Warm
firelight and heat filled the small room of Serin's cliff side home. It was a
small, homely room. Neatly trimmed moss covering were lain all about the floor
for comfort of walking, the fireplace set itself right across from the entry
door in the wall. Rolan lay on a thick rush mat that was pushed into a corner
near the fire so as to warm its patron.
"How's he doing?" whispered
Enoch to Kathryn who stood beside him in the doorway.
Eyes downcast at her paws as
she rubbed them down with scrutiny with a moist rag, she replied in the same
quiet tone, "A bit punished and weakened from lack of proper victuals, but
otherwise, not in incredibly horrible condition. I've seen worse."
"Haven't we all." Remarked
Enoch as he let his elbow down from leaning against the doorframe and walked
towards Rolan.
Kathryn saw Enoch start moving
closer, obviously to talk to the squirrel, immediately she grabbed him sternly
by the shoulder. "No, not yet. He's still too weak. He needs more rest."
Stopping in his tracks, Enoch
nodded, turned, and exited just as Serin entered.
Enoch patted Serin's shoulder
while leaving to get something to eat. "What kind of wounds did he have?" asked
Serin, in an acknowledged whisper.
"Horrible ones. Obviously for
torture and maiming, not meant to kill, just cause pain. Many scars. His wrists
were lacerated badly, the skin broken due to rope burn. Even more on his back,
probably from being whipped. And it looked like he'd endured a lot of beating
before all that."
"How's he resting?"
"Well."
"Good."
"Serin?" started Kathryn, as
she turned to face her husband, her features no more concerned with the cold
reality of war but instead on things closer to home, "do you think they'll come
after him? After us because of what you and Enoch did?"
Serin was watching the
slumbering squirrel, listening to his wife, "Does it matter?" asked Serin, as
he turned and took her paws in his, "we must uphold the morals and honor we've
lived all our lives and taught to Jerro. Anything less-"
"Could get us killed Serin."
Finished Kathryn, "we need to start thinking not like vigilantes who are
freeing slaves and heroically stealing grain. Those days are gone. The Order's
gone. Now it's those Clansou's, and now there are fewer to hold the honor that
we've held to. We can't fight them Serin."
"Then what do we do Kat, tell
me what we do?" asked Serin, a little agitated.
"I don't know..."
