her.
~~~~~
Chapter VI
Wren
Dinner was a tense affair. I began to wonder if I had
stumbled across a gopher mine. It began with Tourth informing the others about
my discovery.
Dardon lowered his leg of mutton. “What will be our
response?”
“The same as it has always been,” Tourth replied.
Arthus leaned back uncomfortably and focused intently on his
meal. Kat’s blue eyes darted warily from Dardon to Tourth and back again. Svhen
continued eating without pause or raising his eyes, but I sensed a sudden
tension in him despite the lack of physical signs. I long ago learned to trust
my instincts. This was a long standing argument that even put Svhen on edge.
“We sit back, watch them suffer, and do nothing.” Dardon
shoved his dish across the uneven surface of the table almost spilling it into
Tourth’s lap. He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest boring a hole
in Tourth’s head with his dark eyes.
“Dardon, we have been over this many times.” Tourth calmly
moved the plate and mutton a safer distance from the edge. “We are doing
something.”
“Putting food on their tables isn’t enough when the enforcer
is killing off their men. You know Simon lost his leg a month ago. Only last
week the Gibonson boy took a blow to the head and died. The working conditions
are inhumane. All you would have to do is declare your identity and claim your
birthright. You could spare these people from that monster. The people will
stand with you against Orac. It is only a matter of time before he discovers us
anyway and puts us to work there as well or takes our heads.”
Tourth’s knuckles grew white where he gripped his plate. The
movement of the meat to his mouth slowed, the motions becoming more deliberate.
Tension thickened with every silent moment.
“You know it isn’t as simple as that, Dardon,” Kat said,
showing more courage than I gave her credit for. “Father and Mother died simply
for taking a stand.”
“He is only protecting his own hide and he knows it,” Dardon
replied. Surging to his feet, he crashed out the door into the darkness,
cursing under his breath.
Tourth didn’t move. His breathing slowed, painfully regular.
His dark head bowed so that his face hid from my sight, but the muscles in the
forearm resting on the table tensed and corded. I watched him warily as he
struggled to regain his temper. Kat quietly removed Dardon’s portion from the
table, being careful to give Tourth a wide berth.
“I will go see he doesn’t do himself harm,” Arthus finally
volunteered, breaking the heavy weight of restrained words and actions, before
disappearing out the door.
“Bed,” Svhen muttered. He followed practically on Arthus’
heels. I doubted that was truly where he headed since his usual sleeping place
lay inside in the opposite direction.
I continued to eat. It would take more than an argument to
stop me from eating, a habit born of years of not knowing where my next meal
would come from. I pulled off a piece of the roasted mutton with my teeth and
chewed slowly. The meat was tender and well prepared. Kat was a pretty decent
cook most of the time. While I worked on my bite, I continued to watch Tourth.
He didn’t move, but as Kat continued cleaning up and I
eating, the muscles in his arms slowly relaxed, his knuckles returned to a more
normal color, and his breathing eased into a natural rhythm. Once I was certain
he had calmed to the point that he wouldn’t lunge at me, I spoke.
“I haven’t been around long enough to hear the reasons why
you are choosing to do nothing, and I would prefer hearing from you rather than
someone else.”
His head snapped up, and his eyes glared at me for a moment
before softening. “Sorry about that.” Sighing deeply, he reached around to
catch Kat’s arm as she moved past him. “I am sorry, Kat, but I seem to have
lost my appetite.”
She grimaced. “You know you should have let me know that
everyone was going to fight and
~~~~~
Chapter VI
Wren
Dinner was a tense affair. I began to wonder if I had
stumbled across a gopher mine. It began with Tourth informing the others about
my discovery.
Dardon lowered his leg of mutton. “What will be our
response?”
“The same as it has always been,” Tourth replied.
Arthus leaned back uncomfortably and focused intently on his
meal. Kat’s blue eyes darted warily from Dardon to Tourth and back again. Svhen
continued eating without pause or raising his eyes, but I sensed a sudden
tension in him despite the lack of physical signs. I long ago learned to trust
my instincts. This was a long standing argument that even put Svhen on edge.
“We sit back, watch them suffer, and do nothing.” Dardon
shoved his dish across the uneven surface of the table almost spilling it into
Tourth’s lap. He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest boring a hole
in Tourth’s head with his dark eyes.
“Dardon, we have been over this many times.” Tourth calmly
moved the plate and mutton a safer distance from the edge. “We are doing
something.”
“Putting food on their tables isn’t enough when the enforcer
is killing off their men. You know Simon lost his leg a month ago. Only last
week the Gibonson boy took a blow to the head and died. The working conditions
are inhumane. All you would have to do is declare your identity and claim your
birthright. You could spare these people from that monster. The people will
stand with you against Orac. It is only a matter of time before he discovers us
anyway and puts us to work there as well or takes our heads.”
Tourth’s knuckles grew white where he gripped his plate. The
movement of the meat to his mouth slowed, the motions becoming more deliberate.
Tension thickened with every silent moment.
“You know it isn’t as simple as that, Dardon,” Kat said,
showing more courage than I gave her credit for. “Father and Mother died simply
for taking a stand.”
“He is only protecting his own hide and he knows it,” Dardon
replied. Surging to his feet, he crashed out the door into the darkness,
cursing under his breath.
Tourth didn’t move. His breathing slowed, painfully regular.
His dark head bowed so that his face hid from my sight, but the muscles in the
forearm resting on the table tensed and corded. I watched him warily as he
struggled to regain his temper. Kat quietly removed Dardon’s portion from the
table, being careful to give Tourth a wide berth.
“I will go see he doesn’t do himself harm,” Arthus finally
volunteered, breaking the heavy weight of restrained words and actions, before
disappearing out the door.
“Bed,” Svhen muttered. He followed practically on Arthus’
heels. I doubted that was truly where he headed since his usual sleeping place
lay inside in the opposite direction.
I continued to eat. It would take more than an argument to
stop me from eating, a habit born of years of not knowing where my next meal
would come from. I pulled off a piece of the roasted mutton with my teeth and
chewed slowly. The meat was tender and well prepared. Kat was a pretty decent
cook most of the time. While I worked on my bite, I continued to watch Tourth.
He didn’t move, but as Kat continued cleaning up and I
eating, the muscles in his arms slowly relaxed, his knuckles returned to a more
normal color, and his breathing eased into a natural rhythm. Once I was certain
he had calmed to the point that he wouldn’t lunge at me, I spoke.
“I haven’t been around long enough to hear the reasons why
you are choosing to do nothing, and I would prefer hearing from you rather than
someone else.”
His head snapped up, and his eyes glared at me for a moment
before softening. “Sorry about that.” Sighing deeply, he reached around to
catch Kat’s arm as she moved past him. “I am sorry, Kat, but I seem to have
lost my appetite.”
She grimaced. “You know you should have let me know that
everyone was going to fight and
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