The King and his Hand

Chapter 9: All work, some play

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of rain beating against the shop's roof. I sit up and pull my blanket tightly around me, trying to escape the nipping cold of the late autumn air. I struggle to keep my eyes open. I feel exhausted. Across the room Ren still snores soundly. His sheets are all torn up, and his comforter only clings to his bed by a corner, the rest of it crumpled on the floor. I guess he also had a rough night. I still shiver at my dream. It made me toss and turn all night. In my nightmare, I was reliving Scar's death, except this time… ItIt was Ren who died. But none of that matters now. I pull aside my covers and slip my feet into my sliders. I then throw on some capris and a sweater and head outside for some fresh air. With this cold rain I'm sure winter is coming soon. I'll have to look into making myself some leather winter boots soon. The rain trickles down the roof and falls lightly on the dirt, stirring it and creating puddles of mud. It's slowing down. I take a deep breath in, letting the frozen air fill my lungs. I sit down on the bench and just take a second to appreciate the noises around me. I hear rain and wind whooshing around, kissing my rosy cold cheeks. The trees rustle, and a wolf howls in the distance. It reminds me of Ren. Wait, why can't I hear Ren's snoring? I open my eyes and jump. Before me stands Ren, smiling and baring his teeth, hair a mess, and shirt only half buttoned up, clearly hastily put on. On his lower half, he’s wearing bright yellow pyjama pants with li'l paw prints all over them. 

“Wow me laddie, didn't mean to startle ya. Sleep well?”

I gesture for him to sit next to me on the bench and he sits. 

“As well as you did, my liege.”

He chuckles. 

“You know… I've been thinkin’. The server lacks some serious leaderage. Maybe I could actually be King of the server? And you'd be my right hand man of course.”

I nod. It wouldn't be a bad idea to start a kingdom. It would actually work perfectly for my task of causing chaos in the arena. Plus it seems to be what the Watchers want with how Ren's should look. 

“Let's do it….. My lord.”

By now the sun has begun to come out and the rain has slowed down. I shiver, the cold sure hasn't subsided yet. 

“Cold, Martyn?”

Ren looks at me. He isn't wearing his sunglasses so I can see his eyes clearly. I just want to fall into their warm brown tones, melting like a marshmallow in a cup of hot chocolate. 

“Y-yea it is a bit chilly.”

Without a word he wraps his tail around my waist and pulls me in for a hug. His fur is so soft and warm, I really am starting to feel like a melting marshmallow. I've had good hugs before but hugging Ren feels different. He's like a giant safety blanket. After a bit I stand up and head inside to prepare for the day. What is this fuzzy feeling? I quickly get changed, adding an extra layer to keep warm. Then I throw some fish into the furnace for breakfast. I kneel down to prod the salmon and assure its well cooked. I hear fumbling behind me and presume that it's Ren getting ready. 

Once the fish is cooked, Ren sets the table and we sit down to eat. Through mouthfuls Ren speaks. 

“We should do a bit of chores today. Really start laying those wall foundations down. Maybe do some farmage.”

I nod, taking a bite of the bland salmon. Needs pepper but there's none in the arena. 

“We gonna make it outta wood or stone?”

“I was thinking stone so it ain't flammable. Catch?”

I nod again, not looking up from my plate. I take the last bite of my salmon and stand up to put my stuff away. Ren isn't far behind me and stands up a minute later, ready to go. And so the day of work begins. Ren goes off to collect stone and any larger boulder he can find. I choose to stay behind and start up a wheat farm for breading cows and making bread. The sun moves across the sky, drying up the rain and making for a pretty hot day. Only the gentle breeze and coloured leaves remind me that it's early November. Cicadas buzz, keeping me company as I work the ground. Ren returns with Rocks, then heads straight back out to the mines for more. At this point the day's become so hot I've ditched my jumper and tied it around my waist, leaving me in my white tank top. I work on the farms for hours, toiling away as Ren slowly collects a large amount of stone and branches. It's not until 2 past noon that I finish farming and move to laying out stones in shape of a wall foundation. Ren takes a break from collection. 

“Hey Martyn! Let's put this baby on hold and take a dip in the lake, laddie!”

Without waiting for protest he takes off his shirt and runs towards the river at the bottom of the hill. 

“Cannonball!! WOOOOOO!!”

He plunges into the water, elegantly resurfacing and swishing his long hair back, brushing it with his fingers. 

“Come on, Martyn! Take a break!”

I sigh. I suppose a small break is in order. Caving, I strip down to my trousers and run down the hill, laughing and screaming. I jump. 

“CANNONBALL!!”