Andri

Certainly

"how did this happen?"
"who did this?
"where's my spear?"
i was expecting minor violence from my mother, but certainly not murder.
"why are you friends with this stemp boy in the first place?"
and i knew she never loved stemp, but he was never an irk.
"well...now what?"
you're the parent, and i certainly thought you'd have some consideration for ideas.

but i was wrong. i was all wrong. the next morning, mother was gone with only a note at the start of her trail. panicking, i looked at her spear case. empty. knives? empty. around noon I took a quick run to stemp's house, finding him trembling in fear, bloodshot eyes, red marks on face, i didn't have to ask. in fact i didn't want to. i shouldn't. "stemp..."
"w-what do you want? never mind, i know the drill. i'll close my eyes, strike me when you're ready."
"stemp, why in heck would i ever hurt you?"
"she didn't tell you, did she?" i shook my head. "she's out to get my brother. andri, he's a terrible person, but i sure as heck don't want him dead. she came in with a leather sack of weapons, i thought she was coming for me so i stopped her, which obviously was a mistake, of course. she took my brother, blade up to neck, arm tightly around waist, fearlessly dragging him out with no explanation. he tried to stop her, but was soon forsaken, acknowledging the obvious power she had over him.
at this moment it made me think what she was thinking all those times she stood silent, what schemes wandered her mind, coming together to create this catastrophe. but most of all, who was still living.