Cult of the Lamb : The Man in the Forest

Chapter 19: Burned

After breakfast the following morning, Merida said her goodbyes to her grandmother, and her parents. She had taken a few minutes to pull her Mother aside and ask her about Aerwyn's training request. To her surprise, Mir̃alai agreed almost instantly. She trusted Merida's judgment, and her ability to do the job properly. Which came as a pleasant surprise to Merida, who was under the impression her Mother's trust was still fragile. Mir̃alai's only stipulation was that the Followers who partook in training were only permitted to have their weapons during training. They would be locked safely away any other time.

With their goodbyes out of the way, Merida and Kenedra began their walk back to the cottage. It was a cool sunny morning, and Kenedra had taken one of Merida's red robes to wear over her dress to keep warm on the journey. Merida had a feeling the girl was more interested in simply having something of hers than the warmth though. They held hands as they walked along, chatting to pass the time. Kenedra was pleased to report she'd had a wonderful time overall, the small bout of guilt she had was fleeting, and she was thankful for Merida's intervention.

When they arrived at Narinder's cottage, they found he was already outside, sitting cross legged upon a stump in his front yard. His hands were hidden beneath the sleeves of his black robes as his arms were crossed, and his eyes were closed. Merida was sure he was meditating, she'd seen him do it enough to recognize it. The crunching leaves beneath their feet signaled him to open his eyes.

"Ah, I hoped you'd be returning today." He said as he hopped down from the stump, meeting them halfway across the yard. "You did not say you would stay overnight."

"My apologies, Father. I did leave in a bit of a rush."

"Indeed. It is alright, of course." He shrugged, "I would only like to be informed in the future."

"Yes, Father." Kenedra smiled, "I had planned to return yesterday, but Mir̃alai put together a birthday party for me. She was unsure if she would get another chance to."

"Oh?" Narinder smiled in return, "And did you enjoy yourself?"

"Yes, I did." Kenedra grinned more broadly and dissolved into a giddy explanation of the evening's events. Who attended, highlights of conversation, and her Mother's immaculate birthday cake. Narinder seemed as pleased as Merida expected to hear it all. When Kenedra's story drew to a close, he spoke up.

"I am happy for you, Kenedra. Now, I believe Merida has some training to catch up on." He stated, it was a gentle queue for her to leave them be.

"Of course. I do not wish to interrupt, she is already behind." Kenedra leaned over to press a kiss to Merida's cheek before heading into the cottage. Narinder watched his daughter leave then turned back to face Merida, his smile faltering. Though it was not a look of sadness he wore, rather, it was worry.

"I require your assistance."

"Uh... what with?" She asked, a brow raised.

"I would like to celebrate Kenedra's birthday as well. To be frank, Merida. I am not one for celebrations. I have scarcely attended a celebration of any sort, let alone planned one. That was Leshy's area of expertise." Merida cracked a smile. Here was one of the oldest, wisest beings in all existence... Asking her for help... with a birthday party.

"Well, look at how the tables have turned~" She teased, resting a hand on her hip. "The student becomes the master?"

"Hardly..."

"The student becomes the master." She confirmed with a nod. Narinder sighed, crossing his arms.

"My issue is the obvious. I have very little in the way of resources. It is not something I can do on my own."