The Uncontrollable
'The Grump'
*****
Numair trudged up long stairwell with tired feet, struggling to get to his rooms before he collapsed from exhaustion. He wiped at his sweaty brow with hands covered in crusted dried mud, making the swipe an irritating one. He pushed open his room door using his entire body. He walked over to the water basin. Plunging in his hands he yawned loudly. From the other rooms came a rustling of movement. From one of the doors walked a blond, blue-eyed elderly woman wiping her wet hands on her apron, sleeves pushed up around her elbows. "How'd it go?" Numair asked curiously.
The woman smirked, taking a quick glace over her shoulder towards the room she had just exited. "She's still upset. Won't talk to even me. Didn't even touch the breakfast I gave her in protest of cruel and unusual treatment." She handed Numair the cloth.
"She'll eat it when she gets hungry enough," muttered Numair through the cloth he was using to wipe his face with.
"She's stubborn, that one is. More 'an her mother I think. Sat there the entire time, arms crossed mumbling 'bout great mages never bein' punished so horribly." The woman laughed in mirth. "She went straight t'bed without supper –her first act of protest-and hasn't come out from under the covers since. I swear Numair, tha' girl is no more 'an 3 years and already she's waging war on you. What will ya do when she's 15 an 16?"
Numair chuckled. "Lock her up, I suppose."
"Well, she'll get over her temper soon enough, she will."
Numair looked at the woman with a self-satisfied grin. "She will if she wants to the Beltane festival this year."
"She's a bright girl, she is. As bright as her eyes. She'll come 'round soon enough." Numair grinned. "Where is tha' mother of hers anyways? Surely you didn't leave her with all the men to shovel up the mess the river made last night."
Numair groaned in annoyance. "She refused to leave the place until she was 'sure' no more animals needed healing. She's going to tire herself out to much. She did nothing but heal all night."
"She just wants to do some good is all. With tha' magic of 'ers, why shouldn't she?"
"For the same reason Jade isn't aloud to wander off like she did yesterday, even if it is to the gardens; it's to dangerous. Daine is powerful, but she isn't tireless. She's using too much energy."
"Worrisome husband; worrisome father."
Numair stared at the wall in annoyance. "Good-bye Niva; and thank you."
The old woman laughed with mirth. "Anytime laddy, anytime. I should go back to the kitchen to start preparing the lunch meals." With that, the little old woman left.
Numair finished wiping off as much dried mud as he could and knocked lightly on the door Niva had come out of. "Jade?" No answer. He smirked. He opened the door slightly, poking his head in and almost laughed at what he saw. Jade lay on her bed, sheets pulled up over her head so that it molded to her short length. Her pillow was resting on top of her head. Not one inch of her body was uncovered. "Are you talking to me?"
"No!" came the short and curt reply
Numair tried to repress the grin that was spreading across his face. "Why?"
"'cause!"
Numair raised an eyebrow as he walked up to the foot of the bed. "Why?"
"'cause you're mean," came the muffled and grumpy voice.
"Why am I mean?" he asked.
"You put me in the corner," grumbled Jade indignantly.
"You're mother put you in the corner, not me."
"You let her put me in the corner," revised the grumpy girl.
Numair sighed. "Jade, you can't wander off like you did yesterday."
Jade rocketed up to a sitting position, the pillow flying to the floor. Her hair was a complete tangle of dark brown-nearly black curls, her cheeks flushed from the heat under the covers. Her emerald green eyes sparkled with anger, further accented by the distinct black Cartheki eyelashes she'd inherited from him. Her mother's stubborn jaw was set in irritation. "I'm a big girl now!"
Numair sat next to her on the bed, his huge length dwarfing the small 3-year-old. "Jade, you're getting bigger, yes; but you're not big enough to go wherever you want whenever you want. You have to let your mother or I know where you are. We worry."
Jade squinted at him in consideration, her pert nose scrunching up as she pondered. Numair couldn't help but notice, for the millionth time, the very light dusting of freckles that gave her a distinct look of mischief. Nevertheless, by far, her eyes were the most noticeable of her looks. They were deep emerald green, the color of brilliant Jade-emeralds. She'd gotten her tanner skin complexion from him. Her hair was a mixture of Daine and him, but her face structure was her mother's completely. Absolutely gorgeous if you asked him.
"All right," said a now happy Jade.
Numair was caught off guard. "All right?"
Jade nodded. "I tell mamma or you when I want to go somewhere."
"I will tell mamma or you…," he corrected.
"I will…," blurted Jade. "Where's mamma?" she suddenly questioned.
"She's still out in the forest helping the others clean up after the mudslide last night."
"What's a mudslide?"
"A mudslide is a downhill movement of soft wet earth and debris, made fluid by rain or melted snow and often building up great spee…" he stopped at his daughter's utterly confused face. He sighed. "Lots of water and dirt put together, sweetling," he amended.
Jade's eyes grew big as saucers and just as excited. A small evil grin plastered itself across her cute face as she giggled in anticipation. "Mud," she whispered.
Numair looked at her warily and said very quickly. "No! You may not go out and play in the mud!"
Her face grew sad and she stuck out her trembling bottom lip. He clapped his hand over his eyes, shielding himself from his daughters puppy face. "No!"
*****
I couldn't resist posting this chapter so fast. I'm not even close to be well on my way. But here you go…enjoy.
Karigan
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