The Icon Unbound

Chapter Five, Part A - Rigel

So, action scenes are still the hardest for me to write. I do want to thank everyone who took the time to go over this, if I missed anything or if you see any way for this to improve, please tell me. Sometimes Watt has this annoying habit of incorrectly translating the format from Word. I will continue to look into this. If you see any spacing errors, let me know. 

Rigel is at home, and he is about to get a surprise visitor. Let's see what the night has in store for him. --Elizabeth, UPDATED 05/03/2017

Moonlight poured through the window so strongly that it lit up the fine dust in the air as well as the sun. Rigel stared at it for a few bleary seconds before sitting bolt upright in the bed, his heart beating with a nervousness he couldn't explain. He rubbed his chest, annoyed to find that his shirt clung to a thin layer of cold sweat. Whatever dream caused his unease, it vanished like smoke in the waking world, leaving only the disturbing sensation that something was wrong. Throwing off the covers, he glanced around him. Nothing in the familiar, well-beloved room seemed out of place. Except Ash, who lay in the moonlight, who had her head up and her ears forward. Arrow lifted his head up a bare second later to stare at him with golden eyes.

Rigel glanced at the small time piece that sat on the mantel. Only an hour had passed since Era had left, she would be halfway home. More than halfway if she had hurried. He tried to imagine it, Era on the road smiling under the moonlight before walking up the steps to her house. Though he had walked that path himself many times, he could not imagine her getting home tonight. The image kept slipping away.

Giving up on sleep, he stood. Ash and Arrow got up too, crowding on either side, waiting for orders.

Rigel stuffed his feet into his boots and tramped down the stairs. The house seemed quiet. He snatched up his hunting bow and a quiver of arrows from the closet at the bottom of the stairs that contained all the hunting kits and spare traps.

Just to ease the nag in his mind, he poked his head into all of the rooms on the way toward the kitchen. Nothing moved, the curtains were still, and everything was as he had left it that evening. Even the assurance of his eyes could not make the feeling abate one bit.

In the kitchen, the fire was banked, but the embers caused enough of a glow to cast strange shadows on the wall and the floor.

Arrow whined and shoved his nose under Rigel's free hand. Rigel stood in the warm, quiet kitchen and waited to feel at ease. Minutes passed and the hairs on the back of his neck didn't go down. He settled the quiver more firmly onto his shoulder and studied the door, contemplating his own foolishness.

"All right, guys, that's it. Let's go check out the yard. Come on." He went to the door, and opened it. "Go out!"

The dogs shot out into the night, looking for danger.

All of Honor's winter crop, and her carefully preserved seasonal plants, looked thin in the pale light from his lantern. The dogs bounded between the neat rows and to the little gate beyond both dogs leaping over it with ease, disappearing very quickly.

They would run the entire perimeter of the farmstead and return if nothing was amiss. Rigel leaned against the doorframe and yawned, wondering if he was losing his mind. Tomorrow, when the others got back, he would call himself ten kinds of an idiot for staying up this late. He would be yawning all though breakfast and Saiph would tease him mercilessly. Saints and stars, he should probably have something prepared for when they came, some hotcakes or...