A Kingdom of Bones

V | FIVE

She's angry, that much is obvious. Her silence, which she is displaying now, has always been the first sign of her displeasure, even when we were children. We haven't always known when we made our mother mad; she isn't like our father with his booming voice and clear words of disapproval. Our mother is quiet, her demeanor stiff and eyes disapproving. That is, with us anyway. With strangers, it's like staring down a rabid dog, one that you know will strike at any moment.

Now, the tension between us three is like an invisible hand, attempting to choke a confession of guilt and an apology from my sister and I. It will be that way until one of us gives in; that's how it normally goes. We are, after all, a family of stubborn people.

"We're almost there." West startles me, his voice loud in the silence that has stretched across our group as we rode.

We have been traveling for at least an hour, but luckily now on horseback. We took the dead knights' horses and since there were more than we needed, we cut the ties on the extras. Still, most of them followed, trying to remain with the other horde of horses instead of traveling alone through the woods.

West smiles, clearly having seen me jump. His anger had been forgotten long ago, just like always. West isn't capable of holding grudges, he focuses on the moment, nothing else. In some cases, like this one, it is a blessing. I don't need both West and my mother angry at me. "I think you both will like it there, especially you, Celeste."

"What is it like?" she asks as she strokes the horse's mane, her eyes focused intently on the yellow waves of hair. It's obvious that she doesn't actually care. She asks only as a distraction.

"Big," West says, a smile on his face, "with animals. Oh, and Mortyns."

"Really?" Celeste perks up, and even I raise an eyebrow, my gaze traveling to him. I see from the corner of my eye Rolland, the young scarred boy, turn to us from on top of his horse, a small smile on his face.

"Yes, some." West chuckles lightly as he succeeds in striking my sister's avid curiosity.

"I've always wanted to meet one." Celeste speaks in awe, her eyes glossing over like a young child's. In some ways, she is still one.

But even I am curious about the apparent Mortyns. They're a quiet species, dwelling only in forested villages, camouflaging themselves into the shadows created by the thick brush. They aren't social, nor are they easy to find, so for my brother to have rallied some as allies is a big deal. And means that maybe this issue is more important than I had first thought. The idea makes me even more anxious to find out what it is that West is keeping from me.

"They are a very nice people, but they are just as scary up close as the legends say." West whispers, leaning in towards Celeste. She tries to swallow a smile, but I can still see the shadow of it on her face.

"Vik is there as well, yes?" Mother speaks up, making me turn to her and Celeste dip her head down, trying to avoid her eyes as they travel over her head. She ignores my gaze, staring straight at my brother, just as I figured she would.

West looks up. "Yes, he is. He is my second in command, so at all times one of us is stationed at our compound." My mother starts to reply, but a voice interrupts her.

"Boss," a man calls, stopping his horse up ahead, "We're here."

All of the robed people look back at West, their eyes expectant. West breaks away from us, leaving my mother, Celeste, and I at the very back of the group as he steers his horse towards the break in the trees.

"It's in the middle of an Unmarked forest?" I question, my voice oddly loud in the silence.

"It's in a Mortyn's village," Merilda answers, my horse quickly catching up with her's as the rest remain still. My horse comes to stand beside Merilda's, leaning in to sniff the other horse, "Their leader welcomed us into his home because we offered him protection from the Racléss." the word rolls of off her tongue strangely, the Mortynian word giving her voice a huskier tint.