The Year of the Horse (Book two of the Almair Series) (Completed)

Chapter 8 (Edited)

Brody was waiting for us when we got out of the cave. He stood and pricked his ears when he spotted us. A frown was on his face when he looked at us. "Is he dead?" he asked, seeing that Faolon had his eyes closed.

"You would see my crying if he was dead, Brody."

Faolon placed his nose at the bridge of my neck with little movement as possible. He was probably trying to tell me not to say anything about him being dead or not. However, his nose was cold, and I didn't like it.

"So, he's not dead," Brody said.

I moved my neck away from his nose, grimacing. How did he get such a cold nose? "Gosh, Faolon, can't you get your nose off my neck? It's cold."

"MARTHA!"

"What?" I looked at Brody, frowning. I heard him the first time on if Faolon is dead or not. I wasn't crying, so Faolon wasn't dead.

"Do I have to speak another language? Is he dead or not?"

"Sí, Señor."

"Martha, stop playing around with your brother," Mom said, coming over to us. An amused look was on her face, because of the way we were acting.

"No, he's not dead," I said, looking at Brody.

"So he is dead, because you used a double negative."

"You're getting heavy, Faolon. Where are you going to sleep tonight?" I asked, shifting him around, so that I will be able to hold onto him.

He didn't answer. Faolon was probably trying to play around with my brother, even though it means being a pain in the ass.

"He is dead. I thought you could help him," Brody complained.

"I thought you said your back was fine," Mom said, looking at me. She frowned, giving me an accusing look.

"It is fine. He is just heavy."

"That is what I call dead weight," Faolon whispered, close to my ear.

"Martha, maybe you should place him down, and you can spend the night here."

"Mom, I broke my back when I was eight. I worked through the pain with Master Yin. It does not hurt anymore." I didn't want to tell her that if I did spend the night there, then I just might have to kill Randi.

Lobo came out of the cave and looked at me before looking at my mom. "What's going on here?"

"She's worried about my back. And it's fine."

"No, I mean why are you standing around?"

"Do you know where I can place him?" I asked, ignoring Brody's whimper.

"Follow me," he said, moving away.

I caught up with him quickly, not wanting to stay at that cursed place any longer. I was glad that I didn't have to deal with Randi, and there was a place for me to actually set him down.

Lobo glanced at me, a frown on his face. "What's wrong with Brody?"

"He thinks that I am dead," Faolon said, finally moving his nose away from my neck.

"Why are you playing with him?"

"It's fun messing with him. He is so easy," he said, his dull eyes getting the light back in them.

"And, I am the only one that can mess with him, Faolon," I said with a sigh of relief.

"You thought I was dead, also. Didn't you?"