Brunning Divide

Episode 3: Damaged Hands - Part 3

"Blight that woman!" Walking into the kitchen, Mom's harsh words caught me off guard. I knew she was upset, we all were, but she never used strong language.

"Uh...Yeah, Ma Thurns is horrible."

Mom must not have known I'd come back down, my voice startled her. She tapped a few times on her com, and wiped at her eyes. "Not her, Xander. Tama. She's in the cultivator. And of course Absalom won't send her back. He says it's too dangerous."

Mom was close to all of the women in Brunning, but Tama, Sam's wife, was her closest and oldest friend. It didn't take much to guess why Tama sneaked into the rescue party. She'd lost her family and that feisty little lady had nothing else to lose. Sam might have been huge and strong, but Tama Jans, if crossed, was truly the member of her family to fear.

"Father won't let her do anything crazy, Mom. She'll be fine."

Mom hoisted up a sack, probably full of food. "Absalom won't be able to stop her. She has Sam's rifle. The situation was bad enough, now it's worse." Mom's com pinged. "Tenley gathered the Gosnans and Orquellos," Mom read the message. "She says they're going to the meeting hall."

There weren't many of us left in Brunning, but I was grateful that Reese's wife was helping. With Dass and Call out with my father, Leah Orquello and Karo Gosnan probably needed the help getting their families moving. Scio Aldan and Knox Sumat were probably on their way over with their families as well. "Let's go." I opened the door for Mom. "I should get there before anyone else. Make sure Roi won't cause any problems. I'll walk with you."

"What about Marigold?"

"She's still asleep. She'll be safe here for a few minutes." We walked out and I locked the door behind me with a key. "I'll come back for her once your safe. She won't wake up. Besides, she needs the rest."

"I suppose so." Mom linked her arm in mine and we headed for the meeting hall. "You should be resting, too. How's your head feeling."

"Oddly, I feel okay. Still a lump. But I'm okay. Probably caught up in the moment, but I'll sleep when Jamus is back."

Mom squeezed my arm. "Me too."

The night was chill and she drew into my side. I wrapped my arm around her. In the low light casting off of the houses we passed, she seemed small. I knew she was tired, worried, sick with worry. "They'll be back, Mom. Dad will make sure of it."

Walking up to the meeting hall, Mom took in a deep breath and straightened her back—shrugging on the coming responsibilities like a heavy backpack.

Tenley Larkin waited just outside the door for us. Dark-skinned and lithe, like her husband, she blended into the shadows. I didn't see her until right before we entered and only because her com lit up. "Leah and Karo are trying to get Truax and Spicer to settle down. A little too noisy for my taste," she said and then devoted her attention to her comm.

"I know how to get their attention." Mom handed me the rucksack of food and pulled out two oatcakes. "A little heavy food will calm them down, get them back to sleep." She patted Tenley's arm as she entered the meeting hall. Truax Gosnan and Spicer Orquello were ten, best friends, and decent boys, when they weren't together—then they were chaos made flesh, especially if not monitored.

Fear panicked through my mind. "Tenley?"

"Yes?"

"They didn't go into the storeroom, did they?"

"No."

Relief flooded through me and I slumped against the wall. "Good."

"It was already open."

I shot off of the doorway like I'd been bit by a crelix. "What? Who opened it?"

"It was open when we arrived. I believe you were the last one to leave before that."

I bolted past Tenley. "He's not in there," she called out after me.

Inside the meeting hall nothing looked out of the ordinary besides the impromptu fort Spicer and Truax had constructed out of chairs and sacks. The storeroom door hung open. I ran in, looking behind crates and piles of potatoes. No sign of Roi. I staggered out.

The other two families had arrived while I was in the storeroom. Truax and Spicer were defending the fort against the two ten-year old girls, Mae Aldan and Niah Sumat. Scio Aldan and Knox Sumat stood by the hall entrance, talking with Tenley. The other women stood around my mother outside the fort, no doubt wanting more information or any updates. Disheveled hair and rumpled nightgowns under clima-jackets told me how prepared they'd been for a midnight meeting. Concern covered Leah's and Karo's faces. No doubt they didn't like their husbands out risking their lives.

Everyone was accounted for. Except Marigold.

"Heretic's Hell." My feet launched me forward as my stomach lurched. I was such an idiot to leave her alone. I ignored the voices calling after me, rushing past everyone. I ran straight to my house, only pausing for a breath when I came to the door and it was still locked. I fumbled with the key, trying to figure out if I wanted to laugh or throw up.

Mounting the stairs, I listened for Marigold. Not hearing anything, I quietly opened the door so I wouldn't startle her awake.

Instead, I was startled. My window was open. With his back to me, Roi was standing over my bed, watching Marigold sleep.