Chapter Three: A Story and a Lie
(Disclaimer: Most of the characters belong to Tamora Pierce as well as the settings.)
Peter and I walked back to the town slowly. I knew that I should have been getting back to my current dwelling but I needed to hear what Peter had to say. Maybe there was something about that thing I saw under the dock. The thought of it made me shudder inwardly. Whatever that thing was, it gave me the chills.
"Well," Peter began his tale with a hesitant start. "Since last month, the other fishers and sailors have been acting a bit different." His southern accent made it a bit difficult to understand. It was apparent that when he was nervous, not only did he rub his hands together, but his accent gets thicker. I kept those notes in mind as I listened to his story intently. "Sailors and fishers usually get along. I mean, we stay out of their way and provide them with food when it is needed but last month, one of the sailors attacked a man's boat.
"Everyone found it odd because this particular person was a nice man, he never used to harm people, but when he attacked the fisher's boat, he did it with what seemed like revenge. He set the entire ship on fire and stood on the boat while it burned around him. That's when it first started."
"So he died," I said with a sigh. I felt sorry for the man but not too sorry.
"Yup," Peter said. "Burned to death. Out of all of the cases, he had the worst. Most people ended up lying near the docks not sure of what happened to them, or like me, couldn't control themselves. For some reason, I wanted to attack you yesterday. There was no reason for me to do it. I didn't even know you. That whole day, I wanted to get into a fight with someone and when I did, I couldn't control my body."
"Did you hurt anyone?" I wanted to know.
"No, the people ran away screaming demon or something like that." Peter waved his hand like it was nothing. "I felt normal that morning until I started loading up the boat to go fishing with my father. There was a strange prick at the base of my neck then I was watching everything from a distance."
I didn't know what to think about that, it sounded like a poorly said excuse for what happened the other day. I decided to leave him at that and try to do my own investigation on the matter after I figure out about what the King was planning. The fishermen and the sailors weren't my business for the time being.
"I should get home," I told him with a smile and a tilt of my head. He returned the smile and turned back to the harbor. As quickly as I could, I ran back home to get ready for my twin's return. After what he had done to me, I didn't want to meet up with him, telling him that I was too busy, but that would be childish of me. I was an adult and a mother, I should have been more mature about matters.
Sneaking back into the dwelling was just as easy as sneaking out. Everyone was in their chambers waking up. I found it odd that they would be waking up four hours passed dawn. If I knew my father, he would have gotten up two hours before, same with my mother. Though she was aging, she still did her morning routine like she did back when she was a young girl.
I slipped into my room and pretended as though I had just finished getting ready. I did, however, change my gown. It had gotten dirty somehow.
"Good morning, Aunt Aly," Ryan called from outside my door. I opened it a little to let her know that she could enter. "Aunt Aly, it's breakfast time, I'll walk down with you." I took her hand as she led me down to the dining room where everyone was entering.
"Your bother will be arriving soon," my mother announced as she folded her hands in front of her. "He should be here at noon." I nodded in response.
"Is there anything you have planned for today?" my father asked. He must have known that I was getting a bit anxious about sitting in the house for too long, though I was just out a half an hour before.
"I need to do a few errands in town," I told him. "The twins want me to send them something to them."
"Why didn't they come with you?" Celine queried innocently.
"Because they can't miss a moment of their studies," I told her, lying thoroughly. I had thought my lie through while on the ship and if it fell through, I had a back up. "The boys have been slacking lately and Taybur isn't helping." In a way, that was true. Taybur decided that he needed to take up the position to teach them how to properly protect people. I found the whole thing irrelevant but I didn't say anything. I believed he was making up time from his deceased prince back when I was younger.
The memory surged in my mind. The little boy that I once took care of died that day with the young prince. I pushed it back and glanced over and my father. He was staring at me as though trying to read me. I learned how to hid my emotions from he. He taught me almost everything I knew, but I also picked up a few things myself that I knew he hadn't encountered yet.
"How's your oldest?" Celine asked.
"Not good," Trick whispered in my ear.
"She's fine," I told everyone. It was simple and believable. If I said anymore, I would have been blabbing. There wasn't a doubt that my father would have noticed. He may have been old, but like my mother, he was still keen about the things around him.
He was about to say something when someone interrupted by entering the room. There stood Alan beaming at all of us.
"Surprise!"
A/N: This is all I had time to write but I will update again soon.
