Status: Leggooo!
The Core
Trust.
The woods were silent and the flurries were beginning to thicken, dropping the visible distance. Andor clambered ahead of Taylon, not carry about the noise he was making. He stepped on a tree branch as Taylon took aim. The snap echoed around them and the quail fled from the area. “Damn you, Andor. Say what you have to say and get over yourself. You and your pouting are frightening everything away,” Taylon forced through clenched teeth.
Andor sneered as he spoke, “How you can just believe her, no questions asked, won’t cease to amaze me! She’s not one of us! How many times have the Elders told us that the foreign is more dangerous than anything we could ever produce? How many times have you heard that?”
Taylon didn’t speak and Andor took this as an indication that he was right. “See, now you understand.”
“Whatever will get you to be quiet. The snow is falling faster now, and soon it will be impossible to find anything.” was all Taylon stated. The other man didn’t reply. He only stared in blatant disbelief at his friend. As he turned away, facing the direction of civilization, he heard a string snap and a thud. “If you’re not going to help, go back.”
Taylon made his advance on the quail, stuffing the fat animal into his bag after pulling out the arrow. To clean the blood from the blade, he stuffed it into the fresh snow, turning it red with the residue of blood. Behind him, the distinct sounds of Andor’s knife making contact made him smile. Even if Andor didn’t agree with his decision of the girl, there was one thing they agreed on. Retrieving meals was important, no matter who they were feeding.
Andor gently rested his hand on the other boy’s shoulder. “She’s not trusted; she’s not one of us. I’m not going to openly invite her into my life. It’s just not going to happen, Taylon.”
The older boy, frustrated with his friend’s denseness, nodded solemnly. “I didn’t ask you to. Just respect her. If it turns out that she is telling the truth, and she’s the main reason for our lives being saved and not sacrificed later on, you’re going to be the idiot. In that case, you deserve whatever happens.” He shrugged Andor’s hand from his shoulder. “Put yourself in her place. How would you feel with that welcome?”
In the ground brush, creeping in the shadows, a white fox hunted for its own prey. As if part of the same being, both boys raised their weapons but Taylon’s arrow laid claim to the mammal first. The boy removed the arrow. The fox made good company for the quail. “With the doe, the quail, the fox and my rabbit, I think we’ll have enough at least for now. I can hardly see my hands in front of my face at this point.”
Retreating from the snow, the men took up the journey back to their home. Twigs and branches snapped under foot as they trekked through the prevailing snow. Andor’s words echoed through Taylon’s thoughts during their silent return. The essential idea to the other boy’s words was that he didn’t trust easily. Taylon didn’t know why, but he had no reason not to trust the small girl. What harm could she possibly do?
The house was warm. A fire was blazing in the fire pit and there was a distinct searing emitting from the kitchen. The heavy wood door thumped closed behind Andor. Taylon made his way to the kitchen almost immediately.
The two mothers had corn cobs boiling in a metal pot on a burner and a pan of venison sizzling on another. Helena was slicing a loaf of thick bread and Taylon’s own mother was resting at the table cutting peppers and other vegetables into strips. He placed his bag onto the table they had designated for new catches. He stood behind his mother, watching her fluid motions.
“What did you catch, dear?” Rhiana asked.
“One quail, one rabbit, and a fox.” Taylon kissed his mother’s cheek and rubbed her stomach lightly. “They’re big too,” he added almost as an afterthought.
Andor laughed as he added, “Bigger than your stomach!”
Andor’s mother opened her mouth to scold her son, but was quieted as Rhiana laughed. “Of all the pregnancy jokes you’ve made, that was one of the better ones, Andor.” She giggled thinking of the joke once more.
“Dinner’s practically ready. Boys, set the table,” Helena chimed. In quick fluid motions, the young men had the table set in under a minute. They laughed as they saluted toward Helena and returned to their previous positions.
Rhiana smiled sweetly at her son as he returned to her side. “Taylon, go wake our guest. She fell asleep while you were out.” She nodded toward the door of the communal bedroom as Taylon’s form of dismissal.
Taylon knocked on the door and he could almost feel his mother’s eyes boring into his back. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking about the entire situation, but he was sure that she was more on his side than anyone else’s. When he tried the knob, it twisted easily and the door swung open soundlessly. She had been sleeping on the cot on the farthest end of the room between the wall and his own cot. Her hair was spread out around her, reminding him of how he had found her except her hair was its true brown and not the color distorted with blood.
His pressed his hand lightly against her shoulder. “Lark, Lark, you have to wake up. Dinner’s ready.” In response, she smacked his hand. The sound bounced off the walls as she turned over on her cot. “Lark, you have to wake up now,” he repeated, tapping her shoulder.
Again, she smacked his hand. Taylon smirked as he slipped his arms under the small girl’s body and lifted her from the warm bed. Her eyes shot open and she squirmed in his arms. “Put me down!” she shrieked. With a chuckle, Taylon dropped her the short distance back onto the cot.
“Time for dinner, darling.”
“Darling?” she sneered. The utter repulsion at his lazy use of the word was almost laughable. She sat upright on the cot, crossing one leg over the other and staring at him with a raised brow.
“I’m sorry. Is your highness more appropriate?” he asked, laughing at his own joke.
“Very funny,” she muttered without an ounce of humor. She rose from the bed, brushing her dress down flat and stretching her muscles. Taylon waited patiently as she prepared herself for the dinner that was sure to bring more questions.
Andor sneered as he spoke, “How you can just believe her, no questions asked, won’t cease to amaze me! She’s not one of us! How many times have the Elders told us that the foreign is more dangerous than anything we could ever produce? How many times have you heard that?”
Taylon didn’t speak and Andor took this as an indication that he was right. “See, now you understand.”
“Whatever will get you to be quiet. The snow is falling faster now, and soon it will be impossible to find anything.” was all Taylon stated. The other man didn’t reply. He only stared in blatant disbelief at his friend. As he turned away, facing the direction of civilization, he heard a string snap and a thud. “If you’re not going to help, go back.”
Taylon made his advance on the quail, stuffing the fat animal into his bag after pulling out the arrow. To clean the blood from the blade, he stuffed it into the fresh snow, turning it red with the residue of blood. Behind him, the distinct sounds of Andor’s knife making contact made him smile. Even if Andor didn’t agree with his decision of the girl, there was one thing they agreed on. Retrieving meals was important, no matter who they were feeding.
Andor gently rested his hand on the other boy’s shoulder. “She’s not trusted; she’s not one of us. I’m not going to openly invite her into my life. It’s just not going to happen, Taylon.”
The older boy, frustrated with his friend’s denseness, nodded solemnly. “I didn’t ask you to. Just respect her. If it turns out that she is telling the truth, and she’s the main reason for our lives being saved and not sacrificed later on, you’re going to be the idiot. In that case, you deserve whatever happens.” He shrugged Andor’s hand from his shoulder. “Put yourself in her place. How would you feel with that welcome?”
In the ground brush, creeping in the shadows, a white fox hunted for its own prey. As if part of the same being, both boys raised their weapons but Taylon’s arrow laid claim to the mammal first. The boy removed the arrow. The fox made good company for the quail. “With the doe, the quail, the fox and my rabbit, I think we’ll have enough at least for now. I can hardly see my hands in front of my face at this point.”
Retreating from the snow, the men took up the journey back to their home. Twigs and branches snapped under foot as they trekked through the prevailing snow. Andor’s words echoed through Taylon’s thoughts during their silent return. The essential idea to the other boy’s words was that he didn’t trust easily. Taylon didn’t know why, but he had no reason not to trust the small girl. What harm could she possibly do?
The house was warm. A fire was blazing in the fire pit and there was a distinct searing emitting from the kitchen. The heavy wood door thumped closed behind Andor. Taylon made his way to the kitchen almost immediately.
The two mothers had corn cobs boiling in a metal pot on a burner and a pan of venison sizzling on another. Helena was slicing a loaf of thick bread and Taylon’s own mother was resting at the table cutting peppers and other vegetables into strips. He placed his bag onto the table they had designated for new catches. He stood behind his mother, watching her fluid motions.
“What did you catch, dear?” Rhiana asked.
“One quail, one rabbit, and a fox.” Taylon kissed his mother’s cheek and rubbed her stomach lightly. “They’re big too,” he added almost as an afterthought.
Andor laughed as he added, “Bigger than your stomach!”
Andor’s mother opened her mouth to scold her son, but was quieted as Rhiana laughed. “Of all the pregnancy jokes you’ve made, that was one of the better ones, Andor.” She giggled thinking of the joke once more.
“Dinner’s practically ready. Boys, set the table,” Helena chimed. In quick fluid motions, the young men had the table set in under a minute. They laughed as they saluted toward Helena and returned to their previous positions.
Rhiana smiled sweetly at her son as he returned to her side. “Taylon, go wake our guest. She fell asleep while you were out.” She nodded toward the door of the communal bedroom as Taylon’s form of dismissal.
Taylon knocked on the door and he could almost feel his mother’s eyes boring into his back. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking about the entire situation, but he was sure that she was more on his side than anyone else’s. When he tried the knob, it twisted easily and the door swung open soundlessly. She had been sleeping on the cot on the farthest end of the room between the wall and his own cot. Her hair was spread out around her, reminding him of how he had found her except her hair was its true brown and not the color distorted with blood.
His pressed his hand lightly against her shoulder. “Lark, Lark, you have to wake up. Dinner’s ready.” In response, she smacked his hand. The sound bounced off the walls as she turned over on her cot. “Lark, you have to wake up now,” he repeated, tapping her shoulder.
Again, she smacked his hand. Taylon smirked as he slipped his arms under the small girl’s body and lifted her from the warm bed. Her eyes shot open and she squirmed in his arms. “Put me down!” she shrieked. With a chuckle, Taylon dropped her the short distance back onto the cot.
“Time for dinner, darling.”
“Darling?” she sneered. The utter repulsion at his lazy use of the word was almost laughable. She sat upright on the cot, crossing one leg over the other and staring at him with a raised brow.
“I’m sorry. Is your highness more appropriate?” he asked, laughing at his own joke.
“Very funny,” she muttered without an ounce of humor. She rose from the bed, brushing her dress down flat and stretching her muscles. Taylon waited patiently as she prepared herself for the dinner that was sure to bring more questions.