reaching dusk (WATTY Awards 2013)

chapter 9

Nahuel and his sisters filed inside close on each others heels and stood shoulder to shoulder in the middle of the living room. Nahuel stood slightly in front of them protectively.

"Thank you for your hospitality," he said, "your family is very kind to offer us protection."

I smiled warmly at them all and nodded in response. The three girls looked away shyly.

They all had the same chestnut color brown hair and dark eyes as Nahuel, and were small, but lithe in stature. They pulled and fidgeted with the bulky neck of the sweaters they wore, even though it wasn't terribly cold outside. They didn't look comfortable in their clothes; in fact they looked like they didn't feel comfortable in clothes period. Like the kind of women who should wear leather bound sandals and a loin cloth stalking prey through the jungle with a spear.

"Please sit down" I gestured toward the sofa glancing over at Jacob who leaned against the frame of the front door. Nahuel took a chair opposite the love seat and his three sisters all squeezed onto the love seat, their shoulders touching each other. They reminded me of the little bronze statues with the three monkeys covering their eyes, ears, and mouths against evil, and I smiled to myself.

"Did Carlisle say when they would be back?" I asked Jacob who still hadn't moved. He stared at the ground and shrugged making a show of being uninterested in our guests. Obviously, his bad mood hadn't passed yet. I sat alone on the over sized sofa and tried to make conversation.

"So, how was the journey?" I asked one of the sisters trying to seem overly interested.

"Long."

"I can imagine. Was Demetri hospitable?" I pressed. "Yes."

She was practically whispering her responses back at me and tugging her long braid around her shoulders fidgeting with the ends. She never looked up from the floor.

I shifted my gaze over to Nahuel who just smiled back as if this was a perfectly jovial conversation and thought nothing out of the ordinary. I knew Jacob wasn't going to try and carry the conversation so I tried again.

"I'm sorry, but I just realized that I don't know any of your names…I'm Renesmee and this is Jacob Black," I said gesturing behind me where Jacob was still moping. All of the girls exchanged panicked glances between themselves and back to Nahuel. I didn't understand their nervous reaction. You would have I thought I'd asked them each to sacrifice a virgin to the volcano. Nahuel looked at me apologetically.

"Sorry, they are not very comfortable being around the wolf," he explained. I heard Jacob snort under his breath.

"Hmph…the feeling is mutual," he said crossing his arms over his chest. I rolled my eyes playfully trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh…there is nothing to worry about with Jacob," I assured them ignoring his rudeness for the second time. "He's an old family friend…..he is here to protect us."

The sisters took his measure very slowly and then the tallest of the three with the braided hair spoke first. "I am Emmanuelle, and this is Johanna and Celina." she spoke louder this time, but her voice was shaking "It is very nice to meet you all," I replied smiling.

I had hoped the conversation would be easier now that we had the formalities out of the way, but Nahuel and his sisters fell silent for the most part, only answering my questions in one or two words, so I finally gave up. We spent the better half of the afternoon sitting in the living room silently staring off in different directions when I heard Jacob shift his weight behind me.

"Finally!" he mumbled as he moved to open the door. My family had just returned from their hunting trip. My father led the way gliding gracefully in the room as Nahuel stood to shake his hand.