Running with Rogues

CHAPTER 51 - BACK WE GO

Alright, my peeps! This week we are going to do something a little different. I know a lot of you write your own books, and I know a lot of them deserve way more attention than they're getting, so this is your space. You can advertise them here to your heart's content.

If you don't write, feel free to have a look through the comments and see if anything catches your attention :) And don't forget to vote and comment if you're enjoying! It really helps the smaller books climb the rankings, and I guarantee you will make someone's day.

The children were back, but the raiders were gone, and it had left the camp with a strange atmosphere. On one hand, it was still bustling with life, but there was a tension hanging in the air. Even the children were walking around with worried faces and fingernails bitten to shreds. They were scared for their parents, and they were scared for themselves. The flockies had proved over and over again how vulnerable our camps became when the fighters were gone.

I was scared, too, although I would have never admitted it. My parents had gone, my aunt and uncles had gone, Nia had gone, and even Bryn had gone. It was only me and Liam who'd been left behind ... for obvious reasons. Someone had to stay and guard the camp, so we weren't completely useless, but that didn't make me feel any better.

I'd been given four raiders to defend the entire camp, and I'd wasted no time in sending them out to scout. Liam and I were sitting in camp chairs, waiting to relieve them. I wasn't sure how I'd ended up in command here, but I was sure I didn't like it. I was finding it hard to sit still.

It wasn't long before Aunt Cassie poked her head out of the med tent. She had stayed because she was human and too valuable to risk anyway - we didn't have many doctors left.

"You can come in, if you want," she said. "Rhodri's awake and talking."

She was taking pity on us. I was quick onto my feet, and I looked towards Liam with a massive grin on my face, expecting to see it mirrored. But he hadn't moved. He was just sat there, looking forlorn and bouncing his leg.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

Liam wouldn't even meet my eyes. His voice was hoarser than usual. "I don't think he wants me in there."

Huh?

"Come on," I said lightly. "Of course he does. You haven't even seen him since ... you know."

He looked up at me, misery written all over his face. "I went yesterday. He told me to get out."

"He did what?" I demanded. Liam just shrugged at me, his eyes already back on the ground, and I looked to my aunt instead, expecting her to deny it. But her lips were spread thin, and her face was taut.

"I'm sure he was just tired, Liam..." she offered.

Another shrug. I'd never seen him look so hurt before, and I got the sudden urge to punch Rhodri. It was gone as quickly as it appeared, but the anger remained. He hadn't told anyone else to 'get out.' Not even his parents, who'd been hovering over him like worried mother hens for two days straight.

I went into the tent. I had to blink to adjust to the gloom in there, but even so, I could see Rhodri. He was sat up in bed, with a heap of pillows to support him. He took one look at me and turned his head away completely, every muscle in his body tense, all of a sudden.

I didn't understand. The last time I'd been in here, he hadn't even known who I was. Where was this coming from? Maybe Liam wasn't the only target of this sudden, inexplicable anger.

"Have I done something wrong?" I asked quietly.

"Go away," Rhodri told me.

He'd said that a million times when we'd been growing up, and I'd never once obeyed him. I wasn't about to start now. His voice was rough, and his eyes were dark, but I plonked myself down in the chair next to him with all the lazy entitlement I could muster.