Threads of Life and Death

Chapter 1

It Starts with Death

Where has all the time gone? Alissa asked herself as the first rays of sunshine began to disappear behind the northern side of the stone walls.

She shook her head slightly, and a few twigs that had been tangled in her hair fell to the ground.

When she glanced down, she noticed that the ants, which had been frantic when she first disrupted their trail, had begun to move around her instead.

The bush leaves where she lay started to sting, but she still pulled the bowstring between her fingers with the same diligence she had done her entire life.

How long had she been there? How was it that time seemed to pass so subtly when she found herself in such an uncomfortable position?

The woosh of the arrow slicing through the air was followed by a sudden breeze, almost as ephemeral as life itself.

Alissa did not miss.

She never did.

A high-pitched squeak came next, the low thump of a small body falling over dead leaves right after. Why did those sounds still make her recoil?

Alissa whispered a prayer, retrieving the small animal to carry it deeper into the forest.

She wished not to hear the sounds of death any longer; she would listen only to the echoes of silence and the hushing of the oak tree leaves. Closing her eyes, her focus was solely on the chilly air and the chirping of birds.

Only for a little while.

That was as much time as she could afford herself, only gifted with the briefest of moments to calm her mind from the worries of the real world, from the impact that killing every single day had on her.

She didn’t know why there was a single oak tree in the middle of a pine tree forest, but it was the place she usually sought calm when life was too chaotic to bear—more often than she cared to admit. There was something about this place that had the power to ease her spirit.

She took a deep breath, gathering the courage to move again and start the part of her job that churned her stomach—stripping the skin from the animal. When Alissa finished, she headed downtown Bryniard, and regret instantly hit her.

Wooden stands lined the narrow cobblestone streets, crowding the already limited space.

The vendors at each stand shouted over one another, hoping to sell their goods.

It was all a reminder that the few moments of peace she had allowed herself were now over.

Their voices rose higher and higher, each trying to outdo the rest as if they had any chances of attracting new customers in Bryniard.

Alissa cringed at the chaos around her. She had almost forgotten about the dead animal dangling from her left hand. The scene was far from unusual for the vendors; none spared her a second glance, except for a child who ran toward her and latched onto her legs like a stubborn leech—her daughter.

Alissa stopped by one of the stands and waved the animal corpse under Mr. Namir’s nose, ignoring the smell of blood that exhaled from it. “Here,” she said, offering it to the man.

He stared at her like she spoke a different language. His forehead was creased, and he scrunched his nose at the scene. “What is this, Miss. Kriegen?” he asked, waving his fingers at the body hanging from Alissa’s hands.

“Mommy?” the child interrupted, only to be successfully ignored.

“You said you would double my regular fee if I killed the rabbit that was ruining your little crops,” Alissa demanded.

“And how will I know you’ve gotten the right animal if you skinned the poor thing!” Mr. Namir raised his eyebrows in defiance.

“Mommy!” Another interrupting murmur followed Alissa’s heavy breath.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did you intend to eat it with the fur?” she answered in her naturally sarcastic tone.

The consistent pull on her leg grew stronger as the girl begged relentlessly for attention. Alissa sighed, her eyes darting down in a reprimanding glance at the child who had been calling for her.

“What?” she demanded impatiently. “I can’t talk right now, Dhalia. Can’t you see I’m doing business here?”

All the joy in the child’s eyes disappeared when Alissa snapped. Unfortunately, Dhalia’s disappointment escaped her mother’s eyes as she went back to discussing the fee for killing yet another creature for the unpleasant man across from her.

“You owe me two silver coins.” Alissa stretched her hand forward to collect the payment she was promised.

“I ain’t paying you shit, kiddo. You try and sell this on another stand, they might pay you something for it.”

Alissa grunted. It did cross her mind to throw the dead animal in the man’s face, but in respect to the animal, not to the man, she didn’t.

“From now on, you’d better find someone else to sell you meat. And to save your crops.” Alissa left, stomping her feet with the little girl in hand. “Asshole,” she muttered to herself.

She caught sight of Dhalia sticking her tongue out at the man, and it brought a smirk to Alissa’s lips.

The rare sense of amusement was replaced by a flinch of horror when she bumped into Mrs. Monlard on the way home.

Alissa had hoped to end the day without another unfortunate interaction; the day had already been hard enough.

Hiding behind a mask of indifference was the only way she could afford to face the woman now.

“Alissa, how are you two girls doing?” Mrs. Monlard asked.

“We’re good, Mrs. Monlard. How about you?”

“Great. Concerned as expected this time of the year…”

Alissa only nodded in response, her chest getting tighter as the words left the woman’s lips.

“I hope we’re safe tomorrow and that when the siren rings again, it’s not for any of us or those we love.”

Alissa felt an instant knot in her chest, feeling bad for the woman.

If she only knew…

Alissa rested her hand on Mrs. Monlard’s shoulder. “Stay well, Mrs. Monlard. Enjoy the night with your family.” A sad smile graced her lips.

Alissa wished she could tell her everything, but she couldn’t. Instead, she pretended once again to live in the bliss of ignorance like everyone else in Bryniard.

When they parted, she watched from a distance as the woman reunited with her husband, sharing a tender kiss. Both were completely unaware of what the future held for them.

Alissa arrived home more melancholic than when she had left that morning. The door creaked, and a startled Freyah jumped from the couch, rubbing the back of her hands on her chin. In an attempt to get rid of the drool and any remaining evidence she had been sleeping on Alissa’s couch.

“What are you doing here?” Alissa asked in greeting.

“Wow, that’s how you welcome your dearest friend into your house?”

“You’re already in my house, if you haven’t noticed, my dearest friend,” Alissa replied, annoyed.

She didn’t mean to be rude, but exhaustion was getting the best of her. When her mind was so worn out, it was hard to keep her temper restrained.

“I came here to bring Dhalia something.” The child had already run to Freyah’s lap, hugging her aunt for dear life.

“You see? She missed me. I think I’ll promote Dhalia to be my best friend,” Freyah teased and ended up receiving a smile from Alissa’s grumpy face in return. It was a small victory indeed.

“Unfortunately, it is now time for little children to go to bed, Aunty Freyah.” Alissa raised her eyebrows to Dhalia, who willingly kissed her aunt on the cheeks and went to the bedroom holding her mother’s hand.

The nighttime routine with Dhalia was always peaceful. Within minutes, she was tucked into bed, her wool blanket pulled snugly up to her shoulders. Her brown eyes, bright and full of wonder, sparkled in the dim light as she gazed at her mother.

Alissa kissed the girl on the cheeks. “Good night, baby.”

She headed to the door but was stopped by small hands on her callused ones. “Can you tell me a bedtime story tonight, Mommy?”

“Maybe another time, sweetheart.”

“You said that last time,” Dhalia answered, her lips twitching in sadness.

“Tomorrow. I promise.” With a wink, Alissa shut the door. Behind the closed door, the little girl’s eyes filled with tears.

Freyah awaited Alissa, leaning against the wooden table, her arms crossed over her chest. “You know, sometimes I think you are too harsh on her, Alissa. She is just a little girl.”

She rolled her eyes. “What have I done now, Freyah?”

Freyah tapped her fingers on the table in an anxious pattern. Speaking her mind so openly was still hard for her. Even in Alissa’s presence, her nature to comply would often hold her back. Not this time.

“It’s not something you did or said now, but the way you treat her sometimes.

I think you forget she is a child.” Freyah let out a sigh.

“She spent the whole day by herself in this cabin before she met you downtown, Alissa. I came by whenever I could to see if she was okay, but she shouldn’t be alone for this long at such a young age. ”

Alissa sat down. She leaned her elbow against the cold wood, her fingers digging into her own hair.

“I know, Freyah. Do you think I enjoy leaving her here for hours alone?” she asked.

“If I don’t go out hunting every day, we will starve!

I don’t know if it’s because of the wall, but hunting becomes more difficult every year.

The only thing I got today was a stupid rabbit Mr. Namir refused to pay me for.

” Alissa’s breath hitched. The struggle to feed her child was a weight too heavy for her shoulders to bear on her own.

“I am all she has, Freyah, and if I don’t do this, she won’t have food on her plate the next day. I don’t know what else you expect from me.”

Freyah reached out to hold her friend’s hand. “You have my parents and me. You know we are here for both of you. All I’m saying is that someday, you will regret not having spent this time with her, Lissa. Children grow up fast, and before you know it, she won’t be the same little girl anymore.”

Alissa released her friend’s grip from her hands. “I think I know how to raise my own child, Freyah. I don’t need your advice.”