Over the next several days, the Dark Ones went on a spree that left many homes missing loved ones, a few of whom would return in nights to come to other homes nearby to make their own claims. And as each day went by, Aaron became more and more concerned, not just about the welfare of his own family and Kian\u2019s but of Aislyn\u2019s as well.
One afternoon, while working next to his granddad to clean the potatoes they\u2019d just gathered, he decided to broach the one topic he was forbidden to discuss. At this point, it seemed like it just might be a matter of life or death.
\u201cGranddad, can I ask you a question?\u201d he asked as he brushed the sod from the brown vegetable.
\u201cI think you just did,\u201d his granddad replied, smiling at him through several missing teeth.
Aaron laughed only slightly at his grandfather\u2019s attempt at humor. His heart was heavy. \u201cI mean, I\u2019d like to ask you a question, though I\u2019m afraid you might get upset.\u201d
\u201cWhy would I get upset?\u201d the older man asked, stopping his task and looking at his grandson with concern. \u201cHave you ever known your granddad to raise his voice?\u201d
While the answer was yes, on occasion, Aaron knew that wasn\u2019t what he was expected to say. \u201cNo, Granddad.\u201d
\u201cWell, then what is it, lad?\u201d
Aaron cleared his throat and studied the potato bin. \u201cGranddad, I\u2019ve a friend I\u2019m worried about. I\u2019m afraid I don\u2019t know much about the\u2026 agreement, and I was wondering if you could tell me if she might be safe.\u201d He glanced up at his granddad and waited to see if it was safe to proceed.
Ferris adjusted in his seat. In a cautious tone, he said, \u201cYou know it is forbidden to discuss such matters.\u201d
Nodding, Aaron said, \u201cI have heard. I just\u2026 didn\u2019t know what else to do.\u201d
There was silence for a long while as the grandfather seemed to contemplate the question. After a bit, he asked, \u201cWhat is the name?\u201d
A lump in his throat prevented a hasty response. Eventually, Aaron managed, \u201cO\u2019Malley.\u201d
\u201cWhich O\u2019Malley, lad? There is more than one O\u2019Malley family in Killarney.\u201d
Though Aaron knew that, he wasn\u2019t sure it would matter. He was a bit embarrassed to answer, as he hadn\u2019t told his family about his affection for her, but eventually he said, \u201cAislyn, Granddad. Her name is Aislyn.\u201d
His forehead creased, and he scratched the top of his balding head. \u201cAislyn O\u2019Malley?\u201d he questioned. \u201cI\u2019m not sure which one she is. Who is her father?\u201d
\u201cHe was called Colin before he passed away,\u201d Aaron explained. \u201cSeana O\u2019Malley was her great-aunt.\u201d
\u201cOh, that\u2019s right. Renny\u2019s niece,\u201d the old man nodded. \u201cBeautiful girl.\u201d
Aaron said nothing, only stared at his grandfather, blue eyes narrowed in anticipation.
\u201cWell, my boy, if I\u2019m not mistaken,\u201d he began in a softer voice than Aaron had heard in a while, \u201cit is the Seamus O\u2019Malley family, the one that lives near the base of Mount Torc, that is protected as members of the Order.\u201d
Feeling his breath catch and his heart seem to stop beating for several seconds, Aaron became sick to his stomach. The idea that Aislyn could truly be in danger was enough to make him panic. \u201cGrandad! What can we do?\u201d he asked, his voice quiet but the intensity evident.
With a shrug, the elderly man said, \u201cNothing, Aaron. I\u2019m sorry. We have an agreement. It is the only way to keep our families safe.\u201d
\u201cBut what about the other families?\u201d He could feel the anger building up inside of himself. \u201cThey deserve to be safe, too.\u201d
\u201cThere is nothing we can do.\u201d He continued to shrug and shake his head, and his complacency was enough to make Aaron want to pick up the entire basket of potatoes and toss them.
Perhaps if he hadn\u2019t been so full of rage, he\u2019d have heard his mother approaching behind him. \u201cAaron? What\u2019s the matter?\u201d she asked. \u201cYour face is as red as a cardinal\u2019s breast.\u201d
\u201cNothing to fret about, Bree,\u201d Ferris assured her. \u201cWe were just talking about some important matters, nothing a woman need worry her head about.\u201d
Seeming to accept that, Bree turned to Aaron and said, \u201cWill you take these inside to Genty? She and Channing are getting them ready to take to market tomorrow.\u201d
Without another word, Aaron rose and picked up the basket, steadying it on his hip as he made his way inside. He would not accept his granddad\u2019s answer, but he wasn\u2019t sure how to go about making a change either. And since he was forbidden from speaking about the agreement with anyone, it would make finding a solution that much harder.
As soon as he walked in the door, his sister\u2019s face fell. \u201cAaron? What happened?\u201d she asked. \u201cCome, sit down.\u201d
\u201cIt\u2019s nothing,\u201d he assured her, not sure he should bring up the subject with her or his brother. He set the basket down on the small table where they dined, adding it to the multiple baskets his siblings already had stacked there.
\u201cAre you certain?\u201d she asked. \u201cYou look upset.\u201d
\u201cYou look angry,\u201d Channing clarified from where he sat at the far end of the table, counting potatoes. He was thirteen, big and strong, nothing like his younger brother who was wiry and fast but not bulky.
\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d Aaron replied, his fisted hands refusing to relax.
Genty\u2019s eyes dropped from his eyes to his hands and then back to his face again before she said, \u201cIf you say so, little brother.\u201d She cleared her throat and went back to tending to the potatoes as she asked, \u201cAre you going with us tomorrow to deliver these? Onora has promised to be there. I can\u2019t wait to see how large her belly has grown.\u201d
Onora, who was seventeen now, had married a young man from the village late last year, and now she carried her first child. She had married an other, and now that they were wed, if the agreement were true, he would be safe, as would their children. While Aaron would not mind at all to see his sister, the thought of marriage, safety, children, and most of all, the agreement, made him angry again. \u201cI think I shall go chop some wood,\u201d he announced, and without even answering his sister\u2019s question, he went back out the door to the wood pile in hopes of finding a way to unleash some of the rage he felt in his heart.
Later that night, as Aaron lay looking at the thatch above him, Genty rolled over and snuggled her head up next to his ear. He could hear his granddad snoring from his bunk below them, and though his mother had just put her sewing aside and turned to her own cot a few minutes ago, he could tell by the rise and fall of her chest that she was also in a deep slumber. \u201cWhat is bothering you, little brother?\u201d Genty asked, her voice a whisper in his ear.
He turned to face her, glancing over her at Channing who was also sound asleep. \u201cI can\u2019t speak of it,\u201d he sighed.
Though the firelight didn\u2019t quite reach the loft, he felt her nod her head next to him. \u201cCan you indicate what it is that you cannot say.\u201d
His sister was bright, and he was sure there would be a way he could voice his concerns to her without saying too much, should he choose to do so. He\u2019d been keeping his anger bottled up for so long, it seemed like letting it out might be too explosive for such a small space. He took a deep breath and finally said, \u201cIt just isn\u2019t fair. And I wish that it were.\u201d
She leaned up on her elbow. \u201cI understand. And I agree. But I don\u2019t know what we should do about it. I don\u2019t suppose there is anything that can be done.\u201d
\u201cI just wish I were older,\u201d he continued, \u201cso that maybe then I could keep\u2026 more people safe.\u201d
The gleam from the fire off of her white teeth let him know she was smiling. \u201cYou mean Aislyn?\u201d she asked.
He said nothing, only averted his eyes and resumed his staring at the ceiling.
\u201cAaron, even if she isn\u2019t part of the agreement, she\u2019ll likely still be safe. There are so many people, and even though it seems as if they are taking more and more each day, there are many others who will grow old with no fear of being turned or taken.\u201d
Believing her would have been the easy thing to do, but her words were of no comfort. \u201cI cannot bear to think of it,\u201d he said, feeling a tear in his eye, which he hoped she could not see. \u201cI cannot bear to think of any of it. It should not be this way.\u201d
She smoothed back the hair on his forehead. \u201cI know, little brother. But it is the way of it. And there is nothing that we can do.\u201d
Aaron glanced up at his sister, pondering whether or not he was brave enough to tell her what Kian had said, that word he had used, the one he\u2019d never heard before. Perhaps Genty would know its meaning. She was his best sister, his favorite of all, and he knew in his heart that if anyone could help him find a way, it was her. \u201cGenty, have you ever heard of a Hunter before?\u201d he asked, just barely a whisper.
\u201cA hunter?\u201d she repeated. \u201cYou mean, like those who claim the king\u2019s deer?\u201d
\u201cNo, I don\u2019t think so,\u201d he replied. \u201cKian said it the other day. I think it has something to do with the\u2026 them. I think there might be more to this understanding than we know about.\u201d
\u201cOh, little brother,\u201d Genty said, still smoothing his hair. \u201cI think it best if we do not discuss this further, and that you and Kian don\u2019t either. You are treading on thin ice, my love. I know that you are fearful for your friend, but I am certain that, if you pray for her each night, the Lord will look after her. And I shall say a prayer for her, too. Now, close those pretty blue eyes of yours and get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.\u201d
He knew that there was nothing more to be said on the topic now. Clearly, Genty knew no more than he did, and she wasn\u2019t willing to risk saying more even if she did. With a sigh, he nestled his arm under his head and considered her words. She kissed him gently on the forehead, and just as she was about to lie back down, he asked, \u201cGenty, why do you stay?\u201d
\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d she asked, her head hovering above the mat but no longer resting on her arm.
\u201cI asked why you stay. Why haven\u2019t you ever married? You\u2019re nearly twenty.\u201d
She giggled softly. \u201cI told you long ago. I love you best, little brother.\u201d
He turned to look at her as she rested her head. \u201cThat can\u2019t be it.\u201d
\u201cDon\u2019t worry yourself about me,\u201d she assured him, gently pulling on the thin quilt that covered the three of them. \u201cSomeday, when you are older and have built a home of your own with Aislyn, then I will find a man and make a life with him. In the meantime, I will always be your Gen.\u201d
As Aaron pushed thoughts of the Dark Ones and sweet Aislyn aside, he reflected on how lucky he was to have such a wonderful sister. At least he knew his Gen would always be safe from the Dark Ones. They could never take her. They had an agreement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Over the next several days, the Dark Ones went on a spree that left many homes missing loved ones, a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-shadows-bargain"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/demonslayerrmanga.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/demonslayerrmanga.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/demonslayerrmanga.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demonslayerrmanga.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demonslayerrmanga.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/demonslayerrmanga.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/demonslayerrmanga.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demonslayerrmanga.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demonslayerrmanga.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}