A Blaze in the Dark (A New Dawn #1)

Chapter 17 - Fox (Part 1)

This tragedy should have never happened. For that I take my responsibility. 

The pitter patter of the raindrops clashed against the roof tiles, determined to ruin Fox's precious sleep. He pulled his pillow over his head and huddled deeper into the woolly blanket. It had to be the middle night because nothing or no one would force him to leave the snuggly warmth of his own foxhole.

A door downstairs creaked open before falling shut with a thundering bang. He rolled over, his blanket the only thing separating his face from the wall. Maybe Katla had to pee. It couldn't be morning yet. He had to continue his dream of Mother showering him with the hugs he so desired.

It seemed only seconds until the drumming noise above him stole his sleep for the second time. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. Though his headache was only softly pounding in the nape of his neck, the God of Sloth was taunting him to fall back on the mattress and snore until he grew tired of the bed.

A familiar smell filled his nostrils, making his stomach grumble. He sniffed. Savoury and salty. Bacon!

Without as much as a moment's hesitation, he abandoned the blanket and pulled on Hunter's trousers. With each step down the stairs his mouth watered more and more. He had to swallow  to not start drooling like a baby getting teeth.

Katla stood bent over the chained cooking bowl, sticking a large fork into the strips of bacon and placing them on a plate. His mostly black hair was messy and wet. On the back of the chair closest to the fireplace hung his cloak, still dripping. He glanced up. "Morning. Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah." A yawn attacked Fox as he sat down at the table, and he didn't do anything to stop it. "But I'm so tired I could sleep all day."

"Drowsiness is a common side-effect of the potion. It will be gone in a couple of hours." Katla placed the plate on the table and sat down, on the opposite side of him.

"Are you sure?" What was going on in his head was more than just the after-effect of being ill. He hardly seemed to recall what had happened the previous night, like it had all been a fleeting, hazy fever dream. There was something important about Seb. The memory was there in his mind, but he couldn't find it.

"Yes, are you hungry?" Katla gestured at the twelve crispy pieces that were still sizzling on the plate. "Fresh from Magpie's. He's the best butcher in all of Moondale."

"Starving." Fox licked his lips.

"Good." Katla twitched his hands and, instantly, four large strips flew in front of Fox's nose, along with a loaf of sprouted bread. "A good appetite is important. Eat well, son. We've got plenty to do today."

Fox tilted his head. "Like what? We're not gonna go outside, are we? It's raining."

"Why not? Are you afraid of the rain?" Katla grinned as he reached for the butter and took a huge swipe that covered most of his knife.

"No." Fox pouted. He stabbed his fork into a piece of bacon. "I'm not afraid of anything."

Three more strips flew onto the buttered side of Katla's bread. "I find that hard to believe. Everybody's afraid of something."

"Not me. Not anymore." Fox sunk his teeth into the bacon. It was a lot saltier than how his mother used to make it, but not bad. "What are you afraid of?"

Katla folded his bread and took a large bite. He remained quiet the entire time that he was chewing. When he had finally swallowed, he shrugged. "Winter. The cold. The darkness. I don't like it."