9.27 Dragon

1st Firstfall

When responsibility knocks

Selena stood outside the door just listening. The hacking cough her father had was getting worse, he had had it for months now and for the last couple of weeks he had been bed bound with it.

She knew this wasn't just an ordinary bout of illness; he was coughing so much he could hardly breathe. She waited for the coughing to subside and then knocked twice. Her father's weak voice called for her to enter.

The room was mostly dark with the only light coming from a small window that was behind the bed. Bunches of elfroot had been hung in the window to dry, which made the room even darker and gave the room a medicinal smell.

Malcolm Hawke was lying on the bed facing away from the door; he appeared to be trying to hide something. Probably the blood soaked rags that he thinks we don't know about Selena thought. He turned around to face her and gave her a weak smile, even in the dim light she could see he was in desperate need of a shave, his beard was grey and straggly and his once jet black hair, now a Steel grey flecked with white, hung limply round his face.

'I brought you some broth, don't worry Bethany made it not me so it won't kill you.'

'Thank the maker! Just imagine that in the Chantry records, death by soup. Oh, the shame!' Malcolm joked.

'Hey, it could be worse it's at least second to dying on the privy I would imagine' Selena retorted determined to keep the mood light.

She placed the tray at the end of the bed and helped her father to sit up, she noticed he had been getting thinner, his face was pallid, gaunt and dark circles surrounded his cerulean blue eyes. Selena had to stop herself from staring at him, she averted her eyes looking around the storeroom that had now become her father's bedroom. He had been too weak to climb the stairs to the room he shared with her mother so they had made a bed up for him downstairs. The room was small and cramped and still filled with boxes, barrels, crates and various other odds and ends.

Among all the clutter Selena noticed a small cot had appeared in the corner of the room. Mother must have been sleeping in here. She thought. So she can be close to him when he...Selena shook her head snapping herself out of THAT reverie.

Once Malcolm was propped up she gently placed the tray on his lap. Clearing her throat she spoke mainly to fill the silence that had settled 'Bethany and I are off into the village, it's market day so...'

'Market day again? That's five I have now missed.' Malcolm sighed in frustration. 'Is your mother going with you?'

'No not this week, she says she has too many things to do around the house.' she doesn't want to leave you just in case...'err I've also brewed some poisons for old Barlin's traps, you know how much old Barlin likes his traps. Do you want us to get you anything whilst we're there?' She blurted out, hoping to block the dark thoughts gathering in her mind.

'Brewing poisons for traps how domesticated of you Lenny. I hope you were brewing them far away from this.' Malcolm chuckled motioning to the bowl in front of him. 'I don't need anything but I wouldn't say no to a sweet roll.'

Picking up the bowl of broth he held it under his nose 'My this smells wonderful! Bethany is truly gifted in the kitchen.' He put the bowl to his lips and took a sip. 'Delicious.'

'I'll tell her that you said that, it will make her day.' It's been so long since she smiled Selena thought.

'Is Carver going with you also?' Malcolm asked inbetween sips of broth.

'I don't know. I haven't seen Carver all morning, I think he might have already left. He's probably there now loitering round the back of Dane's refuge with the Rixon brothers.' Or defacing public property Selena mentally added.

Malcolm grimaced 'Urgh Donal and Orrick Rixon. I wonder which one has the brain cell today! I swear one day Carver is going to draw attention to us with his foolishness.'

Selena nodded silently. She kept to herself that only last week Carver had been 'escorted' home by Elder Miriam and a couple of the local constabulary. She never did find out exactly what happened , she and Bethany could make out a few words from her mothers shrieking- something involving her idiot brother, Donal and Orrick Rixon, goose fat, spindleweed, a live chicken and Chanter Devons.

Luckily for them all Bethany wasn't in the cellar practising her magic.

'Don't you worry pops I'll find him; hog tie him and bring him back with us'

Malcolm laughed which then turned into coughing fit. Selena poured him a glass of water from the jug on the tray and passed it to him, she then bid her father goodbye and made a hasty retreat from the room.

Shutting the door behind her she leaned back against the rough wood and tried to block the sound of her father's coughing. She had to stifle the small sob that nearly dared to escape.

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