the children to have this moment. All they did for a few minutes was watch the three of them pour their hearts into the cacophony of tears and sobs. The men’s minds filled with remorse and sadness. Balm clenched his fists tightly as he crept up to the three orphans. He placed one hand on each of the twins shoulders in an attempt to comfort them, even slightly. A sigh escaped from his slightly parted lips “We should get going. We need to fix you up.” It took an abnormally long time for Acanthus to register the presence of the men but when it sank in he put his arm up in an attempt to separate Balm and his sister. 

Sequoia took a few deep breaths as she took the crying baby from her brother’s arms. “It’s ok Acanthus, they’re here to help us.” Her voice was quiet and hoarse from the wailing. She rocked the baby, calming him down enough to give him the last bit of milk they had. Moments went by in silence, the twins calming themselves down. “Sequoia, what happened and who are they?” The girl took a deep breath, patting her baby brother’s back. Her eyes lowered and her hands clenched onto the baby, restraining herself from hurting him. “I wandered around a bit and as expected, the village is destroyed. I got too close to a harpy that was barely alive which is how I lost my foot” She took a deep breath before continuing, wondering how to tell him about not only the villagers but also about their parents. She bit down on her bottom lip and closed her eyes before continuing. “Everyone is dead. Our neighbours, the shop owners, aunty.” She hesitated once again, debating whether to tell him gently or directly but ultimately decided telling him directly would be the best. “Our parents as well.” She looked up at her brother whose face was filled with grief and sadness. He was frozen in place, his eyes closed almost as if he was trying to force out tears, but he was too exhausted for that. Sequoia forced herself to carry on, despite the grief her brother was feeling. “These men are Balm, Bougainvillea and Chestnut, they found me and are going to help us.” Acanthus looked back up to the strangers, rubbing his dry eyes. He nodded to them in acknowledgment. Balm took that as his cue to interrupt the moment. “I understand that you are going through a lot right now, but we need to get going.” He stood up, holding his hand out to the children. “Once we get on the horses you can relax, we’ll make sure you are safe.” The children looked at each other and took his hands. 

It took longer than what it should have to get to the horses, Acanthus stiff from the hours he spent curled up with the baby, and sequoia trying to keep balance on one foot, but both of them were emotionally exhausted. Once they reached the horses, Sequoia kept a hold on the baby and got lifted onto Balm’s horse, with Balm supporting her from behind whereas Acanthus climbed onto Chestnut’s horse. As they travelled through the village, Acanthus took in the sights, his memories flooding through his mind. At this point, he didn’t feel the need to cry, he simply felt… empty. His eyes drifted off, disgusted by the sight and smell of blood, he chose to escape the moment, staring up at the sky, wishing this was all a dream. His eyes soon started to close, he didn’t put up much of a fight, allowing sleep to overcome him. Sequoia, on the other hand, couldn’t fall asleep, not after what she had seen and done, she was terrified that the memories of seeing her parents limp bodies or her own hands ending the life of an innocent person, or the harpy launching towards her, these memories would haunt her even when asleep. She decided to focus on the baby instead, ensuring his body and head would always be focused on her, blocking out the vile sights around them. She gently bounced him up and down and sung to him, encouraging sleep.