Smolder

Chapter 21

Not having any breakfast in the morning only served to increase Russell's appetite. He swallowed the bread like water. Food session was over before he knew it. To his mild surprise, Lupa also shoved in a fair amount.

He was sitting under a tree thinking of what he is gonna do, when Arron walked up and sat beside him. Russell had given him back his coat, but he wasn't wearing it. The afternoon was too hot to be wearing that.

Russell had a question poking him," Hey, Arron, back in the camp, who was that Will fella?"

It was a sudden question and Arron looked duly shocked.

"He was our royal announcer. He also taught me how to sword fight, so he's a friend. Why are you asking?"

"Nothing. Just felt like it. So, why is he listening to your uncle?"

Arron looked uneasy with that question,"I don't know man, I probably shouldn't tell you about it without asking him first."

"He told you."

"Well, yeah. He's a friend."

"I'm a friend too."

"I don't know..."

"Are you telling me that we're not friends?"

"You are! Just, this..."

"It's okay. I understand. You don't wanna be friends with a peasant."

That last one hurt. Russell could see it.

Arron winced and sat upright. Then he fell back again, preparing for a story.

"Will used to live in a village around the border of Forthfire," he said with a scowl on his face," his parents and his little sister, his entire family, was killed in a border dispute between us and the vampires. The only thing he could take from what was left after is the clay doll of a bird, it means a lot to him. I'm guessing, uncle Cadwell has it now and he's threatening to break it if he doesn't obey."

"Oh," Russell felt even more curious," so how did he end up from homeless to working in the castle?"

Since Arron's mouth was opened, the words flowed out easily," Well, he was working in a travelling circus. He had a loud voice from the start. The last royal announcer was dead, so they needed a new one. So a minister found him and brought him in."

"They do that? They just randomly pick people off the street and give them jobs?

"Not usually. But I guess this guy made an exception. Wait, is this about getting a job in the palace? I told you, I'll give you the highest post I can."

"Yeah, no thanks. If working under the royalty means listening to people like your uncle, I'd rather not."

"Well, you do you," Arron shrugged and looked towards Vivi," is Vivi married?"

Russell choked on air. He hunched forward in a coughing fit. Arron put a hand on his back and leaned forward, his face right next to his. Russell could sense Vivi's stare burning into them from the other side of the opening.

"What makes you think that ?" Russell asked when he got his cough under control.

"Well, you're siblings but you have different last names. So..."

"So you just assumed a twelve years old was married?"

Arron couldn't reply. This is being a very painful day for the guy.

"We're not siblings, well, we kinda are. It's complicated. You see..."

Russell ended up telling him about his father, about how he ran away from home, Arlo finding him. He chuckled when he heard that Vivi used to call him servant for the first three months. He kept quiet when he talked about Chuff. He laughed out loud when he told him about the goat that climbed on top of the central sundial. He didn't tell him about his little sister, or about Vivi's past.

Arron told him about the palace. About how the chandelier above Royal Hall would dangle unevenly, dripping molten wax on whoever walks underneath, how Argi the dragon would chase it's tail around in it's cage and create pretty much an earthquake all over the palace. Russell couldn't help but leak out a chuckle when he talked about the time when he lost his pajamas at night in the maids toilet. He listened when he heard of Tina, the maid who was like a bigger sister to Arron and Ella, committed suicide two years ago. He couldn't stop laughing as he heard how Arron and Elli set Cadwell's beard on fire.

Time flowed down like water. The early afternoon sun traveled towards the west horizon. The sky changed from skyblue to deep blue, to purple with tints of orange. The chill of North wind slowly returned to the air. Orpheus didn't return.

Doubt crept into the team as all conversation fell silent. Evening was coming fast, and they needed fire. They needed dry wood.

They needed to go into the woods, and judging from the state of the trees, they needed to go in deep.