Aletheia

Chapter 3: Claire

CLAIRE WAS LEANING AGAINST THE old stone mill looking out to the field of wheat before her, deep in thought, "I don't know I guess I don't really have any perks or anything like that.

"Right, so no one is really giving you a straight answer huh?" Will said, his breath came out in thick gasps. His arms were shaking from pushing the mill crank in an effort to crush the wheat.

"Not really, the lady wouldn't really answer my questions, just like the governor ignored my question about the boy," she answered, her eyes drifting lazily over the field.

"Uhh huh, could use a little help here, ya know since you are just standing there doing nothing," Will huffed, his face turning red from exhaustion.

"Yeah yeah, so who do you think this kid is?" Claire continued, waving him away.

Will gave another push on the wooden crank then gave up. He fished a handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe the sweat off his face. He walked over to Jim, his much bulkier friend. They'd become friends through the mill, both worked the same shifts but with different tasks. To make the work load even they switched off every hour. "Hey I am gonna take my break now, can you take over?" Will asked, picking up the jug of water he brought to work everyday.

"Yeah no problem, but you're bagging," Jim answer, patting him on the back. A white cloud drifted up from where his flour covered hand hit Will's back.

Will grimaced, "Come on man," he coughed through the cloud of flour.

Jim walked toward the wheat grinder chuckling, "Never gets old."

Claire followed Will to the large basin of flour, everything they had ground up that day.

Will gestured at the bags beside Claire and she tossed him one, "So this kid right, what do you think?"

Will looked heavenward, his forehead crinkling, "I don't know okay! Why don't you just go ask him yourself," Will answered, starting to feel annoyed. Claire's eyes lit up, as the cogs in her mind began to spin.

"Yeah... Yeah you're right," she muttered, "Thanks," she pulled out a cheese sandwich wrapped in newspaper and tossed it on the flour covered table beside him.

"Yeah, very funny, seriously just let it go though, the governor will tell us if we need to..." Will looked over his shoulder, where Claire had previously been standing but she was already out of the barn.

He cursed under his breath and dropped the bag he was filling back into the container of flour. Dusting off the powdery flour on his apron he ran after her to the barn door. "Claire! Hey! What are you doing? You're not seriously going to try to get into the prison and ask him are you?"

"Thanks Will! I'll see you at home! Don't forget to bring a bag for mom!" Claire shouted behind her, quickening her pace to a light jog to make sure Will didn't catch up to her. Will cursed again, letting his forehead fall into his flour covered hands, his hand moved back through his hair, smearing the rest through the oil coated strands. He shut his eyes and breathed out deeply, then walked back into the mill, shaking his head.

~

Claire wasn't sure if this was technically legal, but she hadn't really bothered to consider if it wasn't. She made sure to take a quick glance over the town square before ducking through the prison building doors. The moment she stepped in a Protector stepped in front of her path. He was tall, taller than her by about a foot. His eyebrows were a little too far down above his eyes, reminding her of the old stories about ogres in the ancient kingdom. His eyes were ice cold and glistened in the dim lamp light.