75: The day we died - Egon’s POV (part 1)

The day we died - Egon’s POV (part 1)

It was the happiest night of his life.2

While most Lanarkians dreaded the dark clouds in the rainy season, he rejoiced. It was heaven's gift that accompanied the nearing birth of his sibling. Stormy weather made the fish more likely to bite.

He grinned at his fishing pole, "I will catch plenty for mother."

In the afternoon, their kind neighbor from the middle cottage shared a loaf of bread with him. She specifically mentioned that fish meat would be beneficial for his mother's milk.

Whistling a cheerful tune, Egon bravely ventured out of his cottage despite the storm with his fishing pole resting on his shoulder and the bait securely tied to one of the holes in his torn trousers.

His mother would be furious if she saw him in such tattered clothing considering how hard she worked to provide him comfort. However, the family's priority was always food as clothes seemed to shrink on him remarkably fast. He didn't want to risk damaging or soiling the new trousers his mother had bought just a week ago if he were to trip or fall along the way.

I should be the one providing for her.

With that thought firmly locked in his mind, he scanned his surroundings carefully.

In this secluded area of the Archduchy, very few people passed by in general and more so at night. Nevertheless, he had made a promise to his father to exercise extra caution before entering the forest.

If word about a child trespassing into the cursed forest reached the Archduke's ear, his mother, who worked for the honorable House de Lanark, and his father, a loyal subject to them, would face severe punishment by the Archduke's knights.

Never!

After ensuring that the area was secured, Egon stealthily entered the eastern part of the forest and proceeded onward. These were the areas where he felt most at home, as even the King himself refrained from approaching this portion of the Archduchy. Egon cherished the fact that his family resided right next to it.

While they had little in terms of possessions, the forest belonged to him.

Every day, Egon would fish tirelessly selling the catch on days when food was abundant and preparing a hearty meal for himself over a self-made fire whenever there was no one around to cook.

Venturing deeper into the woods, he sensed his proximity to the river by the fading sound of the rain and the diminishing showers that now sporadically touched his body. He was intimately familiar with the route to his family's most cherished food source and had long since memorized it like the back of his hand, the full moon had been another fortunate blessing, guiding his path until a dozen pine trees back.

"Here we go," Egon muttered as he reached the river, its rushing waters greeting him with a soothing flow. With practiced motions, he swung the fishing pole behind him and then brought it forward, guided more by the sound than by his vision as he released the bait into the water, anticipating the bites of the fish below.

"I won't go back before I catch at least three big ones for her," Egon reaffirmed, his eyebrows furrowing as he recalled his encounter with his mother in the morning.

She had informed him that her labor had begun and asked him to be a good boy and wait while she went to the safety of the Archduke's manor for her delivery. All of it was fine until she urged him never to leave his father's and his sibling's side.

"There will be four of us by the time I return tonight," were the last words she whispered to him, something about her beautiful face had unsettled him, an illogical premonition akin to the days when the fish outsmarted his efforts. The dampness of her tears against his cheek as she held him tightly before leaving stirred uncertainty in his young heart.

His mother never shed tears easily. She was the prettiest and bravest woman in all of Lanark. Her melodious voice would fill their humble home as she sang while going about her household chores, infusing warmth into the perpetually cold space around him.

What was she so upset about?

He groaned and spat on the ground when another infuriating thought invaded his mind.

Why doesn't he take better care of her?

He could never comprehend why his father insisted on staying in this place when they had the means to afford a slightly better home. Yet, he never once questioned him about it. Unlike his mother, whose warmth radiated like the sun, his father's silent demeanor created a noticeable distance between them.

"You just wait, mother," Egon whispered under his breath.

He envisioned a future where he would rise as a great fisherman, commanding boats and leading a skilled team of men under his guidance. His dream extended beyond the riverbanks; he would establish a thriving fish stall in the bustling market, ensuring a steady income and prosperity for his family. With their newfound success, he imagined whisking his mother and sibling away to a better place, leaving their humble abode behind.

He harbored a small hope that his father would choose to join them but knew better than to push the matter too far.

"Egon!" His father's voice rang out, loud and unexpected, causing him to drop his fishing pole into the river.

"Fuc*"

A series of profanities slipped through Egon's mouth after the first one, but he quickly clenched his teeth, fearing further punishment if his father heard. He was well aware that he was not allowed to set foot in the forest at night, but he had taken precautions to ensure that no one saw him. 

The next sound Egon heard filled him with dread as the distinct and pitiful cry of a newborn baby reached his ears.

"Egon!"

His fishing pole was forgotten as he sprinted towards the source of the sound, his eyes desperately scanning for his father or his mother who should not be on her feet so soon after giving birth. But if the baby was here, then surely his mother was too.

And then, he found them.

His father knelt by a tree, his shirt stained with blood that had not yet dried. His mother lay motionless beside him, sound asleep, and on her outstretched arm wriggled a tiny bundle of flesh, with delicate feet and arms moving about.

"Come here, son,"

The ominous tone the words were spoken with sent a shiver down Egon's spine, but he obeyed, his eyes fixated on the rope his father held in his hands.

"Sit still while I tie you to this tree," his father commanded.

Egon sat perfectly still, his mind racing with confusion and fear.

"Father..." he finally managed to speak, his voice trembling, "Mother... She's not..."

She's not moving.

"Hush now," his father whispered urgently, his eyes wide with desperation. "This is how they should find you. If anyone asks, I dragged you out of the house by force."

Cold sweat trickled down Egon's back as his father gently placed the newborn on his lap.

"What are you doing?" Egon finally snapped, his gaze flickering between his father and his motionless mother. "What happened to her?!"

His father's previously steady hand began to shake as he spoke. "Don't be afraid. This will all be over soon."

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