The Chronicles of Outsider: Humble Beginnings
Page 67
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“What about getting it to stop?”
“Oh that’s easy, a few whacks of me axe’ll fix that problem right up!”
“Okay, but what if it doesn’t?”
“You clerics are a worrisome bunch aint ye’?”
“It’s what’s kept me alive so far.”
“Well I’m more than eight times yer senior so it aint that impressive.”
The two dwarves bickered back and forth while Bryn diligently kept the stew simmering. Two of the men prepared cots from blankets and logs while the third stacked the firewood near the stove and tossed in a bit more.
Thom snoozed soundly in the corner and dreamed of the luxuries he had been without for far too long. He sucked on his thumb and imagined it to be the sweetest strawberry he’d ever tasted then took a big bite.
He howled and leapt up from his pallet like it was on fire.
All eyes turned on him as he gingerly rubbed his throbbing thumb, then, with a collective shrug; all went back to their work. The hobbit mumbled something unintelligible about berries and sat himself near the kettle.
With a deep sniff of the steam rising from the pot, he wiped the salivation on his arm and licked his lips. “So how long until supper’s ready?”
Bryn watched for some sign of fear in her sister’s face but saw nothing. She glanced around the room then back down to the kettle. “I’m afraid it won’t be as filling as we’d hoped, but if we leave it brewing too much longer it’ll go soggy.” She watched Natalia as she said it and still noticed no response.
In truth she hadn’t even heard Bryn or Thom. She was still enthralled with her search for a logical answer to what she had seen over an hour earlier. No matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t bring herself to find it true, but neither could she declare it impossible. All in all it was unlikely but crazier things have happened, and she looked about the motley crew that had assembled here.
She jumped as a hand gripped her shoulder.
“Nat?” Bryn asked with worry obvious on her sweet face. Lines creased her forehead just above her rich brown eyes and below the bun her hair was tied back into. Natalia noticed the gray roots then and for the first time really saw her sister as aging.
She hugged her tightly then and pressed her face to her warm neck, sobbing. She held on to the dearest person in her existence and willed the world away; hoping it would disappear along with everyone who wished them harm.
Her eyes focused on the window behind Bryn’s back as they embraced; shattering the brief reverie of solace she had found.