Aella (manxman) - ON HOLD

Rebelote

AN:   I am back   *Batman voice*

So, babies. I'm giving you two chapters in one week ;)

Enjoy! Bisous

~~~~~~~

Ceri

It was one of the worst night of my life. And here I thought that being tossed outside the cave was the worst way of spending a night. It turned out that standing at the opening of a den while hearing my own father grunt and groan in unbearable pain was far more heartbreaking.

It seemed that Alev had awoken because I kind of heard his voice. He was asking the Leader to leave him alone. His voice disappeared for a while before I heard him grunting and all I could hear was my name.

He was worried about me. A tear almost left my eyes, but it immediately faded when my generous mind provided an alternative; maybe he was saying that this was his fault.

What if he thought the same as some of the other Aellos? Like that scary Aello Piran who thought I was an abomination... why would he think such a thing of me? I have literally never met him before, nor have I caused any trouble to his clan. Well, aside from the times I started the red fire a few years back, but that didn't sound like enough reason to hate me-

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a close grunt. I jumped up and looked at the den to see the old man called Ery slowly walking out with a sneer headed my way that I tried to ignore.

"H-how is he? Will he survive? Please tell me he'll be alright!"

He raised two fingers at me without losing his 'charming' sneer: "Deer. Two of them. And I want them by tomorrow."

A tired breath left me and I frowned: "What?"

"You owe me, Aella. So you will hunt two deers and bring them to me. And one of them has to be a small one. A baby deer is fine. Baby deers are easier to chew on"

"So, Alev will be fine?"

He waved at me dismissively: "The snake was mildly poisonous, nothing I couldn't take care of. If he had taken the time to deal with it instead of sitting back on his heels and thinking the poison would go on its own, he wouldn't have gotten into this situation. Alev has a head, hard like a stone. Tsk, young Aellos never know their own limit. Just because they can walk straight, they think the forest will kneel at their feet. Well, look who's kneeling now. Arrogance is his real sickness, there's no payment that could allow me to heal that"

He was shaking his head slowly in disappointment. He looked like the old Aellas when they scolded the younger ones. He even shared their grumpiness. So I knew that he was only scolding for my father's sake.

I bowed low and wiped at my eyes: "Thank you for saving my father"

The old Aello looked surprised, but he scoffed anyway: "That won't spare you from my payment, baby quail. And I don't care about your Prueba"

"M-my Prueba? I-I don't have-"

The old man started walking away slowly: "Tell Cailyn I've gone home. It's rude to deprive and old man of his precious sleep"

I didn't wait longer so I ran inside to find a fire in the middle of the den. A few feet from the flickering flames was where Alev laid.

My breath halted when I saw him, awake

"Come here" Alev said. His voice was very weak, but he was talking.

He was alive!

Dilara, my dear mother, thank you for sparing him. Thank you for letting him stay with us longer