Chapter Fourteen - You Knew

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The family walks home in silence, Tsovey holding Vialo's hand tightly. Tatal was left in her thoughts. So much had just happened and she was struggling to process it all. Once they made it home, they quickly went inside and sat down around the entryway. "Vialo." Tatal finally spoke.

"I was going to tell you...I was." Vialo swore.

"How did you learn their language?" Tatal questioned.

"I found a book." Vialo replied, motioning to stand, but was stopped.

"Don't move." Solko hissed. "I need to tend to your arm." She added.

"Just let me get the book and then I will sit still." Vialo paused looking at her irritated sister. "I promise I will sit still. Just let me get the book." Vialo pleaded. Solko sighed and nodded. Vialo quickly stood up and walked to a hole that had been covered with a cloth their mother had made, and grabbed a book tucked inside quickly returning back to her family, and sitting down next to Solko. "Here." Vialo exclaimed, handing Tatal the book.

Tatal opened the cover and was met with handwritten notes. Their entire language within every page. "Where did you find this?" Tatal asked.

"I knew about the aliens...outside the tree line." Vialo confessed.

"You knew? For how long?" Tatal hissed.

"Two months." Vialo replied.

"And you said nothing?" Tatal growled. "You remember what they did to us all those years ago? Why wouldn't you say anything?" Tatal shouted.

Vialo's breath hitched at Tatal's tone. She was reminding her of their father and Vialo didn't like it. "Because father was still here!" Vialo cried. Her reply took everyone by surprise.

"Vialo." Sakire whispered.

"Father was still here, and you know as well as I do that if father had found out he would have run head first at them...and they would have killed him." Vialo fought.

Tatal let out a shaky breath before walking over to Vialo, taking the open seat beside her. "I understand." Tatal conceded as she gently pulled Vialo's head onto her shoulder, making sure not to disturb Solko. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I'm just confused..." Tatal paused, placing her head on top of Vialo's. "I'm scared." Tatal confesses. "I think we all are." She adds looking out to the rest of their family who all agreed with her. Tatal brought her thumb over to Vialo's cheek and softly wiped the tears away, before bringing her focus back on the book laid out in front of her. She began flipping through the pages again. "You learned all of this in two months?" Tatal questioned.

"Yes." Vialo replied softly, head still firmly pressed against Tatal's shoulder.

Tatal chuckled gently. "That is pretty impressive." Tatal admitted.

Vialo allowed herself to smile a little at her sister's words. "Thank you." Vialo exclaimed happily.

"I wanna see!" Tsovey stated scooting over to her sister's, and taking the book out of Tatal's hands. "How could you understand any of this?" The young ten year old exclaimed. "It makes no sense." Tsovey added.

"You just have to work at it. It isn't as hard as it looks." Vialo reassured her.

"Well then I guess you are going to have to teach us." Henilo joined in with a soft giggle.

"Wait...you would want to learn?" Vialo questioned.

"If it means that we will be able to talk our way out of something like that again I think it would be a good idea." Solko added placing medicine on Vialo's wound.

"Ouch!" Vialo hissed. "That really stings." She continued.

"I'm sorry...this is the only medicine I have right now. Mom forgot to make more before she left." Solko expressed softy.

"It's okay, this isn't your fault." Vialo exclaimed with a smile. They all sat together silently until Solko was finished bandaging Vialo's arm. "I told those guys to come back here after eclipse." Vialo confessed.

"Vialo.. why would you invite them back here?" Tatal groaned.

"Chris said he would explain why they were here, and Nick seems to know more of our language than Chris, so he will be able to translate a bit." Vialo began.

"But why the other one?" Henilo hissed. "He hurt you!" He continued.

"The one that shot me isn't coming Henilo." Vialo exclaimed, gaining an aggravated grunt from her brother.

Tatal sighed, as she rubbed her temple. "Alright. We will all come with you. I still don't trust them." Tatal exclaimed, annoyance audible in her voice.

"Okay." Vialo replied with a smile. "Together." She finished.

"Together." Tsovey repeated, making her family laugh.

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