The Nightscape

Unwelcomed Scheming

To say things were awkward around the village now was an understatement. The council had to be in close communication just to keep everything running, but the conversations were stilted, avoided where possible, and full of hidden messages and snide comments. The only time they remained civil was when Zidros was around, because they no matter how angry and annoyed they all were, they knew it would be the end of all of them if he learnt what they knew. Factions had formed among them; firstly, Guy and Ettie were fully refusing to talk. Francine and Guy had also separated themselves from the group, and Anya was trying to remain neutral but had only succeeded in isolating herself. Not that she seemed to mind. She had retreated into herself now, not even wanting to talk to anyone even if they weren't currently mad at her. 

Lyra felt a little responsible, but was doing her best not to feel guilty. She really hadn't had another choice- she had to tell them the truth. If they disagreed about what needed to be done, that wasn't on her. She had done her bit. She had found them a way out. What they did with the information was up to them. Sooner or later they would either come to an agreement or tell Zidros, and then no matter what it would be over. 

In the meantime, she focused on what she needed to do to get the food supply to the town stable. Zidros had picked out multiple books for her on the subject of agriculture, and reluctant though she was to admit it, they were good. Lyra barely knew anything about farming on Earth, the place she still called home in her heart, never mind in this hostile landscape. At night, she would pore over the books, trying to figure out what the best strategy would be. She had a fair number of people who were working with her, and so she had set a few of them to scour the nearby areas to try and find somewhere good to set up a farm. Preferably, they needed it to be near a water source, if only so they could dig some irrigation channels. 

The place she eventually settled on... wasn't great. It was on the outskirts of a forested area, so there was a lot to clear before they could start on anything, and it was a two mile walk away from the town. But it was the best they had. Besides, Jason said that over time they should be able to 'reverse the desertification', whatever that meant. 

And so, life in the town continued on in an awkward, shuddering stroll. The hours turned into days, the days into weeks, and still the council was fractured. And now Lyra was worried that Zidros was catching on. Even when they weren't directly interacting with him, Zidros was always wandering around and observing things anyway. His quiet contemplation in the library had become boring to him, so now he walked around like the child he looked like and asked constant questions to anyone he could get his hands on. And in doing so, he had seen some of the thought private interactions between the council. 

Lyra herself had seen refusals to talk, outright insult slinging, and even petty shoves, and she didn't doubt that Zidros had seen some of it. She had thought that things would calm down after a week or so, but apparently she was wrong. Instead of simmering down into a quiet resentment or disagreement, every day more fuel seemed to be added to the fire. It was only a matter of time before things boiled over, and sure enough, it did. 

The girl was sat in her hut late one night, using a lantern to read a book, when she heard a small knock on her door. Surprised, she looked up. 

"Come in." She said in a low voice, as though she didn't want to be overheard but wasn't sure why. The door opened, and the twins came in, closing the door behind them and sitting down opposite me. Lyra frowned, laying the book aside and leaning forward, steepling her fingers with her elbows on her knees. "To what do I owe the pleasure? This late at night, in the darkness no less." She asked, her brow arched at them. The twins exchanged a glance, and Finn started to talk. 

"We waited until it was dark and Zidros was asleep because we didn't want him to know. We didn't want anyone to know, really, because we figured that you would be the only one who really understood the importance of what we need to do." He said, and Lyra immediately got a sinking feeling.