Clear-Book by Nash Fangirl
"How come we're having all this special stuff for dinner?" Ramjeet asked.
"Because this is a special day," his mother responded.
"What special day?" Ishi asked.
"Just a special day."
"Is it someone's birthday?" Elanie asked.
"Is it father's birthday? Is it your birthday?" Ramjeet drilled.
"It isn't anyone's birthday. I just have some news for you all, and I think it warrants a special dinner."
"Good news?" Ramjeet asked.
"Very good news."
"Are we going to have another brother or sister?" Sunshine asked.
"No. It isn't anything like that."
"Can you tell us, mother?" Sunshine asked.
"Yeah! Please?" Windrider pleaded.
"Not right now."
"Awww....please, please, pleeeeze!!??" Ramjeet begged.
"No. I'm waiting until your father gets home. Then I'll only have to say it once. And I'm not so sure that I would even get the chance to tell him myself if I told all of you."
"We can pretend we don't know if you tell us!" Ramjeet exclaimed.
"No. Not now. That's final."
The front door creaked open, and all the children knew what it meant. They ran to tackle the one who entered.
"Father! Come on! Hurry! Mother has news!" Ramjeet exclaimed, grabbing his father's arm.
"Wait a minute. I just got through the do -- Ramjeet, stop that -- I don't even have my shoes o -- Windrider, that's enough -- Let me sit down first."
"But mother has news!" Elanie jumped.
"Yeah!" Windrider agreed.
"It's very good news!" Ramjeet added.
"She wouldn't tell us unless you were home, too!" Ishi explained.
"But it's not another brother or sister!" Elanie yattered.
"Mother, father's home! Can we hear the news now?" Ramjeet exclaimed, rushing back into the kitchen.
"Oh, I suppose so. If you are that anxious. Everyone into the T.V. room."
She herded her large family into the busiest centre of the hometree, and told them all to sit down. So the news would come faster, they all obeyed instantly.
"What is it, mother?" Ramjeet asked, bouncing in his seat.
"We're going to be coming into a little more money in the next year or so, enough to pay off the bills and then some."
"What?" her lifemate perked up instantly. "You did not find a job, did you?"
"No, not really. I got a letter today. They're going to finally publish my book."
Her lifemate looked at her with scepticism, which was hardly the emotion she was expecting. "But you sent out the manuscripts three years ago!" he exclaimed.
"I know that. But it is a reputable company that sent me the letter. I guess here in Tenland things like that take more time."
"That's great, mother! I can finally read about all the Wolfriders legends and what it was like when you were a kid!" Sunshine exclaimed.
"Will you read it to me?" Elanie asked.
"Sure, rugrat."
"Yay! Mother!" Ramjeet and Ishi did a victory dance.
"But 'mother' did not do a victory dance that time.
"Rayek...they are going to publish my book," she repeated.
"I heard you."
"Well, what do you think?"
A long pause followed his words, but she could tell what he was thinking. It infuriated her.
"Why you arrogant, pig-headed snake," she said, not a shout, but loud enough to attract instant attention from all in the room.
"What?" her lifemate snapped. "What did I do to deserve that?!"
"I know what you're thinking. You're not happy because you're no longer the only breadwinner."
"No, it is not that at all!"
"I know you too well, Rayek. You can't lie to me!"
"You know nothing about me!"
"Then what were you thinking? Why the silence, Rayek?"
"I always think before I speak!"
"Coming from you, that is the silliest thing I've ever heard!"
"It is not silly!"
"Children, get the table set and ready for dinner, please. I must talk with your father alone."
"Yes, mother. Come on, you guys," Sunshine spoke with a depressed tone. With similar tones, the other children left, leaving the couple alone.
She sat down beside him and let out a long sigh, hoping it would remove her anger. It didn't work. She was furious, but she thought this situation would lend itself better to a soft approach, whether she liked it or not.
"Rayek, I know how this must be for you. You've never felt worthy to us because of how little money you make. But we all know you work hard. You've tried everything. You've even made yourself ill trying to provide for us all. But we can't keep pretending we can live off your profits alone. And I feel bad sitting around here and taking all the time. I want to contribute something. They are my children, too. And besides, I know the way these things go. After awhile people will lose interest in the book, and the money will stop coming in. But while it does, we might as well make the best of it. Please, just try to understand."
Only silence and the rustle of a page turn was heard. She waited for a few seconds, then decided to give up on it. She was going to get the book published, whether Rayek liked it or not. He would just have to live with it.
Then she heard a voice, very low and quiet coming from behind the paper.
"I hope you have a more favourable impression of me this time around."
She stopped in the doorway of the T.V. room, and decided not to turn around and thank him. Instead she smiled and said, "It's wonderful to know you're all behind me. There will be interviews and signings and other things that will take up my time. I barely ever saw my house for two months in Statesville. But I'll keep the promotions limited, because I have other priorities now, and I know that. Now dinner will be in a couple minutes. I'll call you in."
The next month was busy in the Palacekeeper Hometree. The designer couldn't make up his mind on what event to chronicle on the cover, making Clearbrook wish Leetah was still around to do the art for her. The printer lost a page, and she had to find another copy of it amidst her numerous papers and bills. And she had to attend a gala pre-promotion at a very prestigious banquet hall. On suggestion of the publisher, she had to take all her children, and tried to keep them quiet throughout the entire show.
But finally the day the book was released came out, and things became even busier. The first day alone, she had three signing sessions in Tenland, then had to fly to Redskies for three days to do more there. But her family didn't seem to mind her absence, because now they would finally get a chance to read the tales their mother had spun about her life long ago, before the cities.
"It all began in a time quite different from now," Sunshine read to her siblings. "The Wolfriders were hunters..."
Rayek was not as excited about learning Wolfrider history. There was some other tale that interested him more. He was anxious to see how Clearbrook had written about him this time around, now that they had been lifemates for fifteen years. Checking the table of contents, he turned to the chapter named "Sorrow's End."
"You will not send!" was how the chapter began.
"Get to the good part..." Rayek said, flipping a few pages over, until he saw what he was looking for.
"Of course, Rayek was not pleased by Cutter's victory in the trials of hand and heart. Though he had been victorious in the trial of head, he still could not accept his defeat. Like an immature child, he stormed away out of the village. He had been creamed like a scalloped potato."
The yellow in Rayek's eyes were molten flames of anger now. He trusted her to have a more favourable impression of him in this book! But she hadn't changed it! Not a single thing!
"Children, put that book down now."
"But wh--"
"I absolutely forbid you to read that book! Put it down or I will burn it!"
"But why?"
"Do what I say and go to bed! Now!"
The children knew better than to test him when he was that angry. In three minutes, they were all in bed.
Rayek paced the living room nervously.
"I knew I should not have trusted her. She is nothing but a stupid wolf-brained Wolfrider! Why -- how could she do this to me again!? We are lifemates! Does she not care!?"
He saw a picture of her on a shelf. He picked it up, and stared at it for a moment. He felt an incredible ache rising within himself. It wasn't rage, or betrayal...it was something he couldn't explain with words. And it hurt more than any physical pain.
He slammed the picture down on the table again, and turned away from it. He would never look at that picture again.
"She cannot, or else she would not have humiliated me like this."
Defrocked, Rayek decided to check on his children. He felt bad for yelling at them as he had, but he couldn't help feeling that he had been betrayed.
The next morning, Rayek had to pack up his family and drive off to the airport to pick up his lifemate. He said little as they drove along.
"Can we have breakfast at Burger Queen?" Ramjeet asked as they drove close by.
Rayek chose not to speak. His mind was only filled with rage, and he didn't want to take it out on his children. He knew Burger Queen was a hazard, but he decided to humour Ramjeet and risk it.
He drove into the parking lot, and they all rushed in, Ramjeet in the lead.
The family stood at the counter until the cashier came to the front. It was one of the Chosen Eight, Aroree.
"Oh, hello!" she greeted. "What can I get you?"
"Bacon, eggs, milk!!" Ramjeet shouted.
As each child placed their order, Rayek saw another pair of Chosen standing behind the warmer. They appeared to hold a book in their hand. He thought he saw them laughing. He squinted to see if it was Clearbrook's book. He knew it was.
The Chosen named Soreel burst out laughing as he saw Rayek, and couldn't stop himself.
Rayek scowled at him darkly, but it didn't phase the Glider.
"Children, hurry up."
"And a muffin! Carrot!" Sunshine finished.
"One moment," Aroree said, and called back the order. "Two Bacon and eggs, four milk, three carrot muffins and two bran muffins and a tea!" Aroree turned back to Rayek. "Would you like cream for your tea?"
Soreel, who had finally controlled himself, burst out laughing again at the mention of the word 'cream.' Rayek now knew what the Chosen found so amusing.
"Black. Will you just hurry up with the order?! I must get to the airport!" he snapped.
"One minute," Aroree spoke. "That will be twenty dollars."
Rayek threw the bill at Aroree who took it, completely mystified.
Three minutes passed. The Chosen in the kitchen still chortled.
"What's taking so long, guys?" Aroree asked, feeling pressured by Rayek's antsy children, and his impatient toe-tapping.
"Aroree...Aroree....come here and see this," Soreel called, beckoning the cashier to the kitchen.
"What is it?"
Soreel whispered something, and passed Aroree the book. She read something from it, glanced at Rayek once, and burst into laughter herself.
"AM I GOING TO GET MY BREAKFAST??!!!" Rayek shouted. Everyone in the back of the restaurant burst into more hearty laughter at his attempts.
"What's going on here?" came a voice Rayek recognized as Clearbrook's son, Scouter.
"Hi, Scouter!" Ramjeet exclaimed.
"Hi!" Sunshine shouted.
"Hello," he said, greeting his siblings. His eyes quickly met Rayek's. His stare was not something Scouter was in the mood to contend with.
"What's wrong?"
"I just want my breakfast!" he shouted.
"Guys, what's the status on Rayek's breakfast?" he called back.
Reevol slid the items to the front, then crawled back to the kitchen.
Scouter looked at them all, confused.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing is FUNNY!" Rayek snapped, grabbing the bag from Scouter's hand. "Come, children!"
The waiting was tense, and Rayek wasn't even sure he wanted to see Clearbrook after she'd so badly insulted him. When he saw her emerge from the airport gate, he turned his back. His children had already rushed off to greet their mother, but he couldn't look at the reunion. No. He would never look at Clearbrook the same again.
"Hello, Rayek," she spoke, her voice sounding a bit nervous. Doubtless, she knew why he was angry, and that was good. He wanted her to know he was angry. As much as his younger self would begin to start a scene in the airport, he decided he would reserve that for home. Assuming he could find anything to say.
"Let's go," he said coldly, still not looking at her. He walked towards the parking lot, not even glancing back. If they were following, fine. If they weren't...fine, too.
The entire trip home, Rayek didn't speak. Even the rapturous voices of his children didn't help him calm down. He knew that he had to go to work as soon as he dropped his family home. Perhaps he would work a double shift so that he wouldn't have to deal with everything. So he would not have to listen to Clearbrook's petty excuses.
"Does anyone want to tell me why your father refuses to welcome me home?"
Don't get the children involved in this, Rayek thought. This does not concern them...
"Father read something in your book that made him really mad," Sunshine spoke, telling her mother as they pulled into Holt Park.
"Well, I supposed it was something like that."
"I don't like it when you fight, mother," Ishi spoke quietly.
Clearbrook fell as silent as Rayek, and Rayek was happy about that.
"I'm going to work. I'll be home...when I get home," he said. "Have a good day, children."
Ramjeet stood up and draped himself over the front seat. "Don't be too mad, father. We love you."
Rayek forced a smile for his middle son. "Have a good day, Ramjeet. Behave yourself. I am not angry with you."
Satisfied, Ramjeet nodded and exited the taxi with the others. Rayek then drove off, intending to return only after the children slept. He knew that he would eventually have to speak to Clearbrook. But he didn't want to do that with the children awake. He wasn't sure what he would say or do.
He was hoping that Clearbrook would be asleep at one in the morning, but as Rayek snuck home, he was greeted by his lifemate, who stood silently in the hallway. He stared at her a moment, then looked away.
"I'm tired. I'm going to bed."
"No you are not, Rayek Palacekeeper."
"Yes...I am..."
"You're angry about the scalloped potato part, aren't you?"
Angry? ANGRY? That was HARDLY strong enough a word. He could no longer hold in his rage. "And you expect me NOT to be?! I thought things would be different! I thought now that we were lifemates that you would not humiliate me so!"
"I did it for a reason!"
"I don't want to hear it! I don't want to listen to your excuses! How can I expect to trust you again? You know how embarassing that part of my life was in the first place, and you dare make a joke of it?!"
"Have you even read the entire book, or did you just glance over that part?!"
"I did not need to read any more to know what sort of things are in that book!"
Clearbrook sighed. "Then I guess there is absolutely nothing I can say to change your mind about it. But... I am going to leave it open to one page, and then I am going to bed. You can choose to read it or not. It will be your own stubborn fault if you just wish to stay mad unjustly and mistrust me on no pretense at all."
Rayek couldn't help himself - he glanded into her eyes before she turned. He didn't want to. He knew that it would make it harder to fight if he saw the pained expression in her eyes as she turned away. He knew at that moment why this entire thing hurt so much. It wasn't the humilation. It wasn't her mocking him. It was because he loved her, and she had betrayed him. He could have lived with the other two.
But...maybe...
He fought the urge to reach for the novel, left open to a page around three quarters through. He could no longer resist the temptation and picked it up with curiosity.
His eyes skimmed through the page, and the more he read, the less intense his anger seemed.
He put down the book, and shook his head, almost not believing what he had read.
He walked towards the bedroom and stood in the doorway.
"I still do not understand why you kept those insulting remarks in. But I am not mad any longer. I cannot be -- after this."
He saw his lifemate rise, and walk into the light. She took the book from him.
"So Rayek came over for Leetah's sake, and for sure, he didn't have to. Our lessons began immediately. As a teacher, I would say he was tough, but determined. That determination helped me to learn quickly. Some people would hate such treatment. I admit, it did lead to plenty of fights between us. But most of the time, he came back the next day with a new lesson. He was the best teacher I've ever had for anything," she read aloud.
"Did you really mean that?" he asked.
"No. Not as is."
"What do you mean by that!?" he snapped.
"For suspense's purposes, I left out a crucial part."
"What?"
"That fact that I was falling for you, though back then, I would have never admitted it to myself."
"You did? All the way back then?"
"Yes. Probably even before that."
"Well, if you care, why did you..."
"Include my old narrative? Well, to do one very important thing. To show how you have matured over the years. Remember, you were quite an upstart when I first met you."
"Upstart?!"
"I mean that with much affection, of course."
His temper quickly cooled.
"Yes, I know you do."
"So, do you see now why I did it?"
"Yes. I am sorry I got so mad."
"I knew you would. I can't keep you from being you. But even your understanding now proves my point. The Sun Village Rayek would have never picked up the book."
"Yes, I guess he wouldn't have."
"I am also supposing you didn't keep reading after the scalloped potato part."
"Well...I....no, I did not."
Clearbrook smiled. "Well, alright. I will read it for you." She flipped to the part he hated so much. He could tell by the crunched pages left behind by his rage. She then began to read, "'At that time, nobody understood Rayek's reaction when he stormed away from the village without even being driven off. Wolfriders were not taught to react in such ways when they lost. Like a de-ranked pack leader, they had to accept their defeat gracefully. The only one in clear Wolfrider history to react thus was the Blood of Three Chiefs, the crazy Two-Spear who led the tribe into war with the humans. How could we help but think Rayek ill? In those early days, we didn't understand. There were many things that differed between the Wolfriders and the Sun Villagers. No one side was wrong or right. It was just a different way of doing things. So was true with Rayek."
"Do you know what else is true of Rayek?" he said.
"What?"
"He likes you...intensely."
She smiled. "And I most certainly do not hate you, Rayek. And I never will."
ONWARD...
The Elfquest characters Rayek, Clearbrook, Scouter and Aroree, and characters mentioned in Clearbrook's book are all (c) the great people at WaRP Graphics. I just used them for this fic.
"How come we're having all this special stuff for dinner?" Ramjeet asked.
"Because this is a special day," his mother responded.
"What special day?" Ishi asked.
"Just a special day."
"Is it someone's birthday?" Elanie asked.
"Is it father's birthday? Is it your birthday?" Ramjeet drilled.
"It isn't anyone's birthday. I just have some news for you all, and I think it warrants a special dinner."
"Good news?" Ramjeet asked.
"Very good news."
"Are we going to have another brother or sister?" Sunshine asked.
"No. It isn't anything like that."
"Can you tell us, mother?" Sunshine asked.
"Yeah! Please?" Windrider pleaded.
"Not right now."
"Awww....please, please, pleeeeze!!??" Ramjeet begged.
"No. I'm waiting until your father gets home. Then I'll only have to say it once. And I'm not so sure that I would even get the chance to tell him myself if I told all of you."
"We can pretend we don't know if you tell us!" Ramjeet exclaimed.
"No. Not now. That's final."
The front door creaked open, and all the children knew what it meant. They ran to tackle the one who entered.
"Father! Come on! Hurry! Mother has news!" Ramjeet exclaimed, grabbing his father's arm.
"Wait a minute. I just got through the do -- Ramjeet, stop that -- I don't even have my shoes o -- Windrider, that's enough -- Let me sit down first."
"But mother has news!" Elanie jumped.
"Yeah!" Windrider agreed.
"It's very good news!" Ramjeet added.
"She wouldn't tell us unless you were home, too!" Ishi explained.
"But it's not another brother or sister!" Elanie yattered.
"Mother, father's home! Can we hear the news now?" Ramjeet exclaimed, rushing back into the kitchen.
"Oh, I suppose so. If you are that anxious. Everyone into the T.V. room."
She herded her large family into the busiest centre of the hometree, and told them all to sit down. So the news would come faster, they all obeyed instantly.
"What is it, mother?" Ramjeet asked, bouncing in his seat.
"We're going to be coming into a little more money in the next year or so, enough to pay off the bills and then some."
"What?" her lifemate perked up instantly. "You did not find a job, did you?"
"No, not really. I got a letter today. They're going to finally publish my book."
Her lifemate looked at her with scepticism, which was hardly the emotion she was expecting. "But you sent out the manuscripts three years ago!" he exclaimed.
"I know that. But it is a reputable company that sent me the letter. I guess here in Tenland things like that take more time."
"That's great, mother! I can finally read about all the Wolfriders legends and what it was like when you were a kid!" Sunshine exclaimed.
"Will you read it to me?" Elanie asked.
"Sure, rugrat."
"Yay! Mother!" Ramjeet and Ishi did a victory dance.
"But 'mother' did not do a victory dance that time.
"Rayek...they are going to publish my book," she repeated.
"I heard you."
"Well, what do you think?"
A long pause followed his words, but she could tell what he was thinking. It infuriated her.
"Why you arrogant, pig-headed snake," she said, not a shout, but loud enough to attract instant attention from all in the room.
"What?" her lifemate snapped. "What did I do to deserve that?!"
"I know what you're thinking. You're not happy because you're no longer the only breadwinner."
"No, it is not that at all!"
"I know you too well, Rayek. You can't lie to me!"
"You know nothing about me!"
"Then what were you thinking? Why the silence, Rayek?"
"I always think before I speak!"
"Coming from you, that is the silliest thing I've ever heard!"
"It is not silly!"
"Children, get the table set and ready for dinner, please. I must talk with your father alone."
"Yes, mother. Come on, you guys," Sunshine spoke with a depressed tone. With similar tones, the other children left, leaving the couple alone.
She sat down beside him and let out a long sigh, hoping it would remove her anger. It didn't work. She was furious, but she thought this situation would lend itself better to a soft approach, whether she liked it or not.
"Rayek, I know how this must be for you. You've never felt worthy to us because of how little money you make. But we all know you work hard. You've tried everything. You've even made yourself ill trying to provide for us all. But we can't keep pretending we can live off your profits alone. And I feel bad sitting around here and taking all the time. I want to contribute something. They are my children, too. And besides, I know the way these things go. After awhile people will lose interest in the book, and the money will stop coming in. But while it does, we might as well make the best of it. Please, just try to understand."
Only silence and the rustle of a page turn was heard. She waited for a few seconds, then decided to give up on it. She was going to get the book published, whether Rayek liked it or not. He would just have to live with it.
Then she heard a voice, very low and quiet coming from behind the paper.
"I hope you have a more favourable impression of me this time around."
She stopped in the doorway of the T.V. room, and decided not to turn around and thank him. Instead she smiled and said, "It's wonderful to know you're all behind me. There will be interviews and signings and other things that will take up my time. I barely ever saw my house for two months in Statesville. But I'll keep the promotions limited, because I have other priorities now, and I know that. Now dinner will be in a couple minutes. I'll call you in."
The next month was busy in the Palacekeeper Hometree. The designer couldn't make up his mind on what event to chronicle on the cover, making Clearbrook wish Leetah was still around to do the art for her. The printer lost a page, and she had to find another copy of it amidst her numerous papers and bills. And she had to attend a gala pre-promotion at a very prestigious banquet hall. On suggestion of the publisher, she had to take all her children, and tried to keep them quiet throughout the entire show.
But finally the day the book was released came out, and things became even busier. The first day alone, she had three signing sessions in Tenland, then had to fly to Redskies for three days to do more there. But her family didn't seem to mind her absence, because now they would finally get a chance to read the tales their mother had spun about her life long ago, before the cities.
"It all began in a time quite different from now," Sunshine read to her siblings. "The Wolfriders were hunters..."
Rayek was not as excited about learning Wolfrider history. There was some other tale that interested him more. He was anxious to see how Clearbrook had written about him this time around, now that they had been lifemates for fifteen years. Checking the table of contents, he turned to the chapter named "Sorrow's End."
"You will not send!" was how the chapter began.
"Get to the good part..." Rayek said, flipping a few pages over, until he saw what he was looking for.
"Of course, Rayek was not pleased by Cutter's victory in the trials of hand and heart. Though he had been victorious in the trial of head, he still could not accept his defeat. Like an immature child, he stormed away out of the village. He had been creamed like a scalloped potato."
The yellow in Rayek's eyes were molten flames of anger now. He trusted her to have a more favourable impression of him in this book! But she hadn't changed it! Not a single thing!
"Children, put that book down now."
"But wh--"
"I absolutely forbid you to read that book! Put it down or I will burn it!"
"But why?"
"Do what I say and go to bed! Now!"
The children knew better than to test him when he was that angry. In three minutes, they were all in bed.
Rayek paced the living room nervously.
"I knew I should not have trusted her. She is nothing but a stupid wolf-brained Wolfrider! Why -- how could she do this to me again!? We are lifemates! Does she not care!?"
He saw a picture of her on a shelf. He picked it up, and stared at it for a moment. He felt an incredible ache rising within himself. It wasn't rage, or betrayal...it was something he couldn't explain with words. And it hurt more than any physical pain.
He slammed the picture down on the table again, and turned away from it. He would never look at that picture again.
"She cannot, or else she would not have humiliated me like this."
Defrocked, Rayek decided to check on his children. He felt bad for yelling at them as he had, but he couldn't help feeling that he had been betrayed.
The next morning, Rayek had to pack up his family and drive off to the airport to pick up his lifemate. He said little as they drove along.
"Can we have breakfast at Burger Queen?" Ramjeet asked as they drove close by.
Rayek chose not to speak. His mind was only filled with rage, and he didn't want to take it out on his children. He knew Burger Queen was a hazard, but he decided to humour Ramjeet and risk it.
He drove into the parking lot, and they all rushed in, Ramjeet in the lead.
The family stood at the counter until the cashier came to the front. It was one of the Chosen Eight, Aroree.
"Oh, hello!" she greeted. "What can I get you?"
"Bacon, eggs, milk!!" Ramjeet shouted.
As each child placed their order, Rayek saw another pair of Chosen standing behind the warmer. They appeared to hold a book in their hand. He thought he saw them laughing. He squinted to see if it was Clearbrook's book. He knew it was.
The Chosen named Soreel burst out laughing as he saw Rayek, and couldn't stop himself.
Rayek scowled at him darkly, but it didn't phase the Glider.
"Children, hurry up."
"And a muffin! Carrot!" Sunshine finished.
"One moment," Aroree said, and called back the order. "Two Bacon and eggs, four milk, three carrot muffins and two bran muffins and a tea!" Aroree turned back to Rayek. "Would you like cream for your tea?"
Soreel, who had finally controlled himself, burst out laughing again at the mention of the word 'cream.' Rayek now knew what the Chosen found so amusing.
"Black. Will you just hurry up with the order?! I must get to the airport!" he snapped.
"One minute," Aroree spoke. "That will be twenty dollars."
Rayek threw the bill at Aroree who took it, completely mystified.
Three minutes passed. The Chosen in the kitchen still chortled.
"What's taking so long, guys?" Aroree asked, feeling pressured by Rayek's antsy children, and his impatient toe-tapping.
"Aroree...Aroree....come here and see this," Soreel called, beckoning the cashier to the kitchen.
"What is it?"
Soreel whispered something, and passed Aroree the book. She read something from it, glanced at Rayek once, and burst into laughter herself.
"AM I GOING TO GET MY BREAKFAST??!!!" Rayek shouted. Everyone in the back of the restaurant burst into more hearty laughter at his attempts.
"What's going on here?" came a voice Rayek recognized as Clearbrook's son, Scouter.
"Hi, Scouter!" Ramjeet exclaimed.
"Hi!" Sunshine shouted.
"Hello," he said, greeting his siblings. His eyes quickly met Rayek's. His stare was not something Scouter was in the mood to contend with.
"What's wrong?"
"I just want my breakfast!" he shouted.
"Guys, what's the status on Rayek's breakfast?" he called back.
Reevol slid the items to the front, then crawled back to the kitchen.
Scouter looked at them all, confused.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing is FUNNY!" Rayek snapped, grabbing the bag from Scouter's hand. "Come, children!"
The waiting was tense, and Rayek wasn't even sure he wanted to see Clearbrook after she'd so badly insulted him. When he saw her emerge from the airport gate, he turned his back. His children had already rushed off to greet their mother, but he couldn't look at the reunion. No. He would never look at Clearbrook the same again.
"Hello, Rayek," she spoke, her voice sounding a bit nervous. Doubtless, she knew why he was angry, and that was good. He wanted her to know he was angry. As much as his younger self would begin to start a scene in the airport, he decided he would reserve that for home. Assuming he could find anything to say.
"Let's go," he said coldly, still not looking at her. He walked towards the parking lot, not even glancing back. If they were following, fine. If they weren't...fine, too.
The entire trip home, Rayek didn't speak. Even the rapturous voices of his children didn't help him calm down. He knew that he had to go to work as soon as he dropped his family home. Perhaps he would work a double shift so that he wouldn't have to deal with everything. So he would not have to listen to Clearbrook's petty excuses.
"Does anyone want to tell me why your father refuses to welcome me home?"
Don't get the children involved in this, Rayek thought. This does not concern them...
"Father read something in your book that made him really mad," Sunshine spoke, telling her mother as they pulled into Holt Park.
"Well, I supposed it was something like that."
"I don't like it when you fight, mother," Ishi spoke quietly.
Clearbrook fell as silent as Rayek, and Rayek was happy about that.
"I'm going to work. I'll be home...when I get home," he said. "Have a good day, children."
Ramjeet stood up and draped himself over the front seat. "Don't be too mad, father. We love you."
Rayek forced a smile for his middle son. "Have a good day, Ramjeet. Behave yourself. I am not angry with you."
Satisfied, Ramjeet nodded and exited the taxi with the others. Rayek then drove off, intending to return only after the children slept. He knew that he would eventually have to speak to Clearbrook. But he didn't want to do that with the children awake. He wasn't sure what he would say or do.
He was hoping that Clearbrook would be asleep at one in the morning, but as Rayek snuck home, he was greeted by his lifemate, who stood silently in the hallway. He stared at her a moment, then looked away.
"I'm tired. I'm going to bed."
"No you are not, Rayek Palacekeeper."
"Yes...I am..."
"You're angry about the scalloped potato part, aren't you?"
Angry? ANGRY? That was HARDLY strong enough a word. He could no longer hold in his rage. "And you expect me NOT to be?! I thought things would be different! I thought now that we were lifemates that you would not humiliate me so!"
"I did it for a reason!"
"I don't want to hear it! I don't want to listen to your excuses! How can I expect to trust you again? You know how embarassing that part of my life was in the first place, and you dare make a joke of it?!"
"Have you even read the entire book, or did you just glance over that part?!"
"I did not need to read any more to know what sort of things are in that book!"
Clearbrook sighed. "Then I guess there is absolutely nothing I can say to change your mind about it. But... I am going to leave it open to one page, and then I am going to bed. You can choose to read it or not. It will be your own stubborn fault if you just wish to stay mad unjustly and mistrust me on no pretense at all."
Rayek couldn't help himself - he glanded into her eyes before she turned. He didn't want to. He knew that it would make it harder to fight if he saw the pained expression in her eyes as she turned away. He knew at that moment why this entire thing hurt so much. It wasn't the humilation. It wasn't her mocking him. It was because he loved her, and she had betrayed him. He could have lived with the other two.
But...maybe...
He fought the urge to reach for the novel, left open to a page around three quarters through. He could no longer resist the temptation and picked it up with curiosity.
His eyes skimmed through the page, and the more he read, the less intense his anger seemed.
He put down the book, and shook his head, almost not believing what he had read.
He walked towards the bedroom and stood in the doorway.
"I still do not understand why you kept those insulting remarks in. But I am not mad any longer. I cannot be -- after this."
He saw his lifemate rise, and walk into the light. She took the book from him.
"So Rayek came over for Leetah's sake, and for sure, he didn't have to. Our lessons began immediately. As a teacher, I would say he was tough, but determined. That determination helped me to learn quickly. Some people would hate such treatment. I admit, it did lead to plenty of fights between us. But most of the time, he came back the next day with a new lesson. He was the best teacher I've ever had for anything," she read aloud.
"Did you really mean that?" he asked.
"No. Not as is."
"What do you mean by that!?" he snapped.
"For suspense's purposes, I left out a crucial part."
"What?"
"That fact that I was falling for you, though back then, I would have never admitted it to myself."
"You did? All the way back then?"
"Yes. Probably even before that."
"Well, if you care, why did you..."
"Include my old narrative? Well, to do one very important thing. To show how you have matured over the years. Remember, you were quite an upstart when I first met you."
"Upstart?!"
"I mean that with much affection, of course."
His temper quickly cooled.
"Yes, I know you do."
"So, do you see now why I did it?"
"Yes. I am sorry I got so mad."
"I knew you would. I can't keep you from being you. But even your understanding now proves my point. The Sun Village Rayek would have never picked up the book."
"Yes, I guess he wouldn't have."
"I am also supposing you didn't keep reading after the scalloped potato part."
"Well...I....no, I did not."
Clearbrook smiled. "Well, alright. I will read it for you." She flipped to the part he hated so much. He could tell by the crunched pages left behind by his rage. She then began to read, "'At that time, nobody understood Rayek's reaction when he stormed away from the village without even being driven off. Wolfriders were not taught to react in such ways when they lost. Like a de-ranked pack leader, they had to accept their defeat gracefully. The only one in clear Wolfrider history to react thus was the Blood of Three Chiefs, the crazy Two-Spear who led the tribe into war with the humans. How could we help but think Rayek ill? In those early days, we didn't understand. There were many things that differed between the Wolfriders and the Sun Villagers. No one side was wrong or right. It was just a different way of doing things. So was true with Rayek."
"Do you know what else is true of Rayek?" he said.
"What?"
"He likes you...intensely."
She smiled. "And I most certainly do not hate you, Rayek. And I never will."
ONWARD...
The Elfquest characters Rayek, Clearbrook, Scouter and Aroree, and characters mentioned in Clearbrook's book are all (c) the great people at WaRP Graphics. I just used them for this fic.