His Beauty - Jack Harbon

1

“He’s been gone too long, Isla,” Elyse says, bursting into my room with a cloud of anxiety following behind her. She wrings her thin hands together, brown eyes wide with worry. She’s the spitting image of our mother, down to her golden hair and cherubic face, and it brings me back to when I was a girl, and Mother would pace back and forth, impatiently waiting for our father to return home.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” I say calmly, reaching for her. She’s only a few years younger than me, but my maternal instinct can’t help but kick in when she’s around. “He’s okay. It’s just taking longer than usual, that’s all.”

“Isla, he left four hours ago. It was supposed to be easy. It’s taking too long. He’s in danger.”

I resist the urge to sigh at her dramatic nature. It would only further upset her, and right now, I just need her to calm down. “Where did he go, anyway? I thought he was just going into town to get food.”

It’s not unusual for our father to spend time in the village a few miles east. Pickpocketing has been a talent of his since before we were born. He’s nimble and unsuspecting, and because of this, he’s managed to give us a somewhat decent life. Not one of luxury, not by any means, but we’re not any closer to poverty. Humble. That’s the word he’s always used to explain our situation.

The two-bedroom cottage doesn’t have a plumbing system indoors, but we have a roof over our heads and food on the table every night. Mostly every night. We’re safe here, and it’s because of him. Mother would always stress herself into a head of gray hair, thinking about all the trouble he could face were he caught by authorities. East Graybrook doesn’t take kindly to thieves, and the punishment is often cruel.

Father’s always managed to provide for us, and to this day, he hasn’t been caught.

“He wasn’t going into town,” Elyse says in a shrill voice. “He was going to Highburn.”

My heart sinks to my feet, and I feel my throat grow tight. “No,” I say, shaking my head. No, he wouldn’t go somewhere that dangerous. He wouldn’t risk his life stepping foot on that property. Our father might be reckless, but he’s not a fool. This has to be a misunderstanding.

“He told me he was headed to Highburn Hold. This was supposed to be his last trip. He wanted to make sure we had enough when he…when he…” Elyse chokes up, and her eyes well with tears. She can’t even bring herself to say the words.

“When he dies,” I whisper.

It’s not far off. He’s gotten progressively sicker. Most days, he barely has an appetite. His stomach is killing him; that’s what the physician in East Graybrook told us when we visited two years ago. Ever since then, he’s lost weight, his body growing more and more frail as the days pass. Soon, he’ll shut down entirely, and after that, he’ll be reunited with our mother. I feel the sting of tears prickle my eyes too, but I tilt my head back and sniff hard.

“He’s a damn fool,” I whisper, shaking my head. “He’s going to get himself killed.”

“I shouldn’t have let him go,” Elyse cries. She buries her face in her hands and sobs. “I should have stopped him. I should’ve gone this time.”

“No, Elyse,” I say, grabbing her shoulders. “You went last time. It was his turn.”

“He’s dead. I know he is. I can feel it, Isla. Father was caught by that…that monster. And he’s killed him.”

I can’t believe that. I refuse to believe it. “I’m going to get him back,” I say. Her head snaps up, and she looks at me like I’ve lost my mind.

“Isla, no! You can’t.”

“What am I supposed to do? Leave him out there? What if he just got hurt or something? What if he needs my help?”

She opens her mouth like she wants to argue but closes it, swiping at her tears. “Go find him,” she says, her eyes hardening. “Go find him and bring him home. Please.”

I pull my sister into my arms for a tight hug. “I’ll be back soon. With Father.”

When I pull away, my heart squeezes tight. I can’t let her down. I have to bring him back, or at the very least, find out what’s taking him so long to return. I change into a pair of trousers, boots, and a red cloak and head out to the back