Gaiagon

Chapter 8: Breaking the News

Now that the fighting was over and everyone was safe, everyone decided to go their separate ways. Jeffry was planning on going home to retrieve his mother so that they could make it to Seth’s house by dinner. He wasn’t going to tell her about the journey just yet, because Seth’s parents had planned to tell her. Sylva ran back to check up on the Forgon. She remembered that one of the Armorum had cut Fang on the leg, so she had planned to at least heal the wound. All this left Seth alone to walk home with his parents.

                Seth talked to his parents as they walked back home, and he remembered something he had been meaning to ask. “Mom, dad, why were you out here in the forest?” Seth’s father paused for a second, and then began to explain. “Oh, we were trying to find Sylva. I think we got lost on the way to your tree house, which is where we assumed you were both at.” “Why did you want to see Sylva?” Seth asked. His father turned to his wife who was holding out a parcel made of leather and bound with string. Seth could faintly hear the sound of clinging metal, but he couldn’t decide what was inside. “Did you want to give her that, mom?” Seth asked. “What is it?” His mother shook her head and pulled the parcel towards her. “Seth, we plan to make it a surprise. We will show you all at dinner.”

            Seth went alone with his parents plan. He knew that when they did anything like that, they had something big and exiting in store. Seth and his family arrived at their home, and his mother began to prepare the last bit of the meal she had begun. She also had to make some extra food, because she didn’t normally ever cook for more than four people, and now she had to cook for six. Seth noticed how unprepared she was compared to usual and offered to help in any way she needed. His mother, grateful for the help, sent him all throughout the kitchen fetching anything she needed, such as spices, plates, etc.

            Once the sun began to set, Sylva arrived back at the house. Seth, usually being the first to greet her, walked up and asked, “So, how did it go? Are all of the Forgon ok?” Seth was happy now that he could ask questions like that without fearing of his parents hearing. “Fine, they are all fine. Fang’s cut was much less serious than expected. Scout was unharmed, and the same goes for Miny. I did notice, however, that the Forgon father was very tired, like that of an old man nearing the end. He didn’t look like he was going to die soon, but it was obvious he was getting late in his years. We should check on him tomorrow.” Seth nodded in agreement. About that time, Seth looked out the window and noticed two shadows in the distance walking in the direction of the house. The setting sun did not help with the details of the approaching figures. Knowing that Jeffry had gone to retrieve his mother for the dinner, Seth assumed it was them and waved to them from the open door.

            Dinner was now ready, and everyone was seated, except for Seth’s mother, who was bringing over the food. Sylva was as calm as ever. She had placed her daggers on the table in the other room, as was custom for those days. Seth’s father was sitting up straight and proud in his chair at the end of the table, which was no different than usual. He had marked his wife’s seat by scooting the chair back and facing it towards himself. Jeffry was sitting calmly in his chair, trying to hide the fact that he was slightly nervous. His mother was much more protective than Seth’s mother, because her husband was in the military at the time, and she worried about both her men’s safety. Jeffry had originally promised to stay home and help her until his father came home, but his mother didn’t know he would soon break the promise. Seth knew of this promise, and he wondered to himself. If Jeffry was denied permission to go, either for danger’s sake or his promise’s sake, should he still go? It wouldn’t the same at all without him.

            Jeffry’s mother stayed quietly in her seat, wondering why Seth’s family wanted to have her over for dinner so suddenly. In her mind, that was bad news. At first, she believed they had received word of her husband’s death, and that this was to help her feel better. However, when she noticed Sylva, who had not yet been introduced to her, she began to ask herself if Sylva was the reason she was asked over. Perhaps the girl was a messenger sent to tell something important. Her calm, serious nature and her stealth-purpose brown clothes made her look like a military messenger after all.