Richie walked home, trying to get the image of Eddie out of his mind. He didn't know what it was about the Lucantian that intrigued him. At the same time, however, he was also fucking pissed.
Eddie thought of himself as higher than the Tenebrians, but that wasn't what made Richie mad. He thought they were rapists and killers for no reason. Not only did he think that, but he also treated someone who was trying to help him like shit.
Yet, his ability to narrow down Eddie's status had helped him. Donald gave him a handful of coins that would surely help Maggie. Not only that, but he'd been asked to attend a meeting with only a few of the rebels the next morning, which Richie had accepted eagerly.
Anything to help his mother. A small part of him wanted to see Eddie again, but the bigger part of Richie tried to claim it was just to make sure Henry and Patrick didn't kill or rape the kid. Most people in Tenebris were okay, but Richie had been able to take one look at the duo of scouts and know that they were the people that Eddie had been warned about.
Richie walked inside his house and found Maggie asleep, dried tear stains on her cheeks, illuminated by moonlight seeping through their window. It wasn't anything new, since Maggie often had nightmares.
Richie just wished he could do something about it.
He hid the small amount of money under a dish and wrote a small note for his mother. He planned on being gone before she woke up, so it'd be a surprise for her.
As much as Richie wanted to see her reaction, she'd surely ask where he got it. At eighteen, she couldn't really tell him not to be part of the rebellion, but the last thing Richie wanted was for her to know. She'd gone to terrible heights to make sure he was fed and cared for.
He couldn't disappoint her.
So, Richie took a small amount of coffee from their secret stores and decided to tough it out until morning. He didn't want Maggie to wake up before he was gone.
It was a long four hours, but as soon as the clock hit six, Richie remained in his clothes from the day before and pulled on his jacket and grabbed his game bag, now heavier due to the knife. He wasn't required to meet until eight, so Richie decided to go out and check their traps.
If he got lucky, he'd be able to bring whatever he caught back home before Maggie ever woke up. She usually got up around seven so he'd have to be quick, but it was worth a shot.
Richie was pleased when he checked the nets they laid in the creek, finding they had gotten fifteen fish. He put all of the fish in his bag and decided he'd give Bev and Stan their share when he met with them by the hideout entrance.
Then, Richie climbed the taller trees to check the higher traps, but there were no birds. He spotted a couple of nests, however, and was able to replace the traps so hopefully he'd get something the next day.
He slid down the tree and looked up at the disguised traps when another plant caught his eye. Richie smiled at the sight, realizing the apples were ripening. Tenebris didn't provide a lot of fresh fruits, but there weren't a lot of people willing to venture into the forest either.
So, Richie, Bev, and Stan often ended up providing the fruit and the stuff that did grow was enjoyable. He decided he'd inform the others and they could go out the next day and get the riper fruit before the birds did.
Richie made his way back toward the main city and to his house. He peaked in through the window and noticed Maggie's bed was empty.
He briefly considered the fact that maybe she'd gone to the market to trade, but she usually waited until it was more populated.
"Hoping to sneak in and out?" came a voice from behind Richie.
He turned to see Maggie, still in her pajamas, with her arms crossed and eyebrows raised.
"I didn't want to wake you," Richie said, hoping his lie passed.
"You look exhausted," Maggie pointed out, running her thumb over the bags under his eyes. "Why're you up so early? You usually don't leave until around eight."
"Early start," Richie said with a shrug. "Apples are ripe so I decided to drop of the game before I went back out to pick. Bev and Stan are waiting for me, so I should be getting back to them."
Maggie hummed and nodded, allowing Richie to slip past her and lay five fish on the counter, skillfully gutting them within minutes.
"How was your celebration?" Maggie asked, sitting at the table while Richie wrapped up the filets he had cut.
"It was fun. Bev managed to get chocolate for us," Richie said with a smile.
"I like that girl. She's very sweet."
"She is pretty great," Richie agreed, washing his hands with the freezing water. "I'll see you later."
"Time?"
"Uhhhh..." Richie glanced at the clock. "Hopefully a few hours?"
Maggie didn't seem at all convinced but she didn't stop him.
Richie ran back the way he came, hoping to convince his mother that he really was going where he said was going. However, as soon as he was too far for her to see, he turned and ran along the tree line in the other direction.
Richie didn't own a watch. Those were possessions for Lucantians and sometimes Tenebrains who happened to gather enough wealth to buy an old broken one at some kind of trading booth. He and Maggie had gotten really lucky to even find a clock that was in decent shape.
He usually told time according to how the air felt based on the season, how high the sun was, and what Bev and Stan thought. They lived in a world where adaptation was an unspoken requirement.
So, based on his intuition, he assumed he was a bit early for the meeting. No one else was there, but Richie recognized the small opening in the woods. He knocked the same way Bev had the night before and was pleased when Donald opened the door.
"You're early," Donald said with a smile, climbing down the ladder with Richie following close behind.
"Didn't want to be seen," Richie said simply, walking into the room, which was much emptier than it had been the night before.
Only Andrea, Henry, and Patrick were there, and according to Donald, Bev and Stan were the only two missing.
Henry stood up and introduced himself to Richie personally, as did Patrick, but Richie could sense their hesitation. They clearly weren't jumping at the opportunity to work with someone new.
"Richie?" Donald asked after he'd been introduced.
"What's up?"
"The Lucantian. Can you go make sure he's still alive?"
Richie wasn't sure he wanted to see Eddie again, since he seemed like an asshole, but Richie preferred himself to Patrick or Henry, who definitely would hurt the kid. So, he nodded and made his way to the back room.
