Of Blood and Duty

Chapter Twelve • Bits and Pieces

Happy Sunday loves! 

Here is a bonus chapter just because you are amazing!

-Lliam-

He watched as Mae she stormed out of the Hall, making her way through the happy crowd of celebrating guild members. Every step so explosive that her speed and manner of walking nearly spoke as loud as her eyes, which looked as if they could set a man on on fire if she felt inclined to. The hasty exit did not go unnoticed. Several turned their heads to look for what had her leaving the festivities so early.

Those who's eyes managed to land on Lliam, pursed their lips as if it had not been a surprise that he had been the reason for Mae leaving. However, no one said anything, at least not out loud or directly to him. Instead, they gave him long looks before taking swigs of their ale and continue with what they were doing. 

Feeling stared down and scrutinized, it felt necessary to be on guard for at least a while... He needed to be ready for whatever any of these drunken people could think of doing if seeing him leaving his guard down. 

Ten or fifteen long minutes passed and his food and grown cold, but no one had approached him or given him more than a look of attention. The tension he had felt earlier had dissipated and now it seemed as if he was no longer in the room to the others, which soothed his nerves a bit. But he did not want to be naive, so he kept waiting... 

When he finally was sure no one would come up and punch him or demand to know what he had said to Mae to make her leave, he went back to eating what was left on his plate. Despite it being cold and his appetite from before was long gone. As he took a bite out of half a potato, Mae's words echoed in the back of his head. 

Because of you. He heard her just as clearly as if she had repeated herself in front of him. What did she mean by that? Why am I the reason she cannot go with Hagan and his pack? Does Evor think I need to be watched or is it just some form of punishment because she took me in? 

As he was mauling things over, he barely even noticed that Evor suddenly sat down where Mae had been sitting. Joining him with a cup in his left hand and an apple in the right. 

"Thank you for the clothes and the bath." Lliam spoke first after they had given each other with a silent but respectful nod as a way of greeting. "And the food. It is del-" 

"Do not try and sweet talk me, boy." Evor interrupted him with his rough voice. "You smelled like shite and more... and those rags of yours were barely hanging on to you." 

It is impossible to please these people... He thought and rolled his eyes mentally in frustration. There was nearly nothing he could do or say that did not earn him a snide remark or a dark gaze. 

"So, where did Mae go?" Evor asked and took a big bite out of the apple when Lliam did not instigate a new conversation. 

Lliam was not suprised by the question but unsure of what to tell him. "I have no idea." He answered and shrugged his shoulders softly. "She got upset over something with what is happening tomorrow and I am pretty sure she is blaming it on me." He continued and felt annoyance rising in him as he spoke. "Seems to despise me one moment and want to bleed me dry for information in the next... and when she does not get wants she wants she pouts." Not until the words had left him did he realize that he was speaking about Evor's daughter. 

The fact that he had spoken so freely seemed to please Evor, to his own confusion. A crooked smirk slowly made its way over the chief's lips as he chewed his apple. "Why so pale all of a sudden?" He chuckled.