The Non-Human Society

Chapter One Hundred and Eighty Nine - Renn - A Gentle Fence

      Brandy was perfect for speeches. She had that boisterous attitude, which gave her voice a wonderful loudness that didn't bother the ears. Her voice was thick of emotion yet she did it in a way that made it sound natural. She stood on a small crate, not too far from the large campfire we all sat around, and was nearing the end of her story. One of loss. One of hope.

One that transfixed me almost as much as everyone else.

Almost.

It was interesting. And not just the story itself. Brandy had returned from the Bell Church right as we had all gathered to eat dinner. Instead of telling anyone what she had learned, or done, she instead clambered up on that box and began her story.

By the way everyone was acting; no one else had heard this story before. Or if they had, it was simply that good of one. Or maybe it was just Brandy's charisma that made everyone listening become so infatuated with her and the story.

Yet as fascinating it was to hear of a strange land, where a princess had been sacrificed and the small band of knights who had gone to save her, I couldn't stop my mind from wandering.

"And yet, even when their comrade was hurt... they did not rest. They couldn't! They carried on and," Brandy continued her story, and I had to shift in my seat again.

My tail hurt. And not just because I was sitting on an uncomfortable little box.

Glancing around at Fly and Tosh, those I was sitting in-between, I realized I needed to just get up and leave... and I'd be able to do so. I was sitting behind them more than not, thanks to how I had sat down last right as Brandy had jumped up onto her little crate and start her campfire story. And they, like everyone else, were completely transfixed by Brandy. Even the Clothed Woman, who sat over near the wagon the campfire had been built nearby, looked entirely fixated on Brandy.

I waited until Brandy turned around away from me, to look at the group across the fire from us. She did that every so often. She slowly turned, and shifted, and even spun around occasionally as to always include everyone watching her into the story. She sometimes even pointed at people, to ask a question, or what they were thinking. It was an odd way of telling a story as to pass the time, and under normal circumstances I wouldn't even have thought about leaving or anything else... but...

Flinching as another sharp pain shot up my butt and up my spine, I grimaced and glanced around again. To make sure no one was looking or paying attention at me.

No one was.

We were done eating. Most were just drinking, though not everyone was drinking anything but water or tea. The world was dark, and the large fire we were all sitting around was roaring and bright. It and Brandy were loud enough to compensate for everyone being silent.

No one would see me. No one would hear me leave.

Taking a tiny breath, I decided to just do it. I slowly stood, carefully, and felt my heartbeat thump loudly as I stepped away... as no one, not even little Merit who sat a few chairs away, seemed to notice.

Slowly walking away, I headed towards the buildings. The house and church. So that if anyone turned to see what I was doing, they'd hopefully only think I was going to the restroom or something.

It wasn't wrong for me to leave. I knew no one would actually grow upset over me stepping away while Brandy told her story... but I was tired of people worrying about me and being gentle.

Yes. I was hurt. I was injured. Those very injuries were why I was leaving the fun little circle of happiness. Yet just because I was hurt didn't mean I needed to be treated like a baby.