Ashfall: City of Shade (UNDER EDITING)

Chapter 50 | Mother

ADLER

Bint smoke warms my face. Another puff or two should bring my mind to an ease.

The great lake behind my temple is where I find her, again.

What a brave soul to come out here alone. I wonder if she is getting along with my brother?

Surely, he would have came up here with her. He would not let her come alone.

So, she must be here without his knowledge.

"La...lalala! Come my Fluff. Not too close to the edge now. The water will burn your skin!" she shouts in protest. I watch as she pulls back on the string-like leash. That's not the solid gold chain I gifted her. Has she tossed away all my gifts? Probably. "Let's sit over here, my Fluff. This way you can move around in the sand of the lake shore without getting too close to the water's edge."

What a strange child. And a child she must only now be to me, otherwise, her fate will be the same ending. I cannot risk that again.

To approach or not?

No, here in the shade of the tall hedges it's best to keep my distance.

The bint leaf makes me question that though. For it relaxes the mind and makes me consider more possibilities, than the gods know I otherwise shouldn't, as I watch her blow bubbles through the fibble my brother gave her many moons ago.

She does love that gift. I think that's mostly because it's from him and not me. She still wears that seaweed necklace too.

"I know it smells bad out here, my Fluff. It is the only place we can be utterly alone. Do you want to go back soon, already?" she asks the stupid, mindless animal. With a squeak, it stands up on its hind legs nodding its tiny head up and down. She must have taught it that trick. She stretches her arm toward it, without missing a beat, the limpnut scurries up her arm taking its seated throne on her bony shoulder. "I think that's a yes. Let's be on our way then, my Fluff."

I smile at her naivety.

She wouldn't be able to see it, anyway, for I wear my helmet in this darkness along with the rest of my armor.

What would the harm be in getting closer?

I am dressed just like an empirical guard. I knew she would come back here again. I changed my helmet to that of a standard soldier's. I will not give myself away so easily.

With my mind made, I approach, exiting the shade of the maze path she came from as they make their way toward it - me.

"Excuse me," she says in a small voice, keeping her distance. "I am allowed back here, I am of the family, sort of...I was only going for a walk. You were here...you were here before. Weren't you? I recognize your height. Most guards are not as large as you - I mean no offense. You gave my Fluff and I quite a start the other day."

I gesture for her to pass me by.

"Thank you," she whispers, while hurrying past me. "Brommy, I knew you wouldn't wait, but we were not gone for more than an hour - as promised."

Sure enough, I catch sight of my brother rounding the bend toward her in the path ahead. Quickly, I back off and move behind a row of hedges.

"I thought I heard you talking to someone. Did you meet someone back here?"

"No, as you mentioned, I am not to talk to anyone. I was only talking to my Fluff. Oh, wait, there was a guard but that doesn't count-"

"Were they walking around without a torch?"

Ah, Brommy does not miss a beat. But I figured he would guess it was me if I wasn't.

And so, I carried a torch with me.