Cult of the Lamb : The Man in the Forest

Chapter 38: Mending

"I'm back...!" Merida called as she entered her home.

"Hello, dear." Her mother called back from the kitchen. Merida walked in, practically salivating from the pleasant aroma that wafted her way. Her mother was bent over the open oven, basting a roast within.

"Hey, Mama, I have a few questions."

"Oh?" Mir̃alai glanced back at her before resuming her work on the sides.

"Do you have any more of those Skull Necklaces? The regular ones?"

"I don't believe so. I gifted the last one to my newest Disciple. Why do you ask?"

"Because I wanted to give some to my friends." She explained and walked over to lean against the counter. "Lyn already has one, but she doesn't know if she wants to wear one if Aerwyn doesn't have one. So, I want to give him one. Then probably some of my other friends too, like Dally and Laurana."

"I do not think that is a good idea, dear. I am very selective over who I give those to for good reason. I don't want the followers to feel as if I am picking favorites."

"Aren't you though? I mean, you give them to the Disciples. They are your favorites by definition."

"They are not 'favorites'. They do the most for the Cult, and are rewarded for their roles. You may notice that I have not given them to Atti or Aurelia despite the fact that they are my closest friends within the grounds."

"Okay, but I don't care if the followers think I'm picking favorites. Hell, I'll go out and get necklaces for anyone who asks me about it. Might just take some time."

"They're not exactly common, Merida. It is not as simple as picking them up off the ground. They're usually on heretic corpses or within their camps."

"Then I'll kill the heretics. It isn't like I haven't done it before. Heretics are easy." Mir̃alai sighed and turned to face her daughter.

"Defeating them isn't the issue you'll have. They are not common. They might be easier to collect than Golden Skull Necklaces, but they're still uncommon."

"I still want to try." Merida said stubbornly. "If I find them, can I give them out myself?" Mir̃alai took a moment to think about it. Finally, she sighed and went back to her cooking.

"Yes, I suppose so... If you put in the effort to locate them, it wouldn't be right of me to regulate what you do with them. Be warned, if the followers object, I will direct them to you."

"Fine by me." Merida chuckled. Unlike her mother, she did not have to worry about how the followers felt about her. So, she had no issue telling them that she was prioritizing her friends first. Mir̃alai nodded and put out the stove fire.

"I spoke with your father, it seems your talk with him went well. How do you feel about it, hun?" She asked as she carried the steaming roast to the table.

"I feel alright, I guess." Merida sighed and went to gather the plates. "I didn't know that you overheard my conversation with Kenedra. I'm sorry if it upset you too, Mama."

"I will not lie to you, it did bother me. But, I'm not upset with you or with Kenedra over it. Really, I am more worried for Aym's sake than my own."

"I know... I want to get our relationship back on track, I just... I don't know how, Mama." She frowned, "I don't even know if we can."

"Would you like my advice?" Her mother asked with an assuring smile.

"Please..." Merida sighed.

"Spend time with him. Your issues with him began with Narinder, so do not speak about him. He is more than willing to leave the topic alone, you can do the same." She bit the inside of her cheek. She was sure that Narinder would come up in one way or another no matter what they did. The ex-God was ingrained so deeply in her current life between the visits, Kenedra, and training. Her worry didn't go unnoticed by her mother. The Lamb rested a hand on Merida's arm and leveled an exceptionally kind look at her.