The next chapter [ON HOLD]

Chapter 16

The entire family sat in the family room, silently.

The added tenseness of the current situation added to the unbearableness of it.

"Um, what now?" Leeli asked.

Kal looked at everyone. It was almost midnight, but everyone had decided to stay up with each other. Sara and Janner cuddled up on one of the couches. Leeli sat beside Nia, while petting Frankle, her pet dog. Artham and Arundelle sat with their daughter, Madya. Kal sat in his chair.

"I don't know Leeli, I don't know." Kal answered. He didn't lie.

"I wish we had killed all the Fangs when we had the chance." Artham said quietly.

"So do I." Janner agreed. "But, what I wonder is how they were melded."

"Melded?" Leeli asked.

Janner sighed as memories from Throg flooded back to him. Memories he had wanted to stay buried in his mind.

"Yes, that's how the Fangs are created. With one of the Stones."

"I wonder who's leading them." Sara thought aloud.

"Me too." Janner said, sighing.

"Well, we should get some answers soon, I hope." Nia sighed.

The family decided to take shifts of staying awake. 2 people at a time, every two hours. Janner and Artham decided to take the first shift, so everyone else could go to bed.

"Janner, what's on your mind?" Artham asked, once everyone else was gone and in bed.

Janner sighed. "Stuff."

"Could you be more specific?"

Janner sighed again. "I was wanting to ask a certain person a certain question, but I never got the chance."

Artham grinned. "I know exactly what you mean."

"Really? What do I mean?"

"You wanted to pop the big question to Sara, right?"

Janner sat up quickly. "Who told you that? Was it Kal?"

Artham chuckled. "No, I figured it out on my own. You had  been acting weird, and you seemed to get really nervous whenever Sara was in the same room as you. I put 2 and 2 together."

Janner sat back in his seat. "Oh."

"I understand your nervousness."

"How? You and aunt Arundelle got married like the same week we got back from the Blackwood." Janner pointed out.

"Yes, but I still had to ask her the question." Artham replied.

"Oh."

Artham chuckled. "Is your only answer gonna be 'oh'?"

"Yes."

Artham laughed.

......

In the next shift, it was Sara and Arundelle.

"What's troubling you?" Arundelle asked, once the men were gone.

Sara sighed. "Things."

"Like...?"

"Like things concerning someone important in my life."

"So...Janner?"

Sara sighed. "...yes."

Arundelle smiled a little. "Are you wondering why he hasn't asked you a certain life-changing question yet?"

Sara sat up. "No! Well, yes. But...well yes."

Arundelle laughed quietly. "I totally understand. I went through the same thing with Artham"

"You did?"

"Yes. I waited for him to ask me the question. I was so ready to get married, but it seemed like Artham wasn't."

Sara smiled. "Wait, didn't you two get married like the same week that we got back from healing Janner?"

"Well, yes. But I had to wait 3 agonizing days for Artham to ask me."

Sara chuckled. 3 days is nothing compared to the years she had been waiting to come of age to get married.

Arundelle spoke again. "Look, he just might not be ready. Or, maybe he is, just hasn't figured everything in his life out yet. Patience, Sara."

Sara fell back on the couch. "I struggle with that."

"So does everyone, at least once in their life."

Sara sighed. "I guess I'll have to practice some patience then."

Arundelle laughed. "Indeed."