My Second Chance Mate is a Barbarian (Sera and Fenris) novel Chapter 476

Sera

"Runa," her mother whispered harshly. "Wake up."

The girl stirred under Ilse's urgent grip, pulling herself out of dreamless sleep. Her fingers tightened on the little carved bird in her hand. "What...what's happening?" she mumbled.

Ilse's hands shook her, hard. "Shh. Quiet, Runa, quiet!" Something was very wrong.

From outside came strange noises...men's shouts, the splinter of wood, a dog howling in terror. A scream ripped through the night, echoing in the darkness...and was cut off.

It was the sound of death. I knew it. She did not.

The girl heard them and I felt her go stiff. Her mother was already up, moving soundlessly to her father.

He went to the shutter and pulled it open just enough to look out, one eye pressed to the gap. Ilse waited, her face a mask of fear.

"What is it?" she whispered when he didn't move. "Torvald?"

He closed the shutter and turned to her. "Bandits," he said shortly. "They're burning the houses."

Ilse gasped. The girl had no breath left to gasp. Firelight flickered through the cracks in the walls and shutters. I could smell the smoke as she ran to the door. Her father caught her arm.

"No," he said. "Don't open it."

"Why?" she demanded, trying to wrench away. "Why are they burning everything?"

"I don't know," he said, and let her go. He moved to the wall and pulled down the long hunting spear that hung there. Ilse watched him, her eyes wide, then turned to the girl.

"Runa, come here."

The girl shook her head wildly, but I felt her feet move. She did not want to obey, but she could not stop herself.

Her father turned to them with the spear in his hand. "Get in the corner," he said to Ilse. "Take her with you."

"Don't go out there," Ilse begged. "Please, don't go..."

Outside the walls of the small house, flames danced in the dark of night. Screams pierced the air between crackling wood and cries of the attackers. My heart raced inside Runa's young chest as she clutched her mother, trembling with fear.

"Are they mad?" Runa cried out. "What are they doing? Have they gone crazy?"

Ilse held her close. "Shh. Just be quiet."

Runa pulled away, her eyes wide and desperate. "Mama, what about Wicket? What about Hesper? Are they okay?"

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