Tansy of the Wilds

Chapter Twenty-Six

The sun was setting as they reached the lumberyard. Xer'tal watched as Ricktus walked forward, his hand out towards Tenzin. He then watched as Miriam came forward to Tansy, cupping Tansy's face, kissing her cheeks. His grip tightened on his pack as her mother ushered them all into the big house where rabbit stew was ladled into bowls. Conversation flowed all around and Xer'tal kept his eyes on Tansy as she picked at her stew, occasionally glancing up, catching his eye and smiling as if in reassurance that she was fine.

He hadn't believed it, he could see her making herself smaller the moment they walked through those gates. He could see that the sunshine that radiated out of her, grow dimmer. He couldn't help but feel his dislike of her family growing more entrenched. It was like their mere presence made her want to make herself smaller. And that caused a heavy coal of anger to grow in his gut.

He watched as the stooped, grey haired Archibald came down a hall, patting Tansy on the shoulder with a gnarled hand as he walked by her. "Tansy, a hardy healing herb. Likes to grow, likes to survive, despite all adversity and harshness. A rose and a daffodil might be pretty, but I prefer tansy, she has purpose." His words were a raspy murmur that had Xer'tal's ears twitching. He watched as the old man kissed the top of her head affectionately and Tansy seemed to bloom under the affection as Archibald sat down beside her. That made the old man somewhat agreeable to Xer'tal.

"How was the trip to Berget, Xer'tal?" Rose gave him a bright smile and Xer'tal hated how she said his name, with a cloying sort of false sweetness. Not to mention she seemed to roll the syllables of his name around on her tongue in a way that made him want to tell her to fuck off.

He grunted, taking another bite of stew. "Fine."

"Oh come now, there had to be some excitement." She almost cooed the words at him and it took all he had to not sneer at her.

"None." He kept his eyes on the stew. He wasn't quite sure what game Rose was attempting to play but there was a game and he wanted no part of it.

"I don't believe that for a second." Hee voice was breezy, giving a rather tinkling laugh that set Xer'tal's teeth on edge.

"There was little that happened, Rose. No bandits, no bad weather. It was a rather boring trip." Tansy softly interjected and when Xer'tal glanced up, he didn't miss the flash of pure, ugly anger that traversed Rose's pretty face.

"I didn't ask you, Tansy!" It came out as a snap. "You know better than to interrupt a conversation." The words were spiteful and condescending and Xer'tal's eyes narrowed as he glanced at Tansy. She pinched her lips together and he could see her hunching down, making herself smaller.

"Rose, please don't be so loud, we need to be kind." Miriam gave the correction softly and Rose sniffed slightly, clearly upset at the slight reprimand. "And Tansy, my love, you did interrupt, please apologize to your sister and Mr. Xer'tal." That irritated him even worse, why in the damned hells did Tansy need to apologise and Rose didn't?

"I don't need an apology." Xer'tal narrowed his eyes. "She was providin' a second opinion on the fact the trip was borin'." He couldn't help the agitated rasp his voice had. He was growing to hate her family more and more.

"Papa, did you send that list with Tansy?" One of her brothers, he was sure it was Basil, cut through the sudden tension eagerly.

"Yes, I did! Tansy, did you gather what I asked?" At her father's words, Xer'tal watched as she picked up her pack with a small nod and handed it to her mother. He watched as it was passed to her father and then various items were passed around. He glanced back at Tansy and she was staring at her stew, eating slowly. He could practically see that sunshine that radiated out of her dimming and it left a sour taste on his tongue.