Lost Ones - A False King

Chapter 7 - Sudden Departure

After their encounter with the talking squirrel, Mister Red, the Brymbach Brothers were plagued by numerous questions and theories, none of which could be answered by anyone other than the squirrel himself. Two days had passed without them encountering Mister Red again, despite their intense search for him. The day before yesterday, they spent the entire day in the forest, braving the heavy rain, searching for him. They looked in every treetop, by every trunk, and in all the bushes, but all their efforts were in vain. Even when they occasionally called his name, he didn't show up—much to their disappointment. Some hikers, however, heard their calls and rushed to help, as the brothers were deep in the forest. It took a while to convince them that they weren't lost. Even though the hikers wouldn't admit it, they were the ones who needed help finding their way back to the path.
Mister Red had likely been so intimidated by the appearance of their mother that he didn't dare to approach the brothers—at least, that's what Emmod and Novel assumed.

Yesterday was significantly warmer than the previous day and would have been the perfect opportunity for their first trip of the year to the sea.
But their mother had other plans.
She sentenced them to a day of house arrest—a particularly frustrating punishment given the beautiful weather. Emina also piled chores on them to help pass the day. Emmod was tasked with cleaning the cellar and creating more space. That meant sorting through all sorts of junk, sweeping the floor, and dealing with the dead animals that had perished there during the cold winter.
He immediately tried to pass the task on to his younger brother and was ready to accept any other punishment their mother might think up. However, Emina wasn't so easily swayed.
She wanted to keep a close eye on Novel, instead assigning him every other imaginable task. First, he had to wash the dishes. Then, he was to clean every window, both inside and out, including the window frames and sills. After that, he had to water the garden flowers before sweeping and thoroughly mopping the entire house. Novel tackled all the tasks in record time, hoping that his mother wouldn't have any more work for him afterward. By noon, he had completed everything and was the first to try on the knitted clothes Emina had finished in the meantime.

"Is that it?" he asked after putting on the newly knitted shirt, which he wouldn't have worn outside by choice.
"That's it," Emina replied, satisfied.
Novel, so happy he nearly jumped for joy, was just on his way to his room when his mother stopped him.
"Before I forget, please fetch some strawberries from town," she said without looking up from her knitting. "And be back before sunset. I'll be starting dinner soon."
"So, I only have time to get the strawberries and come straight back?" Novel asked, disappointed.
"Exactly," Emina confirmed, handing him a few silver coins to buy the strawberries.
With his head hung low, Novel set off.

His brother didn't fare much better. Even before starting his work, Emmod's nerves were already frayed, and it took a while for him to overcome his disgust at the dust, dirt, and cobwebs, which sometimes still housed their creators as well as their prey. His expression revealed his revulsion.
He had resigned himself to the ever-present dust covering him and his body within the first hour in the cellar. In every corner and beneath nearly every piece of junk, he had to deal with vermin, sometimes dead, sometimes alive. But regardless of the surprise, the shock was always the same.
Had he had his brother's ability to see in the dark, he might have anticipated many situations beforehand, rather than when the light from his lantern revealed them. Though, in hindsight, he was somewhat relieved not to have discovered everything immediately, as he would have avoided certain areas entirely.
That evening, he joined his mother and brother at the dinner table. Not much was said, mainly because Emmod and Novel were too exhausted.
After dinner, they fell straight into bed without exchanging many words.
"Where were you earlier?" Emmod asked.
"In town," Novel replied. "Had to buy strawberries."
"Why were you done with your chores so early?" Emmod pressed.
"Because I thought the faster I finish, the less likely it would be for Mom to find more work for me," Novel explained. "And why did it take you so long?"
"It didn't," Emmod said, as Novel's questioning gaze lingered on him. "I was practically done by midday. But I knew she'd give me more chores if I told her," he added, relaxing as he put his arms behind his head.
"Then why did you make such a fuss about it?" Novel asked, still curious.
"Because I think it gave Mom a certain satisfaction," Emmod said. "She didn't even come to check on me until just before she started making dinner," he added with a quiet laugh, making himself more comfortable.
Novel was annoyed, but sleep soon relieved him of his frustration.