Thank you to Ashlynn Lilacflower and Yabberli for reviewing! Also thank you to all y'all who read this, but trust me, I favour a review over a hit! It doesn't have to be descriptive, just a simple, yay, good! Or, if you think this is truly that bad, an insult. :P Okay, I'm done being a review whore.
I think that the characters are really taking shape at this point. I'm getting better at all the stuff Natalie (Yabberli) suggested for me to do. Thanks for reading!
"This is considerably better than riding under the hay," Fin commented, fetching a laugh from Farris, who reached over and ruffled his Godson's hair.
"I'd expect so, my boy," Farris replied with a laugh. Dhiren glanced over at the pair.
"This is no time for laughs. We didn't discover a single lead in the city," he grumbled. Both Farris and Fin glanced over at Dhiren, but didn't pursue an argument. Clearly upset and looking for a reason to fight, the senior returned to glowering.
With a familiar companion, Farris' mood lightened considerably. He spent from the beginning of their ride to their stop, soon after dusk, sharing slightly exaggerated tales with Fin. Not even Dhiren's frequent, disgusted glances could dampen his mood.
As the cart slowed to a stop, Dhiren spoke his first whole sentence since the beginning of the ride. "Get out and begin unloading the cart," he instructed to Farris and Fin. "We'll be sleeping here for the night. While you're doing that, I'll procure firewood. In the unlikely event that somebody ventures into the camp, tell them that we're merchants – Fin and Farris are cousins and I am your uncle. Fin, your name is Keeran to anyone who asks; Farris will go by Dougal," Dhiren grinned as if sharing a joke with someone. Fin noted a grimace on his Godfather's face. "I will be Naresh. Prepare the camp as well as you are able," Dhiren ordered, and began walking in the other direction.
"What are you doing, then?" Farris called after him.
Not bothering to turn, Dhiren bellowed back, "Firewood!" Fin waited a moment as Dhiren disappeared into the sea of trees, noting with curiosity that the older man had passed by a large pile of firewood and hadn't even spared it a glance.
"Are we sure Dhiren is trustworthy?" Fin asked his Godfather. Farris paused from his work and drew a long breath inwards, then gave a little laugh.
"Of course, we have no reason not to," he said, confidently placing his hands on his hips. Yet all Fin still detected a hint of doubt in Farris's voice.
"He didn't stop at the firewood he passed, though the stock was certainly large."
"I'm sure he had his reasons," Farris protested.
"And something he said while providing us with alias's upset you," Fin added.
"More a disrepute towards us than suspicious behavior. The names – well, I'm not sure of the meaning of mine, but Keeran means 'little dark one,' while Naresh means King," Farris explained. The teen bristled.
"How dare he imply that I'm in the league of the enemy!" Fin cried. "And him, King? How is he the leader of the expedition any more than you?"
"Actually, he does happen to be in charge," Farris muttered.
"Well, the bastard doesn't deserve it," Fin grumbled.
"Fin…" Farris shot his godson a warning glance. The teen rolled his eyes but nodded in submission all the same.
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By the time Dhiren returned to camp, it had been set up and twice checked over. Farris and Fin were seated by an empty firepit chatting contentedly. Two makeshit tents had been set up twenty or so feet away from the firepit, and the horses – both fed and watered – were tied to stakes hammered into the ground. A rope with a sack tied to its end has been thrown over a high tree limb, enabling them to store good away from dangerous creatures lurking in the forest later that evening.
"I see you made an attempt to set up camp," Dhiren greeted them.
Fin bristled. "I think you mean we succeeded in setting up camp," he shot back. "And I see you didn't fare so well in your task." The teen nodded at Dhiren's empty arms. "Where's our firewood, then?"
"Being senior, I have no obligation to tell you this, but will if it satiates you. I had other, more important obligations to attend to."
"And what might those be?" Fin asked suspiciously.
"Top secret information," Dhiren sniffed, smirking at the younger boy.
"Scared to tell us, are you?" Fin taunted.
"Fin!" Farris said sharply, laying a family hand on his godson's shoulder. "Now, Dhiren, what do you find inadequate about the camp?"
"Well, for one thing, there's no fire," Dhiren sneered.
"That is a doing of your own. We expected you to secure firewood, but as you were unable, we have no fire," Farris defended himself.
"Next time, be more prepared," Dhiren ordered. "Finneaus – firewood, now." Glaring, fin jolted up from his seat and stalked into the woods.
It wasn't long before he lost sight of his companions, probably Dhiren's intention. Fin has a strong suspicion that the older man had sent Farris to procure firewood not only because they were in need of the supply but also to give himself and Farris time to talk. Although Finneaus hated being in the dark, he figured that dawdling at the edges of the forest would prevent Dhiren from speaking with Farris which would benefit neither Fin nor his godfather.
Determined to prove his worth to Dhiren, Fin began to amble about the woods, feeling each individual piece of wood and gauging its damp before adding it to his pile.
He had been fathering wood for a good fifteen minutes before the odd sensation of somebody watching him because to creep up the boy's spine, sending shivers through his body and causing small goose bumps to rise upon his muscled arms. As he wandered through the trees, Fin whipped around every few minutes, expecting to see a dark figure with a weapon of some type, perhaps a knife, clutched in a leather-gloved hand with a twisted leer plastered on his face. Each time, Fin's eyes landed only on a smattering of trees, browning leaves drooping from their tired limbs.
Just as Fin made the decision to head back to camp with his load of wood, the now familiar tingle crept up his spine once more and he had to repress the urge to throw down his wood sprint back to Farris and Dhiren screaming at the top of his lungs.
Moments after the teen began to relax, the sound of a snapping stick reached his ears and Fin froze, body completely rigid posture similar to that of a wary fawn. Ears perked, he listened for further noises. Then, quick as a whip, he twisted round and scanned the area for life. As he looked to his right, Fin's peripheral vision caught a wisp of gray hair. Whipping his head to the left, he also caught the tail end up a skirt whipping behind a tree trunk, followed by a small, feminine "oh!" as it caught on a shrub.
Knowing his duty, Fin dropped his wood and broke into a sprint, almost falling as he slid around the tree trunk and skid to a stop. The teen examined the space in front of him, looking for any sign of his curious – and possibly dangerous – visitor.
Oddly, she – Fin was fairly sure that the person was female, judging by the cry of dismay – seemed to have simply disappeared. Pursing his lips in frustration, Fin turned to walk back to his abandoned firewood, but not before bending down to snatch up a scrap of rough brown fabric which caught his eye.
It seemed to be the fabric from the dress which he had spied only moments before. Stuffing the cloth into his pocket to show Farris and Dhiren, Fin stood back up and returned to gather his wood.
Arriving back in camp a few minutes later, Fin found Farris and Dhiren in a thick, angry cloud of silence, his godfather sharpening a knife and Dhiren adding ingredients to a large pot.
"You return, at long last," Dhiren observed, harshly chopping a freshly peeled potato in half.
"You'll be happy I was out so long. I found something of interest," Fin said excitedly and ignoring Dhiren's negativity. The older man looked on skeptically, but the teen didn't notice, as he was looking at Farris for approval, which he readily gave.
"And what would this be? Something useful to the case?"
"Somebody – an old woman, I'm pretty sure – was watching me. I turned around many times because I thought I heard somebody, and I saw her running behind a tree the last time. I sprinted after the woman but couldn't catch her. Instead, I found where her skirt ripped on a bush," Fin explained, pulling out the scrap of fabric and handing it to Farris. Dhiren had already begun to build a fire with the wood Fin dropped at his feet.
"Interesting," Farris said with enthusiasm.
"Give it here," Dhiren ordered, reaching across the now merrily crackling fire and snatching the fabric from Farris. He examined it closely. "This doesn't look like much. You could have found it anywhere. You're probably just imagining things," he scoffed. Fin opened his mouth to defend himself, but Dhiren had already thrown the fabric into the fire.
"Hey! That could have been evidence!" Fin cried desperately.
"Pah. A child's excuse for evidence, that's all," Dhiren replied, returning to his cooking. Fin's face reddened in both anger and embarrassment.
"I'm going to the tent for some rest," he mumbled, shuffling away towards one of the makeshift homes and barely paying attention to Farris's explosion towards Dhiren about crushing dreams.
Oooooh a cliffie! Who is the mystery woman? I know and you don't! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! (can y'all tell that I had coffee ice cream?) Okay, Calm down, Cate. Thanks for reading, and I would love it if you took the time to review!