IXUS

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 

“Bo,” I say, putting a hand on his shoulder. He’s hugging it and I could see the confusion across the Halfling’s face. It doesn’t seem to know what to do. It looks up at me and it looks like it wants help or something.

When it wears shades to hides its eyes, I can’t believe it, she really does look like Vera. I remember Vera having her own pair of Ray bans and wearing it almost all the time. I blinked and looked down at Bo again.

“Bo, we need to talk,” I say and cast a warning glance at Rye who nods and tries to separate Bo from the Halfling. He glares at both me and Rye and tries to shrug off my hands as I pry him away.

“Let me go,” he hisses and I grab his arm harder. He swings and kicks and the bowls and spoons fall onto the floor, making a clattering sound. Everybody stops and watches us. I hate the fact that we’re now the center of attention. I drag Bo back inside the house and Rye stays outside, trying to explain what just happened.

The Halfling watches us as I drag Bo inside. Inside, I let go of Bo and block the way towards the door.

“Go away, Dirk,” he hisses and glares at me. I shake my head and he tries to push me away but I’m stronger, taller and faster than him. In short, I have him at a disadvantage. “Dirk, I need to see her. I need to see my daughter.”

“She’s not your daughter,” I say exasperatingly. He stills.

“What do you mean she’s not my daughter? I think I know what Vera looks like,” he says flatly.

“She’s not Vera,” I say sadly. I close my eyes for a brief moment and sigh. “She’s a Halfling.” I opened my eyes and see Bo’s face shift from angry to surprised quickly. “She’s one of Vera’s offspring’s.”

Bo nodded and leaned against the wall. He puts both of his hands to cover his face.

“Can you please leave me alone for a moment, Dirk,” he requests. I nod and walk outside again. This time, everybody is now faraway from Rye and the Halfling. The Halfling wasn’t wearing its ray bans anymore and I can see clearly that Rye told them the truth.

He can’t just tell them about Vera and not explain that this isn’t her child.

Weeks passed and everything changed. I grew closer to Anya and Rye and Bo with the Halfling. The Halfling changed too. It talks now. In straight sentences. The kids sometime help Rye with teacher it how to say words.

Rye helps his sisters with teaching the kids how to read and write. The Halfling always hovers in the back, listening attentively.

Sometimes it laughs and it reminds me so much of her. It sometimes acts like her. It would make a snappy sarcastic comment that makes someone it’s talking to laugh and I remember how Vera acts like that.

Maybe Rye’s right. Maybe I should give the Halfling a chance.

So I do.

One night, after majority of our group has fallen asleep, the Halfling walks outside for some air I guess. I don’t really know why it goes out there. Rye doesn’t either and he doesn’t ask it.

“Hey,” I say walking in behind it. It turns its head around quickly and gives me a shy smile. I stand a few feet away from it, careful not to come so close. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s nice out here,” it mutters, shrugging. The Halflings voice is lower than Vera’s and a lot less husky than hers. It stood there with its arm crossed looking straight into the wilderness. It isn’t particularly a cold night but since we live in the middle of a forest, it gets pretty chilly. I’m used to it. The thing next to me though, looks like it’s not.