The Wilting Rose

Chapter 13- Time of Rejoice

Connor took me in his arms. I pressed myself into him, and felt his strong arms wrapped around me. I rested my head on his shoulder and let tears trickle onto his shirt. He was rocking back and forth, and I was so tired. So very tired. James was in my mind, I could tell.

“Can we sleep somewhere for the night?” James asked, happily putting his show voice back on. The giant showed us to what I guessed was a guest suite. It was cozy, but everything was 1000 times too big. Lucy picked us up and put us in the bed. I smiled at her, and then fell asleep between Connor’s strong grip, and James’s caring hug.

I woke in the middle of the night to whispers filling the corridors outside my room. One of the voices was female, the other I couldn’t tell. I could only hear snippets of words drifting through the crack in my door. As I was falling back asleep, a word slipped through the door, and it was enough to make me freeze.

“Jatt” I stopped, perplexed by what the giants would have to say about him. I crept to the end of the bed and listened. Only whispers were heard, and then scuffling. Another voice, higher, lighter and frightened. Lucy. I wanted to help, but I knew she was in no real danger other than being send to bed or getting no dessert for the week. Again, I drifted off to sleep with a resolution to inquire about this in the morning.

I woke up before the rest of them, as usual, and quickly slipped out of the hands that had comforted me as I slept. I wondered about all there was to wonder about, which wasn’t all that much anymore. I thought about Jatt, about Solie, about Dad, and about myself. It had been a little over a year since my intro to this magical world, yet I was still figuring out the basics about everybody in it.

There were only a few more pieces of information I needed in order to finish the jigsaw puzzle I had begun so very long ago. At the perfect time, Lucy walked in.

“Hi! Did you sleep well, then?” She asked. I nodded, silently putting my finger to my lips in the universal Shhh! They’re sleeping! Sign. Her cheeks turned pink and she whispered, “Okay, we’ll talk in my room then.” She picked me up, and we went to her room.

“Okay, Lucy, because you’re my favorite little girl, I want to ask you some questions, and you need to answer them honestly.” She nodded, beaming from the compliment.

“But only 3 questions. Otherwise I might tell you stupid stuff.” Lucy told me earnestly. I smiled at her again and nodded, burning to spew my last three questions before I did something that I was thinking about that was really, incredibly stupid.

“Question number 1: What were the adults saying about Jatt last night?” I asked, hoping it would be an in-depth answer with no detail left behind. After all, she was the one spying on them. Lucy flushed again; clearly embarrassed I heard her spying.

“Well, ma was just tellin’ da off because she says that what Jatt did was too brave to go unnoticed and da was sayin’ what Jatt did don’t enter into it. But I reckon ma will give hers to Jatt anyhow. She’s strong willed, ma is.” I smiled at her dialogue again before asking for clarification.

“Question 2: Her what? Could you explain that, please?” Lucy looked happy she knew more than me. But she was eager to help me finish the puzzle, thankfully.

“Kay, so Jatt came over one year, when I was nothin’ but a wee tyke, barely toddlin’ around. It was during the dark days, when the giants were being killed off. Jatt was a new officer back then, handsome, in shape, and clearly bitter.” When I looked at her quizzically, she explained, “About not finishing his schoolin’ and perusing his dream. Of becoming a peace-keeper.” She paused to take a chuckle at the irony that a peace-keeper at heart became a general.