The Fox, Red

035 - Family Matters

My appetite is gone. That was so incredibly unnerving that I don't think I want to eat today. Madam Odette even seems off-put about it. I watch as she almost stomps off across the main hall to her office. The door shuts rattling everyone with the sound it made as it slams shut. Everyone, and I do mean everyone looked in that direction. Only one followed, her most loyal attendant who is tasked with standing before the door to the room she is in. He disappears for a moment before returning to stand at his post.

I walk by just looking, keeping my distance. He never moves unless addressed. Never! That's what he does yet as I look on at him he gives me the slightest of a headshake. That tells me all I need to know. That I need to steer clear for a while.

Uncle Thomas... He always seemed uppity to me. Like he always tried hard to be better than everyone else bragging about his son's accomplishments as his own. Then he at any minor advancement in his life. I don't know how his wife stands him but she has the same mindset as him too. Reed is just... Reed. He was raised to think he could do no wrong. Blech, I don't need this right now. I just wanted a snack from the kitchen and instead, I got a stomach illness.

Nothing puts a damper on your mood like family I guess. Of course, I do miss my family. Not Thomas but mom and dad back home. Great, now I'm homesick again. As long as I keep my mind busy I'm alright. I send a ping through the place just to see what's going on. The garden is getting cleared up. The house is being cleaned like always. Thomas is astounded by everything in his room. Madam Odette's office is... dark? It's just a blur that I can't see. Is she able to block me? I look back in the direction of the house confused. Is it that bad for her?

Maybe if I catch her alone she may open up. I have a few questions myself.

"Poor Madam Odette."

My little cabin feels lonely now. Just two shelves of books, a chair, and a lonely desk across from a bed, with a dim fireplace. I guess I could get more firewood. Get my mind off of things for a bit. Stepping back outside I find a decent tree. It takes me back to when I first started here. Madam Odette had me cut down 14 of these monsters by hand. Should I go find the ax and see if that muscle is still there? There is a spell I also wanted to try. This might be the time for it.

The principle is to turn wind into a razer blade. I've been playing with it to cut the grass around the cabin to keep it neat. Something harder might be a good test to see what it and I can do. "Wood isn't as dense but this is thick so..." I try and put it together in my head how much I'll need to use to cut through. This may be a guess and check equation. With my mind focused I take a swing. I hear the hard thunk as though something heavy hit the tree. The bark splinters as a small, thin cut is made near the base. I was nowhere close to where it needed to be.

"Ok, another try." I give it more and the noise is heavier but I can see that it's much deeper. Still not enough. "Going to play rough huh?" One more try, I give it one more go and there is no sound. It cuts clean through splintering the bark around the ring of the slice. It's angled slightly down so the tree will fall away. I listen as it hits the branches of the others before shaking the ground as it lands. I even hear a few people clamber about the sound before I yell back, "That's me! Sorry for no warning!"

OK, the tree is down, now to split it up. How can I do that? Sections? Yea, I'd better make it smaller then split it up. Now that I know what it will take to cut through it I should be able to repeat all the way down. I clean-cut the bottom where the slanted cut is to give me a good starting point. From there, half step sideways and one cut straight down. The tree cuts like butter. By the time I get to the lower branches, I have it so smooth the bark no longer falls, flies, or splinters, as though it is being cut by a razor.

The large sections will need to be broken down to a usable size. That will be the problem for me. These sections are huge. The razor will only cut in one direction. At least for now. I need to get a good handle on it before I get fancy with it. I have cut myself a few times trying something like this so I would rather not risk it. If I was more versed in sounds I could probably shake them into the pieces I need. Maybe using a medium would help like a sledgehammer. Vibrate it upon impact and shake the wood into pieces. I'll just get a wedge and an ax. Make this simple.