It didn't seem real. It was almost like the morning her parents disappeared. One by one, Hannah was losing her family, no matter how hard she tried to keep them together.

She leaned against the frame of her brother's door, gazing in at the neat, empty bed. She could imagine it was just another regular day, and he was running around the village instead of on the way to Dalen. She went inside, feeling strange since she rarely ever crossed his territory. She pulled open a few drawers, checking his clothes. She knew enough from doing laundry that a good chunk was missing. He really had gone. Possibly forever?

She shut back all the drawers, going over to sit in his chair. It didn't make sense for her to miss him, yet she did. Even if he wasn't in the house, at least she liked the knowledge of having someone still around with her in Chell.

She didn't say anything to anyone that day, even skipping doing her washing at the river so she could be alone. She wasn't sure if Rio had told anyone about his leaving, but it didn't seem like he had. Seemed an irresponsible thing in her eyes, since any questions would then fall completely on her.

For that reason, she didn't go the Averys that day, or the next. But of course, they couldn't overlook her absence, not for long. She wasn't surprised when Tom Avery came to the house the third day, early in the morning.

"Hannah," he greeted as she opened the door to him.

"Good morning."

He nodded politely, gesturing inside. "May I?"

"Of course." She stepped back, allowing him into the living room. She shut the door, aware of him looking around in interest, like he was looking for something – some change, some little sign. "Can I get you anything?" she asked.

"Oh, no, thank you." He paused, hovering there in the centre of the room. "I just came to see how you were. If everything was alright."

"Of course. Everything's fine."

"Oh. Well … forgive me, it's just, we haven't had you over in a while, so we were a little worried something might have happened."

"No."

"Are you sure? No problems around the house or anything like that?"

She looked down with a sigh. "No, Mr. Avery."

"Is it Rio?"

Rio. Was there any point in telling him? Was there any point in not telling him? It was well-known her brother was flighty, but not when it came to the Averys. She had no idea how to explain that away. "Rio's not here."

"Yes, I did figure that."

"No, I mean he isn't in Chell."

"He's not?" He paused, brows creasing. "Then where is he?"

"He's gone to Dalen. A few days ago."

He stared at her, tight-lipped.

"I think you have an idea what drew him there. I believe he spoke to you about it."

"The drafting."

"That's right."

"But I didn't think he was really serious about it! And you mean he just left you behind?"

"I don't really feel much difference."

"But still, that wasn't right of him. And not to tell me or Fadden he was going … "

"But you knew he had the idea."

"I told him I didn't agree with it. Apparently, he didn't listen."

"Well, you know how he is."

"Will he be coming back? How long will he be gone?"

"I don't know. I don't think even he knows."

"Hannah," he said, grasping her shoulder. "Perhaps you should come and stay with us for a while."

"No," she answered, almost immediately. "Though I thank you."

"Why? Not turning shy on us, are you?"

"I just belong here."

"Now, my dear, you know it's not a good thing for you to be left alone. What if something were to happen? What if you fall ill? You have to have someone around, just in case."

"I understand what you're saying. But I can't, at least not now."

"Alright, alright," he sighed. "I suppose this might be a bit too much for you to take in right now, in light of everything. Perhaps I'll leave you to think on it for a little while, grow used to the idea. You know our house is always open to you."

"I do. Thank you."

"And besides, who knows? Rio may yet come home in a few days, for he'll have to if he's not accepted, am I right?"

She nodded.

"There. It may be only temporary."

But what if it isn't?

"Well, I'm sure you have work to finish," Mr. Avery said, stepping towards the door. "But I hope we can see you over at lunch today?"

She hesitated, but after rejecting him once, she didn't think she could squirm her way out of a second, smaller request. How strange that in the beginning, the Averys' inviting them over had seemed such a great kindness, and now going felt almost a chore. Still, she said she would go, and on that note, he left, satisfied.

She went through the rest of the morning crawling through chores – it seemed she was having less and less to do, and she was worried about getting bored or idle, things she had never been while her parents had been around.

She ended up leaving early for the Averys, and as she walked, she wondered if Tom Avery had told anyone else about her brother leaving. With any luck, he'd keep it to himself and no one would ever find out. There might actually be a chance of Rio making it back without people ever noticing he was gone.

When she got to the house, she stopped to knock, unlike her brother. And as it turned out, she was answered by – of all people – Melanie, who looked quite pretty that morning with her black hair tied high up. "Hannah," she said, taking her hand and pulling her inside. She shut the door, lingering with her in the small entryway. "We all heard about your brother. I'm so sorry."

Hannah tugged her hand away. "He's not dead, Melanie."

"I know, of course not. It's just – such a shock."

"Not really," she said, heading for the table. "What are young boys for if not to run off after wild ambitions?"

Kurt Avery came in as she said the last part, and his eyes met hers. "I'm sure he'll come back."

"I don't care if he does."

"You know my father and I are here to help, in any way we can. You only need ask."

"Thank you," she answered, just as his parents appeared.

"Hannah," Tom Avery said, his face shifting just slightly. "I didn't hear you come in."

She nodded silently, pausing behind a chair, and for a strange moment, everyone just stared at her, forming an awkward silence. I hate this.

"Uh, well," Kurt finally broke it for her. "We hope you're set for a good meal. Mum's been cooking all morning."

"Yes, thank you." She was glad to speak on anything other than her brother. She sat down, and everyone else became a bustle, moving plates around and finding places to sit. Melanie sat next to her, but her other side lay empty. She saw Kurt disappear into the back of the house, reappearing a minute later with his brother. Young Fadden – Hannah had almost forgotten about him. The poor boy was looking sullen, and it wasn't hard for her to guess why. He came round to her side of the table, sitting in his usual place one over from her. Between them yawned the chair her brother would have taken, had he been there.

Luckily, there was no other reminder or mention of her brother for the rest of the meal, and it was admittedly a good one, leaving her full and content on the way home. Kurt had offered to walk with her where he never had before, as if just because of Rio, that day had to be different. Tempting as it was, she turned him down. She didn't feel like making more conversation, or hearing sympathies.

When she got home, she didn't know what to do. She felt confused, and it took her a moment to remember that she normally started cleaning or cooking at around this time.

Right. Of course. But instead, she went through the house, slipping out into the yard in the back. The sun burned beautifully on her back, a good wind kicking up the washing. She stepped to the other corner, furthest from the house, where she and Tom Avery had put together some small stones as a marker for her father.

She thought about the Averys, Tom's idea to have her stay with them. It was strange, but the idea actually sounded lonelier to her than living here. She was not an Avery. She would never fit in, not really. If she'd been a young child, yes, of course she would have accepted the offer with gratitude. But she was capable enough of living on her own now. She had that choice.

She turned around, going back inside the house. She did her usual work, and having the time, prepared her own dinner for that night, taken at a table centered with candles. She would do this everyday, she decided. She would do the chores, take care of the farm, become independent while still seeing the Averys from time to time. She would maintain what her parents had left, and show that it could be done.

Once she became used to relying on herself, a routine fell into place, and she started to gain confidence. She was managing. Doing well at it too. She had all the faith that she would survive in Chell after all.

But the Averys still wanted her to stop, to leave it all and give herself to them. At least, Tom and Kurt did. Fadden didn't care, and the women thought it would be better to focus on finding her a husband instead.

"They make it hard for me to want to go over there sometimes," she told Kaye one morning at the river. "I do love the Averys. But they can't accept that I just want to be left alone."

"At the heart of it, I do think they are trying to help you."

"Yes, I know that. But I don't want to be helped."

Kaye shook her head. "Hannah. Why do you want to take everything on yourself?"

"Because I should."

"Who says you should?"

She faltered there for a minute. "No one."

But why did this suddenly seem familiar to her? Her mind scrambled, and it wasn't long before she saw a picture of her mother, working even when she didn't need to, working when she was sick, saying no to people who wanted to help. She worked herself to an end, Hannah thought bitterly.

"Look!"

"Everybody, look at that!"

All the women at the river stopped, looking up to the children's calls. Hannah glanced at her friend, eyes wide.

"Probably the Fairweathers' goat got out again," Kaye guessed.

"Hannah!" Mrs. Appleby cried. "Is that your brother?"

Among them, wives and daughters stood up, curious for a look. Hannah stayed low, not moving. Rio. He had come back? But that must mean that he hadn't been accepted. She blinked at this, surprised that she wasn't more relieved. He must be so upset.

Kaye was gazing down at her. "Hannah," she urged, tapping her shoulder.

Slowly, Hannah got up, gazing over the river. Her eyes reached a small, wiry figure, young and familiar. It was her brother. Only he was dressed in clothes she had never seen before – a crisp shirt under a collared vest, and warm-colored leggings tucked into new boots. Something bounced at his hip, and her jaw dropped. She was wrong. He had made it in after all. Her baby brother was a Dalen soldier.

Rio searched the river, finally spotting her in the middle of the women. He stared at her, and his hand lifted in a small wave. Gingerly, Hannah returned it. She felt lost. She didn't know what to feel or expect now that her brother was back. Had he been in front of her, words would have stuck in her throat.

"I'll see you back at the house?" Rio hollered, his voice skimming over the crowd. The voice of a boy, yet somehow it rang strong.

What else could Hannah do but nod? She stood there, watching with everyone else as he sauntered off. A ring of children rushed up around her brother, pelting him with awed questions.

Next to Hannah, Mrs. Appleby scratched her head. "Rio Iver a soldier? But how? When?"

"Excuse me," Hannah answered, stuffing all her clothes – washed and unwashed – back into the basket.

She glanced back at Kaye, who shrugged. "This is much more interesting than the Fairweathers' goat."

Hannah managed to smile. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, and give you the news."

"And I eagerly await. But knowing this village, I might hear all I need to before then."

She grimaced. "It is possible, isn't it?"

"Good luck, Hannah."

"Thank you," she breathed, briskly heading home. She found her brother standing by the fence, talking to the neighbors. He'd never bothered chatting with them before, she thought. As soon as he saw her, he came over to join her. And then he did something that really surprised her – he took the basket from her, carrying it all the way to the back. She stared in amazement as he set it down next to the pegs.

"Well," he sighed, standing up straight to stretch his back. Hannah was still staring at his sword. "What do you think? I'm only a trainee right now of course, but look." He turned, showing a white armband on his sleeve with a name on it. Iver.

Hannah twined her hands together, not answering at first. "Looks very nice, Rio. Congratulations."

"Thank you."

A silence settled. Not that she didn't have anything to say. She just didn't know which to say first. She gazed at the washing, and to busy her hands, started hanging them out. "So. Tell me. What happened with your drafting?"

"Oh," he went, fingering his hair. "That was the easy part. It was testing week that decided everything."

"Testing week?"

"Almost two hundred people signed up to join, when there were only about fifty or sixty places available. So they had tests to pick the best of us."

"What kind of tests did they put you through?"

"Oh, all sorts. They checked us to to make sure we had no illnesses or things like that, and they made us do a lot of running and carrying ... oh, but the last test was my best. I scored my highest there."

"What was it?"

"Discipline."

She choked up a loud, funny sound. Her carefree little brother scored highly on discipline? What was the world coming to? "And how did they judge that?" she asked curiously.

"They gave us a whole list of tasks and chores. And we had to do them perfectly or we'd lose points. I hardly made any mistakes, and I wasn't late either."

"You've never done a chore in your life."

"Well, I never needed to before. But it really helped pull me up, which was good because I only did so-so for combat."

"You had to fight other boys?"

"Two. I beat one but lost to the other."

She started looking him over. "Were you hurt?"

"No, we didn't use real weapons. We mostly just got plenty of bruises."

"Oh. That's … good." She was listening to every word he was saying, and yet, it didn't feel like she was taking any of it in. Everything was all jumbled up and confused inside her. How was she supposed to react to all this? What should she feel, remembering the way they'd parted, and knowing he was just going to go away again – perhaps forever? "I'm happy for you, Rio," her voice finally found itself.

He nodded to that, looking like he appreciated it.

"You should go and tell the Averys."

"No, I don't think I will just yet." He bobbed over, standing next to her. "Did they say anything to you about me while I was away?"

"Nothing important. But they've been trying to get me to move into their house."

Her brother's eyes stretched. "Whose idea was that? Tom's?"

"Yes."

"He wants to adopt you now?"

"He just wants to help."

"So you're considering it?"

She was quiet for a moment. "No."

"Why not?"

"I just don't think I can. I don't want to."

"What will you do then?"

"Stay here, of course."

"Alone?"

She shrugged. "You really should go over there, Rio," she said, holding on to the line.

"They don't want to see me. Not really."

"Don't say that. I'm sure they'll be happy to know you're back."

"I'm only here for the night."

"What?"

"It wasn't easy for me to get away from training today. I only managed it on the condition that I'd be back before lights out. At the most, I can only stay until dinnertime."

"You can't even stay the night?"

"No."

She frowned over this. A few hours – what was the point, really? Alright, she didn't actually mean that. She just felt disappointed. And cheated. "Well, I suppose it's up to you how you spend your time today. But I still think you should see them."

"For a quick one maybe. But I need to talk to you about something first."

"Alright."

"It's very important."

"I'm listening, Rio."

He exhaled, settling his hands on his hips. "I was thinking – now that I'm a part of the guard – I was thinking it would be nice if you could come to Dalen for awhile. You know, meet some of the other men in the unit – my friends. And I could show you around the city too."

"You want me to go to Dalen?"

"Just for a week or so. I think you'd like it."

"But … I've never even been out of the village."

"Well then, now would be a good first time. But I need you to come back with me today."

"Today?" her voice creaked. "Are you mad?"

"You have to understand. I have no idea when I'll be back again. It could very well be months."

"Months … ?"

He nodded. "Training," he explained.

"Oh."

"That's why I wanted to come back and tell you." He paused, looking out past the house. "Maybe I will take a walk over to the Averys. I'll give you a bit of time to think. But whatever it is, you have to decide quickly."

"No, wait," she said, as he started to turn away. "I'll go, Rio."

"You will? You're sure?"

"If this is a chance hard to come by, and more importantly, if you want me to ... "

"Good," he said brightly. "I'm glad."

"Will you tell the Averys for me?"

"Yes, I can do that."

"Other than that, I'll just tell Kaye."

"Alright. But try to focus on finishing your work and getting packed. We only have a few hours before we have to leave."

"Understood."

"I'll see you after I get back from the Averys."

She nodded, watching as he disappeared round the house. Standing alone, she wondered what she'd just done. Was she really going to the great city of Dalen? This very night?

She rifled through the basket, hurrying up with the rest of the clothes. Now she had too much to do and too little time to do it.

But was this wise? If her father were still alive, would he want her to be doing this? Would he want her to go after what had happened to her mother?

A shudder crept over her neck as she remembered his body buried in that very yard, under the trees in the back. Sometimes it felt like he was watching her, watching everything she did.

But he'd have to understand that she couldn't just say no to her brother. Not after he'd come back for her.