Desperation's Summit

6: Fault

It took Cordelia and Rakash a little longer to return home than Rakash would have liked. However, leaving all that food - unused - in a defunct caravan didn't sit right with him. Especially as large snowflakes began lazily falling from the sky. He glared up at the grey sky, eyes narrowing as he tried to get a feel for the weather to come. While the fat flakes were lazy and soft, at the moment, Rakash feared the mountain would be swept into a frozen gale soon enough.

Thankfully, the cold silenced Cordelia's chatter. She bundled tight in the warm clothes, borrowed from his late wife, and kept her head down against the increasing wind. Every so often, he could hear her grumble about the snow or the cold. Every time, he'd feel a bit of relief. The woman wouldn't want to stay beyond what she felt was acceptable, he figured.

When the two returned to Rakash's home, the troll tilted his head toward the door. His ear twitched and he raised a finger to his lips for quiet. Cordelia raised her eyebrows, but simply assumed he didn't want to rouse his children. Carefully, Rakash used one arm to balance the trunk on his shoulder while his other hand slowly reached for the door. Steadily, he shoved the door a crack open, allowing the two of them to hear inside.

Surprisingly, nothing seemed amiss despite the chatter inside. The triplets were sitting up in their cribs, babbling away with each other. Though the subject of conversation was interesting.

Zalmir stood in their crib, half hanging over the edge with their feet dangling above their mattress. "Bet Pa et hooman."

"No, no, no, Pa no et hooman." Ebra still sat in their bed, little chubby legs crossed. An uncertain look scrunched across their face as they added, "I tink."

Before Kazri - who laid on their belly on their mattress, watching the other two - could weigh in, Rakash fully pushed the door open, hauling the crate with him.

"I did not eat the human," Rakash announced as he dropped the trunk on the floor. As he moved further into the home, the familiar and comfortable set of burning wood and stone eased his nerves. Dealing with that woman had him on edge.

The sound of scuffling came from the cribs as all three trollings scrambled to their feet, peering over the rails. From the looks on their faces, Cordelia wondered if they thought the trunk their father hauled had her in it. But relief - and perhaps macabre disappointment - flickered over their faces as she followed after Rakash.

She tried to ignore the musty scent that hit her in the cabin. It likely came from the far end, which opened into the mountain. Though she still had to admit it was a daring and intelligent design, part of her wondered how much damp came from that end.

As Rakash straightened, bracing his hands on his lower back and arching back far enough for it to pop, Rakash casually added, "Something that spoiled is no good for digestion."

"They thought you ate me?" Drawn from her introspection of the home, she jerked to the conversation in progress. Her nose wrinkled at the realization, having thought they were just babbling in some little kid language when she and Rakash entered. She shook her head as she removed the borrowed boots and coat and gloves.

Following a similar undressing of outerwear, Rakash snorted as Cordelia slid by him to get to her precious luggage. "No comment about being called spoiled."

"I prefer indulged. But you use whatever rude terminology you wish," she retorted to him, waving him off with one hand as her other put her combination into the lock. The trunk lid bounced open with a pop. From the corner of her eye, she noticed how the three trollings watched with hungry interest.

Well, at least she was self-aware, Rakash thought as his lips pressed into a thin line. Though, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed with her dismissal. Not that he could understand why. If she didn't rise to his opinion of her, all the better, right? Meant he could freely speak.