Bessa

Hard Hunger 2/4

Silence, a depressing sinking silence harbors between our two bodies as we walk towards a smaller home of logs. The cold hurts my skin now; those clouds are fat, heavy in the sky ready to expel what's inside them.

The Savage doesn't knock he just walks in, Luki has set the table that holds a white cloth over it. Three small bowls hold a humble amount of red fruit in it, the smell of sugar rides the ridges of my tongue.

There is a bookshelf, two chairs in the corner, a small light hangs overhead. A rock fireplace that holds the end stage coals of a fire made hours ago that gives off just the perfect amount of heat. Two closed doors are on the right side of the house; the kitchen is the same as the Savages home, everything in one space.

The food is on the counter on platers.

"Bessa, thank you for coming." A moderate bow to me. "Brother," he gives his brother the faintest of nods.

"Everything is ready, sit." The Savage takes his place comfortably, and I'm not sure where to sit across from him, or beside him. He chooses, pulling the chair out beside him and taps the top of it. Sitting I take off my veil, as Luki puts the platters on the table.

"To more successful hunts brother." They tip their glasses full of amber liquid to one another. Both drink at the same time.

"Mother is staying with Aunt Elizabeth until the spring. Father says that he will hunt for the Elders until she comes back, he wants this to be the best winter they ever had."

"He's going to be hunting?" The Savage's shoulders deflate before he right's himself.

"Yes, that's what he said." Luki gives him a tight-mouthed look.

"Bessa, I've never seen anything like what you are wearing, it's beautiful." Luki gives me a compliment, and I can't help the feeling of pride in my Kins ability to make beautiful things.

"Thank you; it was my great grandmother's. She made it herself."

"Your great grandmother made this." The Savage takes the material in his fingers, rubbing it against his hands.

"She did, we pass the Silks on to our daughters to pass to their females." Taking the Silk away from his fingers to smooth it back down to my side.

"Do the pictures mean anything?" Luki asks between bites of food.

"This is a pomegranate tree that my great-grandmother planted when my grandmother was born, in honor of her first female. She made this Silk, and it has been treasured and passed down to the oldest female." I can hide the way the tears threaten to overcome the sound of my voice.

"Have all those dresses you've been wearing been passed down with meaning?"

"Yes,"

"And some of them have been ruined." The Savage's voice holds a pain to it.

"Yes," wiping my eyes now with the back of my hand.

Taking my hand kissing the top, "I didn't know, forgive me for that."

"I can't," pulling my hand away and forcing the food into my mouth.

Silence.

The rest of the meal feels heavy, the way my stomach is expanding again. There is no more food left on platters with the way the Savage is eating. He eats and eats. The hunger within him sated, I can feel the fullness of him.

"I heard you fight well." Luki takes the dishes away.

"I don't like fighting."

"I heard you're a natural, at least that's what my brother says." The Savage looks out the window, the day slowly fading to welcome the dusk of night.