Dillon stood frozen as Beth ran away from him and into the house. He had not expected to feel her lips on his. Was the kiss just a reward for saving her or did it mean more? The girl confused him so much, she would be nasty to him then she would cling to him. He wondered if this was normal. What bothered him was that he had decided he would be done with her once he took her home and made sure she was safe. She was on her feet running about, so it would be very soon that he’ll be taking her home, but his heart beat furiously after that kiss. He didn’t want to loose that feeling. Somehow he would find a way to be with her. Sure she’ll be back at the Palace working as a chambermaid, but they're not royalty. He was sure he could meet her again once she was safe.
Dillon turned around and ran into the house, Beth was standing in the kitchen and stared at the walls. “It looks the same.”
Dillon took a careful look at the kitchen and even peered back th the way he had come in. Everything was exactly as it had been before the house was destroyed. “It does, but if it was any different it may not feel like home and may also serve as a reminder of how the storm destroyed it.”
Beth placed a hand on the wooden wall. “I don’t think they will forget.”
“No, they won’t.”
“Somethings can never be forgotten.”
Dillon sighed. He had many things he wished to forget, the most recent being the death of Everish. But the news of his father death was one of them. He had been Ten at the time his brother Maren was eighteen. A messenger had come with a letter from the palace, explaining the circumstances of his death. His brother who had opened the letter and began to read it stopped before reading the full contents out loud. His brother had teared up set the letter down on the table and ran out of th house. Dillon didn’t understand what had upset him so he had picked up the letter himself and began to read it. At that point in his life he deeply wished his father had not taught him his letters. His life changed quickly after that. His brother had stopped talking to him and would disappear at night. Shortly after Maren sold the house and disappeared to the far north of the kingdom. A note was left behind “I’m going to the logging towns to practice medicine and get away from any noble or royalty who had a hand in the death of father.”
Not having a place to live his aunt and uncle took him in. Tragedy continued when his aunt had died of wasting sickness. He and his uncle became closer and relied on each others company because of the two events, but he still wished he could forget reading the letter of his father’s death.
Beth turned to him “What will you do once you see me home?”
“I don’t know, I was supposed to join the priesthood, but I think I wouldn’t fit in. I may stay with the Dudlow’s for a bit, but I do want to find my brother.”
“You have a brother?”
“Yeah, he’s eight years older than me and smarter. He’s good at healing people.”
“So where is this brother of yours?”
“All I know is that he went up North to practice medicine in the logging camps. He left after our fathers death, but that was six years ago and he had only sent one letter confirming where he was and then nothing.”
“Why wouldn’t he want to keep contact with you.”
Dillon felt pain from the question. It was one thing that had bothered him. He needed to know that his brother was safe, but his brother was never the same after their dad’s death. “He changed after our father died, I just wished that change did not stop him from communicating with his family.”
“What about your mom, what does she think about it.”
His mother, he never knew his mother there wasn’t even a memory in his head of her.
