A SOLDIER NOW:

***Reniers POV-2 Weeks Later***

The stone floor is cold against the pads of my feet as I sneak past the bedroom doors to my mothers room, a wool blanket wrapped over my shoulders. I hear the guttural yell emanating from a few floors below in the basement, shudder, and quicken my pace. Every night, the growls and screams from the basement wake me from my sleep. Tonight is the worst it's ever been, sending chills into my bones, fear settling deep in my stomach.

Finally, I reach my mothers bedroom door. Turning the knob, I inch the door open, trying to be quiet despite the squeaks of its hinges. I peer in, hoping to the mountain of my fathers body lying next to my sleeping mom. I haven't seen him in weeks, and the state if his presence remains the same. Gone. Missing. Disappeared. To where exactly, I don't know.

One of the screams vibrated up, yanking me out of my loathsome thoughts. I shot foreword into my mothers room, slamming the door- suddenly unconcerned with the tedious act of silence- and scrambled into moms bed, under her covers, consciously noticing the absence of warmth on my fathers side.

"Hey, sweetie, what's wrong?" Mom mumbled.

I curl closer to my mother, seeking her comfort, which she provided by rubbing her hands up and down my back. "There's something in the basement. It keeps on yelling."

Confusion passed over my mothers exhausted face. "Basement? What are you talking about base- The basement! Yeah, don't worry about that, Ren. It's... Nothing." I could almost see her cringe with the final word.

"What is it, Mom? Really," I pursue my answers further.

"Nothing, sweetie, I swear. Just ignore it."

I begin to feel desperate, "But mom, what if it hurts us?"

She shuffles and looked into my eyes with a sincere expression. "It's not going to hurt anyone, trust me."

I curl in a ball, still pressed against my Mom. I couldn't help the nagging feeling that I was missing something, but I couldn't tell if it was good or bad. Giving up I mutter, "I wish Dad was here."

Mom stiffened at the mention of my father. Maybe his disappearance troubles her as much as it does me, scares her as much as it does me. "He is," finally she speaks up. Placing a hand over my heart. "He's in hear. Your heart. You can attack and win anything because even when he's not, he's always with you. While he's gone, you the man of our unit, the soldier, just like your Daddy."

I nod, letting the information sink in, trying to envision myself the strong warrior my dad is. How could I be that? That strong, ruthless, smart, brave, and caring? Maybe I do have some of those qualities, Mom did say I was a soldier now.

I fell asleep next to Mom, mesmerized by my newfound position in my mothers eyes, and wondering how proud my father would be when he discovered that I was as strong and worthy a he is.

{~~~}

Another of the roars coming from downstairs jolted me into a terrified state of wakefulness. As I adapted to the shock of being wakened by the sounds of growls from the basement I began to calm. Usually, after being woke I could easily fall back to sleep, though not this time. This time my throat itched with dryness and my stomach grumbled with hunger.

Mustering up enough courage to slip out of bed I began my expedition to the kitchen. I walked quickly, with a purpose to fill my stomach, and not get stopped by any of my uncles, or one of the loud vocal noises from the basement.

Finally, I reached the kitchen and began to dig in the pantry. I found one of Williams chocolate cakes, but decided against eating it because he would notice it gone. Giving up my search in the pantry I opened the fridge and grabbed the bag of grapes and a water, before heading back to my room, instead if Mom's. She would he upset if I ate in her room, and I'm a soldier. I can sleep in my own room and face the scary noises like a soldier.

I passed the basement door when another growl pierced the air around me, except this time I could hear chains rattling after. The scared child part of me told me to run to my room and hide, but the soldier part of me, the real me, demanded I go inspect the situation, maybe make the prisoner quiet so the rest if my large family made up if aunts and uncles and cousins and parents can continue on with their slumbers.

Reluctantly, I tiptoe to the basement door. I resist the urge to turn away, and reach for the doorknob. My hand is cold against the metal. I turn it... Nothing happens. The door is locked.

Another yell erupts, causing me to jump back. I stand and stare at the door holding the beast. I want to hide, but I can't. I'm a soldier. In order to get into the basement I must find a way to unlock that door. I try to think, but nothing comes to mind.

My attempts were futile. There was no way to get that door open without the key. I began my journey to my room, disappointed.

I walk through the castle back to my room, past Amun's room, my parents room, Strider's room, William's empty room, and Lucien's room...

It came to me like a flash of lightning. Lucien has a key to almost every room in the house, including the basement.

With a new burst of hope and excitement I sneak into their room, quiet even when the beast yelled, because I'm a soldier now and nothing scares me. Nothing scares me until I see Lucien and Anya shift in their sleep, Anya's full breast falling out of the covers. I divert my eyes to protect my innocence, but my child-like curiously I peek once more before I continue my quest.

I check on the top of their dressers, but I didn't discover anything of use. Silently, I pulled open the top drawer of the dresser and gasp in horror at the sight of Anya's lacy and silky panties. I hurry and shut it. The next drawer contained Lucien's underwear and socks, and the next drawer held an arsenal of knives similar to that of my fathers. Shaking of the memory if his absence I began to look around the room, for any hint as to where the key would be, it definitely wasn't out in the open, so I crept to the side table closest to Lucien.

Crouching in front if the table, preparing to pull open a drawer I see it. Not around the table, but on a necklace- or manlace as Torin would call it- around my uncles neck.

How am I supposed to get the key now?

I look around the room, searching for something to aid my quest, then remember the knives in their drawer. I crawl to the dresser and open the bottom drawer, selecting a black knife, with a rough grip, and a spiky- serrated, I remember my dad calling it once- edge. Returning to Lucien, who is still fast asleep, I pull the 'manlace' towards me, position the knife in the string, then...

Lucien stirs in his sleep, slapping at an invisible force in the air before stilling once more. I wait, afraid he will wake to catch me in the deed of stealing. Lucien, despite his wives glee that I learned to steal and be devious, would be very upset with me and I would definitely have some explaining to do.

After I believed Lucien was back at rest I yanked the knife along Lucien's manlace, severing the connection between necklace and key.