Lamot, Perante asked Lanner, “Who, right now, is a fair maiden of the village? Don’t think, answer.”
Lanner looked at his brother, knowing he would pick up the ax before he said anything. “Melanie Fontaine, sir, is a pretty girl….” Lanner dropped his head, defeated.
“So simple an answer.” Lamot took a step toward his axe. Lanner moved quickly to the horses harnessed to the cart. “We will be off now, Sir, with your permission, to get more wood for your project.”
“Yes, go ahead. I look forward to further conversations with you.” The two brothers had brought up too many thoughts in Perante’s mind, and he was angry. His voice was cold as he added, “And Melanie.”
Chapter 10
Tadeus watched his son Hental come back into the hut with firewood. He had been quiet since Yuri left, but Tadeus was beginning to think there was more to the silence than the absence of his brother. “Good boy, Hental. It’s going to be a chilly night.” Agardia was chopping carrots at the table with the sleeping baby slung in front of her chest.
Hental didn’t reply, but added a log to the fire. “Sit by your father, Hental, and tell me what is on your mind.” Hental looked at his father. Tadeus smiled at him and motioned him to the chair next to him. “You are too young to carry such a weight I see on you, Henti. Your dragon rite is at least a spring away, so let me share your burden.”
Hental’s lip started to tremble and tears began to stream down his face. Even though he hadn’t sat on his father’s lap in many years, he jumped onto his father, burying his head in his neck and accidentally driving his knee into his father’s stomach. Tadeus tried to catch his breath that just rushed out of his lungs as his son started sobbing.
Agardia stopped preparing dinner to look at the two of them. Tadeus raised his eyebrows, letting her know he didn’t know what was going on. “Hental, my boy, everything is going to be okay.” Hental’s shoulder’s raised up and down as he cried. “Can you hear me, Henti?” Hental nodded into his neck. “That’s my boy.” He continued to pat his back.
“Henti, you just about made me a gelding.” Hental leaned back, putting his knee once again into Tadeus’s stomach. He rubbed the tears from his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Papa.”
“That’s okay…let’s get you in a better position.” Stephanvoich shifted Hental so he was now sitting across his lap. He had one arm over Hental’s shoulder. “So, what is all this about?”
“I…I…I…ate someone.”
“You what?!” If he hadn’t been so withdrawn before, Tadeus would think this was just another one of Hental’s stores.
Agardia set her knife to the table.
“And a wolf.”
Tadeus looked to his wife, who raised her hands in an I-have-no-idea gesture. He then smiled at Hental. “I think your friends were playing a trick on you, Henti. You didn’t eat anyone.” Tadeus let out a deep breath and started shaking his head. “Henti, you had us both worried there.”
“But I did,” whispered Hental, “when I was with Yuri, I…I grabbed his necklace and felt Samora eat someone, and later, it ate a wolf.”
Agardia came from the table and knelt beside Hental, putting a hand on his head. “Oh Henti, that must have been terrible.” She gave quizzical and worried look to her husband, who gave a similar one right back.
Tadeus spoke soothingly, “Start over, Henti. When did this happen?”
Hental looked up at his father’s face, pausing before answering. “Well, I know you told me not to bother Yuri when he went to the dragon field, but I thought I could help.”
His father slowly nodded his head. “I know.”
Hental wiped one of the last tears from his cheek. “I wish I would have listened, but I didn’t know what would happen to him.”
A tone of reproach crept into Tadeus’s voice. “Then what happened?”
“Well, he gave me the necklace to wear and…”
Agardia interrupted, “Yuri
Lanner looked at his brother, knowing he would pick up the ax before he said anything. “Melanie Fontaine, sir, is a pretty girl….” Lanner dropped his head, defeated.
“So simple an answer.” Lamot took a step toward his axe. Lanner moved quickly to the horses harnessed to the cart. “We will be off now, Sir, with your permission, to get more wood for your project.”
“Yes, go ahead. I look forward to further conversations with you.” The two brothers had brought up too many thoughts in Perante’s mind, and he was angry. His voice was cold as he added, “And Melanie.”
Chapter 10
Tadeus watched his son Hental come back into the hut with firewood. He had been quiet since Yuri left, but Tadeus was beginning to think there was more to the silence than the absence of his brother. “Good boy, Hental. It’s going to be a chilly night.” Agardia was chopping carrots at the table with the sleeping baby slung in front of her chest.
Hental didn’t reply, but added a log to the fire. “Sit by your father, Hental, and tell me what is on your mind.” Hental looked at his father. Tadeus smiled at him and motioned him to the chair next to him. “You are too young to carry such a weight I see on you, Henti. Your dragon rite is at least a spring away, so let me share your burden.”
Hental’s lip started to tremble and tears began to stream down his face. Even though he hadn’t sat on his father’s lap in many years, he jumped onto his father, burying his head in his neck and accidentally driving his knee into his father’s stomach. Tadeus tried to catch his breath that just rushed out of his lungs as his son started sobbing.
Agardia stopped preparing dinner to look at the two of them. Tadeus raised his eyebrows, letting her know he didn’t know what was going on. “Hental, my boy, everything is going to be okay.” Hental’s shoulder’s raised up and down as he cried. “Can you hear me, Henti?” Hental nodded into his neck. “That’s my boy.” He continued to pat his back.
“Henti, you just about made me a gelding.” Hental leaned back, putting his knee once again into Tadeus’s stomach. He rubbed the tears from his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Papa.”
“That’s okay…let’s get you in a better position.” Stephanvoich shifted Hental so he was now sitting across his lap. He had one arm over Hental’s shoulder. “So, what is all this about?”
“I…I…I…ate someone.”
“You what?!” If he hadn’t been so withdrawn before, Tadeus would think this was just another one of Hental’s stores.
Agardia set her knife to the table.
“And a wolf.”
Tadeus looked to his wife, who raised her hands in an I-have-no-idea gesture. He then smiled at Hental. “I think your friends were playing a trick on you, Henti. You didn’t eat anyone.” Tadeus let out a deep breath and started shaking his head. “Henti, you had us both worried there.”
“But I did,” whispered Hental, “when I was with Yuri, I…I grabbed his necklace and felt Samora eat someone, and later, it ate a wolf.”
Agardia came from the table and knelt beside Hental, putting a hand on his head. “Oh Henti, that must have been terrible.” She gave quizzical and worried look to her husband, who gave a similar one right back.
Tadeus spoke soothingly, “Start over, Henti. When did this happen?”
Hental looked up at his father’s face, pausing before answering. “Well, I know you told me not to bother Yuri when he went to the dragon field, but I thought I could help.”
His father slowly nodded his head. “I know.”
Hental wiped one of the last tears from his cheek. “I wish I would have listened, but I didn’t know what would happen to him.”
A tone of reproach crept into Tadeus’s voice. “Then what happened?”
“Well, he gave me the necklace to wear and…”
Agardia interrupted, “Yuri
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